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Yesterday’s (2/13) Top News/Talk Media Stories

By TALKERS | February 14, 2023 by TALKERS

The U.S.’s shooting down of the fourth “object” flying over North America, criticism leveled against President Joe Biden for not opening up to the American people about what the administration knows, and China’s response to being called out; the deadly shooting on the campus of Michigan State University that’s taken the lives of at least three; a Georgia judge will release portions of the Donald Trump grand jury report this week; the escalating invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces; former Vice President Mike Pence fights a subpoena to testify in the special counsel’s investigation into the 2020 election; a number of U.S. cell phone carriers experience outages on Monday for reasons that remain unexplained; former South Carolina Governor and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley officially announces her bid for the White House in 2024; and the aftermath of Super Bowl LVII were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Your Trial Balloon

By TALKERS | February 13, 2023February 14, 2023 by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

If you float a trial balloon, expect it to be shot down.

And to make the story driving the news headlines a better metaphor for our sales world, it should be noted that gathering information is always part of our mission. Sellers and managers should be floating trial sales balloons all the time.

Consider how many times we talk to our best advertisers to float an idea, a package, picking up a known talent or play-by-play rights to a popular team. But here is where the news story and our sales world take different forks in the road. Although the woods are full of downed sales balloons, it’s a good thing. Because in our sales world downed trial balloons mean we’re trying new things, communicating with our advertisers and not rocking along in the comfort zone. It also means some of these trial balloons make it to reality and become innovative ideas and viable sales opportunities.

I have certainly floated my share. There is a strategy behind floating a trial sales balloon to help you get the result you need. How do you improve the odds of a trial balloon becoming a sales reality? Here are some field tested tips:

— Determine your goals before you start. It’s so important to know what you’re looking for. Pricing input? Viability? Excitement? Sometimes sellers are so excited they misread the advertiser’s enthusiasm level. The reverse is also true. Sellers can be lukewarm as they focus on the transaction ahead instead of the first stage advertiser input.

— Ask permission. This is very important yet most sellers and managers never think about the advertiser reaction. What if they just don’t want to be surveyed? Always ask first.

— Confirm the confidence. Be sure everyone in your loop understands the trust you show in seeking their input.

— Keep your “ask” simple. You are asking for input. The simpler the ask, the cleaner the input.

— No commitments. Be clear the conversation you are having is early-stage preliminary to test the waters only. You are not even close to asking for a commitment, just sharing ideas and looking for input.

— Who wants to know? Be ready with the right answer.

Sellers and managers have been in the trial balloon business since the first ad was sold. Be sure to review your pre-flight check list before launching that next trial balloon.

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

Benztown Brings Director of Fire of Love to Valentine’s Day Radio

By TALKERS | February 13, 2023 by TALKERS

Benztown and National Geographic Documentary Films is making Sara Dosa, director of the Oscar-nominated film Fire of Love, available to radio stations tomorrow for a Valentine’s Day radio tour. The film tells the love story of intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who died just as explosively as they lived – capturing the most spectacular imagery ever recorded of their greatest passion: volcanoes. The radio tour will fill up fast, so book your interview with director Sara Dosa now by reaching out to Crissy Whalin here.

Features

Ruddy Speaks Out as Talk Hosts Support Newsmax Versus DirecTV

By TALKERS | February 10, 2023February 10, 2023 by TALKERS

TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy engaged in a phone conversation this week (2/8) to discuss the bruhaha buzzing through conservative news/talk radio triggered by AT&T’s recent decision to remove the popular conservative channel from its subsidiary, DirecTV. Ruddy, grateful for the support Newsmax is receiving from radio hosts, wanted to speak out directly to the medium further explaining his position. (NOTE: Newsmax also has a footprint in the news/talk radio space as syndicator of the daily Rob Carson midday program.)

Late in January, DirecTV, owned by AT&T, “deplatformed” Newsmax from more than 13 million of its subscriber homes calling it a “business decision.”

News of this stunned Washington, fueling GOP lawmakers with more evidence that big tech media was closing down conservative voices for political reasons.

This was the second time in just the past year AT&T moved to cancel a conservative channel, taking OAN off their platforms last April.

However, Newsmax is not OAN. Newsmax has, in breathtaking time, became the fourth-highest-rated cable news channel reaching 25 million Americans, according to Nielsen.

Major Members of Congress, Senators and newsmakers dot its programming lineup every day. Even First Lady Jill Biden made a prime-time appearance to discuss her cancer initiative last October and former President Donald Trump is a regular participant.

According to Ruddy, “The fact that AT&T was willing to take down Newsmax as Republicans take control of the House was yet another sign for America’s right that ‘wokeness’ remains in high gear.”

In the conversation, Ruddy described AT&T’s decision a “blatant act of political censorship” and “effort to restrict conservative voices before the ’24 election.”

Here are some takeaways from Chris Ruddy:

Government Collusion

“We know from ‘The Twitter Files,’ that Twitter worked in collusion with federal agencies, including the FBI, to censor and restrict the speech of news media and public figures,” said Ruddy.

“Why,” he asked,” would we not think that was happening” in Newsmax’s case, too?

(During testimony on February 8 before the House Oversight Committee, former Twitter executives admitted they handled the Hunter Biden matter poorly, but also said they were not in contact with government officials over the matter.)

Ruddy points to a 2021 letter penned by Democratic Members of Congress Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, addressed to AT&T’s CEO and other cable operators, clearly aimed at removing OAN, Newsmax and FOX News Channel for spreading “misinformation.”

Harrison asked, “With two channels down, is FOX News a target next?”

Ruddy said it clearly is a target, but that cable operators will have a more difficult time “deplatforming” it.

Cutting Costs

Harrison asked, “When AT&T dropped OAN and Newsmax, didn’t the company say both moves were the result of cost-cutting?”

Ruddy responded that this claim makes no sense when Newsmax is concerned, “because they keep over 100 channels that have far less ratings and are more costly than Newsmax.”

A business approach, he said, would be for DirecTV to remove low-rated channels that are costly, not highly rated channels like Newsmax that are inexpensive.

He said AT&T’s unusual decision to cut Newsmax demonstrates a “political motive.”

Newsmax has produced a chart that shows 22 liberal-leaning news and information channels. Almost all have lower ratings than Newsmax – and all get fees higher than Newsmax was seeking.

Ruddy says Newsmax sought a very modest license fee of $1 per year per subscriber. CNN gets $14 a year from DirecTV. And almost every channel in the top 100 gets a multiple of the $1.

Harrison asked, “So, what’s the problem for DirecTV, which I understand raked in $2.7 billion last year in profits?”

Ruddy’s response: “DirecTV says that Newsmax is simply ineligible for any license fee, not one penny let alone $1.”

And here he seems to make a strong case AT&T is targeting Newsmax – by denying it any fees when almost everyone else gets paid a fee, especially liberal channels.

“AT&T DirecTV is being super clever,” Ruddy explains. “They tell Newsmax they’ll carry us for free, but we can’t get a license fee.” But, Ruddy adds, “Since all cable agreements, according to industry standards, get the lowest rate, that means all go to zero fees with no license fee for Newsmax.

“Since cable news channels need license fees to operate, DirecTV is effectively putting Newsmax out of business,” he said.

Political Bias

“This claim that Newsmax alone can never get a fee simply doesn’t seem to work for a lot of people in the public as well as Congress,” Ruddy said.

“Many conservative leaders in America – and some fair-minded independents and liberals – have already concluded that AT&T’s motives with Newsmax were largely driven by politics, and not by dollars and cents.”

New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he called AT&T and informed the company that “Newsmax should not be treated any differently based upon them being a conservative news outlet.” McCarthy has vowed there will be hearings on the removal of Newsmax.

Even Alan Dershowitz, one of America’s famed liberal lawyers, agrees with McCarthy that Newsmax’s removal doesn’t pass the smell test.

“Clearly, they used economic reasons as a cover for political reasons,” Dershowitz told Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren last week.

Dershowitz said he believes AT&T’s decision “had elements of partisan and ideological and political bias directed at stations that don’t adhere to the views of the company.”

“Anybody who believes that this was purely an economic decision should buy a bridge in Brooklyn,” he said, adding that A&T DirecTV “ought to reconsider and put Newsmax back on.”

Fighting Back

When AT&T DirecTV deplatformed OAN, a relatively hard-right channel with a relatively small viewership, it received little attention. But the executives at AT&T may have awoken a sleeping giant by taking on Newsmax.

Newsmax’s reach is extensive, reaching 40 million Americans through online, apps, emails, and a huge social media network – not to mention that its content is highly utilized by many radio talk show hosts and producers.

Ruddy told Harrison, “For a long time Newsmax’s audience has been aligned and interconnected with the talk radio audience. We are seeing tremendous synergies across all media platforms, including talk radio.” Ruddy has been speaking out on this subject on a number of radio talk shows across America.

On the same day of the Ruddy-Harrison conversation, the Newsmax CEO appeared on Mark Simone’s top-rated show on powerhouse WOR in New York to discuss the censorship of his channel. Demand is so great for interviews, Newsmax analysts Dick Morris and Hogan Gidley are also doing interviews about the AT&T matter.

The End Game

Ruddy said he’d like Newsmax to be back on DirecTV. Initially, DirecTV said they had no intention to bring Newsmax back on air. But last week, the company reversed course and said they are open to do so.

However, according to Ruddy, so far DirecTV has not changed their position that Newsmax is not entitled to any license fees.

“We are willing to negotiate but DirecTV has to do so in good faith,” Ruddy said, adding “We’re waiting.”

He said even if Newsmax stays off DirecTV, his media empire will continue to grow.

“This episode has made us stronger and AT&T is a good company for us to build against in the months and years ahead,” he said. “Everyone knows AT&T and they’re not well-liked for engaging in politics, targeting conservatives – and they even owned CNN during its worst years,” Ruddy said.

“We’ve been in business for 25 years and no matter what the controversy, Newsmax has always come out ahead. It will this time too,” he concluded.

After speaking with Ruddy, Harrison stated, “We all know that the First Amendment only applies to government censorship and privately-owned platforms have the right to present or not present whatever opinions conform to their positions. However, when government officials use the influence and prestige of their office to pressure high-level media executives to deplatform legitimate players for obvious political ends – as seems to be the case in this Newsmax scenario – that becomes a major concern for all Americans who value free speech. And even if the government wasn’t involved, massive power requires equal responsibility and even-handedness. Although in many cases the picture remains murky – for the most part, it is clear to me that conservatives claiming an ongoing imbalance of bias against them, by the informationally-vital venues of big tech, have an abundance of growing evidence to support their complaints. And that should be a major worry of all fair-minded Americans trying to negotiate the turbulent waters of this new digital era without losing at least the spirit of the First Amendment let alone the letter of the law.”

