TALKERS News Notes
Kevin Washington Rises to Operations Manager Alpha Media-Dayton. 
Effective 10/1, Kevin Washington has been named operations manager for Alpha Media’s five Dayton, OH stations (WDHT-FM, WROU-FM, WGTZ-FM, WCLI-FM and sports talk, WING-AM). Washington has 20+ years of experience with Alpha Dayton and most recently held the position of APD/promotions director. Alpha Media’s SVP/market manager Brett Beshore tells TALKERS, “I’m thrilled to be promoting Kevin into this pivotal role with Alpha Dayton. He’s consistently demonstrated strong commitment to the organization’s values and goals, delivering exceptional results with everything he’s undertaken. There’s no one more deserving. He’s the absolute best choice to lead our highly[1]talented team with our heritage brands.” Washington adds, “I’m excited to take on this new role with Alpha Media. We have great stations in the market and greater people inside the building. I’m looking forward to this next chapter.”
Bob Longo to Retire as VP/GM of Cox Media Group TV – Jacksonville. 
After 35 years of service and leadership in local broadcasting, Bob Longo is retiring as VP/GM of Cox Media Group (CMG) TV – Jacksonville (WJAX-TV and Hoffman Communication’s WFOX-TV), effective Dec. 31. Longo’s career has deep roots in journalism. He started in radio as a reporter, anchor, news director, and talk host before moving to TV as a reporter and anchor, executive producer, and news director. He led newsrooms in Binghamton, Buffalo, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Jacksonville. He joined CMG in 2014 and was promoted to VP/GM in 2017. “Bob has been successful at every stop because he’s a personable and engaged leader with an unwavering commitment to journalistic excellence and financial performance,” said Dan York, CMG’s president/CEO. “He’s consistently brought passion to serving his local communities and has been an ardent advocate for the value of local news and investigative journalism. While we’re happy for him, we’re going to miss Bob’s optimism and leadership.”
Broadcasting weekdays 5:00 am to 9:00 am PT, the show delivers what station sources describe as “unmatched news coverage of the critical stories shaping the community.” 
The program has a reputation for being a trusted news source dedicated to delivering timely and accurate coverage tackling everything from local and national news to business, entertainment headlines plus traffic and weather reports. Known for her warm delivery and engaging storytelling, Carter’s distinguished career includes roles at major news outlets such as WBBM in Chicago and Newsradio KFBK in Sacramento, where she became known for her sharp reporting and ability to connect with audiences. She will report to PD Mary Ayala who tells TALKERS, “I’m thrilled to welcome Veronica to our team,” adding, “Her depth of experience, vibrant enthusiasm and passion for connecting with the people of California make her a great addition to our morning show.” Carter comments, “I’m honored to join such a respected team and excited to connect with our listeners each morning, bringing them the news and stories that matter most.” Carter replaces LaDona Harvey, who announced she was stepping down from the role earlier this month.
Remote News Service (RNS), a boutique news network providing hyper local, and custom news and traffic remotely, has added four new affiliates. These include station clusters in Wisconsin in both Prairie du Chien and Viroqua, and in Michigan two more markets, Soo and Sault Ste. Marie. Gabe Buch, OM/PD at Robinson Media’s WQPC, Prairie du Chien tells TALKERS, “Remote News has a been a life saver! Very easy to work with and they went the extra step to make our news local. The transition to Remote News was very easy and the anchor we chose is easy to work with and sounds great.” Michael SanAngelo, OM for Sovereign Communications adds, “Our company is on the Canadian border, and we’ve struggled for years to find the right person to collect, write and deliver solid local and regional news on our seven-radio station group. In just two weeks with Remote News Service, our news content has been night and day better and exactly what we have always wanted.” RNS owner Lesley Lotto tells TALKERS, “I’m floored once again at the tremendous growth! 54% this year so far. But this is not about me, it’s our amazing team who continues to attract new clients due to their dedication and hard work. I’m beyond proud.” To learn more about RNS, 
Premiere Networks announces the addition of “
Ham is a prominent journalist, FOX News contributor, speaker, author, and co-host of the news podcast “
The duo will help listeners navigate the headlines that matter most to American families and understand how they affect them. Known for being funny and a bit irreverent, yet serious and thoughtful about important issues, Markowicz and Ham have one purpose in mind: to keep the audience informed without wearing them out.
