Florida Radio Stations Prepare for Hurricane Milton
As most readers of TALKERS magazine know, dedicated and alert radio stations rise to the occasion of abundant vigilance and public service in providing their communities with vital information and support during natural disasters. Such has been the case with Hurricane Helene and the same thing will take place as Hurricane Milton threatens Florida and the East Coast.
TALKERS has been informed of the following plan put in place by the Florida-based Beasley Media Group:
1. Hourly Storm Updates: The Tampa and Fort Myers markets will commence hourly storm updates immediately, increasing to twice per hour as the storm nears. Wall-to-wall coverage will begin 24 hours before landfall, incorporating active listener engagement.
2. Partnership with Local TV Stations: Beasley Tampa will partner with local Scripps ABC television, while Fort Myers will align with the Hearst NBC-2/ABC-7 affiliates to enhance storm coverage.
3. Remote Broadcasting: Should there be widespread flooding, evacuations, or power/internet outages, Q105’s afternoon host, Geno, will broadcast live from Beasley’s Boston-based studios to maintain continuous storm coverage.
4. On-Site Presence: Some staff may remain overnight at the radio station, provided there are no safety concerns.
5. Beasley’s engineering team is on standby to address any technical issues that arise, ensuring the stations remain operational.
6. Local Storm Coverage: All syndicated programming will be suspended during the storm to prioritize local storm coverage.
7. Digital Content and Storm Central: Beasley’s Digital Content team will establish a dedicated “Storm Central” section on the station websites, offering timely updates, which will also be shared across social media platforms. Additionally, Quu dashboard technology will deliver special messaging featuring storm warnings.
Beasley personnel are closely monitoring the evolving storm conditions and are ready to take necessary action to keep their communities informed and safe.
Toyota and Lexus Join New Three-Year SiriusXM Subscription Program. 
SiriusXM capability is a standard feature in all Toyota and Lexus models sold in the United States. Now, participating Toyota and Lexus dealerships can choose to add the three-year Extended Service Subscription to new models featuring the latest Toyota Audio Multimedia and Lexus Interface. The three-year subscription’s cost will be added to the vehicle’s purchase or lease price. Vehicles that do not include the three-year Extended Service Subscription will continue to include a standard three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM.
Michael Berry has been added to Premiere Networks all-star line-up of nationally-syndicated talk talent. Effective October 7, Houston’s top-rated talk show host will be available to stations nationwide on a two-hour weekday evening program. Currently heard on 25 affiliates in independent syndication across the U.S., “The Michael Berry Show” will continue to originate from iHeartMedia Houston’s NewsRadio 740 KTRH in the 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm CT weekday timeslot. “The Michael Berry Show” features the colorful radio personality and “Czar of Talk” as he discusses news, politics, and culture with his insightful and straightforward commentary that’s accessible to a broad range of listeners. 
“I’m fired up to join the team that brought Rush Limbaugh, my hero, to America, alongside my talented friends Clay Travis, Buck Sexton and Jesse Kelly, and legends like Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck,” Berry tells TALKERS. “Being a part of the talk radio industry is already a literal dream come true, but being supported and represented by Premiere, the best in the biz, is big time.” “Michael has become one of the top voices in the world of talk radio, and we’re excited to expand his program to even more stations across the country,” said Julie Talbott, president of Premiere Networks. “His relatable style, keen intellect and deep connection with listeners drive success for affiliates and sponsors alike, which are qualities we look for in our syndication partners.” Ranked at a lofty #7 on the TALKERS Heavy Hundred, Berry is one of the most original conservative voices in talk media. With a career spanning over two decades, his radio journey began in 2005 with his weekend program, “Michael Berry’s Real Estate Review,” on NewsRadio 740 KTRH. His success led to a weekday talk show on Talk Radio 950 KPRC, where he quickly gained a loyal following. During that time, he also hosted various timeslots on KPRC, in addition to serving as operations director for KTRH, KPRC, and KBME from 2007 to 2011. Before his radio career, Berry served as a three-term Houston City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem. During his tenure, he was named “Councilman of the Year” by the Houston Police Officers Union. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston, a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and an LL.M. in International Commercial Law from the University of Nottingham. He has worked as an attorney, real estate developer, and restaurateur. Berry is a passionate supporter of veterans’ causes serving as the national spokesman of Camp Hope, which assists veterans and their families beating PTSD. He does an annual drive for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and hosts an annual adoption and fostering special, as well as yearly specials focused on mothers, fathers, veterans, law enforcement and teachers. Berry resides in Houston with his wife, former Texas Secretary of State, Nandita Venkateswaran Berry, who hails from India, and their two sons, both of whom were born in Ethiopia. For more information, click here to visit his website. 
WBUR, the leading public radio station in Boston, has named Tiziana Dearing as host of its “Morning Edition” show beginning September 18. Dearing is a familiar voice to the station’s large, loyal audience, currently hosting the midday show, “Radio Boston.” In an article published on the station’s website, it was reported that in an internal announcement yesterday (8/28), WBUR CEO Margaret Low praised Dearing as a “singular talent – an extraordinary host with deep ties to this city and region.” Dearing states she has loved hosting “Radio Boston” and now looks forward to the opportunity to “meet a huge swath of Greater Boston as they get up and start their day.” She said, “It’s a tremendous privilege and it’s a tremendous responsibility.” The transition at one of Greater Boston’s most listened-to radio shows follows the departure of Rupa Shenoy, after she was unable to reach an agreement with the station this summer to extend her contract. Before that, Bob Oakes led the show for nearly three decades. The program features news, commentary and interviews with local, regional, and national officials and newsmakers. An example of the power of public radio, WBUR has jockeyed for first place in the 6:00 am to 9:00 am time slot this year with WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub) among the prized 25-54 age demographic. (Photo by Li Linder.)
Since leaving his lofty media perch on the FOX News Channel in 2017, news/talk media commentator Bill O’ Reilly has been flourishing as an author, entrepreneur, and independent talk media personality. He continues to turn out chart topping best-seller books – his latest title: Confronting the Presidents (St. Martin’s Press 2024) – and his website 
“If you missed Biff & Bev in-the-Morning, you missed…” It’s a donut: produced open and close, with an aircheck clip in the middle.
and Macy’s. In this newly created corporate position, Snyder will be responsible for overseeing digital marketing and building revenue opportunities on behalf of the company with an emphasis on newsletters, SEO, websites and affiliate marketing as well as leading the developers working across the organization. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley comments, “We could not be more thrilled to welcome Dave into the Beasley family. His marketing expertise is exactly what we need as we continue to build new revenue streams on behalf of the company.”
passion to continue SRG’s long tradition into the future. The person for this position will need to live in Spencer, Iowa (or surrounding area). We need someone who understands small-market, local radio and is willing to be involved in the community. Knowledge of radio automation software, adobe audition, word press, and general computer experience is preferred. We value creativity and the desire to win! Duties for this position include (but not limited to): 1) Gathering, writing and reading local news stories; 2) Covering some meetings/events; 3) Conducting on-air interviews; 4) Anchoring LIVE, local, severe weather coverage; 5) Compiling/recording local weather data for National Weather Service; 6) Read LIVE market updates on air; 7) