Industry News

Cox Media Group Adds Digital Pros to Tulsa Station Group

Cox Media Group announces that it is adding two professionals to its Tulsa digital media team. Ben Dreblow moves from the company’s Houston operations to become Tulsa’s digital media director. CMG says Dreblow “hasim a proven track record of driving success for digital clients across broad spectrum of media, including broadcast television, newspaper, and radio. He brings with him a impassion for developing digital strategy that delivers results for local businesses.” Tyler Toti comes to Tulsa from CMG San Antonio to serve as digital client performance manager. CMG Tulsa VP and market manager Mark Shecterle comments, “Ben and Tyler have an impressive history of working collaboratively to develop successful digital media strategies for their client partners. Their expertise, coupled with CMG’s vast array of topline digital products, will create a powerful resource for Tulsa businesses. I’m thrilled to have them join our veteran team of market-leading media consultants.” CMG Tulsa operates news/talk KRMG-FM and three music-formatted stations.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

Former President Donald Trump’s “come after me I come after you” response to his indictment on charges related to January 6; the Hunter Biden on hold plea deal and calls for an investigation into the Biden family finances; the 2024 presidential race; A Ukrainian woman is arrested on charges of being part of a plot to assassinate Volodymyr Zelensky; the Russian and Chinese ships found patrolling near Alaska last week; the hoopla surrounding the possible Elon MuskMark Zuckerberg cage match; and the Barbie movie hits record $1 billion in box office receipts were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

iHeartMedia and Michael Smith Partner to Create the “Inflection Network”

iHeartMedia and sports journalist Michael Smith are partnering to create the “Inflection Network,” “an innovative new sports podcast network.” Smith, along with partner Terrence Williams, an entertainment attorney, are launching the network with season three of the podcast series “Comeback Stories” hosted by New York Giantsim tight end Darren Waller and mental health and mindfulness coach Donny Starkins, with new originals joining the slate soon. Williams says, “We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with iHeartPodcasts. With the help of iHeart’s unmatched expertise and platform, we are building a robust content slate and what I believe will be an enjoyable and unique listening experience.” Smith adds, “IN’s approach is guided by inspiring and transformative power-rich storytelling and authentic, entertaining and thought-provoking conversation. We want to elevate and empower creatives, amplify diverse voices and perspectives, and enlighten, entertain and engage our audience. At IN our mantra is, ‘Louder for the folks in the back!’”

Industry News

TALKERS Vice President/Executive Editor Kevin Casey is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Last month marked the 33rd anniversary of the launch of TALKERS magazine – the talk media industry trade publication founded by Michael Harrison in July of 1990. The term “talk media” established and popularized byim the journal refers to AM, FM, online and satellite talk radio, cable news/talk TV, and talk podcasting.

Marking this third-of-a-century milestone, TALKERS longtime VP/executive editor, Kevin Casey is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Casey, then a program director for Clear Channel’s WHYN, imSpringfield, MA, joined TALKERS as its managing editor almost a quarter-of-a-century ago in 2000. The big story during that pre-9/11 year was the excruciatingly inconclusive presidential election between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore that took over a month to settle.

Michael Harrison states, “I’ve been blessed with a tremendous group of media professionals who operated and built TALKERS into the established communications vehicle that it has proven to be in many ways paralleling the growth of talk radio and its offshoots for more than three decades. One of the key individuals who has been responsible for its growth and longevity is my dear colleague, Kevin Casey.”

In a casual conversation between longtime friends and co-workers, Harrison and Casey take stock of the publication’s journey which parallels the historic role of talk radio’s modern era. Hear the complete podcast here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Stories for Week of July 31 – August 4

The indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges related to the events of January 6 was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the “on hold” plea deal by Hunter Biden and the building momentum to investigate the Biden family finances, followed by the 2024 presidential race at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases June Streaming Rankers

Triton Digital has published its streaming rankers for the June 2023 period based on Average Active Sessions and for the U.S. (Mon-Sun, 6a-12mid), iHeartMedia comes in #1 with 304,151 AAS. NPR Member Stationsim follows at #2 (71,573 AAS) and Audacy ranks #3 (68,414 AAS). Cumulus Streaming Network ranks #4 (40,785 AAS). Beasley Corporate lands at #7 (18,469 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting is right behind at #8 (15,129 AAS), followed by Urban One at #9 (9,971 AAS). See the complete chart of the top 30 streamers here.

