Industry News

Study Says Podcast Listeners Favor Podcast Radio Concept

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

Industry News

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

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

Industry News

BIA Advisory: Political to Drive 2024 Ad Spend

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

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

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

Industry News

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

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

Industry Views

The Problems Facing Radio Were Not Caused by Consolidation

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imAs your friends get fired and on-air hosts are replaced with WideOrbit and Profitable Software, the mournful refrain is to unfairly blame consolidation. Consolidation has, in fact, made the medium financially viable and brought hundreds of individual stations from a river of red ink to the glow of black ink. Prior to consolidation, over half the radio stations in the U.S. lost money – year after year. Not a secret stat, those numbers were revealed annually by the NAB.

The flaw in the deregulation law was the elimination of the rules regarding financing of station acquisitions. Previous regulations required a licensee to prove it had the financial resources to cover expenses through the term of the license. Licenses could not be purchased with debt. Licensees could not sell the license until it expired. Radio stations could not be used for speculatory financial gain. When those rules were tossed, the industry hit a financial tailspin from which it has not recovered. That’s the problem.

That is not a “problem” with radio. In talks with publisher Michael Harrison about his exciting role in the United Nations as executive advisor to World Radio Day 2024, we shared a key observation: The world’s radio industry is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Working with clients in London, Toronto, Montreal, Amsterdam, Athens and Sydney, the passion for the medium continues to grow and is supported by audience engagement and response.

Internationally, there is a robust radio set design and manufacturing industry. European listeners seek clothing featuring radio set themes and artwork. Believe me, the food at the NAB Europe is much better than that crap served here.

Follow the money. Radio is not legacy media. Radio is proven media – proven for over 100 years. Local retail advertisers are a practical lot. They buy advertising that works for this weekend. If it doesn’t bring feet to the floor and dollars to the door, sponsors just don’t repeat-buy.

I was the in-house programming guru at SiriusXM Satellite Radio for eight years starting pre-launch. The reason Sirius exists is test after test revealed that Americans liked radio so much, used radio so much, they wanted more stations. More choice. More.

Consolidation, with considerable credit to Randy Michaels, allowed radio to convert from a frequency media buy to a reach media buy. That puts radio in budgets with TV. The opportunity right now is to actually monetize radio’s clout as a reach medium. Create scarcity. More spots mean cheaper spots, smaller budgets and higher expense. More spots mean much less efficiency for media buyers. Media buyers have to spend their budgets. They would prefer to spend that money with one or two outlets before lunch rather than having to “make the buy” by purchasing dozens and dozens of stations acquiring spots that are cheap, bonused, thrown in, flanked, and here are some tickets.  The fix starts with raising the price to meet the public’s perception and usage levels of radio.

Walter Sabo has grown audience share for a roster of clients that has included SiriusXM Satellite Radio, RKO, ABC, Apollo Advisors, Hearst, Wall Street Journal Radio and many others. Reach him at walter@sabomedia.com. Learn about his unique radio show at www.waltersterlingshow.com

Industry News

Brand Effect Study Reveals Value of AM/FM and Podcasting

The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group examines the results of a brand effect study by Upwave of the six-month campaign of an e-commerce retailer that used AM/FM radio streaming and sponsorship of a Katy Perry-narrated podcast about Elizabeth Taylor titled, “Elizabeth the First.” Some of the findings include: 1) those exposed to the digital audio campaignim were 33% more likely to say the brand “partners with all my favorite stores,” 81% more likely to indicate the e-commerce retailer “is a brand I trust,” 140% more likely to associate the brand for offering “the best sales and coupons”; 2) among those exposed versus those not exposed, brand equity measures surged, showing 54% growth in familiarity, 31% lift in average brand images, 37% greater consideration, 102% increase in purchase intent, and 55% growth in customer forecast; and 3) concluded that best practices to power direct-to-consumer marketing effectiveness calls for allocating 74% of marketing budgets to creating future demand (brand building) and 26% to converting existing demand (sales activation), targeting broadly to expand the customer base, employing emotional advertising to build direct-to-consumer brands and drive sales and profit, being known before you are needed, and buying lots of ads in all days and dayparts. See the full blog here.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Gradually, They Know You

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imThanks to those who sent comments on last week’s column “Beware The Banter.” For those asking how-much-is-too-much, this follow-up.

The old “Dick Van Dyke Show” depicted the life of TV writers. Collaborators Rob Petrie, Sally Rogers, and Buddy Sorrell spent their workdays in an office, riffing. The weekly script that emerged was careful with show host Alan Brady’s brand. He was a personality viewers came to know, one week at a time.

In offices like that, there’s a living document they call “The Bible.” For that first pilot episode, it might have been a single page of bullet points. A more recent example might have fleshed-out sitcom characters in broad strokes: Jerry is a comedian. He and Elaine used to date, now they’re friends. Elaine is from Maryland and she can’t dance.

Week-by-week, as we come to know these fictitious friends, new details humanize them further, and “The Bible” gets thicker. It guides writers, so they don’t burst our bubble by telling us Elaine is from Connecticut.

im

Similarly, your listeners come to know you, accruing your identity, one anecdote at a time. You may be as-surprised-as-flattered when you meet a listener who plays-back something about your life that you might not even remember sharing.