Industry News

“101.7 The Truth” Black Talk Radio Celebrates Second Anniversary

By TALKERS | February 10, 2023February 10, 2023 by TALKERS

Good Karma Brands’ Milwaukee talk station WGKB-AM/W269DL “101.7 The Truth” is celebrating its second anniversary today (2/10) with a night of fun exclusive to its fans, partners, and teammates. Good Karma says, “The station debuted on January 4, 2021 and serves the city of Milwaukee as well as its surrounding communities with local news, entertainment, and community affairs programming seven days a week. The station was built to uplift the voices in the Black community, sharing their stories, ideas and experiences following the George Floyd incident and protests. The station produces a tapestry of content for fans and advertising opportunities for partners that truly represents the Black experience in our city.” The station was honored with a 2022 Anthem Award (from the creators of the Webby Awards) in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility category. Hosts on the station have interviewed notable guests including Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, musicians Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige, and many more.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/8) Top News/Talk Media Stories

By TALKERS | February 9, 2023 by TALKERS

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address and his efforts to protect Social Security and Medicare; the Chinese spy balloon, China’s military goals, and the state of U.S.-China relations; the battle in Congress over the debt ceiling; the tech industry’s obsession with AI and its effect on Wall Street; Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is hospitalized after feeling lightheaded; testimony before a House Oversight Committee hearing in the Twitter-Hunter Biden laptop matter; Volodymyr Zelensky’s addressing the EU Parliament seeking more weapons to fight Russia’s invasion; the ongoing investigation into Tyre Nichols’ death at the hands of Memphis police; the death toll hits 17,000 from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria; and the build-up to Super Bowl LVII were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Audacy Releases Company Social Impact Report

By TALKERS | February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 by TALKERS

Audacy shares its latest “Social Impact Report, Supporting Sound Communities,” that reveals the company’s “powerful impact story across our 6 pillars of Audacy Serves.” The company says, “This year, we showcase ‘I’m Listening’ as our flagship social impact program dedicated to more mental health conversations. Brands – and media in particular – have an incredible opportunity to impact our lives and communities. Audacy leans into its strength – Audio – to build connection with our listeners. We support their well-being by sharing stories of mental health experiences. This authentic storytelling is the heart of our business and helps improve health outcomes too! That’s why the content we create for ‘I’m Listening’ features artists, athletes, and celebrities sharing their mental health experiences – we are living our belief, ‘Talk Saves Lives… We’ve raised more than $1.5 million for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; hosted a national mental health conversation with experts and listeners – all living our belief, Talk Saves Lives.” You can see the complete report here.

Industry News

SiriusXM 2022 Q4 Revenue Flat; 2022 Up 4% Over 2021

By TALKERS | February 2, 2023 by TALKERS

SiriusXM reports results from the fourth quarter of 2022 as well as the year in full. For Q4, revenue was $2.28 billion, flat compared to the same period in 2021. For the full year of 2022, revenue was $9.0 billion, an increase of 4% over the full year of 2021. The company ended 2022 with 32.4 million self-pay subscribers, an increase of 348,000 for the year, aided by a growing base of streaming-only subscribers. Net income for Q4 of 2022 was $365 million, up from the $318 million posted in Q4 of 2021. For the year, net income was $1.2 billion, down from the $1.3 billion reported in 2021. CEO Jennifer Witz says, “2022 was a strong year for SiriusXM, as we continued to focus on bringing consumers the best in audio entertainment both in-car and on the go, reaching record high revenue and record low churn. Our strong operating and financial performance in 2022 are a testament to our resilient business model and growing contribution from streaming, which helped us deliver 348,000 net new self-pay subscribers. In 2023, we expect SiriusXM to deliver strong operating performance and generate significant cash, even as we face a challenging economic environment and continue to make material investments in our technology infrastructure.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

By TALKERS | January 31, 2023 by TALKERS

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is not interested in the potential afternoon drive opening at WEPN-FM “ESPN Radio New York.” James Kratch sums up Russo’s feelings about the idea at Elite Sports New York, writing, “The WFAN legend told Newsday he is happy at SiriusXM and speculation he could return to terrestrial radio to replace Michael Kay is ‘probably not realistic.’ ‘I’m not going to leave Sirius, let’s put it that way,’ Russo told sports media columnist Neil Best. ‘I love Sirius so much. They’ve been good to me. … I’m going to do that as long as they’ll have me, to make a long story short.’” ESPN Radio New York PM drive host Michael Kay’s contract is up and, after 23 years there, it’s expected he may move on.

At SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio, this week is the annual “Players Week” in which several current major league players and top prospects join SiriusXM hosts for special extended feature segments. During this special programming, players have a “national platform, an hour of airtime, and the freedom to guide the conversation and discuss the teams and topics both on and off the field that most interest them.”

Chris Haynes, senior NBA Insider for TNT and Bleacher Report, and Marc Stein, veteran NBA reporter and publisher of The Stein Line on Substack, announce they’ve partnered for the new iHeartPodcast program, “#thisleague UNCUT.” The two insiders “break down the latest hot topics with candor and bold opinions” twice per week.

Industry News

The Weekend’s Top News/Talk Media Stories

By TALKERS | January 30, 2023 by TALKERS

The debate in congress over raising the United States’ debt ceiling; The protests over the beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five former Memphis police officers; Ukraine’s plea for military aid to defend itself from Russian aggression; the classified government documents found in the possession of President Joe Biden, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former President Donald Trump; the security problems at the U.S.-Mexico border; former President Donald Trump begins campaigning for the 2024 presidential race; the scandals plaguing freshman Congressman George Santos; and the NFL conference championship games were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

By Editor | January 24, 2023 by Editor

Audacy’s Cadence13 podcast studio launches, “WEAPONIZED with Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp,” a multi-platform, investigative podcast series hosted by investigative filmmaker Jeremy Corbell and award-winning investigative journalist George Knapp in which they “pull back the veil on the world of the known to explore the world of the unexplained. They break news and share never-before-seen footage, previously suppressed documents, original recordings, and hard evidence related to UFOs, the paranormal, cutting-edge science, cover-ups, conspiracies, and big-time crimes.”

The nationally syndicated travel show “RMWorldTravel” starring Robert and Mary Carey officially surpasses the 500-station mark and is now heard on 510 affiliate stations across the U.S.

The Weather Channel and Skyview Networks announce the expansion of their partnership with the inclusion of SnoCountry Ski Reports. With this expansion, The Weather Channel and SnoCountry will utilize Skyview Networks’ network audio sales platforms and regionalization capabilities to provide winter ski reports to unique geographic audiences, giving listeners valuable ski resort conditions through the winter season.

SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio is broadcasting from this year’s PGA Show in Orlando today (1/24) through Friday (1/27). The PGA Show is not open to the public and SiriusXM’s hosts will share with their audience insight into the latest in golf instruction, equipment, apparel and more. Listeners will also hear one-on-one interviews with many of the PGA Professionals in attendance at the event.

Industry News

WBAP, Dallas-Fort Worth Host Hal Jay Awaiting Heart Transplant

By TALKERS | January 20, 2023January 20, 2023 by TALKERS

Dallas-Fort Worth morning radio personality Hal Jay is currently in Baylor Scott & White University Medical Center awaiting heart transplant. On Monday of this week, Jay called in to the WBAP morning show to speak with hosts Ernie Brown and Brad Barton and to explain to listeners why he was not in the studio. He said, “Last Tuesday night (1/10), I had a ventricular tachycardia event and fell to the floor, and my cardiologist Dr. Shaw, had me transferred to Baylor Scott & White University Medical Center.” He spent the week at the hospital continuing to rest and undergo testing as doctors monitored the situation. But Saturday night (1/14), he had another ventricular tachycardia event. Jay says, “I asked the doctor, ‘How sick am I?’ And he said you are really sick; your heart is done.” Jay has been placed on the heart transplant list. Of the four levels of the list, pending severity, Jay is listed as a level two and it is unknown at this time when a transplant will take place. Jay finished his on-air appearance on Monday by thanking listeners for their prayers, mentioning he intends to document his transplant journey, and check in with the “WBAP Morning News” as he is able.

Industry News

Salem Promotes Dan Nelson

By TALKERS | January 19, 2023 by TALKERS

Salem Media Group, Inc. announces that it is promoting Dan Nelson to vice president, Salem events and marketing. Nelson has been serving as director, Salem events and marketing since 2018. In his new role Nelson will focus on expanding both Salem Media’s brand image and revenue generation in the area of special events and travel experiences. Salem Media CEO Dave Santrella comments, “Dan and I have worked together since my earliest days at Salem. He always impressed me as one of those people that can take an idea and bring it to life. To this day, I can give Danny just the seed of an idea and the next thing you know he has a full-blown working model. I am thrilled to see Danny get this well-deserved promotion.” Salem Media’s president of broadcast media, Allen Power, adds “Dan has consistently set a high standard for everything he has undertaken. His talents are many including creativity, attention to detail, excellence in follow-through, and giftedness in visual marketing and production. Perhaps, his greatest strength is his ability to work with leaders at literally every level of our company to advance Salem’s brand and image. He does all of this with passion, humility, and a great sense of humor. If you look up the definition of ‘go-to’ person, it’s highly likely you’ll see Dan’s smiling face.”

Industry Views

Dr. Murray Sabrin Guests on Harrison Podcast

By TALKERS | January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 by TALKERS

One of the most prolific talk radio interviewees of the past three decades, Murray Sabrin, Ph.D. is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Sabrin is professor emeritus of finance at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Sabrin, who made New Jersey political history in 1997 for his groundbreaking third-party gubernatorial candidacy as the Libertarian Party nominee, is widely recognized as one of America’s leading voices on libertarian ideology. Harrison and Sabrin take a deep-dive into the ongoing problems of our times – inflation, health care, endless wars, excessive taxation, illegal immigration, and the alleged erosion of civil liberties under the crushing overreach of big government. Harrison, a First Amendment advocate who maintains a neutral partisan philosophy, says, “Libertarianism is an ideology with which I do not necessarily fully agree in terms of practical application – but one that I support as a guideline to keeping the unwieldy task of running 21^st century America within the compass direction and spirit intended by the Founding Fathers.” Harrison wrote the foreword in Sabrin’s latest Amazon paperback best-seller, From Immigrant to Public Intellectual: An American Story (Talkers Books, 2022). The book follows Sabrin’s rise as an immigrant child with humble beginnings to forge a stellar career as an educator, author, history-making third party political candidate and media influencer. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Industry News

Chris Stigall’s Daily Podcast Joins the Salem Podcast Network

By TALKERS | January 17, 2023 by TALKERS

The daily podcast hosted by Chris Stigall officially joins the Salem Podcast Network. Stigall hosts the “Philadelphia’s Morning Answer” program on Salem Media Group’s WNTP, Philadelphia “AM 990, The Answer” and hosts the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon talk program on Cumulus Media’s KCMO-AM, Kansas City. He says, “I want to thank the Salem Podcast Network for bringing our podcast into their family of great shows. As a radio guy my entire career, I wasn’t sure how the podcast version would be received when we launched. Our advertising partners who invested in the show early as well as the smartest audience in the digital space have helped our young podcast crest four million downloads, and we’re just getting started!” Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce adds, “Chris Stigall is a special host who has developed a unique relationship with a very loyal audience. We saw this when we brought him over to ‘AM 990 The Answer’ a few years ago, and we know he will have the same reaction from audiences nationwide with his podcast.”

Industry News

Comrex Now Shipping BRIC-Link III

By TALKERS | January 12, 2023 by TALKERS

The BRIC-Link III IP audio codec that Comrex unveiled at NAB 2022 is now shipping. Comrex says that this latest model “features a new, more powerful processor for improved reliability in addition to enhanced front panel indicators, including four buttons which will trigger contact closures by default and are configurable for auto-connections to other Comrex IP audio codecs.” Comrex adds that the new BRIC-Link III includes CrossLock VPN technology, its proprietary suite of reliability tools which offers an expanded array of techniques including improved congestion detection, redundant transmission, forward error correction, and deadline-sensitive retransmission. Plus, with the ability to use multiple IP networks for increased bandwidth in addition to the intelligent monitoring and dynamic adjustment of data packets, CrossLock optimizes audio for transmission over the public Internet and provides peace of mind to broadcast engineers. BRIC-Link IP audio codecs are commonly used in home studios, as STLs, for voice-over delivery, for sportscasting, and for many other situations that require point-to-point connections. With additional operation modes like HTTP and IP Multicast, BRIC-Link III can also function as a streaming server or send audio to multiple locations (depending on network bandwidth), making it an incredibly versatile hardware codec with an entry-level price point. BRIC-Link III is compatible with all other Comrex IP audio codecs, including the ACCESS codec line as well as older BRIC-Link models. It also includes EBU 3326/SIP mode for interoperability with third-party manufacturer codecs. BRIC-Link III works with Comrex Gagl, a new service now available for remote contribution. Gagl turns any Comrex IP audio codec into a hub for up to five participants. Learn more by visiting Comrex.com.