Industry News

Salem Talk Hosts Record PSAs to Support AM Radio Act

Salem Radio Network’s nationally syndicated talk hosts have voiced and are distributing to affiliates public service announcements designed to rally listeners to support the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act. The PSAs encourage listeners to Public Service Announcements rallying listeners to reach out to their U.S. Senators andim Congressman to support the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act, Senate Bill 1669…stopping automakers from removing the AM band from new models they are manufacturing. SRN hosts Mike Gallagher, Charlie Kirk, Sebastian Gorka, Hugh Hewitt, Brandon Tatum and Dennis Prager are featured in the PSAs. SRN VP/news & talk programming Tom Tradup comments, “This action is one way the 80-million people who depend on AM radio for news, critical weather updates and vigorous debate on issues can peacefully and patriotically approach their lawmakers directly to share their views.”

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Yesterday’s (8/2) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The latest indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges related to the events of January 6; the status of Hunter Biden’s plea deal and calls for further investigation into his business dealings and how involved President Joe Biden was; the 2024 presidential race; the gunman in the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting is sentenced to death; the Russia-Ukraine war; and musician Lizzo is sued by former dancers for harassment were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Dr. Asa Andrew To Present at the 2023 Pro Football Hall Of Fame

Talk media personality Dr. Asa Andrew will be presenting this year at the annual 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fameim weekend on behalf of the NFL Alumni Health. A special panel has been put together that will be led and moderated by Doctor Asa on the topics of mental health, performance, imlongevity, and living a healthier lifestyle. In partnership with Hall of Fame legend Ray Lewis, Doctor Asa will be leading some powerful fireside chats with some of the all-time NFL greats, including Emmitt Smith, Terrell Owens, Warren Sapp, and more. Doctor Asa says, “It’s an honor to be invited to speak at such a prestigious event. Being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the league’s highest honor. It means that these champions used their natural talent, overcame tremendous adversity, and found a way to win in every area of life.” Hall of Fame weekend takes place August 4-6 in Canton, Ohio. 

Industry News

Edison: Joe Rogan Top U.S. Podcast for Q2 of 2023

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for the second quarter of 2023 (April – June) among weekly podcast listeners age 13+. The list ranks podcast networks based on total audienceim reach from Edison Podcast Metrics. “The Joe Rogan Experience” is #1 for this period, followed by audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” at #2, and The New York Times’ “The Daily” at #3. Podcasts hosted by commercial talk radio personalities that made the Top 50 include: Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” (#8), Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” (#21), The Ramsey Network’s “The Ramsey Show” (#22), and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Matt Walsh Show” (#42).

Industry News

Nebraska Broadcasters Association to Induct Three into Hall of Fame

The Nebraska Broadcasters Association announces the class of 2023 for its NBA Hall of Fame to be inductedim on August 8 during the organization’s annual convention. Among the three 2023 inductees is former talk radio personality and current classical music KVNO-FM, Omaha morning host Otis Twelve. His radio career began in 1973 and in 1993 he became morning host at news/talk KFAB, Omaha. He served as a talk host on crosstown KKAR, Omaha from 1999 through 2001. He also served as a movie critic for TV stations KETV and then KPTM from 1984 to 1996.

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Yesterday’s (8/1) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Special counsel Jack Smith announces the grand jury indictment of former President Donald Trump in connection with the events of January 6; the investigation into Hunter Biden and the status of his plea deal; the 2024 presidential race; the Russia-Ukraine war; the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors strikes; and Lizzo is sued by former dancers for sexual assault, harassment and discrimination were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Erick Erickson to Gathering of Politicians, Candidates, and Activists

WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta-based talk radio personality Erick Erickson is presenting a weekend event in Atlanta August 17-19 that brings together A-list politicians, presidential candidates and conservative issues activists. Erickson has previously hosted similar events under the banner of his RedState and The Resurgentim platforms. He says this year there are attendees from 47 states coming to the sold-out program. Erickson says, “This is the tenth of these I have done, and I have to thank Charlie, my producer, for doing so much of the heavy lifting while I have concentrated on doing my show. The format for each individually named speaker is a conversation on stage with me asking them questions from the attendees. The attendees will shortly receive a survey link where they can submit questions for me to incorporate into the conversations. The theme of the conference this year is ‘Forward: Which Way.’” 

