SiriusXM and New England College in Concord, New Hampshire announce that former New Jersey Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie will take part in a town hall event with P.O.T.U.S. channel host Steve Scully. The special program takes place before an audience at the school tomorrow (9/12) at 1:00 pm ET. The former governor is also expected to take questions from audience members.
President Joe Biden’s bad poll numbers; the possibility of a government shutdown without congressional action; Biden’s trip to Vietnam; today’s 9/11 anniversary; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the Hunter Biden investigation; North Korea’s Kim Jong Un’s expected meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin; the UAW threatens to strike; the search for escaped PA killer Danelo Cavalcante; the search for survivors of the Morocco earthquake were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Afternoon drive personality Big John Howell has exited Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM, Chicago
after more than 10 years with the station. WLS posted the following to Facebook: “Yesterday was John Howell’s last show on The Big 89. He has been a staple of 890 WLS for over a decade. His wit, political prowess, and focus on Chicago conversations has given our audience a destination for smart, local radio in the afternoons. Thank you, John, for being a part of the fabric of The Big 89.” Howell has not commented publicly on his departure from the station.
SiriusXM announces that talk media personality Megyn Kelly signs a new contract to continue hosting “The Megyn Kelly Show” live on the platform. SiriusXM says, “Under the multi-year deal, the veteran journalist and legal expert will deliver her signature commentary and hard-hitting interviews through the
2024 election season and beyond. ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ will premiere exclusively on SiriusXM Triumph channel 111 on weekdays from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm ET, with the program later available on all major podcast platforms. The program will also air a special edition on September 14 when Kelly interviews former President Donald Trump. Kelly comments, “I’m thrilled to continue my relationship with the great people at SiriusXM who have been tremendously supportive of our show from the start. In an age where conversations are being stifled and news skewed to please the politics of only a small set of people, it is a privilege to work with a company that values free speech and open, respectful, elevated debate.”
The third of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s August 2023 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s August 2023 sweep covered July 20 – August 16. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM jumps nine-tenths to finish with a 6.7 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that lifts it to the #3 rank in the market, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX adds a half share for a 1.9 share finish good for the #18 rank. In San Antonio, Alpha Media’s news/talk KTSA tacks on one-tenth to wrap the survey with a 2.6 share and rises to the #15 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WOAI dips two-tenths for a 2.4 share finish and falls to the #17 rank. In Salt Lake City, Bonneville news/talk KSL-AM/FM jumps six-tenths for a 4.9 share finish that lifts it to the #5 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KNRS-AM/FM drops 1.2 shares to finish with a 3.4 share that drags it down to the #11 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.
Fisher House Foundation announces that Larry O’Connor of Over the Top Media is taking over production of the foundation’s talk radio program, “The Fisher House Story,” that is made available to talk
radio stations for free to air around holidays including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day, as well as year-round programs. The Fisher House 
Foundation is a non-profit that provides housing for families of patients receiving care at major military and VA medical centers so they can be near their loved ones. O’Connor, who hosts the morning drive program at Cumulus Media’s news/talk WMAL-FM, Washington, has hosted the show in the past. Fisher House says, “This informational talk show will inspire listeners through stories of amazing service members, veterans, and their families. Producer and host Larry O’Connor’s love and respect for our military will only amplify these radio specials.”
Audacy welcomes reigning Virginia Sportswriter of the Year Michael Phillips to its air staff as host of the late morning (10:00 am to 12:00 noon) sports talk program “MP on the Mic” on WRNL-Richmond
“SportsRadio 910 The Fan,” beginning Monday (9/11). In addition to his work as a sportswriter, Phillips has been a frequent guest on “The Fan.” Audacy Richmond SVP and market manager Bennett Zier states, “Michael Phillips, for many years, has been highly regarded as the most respected voice of Richmond and Virginia Sports. We are delighted to have MP wear our ‘910 The Fan’ jersey for Audacy Richmond.” Phillips previously served at the Richmond Times-Dispatch as sports editor and interim executive editor.