Industry News

SHATNER: THE ART OF INTERVIEWING

By TALKERS | January 11, 2023January 13, 2023 by TALKERS

Frank Morano, host of WABC, New York’s overnight show “The Other Side of Midnight” scored and delivered a superb interview with entertainment legend William Shatner last night (1/11) in which the iconic actor discusses his experience and views on the art of interviewing including poignant memories of his one-on-one encounter with Rush Limbaugh.

Morano tells TALKERS, “By way of background, I’m the world’s biggest William Shatner fan. I easily fit the fanboy category and depending on how you count, I may even fall into the groupie category. I’m a lifelong fan of everything he’s ever done from ‘Boston Legal’ to ‘TJ Hooker’ and everything in between. I’ve had the opportunity to interview Shatner a few times before and it’s always gone well, including a recent interview that [WABC owner] John Catsimatidis and I did with him about going to space. Anyway, this morning, I got to interview him about some upcoming screenings of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that he’s hosting with an audience Q&A afterwards. I was planning on going to one of the New Jersey screenings because, like I said I’m a fan. It’s an interview that I’d been preparing my whole life for. Evidently, Shatner noticed. In the midst of the interview he actually invited me to join him on stage at the New Jersey performances (2/10-11) to help facilitate questions from the audience.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison describes Morano as one of “talk radio’s brightest rising young stars.” Harrison states, “Frank expands the scope of talk radio beyond just politics to include pop culture and human-interest stories that are extremely compelling and engaging. He also brings an unassuming innocence and joy of performing to the airwaves that we can all find inspirational.” WABC parent company, Red Apple Media recently launched Morano’s show into national syndication where it is now carried in Eastern Long Island, Maryland, Tennessee and Alaska. To listen to the William Shatner interview in its entirety, please click.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases November Streaming Rankers

By TALKERS | January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by TALKERS

The latest Streaming Metrics from Triton Digital for streaming publishers in the U.S. has been released for November 2022. The chart ranks the top 25 streaming publishers from participating clients based on Average Active Sessions (AAS). In the #1 spot is iHeartRadio with 411,604 AAS. At #2 is NPR Member Stations with 93,726 AAS, followed by Audacy at #3 with 76,657 AAS. Some of the other companies making the top 25 include: #4 Cumulus Streaming Network (58,103 AAS); #6 Beasley Broadcasting Corporate (26,329 AAS); #8 Hubbard Broadcasting (20,668 AAS); #11 Salem Communications (12,110 AAS) and #12 Urban One (11,467 AAS). You can see the complete chart here.

Industry News

St. Louis News Pro Larry Conners Joins NewsTalkSTL

By TALKERS | January 3, 2023January 4, 2023 by TALKERS

Next Monday (1/9), St. Louis market television and radio personality Larry Conners joins Gateway Creative Broadcasting’s conservative talk simulcast KNBS-FM, Bowling Green; K270BW, Bellefontaine; and KLJY-HD2, Clayton to host “The Larry Conners USA Daily Report” airing at 6:00 pm nightly. Additionally, the station will air “The Conners Commentary” feature at 12:03 pm, and 3:30 pm. Conners says, “The fabric of my journalistic soul still requires that I am fair, but now, I freely express my opinions. I am thrilled to join the ‘NewsTalkSTL’ family and be part of the city’s newest and fastest-growing radio station.” Conners anchored St. Louis television news broadcasts from 1975 to 2014 before making the move to radio. Station president of programming Jeff Allen says, “This is the first, major change to our weekday line up since signing on a year and a half ago. That speaks to how significant we feel adding Larry is. Larry Conners is a strong, local, conservative voice that needs to be heard.”

Industry Views

My Top Five Sales Tips to Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever!

By TALKERS | January 3, 2023January 4, 2023 by TALKERS

By Kathy Carr
President
HCRN

2023 is here and those of us in radio sales have our work cut out for us. Hope the following tips are helpful to you.

1. Celebrate your client’s joyous moments and victories. It could be the birth of a grandchild, birthday or company expansion. Take time to buy a baby gift, send flowers or even just a card. One in the mail is better, but an electronic message can do the trick as well. I prefer the ones sent via snail mail, because they are always opened. It shows that you made an effort. Back in my early 20s, a colleague pulled out a tattered calendar and asked me if I knew what it was. Of course, I didn’t. She told me this was where she kept her list of clients’ birthdays. I don’t remember her name, but I do remember the tip.

2. Grow your existing client base. One of our top clients for 2023 was one of our more modest buys in 2022. Take the time to listen to everyone and find out what is working (and what isn’t). Then try to match their needs with what you have to offer. Make that difficult trip to visit them in person. You can have a great phone relationship, but there is still nothing like face-to-face. It forever changes the relationship. Zoom is not the same as in-person, obviously. If your customers seem unwilling to meet, suggest lunch. It will be well worth it.

3. Don’t take your long-term clients for granted. Our longest-running advertiser has been with us for more than 25 years. Keep the copy fresh and suggest new marketing ideas. Those bedrock clients are your greatest strength. Without them, you cannot succeed. As in a marriage, don’t stop trying. Let them know you value them and care. Call them once a month and not just when the invoice is past due. Email them an article about their business. Wish them a Happy New Year. It’s not too late. Even if it is just a text.

4. Network with your friends. One of our top clients came from a random phone call from a friend. It wasn’t even about advertising. He was asking for a favor about something totally different. When he began talking about the person who wanted a favor and was telling me about his business, I instantly realized that this company would be a great advertiser for the network. The client has been with us for years now and as a result of that one simple call advertises on radio throughout the country. You don’t know who knows who. Listen to your friends. Your next big client could be right in front of you.

5. My last tip may be controversial but is critical if you truly want to make 2023 your best year ever. I don’t believe in the old saying, “The customer is always right.” We’ve all known clients that are verbally abusive, liars and just an overall pain-in-the-you-know-what. There comes a point when if you are spending hours daily kowtowing to just one client, you have to consider the time it is taking away from new business, other customers and also your own personal mental health. If someone in any part of your life is sucking the living energy out of you, you need to move on, or you will remain stagnant and 2023 won’t be your best year ever.

Whatever else you do in 2023, remember to work hard, have fun and of course never give up. Happy 2023!

Kathy Carr is president of HCRN which distributes the Howie Carr Show and Grace Curley Show. She can be reached at Kathycarr@Howiecarrshow.com

Industry News

Past Weekend: Top News/Talk Stories

By TALKERS | January 3, 2023January 4, 2023 by TALKERS

New Congress/McCarthy Speaker Bid, U.S. Rep. Santos, Trump Tax Releases, Border Security, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID XBB Subvariant, Idaho Murders Case, and Winter Storms were among the top news/talk stories discussed over the weekend. Today’s beginning of the 118th Congress and Republican Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become House Speaker; the case of incoming freshman U.S. Rep. George Santos who’s admitted to falsehoods on his curriculum vitae; the release of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns by the outgoing Democrat-controlled House; the state illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border; the latest escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war; concerns about the new COVID Omicron subvariant XBB; the arrest of Bryan Kohberger in connection with the deaths of four Idaho college students; and the winter storms affection much of the U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

By Editor | November 16, 2022 by Editor

WPHT, Philadelphia Midday Star Dom Giordano is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The “Dean of Philadelphia Talk Radio,” Dom Giordano is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Giordano is a former public school teacher considered one of the media’s leading advocates for education and activists for education reform. He has also been an outspoken voice of reason in the conversation about Philadelphia’s alarming crime, drug and homelessness problems. Harrison and moderate conservative Giordano take a deep-dive into these topics in addition to discussing fascinating post-midterms Pennsylvania politics as well as the strong possibility that the GOP and news/talk radio are approaching a major fork in the road regarding their support of baggage-laden Donald Trump versus rising new Republican stars such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation! To listen to the podcast in its entirety please click here.

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Skippy Leaves KMJ-AM/FM Fresno After Three Years Co-Hosting Afternoons. The Fresno Bee reports that Frances Echeverria – a.k.a. Skippy (right) – has left Cumulus Media’s news/talk KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno. After leaving alternative rock KFRR-FM’s morning show in 2019, she joined KMJ-AM/FM to host the afternoon drive show alongside Philip Teresi (left). But on Friday (11/11), she announced that she’s retiring from radio. She told her audience, “The station has meant more for me personally that I can ever explain.” Echeverria called the change a lifestyle change, as much as a career change. The Bee notes that she wrote in a post on the website, “I didn’t want to do radio anymore. It wasn’t that it was bad. In fact, the chemistry with my partner was continually evolving into something better. I had good bosses. I felt like I was making a difference, whatever that means. Working there made me smarter. And yet I was done. Deep in my heart and down in my soul. Done.” Echeverria also works as a therapist and is a professor at Fresno State.

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FOX News Media Extends Deal with Mark Levin. Talk media personality Mark Levin and FOX News Media agree to an extension of Levin’s current multi-year deal in which he’ll remain host of “Life, Liberty & Levin” that airs Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET on FOX News Channel. Levin says, “FOX News Channel and I are extending my show. Suzanne Scott trusted that I could do a show and I want to thank her and her team and all the folks in between who’ve supported this. I want to thank you. I want to thank FOX. I want to thank my family.” FOX News Media says “Life, Liberty & Levin” is the second highest-rated cable news program on weekends, averaging 1.7 million viewers on Sundays at 8:00 pm for 2022 to date. “With Levin at its helm, the show’s total audience almost triples CNN’s programming in the timeslot and nearly quadruples MSNBC’s total and A25-54 demo viewership. In October 2022, the program earned 1.6 million viewers and 127,000 in the demo, making it the number one program in weekend primetime programming.”

WNYC Produces Podcast Series Titled ‘The Divided Dial’ That Focuses on Salem Media Group. The latest news organization to present a report on news/talk radio is WNYC. In this case, the project from WNYC Studio’s On The Media is a five-part podcast titled, “The Divided Dial,” that “charts the growth of broadcasting company Salem Media Group.” WNYC says Salem is “a once small, conservative Christian radio network that quietly expanded their reach in far-right media through the hard to monitor, difficult to fact check, and minimally scrutinized medium of talk radio. With holdings of over 100 radio stations (many in the top 25 markets) and shows syndicated to over 3,000 stations across the country, the series uncovers how Salem exerts influence behind many conservative figures in America — while receiving considerably less media attention than other far-right news sources. The series also puts Salem’s growth in the context of nearly nine decades of radio history, illuminating how conservative dominance of the airwaves was aided by long-term regulatory erosion and strategic pressure from the right.” The project is reported and hosted by Katie Thornton and includes conversations with scholars, journalists, and media experts, as well as a “rare on-the-record” interview with Salem SVP Phil Boyce. You can find the first podcast in the series here.

