Industry News

Edison: Ad-Supported Audio Dominates Car Listening by Young Adults

Edison Research says that according to its ongoing Share of Ear study, Americans between the ages of 13 and 34 spend an average of just under one hour per day listening to audio in the car with 63% of that time spent with ad-supported audio platforms. Although this demographic listens to a number of ad-supported imgplatforms, AM/FM radio, including over-the-air and radio streams, accounts for 70% of the time spent with ad-supported audio sources in the car. Edison says, “Podcasts rank a distant second, accounting for 11% of ad-supported in-car audio time. Streaming music accounts for a significant amount of in-car audio time, but most of that listening is ad-free. When we filter consumption by ad-supported platforms, streaming music comes in third at 10%. Music and music videos on YouTube close out the fourth slice of the pie at 7%. Note that Share of Ear captures listening by everyone in the car, not just the driver.”

Industry Views

Sabo Sez: The Smartest Minds in the Radio Room

By Walter Sabo
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Host, The Other Side of Midnight
WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Networks

imgWhen in doubt, I recall smart quotes from people in our business who are successful, well paid, kind, and future oriented. I have always focused on what’s next rather than what’s been. These observations drive good results:

“Citytv of Canada is the model local TV News and has been for 50 years.” – Strategist, John Parikal

“Progress moves in many directions. Imagine if cable came first, then someone invented a way to send shows over the air.” – publisher / broadcaster, Michael Harrison

“The goal is a playlist of one song.” – Al Brady Law, a kind mentor and brilliant programmer.

“An Urban station should sound like music bouncing off the rooftops in Harlem on a July night.” – Frankie Crocker

“Top 40 will always be a successful format because by definition it plays the most popular songs of the day.” – Allen Shaw, former vice chairman of Beasley Broadcasting.

“We have a business plan; our stations have to be number 1.” – Robert McAllan, president emeritus Press Broadcasting / founder of WTKS-FM Real Radio. Orlando / New Jersey 101.5.

“One day all music will be on FM and all talk will be on AM.” – Jean Shepherd, WOR Radio host, 1964.

GM Mickey Luckoff on why number 1 KGO, San Francisco moved like an express train: “I hire hosts who have done Top 40. I can teach them Talk; I can’t teach them Radio.”

“My staff just can’t barge into the studio when I’m on, they have to understand this takes concentration, the job is to get to the next thing.” – Howard Stern

“It’s a simple business; people make it hard.” – Edward F. Mclaughlin president EIB network.

“My business decisions are always based on common sense.” – John Catsimatidis, owner, WABC Radio.

“When we release a movie, I stand outside the theatre on opening night and talk to the audience members as they file out. That’s the best research we do.” – Leonard Goldenson, founding chairman ABC Inc.

“No, I don’t watch many TV shows because I know all the stories.” – Fred Silverman, program chief CBS, ABC, NBC.

About streaming music services: “There has always been a box of records next to the radio.” – Bob Pittman, CEO, IHeart.

Tom O’Neil, founder, RKO General Radio, “Pay whatever you have to for a morning man, a production director, and for equipment to make the loudest signal, the rest you’ll have to beg for.”

Walter Sabo has been a C-Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General, and many other leading media outlets. His company, HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers. His nightly show “The Other Side of Midnight” is heard on WABC, New York and the Red Apple Audio Network 1:00 am – 5:00 am. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at sabowalter@gmail.com.  He can be phoned at 646-678-1110.

Industry News

Salem Media Plans Charlie Kirk Tribute

Salem Media announces that it will “honor the life and legacy” of Charlie Kirk on September 10, the one-year anniversary of his tragic death, with a special tribute airing across Salem Radio Network, Salem News Channel and Townhall Media platforms. The special program is being narrated by Salem hosts Mike Gallagher, Larry O’Connor, and Alex Marlow, with a special appearance by imgLarry Elder.  Salem says, “The special tells the story of how Charlie started Turning Point USA in his parents’ garage and built it into one of the largest youth organizations in the country, becoming the most consequential conservative voice of his generation. The program will tell Charlie’s remarkable story largely through his own voice, including rare audio from his first interview with longtime Salem host Dennis Prager when Charlie was just 22 years old.” Salem CEO David Santrella adds, “There was nobody quite like Charlie. He connected with young people in a way few others could and turned that connection into a movement.”