So, know that they know you. And when the boss or the consultant reminds you how mentally busy listeners are – and encourages you to keep-the-show-moving – you needn’t fret that you’ll sound like Sgt. Joe Friday in “Dragnet.” Final TV reference, I promise.

My point: The litmus test for whatever you share is relatability. I was born on the same day as one of the children of 50+ year WTIC, Hartford morning host Bob Steele, and my dad was forever bonded by his amusing baby stories. They were nuanced references, not longwinded rambles.

Remain humble about listeners’ attention.

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

Industry News

WLS-AM, Chicago Adds Two News Programs to the Lineup

Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM, Chicago adds two, one-hour news programs hosted by station news anchor Bret Gogoel to its daily lineup. “The Closing Bell” airs from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm with PM Chicago” airing from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The station says, “Bret Gogoel takes listeners through a wrapim of local, national, and global business news as he chats with Chicago’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, and CEOs. Alongside news anchors Kim Gordon, Nick Gale, and Annie Krall, Gogoel shares the latest tech, consumer, and local business news, and why it matters to Chicagoans and their wallets. On the drive imhome each weekday from 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, host Bret Gogoel and the WLS Newsroom team share Chicago’s local news that matters on ‘PM Chicago.’ From politics and education to crime and health, ‘PM Chicago’ shines the spotlight on local stories that are important to Chicagoans, with reports from Kim Gordon, Nick Gale, and Annie Krall. WLS-AM program director Stephanie Tichenor states, “I am delighted to be adding local news and business programs for our listeners in the afternoons. Bret has risen through the ranks at WLS from a part-time board operator to news anchor and host and he is the perfect fit to helm these new offerings.”

Industry News

2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards is Open for Entries

im

The New York Festivals 2024 Radio Awards competition is open for entries today through January 31, 2024. New York Festivals Radio Awards SVP and executive director Rose Anderson says, “Our categories for investigative journalism and nonfiction series documentaries and social justice across all genres recognized how individual actions can change the world and the ability of the human spirit to triumph over adversity. Today’s storytellers are finding innovative ways to keep listeners informed, entertained, and engaged in our ever-changing and interconnected world so the New York Festivals Radio Awards has introduced eight new categories that encompass that robust creative spirit.” NYF’s new SciFi/Fantasy/Horror and Mystery Programs categories expand the Entertainment roster. Editorial/Viewpoint News Feature rounds out the journalism-based News Reports/Features category group providing a new outlook on current events, and Short Form Documentary offers additional opportunities to showcase distinctive points of view. New Podcast categories include Investigative Journalism Podcast and Mystery Podcast. New On-Air talent categories this year include News Correspondent/Reporter and Sports Correspondent/Reporter. For the second year, the National Press Club Award will go to the highest scoring entry in the News program categories Coverage of Breaking News Story, Coverage of Ongoing News Story, Nonfiction Series, and News Podcast. All Entries in NYF’s 2024 Radio Awards will be judged by the NYF Grand Jury of 200+ producers, directors, writers, and other creative media professionals from around the globe. See all the categories in this year’s contest here.

Industry News

WGOW Promotion to Benefit Local High School

Cumulus Media news/talk WGOW-FM, Chattanooga is working with Coca-Cola, the Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics, and Warren & Griffin, to award $3,000 to a local Chattanooga-area high school’s athletic program. The promotion celebrates the 30th anniversary season of the Coca-Cola Redim Zone – a scoreboard of regional high school sports contests. The promotion is being led by the station’s “SportsTalk” program hosted by Scott “Quake” McMahen and Joe “Cowboy” Varner. McMahen states, “We want to hear great stories from local schools celebrating how athletics is a positive part of education and invite all area high schools to submit their most inspiring stories.” The award presentation will be made on-air on “Talk 102.3 FM” during the remote broadcast of the BlueCross Bowl Tennessee High School Football Championships on December 1-3.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Benztown and Envisionwise are hosting a free webinar for radio professionals titled, “Keeping it Real in the Digital Age,” with host Mike McVay, president of McVay Media, and guests Jackie Parks, founder/CEO of Envisionwise; Peter Smyth, former chairman and CEO of Greater Media, Inc; and Sheri Lynch, co-host of “The Bob & Sheri Show.” The 45-minute webinar on Friday (10/6) at 1:00 pm ET will provide specific tools and strategies for increasing stations’ digital revenue. You can register here.

Audacy announces an expansion of its relationship with Puck and the launch of “About a Boy: The Story of Vladimir Putin” – a five-part documentary podcast series exploring the forces that shaped Russian President Vladimir Putin’s childhood (and life) and why it’s critical to understanding what he might do next in the war against Ukraine. The series is written and narrated by Julia Ioffe, Puck founding partner and Washington correspondent, and one of the leading journalists covering Russia and Putin.

Salem Media Group says “Grace and Truth with Owen Strachan” is joining the Salem Podcast Network. Owen Strachan is provost and research professor of Theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary and is the author of 20 books, including his latest, The War on Men: Why Society Hates Them and Why We Need Them (Salem Books, 2023). Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce comments, “Salem Podcast Network continues to add multi-talented podcasters who share our worldview. Owen is an amazing voice for what is true and right in America, and adding him to our platform is a home run. I can’t wait to become a regular listener when he gets started.”

iHeartPodcasts announces the return of the “Work in Progress” podcast for its third season. The program features actor, producer, and activist Sophia Bush and in the first two episodes she interviews former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki along with an interview with actor Matthew McConaughey.

Industry Views

Matthew B. Harrison is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Two generations of the Harrison radio family meet on mic discussing the copyright implications of artificial intelligence as Matthew B. Harrison is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Matthew, the son of Michael, is VP/associate publisher of TALKERS in addition to being a media and intellectual property attorney, talent manager and audio/video producer.  His latest productions, “I Got a Line in New York City” (www.igotaline.com) and “My Friend is Going Away” (www.myfriendisgoingaway.com) are experimental exercises in the utilization of AI graphics in the music video genre. On this podcast, Harrison and Harrison bring into focus the somewhat murky application of copyright law in communications and the arts as we hurtle into the frontier age of artificial intelligence. Listen to the podcast in its entirety here

Industry News

TALKERS to Present Webinar on Protection Against Ransomware and Other Cyber Attacks for Radio Stations and Media Companies

Ransomware, the most common cyberattack, occurs worldwide more than 37,000 times each hour and the “Business Email Compromise,” a common scam targeting companies, is attempted approximately 156,000 times each day. The cost of these attacks is huge financially, but the losses due to scams and cyberattacks extend far beyond the funds stolen or required to remedy the problems after they occur. Downtime, data depletion, extortion demands, funds stolen by scams, reputation damage, and loss of intellectual property are all sources of extreme damage to media companies and radio stations which can be even worse when you factor in possible legal liability for failure to comply with proper cybersecurity standards. Radio and media companies, large and small, have been particularly hard hit by this growing criminal activity in recent years.

TALKERS, in conjunction with Scamicide (www.scamicide.com), is presenting an exclusive webinar forim radio and media company personnel focusing on where broadcasters are vulnerable and steps that should be taken to become more secure as well as comply with federal regulations. The 90-minute webinar will take place on Friday, October 20 at 2:00 pm ET.

This information-packed session will be conducted by Scamicide founder and TALKERS legal editor Steven J.J. Weisman, Esq. According to Weisman, “When it comes to the danger radio stations and media companies face from scams and cyberattacks, things aren’t as bad as you think. They are far worse.”

Weisman continues, “Your companies are further vulnerable through the many ‘Internet of Things’ devices, such as your internet connected copier and other devices, remote workers and third-party vendors, all of which become attack vectors. Making the situation even worse is the business model of sophisticated cybercriminals who sell and lease on the ‘Dark Web’ the complex malware they create to less sophisticated cybercriminals and now, through AI and deep fakes, cyberattacks and scams have become more effective.”

Steve Weisman is an attorney and a college professor at Bentley University in Boston where he teaches White Collar Crime and Media Law. He’s a prolific author and one of the country’s leading experts in scams, identity theft, and cybersecurity. Scamicide, which he founded, provides daily updated information about the latest scams, identity theft schemes and cybersecurity developments. Scamicide was named by The New York Times as one of the three best sources of information regarding COVID-related scams. Weisman is a frequent speaker and consultant regarding scams, identity theft, and cybersecurity. He was a consultant in an Equifax data breach class action and more recently advised Meta in regard to scams related to its WhatsApp app.

The cost of attending the webinar is $149 per person. Broadcasters can register by phone only with credit card. To register, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413 or email info@talkers.com to receive a quick response.

Industry Views

In Pursuit of Younger Demos

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imThe persistent liability of most talk stations is that they attract a high percentage of listeners over the age of 65. Consider that many of those older listeners are attracted to radio shows that are talking for companionship and comfort.

There are simple, tested techniques to incorporate in an on-air presentation that will appeal to a younger listener. If put on the air these tips will also enhance a station’s PPM results.

— Bumper music is unnecessary, it makes breaks seem longer. If it is necessary to use bumper music it should have been recorded after the year 2000. 2000 was obviously 23 years ago. A 35-year-old was 12 in 2000.

— Young people are busy with work, kids, life. They are attracted to radio that matches their pace. The shorter the calls, the younger the callers will be. DO NOT thank callers for holding on – that’s a screener’s job. Thank a caller for holding on and you signal that it takes a long time to get on the air. Busy people won’t call to be put on hold!

— The editorial page of any newspaper has the lowest readership. Comics, horoscope, and entertainment have the highest. Quote the editorial page and you’ll wake up grandpa and scare away the new mom. Did you know Taylor Swift has a new boyfriend?

