Casey Bartholomew to Guest Star on “Sterling Every Damn Night”
Talk radio pro Casey Bartholomew – who recently exited Cumulus Media’s WBAP, Dallas – will guest star tonight and tomorrow night on
WPHT, Philadelphia on “Sterling Every Damn Night” for Walter Sterling. Sterling says, “When I read in TALKERS that Casey was on the loose, I immediately grabbed him to guest star on my 10:00 pm to 1:00 am show. He has a stunning history of winning ratings in the Northeast on ‘New Jersey 101.5.’ We approach radio content from a similar perspective; it’s not that important. Our goal is to give the listener a reason to eat the wrong snack.”
appeal of the District Court’s ruling on Cumulus’ request to seal the record and protect witnesses’ identities. That request was granted by the District Court. Cumulus Media is suing Nielsen alleging that the company is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals and charge inflated prices. At the heart of the complaint is the charge that Nielsen is providing access to the national broadcast radio ratings only if the client spends a lot of extra money on the separate local ratings. Cumulus argues that Nielsen’s policy forces them to buy ratings in U.S. markets where it doesn’t operate stations in order to have the complete national ratings data.
almost 4 years, and raising the ratings over 300% in some areas, I was informed that I was leaving my job to ‘pursue other opportunities.’ I didn’t even know I was looking at other opportunities. I wanted to ask them what they were, but they got off the phone before I could. (Yes. They did it over the phone.) So, if anybody knows what these ‘other opportunities’ are, could you let me know?” Cumulus is seeking Bartholomew’s replacement for the 9:00am to 11:00 am show. See the job opportunity below.
commercially unreasonable rate for its Nationwide Report may cause it to have to do away with the Nationwide Report altogether. This testimony accompanied Nielsen’s request for a stay pending appeal as it appeals to the Second Circuit. This is the latest in action in Cumulus’ suit alleging that 
Nielsen is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals and charge inflated prices. Judge Vargas denied the stay pending appeal but did grant an administrative stay will be in effect only until January 16, 2026, to allow Nielsen time to file a motion for a stay in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Tunkel’s testimony states that the order would cause Nielsen “significant irreparable harm if required to comply with the Court’s ruling during the pendency of Nielsen’s appeal… As a result, Nielsen would not be able to apply that policy in any of the at least ten negotiations with clients that Nielsen expects to have in 2026. If Nielsen is unable to apply the Network Policy, then it will be hindered in its ability to ensure that it can recover the costs of collecting the local radio-ratings data that make up the Nationwide report and spread those costs appropriately across the customers that use the products generated from those joint costs. If Nielsen cannot recover these costs, then it may have to retire the Nationwide report, similar to when Nielsen retired its other national data product, RADAR. If it does not retire the Nationwide report, it may have to pass a higher share of the costs of collecting local data on to other customers, including local radio stations, hurting Nielsen’s negotiating position with respect to those customers, as well as those customers themselves.”
that the company is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals and charge inflated prices. At the heart of the complaint is the charge that Nielsen is providing access to the national broadcast radio ratings only if the client spends a lot of extra money on the separate local ratings. Cumulus argues that Nielsen’s policy forces them to buy ratings in U.S. markets where it doesn’t operate stations in order to have the complete national ratings data. Vargas’ injunction orders Nielsen to cease conditioning national ratings access on local subscriptions during ongoing contract negotiations. It also bars Nielsen from charging a commercially unreasonable rate for its nationwide ratings when sold as a standalone product while the case proceeds.
airing from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Concha has been hosting a Sunday show from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon and will continue in that role. Red Apple CEO John Catsimatidis says, “Joe is exactly the kind of smart, credible, non-nonsense voice we promised our listeners. Listeners trust Joe and his ratings success backs that up. We are delighted to add him to our weeknight programming.” Concha is a columnist, author, and FOX News contributor.
Network TV often delivers Nielsen hashmarks. No viewers! The no numbers reports started coming in over 20 years ago and they met with silence. Often on Holiday nights, long weekends, NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX delivered no measurable audience. Simultaneously, online video stars were attracting millions of views. In 2007, the media world witnessed the audience shift from broadcast TV to online video. In the following years, media buyers made the definition of a bad investment: Between the time a buy was placed on network TV to the day of air, the audience diminished. Every month. Year after year.
