New York City news pro Joe Bartlett was honored with a retirement party at Patsy’s restaurant in the Big Apple last Thursday (8/24). Bartlett retired from iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR-AM last May after a 37-year career with the station, most recently as news director and morning news anchor. Pictured above are (from l-r): WOR morning personality Michael Riedel, Bartlett, and WOR morning personality Len Berman.
iHeartMedia personality Charlamagne Tha God, in partnership with Mental Wealth Alliance is celebrating World Mental Health Day by hosting the third annual Mental Wealth Expo on October 7 at the Marriott Marquis in
Times Square, New York City. Attendees will hear from experts on everything mental health, panels, live podcasting, and breakout rooms including the podcast “MEternal,” that addresses the complexities of the Black maternal health crisis. Charlamagne Tha God says, “The Mental Wealth Expo was created for anyone who knows they need to start on their healing journey, but don’t know the first place to begin. It’s a day for folks to get exposed to mental health experts and resources that can get them on the right path and they get to receive this information for free! It is truly a blessing to be able to do this for a third consecutive year.”
FOX News Media says that according to data from Nielsen Media Research, its “Democracy 24: FOX News Republican Primary Debate” was the most-watched telecast in all of linear television, digital and streaming on Wednesday (8/23), averaging 12.8 million viewers and 2.8 million viewers in the 25-54 demo. That, FOX says, tops more than 70% of all presidential primary debates in the last two cycles (2016 and 2020).
SiriusXM announces it opens the 2023 college football season offering 87 live games during the week (8/26-9/4). SiriusXM says this slate includes games from every team from the Associated Press Top 25 poll, including the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs vs UT Martin; #13 Notre Dame vs Navy in Dublin, Ireland; and #5 LSU vs #8 Florida State.
iHeartMedia news/talk KFI, Los Angeles is presenting the special program “Maui Island Inferno,” hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Steve Gregory (right). The program features exclusive interviews
conducted by Gregory, who was on the island of Maui covering the wildfires, including the devastating fire in the historic town of Lahaina. The show explores the government’s response, the views of Maui islanders, and what happens next. iHeartMedia says, “Gregory became 
the center of controversy when, during a press conference, he pushed Hawaii Governor Josh Green for answers and access to the fire scenes. Local and national media covered the exchange and became the foundation for other reporters to push back, seeking transparency and accountability.” The radio special and podcast are produced by Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez for iHeartMedia Los Angeles and the iHeartRadio Podcast Network.
Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive host Jeff Katz (left) with Democratic Party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr (right). Katz says that during Kennedy’s visit to Richmond, he granted just one interview and says the two “spent just shy of 30 minutes one-on-one, chatting about everything from the economy to ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm'” (Kennedy is married to Cheryl Hines who starred as Larry David’s wife on the hit show).
According to a report in The State, Heath Cline exits Cumulus Media’s Columbia, South Carolina sports talk outlet WNKT-FM “107.5 The Game.” Cline has hosted the afternoon drive show since December 2007. Cline says he and the company were unable to come to terms on a new deal. He had the chance to speak about it
with station PD Terry Ford on the air. He told his audience, “It’s not a money thing. I just hit 50 this year. There are some things in my career I still want to do. They really wanted to keep me in Columbia and focused on that, and we just couldn’t get to where we needed to… This isn’t anybody’s fault. It’s just how radio and how business works sometimes.” Meanwhile, Cline says he’ll serve as executive producer and sub host for Chuck Oliver’s regional, college football-focused show and will continue the weekend hosting and fill-in work he’s been doing for Dickey Broadcasting’s WCNN, Atlanta “680 The Fan.” Read The State story here.
CBS News is presenting the Labor Day special “Workers Across America,” hosted by Gil Gross. The three-hour show investigates the future of organized labor, the re-thinking of the importance of a college degree, toxic co-workers, how AI will radically change the workplace and more.