— Everyone is attracted to mirrors of their lives. We engage with people who have similar problems with their kids, in-laws, jobs, money, car. How would you make a friend at a party? Those techniques will work for you on the air. What did your mother tell you about party talk? “Don’t talk about politics or religion, talk about the weather and the shrimp”

— The easiest way to attract younger listeners and repel older listeners is to play music on the weekend. Targeted, researched music that appeals to the exact audience age you covet. WABC features several music shows on the weekend. Sabo Media’s charter clients include “New Jersey 101.5” and “Real Radio Orlando” They air music all weekend, talk all week.

BONUS: Music on the weekend puts a station on concert, movie, music, club, and bar buys!

Just like a music station, a talk station must present a consistent package of entertainment, topics, news stories, music selection, production elements must appeal to your target listener. No wavering.

im

Above is a picture of two of Sterling On Sunday’s loyal listeners. Steven and Casandra of Burlington, NJ. Steven owns the bakery, Casandra works there and is a junior in college.

Walter Sabo founded Sabo Media to work with innovative media companies such as RKO, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, PARADE magazine, Pegasus, Apollo Advisers and others. He produces and hosts the successful talk show, Sterling On Sunday. Last Sunday the topics included how to know what’s in the custard in donuts.www.waltersterlingshow.com. Walter Sabo can be emailed at walter@sabomedia.com.

Industry News

Damon Amendolara to Host Mornings on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Channel

SiriusXM brings sports talk personality Damon Amendolara, a.k.a. D.A., to the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel to host the morning drive program “The D.A. Show with Babchik,” alongside longtime SiriusXMim personality Mike Babchik. Amendolara has been hosting a program on CBS Sports Radio since 2017. SiriusXM VP of sports programming Eric Spitz states, “D.A. is one of the brightest stars in sports radio today. He delivers a terrific blend of informative and thoughtful sports talk with creative, entertaining humor, which is what our listeners are looking for as they start their day. He and Babs will make a dynamic team as they lead off our programming each morning.”

Industry News

PodcastOne and Barbara Schroeder to Release Season Two of “Bad Bad Thing”

PodcastOne and director and Emmy Award winning journalist Barbara Schroeder are producing and distributing season two of the Bad Bad Thing series with this year’s podcast, “Bad Bad Thing: The Blackstone Sisters.” This limited podcast series goes behind the headlines that splashed acrossim Hollywood and the nation in 2015 when Jill Blackstone, a respected television talk show producer, was accused of killing her disabled sister Wendy and their rescue dogs. While Jill Blackstone claimed the deaths were caused by accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, police believe she produced the scene to make it look like an accident. Although the case against Jill Blackstone ended with a no contest plea deal, a new anonymous source has come forward to release evidence never before made public, so that the real story of what happened to Wendy Blackstone, and the secrets being kept by the Blackstone family, can finally be revealed.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Sell Yourself a Schedule

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imI asked my pal, longtime radio seller, now retired: “How often were you asked, ‘How much would you charge for ONE commercial?’”

“Many times!” he guffawed. “I told ‘em ‘Keep your money! It won’t work!’” And he would explain to the prospect that repetition is the key to radio advertising.

Pitch like your happiest advertisers

Smart reps schedule commercial flights using the Radio Advertising Bureau’s Optimum Effective Scheduling formula (OES), because “message retention and recall begins after three exposures.”

Don’t stop there. I don’t know WHEN I’ll need to buy a tire, but when that next nail finds me, I know WHERE I will buy, because that retailer advertises enough to own “tires” in my mind. Purchasing a whole car is more foreseeable, and I’ve read that it takes many buyers 90 days to pull the trigger. So, if the copy is just right, always-on always works.

Programmers: Are you selling your station, on its own air, with the frequency we preach to clients? And – no matter how often you freshen your imaging – is the benefit statement as consistent as the many ways “Liberty-Liberty-Libbberty” assures us “you only pay for what you need?”

im

Sales 101: “Your best prospect is…”

Say it with me: “…an existing customer.”

To be clear: Nothing you say on-air will add cume, because the only people who hear your imaging are already listening.

Hey, who wouldn’t want a bigger budget for billboards over the Interstate? But it’s…the Interstate. Many who give it a glance (at most) don’t even live here. Some of those who do might give you a try. And whether they do or whether they don’t, there’s very little you can do to keep them sitting in a parked car, listening. So how can we invite them back more often?

Tip: On-hour news appointments, “a quick [name of network] update, throughout your busy day” as the world we live in has listeners wondering “What NEXT???” This is increasingly useful for music stations, with music now commoditized by non-broadcast competitors.

Rip me off

On-air promos accomplish three things:

— Defining the station, labeling your button in the listener’s mind.

— Asking for more occasions of listening, thus the newscast tip above.

— Listeners REMEMBER having-listened. Not just opportune in diary markets, where we want diarykeepers to round-up. 😉 In PPM markets, awareness drives use. So, in both cases, ratings are a memory test. And this matters even if you don’t subscribe to ratings, because advertisers need prospects to hear that tire commercial multiple times.

So, it’s worth your time to review all imaging and promos now airing. Of each piece, ask yourself: What does this accomplish? Does this convey why/when/how the listener should/can listen more often?

