Industry News

Audacy Releases Modern Blueprint for Audio Advertising

Audacy is releasing the fifth installment of its bi-annual audio thought leadership series, State of Audio: Level Up, that it calls “a modern blueprint for audio advertising, designed to provide a go-to playbook – including planning tips, creative how-to’s and innovative trends – to help advertisers level up the performance of their audio investments.” Audacy chief marketing officer Paul Suchman says, “Audio is proving itself as a must-have media for marketers. Our advertisers are embracing the power of multiim-platform audio with media plans that utilize radio, digital audio and podcasts, working together to reach audiences with unprecedented precision and drive quantifiable outcomes for their brands.” Some of the findings within the guide include: 1) Audio advertising works harder – driving more than two times the attention of TV and social media at more desirable CPMs; 2) Radio and digital audio are stronger together. A multi-platform audio strategy is so powerful that advertisers see 1.5 times the return on ad spend compared to digital-only campaigns; 3) Advertisers are leaving upwards of $6 billion in revenue on the table by not including total audio – a balanced mix of traditional broadcast radio and digital audio – in their media mix, according to a study conducted by Audacy and Neustar. The report also offers actionable tips for producing effective ads under the section titled, “5 Ways the Best Audio Ads Crush the Status Quo.” Here, Audacy says, “Advertising on the #1 reach media — Audio — will get you the most ears. But to keep them, your creative can’t just be good — it needs to be really freaking great.” See the report here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/24) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The failure of Congressman Tom Emmer to secure enough support to become the next House Speaker and Congressman Mike Johnson’s bid for the post; the Israel-Hamas war and the controversy in the U.S. over publicly declaring support for either Israel or the Palestinians; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the U.S. migrant crisis; and 42 states sue Meta saying Facebook and Instagram are addictive and target children were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

WWO: AM/FM Radio Tops TV Among Persons 18-49

The latest blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group features data from Nielsen’s Total Audience Report for Q3 of 2023 that indicates “AM/FM radio’s persons 18-49 average audience is now +5% greater than television.” Other takeaways from the research include: 1) Sinceim 2018, Nielsen’s Total Audience Report reveals the 18-49 weekly reach of live and time-shifted TV has dropped -26%. Over the same period, TV’s daily time spent is down -59%; 2) cord-cutting is a major driver of TV’s audience collapse: The MRI Simmons January 2023 “How Americans Watch TV” report reveals 51% have cut the cord; 3) While a huge number of Americans have abandoned traditional TV for streaming, AM/FM radio remains the dominant audio platform: According to Edison Research’s Q2 2023 “Share of Ear,” AM/FM radio has a massive 69% share of U.S. ad-supported audio. AM/FM radio audience shares are over 17 times larger than ad-supported Pandora and ad-supported Spotify. See the full blog post here.

Industry News

Lange Rises to VP, Client Success and Strategy for Audacy

Audacy announces that Ryan Lange is promoted to vice president of client success and strategy in its Midwest region. In this role, Lange will oversee sales strategy and digital fulfillment teams for Audacy’sim Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis markets. He has been serving the company as director of digital sales and strategy. Audacy regional president Rachel Williamson states, “Over the past four years, Ryan has played a pivotal role in developing our critical sales support team, and his invaluable contributions have been instrumental in building strong relationships with clients. We look forward to continued growth and innovation under his leadership across the region.”

Industry News

Study Says Podcast Listeners Favor Podcast Radio Concept

Podcast Radio reveals that a study by Coleman Insights concludes that 81% of respondents would be very likely or somewhat likely to listen to a radio station that broadcasts curated podcasting content. A description of Podcast Radio was tested via Coleman Insights’ Pod Predictor service. The appeal andim listener likelihood based on a description of Podcast Radio was measured among a panel of 500 18-64-year-old podcast consumers in the United States. Podcast Radio founder and CEO Gerry Edwards says, “Podcast Radio can help radio effectively play offense to the rise of podcasts as an in-vehicle, in-home and mobile entertainment choice. This new data reinforces that strong, engaging, spoken-word content continues to evolve in exciting ways to meet the needs of U.S. listeners. That can enable radio to remain competitive and provide an attractive alternative for radio stations and radio groups.”

