Industry News

Good Karma Brands Unveils Milwaukee Bucks Content

Good Karma Brands launches Bucks+ Audio, a new audio platform created by the company and the Milwaukee Bucks. The first five podcasts dropped at Bucks.com/Plus. The initial podcasts are: “Behindim the Bucks,” presented by Gallagher; “Hear District,” hosted by Marques and Kris Johnson, “Bucks in Six,” hosted by Greg Matzek, “Thanalysis,” hosted by Thanasis Antetokounmpo and “Courtside with Gale Klappa.” GKB Milwaukee market manager Greg Scalzo says, “Bucks+ Audio connects Bucks fans to the team in an innovative audio format. The first podcasts provide a deeper look into the Bucks and share untold stories of the team and organization.”

Industry News

NRB 2024 Underway in Nashville

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Pictured above is Salem Radio Network vice president, news & talk programming Tom Tradup (right) with New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg (left) at the 80th National Religious Broadcasters association conference in Nashville. Rosenberg – founder and editor-in-chief of All Israel News – hosts the weekly “Rosenberg Report” from Jerusalem on Trinity Broadcasting Network. NRB 2024 concludes tomorrow evening with an address by former President Donald Trump.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

iHeartMedia chairman & CEO Bob Pittman and COO & CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on Tuesday March 5 at 5:50 pm ET. A live webcast of the session will be available to the public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website (https://investors.iheartmedia.com/). A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.

New England Public Media’s popular local radio show “The Fabulous 413” celebrates its first anniversary on WFCR-FM, Amherst, Massachusetts “88.5 NEPM.” Program co-host Monte Belmonte says, “I’m not one to generally look back or laud anniversaries, but I’m very proud to be a part of this program that Kaliis [Smith] and I have built with the team over the past year here at NEPM. We originally likened this show to ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’ for adults, and I hope we’ve done our best to live up to that lofty goal. And whether you’re working in public media or not, what better role model is there to aspire to than Fred Rogers?”

Public media firm GBH announces a $5 million grant from The Fiducia Fund to support “The Culture Show,” a daily news program shining a spotlight on arts and culture. GBH says the grant, pledged over a five-year period, will allow for the show’s sustainability and expansion to multiple platforms, including streaming on YouTube, a daily podcast, a weekly newsletter, events that include live broadcasts at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library, and featured segments on GBH News’ Greater Boston, a daily news program airing on GBH 2, and streaming live on YouTube. GBH president and CEO Susan Goldberg comments, “The arts are vital to a thriving community and ‘The Culture Show’ brings the local arts scene to the forefront for our listeners. This extraordinary commitment from The Fiducia Fund is the largest gift ever dedicated to GBH News. It is invaluable to ensuring we can continue to expand our coverage of the arts.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/20) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The presidential race and former President Donald Trump’s FOX News Channel town hall event; the U.S. migrant crisis and Trump’s plans for “mass deportations”; the battle in Washington over aid to Ukraine and the death of Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny; the failed UN resolution for a cease fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza; the Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; Wikileaks founder Julian Assange‘s bid to avoid extradition to the U.S.; and two adults are charged with homicide in the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Veritonic and Realeyes Unveil Audio Attention Report

Audio analytics and research platform Veritonic, in partnership with computer vision and attention AI company Realeyes, publishes their first Veritonic Audio Attention Report that analyzes effective audio advertising. The report provides data-backed insight into the importance of creative efficacy programs for audio andim podcast advertising. Some of the key takeaways include: 1) Attention quality was highest for the audio ad that had the highest voiceover volume (36%) as opposed to the ad that had the lowest voiceover volume (27%) and the ad that had too many competing elements within the creative (25%); 2) 75% of participants reported a good quality audio ad positively influences their consideration to purchase a product; and 3) The inclusion of multiple competing audio components elements within an audio ad caused the ad to score lower in terms of overall quality than the ads without multiple competing elements. You can get the full report here.

Industry News

KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh’s Marty Griffin Hospitalized

KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh morning drive co-host Marty Griffin is currently off the air at the Audacyim news/talk outlet and has been admitted to the hospital at UPMC dealing with what he called “crazy, insane” pain in his throat. Griffin, who battled throat cancer several years ago and has been in remission, says that late last week he couldn’t swallow anything and that the pain was something he never felt in his life. At this time, Griffin has been diagnosed with pneumonia, but doctors are also trying to determine if he has an infection of if the cancer has returned.

Industry News

Chanley Painter Named FNC Overnight Anchor

FOX News Channel signs Court TV’s Chanley Painter as overnight anchor, effective February 26. Aim Court TV correspondent since 2019, Painter has covered the high-profile trials of Bryan Kohberger, Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard, Alex Murdaugh, Harvey Weinstein, and the death of George Floyd. In 2021 she was awarded the Scripps Give Light award for leadership, dedication, and hard work in legal journalism. She got her start in the industry in 2016, as a legal analyst for Nexstar Media Group, where she went on to become a multimedia journalist. Painter earned a Juris Doctor degree with high honors from the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law.

