KWAM News Radio in Memphis is hiring a full-time morning show host. Our previous host is leaving
after four years to take a job on Capitol Hill in Washington. The ideal candidate must have at least three years of talk radio experience with a strong background in politics and news. This position is based in Memphis. Send resume and air check to todd@starnesmediagroup.com.
Saga Communications, Inc reports that net revenue decreased 4.3% to $24.2 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $25.3 million for the same period in 2024. Station operating expense
decreased 2.2% for the quarter to $22 million compared to the same period last year. Saga reports a net loss of $1.6 million for the quarter consistent with the same period last year. Looking ahead, the company says revenue pacing for the second quarter remains uncertain but is improving as the quarter progresses. For the second quarter Saga is currently pacing down mid-single digits. April was down high-single digits. May improved to being down low-single digits and June is approximately flat with the same period last year.
Tegna, operator of sports talk WBNS-FM, Columbus “97.1 The Fan” and WBNS-TV, announced the debut of the “Austin & Birm” show, a video podcast now available on both stations’ YouTube channels. The stars, Austin Ward (left) and Jeremy Birmingham (right), are accused in a civil suit of theft, breach of contract and unjust enrichment filed by former employer THE Media. Awful Announcing reports that two are accused of “skimming money from sponsorship and ad deals — funds that were exclusively intended to compensate Ohio State athletes’ appearances on ‘THE Podcast.’ The suit alleges the two even admitted in writing to pocketing a portion of those payments, with Birmingham specifically stating that after paying players, the leftover revenue was split between him, Ward, and an unnamed third party.” Read the Awful Announcing story here.
FOX News Chanell and FOX Audio personality Will Cain is doing a live podcast recording from the performance space at Audacy’s KRLD-AM, Dallas “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD” tomorrow (5/8) that will benefit DFW-based non-profit Hounds & Heroes. Audacy VP of news/talk Drew Anderssen says,
“Hosting Will Cain in our performance space underscores the dynamic synergy between our broadcast platforms and live events. This special event will provide NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners with an engaging experience while championing a vital cause through our partnership with Hounds & Heroes. We’re proud to facilitate this connection between talent, audience, and community impact.” Cain comments, “I’m incredibly excited to host a live episode of ‘The Will Cain Show’ from the Audacy Dallas performance space. I never wanted a one-way relationship with the audience, so it’s perfect for the show to have an in-studio audience where I can hear from them and talk with Texans. I can’t wait!”
Wisconsin radio company Big Radio names Josh Wescott the morning drive news anchor for its stations in Monroe and Freeport, Wisconsin. Wescott is the former radio news director and morning host at iHeartMedia’s news/talk WIBA-AM, Madison. Wescott comments, “Good journalism requires a
lot of good listening and attention to what matters most to those in the communities they call home. Our news will talk about what people are talking about, be factual, and will ask the next question so people can reconnect with their local communities and schools in a way that journalism hasn’t consistently afforded in recent years. Online and social media disinformation is steadily driving people back to how they used to find out what’s happening, and Big Radio is well-positioned to meet this moment and lead the re-emergence of local radio news in this region and beyond.” Big Radio – owned by father and son Scott and Ben Thompson – owns and operates 10 radio stations in the Monroe, Freeport, Janesville, and Beloit, Wisconsin markets.
Beasley Broadcast Group, parent company of Beasley Media Group, reports its operating results for the first quarter of 2025 and reveals net revenue of $48.9 million, a decline of 10.1% from the same period in 2024. The company reports a net loss for the quarter of $2.7 million compared to Q1 of 2024 in which it reported neither a loss nor income due to a $6 million gain on the sale of its BMI
investment. Other notes from the first quarter include: Revenue from new business accounted for 18% of net revenue; Local revenue, including digital packages sold locally, accounted for 71% of net revenue; Digital revenue was comparable to the first quarter of 2024 but increased 6% year-over-year to $10.8 million, on a same-station basis; Digital revenue accounted for 22% of net revenue; and Digital segment operating margin was 18%. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley says, “Our first quarter results 
reflect the strength of our ongoing transformation and the resilience of our core strategy. While revenue was impacted by persistent macroeconomic headwinds, we mitigated this through disciplined cost management, operational streamlining, and continued momentum in our digital business, resulting in an Operating Loss of $2.0 million and year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth. Digital revenue now represents over 20% of total revenue, and the meaningful expansion in digital segment operating income underscores the scalability of our platform and the impact of our strategic investments. As we look ahead, we remain focused on unlocking margin expansion, accelerating our digital evolution, and driving long-term value for our stockholders through thoughtful execution and innovation. We are particularly encouraged by the continued growth in our high-margin digital offerings and the early success of new digital and content initiatives. With a more agile operating structure, a differentiated content portfolio, and deepened advertiser engagement, we believe Beasley is well-positioned to navigate short-term market challenges while building a more durable and diversified revenue base.”
