WWL, New Orleans Inks Deals with Saints and Pelicans
Audacy announces new, multi-year broadcast agreements with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans for all Saints and Pelicans games to be broadcast live on news/talk WWL-AM/FM. WWL has been the flagship station for the New Orleans Saints continuously since 1995. The
Pelicans had been heard on iHeartMedia’s WRNO-FM. Audacy New Orleans SVP and market manager Dan Barron states, “We are honored to extend our partnership with the New Orleans Saints and excited to bring the New Orleans Pelicans into the WWL family. This agreement reaffirms our dedication to providing fans with the best sports broadcasting in the region. We are proud to be the go-to source for Saints and Pelicans coverage and are excited to bring every thrilling moment to our listeners.”
daypart to morning drive, taking over for Maxwell Schaeffer and Amy Sweet, who exited the station earlier this year. He posts a message to Facebook saying, in part, “Iowans are all about connecting with each other and WHO Radio has always been at the heart of that. We’ll have conversations about the most important topics of the day, and we’ll share a few laughs along the way.”
East, the Newscast category for its July 2023 coverage of the Commanders sale and the Overall Excellence category. The WTOP digital team was recognized overall in the Digital category for WTOP.com. Individual awards went to WTOP reporter Matt Kaufax in the Feature Reporting category for his piece on Martin’s Tavern turning 90 and to WTOP associate producer Veronica Canales in the Excellence in Writing Category for her piece on the Dr. Seuss Experience. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler comments, “Our team’s mission every day is to deliver the latest news to the DC region and help the people who live in our communities. It is a huge honor to be recognized for that work with six regional Murrow awards.” 
plus three music brands. Williamson previously served as SVP of sales for the station group. iHeartMedia area president for St. Louis and Indianapolis John Beck says, “Leon is a solid and very thoughtful leader. In his nearly two years at iHeartMedia Indianapolis, Leon has done a fantastic job building a solid team and fostering a deep connection with the Indy community. We are excited to have him at the helm in Indianapolis, continuing to drive our success and innovation.” Williamson comments, “As the new market president at iHeartMedia Indianapolis, my commitment is to lead with purpose and uplift our community. My mission is to leverage the power of audio to empower voices, inspire change, and build a legacy of unity and progress.”
witnesses about the importance of having a robust emergency alert and public safety communications infrastructure. Further, rural and underserved Americans still enjoy listening to AM radio broadcasts for their diverse viewpoints. Given AM radio’s significant reach as a medium, much of it taking place in vehicles, we 
must ensure it remains a readily available option for all Americans, particularly as we approach hurricane season.” In response NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “NAB applauds today’s markup and passage of the ‘AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.’ This critical legislation ensures that the 82 million Americans who rely on AM radio each month will continue to have access to diverse programming, local news and essential emergency information. AM radio is the backbone of our Emergency Alert System, providing timely alerts and information during disasters and emergencies, ensuring that critical communication remains available even when cell and broadband services fail.”
be able to alter the course of established radio stations and the marketplace of ideas before the 2024 election or even soon thereafter. Harrison told “America at Night” host Rich Valdés last night (5/22) that radio is far too idiosyncratic an industry – already run by too many people who don’t understand how it really operates – for someone (who also doesn’t really have first-hand experience in the field) to just step in and make drastic alterations to entrenched stations, formats, audiences and sponsors just to make a political statement. Harrison states, “There are more 
expedient uses of his money if that is his main purpose. After all, not all Audacy stations are conservative news/talkers… many are music, sports and a variety of formats. How inefficient such a move would be!” Harrison went on to say that radio is still an extremely powerful and potentially lucrative medium if only its present owners and operators believed in it and invested in its programming and marketing. He encouraged radio broadcasters to understand and believe in the “esthetic of ‘radio’ and not be so anxious to bail out into the utilitarian term ‘audio.’” Harrison and Valdés tied the discussion into the current news about the AM for Every Vehicle Act currently making its way through Congress stating that radio is still a lifeline for service to the community as a place for information, education, and entertainment and that eliminating it from automobile dashboards would be about “five to 10 years premature.” 
operations in Mankato, Albert Lea, and Luverne, Minnesota; Watertown and Brookings, South Dakota; and Fort Dodge, Grinnell, Newton and Mason City in Iowa. Northern Iowa Today reports that in Mason City, KGLO sports director Tim Fleming has been let go as has KGLO and KRIB news director Bob Fisher, who comments, “Alpha Media is going a different direction with their radio stations in their smaller markets. A majority of the programming staff, including myself, were terminated this morning as part of that plan. This is not only happening here but throughout the country with their smaller markets.” After making similar drastic cuts in a number of its Missouri markets, Alpha Media struck a deal with UK-based Podcast Radio and will debut “Podcast Radio Missouri” on two stations there in the coming weeks. 
