Wisconsin broadcaster Civic Media closes on WZTI-AM, Milwaukee and
two FM translators it acquired last fall from Milwaukee Radio Alliance. Civic Media plans to continue to air the classic hits format with local news on the signals. Civic Media operates progressive news/talk WAUK in the market.
Former longtime Audacy chief operating officer Susan Larkin joins iHeartMedia’s RCS Worldwide to serve as president and CEO. RCS
Worldwide provides audio creation tools, media intelligence, music analytics and television operations technology. She takes over for Philippe Generali. RCS says, “Her leadership roles in major markets further shaped her as an operator who understands scale, complexity, and the disciplined, data‑driven decision‑making required to deliver strong performance across diverse portfolios.”
Today’s insight from Westwood One’s Audio Active Group is the story of a Joplin, Missouri pest control firm that had zero unaided awareness after
using print and television. The owner was stunned that in a local group of 125 people not one could name his company. Doug Hansen‘s Bug-a-Way Pest Control then embarked on an AM/FM campaign in which a jingle was created for his business and soon his company went from zero unaided awareness to 20%. The campaign helped create future demand for his company as 29% of locals surveyed said they would call his company if they needed pest control. See more about case study here.
Legendary Twin Cities radio personality Tom Barnard announces to his podcast audience that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The former morning host on rock KQRS-FM, Minneapolis has been
hosting “The Tom Barnard Podcast” since leaving the station in December of 2022. On the podcast, Barnard was joined by family members including his wife and podcast co-host Kathryn Brandt who said they began to have concerns about Barnard’s health shortly after he retired from KQRS. Barnard says he’s been undergoing treatment that has had a positive effect on him, but he acknowledges that there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s.
On Friday (3/20), Beasley Broadcast Group filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealing it is entering into a Transaction Support Agreement with 98.7% of holders 11.000% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2028 and 76.5% of the aggregate
outstanding principal amount of the 9.200% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2028. This exchange offer includes an exchange of all of the Existing Second Lien Notes for newly issued 10.000% Senior Secured Second Lien PIK Notes due 2027 at an exchange ratio of 50.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the Existing Second Lien Notes tendered for exchange, and an offer to purchase up to $15,899,000 of the Existing First Lien Notes at a price equal to 100% of the par value thereof.
The upshot of this is that if these offers are accepted, lien holders will have a lot of control over how the company operates. They will be allowed to appoint a director to sit on the company’s board of directors. But the most telling part of this plan is that it allows for lien holders to exchange their debt for equity – meaning they could assume control of the company. Beasley provided “cleansing information” to lien holders in the form of a profit & loss statement ahead of its 2025 Q4 and 2025 full year financial statements that indicates a significant decline in audio net revenue “driven by continued weakness across the industry as a result of reduced consumer sentiment.” We’ll know soon enough whether this goes forward as the Transaction Support Agreement will terminate on May 15, 2026 if it’s not consummated.
FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued a statement on Friday (3/20) after the FCC’s Media Bureau approved the Nexstar/TEGNA merger, which Gomez notes violates the existing 39% national ownership cap in
federal law. She says, “The FCC has once again chosen bureaucratic cover over public accountability. This merger was approved behind closed doors with no open process, no full Commission vote, and no transparency for the consumers and communities who will bear the consequences. A transaction of this magnitude, which includes new and novel issues before the FCC, demands open deliberation before the full Commission, not a quiet sign-off meant to avoid public scrutiny. Given the increasingly alarming pace of reckless media consolidation, the American public deserves to know how and why this decision was made.
“Local journalism is under extraordinary strain. Across the country, newsrooms are being consolidated, reporters laid off, and editorial decisions made far from the communities broadcast stations are licensed to serve. The Nexstar/TEGNA merger will accelerate exactly that trend, concentrating broadcast power in fewer corporate hands, shrinking independent editorial voices, and prioritizing national business interests over local needs. Nexstar has already begun cutting newsrooms throughout the country, and as these billion-dollar companies grow even larger, their increased negotiating leverage will drive up fees that translate into higher monthly bills for those families who can least afford them. The consequences of this rubber stamp approval will be felt in living rooms and newsrooms across the country, resulting in fewer voices, less competition, and higher costs for consumers.”
