Kim Komando is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast
Talk media megastar Kim Komando is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Komando is a syndicated talk radio star, newspaper columnist, and internationally renowned technology expert. She’s known to her millions of listeners and readers as “America’s Digital Goddess,” For more than three decades, she has been burning up talk media as the leading authority on the evolving technology and sociological impact of the digital era. She is a Radio Hall of Fame inductee and past recipient of the TALKERS Woman of the Year award. This outstanding broadcaster and modern-day thinker produces, hosts, and distributes a weekend three-hour radio talk show, with a recently expanded fourth hour designed to stand on its own. This extra hour was recently added to the Friday evening lineup at WLS-AM, Chicago where it is exploding with ratings success. And now WSB-AM, Atlanta has added it to their Saturday menu where it is showing immediate audience traction. Komando also hosts a couple of short-form daily shows about computers and digital technology heard on stations across America including such giants as WABC, New York and WTOP-FM in Washington, DC. Harrison and Komando engage in an extraordinary conversation about AI and its looming impact on Homo sapiens. Don’t miss this! Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.
Mason, a visionary leader who has successfully guided our sports station for the past four years, is now poised to bring the same focus, passion, and energy to our news/talk station – ‘SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.’ With an exciting blend of local hosts delivering both local and national stories in an informative and engaging manner, Paul is ready to lead this station to new heights. As we recently launched the SuperTalk YouTube channel, we anticipate continued dominance in spoken word content under Paul’s steady guidance. I would be remiss if I did not at the same time thank Dan Mandis for his outstanding leadership of the station over the last 10 years. Dan has successfully managed both the station, especially through challenging times, and breaking news while maintaining hosting duties and we look forward to letting him settle into his weekday morning show.” Mason comments, “SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s reputation in the news/talk format is among the elite. Dan Mandis has built a strong brand, and I look forward to working alongside not only Dan, but with the entire on-air staff (Chris Hand, Matt Murphy, and Brian Wilson), and our producers. The recent launch of SuperTalk TV has positioned WTN to continue to be a leader in news/talk. WTN has loyal clients and listeners, and we are committed to bringing stories, news, and opinions in a meaningful and engaging way. I’m humbled and thankful for the trust Allison Warren, Brian Phillips, and John Dimick have in me to lead spoken word at Cumulus Nashville.”
follows the recent launches of the weekend editions of “Morning in America with Hena Doba” from 7:00 am to 10:00 am ET, “NewsNation Live” from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm ET, “NewsNation Now with Anna Kooiman” from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET, and “The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt,” which debuted earlier this year. Networks division president Sean Compton states, “We are immensely proud to announce that NewsNation is now a 24/7 cable news network. This milestone marks the culmination of our efforts to continue expanding and growing the network since launching it in 2020. It reaffirms our commitment to delivering unbiased news coverage, a mission that resonates deeply with our viewers, fostering their trust in the brand, and strengthening their loyalty to NewsNation.” The network also announces the hiring of three veteran journalists, including the aforementioned Anna Kooiman, who joined in March as anchor of the weekend edition of “NewsNation Now”; senior correspondent Laura Ingle, who most recently served as a senior correspondent at FOX News Channel; and Alicia Nieves, who will be a New York-based correspondent after joining the network from the financial streaming service, Fintech TV.
stations, prominently acting as the morning show in both markets, offering a fresh and dynamic start to the day. This partnership marks a significant expansion of Podcast Radio’s format into the American radio landscape, promising to offer Missouri listeners a novel way to explore podcasting content through traditional radio. Listeners will hear top-quality podcast content from across North America and the world, while also giving airtime to local Missouri podcast content. Localized imaging and station IDs will feature across ‘Podcast Radio Missouri’ broadcast hours, which also include original interviews with podcasters. Gene ‘Bean’ Baxter acts as lead interviewer, delving deep into the methodology and personality of both local and national podcasts and their creators.” Alpha Media EVP of content Phil Becker says, “We’re excited to partner with Podcast Radio to bring this innovative format to our listeners in Missouri. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering fresh, engaging content that resonates with our communities. While we are launching on one station in two Missouri markets, our goal is to expand the format to our other two Missouri markets.”
Documentary was produced, directed, and narrated by Jeff Aiello. KMJ program director Blake Taylor also served as a producer for the film. Winners will be announced at the 53rd Northern California Emmy Awards Gala on June 15, 2024, at the San Francisco Hilton. Cumulus Fresno regional VP and market manager Patty Hixson says, “It is a remarkably humbling experience to be a part of this documentary celebrating KMJ’s 100 years of serving the community. I am grateful to have been with this heritage brand since the late 80s. The entire KMJ team is excited to share our story through this documentary – and we’re thrilled that the film has been nominated for an Emmy!” Blake Taylor adds, “When KMJ went on the air, people didn’t have radios. That is one of the great lines from the film that really speaks to me. The longevity, the success, and the impact of KMJ for over a century is really remarkable. To be a small part of that is truly meaningful.”