Bonneville’s news/talk KTAR-FM “News 92.3 FM” and sports talk KMVP-FM “Arizona Sports” hosted the 15th annual Phoenix Children’s Give-A-Thon August 14-18 and raised $2,168,483 to support care at Phoenix Children’s. Bonneville Phoenix SVP and market manager Ryan Hatch states, “It is incredible to see $2.16 million raised through powerful storytelling that inspires our generous community to step up for the kids in Arizona. We are so grateful for our caring audiences, sponsors, team partners, and the hundreds of volunteers for their wonderful support of Give-A-Thon.”
iHeartMedia and the NFL announce an exclusive multi-year deal to bring “The Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Show” podcast to the NFL Podcast Network. A spin-off of the “Fantasy Footballers Show” started in 2014 by hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright, the recently launched podcast dives into the Dynasty world of fantasy football including NFL rookie scouting, NFL draft coverage, Dynasty draft advice, player breakdowns and more.
iHeartMedia announces that Emmy Award-winning news anchor Larry Mendte is joining news/talk WOR, New York as news director and morning news anchor. In this role, Mendte will anchor news during the station’s “Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning” and during the late morning “Mark Simone Show.” Mendte takes
over the position after news director Joe Bartlett retired from the station on May 31 after 37 years with the WOR. Mendte had most recently been news director and host at WJLP-TV, Middletown, New Jersey “Me-TV.” Mendte says, “WOR is iconic in radio history, and I’m honored to accept this position. Len Berman and Michael Riedel are smart, entertaining, and informative. It’s the morning show I listen to, and I’m elated to now be part of it.” WOR program director Tom Cuddy states, “I’ve been a fan of Larry’s for many years. So, when the opportunity popped up for him to work with Len and Michael, I was truly pumped up that we were able to bring in a talent of his caliber.”
Urban One has received a notice of non-compliance from Nasdaq Stock Market LLC due to its failure to timely file its Quarterly Report for the period ended March 31, 2023 and the period ended June 30, 2023 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Urban One has disclosed that it has been unable to file the reports in a timely manner due to the change of its independent registered public accounting firm. The company was granted 180 days to come into compliance by Nasdaq or face delisting and Urban One says it anticipates it will be able to file the reports in question before the deadline of September 27, 2023.
The Broadcasters Foundation of America announce Sips & Tips, the second event in its campaign to give young professionals networking access to top-level broadcast industry managers and executives. Sips & Tips will take place during the Foundation’s Celebrity Golf Tournament & Fundraiser on September 11 at the
Greenwich Country Club. The Sips & Tips includes a two-hour golf lesson from a pro followed by access to the invitation-only reception and dinner and costs $300. BFoA president Tim McCarthy comments, “With these events, we open doors for junior professionals that can lead to long and fulfilling careers in broadcasting. We also bring awareness about our charitable mission to tomorrow’s broadcast leaders, helping to ensure that the Foundation will continue to provide aid for those in our business who need it most.” See more information here.
Audacy sports talk WXYT-FM, Detroit “97.1 The Ticket” announces its game day programming for Detroit Lions broadcasts this season. The Sunday lineup includes: “Kickoff with Boomer Esiason & Mike Valenti” (9:00 am –
10:00 am ET), “Lions Tailgate Show” with Rico Beard and Jim Costa (10:00 am – 12:00 noon), “Lions Pregame Show” with Dan Miller, Lomas Brown and TJ Lang (12:00 noon – 1:00 pm), Lions Radio Network postgame with Dan Miller, TJ Lang and Jim Costa (game end to 5:00 pm), “Lions Postgame Show” with Mike Stone and Jennifer Hammond (5:00 pm – 7:00 pm), and Pat Caputo (7:00 pm – 11:00 pm).
iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and COO CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference on September 7 at 3:25 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. A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.
Triton Digital announces that it is integrating data with YouTube views of podcast episodes into its Triton Podcast Metrics. With this data, publishers can now view how their content is consumed on YouTube in conjunction with their overall podcast downloads.