To hear 21 examples of imaging work I’ve done for client stations, click “DO listeners understand why to spend more time with you?” at HollandCooke.com

OK…ONE exception…

I asked my bud, who sold a lotta radio for a lotta years: “What if the request to buy ONE commercial was a pop-the-question surprise, to air when the hopeful groom knew she would be listening?”

“Ka-CHING!” he winked, “and I’d nick him good! You know what that ring cost?”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and “Your Trusted Voice: How to Attract New Clients More Efficiently than Competitors Who Spend a Fortune on Advertising.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato Joins 77WABC

Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC, New York announces that former U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato is joining the station as a regular contributor in which he’ll “provide insights from his years of political service across 77WABC’s talk programs, including ‘Cats & Cosby,’ the afternoon drive show co-hosted by Redim Apple CEO John Catsimatidis and award-winning journalist Rita Cosby. Catsimatidis says, “Senator D’Amato is one of the smartest, most common sense, and knowledgeable people I know. From his many years in the U.S. Senate, Al has a deep understanding of the underpinnings of politics – local, national, and global – and will help 77WABC listeners discern the truth about what’s really going on in Washington and the world.” Senator D’Amato represented the state of New York in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1999. Following his departure from the Senate, he founded the lobbying firm Park Strategies. He says, “I am pleased to be part of the greatest news/talk programming in the nation. 77WABC is a station whose people call it the way it is and aren’t wed to a political party but are wed to doing what’s right in America.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (9/20) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Criticism of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy; the Fed keeps interest rates as they are for now; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to avert a government shutdown; Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on the Hunter Biden investigation; the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; and Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to Washington to seek more aid for Ukraine’s battle against Russia were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

FOX Sports Radio Unveils “Overpromised with Covino & Rich” Video Podcast

FOX Sports Radio is debuting a new, weekly video series and podcast starring Steve Covino and Rich Davis called, “Overpromised with Covino & Rich.” The duo hosts the daily afternoon program on the FSRim network, and this new project takes the audience “on a wild ride through the hottest headlines, trends, and debates that didn’t quite make it onto their daily radio show.” New episodes are posted Wednesdays on FOX Sports Radio’s YouTube page, and the podcast is available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Industry News

New Episode of “Sound, Sobriety & Success” Drops

Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks announces the release of the latest episode of the “Sound, Sobriety & Success” podcast, hosted by rock journalist Matt Pinfield and featuring guest Slim Jim Phantom, drummer for the Stray Cats.  In this episode, Phantom shares how the Stray Cats made it big, how he decided to go sober, and how he lives the rockabilly lifestyle.

Industry News

Bold Gold Foundation Announces VIP Speakers for 8th Annual Event

The Bold Gold Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Bold Gold Media Group that supports educational programs to help students prepare for careers in broadcast journalism, announces that this year’s 8th Annual Event and Dinner on October 21 at the Keystone Grand Ballroom at Mohegan Pennsylvania in Wilkes-Barre will feature General David Petraeus and Lord Andrew Roberts as keynote speakers. This year’s event is being done in partnership with the Churchill Society of Pennsylvania and will pay tribute to the United States Armed Forces and the theme will follow the title of Petraeus’ and Roberts’ forthcoming book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine (Harper 2023). Bold Gold president Vince Benedetto says, “This year will be a most extraordinary event as we have the honor of hosting two remarkable leaders, General David Petraeus and Lord Andrew Roberts. General Petraeus is, of course, one of the all-time great U.S. military commanders and strategists, and Andrew Roberts is one of the greatest living historians and scholars. This evening will be historic, educational and prescient. Having these two giants together on the same stage will be a night to remember.” The Bold Gold Foundation is also be honoring Northeast Pennsylvania business leader, James Shook, of Lake Region IGA, with The Atlas Award for Citizenship, an honor that is bestowed on individuals who, through their hard work and bold actions, show what is possible to achieve in a free society, and who exhibit extraordinary dedication to the highest ideals of character, community service, entrepreneurialism, patriotism, leadership, and virtue. A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for students interested in a career in broadcast media, as well as for military members and first responders. Find more information about the event here.

Industry Views

Pending Business: A Little Change Can Do You Good

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imLast week, with little time left on the clock, Disney and Charter Communications made a deal so that Charter customers could continue to watch Disney programming. Phew! Just in time for 15 million Charter cable customers to have access to that 53-year-old American institution called “Monday Night Football.”

It’s amazing how the two sides came together just in time to preserve the TV viewing habits of millions of football fans and all those millions of ad dollars sold into the broadcasts. Although both Disney and Charter lobbed streaming options at viewers to help ease the temporary pain, in the end, cooler heads prevailed, and a deal was struck.

Not so fast, somebody buried a headline.

Just before Labor Day, the Charter guys were claiming the current cable TV bundling model ain’t what it used to be, in effect acknowledging the nearly 5 million people a year who cut the cable. The cable bundle value proposition is changing before our blurry gameday eyes, and more options are becoming accessible every day. Does any of this “I can get this somewhere else” ring familiar?

