Search Results for “tire” – Page 27

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

By Editor | March 29, 2022 by Editor

KMOX, St. Louis Talk Host Charlie Brennan to Retire. Longtime KMOX, St. Louis talk radio personality Charlie Brennan announced to his listeners on Monday (3/28) that after nearly 34 years on the station, he will retire from his radio gig after his May 12 program. The Audacy station posted a story about Brennan’s retirement on its website that notes Brennan was hired in 1988 to work evenings and weekends and that, within two years, he was hosting the mid-morning show where he’s been ever since. It also recognizes Brennan’s community efforts, especially his local clean-up projects. In 2020, Brennan launched a four-day KMOX campaign raising $85,000 for Cardinal Children’s Hospital with assistance from actress Jenna Fisher, singer Michael McDonald, talk show host Andy Cohen, Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and comic Nikki Glazer. Over the years he’s helped raise funds and distribute supplies for flood victims both in the St. Louis region and other parts of the country; influenced legislation regarding traffic cameras, medical benefits, and food vendors; plus he’s organized five campaigns sending care packages to troops serving overseas. Brennan is the author of four books. Brennan also is a host of KETC-TV, St Louis’ “Donnybrook” program, among the highest-rated, locally-produced talk shows on PBS, a program he will continue to be a part of.

Compass Media Networks Promotes Nancy Abramson to SVP Sales & Content. Radio syndication pro Nancy Abramson is promoted to senior vice president of affiliate sales and content for Compass Media Networks. Abramson, who joined the company in 2014, will continue to be based out of the company’s New York office and will continue to spearhead its affiliate sales and affiliate marketing for select entertainment programming, including “DeDe in the Morning,” “Anna & Raven,” as well as services, including the Yamanair platform. Abramson comments, “The most important part of any job is that you are in a position where you admire, learn, and are stimulated by the people you work with – executives, colleagues, and clients. And if you are in sales, having great products to sell makes the job even more rewarding. I have all that at Compass Media Networks.” Prior to joining Compass, Abramson served as executive director of the Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal Radio Networks.

Mai Martinez Named Morning Co-Anchor at Chicago’s WBBM Newsradio. Television news pro Mai Martinez is named morning co-anchor and reporter for Audacy’s all-news WBBM Newsradio (WCFS-FM/WBBM-AM), effective April 4. In this role, Martinez will spend much of her time in the field, covering the diverse communities of Chicago, while also teaming with Cisco Cotto each morning from 6:00 am to 9:00 am. Audacy Chicago regional president and market manager Rachel Williamson says, “This is a dream team of two experienced, talented journalists. Mai has a knack for uncovering the details that resonate with the people of this city. Together, she and Cisco have a passion for news plus warm and inviting voices that will greet our listeners each and every morning.” Prior to this role, Martinez spent 14 years as a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor at WBBM-TV. She comments, “Like so many Chicagoans, WBBM Newsradio has been a constant in my home and car for years. I’m honored to join such a talented team of hardworking and trusted journalists and continue the important work of informing and serving our community.”

Westwood One and NFL Renew Audio Media Partnership. Radio syndicator Westwood One and the National Football League announce the extension and expansion of their partnership with a new multi-year agreement. Westwood One, the official network audio broadcast partner of the NFL for more than 35 consecutive seasons and 50 years overall, will continue to provide play-by-play coverage for “Monday Night Football,” “Sunday Night Football,” “Thursday Night Football,” plus Thanksgiving Day, select international games, and the entire postseason including the Super Bowl. New elements of the deal include: Westwood One’s NFL primetime game broadcasts will be available free to fans on affiliated stations’ primary digital platforms and on the NFL App; Westwood One will offer expanded coverage of NFL tentpole events throughout the year, including NFL Honors, NFL Combine, NFL Draft, and NFL Schedule Release; and Westwood One and the NFL will explore creating new alternate game broadcasts in addition to the traditional Westwood One play-by-play. Westwood One president and Cumulus Media EVP corporate marketing Suzanne Grimes says, “What an honor it is for Westwood One to continue our multi-decade programming relationship with our iconic NFL partners by extending our exclusive network audio broadcast rights. Equally exciting is the opportunity to further grow our NFL fan base by expanding our relationship to include digital distribution rights as well as innovative, new content opportunities.”

Todd Starnes Show Gets Praise from Donald Trump. Pictured above is nationally syndicated talk radio host Todd Starnes (right) providing commentary from Donald Trump’s Commerce, Georgia rally on Newsmax TV. Starnes, who also spoke at the rally, says Trump, who has been a regular guest on his program, has praised his show.

Save a Life, Maybe Your Own. Radio pro and consultant Jon Quick writes in a piece for TALKERS magazine today not about programming talk radio as he’s done recently, but about a simple test he took that likely extended his life. Quick recently underwent quadruple bypass surgery after a heart scan revealed serious blockage in several of his arteries. Thanks to the test, he’s on the mend. And now, he’s an evangelist for this simple heart test. Read more here.

Audacy Launches Two New MLB Podcasts. A partnership between Audacy’s sports podcast studio and Major League Baseball results in the launch of two new programs: “Inside the Monster” and “Beat the Streak Daily: Inside the Hits.” “Inside the Monster” is a collaboration with the Boston Red Sox, hosted by Steve Perrault and Joey Copponi, that will have unprecedented access to Red Sox players, club personnel, reporters, front-office and beyond. Inspired by MLB’s popular “Beat the Streak” fantasy game where fans complete by picking players they think will get a hit each day in pursuit of breaking the all-time hitting streak record of 56 games, “Beat the Streak Daily: Inside the Hits” breaks down each day’s leaderboard and looks at stories that are developing around hitting. It’s hosted by WSCR, Chicago personality Matt Spiegel.

Russia-Ukraine War, Gas Prices/Inflation, COVID-19, January 6 Investigation, Midterms/ Trump & the GOP, and Will Smith-Chris Rock Incident Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/28). Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the possible poisoning of Ukrainian negotiators, and blowback over President Joe Biden’s saying Vladimir Putin must not stay in power; high gas prices and inflation pushing consumer retail prices up; concerns about the Omicron BA.2 variant; federal Judge David Carter issues ruling that Donald Trump “more likely than not” tried to subvert the 2020 election; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

By Editor | March 24, 2022 by Editor

Casey Daniels Named Co-Host of WIBC-FM, Indianapolis’ Late Morning Show. Radio and television pro Casey Daniels is joining Emmis Communications to co-host the late morning daypart on news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis alongside Rob Kendall. Daniels was most recently program director of Grand Rapids’ classic hits WFGR. Prior to that, she spent six years hosting and producing a daytime talk show for WSBT-TV, South Bend. Emmis Indy VP of programming David Wood says, “Casey is a storyteller with great curiosity and creativity. Pairing her with Rob Kendall and his deep knowledge of how local and state government works (or doesn’t work) will create a very entertaining and informative show.” The new “Kendall and Casey Show” will begin on April 4. Daniels says, “I’m so thrilled to be back home again in Indiana at legendary 93 WIBC. I want to thank Taja Graham, David Wood, Matt Hibbeln and Rob Kendall. I’m grateful for this amazing opportunity and what’s next. I’ll see you on the circle!”

Jon Johnson New Overnight Host on Sports Talk WIP, Philadelphia. According to a report at Crossing Broad, Jon Johnson is assuming the role of overnight sports talk host at WIP, Philadelphia. Johnson tweeted: “Some professional news: I will be taking over for my good friend Big Daddy Graham & becoming the full-time host of the @SportsRadioWIP overnight show, starting tonight. In addition, I will still be part of @WIPMorningShow, & back at WFC, CBP covering big games again.” About Johnson’s recent role with the station, Crossing Broad’s Kevin Kinkead writes, “This is interesting. Jon has been a Swiss army knife for WIP for a long time now, filling a variety of shifts and roles. He covers for Angelo [Cataldi] in the mornings, works night and weekend shifts, and goes down to Citizens Bank Park and The Wells Fargo Center for games.” Big Daddy Graham passed away last September after a series of health issues.

Round Three of February PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s February 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 February 2022 sweep covered February 3 – March 2. 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 tacks on one-tenth for a 7.7 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #4, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX-AM rises three-tenths to a 3.1 share good for the #14 rank. iHeartMedia’s KFBK-AM/FM, Sacramento falls six-tenths to finish with a 6.5 share but remains ranked #3. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM claims the #1 rank after climbing eight-tenths to an 8.4 share, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM loses half a share to finish with a 6.0 share good for the #4 rank. Audacy’s KMBZ-FM, Kansas City adds six-tenths for a 7.8 share finish that boosts it to the #1 rank in the market. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2022: Online Audio Consumption Jumps. The 2022 edition of Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial study was unveiled yesterday (3/23) at the Podcast Movement: Evolutions conference in Los Angeles. The big takeaway is that online audio consumption in the U.S. showed significant gains year-over-year. According to the data, 73% of the U.S. 12+ population (an estimated 209 million people) have listened to online audio in the last month, up from 68% in 2021. This jump was primarily driven by listeners age 35+, as the number of those age 35+ who listen to online audio monthly increased by 13% year-over-year. Weekly online audio listening also rose to 67% of the U.S. 12+ population, up from 62% in 2021. The report goes on to conclude that podcasting’s reach is wider than ever but listening behaviors have shifted a bit as Americans return to pre-pandemic routines. Sixty-two percent of those age 12+ in the U.S. (an estimated 177 million people) have ever listened to a podcast, up from 57% last year. Podcast listening – which skyrocketed during the beginning of the pandemic – has tailed off. Edison’s Tom Webster says, “Clearly, Americans went back to work and back to school last year, which brought podcasting numbers back in line with pre-pandemic figures. However, the trend line continues to go up, particularly with 35-54 year olds.”

‘On Being’ Host Krista Tippett Leaving Public Radio System. The executive producer and host of the award-winning public radio show and podcast “On Being” announces she will leave the public radio system effective this June. The national weekly show, which began as “Speaking of Faith” in July 2003, and was renamed “On Being” in 2010, will continue this fall as a seasonally produced podcast. Krista Tippett says, “The front edge of growth of the organization I founded in 2013, The On Being Project, is at the intersection of media and long-term social healing. It’s time for us to live more fully into that mission, and for me to be differently present to this moment in the life of the world. For me personally, this is an energizing and necessary transition. After hosting 52 weeks of programming a year for close to 20 years, I’m ready to move to a more sustainable rhythm and to open space and time for writing, public engagement, and new extensions of our content in the world that is emerging.” “On Being” is distributed by WNYC/New York Public Radio and has more than 650,000 weekly radio listeners on public radio stations around the country. The podcast has had over 375 million total plays and downloads.

Veritonic: Audio Logo Index Ranks Top Audio Logos. The results of Veritonic’s annual Audio Logo Index reveal the top in-market audio logos for overall effectiveness. An audio logo is the spoken or sung portion of an audio ad that identifies the product or service. The company says that effectiveness is measured by logo recall, creative resonance (i.e. uniqueness, trustworthiness, and innovation), and correct association to the brand and industry. Each logo is compared to Veritonic audio logo benchmarks developed and trained by 6-plus years of audio and human response data. This report was compiled based on responses from more than 2,800 panelists that represent the general U.S. population. The best audio logos score highly in 1) creative resonance because the most effective executions elicit resonant and positive feelings towards a brand; 2) in recall as memorability of a brand is paramount for winning future sales; and 3) in association because an audio logo is only effective if the brand is continuously and consistently associated with it (and not one of your competitors). The top audio logos in the 2022 study were: #1 Folgers, #2 State Farm, #3 Liberty Mutual, and #4 Farmers Insurance. You can see more about the study results and hear audio logo samples here.

KFAN’s Dan Barreiro Inducted into Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Twin Cities sports talk host Dan Barreiro was recently inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Barreiro is host of the afternoon drive “Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro” program at iHeartMedia’s KFXN-FM, Minneapolis “KFAN 100.3” as well as the “Sunday Sermons with Dan Barreiro” weekend show. Barreiro was a sports columnist at the Star Tribune for 17 years. He joined KFAN in 1992. He also co-hosts the Fox 9 television program “Enough Said” on Friday nights. iHeartMedia market president Greg Alexander says, “Dan epitomizes the make-up of a tremendous talk show in the Twin Cities. He puts together compelling interviews and has the ability to break down any and every topic to entertain our listeners. He is a true talent.” SVP of programming Gregg Swedberg adds, “There isn’t a radio personality who has had the kind of ratings success over the last three decades than Dan Barreiro. He has done it by hosting intelligent, entertaining, and compelling radio. He’s more than the ‘Big Ticket,’ he is the blueprint.”

KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno Celebrates 100 Years of Service. Fresno news/talk KMJ celebrated its 100^th birthday on March 23. Cumulus Media kicked off the station’s year-long Centennial celebration that will include a concert to be announced and a documentary film. KMJ began broadcasting on March 23, 1922 and is the 38th oldest licensed and continually operating radio station in America. It was originally owned by the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation, was later acquired by the McClatchy Newspaper Company in 1925 and has seen a handful of owners in the past century. Cumulus Fresno VP and market manager Patty Hixson says, “I started listening to KMJ in my 20s. Over the past 33-plus years, I have had the great honor and privilege to have worked with some of the greatest talent in the business, both on air and in sales. I am truly grateful and humbled by the fact that I have been so blessed to serve our valued listeners – this is my home! The KMJ brand will continue to serve our community and central California through continued focus on relevant content, philanthropy, and ethical business practices. Every day we aspire to be great and it’s the men and women that work here every day, and have done so for the past 100 years, who deserve all the credit for achieving such a wonderful milestone.” Station program director Blake Taylor says, “It’s been an amazing run, and it’s far from over. KMJ has covered everything from the Harding administration to the Biden White House. Terrible tragedies to inspirational triumphs and everything in between. The service to the public of Fresno and the entire Central Valley of California will continue to be our sole focus for the next 100 years.”

TALKERS News Notes. Washington, DC sports talk outlet WTEM “The Team 980” will no longer serve as the flagship station for play-by-play of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The station – formerly owned by Commanders team owner Dan Snyder – is now owned by Audacy and the station issued a statement on its website that host Kevin Sheehan made on air. It reads: “The organization and the company ‘disagreed on the value of the broadcasts [and] it is also very important for us as a sports talk station, even as a long-time flagship station for the team, it was important for us to continue to be able to provide honest, objective information and analysis about the [Commanders] on our talk shows.” The station obviously believed it could not report objectively while in a financial relationship with the team…..One of radio’s hardest-working talk hosts is adding some fill-in work to his schedule. WHO, Des Moines afternoon drive personality Simon Conway – who is simulcast to WMT, Cedar Rapids and WOC, Quad Cities – is filling in on iHeartMedia sister station WFLF, Orlando “WFLA” for “Good Morning Orlando” host Bud Hedinger, who is set to undergo heart bypass surgery. In addition, Conway will also be hosting the Premiere Networks nationally syndicated “The Weekend” show on Saturday (3/26)…..G Accelerate Networks announces it has signed a long-term agreement with the “Lou Dobbs Financial Reports” for exclusive advertising sales, affiliate sales, and distribution. The feature – delivered three times daily Monday through Friday, will launch April 18…..SiriusXM enters into a multi-platform agreement with Crooked Media, the independent progressive media company that produces “Pod Save America,” “Lovett or Leave It,” and “Pod Save the World,” through the 2024 election cycle and beyond. The agreement gives SXM Media, the advertising sales arm of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., exclusive global ad sales rights to Crooked Media’s extensive lineup of podcasts beginning in May. SXM Media also gains sales and sponsorship rights to digital video, social media, and live events produced by Crooked Media.

Russia-Ukraine War, Biden Europe Trip, Jackson Confirmation Hearings, Gas Prices/Inflation, COVID-19, Idaho Abortion Law, and Madeleine Albright Dies Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/23). The ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Vladimir Putin’s threats to the West, and the economic effects of the disruption in Europe; President Joe Biden travels to Europe to rally support against Russia; day three of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson; still-soaring gas prices in the U.S. and the high consumer retail prices; concerns about the Omicron BA.2 variant and the airlines ask Biden to let mask mandates expire next month; Idaho Governor Brad Little signs new, restrictive abortion policy into law; and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies at 84 among top news/talk stories yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

By Editor | March 23, 2022 by Editor

Denver Talk Radio Host Peter Boyles Announces Retirement. Longtime Denver talk radio personality Peter Boyles called in to his own show on Salem Media Group’s KNUS-AM while on vacation to tell his listeners that he will be retiring from his radio program. As reported by Westword, his March 21 call to substitute host George Brauchler included Boyles saying, “Everything has a beginning and a middle and an end. And I see an end coming.” Boyles recently suffered a health episode while on air that he referred to as an “event” and a “mini-stroke.” Boyles, who will soon turn 79, announced that there will be a five-hour “going away” show on April 1 that will include former KOA personality Mike Rosen. Boyles spent a large part of his Denver talk career at iHeartMedia’s KHOW where he hosted the morning drive show for almost 20 years. He was fired from KHOW in 2013 after getting into a physical confrontation with producer Greg Hollenback, but quickly landed his current gig with Salem’s KNUS. Boyles said during his call-in, “I remember the old-timers saying, ‘When the time comes, you’ll know it.’”

Charlie Kirk Latest Talk Host to Have Twitter Account Frozen. A report from Benzinga indicates that Salem Media Group personality Charlie Kirk’s Twitter account was frozen yesterday (3/22) after the social media platform ruled that his tweet about transgender Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine violated its rules against “hateful conduct.” Kirk tweeted: “Richard Levine spent 54 years of his life as a man. He had a wife and family. He ‘transitioned’ to being a woman in 2011, Joe Biden appointed Levine to be a 4-Star Admiral, and now USA Today has named ‘Rachel’ Levine as a ‘Woman of the Year’ Where are the feminists??” Kirk responded, “Everything I said was precisely accurate and yet, Twitter still suspended my account. That should terrify every American, even those who disagree with me. What they want is submission. They have become the enemy of the truth.”