Industry News

McNicholl Named FNC Miami Correspondent

FOX News Channel brings Danamarie McNicholl aboard as a Miami based correspondent, effective November 6. McNicholl is an Emmy Award-winning reporter who served with KFMB-TV, San Diego forim the past two years. Prior to that she served as a reporter and anchor for KREM-TV, Spokane. McNicholl holds a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast and electronic journalism from Gonzaga University and is currently finishing her master’s degree in criminal justice and cybersecurity at Boston University. She is also a member of The Miss America Organization and was named Miss Washington in 2018.

Industry News

ENCO, Benztown and Compass Partner on SpecAI Service

ENCO joins forces with Benztown and Compass Media Networks to bring its SpecAI ad creation solution to the North American radio broadcast market. The companies say the SpecAI technology can help broadcasters create spec ads for sponsors on demand, alleviating the time, energy, and costs of traditional production methods while accelerating the sales process and time to market. Compass CFO Hiram Lazar says, “AI adoption has swiftly moved forward over the last few months, and as the largest player in spec commercials for over 10 years we recognized it was time to offer an AI solution for our clients. Using Benztown’s libraries, we can now give our clients the option to produce ads with an AI voice or a live voice to customize prerecorded spec commercials.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/23) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The Israel-Hamas war and the various protests against Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks; eight House members line up for House Speaker post; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; Saudi Arabia’s global investment conference; and the UAW strike expands to a Dodge Ram facility in Michigan were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Your 2024 Ad Sales Forecast

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imYour crystal ball is still foggy, isn’t it?

Even worse, no matter how many times you try and shake it into a predictive submission, the answer is still the same, “Political-not sure, Weather Emergency-unforecastable.”

Nobody in business likes a lack of confidence, so “Not Sure” is a non-starter. For us radio fans, the variables in predicting a 2024 ad sales forecast are the most unforecastable, unpredictable, variables since the original gang of head-in-the-sand radio gurus pegged MTV as a 1981 fad.

And here we are, 42 years later where a pure-play music video channel challenging FM music radio, satellite music radio, music streaming and downloadable audio would include dating games and ridiculousness, once again saving America’s most-listened-to free music source: radio.

Remember 1981 when talk radio was mounting a competitive threat to all-news radio. Rush was 30, Hannity was 20, Bongino was seven and Ben Shapiro was not born yet. Anybody here have 42 years to wait out your 2024 predictions and get it right? How about 42 days late with your forecast?

Our new world of AI, super-speed computer analysis, blended into an ever-changing digital and social media landscape, under pressure from the economy, global events and the melting radio revenue ice cube has made predicting 2024 ad projections a Vegas skill game.

Thankfully, we have the experience, patience, and cooperation of radio’s leadership to adjust forecasting quarter by quarter, sort of. Back to the task at hand and how to navigate this cracked crystal ball as you mount your sales strategy into 2024.

— Keep your eye on the prize. Always remember, your current advertiser is your best advertiser. Take diligent care of your foundational base billing and that means super serving your customers, as competitors from every medium are monitoring, planning, and pricing a counter plan.

— Positive Paranoia. Thank you, Andy Grove. The third CEO of Intel and a driving force behind Silicon Valley’s original exponential growth knew how to channel innovation and competition into a positive zone. How about you?

— Never stop learning. What new strategies and sales techniques will you drive into next year.

— Something will drop out of your sales picture. What is it? Eventually a sale resource will drop out. Identify how you will compensate for the loss and how you will grow your business as a result.

— Do you have minimum and maximum goals? There are only so many accounts you can sell and service in a month. What is that number and how much do each of those accounts need to generate monthly?

— Attrition. The arch-enemy of sales. Some business never returns. Now what?

Many 2024 projections are falling in the ultra-conservative, no risk, under promise/overdeliver category. Yet there is a fine line between being too conservative and a vote of no confidence. What’s in your forecast?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: ChatGPT – Threat and Tool

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imAfter post-consolidation cutbacks have whacked local on-air content, there’s now angst that Artificial Intelligence can – literally – dehumanize radio (and other media – HUGE issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike). Voice cloning is child’s play; and several vendors are already peddling AI gimmicks to radio stations.

Glass-half-full: When I asked, “How talk radio hosts and DJs can use ChatGPT to prepare shows,” the robot replied instantly…

“Talk radio hosts and DJs can leverage ChatGPT to enhance their show preparation, generate engaging content, and connect with their audience more effectively. Here’s a guide on how they can use ChatGPT effectively:

— Show Topic Generation: Use ChatGPT to brainstorm and generate unique and interesting show topics. Input keywords related to your show’s theme or current events to get topic suggestions.

