Edison Research Releases Top 50 Podcasts for Q1 2024
Edison Research’s ranking of the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. for the first quarter of 2024 (derived from data collected continuously during the first quarter of 2024, interviewing 5,300 weekly podcast
consumers ages 13 and older in the U.S.) and the top three remain unchanged with “The Joe Rogan Experience” at #1, “Crime Junkie” at #2, and “The Daily” at #3. The Taylor Swift effect helped propel “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” to the #4 position. Other podcasts of interest to the news/talk media industry include “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #13, “The Ramsey Show” at #16, “The Tucker Carlson Podcast” debuts at #24, and “The Dan Bongino Show” is at #27.
defaming two Georgia election workers, and they were accusing him of make new false accusations against them. 
talking about the 2020 election for three years and was never made aware that election talk was off limits. In The New York Times story Giuliani states that WABC’s policies on this topic are “a clear violation of free speech” to which TALKERS founder Michael Harrison comments, “As a lawyer, former attorney
general and former mayor, Giuliani should know better than to muddy the waters about ‘free speech’ by citing it and distorting it for his own defense in this manner. The letter of the law regarding the First Amendment protects the rights and responsibilities of Catsimatidis as the licensee and platform owner in this situation. And as far as the spirit of the law as indicated by the general term ‘free speech’ is concerned, the understanding between these two men as to what Giuliani can discuss on WABC is completely subjective and ultimately based on what the licensee determines at any given moment to be in the best interest of the platform, its listeners and most importantly, the truth.” 
Radio 1190 AM.” Beck’s program will air from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. He says, “I’m excited to partner with iHeartRadio on the relaunch of KFXR. With Dallas-Fort Worth being our home market and the home of my American history museum, I can’t wait to exploit the many opportunities that will grow our relationship with the listeners in Texas and KFXR.” Glenn Beck will be appearing as keynote speaker at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond at Hofstra University on Friday, June 7. 
his radio career in 2010 in Battle Creek, for WBCK-FM and WBXX-FM, former Cumulus stations now owned by Townsquare Media. Cumulus president of operations Bob Walker comments, “Steve has proven himself to be an accomplished leader in the Dallas market the past 10 years and we are thrilled to have him moving back home to Michigan, an area of the country that is important to Steve and his family. We are excited for him to get started and eager to see the impact he will have.” Holm says, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to come back home. The Grand Rapids and Muskegon teams are a tightly knit group and are determined and ready to win. I’m excited to be joining them and look forward to the challenges and growth ahead.”
reasons described below. The company says it is continuing to work diligently to file its Form 10-K as soon as possible and expects to be in a position to file the Form 10-K by May 31, 2024. “Additional time is needed for the company to compile and analyze supporting documentation in order to complete the Form 10-K and in order to permit the company’s independent registered public accounting firm to complete its audits of the consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting included in the Form 10-K. The company expects its auditor will issue an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements. The company has identified material weaknesses in the company’s internal control over financial reporting and as a result, expects some of its internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls will be ineffective as of December 31, 2023. The Annual Report will describe these material weaknesses, and the company is implementing plans to remediate them.” 
hosted by FOX Business Network anchors and correspondents including Taylor Riggs, Kelly O’Grady and Lydia Hu. The company says the launch of the podcast follows the success of “The FOX News Rundown Podcast,” which saw over 35 million downloads in 2023, with over five million unique listeners according to Megaphone. “The FOX News Rundown Podcast” is also a syndicated morning show on over 100 FOX News Radio affiliate stations nationwide.
was $34.1 million, up 1.3% over Q1 of 2023. Broadcast Advertising net revenue was $45.5 million, down just 1% from a year ago. Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson comments, “I am pleased to share that Townsquare’s first quarter results met our previously issued guidance, and that we are building momentum and gaining market share, primarily due to our local focus and our unique and differentiated digital platform… Our first 
quarter performance improved over the fourth quarter across each of our segments. Importantly, our Digital Advertising segment returned to revenue growth in the first quarter (+1.3% year-over-year), and our Townsquare Interactive segment achieved net subscriber growth and month-over-month revenue growth in March, a meaningful turning point for the business. In total, Digital represented 53% of Townsquare’s first quarter 2024 net revenue and Adjusted Operating Income. The strong cash generation characteristics of our assets provided us the ability to execute two attractive equity transactions in April using cash on hand: the accretive share repurchase of 1.5 million shares from MSG at an 11% discount to the pre-announcement share price, and an option buyout at an attractive price point, thereby avoiding shareholder dilution. In addition, during the quarter we repurchased $4 million of our common stock and paid a high-yielding dividend while also investing in our business. We ended the quarter with a strong cash balance of $57 million, and following the April equity transactions, maintained a cash balance of $28 million at the end of April, retaining financial flexibility moving forward.”
