Programming pro Peter Thiele exits his position as director of spoken word programming at iHeartMedia’s
Des Moines cluster that includes news/talk WHO and sports talk KXNO. Thiele joined the Des Moines operations in January of this year. He can be reached at 646-926-6581.
Neuhoff Family Limited Partnership announces that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Springfield and Bloomington, Illinois radio stations to Woodward Communications, Inc for a sum yet to be announced. The asset purchase agreement has not been filed with the FCC yet. The stations include sports talk WFMB-AM in Springfield and four music brands plus three music FMs in the Bloomington market. This transaction
ends Neuhoff’s time in the radio business after almost 70 years. At one time, Neuhoff owned 24 stations – plus digital assets – in five markets. Woodward Communications, Inc operates eight stations – including news/talk WHBY-AM – in Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Neuhoff family trustee Julian Hickman says, “This final sale is bittersweet for our family, reflecting both a proud legacy and an emotional farewell. Our grandfather, Roger Neuhoff, poured his heart into the broadcast industry since the mid-1950s. The stations have been a vital part of our family and community, and while we cherish the incredible journey, it is time to turn the page.” Trustee Makena Neuhoff adds, “We would like to thank the incredible teams of local broadcasters in Springfield and Bloomington. We will forever cherish the memories and the significant impact our stations had on the local communities.”
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Remember the old Gatorade commercial? The “Be like Mike” jingle accompanied a montage of gravity-defying Michael Jordan dunks.
If you’ve heard Mike Hulvey speak, you know his birthday and blood type, because he told you, in his enthused trademark close: “March 4th and B positive!”
Before he recently hit-the-ground-running as Radio Advertising Bureau CEO and president, Mike was my longtime client when he ran Neuhoff Media. I consulted his news/talk/sports WSOY, Decatur and trained news people at other stations in the group. And the company’s “Media Made Locally” mantra was more than a slogan: “Nothing makes us happier than knowing that while our big corporate competitors are abandoning all the things we think make local media special – we’re doubling down.”
With broadcasters now so challenged by non-AM/FM audio competitors – and coping with cost cuts – the “Core Values” that clicked in these small Midwest markets seem like a prescription for stations everywhere:
1. Grit: “Stick with it.”
2. Community: “Give back.”
3. Innovation: “Think different.”
4. Excellence: “Be exceptional.”
In too many places now, a legacy call letter station is referred to as “the AM” within multi-station clusters and is bundled with music stations’ inventory… not the best sales model in Mike’s estimation: “The news/talk format offers endless opportunities to local clients.” Offered properly, these stations have “unique attributes and programming that lend itself to customize sponsorship and marketing extensions in any size market;” with otherwise “hidden gems that create opportunities for naming rights inside local sports and benchmark sponsorships as the local expert,” creating what he calls “lean-in listening that benefits advertisers.”
Live-N-local 24/7 seems quaint now, so we leverage imported programming, to make it sound more like part of the station’s own on-air family, rather than sounding like we’re an affiliate plugged-into the bird. The day Mike first introduced me at WSOY, I told the morning host: “We’ve got to get your voice in Rush Limbaugh and the Cardinals games more.”
Back to the future: With Monday-Friday syndicated talk programming mostly political, I asked Mike, “Could the sort of non-political shows that were such weekday winners for the late-great KGO and Buckley-owned WOR make a comeback?” His take: “I say yes. I believe that great locally targeted content is still a winning formula of success. While we as consumers have more choices than ever, we still crave information about where we live, work, and raise our families. While national political content has a very loud voice in the market, listeners appreciate those locally ‘world famous’ voices from where they live.”
Evidence, from the vault: 2-minute video, Mike explaining how winning radio is a relationship: https://youtu.be/wcsqrN7R7Ic
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.
BREAKING NEWS: Details at press time are still sketchy but TALKERS has learned that longtime radio industry executive Steve Lapa passed away this morning (6/28) at the age of 72. Cause of death is not available at press time. Lapa was the CEO and founder of South Florida-based media marketing firm, Lapcom Communications. He was a widely read TALKERS columnist whose weekly “Pending Business” commentary was a source of information and inspiration to radio sellers across the nation and one of the
trade publication’s most popular features. He also recently appeared as the moderator of the “Generating News/Talk Revenue” panel at the recent TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond conference – a role he also played at the 2023 installment of the TALKERS conference. Lapa was highly active as an advisor to Newsmax Media for the past decade in the development of its multimedia operations including Newsmax Radio. Starting on-air, then working through the ranks of programming, production and sales, Steve Lapa, at age 25, became the youngest general manager in the US of a group owned top 30 DMA radio station WGRQ, Buffalo. Continually assigned to lead turnaround properties, Steve focused on delivering revenue and audience growth through the insightful opportunities blending on-air talent creating unique programming with high-profile event partnerships. He quickly became a category innovator. Steve’s first-mover concept, developed in the early era of superstar stadium concerts, proved highly profitable across program channels, talents, and venues at all levels. Steve held upper-level management positions at 28 radio and TV stations for public and privately held companies from South Florida to San Francisco. One of his most recent positions was as VP/GM of talker WFTL, Fort Lauderdale/Miami. After successfully managing and innovating for others, Steve and financial partner Myer Feldman co-founded Ardman Broadcasting of Florida and Cape Cod, to acquire underdeveloped broadcast assets, which were developed then divested at 200-400% returns. Steve went on as founder of his own Lapcom Communications generating the same results at his wholly owned stations. Lapcom Communications was the parent company for Lapa’s current business activities until his death today. More information including arrangements will be posted when available.
Tomorrow (6/28), the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission will hold a hearing to rule on whether WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” air personality Bill Spadea’s remaining on the air prior to becoming a legally qualified candidate for governor, as he’s announced he intends to become, constitutes an in-kind contribution from employer Townsquare Media that would exceed the state’s single source
contribution limit of $5,800. Spadea, Townsquare Media and two other candidates – Jon Bramnick and Jack Ciattarelli – have submitted their responses to the ELEC’s Order to Show Cause. Spadea and his attorneys argue that the ELEC’s Order jumps the gun. “The attempt here to treat the policy and news discussions of Mr. Spadea’s radio program as an in-kind contribution to his campaign unambiguously violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution and cannot and would not survive judicial scrutiny. What is rotten is the concept that Mr. Spadea should have to—on short notice in a newly created process, and without any complaint or evidence of a campaign finance violation in this Commission’s jurisdiction— ‘show cause’ and defend himself in advance of exercising his right to free speech.” For their part, lawyers for Bramnick and Ciattarelli cited examples of Spadea discussing issues relevant to New Jersey voters, including how state funds are spent, regularly on his show. The attorney for Ciattarelli writes, “Spadea and Townsquare cannot credibly suggest that allowing Spadea to be on the radio for four hours per day to discuss his opinions on politics and policy issues is not providing his candidacy with a ‘thing of value’ or contribution while at the same time they are charging Ciatarelli $500 per minute for airtime. Once Spadea declared as a candidate and filed a Form-D1 he and his employer became subject to the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act.”
According to a report in the Siloam Springs Herald Leader, news/talk KURM-AM/FM in Rogers, Arkansas (about 25 miles north of Fayetteville) go dark on July 1 after 45 years of service to the community. The station is owned by Kermit Womack, the 89-year-old father of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, who
states in a press release, “It’s with a great deal of regret that I announce today the end of an era in local broadcasting. KURM has been a mainstay in this region for nearly 45 years, dedicated to the coverage of local events across a three-state region. Our style of radio is hard to do. That, coupled with some unfortunate health circumstances, have led to this decision.” Steve Womack put the station on the air in 1979 and the Herald Leader says he managed it for 11 years before leaving to join the Army ROTC program at the University of Arkansas. Steve Womack tells the paper, “It’s a sad day, to be sure. But over time, not only has this business changed dramatically, but the listening habits of people have changed. There are simply too many outlets competing for consumers. My father is an institution. He’s among the last of a vanishing breed. He is KURM, and if he is unable to continue, it is fitting that the station retires with him.” Read the Herald Leader report here.
