More from TALKERS Generations 2025 at IBSNYC
Pictured above is WABC, New York journalist and talk show host Dominic Carter giving a high-five to one of the students asking him career advice. Carter spoke on the “Radio’s Place in a Diverse, Digital World” panel.
Pictured above is TALKERS VP and executive editor Kevin Casey showing off the new C. Crane WiFi 3 internet radio. TALKERS and C. Crane gave away five of these radios to college students who were eager to get them.
Pictured above is consultant and WPHT, Philadelphia & nationally syndicated talk host Walter Sabo making a point during his panel discussion. A student asked for his advice about launching a career out of college and Sabo told her, “First, decide where you want to live. Once you’re in that city, you can begin to approach broadcasting companies about getting your foot in the door.”
Pictured above is Salem Radio Network talk host Mike Gallagher speaking while taking part in the “Radio’s Place in a Diverse, Digital World” panel. All photos by Olivia Mannarino
104.1 that had been the home to hip hop WHHL-FM “HOT 104.1.” In return, KMOX gives up translator K254CR at 98.7 to the hip hop outlet. These changes become effective on March 24. Audacy St. Louis and Wichita SVP and market manager Becky Domyan says, “We’re thrilled to expand KMOX’s reach and bring the trusted news and entertainment our listeners rely on, as well as Cardinals baseball, on an enhanced FM signal that covers the greater St. Louis region.”
requires companies to maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $10 million or meet the alternative compliance standards relating to the market value of the listed securities or the company’s total assets and revenue. Now, Cumulus has until April 21 to provide NASDAQ with a plan to achieve and sustain compliance. If NASDAQ accepts the plan, NASDAQ may grant an extension of up to 180 calendar days to evidence compliance. Cumulus says it is continuing to evaluate potential options to resolve the deficiency and regain compliance, including the possibility of applying to transfer to the NASDAQ Capital Market.
Broadcasting the matches will be WPRO-FM personalities Nick Giuliano and Tommy Quinlan. In addition, Rhode Island sportswriter and columnist Kevin McNamara will host a new feature to air on the station every Thursday at 6:20 pm throughout the season titled, “Extra Time with Rhode Island FC.” Cumulus RVP and market manager Holly Paras says, “We are thrilled to continue and expand our broadcast partnership with Rhode Island FC. It’s an exciting time for Rhode Island soccer fans, especially with the opening of the new stadium this year. We look forward to a great season.”
respectively. Other podcasts of note include Cumulus Podcasts Network’s “Shawn Ryan Show” at #5 and Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #6. DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” rises three spots to the #10 rank in February and The New York Times’ “Ezra Klein Show” debuts on the chart at #15. 
Observation, as a heavy CNBC viewer: Artificial Intelligence is to 2025 what Dot Com was to the late 1990s, game-changer… and shiny object.
reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business. We are streamlining resources to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to best position Audacy to continue serving listeners and advertisers with excellence.” The Desk is reporting a list of those affected by the cuts and in the spoken-word formats, those people include: WINS, New York sports director Marc Ernay; KNX, Los Angeles reporter Charles Feldman; WWL, New Orleans news staffer Mark Menard; KMOX, St. Louis digital content producer Wilson Truong; and others. 
platform to ensure that California, the nation, and the world hear the stories of those impacted in Altadena. People have short attention spans, and many will forget the fire and its aftermath in the coming weeks and months. We intend to keep the focus on the families in Altadena and amplify their voices.” Farr adds, “Eaton was more than a fire. It was the destruction of a Black stronghold where 80% of residents were homeowners. These families weren’t just living here; they were building generational wealth. That’s why this show matters – because rebuilding Altadena isn’t just about homes, it’s about justice.” In the days following the fire, Farr co-produced KBLA’s three-hour live remote broadcast from the impact zone, ensuring survivors’ voices were heard.
Nicole Ovadia says, “Our latest forecast indicates that local advertising is showing resilience, despite the ongoing changes in the economic landscape. Although we expect core advertising to remain stable, we’ve adjusted our outlook to account for various market factors like interest rates and consumer sentiment and significant changes in media consumption patterns that are driving digital growth.” The forecast indicates strong growth in several sectors: Real Estate at 9.3%, Restaurants at 9.2%, and Retail at 6.8%. The Education and Automotive verticals are also experiencing substantial growth, with increases of 5% each.
secretary is resigning from her positions with the company, effective on or around April 1. She is taking another position outside of the company. Fasbender will remain in her current position through April 1. iHeartMedia notes that Fasbender’s exit “is not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”
people spend by far the most amount of their time at home, the at-home environment offers a variety of listening devices including smart speakers, internet-connected TVs, and computers, in addition to mobile phones… And we know from our qualitative research that podcast listeners can listen while they multitask at home.” After listening at home, listening at work contributes 16% to the overall daily listening time to podcasts, while in-car listening captures 11% of daily listening time. Edison adds, “We can theorize that because people often take short drives during the day including quick trips to the store, or school, or on errands, that those short trips might not be conducive to becoming fully engaged with a podcast.” Finally, 6% of listening happens in various other locations, such as gyms, grocery stores, or while walking.
includes sports talk KBBG-AM “The Champ” and four music brands. He most recently served with Walnut Media in Omaha. As director of sales. Cumulus Media president of operations Bob Walker says, “We are excited to welcome Adam to Cumulus Des Moines as this is a homecoming for him, having grown up in Des Moines and being a fan of our brands. Adam is an accomplished leader that is passionate about connecting local clients to the power of radio and the digital products we offer to help them grow their business.”
families during life’s most challenging moments. Broadcasters Foundation of America president Tim McCarthy says, “For over 70 years, the Broadcasters Foundation has provided critical aid—ranging from medical care to emergency financial assistance—for broadcasters facing hard times. The steadfast generosity of Katz Media Group makes it possible for us to continue our mission, and I can’t thank the Katz team enough for their ongoing commitment.” Katz Media Group has been selected to receive the 2025 Philip J. Lombardo Spirit Award, which will be presented at the BFOA Golden Mic Gala on March 10. This prestigious honor recognizes Katz’s dedication to supporting the Broadcasters Foundation of America and its mission of helping broadcasters in need.
Birmingham, Alabama headquarters. SummitMedia CEO Carl Parmer states, “Joe brings a wealth of experience and a new perspective to the SummitMedia team. He’s a dynamic, high-energy leader who, I know, will guide our results-oriented teams to new levels of success.” Parmer adds that he expects Bell to bring innovation across platforms, strengthening the company’s competitiveness and longterm growth across media platforms. Bell comments, “Success lies in leading with vision, inspiring a high-performing team and unlocking new revenue opportunities across our traditional and digital platforms. Summit has built a team of great people — with great products and great markets — that equal great opportunities.” 
York director of marketing and promotions Emily Magelof says, “David’s creativity, vision, and dedication have been instrumental in driving our brands. We are excited for him to continue elevating our promotional efforts, ensuring even greater success in the future.” Montague comments, “I am truly honored for this accomplishment and excited for the future. I want to thank my support system at iHeartMedia, friends and family for their continued confidence and believing in me.”
During my tenure at NBC, once a month the division heads would meet at the behest of the CEO to report on their progress and trends in their sector. As the executive vice president of the FM division, I took a seat in that formidable group and tried to keep my remarks as brief as possible. What could I possibly say that would be more damn important than the words of the president of NBC News or the NBC Television network? In addition to NBC’s CEO, the CEO of owner RCA would often join the fun.
Day the Music Died, that involves pirates hijacking 100 radio stations in five major U.S. cities and follows one company’s story over the course of 24 hours. Orchard was raised in a radio family that owned and operated stations in the 1980s and 1990s. Her family later launched a consulting business that conducted mock FCC inspections and she says the idea for her novel was born from those experiences. 
the team to develop, sell and service local business. The position is responsible for delivering assigned revenue targets through managing sales team efforts, developing sales talent and monthly business planning. The GSM develops relationships with businesses, engages with networks such as chambers, business alliances etc. to uncover opportunities within the local market. The GSM will maintain an account list while helping the sales team sell and develop cohesive campaigns for new direct businesses. 
radio stations) Q4 2024 revenue was $684 million, flat compared to Q4 of 2023. The company’s Digital Audio Group Q4 2024 revenue was $339 million, an increase of 7%. Withing the Digital Audio Group, podcast revenue was $140 million, an increase of 6%. For the fourth quarter of 2024, the company reports net income of $31.9 
million. For the full year of 2024, it reports a net loss of $1 billion. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman states, “Our fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $246 million was up 18.2% vs. prior year, our highest percentage increase in almost three years, and our consolidated revenues were up 4.8% compared to the prior year, demonstrating the inherent operating leverage in this business. We are pleased that we successfully completed the comprehensive exchange transaction discussed last quarter – extending the majority of our debt maturities by three years; keeping our consolidated annual cash interest expense essentially flat; and providing overall debt reduction. This provides the company with the flexibility to remain focused on creating shareholder value in 2025 and beyond.”
impairment charge of $224.5 million compared to a pre-tax non-cash impairment of $65.3 million in 2023, both primarily reflecting FCC-related charges.” Cumulus president and CEO Mary G. Berner states, “Since the pandemic’s onset, the radio industry has experienced tough economic and secular headwinds. In the face of those, we outperformed our peers through the end of 2023 on key metrics including cost takeouts, EBITDA 
margin recovery, free cash flow generation, net leverage, and liquidity. 2024 brought additional challenges, including accelerated national headwinds as well as an industry-wide slowdown in local radio advertising. In response, we doubled down on investing in growth areas, particularly in our digital marketing services business, which is pacing up 30% in Q1. Additionally, we continued evolving our broadcast go-to-market strategies, including with new offerings that are successfully attracting large new broadcast clients, and we drove additional cost efficiencies with 2024 actions that will result in $43 million of annualized fixed cost savings, of which $15 million benefited 2024 with the balance in 2025. Though the industry environment remains challenging for now, our 2024 refinancing efforts provided us with the time needed to both execute our day-to-day blocking and tackling and, in parallel, continue to reimagine the ways in which we can get the most out of our key assets to create new revenue streams and build additional long-term value.”
will air on SiriusXM’s Stars channel from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein comments, “Page Six has been a powerhouse for all celebrity news for nearly half a century, and by teaming up with our in-house experts here at SiriusXM, this new show is sure to be the ultimate destination for pop culture fans. With the launch of ‘Page Six Radio,’ we are transforming the publication’s stories to a dynamic new format that will expand its reach and resonate with SiriusXM listeners who turn to the platform for all the latest entertainment news.”
should have the right to handpick the journalists who cover them. Doing so gives them license to select only news outlets whose coverage they deem positive and exclude responsible journalists whose reporting, although fair and accurate, the administration may not like. We call on the Trump administration to reverse this decision without delay so that the American people, and the world, can be assured they are getting a complete and accurate account of the activities of the President of the United States. This is especially critical during times of crisis.”
tapings and discussions aimed at aspiring podcasters in the Black community. He says, “We’re excited to return to Atlanta, building on the incredible momentum of the podcast industry and the growing impact of Black creators in the space. As the influence of Black voices continues to shape culture and drive conversations, The Black Effect remains committed to powerful storytelling, meaningful brand collaborations and unforgettable live experiences. This year, we’re celebrating not just where we’ve been – we’re embracing the limitless future of Black podcasting and the influence it holds.”
a state-of-the-art podcast studio in Qatar, accompanied by a lineup of original shows and the introduction of some of the world’s most popular podcasts to Arabic-listening audiences. It will also execute specialized masterclasses to nurture local talent and host global industry events, including Web Summit gatherings, positioning Qatar as a meeting point for the world’s top podcasting voices. iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman comments, “Podcasting has exploded in the US and is now a mass-reach medium. And iHeartMedia, with our expansive network as the #1 podcaster in America, is in a unique position to grow strong listenership around the globe. iHeartPodcasts features a massive catalog of original shows spanning every category and this new partnership creates an opportunity to work with a long roster of incredible creators and distribute even more content to new audiences in the Middle East.”
news/talk WWNC-AM, sports talk WPEK-AM “ESPN Asheville,” plus five music brands. She says, “I couldn’t be more thankful for the mentorship and support I’ve received throughout my career at iHeart, which has brought me to this exciting opportunity. Working alongside such talented colleagues in this beautiful, resilient mountain town is a true privilege. I look forward to continuing to grow with iHeartMedia and helping our amazing clients succeed with the best strategies in the business.”
Larkin leads Audacy’s portfolio of markets, revenue and content teams, overseeing the company’s extensive audio platform, which includes broadcasting, podcasting, digital, network, live events, music, sports and news. She is also a board member of the Radio Advertising Bureau and has served on the boards of the Florida Association of Broadcasters and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
by a political appointee instead of a career agent. The role of the deputy director is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the bureau’s law enforcement. The Journal also reports that new FBI director Kash Patel had “offered Republican senators private assurances that he would name a special agent with bureau experience” in order to provide “operational expertise and experience.” The FBI Agents Association has made no public statement so far. Cumulus Media issued the following statement: “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dan Bongino on his decision to take on the role of deputy director of the FBI. Dan has entertained and informed tens of millions of listeners every day and we are grateful for our successful partnership. We look forward to welcoming Dan back in the future. We truly value our audience, advertisers, and affiliates and remain dedicated to bringing them the next exciting chapter for this programming soon. Dan’s last show will be Friday, March 14.”