Comedy is the top genre among weekly podcast listeners age 13+. Edison says 19 genres have been identified as having at least one percent reach among weekly podcast listeners aged 13 and older in Q1 2024. Edison defines a podcast’s genre using its primary genre in Apple Podcasts. Society & Culture (#2) moved ahead of News (#3) while True Crime followed at #4 and Sports came in at #5. 
around the world. The 3-hour, 1-hour, 25-minute, and 30-minute radio specials are hosted by longtime Washington, DC radio personality Larry O’Connor and feature stories of our nation’s heroes, the families who serve by their side, and how Fisher House plays a role in their journey. The inspiring and patriotic radio show features an exclusive interview with Jessica Lynch who recounts her harrowing experience as a prisoner of war during the early days of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. Ms. Lynch reveals details of her treatment during her captivity, her rescue, the ensuing years of medical treatment and the special role Fisher House played (and continues to play) in her recovery. Fisher House Foundation provides a home away from home for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. Fisher Houses provide temporary free lodging so families can be close to their loved ones during medical care because “A Family’s LOVE is Good Medicine.” IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to a production delay, some stations may have inadvertently downloaded last year’s holiday edition. 
Historically, the beginning of the Major League Baseball season has been good to radio stations that serve as flagships for play-by-play, often bringing new cume to their ratings. Today, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian looks at how flagship stations performed during Nielsen Audio’s April PPM survey. He notes, “Generally speaking, Major League Baseball radio flagships enjoyed a solid first at bat in Nielsen Audio’s 2024 rating season (March 28 – April 24). There was a (6+) March 2024 – April 2024 uptick in approximately four of every five applicable flagship cases (81%); 15%dipped; and 4% were flat.” iHeartMedia’s news/talk WLW, Cincinnati (Reds) saw the biggest leap in AQH share rising from an 11.3 share in March to a 13.3 share in April (retaining its #1 rank as well). 
This week, I started a five-night show on Audacy’s WPHT, Philadelphia. Thank you, market president David Yadgaroff. Because of my tenure in the industry, I received a flattering, humbling number of emails from colleagues in radio. THANK YOU. The support and encouragement are appreciated and certainly needed!
personality Doug Gottlieb is the new head coach of the school’s men’s basketball team. In what is a first, Gottlieb will continue to host his daily, two-hour radio show for FSR while undertaking his new role with UW-GB Phoenix. Gottlieb was a standout point guard at Oklahoma State from 1997 – 2000. He’s coached AAU teams and coached at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. During time in the media, he’s been a studio and in-game commentator for college hoops over the years while serving with ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports. 
April 2024 PPM Data – Information for the April 2024 ratings period (March 28 – April 24) 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).
Does anyone care anymore?
his radio career in 2010 in Battle Creek, for WBCK-FM and WBXX-FM, former Cumulus stations now owned by Townsquare Media. Cumulus president of operations Bob Walker comments, “Steve has proven himself to be an accomplished leader in the Dallas market the past 10 years and we are thrilled to have him moving back home to Michigan, an area of the country that is important to Steve and his family. We are excited for him to get started and eager to see the impact he will have.” Holm says, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to come back home. The Grand Rapids and Muskegon teams are a tightly knit group and are determined and ready to win. I’m excited to be joining them and look forward to the challenges and growth ahead.”
revenue for its stations by general format and the company’s sports revenue was $56.6 million – an increase of 6.5% – while its news/talk revenue fell 5.5% to $40 million. Audacy chairman, president and CEO David J. Field comments, “Audacy delivered a solid start to 2024 with Q1 EBITDA increasing 173% vs the prior year. Second-quarter revenues are currently pacing up low-single 
digits, and we expect another quarter of substantial EBITDA growth, enhanced by our continuing work on expense reductions. Our improving results are predominantly attributable to a significant acceleration in digital revenue growth, continuing meaningful revenue share gains, and declining expenses as our transformational investments bear fruit. As previously announced, we received court approval of our consensual pre-packaged Plan of Reorganization, which will reduce our debt by 80%, and are now awaiting FCC approval to complete the process. I want to salute our team for their excellent work in driving financial and operating progress while simultaneously executing our reorganization plan, all without disruption to customers, listeners, partners, vendors or our staff.
Moberly, Missouri – including news/talk KWIX – have been let go and all programming is now syndicated. The same is being reported about the company’s stations in the Farmington/Festus, Missouri market that includes news/talk KJFF. KOMU-TV reports that Moberly market manager Bob Dakin would not comment on how many employees were let go but confirmed that all local programming – including news and sports – is being replaced by national content. 
as well as conservative talk KTTH-AM morning drive host Bryan Suits. The report indicates that evening host Jake Skorheim moves to PM drive to co-host the 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm “John & Jake” show with John Curley. The evening daypart will be filled by CBS Audio’s “John Batchelor Show.” Taking over the KTTH-AM morning drive daypart from Suits is the syndicated “Armstrong & Getty” show. 
