Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place this past Friday (6/7) at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments. See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.
Pictured (l-r) are the industry visionaries who made the “Brave New World” panel one of the most illuminating highlights of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond – Matthew B. Harrison, Esq., VP/associate publisher, TALKERS / Senior Partner, Harrison Legal Group; Steven Goldstein, CEO, Amplifi Media; Heather Cohen, president, The Weiss Agency; John T. Mullen, GM, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; and Scot Bertram, GM, WRFH / Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Not pictured, moderator Harry Hurley, morning host, WPG, Atlantic City. The session explored radio’s generational divide, the impact of YouTube and social media; changing technology, the protection of intellectual property rights, artificial intelligence and more.
Bill Brady, owner/host, KFNX, Phoenix “The Pulse of Arizona” delivered a compelling address appropriately titled, “The Case for AM Radio” that received a standing ovation.
WPG, Atlantic City morning host Harry Hurley (r) presented Broadcasters Foundation of America chairman Scott Herman (l) with a donation of $8,000 from the famous Hurley in the Morning Charty Foundation. Each year, beginning with a $1,000 donation in 2017, Hurley has presented a gift to the BFoA at the TALKERS conference increasing the sum by a thousand dollars each year. The total now stands at $36,000. Herman delivered an emotional address detailing the tremendous work the Broadcasters Foundation does each year in providing financial support and protection to radio and TV professionals who have fallen on hard times due to catastrophic health issues or natural disasters. For more information about the Broadcasters Foundation of America please click here. www.broadcastersfoundation.org
Rob Finnerty, host of “Wake Up America” on Newsmax TV, delivered an insightful lunchtime address titled “In Front of the Camera” expressing the perspective of talk show hosts on the television side of talk media. Newsmax sponsored the lunch at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
he will report directly to president Bruce Beasley and will be responsible for overseeing WMMR-FM, WMGK-FM, WXTU-FM, BEN FM, 97.5 The Fanatic, WWDB 860 and Camden’s WTMR 800. He states, “I am deeply honored and thrilled to take on the role of cluster manager for Beasley Media Philadelphia. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Beasley family for their unwavering trust and confidence in me. It is an incredible privilege to lead one of America’s premier groups of radio stations and digital content creators, and I look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence and innovation in the media industry.”
discussions and analysis of local issues.” Charlottesville Radio Group operations manager and WINA program director Paul McDaniel says, “We are thrilled to extend ‘The Schilling Show’ by an hour each weekday. Rob’s ability to connect with the audience and provide insightful commentary has made the show a cornerstone of our programming. This expansion is a testament to his unparalleled work and the loyalty of his listeners.” Schilling comments, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend more time daily with my loyal listening audience as we further explore and examine pressing issues of the day. This additional hour will allow for more compelling guests, more in-depth analysis, and most importantly, more time for WINA listeners to engage with their community.”
In case you missed it, honesty was on full display at Friday’s TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond conference.
Bill Doyle from the co-host role. The new “Deminski & Moore” show airs from 2:00pm to 7:00 pm. Deminski states, “The stupid robots in grocery aisles, your phone that fell in a toilet, the governor’s hairstylist somehow avoiding charges, the fact that Kylie still doesn’t understand how to eat M&Ms, the neurosis we all have and never dare talk about. Kylie is fun, smart, and unique. I love the wide range of topics we’ll be able to cover.” Moore says, “I’m excited to partner with Jeff Deminski. He’s one of the hardest-working and most genuine people I know, and you can hear his passion through the airwaves. He can make me laugh, think critically, and argue with him all before we hit our first traffic break!”
The broadcasts will feature a simulcast live audio feed from Monumental Sports Network’s television broadcast and fans will be able to hear all 25 of the Mystics’ remaining regular season games available on the network this season. While most radio broadcasts will air on The Team 980, select games will air on “106.7 The Fan” (WJFK-FM) and The Bet Washington (WJFK-AM), and all games will be streamed locally on the Audacy app.
daypart to morning drive, taking over for Maxwell Schaeffer and Amy Sweet, who exited the station earlier this year. He posts a message to Facebook saying, in part, “Iowans are all about connecting with each other and WHO Radio has always been at the heart of that. We’ll have conversations about the most important topics of the day, and we’ll share a few laughs along the way.”
downloads, listens, or views never contemplated a device utilized by multiple people. What we have uncovered is that there is actually a fair amount of co-listening to podcasts that takes place. Whether it be with kids, friends, or family, the podcast industry is leaving ears on the table. There is a richer consumption story to be told as it is not just one person per download. For agencies and media planners, being able to examine co-listening by genre or podcast can offer invaluable insights into reaching the true audience.” Other notable findings include: 1) Marketers targeting people with a side hustle will find a rich concentration among men, heavy, and 18-34 podcast consumers; 2) Podcast pioneers and women like to go back to listen to back episodes and episodes they missed; 3) YouTube has been the most utilized podcast listening platform in the U.S. over the past year and a half: 31% say it is the platform they use the most, followed by Spotify (21%) and Apple (12%); and 4) As the world’s entertainment search engine, YouTube is the dominant podcast discovery platform where audiences are more likely to find podcasts. 
Almost everything I know about pricing strategy I learned from domestic airlines. Guess what? Airlines are at it again and I hope you are watching and learning.