Industry News

WWL, New Orleans Sports Talk Host Mike Detillier Dies at 65

New Orleans sports talk radio host Mike Detillier died at age 65 after a brief battle with cancer. The WWL, New Orleans personality had just learned of his terminal diagnosis and had planned to tell his listeners about it today (9/8), which would have been his 66th birthday. Audacy reports that the longtime NFL and college football imganalyst was just diagnosed less than two weeks ago. Detillier had prepared the following: “Last week, I was rushed to the hospital for stomach pain. After several CAT scans and tests, doctors broke the unbelievable news: I have metastatic pancreatic cancer. Stage 4. Incurable. While it’s an incredibly emotional time, I want to thank everyone – the listeners, the whole team at WWL radio and Audacy, New Orleans, and all those who put up with me over the years – from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to let me live my passion: The game of football. Hosting SportsTalk with Bobby J, Deuce, Hoss, Steve, and the whole crew – working for WWL has been the honor of a lifetime.” WWL brand manager Diane Newman comments, “Mike Detillier captured the heart of our community with his honesty, buoyant personality, and his rich and deep fact-loaded analysis. He became a reflection of this region’s pure passion for football better than just about anybody. Mike is dedicated and has a true love of the game at every level – high school, college, and NFL. And he’s navigated his role with the utmost respect and admiration for players and coaches, and you see that respect in return. His connection to them is as authentic as his accent. And, when we made that decision to put our two Cajuns together to host ‘SportsTalk,’ you could almost hear something click. When you turn the dial and put on Bobby Hebert & Mike Detillier – you’ve tuned into unbridled magic. “

Industry News

FOX Announces 9/11 Anniversary Coverage

FOX News Media reveals its plans for covering the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. FOX network personalities and correspondents will present commemorative packages and interviews while reporting live from locations across New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. imgOn the TV side, FOX News Channel’s “FOX & Friends” is broadcasting live from several locations and will feature interviews with guests about their experiences 25 years ago. FOX News Radio will also offer breaking news coverage of the NYC memorial ceremony on Friday, featuring reporting from Ground Zero. “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” “FOX Across America with Jimmy Failla” and “The Guy Benson Show” will interview guests and newsmakers impacted by the attacks. On YouTube, “The Brian Kilmeade Show” will provide access to some of Kilmeade’s most notable 9/11 interviews, and FNR affiliates will be offered an anniversary special from Kilmeade that reflects on how America has evolved since then.

Industry News

Reflections on 9/11 – 25th Anniversary

As we enter September of 2026, the American talk media industry is gearing up to present numerous specials, documentaries, tributes, interviews, and remembrances commemorating the tragic event that befell our nation a quarter century ago.  According to imgTALKERS conversations held with programmers and talk show hosts across the nation this week, historic events and milestones get heightened attention on anniversaries divisible by five-year intervals with 10-year, quarter- and half-century markers receiving the most. “This is going to be a big one,” exclaimed KSCO, Santa Cruz station owner Michael “MZ” Zwerling stating, “The combination of 9/11 reaching its quarter-century anniversary coupled with the nation being at war with a Middle East adversary makes remembrances of the tragedy even more appropriate than ever.”

In the spirit of this solemn broadcasting occasion, longtime talk media host, commentator, and director of Good For You Network (www.goodforyounetwork.comC.C. Carter is making the audio file of her compelling PodJockey piece titled, “Reflections on 9/11,” available at no cost for airplay on interested radio stations, networks and talk shows for next Friday’s 25th anniversary of the tragic attack on America. The presentation, featuring background music by the legendary band Gunhill Road, runs a tight, crisp 4:15. It is one of the most heartfelt and compelling 9/11 pieces on the internet.

Regarding “Reflections on 9/11,” Carter – an NYC resident – tells TALKERS, “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 people’s hearts and heartache. And so, I ask you to listen to the raw emotions emanating from their hearts. TALKERS founder (and Gunhill Road member) Michael Harrison adds, “C.C. Carter’s ‘Refections on 9/11’ is one of the most powerful shortform pieces about 9/11 on the internet. I am extremely gratified that it is being made available to talk radio again this special year.”