Try this at home. Ask any Gen Z people you know how often they listen to the radio. (Gen Z are roughly between nine and 26 years old.) Now ask the Millennials you know (roughly 27 to 42 years old). The results will frighten you as you realize the greatest freebie electronic entertainment ever invented is losing the future faster than cord cutters on steroids.

If you have been in the terrestrial radio business for longer than five years, you are aware of the melting ice cube future of radio. Even our friends in the newspaper business are changing with the times, looking for writers who will report specifically on Taylor Swift and Beyonce. They tour the world generating crazy numbers in ticket and music sales. Their appearances and social media impact everything from fashion to politics. How is that for changing a future value proposition?

Sports fan or not, are you in touch with the Coach Prime phenomenon happening at the University of Colorado? The story was featured on the soon-to-be 56-year-old “60 Minutes.”

Deon Sanders is changing college football in Boulder as fans gobble up seats at over $500 a piece.

The point of this column is simple. From cable to pop culture to Coach Prime, leadership is innovating, finding new ways to re-invent and re-package a premise as old as song and sport, a premise much older than the terrestrial radio business. Maybe we can all learn from what we sell.

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

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Hillsdale College announces that its students claimed six spots as finalists for the College Broadcasters, Inc Awards, the winners of which will be announced in October at the CBI convention in Orlando. Scott Bertram is general manager of the school’s WRFH. He says, “I’m very proud of our students for their well-deserved recognition. This is the largest number of CBI finalists in Hillsdale history, and is a testament to the quality work produced by our students.”

C-SPAN announces that Altice USA chairman and CEO Dennis Mathew joins the C-SPAN board of directors, succeeding Altice USA’s former CEO Dexter Goei. A veteran of the telecommunications industry, Mathew joined Altice USA in late 2022 from Comcast, where he spent 17 years in senior corporate and leadership positions.

Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, in association with Telepictures, and Audacy announce the new program, “Extra: The Podcast,” a weekly podcast from the Emmy Award-winning TV show “Extra” as it enters its 30th season. “Extra: The Podcast” will cover the week’s major headlines as well as extended versions of “Extra’s” biggest interviews with no time limit, allowing listeners to hear the raw conversations that go even more in-depth and feature moments that didn’t make the TV show.

Premiere Networks and Amy Brown announce the addition of “What’s God Got To Do With It?” hosted by Leanne Ellington to The Amy Brown Podcast Network. The weekly podcast features “self-image scientist, best-selling author and internationally sought-after speaker Leanne Ellington using her own experience to guide listeners who want to discover their spiritual path and connect with a higher power in a forum that builds confidence and offers support.”

Industry News

Michael Harrison Appointed Executive Advisor to UNESCO for the UN’s Celebration of World Radio Day 2024

TALKERS founder and longtime radio programming pioneer Michael Harrison has been appointed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the position of Executive Advisor for the 2024 presentation of World Radio Day (WRD), celebrated each year on February 13.

The theme of the 2024 celebration is Radio: A century informing, entertaining and educating.  

Harrison issued the following statement: “In an era marked by the dizzying speed of technological innovation and the rapid obsolescence of one shiny new platform after another, radio is beginning its second century of service as one of the most dependable and widely-utilized forms of media in the world. WRD’s mission in 2024 will be to shine a broad floodlight on radio’s remarkable past, relevant present and promise of a dynamic future. The opportunity provided by the 100-year-plus milestone of radio along with the medium’s endorsement by the United Nations begs to be trumpeted at full volume. I am honored and invigorated at this delicate time in history to be able to participate in helping to celebrate this glorious, iconic medium on a global level.”

UNESCO has posted the following statement: “For many generations, radio has remained the most far reaching, easily accessible communication medium that informs and entertains all sectors of society. While in some regions it has been used to fuel hatred, divisions and conflicts, a lot of progressive legislation and regulatory mechanisms have been passed in many countries resulting in radio that broadcasts balanced news, programs and practices independent journalism in general.”

The statement continues: “Over the years radio practitioners have received training to improve their professionalism and adapt to changing editorial and ethical demands as well as technological developments especially radio’s incorporation into new popular digital platforms. Increasing access to reliable information and reaching audiences in remotest parts of countries in different languages, regardless of literacy levels, have been some of the greatest attributes of radio, still to be surpassed by any other media.”

Every year, UNESCO offers radios stations copyright-free material and suggests some ideas that radio stations could include following the annual themes decided by the WRD Committee, such as special radio shows and audios, open house, broadcast exchanges and increased listener interaction, among others.  Harrison will play a key role in facilitating these processes for 2024.

While UNESCO coordinates World Radio Day activities at a global level, UN member countries, through their radio stations and media stakeholders, celebrate the day in a variety of ways they see fit, including offerings of some optional 13 program ideas offered by UNESCO, information, news, audio and video resources every year.

Harrison will be reaching out to radio industry leaders worldwide to, as he says, “Do our best to raise awareness of radio’s ongoing importance and value and help the broader industry achieve that worthy goal, integrating into the new technology and social norms of this remarkable new era.”