FOX News Channel is adding another weekend program starring talk media personality Mark Levin. Levin has been hosting his “Life, Liberty & Levin” program on Sunday evenings at 8:00 pm ET and will now
add a Saturday edition of the program that will also air at 8:00 pm ET. FNC EVP of primetime programming Meade Cooper says, “Since joining the network in 2017, Mark has provided our audience with thought-provoking analysis on America’s core values and their impact on current events. We are looking forward to expanding his popular show to two nights a week.” Levin comments, “It’s an honor to join the other outstanding hosts on Saturday in bringing the most intelligent, informative and entertaining programming to the nation. Thank you to our loyal audience and FOX News.”
Maverick talk show host, Rick Smith is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Ranked by TALKERS at number 100 on the journal’s Heavy Hundred list, Smith – who has positioned himself as a tell-it-like-it is champion of the working class – is described by Michael Harrison as “somewhat of a square peg in a scene dominated by round holes on both the left and the right.” The Chicago-based genre-bender is a 30-year Teamster trucker-turned-working-class talker heard 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm ET on dozens of radio stations across the U.S. – a mix of commercial and public. He tells Harrison, “I’m not a red hat, I’m not a blue hat… I’m a hard hat.” His left-of-center talk media footprint is enhanced by exposure on a variety of cable TV channels including Free Speech TV, DirecTV, Dish and more. He has a successful podcast with millions of downloads, and he streams on Facebook, X, Twitch and YouTube. All this is accomplished with a modest, independent operation run by two people and a homemade studio. His show’s slogan is “Where working people come to talk.” Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.
The various legal battles facing former President Donald Trump again came together as the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was President Joe Biden’s low job ratings, followed by the 2024 presidential race and the legal theory Trump may be disqualified from the ballot due to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment 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.
Steven Goldstein’s Amplifi Media and Coleman Insights’ Jay Nachlis are presenting a free 30-minute webinar today (9/7) at 2:00 pm ET that addresses what Goldstein calls “truly an important shift taking place in podcasting right now that affects how your podcast will be found. YouTube is now the top destination for podcast listening and discovery. The impact is significant in a variety of ways.” Goldstein says today’s webinar “will show you how people are using YouTube and offer seven key insights on how to maximize your podcast’s exposure in a sea of content.” The link for the webinar is here.
Cumulus Media appoints Tricia Walker VP/market manager for its Cumulus Tri-Cities, Tennessee station group, effective October 1. The Tri-Cities includes Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol. She was most
recently director of sales at the company’s Beaumont, Texas/Lake Charles, Louisiana operations. The cluster includes news/talk WJCW-AM, sports talk WXSM-AM and two music brands. Walker says, “I’m extremely excited to be joining our Tri-Cities team. Cumulus Media is a great company to be a part of, supporting its employees with many great resources for our success. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve our Tri-Cities team, advertisers, and community. I have family in the market and can’t wait to call Tri-Cities home.”
Next Tuesday (9/12), Ramsey Solutions presents a free livestream program titled, “Student Loan Debt in America: How We Got Here and How We Get Out” at 8:00 pm ET. Nationally syndicated radio host and bestselling author Dave Ramsey and “The Ramsey Show” co-hosts Rachel Cruze and Jade Warshaw will offer insights to make student loan repayments easier and more manageable. Ramsey says, “We want everyone in America who is scared and feeling the burden of student loan debt payments to know there’s hope. You can get through this. Making a plan now, and preparing for these payments to resume, will help you feel less anxious and more confident. And we’re here to walk you through it. In the process, you’ll learn how to better handle your finances now and in the future.” You can register for and watch the livestream here.
The second of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s August 2023 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s August 2023 sweep covered July 20 – August 16. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Washington, DC, Hubbard Broadcasting all-news WTOP-FM adds two-tenths for a 9.3 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #2 in the market, while Cumulus Media news/talk WMAL-FM is steady with a 3.5 share but rises to the #7 rank. In Seattle, Bonneville news/talk KIRO-FM dips two-tenths to finish with a 4.7 share and falls to the #7 rank, while Lotus Communications all-news KNWN-AM/FM declines three-tenths to wrap the survey with a 2.0 share good for the #19 rank. In Phoenix, iHeartMedia news/talk KFYI adds a full share for a 3.9 share finish that lifts it to the #10 rank, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KTAR-FM adds three tenths to finish with a 3.0 share but remains ranked #15 in the market. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.