Industry News

Griffin Broadcasting Adds Dan Patrick Show to “The Blitz” in Tulsa

Griffin Broadcasting’s all-sports station KTSB-AM, Tulsa “The Blitz 1170 AM” adds “The Dan Patrick Show” toim its program schedule airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Station program director Jeremie Poplin comments, “The Blitz is proud to welcome Dan back to the market in Tulsa and we look forward to the tremendous content he presents each day.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (7/31) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The Hunter Biden investigation and “on hold” plea deal; Donald Trump’s various legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the ongoing heatwaves affecting parts of the U.S. & Europe and the larger topic of climate change; the Russia-Ukraine war; the growing U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf;  Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman, dies were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Good Karma Brands to Handle Sales for ESPN Radio

According to a piece by John Ourand at Sports Business Journal, ESPN has struck a deal to have Good Karma Brands handle sales for the ESPN Radio network and its ESPN podcasts. ESPN will remain in charge of theim content, distribution and marketing its audio segment. Good Karma chief Craig Karmazin tells SBJ, “This is the culmination of what we’ve been working towards for the last 20-plus years. For us over the last 20 years, we’ve been focused on the medium and focused on the ESPN brand. Now for us to be able to run the sales operations of the entire network and the podcast business, it truly is like a culmination of everything we’ve been working towards in this partnership with them.” Read the Sports Business Journal story here.

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Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The Hunter Biden investigation and the status of his plea deal; Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; questions about Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s health; a judge blocks an Arkansas law making librarians and booksellers liable for making “harmful” books available to children; the heatwave affecting much of the U.S. and Europe; the Russia-Ukraine war; trucking industry giant Yellow plans to file bankruptcy; and the $1.05 billion Powerball jackpot were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Stories for Week of July 24 – 28

The Hunter Biden plea deal and Republicans’ desire to further investigate the Biden family finances was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the potential Joe Biden impeachment inquiry, followed by former President Donald Trump’s various legal battles at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

Former KHTK, Sacramento Host Grant Napear’s Suit Against Bonneville Can Proceed

Former KHTK-AM, Sacramento sports talk personality Grant Napear lost a couple of requests in his legal fight against former employer Bonneville International, but U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Drozd did rule in Napear’s favor in allowing his wrongful termination suit to go forward on the grounds of retaliation. Drozd ruled against Napear in his religious discrimination and breach of contract. As you may recall, in May of 2020 Napearim responded to former Sacramento Kings player DeMarcus Cousins’ social media post asking him what he thought of Black Lives Matter and Napear responded, “ALL LIVES MATTER… EVERY SINGLE ONE.” Bonneville fired him citing a clause in his contract that holds him responsible for anything that “might discredit the goodwill, good name or reputation” of the company. In allowing the wrongful termination suit to go forward, Judge Drozd wrote that Napear “has stated a plausible cause for retaliation” under California Labor Code sections 1101 and 1102, stating further that “the court finds that plaintiff has sufficiently alleged a ‘rule, regulation, or policy’ under (section) 1101 by alleging … defendant used his termination ‘as an example to all other employees of the Company as an implicit warning that anyone that dared to speak out publicly and criticize the politics of the Black Lives Matter movement would be summarily terminated.’” Read the full Sacramento Bee story here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s Top News/Talk Media Stories

Judge Maryellen Noreika defers her decision on approving a plea deal between Hunter Biden and prosecutors and Republicans’ calls for impeaching President Joe Biden over Hunter Biden’s business dealings; Donald Trump’s legal battles and Rudy Giuliani’s admission he made false statements about Georgia election workers; the Fed raises interest rates and indicates future rate increases are possible to battle inflation; the 2024 presidential race; a whistleblower testifies that the U.S. government is concealing its UFO capture program; the Russia-Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin’s stated deployment of nuclear weapons; the intense heatwaves affecting much of the U.S. & Europe and the great topic of climate change; and Sinead O’Connor dies at 56 were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