By John Caracciolo
President/CEO
JVC Broadcasting
The recent shutdown of CBS News Radio isn’t just another media headline – it’s a wake-up call. A clear example of what happens when decisions about our information, our communities, and our voices are made in corporate boardrooms disconnected from real life.
This wasn’t a programming failure. It wasn’t a lack of audience. It was an accounting decision – made by people who don’t live in the communities radio serves, don’t rely on it, and don’t understand its true value. And that’s exactly why they got it wrong.
Radio has never been more important. In an era flooded with misinformation, algorithm-driven content, and faceless digital noise, radio remains immediate, local, and – most importantly – trusted. It’s the one medium that still shows up live, every day, in real time, for real people.
Radio isn’t dying. It’s being stripped down by people who don’t know how to grow it. But here’s the truth: this moment isn’t just a loss – it’s an opening. A rare and powerful opportunity to rebuild something better. Because what’s missing right now isn’t demand. It’s leadership. This is the moment to create a new kind of radio network – one built not for Wall Street, but for Main Street. A network designed to empower local stations, not replace them. One that helps stations monetize their greatest strength: localism. Local voices. Local news. Local advertisers. Local trust.
Let’s be clear about something: consolidation itself isn’t the enemy. When done right, consolidation can be a powerful tool – one that strengthens local newsrooms, provides resources, and creates the scale needed to compete in a modern media landscape. But there’s a line. When consolidation is used purely for profit – when it strips stations of their local identity, cuts talent, and replaces service with spreadsheets – that’s when it fails. Profit must be our servant, not our master. The future of radio depends on getting that balance right. We need smart, strategic growth that invests in journalism, expands local reporting, and gives stations the tools to thrive – not survive. We need leadership that understands scale should support localism, not suffocate it. That’s where the opportunity is right now.
The future is a network that works differently – a network that partners with local stations to amplify their voices, not drown them out. One that provides national scale where it matters – news gathering, distribution, sales infrastructure – while keeping content authentic and rooted in the community. A network that helps local stations win. Because local radio doesn’t need to be replaced – it needs to be reinforced.
Imagine a network that:
That’s not just possible – it’s necessary. This is how we make radio competitive again. Not by shrinking it, but by strengthening what made it great in the first place. And let’s be honest – no one is better positioned to build this than the people who actually believe in radio. We have the tools. We have the experience. We have the relationships. And most importantly, we understand the audience because we’re part of it.
This is the time to act. The vacuum left by corporate retreat is real, and it won’t stay empty for long. Either Main Street steps in to rebuild radio with purpose, or something else will fill that space – and it won’t have the same commitment to trust, community, or truth.
So, let’s not waste this moment. Let’s take back the airwaves from bureaucratic investors who see radio as a line item instead of a lifeline. Let’s build a network that works for stations, communities, and listeners. Let’s make radio great again – not by looking backward, but by building forward. This isn’t the end of radio. It’s the beginning of its next chapter. And this time, we’re writing it. Let the revolution begin my friends, who’s with me?
John Caracciolo is the president and CEO of JVC Broadcasting. He can be emailed at johnc@jvcbroadcasting.com or phoned at 631-648-2525.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
If you work in radio, you’ve heard every flavor of AI anxiety. Some fear it will wipe out jobs. Others treat it like a super shortcut – cranking-out spots, promos, and proposals faster and cheaper. Kate O’Neill’s What Matters Next lands squarely in the middle of this tension, and its message is one radio people need to hear: AI isn’t the disruptor. Human behavior is. AI just accelerates the consequences.