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 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.
Salem Radio Networks star Mike Gallagher gives the TALKERS camera a big thumbs up from the halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. In addition to broadcasting his show that day from the state-of-the-art studios of the university’s acclaimed WRHU, Gallagher participated in the TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond “Great Debate” representing the conservative viewpoint in a refreshingly civil exchange with progressive host Thom Hartmann.
WABC, New York/Red Apple Audio Network star Frank Morano (standing); WDUN, Gainesville, GA midday force Martha Zoller (seated r); and WBT, Charlotte afternoon drive personality Brett Winterble (seated l) are pictured during an informal moment at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
Noelle Huizenga, VP public policy/communications, National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) was among the attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
Nationally syndicated Talk Media Network (TMN) radio personality Kate Delaney (l) captured a cozy selfie with (l-r) Ryan McCormick, Michael Harrison, and Mark Goldman at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Goldman and McCormick are the managing partners of Goldman McCormick Public Relations.
John Sardelis (l) is pictured at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond with Westwood One affiliate sales manager, Laura Martinez.
Broadcasters General Store (BGS) marketing executive Buck Waters attended TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond dispensing sage advice about the latest equipment and technology available to conference registrants. Waters, along with BGS tech wizard David Antoine, provided oversight to the process of video recording the sessions at the event which will soon be posted here and on YouTube.
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 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.
Keynote speaker: Premiere Networks syndicated star Glenn Beck, (l) who served as keynote speaker at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond, is pictured with Julie Talbott, president of Premiere Networks (l) and conference producer/director Michael Harrison (c). Shown at far left is Hosea Belcher, SVP affiliate marketing, Premiere Networks.
A gathering of friends and colleagues: Pictured (l-r), Rich McFadden, VP/operations, Radio America; Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia; Michelle Jerson, host/producer, “Passport Mom”; Asa Andrew, MD, host, “The Doctor Asa Show”; and Mike Paradiso, CEO, Radio America
Loving liberty and technology: TALKERS was pleased to welcome Sam Bushman (l) and Zak Gillies (r) of excellent content supplier LovingLiberty.net to TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
Old friends: Lots of reunions take place at the TALKERS conference. Pictured (l-r) in the buzzy halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communications are Scott Lakefield, APD, WOR, New York and legendary affiliate relations marketer, Willis Demalt of Talk Media Network. These two go back to their days together at the old WOR Radio Network. Scott Lakefield was a speaker on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel.
According to a Facebook post by the Oconee Enterprise, Cox Media Group news/talk WGAU-AM/W254CJ, Athens, Georgia has let Tim Bryant go. Bryant hosted the station’s morning drive show “Classic City Today,”
as well as serving as news director for the Athens stations and anchor/reporter for sister news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta. The Oconee Enterprise says Bryant “is known for not just delivering the news of Athens and Oconee on the airwaves but also interviewing political candidates, public figures and citizens who do something newsworthy, as well as hosting candidate forums.” See the Oconee Enterprise post here.
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 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.
Super-agent, Heather Cohen, president of the Weiss Agency (l) pictured with her super-client Fred Toucher, morning co-host on WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” Boston (r) at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Cohen spoke on the “Brave New World” panel and Toucher was the fireside chat guest on “The State of Sports Talk Radio.”
New England power couple: Howie and Kathy Carr played important roles at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Howie Carr, host, the Howie Carr Radio Network (l) was this year’s recipient of the Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement (2024 TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award) in addition to speaking on the “Behind the Mic” panel discussion. Kathy Carr, president, the Howie Carr Radio Network (r) appeared on the “Generating News Talk Revenue in the Digital Era” panel.
This great shot of Chris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York was captured in the ever-buzzing hallway of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication – home of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Oliviero spoke on the panel, “The Big Picture.”
Former recipient of the TALKERS Humanitarian of the Year award, Larry Young, host, WOLB, Baltimore (l) is pictured with his assistant Vernon Streeter (r). Young presented a stirring tribute to the late talk radio legend Joe Madison of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, who passed away earlier this year.
Kraig T. Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LCC and co-chair, Radio Hall of Fame (l) is pictured right outside Hofstra University’s “Studio A” soundstage with TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond producer/director Michael Harrison (r). Kitchin – last year’s recipient of the TALKERS Lifetime Achievement award – spoke on the “Big Picture” panel which was moderated by Harrison.
Longtime WPHT, Philadelphia superstar, Dom Giordano smiles for the TALKERS camera during one of the very quick breaks between sessions at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Giordano, the “dean of Philadelphia talk radio” spoke on the “Behind the Mic” panel.
Under the lights: Another segment of the capacity crowd of attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond is pictured in the Hofstra University Lawrence Herbert School of Communication “Studio A” TV soundstage where the entire event was captured on video. TALKERS will begin posting the video recordings of the conference next week bringing its exciting content to a worldwide audience.
More pictures from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond — as well as videos of panels and presentations — still to come!
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 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.
Like father, like son… Heavy Hundred member John Curley, afternoon star of KIRO 97.3 FM Newsradio, Seattle (r) and his son Ry Curley, sports reporter for KOZI, Chelan, WA (l) were among the attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. John Curley was this year’s recipient of the TALKERS Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Community Service (“Humanitarian of the Year”).
Compass Radio Networks syndicated talk radio Heavy Hundred goliath Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo (l) was a major presence at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond delivering the kick off breakfast address “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World” and moderating the “Behind the Mic” panel. He is pictured here accompanied by his daughters Jia “Pags” Pagliarulo (c) and Sam ”Pags” Pagliarulo (r). Sam serves as executive producer of “The Joe Pags Show.”
Two of talk media’s long-running mainstays were photographed in the hallways of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond: Chris Krok, evening star of WBAP, Dallas (l) and recent Radio Hall of Fame inductee Lee Harris, director, integrated operations, NewsNation / WGN, Chicago. Lee Harris served as moderator of the conference’s “Great Debate.”
Heavy Hundred member Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ (Talk 1300) Albany (l), who spoke on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel is pictured with Kevin Casey, VP/executive editor, TALKERS (r) who served as master of ceremonies for TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
Up from the Sunshine State with very long titles… Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeartMedia Miami (l) and Alex Fife, VP/operations, Southeast, iHeartMedia, Total Traffic & Weather Network (r) played significant roles at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Grace appeared on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel and Alex introduced the “Case for AM Radio” address.
Deck the halls with major broadcasters: WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA morning co-host Mike “Bax” Baxendale (l) and Deborah Parenti, publisher Radio Ink / RBR+TVBR (r) were captured in one frame entering Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication to participate in TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Bax spoke on the “Beyond Politics” panel and Deborah was a participant in “The Big Picture” discussion.
More pictures from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond — as well as videos of panels and presentations — still to come!