Leila Rahimi Promoted at Chicago TV Station; Will Continue Part Time with ‘The Score.’ Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that sports radio personality Leila Rahimi, co-host of the late morning show on Audacy’s WSCR-AM “The Score,” is being promoted at WMAQ-TV to full-time sports anchor. The move means that Rahimi will reduce her work with co-host Dan Bernstein at “The Score” to part time. WSCR program director Mitch Rosen says in an email to his staff, “Leila will be in studio each and every Wednesday [from 9 a.m. to noon], co-hosting with Dan and adding great commentary and her unique perspective on the world of sports. Leila is a tremendous asset to The Score, and we are grateful she remains a big part of our team and that Score listeners will continue to hear Leila across all of our platforms.”

Audacy Rebrands Greenville-Spartanburg Sports Talker as ‘The Fan Upstate.’ Sports talk WORD-AM/WYRD-AM in Greenville-Spartanburg is rebranding as “The Fan Upstate” after Audacy ends the stations’ affiliation with ESPN and signs on with CBS Sports Radio. The company says, “‘The Fan’ will continue delivering live, local content including the award-winning ‘Rob Brown Show’ and award-winning ‘Offsides with Marc Ryan’ and will now be home to CBS Sports Radio and BetQL programming. ‘The Fan Upstate’ will also continue to serve as the play-by-play home for Furman University Paladins football and basketball as well as Byrnes High School football.” Audacy SVP and market manager Steve Sinicropi comments, “After years of constantly changing, syndicated ESPN content, we have made the exciting move to bring new and relevant sports talk content to our listeners in the Upstate. ‘The Fan Upstate’ will aim to provide the best original sports talk and sports betting content that our fans crave.”

Round Two of February 2022 PPM Ratings Released. The second of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s February 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s February 2022 sweep covered February 3 – March 2. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this round of markets. In Washington, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WMAL-FM rises a half share to finish with a 4.9 share (6+, weekly AQH share) and climbs to the #9 rank. Meanwhile, Hubbard Radio’s crosstown all-news WTOP loses seven-tenths, finishing with a 7.3 share and slides from the #2 rank to #4. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO, Boston drops nine-tenths to post a 3.6 share and falls from #7 to #10, while the company’s all-news WBZ-AM sheds two-tenths and wraps the survey with a 6.2 share good for the #5 rank. In Seattle, Bonneville International’s news/talk KIRO-FM sits at #1 after adding a half share and finishing with a 7.4 share while Lotus Communications’ crosstown all-news KNWN-AM/FM rises a half share to a 5.7 share and climbs from #5 to #2. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first round) here.

TALKERS News Notes. In the wake of the recent passing of NFL insider and KIRO-AM “Seattle Sports” personality John Clayton, the station and owner Bonneville International are launching the “John Clayton Memorial Fund” to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society, an MS research organization supported by Clayton, as well as his wife, Pat. The Fund has received an initial investment of $10,000 donated by Bonneville. Bonneville Seattle SVP and market manager Cathy Cangiano says, “The MS Society was an important charity for John and his wife Pat. The John Clayton Memorial Fund is a wonderful way for everyone to honor his memory and make a difference in the lives of others through a cause that meant so much to John.” Clayton served with the station for 14 years. He died on March 18 after an illness…..SiriusXM announces the upcoming launch of “Basic!,” an original SXM Podcast series, produced in conjunction with Pantheon Media and hosted by media veteran Doug Herzog and TV critic Jen Chaney. The series explores “the glory days of cable television, celebrating an era in pop culture when networks like MTV, Comedy Central, FX and ESPN changed the television landscape with groundbreaking, innovative programming.” Each episode will include guests who thrived and starred on cable TV including Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Schumer, Fab Five Freddy, Cindy Crawford, Neal Brennan, Tim Gunn and many more. The podcast premieres on May 18 and will also begin airing on SiriusXM’s Volume channel this spring.

Russia-Ukraine War, Jackson Confirmation Hearings, Biden European Trip, COVID-19, Gas Prices/Inflation, Chinese Airliner Crash, and Severe Southern Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/22). The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rest of the world’s reactions; the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees Ketanji Brown Jackson; President Joe Biden begins his visit to Europe; concerns about the spread of the Omicron BA.2 variant in the U.S.; the still-soaring price of gas at the pump and the high consumer retail prices; the mystery of the deadly crash of a Chinese passenger airliner; and the severe weather hitting the U.S. South that spawned a tornado in New Orleans were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Sales

Pending Business: Reimagining How News/Talk is Sold

By Editor | March 21, 2022 by Editor

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Maybe it’s time take a minute and reimagine how news/talk radio is sold. I am serious. Because your company is offering audio options like:

1) Fight clutter with less inventory.

2) Offer host-read endorsements.

3) On-demand.

(more…)

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, March 18, 2022

By Editor | March 18, 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, “Madness in March,” looks back at this past week of 3/14 to 3/18. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Mark Simone, talk show host, WOR, New York; Richard Neer, talk show host, WFAN, New York; Jonty McCollyer, talk show host, “China Watch Radio,” KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician, Las Vegas/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; and John DePetro, talk show host, WNRI, Woonsocket, RI. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Triton Digital Releases February 2022 Podcast Report. The latest podcast ranking report from Triton Digital is published for the period of January 31 to February 27 and is based on Average Weekly Downloads. The report’s rank of the top 20 podcast networks again has Stitcher Media at #1 with 59.1 million Average Weekly Downloads. The Audacy Podcast Network was #2 with 36.1 million AWD, and NPR came in at #3 with 33.5 million AWD. Ranking individual podcasts, NPR’s “NPR News Now” was #1, audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” was #2 and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” was #3. Other podcasts with a radio connection that are ranked in the report include: Cumulus’ “The Dan Bongino Show” at #8, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #13, and Cumulus’ “Mark Levin Podcast” at #17. See the complete report here.

Katie Reid to Lead Bonneville Denver. Radio sales and management pro Katie Reid joins Bonneville International as SVP and market manager for the company’s Denver cluster that includes sports talk duo KKFN-FM “104.3 The Fan” and KEPN-AM “ESPN 1600” and two music brands. Reid, who was most recently VP/GM for Cox Media Group’s Jacksonville operations, takes over for Bob Call, who recently retired. Bonneville president Darrell Brown states, “Katie is a dynamic leader who knows how to focus on priorities and grow business. I believe her experience will position our stations for long-term success in Denver.” Reid comments, “I am honored to be joining the Bonneville team and work with these legendary brands. The Denver team continues to deliver excellent results and I am excited for this next chapter.”

TALKERS News Notes. Longtime talk media personality Michael Savage celebrates his 80^th birthday today (3/18). Savage, who produces a daily podcast after years of syndication in talk radio, is interviewed by Steve Travers for a piece in Newsmax that you can read here…..Beasley Media Group announces that Cole Croshaw is been named director of traffic operations for the company. He begins the newly created position on March 28. Croshaw was most recently with Marketron serving as the NXT product specialist. Beasley CFO Marie Tedesco says, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Cole to the Beasley Media Group family. His leadership and vast experience made him the perfect choice to take our company’s traffic operations to the next level and beyond.”

The Russia-Ukraine War Top News/Talk Story for Week of March 14-18. Russia’s now-four-week-old invasion of Ukraine and the attendant political issues surrounding it came together as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was U.S. diplomatic relations with China and Russia with the Ukraine war as the backdrop, followed by the state of the U.S. economy, soaring gas prices and still-rising prices of consumer retail good 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, March 17, 2022

By Editor | March 17, 2022 by Editor

‘Free Talk Live’ Co-Host Ian Freeman is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. A self-described “activist for liberty” for the past two decades, Ian Freeman co-hosts (with Mark Edge) the independently syndicated radio show “Free Talk Live.” The program emanates from Keene, New Hampshire and airs seven nights a week between 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm ET. In addition to the two co-hosts, the show presents a rotating panel of regular personalities – such as one individual whose legal name is Nobody – described as ministers of the Shire Free Church (the show’s parent organization) and features various voices from New Hampshire’s liberty activist community. It has guests and takes callers from across the nation. Although still on the air regularly, Freeman is currently under federal arrest on a wide array of charges ranging from money laundering to wire fraud. He maintains his innocence and claims the FBI and other government agencies are on the mission of shutting him up after years of dealing with the nuisance of the show’s activism and controversial information. Freeman will begin his trial later this year. Stand by for a fascinating conversation about the First Amendment, freedom of speech, liberty, civil disobedience, and the role and impact of cryptocurrency in our modern society – the connection to which a number of Freeman’s legal troubles are related. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Weber Named Interim Broadcast Managing Editor for WBBM, Chicago. According to a report from Chicago media writer Robert Feder, Zac Weber is being promoted from his morning editor position to interim broadcast managing editor at Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago. This move comes three months after Julie Mann left the managing editor post at the station to take the public information officer role with Kane County, Illinois. WBBM Newsradio brand manager Ron Gleason says in a memo to staff, “Zac has done a tremendous job as morning editor, and there’s no question his skills of scouring the world for the latest news early each morning will pay off for all of us.”

Micah Goldberg Rises to SVP and Market Manager for Audacy Denver. Sales and management pro Micah Goldberg is promoted to SVP and market manager for Audacy’s Denver station group that includes sports talk KAMP-AM “The Bet 1430AM,” comedy KQKS-HD2 and three music brands. Goldberg – who was most recently director of sales for the cluster – takes over for John Fullam who had been serving as interim market manager since July 2021 and returns to his executive coaching business. Goldberg says, “Team Audacy is second to none. The pride I feel being able to continue contributing and leading a team I have such respect for is nearly indescribable. Following in John Fullam’s footsteps is no easy task, but I know Audacy Denver will continue to make him proud. Thanks to Audacy, Doug [Abernethy] and Susan [Larkin] for all the support and for this amazing opportunity.”

Edison: 39% of Americans 12+ Have No Radio in the Home. Calling it “radio’s hardware problem,” Edison Research says that data from its soon-to-be-released The Infinite Dial 2022 report indicates that over the last two years, the number of Americans 12+ who report not having a radio in their home has risen almost 10% with 39% reporting no radio in the home. Just 14 years ago that figure was 4%. Edison Research president Larry Rosin says, “Of course, nearly all cars have AM/FM radios easily available, and people can listen to the content of radio stations on their phones or smart speakers. However, the elimination of the standard, single-use radio from so many households makes the challenge that much harder in the location that most people spend the most hours.” Many consider the smart speaker to be the new in-home radio. Edison says it will present smart speaker adoption data when it reveals The Infinite Dial 2022 at Podcast Movement Evolutions on March 23.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thanks Joe Madison for Help with Antilynching Act. Pictured above at yesterday’s bill enrollment photo opportunity for H.R. 55, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which specifies lynching as a hate crime act, are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (third from right) and SiriusXM talk personality Joe Madison (far right). Speaker Pelosi thanked Madison for his efforts is raising awareness of the bill. Also pictured are: Chair Bennie Thompson, House Committee on Homeland Security (far left); Chair Joyce Beatty, Congressional Black Caucus (second from left); Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) (third from left); and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (second from right).

WJR, Detroit Named Station of the Year by MAB. News/talk WJR-AM, Detroit was named Station of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as part of its 2021 Broadcast Excellence Awards. This is the fifth time in six years that the Cumulus Media station has been recognized as the Station of the Year. In addition, WJR was selected for 17 “Excellence” awards, and 7 “Merit” awards. Cumulus Detroit VP and market manager Steve Finateri says, “Winning so many awards reflects the depth of talent on this all-star team. Winning Station of the Year is especially gratifying, as WJR celebrates our 100th Anniversary this year! We thank the MAB for this wonderful recognition.”

TALKERS News Notes. The nationally syndicated “Erick Erickson Show” is being added to the program schedule at Mid-West Family Broadcasting’s news/talk WMAY-AM/FM, Springfield, Illinois. Erickson launched the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET program nationally in May of 2021. The show is based at Cox Media Group’s news/talk “95.5 WSB” in Atlanta. Erickson says, “We’re excited to be joining the lineup at WMAY in Springfield and look forward to many great things to come in 2022.”…..iHeartMedia, Inc. announces that it has named Sam Englebardt, general partner of Galaxy Interactive, to its board of directors. Galaxy Interactive is a venture capital franchise focused on companies operating at the intersection of content, finance and technology, with a particular emphasis on video game studios, NFTs, social platforms and financial marketplaces. Englebardt is also co-founder and partner at Galaxy Digital, a technology-driven financial services and investment management firm that provides institutions and clients with a full suite of financial solutions spanning the digital assets ecosystem. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman says, “Sam’s expertise and deep understanding of web3, exponential technologies and the potential of emerging consumer tech platforms like NFTs, tokens and shared virtual experiences, combined with his background in media and entertainment, will be uniquely valuable to us as we extend iHeart’s presence into web3 and the metaverse.”…..Audacy Pittsburgh raises funds to provide over 600,000 meals for people in need through Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The “Giant Eagle Feed the Need Radiothon” aired on February 25 on KDKA “News Radio 100.1 FM and 1020 AM,” KDKA-FM “93.7 The Fan” and its two music-formatted sister stations. Audacy Pittsburgh SVP and market manager Michael Spacciapolli says, “Pittsburghers help their neighbors in times of need. Our community is at the core of everything we do at Audacy Pittsburgh. The results of the ‘Feed the Need Radiothon’ are a good showcase of radio’s power in our region. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to make this another successful year.”

Broadcasters Foundation of America Announces New Board Members and Officers. The Broadcasters Foundation of America elects Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO for the National Association of Broadcasters, Dennis Lyle, president and CEO for the Illinois Broadcasters Association and the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation, and Chad Matthews, president of ABC Owned Stations, to its board. In addition, it names Heather Cohen, EVP of The Weiss Agency, and Judy Quaranta, a highly accomplished executive in the world of finance, as officers. Quaranta will also fill the role of vice president of finance for the BFoA. Chairman Scott Herman says, “We’re delighted to announce these esteemed individuals — Curtis, Dennis, and Chad – as members of our board. Their support of the Foundation’s charitable mission and their leadership in the broadcast industry is commendable. Heather and Judy are accomplished professionals in their individual fields, and as officers of the Broadcasters Foundation, they will help us advance our cause of helping our colleagues who are in great need.”

Russia-Ukraine War, Gas Prices/Inflation, Fed Rate Hike, COVID-19, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Daylight Saving Time Bill, and Cuomo Sues CNN Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/16). The Russian invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeal to the U.S. Congress, and China’s role in Russia’s gambit; the high price of gas at the pumps and the high cost of consumer retail goods; the Fed approves a quarter-percent interest rate hike; concerns about the Ba.2 Omicron variant and the rolling back of mask mandates in the U.S.; the battle for control of Congress in the November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the debate over the Senate-approved bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent; and Chris Cuomo sues CNN for $125 million claiming he was unlawfully fired were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to research from TALKERS magazine.

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Wednesday, March 16, 2022

By Editor | March 16, 2022 by Editor

John Rosso Rises to President and CEO of Triton Digital. The company’s president of market development rises to president and CEO as Triton Digital founder Neal Schore transitions to managing advisor. John Rosso says of his new role, “I am extremely proud of Triton Digital’s achievements and market-leading innovations and accomplishments and I’m looking forward to guiding the company as we continue to fuel the growth of the global online audio industry. Neal has always insisted that Triton Digital provide unparalleled service, unrivaled expertise and a commitment to excellence, and I look forward to building on that legacy, further expanding Triton Digital and contributing even more to the industry as we move into the next stage of growth.” Schore comments, “I founded Triton Digital in 2006 to reinvent the online audio industry. It has been wildly fulfilling for me to experience Triton Digital delivering innovative technology, attracting the best of the best team, and building an incredible client base in over 80 countries, and I am so grateful to our team and clients for all their loyalty and trust since launching the company over 16 years ago. I’m pleased to assume the role of managing advisor, and to continue to support Triton Digital’s clients and employees under John’s exceptional leadership as Triton Digital continues to carry on our tradition of driving and leading our industry.”

Brett Beshore to Lead Alpha Media Dayton Cluster. Radio executive Brett Beshore joins Alpha Media as SVP/market manager for the company’s Dayton station group that includes sports talk WING-AM and four music brands. Beshore has served as market president for iHeartMedia Indianapolis for the past 10 years. Alpha Media regional president and chief compliance officer Bill McElveen commented on the announcement, “Since our former market manager in Dayton, Keith Wright, announced his retirement earlier this year, we’ve been searching for the best possible candidate to lead our awesome team in Dayton, and Brett brings all of Alpha’s core values to the market. He knows how to lead a team and serve a great market and we’re excited to welcome him aboard.” Beshore states, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join ‘the Pack’ at Alpha Media. Alpha’s Dayton stations have a highly talented team and a solid track record of success in the market with heritage brands such as WDHT-FM, WROU-FM, WGTZ-FM, WCLI-FM and WING-AM. I look forward to serving our advertiser partners and providing great content for our listeners. I can’t wait to tell the story and find ways to use our stations to build and promote the great city of Dayton.”

iHeartMedia Announces Deal with TicketSmarter. A new multi-year agreement between Digital Ally’s TicketSmarter and iHeartMedia is struck that includes national marketing campaigns, prominent website feature displays, and sponsorship of national contests. The national contests will be powered by TicketSmarter and allow iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to win trips and experiences. TicketSmarter CEO Jeff Goodman says, “We are thrilled to kick off this agreement with iHeartRadio and their innovative marketing team. We look forward to building once-in-a-lifetime experiences for their listeners.”