The Kansas Association of Broadcasters announces the Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Service Award honoree for 2023. KSU professor and longtime broadcaster (WGN, Chicago; WGST, Atlanta; Coast to Coast AM) Ian Punnett is the Distinguished Service Award honoree. Mike Manns, Dale Morrell, and Randy Picking are the Hall of Fame inductees. See more about them here.
Cumulus Media announces it is flipping KTUC-AM, Tucson to talk as the all-new “Freedom 1400,” Tucson’s Conservative Talk Station. It had been airing an adult standards format. It is now airing syndicated talk radio shows including FOX News Radio’s “Brian Kilmeade Show” and the “FOX Across America with Jimmy Failla,”
Westwood One’s “Dan Bongino Show” and the “Chris Plante Show,” plus Ben Shaprio and FNC’s Guy Benson. KTUC program director Herb Crowe states, “We’re thrilled to unveil ‘Freedom 1400,’ Tucson’s Conservative Talk Station. As we embark on this exciting journey, we’re committed to providing a platform for open dialogues, diverse viewpoints, and robust discussions that matter to our community. With our esteemed lineup of talk show hosts, we’re confident that ‘Freedom 1400’ will become an essential source of information and insight for our listeners.”
Starnes Media Group’s news/talk KWAM, Memphis was honored with the Best Large Market News Coverage award during the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters Excellence in Broadcasting Contest. The station earned a second-place finish in “Best Public Service” and the station was lauded specifically for its coverage of a 2022 mass shooting that locked down the city. KWAM staffers pictured above include (from l-r): Caleb Parke, Ben Deeter, KWAM owner Todd Starnes, TAB executive director Chris Baker, Alan Pillow, and Grace Baker.
Long before AM radio was the band dominated by spoken-word programming, its early Top-40 stations were catering to the rabid demand for R&B and rock ‘n’ roll from America’s teenagers. Mark Wainwright – former WSYR, Syracuse morning talk host and a veteran radio performer – writes about a big hit record made on this date 59 years ago. He says, “Surprisingly, that iconic summertime feel-good song almost never made it to vinyl.” Read about what happened here.
Red Apple Audio Networks says it’s now affiliated with 214 stations since its launch 18 months ago and its programming is heard in 15 of the top 25 DMAs, including its flagship 77 WABC, New York.
Dick Broadcasting transitions WRNS-AM, Greenville, North Carolina to a sports betting format using content from VSiN, The Sports Betting Network. The station is being rebranded “Bet on the Bull 960 AM.”
OutKick will host a one-hour special titled, “OutKick on Fox,” that will air Sunday (8/27) at 10:00 pm ET on FOX News Channel. OutKick founder Clay Travis and hosts Tomi Lahren and Charly Arnolt will “provide their unfiltered opinions on sports, culture, and the topics Americans are talking about right now.” Special guests will include Riley Gaines, host of the “Gaines for Girls” podcast on OutKick, OutKick.com columnist Mary Katherine Ham, and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom.
Zimmer Midwest Communications announces listeners to its Springfield, Missouri stations – including news/talk KWTO, raised a record $38,770 during the 12-hour Honor Flight of the Ozarks Radiothon on August 18. Money raised from the radiothon goes directly to send local veterans to Washington, DC on honor flight missions to visit the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Memorials, and many others.
The Premiere Networks syndicated “Dan Patrick Show” is broadcasting live from Ireland for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic featuring the University of Notre Dame vs. the United States Naval Academy game at Aviva Stadium on Saturday (8/26). “The Dan Patrick Show” will originate from 9 College Green in the Temple Bar district of Dublin tomorrow through Friday. The Dan Patrick crew will also be joined by actor Will Ferrell.