What’s it like to be a self-made billionaire mogul with powerful ownership interests in the media, grocery, energy, real estate, political, and sports industries? TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison presents a candid one-on-one dialogue with Red Apple Group CEO and WABC, New York owner John Catsimatidis that covers all the above bases and then some. “Cats” discusses his ongoing plans for WABC Radio; the future of the AM radio dial; roots of the inflated cost of food and gasoline; his development of beach front condo properties in Coney Island, NY and St. Petersburg, FL; and what he describes as his “common sense” approach to today’s political environment. Catsimatidis’ life is the embodiment of the American Dream – a true rags-to-riches story of a Greek immigrant who came to New York City with his family at the age of six months and worked his way to success, starting in his parents’ humble grocery store, to become one of the most influential individuals in the nation. Harrison and Catsimatidis take the viewer on an amazing “fun” journey from the nostalgic sidewalks and baseball stadiums of old New York to the pinnacle of 21st century business, media, and technology. To view this exciting new entry on the TALKERSMEDIA YouTube channel, please 
Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor member and legendary radio play-by-play announcer Al McCoy has passed away peacefully at the age of 91. The longest tenured team broadcaster in NBA history, McCoy was widely known as the “dean of NBA broadcasters” for his years of service and unique broadcasting style. He served 51 seasons as “The Voice of the Suns,” calling his first game on September 27, 1972 and his last on May 11, 2023. McCoy’s unforgettable calls of the most memorable moments in Suns history, including three trips to the NBA Finals, and his trademark phrases from “Shazam!” to “Zing Go the Strings” to “Heartbreak Hotel” have cemented his legacy throughout Arizona and the NBA. His distinctive voice, vivid descriptions and deep knowledge of the game created a unique style that remained a staple for more than five decades. McCoy will long be known as the Voice of the Phoenix Suns. His many contributions to basketball and sports broadcasting were recognized when he received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. The first play-by-play announcer inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004 and a 2009 inductee into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, McCoy earned the team’s highest honor when he became the 15th person inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor in 2017. Funeral services are pending.
Written in 1787, signed on September 17, 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Today is the anniversary of that initial signing. After spending all summer crafting the original seven articles of the historic document, an assemblage of the nation’s founding fathers in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention, under the leadership of George Washington, created what would prove to be the ideological and legal backbone of the United States of America. The 39 remarkable individuals who put their signatures to the document included such icons as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Gouverneur Morris.
Haley, who as a former GOP candidate has played an important role in the ongoing presidential race, will also offer her opinions on the campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Throughout the hour Haley will also have open dialogues with an array of guests and callers, featuring conversations about the challenges facing Americans of varying perspectives and backgrounds. Haley tells TALKERS, “The American people are smart. They’re sick of distractions in DC and noise from the mainstream media. They want to know what the issues are and how the solutions will impact them. I’m excited to partner with SiriusXM on a show that breaks down the policies and empowers them with the facts.” As part of the multi-platform agreement, video of the program will be available on the SiriusXM app, and the show can be found across major podcast platforms following its premiere on SiriusXM.
