SABO SEZ: Star Search – They’re Out There!
By Walter Sabo
a.k.a. Walter Sterling, Host
WPHT, Philadelphia, “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night”
and TMN syndicated, “Sterling on Sunday”
Conventional industry wisdom: “If our morning star leaves, we’re dead. How could we replace them?”
First, loosen up the criteria. There are actual conversations taking place right now at an AC station between executives afraid to hire a great country jock because she has never “done AC.” Let that nonsense go and pay attention to the qualities of a star.
Consulting work brought regular demands to find star talent. Disruptive. Audience builders. Talent can be found anywhere, everywhere when we put down the notion of an ideal resume.
FAVORITE STORY: I was on the 23rd Street bus a few years ago. It was packed. There was a woman on her cell phone giving advice to a caller about living with a man prior to marriage. She had a big personality, easy to hear. New Yorker after New Yorker listened to this intriguing conversation and then… passenger after passenger started to express their opinions to this passenger, on a New York City bus, at rush hour. By the time she had to get off, half the bus was participating with her in her private conversation.
I wrote her a note on my card and asked her to please get in touch with me.
She did. We had coffee for one hour. It seemed like five minutes. Her life story was intriguing, overwhelming, timeless.
Anna Smith. “Anna on the Bus.” I had her in the production room at Audacy in New York and tough big city radio people gathered around the studio and whispered to me, “She should have her own show.”
Anna tells compelling stories: Her father was an 18-wheeler. He would arrive first with his deliveries. Dispatchers usually sent him to the back of the line because he was Black. After waiting for hours to dock, he was fined for late deliveries.
Anna lost several of her seven children to disease and shootings. No anger. Just “the way of the world.” Stories like that. She’s been on my show many times. She’s a radio star.
“Anna on the Bus.”
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 “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night” is heard on WPHT, Philadelphia. 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.
commentator for game day broadcasts. Starks has been a member of the Steelers Audio Network broadcast team since 2021, and transitions from his previous role as sideline analyst to join play-by-play host Rob King in the booth. Missi Matthews continues to deliver game day reporting from the sidelines. In addition, King and Starks will co-host, “In The Locker Room, Presented by Neighborhood Ford Store” that airs in-season from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Steelers Nation Radio and on WBGG-AM “FOX Sports Pittsburgh.”
Ask any dog: The humans’ greatest invention EVER? Ice cream. Share summer’s sweetest treat with them, and listeners, during National Ice Cream Month.
to elevating Black culture and storytelling across podcast and video platforms” that will serve as the exclusive home for both the Amplified Voices Podcast Network and the soon-to-launch Amplified Voices TV. Superadio and AURN CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey says, “This launch represents a powerful evolution in our mission to serve Black audiences. By creating three distinct digital destinations – AURN.com, Superadio.com and AmplifiedVoices.com – we are sharpening our focus to better meet the needs of our listeners, viewers and content distributors.”
receive on our mobile phones. With underlying frameworks that are 31 and 13 years old respectively, we think it’s time to explore if structural changes to these systems are needed, with an eye towards making sure we are leveraging the latest technology to save lives. Similarly, we will also vote to initiate a review of our system for collecting real-time data on network outages and restoration during and after major disasters. Since its inception in 2007, our Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) has proven to be a valuable tool for collecting actionable information to help with recovery efforts. While the DIRS reports are valuable, they can be time-consuming to produce, drawing resources away from responding to an ongoing disaster. The Commission will vote on reforms to streamline DIRS to make sure that its benefits outweigh its burdens. We’ll close our August meeting by removing unnecessary regulations and injecting common sense across the Commission’s policies—critical features to streamline the implementation of our Build America Agenda.” 
“Eric from Dominion saying he was going to make sure President Trump lost the 2020 election.” That was picked up and broadcast by OAN network and further repeated by the Trump campaign and Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. Coomer also sued MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and won a $2.3 million judgement. Courthouse News also reports that Coomer is also suing Salem personality Eric Metaxas who recently filed with the court to settle and is awaiting approval from the court. Interestingly, Corporon – a practicing attorney – is representing Gateway Pundit owner James Hoft who is also being sued by Coomer for defamation. That case is scheduled to go to trial in April of 2026. 
and NPR’s most popular podcasts – “NPR News Now” and “Up First” – maintain their first and second-place finishes, respectively. Changes of note from May to June include Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” rising three places to #5, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” rising one spot to #10, and iHeartRadio’s “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton” falling two places to #16. 
In radio and podcasting, editing isn’t just technical – it shapes narratives and influences audiences. Whether trimming dead air, tightening a guest’s comment, or pulling a clip for social media, every cut leaves an impression.
Let’s look into the crystal ball. Humor me if you will.