Industry News

Alabama Broadcaster J. Holland to Retire

YHN Media Group, LLC announces that Alabama radio personality J. Holland will retire from theim Yellowhammer News Network later this month, putting the wraps on a broadcast career of 50 years. Most recently, Holland has been the afternoon news anchor on the network. During his career, he’s served with more than 25 radio stations. In the early 1990s, he moved into the news/talk format, serving with WAAX, Gadsden before moving on to WVNN, Huntsville and then WERC, Birmingham. He’s been with the Yellowhammer News Network since 2015.

Industry News

SiriusXM and RealClearPolitics Partner for New Show

SiriusXM announces a new weeknight political program produced in collaboration with the independent,im non-partisan media company, RealClearPolitics. The “RealClearPolitics” show premieres on February 26, airing nightly from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET on SiriusXM’s P.O.T.U.S. channel 124. RealClear Media Group chief content officer Andrew Walworth hosts the show along with co-hosts Carl Cannon and Tom Bevan.

Industry News

LABF Announces New Board Members

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) announces that Tony Coles, Dr. Caroline Frick, and Leo MacCourtney have been elected to the organization’s board of directors. The announcement was made by co-chairs Heidi Raphael, Beasley Media Group chief communications officer, and Jack Goodman, former NAB general counsel and longtime DC-based communications attorney. Tony Coles is president of multi-cultural business and development and president of BIN: Black Information Network. Frick is an associate professor at the University of Texas, and MacCourtney is president of Katz Television Group.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/19) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The battle in Washington over aid for Ukraine and the death of Vladimir Putin opponent Alexei Navalny; the Israel-Hamas war and the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump and the Fani Willis misconduct investigation; the presidential race and President Joe Biden’s age; the U.S. migrant crisis; the Iran-backed Houthi militia’s attacks in the Red Sea; and the intense rainfall hitting California were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: The Local Radio Advantage

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imIf you’re a news/talk station, don’t assume that you own “news radio” in your market. Imaging is important, but it merely talks-the-talk. You walk-the-walk with local news copy that delivers what solid commercial copy does: benefits. Just doing local news makes you special. But do listeners simply hear a station voice… reading something? Are you merely… accurate? Or do you deliver “take-home pay,” unwrapping the story to tell the listener something useful?

In many homes, there are now fewer radios than smart speakers. And nobody has ever said: “Alexa, please play six commercials.” But she can play millions of songs. So do streams and YouTube.

What can make a music station different from all those other audio choices is the way you help folks cope, how relevant and empathetic you are, how you sound like you have-their-back as day-to-day news has them wondering “What NEXT?”

And boosting tune-in exposes your advertisers better. So, Time Spent Listening is still the ballgame. Specifically, you need to add occasions of tune-in, and this week’s column begins a three-part series of news copy coaching tips that can help bring listeners back more often.

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Simply rewriting source material can make a huge difference. Press releases torture the ear. They’re formal, and prone to jargon and spin (especially from politicians). When they’re from the police, they’re written in cop-speak. And most press releases are written inside-out, emphasizing a process, rather than the consequence to listeners.

Process example: “At Thursday’s work session of the Springfield City Council, a decision was made to move forward with Community Days this year. The annual Community Days celebration is scheduled for June 16 and 17th. Council members made sure the Community Days funds will be handled by an independent accountant. Councilwoman Sharon Grant said…”

Re-write to lead with consequence: “The annual Springfield Community Days celebration will be June 16th and 17th. After last year’s controversy, Council members made sure the Community Days funds will be handled by an independent accountant. At Thursday’s session, Councilwoman Sharon Grant said…”

That simple tweak is well-worth the minimal effort. Listeners are mentally busy. Remove “Styrofoam words.”  Example: “State Police say they are investigating a possible case of child endangerment after a seven-month-old child was treated for severe injuries.”

Simply delete “say they.”