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LABF Celebrates ‘Industry Trailblazers’ at ‘Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts’ Event. The 2022 Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s “Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts” event took place last night (11/15) at Gotham Hall in New York. The annual event was hosted by ABC News’ “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang and celebrated “distinguished individuals who have – for the past century – been the creators, innovators, journalists, leaders, performers, and producers that have brought the electronic arts to the prominence they occupy in the United States and the world today, and who have set the stage for the future.” Net proceeds from the event will benefit the Library of American Broadcasting collection located at the University of Maryland and support LABF awards for students and scholarly works about the history of broadcasting and their impact on American society and culture. Pictured above are: (standing, l-r) Chang; Jack Goodman, LABF co-chair; Adam Symson, president & CEO, E.W. Scripps; Bob Pittman, chairman & CEO, iHeartMedia; Pete Williams, justice correspondent, NBC News (ret.); Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports; Joyce Tudryn, IRTS president & CEO; Heidi Raphael, LABF co-chair; Fareed Zakaria, CNN anchor, author, columnist, The Washington Post; (sitting l-r) Alex Prud’homme; Deb McDermott, CEO, Standard Media Group; S. Epatha Merkerson, actress; and Bud Walters, president, Cromwell Media. Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross

TALKERS News Notes. A new content distribution deal between VSiN, The Sports Betting Network and Gow Media will put VSiN’s longform sports betting shows and Brent Musburger’s one minute “Action Updates” on Gow Media’s SportsMap network. VSiN says it expects the deal to more than double its terrestrial radio affiliates. Gow Media CEO David Gow says, “We are thrilled to be working with VSiN. VSiN has set the standard for sports gambling content. Through this content distribution deal, we will bring together some of the most influential personalities in sports radio to entertain and inform our combined audiences.” VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musberger adds, “David Gow has created a powerhouse in the U.S. radio industry, and we couldn’t be more excited to be his choice to deliver real-time sports betting news, analysis and insights to the growing SportsMap radio audience.”…..CNN Audio announces that Matt Martinez joins the network as showrunner for “The Assignment with Audie Cornish” – CNN’s newest weekly podcast premiering tomorrow (11/17). Previously, Martinez was a senior producer at On Being Studios, producing radio shows and podcasts for “On Being with Krista Tippett.” He was also the director of content at KNKX Public Radio in Tacoma.

Colorful Radio Station Owner Michael Zwerling Announces That He Is Offering Heritage Talker KSCO, Santa Cruz for Sale. According to an extensive article published by the Times Publishing Group, Inc. of California’s Central Coast (and an advertising campaign in TALKERS) legendary broadcasting industry owner and personality Michael “MZ” Zwerling is offering KSCO and associated properties for sale after a 31-year stint at the operation’s helm. The article states, Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid-1960s. As the station owner since 1991, he’s created a radio station that’s a voice for pretty much everyone. But now, at 71 — his birthday was Nov. 9 — he has a new love in his life, Amy Hao, co-host of the “China Watch” show on KSCO and a veteran traveler, and he wants to spend his time traveling with her. The couple, who met in 2019, are “totally into free speech,” Zwerling said. They recently returned from a two-week safari in Africa. “Amy’s not happy unless she’s traveling, and she wants to take me to all these places,” Zwerling said. That’s why he’s looking for a buyer for KSCO 1080 AM and its FM translators, along with sister station KOMY 1340, and the one-acre of flat land at 2300 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, overlooking Corcoran Lagoon. The asking price is $1.5 million cash for the two radio stations and the broadcasting business. The asking price is $6 million cash for the property, which includes the Art Deco studio building, garage, parking lot, concrete event patio, plus the three broadcast towers in the lagoon, which give the 10-kilowatt station the power of a 50-kilowatt station on dry land, according to Zwerling. To read the entire story, please click here. Photo: KSCO GM Michael Olson standing in front of KSCO’s historic Art Deco studios along Silicon Beach in Santa Cruz, CA. Times Publishing Group.

Trump Announces ’24 Bid, Midterms Aftermath, The Economy/FTX Collapse, Immigration, Abortion, Biden-Xi Meeting, G-20/Russia-Ukraine War, Trump Org Trial, and NASA’s Artemis Launches Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/15). Former President Donald Trump announces his run for president in 2024; the aftermath of the midterm elections, including the Republicans’ expected control over the U.S. House and Rick Scott’s challenging Mitch McConnell as top Republican in the U.S. Senate; the rate of inflation, concerns about a recession, and the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX; a judge halts the use of Title 42 to expel migrants from the U.S.; Georgia’s strict abortion ban is struck down in court; the meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping; the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia and its condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; former Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg testifies at the company’s fraud trial; and NASA launches its Artemis rocket that re-boots the U.S. moon program were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

The Radio Sales Arena is Changing and We Are On the Leading Edge. The key to sales growth in radio going forward is multi-platform digital marketing. In the coming decade, “radio” will simply be the engine driving an increasingly complex and sophisticated array of digitally powered platforms creating endless packages and options for the advertiser. The keys to success will be in branding that cuts through the noise and surgical targeting that delivers optimum efficiency for agencies that know exactly what they want. The Salem Media Group is leading the way and the opportunities for our sales team are endless. But, right now, we need that special individual who has the tools, the vision and the ambition to get it done. That one special person who truly “gets it.” Jerry Crowley, the longest-running GM in the nation’s largest market, says, “We want one outstanding seller who can take it to the moon! Compensation will reflect potential and performance – salary will range from 50k- 85k plus substantial bonuses and generous commissions.” Candidates should send cover letter and resume to Jerry Crowley, VP/GM, Salem Media Group, NY (WMCA 570am The Mission/WNYM 970am The Answer) at Jcrowley@nycradio.com.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

By Editor | November 15, 2022 by Editor

Steve Wexler Steps Down from Daily Management Duties at Good Karma Brands Milwaukee. Radio management pro Steve Wexler – vice president and market manager for Good Karma Brands Milwaukee – will wrap up his 35-year career and transition into a coaching and development role at the company. The announcement was made today (11/15) by GKB founder and CEO Craig Karmazin, who says, “We are appreciative and grateful Steve “Wex” joined Good Karma to lead the Milwaukee team through a time of significant growth and transition. His passion for local news and his community-focused approach to broadcasting and media led the team through a pandemic, the launch of a new station, and award-winning coverage of so many significant moments of the past several years. We’re looking forward to continuing to learn from his knowledge and leadership expertise as he moves into a coaching role within the GKB home office.” The company says that EVP Emily Dillinger will assume the role of interim market manager for GKB’s three Milwaukee stations talk WGKB-AM/W269DL “101.7 The Truth,” sports talk WKTI-FM, “ESPN Milwaukee,” and news/talk WTMJ “Newsradio 620.” Wexler comments, “I’m looking forward to tapping into my experiences and many lessons learned to help our content, sales and management teammates continue to grow their skills and knowledge. I’m very grateful to Craig for the opportunity to do what I do best and what I enjoy most which is spending time coaching and developing our team.” Wexler led the sale of the 36-station, 8-market Scripps Radio Group in late 2018 to several broadcast companies, including GKB in Milwaukee, where he assumed the role of market manager in 2019. He began his broadcast career at WTMJ in Milwaukee as an intern and has been an on-air personality, program manager, and radio and television general manager before running the radio division for Journal Communications, which merged with Scripps in 2018.

Cox Media Group Names Market Leaders for Houston and Orlando. The company announces the appointment of new VP/market managers for its Houston and Orlando clusters. In Orlando, where Cox Media Group operates news/talk WDBO-AM/FM and five music brands, JC Campese assumes the leadership role. CMG operates three music brands in Houston where Stephanie Callihan is named to the top position. She has served with several radio groups, including Audacy where she was most recently an SVP and market manager. Campese launched his career with CMG in 2000 and rose to director of sales for the Orlando cluster prior to this promotion. CMG executive vice president Rob Babin says, “We are excited to tap into our amazing internal CMG leadership talent and announce the promotions of JC and Stephanie. JC and Stephanie have a fantastic range of experiences and talents that will make a positive impact on CMG and our talented teams in Orlando and Houston. I look forward to the difference they’ll make as CMG continues to evolve to meet the needs of our listeners, clients, and our communities.”

AWM Presents Gracies Leadership Awards. The Alliance for Women in Media hosted the Gracies Leadership Awards luncheon yesterday (11/14) at the Tribeca 360° in New York City. Soledad O’Brien served as keynote speaker stating that the group of honorees represent “stories not just of grit, vision, and opportunity, but of women helping women and celebrating women and the story of how those women didn’t forget that they got into media to elevate people and issues and struggles that were not in the spotlight.” The seven female leaders honored (and pictured above) were: Valerie Blackburn; Nancy Daniels, chief of content, NTets, Discovery, Animal Planet &Science Channel; Marie Donoghue, vice president, global sports video, Amazon; Kim Godwin, president, ABC News; Wendy Goldberg, chief communications officer, iHeartMedia, Inc; Chelsey Maddox-Dorsey, CEO, A wonder Media Company; Debra O’Connell, president, networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; and Dawn Porter, founder, Trilogy Films. AWM Foundation chair Heather Cohen states, “This is a pivotal event for us because it covers all three of our pillars- it’s recognition, it’s education, and it’s connection. We shine a light on exceptional women in media- those who have shattered glass ceilings and proven their leadership and notable today, what an honor to have Soledad O’Brien, one of the greatest storytellers of our time as our keynote.”

TALKERS News Notes. Audio research and analytics firm Veritonic announces the second annual Audio Intelligence Summit is scheduled for February 15 at Second Floor in New York City. Veritonic says, “The summit will once again gather industry-leading brands, agencies, and publishers to dive deep into the data and analytics that are driving today’s successful audio and podcasting strategies. We look forward to coming together with fellow publishers, platforms, brands and agencies to collectively improve upon and consider the data and analytics that are making audio’s ever-expanding influence increasingly efficient and impactful.” Find details about the summit by visiting https://audiointelligencesummit.com…..Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks announce the launch today of the quirky new comedic podcast, “The Neurotic Vaccine,” created and hosted by Andy Cowan, award-winning writer for “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” and “3rd Rock from the Sun.” In “The Neurotic Vaccine,” Cowan invites fellow neurotics to share his mini-therapy sessions with co-host, clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. Scott Kopoian. Together with their guests – including inaugural guests Jay Leno and Cathy creator, Cathy Guisewite – Cowan and Kopoian work toward the daunting goal of immunity to neurosis. “The Neurotic Vaccine” podcast includes celebrity guests, post-session postscripts, comedy featurettes and more. Future sessions of “The Neurotic Vaccine” will feature stars including Leave It To Beaver’s Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow (in his final interview), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” guest star comedian Elon Gold, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, CNN host Michael Smerconish, and actress Marilu Henner…..Quu Inc., announces radio veteran Laura Gonzo joins the company as senior director of affiliate services. In this role, Gonzo will work with stations and sales teams to ensure the successful implementation of Quu’s advertising products. Gonzo served as affiliate director for “The Bob & Tom Show” from 1997 through 2008. She says, “Quu’s powerful technology is truly a game-changer for radio. Beyond elevating the station’s visual appeal, Quu offers a huge opportunity to increase sales and drive stronger returns for clients. I’m thrilled to join the team of passionate experts at Quu and to help stations make the most of these transformative products.”…..SiriusXM announces that Andy Cohen has signed a three-year contract extension and that his exclusive SiriusXM channel Radio Andy “will now serve as the audio subscription service’s definitive home for pop culture with “Andy Cohen Live” and “Smith Sisters Live” expanding to daily shows.” Cohen says, “SiriusXM allows me to dig deeply into two of my passions – pop culture on Radio Andy and music on the Kiki Lounge. I’m so proud of what we’ve developed over the last seven years on Radio Andy. I’ve loved programming the channel, and my longform interviews with celebrities and authors feed my soul. Programming the Kiki Lounge brought me incredible joy during the pandemic and listening to it is a romp through my expansive music vocabulary.”