Longtime talk media host, commentator and director of the Good For You Network (www.goodforyounetwork.com) Claire Carter (a.k.a. C.C. Carter) is making the audio files of two of her compelling short-form podcasts about 9/11 available at no cost for airplay on interested radio stations in time for this coming Monday’s 22nd anniversary of the tragic attack on America.
The first titled, “Never Again Should There Be a 9/11,” (8:00) is a plea for American government and
society alike to learn from the mistakes made before, during and after the tragedy so as to prevent such an atrocity from happening again. Carter tells TALKERS, “On the Sunday after 9/11, I listened to a sermon titled, ‘Making Sense of the Senseless.’ Its overriding message was: We cannot allow all these people to have died in vain. We need to do good in their name. And so to honor and remember all those who died, all those who survived, all those involved in the rescue and recovery efforts, as well as all those whose lives will never be the same, I have written and recorded a moving, memorable and thought-provoking piece, ‘Never Again Should There Be a 9/11,’ with the music, ‘Help is on the Way’ composed and performed by composer, David Friedman. It is all the more compelling when you watch the video on YouTube.” Carter adds, “We came together then. Can we come together again for the sake of the well-being of our nation and world. And what will it take to prevent such a horrific act from happening again? Thank you for caring and getting the vocals, the music and the video to as many people as possible around the world – including government officials who need to ensure our safety and security.” View the video here.
Regarding the podcast, “Reflections on 9/11,” Carter says, “Two months after 9/11, I went down to the World Trade Center site to pay my respects. I walked over to the makeshift ‘Teddy Bear’ memorial site, where people had spontaneously left notes and cards – and teddy bears. I wanted to write down some of what was left, because it was meant to be heard. I wanted to give voice to peoples’ hearts and heartache. And so, I ask you to listen to the raw emotions emanating from their hearts. ‘Reflections on 9/11’ (4:11) with music by Gunhill Road that you can download here. Please share with everyone you know. Remembering all those beautiful souls who left us that day is the least that we can do – and so much more.” Download “Never Again Should There Be a 9/11” here. To arrange a timely interview with C.C. Carter contact Victoria Jones at DC Radio Company. 917-865-3991 or victoria@dcradiocompany.com.
iHeartMedia names Joe Donnarumma SVP of sales for the San Francisco market that includes business news KNEW-AM “Bloomberg 960” and KKSF-AM “Black Information Network,” plus five music brands.
Donnarumma most recently served with Univision as president and GM for the company’s radio and TV assets in Arizona. iHeartMedia region president AJ Punjabi comments, “Joe epitomizes the excellence we champion across broadcasting, streaming, podcasts, live events, and our digital frontier. His vast experience magnifies our dedication to leading the audio-digital realm. With Joe, we’re not just adding a title – we’re harnessing a powerhouse of industry insight.”
Tomorrow (9/8), the Nasdaq opening bell ceremony will feature LiveOne subsidiary PodcastOne as it
celebrates the completion of its direct listing on Nasdaq and spin-out as a separate public company. After the spin-out, LiveOne will own approximately 80% of PodcastOne (on a non-fully diluted basis) and continue to consolidate PodcastOne’s financial results. LiveOne says it expects PodcastOne shares at $8 per share minimum.
ABC Audio enters into a multiyear podcast advertising deal with Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. ABC Audio vice president Liz Alesse says, “ABC Audio’s podcast business is flourishing, and we’re poised to make several exciting content announcements this fall. We’re thrilled to have AdvertiseCast in our corner as we expand our podcasting footprint even further and take this business to new heights.”
Westwood One is again providing exclusive play-by-play coverage of the National Football League’s entire primetime regular season as well as every postseason game, marking the 37th consecutive season that Westwood One is the exclusive network radio partner of the NFL. This will be the 51st time that the network will broadcast the Super Bowl to a national audience.
OutKick debuted “OutKick the Morning with Charly Arnolt” this morning (9/7) at 8:00 am ET. The daily, half-hour show will be live each morning and comes ahead of OutKick’s plan to roll out a two-hour morning show with Arnolt and a co-host later this year.
