Kirk Slaying Pushes First Amendment into Spotlight in Talk Media Industry
The aftermath of the killing of Charlie Kirk last week has made the First Amendment an issue being discussed not only by the public but also one hitting home for talk media practitioners. Wednesday’s suspension of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” program by ABC/Disney after television giants Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group complained about Kimmel’s comments on Kirk’s death and said they would stop carrying the show dominated the news cycle. While FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated at the POLITICO AI & Tech Summit that the FCC should not be investigating social media posts celebrating Kirk’s slaying, saying, “I think you can draw a pretty clear line, and the Supreme Court has done this for decades, that our First Amendment, our free speech tradition, protects almost all speech,” his statement comes not long after Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested her office should be investigating hate speech, infuriating many conservatives who outright reject the concept of hate speech. ABC/Disney’s decision to air or not air the Kimmel program is not an infringement of Kimmel’s First Amendment rights but both Sinclair and Nexstar have mergers or acquisitions before federal bodies – including the FCC – and some critics of the Kimmel suspension note that the Trump administration will consider Kimmel’s ouster a “friendly” move. It is also worth noting that FCC Chairman Carr appeared on the Benny Johnson podcast and called Kimmel’s statements “some of the sickest conduct possible” and added, “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney… We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Finally, there are those who are pointing out that Charlie Kirk was an adamant supporter of the First Amendment who would disagree with the calls to suppress free speech – even callous speech mocking his own death.
guest host because he specifically asked for the honor, so he can share his thoughts and remembrances on the passing of his personal friend. SRN adds, “We have received permission from Premiere Networks to allow Glenn to do this, even though he may be on a competing station in some radio markets. This is one of those rare times where competitors unite for the common good. We wanted our stations to know this special broadcast has been approved. It promises to be memorable radio.” SRN says other major stars will fill in during the coming days. Vice President JD Vance guest-hosted live from The White House on Monday and Tuesday’s show was hosted by Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles and Ben Shapiro.
across key iHeartMedia markets including: Rochester, Minnesota; Bismarck, Minot, Dickinson, and Grand Forks in North Dakota; and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. iHeartMedia division president Shosh Abromovich says, “I’m thrilled to welcome Dee Doers as Area President over our six MidNorth markets. With nearly three decades of industry experience, Dee brings strategic vision and a proven track record of driving growth. He’s the ideal leader to take these markets to even greater heights.” Doers previously served the company’s Minneapolis market as vice president of sales.
Salem Media Group announces that to honor Salem Radio Network talk host Charlie Kirk, Vice President JD Vance is guest hosting “The Charlie Kirk Show” today (9/15) at 12:00 noon ET. This special broadcast live from The White House will air on the Salem Radio Network and will be simulcast on Salem News Channel. Vice President Vance tweeted on Sunday, “I will have the honor of hosting the Charlie Kirk Show. Please join me as I pay tribute to my friend.” Salem Radio Network VP/news & talk programming Tom Tradup says, “The Vice President and Second Lady Usha Vance flew to Phoenix to be with the Kirk family immediately following last Wednesday’s assassination, and they also flew Charlie’s coffin home from Utah on Air Force Two.”
The Nashville-based “George Plaster Show,” with co-hosts Kelly Holcomb and Billy Derrick, is now heard on Saga Communications’ sports talk WKFN-AM/W281BT in Clarksville, Tennessee. Clarksville Now reportsPlaster said he’s excited for the opportunity to be here and tap into a new market of sports fans. “I’m very excited about being in Clarksville. For me, this is about adding listeners – listeners who knew me from years ago. I think we’re going to do really well here, it’s a market that has a lot of sports fans, and we just simply want to tap into it.” “The George Plaster Show” will air live from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. 
least $3.4 million from the university to operate the station. TribLive reports, “Penn State officials said they proposed transferring the operating assets of WPSU to WHYY and provide a $17 million subsidy structured to decrease over five years, to give WHYY an opportunity to help WPSU reach a financial break-even point and continue broadcasting across central Pennsylvania.” That proposal was not accepted by the trustees. 
FOX News Channel presenting a primetime special titled, “Charlie Kirk: An American Original,” hosted by FOX News Channel’s Jesse Watters tomorrow at 7:00 pm ET with an encore presentation on Sunday (9/14) at 7:00 pm ET. FOX News says Watters “will reflect on Kirk’s extraordinary impact as a conservative thought leader, gifted communicator, and a monumental force for the MAGA movement.” Kirk colleagues and friends being featured include: Donald Trump Jr., “My View” host Lara Trump, Graham Allen, and Pastor Jack Hibbs. In addition, FNC personalities Will Cain, Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones will reflect on Kirk’s impact.
Cox Media Group’s Atlanta news/talk 95.5 WSB (WSB-AM/WSBB-FM) is adding Premiere Networks’ “Coast to Coast AM” hosted by George Noory to its program schedule. WSB director of branding and programming Ken Charles says, “We’re thrilled Coast to Coast AM with George Noory is joining the 95.5 WSB-AM lineup. George’s unique voice and compelling content are a perfect overnight fit for our listeners. This is a powerful addition to our lineup of live and local talent.”
intends to have the station back on the air within a few weeks and it will continue to air an oldies format. Civic Media will add W262CJ at 100.3 FM to the simulcast of talk WAUK-AM, Waukesha which is also heard on W266DR, Waukesha at 101.1 FM. The 100.3 FM signal gives the station a presence in the center of Milwaukee. Civic Media regional president Chris Moreau says, “We’re thrilled to expand our presence in Milwaukee, our largest metro market. These acquisitions allow us to better serve listeners across southeastern Wisconsin with our commitment to local news coverage and quality programming. The extended coverage area creates exciting opportunities for both our audience and advertising partners.”
Sports talk hosts Paul Gallant and Joel Blank have exited Gow Media’s KFNC-FM, Houston ESPN 97.5 in moves they describe as budget related. Both personalities posted the news of their departure to social media. Gallant hosted the early evening show and Blank co-hosted the “Killer B’s” midday show with Jeremy Branham.
Connoisseur Media promotes Ed Oliveira to operations manager for Connoisseur Media’s Connecticut stations. Oliveira has been with Connoisseur Media for more than a decade, most recently as director of traffic & creative services. Oliveira says, “I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to take on this expanded role. This feels like a natural step for me, and I appreciate [SVP of Connecticut operations] Kristin Okesson for believing in me and my abilities. One person that has been a near-constant in my career is Keith Dakin. Having the opportunity to receive the baton from him and building on his work is a task I take on with pride. I am beyond excited to expand my role with the amazing people on this team. They are so good that operations could probably run on its own BUT I am ecstatic they chose me to oversee it.”
Salem Media Group recruits Australian media personality Erin Molan to host an eponymous podcast for the Salem Podcast Network. Molan says, “The American market has always felt like such a natural fit. The focus on my former show on Sky News Australia was always more heavily skewed towards foreign affairs, U.S. politics, national security, and COMMON SENSE! When clips started to go viral in the United States, I figured there was an appetite there for what I had to say!” Salem SVP spoken word Phil Boyce comments, “I really believe Erin Molan is the ‘thunder from down under.’ She is fighting hard for the right side in Australia, and now we are helping her make her case to the U.S. and beyond. She is a strong advocate for Israel and against anti-Semitic rhetoric, so I can’t wait to hear her get started.”