To download the piece, please click here.  To arrange an interview with C.C. Carter, please call Barbara Kurland at TALKERS at 413-565-5413.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (August 31 – September 4)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (8/31-9/4) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

  1. U.S.-Iran Hostilities
  2. Primaries / Midterms
  3. Venezuelan Oil Deal / Trump’s Price-Gouging Allegations
  4. U.S.-Canada Trade War / Lake America Controversy
  5. ICE Operations / Judge Halts Birthright Citizenship Order
  6. The Economy / Bond Selloff
  7. Army Secretary Resigns
  8. Russia-Ukraine War
  9. FTC to Sue Amazon
  10. Gloria Steinem Dies

People

  1. Donald Trump
  2. JD Vance
  3. Mike Johnson
  4. Abdul El-Sayed
  5. Ken Paxton / James Talarico
  6. Nicolás Maduro / Delcy Rodríguez
  7. Mark Carney
  8. Dan Driscoll
  9. Vladimir Putin
  10. Gloria Steinem

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry News

iHeartMedia and Clay Travis Expand Relationship

iHeartMedia and Premiere Networks announce a renewed and expanded agreement with Clay Travis, co-host of “The Clay & Buck Show.” As part of the longterm agreement, Travis will imgcontinue co-hosting “The Clay & Buck Show.” Travis’ new sports media platform Sport & State is partnering with iHeartMedia for a podcast network and with advertising sales across digital and web content. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott states, “Clay Travis is one of the most dynamic and influential voices in talk radio, and we’re thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with him. His ability to engage audiences, spark meaningful conversations, and deliver results for our station partners and advertisers has been extraordinary, and we look forward to continued growth and success together.”

Industry News

KRMG, Tulsa Names Hill & Berg PM Drive Hosts

Zoellner Media Group’s news/talk KRMG, Tulsa announces that April Hill and Steve Berg are the new hosts of the 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm show. KRMG program director Levi May says, “April and Steve are two of the strongest voices on our news team and bringing them together for the afternoon is a natural fit. They know Tulsa, they know news, and most importantly, they know how to connect with our listeners. We’re excited about what they’ll bring to the afternoon and to KRMG.” Hill states, “I’m incredibly excited and honored to be stepping into the role of host of the KRMG imgAfternoon News. KRMG has such a strong connection with our community, and I am thrilled to be able to spend my afternoons telling stories and interacting with listeners. I’m looking forward to working more with this team and sharing some laughs along the way.”  Berg adds, “I’m honored, excited, and humbled all at the same time about the new show. I grew up in Tulsa listening to John Erling on KRMG, interned at the station when I was in college, and ultimately wound up working here. KRMG is kind of in my DNA, so to have my name attached to a KRMG show is almost surreal and very flattering.  I’m eager to begin this new phase at the station.”

Industry News

Tommy Castor to Lead iHeartMedia Salt Lake City

iHeartMedia appoints Tommy Castor has been named market president for the Salt Lake City operations that includes KNRS-AM/FM. Castor was most recently with Audacy as SVP and market manager in Wichita. Area president Glynn Alan states, “We are imgthrilled to have Tommy join the Salt Lake City team. His winning track record, industry expertise, and commitment to excellence make him a tremendous addition to iHeartMedia. Tommy’s leadership will inspire those around him and help position our team for even greater success in the years ahead.” Castor comments, “I’m honored to join the iHeartMedia team in Salt Lake City and lead such a talented group of professionals. This market has an incredible media landscape and strong community connections. I look forward to building on the SLC team’s success and positioning iHeartMedia as the premier media partner in the marketplace.”

Job Opportunity

WBT, Charlotte Seeks News Anchor

107.9 FM WBT, Charlotte’s News Talk is looking for the next great multimedia journalist to join the WBT News Team as a Full-Time News Anchor. If you’re a compelling storyteller on air and on the page, have the ability to deliver the facts beyond the headline, and imgunderstand that there is a critical difference between news reporting and simple dictation, we’d love to hear from you.  What will set you apart? Journalistic objectivity, understanding what makes a news story relatable, the flexibility to cover breaking news whenever it happens and, most importantly, to be a great teammate and collaborator, working with the entire WBTeam of hosts, anchors, reporters, and producers for the benefit of the Charlotte listeners.  If this sounds like you, please upload your resume, air checks and writing samples here.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: “So What?”