WTOP Names Anne Kramer Afternoon Drive Anchor

Hubbard Radio’s Washington, DC all-news WTOP announces that Anne Kramer is named the new afternoon drive anchor alongside co-anchor Shawn Anderson. Kramer joined WTOP 18 months ago after having served with Hearst Television’s WBAL-AM, Baltimore for 25 years including as morning drive anchor. She won a Nationalim Edward R. Murrow Award for her investigative reporting on Baltimore’s 911 system and has been the recipient of multiple Chesapeake AP Awards. She comments, “I am excited to be a full-time member of this legendary news station. I am looking forward to working alongside Shawn Anderson, with his years of experience, as we give listeners the most up-to-date and accurate information they need to make informed decisions as they go about their day.” WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler states, “From the day Anne started at WTOP, I have loved her passion for storytelling. Anne puts our listeners first and is always thinking about how she can help them understand what is going on in their worlds. Our listeners are in great hands with Shawn and Anne each afternoon.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (7/25) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Hunter Biden’s guilty plea and criticism of the “sweetheart” deal that would have sent regular Americans to prison; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy considers Joe Biden impeachment in connection with Hunter Biden investigation; the Fed is expected to hike interest rates again today; the heatwaves affecting much of the Northern Hemisphere and the report that the Atlantic Ocean’s currents are being harmed by global warming; Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang disappears from public view and is replaced; LeBron James’ son suffers cardiac event at basketball practice; and today’s House panel hearings on UFO’s were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Carrozza Promoted to Corporate Production Post for Beasley

Beasley Media Group promotes Tom Carrozza to corporate director of production operations.  Carrozza has been serving the company as the creative services director at its Tampa stations WLLD-FM and WPBB-FM sinceim 1999. Beasley says that in his new role, he will report directly to chief content officer Justin Chase and will work directly with the company’s production directors to help foster high quality creative production by leveraging the talented producers within the company and developing systems to reduce friction and redundant work. Chase comments, “Over the past 10 years, I’ve relied on Tom for many important corporate initiatives and special projects. No matter what he tackles, I’ve always been impressed with his professionalism, performance, and leadership. We look forward to leveraging Tom’s skills for the benefit of our overall company.”

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Benztown Production Libraries Now Offer AI-Aided Search Features

Benztown says it is “supercharging” its audio imaging libraries with the help of Artificial Intelligence technology. “Benztown audio production libraries now offer new AI-aided search features that make audio producers’ jobs easier and faster than ever through improved and more intuitive search functionality.” Benztown says this helps audio producers to: 1) Search Suggestions by Top User Searches – View the most popular searches andim proposed tags when you make a search; 2) Contains Exactly Search – Search for multiple keywords in the same order (substring) by searching in quotes or clicking ‘Contains exactly: “your search”; 3) Autocomplete – See suggestions of possible terms to complete your search; 4) Autocorrect – View intended results even if you make a typo in your search; 5) Suggestions And Result Preview – See suggestions and categories based on your search results, allowing you to view which elements exist for each song; and 6) Download Files in 24bit 48kHz – You can now request access to download higher resolution audio. Benztown CEO Andreas Sannemann says, “The Benztown libraries have always been on the cutting edge of AI development in sync with music and practical application for imaging directors and audio content creators. We keep pushing the standards to create the best possible product for our clients.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (7/24) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The status of Hunter Biden’s “sweetheart” plea deal; the feds sue Texas over Rio Grande immigrant barrier; Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the legal fight over Alabama’s congressional map; U.S.-Israel relations in the wake of that country’s weakening of its Supreme Court; the heatwaves affecting the U.S. and Europe and the fires scorching Greek islands; and conservatives freak out over the Barbie movie were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Bob & Tom Show’s Ron Sexton Dies at 52

Comic Ron Sexton, a longtime cast member of “The Bob & Tom Show,” died at 52 on Friday (7/21) in Ohio while on tour with his stand-up show. Tom Griswold states, “We are sad to confirm that Ron Sexton, longtime member of the ensemble cast of ‘The Bob & Tom Show,’ died Friday while on tour with his stand-up comedy show. Ronim was known by millions of listeners of ‘The Bob & Tom Show’ for the indelible comedic characters he played on-air, including Donnie Baker, Kenny Tarmac, and Floyd the Trucker, as well as his spot-on celebrity impersonations. Ron was a much-loved colleague and friend, and we will miss him greatly. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. He made many, many people happy during his more than 20 years with ‘The Bob & Tom Show,’ and we will remember him with love and gratitude.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

