Industry News

Elvis Duran Show Attends Alan Freed Broadway Musical Rock & Roll Man

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Recently, members of Premiere Networks’ “Elvis Duran Show” attended the new Broadway production based on rock ‘n’ roll radio pioneer and Cleveland DJ Alan Freed. The Duran show trio’s review of the show is simple: “If you’re in radio, you must see this show. ” Pictured above are (from l-r) Constantine Maroulis, former “American Idol” contestant as Alan Freed; Joe Pantoliano, revered character actor and member of the Elvis Duran Group’s Character Actor Hall of Fame, plays Leo Mintz and Morris Levy; Skeery Jones, “Elvis Duran Show” cast member; David Katz, partner and CEO of the Elvis Duran Group; and Nate Marino, “Elvis Duran Show” producer, a.k.a. “straight Nate.”

Job Opportunity

iHeartMedia Seeks Morning Personality for Nashville

iHeartMedia’s WRVW-FM, Nashville “107.5 the River” has a premier opening for a LIVE, LOCAL morning show host in Nashville. We’re looking for a dynamic storyteller to pair with current pros Ricki Sanchez and Zac Woodward to create can’t-miss radio in America’s fastest growing city. If you’re creative, collaborative, and ready for the next step, send materials to jonathanshuford@iheartmedia.com asap!

Industry News

Kraig T. Kitchin is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Noted talent manager, advisor and chair of the Radio Hall of FameKraig T. Kitchin is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Harrison states, “Kraig is one of the smartest, most-respected and congenial behind-the-scenes movers and shakers in the radio industry. His illustrious career goes back decades and his positive contributions to the radio business – including advising some of its greatest talents including the late Rush Limbaugh – have been indelible and immeasurable.” Kitchin was honored several weeks ago by the TALKERS magazine editorial board with the highly prestigious Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Radio. Since 2008, he’s been president of the talent management firm, Sound MindLLC. He also serves as a strategic advisor to Oxford Road, a media placement agency with more than 50 clients specializing in audio advertising. Kitchin also serves as chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame to which he was appointed in 2014. Prior to launching his own firm, after working his way up in the industry through local radio and then national agency sales, he was one of the founders of Premiere Radio Networks in 1987. Harrison and Kitchin discuss the quirky role of ego and psychology in the talent business as well as today’s rapidly changing fabric of communications and culture. Don’t miss this! Listen to the entire podcast here.

Industry News

KFI, Los Angeles Special Addresses Schools-Parents Conflicts

iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles is presenting a special, two-hour news program on Sunday (6/25) at 4:00 pm titled, “He Said, She Said, They Said…,” addressing the conflict between schools and parents over the ongoing introduction of books, curricula, and instruction about alternative lifestyles. This KFI News Special isim being produced by the award-winning team of Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez with associate producer Nick Pagliochini. KFI says, “Parents and protesters continue to gather at school board meetings around the country to express their frustration over districts’ that try to introduce books and language which address the transgender community and other LGBTQ+ issues. Faith-based leaders have also joined the protests along with advocacy groups that represent parents of public-school students. Critics say these issues should be addressed exclusively in the home while supporters say it is critical to be inclusive of all lifestyles to better prepare children for the real world. ‘He Said, She Said, They Said…’ features multiple sides of the issue. There is also a companion podcast with extended content that will be available immediately following the broadcast on the iHeartRadio App.”

Industry News

Audacy and TuneIn Renew Distribution Agreement

Audacy announces it is extending its digital distribution deal with TuneIn that provides streaming of its 250-plus stations and entire podcast library to the content aggregator. Audacy says the partnership expands the reach of its content to more than 200 additional platforms and connected vehicles and devices, including Tesla, Rivian,im Lucid, Bose, Samsung and Xbox, as well as on the TuneIn mobile app and TuneIn.com. The agreement also gives Audacy access to TuneIn’s advertising supply and brings select TuneIn original content to the Audacy digital platform. Audacy chief digital officer J.D. Crowley imcomments, “Streaming of AM/FM Radio is one of the fastest growing segments of all digital audio today. As consumer demand for Audacy’s best-in-class local audio content continues to increase, we’re committed to meeting the listener wherever they wish to consume, and we’re delighted to expand the availability of our unique live sports, news, and personality-driven audio content to over 200 new TuneIn-supported platforms. We’re equally thrilled to welcome TuneIn’s premium exclusive content to the Audacy digital platform.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/14) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The arraignment of former President Donald Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents and obstruction; the 2024 presidential race, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez joining the GOP race and RFK Jr’s Democratic challenge to Joe Biden; U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff dodges Republican censure attempt; the Fed votes to not raise interest rates at its latest meeting; concerns about AI and the European Union’s AI Act that would put limits on use of the technology and ban public face-scanning; the Biden administration’s immigration policies and the bussing of migrants to Democrat-led cities; Louisiana Army fort renamed for Black American WWI hero; the intensifying fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war; and the aftermath of the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