Today’s David Grapples Goliath with Problem/Solution. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian today presents a profile of Tampa-based talk personality David Gornoski. The 33-year-old hosts a daily, two-hour show on Genesis Communications’ WHBO, Tampa that is also distributed as a podcast. He assesses his endeavor as “more of a mission,” rather than a conventional news/talk show, succinctly mentioning the “Neighbor’s Choice” title “felt right” when he started this project approximately seven years ago. “It actually began as an informal book club with some friends I gathered together. We try to make sense of current events through the lens of anthropology – I called our little group ‘a neighbor’s choice.’ I thought we need to shake things up by taking ideas we’ve been [discussing] in our neighborly community to the public. I wanted to introduce a new way of looking at things and began doing a podcast online in 2015.” He says that he views Joe Rogan’s podcast success as something radio should look at. “Joe Rogan does a fantastic show and has been able to build a parallel universe with a younger demographic. If we bring a young, relevant, fresh and interesting perspective to talk radio, there’s no reason why we can’t have 11 million young people tuning into a [terrestrial] radio show.” Read more here.

TALKERS News Notes. At 2022 SXSW yesterday (3/15), PodcastOne president Kit Gray took part in the panel titled, “Everything Old is New Again: The Podcast Biz Model, along with fellow panelists Gary Ousdahl of Advanced Management, Jenni Skaug of Sonic Influencer Marketing, and panel moderator Ilana Susnow, head of marketing & audience development for PodcastOne. The goal was to talk about the modern podcast business model and how it has adapted and adopted methods from content industries including TV, radio, streaming, and social media…..Good Karma Brands’ KSPN-AM, “ESPN Los Angeles” and the Los Angeles Lakers agree to extend their radio rights deal, continuing a long-standing partnership. The station will carry all regular-season games as well as all preseason and post-season games. The station has served as the official radio broadcast home of the Los Angeles Lakers since 2009. Handling play-by-play duties are John Ireland, currently in his 11th season as the Lakers radio play-by-play announcer, and Lakers legend and two-time World Champion, Mychal Thompson, who is in his 19th season as color commentator…..The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer, in collaboration with iHeartRadio, announce the release of “Payback,” a new multimedia series on the years-long fight by members of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) against what they allege is “institutionalized gender discrimination” in professional soccer. On February 22, 2022, the six-year legal battle between U.S. Soccer and the USWNT came to an end with an announced $24 million settlement and a pledge from the league’s governing body that steps would be taken to ensure equal pay between men’s and women’s teams in all competitions, including the World Cup. “Payback” examines some of the circumstances and events that led to the players’ filing.

Broadcasters Foundation Raises $300,000 at Golden Mike Award Gala. More than 270 radio and television broadcasters gathered at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on March 14 to honor Hilton H. Howell, Jr., chairman of the board and CEO of Gray Television and Atlantic American Corporation, with the 2022 Golden Mike Award and Lesley Visser, the first woman sportscaster to report on all major sporting events with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. The gala was a fundraiser, raising over $300,000 to support the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, which provides financial assistance to broadcasters in acute need. The annual event returned this year following a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Pictured here are Howell (left) and Visser (right).

Russia-Ukraine War, Gas Prices/Inflation, COVID-19, Daylight Saving Time, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, and Urban Violence Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/15). Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the U.S.’s role in sanctions and arming the Ukrainian military, and Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned address to Congress; soaring gas prices and the still rising costs of retail consumer goods; the leveling of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the lockdowns in China, and the still-active People’s Convoy protesting mandates in Washington, DC; the U.S. Senate approves a bill to keep Daylight Saving Time year round; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the capture of a man suspected of killing homeless people, the arrest of an NYC man who beat an elderly Asian woman, and other examples of violent urban crime were some of the top stories discussed on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Monday, March 14, 2022

By Editor | March 14, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Your Egg-Timer? “Baseball stations: Exhale!” As Spring Training is underway and with Opening Day now April 7, consultant Holland Cooke reckons that “we need this,” as we’re shocked by the Ukraine crisis and suffering inflation. And in this week’s column, HC shares a revered baseball announcer’s simple trick “that can help radio matter more as listeners cope.” Read it here.

Pending Business: Happy Mother’s Day. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa is predicting “one of the biggest Mother’s Day sales cycles on record.” He says that professional sellers are already prepping for it because they fully understand the importance of “planning, organization, focus and adjustment.” Read his column here.

Michael Harrison Interviews John DePetro from Poland Near Ukraine Border. As reported in TALKERS last week, WNRI, Woonsocket, Rhode Island talk show host John DePetro has taken his independent program live to Rzeszow, Poland – the closest city with an airport near the border with Ukraine. He landed there last Monday (3/7) and has been sending back live feeds since his arrival interviewing Ukrainian refugees pouring over the border by train, as well as local Polish citizens. DePetro has been using a combination of Q-Go Live and basic cell service as well as Facebook live stream to connect with his station and listeners. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison interviewed DePetro on Thursday (3/10) for “The Michael Harrison Wrap.” To listen to that dramatic conversation in its entirety, please click here.

‘myTalk 107.1’ in Minneapolis Raises $105k (and counting) for Ukraine Aid. Twin Cities talk outlet KTMY-FM “myTalk 107.1” is partnering with Minnesota-based Alight to raise money that will directly aid refugee care of displaced Ukrainians in Poland. The Hubbard Radio station says that Alight (formerly known as American Refugee Committee) has a team on the ground at the Ukraine border in Poland, assisting refugees with relief items and medical supplies for people fleeing Ukraine. They are providing baby food, diapers, sanitary items, blankets and phone chargers so people can stay connected with loved ones. Alight is offering safe transport for families once inside Poland and secure shelter in Poland. Plus, support for host communities who’ve been openly welcoming Ukrainians. So far, “myTalk 107.1” has raised $105,000 and will continue to solicit donations through this week. KTMY program director Amy Daniels says, “We’ve said it for years, ‘myTalk 107.1’ listeners, we call them ‘myTalkers,’ are the best listeners in the world. Our amazing airstaff has been telling Alight’s story with genuine caring and passion and our listeners have responded and given with full hearts.”

Former Atlanta Talk Host Kara Stockton Dies. WSB-TV.com is reporting that former “Talk 106.7” radio personality Kara Stockton died on Thursday evening at the age of 44. Stockton worked on air with Shannon Burke from 2016 to 2019 on the former Cumulus Media talk station (currently contemporary Christian WAKL-FM). After leaving Cumulus, Stockton worked producing the radio show “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” for Sirius XM. The WSB-TV story notes that “family members told the AJC that Stockton had recently had her gallbladder removed and was having liver problems. She also had recently recovered from COVID-19” but indicated in a recent Facebook post a month ago that she was in the hospital dealing with medical complications.

Russia-Ukraine War, Gas Prices/Inflation, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Urban Violence, COVID-19, Actor William Hurt Dies, and Tom Brady Returns to the NFL Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the refugee crisis, and relations between Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping; soaring gas prices and the ongoing rise in consumer retail prices; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the increased rate of violent crime and homelessness in America’s urban centers; the tailing off of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the relaxing of mask mandates; actor William Hurt dies at 71; and Tom Brady announces he’s returning to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, March 11, 2022

By Editor | March 11, 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, “Dumb Russian,” looks back at this past week of 3/7 to 3/11. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Graham Mack, Podcast Radio UK, London; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Michael Olson, talk show host, “China Watch Radio,” KSCO, Santa Cruz; John DePetro, talk show host, WNRI, Woonsocket, RI; and Ronn Owens, talk show host (retired), KGO, San Francisco. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; theVirginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Schartel: NAB’s First Amendment Defense a Farce. The owner of KCXL-AM, Liberty, Kansas says in an opinion piece published in TALKERS today (3/11) that the National Association of Broadcasters‘ claim of being a “fierce defender” of the First Amendment, is a “farce.” Pete Schartel’s station carries three hours of the brokered “Radio Sputnik” programming and after the NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt issued a press statement calling on “broadcasters to cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents,” Schartel and his wife began receiving harassing threats. Read his piece here.

WWO Audio Active Group Blog: Advertisers Speak Out at ANA Conference. At the annual Association of National Advertisers Media Conference held last week, some 300 media executives from America’s largest and most respected advertisers talked about what their research shows makes for effective marketing. Some of the noteworthy points include the following statement from Association of National Advertisers CEO Bob Liodice, who said, “Humanity needs to be at the center of everything we do [in media and marketing].” WWO adds, “Studies show ads that make you feel something generate stronger sales and profit than rational ads. People-centered media such as AM/FM radio generate double the attentiveness of music platforms without humans (Pandora/Spotify).” Also, Lou Paskalis, longtime client-side marketer and former SVP of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, explains that the news audience is exceptionally valuable, attentive, and deserving of greater investments from brands. Read more here.

A Rich Man’s True Jewels: Profile of WRVA, Richmond Talk Host Jeff Katz. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents today’s feature profile of WRVA, Richmond talk radio personality Jeff Katz. A former police officer who grew up in Philadelphia, Katz’s first break in radio was on the sales side and about that Katz says, “I’m pretty sure I was the worst radio salesperson in history. I had absolutely no idea what I was selling, or why I was selling it.” But Katz eventually got a weekend talk show on WFPG-AM, Atlantic City before moving on to such signals as WPOP, Hartford; KPIX-FM and KSFO in San Francisco; and WRKO, Boston. Read the whole story here.

TALKERS News Notes. The National Association of Broadcasters announces that the presentation of the 2022 NAB Marconi Radio Awards will take place during a special dinner program at NAB Show New York on October 19, 2022 at the Javits Center. NAB EVP of industry affairs April Carty-Sipp says, “NAB Show New York is the perfect venue for the Marconi Radio Awards with its prime location and ideal timing in the fall when the Marconis have traditionally been presented. We look forward to celebrating the best in radio in October.”…..FOX Sports Radio’s LaVar Arrington – co-host of the network’s weekday morning program “Two Pros and a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox,” and co-host of the nationally syndicated weekend program/podcast “Up On Game with TJ Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress” – announces the addition of life coach, chef, NFL wife and entrepreneur Tommi Vincent to the Up On Game Presents podcast lineup. Arrington says, “I’m excited to welcome a dynamic personality like Tommi Vincent to Up on Game Presents. She has been a tremendous contributor to not only the sports community, but also the women’s community. I’m truly looking forward to hearing her show on our feed. Powerful, impactful, female voices are needed and essential to our industry, and I’m proud and honored to welcome Tommi Vincent to the Up On Game Presents family.”…..AdLarge announces today the addition of the “Collapse: Disaster in Surfside” podcast to the company’s ad sales network portfolio. Co-produced by Treefort Media and the Miami Herald, the 12-part investigative and narrative reporting series podcast delves into the devastating nightmare that took place just outside of Surfside, Florida a little after midnight on June 24, 2021, where a condominium complex suddenly collapsed to the ground killing 98 people in a matter of minutes.

Russia-Ukraine War Top News/Talk Story for Week of March 7-11. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the rest of the world’s reactions was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the diplomatic relations between the U.S., Russia, and China, followed by the state of the U.S. economy and the soaring price of gasoline at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during 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.

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Thursday, March 10, 2022

By Editor | March 10, 2022 by Editor

Townsquare Media Reports 2021 Q4 Net Revenue Up 1.9%; Full Year Net Revenue Rises 12.6%. The 2021 fourth quarter and 2021 full year financial report from Townsquare Media reveals Q4 net revenue of $110.6 million, an increase of 1.9% over the same period in 2020. For the full year of 2021, net revenue was $418 million, up 12.6 % over the full year of 2020. Townsquare Media reports its financial information in three primary segments: 1) Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions, which includes the company’s subscription digital marketing solutions business called Townsquare Interactive. 2) Digital Advertising includes the digital advertising business sold as Townsquare Ignite, and 3) Broadcast Advertising includes the company’s local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered via terrestrial radio broadcast, as well as other miscellaneous revenue that is associated with the broadcast advertising platform. Company CEO Bill Wilson says, “Beginning with our 2021 year-end reporting, we have re-segmented our business to provide greater visibility for our existing and prospective investors. Importantly, this re-segmentation will highlight the profit characteristics of our digital platform, which is essentially equal to those of our broadcast platform, each with profit margins of approximately 30%. Given this new and more detailed information, Townsquare should be viewed and valued as a Digital First Local Media Company, rather than being painted with a traditional broadcast radio brush. While we view local radio as an extremely valuable asset with significant and attractive cash flow properties, unparalleled consumer reach, and an important and trusted local connection to our audience, it is not our primary growth driver. Our growth engine is and will continue to be digital, which fueled our transformation into a Digital First Local Media Company. With nearly half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, we have a strong growth engine that will drive significant and consistent growth in the coming years. It is our hope and expectation that given this new more detailed information, Townsquare will be afforded a sum-of-the-parts valuation that gives credit to our digital assets, credit which to date we have not received.” For the full year of 2021, Townsquare reports net income of $18.8 million, compared to a net loss of $80.6 million reported for the full year 2020, which the company says was primarily driven by approximately $109.1 million of non-cash impairment charges, primarily related to its FCC licenses.

Saga Communications Q4 Net Revenue Flat; 2021 Full-Year Net Revenue Up 13.1%. The company reports 2021 fourth quarter net revenue of $29.2 million, basically flat compared to the $28.8 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2020. Net income for Q4 of 2021 was $3.7 million compared to $2.3 million reported for the same period in 2020. For the full year of 2021, Saga Communications reports net revenue increased 13.1% to $108.3 million compared to $95.8 million for the full year of 2020. The company reports net revenue for 2021 of $11.2 million compared to the net loss of $1.9 million reported for the full year of 2020. Saga says its balance sheet reflects $54.8 million in cash on hand as of December 31, 2021 and $56.2 million as of March 7, 2022.

KOA, Denver Morning Personality April Zesbaugh Announces Retirement. “Colorado’s Morning News” co-host April Zesbaugh announces that she’s retiring from iHeartMedia’s news/talk KOA, Denver in the coming months after a 30-year broadcast journalism career that includes 25 years with KOA. Zesbaugh has co-hosted “Colorado’s Morning News” since 1996 and is one of the longest running news personalities in Colorado. She comments, “Despite my 2:30 am wake-up call for the last 30 years, I feel very fortunate for every second in front of the KOA microphone. It’s time to hang-up my headphones to pursue more family time, play more tennis, travel in our RV and see what it feels like to sleep without an alarm clock.” Zesbaugh is the winner of one national and numerous regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism excellence by the Radio Television Digital News Association, as well as countless awards for “Colorado’s Morning News” from the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press. She has also been an influential member of the Denver community and has emceed numerous charity events, including those focused on mental health, Alzheimer’s disease, the challenges of single mothers and animal rescue. KOA program director Greg Foster says, “April is one of the most recognizable and popular voices in Colorado and has set a professional standard which has contributed to the success of KOA. While we will miss our friend and colleague, April has earned the opportunity to enjoy her retirement.” Zesbaugh adds, “I’m grateful to Jerry Bell, former news director of KOA, for hiring me – calling me during my honeymoon to offer me the job – and to the current news director, Kathy Walker, and the KOA news team who have been with me every step of the way in helping to make me a better broadcaster and journalist. I’m leaving our listeners in good hands with my co-host, Marty Lenz. He has great news chops and asks really smart questions.”

Chris Hansen is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Multi-platform reporter and predator-hunter Chris Hansen is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” For nearly four decades, Hansen has been on the front lines of crime, enterprise reporting, and breaking news all over the world. Most recently he was an executive producer and reporter for the “Onision: In Real Life” and “Unseamly…The Peter Nygard Investigation” series now on Discovery+ and the current top-rated podcast “Predators I Have Caught with Chris Hansen.” He has also been host and correspondent for the syndicated program “Crime Watch Daily” as well as “Killer Instinct on ID” and “Dateline NBC.” He created the groundbreaking investigations, “To Catch A Predator,” among others. These investigations are responsible for exposing some 400 men attempting to meet children online for sex. Hansen has been honored with 10 Emmys, five Edward R. Murrow awards as well as excellence in reporting by the Overseas Press Club. He also has a substantial digital presence including a YouTube channel, which has more than 375,000 subscribers and 25 million views. The deep-dive conversation between Harrison and Hansen covers two major areas – the rapid evolution of media (including the tenets of building a YouTube channel) to the scourge of crime on our city streets as well as the mean streets of cyberspace where sexual predators continue to prowl for children and young women. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

SRN’s Eric Metaxas Broadcasts from National Religious Broadcasters Conference. Pictured above (at right) is Salem Radio Network host Eric Metaxas broadcasting his program live from the National Religious Broadcasters conference from the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Pictured with Metaxas are U.S. Congressman Allen West (left) and Rick Green, founder of Patriot Academy (center). NRB 2022 continues through this weekend.

PodcastOne Joins Top 10 Podcast Publishers. According to data from podcast metric company Podtrac, PodcastOne is ranked #8 on the list of Top Podcast Publishers. Podtrac ranks top publishers based on unique audience counts. PodcastOne president Kit Gray says, “Being recognized by Podtrac with inclusion on the Top Publishers list is a testament to the hard work of the PodcastOne team both behind the mic and behind the scenes. Our hosts are delivering top-notch entertainment and providing content that is resonating with listeners as is evidenced by the growth in audience numbers across the board.” PodcastOne says its growth “comes on the heels of the successes and strengths of tentpole podcasts ‘Baby Mamas No Drama’, ‘Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe,’ ‘The Jordan Harbinger Show’, ‘LADYGANG’ and ‘The Adam Carolla Show,’ as well as acquisitions of top-performing programs such as ‘Coffee Convos,’ ‘True Crime All the Time Unsolved,’ and ‘This Is MONSTERS,’ which all saw significant audience growth since joining PodcastOne.”