As millions of voters across Los Angeles County decide how to cast their ballots in the pivotal race for district attorney, Audacy’s KNX News 97.1 FM and the Los Angeles Times are joining forces to present a live debate between incumbent George Gascón and challenger Nathan Hochman on October 8 at 5:00 pm PT. Sources at Audacy Los Angeles tell TALKERS, “With criminal justice top of mind for voters across Southern California, the KNX News/L.A. Times debate will dig into the key issues impacting safety, equity, and quality of life for the residents of America’s most populous county ahead of the November 5 election. The one-hour, commercial-free debate will air on KNX News (97.1 FM & 1070 AM) with live video available on the digital and social platforms of KNX News and the Los Angeles Times. KNX News anchor Mike Simpson and chief correspondent Charles Feldman will moderate the debate. Panelists will include L.A. Times reporters James Queally and Brittny Mejia and KNX News reporter Emily Valdez. Media interested in attending should contact Alex Silverman at 
“Our industry is going to take a while to reset itself, like the newspaper industry,” he said, estimating that this “reset” would come in 10 years, or not at all. “This might be the new normal.” Pictured above: Adell (l) with radio historian and videographer Art Vuolo (r). Vuolo tells TALKERS, “He invited me to video in studio the launch of Super Station 910 the first week of September a year ago as he re-branded WFDF-AM 910 as news/talk. He wanted to go after WJR, but with mostly syndicated programming from Premiere Networks. Interestingly 910 now with 50 kw is the third biggest AM signal in Michigan!” For more info, see the entire Detroit Free Press article here. 
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of female leadership in radio broadcasting, and the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF), name Rachel Haggerty as the 2024 MIW NABLF Launch Program mentee. Started in 2023, Launch is a 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 fosters the development and curation of talent. Haggerty graduated from Seton Hall University in 2019, where she was actively involved with WSOU-FM, serving as assistant technical operations director and later as student manager. After graduation, she completed the National Association of Broadcasters Technology Apprenticeship Program, interning with iHeartMedia’s New York City radio stations. She then worked locally and with a national support team at iHeartMedia before becoming the assistant chief engineer at WABC-AM. Since 2023, she has returned to iHeartMedia New York, working with Premiere Networks on nationally syndicated talk shows. Rachel is also an active member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers and holds a Certificate in Broadcast Radio Engineering.
Harrison addressed the issue of artificial intelligence’s impact on talk show hosts as well as society in general presenting a mixed forecast of both good and bad news. To watch the video in its entirety please click here 
Across the nation, talk media hosts from radio, television, cable, podcasting, and YouTube channels were literally working overtime immediately before, during, and after the historic ABC News presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. TALKERS received reports from across the talk industry that, unlike so many events of this nature that prove disappointing, this debate delivered an edge-of-the-seat, non-stop drama that evoked comparisons to an emotional sporting event like a 12 round heavyweight championship bout during the golden age of boxing. Legendary WPHT, Philadelphia midday host Dom Giordano was in attendance reporting for his station as well as hundreds of others across America that tapped into his swing state perspective on an ad hoc basis. 
Giordano tells TALKERS, “Being in the Spin Room was like being in the middle of multiple simultaneous rugby scrums while trying to discuss the most sensitive issues for our country.” During post-debate coverage, lead election anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum announced that FOX News Media sent letters to both the Harris and Trump campaigns around 7:30 pm before last night’s debate requesting the opportunity to host an additional debate in October. Here’s an excerpt from the letter:
Fox Weather Names Former Weather Channel Exec Jason Hermes as VP/Ad Sales and Partnerships. FOX Weather, FOX News Media’s free ad-supported streaming television “FAST” weather service, has hired Jason Hermes as vice president of advertising sales and partnerships, announced Trey Gargano, EVP of FOX News Media advertising sales. Hermes, who was most recently the VP of content marketing sales at The Weather Channel, began his new role yesterday (9/10) reporting to Dan Realson, SVP, FOX News digital sales. Gargano said, “We are thrilled to welcome Jason to the FOX Weather team as we’re certain his decades of experience in developing and executing innovative strategies will help drive monetization and operations across our growing weather platform.” Hermes tells TALKERS, “In just three years, FOX Weather has become the fastest growing weather service in the country, and I am excited to work with the team to help drive further innovations and brand expansions.” FOX Weather is a 24/7 free ad-supported television service (FAST) operated by FOX News Media.