VIDEO POSTED: Kraig T. Kitchin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at TALKERS 2023

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Renowned radio industry executive Kraig T. Kitchin was the 2023 recipient of the newly renamed Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement. Kitchin was presented the honor at TALKERS 2023 on June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island.  In making the presentation, TALKERS broadcast operations director David Bernstein stated, “Although still a relatively young man, Kraig Kitchin’s illustrious career goes back decades and his positive contributions to the radio business – including the spoken word formats and some of its greatest talents including the late Rush Limbaugh – have beenim indelible and immeasurable.” Since 2008, Kitchin has been president of the talent management firm, Sound Mind LLC, with a focused effort toward managing the businesses of high-profile radio and podcast personalities as well as production companies. He also serves as a strategic advisor to Oxford Road, a media placement agency specializing in audio advertising, with a focus on podcasts and audio integrations. The nine-year-old agency is a leader in the audio space on behalf of more than 50 clients. Kitchin also serves as chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame to which he was appointed in 2014. Since assuming the role, he has reinstituted national public voting for two of the six categories of induction and has doubled the voting participant panel. Under his leadership, more than 75 radio icons have been inducted. Prior to launching his own firm, Kitchin was one of the founders of Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., in 1987. The company grew to be the number one radio network in the country syndicating 90 radio programs and services to more than 4,600 radio affiliates, reaching 190 million listeners weekly. He started as executive vice president of sales and by 1998 at the age of 37, he assumed the role of president/COO, one of the youngest in the country to run a $300 multi-million-plus radio company. During his 10-year tenure at Premiere, Kitchin directed and oversaw all talk and music programming and services featuring a wide array of the nation’s most popular personalities. In addition, he supervised Premiere Radio’s other properties: Mediabase 24/7, the industry’s leading music monitoring service, MJI Programming, and FOX Sports Radio. Kitchin started his career in station management at WFMK-FM in Lansing, MI, and KTYD-FM in Santa Barbara, CA before serving as sales manager of the Katz Radio Group Network in Los Angeles. See Kraig T. Kitchin’s acceptance speech at TALKERS 2023 here.

Industry News

Future of AM Radio Front and Center in Washington, DC

Today and tomorrow (6/13-14), broadcasters from around the country are in Washington, DC for a conference hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations that will focus on broadcasters’ response to certain automakers removing AM radio from their newer model vehicles and a regulatory proceeding examining carriage of broadcast television programming onim streaming platforms. Attendees will discuss the latest radio and automotive trends and how AM operators can prepare their stations for the future. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) will also offer insight into recently introduced legislation aimed at preserving AM radio in automobiles and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will discuss AM radio’s critical role in the National Public Warning System. Following the conference, attendees will travel to Capitol Hill to speak with lawmakers about the importance of in-vehicle AM radio, especially during times of emergency and they will encourage congressional passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

Industry News

Westwood One: Nielsen Reveals Top DMAs for AM Listening

A recent blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group addresses the most recent data released by Nielsen that reports the 141 local markets where AM radio is listened to by at least 20% of the radio audience. This latest data from Nielsen takes a deeper look into “the vitality of AM radio in local markets with new data at the state and local DMA level.”im These DMA analyses are based on all radio stations in the U.S., not just Nielsen subscribers. The top DMA is Glendive, Montana with 72.1% of the population using AM radio. While the most AM radio listening tends to be done in Midwestern DMAs, there is still substantial AM listening done in Eastern markets. For example, Chicago is the #8 DMA for AM listening with 51.2%, but Seattle-Tacoma is not far behind at #14 with 42.8%, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose is #20 with 41.3%, and the top two DMAs by population – New York and Los Angeles – show AM listenership is done by 31.8% of the population. See the whole report here.