Benjamin Yount is taking over the 6:00 am to 9:00 am show hosting duties. Yount has been with the station since 2018 as host and news director. He comments, “WISN has always been about serving Wisconsin with smart, honest conversation, and I’m honored to take on 
morning drive. Our listeners count on us to start their day informed and engaged, and I’m excited to continue that in a new time slot while keeping the same commitment to strong local coverage.” Jason Goch, who has been a fill-in host on WISN, moves into the morning news anchor and late morning talk host role. He’ll handle news duties during Yount’s program and host his own talk show from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Station program director Jerry Bott states, “This lineup builds on WISN’s momentum and reflects our focus on serving listeners with strong, credible voices throughout the day. Benjamin has earned the trust of our audience and brings proven ratings success to morning drive, while Jason is a terrific addition whose experience and versatility strengthen our local programming bench.”
Carton is finalizing a deal to return to the station in afternoon drive. This comes several months after Carton exited FS1 where he hosted a couple of different versions of a morning show that, from a ratings standpoint, never took off the way FS1 execs had hoped. Carton’s return will reportedly bump current afternoon team Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber to middays which would force the station to cut ties with current midday hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata. As for Carton’s co-host, Marchand is reporting that overnight host Chris McMonigle is the leading candidate for that role. 
Running a successful radio station, hosting a show, or producing a podcast is a lot like hosting Thanksgiving dinner. You need a plan. You need to deliver something satisfying to a crowd with varying tastes. And most of all – if you get it right – you’ll have leftovers you can turn into even more value long after the main event.
Finally. Not by Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, nope; I was banned from a WBIR anchor’s video live stream.
In an industry built on speed – breaking news, live liners, commercial deadlines – “pause” can feel like a luxury radio can’t afford. But Kevin Cashman’s The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward (Wiley) argues the opposite: pausing isn’t weakness, it’s a competitive advantage. For local radio leaders, the message couldn’t be timelier.
One of my first jobs out of college was working in the marketing department of WNBC-AM, New York. Yes, “Imus In The Morning” (Don Imus – not nice), Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow – nicest star who ever lived). One of my tasks was to pull ratings numbers from the computer for the sales department. I was fascinated by TIME SPENT LISTENING (TSL) and CUME numbers. I’d rank them, compare, trend them every way imaginable.
Civic Media’s news/talk network, managing schedules, talent, quality control, and compliance with broadcast regulations. Key responsibilities include selecting programs, coaching on-air personalities and shows, developing promotional strategies, and ensuring the station’s sound and content align with its brand and audience needs. They blend creativity and business acumen, using audience research and ratings data to shape programming and achieve business goals.” 
Award-winning journalist Indira Lakshmanan is the new co-host of “Here & Now,” debuting in Late November alongside Scott Tong and Robin Young. Additionally, Peter O’Dowd, the senior editor who has stepped in regularly as a host for several years on “Here & Now,” takes on a new role as correspondent and regular fill-in host. And international news industry pro Allan Price joins to lead the team as the new executive producer. NPR says that according to Nielsen ratings data, “Here & Now” is the third most-listened-to NPR news program after “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
revocation of accreditation for Nielsen Audio Diary markets as reported in the RMR and TAPSCAN Web including Bryan College Station, Texas; Hudson Valley; Killeen-Temple, Texas; Odessa- Midland, Texas; Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester, New Hampshire; Reno; and Trenton. At the same time, the MRC has approved accreditations for all of Nielsen’s 28 PPM markets.
it appears that allowing the former programmer to resign, firing half the news department, and pulling back on advertising and marketing didn’t work the ratings magic they originally had hoped for. In my opinion, KFI has seemed rudderless since Robin Bertolucci left the programming spot last November. The current programmer Brian Long, meanwhile, is also in charge of KLAC (570 AM) and KEIB (1150 AM), but with no time, a limited budget, and a decimated news department, the result is what it is. I don’t blame him at all. For his part, O’Kelly is keeping it positive, posting on Facebook, ‘All jobs end. It is not our lives or our health. Perspective is paramount. There is nothing to be sad about here. I’m genuinely excited for the future.’” Kelly is ranked #83 in the TALKERS 2025 Heavy Hundred. 
As a media consultant, my team has had the privilege of being engaged extensively by members of the C-Suite. Becoming a member of the C-Suite is a common goal. To get into any group, acceptance often depends on acting and appearing like established members. Here are some of the actions observed of business masters whom we consulted:
accuses FOX of “engaging in an extensive and unlawful campaign to block competition in the market for right-leaning pay television news, including Newsmax.” 