Former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; Texas Governor Greg Abbott under pressure to remove floating barriers in the Rio Grande; the weekend’s premieres of The Barbie Movie and Oppenheimer; the extreme heat affecting much of the United States and Europe; the Jason Aldean “Try That in a Small Town” controversy; the latest attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war; Israeli protests over Netanyahu’s plans to weaken the country’s Supreme Court; Elon Musk transitions Twitter to its new name X were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Cumulus Media Promotes Ann Thomas to Program Director for WJR, Detroit

Cumulus Media announces that it is promoting Ann Thomas to program director for heritage news/talk outlet WJR, Detroit. The company says that Thomas becomes the first female program director in the station’s 101-year history. She rises from her previous role as assistant program director and executive producer. Thomas started at WJR as an intern in 1982 and was then hired full-time as producer of a WJR program called, “The Other Side of the News.” She went on to become a WJR news reporter and anchor, winning several Associated Press, United Press International, and Detroit Press Club awards for Breaking News and Auto Negotiations. In 1999, Thomas was named executive producer of the “Paul W. Smith Show.” Thomas also produced the WJR-MSU tailgate shows for 15 years from 2006-2021. She has hosted WJR programs including “The Healthy Woman Show,” “Opportunity Detroit,” “The WJR Gardening Show,” and “Women Who Lead,” which she launched 11 years ago to highlight Michigan women from all walks of life doing great things in the community. Cumulus Media RVP and market manager Steve Finateri says, “Ann Thomas is the heart and soul of WJR and has been deserving of this move for a very long time. Her fingerprints are already all over this heritage, award-winning radio station, but we are all excited to see what the future holds with Ann in the driver’s seat!” At the same time, Cumulus promotes Mike Wheeler from WJR PD to operations manager for Cumulus Detroit/Ann Arbor. In the newly created position, Wheeler will manage operations for the company’s four Detroit stations and four Ann Arbor stations.

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WFAN’s “Evan & Tiki” to Simulcast on SNY

SNYSportsNet New York – announces that WFAN on SNY will continue as WFAN’s “Evan & Tiki” program – starring Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber – makes its simulcast debut on Monday (7/24) from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET. SNY president Steve Raab states, “We are happy to bring ‘Evan & Tiki’ to SNY. Our partnership with WFANim has not only enhanced our daily lineup, but it has elevated New York sports news and programming for a very loyal and passionate fan base.” Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero comments, “The debut of ‘Evan & Tiki’ is the next chapter in our tremendous partnership with SNY. Together we will bring the very best in sports audio and video to New York fans daily, which is exactly what they have come to expect from WFAN on SNY.”

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Good Karma’s ESPN Chicago to Present Football Fest

Good Karma Brands announces the return of ESPN Chicago’s “Football Fest” to the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana on Sunday, August 27. The event will feature WMVP “ESPN Chicago” personalities Tom Waddle, Marc Silverman, David Kaplan, Carmen DeFalco, Jonathan Hood, Peggy Kusinski, Dionne Miller, Chris Bleck,im Adam Abdalla, and Jeff Meller. It will also include members of the Chicago Bears Radio Network team, including Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, and Jason McKie. Celebrity guests will include Dan “Big Cat” Katz, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, and ESPN fantasy football expert Field Yates. “ESPN Chicago” director of content Danny Zederman says, “We are so excited for ‘Football Fest,’ particularly this year as we enter our first season as the radio home of the Chicago Bears Radio Network. ‘ESPN Chicago’ is at the center of Chicago’s football universe and this event will be a great way to kick off the season.”

Industry News

British Record Collector and Author Jonathan Scott is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Get ready for a journey back to the earliest days of sound recording as British author and music historian Jonathan Scott is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Scott is the author of the fascinating book, INTO THE GROOVE: The Story of Sound from Tin Foil to Vinyl (Bloomsbury, 2023). He tells the story of recorded sound – the technological developments, the humans that made them happen – and their impact on society, from the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl. Harrison and Scott dissect a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today –  the domestication of soundThomas Edison’s phonograph, the first device that could both record and reproduce sound, represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, but it was only the tip of the iceberg, and came after decades of invention, tinkering and experimentation. Scott traces the birth of sound back to the earliest serious attempts in the 1850s, celebrating the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove. And, of course, the conversation raises the controversial question, in which medium does music actually sound better? Vinyl or digital? Listen to the podcast in its entirety here