Audacy’s BetQL Network ushers in the football season with a fall lineup that includes 99 hours of original content each week. BetQL Network brand manager Andrew Williams says, “As anticipation for the upcoming football action reaches its zenith, we’re proud to present an array of engaging shows, expert analysis, and thrilling insights that are set to redefine sports betting entertainment. With this fall football lineup, BetQL Network continues to set the gold standard in sports entertainment, offering a comprehensive experience that spans the spectrum from analysis to excitement, predictions and pulse-pounding action.”
Research Director, Inc brings Chuck Sullivan aboard to lead business development. Sullivan most recently served with Milwaukee Radio Alliance and Audacy in Denver. Research Director CEO Marc Greenspan comments, “When I was first introduced to Chuck, I saw right away that he would be a great fit for our company and especially, our clients. I am so excited to welcome Chuck to the RDI family and look forward to working with him.”
President Joe Biden’s negative job ratings; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race and the 14th Amendment argument that could keep Trump off some states’ ballots; special counsel’s intent to seek an indictment of Hunter Biden on gun charges; the migrant crisis; and Hurricane Lee expected to become a major threat by the weekend were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
New York City talk radio personality Mark Simone signs a new, three-year deal with iHeartMedia’s news/talk 710 WOR to continue hosting the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show. Simone says, “There’s no better
place to be in the radio world than iHeartRadio. Thanks to the finest broadcasting executives around, Tom Cuddy, Thea Mitchem and Bernie Weiss for making it all happen. Walking to work every day is like walking through the Radio Hall of Fame. Just to get to my studio, I pass Elvis Duran, Jim Kerr, Charlamagne tha God, Angela Yee and other all-stars.” WOR program director Tom Cuddy adds, “When I joined WOR almost 11 years ago, Mark was my first hire. Since then, it’s been a blast watching Mark grow into becoming the highest-rated radio talk host in his time slot, along with digital numbers that are among the highest in the country.”
EDITOR’S APOLOGY: The above story about Mark Simone’s new contract at WOR originally ran yesterday (9/5) in TALKERS. Unfortunately, our art department utilized a combination of hand-rendered illustration, CGI and AI in creating a headline banner image that apparently missed its mark. The premise was to depict Simone as the proverbial “800 pound gorilla” of New York radio in which his avatar – a Simone lookalike – inspired by the legend of King Kong, was depicted as a determined figure climbing the Empire State Building. As it turned out, the King Kong reference was not clear to our readers because there was no actual ape depicted and Simone received a large number of emails telling him that TALKERS ran a photo of the wrong guy. We meant it to be a caricature but our creative plan backfired. Simone was upset by the image telling TALKERS, “I have had dozens of caricatures done of me in the past. They are usually somewhat cute. Never had a problem with them. Yours looked hideous and really cheap. When radio people try to do it, they have no skill at it… no one thought it was a caricature and no one thought it was me. The 13 emails I got from radio execs asked me why you used a picture of someone else, so they never thought for a second it was supposed to be a caricature and no one noticed anything to do with the Empire State Building.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Simone is right. Looking back at it now, with the increased objectivity of having a full day to think it over, I can understand why he was upset, although there was nothing specifically disparaging about the image. It just wasn’t clear that it was meant to be him and that he was supposed to be climbing a building in an iconic scenario. After all, a media personality’s sound and image are their brand and they must be protective of its depiction. We have subsequently pulled the banner from the website and replaced it with a more standard format with the same copy but a different graphic (see above). The irony is Mark Simone and I have been friendly for more than three decades and I’ve often stated that he is one of the greatest and most successful radio personalities in New York and the nation, not to mention a top notch human being. I still think that. All of us at TALKERS deeply regret this mistake which was the result of an overly-zealous attempt at being creative. In the world of publicity there’s the old saying ‘as long as they spell your name correctly.’ Well, I guess in this case we spelled Mark Simone’s face wrong.”