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr commented to the New York Post about liberal billionaire investor George Soros’ acquisition of $400 million of Audacy’s debt (and a potential controlling interest) and the company’s hope the FCC will greenlight its exit from Chapter 11 reorganization. At issue is
the FCC’s requirement to do a foreign ownership review and Audacy’s request that the FCC grant a limited waiver of that review in order to more speedily exit Chapter 11. This request is under heavy scrutiny due to the political aspects of the case. Carr recently told the Post that the FCC should not allow a “Soros shortcut” – a term used by the Media Research Center in its Petition to Deny filed with the Commission – but must follow FCC procedure. Audacy argued in its opposition to the Petition to Deny that there is nothing unique about this request, saying that the FCC “granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Audacy adds that the notion that the limited waiver is new “completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” See the Post story here.
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on 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.
TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond took place on the ultra-modern TV soundstages of Hofstra University’s magnificent Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. This photo is of the stage during the 8:00 am breakfast which was attended by what was already a packed house. TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey is seen at the podium. The breakfast was sponsored by the Sean Hannity Show and Premiere Networks.
TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was attended by some of the most important players in talk radio programming. Pictured (l-r) are two key members of the Audacy team: Lisa Polizzi, brand manager of WBEN, Buffalo and Greg Stocker, brand manager of WPHT, Philadelphia. Stocker appeared as a speaker on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel.
All segments of the talk media industry were represented at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Pictured (l-r) mingling in the halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication are Dave Gorab, VP/GM of talk programming at SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Steven Portnoy, ABC News Radio national correspondent. Gorab presented a touching tribute to Sirius legend the late Joe Madison and his widow (and executive producer) Sharon Madison who was the 2024 recipient of the TALKERS “Woman of the Year” award.
The dean of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Mark Lukasiewicz addressed the attendees at the TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond luncheon.
Widely respected talk radio programmer/host Joe Thomas (r) and his wife Elaine Thomas (l) celebrated the new co-ownership of their recent acquisition of WTON, Staunton, VA by attending TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Joe Thomas served as introducer of the panel discussion, “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era.”
Cumulus Media promotes Paul Mason to spoken word programming operations manager for Nashville’s news/talk WWTN-FM “SuperTalk 99.7” and sports talk WGFX-FM “104.5 The Zone.” Mason takes over the news/talk programming position previously held by Dan Mandis, who remains host of “Nashville’s Morning News” on WWTN-FM. Cumulus Media Nashville VP and market manager Allison Warren says, “Paul
Mason, a visionary leader who has successfully guided our sports station for the past four years, is now poised to bring the same focus, passion, and energy to our news/talk station – ‘SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.’ With an exciting blend of local hosts delivering both local and national stories in an informative and engaging manner, Paul is ready to lead this station to new heights. As we recently launched the SuperTalk YouTube channel, we anticipate continued dominance in spoken word content under Paul’s steady guidance. I would be remiss if I did not at the same time thank Dan Mandis for his outstanding leadership of the station over the last 10 years. Dan has successfully managed both the station, especially through challenging times, and breaking news while maintaining hosting duties and we look forward to letting him settle into his weekday morning show.” Mason comments, “SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s reputation in the news/talk format is among the elite. Dan Mandis has built a strong brand, and I look forward to working alongside not only Dan, but with the entire on-air staff (Chris Hand, Matt Murphy, and Brian Wilson), and our producers. The recent launch of SuperTalk TV has positioned WTN to continue to be a leader in news/talk. WTN has loyal clients and listeners, and we are committed to bringing stories, news, and opinions in a meaningful and engaging way. I’m humbled and thankful for the trust Allison Warren, Brian Phillips, and John Dimick have in me to lead spoken word at Cumulus Nashville.”
The Los Angeles Daily News reports that talk radio personality Tom Leykis has ended production of his internet talk show and is retiring from the business. Los Angeles-based Leykis served for years with then
-CBS Radio’s talk KLXS-FM before the company dropped the talk format, which led to Leykis forming his The New Normal Network in 2012 and distributing his show online to subscribers. The Daily News story indicates that Leykis – who turns 68 in August – decided it was time to call it quits, saying, “A long time ago, I realized I did not want to be like some of the hosts I heard in the past — begging for callers, stretching for topics. I wanted to go out on my terms when I wanted. So, I did.” Leykis produced the final edition of his show in mid-May. See the Daily News story here.
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.
One of the exciting sessions of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was titled “The Big Picture.” It sparked a dialogue about the state of talk media and radio in general in the face of tremendous technological and sociological change. It put forth the premise that for “radio” to succeed in the multiplatform arena of the digital age, its health and survival will depend upon its practitioners having a clear understanding what the term “radio” means and how that definition differs from the word “audio.” The stellar panels included (l-r): Tavis Smiley, host/owner, KBLA, Los Angeles / Smiley AudioMedia; Kraig Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LLC; Deborah Parenti, publisher, Radio Ink / RBR+TVBR; Chris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York; Lisa Wexler, host, WICC, Bridgeport; and Chad Lopez, president, WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Network. (Not pictured, moderator Michael Harrison.)
Westwood One host Rich Valdes, host of “America at Night,” introduced “The Big Picture” panel eloquently pointing out that for radio to successfully serve the big picture of American society it will have to grasp the demographic and ethnic changes that are rapidly taking place within the nation’s shifting population.
The “Beyond Politics” panel explored the programming options available to talk radio stations – particularly news/talk – to expand programming possibilities that enhance ratings and revenue beyond reliance on the popular paradigm of pure, targeted 24/7 partisan politics. Panelists included (l-r): Asa Andrew, MD, host, “The Doctor Asa Show”; Danielle Lin, C.N., producer/host, “The Art of Living and the Science of Life”; Lee Habeeb, CEO/host/producer, “Our American Stories”/American Private Radio; Daliah Wachs, MD, host, “The Dr. Daliah Show”; Mike “Bax” Baxendale, co-host, morning show, WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA; and Walter Sabo (A.K.A. Walter M Sterling), consultant, Sabo Media Partners / host, “Sterling On Sunday,” TMN / “Sterling at Night,” WPHT, Philadelphia. (Not pictured, moderator David Bernstein.)
Talk radio programming legend David Bernstein, TALKERS director of broadcast operations, served as moderator of the “Beyond Politics” panel session.
Kevin Casey, TALKERS VP/executive editor (l) served as TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond master of ceremonies and John Fredericks, owner/host, the John Fredericks Radio Network (r) delivered the introduction to the “State of Sports Talk Radio” fireside chat.
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
When market leaders drop rates, what comes next?
We have all been there. A market leading radio station will review sales, income, profits, pacing, costs and determine the best path to increasing income and reversing a negative sales trend is to strategically reduce, repackage or simply drop rates.
Assume the position of being downstream in audience delivery, which should mirror most reading this column. This is the time of year when many news/talk operators face this never-ending strategic pricing dilemma. Unless you are fortunate enough to sell or manage for the market leader, the trickle-down effect of the market leader dropping rates in a knee-jerk reaction to slow sales can be a 90–120-day revenue and income killer for those living downstream. It can happen in any business, but ad sales are particularly vulnerable as cancellations, market business conditions and weather can often impact the delicate ecosystem of radio ad sales.
Like it or not, very few if any business decision makers wake up shouting, “Gotta buy some radio ads right now!” With Father’s Day behind us (hope you had a good one) and Labor Day in front of us, let us review some basics to help keep our collective eye on the prize and focus on delivering performance through year end.
1. Summer Sales. Like or not, the American retail world we grew up and live in today conditioned us to anticipate and respond to those great summer sales events. July 4th, Labor Day, Back to School, these are all themed marketing opportunities that most of us expect and celebrate. That “Summer Sizzler” sale is not limited to steaks, barbeques, fashion, and vacations. Be creative, go with the flow and work with your teams to be a front runner in the creative packaging opportunities department.