program will be simulcast on Cumulus Media’s New London, Connecticut news/talk outlet WXLM-AM, beginning Monday (5/13). Valicenti has been hosting the morning show on WPRO since 2010. He is also the evening anchor on Sinclair’s WJAR-TV, Providence where he’s been working since 1992.
mornings and late nights at the heritage station. Prior to that he served for 15 years as the local host of the evening magazine program on Seattle’s KING5 NBC. During his career on KIRO, Curley has spearheaded a number of extremely creative and high-profile charitable promotions in addition to operating an independent business as a fund-raising auctioneer for charitable causes and organizations across the nation. He raises an average of $80 million per year with this endeavor. In making the announcement, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison stated, “John Curley is a true on- and off-air original… iconoclastic, candid, and smart. His charity work as a radio personality over the years has been creative, entertaining, and effective. However, it is his remarkable skill and productivity as an auctioneer for non-profits around America that is absolutely stunning. When John gets on that stage, he raises auctioneering to a heart pounding art form and drags every ounce of generosity out of his spellbound audiences. His patter is song and his moves are dance.” 
with Westwood One Sports. Eaby joined Westwood One as an editor after graduating from college in 1997. He has been an on-site producer for the NFL on Westwood One for 25 years, including 16 Super Bowls and 23 AFC/NFC Championship Games. Eaby has also served as an on-site producer for the network’s NCAA March Madness basketball tournament broadcasts for 23 years. WWO president and Cumulus EVP, corporate strategy & development Collin Jones says, “Our listeners, advertisers, and league partners turn to Westwood One Sports because we deliver consistently outstanding audio broadcasts. With Mike’s experience, passion, and vision, I’m confident he is the perfect person to quarterback Westwood One Sports into its next era.” 
determined that granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Further, Audacy says, “According to the MRC, Audacy is attempting to employ an ‘entirely new’ and ‘vague and undefined’ special warrant process’ to delay the Commission review of Audacy’s proposed foreign ownership until ‘sometime down the road’ when the company ‘may choose’ to file a petition for declaratory ruling seeking such review. This specious claim not only mischaracterizes the company’s waiver request detailed in the Application, but completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” Separately, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to Congressman Nicolas Langworthy (R-NY) and Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX), who both wrote to her implying that the Commission is not going through “its normal, statutorily required process” and voiced concern over Soros Fund Management’s acquisition of Audacy debt. Langworthy wrote that Audacy being “owned by a deeply partisan individual [George Soros], could have a fundamental impact on the nature of local radio and potentially silence political viewpoints.” Rosenworcel’s response indicates she believes the Commission is handling the matter appropriately, saying, “The Bureau staff will review the record and decide if the transfer is in the public interest pursuant to Section 310(d) of the Communications Act.”
lawmen, exploring law versus crime and hero versus villain, ultimately revealing the rugged path that led to the rise of modern law enforcement. FOX Nation president Lauren Petterson says, “Viewers will feel as if they’ve teleported back to the Wild West as Sean Hannity masterfully bridges the past and the present, highlighting this fascinating era of time.” Hannity will use the true stories of the outlaws and lawmen of America’s past to track the evolution of law enforcement from the Wild West to today. From Butch Cassidy to Bass Reeves to Billy the Kid, Hannity details the men of both honor and infamy, bringing life to the myths, legends, and truths of the time. Hannity comments, “As our viewers know, I am a strong supporter of our men and women in law enforcement and I look forward to spotlighting a period of time that is pivotal in their origin.”
rock WBCN-FM and then on sports talk WBZ-FM, “98.5 The Sports Hub,” will be back on the Boston airwaves “soon.” Shertenlieb exited WBZ-FM last November after his professional relationship with partner Fred Toucher fell apart and Toucher re-upped with Beasley to continue hosting the “98.5 The Sports Hub” morning show. Now, iHeartMedia cuts ties with the classic rock WZLX-FM, Boston morning team of Pete McKenzie and Heather Ford and installs “The Rich Shertenlieb Show.”
showroom on Thursday (5/9) from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Talk show host Alan Stock and afternoon host Sam Mirejovsky will moderate the event that will be free to the public. KXNT brand manager Mark Bonilla states, “As the premier talk radio station in Las Vegas, ‘News Talk Radio 840 AM’ is dedicated to providing a platform for informed discussion and debate by offering voters the opportunity to hear directly from the leading candidates about their visions for the future of the city.”