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s August PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s August 2023 sweep covered July 20 – August 16. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, Red Apple Media news/talk WABC-AM/WLIR-FM dips one-tenth to finish the survey with a 3.1 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but rises to the #10 rank. At Audacy’s crosstown all-news WINS-AM/FM, the station is flat at a 4.9 share but falls to the #7 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia news/talk KFI adds six-tenths for a 4.8 share finish that lifts it to the #3 rank, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news KNX-FM rises one-tenth for a 2.9 share good for the #12 rank. Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP, Dallas rises four-tenths to a 4.3 share that lifts it from the #9 to the #4 rank, and Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta tacks on one-tenth to finish the survey with a 6.6 share and remains ranked #3. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways here.
The Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated Lars Larson show celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. Larson hosts a daily afternoon show on Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM, Portland from 12:00
noon to 4:00 pm in addition to the syndicated program heard 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm PT. Larson states, “20 years ago this month, Peter Kosann (then CEO of Westwood One) asked me to do a nationally syndicated radio talk show to replace a departing host. When Peter and I both left WWO and he formed Compass Media Networks, he asked if I would continue the partnership we had forged in the first six years. I quickly and happily agreed. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Cumulus Media and sports media personality Rich Eisen announce a new deal with the Cumulus Podcast Network to distribute, market, and monetize all existing and forthcoming podcasts with the newly formed Rich Eisen Podcast Network. This includes Eisen’s latest production, “What The Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask,” which debuts on September 12. Most recently, Eisen launched
“Overreaction Monday” on September 4 that expands on the most popular segment of his flagship podcast, “The Rich Eisen Show,” into its own weekly podcast with Eisen and co-host Chris Brockman reflecting on the biggest fan- and hysterical media-driven overreactions from the previous weekend’s professional and college football games. To support his growing podcast network, Eisen has built an expanded studio and team in El Segundo, California with state-of-the-art recording equipment and set design. Eisen says, “Since joining the Cumulus family, they have shown unwavering support for my vision in growing my brand. As I have expanded my suite of services, they were the only ones I wanted to do business with, and I couldn’t think of a better place for my voice and productions to be heard over the coming years.” In addition to his podcast network, Eisen hosts the pregame and halftime shows for Westwood One’s syndicated “Monday Night Football” coverage and anchors “The Rich Eisen Show,” also syndicated by Westwood One for national radio.
FOX Sports Radio announces that sports media personality Jason Fitz is joining the network’s weekend programming as co-host of the Saturday morning show, “The Fellas with Anthony Gargano and Jason
Fitz,” that debuts on Saturday (9/9). In a joint statement, iHeartMedia Sports EVP of programming Don Martin and FSR SVP of programming Scott Shapiro say, “Jason’s addition is such a wonderful fit with the FOX Sports Radio team. Anthony and Jason will host such an electric show together, getting fans jazzed up for each weekend. This lineup has never been stronger or deeper – it’s everything stations need to deliver the most entertaining and engaging football coverage every weekend.”
Audacy’s mental health initiative, “I’m Listening,” is being presented on September 20 this year. In partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the broadcast will bring
together artists, athletes, medical experts and others to highlight why talking about mental health is important and discuss how they manage their own mental health. Carson Daly, radio personality and co-host of NBC’s “TODAY” and “The Voice,” returns to host the special and is being joined by Katie Neal, Audacy’s nationally syndicated country host and Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, psychologist, author and scientist who founded the mental health nonprofit The AAKOMA Project.
The son of WIP, Philadelphia midday host Hugh Douglas, also named Hugh Douglas, died in a car crash in Georgia on Monday (9/4). The younger Douglas – a student at Morehouse College – was traveling with fellow student Christion Files Jr. who also perished in the crash. The elder Douglas is a former star defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. He co-hosts the WIP show with Joe Giglio.
iHeartMedia, Inc announces that chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and COO and CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the BofA Securities 2023 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference on Wednesday, September 13 at 9:40 am ET. A live webcast of the session will be available to the general public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website. A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.
In celebration of yesterday’s (9/5) International Day of Charity, Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, in association with Telepictures, debuted the “Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon” podcast in collaboration with iHeartPodcasts and SixDegrees.Org. In his new show, Bacon will encourage listeners to make a difference in the world around them and will help them to lean in, learn and be inspired to act.
CNN Audio announces that CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is leading listeners into an exploration of the human body’s most intricate and fascinating organ – the brain – when the eighth season of his podcast “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta” returns, premiering Tuesday (9/12).