2. Plan to adjust. Keep an idea or two on hold until it is “break the glass” time, then pull the trigger on your adjustment and move fast!
3. Expand your prospecting universe. New business opportunities are the lifeblood of sales. That email you send asking if there is anything happening this season is a necessary evil and without anything compelling to add it is deleted as quickly as you hit send. Be different!
4. Balance your short-term sales panic button with a long-term plan. We all must deal with the uncontrollable competitive variables in our sales environment. But success belongs to those who anticipate, adjust, accommodate, and answer the challenge!
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.
iHeartMedia names Eric Lonnquist SVP of sales for the company’s Minneapolis stations that includes news/talk KTLK-AM, sports talk KFXN “K-Fan” and five music brands. Lonnquist most recently served in
major market sales at Paycor. iHeartMedia Minneapolis market president Greg Alexander comments, “Eric Lonnquist is a seasoned sales professional in the Minneapolis market. His extensive background in media sales, combined with his leadership roles in major market sales makes him the perfect fit for our team. We are excited to have Eric lead our sales strategy and drive our continued success across our iconic broadcast and digital platforms.”
BIN: Black Information Network announces the new initiative, “Lock It and Store It! A BIN Gun Safety Awareness Campaign,” designed to inform the community about the importance of keeping guns out of the reach of children to help save lives. It will include the airing of special features, news reports and social
media on the costs and impacts of unintentional shootings by Black children in America. BIN president Tony Coles states, “This campaign is a shining example of the role community leaders play in the programming on the Black Information Network. This topic has been a part of so many stories we have aired, and keeping children and families safe is vital to the communities we serve. Bringing this campaign to life started with the BIN Local Roundtable and would not be possible without them.” The BIN Local Roundtable was designed as a forum for business and civic leaders from local communities across the U.S. to provide perspective and collaborate with BIN’s leadership team regarding the network’s programming and local engagement.
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.
A group of top talk radio pros participated in the panel discussion “Programming News/Talk Radio.” Pictured (l-r): Doug Stephan, CEO/Founder, Stephan Multimedia; Phil Boyce, SVP, spoken word format, Salem Media Group / ops VP, New York region, WMCA / WNYM-AM 970 The Answer; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ Talk 1300, Albany, NY; Scott Lakefield, APD, WOR, New York; Greg Stocker, brand manager, WPHT, Philadelphia; and Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeart Media Miami. The panel was moderated by Mike McVay, president McVay Media Consulting (pictured below).
TMN syndicated host Dr. Daliah Wachs performed the singing of the National Anthem.
One of the main panel discussions at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era.” Pictured (l-r): Moderator Steve Lapa, president, Lapcom Communications Corp.; Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; Josh Leng, Founder/CEO, Talk Media Network; John Caracciolo, president/CEO JVC Broadcasting; Ron Hartenbaum, managing member, Crossover Media; Kathy Carr, president, Howie Carr Radio Network; and Julie Talbott, president Premiere Networks.
Pictured above is a segment of the crowd at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond giving a standing ovation during the event.
May 2024 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 survey period (April 25 – May 22) has been released for Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford.
No share or rank thresholds are required to be included here.
MLB team names of spoken-word flagships are bolded.
DNA – DNA = Did Not Appear – Does Not Appear
Comparisons are April 2024 – May 2024 (6+).
AUSTIN
News/Talk
KLBJ-AM 4.4 – 4.4, #7 – #7
KJCE .1 – .1, #30 – #29
News
None
Sports Talk
KBPA-HD2 .9 – 1.0, #21 – #21
KVET-AM .5 – .6, #24 – #22
KTAE DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KUT 7.6 – 6.1, #2 – #3
KUT-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Note: Public radio news/talk KUT’s -1.5 (7.6 – 6.1) represents Austin’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
RALEIGH
News/Talk
WTKK 7.3 – 8.3, #4 – #2
WPTF .6 – .4, #23 – #24
News
WRAL-HD3 .7 – .7, #21 – #19
Sports Talk
WCMC-FM 3.1 – 3.2, #12 – #12
WCMC-FM HD2 .1 – .1, #25 – #25
Public Radio News/Talk
WUNC 7.9 – 6.9, #3 – #5
Note: Public radio news/talk WUNC’s -1.0 (7.9 – 6.9) represents a tie for Raleigh’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
INDIANAPOLIS
News/Talk
WIBC 5.7 – 6.9, #7 – #4
News
WOLT-HD2 .2 – .3, #25 – #22
Sports Talk
WIBC-HD2 2.3 – 3.5, #16 – #14
WNDE .3 – .1, #22 – #23
WXNT DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
WFNI DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WFYI 5.9 – 4.8, #6 – #9
Notes: The +1.2 by news/talk WIBC (5.7 – 6.9) and sports talk WIBC-HD2 (2.3 – 3.5) represents Indianapolis’ largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase.
Meanwhile, public radio news/talk WFYI’s -1.1 (5.9 – 4.8) is tied for the market’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
MILWAUKEE
News/Talk
WISN 10.3 – 12.1, ninth consecutive month at #1
WLIP .1 – .1, #26 – #26
WAUK DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
WTMJ DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Brewers)
WGKB DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
None
Sports Talk
WRNW 2.3 – 2.1, #15 – #15
WOKY .2 – .3, #21 – #21
WSSP .2 – .2, #21 – #23
WKTI DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WUWM 3.3 – 2.6, #10 – #14
Notes: In addition to being #1 for the ninth consecutive month, news/talk WISN posts Milwaukee’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase (10.3 – 12.1, +1.8).
Conversely, public radio news/talk WUWM’s -.7 (3.3 – 2.6) represents a tie for the market’s largest (6+)April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
NASHVILLE
News/Talk
WWTN 5.7 – 6.5, #5 – #4
WLAC 1.7 – 1.6, #18 – #17
News
WNRQ-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WGFX 5.5 – 5.3, #7 – #9
WPRT 2.5 – 2.3, #17 – #16
Public Radio News/Talk
WPLN 3.2 – 3.1, #15 – #15
WPLN-HD3 Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
PROVIDENCE
News/Talk
WPRO-AM 7.0 – 7.3, #4 – #4
WHJJ 1.1 – 1.2, #12 – #13
News
None
Sports Talk
WVEI 1.7 – 1.8, #9 – #10
WPRV .1 – .1, #18 – #19
WBZ-FM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WGBH 2.1 – 2.2, #8 – #8
WNPN 1.0 – 1.0, #13 – #15
WCAI .1 – .1, #18 – #19
NORFOLK
News/Talk
WNIS 2.1 – 2.4, #14 – #13
WGH-FM HD2 .1 – .1, #24 – #24
News
WNOH .3 – .3, #23 – #22
Sports Talk
WVSP 1.1 – 1.4, #17 – #16
WGH-AM .1 – .1, #24 – #24
Public Radio News/Talk
None
JACKSONVILLE
News/Talk
WOKV-FM 9.1 – 8.7, #3 – #3
News
WJBT-HD2 .2 – .2, #21 – #22
Sports Talk
WOKV-AM .2 – .2, #21 – #22
Public Radio News/Talk
WJCT 2.4 – 2.8, #13 – #12
WEST PALM BEACH
News/Talk
WFTL 2.6 – 2.6, #8 – #9
WJNO .9 – 1.2, #14 – #13
WZZR 1.2 – 1.0 #13 – #14
News
None
Sports Talk
WMEN .5 – .5, #16 – #16
WBZT .3 – .3, #19 – #18
Public Radio News/Talk
WLRN 2.6 – 2.2, #8 – #11
WLRN-HD2 Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
GREENSBORO
News/Talk
WPTI 3.9 – 3.7 #10 – #10
News
None
Sports Talk
None
Public Radio News/Talk
WFDD 4.4 – 4.2, #7 – #9
WUNC 2.5 – 2.1, #12 – #12
MEMPHIS
News/Talk
WREC 1.4 – 1.4, #10 – #10
KWAM .4 – .5, #13 – #12
News
None
Sports Talk
WMFS 2.3 – 2.6, #7 – #7
WMC-AM .2 – .3, #15 – #13
WMFS Stream .2 – .2, #15 – #14
Public Radio News/Talk
WKNO 1.1 – 1.0, #11 – #11
WKNO-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
HARTFORD
News/Talk
WTIC-AM 5.4 – 4.2, #6 – #8
WDRC-AM 1.6 – 1.2, #16 – #16
WPOP .2 – .2, #20 – #20
WTIC-AM Stream .2 – .2, #20 – #20
News
None
Sports Talk
WUCS 1.8 – 1.5, #14 – #15
Public Radio News/Talk
WNPR 5.0 – 6.4, #7 – #5
WFCR .4 – .4, #18 – #19
Notes: Public radio news/talk WNPR’s +1.4 (5.0 – 6.4) represents Hartford’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase.