— Content Research: Ask ChatGPT to provide background information on a particular topic or guest. It can summarize recent news, provide historical context, or even suggest relevant questions.

— Interview Preparation: Use ChatGPT to generate interview questions and talking points. Input information about your guest or their expertise, and ChatGPT can help you create a list of thoughtful and engaging questions.

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— Script Writing: When scripting segments or promotional materials, you can collaborate with ChatGPT to draft scripts. It can provide creative ideas for introductions, transitions, and promotional announcements.

— Audience Engagement: Ask ChatGPT to generate polls, questions, or discussion points to engage with your audience during live shows. It can also help create intriguing teasers to promote upcoming segments.

— Fact-Checking: Use ChatGPT to fact-check information before presenting it on air. This ensures the accuracy of your content and maintains your credibility.

— Content Expansion: If you need to expand on a topic or provide additional information during a show, ChatGPT can help by generating elaborative content or explanations.

— Generating Show Summaries: After the show, ChatGPT can assist in creating summaries or show notes for your listeners, making it easier for them to catch up on missed episodes.

— Storytelling and Narration: DJs can use ChatGPT to help craft engaging stories or narratives to share with their audience, making their radio shows more entertaining and relatable.

— Creative Segment Ideas: Ask ChatGPT for creative ideas for segments, games, or challenges to keep your show fresh and exciting.

— Language Assistance: For DJs hosting shows in multiple languages, ChatGPT can help with translation, pronunciation, and language learning, ensuring smooth communication.

— Show Promotion: Collaborate with ChatGPT to create compelling social media posts, newsletters, or blog content to promote your shows and engage with your audience online.

— Handling Caller Questions: If you take live caller questions, ChatGPT can assist in formulating responses or clarifying complex issues for your callers.

— Real-Time Updates: For breaking news or sudden changes, ChatGPT can provide real-time updates and help you adapt your show’s content on the fly.”

Remember how those Terminator movies warned-against SkyNet A.I. becoming self-aware? While there’s no question that ChatGPT is the cure for writer’s block, its response ended with some impressive self-awareness, a reminder that YOU are the author of your show: “Remember to review and edit the content generated by ChatGPT to ensure it aligns with your show’s tone, style, and audience preferences. ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for radio hosts and DJs, streamlining the preparation process and enhancing the overall quality of their shows.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio;” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

Tony Bruno Launching Sports Talk Network

Philadelphia sports site Crossing Broad shares a press release from sports talk media personality Tony Bruno that announces the debut of his new sports talk venture, the Tony Bruno Sports Network. The network will feature “The Tony Bruno Show” in afternoon drive (3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET), along with “The Pete Sheppard Show” (7:00 am to 10:00 am ET), “Defo & Lubie” (10:00 am to 12:00 noon ET), andimMartinez & Company” (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET), with the early afternoon daypart to be announced. The press release states, TBSN will debut October 30th  with LIVE programming every weekday with sports talk radio from 7am to 8pm to start. Additional time slots and weekend programming will be added over the following months. TBSN is available to listeners nationwide online via LIVE365.com and on the ‘Tony Bruno Sports Network’ app for Android and iPhone.” Bruno adds, “I want to thank all of my fans who have followed and supported me through the years. I am grateful to everyone who has encouraged me to return and who still want to hear my daily fun approach to sports and current affairs, which has been my forté for over five decades in broadcasting; this time, I’m bringing friends! I hear over and over again that fans are tired of X’s & O’s sports radio. I plan to bring back exciting, sports talk radio again, with a Florida flair. What better place to launch a new nationwide sports network than in Florida, a true melting pot of fans from all over the nation.”

Industry News

BIA Advisory: Political to Drive 2024 Ad Spend

BIA Advisory Services releases its 2024 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast in which it predicts that revenue across all media in the U.S. will be $175.6 billion next year, primarily due to the political season. “The 8.6% increase over 2023 is slightly shadowed by concerns of an economic downturn and overall lower ad spending. With the forecasted political revenues removed, BIA’s projection in 2024 is $164.6im billion in total local advertising, only a 2.2% increase in local advertising year-over-year.” BIA VP of forecasting & analysis Nicole Ovadia adds, “As expected, 2024 will be driven by political spending, and, even in markets that are not highly contested there will be a large amount of political advertising. Local political advertising will be fueled by the presidential and senate campaigns as well as issue-based advertising. When we look at the forecast without political, we expect only a slight increase in ad spending due to both global and local economic trends that may create more cautious spending.” See more about the forecast here.