The book’s central argument is blunt: The organizations that thrive in an AI-driven world are the ones that stay relentlessly human. Not sentimental – human. Curious. Adaptive. Willing to rethink habits that calcified long before the first smart speaker ever said, “Now playing.” That’s a mirror radio hasn’t always wanted to look into.
For decades, the industry has survived by optimizing the familiar: tighter clocks, leaner staffs, syndicated shows, templated production, and “good enough” digital. AI tempts some operators to double down on that instinct – to automate more, localize less, and hope listeners won’t notice. This book argues the opposite: AI punishes sameness and rewards originality. When every business has access to the same tools, the differentiator becomes the people who use them with imagination, empathy, and purpose. That should sound familiar. It’s what radio used to brag about.
O’Neill also warns against the other extreme, the fear-driven paralysis that keeps talented people from experimenting. AI isn’t a job eater; it’s a task eater. It clears the underbrush so humans can do the work only humans can do: judgment, storytelling, connection, and community presence. In radio terms: the stuff listeners actually remember.
Imagine a morning show that uses AI not to replace prep, but to deepen it, surfacing hyperlocal stories, analyzing listener sentiment, or generating alternate angles on a topic the hosts want to explore. Or a sales team that uses AI to tailor proposals to each client’s issues instead of reshuffling the same deck. How about a newsroom (remember them?) that uses AI to sift data so stations can spend more time delivering what’s special to listeners (and sponsors): helpful local news they can’t get anywhere else. None of that eliminates jobs. It elevates them.
This book’s most important warning is this: AI widens the gap between organizations that learn and organizations that cling. Radio has lived through this before – streaming, podcasting, social media, smart speakers. The winners weren’t the ones who panicked or the ones who ignored the shift. They were the ones who adapted early, experimented often, and stayed close to their audience.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation reveals the winners of the 51st Gracie Awards in both national and local categories. National award winners will be honored at the Gracie Awards Gala at the Beverly
Wilshire on May 19. Local television, radio, and student award recipients will be recognized at the Gracie Awards Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on June 16. Some of the notable radio winners include: Deborah Rodriguez news anchor for CBS News Radio; Kristen Farrah, producer of “Radio Health Journal” for American Urban Radio Networks; WABC Radio’s “Cats & Cosby” (John Catsimatidis & Rita Cosby) talk show; WGN, Chicago’s “The Lisa Dent Show”; and co-host Debra Green of WSB-AM, Atlanta’s “The Mark Arum Show.” See the full list of winners here.
Salem Media’s New York operations is reaching out to CBS News Radio staffers: “If you enjoyed working at CBS News with all of its professionalism and success, come join the smart and dedicated team at Salem Media of New York! We’re looking for top-notch professionals from
all departments who are eager to succeed and chase new opportunities in both terrestrial radio – local and national – and our booming digital business. Between AM 970 with legendary morning man Joe Piscopo, WMCA-NY’s Premier Christian Talk, Salem Radio Network with key hosts like Mike Gallagher and Scott Jennings, Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, Salem Influencer Network, Salem Surround, and more! We have an exciting impactful platform at a flourishing company! Come join us! Email your resume and interest to general manager, Laura Sheaffer laura@nycradio.com
According to a report in Variety, CBS News is laying off about 6% of its staff and will shut down the CBS News Radio service that is used by
approximately 700 stations. Variety reports that these cuts come under new management at Paramount Skydance and are part of CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss’ plans to “make CBS News more relevant to younger, digitally savvy generations.” It’s expected that the personnel cuts will affect between 60 and 70 people. See the Variety story here.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology announce that next Thursday (3/26) the subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later. Chairmen Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09) say in a statement, “The communications marketplace has transformed dramatically in the 30 years since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law. This hearing will examine what parts of the law have worked, what have not, and how Congress can build on those lessons to modernize our laws to promote innovation, strengthen competition, and drive investment in modern communications networks.”