On the other hand, news/talk WTIC-AM’s -1.2 (5.4 – 4.2) is the market’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
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 Media Law; 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.
The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. The survey covered April 25 through May 22. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, although Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM dipped six-tenths to a 5.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share), it remains ranked #2, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk KEX-AM rises one-tenth to a 1.7 share stays in the #20 rank. In San Antonio, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOAI-AM is steady with a 2.8 share but falls back to the #13 rank, while Alpha Media’s news/talk KTSA slides back two-tenths to a 1.9 share good for the #19 rank. In Salt Lake City, Bonneville’s news/talk KSL-AM/FM loses 3.2 shares to finish with a 4.9 share and regresses to the #4 rank, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM adds half a share for a 3.1 share finish that lifts it to the #14 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.
May 2024 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 ratings period (April 25 – May 22) has been released for Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus.
No share or rank thresholds are required to be included here.
MLB team names of spoken-word flagships are bolded.
DNA – DNA = Did Not Appear – Does Not Appear
Comparisons are April 2024 – May 2024 (6+).
PORTLAND
News/Talk
KXL 6.4 – 5.8, #2 – #2
KEX 1.6 – 1.7, #20 – #20
KUFO .7 – .7, #23 – #24
KPAM .3 – .3, #30 – #31
News
None
Sports Talk
KXTG 1.5 – 1.2, #21 – #21
KFXX 1.4 – 1.0, #22 – #22
KPOJ .6 – .4, #27 – #26
KMTT .2 – .2, #34 – #33
KFXX Stream DNA – .1, DNA – #36
Public Radio News/Talk
KOPB 5.1 – 5.0, #4 – #5
KOPB Stream .7 – 1.0, #23 – #22
CHARLOTTE
News/Talk
WBT-AM/FM 4.2– 4.7, #8 – #7
News
WRFX-HD2 DNA – .1, DNA – #23
Sports Talk
WFNZ-FM 3.3 – 3.7, #13 – #10
WSOC-HD3 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WFAE 4.4 – 3.4, #6 – #12
WNSC .8 – .7, #20 – #21
WFAE-HD3 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
SAN ANTONIO
News/Talk
WOAI 2.8– 2.8, #12 – #13
KTSA 2.1 – 1.9, #17 – #19
News
None
Sports Talk
KTFM 1.2 – 1.4, #24 – #21
KTKR .6 – .5, #29 – #29
KZDC .5 – .4, #31 – #31
Public Radio News/Talk
KSTX 2.2 – 2.1, #15 – #17
SACRAMENTO
News/Talk
KFBK 6.2 – 8.0 #3 – #2
KSTE-AM 1.9 – 2.5, #19 – #15
KSAC-AM .8 – 1.0, #23 – #21
News
None
Sports Talk
KIFM 1.0 – 1.0, #22 – #21
KHTK 1.8 – .9, #20 – #23
KIFM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KXJZ 2.8 – 3.6, #14 – #10
KQEI .3 – .2, #28 – #28
KQED .1 – .1, #30 – #30
KUOP DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Note: News/talk KFBK’s +1.8 (6.2 – 8.0) represents the largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase by any station in these 12 PPM-markets.
PITTSBURGH
News/Talk
KDKA-AM 4.3 – 4.6, #9 – #9
KDKA-AM Stream .2 – .3, #21 – #18
News
None
Sports Talk
KDKA-FM (Pirates) 8.0 – 7.8, #2 – #3
KDKA-FM Stream (Pirates).4 – .3, #20 – #18
WBGG DNA – .1, DNA – #20
Public Radio News/Talk
WESA 5.4 – 4.7, #7 – #8
SALT LAKE CITY
News/Talk
KSL-AM/FM 8.1 – 4.9, #2 – #4
KNRS-AM/FM 2.6 – 3.1, #15 – #14
KKAT .1 – .1, #29 – #27
News
None
Sports Talk
KALL 1.0 – 1.2, #23 – #22
KZNS-FM .4 – .7, #26 – #25
KZNS-AM .6 – .3, #24 – #26
KZNS-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KZNS-FM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KOVO DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KUER 3.2 – 3.6, #14 – #12
KBYU-HD2 Stream .3 – .1, #27 – #27
KUMT .3 – .1, #27 – #27
Note: News/talk KSL’s -3.2 (8.1 – 4.9) represents the largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease by any station in the 36 PPM-markets analyzed thus far.
LAS VEGAS
News/Talk
KMXB-HD3 1.6– 1.7, #23 – #22
KXNT .2 – .2, #34 – #33
KMZQ .1 – .1, #35 – #37
KXNT Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
None
Sports Talk
KWWN .6 – .5, #28 – #28
KKGK .6 – .3, #28 – #29
KENO .1 – .1, #35 – #37
KRLV .1 – .1, #35 – #37
Public Radio News/Talk
KNPR 1.9 – 1.5, #20 – #24
ORLANDO
News/Talk
WTKS 6.5 – 5.1, #4 – #7
WDBO 3.9 – 3.7, #10 – #10
WFLF .6 – .8, #19 – #19
WFYY .5 – .5, #21 – #21
WFYY-HD3 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
None
Sports Talk
WYGM .9 – 1.0, #17 – #17
WOCL-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WMFV 1.9 – 1.8, #15 – #16
WMFE DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Note: News/talk WTKS’ -1.4 (6.5 – 5.1) is Orlando’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
CINCINNATI
News/Talk
WLW 13.3 – 11.8, following back-to-back months at #1, slips to #2 (Reds)
WKRC 6.0 – 6.1, #5 – #5
News
None
Sports Talk
WCKY .7 – .8, #19 – #19
WSAI .7 – .4, #19 – #21
Public Radio News/Talk
WVXU 3.3 – 3.2, #10 – #10
Note: News/talk WLW’s -1.5 (13.3 – 11.8) is Cincinnati’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
CLEVELAND
News/Talk
WTAM 7.4 – 7.4, #4 – #5 (Guardians)
News
WMMS-HD2 .1 – .1, #23 – #23
Sports Talk
WKRK 4.2 – 4.8, #10 – #10
WKRK Stream .6 – 1.0, #20 – #19
WARF .1 – .1, #23 – #23
Public Radio News/Talk
WKSU 6.5 – 5.5, #7 – #7
WKSU-HD4 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KANSAS CITY
News/Talk
KMBZ-FM 5.6 – 5.4, #4 – #4
KCMO-AM 1.5 – 1.5, #18 – #17
KMBZ-AM 1.3 – 1.3, #19 – #18
KMBZ-FM Stream .9 – 1.3, #22 – #18
KCMO-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KMBZ-FM HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
None
Sports Talk
KCSP 3.4 – 3.3, #10 – #11 (Royals)
KCSP Stream .6 – 1.1, #26 – #21 (Royals)
KWOD DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KCUR 2.2 – 2.3, #15 – #15
KANU-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
COLUMBUS
News/Talk
WTVN 5.2 – 5.5, #7 – #6
News
WYTS DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WBNS-FM 7.6 – 7.8, #2 – #2
WBNS-AM .6 – .4, #20 #21
WMNI .1 – .1, #22 – #23
WBNS-FM HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WOSU 6.1 – 5.4, #5 – #7
Note: Public radio news/talk WOSU’s -.7 (6.1 – 5.4) is Columbus’ largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
Up next: May 2024 overviews for Austin; Raleigh; Indianapolis; Milwaukee; Nashville; Providence; Norfolk; Jacksonville; West Palm Beach; Greensboro; Memphis; and Hartford.