Surprisingly, that iconic summertime feel-good song almost never made it to vinyl…
By Mark Wainwright
Consider the following song titles:
“There Goes My Baby”
“Save the Last Dance For Me”
“On Broadway”
“Up On the Roof”
“Dance With Me”
“This Magic Moment”
You don’t have to be a battle-scarred radio veteran like me, or an older music fan who remembers hearing those songs as a youngster to immediately recognize these as hits recorded by The Drifters. These songs, and all their other successful releases, were constantly played on the air back in the glory days of AM Top-40 radio, and they are still widely heard and enjoyed today, sometimes in surprising settings; “This Magic Moment” recently turned up in a TV commercial for Heinz ketchup. It is scarcely possible to imagine the history of American popular music without these songs.
Now try this little experiment:
Pull YouTube up on your browser, type the words “Under the Boardwalk” in the search box, and see what pops up. You could spend days (seriously) going through all the uploads from folks who posted that favorite Drifters tune, not to mention all the subsequent recordings made over the years. Some of the names will surprise you. Did the Rolling Stones, of all people, actually record “Under the Boardwalk”? Indeed they did, along with folks like Bruce Springsteen (yo, he’s a Jersey Shore guy, why not?). The song has became a standard, a staple of oldies bands and doo-wop vocal groups who continue to perform the song today. And yet, this most iconic of summertime feel-good songs was within hours of never being recorded. The backstory of that episode, along with the odd twists and turns of the group’s history, deserves some attention.
The Drifters (pictured below in an early photo courtesy of YouTube) were a 1950s brainchild of agent and producer George Treadwell, who got his hands on an early version of the group and envisioned them as sort of all-purpose background singers for hire who could be farmed out to provide background vocals for recording sessions, and for featured performers doing live gigs. Treadwell never thought of them as having a set lineup, he figured that vocalists would drift in and out of the group as needed (hence the name). The group became successful in their own right after their 1953 release “Money Honey” (Clyde McPhatter was the lead singer back then), and they never looked back. For more than a decade, hardly a week went by where you wouldn’t see a Drifters tune somewhere on the music charts.
Treadwell’s management of the group could be capricious, to say the least. He once purportedly fired the band and replaced them with another new group of singers who then performed a show scheduled for the following night (he might have done something like this more than once). Somehow, it all managed to work out. Dozens of vocalists were part of the group at various times, although when The Drifters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, there were seven performers who were cited as critical to the group’s success. I believe Charlie Thomas was the last of these fine singers, and he died in January this year.
“Under the Boardwalk” was written in 1964 by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and they offered it to The Drifters, who immediately saw the potential. A recording session was set for May 21, 1964 (already pushing the calendar for summer release), but the night before the session, lead singer Rudy Lewis died of a suspected heroin overdose. George Treadwell and the folks at Atlantic Records really wanted to get the tune out there, so they finally decided to record the song as scheduled. Johnny Moore was called upon to sing the lead vocal; he was the group’s designated backup lead vocalist who would fill in when needed.
One can hardly imagine what these guys were thinking and feeling under the circumstances, but they got through it, Johnny Moore did a superb job, and the final result was amazing. The group actually cut alternate takes of the song. Some radio stations were hesitant to play a record containing the lyric “making love under the boardwalk” (remember, this was 1964), so other takes were done with the replacement line “falling in love under the boardwalk.” It was released in June and was constantly heard on the great AM Top-40 stations of the day, and played incessantly on jukeboxes nationwide. The song spent three weeks at #1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B chart, and got as high as #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song would have almost certainly been a Billboard #1, except for a quartet of young Brits who called themselves “The Beatles.” You might recall they also had some pretty good tunes out there at the time.
And the date of that highest Billboard chart position? August 22, 1964. Fifty-nine years ago today.
So now comes the inevitable YouTube link. I think this one is the original track containing the “naughty” lyrics. Turn up the volume and enjoy! (And remember, you should use lotion that has a minimum rating of SPF 30!)
