Industry News

SAVE THE DATES: TALKERS to Team Up Again with Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) for 2026 Conference

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Iconic broadcasting industry trade publication, TALKERS is pleased to announce that it will again be teaming up with the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) in presenting and sponsoring the forthcoming IBSNYC26 conference for the second consecutive year. The event will again take place at the centrally located Sheraton Times Square hotel in midtown Manhattan and embrace the “Generations” theme thatimg made last year’s mingling of student and professional broadcasters such a resounding success. The dates are set for Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison states, “There are exciting things happening at the radio stations and communication departments of high school, college, and university campuses across America. These institutions and creative outposts embody a spirit emanating from its practitioners as well as its audiences that bode well for the future of general radio, talk media and digital communications. This tremendous source of talent, ideas and energy has been burgeoning right under the noses of our professional industry for years. It’s time to harness that obvious synergy at this pivotal juncture.” More details including agenda, registration, hotel and sponsorship information will be posted in TALKERS in the coming weeks. Save the dates!

Job Opportunity

Lotus Seeks Weekend Anchor/Editor/Reporter

Lotus Seattle is seeking an experienced weekend anchor/editor/reporter for all-news station KNWS-AM/FM, Seattle “Northwest Newsradio 97-7, AM 1000.” Lotus says, “The ideal candidate will help prepare and deliver engaging news content, report on breaking news events, and produce special projects and programming as assigned. This position at Northwest Newsradio is a vital news delivery and content creatorimg for our station. Your material is used throughout the day on several different broadcasts. This individual in this position is also an overall ambassador for our brand, and is expected to also work at special events, and alongside our sales staff promote the station to Northwest Newsradio clients. The perfect candidate has a minimum of two years’ experience in large market media, is proficient and aggressive in social media, is an excellent writer, and embraces using digital platforms (podcasting, streaming audio, streaming video) to promote the Northwest Newsradio brand. Candidates need to submit an audio demonstration of their on-air ability with their resume, along with a sample of radio news writing. Candidates should also be prepared to take a writing test if requested. Applications should be sent here.

Industry News

MacLeod to Lead Portland Stations for Alpha Media

Alpha Media Portland names Ross MacLeod the new operations manager for the Portland market. In this role he’ll also serve as content director for news/talk KXL-FM “FM News 101” and sports talk KXTG-AMimg “750 The Game.” He most recently served as program director for iHeartMedia’s WBGG, Miami “Big 105.9.” MacLeod states, “I’m looking forward to working with some of the amazing talent we have in Portland, and leading this cluster to new heights. KXL is a heritage news/talk leader in Portland and I couldn’t be more honored to be part of this team.” Alpha Media stations are being acquired by Connoisseur Media in a deal that is expected to close in the fall.

Industry News

Civic Media to Acquire Upper Peninsula Stations

Wisconsin-based Civic Media is acquiring five stations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from J&J Broadcasting. Civic Media says the deal will be completed through a newly formed partnership betweenimg Civic Media and the Michigan Independent Media Group. Included in the deal are WJMS-AM and WIMI-FM in Ironwood; WUPY-FM, Ontonagon; and WKMJ-FM and WMPL-AM in Hancock-Houghton. Civic Media vice president of operations Kory Hartmann says, “These heritage radio stations have served their local communities for years and are strong partners with local businesses and organizations. We intend to continue that legacy of service and add a wider array of products to keep people in touch with their community.”

Industry News

MIW Announced 3rd Annual Speak Up! Mentorship Program

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc announces the launch of the third annual “Speak Up!” Mentorship Program in partnership with Media Staffing Network. The application window opens today and will remain open through Friday, July 18, 2025. Created in honor of the late Laurie Kahn, founder of Media Staffing Network and a tireless advocate for women in media, Speak Up! is a year-long mentorship initiativeimg designed for women working in small to medium radio markets across any department. One deserving candidate will be selected to receive personalized coaching and mentorship from MIW’s network of experienced female executives as well as certified coaches from Media Staffing Network. MIW Board president Sheila Kirby says, “MIW is proud to continue honoring Laurie Kahn’s legacy through the Speak Up! Program. Each year, we have the opportunity to support emerging female leaders and help them find their voice and path to growth in our industry. This program represents the very heart of our mission.”Get more information and apply here.