Industry News

Former WTIC, NBC and VOA Personality Dick Bertel Dies at 92

Longtime radio personality and executive Dick Bertel died on Monday (9/11) at the age of 92. During his career Bertel served as an executive at Voice of America, an NBC Radio News anchor, and announcer at WTIC-AM/WTIC-FM/WTIC-TV in Hartford, among others posts. His family says, “One of Bertel’s lasting legacies to the broadcasting industry is a collection of interviews about the pre-war heyday of radio network entertainment programming. From 1970 to 1977 he hosted ‘The Golden Age of Radio’ on WTIC which attracted some of radio’s greatest stars. Their accounts of their participation in early radio broadcasting constitutes an oral history which memorializes how radio dominated the American media culture before the advent of television.”

Industry News

Talk Host Mark Simone Inks New Deal with WOR, New York

New York City talk radio personality Mark Simone signs a new, three-year deal with iHeartMedia’s news/talk 710 WOR to continue hosting the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show. Simone says, “There’s no betterim place to be in the radio world than iHeartRadio. Thanks to the finest broadcasting executives around, Tom Cuddy, Thea Mitchem and Bernie Weiss for making it all happen. Walking to work every day is like walking through the Radio Hall of Fame. Just to get to my studio, I pass Elvis Duran, Jim Kerr, Charlamagne tha God, Angela Yee and other all-stars.” WOR program director Tom Cuddy adds, “When I joined WOR almost 11 years ago, Mark was my first hire. Since then, it’s been a blast watching Mark grow into becoming the highest-rated radio talk host in his time slot, along with digital numbers that are among the highest in the country.”

EDITOR’S APOLOGY:  The above story about Mark Simone’s new contract at WOR originally ran yesterday (9/5) in TALKERS.  Unfortunately, our art department utilized a combination of hand-rendered illustration, CGI and AI in creating a headline banner image that apparently missed its mark.  The premise was to depict Simone as the proverbial “800 pound gorilla” of New York radio in which his avatar – a Simone lookalike – inspired by the legend of King Kong, was depicted as a determined figure climbing the Empire State Building.  As it turned out, the King Kong reference was not clear to our readers because there was no actual ape depicted and Simone received a large number of emails telling him that TALKERS ran a photo of the wrong guy.  We meant it to be a caricature but our creative plan backfired.  Simone was upset by the image telling TALKERS, “I have had dozens of caricatures done of me in the past. They are usually somewhat cute.  Never had a problem with them. Yours looked hideous and really cheap. When radio people try to do it, they have no skill at it… no one thought it was a caricature and no one thought it was me. The 13 emails I got from radio execs asked me why you used a picture of someone else, so they never thought for a second it was supposed to be a caricature and no one noticed anything to do with the Empire State Building.”  TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Simone is right.  Looking back at it now, with the increased objectivity of having a full day to think it over, I can understand why he was upset, although there was nothing specifically disparaging about the image. It just wasn’t clear that it was meant to be him and that he was supposed to be climbing a building in an iconic scenario.  After all, a media personality’s sound and image are their brand and they must be protective of its depiction.  We have subsequently pulled the banner from the website and replaced it with a more standard format with the same copy but a different graphic (see above).  The irony is Mark Simone and I have been friendly for more than three decades and I’ve often stated that he is one of the greatest and most successful radio personalities in New York and the nation, not to mention a top notch human being. I still think that.  All of us at TALKERS deeply regret this mistake which was the result of an overly-zealous attempt at being creative. In the world of publicity there’s the old saying ‘as long as they spell your name correctly.’ Well, I guess in this case we spelled Mark Simone’s face wrong.”

Industry News

Cumulus and Rich Eisen Expand Partnership

Cumulus Media and sports media personality Rich Eisen announce a new deal with the Cumulus Podcast Network to distribute, market, and monetize all existing and forthcoming podcasts with the newly formed Rich Eisen Podcast Network. This includes Eisen’s latest production, “What The Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask,” which debuts on September 12. Most recently, Eisen launchedim “Overreaction Monday” on September 4 that expands on the most popular segment of his flagship podcast, “The Rich Eisen Show,” into its own weekly podcast with Eisen and co-host Chris Brockman reflecting on the biggest fan- and hysterical media-driven overreactions from the previous weekend’s professional and college football games. To support his growing podcast network, Eisen has built an expanded studio and team in El Segundo, California with state-of-the-art recording equipment and set design. Eisen says, “Since joining the Cumulus family, they have shown unwavering support for my vision in growing my brand. As I have expanded my suite of services, they were the only ones I wanted to do business with, and I couldn’t think of a better place for my voice and productions to be heard over the coming years.” In addition to his podcast network, Eisen hosts the pregame and halftime shows for Westwood One’s syndicated “Monday Night Football” coverage and anchors “The Rich Eisen Show,” also syndicated by Westwood One for national radio.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Persistence vs Passion

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhich is the more important “check the box” trait – persistence or passion?

Is it easier for your air talent to answer that one? Of course, we want passionate on-air talent – those who live for the opportunity to get behind the mic, break it all down for the audience or deliver the critical information that can save lives and calm the fears of an anxious audience.

In a week, for the 22nd time we will remember the events of 9/11. During that historic window of time, I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the passion that drives great on-air talent to power through the most difficult unknown to stay close to their audience and calm the fears of an audience in shock.