Makeover. The book is named one of BookAuthority’s 20 Best Personal Finance Books of All Time and has spent more than 1,000 weeks on bestseller lists. To date, over 9 million copies have been sold worldwide, and every year, more than 400,000 readers buy the book. Dave Ramsey says, “The plan is still simple, and millions of people have done it. You can solve your biggest problem with the least-complicated finance book out there. It’s the stories of everyday people in TMMO that makes it so powerful and inspiring. They’re the real heroes. Their stories of real life-change are all the proof you need that this stuff really works.” The new edition offers Ramsey’s principles, along with updated statistics and examples. It now includes advice on topics like: Mortgages and car loans; buy now, pay later loans; saving and investing for retirement; and paying for college while avoiding mountains of debt.
Moberly, Missouri – including news/talk KWIX – have been let go and all programming is now syndicated. The same is being reported about the company’s stations in the Farmington/Festus, Missouri market that includes news/talk KJFF. KOMU-TV reports that Moberly market manager Bob Dakin would not comment on how many employees were let go but confirmed that all local programming – including news and sports – is being replaced by national content. 
determined that granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Further, Audacy says, “According to the MRC, Audacy is attempting to employ an ‘entirely new’ and ‘vague and undefined’ special warrant process’ to delay the Commission review of Audacy’s proposed foreign ownership until ‘sometime down the road’ when the company ‘may choose’ to file a petition for declaratory ruling seeking such review. This specious claim not only mischaracterizes the company’s waiver request detailed in the Application, but completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” Separately, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to Congressman Nicolas Langworthy (R-NY) and Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX), who both wrote to her implying that the Commission is not going through “its normal, statutorily required process” and voiced concern over Soros Fund Management’s acquisition of Audacy debt. Langworthy wrote that Audacy being “owned by a deeply partisan individual [George Soros], could have a fundamental impact on the nature of local radio and potentially silence political viewpoints.” Rosenworcel’s response indicates she believes the Commission is handling the matter appropriately, saying, “The Bureau staff will review the record and decide if the transfer is in the public interest pursuant to Section 310(d) of the Communications Act.”
the chief engineer for Cumulus Media in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola, Florida. Beasley says Ringer will be responsible for transmitter and studio maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs of the market’s RF systems, maintaining and utilizing Wheatstone and WheatNet for audio routing and broadcasting, and other related duties. Ringer comments, “Having been raised in studios and transmitter sites, I feel that broadcast engineering is in my DNA. My father has been a broadcast engineer for more than 40 years and has taught me most of what I know. I credit him with instilling an unwavering work ethic in me as I watched him work tirelessly through my childhood years. I have been working in radio for more than 25 years and love every aspect of what I do.”
after being diagnosed with kidney cancer, worked in the radio industry for 40 years – almost 20 of those years as morning host for WJBC. WJBC states, “Laughlin was a longtime supporter of the Salvation Army, volunteering each year to ring bells and help raise money for the Bloomington non-profit. That included the ‘Cubs vs. Cards’ challenge with his good friend Gary Morefield – and the ‘Scott vs. Scott’ challenge alongside WJBC’s Scott Miller. Last year, the Salvation Army created the ‘Scott Laughlin Spirit Award’ to honor its top fundraisers through the annual red kettle campaign.” Laughlin is survived by his wife Lori.
To be an expert in marketing requires expertise in how memory works. Early in my consultant practice, I studied and read every book I could find on the processes of memory. The best book is Effective Frequency: The Relationship Between Frequency and Advertising Effectiveness. Put simply, how many times does a consumer have to hear a message before it has impact? The book, a collection of studies, is the foundation for every qualitative study in the field today.
APPLAUSE for Daniel Centofanti, a good egg, known to several generations of Southern New Englanders as “Giovanni,” mornings on WPRO-FM, Providence… until today, the 50th anniversary of the station’s format flip from Beautiful Music to CHR.
Soros, would become the largest shareholder in New Audacy and that Soros would “control these radio stations to advance their particular brand of activism.” Further, MRC objects saying that the FCC has an obligation to complete a full and thorough review and that the Commission is being asked to approve the change in ownership without this review, specifically 
regarding the foreign ownership issue which the MRC says would not be handled as required by Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act of 1935 if the Soros Group gets what it wants. It’s asking the FCC “to waive that process and put it off until sometime down the road – indicating that those foreign stakeholders will be given ‘special warrants’ in the meantime. The Soros group says that putting off the required foreign ownership review will enable the FCC to expedite its approval of the Soros applications and thus allow them to more quickly realize their ownership interests in and take over the hundreds of local radio stations across the country.” The MRC argues that the Communications Act of 1935 “does not contain a special Soros shortcut.” 