Midterms Aftermath, Trump in ’24, Biden-Xi Meeting, The Economy, Crypto-Crash, G-20/Russia-Ukraine War, and UVA Killings Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/14). The results of last week’s midterm elections that leave the Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and the Republicans likely to assume control of the U.S. House; former President Donald Trump’s expected announcement he’ll run for president in 2024; Monday’s meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping; inflation and fears of a recession; the fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the 75% decline of crypto value over the last 12 months; the G-20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia and the pressure on attending nations to officially condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and the fatal shooting of three University of Virginia football players were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, November 14, 2022

By Editor | November 14, 2022 by Editor

Industry Mourns Jim Bohannon. Veteran talk radio host Jim Bohannon has died at age 78, at the Prisma Health Cottingham Hospice House in South Carolina after losing a hard fought battle with esophageal cancer. He was born January 7, 1944 in Corvallis, OR, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Army during WWII. After the war, the family moved back to their home town to Lebanon, MO, where Jim grew up and graduated from Lebanon High School in 1962. He attended Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, before joining the military. His service in the U.S. Army Security Agency with the 199^th Light Infantry Brigade included a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967-68. Jim’s radio career began in high school working at KLWT, and in college at KICK, and KWTO. After his return stateside, Jim was stationed at Vint Hill Farms Station, VA, and worked at radio stations WGAY, WTOP, and WRC in the Washington, DC market. He joined the Mutual Network in 1983, which later became Westwood One Radio. He began anchoring America in the Morning news magazine, hosting the Saturday night Jim Bohannon Show, and filling in on the Larry King Show. In 1993, Larry King moved to CNN, and the radio show became the Jim Bohannon Show, which Jim hosted until shortly before his death. His distinctive voice, wit and wisdom was aired on some 500 radio stations nationwide. Jim has been honored to be the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his talent and contributions to the radio industry. This includes his induction into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, the Missouri Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame of the Museum of Broadcast Communication, and the Society of Professional Journalists, DC Chapter Hall of Fame. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from TALKERS magazine, and the First Amendment Award from the Radio and Television Digital News Foundation. He was especially pleased to receive the Gold Award from the International Radio Festival of New York for his documentary, “Pain and Pride- Remembering Vietnam,” and to be a 2003 inductee to the Wall of Honor in his hometown of Lebanon, MO. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America. Jim is survived by his wife, Annabelle Bohannon, of Westminster, SC, and daughter, Elizabeth Smith of Janesville, WI. Per Jim’s wishes no formal services will be held at this time. The family is at their respective homes. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory are suggested to any organization of your choice that serves to support the needs of veterans. A message of condolence may be written to the family by visiting www.sandiferfuneralhome.com. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states: “Jim Bohannon was one of the greatest radio broadcasters of all time, plain and simple. His talent was only surpassed by the personal esteem in which his fellow broadcasters held him. He was the very definition of a ‘good guy’ through and through.” Harrison recently recorded the last official interview with Jim Bohannon that is posted on PodcastOne click here.

Remembering Overnight Sensation Jim Bohannon. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Bohannon a number of times over the years for personality profile pieces in the radio trade press. He says, “‘Class act’ epitomized peerless communicator Bohannon, who – while enjoying the luxury of a national Westwood One platform – possessed a palpably authentic on-air style that enamored him to a huge, loyal following. Always remarkably accessible, ‘Jimbo’ was unfailing in offering his vast expertise to the industry as a whole and to aspiring broadcasters. Moreover, he exuded a truly unique warmth that will be missed beyond measure.” Read Mike Kinosian’s piece here.

Monday Memo: Your Podcast “Bones,” Part Deux. In last week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke recommended to podcasters that shorter-is-better. This week, HC recommends a format for longer-form episodes. Read his column here.

Pending Business: When the Crystal Ball Is Foggy. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that “the current economic cycle is being driven by a sweeping round of cutbacks and strategic business re-focus.” He says that as a result, “the clock is ticking on the adjustments you should consider to jump-start 2023.” He offers a quick checklist to consider as you deal with a changing economic climate. Read it here.

Urban One’s Sports Talk WFNZ, Charlotte Names New Midday Shows. Today (11/14) marks the launch of new midday programming on Urban One’s Charlotte sports talk WFNZ-AM/FM “Sports Radio 92.7.” The station introduces the new 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show “Wes & Walker” starring Wes Bryant (left) and Walker Mehl (right). Bryant is a host, producer, editor and voice-over artist for the ACC Digital Network in Charlotte. He’s hosted ACC Digital Network’s “Kickoff Live,” a college football pregame show and “Wes Got Range,” a lifestyle show joining food and local area athletes together. Most recently he was the 2021-2022 season pre- and post-game host for the Charlotte Hornets broadcasts on Bally Sports South. Mehl hosts the “Locked on Hornets” podcast and has served as a guest host on WFNZ. Station PD Jeff Rickard says, “I’m excited to hear from two talented young men who are not only entertaining and engaging, but true native sons of the Queen City. I’m looking forward to hearing their hometown takes on all things Charlotte sports. I can’t wait for our listeners to learn more about them and enjoy the upcoming ride.” Rickard is also debuting his new late morning show titled, “Charlotte Sports Today,” that airs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The “Mac & Bone” show continues is morning drive and Kyle Bailey remains the PM drive personality.

Audacy Names Seema Kumar SVP of Advertising Platforms. Advertising pro Seema Kumar joins Audacy as SVP of advertising platforms for the company. In this role, she’ll lead the team members responsible for the technology platforms for Audacy’s revenue organization, “ensuring that roadmaps and requirements are prioritized for vendors and IT ad tech engineers, aligned with ad product strategy and revenue goals, and optimized to meet business operational needs.” Kumar comes to Audacy from her most recent position as VP of advertising technology for WarnerMedia. Audacy EVP of advertising technology, products and platforms Terri Gunnell states, “We’re thrilled to welcome Seema to the team as we elevate our strategy and focus on the interoperability of our ad platforms to support growing our revenue in partnership with sales and creating efficiencies for sales operations. Her deep ad tech platform experience and forward-thinking business acumen will ensure we improve service to our internal and external clients and partners as well as enhance our ability to innovate in 2023 and beyond.”

WRKO, Boston’s Radiothon Raises $86,000 for Disabled Veterans. On Thursday and Friday of last week (11/10 & 11) iHeartMedia news/tak outlet WRKO, Boston produced its seventh annual DAV Radiothon to benefit the Disabled American Veterans Department of Massachusetts and raised $86,000. Over the two days, WRKO on-air personalities Jeff Kuhner, Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong encouraged listeners to donate and raise funds for the DAV of Massachusetts’ homeless shelter and transportation programs. iHeartMedia Boston VP of news, talk, sports Rob Sanchez says, “Every year the WRKO listeners amaze me with their generosity. Once again, they have helped to raise $86,883 for the DAV of Massachusetts. We’re proud to be able to support the DAV of Massachusetts and show that WRKO, our listeners and our sponsors are always willing to help the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our great country.” Since 2016, DAV Radiothon has raised more than $886,000 to benefit veterans in the community.

Midterm Results, Trump in ’24, Biden Meets Xi, G-20 Summit, The Economy/Crypto Meltdown, Deadly Virginia and Idaho Shootings, Russia-Ukraine War, and Social Media Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The aftermath of last week’s midterm elections including the Democrats’ hold on the U.S. Senate and the still-unknown status of the U.S. House; former President Donald Trump’s expected run for president in 2024; President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping over tense issues including Taiwan; the meeting of G-20 leaders in Bali; U.S. inflation, job reports and concerns about a recession, combined with the freefall of crypto-currency; the fatal shooting of three at the University of Virginia and the deaths of four University of Idaho students; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its exit from Kherson; and the troubles at Elon Musk’s Twitter, Meta’s Facebook, and the future of social media were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, November 14, 2022

By Editor | November 14, 2022 by Editor

Features

Remembering Overnight Sensation Jim Bohannon

By Editor | November 14, 2022 by Editor

By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS magazine
Managing Editor

LOS ANGELES — Talk radio’s tightknit community is reeling as it mourns the passing of one of the format’s genuine iconic stalwarts, Jim Bohannon, who has died at the age of 78.

“Class act” epitomized peerless communicator Bohannon, who – while enjoying the luxury of a national Westwood One platform – possessed a palpably authentic on-air style that enamored him to a huge, loyal following.

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Sales

Pending Business: When the Crystal Ball Is Foggy

By Editor | November 14, 2022 by Editor

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Its seems the current economic cycle is being driven by a sweeping round of cutbacks and strategic business re-focus now moving into the mainstream.

From Disney and Meta (parent of Facebook) to Walmart, the pressure is on to deliver positive performance in a cloudy economy. In plain English, it’s time to cut costs and push suppliers to share the pain. Yet prices continue to go up. Maybe it’s the fault of COVID’s unpredictable economic impact or some international collusion, or better yet, just a plain old foggy crystal ball in the CEO’s office. My vote is all of the above. But what does any of this have to do with your day-to-day sales? The short answer is: Everything.

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Front Page News Industry News

Friday, November 11, 2022

By Editor | November 11, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment (Series Finale) of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment and series finale of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that has looked back each week for the past three-and-a-half years at the hottest topics discussed in the American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “A House Divided,” reviews this past week of 11/7-11. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Dr. Murray Sabrin, professor emeritus of finance, Ramapo College, NJ; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; and Matthew B. Harrison, Esq., associate publisher, TALKERS/law professor, Springfield, MA. The show has been airing weekends (Friday evenings to Sunday nights) on 100-plus broadcast signals and networks across the U.S. and U.K as well as having developed a significant international following as a podcast. To listen to this week’s milestone episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here.

LiveOne Reports Revenue for 2023 Fiscal Q2 Up 7.3%. Reporting its financial data for the second quarter of Fiscal 2023, LiveOne says consolidated revenue was $23.5 million – an increase of 7.3% over the same period in 2022 Fiscal Q2. LiveOne is the parent company of PodcastOne and the filing reveals that PodcastOne “posted record 1H Fiscal 2023 revenue of $17.2 million as U.S. unique monthly audience surpassed 6.7 million in September 2022.” LiveOne is planning to spin out PodcastOne as a separate, publicly traded company and expects to file an S-1 with the SEC by December 15. Returning to the company’s consolidated financial data, LiveOne posted a net loss of $3.4 million, a dramatic reduction from the net loss of $15.2 million it reported for second quarter of Fiscal 2022. LiveOne CEO and chairman Robert Ellin comments, “The momentum in LiveOne’s audio business, which includes Slacker Radio and PodcastOne, continues to experience growth of paid members through partnerships, including Tesla, as well as an increase in advertising and sponsorships. We expect our audio business to collectively achieve revenue in excess of $80 million in Fiscal 2023 and generate more than $16 million in Adjusted EBITDA. Over the past year, we have successfully reduced costs and overhead by an expected $25 million on an annual basis while focusing on the operating performance of our audio division. A significant part of our strategy is a decision to forgo any live tentpole and pay-per-view events until Fiscal 2024, which has resulted in a lowering of expected Fiscal 2023 revenue to between $100 million and $110 million. These measures will allow us to utilize our capital and resources to strengthen our balance sheet, buyback stock and focus on the growth of our profitable businesses.”

Christian Arcand Returns to WEEI, Boston to Produce PM Drive Show. Sports talk radio pro Christian Arcand – who was a casualty of the recent cuts at Beasley Media Group and served as an air personality at WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” – joins Audacy’s WEEI-FM, Boston as producer of the “Merloni, Fauria & Mego” show and as host of the Saturday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm program. Arcand originally served with WEEI first as co-host on the “Planet Mikey” show with Mike Adams and then hosted the “WEEI Late Night” program before joining WBZ-FM five years ago. Audacy Boston SVP and market manager Mike Thomas says, “Christian is a talented guy and a great team player. A lot of people in the building, including myself, have had the pleasure of working with him in the past. What he will bring to ‘Merloni, Fauria and Mego’ on and off the air will really help propel the show and the station forward.”

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Host Election Event. Pictured above at Tuesday night’s midterm election night event in Nashville are Premiere Networks-syndicated personalities Clay Travis (right) and Buck Sexton (left) – hosts of “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Travis and Sexton hosted the event for key advertisers, political guests and others. Among the special guests who attended the private event to watch the election results were: Premiere Networks-syndicated personality Jesse Kelly, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, FOX News commentator and Outkick The Coverage host Tomi Lahren, country music star John Rich, former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, among others.