JVC Broadcasting: ‘Radio is Working and Radio Works!’ Long Island-based JVC Broadcasting is sending a message to the industry – and beyond – that its recent hiring spree shows that the radio market is a good place for job seekers. JVC says that this January, it began a massive recruitment campaign using its local radio stations and social media platforms and the response was overwhelming. JVC announces that is has hired or internally promoted 16 media and entertainment professionals companywide. JVC president and CEO John Caracciolo states, “The current radio market is great for employment. There was a lot of trepidation for media companies in 2020 and 2021. People wanted to see how things would work out and if the radio business would bounce back, and it did stronger than ever. The most important and most rewarding investment an entrepreneur can make isn’t a new client or a cool piece of equipment, it’s your team of employees. I have built this business by surrounding myself with fantastic people who are visionaries and leaders. If all your employees become entrepreneurially minded or leaders in their own right, your organization will grow even faster. And the coolest thing about this entire recruitment campaign is we did all the outreach using only our local radio station assets! So yes, radio is working and radio works!”

Russia-Ukraine War, House Omnibus Bill, Gas Prices/Inflation, Biden Cryptocurrency Order, COVID-19, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, and MLB Season Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/9). Russia’s ongoing invasion of the Ukraine and the West’s reaction; the U.S. House passes an omnibus bill that would include $14 billion in Ukraine aid; the soaring price of gas at the pump and high consumer retail prices; President Joe Biden signs executive order to investigate risks and opportunities of cryptocurrency; the falling rate of COVID-19 cases and the rolling back of mask mandates; the battle for control of Congress in the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the failing negotiations between MLB owners and 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

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

By Editor | March 8, 2022 by Editor

Pines and DiMarco to Lead Good Karma Brands’ Los Angeles and New York Sports Talkers. Two radio executives are being named to market manager roles with Good Karma Brands’ newly acquired sports talk stations in Los Angeles and New York City. The company announces that GKB partner and SVP Sam Pines will serve as market manager for KSPN-AM “ESPN Los Angeles” and former ESPN Audio senior director of sales Vinny DiMarco will hold the same position for WEPN-AM “ESPN New York.” Good Karma Brands founder and CEO Craig Karmazin says, “I couldn’t be more excited to have both Sam and Vinny in their respective roles. Sam has distinguished himself as a leader both inside and outside the company and will bring creativity and take a relationship-focused and marketing savvy approach to ‘ESPN Los Angeles.’ Vinny’s background at ‘ESPN New York’ and his relationships within New York City and throughout both Good Karma and ESPN make him a well-liked and respected leader who will keep teammates, advertising partners and our fans at the forefront of all that we do and achieve.” Pines joined Good Karma Brands in 2000, and since 2006 has led ESPN Cleveland as a market manager and sales manager. DiMarco joins Good Karma Brands from ESPN, where he managed multi-market, multi-platform sales across ESPN radio affiliates, and oversaw emerging categories, including sports betting and cryptocurrency. He started his ESPN career at ESPN New York as general sales manager.

JVC Broadcasting Adds New Programming to ‘Florida Man Radio’ Stations. New talent join JVC Broadcasting’s “Florida Man Radio” network in Orlando (WDYZ-AM/W288CJ/WOTW-HD3) and Fort Walton Beach (WZLB-FM). “Florida Man Radio” adds Orlando radio veteran Lil’ Shawn as co-host and producer of late morning program “The Justin Clark Show.” Westwood One’s “The Dan Bongino Show” is added to the lineup in Orlando and Compass Media Networks’ “Markley, Van Camp, and Robbins” moves from evenings to middays in Fort Walton Beach. Lil’ Shawn served for 20 years with Cox Media Group at CHR WPYO, Orlando. JVC Florida director of programming Stevie Demann says, “As this unique radio station continues to grow exponentially, we will always look for exciting new ways to deliver Florida, America, and the world’s most ‘unfiltered and unafraid’ content. Lil’ Shawn brings a unique and relatable perspective on local and national events to ‘The Justin Clark Show,’ Dan Bongino’s connections and experience in the national political landscape gives our listeners exclusive access and opinions into politics and social conversation, and ‘The MVR Show’ in Fort Walton Beach is such a fun and informative show to listen to!” JVC president and CEO John Caracciolo adds, “The great talent and notoriety of our hosts has given our audiences true personality-driven talk radio. ‘Florida Man Radio’ continues to fulfill its promise of delivering humorous, topical, and compelling discussions on the radio that everyone can enjoy.”

Bonneville Rebrands KIRO-AM as ‘Seattle Sports.’ Sports talk outlet KIRO-AM, Seattle is leaving behind its “710 ESPN Seattle” moniker and is rebranding as “Seattle Sports.” Bonneville International says, “The flagship home of the Mariners and Seahawks will still feature the same great insider content and programming, now with a new name showcasing the commitment to the best in local Seattle Sports.” The station will continue to be the exclusive ESPN affiliate in the Seattle market and home to the Seattle Sports Radio Network. Bonneville Seattle SVP and market manager Cathy Cangiano says, “Our focus and investment has always been live and local. We are more than a radio station. We are ‘Seattle Sports,’ a content creator that distributes the best in Seattle sports across multiple platforms.”

Broadcasters Foundation of America Breakfast Set for April 27. The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces the date and place for its annual Breakfast at the NAB Show in Las Vegas will be April 27 at 7:00 am in the Brahms Room of the Encore Hotel. During the Breakfast, the Broadcasters Foundation will present the Leadership Awards to individuals in recognition of their career contributions to the broadcast industry and the community at large. This year, they will be: Byron Allen, founder, chairman, and CEO of Allen Media Group; Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer, Cumulus Media; Ralph Oakley, retired, president and CEO, Quincy Media; Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group; and Dennis Wharton retired EVP, media relations, NAB. At the Breakfast, former NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith will receive the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award.

TALKERS News Notes. Music and talk show personality Zach Sang is launching a new, live streaming program on Amazon’s new Amp service. After his recent exit from Westwood One, Sang has partnered with OBB Media for a new show produced by its audio division OBB Sound in association with FanMade Inc. A press release says Sang is “taking an ambitious next step to create a more social music and talk show designed for Gen-Z.” He’ll also release a premium interview-of-record as a weekly podcast and full video on his YouTube channel.…..Radio syndicator Salem Radio Network becomes a client of Reatro Ventures and will use the company’s ARC software to research, analyze, sign and maintain affiliate deals across their lineup. ARC is a full-service media research platform providing detailed station and personnel information, revenue analysis, a full CRM, as well as Nielsen data for every radio broadcast signal across America…..iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and president, COO and CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question-and-answer session during Deutsche Bank’s 30th Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference in Palm Beach, Florida on March 15 at 2:50 pm ET. A live webcast of the session will be available to the general public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website.

Russia-Ukraine War, Financial Markets/Gas Prices/Inflation, COVID-19/Florida Child Vax Policy, Anti-Lynching Act, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, and Brown Confirmation Process Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/7). The ongoing Russian attack on the Ukraine and the rest of the world’s response to it; financial markets roiled by the Ukraine war, the soaring price of gasoline at the pump and the continuing high retail prices for consumer goods; the falling rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the loosening of mask mandates, and Florida’s bucking the CDC to recommend children not get vaccinated; the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act makes lynching a federal hate crime; the battle for control of Congress in the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the Republican strategy for the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

FOX News Media Seeks Freelance Radio Anchor. This New York-based position with FOX News is as a freelance radio anchor to work on air for FOX News Radio Network/FOX News Headlines 24/7 Sirius XM Channel 115. In this role, you will work under tight deadlines and deliver top-notch newscasts. You have a passion for breaking news and the flexibility to work on a day’s notice. See more about this position and apply here.

FOX News Audio Looking for Podcast Producer. This is also a New York-based position with FOX News Audio as a podcast producer to be part of the fast-paced and growing FOX News Podcast Network. This position’s responsibility will be to develop ideas, pitch stories, and work with FOX News Channel talent in crafting daily and weekly podcasts. They will direct bookings, edit shows for broadcast, and work with production teams to create high-quality products every day. In addition to their production duties, they will also lead creative on social media posts and website write-ups to promote the products. See more about this position and apply here.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, March 7, 2022

By Editor | March 7, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: The Lightning Round. Reader warning: “Grab the arm rest!” In this week’s column, Holland Cooke admits he is “validating the consultant stereotype” by sharing “9-ideas-in-8-minutes” for sales, programming and news. Read it here.

Pending Business: King Content. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says the “sports world seems to be redefining how we view value and utilize king content” when we hear about Apple’s reported $2 billion bid for NFL games and media platforms. The NFL brand and its unique content can drive multiple platforms. What does this have to do with selling news/talk radio? Read about it here.

Cary Pahigian to Leave WBAL-AM and ’98 Rock’; Dan Joerres to Assume Radio Management. Broadcasting executive Cary L. Pahigian is leaving his role with Hearst Television Baltimore at the end of this month to explore several new professional opportunities. Pahigian has been president and general manager for the company’s two radio stations – news/talk WBAL-AM and rock WIYY-FM “98 Rock” – since 2014. Hearst will assign the radio station management duties to WBAL-TV general manager Dan Joerres. Hearst Television president Jordan Wertlieb says, “When Cary joined us eight years ago, he brought a wealth of experience at many of the nation’s most honored radio stations. His passionate advocacy for local broadcasting and his strong appreciation for broadcasters’ important community service role were hallmarks of his spectacular success in managing WBAL Radio and 98 ROCK to even greater heights. We wish him great success in his well-deserved next chapter.” Prior to joining Hearst Television, Pahigian was president and GM for Saga Communications’ nine-station Portland, Maine station group. He’s also served with WBZ-AM, Boston and WIP, Philadelphia. He comments, “I joined WBAL and 98 ROCK because of the exceptional leadership team and extraordinary culture at Hearst Television. And my longtime teammate and friend Dan Joerres epitomizes that level of managerial acumen. I know he will lead the outstanding teams throughout WBAL-TV, WBAL NewsRadio and 98 ROCK to even greater achievements. While I plan more adventures for my ongoing career, I leave Hearst with my gratitude for their support and providing me the opportunity of a lifetime.”

KRMG-FM, Tulsa Names Jen Townley Co-Host of Morning Show. Television news pro Jen Townley is named the new co-host of the “KRMG Morning News with Dan Potter” on Cox Media Group’s news/talk KRMG-FM, Tulsa. Townley most recently served as a news producer for Cox Media Group’s KOKI-TV “FOX23.” KRMG director of branding & programming Levi May says, “We’re happy to be able to hire someone who is already a part of the Cox Media Group family. We already know Jen’s skill set is top-notch. Her impressive news background and engaging personality will add depth to our content that I cannot wait to get on-air.” Dan Potter comments, “I’m thrilled to be joined by an on-air partner with the energy, experience and personality Jen has. Her connections to newsmakers through her years of experience as a senior news producer coupled with her devotion to family life – not to mention her sense of humor – make JT the perfect choice to co-host the ‘KRMG Morning News’ with me.”

Mike Gallagher Covers ‘People’s Convoy.’ Pictured above is Salem Radio Network talk host Mike Gallagher in Hagerstown, Maryland as he covered the 1,000-vehicle “People’s Convoy” that converged on the Washington, DC beltway this weekend. Gallagher recorded one-on-one interviews with convoy participants that he’ll air on his program today (3/7). Gallagher says, “My show has always believed that the most important voice we present is our listeners. So, going one-on-one with the People’s Convoy is covering an important breaking news story the mainstream media is virtually ignoring.”

New Stephen K. Bannon Show Launches on John Fredericks Media Network. Today is the launch of a new talk radio program on the John Fredericks Media Network. “War Room: Battleground,” hosted by Stephen K. Bannon is his newest daily show and airs from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET that will focus on news, analysis, and the personalities of the 2022 midterm elections. The program is being aired on all eight of Fredericks’ owned and or operated radio stations, including WJFP-AM 740/W277DL/W237EH in Philadelphia, Delaware, and South Jersey “Liberty Radio”; WJFN-AM/FM in Central and Southeast Virginia; and WMLB-AM, Atlanta, and all corresponding streams. Fredericks says, “We are very excited to add Steve Bannon’s ‘War Room: Battleground’ to our radio network lineup. This is the most critical next nine months in the nation’s history, and all of our focus is on the upcoming primaries and nomination conventions. That’s why ‘War Room: Battleground’ is critical to giving our listeners and viewers critical insight into the various candidates and their policy positions.” Bannon comments, “The MAGA movement has a unique opportunity to destroy the Democratic Party as a functioning institution during the coming midterm election on 8 November. This is the moment to relentlessly focus on the America First agenda of President Trump. ‘War Room: Battleground’ will be that platform.”

Longtime WHAS-AM, Louisville Morning Host Wayne Perkey Dies at 84. The Courier-Journal reports that former longtime WHAS-AM, Louisville morning personality Wayne Perkey died yesterday (3/6) at age 84 after complications from COVID-19. His family tells the paper that Perkey was vaccinated and boosted so they were surprised when Perkey contracted the virus. Perkey acknowledged his supporters after revealing via Facebook that he’d been hospitalized, saying, “Thanks for all the good wishes. They are taking good care of me. I am so grateful for the good wishes and prayers. These are the times when we are so grateful for our friends and family.” Longtime WHAS colleague Terry Meiners is quoted in the paper saying, “He’s the voice of a generation. The thing I want people to know about Wayne is that his effervescent personality set the tone for the whole staff at the radio station. He was the positive ray of sunshine that everyone else sort of fell in line with.” Perkey joined WHAS in 1969 and worked there until his retirement in 1999. After leaving radio, he worked selling real estate.

TALKERS News Notes. The weekend program “Intelligence Matters” from CBS News Radio is setting its sights on the war in Ukraine. This past weekend, host Michael Morell hosted Mike Vickers – former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, Special Forces officer and CIA operations officer – as the two discussed whether and how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine may have been a gross strategic miscalculation, how and when the West might have deterred his moves, and what future scenarios for the conflict exist…..Westwood One will present a broadcast slate of 23 NCAA Men’s Basketball games from Conference Championship Week as well as three broadcasts of Women’s Championship games. Westwood One’s postseason basketball coverage began last weekend and continues through Selection Sunday, with the broadcasts of the Ivy League, the SEC, and the American Athletic Championship games…..Cox Media Group Tulsa held its 3rd Annual Big Spring Clean – an annual initiative with the goal of diverting tons of items from the dump into area recycling programs. The CMG Tulsa cluster includes news/talk KRMG-FM. Market VP Cathy Gunther says, “Since the inception of this effort, CMG Tulsa and our partners have diverted more than 155 tons of trash from hitting landfills. The event is open to all Green Country residents, and we are really proud to offer this service to our community.”…..PodcastOne announces that the “Ladygang” podcast has lined up a roster of their famous friends to step up and fill in for podcast founder Becca Tobin while she’s on maternity leave. Guest hosts include Heather Dubrow, Danny Pellegrino, Jackie Schimmell, TINX, Jason Tartick, Garcelle Beauvais, Michael Yo and Josephine Skriver.

Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19/People’s Convoy, Oil Prices/Inflation, Brown SCOTUS Confirmation Process, and Deadly Iowa Tornado Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The ongoing Russian attack on the Ukraine and the rest of the world’s response to it; the falling rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the loosening of mask mandates, and the convoy of trucks and vehicles protesting mandates around Washington, DC; the soaring price of gasoline at the pump and the continuing high retail prices for consumer goods; the Republican strategy for the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson; and a tornado kills at least seven in Des Moines 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

Friday, March 4, 2022

By Editor | March 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,“Predators,” looks back at this past week of 2/28 to 3/4. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Ronn Owens, talk show host (retired), KGO, San Francisco; Chris Hansen, investigative reporter/commentator, “Predators I Have Caught with Chris Hansen”; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City/FOX News Radio; and Richard Neer, talk show host, WFAN, New York. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

RT Shuts Down American Operations. The management of RT, the international Russian government-funded television network, informed its staff of American and Russian broadcasters that it is shutting down operations of its Washington, DC-based U.S. operations, RT America, effective immediately due to the condemnation it is receiving in the United States as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The news was broken at an all-hands-on-deck staff meeting held at the network’s state-of-the-art headquarters in Washington, DC on Thursday (3/3) at 12:00 pm. Noted media consultant and TALKERS contributing columnist Holland Cooke has been hosting a weekly show on RT America titled, “The Big Picture,” since 2017. He tells his story in a TALKERS exclusive feature. Please click here.

Salem Media Group Reports 2021 Q4 Revenue Up 7.2%. Reporting its financial data for the fourth quarter of 2021, Salem Media Group reveals total revenue for the period was $69.1 million, an increase of 7.2% over the same period in 2020. Breaking the quarterly results down by segment, the company reports net broadcast revenue of $51 million, an increase of 6.1%, year-over-year. Salem’s digital media revenue was $11.6 million, up 2.9%, and publishing revenue was $6.5 million, an increase of 27.1% over Q4 of 2020. For the full year of 2021, consolidated revenue was $258.2 million, up 9.3% over the full year of 2020. Full-year net broadcast revenue was $191.4 million, a year-over-year increase of 7.5%; digital media revenue was $42.2 million, an increase of 6.5% over 2020; and publishing revenue was $24.6 million, a year-over-year increase of 33.1%. For the full year of 2021, Salem reports net income of $41.5 million compared to the net loss of $54.1 million reported for the full year of 2020.