A FOX spokesperson responded with the following: “Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can’t attract viewers.” Newsmax issued the following statement in response to that saying, “If Newsmax was such a ratings failure, why has FOX spent so much time, energy, and resources to suppress us, block us, and denigrate us? The answer is obvious. Also please note that FOX in its statement does not deny any of our serious allegations.”
An annual physical is a wise idea. Doc asks, “How are you doing?”. Then he or she asks some detailed questions based on your medical history. Then “how have you been feeling? Any issues?” Doc always orders blood draws to see what might be lurking. Is the statin drug keeping your cholesterol in check? Are you getting plenty of exercise, plenty of sleep? How’s your diet? Over the years, I’ve visited about my health with at least a dozen different doctors. I’m convinced that the good ones always ask good questions and then listen carefully. Good questioner – good listener. That’s the doc I can respect and put my trust in.
Unintentionally, your poorly phrased comment, dated reference, weary cliché, or offhand remark can at least subtly distance you from your listener and could undercut your credibility, offend, or even spark backlash.
Let’s look into the crystal ball. Humor me if you will.
There are two broad categories of thought: Task. Creative. When in creative mode, a person innovates, imagines, plans, and solves problems. An idea bank is a bank! Money grows from the results of imagination: new products, new music, new formats, new sales strategies. Business growth depends on new!
“Two of my children live out of state and it’s difficult to sneak in quick visits. But now it won’t be. I’ll get to spend longer periods with my kids and grandkids, and just hopefully take and enjoy what life has to offer. There is no drama and no intrigue. Judi and I are still very good friends, almost like brother and sister. We’re both grateful that they threw us together back in 1997. The chemistry was instant, and the laughter has never stopped. Yeah, there have been some tumultuous times thrown in there as well, but it was all good. So, so, so good. I was lucky enough to be a part of radio’s history in New Jersey. Don’t get me wrong: Our ratings are still very high, and for that, I am extremely grateful. But I will still be a part of the radio station, filling in when the need arises. I’ll possibly be doing some appearances and definitely some writing for NJ1015.com.” 
Dozens of brand-new audio hardware and software companies have been launched during the past 20 years. These start-ups are usually funded by venture capital money. VC money is not invested to return a profit, it’s poured in to – pour it in. Their money is “different” than the cashflow that fuels your business. Start-up money buys time to profit.
expectations: core radio advertising finished at -12.4% excluding digital, and Cable TV advertising was -6.3%. Our cable TV ratings stabilized significantly in the first quarter of 2025 and are performing in line with our 2025 budget. Second quarter core radio advertising pacings have weakened over the past several weeks and are now -8.7%. Our first quarter 2025 digital revenues were down 16.1% driven by expected weakness in streaming and podcasting revenues. Based on our year-to-date performance, we reaffirm our full year guidance of $75 million in Adjusted EBITDA. Our cumulative debt repurchases so far in 2025 are $88.6 million at an average price of 53.9%, resulting in reduced gross debt of $495.9 million, and we currently have approximately $79.8 million of cash on hand. In a challenging marketplace, our focus remains on controlling costs, managing leverage and retaining a strong liquidity position.”
reports that Johnson tweeted on Friday afternoon: “It was a good run. I regret nothing.” The story notes that Johnson – producer and co-host – took over hosting the afternoon show in 2022 after Mike Missanelli’s departure. The most recent iteration of the show included Rickey Bo and Sylvana Kelleher and Crossing Broad says the show’s ratings were on par with the station’s morning show ratings. 
had a storied career in Chicago media. First at newspapers, he moved to television in 1963 working at WBBM as a news writer, reporter and political editor. From 1973 to 1982, Jacobson co-anchored WBBM-TV’s “The 10 O’Clock News” with Bill Kurtis and the two dominated the ratings for nine years. His “Perspective” pieces date to those newscasts when Jacobson would deliver them live from his office. WGN Radio VP and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle comments, “I ‘knew’ Walter Jacobson mostly for his TV news work virtually all my life. He and Bill Kurtis revolutionized the look and feel of television news broadcasts in Chicago at CBS 2 and it’s still talked about by those who watched them in the 70s. Working with him at WGN Radio and getting to know him in-person has been an honor. After seeing firsthand his uncompromising devotion to his craft, it’s easy to see why he is the media legend that he is. Walter’s personality, contributions and ever unique ‘Perspective’ will be greatly missed.”