Audio advantage.” The guide provides data to counter prevailing myths that marketers often believe. Some examples include: 1) the notion that “apps have all the audience” is not true as “ad-supported platforms are key to marketer’s winning and Audacy’s 200 million+ is miles above Spotify (48.6M) and Pandora (41.2M)”; 2) “young people don’t listen to audio” isn’t true as 96% of Gen Z listen to audio daily – with 44% being daily radio users; and 3) “I can’t measure audio” is also false because marketers can “track, measure and analyze 
There is something about 40.
station for the past 17 years. He says, “This is truly a dream come true for me. We have recruited a new board of directors who are committed to work with us to make the station even stronger. WGSO Radio will continue to be independent, committed to free speech and opposed to censorship in any form. While our focus will always be the New Orleans area, we are proud to welcome listeners from around the country… Our station is an important part of our community and will continue to serve our region for many years to come. I look forward to serving in these new roles to ensure a bright future for WGSO Radio.” Crouere’s “Ringside Politics” will continue to air on the station from 7:00 am to 9:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Conway and David Flouffe.” PodcastOne says that the weekly podcast – to debut on May 22 – will “go beyond the headlines and bylines driving the heated 2024 presidential race to offer expert opinions and perspectives in the most pivotal presidential campaign in American democratic history.” PodcastOne president and co-founder Kit Gray says, “Kellyanne and David are icons in the political landscape. Their intelligent delivery of data and facts, their dynamic presentation of opinions and strategy and their wealth of knowledge on what it takes to become the next President of the United States is a privilege and a thrill to listen to, and we at PodcastOne are excited to be able to bring this podcast to the public.”
They seek someone who understands small-market, local radio and is willing to be involved in the community. Knowledge of radio automation software, Adobe audition, WordPress, and general computer experience is preferred. SRG offers paid vacation and great benefits including – health, vision, dental and 401K. Send your resume and demo! No phone calls. No voicetrack inquiries. Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC is an EOE. Kevin Tlam, Operations Manager, Spencer Radio Group, P.O. Box 260, Spencer, Iowa 51301 
region that carry Carr’s independently syndicated afternoon drive talk show. He is an inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame. With roots in investigative print journalism, Carr is the New York Times best-selling author of The Brothers Bulger and Hitman, in addition to several other Boston organized-crime books and two novels. He has remained in newspaper work that goes back prior to his radio career as an active columnist for the Boston Herald and has received a National Magazine Award for his work with Boston Magazine. Boston organized-crime boss Whitey Bulger was so infuriated by Carr’s groundbreaking reporting that he once put out a murder contract on Carr – a story detailed on “60 Minutes.” At his 2013 trial on murder and racketeering charges, Bulger tried to have Carr banned from the courtroom by calling him as a defense witness. Before he was brutally murdered in a gangland hit, the crime czar still said his greatest regret was not murdering Carr when he had the chance. Carr once taught a course at Harvard, where he had to cross a picket line against himself to get to his class. In making the announcement, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison stated, “Howie Carr is the real deal – the best of both the old and new schools in media. He was practicing ‘cross-platform’ journalism and commentary long before it became the digital-era norm. He’s got ink in his veins and RF in his brains. His impact in the Northeast has been so strong for such a long time that if the six New England States were to consolidate as one, he would possibly be its first governor.” Carr will be one of 60 industry leaders speaking at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. For more information, see story below.
the chief engineer for Cumulus Media in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola, Florida. Beasley says Ringer will be responsible for transmitter and studio maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs of the market’s RF systems, maintaining and utilizing Wheatstone and WheatNet for audio routing and broadcasting, and other related duties. Ringer comments, “Having been raised in studios and transmitter sites, I feel that broadcast engineering is in my DNA. My father has been a broadcast engineer for more than 40 years and has taught me most of what I know. I credit him with instilling an unwavering work ethic in me as I watched him work tirelessly through my childhood years. I have been working in radio for more than 25 years and love every aspect of what I do.”
client, Yamanair Creative. James McDaniels moves up from his role as producer to production manager for the Yamanair Commercial Production Team. He will be responsible for assigning, producing, and coordinating spots for clients. Kyle 
Castellani is promoted from writer to head writer for the Yamanair Commercial Production Team. In his new role, Castellani will oversee copywriting and project management for the team. East Coast director of commercial production MJ Bloch says, “We are thrilled to have Kyle Castellani as Lead Writer. His creativity is unmatched, and we’re excited to see what the future brings. James McDaniels has been an amazing producer and voiceover artist for many decades. We are so delighted to have him on the Benztown team in this role. His talent and dedication to his craft are top notch.”