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgAbout those commercials… which pay for you. When a prospective client says, “We tried radio. It didn’t work,” I ask to hear the commercial. Within seconds I can tell why.

It opens with the business name. It lists products. It rattles off prices. It stuffs in an address, a website, a phone number, and a slogan. Then it ends. Nothing happened. Nothing memorable. Nothing emotional. Nothing that gave a listener a reason to care. Yet radio gets blamed. Like blaming a fishing rod because you cast with no bait.

The commercial has one job: Make someone care enough to take the next step

That’s it. Not explain everything. Not impress everyone with how many years you’ve been in business.

Its purpose is to create curiosity…confidence…desire…trust…urgency…hope. Any one of those emotions can motivate action. A list of merchandise almost never does.

The listener doesn’t wake up hoping to buy a water heater, or hire a lawyer, or replace a roof. People act when something in their lives creates a need. Good advertising connects with that moment.

A mattress store isn’t selling mattresses. It’s selling better mornings. A financial planner isn’t selling investments. She’s selling confidence. A heating contractor isn’t selling furnaces. He’s selling warmth on the coldest night of the year.

Translate Features into Benefits

Every advertiser has a product. Every customer has a problem. Say it with me: “Successful spots connect the dots.”

Here’s a simple exercise: Every time they mention a feature, ask, “So what?”

  • “We stock thousands of [item].” So what? “You won’t spend your weekend driving from store to store.”
  • “We’ve been serving this community since [year].” So what? “We’ve helped generations of local families buy homes, build businesses, and send kids to college.”
  • “We offer custom designs.” So what? “The ring she’ll wear forever will be unlike anyone else’s.”

If the answer explains how the listener’s life becomes:

  • easier
  • safer
  • faster
  • healthier
  • happier
  • less stressful
  • more convenient
  • more secure
  • more enjoyable

…you’ve found the benefit, and you get paid.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Rare 1977 Interview with Dolly Parton Conducted by Michael Harrison Uncovered in TALKERS Archives

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Dolly Parton‘s recent death at 80 (8/25) marked an irreplaceable loss for the world of music and popular culture.  Her legacy as a songwriter, performer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist stands in a rarified class of its own.  TALKERS founder Michael Harrison experienced what he describes as the “pleasure and honor” of meeting Dolly Parton one time… but their encounter played a historic role in a pivotal turn in her career.  Harrison recalls, “It was almost 50 years ago.  I was the managing editor of the industry trade publication Radio & Records and an influencer in the world of Album Oriented Rock radio as a personality on AOR giant KMET, Los Angeles.  At the time, Dolly was the undisputed queen of country music… but she had not yet crossed over to the broader world of pop, let alone rock.”

In early 1977, RCA Records released a new country-ISH album by Parton titled New Harvest First Gathering with the hope of expanding her media footprint from exclusively country to pop and even rock radio without damaging her established base. In a promotional effort to achieve that goal, RCA recruited Harrison to interview her about her life, career, and the new album, track by track, and sent it out to hundreds of rock and pop stations. Harrison states, “She was absolutely fantastic!” Needless to say, the strategy was successful, and the promotional interview, pressed on 33 1/3 vinyl, got tons of airplay on scores of stations that never would have even thought about playing Dolly Parton. It set the stage for the title track of her next album titled “Here You Come Again,” released later in 1977, to become her first crossover hit.

Harrison recalls, “I had recorded several promotional interview albums for record companies at that time with rock artists such as George Harrison to accompany the hoopla surrounding the release of their new albums without them having to do hundreds of live interviews across the nation. But the idea of doing this kind of thing with an established country music figure as Dolly Parton outside that format was somewhat daunting to say the least. Regardless, all’s well that ends well. My interview with Dolly was well-received by even some of the most ardent rockers on the FM dial.”