Industry News

Outkick Reports Q3 Audience Up 34%

Sports media platform OutKick says that its third quarter audience data from Comscore indicates it had the “highest year-over-year growth amongst its competitive set averaging more than 5 million totalim multiplatform unique visitors, which is up 34% versus 3Q of 2022.” The platform also delivered 67 million total multiplatform minutes and 64 million total multiplatform views. Outkick founder Clay Travis says, “Once again OutKick finishes the quarter with strong numbers that highlight our consistent growth across the platform. Our in-depth and common-sense reporting continue to be the driving force and differentiate us from your standard sport sites.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The Israel-Hamas war and the various protests against Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks; Jim Jordan’s failure to gain the House Speaker position and the numerous House members now vying for the post; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles and the Georgia election case defendants agreeing to plea deals; the Russia-Ukraine war; the investigation into the shooting death of a Maryland judge; and the murder of a Detroit synagogue president were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

WVHU-AM, Huntington Parts Ways with Host Tom Roten

Longtime morning drive talk host Tom Roten exits iHeartMedia’s news/talk WVHU-AM, Huntington,im West Virginia. Roten posted the following to social media: “For 22 years, my morning talk radio show was the #1 show in the Huntington, WV market. The most recent ratings period showed the station overall at #5 in the market, #1 for AM stations (highest ever ranking). Unfortunately, iHeart is going in a different direction and I was dismissed. While my future is uncertain, you can still access my podcasts from Spotify and other streaming services.”

Uncategorized

Disney Breaks Out ESPN Revenue

For the first time, Disney is releasing financial data for its ESPN operations in a corporate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alexandra Canal at Yahoo!Finance writes that ESPN “generated more than $16 billion in revenue and $2.9 billion in operating profit in Disney’s fiscal yearim 2022, which ended on Oct. 1, 2022. The bulk of that revenue and profit came from its domestic business at $14.6 billion and $2.81 billion, respectively.” The filing also shows how important cable television is to ESPN’s bottom line. Canal writes, “The bulk of the sports segment revenue came from affiliate fees at $10.8 billion followed by advertising at $4.4 billion and subscription fees for ESPN+ at $1.1 billion. ESPN typically has the highest carriage fees, or fees pay-TV providers pay to network owners to carry their channels, of all basic cable networks. According to an estimate from SNL Kagan, ESPN charges pay-TV operators $8 to $9 per subscriber.” Read the Yahoo!Finance piece here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of October 16 – 20

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and its international repercussions was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was Congressman Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) so far unsuccessful efforts to become the next House Speaker, followed by former President Donald Trump’s legal battles and the related guilty plea by attorney Sidney Powell in the Georgia 2020 election case were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media this week. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases Podcast Ranker for September

The September podcast ranker (Sept. 4 – Oct. 1) from Triton Digital is a bit wonky as NPR’s shows are not included due to “a planned data collection migration,” and for the third month in a row there is a problem with Cumulus experiencing a data collection issue for DailyWire programs such as “The Benim Shapiro Show,” which ranked #3 in the June 2023 ranker. This means that NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” rises to #1 with audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” remaining in the #2 spot. Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” moves up three spots to the #4 rank. Other noteworthy moves from radio-related companies includes Audacy Podcast Network’s “We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle” climbing 11 spots to the #14 rank and Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” up six places to the #16 rank. There is more dramatic movement among shows in the 20 – 100 portion of the ranker, including NBCUniversal News Group’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” falling 26 spots to the #76 rank. See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

FOX News Digital Leads News Brands in Multiplatform Minutes

FOX News Digital reports that according to data from Comscore, it finished the third quarter of 2023 marking 10 consecutive quarters leading news brands with multiplatform minutes, while seeing double-imdigit, year-over-year growth across all key performance indicators. FOX News Digital topped competitors CNN.com and NYTimes.com in total multiplatform minutes with 9.5 billion. It also led news brands in multiplatform views with 5.2 million. CNN.com continues to lead both FOX News Digital and NYTimes.com in multiplatform unique visitors with 120.5 million to FND’s 88.4 million and NYTimes.com’s 72.1 million.