The John Fredericks Media Network Launches ‘Liberty Radio’ Simulcast Serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware Region. Talk media personality and media operator John Fredericks announces the John Fredericks Media Network’s acquisition of the former WVCH-AM, Chester – now WJFP-AM – and translator W277DL, Malvern (103.3) in Pennsylvania and his operation of translator W237EH, Pennsauken, New Jersey (95.3) to simulcast as “Liberty Radio.” The company says the new radio signal additions to the John Fredericks Media Network will give the it enormous reach into Philadelphia, all surrounding suburbs, half of Delaware – south to Dover, all of Wilmington and most of South Jersey. Fredericks owns or operates four radio stations in Central Virginia – WJFN-AM, Chester; WJFN-FM, Goochland; and translators at 92.7 FM and 107.7 FM – as the simulcast “Newstalk WJFN.” He also owns WMLB-AM, Atlanta. “The John Fredericks Radio Show” is carried on both networks. He also hosts the television show “Outside the Beltway with John Fredericks” on Real America’s Voice News. Fredericks comments, “The acquisition of iconic radio station WVCH in greater Philadelphia and its accompanying FM translator is an essential component of our growth strategy. We want to provide our growing audience with hard-hitting news and incisive analysis to cut through the cancel culture and the woke fake news networks that dominate the airwaves today. Our proprietary network of show hosts is leading the radio industry, and our vision of all live weekday coverage and weekend live sports has resonated with both our listeners and advertisers.”

MIW’s ‘Mildred Carter Mentoring Program’ Accepting Applications. The Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. charitable organization dedicated to the advancement of female leadership in radio broadcasting, announces the opening of the application window for its 2022 Mildred Carter Mentoring Program today (3/4) through March 21, 2022. Established in 2002, MIW’s the annual mentoring initiative connects mentees with accomplished women recognized as leaders, mentors, and game-changers within all aspects of radio broadcasting. Four candidates from the radio broadcasting industry within the sales, marketing, programming, and digital disciplines will be selected for the 2022 program. MIW Board president Ruth Presslaff commented on the announcement, “We’re extremely appreciative of our sponsors, Entravision and Beasley Media Group. We look forward to welcoming our newest group of mentees, especially as we consider the data presented in our recent MIW Gender Analysis Study. There’s work to be done and we’re eager to continue our mission of mentoring!” See more about this program and apply here.

TALKERS News Notes. A deal between United Stations Radio Networks, Audacy, and AccuWeather, is extended and expanded. The new pact provides for the continuation of AccuWeather’s services on existing Audacy affiliates, and adds 14 new Audacy stations to the list of AccuWeather outlets, including FM stations in New York City, Detroit, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Buffalo…..Chicago radio personality and South Side native William J. Kelly is co-hosting a charity benefit called “Chicago Stands with Ukraine” on Friday, March 11 to benefit Nevada-based Revived Soldiers Ukraine. Kelly says, “‘The William J. Kelly Irish Hour’ on WPNA is proud to support Revived Soldiers of Ukraine and the courageous work they do. We are joining together here in the Land of Lincoln and beyond to support the brave men and women in Ukraine who are fighting and sacrificing their lives for freedom.”….. The board of trustees for Boston public media producer GBH elects Stacy L. Cowan, Susan G. Fentin, Susan X. Luo, and Lynn Perry Wooten as trustees. President and CEO Jonathan Abbott states, “GBH is fortunate to have a strong, committed group of community and business leaders dedicated to helping the organization achieve its mission. As the landscape for media evolves, we continue to rely on their expertise and leadership.”

The Russia-Ukraine Crisis Top News/Talk Story for Week of February 28-March 4. Russia’s continuing invasion of the Ukraine and the rest of the world’s response to the crisis was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, followed by the state of the U.S. economy and the soaring price of consumer goods and gasoline 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.

Bell Seeks Senior Manager, Affiliate Relations & Content. Canadian media giant Bell is looking for a senior manager, affiliate relations & content for its Orbyt Media. The company says, “We’re looking for innovative team players ready to take some of the most well-known entertainment brands in the country to the next level. Are you looking for a unique opportunity to play a critical role in content creation and syndication of programs and services across the broadcast industry? The Orbyt Media team is looking for someone who will foster and grow internal and external relationships and be bold in their idea generation and planning. Integrity and strong leadership are core attributes that are required in this role.” Find out more and apply here.

Features

Holland Cooke Exits RT America

By Editor | March 3, 2022 by Editor

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

BLOCK ISLAND, RI – How’s THAT for timing? On February 19, my bride and I jetted-off to sunny Nassau, to exhale. Airports were mobbed, with school vacation week and the Presidents’ Day holiday upon us. And unlike those sudden vacations that Fox News faux pas sometimes trigger, this getaway really was booked months in advance.

The night before, on what became my last TV show, I asked viewers “WHY DO American corporate mainstream media seem impatient for war in Ukraine?” Eager to own the story, ABC, CBS, NBC and cable news channels had been beating the drum for weeks, as President Biden told us with certainty invasion was imminent while President Putin amassed the biggest deployment since World War II. Merely “tense” when our trip began, the world was at war when we got home.

(more…)

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, March 3, 2022

By Editor | March 3, 2022 by Editor

NAB Takes Stand on Russian-Sponsored Programming. As Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine continues, the National Association of Broadcasters issues a statement from NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. He says, “The National Association of Broadcasters is a fierce defender of the First Amendment and the critical importance of the ability to freely express views, both popular and unpopular. While the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, however, it does not prevent private actors from exercising sound, moral judgment. To that end, given the unprovoked aggression exhibited by Russia against the free and sovereign people of Ukraine, NAB calls on broadcasters to cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents. While we know that airings of such programs are extremely limited, we believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe.”

FOX Audio Network and Spotify’s Megaphone Partner for Advertising & Distribution. A new partnership is announced between the new FOX Audio Network, which combines all of FOX’s news, sports, and entertainment podcasts into a scaled, diverse portfolio of original audio content, and Spotify’s Megaphone for advertising and distribution as the exclusive hosting platform for their growing slate. FOX Corp says, “The outsized reach of the FOX Audio Network’s 60-plus podcasts creates a unique opportunity for advertisers to access the broadest possible audience across all of the hottest FOX original audio content efficiently and effectively.” FOX News Media SVP, digital ad sales Dan Realson states, “The establishment of the FOX Audio Network provides unique opportunities for advertisers to reach a broad audience of our loyal podcast listeners across a diverse range of programming genres from our entire portfolio. Podcasts continue to be a popular and rapidly growing medium and we’re excited to collaborate with Spotify’s Megaphone to bring this opportunity directly to the advertising marketplace.” The press release goes on to say that FOX Audio Network advertising will be managed by the FOX ad sales team with additional inventory being sold through the Spotify Audience Network. Podcast publishing platform Megaphone will empower FOX Audio Network to monetize, measure, and grow FOX’s podcast content and audiences through best-in-class publishing and monetization tools.

Urban One 2021 Q4 Net Revenue Rises 15.3%. 2021 Fourth quarter financial data from Urban One, Inc. is being reported and the company says net revenue for the period was approximately $131.0 million, an increase of 15.3% from the same period in 2020. Broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $44.1 million, a decrease of 14.9% from the same period in 2020. For the full year of 2021, net revenue was $441.4 million, an increase of 17.3% over the full year of 2020. For 2021, Urban One posted consolidated net income of $40.7 million compared to the consolidated net loss of $6.5 million it reported for 2020. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III comments, “We had another very strong quarter, with revenue exceeding expectations, allowing us to significantly exceed our previous Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year of $140-$145 million. There was some noise in the expenses, predominantly related to returning events, TV programming amortization and annual staff bonuses, all of which were anticipated and factored into our guidance. Demand for our audience remains extremely robust across the platform, and, excluding political, advertising revenues for the quarter were up double-digit percentages in all of our operating segments. Digital revenues were up 42.9%, and we exceeded $50 million in annual digital revenue for the first time. Cable TV revenues were up 43.6% helped by strong upfront demand and higher average unit rates across both TV One and Cleo. Looking back at pre-pandemic revenues, when we aggregate our radio broadcasting, syndication, events and digital operations, net revenues were up 25% compared to Q4 2019, and Adjusted EBITDA up 21%. We expect to continue to exceed pre-pandemic revenues and Adjusted EBITDA in 2022, and this is supported by first quarter 2022 core radio pacings up low double digits, and up mid-teens including digital revenues.”

100 Points! Impossible! Yesterday, March 2, marked the 60th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary 100-point game against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. The game has taken on a mythical quality, with the details seemingly lost in the mists of time. Talk radio host and voice artist Mark Wainwright discovered that the actual backstory of the game – and how the precious final minutes of the radio broadcast were discovered and preserved – is a long saga and even more remarkable than the myth and legend. It was once thought that all evidence of one of the greatest individual performances in the history of sport was lost forever, and it almost was…except for one Philadelphia radio station and two alert listeners. Read Mark Wainwright’s complete feature story here. Photo: Paul Vathis/Associated Press

TALKERS News Notes. A new iHeartRadio original podcast debuts as “The Important Things with Bobbi Brown and Anjali Kumar” joins the company’s podcast network. The new program asks the age-old question: how can you lead a life of fulfillment? The ongoing pandemic has required us all to reexamine what matters most and prioritize what brings us true contentment. Through candid conversations with friends, thought leaders, creators and entrepreneurs, beauty industry titan Bobbi Brown and best-selling author and attorney Anjali Kumar explore the strengths, skills, habits, and mindsets that have helped their guests live their most authentic and gratifying lives. The inaugural episode will feature renowned activist Gloria Steinem, followed by upcoming guests such as designer Jennifer Fisher, soccer legends Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris, philanthropist Christy Turlington Burns and “Jeopardy” champion Amy Schneider…..SiriusXM is recognizing Women’s History Month across SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher with special themed programming and limited-engagement channels. SiriusXM will ensure “She’s Got the Mic” by raising the voices of both prolific and up-and-coming female artists in honor of Women’s History Month. Four limited-engagement music channels will launch in March, spanning genres and representing artists from across the decades, including channels curated and presented by Avril Lavigne and Maren Morris, as well as a full channel dedicated to the iconic Tina Turner. There will also be a channel devoted to the defining, female-led festival tour of the 90s, Lilith Fair…..The Freakonomics Radio network is expanding on its growth with the hiring of a new editorial director, Gabriel Roth, alongside consultant Jared Hohlt. Before joining the Freakonomics Radio team, Roth worked at Slate for seven years, where he oversaw podcasts and helped launch the groundbreaking series “Slow Burn,” along with many other shows. Roth says, “I’ve been a fan of the Freakonomics Radio team’s work for more than a decade, and I’m thrilled to get the chance to work on their terrific podcasts and help grow the network.” Hohlt, Slate’s former editor-in-chief, has also begun helping Freakonomics Radio as a part-time consultant. Roth will oversee all existing and future shows in the network, with a special concentration on the flagship show, and Hohlt is focusing especially on two new podcasts, one in the early stages and the other in piloting mode, while helping with the existing shows as well.

Russian Ukraine Invasion, COVID-19, January 6 Investigation, State of the Union, The Economy/Inflation, Midterm Elections/Trump & the GOP, and MLB Negotiations Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/2). Russia’s continuing invasion of the Ukraine and the West’s reaction; the White House issues its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan as the next step in dealing with the pandemic; the January 6 House select committee alleges that former President Donald Trump and attorney John Eastman took part in a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election; reactions to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address; the turmoil in the world’s financial markets and the soaring prices of consumer goods and gasoline; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the stalled negotiations between the MLB’s owners and players that’s put the 2022 season in jeopardy were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Features

100 Points! Impossible!

By Editor | March 2, 2022 by Editor

By Mark Wainwright
Talk Host/Voice Talent

SYRACUSE — It’s hard to believe in 2022 that NBA teams of the past struggled – sometimes desperately – to sell tickets. Decades ago, NBA clubs would often schedule “home” games in smaller nearby towns to drum up interest. That’s why the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks were playing a Philadelphia “home” game in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Friday night, March 2, 1962.

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Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, February 24, 2022

By Editor | February 24, 2022 by Editor

KOA’s Mid-Morning Host Ross Kaminsky is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. One of talk radio’s leading thinkers in the realm of economics and foreign policy, Ross Kaminsky – heard 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on iHeartMedia’s news/talk giant KOA, Denver – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Kaminsky grew up as a Navy brat and has spent most of his adult life waving his hands and yelling on the market trading floors in Chicago after studying economics, foreign policy, and politics at Columbia University. In addition, he has been to over 60 countries which adds to his perspective on a wide range of talk topics. Harrison and Kaminsky discuss a variety of current topics including the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the pandemic, political correctness, education, the economy and the changing nature of communications media. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Cumulus Media Q4 2021 Revenue Rises 2.6%. Reporting its financial data for the fourth quarter of 2021 and for the whole of 2021, Cumulus Media Inc says Q4 net revenue was $252.3 million, an increase of 2.6% over the same period in 2020. Net income for the quarter was $17.6 million compared to the net loss of $249,000 posted in Q4 of 2020. For Cumulus, digital revenue was the savior in the fourth quarter. The company reports broadcast radio spot revenue of $121.8 million, down 4.8% from Q4 of 2020, and network revenue of $71.3 million, a year-over-year decrease of 1.8%. However, digital revenue was $35 million, an increase of 47.3% compared to Q4 of 2020. Looking at the whole of 2021, net revenue was $916.4 million, up 12.3% over the whole of 2020. Broadcast radio spot revenue was up 6.1% over 2020 and network revenue was up 8.5%. Digital revenue for 2021 was $126.8 million, an increase of 47.6% over 2020. Cumulus reports net income of $17.3 million for 2021 compared to the net loss of $59.7 million it posted for 2020. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “2021 was a year of tremendous progress and accomplishment for Cumulus. We not only achieved meaningful revenue growth in core radio, delivered substantial growth in digital, and greatly improved our operating leverage through material fixed cost reductions, but we also further and significantly de-levered our balance sheet, and executed many initiatives which bolstered our position as a true audio-first media company. As we carry this momentum into 2022, we continue to see significant upside with multiple pathways to enhance shareholder value.”

Round Two of January 2022 PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s January 2022 sweep covered January 6 – February 2. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. In Washington, Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP jumps 1.6 shares to finish with an 8.0 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and rises to the #2 rank, while Cumulus Media’s crosstown news/talk WMAL-FM is flat with a 3.6 share and remains ranked #12. Bonneville’s KIRO-FM, Seattle adds three-tenths to finish with a 6.9 share and jumps to #1, while Lotus Communications’ crosstown all-news KNWN-AM/FM dips three-tenths and falls to the #5 rank with a 5.2 share. In Phoenix, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFYI shoots up 2.3 shares for a 5.7 share finish and the #3 rank as Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KTAR-FM is up a half share and climbs to the #13 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets (and yesterday’s round one) here.

Jim Bohannon Emcees Polar Plunge. Pictured above is Westwood One late night talk host Jim Bohannon serving as master of ceremonies for the annual Polar Plunge fundraiser for the Special Olympics in Westminster, South Carolina on Saturday, February 19. Bohannon said, “Air temperature? 44 degrees. Water temperature? We were afraid to check.”

TALKERS News Notes. As the conflict in the Ukraine escalates, ABC News Radio correspondent and anchor Aaron Katersky (pictured here in Lviv, Ukraine) continues to report from inside Ukraine where he’s been for the past week. Katersky also leads ABC News Radio’s live anchored coverage and is sharing his insights directly with affiliates through more than two dozen daily two-ways. Katersky’s experience as a war correspondent in network radio goes back to 2003 when he embedded with the Marines in Iraq…..At CBS News Radio, foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata co-anchored from the Ukraine “The World News Roundup” with Steve Kathan in New York. CBS says that today’s broadcast was eerily reminiscent of the origin of “The World News Roundup” which debuted 84 years ago when Nazi Germany annexed Austria in March of 1938. The broadcast, which was hosted by Robert Trout, first gave the world the voices of Edward R. Murrow and William Shirer, pioneering a top-of-the-hour news format that linked foreign correspondents around the globe with an anchor in New York City, giving listeners first-hand reporting from CBS journalists who were, and continue to be, eyewitnesses to the most important events in world history…..The Talk Shows USA-syndicated radio program “The Money Pit Home Improvement Show” adds new affiliate stations as WSGW, Saginaw, Michigan; WORK, Canandaigua, New York; WTSN, Dover, New Hampshire; and WKYX, Paducah, Kentucky pick up the program for their lineups. Show host Tom Kraeutler says, “Across the country, home improvement projects have increased as more people work from home and stay at home. The continued growth of our affiliates shows that now more than ever, ‘The Money Pit’ is a great tool for advertisers to reach active, engaged homeowners.”

WRVA, Richmond Host Jeff Katz Helps Raise Funds for Virginia Charity. Talk radio host Jeff Katz – pictured here his with daughter Julia – just finished a 36-hour fundraising blitz for The Friendship Circle of Virginia that pairs typically developing teens with disabled children. Katz says, “It’s always believed that the special needs kiddos will get the most out of the friendship that develops but the typically developing teens are the ones who always rave about the experience. These friendships last for lifetimes!” Katz says the charity does one fundraiser per year and his team – “Julia’s Jewels” was the big “winner” this year, setting a fundraising record of $21,351 in 36 hours.