Civic Media, operator of 11 news/talk/sports stations (plus a number of music stations) around the state of Wisconsin, is winner of 38 awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association that were
given out at the recent 2025 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards Gala. Civic Media stations received 11 first place awards, 15 second place awards, and 12 third place awards. Civic Media CEO Sage Weil says, “I couldn’t be more proud of our team’s performance this year, and their ongoing dedication to serving our audiences around the state. We believe that local media plays a critical role in our communities, and it is always great to see the WBA recognizing the quality work being done around Wisconsin, both by Civic Media and the many other excellent organizations.”
Erick Erickson Wins MRC’s Bulldog Award. WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta-base, nationally syndicated talk host Erick Erickson is honored with the Media Research Center’s MRC Bulldog Award for Outstanding Radio Talk Show. The award is given to Erickson for “following in the footsteps of the revered Rush Limbaugh by blending humor with hard-hitting political analysis.”
“The Road to Cooperstown” Launches. A new season of the baseball podcast series “The Road to Cooperstown” has dropped on SiriusXM. Each episode of features host Jon Paul Morosi sitting down with a different Hall of Famer and the first episode features Philadelphia Phillies great Mike Schmidt.
Connoisseur Media announces that it is acquiring Alpha Media for a sum yet to be disclosed and that the new company will retain the Connoisseur name and be led by Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw. The company states that after the deal closes, it will own and operate 218 radio stations in 47 markets and adds that “Connoisseur will rank among the top 10 radio groups both by station count and by
revenue, uniquely positioned to evaluate and pursue strategic growth opportunities.” In addition to its broadcast properties, Connoisseur owns and operates the digital marketing services company Ferocious Digital. The company says that when integrated with Alpha Digital, the combined 
organization “will continue to expand and enhance its digital capabilities – delivering forward-thinking integrated marketing services.” Jeff Warshaw comments, “We are thrilled to welcome Alpha Media into the Connoisseur family. In getting to know the Alpha team, it has become clear that we share many of the same values — a passion for serving our local communities, a deep commitment to our clients, supporting our colleagues and fostering a culture of integrity, creativity and achievement. This transaction underscores our commitment to the irreplaceable role local broadcasters play in providing news, information and entertainment that truly resonates. Together, we will build an industry-leading platform of broadcast and digital. I could not be more excited to get started.” The two companies have entered into a Local Market Agreement and expect the deal to close in the second half of this year.
Premiere Networks announces that The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network debuts the
“Wellness Unmasked with Dr. Nicole Saphier” program, effective Tuesday, May 13. Dr. Saphier serves as a FOX News contributor, is a New York Times best-selling author, and a board-certified physician. She says, “I am thrilled to join the dynamic Clay & Buck team as we launch ‘Wellness Unmasked,’ a podcast dedicated to cutting through the noise and delivering honest, science-based insights on all things health and wellness. Together, we will empower listeners with knowledge to live their best lives.”
SiriusXM and FOX Nation announce they are offering their streaming content in a bundle to consumers for $11.99 per month. SiriusXM SVP of business development and partnerships Dave
Geary says, “FOX News Media and SiriusXM are leaders in news and entertainment programming respectively, and we are delighted to bring to the market a bundle of our streaming services that offers exceptional consumer value. FOX Nation’s library of original video programming and SiriusXM’s vast offering of music for every mood and moment, live sports from every major league, plus entertainment and news combine to make a highly attractive streaming audio and video bundle.”