Under the Boardwalk – The Drifters
Mark Wainwright is a veteran radio performer who spent more than 30 years working as a disc jockey, talk show host, and morning personality at well-known radio stations throughout the United States. He was most recently the morning host at WSYR in Syracuse, New York. (He was even a pretty good AM Top-40 jock back in the day, just ask him!) He can be reached through his LinkedIn page or at markwainwright@earthlink.net
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
As this week’s first Republican presidential debate looms, my FOX News Radio-affiliated client stations are irked. Thanks to their network, they’re carrying it live, and locally sponsored, and promo-ing it aplenty. A couple of my clients will travel to Milwaukee to wrap pre- and post-game color around the play-by-play. So, yuh, they’re irked.
Listen somewhere else
FOX News Radio newscasts invite listeners to hear the debate live, at FoxNewsRadio.com. Hello?
I talked one client down-off-the-ledge, by reminding him that anyone who wants to watch the debate, and can, will. And that anyone who’s driving cannot and won’t likely drive distractedly-enough to somehow stream it from a website in-car.
For decades, I’ve scripted promos for events like this, and the Super Bowl and World Series, by offering that “if you’ll be in the car tonight,” and/or “if you can’t be near TV,” and/or “if you’ll be at work,” we’ve got it on radio.
Hey, if I was FOX News Radio, I’d do the same thing. But when one client called to complain and asked “could you at least add ‘…and many of these FOX News Radio stations?’” he was told they’d run-it-up-the-flagpole.
It could be worse. You’re not a TV station.
THEY should be livid, as NBC uses affiliates’ air to say watch Peacock. Channel-surf, and you will be lured to Paramount+ or Discovery+ or Disney+.
And this didn’t happen overnight, as I demonstrated several years ago in a TV report about the TV switch-pitch (https://youtu.be/2o3CpTz66JY).
So, embrace radio’s preeminence in-car, and not just when plugging special coverage. Program and promote everything as though you’re talking to busy people behind the wheel. Nobody sitting stiller will feel rushed.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
Bulletin: “Linear TV” is no longer the winner.
Linear TV is tech talk for combining over the air and cable TV, and according to Nielsen, July 2023 was the first-time streaming TV was the winner, as streaming captured most TV viewing.
From Netflix to YouTube, we are watching more content on streaming channels than linear TV. You have read about the resurgence in “Suits,” the legal drama that originally aired 2011-2019 and is now drawing 18 billion minutes of viewing on Netflix. Whether those 18 billion minutes are part Meghan Markle curiosity or part writers’ strike, does not matter. Those 18 billion minutes of viewing helped drive streaming viewership to an all-time high. Maybe streaming grabbed a page from that old radio handbook that starts with “Content is King.”
But the companies controlling the streaming ad-free experience on Netflix, Disney, Hulu, etc. seized the opportunity and raised rates. Soon, it will cost you more every month to watch your favorite content ad-free.
Wait a minute! Did I just say the ad-free experience as in commercial free or no interruptions? Did the streaming guys just take another page from the well-worn radio programming handbook and turn the commercial-free model upside down to increase income? Streaming channels will deliver commercial free programming and charge you anywhere from $13.99- $21.99 a month as the fees double and triple depending on when you started your subscription.
How about our friends at Amazon Prime jumping on “Thursday Night Football,” or Apple and Peacock pushing baseball? Do not forget the YouTube NFL packages starting at $250. No, this is not a veiled plug for paid programming, nor is it a critique of the value propositions offered in the streaming world. Time for a long look in the mirror:
— The commercial-free experience began when radio programmers dropped the commercials, programmed longer, commercial-free segments to drive listenership and ratings up. In the short term it worked. My hand is in the air, guilty as charged. Maybe I was one of the lone radio management voices who asked, “Then what, run the spots and drive the audience away? Are we sending the wrong message?” We were dumb. After commercial free came rates, packages, and promotions. None of us said, “Raise the rates when the commercial-free stops!” The streaming guys got it right – just raise the rates.