Industry News

BIA: Florida Radio Ad Spend to Hit $833 Million in 2025

According to a report on Florida ad revenue for 2025, BIA Advisory predicts that the total for the year will be $12.4 billion, with radio OTA+digital’s share of the pie being $833 million. Radio is fifth in line after #1 mobileimg ($2.7 billion), #2 direct mail ($2.5 billion), #3 PC/laptop ($2.3 billion), and #4 TV OTA+digital ($1.6 billion). The report notes that 64% of the state’s total ad spend in done in three markets: Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa-St. Petersburgh-Sarasota, and Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne. See more about the report here.

Industry News

WHBC, Canton Celebrates 100 Years on the Air

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Canton, Ohio radio station WHBC-AM is celebrating its 100th anniversary of service to the market with a live, on-air celebration today from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in downtown Canton. CantonRep.com reports the story noting that WHBC launched in 1925 and in 1939 moved into its current facility, a classic art deco building that still features the architecture and décor of the era that feels like walking into a time machine. About today’s festivities, morning host Pam Cook says, “It’s us celebrating the community and saying thank you because, honestly, we wouldn’t be on the air for 100 years if it wasn’t for the community.” WHBC is owned by Alpha Media and part of the pending acquisition by Connoisseur Media. Photo: Julie Vennitti Botos / Canton Repository See the CantonRep.com story here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (June 23 – 27, 2025)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (6/23-27) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

1. Iran Strikes Aftermath / MAGA “Civil War”
2. SCOTUS Friday Rulings
3. Trump at NATO
4. Big, Beautiful Bill
5. ICE Raids / SCOTUS Deportation Ruling
6. Mamdani NYC Primary Victory
7. Powell Testimony / Trump Fed Nomination
8. SCOTUS Planned Parenthood Ruling
9. ASIP RSV Recommendation
10.Bezos-Sanchez Wedding

People

1. Donald Trump
2. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
3. Pete Hegseth
4. Marjorie Taylor Greene / Rand Paul
5. Tucker Carlson / Steven K. Bannon
6. Mark Rutte
7. Mike Johnson
8. Zohran Mamdani / Andrew Cuomo
9. Jerome Powell
10.Jeff Bezos / Lauren Sanchez

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry News

KSTA, San Antonio the New Home for the Joe Pags Show

Talk radio star Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo will be heard in his home market of San Antonio on Alpha Media’s news/talk KTSA, effective July 1. The Joe Pags show is nationally syndicated to some 170 affiliates via Compass Media Networks and will air on KTSA in the 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm daypart. Alpha Media SVP andimg market manager Lance Hawkins says, “Joe Pags represents everything we value at KTSA. He’s dynamic, authentic, and rooted in Texas values. Our mission is to build radio brands that are Live and Local, deeply involved in the communities they serve, and always evolving. Pags’ addition to KTSA proves that mission in action.” Pags says that his welcome to KTSA is both professional and personal. “I am thrilled to call KTSA the new flagship for the Joe Pags Show. I’ve been based in San Antonio for 20 years and have always been a fan of the amazing hosts on KTSA. It’s truly an honor to get back on the air in SA and talk with these amazing people on their ride home once again. I can’t thank Jeff Warshaw, Lance Hawkins, Greg Martin, and Dax Davis enough for this remarkable opportunity!” Alpha Media is being acquired by Connoisseur Media and FCC approval is expected by this fall.

Industry News

JVC Broadcasting to Acquire Panama City Stations

JVC Broadcasting is entering into a deal with Magic Broadcasting to acquire its four Panama City, Florida radio stations, including news/talk WYOO “Talk Radio 101.” JVC Fort Walton Beach market manager Johnimg Griffo will have oversight of the Panama City market and Matt Stone, PD for the company’s Fort Walton Beach operations will serve as program director. JVC Broadcasting president and CEO John Caracciolo says, “This isn’t a corporate merger. This is a local broadcaster investing in local communities. We believe in radio that serves the neighborhoods we live in, not just the bottom line.”

Industry News

Michael Harrison: “We Need to Invent New Dirty Words”

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The recent utterance of the so-called “F-bomb” by President Donald Trump during an impromptu Whiteimg House lawn press conference sparked a wave of on-air and online conversations about the state of the media and appropriate use of the English language in the rapidly changing digital era.  TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison appeared as a guest this morning (6/25) on the highly popular Gene Valicenti morning drive show on WPRO-AM, Providence sharing his take on the matter including legal and cultural aspects of whether to bleep or “let it fly.”  To listen to the interview, please click here.