Industry News

KFI, Los Angeles Debuts Limited Podcast Series on Rising Antisemitism

iHeartMedia’s Los Angeles news/talk outlet KFI-AM announces the launch of “HATE: Modern Antisemitism,” a limited podcast series that investigates the spike in hate crimes and how people inside and outside the Jewish community are helping to raise awareness with the goal of stopping Antisemitism and all incidents of hate. The series – produced by the award-winning team of Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez – features Ted Deutch, the CEO of the Americanim Jewish Committee. The AJC is a global advocacy organization that monitors Antisemitism around the world and offers education and support to the Jewish community as well as engaging with leaders at the highest levels of government. KFI program director Robin Bertolucci says, “I, along with others, recently watched in horror as anti-Semitic protesters were seen making Nazi salutes to passersby on the 405 freeway. As broadcasters, it is our duty to educate and inform our listeners and this podcast brings attention to the unseemly underbelly of Antisemitism which is sadly alive and well online and in our communities.” Other guests include Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles; Dr. Matthew Schumacher, a clinical and operational psychologist who is on assignment with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau; Dr. Michael Berenbaum, curator of the installation of the only authorized traveling exhibition of Auschwitz; Rabbi Michael Barclay, founding rabbi of Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village, California.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The 2024 presidential race and the expected entrance of Mike Pence and Chris Christie into the GOP primary race; the near collision of Chinese and U.S. warships in the Taiwan Strait; President Joe Biden’s fitness for office after his latest fall; the crash of a private plane in Virginia that prompted U.S. jet fighters to intercept it after it violated restricted DC airspace; LGBTQ activism and the blowback against Anheuser-Busch over the Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney promotion; the expected release of a “mixed reality” headset at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this week; and the deadly Indian train wreck were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media this weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Bonneville’s Brown Bowing Out

Bonneville’s Brown Bowing Out. Effective August 1, Tanya Vea will become Bonneville International’s president and chief operating officer, succeeding Darrell Brown, who announces his retirement. Brown states, “I’ve loved my time at Bonneville and it’s not easy to leave, but it’s the right time for me and my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to associate with so many wonderful employees as we’ve workedim together to further Bonneville’s mission to be a positive influence on the communities we serve. We’ve grown as a company in our reach and impact. I know Tanya will take Bonneville to the next level – I’m thrilled for the future of the company under her leadership.” Vea comments that Brown has been, “an incredible mentor” and she is “so grateful for all that he’s done” for Bonneville. “He has led by example as a steward of the company and its resources. I will miss working with him, and I feel incredibly imfortunate to take on this role knowing that he has put the company in a position of strength. Bonneville is a special company. I’m committed to building on the foundation of those who have come before me and am focused on fulfilling our mission to be trusted voices in our communities. Our greatest strength is our team of talented people. I’m honored to be able to work with them to grow Bonneville for the future.” Brown’s tenure as Bonneville’s president began in December 2013. Before that, he possessed a similar title for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company. During Brown’s 28 years at McGraw-Hill, he worked in various sales and management capacities for ABC and Azteca America television stations. He currently is board chair for the NAB Leadership Foundation. Recently promoted to executive vice president of content and media operations, Vea oversees content strategy for all Bonneville markets. She commenced with Bonneville in 2010 as vice president of program development before being boosted to senior vice president/general manager overseeing the company’s Salt Lake City cluster. Currently on  NBC’s affiliate board and executive committee, Vea formerly worked in advertising and public relations.

Industry Views

A Carefully Planned Moment of Spontaneous Magic

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling on Sunday

imMichael Harrison, founder and publisher of TALKERS, and the man who invented the term AOR – let’s not forget – strongly requested that I share this story about a remarkable event we experienced. Michael describes it as the “greatest promotion” he ever witnessed at a non-commercial function involving broadcasters… so I really have no choice but to accommodate him.

Deep background: My wife Katie and I amazed each other that for all the zillions of hours of TV we watched, we agreed that this scene from X-Files (see the still below) was the best ever: https://youtu.be/wUL7y8AMeU8. This single realization rushed us to a marrying minister. Really, who falls in love over a common passion for a scene like that?

Married six years, I wanted to create a memorable event that would “promote” our marriage. I know! My mania dropped this idea in my brain-on-fire: Recreate that scene with the actual actors – LIVE! I had time. Six months to our anniversary.

William B. Davis, who plays “cancer man” on the series, owned an acting school in Oregon – it says so in hisim biography. I wrote him a letter inviting him to fly to New York to perform the scene live at our anniversary lunch at the National Arts Club. Two appealing prospects: Manhattan and the famous Club on Gramercy Park. Shockingly, he actually called and said if I would also fly his girlfriend in, he would do it! HE WOULD DO IT. Crap, now I had to do everything else. Invite all 200 wedding guests, stage a show, and not tell anyone that it was going to happen. Katie did not know.

But contacting the alien, Roy Thinnes, was harder. I didn’t want to call his listed agent because his listed agent would quote me a real performance price. But Roy was in a soap opera. From my days at ABC, I became friends with several stars of “General Hospital,” including the kindest person who ever Lived, Jackie Zeman. I called her and asked if she knows how to contact the alien. Miraculously, she said, “Oh I know Roy. I’ll tell him you’re going to call.”

One month out, I called Roy who thankfully lives in Westchester, New York. Roy answered the phone in a 20-ball voice… terrifying.  Skittishly, I told him my plan. LONG, PAINFUL PAUSE. Painful. Mr. Thinnes answered, “It would be good to see Bill [Davis] again.” He wanted nothing, neither a limo nor car fare.