The latest blog from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at the value of audio marketing for movie theatrical releases and streaming video subscriptions. Using data from five separate studies, the report comes to a number of conclusions, including 1) Audio listeners are
voracious consumers of movies in the theater and films on streaming services. They are first to see a movie in the theater on opening weekend and when films debut on streaming services; and 2) Versus linear TV viewers, audio listeners are far more likely to see movies in the theater and indicate a greater willingness to watch content. Looking at data about marketing moves and streaming video, the study finds that 1) Linear TV advertising spend for theatrical releases and video streaming brands is 30X audio. Despite this, TV viewers show low awareness of new films and low interest in upcoming films and streaming service subscriptions; and 2) Audio (AM/FM radio, streaming audio, and podcasts) should become a much greater allocation in the entertainment marketing media plan. Reallocating 20% of linear TV theatrical and streaming video media plans to AM/FM radio doubles campaign reach with no additional cost. See the full blog post here.
NYPR president & CEO LaFontaine E. Oliver issued a statement to listeners in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s executive order to withhold Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds. He says, “If it holds, the executive order will restrict New York Public Radio from using CPB funding to purchase programming or services from NPR. CPB said in a statement that the White House had no legal authority over the company, and NPR called it ‘an affront to the First Amendment.’ Public radio
and public television have enjoyed bipartisan support since 1967. The system has a profound impact on Americans in all 50 states and in every type of community—urban, suburban, rural, and remote. This indispensable service costs the American taxpayer about $1.60 a year, and it is one that the majority of Americans want to maintain. Recent polling from the Pew Research Center shows that only 24 percent of Americans support cutting federal funding. The budget request and executive order are only part of the administration’s ongoing effort to dismantle the American public broadcasting system as we know it. We expect even more to come. If successful, the effort will exacerbate existing news deserts and create new ones, as public radio has become the main (or only) remaining source for fact-based local news, educational and cultural programming, and critical emergency broadcast services in many communities across the country.” He encourages them to contact their legislators and to either donate or increase one’s current contribution to the public broadcasting organization.
Springfield, MA-based multimedia broadcaster, writer, and publicist Mark G. Auerbach passed away this past Friday, May 2 after waging a long, brave battle against kidney and heart disease. Auerbach had an indelible presence – primarily in the local arts & entertainment community – as the long-running host of radio and television programs as well as his print columns and coverage of the region’s active theater and music scenes. Actively developing a legacy that spanned almost a half century, Auerbach was engaged in his dynamic career until the very end, producing and hosting
“ArtsBeat,” “Athenaeum Spotlight,” and “On The Mark” for WCPC, Channel 15 and WSKB-FM 89.5, both in Westfield, MA. He was a regular contributor to Berkshire Onstage and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association. His weekly column “Arts Beat” appeared in The Westfield News. In his youth, Auerbach studied theater at American University and the Yale School of Drama. During his multimedia career his impact was felt nationwide, and he was an indefatigable fundraiser for public broadcasting. As a publicist, he was a devoted supporter of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and numerous other not-for-profit artistic organizations. TALKERS publisher and local Western Mass resident Michael Harrison states, “I am proud to have been able to call Mark Auerbach a friend for the past 39 years, during which time I have come to respect and admire him as one of the finest media practitioners with whom I have had the pleasure of working. He was a champion of the arts and all that celebrates the humanities in our modern multimedia environment. He was a local giant on a multitude of levels and leaves an irreplaceable void in this part of America’s grassroots media community.” Auerbach requested no funeral services but said if people wish to do something in his memory they can make a gift to either Springfield Chamber Players MOSSO) (www.springfieldsymphonymusicians.com), Northfield Mount Hermon School (nmhschool.org), or the theatre of your choice.
The Indiana Fever and Radio One announce that Indianapolis sports talk outlet “93.5/107.5 The Fan” will serve as the team’s official radio broadcast partner during the 2025 WNBA season. All Fever preseason and regular season games, home and away, will be broadcast live on “93.5/107.5 The
Fan.” Former University of Kentucky standout and Indiana Miss Basketball Bria Goss will provide the game analysis, and long-time broadcaster John Nolan will deliver the play-by-play on the Old National Bank Radio Network. Radio One sports format captain Jeff Rickard says, “Basketball is such an integral part of the Indiana community, and the Fever are certainly a big part of that story. For ‘107.5 The Fan’ to be able to share in telling the story of this exciting chapter in Indiana’s pro basketball history is a wonderful opportunity. We’re thrilled we can bring Fever fans a little closer to the action.”