Hillsdale College Produces Election Night Coverage. In the photo above, student broadcasters at Hillsdale College’s radio station WRFH-LPFM, Hillsdale, Michigan “Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM” present their live election night coverage on the station with a remote broadcast. The school says that more than 20 staffers were involved in some way during the evening, as they welcomed panels of fellow students, Hillsdale professors, candidates, reporters, and pundits to the airwaves. The event was open to the campus community and more than 200 people turned out to watch and listen.

KDWN, Las Vegas Hosts Election Night Special. In the Las Vegas market, KDWN talk host Steve Sanchez (right) presented election night coverage on the station that included contributions from GCN nationally syndicated talk host Dr. Daliah Wachs (center) and “Finding Common Ground” host Patrick Casale (left).

New York Festivals Welcomes Diego Cannizzaro to Radio Awards Advisory Board. The New York Festivals announces that DMC Studio owner Diego Cannizzaro is joining the NYF Radio Awards Advisory Board. New York Festivals Radio Awards vice president Rose Anderson says, “The 14-member Advisory Board panel is an international brain trust of innovative storytellers and industry executives whose expertise spans all genres of audio entertainment and journalism. Diego’s mastery of every aspect of his craft in works like ‘Madre’ and ‘Weightless’ brings emotions, memories, and sensations to his listening audiences. These insights and the Board’s essential guidance ensure that New York Festivals will continue to honor world-wide excellence across all platforms.” Cannizzaro’s DMC Studio is located in Buenos Aires and specializes in radio arts, sound stories, commercials, field recording, sound design and mixing. He is an industry pro known for award-winning work. He creates audiovisual productions for radio, TV, social networks, and movies. He comments, “I consider New York Festivals as an iconic common place, in a global level speaking. A meeting point for all who are really involved in storytelling in the media. Personally, it is an honor to be part of the Advisory Board with outstanding colleagues from all the media worldwide.”

NOT TOO LATE! Comrex Offers Talk Broadcasters Free Trial of Gagl Remote Contribution Service for Post-Election Programming. High-quality, remote contribution is a vital part of any live broadcast – and that’s especially true during election season. Comrex has provided talk radio hosts, reporters and sportscasters with great remote broadcasting tools for decades. Their Comrex ACCESS units have become a ubiquitous presence at political conventions, breaking news stories and anywhere broadcast-worthy things are happening. While Tuesday’s elections are in the rear-view mirror, post-election contribution to your station’s coverage of local and national races is still going strong and will for the foreseeable future. Those contributors need to be able to connect from remote locations at the drop of a hat. Often, reporters and contributors will call in from their remote locations on a mobile phone, which is a simple solution, but results in poor audio quality. Other reporters will have access to a remote audio codec, which provides excellent audio quality, but also requires some management from the engineering team. Gagl, the new remote contribution solution from Comrex, is the best of both worlds. According to the folks at Comrex, reporters and contributors can connect to the Gagl interface from a web browser on a smartphone or laptop, meaning it’s as easy as a phone call to get connected. Up to five reporters can be in a Gagl session at the same time. The Gagl session is connected to a Comrex IP audio codec in the studio, and so on-air hosts are able to talk with field reporters. Each reporter has their own mix-minus, and their audio is studio quality with very low delay, so quality isn’t sacrificed for simplicity. Gagl is a subscription-based service and it’s a first for Comrex. “It’s kind of a pivot for us,” Comrex director of sales, Chris Crump tells TALKERS. “Broadcasters are looking for easier, faster and less expensive ways to do their job. But quality and reliability are just as important,” says Crump. “Gagl uses a web browser on a smartphone or computer. It’s as easy as clicking a link to connect. But it connects to a Comrex IP Audio Codec back in the studio for reliability and greater stability. It sounds great and is designed to be dependable as Comrex customers would expect.” Anyone with an ACCESS or BRIC-Link codec can try Gagl free for two weeks by contacting Chris Crump at Comrex Corporation: chris@comrex.com. Office phone: 978-784-1776. Mobil phone. 404-610-5954. comrex.com

Politics and Midterm Elections Top News/Talk Story for Week of November 7 – 11, 2022. The politics surrounding the 2022 midterm elections and the races that will determine control of Congress for the next two years combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was former President Donald Trump’s position as a Republican kingmaker and his expected announcement he’ll run for president in 2024, followed by inflation and fears of a recession at #3. The Takers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

KWAM, Memphis Seeks News/Talk Morning Host. Memphis news/talk outlet KWAM-AM “The Mighty 990” is looking for the next great talk show host in America. We have an immediate opening for a morning show host. Our host must have at least three years experience and must be well-versed on national, Tennessee and Memphis news. Send resumes and audio clips to todd@starnesmediagroup.com.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

By Editor | November 9, 2022 by Editor

Townsquare Media’s 2022 Third Quarter Net Revenue Soars 8.4%. Third quarter net revenue was $120.6 million – an increase of 8.4% over the same period in 2021. Townsquare Media reveals in its 2022 Q3 financial report that net income for the quarter decreased $10.1 million to $2.8 million, as compared to $12.9 million in the same period in 2021, primarily driven by non-cash impairment charges to the company’s FCC licenses of $10.3 million. Townsquare Media breaks its financial reports in to three operating segments. For the third quarter of this year, Digital Advertising net revenue increased $6.5 million, or 21.3%; Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions net revenue increased $2.1 million, or 9.7%, as compared to the same period in 2021 due in part to the addition of approximately 850 additional net subscribers during the third quarter of 2022; and Broadcast Advertising net revenue increased $2 million, or 3.4%, compared to Q3 of 2021. Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson comments, “I am proud to report another record setting quarter of results that clearly demonstrate the undeniable success and differentiation of Townsquare’s transformation into a Digital First Local Media company. The Townsquare team reached all-time Q3 highs with net revenue growth of 8% year-over-year, and Adjusted EBITDA growth of 6% year-over-year, meeting our Q3 guidance. In addition, net leverage declined to an all-time low of 4.54x as we continue to make progress towards our 4x net leverage target. Our growth engine has been and will continue to be our digital solutions, which were the primary driver of our third quarter growth, accounting for half of Townsquare’s total revenue and total profit. Total digital revenue increased 17% year-over-year in the third quarter, and trailing 12-month digital revenue grew to $225 million. As a uniquely positioned Digital First Local Media Company focused principally on markets outside of the top 50 in the United States, Townsquare has a resilient digital growth engine supported by both a recurring subscription digital marketing solutions business, with a large addressable market and limited competition, and a highly differentiated digital advertising technology platform.”

Ramsey Solutions to Give Free Finance Course to 1,000 Veterans in Recognition of Veterans Day. In honor of Veterans Day this Friday (11/11), Dave Ramsey announces that he is giving away access to his company’s Financial Peace University for 1,000 veterans on “The Ramsey Show.” Ramsey Solutions says the nine-lesson digital personal finance course has helped millions take control of their money for 30 years. Veterans who enter their information on the company’s website and are selected, will be able to join a class in-person or go online to watch videos on-demand as they learn the fastest way to pay off debt, save for emergencies and invest for the future. Military members list financial troubles among their top stressors. In the first 90 days of working the FPU plan, the average household pays off $5,300 of debt and saves $2,700 for emergencies.

KFI, Los Angeles Set to Begin 12th Annual Pastathon with SoCal Wendy’s Restaurants Joining the Cause. The annual KFI Pastathon charity event that encourages listeners to donate money, pasta, and sauce to benefit Caterina’s Club gets underway on Tuesday (11/15) and includes new partner Wendy’s restaurants in Southern California. The iHeartMedia news/talk station says that Caterina’s Club provides more than 25,000 nutritious meals every week to children in need in Southern California. The charity also helps families get back into stable home environments and teaches teens the skills they need to work in the hospitality industry. This year, all 168 Wendy’s restaurants in Southern California will offer their customers a donation option from November 16 through December 4.  In addition, on November 29, ‘Giving Tuesday,’ these Wendy’s will also donate $1 from every Frosty sold to the KFI PastaThon. With the help of listeners, local businesses, and the continued partnership with Smart & Final stores and Barilla Pasta, the 2021 event raised a record-breaking $1 million dollars and 115,000 lbs of pasta and sauce. Since 2010, the KFI PastaThon event has raised over $4.6 million and 700,000 pounds of pasta and sauce for children in need in the community. KFI program director Robin Bertolucci states, “We are so delighted to have Wendy’s partner with us on our efforts to feed Southern California kids. Because of generous partners like Wendy’s, Chef Bruno is feeding over 25,000 kids every week. As we embark upon our 12th annual KFI PastaThon we know the need is bigger than ever but so are the hearts of our listeners and partners. Our goal this year is to once again raise over a million dollars.  Thank you to Wendy’s for helping us make that dream a reality!”

Radio and Podcast Power Session Being Made Available for Colleges & Universities. The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF), in partnership with Benztown, the University of Maryland and the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), are creating a produced 90-minute, on-demand recorded Zoom video session focused on radio and podcasting for colleges and universities utilizing the LABF collection. The LABF Radio and Podcasting Power Session initiative, led by LABF board members Dave “Chachi” Denes – Benztown president – and BEA executive director Heather Birks, features University of Maryland reference specialist Michael Henry hosting a virtual walk-through of the library, followed by an insightful conversation about the vast collection highlighting incredible moments in U.S. history captured through the eyes and voice of television and radio broadcasters. Additionally, industry professionals from across different disciplines of the podcasting and radio business, including radio executive Mike McVay along with Benztown’s R Dub! from “Sunday Night Slow Jams”, Darren Silva and MJ Bloch, Tom Green, Susan Aksu, Beasley Media Group chief revenue officer Tina Murley and other experts speak to the students about the many career opportunities available to them in the industry. Denes says, “Everyone involved with this program is passionate about radio and podcasting. It’s an absolute honor to be able to share our knowledge with students that will someday be leading the industry.” The initiative initially launched as a semester-long course with Clark Atlanta University in 2021. The school is the first to utilize the 2022 90-minute abridged class-offering. It will be available to colleges and universities.

TALKERS News Notes. A new deal between Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM and Motor Racing Network will have the station airing the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2023. This three-year pact comes on the heels of the news that the City of Chicago has signed a three-year deal with NASCAR as the home of the first-ever Chicago Street Race. The unprecedented 12-turn, 2.2-mile Chicago Street Race will take the Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series past and through many of Chicago’s most renowned downtown landmarks during Fourth of July Weekend, July 1-2, 2023. WLS program director Stephanie Tichenor says, “We are thrilled to be the new Chicago radio home of NASCAR and we look forward to growing this new partnership as we gear up for the first-ever Chicago Street Race next summer – and what promises to be an unforgettable Fourth of July weekend.”…..SiriusXM announces the launch of a new original comedy channel, Team Coco Radio. Executive produced by Conan O’Brien, the channel will feature exclusive audio content as well as select Team Coco podcasts, including the popular “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” The channel debuts on November 15. Subscribers can hear the biggest interviews and the funniest stand-up moments from Conan’s iconic TBS show, as well as select Team Coco podcasts, including “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” plus “Inside Conan” and “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan.” Fresh commentary from Conan will also be weaved throughout the programming, as he recalls funny behind-the-scenes stories and other entertaining and insightful anecdotes.