Every guest from our wedding showed up including TV reporter Sandy KenyonBob Weinstein of Miramax (the good brother), Kurt and Terry Johnson of

Townsquare fame, Bob McAllan – partner in Press BroadcastingMichael Ewing and Jay Clark who saved my butt on several occasions, the most powerful people in the room, the owner and staff of The Bagel restaurant in Greenwich Village, TV whiz Edward Hersh and his wife Hillary and, of course, Michael Harrison. That’s a lot of pressure.

Working with a video savant, we found the “X-Files” scene, put it on a DVD and pretended to be ready to show it to the audience as a tribute to our happy marriage. Moments after it started, we made it look like it was skipping. Appearing disappointed and frazzled, I apologized to the crowd and stammered that, we would just have to perform it LIVE.  The two stars came from behind a curtain to gasps from the crowd and performed the scene. Wife was thrilled, guests were amazed. I was grateful.  It all worked.

Magic. Unexpected. Those are the ingredients of great radio. Unexpected comes from show prep content that stands out, doesn’t fit in. The difference between a person on the radio and a star on the radio is unexpected, surprising content. The stars showed up to the lunch because I asked them. I did not know them nor them me. I asked for what I wanted. And Magic. That’s your talent.

Walter Sabo was the youngest Executive Vice President in the history of NBC. The youngest VP in the history of ABC. He was a consultant to RKO General longer than Bill Drake. Walter was the in-house consultant to Sirius for eight years. He has never written a resume. Contact him at walter@sabomedia.com. or mobile 646-678-1110. Hear Walter Sterling at www.waltersterlingshow.comMeet Walter Sabo at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2.

Industry News

SiriusXM and Edison Research Unveil Gen Z Podcast Report

SXM Media and Edison Research release the “Gen Z Podcast Listener Report,” a new joint study revealing trending data on the consumption and purchasing habits of U.S.-based listeners aged 13-24. Some key insights from the report include: 1) Gen Z monthly podcast listening has soared by +57% over the past five years. Today, 47% of 13-to-24-year olds in the US have listened to a podcast in the past month, representingim an estimated 24 million Gen Z US monthly podcast listeners. Gen Z listeners are also more diverse than the general population of podcast listeners; 2) 66% of Gen Z podcast listeners say they listen to or watch podcasts to stay up to date with the latest topics, and 61% listen/watch to keep up to date with social issues; 3) While many listen to podcasts while multitasking, 82% say that they listen to podcasts while doing nothing else, and this is especially true for Teens (86%). Podcasts are an important way for this generation to unwind and take a break from other media; 4) Over 80% of Gen Z listeners listen to/watch podcasts to relax, about 2 in 3 listen to escape, and over 50% listen to help them understand how they’re feeling about something. Additionally, almost 1 in 3 think that being on social media has had a negative impact on their emotional well-being; and 5) Over 4 in 10 Gen Z listeners (43%) have purchased a product after hearing a podcast ad for it (*among ages 16+), and 1 in 3 have asked someone to buy a product for them. See the study here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases April Streaming Rankers

Triton Digital publishes its latest ranking of digital audio publishers for April of 2023, based on Average Active Sessions (AAS can be calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period). iHeartRadio remains the #1 streaming publisher in the U.S. (299,103 AAS), followed by NPRim Member Stations at #2 (75,116 AAS), and Audacy at #3 (66,485 AAS). Cumulus Streaming Network is ranked #4 (40,662 AAS). Beasley Broadcasting Corporate is #6 (19,040 AAS), followed by Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (14,953 AAS), Urban One at #10 (9,743 AAS), and Salem Communications at #12 (8,297 AAS). See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

Spotify Tops Edison Research Top Podcast Networks Chart

Edison Research releases its latest ranking of the Top Podcast Networks in the U.S. based on total network reach for Q4 2022 – Q1 2023 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+. They are ranked by the reach of theim producer or network that represents the advertising for the show, not the platform or app that the listener uses to access the podcast. For this period, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast Network, and iHeartRadio take the top three spots, respectively. Other commercial radio-related networks making this ranker include: Audacy (#8), Cumulus Podcast Network (#10), The Ramsey Network(#25), and Blaze Podcast Network (#28).

Industry News

Audacy Strikes Deal with AMG for New Audio Streams

Audacy and Allen Media Group announce a content distribution partnership that will allow Audacy to launch three new audio streams for AGM properties The Weather Channel television network, Pattrn, and The Weather Channel en Español. The companies say The Weather Channel stream will only be available duringim severe weather events as a live audio simulcast of The Weather Channel television channel. The Pattrn stream will be a daily live audio simulcast of the Pattrn FAST channel, which explores climate, the environment and how the Earth is changing and elevates new voices to imthe conversation. The Weather Channel en Español stream will be a daily live audio simulcast of The Weather Channel en Español network.  Audacy SVP digital audio content Tim Clarke says, “Audio and radio are time-tested, reliable ways for listeners to access critical and potentially life-saving information during severe weather events. This partnership will add a new layer to our best-in-class news content offering while expanding the reach of The Weather Channel’s broadcast weather coverage to Audacy app users across the country.”