GBH President Jonathan Abbott to Step Down at Year’s End. Longtime GBH president and CEO Jonathan Abbott announces he’ll step down from that post he’s held with the public media organization for 15 years at the end of 2022. GBH says that during his tenure, Abbott “reimagined the ways that GBH, the largest producer for PBS, creates and distributes content locally and nationally across new platforms, offering greater access to its award-winning journalism, educational and cultural programs for millions of Americans. He invested in public media’s essential role as a community resource, expanding coverage of local issues with the re-launch of GBH 89.7 as an audience-focused NPR news service.” Under Abbott’s leadership GBH has grown to encompass 10 digital and broadcast media channels and he’s grown the organization’s endowment from $63 million to $523 million. He comments, “The mission to share knowledge, inspire learning and strengthen community is why I’ve devoted my career to expanding the reach and impact of public media. There is no more exciting place to do this work than GBH. It has been my great privilege to work with an extraordinary group of talented and dedicated colleagues, supporting the creation of compelling, world class content and trusted journalism that helps us understand the critical issues of our times. I am grateful to our community for its enduring support of GBH and public media.”

Russia Invades Ukraine, Financial Markets/Inflation, COVID-19, Midterm Elections/Trump & the GOP, Trump Org Investigation, and Winter Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/23). The Russian military begins its move into separatist regions of the Ukraine as Vladimir Putin warns the U.S. not to interfere and former President Donald Trump praises Putin as a “genius”; the world’s financial markets reel on the news of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and soaring retail prices for consumer goods and gasoline; the falling rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the truckers’ “People’s Convoy” headed for Washington, DC; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the grand jury investigation into the Trump Organization stalls as two NYC prosecutors quit; and the frigid and snowy weather affecting much of the U.S. 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

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

By Editor | February 23, 2022 by Editor

iHeartMedia 2021 Fourth Quarter Revenue Up 14%. Reporting its financial results from the fourth quarter of 2021 and the year as a whole, iHeartMedia, Inc. says Q4 revenue was $1.06 billion, up 14% over the same period in 2020. Reporting by segment, iHeartMedia says its Digital Audio Group revenue was $273.2 million, up 59% over Q4 in 2020; Podcast Revenue was $96.6 million, an increase of 130% year over year; and Broadcast Radio revenue was $519.1 million, up 4.9%. Net income for Q4 of 2021 was $112 million compared to net income of $2.9 million in Q4 of 2020. For the whole of 2021, the company reports a net loss of $8.4 million compared to the net loss of $1.9 billion reported for all of 2020. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman states, “We are pleased to report another strong quarter and to wrap up a very strong year, further evidence of our momentum and the continuing digital transformation of iHeartMedia into a data-led, digital business with important new platforms like podcasting built on the unparalleled scale and audience reach of our broadcast radio assets. We believe that this strong performance in Q4 and full year positions us well for continued growth in 2022.”

Audacy Q4 2021 Revenue Climbs 8%. The company reveals that net revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $344.7 million, an increase of 8% over the same period in 2020, led by double digit growth in both digital and spot radio. Audacy reports that core spot revenue (local plus national excluding political) was $218.4 million, up 10% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020 while digital revenue was $68.1 million, up 16% year over year. Operating income for the quarter was $48.1 million, compared to an operating loss of $204.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Audacy reports Q4 2021 net income of $21.4 million compared to the net loss of $162.3 million reported in Q4 2020. For the whole of 2021, Audacy reports a net loss of $3.6 million compared to the net loss of $242.2 million reported for all of 2020. President and CEO David J. Field states, “In 2021, we accelerated our organizational development through a number of important strategic acquisitions, organic growth initiatives, structural improvements, and content and senior talent additions. This was also the year in which we rebranded the company to reflect our evolution into a leading, multi-platform audio content and entertainment company with scaled audience reach and important leadership positions across the full spectrum of the dynamic, growing audio market. Our 2021 acquisitions of Podcorn and AmperWave, plus BetQL just prior to the start of the year, are important additions to our capabilities that will fuel accelerated growth and enhance how we serve our listeners and customers. Audacy today is well positioned to capitalize on the exciting growth opportunities within audio at the same time as we anticipate the continuing recovery of radio ad spending. We are off to a very good start to 2022 and our team is excited about the year ahead.”

Live From Donetsk. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has escalated to the major news/talk radio topic on the table triggering a scramble for hosts to sort out the facts from the fiction as a variety of perspectives – some quite controversial – are being aired out in the national conversation. WABC, New York all-night host Frank Morano provided the listeners of his program “The Other Side of Midnight” with something to think about early Monday morning (2/21) in terms of the “other side” of the story. He conducted a long-distance, live phone interview with a man named Russell Bentley, an American expat and avowed communist who has lived in Donetsk for eight years after moving there to fight, alongside the separatists, against the Ukrainian government. Morano tells TALKERS, “I think Bentley did a good job not only describing what’s happening there with Russian troops being on the ground, but also explaining the mentality of how people there feel. I think it’s so unique compared to what folks are doing with this in talk radio. Russia’s recognition of Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic has drawn global condemnation, with the U.S. and several European countries agreeing to move quickly to respond with economic penalties. This was truly something different.” To listen to the entire interview, please click here.

Round One of January PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s January 2022 PPM survey is released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s January 2022 sweep covered January 6 – February 2. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR rose seven-tenths to a 2.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) to finish ranked #13 while Red Apple Media’s crosstown news/talk WABC-AM/WLIR-FM also rose seven-tenths to finish with a 3.0 share good for the #12 rank in the market. Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WFCS-FM, Chicago is back in the #1 spot after adding a full share for a 5.7 share finish. Across town at Nexstar’s news/talk WGN-AM, a 1.7 share increase gives the station a 5.2 share finish good for the #4 rank in the market. After a series of declines, Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta tacks on 1.1 shares for a 6.9 share finish that pushes it up to the #3 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

WOR-AM, New York Turns 100. Pictured above is the staff of iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR-AM, New York celebrating the station’s 100^th anniversary on the air. It was on February 22, 1922 that the station first went on air and the celebration included on-air reminiscences from past WOR personalities including: John R. Gambling, George Meade, Joan Hamburg, Shelly Strickler, Bill Korbel, and Daria Dolan. Above are (from l-r): assistant program director Scott Lakefield, creative services director Howard Hoffman; morning co-host Len Berman, morning show executive producer Natalie Vacca, morning co-host Michael Riedel, midday host Mark Simone, and program director Tom Cuddy.

Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Broadcast from Mar-a-Lago. The Premiere Networks nationally syndicated talk program “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” did a live remote broadcast from The Mar-a-Lago Club resort in Palm Beach on Tuesday (2/22) during which former President Donald Trump joined the program for a full hour to talk about subjects including the current crisis in Ukraine, COVID mandates, Democratic contenders in 2024, the Canadian Trucker protests, his future political goals and more. Trump also complimented the duo on the success of their show, saying “Congratulations. You’re knocking it dead. And that’s good. Rush would be proud of you.”

Michael Harrison Discusses the Concept of the “Media Station” on New Podcast. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison presents a detailed explanation of the emerging concept he calls the “media station” in the debut installment of a new podcast titled, “Masters In Media,” hosted by Mark Goldman and Ryan McCormick of the firm, Goldman/McCormick Public Relations. Harrison explains the impact multimedia cross-platform branding is having on 20^th century analog entities such as radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, magazines, movie theaters and record companies. He states, “All these different entities operated within their own lanes and were quite isolated from each other in terms of their mother platforms. Now there is no solitary mother platform for any media organization and companies cannot put all their ‘eggs in one basket.’ Today’s radio station is actually a media station. So are today’s newspapers and the like. They are all in the business of producing and distributing audio, video, graphics, text, information and entertainment.” Harrison also discusses what it takes to make it these days as a radio talk show host. Don’t miss this! To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

TALKERS News Notes. Radio syndication pro Adam Wilbur is promoted to SVP of affilaites sales & operations at Compass Media Networks. Wilbur continues to be based out of the company’s Los Angeles office and continues to spearhead the company’s affiliate sales, affiliate marketing, affiliate technical operations, and select content relationships. He says, “This 13-year journey has been an incredible ride. Thank you to all the hosts, producers, colleagues, affiliates and potential affiliates that make each day unique and unpredictable. I love it.”…..CNN Audio expands its podcast programming with the upcoming debut of “Diversifying” on February 28. Fostering insightful discussions about how the financial system can work for us, instead of against us, host Delyanne Barros creates a welcome space for people of color, women, single households, and others who have traditionally been left out of conversations around personal finance. Throughout the series, Barros speaks with real people, as well as with money experts, who are faced with the challenge of balancing cultural expectations with their own financial needs. Whether that’s struggling to negotiate pay as a woman of color, or supporting one’s parents as they enter retirement, “Diversifying” offers listeners actionable steps toward better financial health, all while validating struggles with money, no matter what the starting point.

Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19, SCOTUS Trump Ruling, Midterm Elections/Trump & the GOP, Arbery Verdict/Floyd Case, Inflation/The Economy, and Winter Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/22). The Western condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine incursion after his recognition of separatist provinces; the slowing rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., Canada’s prosecution of trucker protesters, and threats of a trucker protest in Washington, DC; the Supreme Court rules against Donald Trump in his bid to keep his records from the January 6 committee; November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the jury deliberates in the federal hate crime trial of the three men found guilty if killing Ahmaud Arbery; the soaring rate of inflation and the sliding financial markets; and the frigid winter weather affecting much of the U.S. 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

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

By Editor | February 16, 2022 by Editor

MIW Reveals Gender Analysis Study Results. The Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio organization reveals the results of the 22^nd MIW Gender Analysis Study that tracks the progress of female professionals holding general manager, sales manager, and program director/brand manager titles. MIW says the study reflects data from the calendar year 2021 and was accounted for by PrecisionTrak. In the general manager category, women hold the position at 20.79% of U.S. radio stations. This is an increase of almost a full percentage point from 2020, which was 19.9%. Notably, this number continues to show consistent growth from 2004, when the percentage of female general managers was only 14.9%. Looking at sales managers, 33.59% of stations had a woman in the position last year. MIW says the management position that poses the greatest challenge for women is program director/brand manager. Only 12.09% of U.S. stations had women in the position in 2021, versus 12.2% in 2020. MIW board president Ruth Presslaff says, “If the glass is half full we should celebrate any upward movement, even if it’s incremental, as jobs continue to be eliminated in the continuing pandemic. However, it’s disappointing that the glass isn’t filling faster for those in programming and MIW is paying close attention to this issue. We encourage you to register at radiomiw.com to learn about our multiple opportunities for mentoring and career development!”

iHeartMedia to Celebrate WOR, New York’s 100^th Anniversary. WOR-AM, New York owner iHeartMedia is preparing to celebrate the news/talk station’s 100^th anniversary of its first broadcast on February 22, 1922. Next Tuesday (2/22), “Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning” will kick off the tribute by interviewing on-air hosts from WOR’s history to share memories of their time at the station. WOR will also air audio of historic moments and invite listeners to call in with their favorite WOR recollections. On February 23, the Empire State Building will light up in the colors of the station’s logo beginning at 5:40 pm. WOR program director Tom Cuddy says, “A station broadcasting for over a century is truly incredible. 710 WOR has a strong connection with the communities we serve, and as the media landscape continues to evolve, it’s exciting to see our reach has continued to grow as WOR listeners adopt streaming on smart devices and the iHeartRadio app.” WOR was initially launched to sell radios and other merchandise at Bamberger’s department store in Newark, New Jersey.

Talk Host Mark Kaye Announces 15-Year-Old Sickle Cell Patient as New Voice of the Program. WOKV-FM, Jacksonville-based, syndicated radio talk show host Mark Kaye (left) names 15-year-old Quincy Chapman (right) the new voice of “The Mark Kaye Show.” Kaye met Chapman during his “Kaye’s Kids” charity event called “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Kaye says, “Every Christmas we surprise local children who are battling life-threatening illnesses with dream gifts. This past December, Quincy was one of those kids.” Chapman suffers from the painful Sickle Cell Disease that’s required several blood transfusions, spleen removal, and a recent hip transplant. “Quincy lives in constant pain,” says Kaye. “But you would never know it if you met him. He has an incredible personality, an amazing smile, and as soon as he spoke on the air we were blown away by the power of his voice. He sounds incredible!” After being at the station, Chapman posted a message on Instagram describing how much fun he had on the show and how he was “hooked” on radio. Kaye saw the post and came up with the idea of bringing him back into the studio to record elements for his show. Kaye says, “As soon as he walked in the studio you could tell by the look on his face how happy it made him. We asked him to record some liners and promos for us. Dude was a natural.”

Alpha Media’s Chris Schmidt Named NSMA’s Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year. Lincoln, Nebraska radio personality Chris Schmidt is named the National Sports Media Association’s 2021 Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year. Schmidt serves with Alpha Media’s news/talk KFOR-AM and sports talk KLMS-AM as play-by-play announcer, host of the “Hail Varsity” program, and cast member of the “KFOR Morning Show.” Alpha Media Lincoln market manager Katie Philipi says, “Chris is an exceptional broadcaster and his passion cannot be rivaled. He is so deserving of this award. The entire Alpha Lincoln family celebrates his achievement.” Schmidt comments, “I’m humbled and honored by this award. Thank you to the many folks I have worked with over the years and get to work with today. I have fun going to ‘work’ every day, talking about news and sports.”

Edison Research to Host Black Podcast Listener Report Networking Event. On February 28, Edison Research is hosting an online “networking” event to further the discussion of the results of the Black Podcast Listener Report it, SXM Media, and Mindshare released in October of 2021. Edison says the virtual event will give podcasters and other interested parties a chance to network and discuss various relevant podcast topics, such as key findings from the Black Podcast Listener Report, feedback for the next report, and other topics helpful to creators in the space. The study participants consisted of over 2,500 Black Americans age 18+. It concluded that 36% of Black Americans now listen to podcasts monthly. Black listeners are closing the gap with the general market. In 2020, 17% of Black Americans were listening to podcasts weekly, compared with 24% of all Americans. Just a year later, the number of weekly Black listeners jumped to 26% (while the general market grew slightly to 28%). Also, 42% of Black monthly podcast listeners say they’ve been streaming shows for one year or less. You can read the report here and you can register for the networking event here.

Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19, Durham Probe, S.F. School Board Recall, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Palin-NYTimes Case, Alec Baldwin Suit, and Beijing Winter Olympics Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/15). The threat of war over Russia’s military buildup at the Ukraine border; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the planned relaxing of mask mandates in numerous states, and the truckers’ protests; special counsel John Durham’s investigation into allegations of Hillary Clinton’s digital spying on Donald Trump; the successful recall of three liberal San Francisco School Board members; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; a judge tosses Sarah Palin’s defamation suit against The New York Times; Alec Baldwin is sued in connection with the shooting death on the Rust set; and the politics behind the Beijing Winter Olympics 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, February 15, 2022

By Editor | February 15, 2022 by Editor

Hepola Out at WCCO-AM, Minneapolis. According to a report by Bring Me the News, late morning talk host Cory Hepola has exited Audacy’s news/talk WCCO-AM, Minneapolis. Hepola began hosting the show in January of 2019 after a career that included a four-year stint with KARE-TV as host of “KARE 11 Sunrise.” Audacy has not commented publicly about Hepola’s exit. He said after his departure that his work at WCCO changed his life “in positive ways that I didn’t expect.” He also wrote, “I felt the pressure from the start. I mean, this was a huge risk; I was giving up a successful career (in TV) I’d worked so hard for – to move into something new. What if I was a disappointment? What if I said something wrong? What if they fired me?” His last day on the show was February 8, the same day he told Minnesota Public Radio reporter Brian Bakst that he’s considering a run for governor of Minnesota. Since February 9, Blois Olson has been hosting the 9:00 am to 12:00 noon show.

Radio Executive Ray Quinn Announces Retirement. After a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Ray Quinn is retiring from his position as area president for iHeartMedia’s Alabama area, effective, March 22, 2022. Quinn has been with iHeartMedia for 14 years. He has held leadership positions at several stations throughout his extensive career, including vice president/market manager for KOSI-FM, KALC-FM, and KQMT-FM in Denver; WMYX-FM, WXSS-FM, and WSSP-AM in Milwaukee; WOLX-FM, WMMM-FM, and WBZU-FM in Madison; and many more. The governor of Kentucky also recognized Quinn as a Kentucky Colonel for participating in numerous charitable projects in his community. He was awarded the March of Dimes “Order of the Battered Boot” for walkathon fundraising efforts over the years. iHeartMedia division president Shosh Abromovich says, “Ray is one of a kind. He is known as a unicorn of a leader with his passion, enthusiasm and constant innovative thinking. He has impacted so many of our lives in this industry for the better. We are beyond thankful for the many years Ray has led our teams and are truly excited for him to enjoy this next chapter of his life.” Quinn states, “It’s been an amazing 51 years in radio and 14 years with iHeartMedia. Along the way, I’ve worked for and with some of the most intelligent people in the business and I am grateful to iHeartMedia for allowing me to lead multiple markets in the Southeast. While I will miss my team and the day-to-day battles, it’s time to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders.”

TALKERS News Notes. The Central Florida operations of iHeartMedia is presenting the Florida Jobs Now Career Expo, an onsite resource event connecting job seekers to companies with exciting opportunities and benefits. The event will be held on Thursday, March 3 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm and attendees will have the opportunity to meet with companies throughout Central Florida offering hundreds of positions, as well as attend resume writing and interview preparedness workshops. iHeartMedia Orlando/Melbourne area president Barbara Latham says, “We look forward to bringing this important career event to Central Florida. As a business ourselves serving our local community here in central Florida, we recognize the significant need from our business partners to fill job openings. We feel uniquely poised to help connect these businesses with people living or moving to central Florida as an essential part of our efforts in our local communities.”…..Cumulus Media announces that it has entered into an exclusive long-term agreement for WNAM-AM, Appleton-Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to remain the official radio broadcast home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the High-A affiliate of the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers. This year will be the 13th season that the Timber Rattlers have been broadcast on WNAM, with 23-year play-by-play voice Chris Mehring calling the action….. In advance of the 64th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday (2/20), Motor Racing Network announces additions to its content lineup and award-winning team of announcers. NASCAR Cup Series Championship winning crew chief, Todd Gordon joins MRN after 11 years with Team Penske. Gordon will provide race analysis on select NASCAR broadcasts and will be MRN’s competition and strategy expert across Motor Racing Network’s NASCAR programming. Suzy Armstrong will serve as host of MRN’s signature show “NASCAR TODAY.” The program is heard daily on 280 radio stations across the country in afternoon drive. During her two decades plus with the network Suzy has contributed her familiar voice to several shows and podcasts.

Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19 Mandates-Protests, Durham Probe, Inflation/Financial Markets, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Palin-NYTimes Case, Beijing Olympics, and Rams Win Super Bowl Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/14). The diplomatic tensions over Russia’s military buildup at the Ukraine border; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the planned relaxing of mask mandates in numerous states, and the truckers’ protests; special counsel John Durham’s investigation into allegations of Hillary Clinton’s digital spying on Donald Trump; the still-soaring inflation and the activity on the world’s financial markets; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; a judge says he’ll toss Sarah Palin’s defamation suit against The New York Times; the politics behind the Beijing Winter Olympics; and the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI 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, February 14, 2022

By Editor | February 14, 2022 by Editor

Report: Ryan Maguire to Lead Programming at Good Karma’s WTMJ and WKTI in Milwaukee. According to a report by Chicago media writer Robert Feder, radio programming pro Ryan Maguire is moving from his role as executive producer of the Chicago White Sox Radio Network at WMVP, Chicago “ESPN 1000” to the Milwaukee operations of Good Karma Brands where he’ll serve as director of content for news/talk WTMJ and sports talk WKTI-FM “ESPN Milwaukee.” Maguire is quoted in Barrett Sports Media saying, “I’m going to miss working with everyone in the Windy City; in particular, Len Kasper, Darrin Jackson, Connor McKnight and our entire team that put White Sox radio broadcasts together this past season. I’m happy to call them lifelong friends.”

Monday Memo: Talk Topic Two-fer. “Making the phone ring today will be easy,” consultant Holland Cooke reckons, predicting lots of calls about the Super Bowl (commercials). But next Monday, Presidents Day, is a holiday for many “whose habit listening will be disrupted.” So, in this week’s column, HC details two sure-fire call-in topics for next Monday. Read it here.

Pending Business: A Customer-centric Pitch. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says he recently saw a sign in a New York dry-cleaner/laundry window that proclaimed, “We do a better shirt.” The sign then explained the seven reasons this was true in clear, simple language. “The real lesson here is how elegantly simple this merchant crafted a customer-centric ‘pitch’ that showed the difference and advantage of buying the service they offered versus the competitors down the block and across the street.” Is your pitch to radio advertising prospects as customer-focused? Read more here.

Longtime Detroit Talk Radio Personality Frank Beckmann Dead at 72. Almost a year after retiring from Cumulus Media’s news/talk WJR-AM, Detroit, Frank Beckmann has died at the age of 72. Cumulus says Beckmann died on Saturday evening. In January 2021, the WJR late morning host announced his retirement after a 48-year radio career in Detroit. He hosted “The Frank Beckmann Show” on weekdays from 9:00 am-12:00 noon for 18 years prior to his retirement. Beckmann was recognized as Michigan’s top sportscaster for his work as the only person to broadcast games for all four of Detroit’s major sports teams and his creation of Detroit’s first sports talk show, “Sportswrap,” in 1981. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and was also inducted into the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the VIP Mentoring Coaches Challenge Hall of Fame. In 1981, he succeeded Bob Ufer as the University of Michigan football play-by-play announcer, a job he did for 33 seasons. Over the course of his storied career, Beckmann helped raise tens of millions of dollars for Detroit area charities, including: The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund; Dutton Farm, which serves those with Down Syndrome; the Autism Alliance of Michigan; and numerous other nonprofit organizations. Beckmann was also a longtime major supporter of the March of Dimes and hosted an annual golf tournament fundraiser for the charity for 37 years. Fellow WJR personality Paul W. Smith commented, “In all my years of broadcasting and all the people I’ve had the privilege of working with, Frank Beckmann was one of a kind. All of us at WJR, and for that matter, all of Detroit, have been lucky to have him.”

WINA, Charlottesville Host Rob Schilling Sues Congressional Democrats Over Records Request. According to a story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, WINA-AM/W255CT, Charlottesville midday talk show host Rob Schilling is suing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House clerk Cheryl L. Johnson and chief administrative officer of the U.S. House Catherine Szpindor alleging they denied him public records related to climate change hearings. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in D.C., says Schilling’s request for documents related to House Committee on Oversight & Reform called “Fueling the Climate Crisis: Exposing Big Oil’s Disinformation Campaign to Prevent Climate Action” have been ignored or he’s been told no such records exist. Schilling’s complaint includes allegations that “the committee’s investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s climate disinformation campaign” is not in furtherance of Congress’ duty. He also argues that it appears “consultants were hired without following the process set forth in the House rules.” The Times-Dispatch story says no hearings related to this suit are currently scheduled.

WTOP, Washington to Debut ‘DMV Download’ in April. A new, daily local podcast from Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP, Washington will launch in April. WTOP says “DMV Download” is “the first local daily podcast that dives deeper into the biggest and most interesting news stories impacting Washingtonians – from Anacostia to Ashburn, Silver Spring to Upper Marlboro.” The program is hosted by WTOP investigative reporter Megan Cloherty and WTOP producer Luke Garrett. WTOP director of content integration and operations Craig Schwalb states, “Launching the DMV Download highlights WTOP’s continued focus on innovation with an investment in two accomplished and respected journalists excited to bring a fresh, local news podcast to life for the DC area.” Cloherty adds, “In 20 minutes, we’ll offer listeners context on the day’s biggest stories, going past the headlines with our deep bench of sources and reporters. In my mind, if we can wrap up your workday with dependable, interesting content about our community, we’ve done our job.”

TALKERS News Notes. Boston public news/talk outlet WGBH-FM announces what it is calling “a reimagined ‘Morning Edition’ with co-hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel. GBH News says alongside the NPR “Morning Edition” broadcast, Alston and Siegel “will bring audiences into the center of these stories, adding local context and depth.” GBH general manager of news Pam Johnston says, “Our audiences have told us that mornings matter most when it comes to news. This is when people seek out the information they need to get them going and set the tone for the day ahead. Paris and Jeremy have the intelligence, energy and authenticity we need to start our mornings right. I know local audiences will relate to their informative and dynamic style.”…..Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios announces the debut of the new five-part podcast series “Love Thy Neighbor,” that looks at the 1991 Crown Heights riots. Emmy-award winning journalist Collier Meyerson hosts the show that explores the lasting impact those four days of violence had on Crown Heights residents and the future of New York City. Through deeply personal, new and archival interviews with residents, scholars, and activists, “Love Thy Neighbor” will show how those four days in 1991 were a flashpoint that shaped a dark new era of politics, policing, anti-semitism and anti-Black racism in New York City.

Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19/Trucker Protest, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Crime Wave-Violence Against Cops, January 6 Investigation, Beijing Olympics, and Super Bowl LVI Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The diplomatic tensions over Russia’s military buildup at the Ukraine border; the relaxing of COVID-19 mandates and the dismantling of the Freedom Convoy blocking the bridge from Windsor to Detroit; the battle for control over Congress in the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the wave of violent crime in America’s large cities and the spate of violence against cops; the investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack and the search for Trump administration records; the politics surrounding the Beijing Winter Olympics; and the Los Angeles Ram’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI 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

Thursday, February 10, 2022

By Editor | February 10, 2022 by Editor

WRVA, Richmond Talk Mainstay Jeff Katz is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. One of the elite local hosts in talk radio, Jeff Katz – heard 3:00-6:00 pm daily on WRVA, Richmond – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Katz has been a radio talk show host since the early 1990s on major stations in Boston, Hartford, Charlotte, Philadelphia and currently in Richmond since 2013. He grew up in Philadelphia and was aiming for a career as an attorney until his father suffered a heart attack that set him on a different path so that he could help support his family. Katz graduated at the top of his police academy class and then served as a police officer in Philadelphia until he traded in his badge for a microphone and started his broadcasting odyssey. He’s a fan favorite in Richmond and his program has repeatedly been chosen as the best afternoon radio show by the readers of Richmond Magazine and STYLE Weekly. In 2020, the Richmond Times-Dispatch named Katz the “Best Afternoon Radio Show” in Central Virginia. Over the years, Jeff has volunteered thousands of hours to help members of the local community with a special focus on law enforcement officers and disabled children. He and his wife are parents of a disabled child and that experience has had a tremendous impact on their lives and on Katz’s work. Michael Harrison describes Katz as “one of talk radio’s true humanitarians and an inspirational role model for us all.” President Trump honored Katz by presenting him with the President’s Award for Volunteer Service. In addition, FBI Director Christopher Wray honored him as the recipient of The Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2019. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation in which Harrison and Katz discuss the state of the radio business, politics, parenting, law enforcement and the art of “keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground.” To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Ramsey Solutions Presents ‘Money & Marriage’ Livestream Event. Ahead of Valentine’s Day on Monday, Ramsey Solutions is presenting a livestream event called “Money & Marriage.” The press release says, “Marriage isn’t for the faint of heart. Whether it’s lack of communication, financial stress or a difference in parenting, marital strain is inevitable. But Ramsey Solutions wants to equip couples with the tools to build a stronger relationship.” The Friday 7:00 pm ET event will feature Rachel Cruze and mental health expert Dr. John Delony “for an evening of laughter and intentional conversation. Couples can enjoy this date night from home, all while covering topics ranging from fear avoidance to the importance of practicing connection.” Cruze says, “What you have to understand, first and foremost: it’s nearly impossible to win with money when you’re not on the same page as your spouse. Coming together practically and emotionally not only unifies you but gets you to your goals faster.” Tickets for the event can be had here.

Richardson and Gallant to Replace Charlie Pallilo at KFNC-FM, Houston. The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Young reports that Gow Media is naming Vanessa Richardson and Paul Gallant hosts of the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon program on sports talk KFNC-FM. This comes a day after longtime market sports personality Charlie Pallilo announced he is no longer with the station. Richardson is a former KPRC-TV sports anchor and reporter and Gallant previously served as a host at iHeartMedia’s crosstown KILT-AM “SportsRadio 610.” Richardson will be the only woman working in sports radio in Houston. She says, “I’ve wanted to host a show for a long time and I’m SO excited to do that on ESPN radio in Houston.”

Tee Gentry and Beasley Announce Renewal Deal. Programming pro Tee Gentry and Beasley Media Group announce they have signed a multiyear renewal deal for Gentry to continue with the company. Gentry, who has been with the company for the past 26 years, currently serves as Beasley’s vice president of brand strategies and regional operations manager of its Augusta, Georgia and Fayetteville, North Carolina radio clusters. Beasley chief content officer Justin Chase says, “Tee is one of the most brilliant programmers that I’ve had the opportunity to work with. During his many years with the company in markets like Augusta, Fayetteville, and Tampa, he’s only had success. We’re lucky to lock Tee in for another multiyear deal!” Gentry says, “It’s an absolute privilege to work with [regional VP] Kent Dunn and the incredible people in Augusta and Fayetteville. They are what local radio is all about! I look forward to continuing to be a part of the Beasley Media Group family for years to come.”

Salem Radio Network’s Larry Elder Featured in Newsweek Feature Story. The February 18 issue of Newsweek features the cover story, “The Rise of Black Conservatives: Will the GOP’s Bet Pay Off?” that includes Salem Radio Network talk host Larry Elder, among other Black conservatives such as media figure Candace Owens, Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, and Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker. Elder, who was the highest vote-getter in the recent recall election of California Governor Gavin Newsom, is quoted in the piece saying, “Donald Trump, to a greater degree than any Republican presidential candidate that I’ve seen, went to the inner city and tried to get Black votes. The message is this: Don’t act as if Black people cannot be convinced. They can be. Don’t condescend. Tell the truth. Talk about the issues, talk about how these issues benefit you.” Elder is also quoted saying the GOP needs to continue to work to attract Black voters. “Do I think that the Republican Party has done a poor job of marketing itself to Black voters? I do. They have written off Black people or they’ve assumed they’re going to vote for the Democratic Party.”

TALKERS News Notes. Sports talk legend Chris “Mad Dog” Russo – heard nationally on SiriusXM Radio – will again join ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on the “First Take” program on Wednesday February 16. ESPN says Russo will then return for weekly appearances every Wednesday beginning March 2. In January, Russo and Smith debated Barry Bonds’ Hall of Fame campaign and the episode turned out to be the show’s most-watched episode ever. ESPN EVP and executive editor Norby Williamson says, “We couldn’t be more excited to add another marquee name in Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to our weekly rotating lineup and further build this momentum going forward, providing viewers with the best possible debates, topics and content.”…..Cumulus Media and DCP Entertainment announce that the new season of DCP’s podcast “democracy-ish” on the Cumulus Podcast Network will feature Wajahat “Waj” Ali as the new co-host alongside veteran host Danielle Moodie. Cumulus says, “The podcast hosts aim to keep it real, blunt, and entertaining as they discuss how to achieve a multiracial democracy, cover all the ground left behind by mainstream media, and seek to make sense of the nonsense.”…..Award-winning reporter Nate Hegyi joins New Hampshire Public Radio as host and senior producer of “Outside/In,” the program that delves into the natural world and how we use it. Hegyi most recently worked as a reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, a consortium of NPR member stations covering the region. NHPR president and CEO Jim Schachter says, “‘Outside/In’ is well on its way to becoming a leading national source of engaging, empowering environmental journalism. With Nate as host, the show can build a community of people across the United States and beyond who care deeply about the natural world and humankind’s responsibility for it.”…..WMFE and WMFV, the NPR affiliates serving the Orlando area and nine counties across Central Florida, name longtime public media journalist and consultant Judith Smelser president and general manager. Smelser has served as WMFE/WMFV’s interim president and general manager since September 2021 and has a long history with the station as an award-winning reporter from 2004-2007, and then news director until 2011, before she was recruited away by Colorado Public Radio in Denver.

COVID-19/Freedom Convoy, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Inflation, Cheney-Kinzinger Censure, Ukraine Tensions, Social Media & Cancel Culture, Beijing Olympics, and Super Bowl LVI Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/9). The rate of COVID-29 cases in the U.S., plans to pull back mask mandates in numerous states, and the Canadian truckers’ Freedom Convoy; the battle for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the U.S. is set to record the highest rate of inflation in 40 years; the GOP’s internal squabble over the RNC’s intent to censure Senators Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for criticizing Trump’s January 6 actions; the diplomatic tensions between Russia and the West over the Russian military presence at the Ukraine border; the politics of social media platform rules and Spotify’s tightrope walk over Joe Rogan’s popular podcast and its critics; the controversies at the Beijing Winter Olympics; and the buildup to Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI 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

Thursday, February 3, 2022

By Editor | February 3, 2022 by Editor

WTOP, Washington’s Joel Oxley Testifies on Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. At a Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC on Wednesday (2/2), numerous media executives provided testimony as the subcommittee considers the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act that “creates a four-year safe harbor from antitrust laws for print, broadcast, or digital news companies to collectively negotiate with online content distributors (e.g., social media companies) regarding the terms on which the news companies’ content may be distributed by online content distributors.” Joel Oxley, general manager of Hubbard Radio’s WTOP-FM, Washington, DC testified on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters. He said, “Quality journalism delivered through our uniquely free service has only been made possible over many decades through advertising revenues. As you all are aware, these revenues have experienced a free-fall in recent years, due almost exclusively to the rapid, often anticompetitive, expansion of the dominant online platforms who have upended the advertising marketplace. The market power of the tech platforms undermines the online advertising model for local broadcast journalism in two important ways. First, the tech platforms’ role as content gatekeepers stifles our ability to generate user traffic. Second, anticompetitive terms of service and a ‘take it or leave it’ approach leave local broadcasters with a below-market sliver of those advertising revenues derived through their products. For local broadcasters and our viewers and listeners who rely on quality journalism, this is a real catch-22: To attract online user traffic, we must be accessible through the major platforms, yet the terms of access dictated by the online platforms devalue our product. For example, not only is WTOP not being compensated by Facebook and Google for its content, WTOP is actually paying to make sure its content is being accessed on their platforms.” He added, “The dominant online platforms have flourished, siphoning off huge amounts of advertising revenues that are the lifeblood of free, local journalism. Consider the big storm that just blew through the Northeast over the weekend – a nor’easter and blizzard conditions. Tons of work at a lot of cost and time for local broadcasters to cover it for millions of people. But not for Facebook, Google and the like. They simply take our coverage and profit from it, and virtually nothing comes back to us. But without local news, my guess is a lot of people would have not evacuated places like Cape Cod last weekend, and lives would have been risked. We just can’t have that.” You can read his complete testimony here.

Erick Erickson Show Adds New Affiliates; Reports Ratings Growth. Nationally syndicated talk radio personality Erick Erickson announces the addition of two new affiliate stations as Audacy’s KXNT, Las Vegas and Willamette Broadcasting’s KYKN, Salem, Oregon add the show to their program schedules. The show says, “In every Nielsen PPM market carrying his show, either live or delayed, Erickson is generating higher ratings than the show he replaced, including Rush Limbaugh’s show in Atlanta, Georgia on Erickson’s flagship station, WSB Radio. Erickson is also seeing robust digital growth. From June to December 2021, Erickson’s live-streaming audience increased 339% and his podcast audience grew 188%.”