Midterms/Trump’s 2024 Aspirations, The Economy, China COVID Lockdowns, Meta Layoffs/Twitter Chaos, January 6 Cases, Russia-Ukraine War, Powerball Jackpot, and Tropical Storm Nicole Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/8). Tuesday’s midterm elections, the battle for control of Congress combined with former President Donald Trump’s expected announcement he’ll run in 2024; inflation and fears of a recession; the COVID lockdowns in China and their effect on the global supply chain; Facebook parent Meta to lay off 11,000 workers and Elon Musk’s mercurial leadership of Twitter; the trials of Oath Keepers for seditious conspiracy relative to the January 6 Capitol attack; Russia’s attack on Ukrainian infrastructure; a ticket for the record $2 billion Powerball jackpot sells in California; and Florida braces for Tropical Storm Nicole were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

By Editor | November 8, 2022 by Editor

Audacy Third Quarter Net Revenue Falls 4%. The company reports Q3 net revenue of $317 million – a decline of 4% over the same period in 2021. Additionally, Audacy reports an operating loss of $151.9 million compared to operating income of $29.3 million in Q3 of 2021. The company reports a net loss of $141 million for the third quarter of 2022 compared to the net loss of $4.76 million it reported during the third quarter of 2021. Breaking down Audacy’s revenue by segment, it reports local and national spot business was $205 million, a decline of 7.2% over the same period in 2021. Digital revenue (including podcasting) was $62.7 million, an increase of 2.1% over Q3 of 2021. Network revenue was $23.7 million, up 0.9% over the third quarter of 2021. Audacy chairman, president & CEO David J. Field comments, “Our third quarter revenues declined 3.8% as advertising headwinds impacted company performance. Solid double-digit growth in streaming audio and digital marketing solutions were offset by declining radio revenues. Our radio revenues were negatively impacted by our concentration in the country’s largest markets as small to medium market radio outperformed large market radio by 8% during the quarter. We remain deeply focused on executing our action plan to navigate the storm and emerge healthy and strong. We completed the sale of $56 million in real estate to enhance our financial position with additional sales in the pipeline. We launched the next generation of our Audacy streaming platform with innovative features including segment chaptering of live spoken-word radio shows. Since launch, digital listeners are up 25% while registrations have increased 15% and we have high expectations for the impact of the new platform on our future growth. We also continue to make progress on core strategic growth drivers such as national enterprise business development and our ad tech product roadmap to open important pools of demand and accelerate future performance. Looking beyond the challenging current macro environment, Audacy has been transformed into a leading, scaled multi-platform audio content and entertainment company, better able to serve listeners and customers than ever before. We are excited by the opportunities ahead and are deeply focused on continuing to best position the company to compete for significant growth in the dynamic audio market.”

Audio Pros Gather at FOX News for Reception. Pictured above are (from l-r) “FOX Across America” host Jimmy Failla, Westwood One SVP, head of operations Tim Seymour, FOX News Audio account manager, affiliate sales & marketing Tamara Karcev, and TuneIn chief content officer Kevin Straley at FOX News headquarters in New York as FOX hosted the reception to showcase its collection of radio and podcast offerings with media pros in town for the NAB Show New York last week. FOX News Audio vice president John Sylvester along with hosts Brian Kilmeade, Guy Benson, and Jimmy Failla spoke during the cocktail reception.

Talk Host Austin Petersen Joins Missouri’s ‘Real Talk’ Network. Former KWON, Jefferson City, Missouri morning drive talk host Austin Petersen – a former Libertarian candidate for president and U.S. Senate – joins Ellis Broadcasting & Media LLC’s “Real Talk” format as host of the 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm show. The programming airs on a
number of Missouri radio stations including: KXEN-AM, St. Louis; KRTK-FM, Hermann; KVMO-FM, Vandalia; and KRTE-FM, Steelville. Petersen says, “I can’t wait to take on this new challenge and get the chance to talk about the big issues with the good people in the St. Louis region. It’s a huge opportunity and I couldn’t be more grateful. You can expect hard-hitting interviews, freedom rants, and plenty of jokes and fun. I love gold, guns, freedom and my smokin’-hot, redheaded wife. We’ll look at the issues from all angles. We’ll think outside the box, avoid groupthink, and declare our independence from the tyranny of big government. Most of all, we’ll make freedom fighting fun again!” The network is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Rick and Tracy Ellis. Tracy Ellis says, “When Rick and I started the ‘Real Talk Radio Network’ it was always important to us to make sure our listeners were kept up to date not only on local news and politics, but throughout the state of Missouri. We have followed Austin Petersen for some time and with his home base in Jefferson City, we felt he was the perfect fit to the puzzle at ‘Real Talk.’ Many local politicians came to us directly and spoke highly of Austin and how much they enjoyed being on his former show and would love to hear him on our stations.”

TALKERS News Notes. Announcing its coverage of the midterm elections, SiriusXM says it is presenting programming on its original political channels – Patriot, P.O.T.U.S. and Progress – with team coverage that extends from its regular daytime schedule into new live primetime and overnight programming. Additionally, on SiriusXM Triumph, starting at 9:00 pm ET Megyn Kelly will host a special live, commercial-free edition of her program on which she’ll share her perspective and analysis of election results as they come in, and will speak with leading experts and political observers. The Urban View channel, which focuses on issues affecting the African-American community, will also be live with special programming from 8:00 pm – 12:00 am ET…..PodcastOne is partnering with original “Friday Night Lights” cast members Zach Gilford, Scott Porter and self-proclaimed “Friday Night Lights” superfan Mae Whitman for an exclusive podcast and vodcast, “It’s Not Only Football: Friday Night Lights and Beyond” that debuts on Thursday (11/10). Each week, the trio will break down an episode of “Friday Night Lights,” giving listeners and viewers exclusive, behind-the-scenes stories and the latest going on in their lives. Episodes will feature guests that range from fellow cast members to close friends and colleagues…..Virtual News Center adds Flagler Broadcasting’s WBHU, St. Augustine Beach, Florida to its growing list of affiliate radio stations. Virtual News Center will provide local newscasts anchored by Amy Cherry with daily reporting from Rich Petschke.

Midterm Elections/Trump in 2024, The Economy, Elon Musk & Twitter, Russia-Ukraine War, January 6, Powerball Delay, and Subtropical Storm Nicole Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/7). Today’s midterm elections that will determine control of the House and Senate for the next two years and former President Donald Trump’s teasing his bid for the White House in 2024; inflation and fears of a recession; the uncertain state of Twitter in Elon Musk’s second week as owner of the social media platform; Ukrainians and Europeans brace for a long, cold winter as Vladimir Putin continues his war; the Oath Keepers on trial for seditious conspiracy related to the January 6 Capitol attack; the record $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot drawing is delayed due to “security protocol issue”; and the development of subtropical storm Nicole were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, November 4, 2022

By Editor | November 4, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Trick or Tweet,” looks back at this past week of 10/31-11/4. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Dr. Murray Sabrin, professor emeritus of finance, Ramapo College, NJ; Mark Davis, talk show host, 660 AM The Answer, Dallas/Fort Worth; Bobbie Winston a.k.a. La Femme Bobbie, musician/artist/American ex-pat, Rio de Janeiro; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/podcaster, Somerset, NJ; Matthew B. Harrison, Esq., associate publisher, TALKERS/law professor, Springfield, MA. The show airs weekends (Friday evenings to Sunday nights) on 100-plus broadcast signals and networks across the U.S. and U.K as well as having developed a significant international following as a podcast. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here.

iHeartMedia Q3 Revenue Up 7%. Reporting its financial data for the third quarter of 2022, iHeartMedia says revenue was $989 million, an increase of 7% over the same quarter a year ago. The company is also posting an operating loss of $211 million for the third quarter of 2022 compared to the operating income of $80 million it reported for Q3 of 2021. Additionally, iHeartMedia reports a net loss of almost $310 million compared to the net income of $3.6 million it posted in the third quarter of 2021. iHeartMedia breaks its operations into three segments. Third quarter results for those segments are as follows: the Multiplatform Group that includes its radio stations and program networks was basically flat with a revenue increase of 0.1% “as a result of increased political advertising revenue as 2022 is a midterm election year, partially offset by a decrease in revenue due to a more challenging macroeconomic environment. Broadcast revenue grew $2.1 million, or 0.4% year-over-year, driven by higher political advertising revenue and an increase in trade and barter revenue, partially offset by lower spot revenue, while Networks declined $(0.7) million, or 0.5% year-over-year.” The Digital Audio Group was up 23.4% on revenue of $254 million. This group’s revenue increased by $48.2 million compared to the prior year, “including growth from Digital, excluding Podcast revenue, which grew $21.1 million to $162.7 million, driven by increased demand for digital advertising as well as Podcast revenue which increased by $27.1 million to $91.3 million, driven by higher revenues from the development of new podcasts as well as growth from existing podcasts. Digital Audio Group revenue increased as a result of general increased demand for digital advertising and the growing popularity of podcasting.” And the Audio & Media Services Group was up 17.7% on revenue of $77.8 million. Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman says, “We’re pleased to report another quarter of solid operating results for iHeart, and our performance in the midst of the current climate of economic uncertainty is a strong indication of the successful transformation this company has undergone in which our high-growth digital revenues comprises 26% of total company revenues. Our Digital Audio Group continues to deliver industry-leading growth, and our Multiplatform Group has again demonstrated its resiliency during a difficult economic environment. We believe the strong positions of both of these groups with both consumers and advertisers give us the ability to both navigate through this period of economic uncertainty and position us for continued growth through the recovery and beyond.”

Salem Media Group Total Revenue Rises 1.3%. The company reports that its total revenue for the third quarter of 2022 was $66.9 million, an increase of 1.3% over the same period in 2021. Salem Media Group also reports an operating loss of $8.8 million compared to operating income of $15.8 million in Q3 of 2021, and a net loss of $11.9 million compared to the net income of $22.1 million is reported during the same period in 2021. Salem presents its financial data in three segments. The Broadcast segment reports revenue of $51.1 million, an increase of 3.1% over Q3 of 2021, Digital Media revenue was $10.2 million, down 4.3% from the third quarter of 2021, and Publishing revenue was $5.5 million, a decrease of 3.7% from the same period a year ago.

Round Four of October PPMs Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s October 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s October 2022 sweep covered September 15 – October 12. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In the Raleigh market, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM tacks on three-tenths to wrap the survey with a 9.1 share that puts it in the #1 spot, while Curtis Media Group’s news/talk WPTF sheds one-tenth for a 1.8 share finish to remain ranked #15. The top dogs in Milwaukee flip as iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN adds a full share for a 10.6 share finish that lifts it from #2 to #1, while Good Karma Brands’ WTMJ loses 1.9 shares for an 8.1 share finish that drops it from #1 to #4. Cumulus Media’s news/talk WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM, Providence adds on nine-tenths for wrap the survey with a 6.4 share that lifts it from #6 to #5. And in Jacksonville, Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM is up one-tenth to a 7.9 share good for the #3 rank in the market. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the previous three groups) here.

Comrex Unveils New BRIC-Link III Audio Codec. The company officially unveils BRIC-Link III – the newest addition to its popular BRIC-Link family of codecs. Comrex says there are more than 10,000 BRIC-Link codecs circulating world-wide, and BRIC-Link III is an updated version that takes advantage of the latest improvements in IP audio transmission technology. BRIC-Link III is a true codec, offering a full-duplex stereo encoder and decoder in each box. A jitter buffer manager is incorporated that automatically balances delay and stability, dynamically increasing and decreasing delay based on network performance. BRIC-link III offers a wide range of encoding algorithms including stereo and mono linear mode, FLAC modes, AAC/HE-AAC modes, Opus, G.722 and G.711. BRIC-Link III features a new, more powerful processor for improved reliability. It also features enhanced front panel indicators, including four buttons which will trigger contact closures by default and configurable for auto-connections to other Comrex IP audio codecs. BRIC-Link III is compatible with all other Comrex IP audio codecs, including the ACCESS codec line as well as older BRIC-Link models. BRIC-Link III also works with Gagl, a new service now available for purchase for audio contribution. Gagl turns any Comrex IP audio codec into a hub for up to five remote participants. Like other BRIC-Link codecs, BRIC-Link III includes CrossLock VPN technology, Comrex’s proprietary suite of reliability tools. In addition to bonding technology, CrossLock also includes a Redundancy Mode for mission-critical applications. BRIC-Link III can take advantage of HotSwap, meaning that users can set a 4G/5G modem as a backup connection to only be engaged when the primary internet fails, providing an extra layer of reliability. Customers can also choose to purchase an optional one-time license per codec to utilize SwitchBoard, a private server that Comrex maintains which allows for easy connections between IP codecs. You can get more information on this and other Comrex products here.