Industry Views

The Birth of the Car Radio

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling on Sunday

imA beautiful night. Paul Galvin and William Lear took their girlfriends to a romantic look-out view. Paul asked, “Isn’t this great?” His girlfriend replied, “It would better if we could hear music.”

That set Galvin and Lear on a mission to get entertainment into the car. A car radio. They were tinkerers. Galvin owned a failed battery manufacturing company. Lear and Galvin were smart but broke.

They ultimately invented a prototype radio for the car, but it was massive and complicated. No car battery could power it, the radio required its own big battery which was stored under the seat. The antenna was netting covering the roof. Their biggest challenge was static generated by the car’s starter, transmission, battery, lights – you name it. Galvin and Lear traced each source to correct the trouble-making components one by one. Parts of the radio had to be placed in different locations throughout the car. For example, the receiver was mounted on the engine, the controls on the dash.

Finally, still broke, they drove their Studebaker loaded with radio to the bank to apply for a loan to back the venture. The banker agreed to test drive the car for a night. Unfortunately, it caught fire in his garage and no loan was granted. Next Galvin traveled 800 hundred miles to a radio manufacturer convention. He sat outside the convention hall, played the radio loud and attracted enough orders for the radio to continue his quest.

The trouble continued. It was an expensive install: $600 for a $3,000 car. Many people thought it was dangerous to listen to the radio in the car – a distraction. Municipalities tried to ban it fearing it was a driver attention hazard. Supporters of the ban argued that many types of radio programming could put drivers to sleep. Surveys showed most Americans believed car radios were dangerous.

Oh, and the name they gave the device was horrible: 7FT1. Galvin came up with a new name that was both descriptive and synched with the times, Motorola. Partner William Lear went on the invent the Lear Jet.

Chevrolet installed the first reasonably priced Motorola radios in the early 1920s.

The objections were overcome by an initiative of the Radio Manufacturers Association: They argued that car radios actually helped people become better drivers. They pointed out that radios informed drivers about hazardous road conditions that lie ahead and weather conditions that may disrupt their travel. Supporters of car radios also said that radios actually helped to keep drivers awake when they became drowsy.

Conclusion: Are they nuts? A car can park itself but can’t handle an AM radio, those tech challenges were solved in 1920 – by the inventors of the Lear Jet and of your cell phone. Are manufacturers looking for a “display allowance?” Satellite radio was launched by paying zillions for a slot in the dash. Do carmakers want that for AM radios? Forget the EAS which nobody has ever heard and wasn’t activated during 9/11 in New York City. Weather, traffic, gospel, more gospel, compelling talk shows. (One Cleveland AM station runs the SAME Al Sharpton show from dusk Fridays till dawn Monday.) The better the shows, well, the better.

Sure, write your Member of Congress but you will find more vigilant allies among the preachers. You may recall that in the 1990s there was great debate about the proper deployment of the UHF spectrum. Allegedly, at his inauguration President Bill Clinton shook the hand of UHF TV icon, Billy Graham, who looked the president in the eye and said, “Don’t take away my TV stations.”

Walter Sabo was the youngest Executive Vice President in the history of NBC. The youngest VP in the history of ABC. He was a consultant to RKO General longer than Bill Drake. Walter was the in-house consultant to Sirius for eight years. He has never written a resume. Contact him at walter@sabomedia.com. or mobile 646-678-1110. Hear Walter Sterling at www.waltersterlingshow.comMeet Walter Sabo at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Get Your Head Straight

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imAre you a multiplatform juggler? If you sell or manage for a radio station, the answer is yes.

Why? Because it’s been part of the radio ad sales DNA since radio advertising shrunk to single digit growth.

Maybe someone reading this column can research or remember the last time radio industry pre-pandemic ad sales grew at double digits. It’s a tough putt, for sure.

Radio sellers were the first to reach across the aisle and “cross-sell” event sponsorships, concert tie-ins, publications, prize catalogues, bridal fairs, recruitment fairs, half-off fairs, sports and leisure tie-ins, hurricane guides, meet and greets, and it all started with a simple concept called a “remote.”

Radio ad sales strategy has come a long way since the first five-year plan had no projected double-digit growth. Even worse was the negative growth forecast for many markets. I remember that famous local market slogan “last one out, please turn off the lights.”

Those simple, linear, fun-to-present packages that required nothing more than easy-to-follow graphics, reasonable pricing, and a testimonial letter required little training, re-skilling, and new technical understanding. The toughest questions were about electrical outlets, display details, and when do we load in?