According to the Chattanooga Free Press, harassment charges previously filed against former WGOW-AM/FM “Talk Radio 102.3” talk
host Brian Joyce have been dismissed. Last August, Joyce was arrested following accusations of harassing a woman with whom he’d previously been in a relationship. As district attorney spokesperson said the alleged victim said she did not want to proceed with the case and that the court also found issues with the credibility of testimony prosecutors wished to use in the case. Joyce exited WGOW in February of 2025. See the Times Free Press story here.
Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media held its annual Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids radiothon on March 12 and 13 to benefit St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital and raised $1.7 million. Audio division co-president Deon Levingston says, “Our partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been one of the most meaningful commitments we’ve made as a company. This event affords the Radio One/Reach Media team the opportunity to play a part in supporting families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. We are proud to share the St. Jude mission with our listeners and grateful that they continue to respond each year.”
NRG Media is divesting its Northern Wisconsin stations in the Wausau and Rhinelander markets in a proposed sale to Midwest Communications’ WRIG, Inc subsidiary. This deal includes sports talk
WOBT-AM and 11 other signals and FM translators. NRG CEO Mary Quass states, “We are proud of the great broadcasters in Wisconsin that we have proudly worked with and are happy they will continue serving Wisconsin with WRIG, Inc.” Midwest Communications president Peter Tanz comments, “Mary and her entire team have built an outstanding community service organization in Wisconsin. For over a century, the Wright family has proudly called Central Wisconsin home. We are honored to add NRG’s Wisconsin stations to our home market.”
Pictured above are two legendary WRVA, Richmond talk radio personalities together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of WRVA’s service to the market. At left is current KTRH, Houston morning drive host Jimmy Barrett – who was the host of Richmond’s Morning News for 16 years – alongside current WRVA afternoon drive personality Jeff Katz, currently in his 13th year with the station.
FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez responds to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s recent statements tying broadcasters’ public service obligations to reporting about the Iran conflict and warning them about airing “hoaxes and news distortions.” She writes: “Once again, this FCC
pretends it has the power to control news coverage. In reality, the FCC has vanishingly little power over national news networks. It licenses local broadcast stations, not networks, and no licenses are up for renewal until 2028. Early renewal attempts are exceedingly rare, and the process is so demanding that any effort would almost certainly fail, especially given the well-documented First Amendment violations underlying these moves. These threats are grounded in neither reality nor law and would not survive judicial scrutiny, just as other recent attempts by this Administration to push beyond constitutional limits have repeatedly failed in court.
“The concern over the chilling effect of these actions, however, is very real. Over the past year, this FCC has attacked the media as part of a years-long campaign by this Administration and its allies to discredit factual, independent coverage while blaming the press for growing public distrust. Meanwhile, it is the FCC’s own credibility and public trust that are rapidly eroding.
“Out of the many politically motivated FCC investigations targeting perceived government critics, not a single one has resulted in an enforcement action. This follows a well-established pattern of threatened investigations, broadcast license revocations, and regulatory harassment aimed at pressuring broadcasters and their corporate parents to comply or capitulate in advance. We cannot give this FCC more power than it has. Broadcasters, journalists, and the public should recognize these empty threats for what they are and fight to defend the First Amendment against any attempt to control or intimidate the press.”
Over the weekend, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr posted to social media a warning to licensees that they face losing their licenses when renewal time comes. He posted: “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their
license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not. And frankly, changing course is in their own business interests since trust in legacy media has now fallen to an all time low of just 9% and are ratings disasters. The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves. It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news. When a political candidate is able to win a landslide election victory after in the face of hoaxes and distortions, there is something very wrong. It means the public has lost faith and confidence in the media. And we can’t allow that to happen. Time for change!” Carr included a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump in which he complains about papers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reporting on a strike against the U.S. base in Saudi Arabia that hit five refueling tanker planes. Trump said the reporting was intentionally wrong.
