Report: Audacy and APM End Podcast Deal a Year Early
According to a report by Amrita Khalid in The Verge, Audacy and American Public Media have agreed to end their podcasting partnership a year early, on August 31. The deal between Audacy’s Cadence13 and APM was
inked in 2021 and included Cadence13 and APM developing and producing new shows and made Audacy the exclusive podcast sales rep for APM. The piece further notes that Audacy CEO David Field referenced the deal during his Q2 2023 earnings commentary saying, “In June, we successfully negotiated an early exit to an onerous Podcast ad representation contract, which resulted in a restructuring charge of $5.9 million in the quarter and the accelerated recognition of $4.5 million of prepaid content expense. We believe exiting this agreement will have a positive impact on our podcast margins, without materially impacting our future podcast revenue growth opportunity.” Read The Verge story here.
Those are the two consultant buzzwords that hosts I coach are hearing in their sleep. And a couple more “E” words: Empathy and Empower.
December and now hosts a show on the Outkick platform. With Query’s move to middays, the Kevin & Query Show that’s been airing in morning drive becomes “The Wake Up Call With KB and Andy,” as Kevin Bowen is joined by new co-host Andy Sweeney. Urban One Indianapolis operations manager David Wood tells the Indianapolis Business Journal, “While Jake loves working with Kevin, the show is a complete antithesis to his body clock. He’s a huge night owl. It dawned on me, ‘Why don’t I put a known quantity in this noon to 3 p.m. show?’ Everybody knows Jake. He’s well-respected and he’s an entertaining person.” 
professionals in need from debilitating illness, accident, or disaster. BFoA chair Scott Herman says, “It’s hard to believe our friend and colleague left us a year ago. A true leader and exceptional human being, Jim helped everyone all the time. That’s the kind of person he was. I am proud to have known Jim for nearly 40 years as a colleague and a friend. He is sorely missed.” Thompson’s career included president and CEO of Group W Radio and co-owner of Liberty Broadcasting. He created the Radio Mercury Awards and served on the boards of the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Advertising Council and was vice chair of the Pennsylvania State Broadcasters Association. Upon Thompson’s passing, the Broadcasters Foundation created The Jim Thompson Memorial Fund, which remains open in his honor. 
Tuesday (8/8), Cumulus filed suit against the duo on August 4 claiming they are in violation of several clauses in their contracts with the company. McDowell and Kemp left Cumulus last month after they were unable to come to terms on a renewal to remain with “The Ticket.” The sticking point was their desire to explore digital initiatives outside of their work with Cumulus. They have since launched a podcast via Patreon that Cumulus says violates their six-month non-compete. The company also alleges the two have violated the non-solicitation and non-disparagement clauses of their contract and additionally alleges they have “commandeered” company-owned social media accounts, threatened to release “conversations Defendants illicitly recorded” with company executives. Cumulus is seeking “emergency injunctive relief” plus attorneys’ fees and costs. McDowell told listeners to the podcast released on Sunday (8/6), “We’re working with certain advisors. We’ve been advised that we are doing nothing wrong, so don’t stop, for now. So right now, we are putting this out there, and what’s in store for tomorrow? I don’t know.” 
The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s July 2023 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s July 2023 sweep covered June 22 – July 19. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia news/talk WISN dips one-tenth to finish with a 9.7 share but remains locked in the #1 rank, while Good Karma Brands crosstown news/talk WTMJ falls 1.6 shares to finish the survey with a 7.9 share that takes the station from #2 to #4. In Providence, Cumulus Media news/talk WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM rises three-tenths for a 6.2 share finish and rises to the #6 rank, while iHeartMedia crosstown news/talk WHJJ loses three-tenths to finish with an 0.2 share good for the #18 rank. In West Palm Beach, iHeartMedia talk outlet WZZR-FM adds a half share for a 1.9 share finish that lifts it to the #12 rank, while Hubbard Broadcasting news/talk WFTL dips three-tenths for a 1.3 share finish that leaves it ranked #13. 
launch of a new weekly preview show called “Big Blue Kickoff Live” to be hosted by Giants.com’s John Schmeelk and WFAN’s Shaun Morash airing on Saturday mornings during the regular season. In addition, all three WFAN daily shows will broadcast live from Giants training camp on Monday (8/14), beginning at 6:00 am with “Boomer & Gio,” followed by “Brandon Tierney & Sal Licata” and “Evan & Tiki.” Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero says, “WFAN is proud to grow our long-standing partnership with the New York Football Giants. More opportunities for fans to connect with Big Blue is our commitment, one that goes beyond Sunday and extends year round.” 
astronauts to newscasters to ultramarathoners prioritize sleep to perform and live at their best. The podcast incorporated key brand messaging throughout, complemented with ad placements across the iHeartPodcasts network. The study concludes that Mattress Firm’s investments on iHeartPodcasts lead to a 45% lift in incremental sales and achieved a 4X incremental return on ad spend. iHeartMedia chief data officer Brian Kaminsky states, “Over 100 million Americans listen to podcasts a month with 80 million Americans listening weekly, which is clear evidence this ‘emerging medium’ has now become a permanent, new part of all of our media consumption – giving brands access to new and engaging audiences. By partnering with Affinity to measure the impact of Mattress Firm’s digital audio advertising, particularly on their bottom line, we were able to demonstrate the power of the brand’s partnership with iHeart to drive sales and strong ROI. We also gained insights to optimize campaign performance that we are already applying.”