— There is no older radio programming mantra than “Content is King.” You can name the iconic talents with one word, Howard, Rush, Imus, yet major radio organizations struggle as they search for great, soon-to-be iconic talent. It is faster, easier, and more lucrative to become a Tik-Tok, YouTube, or Instagram star.
These are all just examples of how radio was first in and stopped innovating. There is some good news on the horizon. Facebook is stepping back from the news business as news organizations ban together and ask for compensation. This could be the first chink in Facebook’s 113-billion-dollar ad armor. Maybe not. Either way, the old school top-of-the-hour newscast, or large market all-news radio should be re-imagined, opening the door to the next generation of innovators.
Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.
Guardian Angels founder and WABC, New York host Curtis Sliwa was arrested yesterday (8/20) for blocking
the street along with other protestors in front of the Midland Beach Migrant Shelter on Staten Island. According to a report by Greg Wehner at FOX News, Sliwa was protesting the at the former Midland Beach Senior Citizen Home. It was the second time in a week that Sliwa was arrested. On Wednesday of last week (8/16) he and others protested in front of the Creedmoor Hospital Grounds where a tent shelter for migrants has been built. Read the FOX News piece here.
After numerous media reports about the new daily lineup at the ESPN Radio network, the company issues a press release announcing the programming schedule that will take effect on September 5. As reported earlier, the new morning show will be hosted by Chris Canty, Evan Cohen, and Michelle Smallmon (the name of the
show will come soon), Mike Greenberg’s “Greeny” show remains in the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon ET slot. Chris Carlin and Joe Fortenbaugh host the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET show (again, the name will come later), Freddie Coleman and Harry Douglas host the 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET “Freddie & Harry” show, followed by Amber Wilson and Ian Fitzsimmons hosting the “Amber & Ian” show from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET.
Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks announces that KROQ, Los Angeles personality Megan Holiday joins rock journalist Matt Pinfield on the latest episode of the “Sound, Sobriety & Success” podcast. In the new episode, Holiday discusses her journey from her hometown of Rancho Cucamonga, California to becoming a personality at KROQ. She also shares the stories along the way of her recovery from addiction to drugs. Pictured above are (from l-r): Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks’ Darren Silva, Holiday, Pinfield, and Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks’ Dave “Chachi” Denes.
The ViceTV series “Dark Side of the 2000s” delves into the rivalry between radio personalities Howard Stern, Erich “Mancow” Muller and Opie & Anthony in episodes 5 and 6 titled, “Shock Jocks Part 1: The Rise” and
“Shock Jocks Part 2: The Fall.” Through interviews with major players in the radio and entertainment industries, including TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison, the story of the growth of male-targeted “FM talk” along with the vicious battles that took place between the major players is told. ViceTV is on a number of on-demand services. The episodes are also behind a paywall at vicetv.com.
Digital sports platform OutKick says that it delivered over 6 million total multiplatform unique visitors for July 2023, and that’s the highest year-over-year growth among its custom competitive set, up 119% versus July
2022, according to data from Comscore. The platform also saw 24 million total multiplatform views and 27 million total multiplatform minutes. OutKick founder Clay Travis – co-host of the Premiere Networks syndicated talk show “Clay Travis and Buck Sexton” – says, “It’s always great to see OutKick’s strong growth every month. We continue to distribute engaging content on topics that reach beyond sports and add talent to our roster that embrace common sense reporting.”
SiriusXM announces the launch of a new daily show on the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel starring former ESPN personality Michelle Beadle and former MLB player Cody Decker airing live from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm
ET. SiriusXM vice president of sports programming Eric Spitz says, “Michelle and Cody bring a tremendous level of energy and passion to the mic, which our listeners will love. ‘Beadle & Decker’ is an outstanding addition to Mad Dog Sports Radio and their strong personalities and opinions will help us continue to deliver the best all-sports talk channel to listeners across the country.”