By Walter Sabo
a.k.a. Walter M. Sterling
Host, “Sterling Every Damn Night”
WPHT, Philadelphia
Host, “Sterling On Sunday,” TMN
“It won’t work on FM.” Country. Country was predicted to be a failing format for the FM band. At the dawn of FM proliferation in the 1970s, the future of the band was viewed with fear and skepticism. Why wouldn’t country music work on the FM band? The conventional chatter said that “country needs to be on AM because truckers drive long distances and AM signals cover long distances. FM does not.”
According to AM management, every music and talk format that thrived on AM was going to fail on FM. Obviously, all AM genres succeeded on FM, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. The ones that succeeded quickly had common characteristics:
In the public’s mind, FM radio had specific, positive traits: Lower commercial load, cooler hosts and jocks, a subversive tone, fewer interruptions of every type. Talk on FM was absolutely going to fail. The first mother of talk hits on FM were “New Jersey 101.5” (which for decades had the largest FM talk cume in the world); WTKS-FM, Orlando; and WLUP, Chicago. GM Larry Wert, brilliant. In 1990 when those stations launched, the industry pundits ordered more drinks and pronounced their doom.
John Kobylt, of KFI, Los Angeles fame, was the first PM drive host on “New Jersey 101.5.” He explained to me the key difference in his work versus that of an AM talk show host: “My competition is 10 music stations playing hit songs. If Ken Chiampou and I don’t entertain this second, the audience is gone.”
Little noticed was that stations like WTKS-FM shared less than 8% of its cume with WDBO-AM (a very serious station!) WTKS sharing was with WMMO-FM and other alt rock and FM AC stations. While radio people think “talk is talk,” the audience perceives FM talk and AM talk to be very different formats. Completely different.
Today, to drive audience to an FM talk station the strategy proven to fail is to air AM shows on FM without making significant accommodations for the differences in the band. Profound differences.
QUICK NOTES:
— New 23-year-old, very good, control board operator for “Sterling Every Damn Night” asked me, “Who is Rush Limbaugh?”
— All-digital 18-year-olds today have no idea what you mean when you say, “The top of the hour.”
Walter Sabo has been a C Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General and many other leading media outlets. His company HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers. His nightly show “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night” is heard on WPHT, Philadelphia. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at sabowalter@gmail.com
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
When a blogger found “no biography, or further information about the woman who is supposedly presenting this show,” it forced Australian Radio Network to acknowledge that Artificial Intelligence supplies the voice of “Workdays with Thy” on one of its stations (CADA, available on the iHeartRadio app). “Exploring how new technology can support great content,” the network statement rationalized.
If you’re a (human) music DJ, this is chilling. If you’re a talk host, are you next? Hey, IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, back when we were still dialing-up Internet access. So don’t think souped-up AI couldn’t someday interact with human callers. Or the fake callers vendors now offer.
Flip-the-script, to put the robot to work for you and sound local and super-relevant. Here’s how, step-by-step.
1. Use Google Trends, filtered to your metro area.
— Go to Google Trends.
— Set the location to your city, state, or region.
— Look at:
-Trending Searches (daily hot topics)
-Related Queries (people often search “near me” + other urgent needs)
2. Focus on “Near Me” signals that reflect tension, urgency, or curiosity
— “Near me” searches usually spike when:
– People have a problem (e.g., “urgent care near me”, “cheap gas near me”).
– There’s a trend or event (e.g., “earthquake near me”, “protest near me”).
– There’s fear, confusion, or excitement (e.g., “layoffs near me”, “concerts near me”).
— These are rich veins for call-in topics because:
– They touch emotions (fear, anger, hope).
– They’re localized — content your new-tech audio competitors won’t have.
– They’re now — you can spin them for immediate reaction.
3. Translate “Near Me” searches into talkable angles
— Example:
| Search Trend | Possible Call-In Topic |
| “Layoffs near me” | “Are you worried about job security? Have you or someone you know been laid off recently?” |
| “Protests near me” | “What’s your take on the demonstrations downtown? Are they making a difference or making things worse?” |
| “Gas prices near me” | “Have high gas prices changed your driving habits? Are you cutting back or just absorbing it?” |
4. Bonus Tip: Cross-Reference “Near Me” with social media buzz
— Use X (Twitter) trends and Facebook community groups to see if local chatter matches what Google is showing.
5. Create a simple daily habit
— Spend 5 minutes a day on Google Trends.
— Pull one or two local “near me” topics.
— Frame them into emotionally loaded questions for on-air teasing:
– “Do you feel less-safe after [recent incident? [phone number].”