The non-profit arm of Bold Gold Media Group is The Bold Gold Broadcast & Media Foundation whose goal is to support educational programs that help students prepare for careers in broadcast journalism. The organization announces that its signature Event & Dinner this year will feature national radio and TV host, Jimmy Failla. Failla hosts his
nationally syndicated radio show, “FOX Across America,” and his FOX News Channel show, “FOX News Saturday Night.” The theme for this 10th Event & Dinner at Mohegan Pennsylvania on May 5 is “250 Years of American Liberty!” Bold Gold president Vince Benedetto says, “This being our 10th event and coinciding with 
America’s 250th Birthday, we are doing everything bigger this year. In addition to celebrating 250 years of America, we’ll be celebrating 250 years of freedom of speech… and there is no greater daily example of that freedom that radio broadcasters. Radio, especially talk radio, remains America’s modern town hall. Our efforts at this event will help the next generation of radio broadcasters.” The Bold Gold Foundation will also be honoring Northeast Pennsylvania business leader and philanthropist Robert Tamburro with The Atlas Award for Citizenship. Bold gold says the Atlas Award is bestowed on individuals who, through their hard work and bold actions, show what is possible to achieve in a free society, and who exhibit extraordinary dedication to the highest ideals of character, community service, entrepreneurialism, patriotism, leadership, and virtue.
Wichita-based talk radio host Andy Hooser announces that his radio program “The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser” is going into
syndication via Talk Media Network. The program will be fed live weekdays from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET. Hooser says his program is a “one-hour conservative talk program that focuses on recapping the day’s events and brings a fresh perspective on the big stories of the day with fun conversation and great daily guests.” The program is based at Steckline Communications’ KQAM, Wichita where he serves as operations manager.
Longtime Emmy-winning New York City news anchor Ernie Anastos has
died at the age of 82. Anastos worked at the local New York affiliates of ABC, CBS and FOX. In recent years, he hosted a feature on WABC Radio titled, “Positively Ernie.” Red Apple Media Group CEO John Catsimatidis commented on Anastos’ passing saying, “Ernie was a friend for 50 years. He was always there for every charity and worked tirelessly to help people — especially New Yorkers.”
On Tuesday (3/17) at 12:00 noon ET, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez will host a webinar featuring panel conversations with communications and technology policy experts who lived through the creation and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. That year, Gomez served as a legal advisor in the FCC’s Common
Carrier Bureau, helping implement the Act. In the webinar titled “30th Anniversary of the 96 Act: What Did We Learn?” panelists will explore how lessons from the past 30 years can drive innovation and competition for consumers today. Topics will include artificial intelligence, media, competition, convergence, access, and cybersecurity. The three separate panels will include Panel 1 looking at “The Legislative Process That Led to the Act; Panel 2 will address “FCC Implementation of the Act”; and Panel 3 will focus on “Today’s Challenges.” Interested parties can join online via the FCC Events Webpage or visit https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2026/03/30th-anniversary-96-act-webinar-what-did-we-learn. No registration required.
Lotus Communications names Andrew Adams as general manager for its Seattle stations that includes news/talk KVI-AM, all-news KNWN
-AM/FM and country KPLZ-FM. At the same time, the company announces that Jeff Connell is the new director of operations & brand management. Adams most recently served with Stephens Media Group in Spokane. Connell rises from his role as regional PD for KPLZ and KTHI-FM, Boise. In his new role, Connell will give up his programming role at KTHI.
Edison Research presented the results of its ongoing study The Infinite Dial 2026 in a webinar yesterday (3/12). Vice president of Edison Research at SSRS Megan Lazovick revealed the data that Edison says “provides critical insights into digital media behaviors, and, debuting this
year, generative AI adoption among American consumers.” Some of the key findings include that online audio consumption has hit an all-time high: 1) 81% of Americans age 12+ (233 million) listened to online audio in the last month, and 76% (219 million) listened in the last week; 2) Americans age 55+ are driving the most recent increases. Monthly online audio listening among this group jumped from 52% in 2024 to 70% in 2026, a gain of nearly 20 percentage points in just two years; 3) 80% of Americans age 12+ (230 million) have ever listened to or watched a podcast, an all-time high; and 4) 58% of Americans age 12+ (167 million) have consumed a podcast in the last month, also an all-time high. See more about the study here.