Former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the state of Americans’ attitudes toward President Joe Biden’s economic policies; Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy in the January 6 case; the Alabama congressional map ruling; the health of Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell; the search in Pennsylvania for escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante; and the possibility Tropical Storm Lee becomes a dangerous hurricane were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
News and talk radio pro Steffan Tubbs announced last month that he’ll exit his 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm KNUS-AM, Denver talk show on November 3. Tubbs, who has served in Denver with iHeartMedia’s news/talk KOA as well as Salem Media Group’s KNUS, has been producing documentaries in addition to his radio
work. In a Westword profile, Tubbs talks about his ascent in the news business, his plans for the “final chapter” of his working life, and his current film project about the deadly drug fentanyl. Locally, Tubbs has caused controversy with his 2020 documentary, Denver in Decay. About that film, Tubbs tells Westword, “That documentary kind of put me on the map as being one of the most hated media members by local politicians in Colorado in recent memory, and I embrace that. But with all the hate and praise, the one thing no one has ever said is that Denver in Decay is inaccurate. You can say all you want if you don’t like the messaging, but you can’t attack the accuracy or the credibility.” Read the full story here.
This morning (9/5) at 7:00 am, JVC Broadcasting launched the 24-hour Spanish-language news/talk format on WLIM-AM, Medford/W227CL, Port Jefferson branded “En Vivo.” The station is being programmed by Ana Maria Carbalo. JVC says, “Long Island has a huge Hispanic population that continues to be underserved. That was made abundantly clear during the pandemic. Long Island needed information in Spanish. ‘En Vivo’ will be a dedicated source that will not only deliver relevant information about what’s happening in our area but also educates and creates opportunities for the Hispanic population to prosper by providing the tools and resources they need.” Pictured above is the air staff producing the morning program.
Longtime Nashville sports media personality Joe Dubin (right) is returning to Cromwell Media’s WPRT-FM “The Game” to co-host the 9:00 am to 11:00 am program “The Chase & Big Joe Show” alongside
director of operations and sports programming Chase McCabe (left). Middle Tennessee State alum Dubin was an original host on “The Game” when the station flipped to sports talk in 2012. He has also hosted programs on WNSR-AM, WKRN-TV, and WSMV-TV. McCabe says, “This is a surreal moment for me. After being able to watch Joe on TV, intern with him and then produce his shows on “The Game,” I am thrilled to be able to finally co-host with him. Joe is one of my mentors who always taught me to laugh and we will be doing a lot of that each weekday. I’m so glad to have him back on the team.” Read the Tennessean story here.
According to a report in Cowboy State Daily, Susan Patrick is pleading guilty to defrauding the IRS.
Patrick – co-owner of Patrick Communications and Legend Communications with husband Larry Patrick – admits to hiding $10 million in business revenue and $9.5 million in personal income. The companies own stations in Cody, Worland, Sheridan, Buffalo and Gillette under the Big Horn brand of networks. The report indicates that Patrick could get up to three years in prison and be fined up to $250,000 when she’s sentenced on December 19. Read the full story here.
SiriusXM and New England College announce that former Vice President Mike Pence will take part in a town hall event with P.O.T.U.S. channel hosts Julie Mason and Steve Scully. The special will take place before an audience at New England College outside Concord, New Hampshire on September 6, with the one-hour special premiering at 3:00 pm ET.
LiveOne announces that its subsidiary, PodcastOne, secures a long contract extension with co-founder and president, Kit Gray. LiveOne CEO and chairman Robert Ellin comments, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Kit Gray. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in building PodcastOne into the success it is today.”
FOX Sports Radio announced the addition of NFL pro tight end and two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph to its lineup as co-host of “FOX Football Sunday” with FSR weekend personality Mark Willard.
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc and the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation announce that Lucretia Lee-Arceneaux is the first 2023 MIW NABLF Launch program recipient. Launch is a brand-new partnership between MIW and the NAB Leadership Foundation dedicated to supporting and guiding women in radio who are relatively new to the industry. The first of its kind, this program will target the development and curation of talent, this year focused on the engineering side of radio. Lee-Arceneaux serves as a broadcast IT engineer with iHeartMedia.