Longtime Salem Media Group programmer Chuck Tyler has fallen victim to budget cuts at the company and
exits his role as director of programming for the Los Angeles operations that includes news/talk KRLA AM 870 “The Answer,” Christian talk KKLA-FM, and Christian contemporary KFSH-FM. Tyler tells TALKERS magazine he’s ready to apply his 20-plus years of director of programming and on-air experience in Los Angeles to his next successful situation. You can contact him at: chucktyler2020@yahoo.com
Starnes Media Group – owner and operator of news/talk KWAM, Memphis – is dispatching news anchor Ben
Deeter to Milwaukee to cover the first GOP presidential debate next Wednesday (8/23). SMG is making Deeter available to radio stations for live hits via a Comrex at no charge. Interested stations should reach out to SMG via email at: grace@kwamradio.com.
Religious broadcaster Hope Media Group names Tate Luck director of audio streaming. Luck as been a programming consultant and talent coach with his Jacksonville-based Tate Luck Media since 2015. Hope Media Group chief of innovation Shawn Farrington says, “I’ve worked with Tate for the past four years. His ear for texture and strength as a talent coach has helped NGEN Radio grow as an all-digital brand. Tate is among the best imaging producers in our industry. I’m looking forward to working with Tate to innovate on the digital streaming formats to create even more (future) experiences of God’s transforming love.”
The Society of Broadcast Engineers – the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals – elects Ted D. Hand its president. Hand says, “I look forward to working with the officers, board and SBE membership to further the goals of the Society, including the SBE education and mentoring efforts, which are important to me. I also want to keep the SBE on the forefront of RF spectrum protection.”
FOX Sports Radio’s “The Doug Gottlieb Show” hit the road bringin fans live, on-location coverage from the network’s annual NFL Training Camp Tour in which he got an insider’s look at the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, including interviews with players, coaches and franchise executives.
Former longtime late-night radio personality Doug McIntyre – along with his wife, actress and poet Penny Peyser – appeared live on Frank Morano’s “The Other Side of Midnight” show on WABC, New York on Tuesday (8/15). McIntyre, who launched the original version of the nationally syndicated overnight “Red Eye Radio” program, is in New York promoting his new novel Frank’s Shadow (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2023). Today (8/16), Morano will moderate a Q&A with McIntyre at his appearance at Barnes & Noble on Long Island (Carle Place). Pictured above are (from l-r): Peyser, Morano, McIntyre.
The Radio Television Digital News Association announces the winners of the 2023 National Edward R. Murrow Awards. This comes after the winners of the Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards were announced
earlier this year. RTDNA says the awards honor “outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism… the Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community.” Some of this year’s winners in the radio category include: Audacy’s WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago (Breaking News); KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh (Feature Reporting); KMOX, St. Louis (Newscast); and iHeartMedia’s WBZ-AM, Boston (Excellence in Innovation). See the complete list of winners here.
The GBH and PRX produced public radio news show, “The World,” is now airing on a record 376 public radio stations across the United States and in Canada. The two public media organizations say the program is heard
by more than 2 million people nationwide on a weekly basis. “The World” executive producer Dan Lothian says, “We’re delighted to welcome people from Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, Ohio, Iowa, New York, Michigan, Illinois, and Kansas to the hundreds of communities listening to The World’s global coverage. As we reach this exciting audience milestone, we remain committed to bringing all our listeners nuanced coverage of the most critical global issues of the day, fueling informed conversations about international affairs.”
The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group presents data from content testing research firm Screen Engine/ASI that indicates AM/FM radio is a powerful platform to launch theatrical releases. In the case of the coming film The Expendables 4, Screen Engine /ASI’s Audience Engine surveyed 2,389 people exposed to the trailer for the film and questioned them about their desire to see the movie. The result was that “heavy AM/FM radio listeners are +17% more likely to want to see The Expendables 4 in the theater than heavy TV viewers and +15% more likely that the general population.” See the blog post here.