Salem Media Group reveals its operating results for 2025 and reports total net revenue of $212.7 million, a decline of 10.5% over 2024’s reported $237.6 million. The company’s total operating expenses rose
3.9% to $252.4 million in 2025. After posting net income of $16.2 million in 2024, the company is reporting a net loss of $34.6 million in 2025. Salem reports revenue by segments and the erosion of its broadcast advertising revenue was dramatic after it shut down its Christian music formats and sold numerous radio stations, falling 36% — from $62.6 million in 2024 to $40.75 million in 2025. However, the company’s digital revenue (including advertising, streaming, downloads, and subscriptions) rose 5.5% from $83.8 million in 2024 to $88.4 million in 2025.
Urban One’s operating results for the fourth quarter of 2025 show net revenue of $97.8 million, down 16.5% from the same period in 2024. The company reports broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $23.8 million for Q4, a decrease of 38.3% from the same period in 2024. Urban One reports a net loss of $54.4 million for Q4 of 2025, compared to a net loss of $35.7 million for the same period in
2024. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III, states, “As expected, we had a tough fourth quarter due to a combination of non-recurring political advertising, soft radio markets and declining audience delivery in our cable television business. Despite this, we were able to achieve full-year Adjusted EBITDA within our previous guidance range at $56.7 million. The biggest revenue drag in the fourth quarter resulted from weak cable TV prime delivery, down approximately 20.0% from the third quarter, although we have seen a significant recovery in the first quarter 2026 as the revised Nielsen methodology has given us an approximate 40.0% – 50.0% lift compared to the fourth quarter 2025. Radio pacings in the first quarter of 2026 are currently down 5%, but we remain positive on the outlook for mid-term political revenues later in the year. I was pleased that we were able to repurchase a significant amount of our 2028 Notes at a discount, extend out the maturity on all but a small stub of the notes, and increase the size and term of our ABL Credit Agreement. This transaction sets up the company with a stable capital structure and extended maturity runway to allow us to continue to de-lever the business. In January 2026 we also regained compliance with the Nasdaq listing requirements by effectuating a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.”
The Broadcasters Foundation of America held its annual gala at The Plaza in New York City on Monday evening drawing nearly 300 professionals from radio and television celebrate broadcasting excellence and raise funds for colleagues in need. Honored at this year’s event were sports media personality Stephen A. Smith, who received the inaugural Broadcast Personality of the Year Award; Ernest A. Liebre, SVP and Institutional Financial Advisor at CAPTRUST, who was presented with the Philip J. Lombardo Spirit Award; Mark Lazarus, CEO of VERSANT and former chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, who received the BFOA Golden Mic Award; and Judge Judy Sheindlin, who was honored with the Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured above (l-r) are BFOA president Tim McCarthy, Stephen A. Smith, Judge Judy Sheindlin; Mark Lazarus; BFOA chair Scott Herman; and Ernest A. Liebre. Photo: Ricardi Media
Bill O’Reilly announces he is launching a new longform interview show
titled, “We’ll Do it Live!” The new podcast debuts this Thursday (3/12) at noon ET for his Concierge and Premium Members and at 7:00 pm ET for everyone else. O’Reilly’s first guest is comic and actor Rob Schneider. O’Reilly says he and Schneider will discuss his time on SNL, the impact of COVID, and what led him to where he is politically today.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Small businesses often underestimate their greatest competitive edge. It’s not price. It’s not selection.