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.
KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, Seattle afternoon talk show host John Curley was the 2024 recipient of the TALKERS Humanitarian of the Year award (the Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Community Service). He is pictured delivering his acceptance speech discussing the importance of using your platform for good causes.
Michael Harrison (l) interviewed Fred Toucher (r), morning show co-host of WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub, Boston in a fireside chat titled, “The State of Sports Talk Radio.” The discussion included comparisons between sports talk and news/talk radio, the benefit of sports talk hosts operating in on-air teams, the relationship sports talk hosts have with home teams and their ardent fans, dealing with harsh criticism on social media, the impact of gambling on sports talk radio, the challenges hosts are facing in covering women’s basketball and more.
One of the many highlights of the conference was a blessedly civil “Great Debate” between WYD Media syndicated host Thom Hartmann (c) representing the left and Salem Radio Networks host Mike Gallagher (r) representing the right. The session was moderated by Lee Harris (standing l), director of integrated operations, NewsNation/WGN Chicago.
The panel session titled, “Behind the Mic,” delved into the issues and challenges faced today by talk radio talent. Participants included (l-r) Jeff Katz, WRVA, Richmond; Frank Morano, WABC, New York/Red Apple Media; Martha Zoller, WDUN, Athens, GA; Moderator Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, Compass Media Networks; Dom Giordano, WPHT, Philadelphia; Howie Carr, Howie Carr Radio Network; and Chris Krok, WBAP, Dallas.
Saga Communications news/talk outlet WINA-AM, Charlottesville announces that it’s adding an hour to “The Schilling Show,” hosted by Rob Schilling. The program now airs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm daily. The station says this comes “in response to the show’s growing popularity and demand for more in-depth
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.”
May 2024 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 ratings period (April 25 – May 22) has been released for: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.
No share or rank thresholds are required for spoken-word stations to be included in our Ratings Takeaways.
MLB spoken-word flagships are bolded.
DNA – DNA = Did Not Appear – Does Not Appear
Comparisons are April 2024 – May 2024 (6+).
WASHINGTON, DC
News/Talk
WMAL 4.6 – 3.8, #6 – #11
WFED .1 – .1, #30 – #31 (Nationals)
News
WTOP & WTLP 7.8 – 8.2, #2 – #2
Business News WDCH .5 – .6, #23 – #24
WUST .1 – DNA, #30 – DNA
Business News WDCH Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WJFK-FM 2.5 – 2.0, #17 – #16 (Nationals)
WJFK-FM Stream .8 – .9, #20 – #19 (Nationals)
WTEM .2 – .5, #25 – #26
WTEM Stream .2 – .4, #25 – #28
WSBN .1 – .1, #30 – #31
WTSD DNA – .1, DNA – #31
WJFK-AM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Nationals)
Public Radio News/Talk
WAMU 11.3 – 10.7, 31st month in succession at #1
BOSTON
News/Talk
WRKO 3.3 – 2.9, #12 – #13
WXKS-AM .4 – .6, #24 – #24
News
News – Talk WBZ-AM 4.9 – 4.5, #7 – #7
Business news WRCA .2 – .2, #26 – #26
Sports Talk
WBZ-FM 10.1 – 11.0, fifth straight month at #1
WEEI-FM 3.9 – 4.0, #10 – #8 (Red Sox)
WEEI-FM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Red Sox)
WEEI-AM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Red Sox)
Public Radio News/Talk
WBUR 5.8 – 5.4, #3 – #4
WGBH 4.3 – 3.8, #8 – #9
Note: Sports talk WBZ-FM’s +.9 (10.1 – 11.0) represents Boston’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024increase.
WBZ-FM is the flagship of the NBA’s Celtics, now playing in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, whose flagship is rock KEGL.
MIAMI
News/Talk
WIOD 1.3 – 1.4, #23 – #21
News
None
Sports Talk
WQAM 1.0 – .9 #25 – #25
WINZ .3 – .5, #31 – #30 (Marlins)
WQAM Stream .2 – .2, #34 – #33
WMEN .3 – .1, #31 – #36
WSFS-HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
WAXY DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WLRN 5.3 – 4.3, #5 – #6
WLRN-HD2 DNA – .1, DNA – #36
Notes: Public radio news/talk WLRN’s -1.0 (5.3 – 4.3) represents Miami’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
Sports talk WQAM is the flagship of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, now playing in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, whose flagship is Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) news/talk CHED.
SEATTLE
News/Talk
KIRO-FM 3.8 – 4.5, #10 – #6
KVI 1.3 – 1.8, #24 – #21
KTTH 1.4 – 1.5, #22 – #23
KPTR .1 – .1, #30 – #29
News
KNWN-AM & KNWN-FM 2.4 – 2.4, #18 – #17
KHHO DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
KIRO-AM 3.8 – 3.3, #10 – #14 (Mariners)
KJR-FM 1.6 – 1.8, #21 – #21
KJR-AM .5 – .7, #26 – #26
Public Radio News/Talk
KUOW 7.3 – 7.3, #3 – #2
KSWS DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
DETROIT
News/Talk
WJR 1.7 – 1.7, #17 – #17
WFDF .4 – .3, #25 – #25
WJR Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
WWJ 4.6 – 4.4, #10 – #11
WWJ Stream .6 – .4, #23 – #24
WDFN .1 – .1, #27 – #29
Sports Talk
WXYT-FM 9.2 – 8.2, #1 – #2 (Tigers)
WXYT-FM Stream 1.5 – 1.6, #18 – #18 (Tigers)
WXYT-AM .2 – .2, #26 – #26 (Tigers)
WXYT-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Tigers)
Public Radio News/Talk
WDET 1.9 – 1.9, #16 – #16
WUOM 1.3 – 1.5, #19 – #19
Note: Sports talk WXYT-FM’s -1.0 (9.2 – 8.2) represents Detroit’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024decrease.