– “Have YOU or someone you know been affected by the [local layoffs]?”
Evidence that you can make AI your assistant, and not your replacement? I asked ChatGPT to outline the instructions above; and this fill-in-the-blanks a “Topic Mining Sheet” you can use daily to systematically turn Google “near me” trends into great call-in topics.
Oh, and from the website for that Australian station: “We are an inclusive workplace embracing diversity in all its forms.” You do the punchline.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
WABC, New York overnight host Frank Morano beat out Cliff Hagen and Griffin Fossella to assume the Staten Island South Shore city council seat vacated by Joe Borelli in January. Now, Morano will
hold the seat through the end of the year. However, he faces a June primary and, if successful, then a November general election to remain in office into 2026. Morano tells TALKERS, “We have another election in June, but I’m hoping to stay on the radio, whether it’s in my current time slot or another. I’m determined to stay on radio, even while doing the people’s work.”
A new talk show called “Midnight Frequency” with host Carl Richardson is debuting on Twitch and
YouTube that will stream live from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am ET, beginning this Friday (5/9). The show is being produced by Joshua Chaires and will be available on Spreaker and iHeartRadio beginning this month. Richardson says his goal is to eventually make the show available to terrestrial radio stations all over the country via XDS feed. Find out more about the show by visiting NWDN.net.
Details are incomplete but TALKERS is being informed that progressive talk host Sam Greenfield has
died. During his career, Greenfield hosted radio talk shows at WEVD, WWRL, and WVNJ in the New York City market. Recently, he’d been producing talk content posted to his YouTube channel. Information posted on the Democratic Underground message board indicates that Greenfield had been in some sort of occupational therapy and rehabilitation when he contracted COVID and died from pneumonia.
Reporting its operating results from the first quarter of 2025, SiriusXM reveals revenue of $2.07 billion, a decrease of 4% from the same period in 2024. The company reports net income of $204 million. SiriusXM self-pay subscribers decreased by approximately 303,000, a 16% improvement compared to
the same period last year. Self-pay monthly churn was 1.6%, compared to 1.7% in the first quarter of 2024. The company ended the quarter with approximately 33 million total subscribers. In a conference call with investors, 
CEO Jennifer Witz said the company is re-focusing on in-car listening after its less-than-successful attempt to become a leader in streaming content. She says, “We entered 2025 focused on what we do best: delivering standout experiences to our core subscribers, curating compelling content, strengthening our advertising business, and enhancing the value of our service. Today, we’re operating with greater discipline, improving execution across the board, and reallocating capital toward the areas where we see the greatest impact. We’re building a more focused, more efficient SiriusXM — aligned around what matters most to our listeners and our business — and I’m pleased with how we’ve started the year.”
Newsmax is beginning a new weekday news show on its N2 streaming platform titled, “National Update,” anchored by Tracy Sobol, and airing from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon. Newsmax says the show
is “bringing America the headlines that matter – fast, accurate, and in-depth. Anchor Tracy Sobol covers politics, economy, culture, and global affairs with trusted analysis and real-time reporting from coast to coast and around the world.” Sobol comes to Newsmax from EWTN where she anchored “EWTN News Nightly.” Sobol comments, “I am thrilled and honored to be joining Newsmax. I could not be more excited to be a part of one of the fastest-growing news organizations, bringing real news to Americans. There is no place that I would rather be.”
Cumulus Media reports its operating results for the first quarter of 2025 and says net revenue was $187.3 million, a decline of 6.4% from the same period in 2024. The company’s net loss increased to $32.4 million compared to the net loss of $14.2 million it reported in Q1 of 2024. Cumulus president
and CEO Mary Berner says, “For the first quarter, we delivered revenue in line with pacing guidance despite worsening economic headwinds reflecting, among other things, the imposition of tariffs that have depressed both 
consumer and advertiser sentiment. However, with that backdrop, what remains constant is our relentless focus on actions to mitigate the impacts of the macro environment. For example, we accelerated growth in our digital marketing services business, which was up 30% for the quarter; leveraged our entire platform to capture demand opportunities; and drove additional annualized cost reductions of $7.5 million. Moving forward, we will continue to execute these strategies while simultaneously working to fundamentally transform the way we use and leverage our key assets.”
