MONDAY MEMO: Could you be next?
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Each day’s trade press reports how station managers are being saddled with entire regions. Key daypart talent in top 10 markets is being simulcast in other top 10 markets. In 2024, WCBS disappeared entirely. KGO is long-gone. Consolidation cutbacks have been brutal, and more are inevitable.
Accordingly, nine suggested New Year’s Resolutions, smart moves if you’re still working.
1. RESOLVE to build an email list. It’s yours. You control it.
2. RESOLVE to interact with your email list. If they gave you their address to begin with, that was only the beginning. They’re your tribe. Engage them and nurture ongoing relationships.
3. RESOLVE to become more curious about your own species. Eavesdrop on real people, in line at Wal-Mart and Dunkin’ and everywhere else. When you go to renew your driver’s license, look around the room. Then…
4. RESOLVE to focus your show outward. It’s not a show about you and your life. It’s about listeners and their lives. Choose issues and topics that will confront a listener today, right now. Your goal is making phones ring. When it’s caller-after-caller, you sound popular… and advertisers notice. Screen for callers that’ll prompt responses. You’re moderating a chat room, not standing on a soap box. People now favor interactive media. Talk radio survivors will be hosts who excel at two-way radio.
5. RESOLVE to aircheck every show. Not just to keep your resume fresh, but as a self-teaching tool. Wait two weeks before listening, to hear your work with fresh ears.
6. RESOLVE to be the sales department’s MVP. NOBODY can sell your show like you can. Heck, you might ask for more (and get it) than reps would. But even if you don’t carry a list, make yourself available to go on calls. Your on-air pitch will be better-informed and more-effective than sounding like you’re reading-copy. And listen to the retailers you meet. They have a keen sense of their customers’ issues.
7. RESOLVE to create non-radio income streams. The skill set you have as an on-air host or programmer will advantage you in many other walks of life. And remember, if you’re on-air, you enter other local industries with another advantage, your name, “a brand.” And here’s some highly recommended reading, “Making A Living Without a Job,” by Barbara Winter, whom I’ve interviewed. Consider driving Uber, if only to chat-’em-up. You’ll crush Resolution #3 above.
8. RESOLVE to save more aggressively. “Save WHAT???” you ask. Simply saving-money-you-now-may-be-spending-unnecessarily can make a big difference. The loudest sucking sound you’ll hear is coming from that plastic in your wallet. Finance charges are calculated so that you’ll never pay off your card by making the minimum payment. Got a mortgage? Refinance. Brokers are competing for your business, and you could save a couple hundred a month. How often do you eat out?
9. RESOLVE to get it together. Whatever it is that you know you should do but haven’t. Quit smoking. Get more exercise. Cut down on carbohydrates and sugary crap. Drink more moderately. Get organized at home. As Dave Ramsey says, “Sell stuff!” Move-the-ball on that kinda stuff, and you’ll be readier for what happens next.
Reminder: As announced in last week’s column here, I am offering TALKERS readers daily 60-second reports from massive, mind-boggling CES2025, for air Monday 1/6 to Friday 1/10. Simply download each report from my web site the night before. No charge, no paperwork, no national spot. If you sell a local sponsorship, keep the money. For a sample report you can use to pitch, hit HollandCooke.com.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
With the imminent departure of Salem Radio Network (SRN) star Sebastion Gorka to join the forthcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump in an advisory position, longtime Salem Philadelphia morning star Chris Stigall of 980 AM WNTP will replace Hugh Hewitt in the 6:00 am – 9:00 am ET position starting January 13. That same day, Hewitt will move into Gorka’s daily 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm slot. Pictured above: Stigall addressing thousands of conservatives yesterday (12/19) at AmericaFest 2024 in Phoenix where SRN “introduced” him to a large swath of its core audience. AmericaFest is an annual rally hosted by Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA – also an SRN personality.
A surprising number of talented radio stars have been fired. Never understood why this is morally sanctioned between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The spreadsheet MBAs know it’s coming, a Halloween surprise would be kinder.
In a recent high-profile case, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel successfully defended himself against a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by former congressman George Santos. The case, which centered on Kimmel’s use of prank videos involving Santos, highlights the ongoing importance of fair use protections for media creators, broadcasters, and digital content producers.
NYF Radio Categories eligible for the award include News Program, News Report/Feature, Documentary, Entertainment, Promo, Digital, Podcast, and Student.