PHOENIX
News/Talk
KFYI 2.9 – 3.4, #10 – #8
KTAR-FM 2.7 – 2.3, #12 – #19
News
None
Sports Talk
KMVP-FM 2.9 – 3.4, #10 – #8 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
KTAR-AM .1 – .1, #33 – #33 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
KDUS .1 – .1, #33 – #33
KGME DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KTAR-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Arizona Diamondbacks)
KTAR-FM HD2 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KJZZ 2.6 – 2.6, #15 – #14
MINNEAPOLIS
News/Talk
WCCO 4.4 – 4.6, #10 – #9 (Minnesota Twins)
KTMY 2.3 – 2.7, #15 – #14
KTLK-AM 2.1 – 1.9, #16 – #17
WCCO Stream .6 – .5, #26 – #25 (Minnesota Twins)
News
KQQL-HD2 .1 – .1, #30 – #30
Sports Talk
KFXN 8.0 – 8.4, #2 – #2
KSTP-AM .1 – .1, #30 – #30
KQQL-HD3 .1 – DNA, #30 – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KNOW 6.4 – 6.0, #6 – #6
KNOW Stream .8 – .9, #22 – #23
SAN DIEGO
News/Talk
KOGO 4.3 – 3.9, #8 – #9
KLSD .5 – .4, #24 – #23
News
None
Sports Talk
KWFN 4.0 – 4.3, #10 – #7 (Padres)
KGB-AM .5 – .4, #24 – #23
KWFN Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Padres)
Public Radio News/Talk
KPBS 6.6 – 6.6, #2 – #2
TAMPA
News/Talk
WHPT 5.1 – 5.3, #5 – #6
WFLA 3.8 – 3.4, #12 – #13
News
Business news WHNZ DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WDAE 2.3 – 2.2, #16 – #16 (Rays)
Public Radio News/Talk
WUSF 2.0 – 2.1, #18 – #18
WMNF-HD3 Stream .1 – .1, #31 – #31
WUSF Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
DENVER
News/Talk
KOA 3.0 – 2.6, #15 – #17 (Colorado Rockies)
KDFD 1.3 – 1.3, #21 – #22
KHOW 1.2 – 1.2, #22 – #23
News
None
Sports Talk
KKSE-FM 3.0 – 3.4, #15 – #12
KKFN 3.4 – 2.8, #13 – #13
KAMP .1 – .1, #33 – #35
KEPN .1 – .1, #33 – #35
KKSE-AM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KCFR 2.9 – 2.7, #17 – #16
KUNC 1.1 – 1.2, #23 – #23
BALTIMORE
News/Talk
WBAL 3.3 – 3.6, #10 – #11 (Orioles)
WCBM 1.4 – 1.8, #15 – #14
News
WTOP & WTLP 1.4 – 1.2, #15 – #17
Business News WDCH .5 – .6, #21 – #20
WQLL DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WJZ-FM 2.9 – 3.6, #12 – #11
WJZ-AM DNA – .1, DNA – #28
WJZ-FM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WYPR 3.3 – 5.2, #10 – #6
WYPR HD2 Stream .2 – DNA, #26 – DNA
Note: Public radio news/talk WYPR’s +1.9 (3.3 – 5.2) is tied for Baltimore’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase.
ST. LOUIS
News/Talk
KMOX 4.5 – 4.7, #10 – #10 (Cardinals)
KFTK 1.5 – 1.7, #17 – #17
KTLK-FM 1.3 – 1.3, #18 – #18
KMOX Stream .9 – .6, #19 – #20 (Cardinals)
KFTK Stream .2 – .1, #27 – #28
News
KATZ-FM HD2 .2 – .1, #27 – #28
Sports Talk
WXOS 3.8 – 3.1, #12 – #14
Public Radio News/Talk
KWMU 5.8 – 5.0, #6 – #9
Up next: May 2024 overviews for Portland; Charlotte; San Antonio; Sacramento; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City; Las Vegas; Orlando; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Kansas City; and Columbus.
Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com
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 – like its colorful predecessors – 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.
Glenn Beck of Premiere Networks delivering TALKERS 2024 keynote address. He spoke about the importance of developing storytelling skills as well as maintaining authenticity. “Mean what you say and say what you mean.”
Howie Carr (l) of the Howie Carr Radio Network being presented the TALKERS 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award celebrating his long career as a New England talk radio staple as well as his enormous accomplishments fighting crime and corruption as an investigative journalist. Mark Goldman of Goldman McCormick PR (r) made the presentation.
WOLB, Baltimore veteran talk show host Larry Young paid tribute to the late SiriusXM Satellite Radio icon Joe Madison in a double ceremony honoring the memory of Joe and the outstanding career of his widow/executive producer Sharon “Sherry” Madison who was the 2024 recipient of the TALKERS Woman of the Year award. Also speaking (but not pictured) at the presentation were Dave Gorab, VP/GM of talk programming at SiriusXM and last year’s recipient Martha Zoller of WDUN, Athens, GA who accepted on behalf of Mrs. Madison who was unable to attend.
We will post more photos from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond tomorrow.
May 2024 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 ratings period (April 25 – May 22) has been released for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey).
No share or rank thresholds are required for spoken-word stations to be included here.
MLB spoken-word flagships are bolded.
DNA – DNA = Did Not Appear – Does Not Appear
Comparisons are April 2024 – May 2024 (6+).
NEW YORK
News/Talk
WABC 3.2 – 3.3, #11 – #10
WOR 1.4 – 1.5, #20 – #19
WKXW 1.0 – 1.0, #23 – #23
WKXW Stream .3 – .2, #37 – #39
WLIR DNA – .1, DNA – #45
News
WINS-FM 4.7 – 4.3, #5 – #5
WCBS-AM 1.8 – 1.5, #19 – #19 (Mets)
Business News WBBR .4 – .4, #34 – #34
WINS-FM Stream .4 – .3, #34 – #37
WCBS-AM Stream .2 – .2, #39 – #39 (Mets)
Sports Talk
WFAN FM & AM 2.3 – 2.4, #13 -#13 (Yankees)
WFAN FM & AM Stream 1.1 – .8, #22 -#26 (Yankees)
Public Radio News/Talk
WNYC-FM 4.0 – 3.3, #8 – #10
WNYC-AM .6 – .9, #27 – #24
Note: Public radio news/talk WNYC-FM’s -.7 (4.0 – 3.3) represents New York’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
LOS ANGELES
News/Talk
KFI 4.6 – 4.0, #3 – #7
KRLA .9 – .8, #32 – #33
KEIB .6 – .6, #34 – #34
News
KNX-FM 3.4 – 3.3, #10 – #10
KNX-FM Stream .2 – .2, #38 – #38
Sports Talk
KLAC 1.6 – 1.5, #27 – #26 (Dodgers)
Public Radio News/Talk
KPCC 2.1 – 1.8, #19 – #22
Notes: News/talk KFI’s -.6 (4.6 – 4.0) represents Los Angeles’ largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
Flagships of the Angels are sports talk KLAA (DNA) and sports talk KSPN (DNA).
CHICAGO
News/Talk
WGN 3.8 – 3.0, #9 – #12
WLS-AM .9 – .9, #27 – #26
WVON .2 – .2, #39 – #36
WLS-AM Stream DNA – .1, DNA – #41
WLIP .3 – DNA, #35 – DNA
News
WBBM-AM & WCFS 5.2 – 5.2, #4 – #4
WBBM-AM & WCFS Stream .2 – .1, #39 – #41
Sports Talk
WSCR 3.3 – 3.2, #10 – #10 (Cubs)
WSCR Stream .3 – .2, #35 – #36 (Cubs)
WSHE-HD2 .1 – DNA, #45 – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
WBEZ 2.0 – 1.6, #18 – #21
Note: The White Sox flagship is sports talk WMVP (DNA).