Industry Views

Harry Hurley is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

WPG, Atlantic City, New Jersey legendary host Harry Hurley is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Hurley has been at the helm of the heritage station’s wildly successful morning show for more than 30 years. He is also known to talk radio audiences nationwide as a special guest host making numerous appearances on FOX News Radio. Before he made an indelible mark in radio, Hurley was an accomplished executive in Atlantic City’s hotel and banking industries. Michael Harrison describes Hurley as being “a remarkable combination of business savvy and emotional intelligence – not to mention, extremely talented.” One of the notable accomplishments this outstanding broadcaster has achieved in his career has been on the philanthropical front. During the past 16 years, Hurley’s 501c3 charitable foundation, which annually presents both a gala civic dinner and a charity golf tournament, has raised and distributed more than $1.4 million to worthy causes across the State of New Jersey and beyond. His most recent dinner took place on September 29. It alone raised over $100,000. Hurley is a public service dynamo and in Harrison’s words, “a role model for local hosts and stations to emulate in establishing a positive brand within their market.” Hurley is the recipient of numerous radio industry and local New Jersey honors. Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/18) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) fails in his second bid to become Speaker of the House; the Israel-Hamas war and President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the Russia-Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin’s meeting with China’s Xi Jinping; and Joran van der Sloot admits to killing Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005 were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

“New Jersey 101.5” Honored by NJ Society of Professional Journalists

Townsquare Media news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” is recognized by the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists for its service to the community with three first-place awards in its 2023 Excellence in Journalism Contest. In the category of Best Public Affairs Show (TV and Radio), the station’s town hall special, “Class Disrupted – Pandemic Learning Loss,” which broughtim together a panel of educators, behavioral specialists and policymakers to examine how best to deal with pandemic learning loss won first place and will be received by the leading team members behind the town halls: anchor Eric Scott, director of content Anne Gress, news director Annette Petriccione, managing editor Sergio Bichao, and operations specialist Dan Alexander. The station also won in the Broadcast – Best Breaking News Coverage category for its coverage of the mayhem that erupted in Long Branch at the start of the summer season at the Jersey Shore. Managing editor Sergio Bichao, reporter Dan Alexander and then-producer and weekend host Jordan Jansson worked late into the night to chronicle a developing story that had far-reaching impacts on public opinion and policy relating to law and order. Finally, the station won in the Best Use of Sound for Radio News Story for reporter Dino Flammia’s series of on-air and online reports marking the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.

Industry News

Mildred Carter Mentoring Program Application Now Open

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc (MIW) announces that the application window for its 2023-2024 Mildred Carter Mentoring Program is now open through November 3. Established in 2002, MIW’s heritage annual mentoring initiative connects mentees with accomplished women recognized asim leaders, mentors, and game changers within all aspects of radio broadcasting. Four candidates from the radio broadcasting industry – within all of the disciplines of radio including sales, marketing, programming, and digital – will be selected for the 2023- 2024 program. MIW board president Ruth Presslaff comments, “We are so pleased to launch the Mildred Carter mentorship program with the very generous and consistent support of Beasley Media Group and Entravision. Based on our application pool, it’s clear there’s a great need for mentoring and we are here for it.” Find out more about the program here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/17) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) fails in his bid to become Speaker of the House; hundreds sheltering in a hospital in Gaza die as Israel and Hamas blame each other; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the Russia-Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin’s meeting with China’s Xi Jinping; and Alec Baldwin to face new charges in Rust shooting were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Beasley Receives Non-Compliance Notice from Nasdaq

On Friday (10/13), Beasley Broadcast Group received a delisting warning from Nasdaq because its Class A common stock had traded at less than $1 for the past 30 business days.  There’s no immediate effect on the BBGI stock as it has a “cure period” that gives it until April 10, 2024 to trade for at least a dollar per share for 10 consecutive business days. Even if that doesn’t happen, Beasley could getim another 180-calendar day compliance period if it moves its stock to the Nasdaq Capital Market and satisfies other certain requirements. Beasley is the fourth audio company to face delisting this year. Audacy received notice from the New York Stock Exchange and in June engineered a 1-for-30 reverse stock split. Its stock closed at 35 cents per share on Monday (10/16). Salem Media Group received a delisting notice from Nasdaq in June giving it 180 days to rise above the $1 threshold. It closed at 68 cents per share on Monday (10/16). Urban One also received a delisting notice from Nasdaq but not for its share price. That company is late with quarterly reports due to independent accounting issues.