It’s localness. Big companies spend millions trying to sound personal and relatable. Small businesses already are those things – yet they often fail to exploit their advantage.
Common small business marketing mistake: Trying to sound big, speaking in an unnatural tone, a kind of “corporate costume.” It sounds like: “We are committed to excellence” or “Our mission is to provide unparalleled service” or “We pride ourselves on quality and customer satisfaction.” That’s verbal Styrofoam. Nobody talks like this and nobody remembers this.
Local isn’t just location
It’s a feeling. When customers say they prefer to “shop local,” they don’t necessarily mean geographically close, independently owned/noncorporate. Those things do matter, but they’re not the heart of it.
What customers really mean is:
Local is emotional
It’s relational, human. Show that you understand the place your customers live by referencing familiar landmarks, acknowledging local quirks, using neighborhood names, mentioning local events, speaking the way locals speak. Explaining that the advertiser is “just off the rotary at the bridge” tells would-be customers: “We’re here. We get it.” Big brands can’t fake that.
Tout personal service:
“You can buy the same shed from Lowe’s or Home Depot, cash-N-carry. Buy yours at Lorraine Lumber and Paul Jr. will set it up in your back yard.”
This is the second installment in a 3-part series about optimizing commercial copy, the fundamentals we’re covering in Sales meetings as I visit client stations this spring. If you missed last week’s column, here’s “If It Doesn’t Matter to the Customer, It Doesn’t Matter.” Next week here: “Anatomy of a Results-Producing Spot.”
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
At Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic,” sports media personality Sean Brace (left) returns to the station as part of the “Middays with Marks” program. Brace previously teamed up
with Jon Marks (right) from 2013 to 2015. Beasley Philadelphia VP and market manager Paul Blake says, “Sean is back, and we’re better for it. He and Jon have proven chemistry and a shared competitive drive that fits this brand perfectly. Our fans expect passion and strong takes. That’s exactly what they’ll get every weekday at 10 am.” Brace comments, “‘97.5 The Fanatic’ is where this all began for me. So, to come back and join Jon Marks & Ray Dunne five days a week is something I’m incredibly proud of. Really looking forward to delivering the best four hours of sports radio in the city every day from 10 to 2.”
Koehl Named Senior Fellow at D2C. Longtime talk radio professional Corny Koehl, whose career includes positions producing Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Suze Orman, Satellite Sisters, and Harpo Radio, is named Inaugural Senior Fellow at The Dedication to Community (D2C) Justice Institute at University of Mount St.Vincent. In this new role. Koehl will play a foundational role in shaping the Institute’s mission to advance justice-centered communication, public engagement and narrative change.
Tom Donahue Show to Launch on April 4. Talk media pro Tom Donahue says his program Truth Matters will debut on April 4 and will transition from SRN satellite distribution to online streaming and podcast audio file delivery to stations. The show will still air at 9:00 pm ET Saturday nights via direct stream from K-Star Talk Radio Network and will be heard on Talk Stream Live, World Broadcasting Network, “930 AM The Answer,” and later Sunday nights on KCAA Radio.
iHeartMedia announces that the talk-intensive urban radio morning show “The Breakfast Club” hits its highest ratings mark in New York City in the show’s history. The program – also nationally syndicated via Premiere Networks – is based at WWPR-FM, New York “Power 105.1” and ranked #1 in Nielsen’s PPM survey in New York in January among Adults 18–49
and 25–54 with double-digit shares of 13.9 and 13.1, respectively. The show is hosted by DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Charlamagne Tha God and plays an important role in urban youth culture. iHeartMedia EVP of programming Thea Mitchem states, “The Breakfast Club continues to set the standard for what a truly multiplatform powerhouse looks like. These record‑setting ratings are a direct reflection of the team’s talent, consistency, and cultural impact. DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, and our exceptional production and digital teams deliver a show that resonates deeply with audiences across every platform. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful to the listeners of New York who make ‘The Breakfast Club’ a defining force in media.”