To listen to this historic interview, please click here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (August 24-28)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (8/24-28) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

  1. U.S.-Canada Trade War
  2. U.S.-Iran War / Economic Sanctions
  3. Secret Service Leaks and Suspensions
  4. Primary Races / Looming Midterms / Mail-In Voting Restrictions
  5. The Economy / Bond Market Trends
  6. Ratcliffe Warns Putin Against NATO Attack
  7. Flock Cameras Controversy / Data Centers Backlash
  8. Dolly Parton Dies
  9. Natalie Harp Controversy
  10. Jed York Arrest

People

  1. Donald Trump
  2. Mark Carney
  3. Anthony Guglielmi
  4. Darline Graham
  5. Jon Ossoff
  6. Ken Paxton
  7. Abdul El-Sayed
  8. John Ratcliffe / Vladimir Putin
  9. Dolly Parton
  10. Natalie Harp

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry Views

Radio: Human Reserved

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgBill Gates has a useful term for something radio should be thinking about: “Human Reserved.” In an essay about a turbulent AI era, he sketches an unsettling future, and – for broadcasters – has a consequential warning… and an opportunity.

As artificial intelligence performs more and more work traditionally done by humans, he suggests there will be activities we could turn over to machines and deliberately choose not to, because something important would be lost. AI can write a weather forecast, summarize a police report, transcribe a school-board meeting, generate a commercial, voice a liner, research a sales prospect, and assemble an hour of music.

As content gets cheap, human presence becomes more valuable

Search results are AI summaries. Social posts, photos, voices, and videos may be synthetic. Gates warns of AI-powered fraud, disinformation, and deepfakes. Amid all that uncertainty, imagine hearing: “I’m here at the courthouse, where the jury just returned a verdict…”

Could AI manufacture that sentence? Sure. But I know who’s saying it. That’s an asset radio shouldn’t automate away.

Yes, use AI aggressively behind the scenes. Let it transcribe meetings, research prospects, clean up audio, draft proposals, repurpose interviews, and handle routine administrative work. Automate tasks. Protect relationships. Let AI summarize the school-board meeting. Then have your reporter tell me what it means to my kid. Let AI draft ten commercials. Have someone who understands the advertiser decide which idea might actually make the phone ring.

Why advertisers still need us?

Soon every local business owner will be able to generate logos, videos, emails, websites, social posts, and commercial scripts almost instantly. So, “We’ll make your commercial” becomes a nearly worthless sales proposition. The station’s value needs to migrate from selling spots and making ads to: We know this market. We know how to get people here to notice you. And we help make your advertising work.

AI will create an infinite supply of information. What’s scarce will be trust, judgment, relevance, relationships, and recognizable local humans. So, radio’s AI strategy can be surprisingly simple: Use AI to DO more. Use humans to MEAN more.

Here is Bill Gates’ essay: https://www.gatesnotes.com/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry Views

Rock Promotion Legend Paul “Rap” Rappaport Guests on Harrison Podcast

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The new installment of the TALKERS MEDIA channel video podcast, “Up Close Far Out,” features a blockbuster conversation between two album rock “golden age” media pioneers – TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and legendary music industry executive, Paul “Rap” Rappaport.

img“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.

His recently released memoir, Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay, and the Art of Rock Promotion (Jawbone Press, 2025), tells the exhilarating true story of a blue-collar kid nicknamed “Rap” who grew up enthralled by rock ’n’ roll and then found himself right in the middle of many of his heroes’ lives as he became one of the most renowned rock promotion reps in the nation.

Harrison states, “The book is excellent. I particularly found it fascinating and fun talking with Rap because I was also there during one of pop culture’s most colorful chapters and knew him quite well.” Harrison coined the term Album Oriented Rock (AOR) and was the first programmer to specifically develop and promote it as an official format while serving as program director of KPRI in San Diego in the early seventies and as managing editor of the trade publication Radio & Records though the mid-seventies. From 1970 to 1990, he worked in various roles as DJ and/or program director, at major album rock outlets including WLIR, Long Island; WNEW-FM, New York; KPRI, San Diego; KMET, Los Angeles; and WZLX, Boston in addition to being a syndicated personality on hundreds of AOR stations.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation between two media heavyweights who share their firsthand experiences and memories of a truly special era and connect the dots to today’s very different music and pop cultural scene.

To connect to the podcast, please click here.