In 2024, over 180 award-winning teams worldwide shared their acceptances, while industry leaders spotlighted their creative journeys in special segments. Additionally, the JusticeAid Award-winning submission will be honored at the JusticeAid Concert in May 2025 in New York City, showcasing the transformative power of music and the arts to raise awareness for civil rights and inspire positive change.
available free of charge to radio stations around the nation.Special guests include Gov. Mike Huckabee, actress Sam Sorbo, and Pastor Robert Jeffress. Stations interested in broadcasting the show should reach out to todd@starnesmediagroup.com.
The webinar offered up to five years of trending data and new findings about Latino podcast listeners as well as video interviews of podcast creators discussing how they’ve utilized the studies throughout the years. According to the study, 43% of U.S. Latinos age 18+ are monthly podcast listeners, a 72% increase since 2020 (25%).
with their insights into how audio marketing spending will evolve, how YouTube is impacting the podcasting industry, the growth of contextual targeting tools, and more for the coming year:
These tools will not only proactively guide brands on optimal content alignment but also streamline ad buying processes through automation and data-driven insights, reducing the need for extensive manual intervention. This approach will power precise content targeting and scale reach effectively, all while ensuring brand messages align seamlessly with the right contexts and audiences.
Digital audio marketing spend worldwide will increase 10% next year, in part due to key drivers including the rise of contextual targeting, allowing advertisers to immerse their message within relevant content, and utilizing the growing versatility of dynamic audio insertion to make scaling campaigns more efficient. Additionally, the rapid growth of influencer marketing on TikTok and X is cooling, with marketers increasing spend on podcasts where creators can cultivate more meaningful audience connections. This growth in audio spending will heighten the insistence for transparency as advertisers demand greater visibility into performance metrics and content alignment to ensure trust and accountability. This convergence will solidify audio’s position as a successful channel for integrated marketing strategies worldwide.
While podcasting will remain fundamentally audio-first, driven by convenience and flexibility, consumers now have more options for how they discover and consume content. YouTube is bringing in new, first-time podcast consumers with a different audience profile. In some cases, they are watching shorter length content or on additional devices other than mobile. Informed by insights about their audience, publishers and creators will be able to deliver an engaged experience across listening platforms and devices, and grow reach.
More specifically, the focus will be on enabling humans to automate tasks so they can focus on strategy. AI will be leveraged to drive more effective and efficient spending, including helping achieve yield for publishers and meaningful campaign outcomes for advertisers, as well as content analysis and audience insights. This tech shift will put a bigger emphasis on having robust data-backed insights on audiences, content, and campaign performance.
This approach will be particularly transformative for long-tail podcasters and creators with smaller followings, offering a sustainable revenue stream that can be both a growth and retention strategy. For creators with niche audiences, subscriptions provide a viable alternative to ads and ensure the lion’s share of the revenue goes directly to the creator. As platforms invest more in these tools, creators will be able to engage directly with their subscribers through integrated communication features and eliminate the need for third-party tools. This evolution promises to empower indie creators by streamlining their workflows and enhancing their ability to cultivate loyal audiences.
As advertisers prioritize accurate audience engagement, the shift toward contextual targeting is gaining significant traction. This trend is expected to drive more ad dollars into solutions that deliver measurable results. Innovative technology that amplifies the ability to connect with highly specific audiences at scale and helps meet advertisers’ evolving expectations will win. For publishers, this surge in demand for targeted ad placements unlocks exciting opportunities to expand inventory and enhance reach through strategic partnerships within digital audio networks.
Audacy has extended the contract of talk show host Steve Sanchez for another year through 2025. Sanchez is heard weekdays 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm and hosts a “carefully curated best-of” program Sundays 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. 
Sanchez was recently featured on Soledad O’ Brien‘s documentary with Scripps Media regarding Latinos in talk radio and how they were swaying the election in the swing state of Nevada (“In Real Life: War on La Radio). Sanchez says, “It is a thrill to be dominating my daypart in format and I feel my audience growing exponentially right now. It’s a pleasure serving the Las Vegas market with the legendary station KDWN.” Sanchez has been named one of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America with his inclusion in the TALKERS 2022 Talkers Heavy Hundred. In 2020, this rising talk radio star was named #25 of the top 30 influencers in Las Vegas by LV magazine.