Industry News

WGN, Chicago Recognizes Longtime Employees

im

WGN Radio celebrates staffers Marlene Wells (left) and Jim Holland (right, with WGN Radio vice president and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle at center), who have a combined 106 years of service to the station. This year marks the 56th anniversary for promotions, sales, and merchandising coordinator Marlene Wells and the 50th anniversary for engineer in charge Jim Holland. Wells, a Chicago native who recalls fondly the first day she walked in to start the job, has been an integral part of the promotions of the station, from guiding on-site broadcasts to organizing events over the years like PumpkinFest, the Kathy and Judy Conventions and countless others. Holland, a graduate of Northwestern University, was instrumental in the station moves over the years from Bradley Place to the Tribune Tower and to its current location at 303 E. Wacker. Holland did work on “Bozo’s Circus” and designed and constructed a studio switcher system that served WGN for over 20 years. Both appeared in the 45-minute documentary “100 Years of WGN Radio: A Retrospective” that aired in 2022 as part of the station’s anniversary. You can see the documentary here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/16) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Congressman Jim Jordan’s push to become the next House Speaker; the Israel-Hamas war and President Joe Biden’s planned Wednesday trip to Israel; the gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump and his legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; U.S. migrant crisis; and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett calls for a SCOTUS ethics code were some of  the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Pending Business: When it Matters Most

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imIt may seem impossible, but you need to stay in your lane.

As we live through another dark chapter in world history, staying focused on what we do in sales and marketing will be a nearly impossible challenge. We live in a 24/7, always-on world constantly updating everything from everywhere.

As we work on the sales, marketing and management side, the news/talk and information programming side are in hyper mode logging on, weighing in, competing to never miss a beat. I remember when time stood still as the events of 9/11 shocked the world and time stood still. Talk radio hosts, producers and news departments tried their best to digest the events and offer some level of understanding to a listening audience. For the first time ever, the mainland of the United States of America had been attacked.

And here we are, frozen again. This time the events unfolded halfway around the world. Once again shock, unspeakable actions, thousands of innocent deaths, massive destruction. If you have been doing this long enough, we do have some level of experience with shocking events.

Once again, our talk radio hosts, producers and news teams will be a go-to source for millions of listeners across the country. How do we stay focused, selling, marketing, prospecting as local communities react to all this that is unfolding halfway around the world?

— Our thoughts and prayers are with those in harm’s way. As difficult as it may be, try and keep the opinionated politics away from your sales process.

— Keep the conversation neutral. A challenge for sure. If you are prepared there’s always positive to bring to your sales call.

— The calendar never quits. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, are all around the corner and with that a last-minute marketing opportunity.

— Why are 66% of the U.S. adults over 40 overweight?  Blame the men, we always skew those numbers. Just helping with a little small talk …

As challenging as the next few days and weeks may become, your news/talk radio station will become an important resource for adults on the go who need to know. As you formulate your presentations, stay focused on the unique benefits only your radio station’s lineup can deliver in times of crisis. Your on-air talent have earned the trust of the audience the old-fashioned way…. by being there when it mattered most.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry News

Salem Media Group Partners for GOP Debate

The Republican National Committee selects NBC News, Salem Radio Network, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Rumble as media partners for the third Republican presidential primary debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on November 8. Salemim Media Group CEO David Santrella says, “Salem Media Group and the Salem Radio Network are honored to be chosen by the Republican National Committee to be a part of this historic Republican presidential primary debate. Salem is an experienced partner of the RNC, having co-moderated four RNC debates in 2015-2016. We look forward to working closely with NBC News and other selected partners to deliver an event that will shine a light on the candidates and educate voters ahead of the primary.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The GOP’s maneuvering to elect a new Speaker of the House; Israel’s war against Hamas and the destruction of Gaza; an Illinois landlord kills a six-year-old Muslim boy and injured his mother; the 2024 presidential race; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the U.S. migrant crisis; and the “ring of fire” solar eclipse were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Nielsen Audio Corrects WABC, New York September PPM Ratings

When Nielsen Audio released the 6+ numbers from the September PPM survey for the New York City market, it listed Red Apple Media Group’s news/talk WABC as “N/A” for reasons unexplained, evenim though the stations (WABC-AM and WLIR-FM) were listed as having a 3.9 share in the Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk) market. Now, Nielsen has corrected the 6+ report that is available to the media (versus the more detailed information that is only available to subscribers) and lists WABC as having a 3.4 share good for the #11 rank in the New York City market for the September 2023 survey 

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of October 9 – 13

The deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel and Israel’s response was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was President Joe Biden’s collaboration with Qatar to freeze Iran’s oil assets due to Iran’s solidarity with Hamas, followed by U.S. House Republicans’ efforts to nominate and confirm a new House Speaker at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.