10:00 pm to 1:00 am slot. Additionally, the station adds new weekend shows including Compass Media Networks’ “The Erick Erickson Show” (Saturdays, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm), FOX News Radio’s “FOX Across America” with Jimmy Failla (Saturdays, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm), and Todd Herman (Sundays, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm). Audacy Gainesville-Ocala SVP and market manager Peter Rothfuss states, “These strategic changes mark the most significant additions to the station’s talk show roster in years, reinforcing its position as North Central Florida’s premier news and opinion-leading station. The fresh lineup showcases the most influential voices in the region and is designed to propel ‘The Sky’ towards unprecedented growth, especially as the station approaches the highly anticipated election season.”
Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Max Kellerman. Their program was cancelled last month. The Post also reports that Chris Carlin and Joe Fortenbaugh will host the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm program and Harry Douglas and Freddie Coleman are the new 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm co-hosts. Amber Wilson and Ian Fitzsimmons will host the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm show. 
Broadcast revenue decreased 5.3% to $49.7 million from $52.5 million; Station Operating Income decreased 43.5% to $6.2 million from $10.9 million; Same Station net broadcast revenue decreased 5.8% to $49.4 million from $52.4 million; and Same Station operating income decreased 37.7% to $6.8 million from $10.9 million. Digital Media revenue increased 0.5% to $10.9 million from $10.8 million, and Publishing revenue decreased 3.5% to $5.2 million from $5.4 million. Salem reports that as of June 30, 2023, the company was not in compliance with its fixed charge coverage ratio. On August 7, 2023 it signed a forbearance whereby the bank agreed not to exercise remedies on the default during the month of August. Additionally, the notional amount of the revolver was reduced from $30 million to $25 million with a minimum availability of $1 million. The interest rate associated with the revolver increased by two percentage points effective July 1, 2023 through the date of the forbearance amendment.
37-year career in journalism, during which he broke barriers and uplifted young sports writers. Parker says, “There’s nothing better than being honored by your own people, your peers, so this is very special to me. I want to thank my family, my friends, all the people who have supported me throughout the years, all my mentees – they fuel me, they inspire me every day. How I got here is that plenty of people helped me along the way, and that’s what it’s all about.” Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “We couldn’t be more proud of Rob. He truly deserves this recognition for his trailblazing career in sports journalism, and for his continuing efforts to elevate and mentor the next generation.”
July 2023 PPM Data – Information for the July 2023 sweep has been released for Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.
iHeartMedia’s financial by segment, broadcast radio revenue was $429 million, a decline of 7.2% over Q2 of 2022. Network radio was $122 million (down 4.2%), digital revenue (excluding podcast) was $164 million (down 1.6%), and podcasting revenue was $96.7 million (up 12.9%). iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman says, “We are pleased to report that our second quarter 2023 results reflected Adjusted EBITDA slightly above the midpoint of the guidance range, and more than double the Adjusted EBITDA we generated in the first quarter, and our consolidated revenue were above the guidance range. The continued positive performance of our Digital Audio Group, led by our Podcasting business, and the significantly improved relative performance of our Multiplatform Group during this soft advertising period, are encouraging metrics for us, and we’re seeing indications of improving macroeconomic trends which we expect to have a positive impact for us in the second half of the year, with most of that impact in Q4.”
compared to net income of $3.8 million for the second quarter last year – a decline of 12.3% – although it should be noted that Saga is the only radio company thus far to report net income – as opposed to a net loss – during the second quarter. Saga Communications stock pays dividends and during Q2 of 2023 it paid a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on June 16, 2023. The aggregate amount of the quarterly dividend was approximately $1.5 million. To date Saga has paid over $109 million in dividends to shareholders since the first special dividend was paid in 2012. Saga’s balance sheet reflects $34.4 million in cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2023. The company carries no long-term debt.
come to terms on a renewal to remain with “The Ticket.” The sticking point was their desire to explore digital initiatives outside of their work with Cumulus. They have since launched a podcast via Patreon that Cumulus says violates their six-month non-compete. The company also alleges the two have violated the non-solicitation and non-disparagement clauses of their contract. It alleges the duo have “commandeered” company-owned social media accounts, threatened to release “conversations Defendants illicitly recorded” with company executives. Cumulus is seeking “emergency injunctive relief” plus attorneys’ fees and costs.
hosts of the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm program, effective Monday (8/14). They have been the interim hosts since February. Additionally, Jake Skorheim has assumed hosting duties for the evening program “KIRO Nights.” Skorheim was the producer for the Dori Monson show from 2009 through 2016. Bonneville Seattle director of news and talk 
programming Bryan Buckalew says, “I’m thrilled about these new shows, and I hope our audience will be too. Listeners can expect dynamic conversations based on the top news stories of the day, keeping our community informed and entertained. Jack and Spike have good chemistry and a keen sense of humor. They do a great job of blending informative discussions with lighthearted banter. In an era marked by divisiveness, Jack and Spike emphasize common ground over polarizing debates. Their show demonstrates the power of dissecting complex issues rather than simply magnifying superficial differences.” Buckalew adds, “I couldn’t be more excited to have Jake back in the building. He is thoughtful, creative, and has a great sense of humor. I look forward to listening as Jake develops his distinct voice and builds an audience across a diverse range of digital platforms.”
July 2023 PPM Data – Information for the July 2023 ratings period has been released for 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.
What happens when the world-wide leader is for sale? When they stopped spanning the globe 25 years ago, I thought the budget cut would help the leader. I could still hear the great Jim McKay describing the agony as Vinko Bogataj rolled down that ski slope in utter defeat. There were so many different images of the thrill of victory, but for most of the 37 seasons of “Wide World of Sports,” the agony of defeat was forever connected to that helpless Yugoslavian skier.