The free 3-hour, 1-hour, 25- and 30-minute radio specials are hosted by long-time WMAL, 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. This program is appropriate for the entire Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year season and is a fitting and inspirational holiday programming alternative for all formats. The show features interviews with wounded warriors and veterans including heroes from Operation Enduring Freedom, the Vietnam War and an incredible, emotional story of one of America’s World War II living legends. Listeners will hear their stories fighting for our freedoms, the injuries and illnesses they endured. and the welcoming homes Fisher House provides for them and their loved ones while they go through their painful and painstaking recoveries. Fisher House Foundation provides a home away from home for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. For more information on this radio special, available cash and barter free, contact TALKERS Heavy Hundred member Larry O’Connor at 562-665-9537 or 
Las Vegas-based, nationally syndicated (TMN) talk radio star, Daliah Wachs, M.D. continues her philanthropic ways. Each year, Opportunity Village holds its Magical Forest event in Southern Nevada that runs from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Opportunity Village helps those with intellectual disabilities and their families through enrichment, empowerment, and employment programs and services. Sponsors decorate a tree that comprises a huge beautiful magical forest, one of their largest fundraisers to fund their programs and employment placement. Wachs (pictured above with her “medical tree”) tells TALKERS, “It’s super cool and our show has helped support their mission for years. We create a medical tree with an EKG sign and it’s one of our favorite local charities we support.” Wachs is a member of the TALKERS Heavy Hundred and a past recipient of the TALKERS Humanitarian of the Year award.
Noted real estate industry figure and radio personality Suzanne Miller, the founder of Empire State Properties and host of “The Miller Report,” was honored last night (12/11) in a dazzling awards party featuring speakers, food, music, and dancing in the Manhattan offices and studios of WABC Radio. The event brought together New York media luminaries, and close friends of Miller for a night, in a packed room, celebrating not only her accomplishments but the resilience and vibrancy of the city she loves.
Michael Harrison describes WISN as “one of talk radio’s pound-for-pound ratings champions.” The new programming lineup features well-known, highly rated show hosts who have decades of broadcasting experience and achievement in the Milwaukee market. “WISN is one of the great success stories in the radio industry over the past decade, in terms of both ratings and overall influence,” said Jeff Tyler, area president for HeartMedia Wisconsin. “We are confident that this latest evolution of WISN’s powerful lineup will meet and exceed the expectations of our listeners and our sponsors.”
The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® conducted an analysis of six recent quarterly studies spanning Spring 2023 to Fall 2024.
Services include access to top-of-the-line podcasting studios and equipment (audio and video), strategy, program production, editing, guest booking, distribution, paywall options and promotion across PodcastOne’s existing network of podcasts. “As the only public pure-play podcast company in the United States, PodcastOne is uniquely positioned to help brands, businesses and content creators reach their target audiences more effectively while keeping loyal podcast listeners entertained and engaged,” said Jim Lally, head of business development for PodcastOne. “Branded podcasts are financially and logistically challenging for many companies to produce in-house. With the official launch of PodcastOne Pro, we’re able to offer a tailored podcast production solution to our clients that leverages our current infrastructure, which ultimately, drives higher margins, diversifies our revenue streams, and lowers costs for clients.” Coinciding with the launch of PodcastOne Pro, PodcastOne is set to debut its new state of the art podcast production studio in Beverly Hills. To learn more about PodcastOne Pro or get a quote for plans starting at $500, please visit 
After over three decades as a talk show host, I’ve come to appreciate one essential truth about this industry: there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success. Program directors, executives, and consultants often believe their advice applies universally, but experience has taught me otherwise. The reality? Not every tip or trick works for every host—or every audience.
He will report to Eddie Martiny, division president, iHeartMedia. In this newly appointed position, Lambert will work closely with the sales, programming and digital teams in the market and will also have direct oversight of the respective sales teams. “I have had the pleasure of working with Paul for over 20 years; I have witnessed him excel in numerous management roles and his track record has been remarkable. I am confident that Paul’s knowledge and leadership skills will allow iHeart Houston to continue its winning ways,” Martiny tells TALKERS. Lambert, a Louisiana native, has been working for iHeartMedia for the past 24 years and most recently served as SVP of Sales in Houston. He started as an account executive and rose through the ranks, working as local sales manager, general sales manager and director of sales. “Under Eddie’s leadership, iHeartMedia Houston has had an almost unmatched winning record. I’m honored to carry the torch on behalf of our wonderful clients and the amazing team of iHeart individuals who make magic happen every day!” said Paul Lambert.