GAB Radio Talent Institute Returns to University of Georgia. The RAB’s National Radio Talent System announces the return of the GAB Radio Talent Institute at the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. The institute takes place in person May 15 – 24, 2023 thanks to sponsorship from The Georgia Association of Broadcasters. The talent incubator spans 10 days and is led by broadcast professionals that bring their real-world industry knowledge from around the state and country to educate students. RAB says that college students from universities throughout the state and region apply to be accepted into the GAB Radio Talent Institute. This provides an ideal networking pool for the students and a wide variety of potential interests within the classroom for industry professionals to identify and actively recruit from. Upon completion of the Institute, students can further their networking capabilities with the ability to access the National Radio Talent System’s Career Center. RAB president and CEO Erica Farber states, “We are delighted to have the GAB Radio Talent Institute make its return after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Collaborating with Bob Houghton and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters enables us to bring this world-class program to life in the southeast and further develop the next generation of broadcasters.”

TALKERS News Notes. Inside Towers’ Leslie Stimson writes an interesting piece about the FCC’s creation of a Space Bureau. Stimson writes that FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the move at the Satellite Industry Association meeting yesterday (11/3). “She said the growth of satellite broadband internet plays a big part in why the agency is making the move. ‘Ninety-eight percent of all satellite launches in 2021 were deployed into low-earth orbit to provide internet connectivity back here on Earth. They can help advance the FCC’s goals to connect everyone, everywhere,’ Rosenworcel said. ‘More than that, the success of these low-earth orbit communications satellites could be seen as an early litmus test for the broader commercialization of space.’” Read Stimson’s entire piece here…..Three Hillsdale College students have won national College Broadcasters, Inc. awards for their work with “Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.” The awards were announced at the National Student Electronic Media Convention in Baltimore. Sophomore Lauren Smyth placed first in Best Newscast or Sportscast category for “Lauren Smyth News,” senior Josh Barker placed third in Best Hard News Reporting for his feature “The Policy Corner: Michigan Voting Laws,” and Rachel Kookogey (class of ’22) received both first and second place for two segments of her feature, “Sports Story Time.” WRFH general manager Scot Bertram says, “I’m very proud of our students for their well-deserved wins. It is great to see our students being recognized on the national level for their continued hard work and dedication.”…..SiriusXM announces its play-by-play coverage of the 2022-23 college basketball season that begins Monday (11/7). The opening night schedule features 24 teams from the men’s Associated Press Top 25, including defending national champion and #5-ranked Kansas facing Omaha and top-ranked North Carolina, coming off their 12th National Championship appearance, hosting UNC Wilmington…..Host Bethenny Frankel, the most successful business mogul to emerge from “The Real Housewives” franchise, and iHeartPodcasts launch a first-of-its-kind rewatch podcast titled, “ReWives.” Frankel, formerly of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York,” breaks down the franchise that launched her career. In each episode, she’s “joined by unexpected celebrity guests ranging from superfans to Housewives newbies for hilarious conversations and surprising insight on real topics.” “ReWives” premieres on November 14 with Elisabeth Moss as Frankel’s first guest. New episodes will post each Monday with additional guests including Jerry Springer, Suze Orman, Kevin Nealon, Dave Portnoy, Griffin Johnson and more.

Broadcaster Raising Awareness of Need for Organ Donors. Western Massachusetts broadcaster and public relations pro Mark Auerbach (pictured) is revealing his battle with kidney disease in an effort to raise awareness of the need for organ donors. Auerbach hosts “ArtsBeat,” “On The Mark” and “Athenaeum Spotlight” on WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. He’s also the ArtsBeat reporter for Pioneer Valley Radio. On today’s program that you can see here, Auerbach reveals his battle with Stage 5 kidney disease and the need for donors. Auerbach says people can help by taking any of three steps: 1) becoming an organ donor upon your death; 2) consider donating while you’re alive (get details at kidney.org); and 3) donating to him at Mass General Hospital’s living donors program (https://mghlivingdonors.org/).

Politics and Midterms Top News/Talk Story for Week of October 31 – November 4. The politics leading up to Tuesday’s midterm elections were the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the economy combined with the Fed’s rate hike, followed by the aftermath of the Pelosi home invasion at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, November 3, 2022

By Editor | November 3, 2022 by Editor

Urban One Net Revenue Up 8.9% in Q3 of 2022. The company issues its third quarter 2022 financial data and reports net revenue of approximately $121.4 million, an increase of 8.9% from the same period in 2021. Urban One reports net income of approximately $4.2 million compared to the net income of $13.9 million it reported in the third quarter of 2021. The company says broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $50.8 million, an increase of 3.5% over the same period in 2021. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III says, “Q3 was another very solid quarter, during which we grew both revenues and Adjusted EBITDA. Following a soft July for radio advertising, August and September rebounded and we finished the quarter +1.4% on a same station basis, and -1.3% excluding political. Same station radio pacings for Q4 excluding digital are currently +16.0% including political and +0.1% excluding political. Layering in the recent Indianapolis acquisition should push radio revenues to a double-digit percentage increase for Q4. Political spending has steadily gathered momentum, and we anticipate net political advertising revenues to be between $12-$13 million, of which radio is $9-$10 million, which is significantly ahead of both our budget and the 2018 cycle. Our cable TV business had another successful broadcast upfront season, and we were able to increase both our CPM’s and total dollars committed. Our Digital segment posted growth of approximately 40% in both revenue and Adjusted EBITDA as demand for our audience and digital products remained strong. Our liquidity and leverage profile remained robust, and we continued to opportunistically repurchase our 7.375% bonds in the open market.”

Saga Communications’ Third Quarter 2022 Net Revenue Rises 3.9%. Third quarter 2022 financial results for Saga Communications, Inc. reveal net revenue of $30 million – and increase of 3.9% over the same period in 2021. Station operating expense increased 2.8% for the quarter to $22.3 million compared to the same period last year. For Q3 of this year, station operating income increased 4.1% to $8.9 million, and operating income was $1.1 million compared to $4.6 million for the same quarter last year. Free cash flow was $1.6 million for the quarter compared to $4.0 million for the same period last year. Saga reports a net loss of $104,000 for the quarter compared to net income of $3.5 million for the third quarter last year. The company says, “Despite strong underlying performance the results were impacted by one-time payments related to the passing of our founder Ed Christian. As a result, the company is required to make several payments to his estate as outlined in his employment agreement. These expenses were accrued as of September 30, 2022 increasing the reported corporate general and administrative expense line item by $3.8 million for both the quarter and nine-month period ended September 30, 2022. Without these expenses operating income would have increased 5.8% to $4.9 million, free cash flow would have increased 36.5% to $5.4 million and net income would have increased 7.9% to $3.7 million.” Saga’s balance sheet reflects $58.3 million in cash and short-term investments as of September 30, 2022 and $45.3 million as of October 31, 2022.

Round Three of October PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s October 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s October 2022 sweep covered September 15 – October 12. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM drops 1.1 shares to finish with a 7.3 share (6+, weekly AQH share) but remains ranked #4 in the market, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX adds four-tenths to wrap the survey with a 3.9 share that lifts it to the #9 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOAI, San Antonio stays ranked #10 after dipping three-tenths for a 3.6 share, while Alpha Media’s crosstown news/talk KTSA sheds one-tenth for a 3.3 share finish and falls to the #12 rank in the market. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM puts up seven-tenths for a 12.3 share that cements its #1 rank as Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM adds six-tenths for a 7.3 share finish that puts it in the #2 slot. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

Andrew Colton to Host Mornings on WIOD, Miami. Taking over for longtime South Florida broadcasting legend Jimmy Cefalo on January 9, 2023 as host of the morning program on iHeartMedia’s WIOD “NewsRadio 610 AM” is Andrew Colton. He comes to iHeartMedia from his most recent work as CEO of Colton Legal Media Worldwide. He’s also been an award-winning national correspondent for ABC News, CBS Newspath, and hosted the nationally syndicated “Wall Street Journal This Morning” program. Cefalo will continue to provide commentary on WIOD as well as his role as play-by-play announcer for the Miami Dolphins. “South Florida First News with Andrew Colton” will include veteran news anchor Nathalie Rodriguez, William Althoff with more news and sports, Doug Lindsay with traffic and the Weather Channel’s Ray Stagich. Vice president of news and AM programming Florida Region and iHeartMedia NTS brand coordinator Grace Blazer says, “Jimmy and Andrew both share a passion for news, information, commonsense, and our South Florida lifestyle. We are excited and fortunate to have Andrew Colton continue WIOD’s spoken-word tradition and digital expansion.”

Philadelphia Sports Radio Broadcasters Honored with Hall of Fame Inductions. Two Audacy Philadelphia sports radio personalities are being recognized for their contributions to the Philadelphia sports media landscape. Longtime WIP radio host Howard Eskin is being inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on November 3. Eskin says, “It’s an honor to be selected and to be in such great company – really overwhelming. They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. As hard as I work, I have to admit, it is a labor of love.” Al Morganti, co-host of WIP’s morning show, is being honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame and will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism. Morganti comments, “It’s the honor of a lifetime to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a huge part of any success I have had is because of the fans of Philadelphia. Having been on WIP for so many years and working at the Philadelphia Inquirer, I can attest that the emotional investment Philadelphia fans make to their teams makes everyone raise their game. Thank you!”

TALKERS News Notes. Legendary college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and SiriusXM ink a multi-year agreement for Krzyzewski to continue hosting his exclusive weekly SiriusXM show, “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K.” Krzyzewski has been hosting the show since 2005 and today (11/3) the first episode of the show’s 18^th season drops. Krzyzewski says, “This will be the first fall in nearly 50 years that I’m not on the sidelines, and I’m so pleased to extend my long relationship with SiriusXM and continue hosting ‘Basketball and Beyond.’ Having the creative freedom to do a really unique show has been incredibly important and rewarding to me. I can be a part of the national conversation on basketball, while also exploring interesting topics with a variety of guests who make an impact far beyond the basketball court.”…..Red Apple Audio Networks announces it is signing 17 stations to its affiliate roster, including 11 Saga Communications stations. The newly added stations are carrying shows hosted by Larry Kudlow, Rudy Giuliani, and Judge Jeanine Pirro, as well as Frank Morano, host of “The Other Side of Midnight.”…..Compass Media Networks partners with Wisebuddah and its sister company imager – European providers of sonic branding, radio imaging and jingles. The London-based companies currently curate the sound of BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, Bauer Media and Virgin Radio alongside dozens of radio stations (iHeartMedia, Alpha Media Group) in the United States.

Midterms/Trump in 2024, The Economy/Fed Rate Hike, Elon Musk’s Twitter, Russia-Ukraine War, and Pelosi Attack Aftermath Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/2). The campaigning ahead of the November 8 midterm elections and expectations that former President Donald Trump will announce his 2024 presidential campaign shortly thereafter; the state of the U.S. economy and the Fed’s decision to hike interest rates again; the spate of celebs claiming they are leaving Twitter as a result of Elon Musk’s taking ownership of the social media platform; Russia’s war on Ukraine and its relationship with Iran, North Korea and China; and the conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on Paul Pelosi were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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By Kathy Carr President HCRN

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By Kathy Carr
President
HCRN