Covid killed some of those income generators, but you can add in pre-pandemic tired, low-energy sellers and managers taking concepts for granted as the final nail in the coffin.

Wait a minute. Aren’t brides still making decisions? Is inflation driving us back to coupons and looking for daily deals? Seems like sports-related advertising always thrives, right?

Some concepts will return, others will be reimagined, and a few are gone forever. Back to the future. Digital and social media sales will shape your sales future whether you like it or not. The digital/social media growth trend is moving at a non-stop, double-digit pace, pushing every competitive sales team to learn more and sell faster.

Smart, energetic thinkers are planning the next move, reshaping the past for what will sell tomorrow. It’s been almost 25 years since the first Blackberry phone. Sometimes innovation leaves iconic concepts in the dust. Here is where all of this goes. Get your attitude ready to learn and earn.

— Your glass is never full. The next time a manager introduces a new opportunity open your thinking

— Ask questions. Remember “new” is a powerful sales world door opener. Be sure YOU know how this new opportunity works. Leave your ego outside the sales meeting.

— Local advertisers like a competitive edge. Procter & Gamble built the most successful package goods marketing in the world with “New and Improved.” Learn from the legacy winners.

Managers and sellers want to win new business. Are you prepared to learn how?

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. Steve Lapa will be moderating the “Generating Revenue” panel at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.

Industry News

Lee Habeeb of Our American Stories is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Going all the way back to the beginnings of language, meaningful communication between human beings has been built on the foundation of storytelling. One of modern talk radio’s greatest storytellers, Lee Habeeb, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Habeeb is the hostim and founder of “Our American Stories,” a storytelling radio show and podcast featuring narratives that represent the best of America: history, sports, music, free enterprise, charity, faith, family and more. It can be heard five days a week, two hours a night, on well over 250 affiliates, including many heritage outlets, across the country. And archives of the show are available as an evergreen series of podcasts. In 2021, “Our American Stories” was signed to a syndication deal with Premiere Networks, giving it an added layer of distribution muscle as the property continues to show non-stop growth and display tremendous compatibility with more traditional forms of news/talk radio programming. According to Harrison, “Lee Habeeb is one of the most positive, as well as successful, players in the news/talk radio community with a compelling message of goodness and unity. He is a shining light of hope and growth for our industry and America.” Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry News

Dan Bongino Reverses Course as Cumulus Ends COVID Vaccine Mandate

Westwood One nationally syndicated talk radio host Dan Bongino, who publicly challenged Cumulus Media’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement and said he would leave the company after his contract ends because of it, confided to his listeners now that the company has ended the mandate he would like to continue his host role with the network (5/10). He said at first, he was reluctant about doing a talk show in the same time period asim the late Rush Limbaugh (“no one wants to replace Mickey Mantle”) but agreed to do it anyway. “This thing happened along the way where I really fell in love with the job… I didn’t really want to leave, and I don’t want to go. I didn’t really expect this and it puts me in a really weird spot… somewhere along the way this little marriage between you [the listener] and me… started out rough and rocky and it’s just become nothing but bliss for me and I just really hate to leave it.” Bongino’s addressing the matter came as CHRO and SVP human resources Todd McCarty notified managers about the ending of the mandate via an internal memo. He wrote, “After continued consideration, we’ve made the decision to end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Additionally, we are eliminating all prior COVID-19 protocols for employees and visitors/guests to our facilities, with the exception of protocols for those who test positive. These changes are effective immediately and we ask that you communicate these changes to your teams. HR will be adjusting current job descriptions and will eliminate the requirement moving forward.” The complete Bongino on-air statement can be heard here.

Industry News

Edison Research’s Top Podcasts for October ‘22 – March ‘23

Edison Research publishes its latest podcast rankings from October 2022 through March 2023 based on weekly reach among those age 13+. Edison notes that the top four podcasts in this list of 50 did not change from its previous ranker. Those are: 1) The Joe Rogan Experience; 2) Crime Junkie; 3) The Daily; 4) Thisim American Life. Other radio related podcasts that placed in the top 50 include “The Ben Shapiro Show” (#8), “The Ramsey Show” (#17), and “The Dan Bongino Show” (#25). The latest ranker from Edison Podcast Metrics shows the Top 50 Podcasts based on weekly audience reach and reflects two significant updates to the service that were implemented last year. The sample has been expanded to include weekly podcast listeners age 13-17. This measurement allows podcast producers and networks to understand the teen segment of the Gen Z podcast listeners. The ranker also includes increased sample size, which allows for more recency in reporting and robust cuts of data. The latest ranker includes measurement from the previous two quarters with a total sample size of 10,797 weekly podcast listeners age 13+.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (5/15) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Special counsel John Durham’s highly critical report of the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation; the negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House over the debt ceiling; migrants amassed at the U.S.-Mexico border and the Biden administration’s immigration policy; a teenage shooter in New Mexico kills three and wounds six; baseball bat attack on U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly’s staffers; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to testify before congress today (5/16) on artificial intelligence; Turkey’s presidential election goes to a runoff; the Russian-Ukraine war; and Martha Stewart among Sports Illustrated cover models were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Apple Heaven and Hell

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imEver lost your phone? It’s an instant sick, sinking feeling. It’s quaint to even call it a “phone,” because it’s…everything. Including us. Like the transistor radio Boomers toted in our youth, it’s audio in your pocket.