Industry News

Audacy Names Mark Randall Sacramento Promotions Director

Audacy announces that Mark Randall is the new promotions director for Audacy Sacramento that includes sports talk KIFM-AM “ESPN 1320” and five music brands. Audacy Sacramento SVP and market managerimg Aaron Miller says, “Mark’s track record of crafting iconic promotions and working alongside some of radio’s biggest personalities makes him a legend in our business. He has the ability to create moments that resonate far beyond the airwaves and we look forward to having him bring that magic to our brands and our audience.” Randall comments, “I am excited and grateful to have the opportunity to re-join the Audacy team and this legendary group of stations. Aaron is building an amazing culture in Sacramento, and I’m stoked to be a part of it. The charismatic people within this industry have always been the reason. Let’s go!”

Industry News

WWO: 36% of Americans Can’t Name an Auto Dealer

This week’s blog from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at marketing strategies for new and used auto dealers – historically radio’s biggest advertiser category. Nielsen senior clientimg solutions executive Michael Katz writes that, according to Scarborough consumer purchase data, consumers were asked to “select auto dealerships where you or other household members might shop if you were planning to buy or lease a new or used vehicle (including in-store and online shopping)” and 36% were unable to name an auto dealer. Katz adds that one out five auto intenders (21%), those who will lease or buy a new or used vehicle in the next year, cannot name one auto dealer. He says, “Auto dealers need ads that teach people who they are and build their brands.” Read the full blog post here.

Industry News

Majority of Reps Sign on to AM Radio Bill

The National Association of Broadcasters says that the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has reached the key milestone of a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives cosponsoring the legislation. NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, states, “Securing 218 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, alongside a filibuster-proof 61 cosponsors in the Senate, marks a pivotal milestone for the AM Radio for Every Vehicleimg Act and underscores AM radio’s enduring value to the American people. For more than a century, AM radio has been a lifeline, delivering trusted news, local sports, crop reports and emergency information when and where it matters most. From rural communities to urban centers, from first responders to everyday commuters, over 80 million Americans rely on this free, local service to stay informed and safe every month. NAB thanks Reps. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Frank Pallone (NJ-06) for championing this legislation, and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who recognize AM radio’s essential role in communities across the country. We look forward to continuing our work with the Energy and Commerce Committee and House leadership to advance this bill without delay.”

Industry News

iHeartMedia’s AI Efforts to Translate Podcasts

Yesterday’s news that iHeartMedia is offering 10 of its top podcasts in six different languages besides their native English did not go into detail about how these podcasts are being translates. A story in Digiday looksimg at how iHeartMedia handled the process of using AI to translate and voice-clone the original podcast hosts. iHeartPodcasts president Will Pearson is quoted saying the AI translations faced two main challenges: ensuring accuracy and preserving each show’s unique tone. iHeartMedia worked with the company Speechlab to clone the voices of the hosts use them to read the show’s transcript in multiple languages. Pearson also says about a quarter of his company’s downloads come from outside the U.S. Read the Digiday story here.

Industry News

Urban One Shareholders Vote to Allow Reverse Stock Split

At its recent annual shareholder meeting, Urban One shareholders approved an amendment to the company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to permit it to effect a reverse stock split of itsimg outstanding Class A and Class D Common Stock, at a ratio within a range between one-for-two and one-for-30, subject to and as determined by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors. This comes as the company faces an August 11 deadline for its Nasdaq-traded stock to close at a price above $1 for 10 consecutive sessions, or risk delisting. If that fails, the company could apply for a 180-day grace period but it’s more likely the board goes ahead with the stock split.

Industry News

iHeartMedia Now Offering Top Podcasts in Six Languages

iHeartMedia announces that 10 of its top podcasts – “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” “Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell,” “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know,” “Before Breakfast with Laura Vanderkam,” “How to Money,” “Stuff to Blow Your Mind,” “Betrayal,” “The Girlfriends” and “Murder 101” – are now available in six foreign languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindiimg and Mandarin, with plans to expand to even more shows and languages in the future. Host Jay Shetty says, “We have been fortunate to build a huge global audience that continues to reach more people around the world every day. One of the questions I get asked most is, ‘When will the podcast be in Spanish? When will it be in Hindi?’ And now, not only those, but several more languages as well. Expanding into more languages gives us the special opportunity to serve our audience better and bring these conversations to even more people. I truly believe this will deepen our impact, extend our reach and push forward our mission to make the world happier, healthier and more healed.” iHeart Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne says, “Global podcast listenership continues to rise, with podcast consumption significantly growing in regions such as Latin America, Europe, India and other parts of Asia. Podcast translation is an exciting step forward as content continues to globalize, allowing us to bring our catalog of hit shows and talent to these regions, helping us reach new audiences and bring fresh, insightful content worldwide.”