Next week: Ripped from the headlines… 

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

iHeartMedia Debuts Two Florida Sports Talkers

iHeartMedia Florida debuts “FOX Sports Radio Orlando 97.9 FM/AM 810” on former Spanish news WRSO-AM, Orlovista and “FOX Sports Radio Jacksonville AM 930” on former Spanish news WFXJ-AM,im Jacksonville. Both stations will air the full slate of FOX Sports Radio programs. These format flips spell the end of the “Accion Radio Network” airing Spanish-language news/talk and information. iHeartMedia North Florida area president Paul Rogers says, “We remain fully committed to providing the best quality entertainment and information to the Hispanic residents on the First Coast and will continue to explore ways we can increase our impact there. The opportunity to return the FOX Sports brand to its original home on AM 930 in Jacksonville was simply too good to pass up. Its appeal cuts across and unites every segment of our community.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

PodcastOne acquires the exclusive sales and distribution rights to “Camp Counselors with Zachariah Porter and Jonathan Carson.” The podcast first launched in 2022 and has released nearly 100 episodes to date. PodcastOne president and co-founder Kit Gray says, “We’re thrilled to welcome ‘Camp Counselors with Zachariah Porter and Jonathan Carson’ to our network at PodcastOne. Zachariah and Jonathan have created a great comedic podcast, and we’re looking forward to putting our considerable marketing and ad sales strength behind the show to grow its listenership and revenue potential.”

Multimedia sports platform OutKick says January data from Comscore credits it with 7.1 million total multiplatform unique visitors, up 22% versus December 2023. It also delivered 33 million total multiplatform views in January 2024, up 29% versus December 23, and saw 33 million total multiplatform minutes, up 27% versus the prior month. OutKick founder Clay Travis says, “We kick off the year once again with numbers that not only speak to the platform’s growth but our commitment to providing engaging content to our audience. OutKick is the only destination for common-sense reporting with talent that’s unafraid to speak their minds on any topic. I’m looking forward to an exciting year and continuing to drive the conversation.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The presidential race and questions about President Joe Biden’s age and his fitness; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump and the Fani Willis misconduct hearings; the U.S. migrant crisis; Russia takes the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka and the death of Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny; the Israel-Hamas war and the International Court of Justice hears arguments over Israel’s occupation of territory claimed by Palestinians; FBI warnings about Chinese hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure; and the report of Russia’s planned space-based nuclear weapons were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Nielsen: Radio Can Grow Reach of Political Campaigns

Audacy SVP and head of research & insights Idil Cakim dives into a new political study by Nielsen (commissioned by iHeartMedia, Audacy and Cumulus) that suggests advertising on radio can provide political campaigns with an edge and help “connect with key voter groups and amplify other political advertising.” The Nielsen study – Optimizing Political Campaigns in November – concludes that “if a campaign reallocated 20% of existing ad dollars to radio, it couldim reach 17% more voters.” The study references Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman’s 2022 campaign, noting that it deployed radio to reach voters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In doing so, it allocated 20% of media dollars to radio and generated a 10% lift from radio above the local TV campaign, amounting to 676,000 additional voters at no extra cost. Audacy SVP of strategy, partnerships and analytics Jon Blum says, “When campaigns activate a TV plan, they should activate a corresponding radio plan and incorporate it into the mix with TV. The portion of the population that isn’t reachable via TV could be the swing vote and what throws it over the top for a candidate.” Nielsen’s study noted that if a campaign moved 20% of ad spending to radio, the optimized media plan would connect with 15% more Democratic and Republican voters and 23% more unaffiliated voters. See more about the study here.

Industry News

FOX News Media Promotes Two to Ad Sales Leadership Team

FOX News Media names a new advertising sales leadership team. Trey Gargano rises to EVP of ad sales, overseeing all FNM platforms, including FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Newsim Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX Weather and FOX Nation. He takes over for Jeff Collins, who was recently elevated to president of the division for FOX imCorporation. Additionally, Ryan Roelle is promoted to SVP of national sales where she will focus on endemic and national advertising in addition to leading linear and digital sales across the country. In making the announcement, Collins says, “Over the past four years, Trey’s vast knowledge and deep understanding of the news marketplace helped drive new revenue streams while Ryan has increased the effectiveness and performance of our endemic and national sales teams. Together, they will ensure continued growth across FOX News Media platforms and success for our valued partners.”

Industry News

WSCR, Chicago to Present “QB1 Town Hall”

Audacy sports talk WSCR-AM, Chicago “670 The Score” is addressing what’s on every Chicago sports fan’s mind as it presents a live broadcast of the “Parkins & Spiegel Show” (Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel) called, “QB1 Town Hall.” The Wednesday (2/21) broadcast looks at whether the Chicago Bearsim should keep quarterback Justin Fields or trade him in the upcoming draft for the #1 pick. Parkins and Spiegel will kick off the discussion from Audacy Chicago’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Performance Stage from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Football experts and a live audience will join Parkins and Spiegel to weigh in on the looming decision. “The Score” ran a contest this week for a chance to attend the “QB1 Town Hall.” These winners will make up the crowd that will have the opportunity take part in the debate. WSCR VP of programming Mitch Rosen says, “This decision will determine the entire season’s trajectory and the fans are passionate about their views on it. We’re looking forward to opening up this conversation to our listeners and Bears faithful.” The show is being made available via the Audacy app & website, the station’s Twitch, and YouTube channels.