But we must also consider the day-to-day. How about your on-air talent and their producers who compete every day for that exclusive interview that will surely drive audience levels, advertiser results, and maybe a bonus or promotion?

They power through the multiple calls that are not returned, the polite put-off and unkept promises. Especially stinging is when a competitor winds up with the prize.

Persistence or passion? Stop. Right there you must consider the Abraham Lincoln theory of persistence. His mother died when he was nine, he went bankrupt at 27, had a nervous breakdown before he was 30, lost eight elections, finally in 1860 was elected president of the United States and one year later faced the greatest internal conflict in the history of our country – the Civil War.

Let’s go to sales.

Anyone passionate about selling? My number one theory in recruiting sellers from South Florida to San Francisco was and still is, nobody grows up wanting to sell radio advertising. On the other hand, many of us were and still may be passionate about being ON the radio (before or alongside podcasting, YouTube, Rumble, Tik-Tok and Instagram). The passion to perform runs deep through all media, music, theatre, sports, the law, medicine, even business. The passion to sell? Now that is one complicated conversation.

For what it’s worth, here is my theory. It takes both passion and persistence to be great. What attracts any high achiever to a long-term career typically begins with a passion play. A love for the game and the need to achieve. The harder you chase the dream, the more persistence comes into play. The more you learn the ins and outs of refining persistence, the more you will hit your stride in performing.

And there you have it! Touch those three magic “Ps” every day, passion, persistence, performance and the fourth will come your way: Profit!

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

Industry Views

Politeness, Punctuality and Power

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling On Sunday
Talk Media Network

imFor decades the power-lunch spot in Manhattan was the beautiful Four Seasons restaurant. Check it out: A history of the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City – Four Seasons new ownership (townandcountrymag.com)

Top clients would host luncheons at the Four Seasons with Sabo Media. These included Walter Anderson, former chairman/CEO of PARADE magazine who was a regular customer. If the lunch was scheduled for 12:30 pm and I arrived at 12:15 pm, Anderson was already there. Next time, I would arrive at 12:05 pm for the 12:30 pm lunch; he was already there.

The restaurant manager/maître d’ explained that, “The most powerful person always arrives first.” Of course. The most powerful person could control where she sat, where she faced and what your view of the room would be. When Walter Anderson hosted future lunches, I arrived at about 11:15 am for the 12:30 pm meet!

If I had any early career success it was not because I knew anything, it was because of Eleanor Ranft, my assistant. Prior to working with me she had been Robert Sarnoff‘s assistant for 20 years. Robert, as-in-son of the General. (Eleanor knew how to address letters to ambassadors.) At the end of the workday, she would go over the telephone call sheet and make sure I had returned every call. Neither of us were going home unless I returned every call.

When addressing emails, the most powerful people return the emails instantly. Test it, send a note to the most powerful people you know, see what happens. Mel KarmazinBob PittmanHoward SternMichael HarrisonChris OlivieroKraig KitchinDavid YadgaroffBill WhiteLee HarrisDan MasonJarl MohnMarc Rowan instant answers. Instant response keeps a person in the deal-flow, the conversation and the action. Instant response makes them powerful.

Conversely, for weeks I tried to have lunch with a local market EVP, no answer. I didn’t want a job; I was trying to place a sales order for an agency friend! No answer. Finally, I asked the market program director why I never heard from his boss. Answer, “He doesn’t think you can do anything for him.” Obviously, the order went to a different company.

A common trait of every star I’ve had the privilege to know is that they are all extremely polite. For example, Randy ThomasCharlie VanDykeBruce Morrow, Howard Stern, the late Casey KasemElvis Duran are kindness and manners personified. They send thank you notes. Their interpersonal attitude is to share experience rather than to say look it up yourself. Many top executives built their entire career by sending thank you notes.

That being said, THANK YOU for being a client of Sabo Media. Thank you for clearing “Sterling On Sunday” on stations like KMOX, KMBZ-FM, WPHT, KDKA and Albany’s Talk 1300.  Have a pleasant Labor Day.

Walter Sterling-Sabo can be contacted at Walter@sabomedia.com or 646.678.1110 mobile. He’ll answer immediately. Sabo Media’s robust client list over the years has included PARADE magazine, Sirius Satellite Radio, The Wall Street Journal Radio Service, RKO, Salem, and CBS. Sabo was the first to monetize online video stars and influencers through his company HITVIEWS.

Industry News

Nielsen: “Heavy” Podcast Listening Increases

The latest edition of Nielsen’s Podcasting Today audience insights report notes – among other things – that lighter podcast listening (listening less than an hour per week) declined from May 2022 to May 2023im across all demographics, while heavy listening (listening more than 8 hours per week) increased year-over-year. Also from the study: 1) The number of Americans listening to podcasts has increased by 45% in the last five years, and more than doubled in the past decade; 2) the jump in listening while in the car (or on public transportation) is noticeable across all age groups. It is now the most popular location to listen to podcasts among consumers 18-34 and 35-49. Read the full report here.