Dickey Broadcasting Company (DBC) appoints Andy Roth as director of programming for DBC’s heritage sports-talk radio station, Sports Radio 680/93.7FM The Fan, Atlanta. A 30-year radio veteran, Roth takes the reigns of the region’s oldest sports radio station – home of the Atlanta Braves, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Official Sports Talk Station of the Georgia Bulldogs. Prior to joining Atlanta-based DBC, Andy had been the sole brand manager for 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland since it signed on in 2011.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andy Roth to the Dickey Broadcasting Company family,” says David Dickey, president of DBC. “His extensive experience and strategic acumen will be instrumental in driving our programming and content-creation strategies forward to provide Atlantans and the region’s sports fans with the best shows, insight, and analysis. We are very confident that Andy’s experience and leadership will help us achieve new levels of consumption and listener engagement for our listeners, our team partners, and our great sponsors.”
One More Debate Story Out of Philly. We must share this with you. Last night’s spectacular was a bonanza of activity for Audacy’s swing state news/talk giant WPHT (as is this entire election). The station is the home of Walter M Sterling’s idiosyncratic “Sterling Every Damn Night” 9:00 pm – 12:00 midnight. Sterling (a.k.a. Walter Sabo) aired the entire debate followed by probing analysis from a male entertainer, “Donald Trunk,” in addition to “Steven a baker and bakery owner,” “Thea Landen, a smutty book author,” “Celena Ballerina a senior in college” and the station’s real midday host Dom Giordano. For one hour, they discussed how crappy their food and electrical bills are as well as how confusing the debaters were. A caller thanked Thea for her nightly smutty book readings stating, “She reminds me of my wife.”
as well as streaming on the WGMD app, and TalkOfDelmarva.com. That will be accompanied by a real-time, interactive blogging event at RealNewsTalk.com. FOX News Media will present live coverage surrounding the debate with special programming available across all of FOX News Media’s key platforms, including FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Nation. Cumulus media/Westwood One host Dan Bongino will host a special live edition of his podcast on Rumble preceding and during the debate beginning at 8:00 pm ET.
iHeartMedia announced today (9/6) that Jill Strada has been named Senior Vice President of Programming for Atlanta, effective immediately. iHeartMedia Atlanta has six radio stations in the market comprised of talk, news, and music formats. Estrada will be responsible for oversight of all the Atlanta stations. She will report to market president Spencer Bynes who tells TALKERS, “We are thrilled to welcome Jill Strada to the iHeart Atlanta team. Jill has a remarkable talent for launching, developing, and elevating brands in fiercely competitive markets. Her proven track record of success and unwavering dedication to excellence make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team.” Strada joins the Atlanta market from Cox Media Group Miami, where she most recently served as director of operations.
WABC, New York/Red Apple Media owner/CEO John Catsimatidis continues to add intriguing live elements to the lineup of his radio station and leverage them into product for his growing syndication platform, Red Apple Audio Networks. The latest such addition to the station and network is unapologetically controversial political strategist Roger Stone. Since the 1970s, Stone has worked on the campaigns of Republican politicians, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, Bob Dole, and most recently, Donald Trump. Stone’s show is heard on WABC, Sunday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET. The first two hours focus on national and world news and are available to radio stations across the nation via the Red Apple Audio Network. The third hour is specific to WABC and issues focused on the New York area. In making the announcement about his new association with Stone, Catsimatidis tells TALKERS, “His insightful commentary on the political landscape and what’s ahead for America will be of tremendous value to our listeners in New York, around the country, and around the world.” Stone adds, “John has done a great job bringing in big names from politics, business, and entertainment and I’m looking forward to enjoying being on the radio, sharing my perceptions about what’s going on in Washington and the world, and connecting with listeners across America.”