The Museum of Broadcast Communications releases the selection of the 24 Radio Hall of Fame 2025
nominees that were chosen by the nominating committee with input from the radio industry and listeners. Voting begins May 27 and runs through June 16. The top six vote-getters will be inducted as part of the 2025 Radio Hall of Fame Induction class. Nearly 1,000 industry members will receive a ballot on Tuesday, May 27. Nominees from spoken word formats include: Bob Sirott, Colin Cowherd, Joey Reynolds, John & Ken, and Larry Elder.
WGN, Chicago Adds Ted Cruz Show. WGN Radio is adding the Premiere Networks program “Verdict with Ted Cruz” lineup airing Sunday nights at 8:00 pm The program is hosted by Texas Republican Senator and Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and national radio personality and political commentator Ben Ferguson.
BIA Blogs Offer Tariffs Guidance. BIA Advisory Services is examining the potential effects of new tariffs on local advertising and drafted a report titled, “Understanding Tariff Impact on Local Advertising: Business Vertical Analysis Part 1 and 2.” In two new blogs drawing from that report, BIA offers “When Trade Wars Hit Home: Tariffs and Local Ad Markets,” Part 1 and Part 2 in which it explores how the Trump administration’s trade policies may force businesses to rethink their local advertising strategies, tracking possible changes in advertising spending.
According to its 2025 Radio Salaries Report (produced in partnership with Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications) radio salaries that lagged following COVID-19 – with
three stagnant years below inflation and a net drop of 2.5% last year – appear to be rebounding. RTDNA says reported salaries are increasing 14.5%. “Employees who contribute to the web were among the higher earners, which brought the figures up. Additionally, commercial stations often matched or exceeded the wages of non-commercial stations — an uncommon trend historically.” See more about the report here.
Last Saturday (4/26), iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God presented The Third Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. They say, “For the third year in a row, the festival
brought together podcast fans and The Black Effect Podcast Network’s top talent for a day of live podcast recordings from network’s most popular shows including ‘Trap Nerds Podcast,’ ‘Good Moms, Bad Choices,’ ‘R&B Money Podcast with Tank and J. Valentine,’ ‘Naked Sports with Cari Champion’ and ‘Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts.’”
Salem Media Group enters into a strategic new agreement with the faith-based music and entertainment radio show “KeepTheFaith” and will air it on 38 of its stations. Salem CEO David
Santrella says, “We’re excited to welcome ‘KeepTheFaith’ back to our airwaves. For more than a decade, they’ve been a vital programming partner with content that’s unmatched in our industry. Listener enthusiasm and advertiser confidence played a major role in our decision to feature the show on our teach/talk stations. With over 4 million monthly listeners, we’re excited to continue to partner with ‘KeepTheFaith.’”
CTBS Show Hosts Vice President. The Premiere Networks nationally syndicated program “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton” hosted Vice President J.D. Vance yesterday in recognition of the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Topics discussed included tariffs, manufacturing in America, and immigration.
CNN Audio Launches Donie O’Sullivan Program. CNN Audio’s newest podcast series is called “The Account” and the first season is “Persuadable with Donie O’Sullivan,” in which the CNN senior correspondent investigates how and why some individuals are susceptible to modern conspiracy theories.
Afternoon drive talk host Tyrone Johnson exits Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic” after three years leading the afternoon drive show. Crossing Broad
reports that Johnson tweeted on Friday afternoon: “It was a good run. I regret nothing.” The story notes that Johnson – producer and co-host – took over hosting the afternoon show in 2022 after Mike Missanelli’s departure. The most recent iteration of the show included Rickey Bo and Sylvana Kelleher and Crossing Broad says the show’s ratings were on par with the station’s morning show ratings. Read the full story here.
According to a report from The 420, Urban One confirms that it has suffered a significant data breach that “compromised sensitive personal information of hundreds of individuals.” Urban One says that
ransomware attack involved unauthorized access to its network resulting in the exposure employee data including names, Social Security numbers, direct deposit details, W-2 tax information, and home addresses. The attack is being attributed to Cactus, a known ransomware gang. The organization says it stole 2.5 terabytes of data and posted a sample of documents to back its claims. The report goes on to say that Urban One maintains no financial account information or electronic medical records were compromised. See The 420 story here.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Write news copy the way you would tell someone the story in person.
Avoid news-speak, such as:
Visualize a listener – one person – and make eye contact. You’ll matter more.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn