Industry News

Iowa Talk Host Simon Conway Gets Trump in Studio

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Iowa talk radio personality Simon Conway – who’s heard on flagship station WHO-AM, Des Moines as well as iHeartMedia’s WMT-AM, Cedar Rapids, and WOC-AM, Quad Cities – hosted former President Donald Trump live in the WHO studios on Wednesday (5/31). Conway tells TALKERS that it’s one thing to get a former president on the air, it’s another to have Trump in studio for a 30-minute interview. He says, “I spent hours on Memorial Day in our building with Secret Service. Then on Tuesday there was more planning with the advance team and finally yesterday we had to figure out how to keep our stations on the air while they ran dogs through our building. This is the second time I have interviewed President Trump in studio. Iowa has a unique role in the election of presidents, and I am proud that I get to play a part in that.”

Industry News

Audacy Minneapolis Raises $80k for “Be The Match” Non-Profit

Audacy Minneapolis raised more than $80,000 for Be The Match, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization that works to save lives through cellular therapy, including life-saving blood stem cell and marrow transplants. News/talk WCCO-AM, Minneapolis personality Jordana Green has been battling cancer and received a boneim marrow transplant. On May 25, WCCO hosted a live auction with items and experiences provided by the station and sourced by on-air talent, sponsors, and partners. WCCO brand manager Brad Lane comments, “We are so humbled and grateful for our fans’ incredible generosity, the amazing financial support from our corporate partners, and the remarkable donation of ideas and time by our personalities. What a fun day auctioning off priceless, unique experiences for a cause so close and personal to us…in honor of our friend, teammate, and bone-marrow transplant recipient Jordana Green!”

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 is an Advance Sellout. However, Standby List Placed in Operation

TALKERS 2023, the 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s iconic gathering, is an advance sellout. However, at the suggestion of several industry professionals still wanting to attend, there will be a standby list in operation until 12:00 noon ET on Thursday, June 1 which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, as (and if) cancellations occur. Potential attendees in the New York area interested in being put on the list should call Barbara Kurland at TALKERS at 413-565-5413 or email her at info@talkers.com.  According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “Industry professionals who have attended the TALKERS Conference in theim past enjoy it and find it to be a valuable experience for a number of reasons beyond the remarkable quality of the speakers and pertinence of the agenda. They appreciate the intimacy of the environment and outstanding ‘who’s who’ in talk media makeup of their fellow attendees. We work diligently to keep this event within those parameters. It is only open to people who work within or are associated in some way with the talk media industry – there is no online open registration – and it all happens within one power-packed day with absolutely no down time.” More than 65 luminaries from the talk media industry are set to speak at a content-heavy day of fireside chats, solo addresses, panel discussions, workshops, award presentations, new equipment showcases and endless networking opportunities. All in a beautiful indoor/outdoor state-of-the-art environment conducive to one-on-one conversations. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison adds, “People attend this seminar not only to see and hear the speakers… they come to meet them and each other as well! This event offers that opportunity.” The entire agenda of events at TALKERS 2023 will be video recorded and posted for world-wide viewing at a later date. Some sponsorship opportunities still exist. See more about the agenda, sponsorship and hotel information here.

Industry News

Westwood One: Audio Personalities Highly Effective Connection to Listeners

This week’s blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group reveals data from studies indicating that audio personalities – both AM/FM and podcast hosts – are highly effective in connecting listeners to advertisers. According to Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2023, DJs/hosts/shows are the main reasonim for listening for 60% of consumers. According to a study by MARU/Matchbox, there are a number of reasons listeners gravitate to AM/FM. First is comedic relief: 90% strongly or somewhat agree that their favorite DJs make them laugh. Second is local feel: 73% say personalities understand what makes my city/town unique. And third is thought-provoking: 64% agree that they make them think.  Additionally, Magna and Vox Media surveyed 2,028 weekly podcast listeners and asked, “Whose influence matters most?” A stunning 75% cited podcast hosts while only 15% named social media influencers or TV/movie celebrities (10%). See the complete blog post here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases April Streaming Rankers

Triton Digital publishes its latest ranking of digital audio publishers for April of 2023, based on Average Active Sessions (AAS can be calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period). iHeartRadio remains the #1 streaming publisher in the U.S. (299,103 AAS), followed by NPRim Member Stations at #2 (75,116 AAS), and Audacy at #3 (66,485 AAS). Cumulus Streaming Network is ranked #4 (40,662 AAS). Beasley Broadcasting Corporate is #6 (19,040 AAS), followed by Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (14,953 AAS), Urban One at #10 (9,743 AAS), and Salem Communications at #12 (8,297 AAS). See the complete ranker here.

Industry Views

Pending Business: The Fastest Billboards

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imUntil NASA approves company logos on rockets, the fastest billboards an advertiser can buy move at over 200 miles per hour, weigh less than seven ounces and are three-hundredths of an inch thick.

Who wants fast-moving billboards? The longer you can read the message the better, right? Not a problem when a marketer identifies a hard-to-reach target combined with an engaging new opportunity. No, these are not the colorful logos you see on NASCAR vehicles or the old school logos on Formula 1 cars. These are the new-age digital billboards on Formula 1 race cars.

These new billboards are the first of their kind, strategically placed on Formula 1 cars. These magnificent machines, featured at races around the world, can reach speeds of nearly 250 miles per hour. When a race car is moving that fast every ounce of weight counts, hence the paper-thin design. You see (excuse the pun) it is all about a camera angle and what the viewer sees when TV coverage cuts to that strategically placed camera and over 2 million viewers are looking on. Angles count.

Formula 1 racing not a threat to local radio ad sales, you say? Not yet, but when over 13 million people watch the top 12 Grand Prix races worldwide, it’s just a matter of time. The Formula 1 billboard lessons for local sellers and managers are not simple “how many calls, how many closes?” The Formula 1 billboard story is about:

— Sales and marketing innovation in a sport that is nearly 130 years old. The idea of creating a paper-thin, super lightweight digital billboard is an amazing accomplishment.

— Try again. How many times have you pitched a package to an advertiser who told you what was wrong with your package, only to lead to frustration at not winning the business? Can your manager quickly adapt to the advertisers’ needs? Managers, please read that last sentence carefully. The designers of the digital billboard were sent back to the drawing board until the weight and thickness worked for these incredible race machines.

— While you are thinking about getting your pitch together, somebody is already moving forward. In plain English: you snooze, you lose.

— Collaboration is the way to win. It took sellers working with engineers, working with marketers to make the concept work. How about you? Are you comfortable selling in collaboration with teammates?

The sales and marketing innovation clock never stops. How about you? Is your learning clock still ticking?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com. Steve Lapa will be moderating the “Generating Revenue” panel at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.

Industry News

Audacy Shareholders Approve Reverse Stock Split

Audacy filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday (5/26) that details the actions taken during the company’s annual shareholders meeting on May 24. Among the actions shareholders approved was the “approval of an amendment to the company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to permit the company to effect a reverse stock split of its outstanding Class A and Class Bim Common Stock, at a ratio with 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 action comes after Audacy received notice from the New York Stock Exchange that it is commencing proceedings to delist the company’s Class A Common Stock from the exchange due to Audacy’s stock reaching “an abnormally low selling price.” Trading of Audacy’s Class A Common Stock was halted on May 16 after the share price fell about 12% to $0.09 per share. Now, the NYSE will apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission to delist the company’s common stock pending completion of applicable procedures. Trading of Audacy’s common stock on the NYSE is suspended but the common stock will continue to be able to be traded over the counter. With the value of Audacy’s Class A Common Stock at less than $0.10 per share, the reverse stock split would have to be at least more than a 1-for-10 split in order for the share price to be over $1.00 per share.

Industry News

PodcastOne to Host Adam Carolla Pay-Per-View Event

PodcastOne is producing a live, pay-per-view event starring its leading podcast talent Adam Carolla. The June 4 show titled, “Adam Carolla & Friends,” airs at 9:30 pm ET from the Belly Up Tavern outside of San Diego and features Carolla plus comics Brad Williams, Kimbles Hume and other special guests. PodcastOneim says that in 2020, “Carolla made history when he partnered with LiveOne and PodcastOne for a livestream event that garnered an impressive 1.1 million views.”  PodcastOne president Kit Gray comments, “We are excited that PodcastOne and LiveOne have partnered with Adam to produce and distribute Adam’s very first headlining pay-per-view event. Very few comedians are as entertaining in an intimate club environment as Adam. Each show he performs is unique and tailored and to be able to bring this to a worldwide audience exemplifies how we’re able to create opportunities for our podcast hosts outside of the traditional audio driven mediums.”

Industry News

“98.9 WORD” to Host Immigration Broadcasts from U.S.-Mexico Border

Audacy news/talk WYRD-FM, Greenville, South Carolina “98.9 WORD” is presenting a two-day, live special from Yuma, Arizona at the U.S.-Mexico border in partnership with Americans for Prosperity on May 30 and 31 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET. The programs are being moderated by WORD afternoon drive host Charlieim James. The focus on illegal immigration will feature local and national law enforcement officials, along with local community leaders and migrants in answering questions about recent developments, technology advancements, cross-border traffic control systems, border and citizen security, quality of life in the border region, and economic opportunities. James comments, “On this trip, we’re ripping up the talking points and bringing you actual observations and conversations with those directly affected by the crisis at our southern border. I look forward to delivering these real-time moments to the WORD audience.”

Industry News

KXEL-AM and Mudd Produce “Iowa Talking Points” Program

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NRG Media news/talk outlet KXEL, Waterloo, Iowa and Mudd Advertising are partnering to produce a series of cross-platform events in advance of Iowa’s caucuses. The series, titled, “Iowa Talking Points,” will be produced for live video stream, video and audio on-demand playback, and radio rebroadcast. The events will be hosted by KXEL program director and host Jeff Stein and will be conducted in front of a live studio audience at Mudd’s state-of-the-art “Studio5@Mudd” facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The first program will be tomorrow (5/26) with GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Stein – who has covered every Iowa Caucus since 1980 – says, “This will be the only place for multiplatform conversations about issues important to Iowa caucus-goers. The unique synergy of these partners allows us to provide access across multiple outlets to persons across Iowa and across the U.S.” Pictured above is Stein in the KXEL studios with Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Industry News

Urban One Gets Second Notice of Non-Compliance from NASDAQ

Urban One has received a second notice from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Department that it was not in compliance as a result of not having timely filed both its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2022 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2023. Urban Oneim received its first notice of non-compliance on April 3. In accordance with the second NASDAQ notice, Urban One has until June 2 to submit a plan to file both delinquent reports or to submit a plan to regain compliance. If NASDAQ accepts the company’s plan, Urban One may get up to 180 days (September 27) to file the reports. If it doesn’t, the company can appeal the decision. Urban One says it intends to submit its plan to regain compliance on or before June 2.

Industry News

Ramsey Solutions Hosts EntreLeadership Summit 2023

Ramsey Solutions is hosting EntreLeadership Summit 2023 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville May 31 through June 2. Ramsey Solutions says, “EntreLeadership Summit is for business owners and leaders with a heart for investing in themselves and their teams. This year’s speakers include Ramsey Solutions’ CEO Daveim Ramsey, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson, Food Network celebrity chef and restaurateur Maneet Chauhan and more. Dave Ramsey comments, “World-class leadership is becoming more important because that’s who people want to follow. Something happens when you get thousands of powerhouse leaders in one room. After leaving Summit, you’ll be ready to hire and retain top talent, lead with confidence, and strengthen your company culture.” Find out more about the event here.

Industry News

Premiere Networks Host, Producer Honored with Gracie Award

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Two Premiere Networks staffers were honored at the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s 48th annual Gracie Awards at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” producer Alice Mroczkowski was honored in the Producer – Talk [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial] category and “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” co-host Danielle Monaro was honored in the Co-host [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial] category for the second time in her career. Pictured above are (from l-r): Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott, Mroczkowski, and Monaro.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 Officially Sold Out

The 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important gathering set for Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island is officially sold out. In order to comply with health and comfort considerations and maintain the intimate, qualitative environment for which this event is known, the absolute registration cutoff point was reached yesterday at 5:00 pm ET. According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “Industry professionals who have attended the TALKERS Conference in the past enjoy it and find it to be a valuable experience for a number of reasons beyond the remarkable quality of the speakersim and pertinence of the agenda. They appreciate the intimacy of the environment and outstanding ‘who’s who’ in talk media makeup of their fellow attendees. We work diligently to keep this event within those parameters. It is only open to people who work within or are associated in some way with the talk media industry – there is no online open registration – and it all happens within one power-packed day with absolutely no down time.” More than 65 luminaries from the talk media industry are set to speak at a content-heavy day of fireside chats, solo addresses, panel discussions, workshops, award presentations, new equipment showcases and endless networking opportunities. All in a beautiful indoor/outdoor state-of-the-art environment conducive to one-on-one conversations. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison adds, “People attend this seminar not only to see and hear the speakers… they come to meet them and each other as well! This event offers that opportunity.” The entire agenda of events at TALKERS 2023 will be video recorded and posted for world-wide viewing at a later date. Some sponsorship opportunities still exist.  See more about the agenda, sponsorship and hotel information here.

Industry News

Beasley’s Deal with Waymark Brings AI Video Ads to Local Radio Markets

Beasley Media Group enters into an agreement with Waymark to use its generative AI technology to provide local advertisers with “high-quality commercials with professional voice-over in five minutes or less.” Beasley will roll out the technology across its 12 markets. The press release says, “The Waymark partnership givesim Beasley Media Group the advantage of offering their local advertising partners instant and affordable video creative that overcomes traditional barriers to video advertising… The pact with Beasley Media Group is Waymark’s first major step into radio, following recent national video deals with both Spectrum Reach and Gray Television stations. With imthe rise of connected TV and free ad-supported streaming TV channels, this opens a host of new marketing opportunities for local advertisers. Beasley’s local sales teams are already using Waymark to win small business clients by providing customized sample creative for CTV and digital opportunities.” Beasley Media Group VP of operations Kevin Rich comments, “Local advertisers are looking for more effective and cost-efficient ways to stand out and attract customers across multiple media platforms. Our partnership with Waymark allows us to help local advertisers accomplish this goal and maximize the audience that will see and hear their message.”

Industry News

Blake Fulton Named President for iHeartMedia Alabama Markets

iHeartMedia promotes Blake Fulton to market president for the Alabama markets of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Huntsville. Fulton has been serving with the company as a regional SVP of sales. iHeartMedia Midsouth Area president Ronnie Bloodworth says, “Blake will bring his energy and leadership skills to our teams andim help serve our clients, listeners and communities to be the best in the industry. I’m excited for the future.” Fulton comments, “The plan and vision the leadership team at iHeartMedia shared with me, along with the wildly talented teams in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa, has me beyond excited about the days ahead. I can’t wait to collaborate, both internally and externally, to develop market leading content and drive results for the thriving business communities in these three amazing markets.”

Industry News

Brian McGhee Named Director of Sales for Urban One in DC

Urban One brings Brian McGhee aboard as director of sales for its Washington, DC station group that includes urban talk WOL-AM and four music brands, effective June 20. McGhee comes to Urban One fromim Townsquare Media where he was market president and general manager for its Rockford, Illinois station group. Urban One regional VP & general manager Jeffery Wilson Sr. says, “Brian has a track record of taking leadership, customer service, and community service to the highest levels, while working with his teams to reinvent themselves. That’s how we do things at Radio One-DC.  We’re thrilled to welcome Brian as we craft historic success on the horizon.”

Industry News

Portland’s “The Game” Renews with Host John Canzano

Alpha Media’s sports talk KXTG-AM, Portland “750 AM The Game” extends its partnership with “The Bald Faced Truth” hosted by John Canzano. Canzano, who has been with the station since its launch in 2007, says,im “I’m thrilled with the momentum we have and love our team. We get the best guests and the in-depth reporting and commentary sets the show apart. But, more than anything, it’s three hours of fun. I love that the show serves as an escape for listeners.” Station content director Keith Abrams states, “‘750 The Game’ is very fortunate to have John Canzano and ‘The Bald Faced Truth’ as part of the team! He IS the voice of truth regarding the Ducks, Beavers, Trail Blazers, the Pac-12 and all things ‘sports!’”

Industry News

AJC: Research Behind Changes at CMG’s 95.5 WSB in Atlanta

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Rodney Ho, program director Ken Charles reveals the reasons for the programming changes that have taken place at Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM over the past year. Charles says that when longtime morning host Scott Slade announced heim was stepping back from his duties, that allowed the station to use internal research to consider the best options to tweak its programming. That resulted in the station naming longtime station reporter and anchor Chris Chandler the new morning host, swapping late morning and afternoon hosts Mark Arum and Eric Von Haessler, and making Shelley Wynter solo host in evenings and giving his former co-host MalaniKai Massey her own Saturday night program. Charles says, “I feel very comfortable that we’ve got the right people in the right slots. We are set to grow our success.” Read the AJC story here.

Industry News

Binnie Media Partners with VSiN for New England Sports Betting Station

VSiN and New England broadcasting company Binnie Media partner to bring the New Hampshire region a full-time sports betting station on WFNQ-HD2, Nashua. Additionally, VSiN’s “Brent Musburger’s Action Updates” feature will air twice each weekday on eight of the company’s radio stations throughout the region. Binnieim Media VP of programming Heath Cole comments, “Sports betting is quickly becoming part of the daily conversation. As we evaluated the options in this space, we landed on VSiN. Their programming is best-in-class and the support from the VSiN team goes well beyond the content we air on the station. From the short-form ‘Action Updates’ to the digital content the VSiN team creates for our listeners, we think this content is, by far, the best in the space. We’re very excited about the opportunity to bring this programming to our listeners.”

Industry News

Spotify Tops Edison Research Top Podcast Networks Chart

Edison Research releases its latest ranking of the Top Podcast Networks in the U.S. based on total network reach for Q4 2022 – Q1 2023 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+. They are ranked by the reach of theim producer or network that represents the advertising for the show, not the platform or app that the listener uses to access the podcast. For this period, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast Network, and iHeartRadio take the top three spots, respectively. Other commercial radio-related networks making this ranker include: Audacy (#8), Cumulus Podcast Network (#10), The Ramsey Network(#25), and Blaze Podcast Network (#28).

Industry News

WTOP-FM, Washington Wins Regional Murrow Award

Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP-FM, Washington takes home a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the RTDNA in the Breaking News Category for its coverage of the Roe v. Wade decision.  WTOP director of newsim and programming Julia Ziegler says, “This award is one that we really won as team for our collective work as journalists committed to making a difference in our community. We are so honored to be recognized with this regional Edward R. Murrow award.” WTOP now advances to the national round of the competition where it will compete against regional winners from across the country.

Industry News

MIW Announces Mary Zukin is First “Speak Up” Mentee

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio announces that Mary Zukin, senior sales & marketing executive at Iliad Media Group in Boise, Idaho is the first “Speak Up!” mentee. Created in partnership with Media Staffing Network and Laurie Kahn before her passing, “Speak Up!” is a one-year program designed for one menteeim from any department in a small to medium radio market. MIW says, “The program is designed to encapsulate so much of what Laurie brought to the industry – a mentorship that encourages and empowers women to develop confidence and sharpen communication skills, to hone the ability to effectively speak up in order to further attain her goals.” MIW board president Ruth Presslaff says, “This program will always hold a special place in our hearts as Laurie has left an unforgettable impact on all of us in the industry. We had a number of talented candidates to choose from, so it was a tough decision. Mary’s energy and vibrant character really illuminated our reasons for curating this program and we’re excited to have her as our first inaugural mentee!”

Industry News

Ford Reconsiders – Will Keep AM Radio in 2024 Cars and ’23 EVs

According to a report by the AP, Ford is changing its previously announced policy regarding AM radios. Ford CEO Jim Farley states, “We’ve decided to include it on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles. For any owners of Ford’s EVs without AM broadcast capability, we’ll offer a software update.” Reacting to Ford’s earlier decision, U.S. lawmakers rolled out a bi-partisan, bi-cameral bill that would authorize the National Highway Trafficim Safety Administration to require AM in new vehicles at no additional cost, citing safety for citizens, access to foreign language programming and more. While Ford’s change of heart takes some of the immediate heat off the industry, there’s no indication legislators won’t continue pushing the legislation. Reacting to the bill, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation called the bill unnecessary and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System sends public safety messages across numerous platforms including FM radio, streaming sites, satellite radios, and cellular networks. Read the AP story here.

Industry News

Audacy Strikes Deal with AMG for New Audio Streams

Audacy and Allen Media Group announce a content distribution partnership that will allow Audacy to launch three new audio streams for AGM properties The Weather Channel television network, Pattrn, and The Weather Channel en Español. The companies say The Weather Channel stream will only be available duringim severe weather events as a live audio simulcast of The Weather Channel television channel. The Pattrn stream will be a daily live audio simulcast of the Pattrn FAST channel, which explores climate, the environment and how the Earth is changing and elevates new voices to imthe conversation. The Weather Channel en Español stream will be a daily live audio simulcast of The Weather Channel en Español network.  Audacy SVP digital audio content Tim Clarke says, “Audio and radio are time-tested, reliable ways for listeners to access critical and potentially life-saving information during severe weather events. This partnership will add a new layer to our best-in-class news content offering while expanding the reach of The Weather Channel’s broadcast weather coverage to Audacy app users across the country.”

Industry News

Fisher House Foundation Offers Free Memorial Day Programming

Fisher House Foundation is announcing The Jeff Wyatt Group has a Memorial Day Weekend edition of “The Fisher House Story: On the Road to 100 Houses” for 2023 now available for download at no cost. “The Fisher House Story” is a radio special available in varying lengths for news/talk radio stations as well as a 30-minuteim public affairs show for ALL formats in the U.S. and around the world. Fisher House Foundation provides a home away from home for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. Fisher Houses provide temporary free lodging so families can be close to their loved ones during a medical crisis. The three-hour, one-hour, 25- and 30-minute radio specials are hosted by radio personality Larry O’Connor (WMAL-FM, Washington) and feature stories of our nation’s heroes, the families who serve by their side, and how Fisher House plays a role in their journey. Hear the demo, register, and download today at radio.fisherhouse.org.

Industry News

WBZ-AM, Boston Takes Home Four Regional Murrow Awards

iHeartMedia Boston’s all-news WBZ-AM wins four Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the RTDNA in the categories of Excellence in Innovation, Breaking News Coverage, Best Newscast, and Excellence in Sound. Inim 2022, WBZ NewsRadio won three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence Breaking News Coverage, Best Newscast and Continuing Coverage. WBZ NewsRadio director of operations Bill Flaherty comments, “To be singled out in these important categories is such an honor. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and the hard work they put in over the past year.”

Industry News

Salem Front and Center at NRB Conference

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More than 4,000 Christian broadcasters are in Orlando this week attending the 79th annual National Religious Broadcasters conference. Among those in attendance are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, evangelist Franklin Graham, and authors like FOX News personality Raymond Arroyo (above, left) being interviewed by Salem Radio Network news correspondent Lori Tradup (right.)

Industry News

Katz Named Honorary Captain for Police Charity Hockey Squad

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WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz (above, left) has been “drafted” by the Prince George Patriots! Katz, a former police officer, was named Honorary Captain of the team of Central Virginia law enforcement officers who play charity hockey games throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Katz, who himself used to play defense, said, “I’m honored to help! While I’m not sure if I will lace up a pair of skates or put on the foil, I will definitely be cheering for my favorite cops on skates!” The Patriots face off against the United States Secret Service team in Richmond on June 3 for a benefit to fight colorectal cancer.

Industry Views

The Birth of the Car Radio

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling on Sunday

imA beautiful night. Paul Galvin and William Lear took their girlfriends to a romantic look-out view. Paul asked, “Isn’t this great?” His girlfriend replied, “It would better if we could hear music.”

That set Galvin and Lear on a mission to get entertainment into the car. A car radio. They were tinkerers. Galvin owned a failed battery manufacturing company. Lear and Galvin were smart but broke.

They ultimately invented a prototype radio for the car, but it was massive and complicated. No car battery could power it, the radio required its own big battery which was stored under the seat. The antenna was netting covering the roof. Their biggest challenge was static generated by the car’s starter, transmission, battery, lights – you name it. Galvin and Lear traced each source to correct the trouble-making components one by one. Parts of the radio had to be placed in different locations throughout the car. For example, the receiver was mounted on the engine, the controls on the dash.

Finally, still broke, they drove their Studebaker loaded with radio to the bank to apply for a loan to back the venture. The banker agreed to test drive the car for a night. Unfortunately, it caught fire in his garage and no loan was granted. Next Galvin traveled 800 hundred miles to a radio manufacturer convention. He sat outside the convention hall, played the radio loud and attracted enough orders for the radio to continue his quest.

The trouble continued. It was an expensive install: $600 for a $3,000 car. Many people thought it was dangerous to listen to the radio in the car – a distraction. Municipalities tried to ban it fearing it was a driver attention hazard. Supporters of the ban argued that many types of radio programming could put drivers to sleep. Surveys showed most Americans believed car radios were dangerous.

Oh, and the name they gave the device was horrible: 7FT1. Galvin came up with a new name that was both descriptive and synched with the times, Motorola. Partner William Lear went on the invent the Lear Jet.

Chevrolet installed the first reasonably priced Motorola radios in the early 1920s.

The objections were overcome by an initiative of the Radio Manufacturers Association: They argued that car radios actually helped people become better drivers. They pointed out that radios informed drivers about hazardous road conditions that lie ahead and weather conditions that may disrupt their travel. Supporters of car radios also said that radios actually helped to keep drivers awake when they became drowsy.

Conclusion: Are they nuts? A car can park itself but can’t handle an AM radio, those tech challenges were solved in 1920 – by the inventors of the Lear Jet and of your cell phone. Are manufacturers looking for a “display allowance?” Satellite radio was launched by paying zillions for a slot in the dash. Do carmakers want that for AM radios? Forget the EAS which nobody has ever heard and wasn’t activated during 9/11 in New York City. Weather, traffic, gospel, more gospel, compelling talk shows. (One Cleveland AM station runs the SAME Al Sharpton show from dusk Fridays till dawn Monday.) The better the shows, well, the better.

Sure, write your Member of Congress but you will find more vigilant allies among the preachers. You may recall that in the 1990s there was great debate about the proper deployment of the UHF spectrum. Allegedly, at his inauguration President Bill Clinton shook the hand of UHF TV icon, Billy Graham, who looked the president in the eye and said, “Don’t take away my TV stations.”

Walter Sabo was the youngest Executive Vice President in the history of NBC. The youngest VP in the history of ABC. He was a consultant to RKO General longer than Bill Drake. Walter was the in-house consultant to Sirius for eight years. He has never written a resume. Contact him at walter@sabomedia.com. or mobile 646-678-1110. Hear Walter Sterling at www.waltersterlingshow.comMeet Walter Sabo at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Verbs?

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imWarning: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts certified me to teach high school English, in the early 1970s, the last year certifications were for life. Though I was lured-away by VU-meter hypnosis, I still carry a red pen. And radio news has it running-dry.

This story was about a love triangle shooting.

— Here’s what listeners heard — read this aloud: “The woman’s husband arrested the wounded man taken to the hospital.”

— Here are the facts the writer obscured: Police arrested the woman’s husband, the accused shooter. The person he shot was hospitalized.

— As-is, the ear was told something very different when half-sentences ran-together.

Another example: “A cruise ship expected to take Americans out of Lebanon today.”

— I think he meant: “A cruise ship is expected to take Americans out of Lebanon today.”

— But the missing verb, the time zone difference, and the chaos in Lebanon were such that – as written — listeners could have inferred the copy to mean that a cruise ship was-expected-to evacuate Americans…until something went wrong.

im

Translation?

“A young mother murdered the suspect found dead.”

Huh?

“Woods asked directly about his future on the tour.”

It’s unclear whether this sentence means:

— Tiger Woods was asking about his future…OR…

— He was asked-about it.

Even a robot knows better

When I typed “Missing verbs confuse the ear,” ChatGPT replied:

“Yes, missing verbs can make sentences unclear and confusing to the listener or reader. Verbs are important components of a sentence as they express the action, state, or occurrence of the subject. They help to convey the intended meaning of the sentence and to show how different elements of the sentence relate to each other.”

And finally…

Never verb nouns.

KIDDING.

Old English teacher joke.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry Views

Pending Business: Get Your Head Straight

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imAre you a multiplatform juggler? If you sell or manage for a radio station, the answer is yes.

Why? Because it’s been part of the radio ad sales DNA since radio advertising shrunk to single digit growth.

Maybe someone reading this column can research or remember the last time radio industry pre-pandemic ad sales grew at double digits. It’s a tough putt, for sure.

Radio sellers were the first to reach across the aisle and “cross-sell” event sponsorships, concert tie-ins, publications, prize catalogues, bridal fairs, recruitment fairs, half-off fairs, sports and leisure tie-ins, hurricane guides, meet and greets, and it all started with a simple concept called a “remote.”

Radio ad sales strategy has come a long way since the first five-year plan had no projected double-digit growth. Even worse was the negative growth forecast for many markets. I remember that famous local market slogan “last one out, please turn off the lights.”

Those simple, linear, fun-to-present packages that required nothing more than easy-to-follow graphics, reasonable pricing, and a testimonial letter required little training, re-skilling, and new technical understanding. The toughest questions were about electrical outlets, display details, and when do we load in?

Covid killed some of those income generators, but you can add in pre-pandemic tired, low-energy sellers and managers taking concepts for granted as the final nail in the coffin.

Wait a minute. Aren’t brides still making decisions? Is inflation driving us back to coupons and looking for daily deals? Seems like sports-related advertising always thrives, right?

Some concepts will return, others will be reimagined, and a few are gone forever. Back to the future. Digital and social media sales will shape your sales future whether you like it or not. The digital/social media growth trend is moving at a non-stop, double-digit pace, pushing every competitive sales team to learn more and sell faster.

Smart, energetic thinkers are planning the next move, reshaping the past for what will sell tomorrow. It’s been almost 25 years since the first Blackberry phone. Sometimes innovation leaves iconic concepts in the dust. Here is where all of this goes. Get your attitude ready to learn and earn.

— Your glass is never full. The next time a manager introduces a new opportunity open your thinking

— Ask questions. Remember “new” is a powerful sales world door opener. Be sure YOU know how this new opportunity works. Leave your ego outside the sales meeting.

— Local advertisers like a competitive edge. Procter & Gamble built the most successful package goods marketing in the world with “New and Improved.” Learn from the legacy winners.

Managers and sellers want to win new business. Are you prepared to learn how?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com. Steve Lapa will be moderating the “Generating Revenue” panel at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.