Terry Foxx Named to Programming Role at Public Outlet KUT, Austin. Radio programming pro Terry Foxx is joining public radio station KUT, Austin as director of programming and audience. The organization says Foxx will oversee KUT 90.5’s on-air programming and KUT and KUTX Studios’ podcast strategy. He will collaborate with the KUT newsroom and sister station KUTX 98.9, the Austin Music Experience, on developing audience-centered engagement strategies and expanding KUT’s reach. Foxx has most recently been serving as brand manager for Radio One’s sports talk WFNZ-AM, Charlotte and sister AC WLNK-FM. KUT and KUTX general manager Debbie Hiott comments, “Terry has deep knowledge and experience when it comes to identifying and expanding audiences. He grew up in Texas, has always had family in Austin, and understands how KUT can serve our community. With those things he will help us develop and provide programming that reaches into new areas important to Central Texas.” Foxx says, “KUT has a rich heritage and is part of the fabric of Central Texas. I look forward to joining the strong team at KUT and engaging new listeners in creative ways.”

BIN: Black Information Network Names Andrea Coleman News Director; Ramses Ja to Host New Daily Podcast. News pro Andrea Coleman is promoted from news anchor to news director for iHeartMedia’s BIN: Black Information Network. In this new role, Coleman will be responsible for leading day-to-day newsroom operations, reporter and anchor development, and coordinating live news and specialty programming. She’ll be based in Atlanta, reporting to Tanita Myers, VP/news operations for the Black Information Network. Coleman joined iHeartMedia as an anchor/reporter for the Black Information Network in the summer of 2020. She says, “I welcome the opportunity to serve as news director of the Black Information Network and to continue to be a part of the dynamic team of Black professionals who have made the Network a relevant, trusted source of news and information for our community. We look forward to keeping our listeners informed and educated on all matters important to the Black experience.” BIN: Black Information Network also announces that media personality Ramses Ja is joining the Network as the host of the new daily podcast, “Our Daily Story with Ramses Ja.” The program will feature Black journalists from across America telling the most meaningful stories of the day, from their perspective. The daily talk show-style podcast will premiere later this month, with new episodes launching every weekday morning. Ja says, “I’m excited to be partnering with BIN: Black Information Network. This partnership helps show the company’s commitment to helping create a more equitable experience for Black people in this country, and the other projects we have in the works are also sure to continue that trend.” BIN: Black Information Network president Tony Coles comments, “As BIN: Black Information Network continues to grow, I am thrilled to have Ramses Ja and Andrea Coleman as part of our team. They are incredibly talented, with proven track records, and dedication to delivering significant and trusted news coverage to the Black community. I know they will contribute to the network’s mission and ongoing success.”

Newsmax Claims Big Ratings for Trump Rally Coverage. Citing Nielsen data from last weekend, Newsmax says it was the big ratings winner with its exclusive cable coverage of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Texas. Newsmax reports “some 2.9 million cable viewers tuned in to watch the event live from Conroe — and 1.1 million of them were adults ages 35-64, the demographic craved by advertisers… though Newsmax is carried in 20 million fewer homes than FOX, total audience impressions for both networks during Trump’s speech was almost at parity, both drawing around 1.4 million viewers per minute, according to Nielsen.” Newsmax points to a piece in Business Insider that said, “Newsmax’s audience skyrockets during Trump rallies that other networks, including FOX News, ignore.’” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy comments, “We can’t speak to FOX News’ decisions, but we believe this rally was a significant news event that was worthy of coverage.”

TALKERS News Notes. Former WIBC, Indianapolis talk host Greg Garrison has filed papers to run for prosecutor of Hamilton County, Indiana. According to the Indianapolis Star, the 74-year-old Garrison will face off against three-term Republican prosecutor D. Lee Buckinham in the primary. Garrison, who also had a long career as a personal injury lawyer, retired from his radio program in 2017. He was part of the prosecution team that helped convict boxer Mike Tyson of rape charges in 1992…..Reporter Mara Hoplamazian is named New Hampshire Public Radio’s energy and environment reporter, a role in which they will anchor NHPR’s “By Degrees” climate reporting initiative. NHPR news director Dan Barrick says, “Awareness and dialogue are the best tools we have to fight climate change. The work of journalists such as Mara are crucial not simply to inform but to create awareness of what is at risk, and what we can do together.” Hoplamazian came to NHPR as the Barbara and Dick Couch Fellow. Before joining NHPR, Hoplamazian worked as an investigative reporting intern at The Sacramento Bee and a media intern at the Smithsonian Institution.

Trump & the GOP/Midterm Elections, January 6 Investigation, Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19, Spotify’s Joe Rogan Controversy, Whoopi Goldberg Suspension, Financial Markets/Economy, CNN’s Zucker Resigns, Beijing Olympics, Winter Weather, and Washington Football Team Reveals New Name Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/2). Former President Donald Trump’s influence within the GOP and November’s midterm elections; the investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack; diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the latter’s military build-up at the Ukraine border; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and abroad and mask & vaccine mandates; the controversy over artists pulling their music from Spotify because of the conspiratorial tone of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast; ABC is slammed for suspending Whoopi Goldberg over her holocaust comments; the world’s financial markets and concerns about the COVID-hampered U.S. economy; Jeff Zucker resigns from CNN after failing to acknowledge his romantic relationship with an employee; the political aspects of the Beijing Winter Olympics; severe winter weather affecting much of the U.S.; and reactions to the NFL’s Washington franchise revealing its new Commanders moniker were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, January 28, 2022

By Editor | January 28, 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 magazine, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Back in the USSR,” looks back at this past week of 1/24 to 1/28. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, TALKERS executive editor, John Batchelor, talk show host, CBS Radio; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City; Victoria Jones, executive director/commentator, DC Radio Company; Josh Hammer, opinion editor/podcaster, Newsweek; and Nanette Holt, reporter, The Epoch Times. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; KBKW, Aberdeen, WA; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio, UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Bonneville Names Sean Thompson PD for ‘Arizona Sports.’ Sports radio pro Sean Thompson is named program director for Bonneville’s Phoenix sports talk properties, KMVP-FM “98.7 FM Arizona Sports” and KTAR-AM “ESPN 620 Phoenix.” Thompson comes to Bonneville from his most recent position as assistant brand manager for Audacy’s WZGC-FM, Atlanta “92.9 FM The Game.” Thompson comments, “It was going to need to be the ultimate opportunity for me to leave ‘The Game’ and I’ve found it. With the talented talk shows, flagship relationships with all the local teams and full commitment to digital content, the potential for the ‘Arizona Sports’ super brand is limitless.” Bonneville Phoenix SVP and market manager Ryan Hatch adds, “Sean is the perfect person to lead ‘Arizona’s Sports Station’ to new heights. He is strategic, creative, collaborative and we can’t wait to see what he will do to continue to grow the ‘Arizona Sports’ brand on all channels.” Thompson takes over for Rod Lakin, who assumed the brand manager post with Audacy’s sports talk WIP, Philadelphia in October.

KFI-AM Launches Weekly Show with LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. Los Angeles news/talk KFI-AM announces the return of the weekly radio program, “Live and Unscripted with LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.” The iHeartMedia station will air the program on Sundays from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm from its studios in Burbank. The station says, “The new weekly program is back by popular demand and is hosted by Alex Villanueva, who runs the country’s largest sheriff’s department. Every Sunday, listeners can join the show to hear the hottest topics on the mind of LA County residents: homelessness, crime, corruption and politics. Villanueva will also feature guests who will explain the inner workings of the various bureaus in his department.” Station program director Robin Bertolucci says, “Sheriff Alex Villanueva is a straight talker and KFI has always welcomed bold talk.”

Round Three of Holiday PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s Holiday 2021 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 Holiday 2021 sweep covered December 9 – January 5. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. Radio listening patterns change during this period due to the seasonal implementation of Christmas music but some spoken-word stations were able to buck that trend. Audacy’s news/talk KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh tacked on seven-tenths for a 4.4 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and rose to the #8 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTAM, Cleveland was up four-tenths for a 4.4 share and climbed to the #7 rank. In Kansas City, Audacy’s KMBZ-FM rose four-tenths for a 5.0 share finish good for the #5 rank in the market. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well and the first two rounds) here.

Audacy Partners with Podchaser for Podcasting Insight. A new partnership between Audacy and Podchaser will allow Audacy to use Podchaser’s metadata and podcast technology capabilities to gain insight into the performance and influence of podcasts across the entire industry, enhancing Audacy’s value proposition for agencies and clients. Audacy EVP of digital sales Ken Lagana says, “As Audacy continues to build out our industry leading, measurement and attribution suite, we are excited to partner with Podchaser to help our client and agency partners continue to make smart decisions routed in data when placing their podcast buys with Audacy.”

WABC, New York Honors Memory of Fallen NYPD Officer Jason Rivera. New York City news/talk “77 WABC Radio” is honoring fallen New York City Police Officer Jason Rivera today (1/28), the day of his funeral. The station is asking its listeners to recognize Rivera’s service. “On behalf of John Catsimatidis, chairman and chief executive officer of The Red Apple Group and subsidiary Red Apple Media and the entire staff of 77 WABC, we encourage you to join us and support a hometown hero at the NYPD by ‘standing with us’ on Friday, January 28 at 9:00 am EST to honor the life of Jason Rivera. 77 WABC will pause the airwaves and take a moment of silence to show support and ask ALL of New York City and America to STAND, outside your home, inside your home, place of work or school. All of our communities are deeply saddened and affected, and we are asking to show your support.” 77 WABC and One Times Square have collaborated to display the image of Jason Rivera on the side of their building at 8:58 am, 9:15 am, 9:30 am, 9:45 am. The station is also distributing free “Back The Blue” pins to wear to show support for police officers via its website.

TALKERS News Notes. Seattle’s all-news KOMO-AM/FM “KOMO News” is losing its heritage call letters and the “KOMO News” slogan as part of the deal that transferred the station from Sinclair Broadcast Group to Lotus Broadcasting. The Seattle Times reports that since the deal allows Sinclair to keep the KOMO calls off the stations, it will take up the new calls KNWN for “Northwest News.” Station PD and afternoon personality Rick Van Cise tells the paper, “There won’t be any difference in the sound of the radio station. The personalities, the reporters are all staying the same.”…..Austin public radio outlet KUT-FM names Jerry Quijano permanent host of the “All Things Considered” host seat at the NPR member station. Quijano began his career with KUT in 2017 as a weekend local host. After graduating from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and participating in NPR’s Next-Generation Radio project, he started full-time the following year…..“Radiolab” founder Jad Abumrad announces he’s leaving the podcast he founded almost 20 years ago and to honor and celebrate him, WNYC is releasing the very first episode of the show that was broadcast only once on WNYC’s AM station in 2002 and then locked away in the vault. WNYC says it had to literally digitize the show from several CDs to get it on air. Speaking about his departure, Abumrad says, “For the last few years – since 2016 really – I’ve told myself that there’d come a point when the team would be ‘ready’ for me to leave. When they might even need me to. I wasn’t sure when that would be or how I’d know, but I made a pact with myself to stay watchful, to create space rather than filling it, and to listen rather than talk. We’re at that point.”

COVID-19 Vaccines, Masks & Mandates Top News/Talk Story for Week of January 24-28. Controversy surrounding COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates and the rate of infection from the Omicron variant in the U.S. and around the world came together as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the global tensions over the Russian military build-up at the Ukraine border, tied with relations between the U.S. and China. Coming in at #3 this week was the announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and speculation about President Joe Biden’s potential nominee. 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, January 27, 2022

By Editor | January 27, 2022 by Editor

Newsweek Opinion Editor Josh Hammer is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The opinion editor of Newsweek, Josh Hammer, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Hammer is also a podcaster, constitutional lawyer, and rising young conservative thought-leader. Newsweek is planning the launch of his new podcast, “The Josh Hammer Show” in February. The one-hour podcast will conform to the format clock of a terrestrial radio show making it conveniently translatable as a syndicated product. Harrison describes Hammer as follows: “At 32 years of age, he has already made a huge splash within the print news community as an editor and political commentator reflective of a young conservative perspective. I suspect he will be doing the same in talk media via radio and podcasting.” Harrison continues, “With such an emphasis being placed on lowering the demos, talk media practitioners – especially conservatives – should hear what he has to say.” Hammer focuses on conservative intellectual trends, contemporary domestic and foreign policy debates, constitutional and legal issues, and the intersection of law, politics and culture. His pieces have appeared in a number of major publications including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post and many others. Harrison and Hammer take a deep-dive into the future of print versus digital, the legal complications of updating Section 230 and holding Big Tech accountable for the control they have seized over the public square, as well as the schism between traditional conservative politics and a viable next-gen approach. They discuss the impact and future of Donald Trump within the GOP and Newsweek’s strategy to appeal to a readership that spans the political spectrum. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Dan Bongino Booted from YouTube; Focuses His Content on Rumble. After violating the terms of his weeklong suspension from YouTube, Westwood One nationally syndicated talk host Dan Bongino has been permanently banned from the social media video channel. Bongino shared a video on his website in which he says that he was suspended for saying nothing different than what Dr. Tony Fauci told “60 Minutes” in a March 2020 interview in which he said there’s no need for people to be walking around wearing masks because it’s not providing the protection that people think it is. Bongino questions why he’s being banned but Fauci is not. Bongino’s violation of the suspension came after he tried to post a video explaining to his fans why he’s leaving YouTube and will put all of his content on Rumble. Bongino says he had 871,000 YouTube subscribers and says he has more than 2 million subscribers on the Rumble channel.

Former Florida Sports Talk Host ‘Big Joe’ Ellicott to Cooperate with Feds’ Investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz. According to a report by CNN, Joseph “Big Joe” Ellicott has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and distribution of a controlled substance (Adderall) and has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into allegations that U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had sexual contact with a minor. Ellicott previously worked for Star Over Orlando at sports talk WRSO “CBS Sports Radio Orlando” on the “Bauman and Big Joe” program. CNN reports that Ellicott pleaded guilty to the charges that stemmed from “a bribery scheme between an unnamed contractor and an unnamed elected government official. Ellicott delivered $6,000 cash from the contractor to the government official in 2017.” Other media sources are concluding that the unnamed elected government official is his friend Joel Greenberg, a former confidant of Gaetz’s who is also cooperating with investigators in the Gaetz case.

Round Two of Holiday 2021 PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s Holiday 2021 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s Holiday 2021 sweep covered December 9 – January 5. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. Although the Holiday PPM survey usually reveals listening patterns skewed by stations breaking format to air Christmas music, some spoken-word stations were able to avoid ratings declines. Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM, Seattle was steady with a 6.6 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that kept it in the #2 rank. Lotus Communications’ crosstown all-news KOMO-AM/FM rose two-tenths for a 5.5 share finish and climbed to the #3 rank. Audacy’s news/talk WCCO-AM, Minneapolis was up seven-tenths for a 5.2 share finish good for the #6 rank in the market. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KOA, Denver added nine-tenths to wrap the survey with a 3.8 share and climbed to the #8 rank. You can see all of Mike Kinosian’s Ratings Takeways from this group of markets (as well as round one) here.

Religious Broadcasters Hope Media Group and WAY Media to Merge. Religious broadcasting companies Hope Media Group and WAY Media announce their intention to merge into one media organization. The formal merger is expected to close by later this year pending FCC approval. The new Christian media organization will be headquartered in Houston and will operate under the name Hope Media Group. Hope Media Group was founded 40 years ago with radio station KSBJ-FM, Houston. WAY Media was formed 35 years ago with WAYJ-FM, Fort Myers. The companies say this is a merger of equals and a cash-free transaction that received a unanimous vote from both boards of directors. Currently, Hope Media Group is a family of media brands that include Houston-focused KSBJ, the brand-new Spanish Christian “Vida Unida,” digital content outlets NGEN Radio (Christian hip-hop and pop), Hope On Demand and Amen: The Prayer App, plus a concert and event brand, Special Events. WAY Media owns and operates a national network of more than 20 “WayFM” stations in markets that include Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Portland, Nashville, and South Florida plus more than 30 translators from Florida to Washington State, in addition to digital content outlets.

TALKERS News Notes. Streaming audio service TuneIn announces a partnership with Estrella Media to bring its content to the TuneIn platform. In addition, TuneIn has partnered with Grupo Fórmula to bring its Spanish-language entertainment and news content to the platform. TuneIn CEO Richard Stern states, “Both Estrella Media and Grupo Fórmula are market leaders in Spanish-language entertainment and news radio content. We are extremely pleased to be expanding our Spanish-language offerings to a new generation of Latin radio fans and listeners around the world through the TuneIn platform. We’re also thrilled to help Estrella Media’s local stations increase monetization outside of their local markets as an added benefit of our partnership.”…..The Luminary original podcast, “The Roxane Gay Agenda,” launches with writer Dr. Roxane Gay as host and welcoming The New York Times writer Tressie McMillan Cottom and acclaimed author Terry McMillan as her first guests. The program is produced in partnership with iHeartMedia.

Stephen Breyer to Retire, Ukraine Tensions, COVID-19, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Financial Markets/Inflation/Crypto Plunge, Urban Violent Crime Spike, and the Beijing Olympics Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/26). News of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement and President Joe Biden’s possible nominations; the ongoing tensions between Vladimir Putin and the West over Russia’s military build-up at the Ukraine border; the Omicron variant infection rate and legal battles over mask & vaccine mandates; fight to control Congress in this November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the turbulent financial markets, the high retail and oil prices and the plummet in cryptocurrency value; the blowback against liberal law & order polices as violent crime in America’s major cities surges; and the Beijing Olympics were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.