For broadcasters and podcasters, a smartphone can be the whole toolbox. MOVIES are being shot on the newest iPhone. The cameras and editing apps are that good. TV and radio can go live, anywhere there’s a signal. And, like Alexa, Siri is conversant. Dictation isn’t just a convenient voice-to-text appliance. It makes lots of apps lots handier, and safer while driving. So, when, suddenly, my phone couldn’t hear me anymore, I went Code Red.

“Testing…testing…”

First triage: Google. But when I satisfied myself that all my settings were as they should be, I needed a person. As expected, the patient expert on Apple’s Support line had a thick foreign accent and great people skills. She had me repeating all the steps Google recommended, and told me I had to update my OS. When repeated attempts failed, I needed in-person handholding, a/k/a The Genius Bar.

Just TRY calling an Apple Store. The local number for the Providence Place Mall location rings in Texas I was told, after I cheated by reaching out to a friend who works for Apple and got me in the door. The irony is painful: They sell telephones but can’t answer one.

im

Antiques Roadshow

I’ll seem my age if it’s 2023, and I’m still toting iPhone 8. Hey, it worked…until it didn’t. And the Genius Bar person explained that it had missed too many OS updates to ever catch-up. And when she ran diagnostics, enough other issues warranted the handoff to sales.

Dazzling as the latest-greatest are, I went with SE, same size/shape/appearance as the 8 being retired. It snapped right into the decorative Block Island cover case that had saved the old phone from so many drops. In the survey Apple emailed later that day, I couldn’t say enough about Matty, the sales guy who walked me through setting-up the new phone. All better now, and although it’s now sans SIM card, the retired 8 phone is a spare tire. If I want to talk to it, I’ll need earbuds. But it’s an otherwise functional iPod that will Facetime, Email, you-name-it, via WiFi.

So then?

With most AM/FM broadcast hours now automated or syndicated, stations that make local human connections will be conspicuous; and niche-topic podcasts will ooze “community.”

I write lots of commercials, and – where pertinent – we assure that “you won’t land in voicemail.” And we’ll emphasize one-on-one support. Here’s how one client – the voice you hear is the owner, whose stations are 100 miles from Dallas – sells expensive cameras, at a store in Dallas: http://getonthenet.com/CompetitiveCameras.mp3

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

WPEN, Philadelphia AM Host John Kincade Announces Cancer Diagnosis

On Friday (5/12), WPEN, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic” morning host John Kincade told his listeners he’s been diagnosed with colon cancer. He posted the following statement on the station’s website: “Unfortunately, my relatives have a PHD in dealing with cancer as it has ravaged the Kincade family over the years. It’s one of the reasons that I am so proud to partner with the AACR, the American Association of Cancer Research, since the start of ‘The John Kincade Show.’ Earlier in my career, my 20-year association helping to raise moneyim for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was also an important endeavor. I knew personally how cancer affects the lives of the patient and their families. It has been a passion and I’ve been blessed with many years of good health. I didn’t expect in 2023 that we would be having this conversation. After feeling lethargic, exhausted and experiencing some strange weight gain I had blamed it on a recent change of medication. Instead my blood work showed tremendous blood loss and levels of iron and hemoglobin that were dangerously low. We still believed that it would reveal an ulcer or a stomach tear that was being irritated by the new medication causing the bleed. We scheduled a short hospital stay to have all my tests in one day. It’s 76ers playoffs and I needed to get back to work quickly! The colonoscopy revealed the cancer and a subsequent CT Scan has given us some optimism that this cancer journey will end successfully. I have a great support system within the walls of Beasley Broadcasting from the Executive Suite to the interns. I feel blessed that everyone has already rallied behind me at ‘The Fanatic’ to make sure I succeed in this battle. My sponsors have always shown me such loyalty and support. I’m going to do my best to continue to deliver for them. I work with an excellent team on ‘The John Kincade Show’ and I’ve asked them to do everything possible to keep things as normal as possible. With our crew, normal is of course up to interpretation.”

Industry News

Edison Research: Moms Flocking to TikTok

Edison Research releases its latest Moms and Media 2023 report and concludes that American moms “are spending more time on the Internet, increasingly embracing digital devices, and using TikTok more.” The report states that U.S. moms self-reported using the Internet 15 minutes more per day than they did in 2022, for aim total of four hours and 15 minutes per day. Ninety percent of moms access the internet from their mobile phones. It also says that TikTok is used by 50% of U.S. moms, up from 42% in 2022, while Facebook is used by 83% of U.S. moms, down from 88% in 2022. Edison Research VP Melissa DeCesare says, “U.S. moms are heavily engaged with social media and online audio, and their time on the Internet continues to increase with the ease of mobile phone access. They are busy with children and are taking advantage of the convenience offered by wireless headphones and smart watches.” Download the report here.

Industry News

IAB: 2022 Podcast Revenue Rises 26%

At this year’s IAB Podcast Upfront, the IAB released the results of its U.S. Podcast Advertising 2022 Revenue & 2023-2025 Growth Projections study and concludes that “podcasting continues to be one of the fastest growing digital channels, growing two times faster than digital advertising overall.” The report, byim PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, “quantifies annual podcast advertising revenues generated over the past year, analyzes revenue share by ad category and content genre, and forecasts future revenues through 2025.” The study says the top revenue-generating content genres are Sports (15%), Society & Culture (14%), and Comedy (14%) and have taken the lead from News and Political Opinion content (down from 19% to 12%). IAB VP, media center Eric John says, “In-person sports, lifestyle events, and in-store shopping have come back in a big way, taking the lead from news which held the top revenue genre spot since 2018. Podcasting revenue naturally reflects that shift in consumer behavior and it will be interesting to watch how the balance changes going forward.” He adds, “Both mass and niche advertisers like the audiences, targeting, and ROI along with the brand-safe and suitable environments that podcasting offers.” See the complete report here.

Industry News

iHeartMedia Expands Branded Podcast Studio

iHeartMedia announces that it is launching Ruby, the first dedicated team of its kind from a major media company committed entirely to the production, sales and marketing of branded podcasts. The company says it has “built one of the fastest-growing slate of branded podcasts globally with 30 original series from major brands such as T-Mobile, IBM, Intuit QuickBooks and Mattress Firm,” and that the “launch of Rubyim represents an expanded commitment to one of iHeartMedia’s most premium products allowing advertisers to engage audiences with creative, longform native content.” iHeartMedia goes on to say, “Ruby’s branded podcasts allow advertisers and their brand partners to spend upwards of 30-45 minutes with their target audience in a unique environment, with opportunities for storytelling that are not possible anywhere else in their media mix including social video. With distribution across the iHeartRadio app and all other major platforms, native podcasts from Ruby connect brands to audiences by translating brand messaging, products and services into original and engaging stories that audiences love.” See more about Ruby here.

Industry News

“The Bettor Angle” Joins BetQL Network

Audacy announces the launch of “The Bettor Angle,” a new show that “takes fans of BetQL Network behind the numbers and uncovers the stories that shape the games.” The program is hosted by Kate Constable andim Camron Smith and airs Saturdays from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET via the Audacy app and Twitch beginning May 13. BetQL Network brand manager Andrew Williams says, “‘The Bettor Angle’ is the latest example of the BetQL Network’s dedication to delivering top-quality Wagertainment to our listeners and viewers, seven days a week. Kate and Camron will take listeners behind the numbers and uncover the stories that shape the games. From injury reports to coaching strategies, they’ll help listeners understand the factors that can make or break their bets.”

Industry News

Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Forced to Change Award Winners

After handing out honors at its annual awards gala over the weekend, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association is forced to take back three awards and give them to the rightful recipients. Two of the awards were in television categories but the third affected news/talk radio outlets. Seehafer Broadcasting’sim talk/AC/sports station WOMT-AM/W300EE, Manitowoc was named News Operation of the Year winner in Medium Market News and Talk Radio. Midwest Communications’ news/talk WTAQ, Green Bay was erroneously named the winner on Saturday night. The WBA says the stations have been informed and awards will be produced and delivered to the stations. WBA president Michelle Vetterkind says, “We are very sorry for the error. The points awarded for social/digital media categories were not attributed to the News Operation of the Year award calculation. In previous years, points for those categories did not go toward News Operation of the Year. That rule change was made for the 2022 contest but wasn’t incorporated into the tabulation process.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (5/8) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The aftermath of the Texas mall shooting that took the lives of eight people and the vehicle attack that killed seven; President Joe Biden’s scheduled meeting with congressional leaders over the debt ceiling issue; the large number of migrants amassed at the U.S.-Mexico border awaiting the expiration of Title 42 and Biden’s order of 1,500 troops to the region; a panel in California recommends apology and reparations to Black Californians; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the protests in New York City over the choke-hold death of Jordan Neely, and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.