SAN FRANCISCO
News/Talk
KSFO 1.4 – 1.4, #22 – #22
KSFO Stream .1 – .1, #37 – #38
News
KCBS-AM & KFRC 6.2 – 5.7, #3 – #3
KNEW .3 – .2, #30 – #32 (Oakland A’s)
KCBS-AM & KFRC Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
KKSF DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
KNBR 3.9 – 4.2, #6 – #6 (Giants)
KGMZ 1.9 – 1.7, #19 – #20
KNBR Stream .5 – .4, #28 – #28 (Giants)
KGO Stream .1 – .2, #37 – #32
KGO .1 – .1, #37 – #38
KTCT .1 – .1, #37 – #38
KGMZ Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KQED 7.1 – 5.9, #1 – #2
KALW .2 – .3, #32 – #31
Note: Public radio news/talk KQED’s -1.2 (7.1 – 5.9) represents San Francisco’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
DALLAS
News/Talk
WBAP 3.2 – 2.6, #11 – #15
KSKY .6 – .6, #34 – #34
KLIF-AM .3 – .4, #36 – #36
KFXR-AM DNA – .1, DNA – #43
KSKY Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
News – Talk KRLD-AM 1.4 – 1.5, #28 – #26
News – Talk KRLD-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News KKGM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
KTCK 3.7 – 5.3, #10 – #1
KRLD-FM 2.3 – 2.5, #20 – #19 (Texas Rangers)
KRLD-FM Stream 1.1 – 1.2, #31 – #28 (Texas Rangers)
Public Radio News/Talk
KERA 3.1 – 2.9, #12 – #12
Note: Sports/talk KTCK’s +1.6 (3.7 – 5.3) represents Dallas’ largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 increase.
HOUSTON
News/Talk
KTRH 2.8 – 3.3, #17 – #13 (Astros)
KPRC .4 – .3, #27 – #30
News
KXYZ .1 – DNA #34 – DNA
Sports Talk
KILT-AM .9 – 1.1, #25 – #24
KBME 1.1 – 1.0, #23 – #26 (Astros)
KILT-AM Stream .4 – .6, #27 – #27
KFNC DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
KUHF 2.5 – 3.4, #18 – #12
ATLANTA
News/Talk
WSB-AM & WSBB 7.1– 7.1, #2 – #2
WFOM .2 – .3, #32 – #30
WGKA .2 – .3, #32 – #30
WAOK Stream DNA – .1, DNA – #33
WAOK .1 – DNA, #35 – DNA
WSRV-HD3 Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
News
WBIN DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Sports Talk
WCNN 3.8 – 4.1, #10 – #8 (Braves)
WZGC 3.8 – 3.7, #10 – #11
WZGC Stream .5 – .6, #29 – #25
Public Radio News/Talk
WABE 3.4 – 4.0, #13 – #9
WRAS .6 – .5, #25 – #27
WABE-HD3 DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
PHILADELPHIA
News/Talk
WPHT 2.3 – 2.1, #15 – #18
WKXW 1.1 – 1.1, #23 – #24
WPHT Stream .7 – .7, #26 – #25
WURD .4 – .3, #27 – #28
WURD Stream .1 – .1, #31 – #31
WKXW Stream .1 – .1, #31 – #31
WDEL-AM DNA – .1, DNA – #31
News
KYW & WPHI 5.5 – 5.1, #6 – #6
KYW & WPHI Stream .3 – .5, #28 – #27
WTEL .1 – DNA, #31 – DNA
Sports Talk
WIP 6.7 – 7.4, #4 – #4 (Phillies)
WIP Stream 2.8 – 3.0, #13 – #10 (Phillies)
WPEN-FM 1.3 – 1.5, #22 – #21
Public Radio News/Talk
WHYY 3.1 – 2.9, #9 – #12
NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND)
News/Talk
WABC 1.6 – 1.7, #18 – #18
WOR 1.1 – 1.2, #19 – #19
WLIR .2 – .2, #28 – #27
News
WINS-FM 5.2 – 5.2, #2 – #3
WCBS-AM 2.2 – 1.8, #15 – #16 (Mets)
WINS-FM Stream .5 – .6, #24 – #23
WCBS-AM Stream .5 – .4, #24 – #24 (Mets)
Business News WBBR .5 – .4, #24 – #24
Sports Talk
WFAN-FM & AM 2.6 – 2.9, #11 – #10 (Yankees)
WFAN-FM & AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Yankees)
Public Radio News/Talk
WSUF .2 – .1, #28 – #31
RIVERSIDE
News/Talk
None
News
KFOO .1 – DNA, #25 – DNA
Sports Talk
KPWK .3 – .4, #21 – #21
Public Radio News/Talk
KVCR .4 – .4 #19 – #21
KPCC .1 – DNA, #25 – DNA
SAN JOSE
News/Talk
KSFO 1.9 – 2.0, #16 – #17
KSFO Stream DNA – .3, DNA – #27
News
KCBS-AM & KFRC 3.9 – 3.5, #7 – #8
KCBS-AM & KFRC Stream .2 – .2, #28 – #29
KNEW .2 – .2, #28 – #29 (Oakland A’s)
Sports Talk
KNBR 3.2 – 3.5, #9 – #8 (Giants)
KGMZ 1.8 – 1.3, #19 – #22
KGO Stream .4 – .8, #27 – #26
KNBR Stream .9 – .3, #26 – #27 (Giants)
KGO .2 – .2, #28 – #29
KTCT .2 – DNA, #28 – DNA
KGMZ Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA
Public Radio News/Talk
None
MIDDLESEX-SOMERSET-UNION (New Jersey)
News/Talk
WKXW 7.3 – 7.0, #1 – #2
WOR 3.1 – 3.3, #10 – #9
WKXW Stream .7 – .8, #21 – #19
News
WINS-FM 2.0 – 2.2, #13 – #12
WCBS-AM .9 – .8, #19 – #19 (Mets)
WINS-FM Stream .3 – .4, #24 – #24
WCBS-AM Stream .1 – .3, #25 – #25 (Mets)
Sports Talk
WFAN-FM & AM 3.9 – 2.9, #8 – #10 (Yankees)
WFAN FM & AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA (Yankees)
Public Radio News/Talk
None
Note: Sports talk WFAN’s -1.0 (3.9 – 2.9) represents Middlesex-Somerset-Union’s largest (6+) April 2024 – May 2024 decrease.
Up next: May 2024 overviews for: Washington, DC; Boston; Miami; Seattle; Detroit; Phoenix; Minneapolis; San Diego; Tampa; Denver; Baltimore; and St. Louis.
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 – like its colorful predecessors – 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. Check out the official Program Guide here.
SiriusXM announces the launch of “Mediaite’s Press Club” in collaboration with Mediaite.com. Debuting tomorrow (6/8), Mediaite editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin hosts and executive produces that airs on
Saturdays at 10:00 am ET on SiriusXM’s bipartisan P.O.T.U.S. channel. This show will contain major interviews and showcase conversations and debates with Mediaite writers and editors, along with top reporters from various outlets. These roundtable discussions will cover the intersection of media and politics, the inner workings of the media world, and the biggest industry stories of the week. The inaugural episode features an in-depth interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos.
When the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) presents the 49th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 18, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, pioneering Yankees sports announcer Suzyn Waldman will be honored with the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her
extraordinary contributions to sports broadcasting for over four decades, notably as one of the first women to cover Major League Baseball. Serving as host for the event will be ABC News senior national affairs correspondent and “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts. AWMF president Becky Brooks comments, “We are honored to have Deborah Roberts, an exemplary journalist and storyteller, host this year’s Gracies Luncheon. Her illustrious career and dedication to impactful reporting epitomize the values we celebrate at the Gracie Awards. Additionally, we are honored to recognize Suzyn Waldman’s pioneering contributions to the industry with the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award. This event promises to be a memorable celebration of talent and achievement in media.”