How obsolete does this sound? “Newsweek magazine.” News, gathered during most-of the week, had to be frozen by week’s-end, on deadline, to roll the presses in time for hard copy to be delivered in Monday’s snail mail. Back then – picture people dressed like “Mad Men” characters – enough subscribers felt informed-enough to deliver Return On Investment for the magazine’s advertisers. Seems antique. Now, news is reported moment-to-moment, on any device. And newsweek.com is there… along with everyone else competing for attention.
There are two broad categories of thought: Task. Creative. When in creative mode, a person innovates, imagines, plans, and solves problems. An idea bank is a bank! Money grows from the results of imagination: new products, new music, new formats, new sales strategies. Business growth depends on new!
Internet adopted under the Biden Administration and network interconnection. FCC chairman Brendan Carr says, “We’re continuing to clean house at the FCC, working to identify and eliminate rules that no longer serve a purpose, have been on our books for decades, and have no place in the current Code of Federal Regulations. Today’s action is just the latest step the FCC is taking to follow the Trump Administration’s effort to usher in prosperity through deregulation. And it’s just one of many, with more on the horizon, so stay tuned.”
“Godzilla Wins,” that airs Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:00 am ET. John Fredericks says, “Coach Vince is a tremendous asset to our weekend sports broadcast. He has built an enormous fan base in a short period of time. His insight and knowledge of professional and college sports is enlightening and uncanny. Most importantly, Vince is a dedicated mentor and teacher whose keen analysis engages and informs our listeners as well as our younger contributors, whose careers in broadcasting we are dedicated to growing.” JFMN programming is heard on 23 radio stations, plus via multiple streaming platforms including YouTube Live, Rumble Live, X-Live, GETTR Live, and JFMN.TV.
and 
Sterling, who hosts a Saturday afternoon sports talk program on 77WABC, will provide play-by-play of the game, as well as the Little League pre-game. This event includes pre-game activities for families including meet-and-greet opportunities with 77WABC on-air personalities and sports legend Dwight Gooden, Fastest Pitch and Home Run Derby contests, Kids Zone, Sports Memorabilia Silent Auction and more! Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis says, “Shriners Children’s gives hope to children and their families across the country and around the world, regardless of their ability to pay. At WABC Radio, we are proud to partner with Shriners Children’s and, together, provide a fun-filled day for our community while supporting this great mission.”
MLB Draft hosted by SiriusXM’s Dani Wexelman and Grant Paulsen with former MLB general managers Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette. SiriusXM will also cover the Home Run Derby on July 14 beginning with a Media Day show at 2:00 pm ET. The All-Star Game will be broadcast on July 15 with pre-game coverage starting at 5:00 pm ET. 
monthly audience. In fact, the top eight spots are the same as the May ranker, including FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” holding on to the #5 spot. One move of note is Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” jumping 12 places to the #19 rank. 
contributor to CNN. Jennings says, “We’re going on offense. Every day, I’ll take calls, interview big names, and take the fight directly to the liberal machine. It’s time to bust the narratives and bring back some plain old common sense.” Salem SVP Phil Boyce comments, “Scott Jennings is a disruptor. He’s the Lone Ranger of the CNN panel, armed with facts and fearless in delivery. He doesn’t just survive in hostile territory — he dominates. Now, with a national platform on Salem, Scott becomes a daily fixture in the battle to save the country.” Jennings new show replaces “The Jack Posobiec Show” in the SRN live broadcast slot, while Posobiec continues as a force on SPN with exclusive podcast content.
featured live each night from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET. Root says, “Tens of millions of die-hard Trump supporters go to theGatewayPundit.com 24/7 for the news and opinions that you won’t find in the mainstream media. It’s the perfect platform and synergy for my podcast. This is a marriage made in heaven. My daily podcast offers raw truth, the most exciting content for MAGA fans, and the most intense, passionate, combative, controversial, in-your-face, high-energy show anywhere in American media, combined with the biggest personality, and the loudest MAGA mouth on the planet. My show takes your breath away. It’s two hours of ‘pedal to the metal, balls to the walls,’ without taking a breath.”
Are archived shows – whole hours – your station’s only on-demand offering? It’s an easy checkbox: post the aircheck, call it a podcast.
designed for women working in small to medium radio markets across any department. One deserving candidate will be selected to receive personalized coaching and mentorship from MIW’s network of experienced female executives as well as certified coaches from Media Staffing Network. MIW Board president Sheila Kirby says, “MIW is proud to continue honoring Laurie Kahn’s legacy through the Speak Up! Program. Each year, we have the opportunity to support emerging female leaders and help them find their voice and path to growth in our industry. This program represents the very heart of our mission.”
2025. The inductees will be honored at the in-person 2025 Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on October 30 at the Swissotel Hotel in Chicago. Among this year’s inductees are: Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”; Mike McVay of McVay Media; and Julie Talbott, president of Premiere Networks.