“Walter has demonstrated the importance of the late-night talk radio with his Sunday night nationally syndicated program and has welcomed his listeners, who he refers to as ‘friends on the radio,’ to unpack their day-to-day lives. He’s made strides at ‘Talk Radio 1210 WPHT’ for a decade, and we’re ecstatic to finally bring his entertaining brand to the Delaware Valley five nights a week.” Sterling, who as Walter Sabo operates the Sabo Media Partners consultancy, comments, “Late-night radio is golden media time for a live program. It’s a one-on-one stage for lighter conversations, serving as morning drive for late-shift doctors, nurses, bus drivers, hotel managers, security staff and more. Thank you, David Yadgaroff, Greg Stocker, Jeff Sottolano and the incredible programming and engineering teams at Audacy. Over the years, I’ve made strong connections with Talk Radio 1210 WPHT listeners and look forward to building them as I join weeknights!”
lawmen, exploring law versus crime and hero versus villain, ultimately revealing the rugged path that led to the rise of modern law enforcement. FOX Nation president Lauren Petterson says, “Viewers will feel as if they’ve teleported back to the Wild West as Sean Hannity masterfully bridges the past and the present, highlighting this fascinating era of time.” Hannity will use the true stories of the outlaws and lawmen of America’s past to track the evolution of law enforcement from the Wild West to today. From Butch Cassidy to Bass Reeves to Billy the Kid, Hannity details the men of both honor and infamy, bringing life to the myths, legends, and truths of the time. Hannity comments, “As our viewers know, I am a strong supporter of our men and women in law enforcement and I look forward to spotlighting a period of time that is pivotal in their origin.”
showroom on Thursday (5/9) from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Talk show host Alan Stock and afternoon host Sam Mirejovsky will moderate the event that will be free to the public. KXNT brand manager Mark Bonilla states, “As the premier talk radio station in Las Vegas, ‘News Talk Radio 840 AM’ is dedicated to providing a platform for informed discussion and debate by offering voters the opportunity to hear directly from the leading candidates about their visions for the future of the city.”
and podcasts are all a part of what we do, so show us what you’ve got. The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of programming including scheduling content, coaching on-air staff, station and AM/FM cluster strategy, development of on-air/online promotions and generating associated revenue, oversight and content creation for digital extensions (including streams, websites and podcasts), and have a strong customer service approach towards listeners, staff, & sales. Additionally, the candidate will act as the program director for Legendary News Radio KKOB and KNML The Sports Animal. 
region that carry Carr’s independently syndicated afternoon drive talk show. He is an inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame. With roots in investigative print journalism, Carr is the New York Times best-selling author of The Brothers Bulger and Hitman, in addition to several other Boston organized-crime books and two novels. He has remained in newspaper work that goes back prior to his radio career as an active columnist for the Boston Herald and has received a National Magazine Award for his work with Boston Magazine. Boston organized-crime boss Whitey Bulger was so infuriated by Carr’s groundbreaking reporting that he once put out a murder contract on Carr – a story detailed on “60 Minutes.” At his 2013 trial on murder and racketeering charges, Bulger tried to have Carr banned from the courtroom by calling him as a defense witness. Before he was brutally murdered in a gangland hit, the crime czar still said his greatest regret was not murdering Carr when he had the chance. Carr once taught a course at Harvard, where he had to cross a picket line against himself to get to his class. In making the announcement, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison stated, “Howie Carr is the real deal – the best of both the old and new schools in media. He was practicing ‘cross-platform’ journalism and commentary long before it became the digital-era norm. He’s got ink in his veins and RF in his brains. His impact in the Northeast has been so strong for such a long time that if the six New England States were to consolidate as one, he would possibly be its first governor.” Carr will be one of 60 industry leaders speaking at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. For more information, see story below.
trip to the semifinals in the NCAA Tournament. GKB founder and CEO Craig Karmazin comments, “We are proud to introduce broader coverage of Badgers Volleyball and to create additional avenues for audience expansion. It is an exciting time, and our partnership with UW Athletics will present opportunities for a team that is proven to be best in class both on and off the court.” GKB market manager Greg Scalzo adds, “We are excited to build off of the already established UW Women’s Volleyball brand and enthusiasm surrounding women’s sports to deliver the ultimate listening experience for fans.”
(R-VA) will lead the investigation. They say, “NPR is entrusted with Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. Serious allegations from a then-senior editor who spent decades at NPR reveal NPR engages in viewpoint discrimination and ideological bias that caters to a narrow, leftwing audience. From dismissing all debate over the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to statistics about NPR’s editorial staff significantly skewing to the Democratic party, these allegations are deeply troubling and merit congressional investigation. This hearing will provide Members an opportunity to question NPR’s leadership directly about concerns we’re hearing from our constituents across the nation.” NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher is invited to testify.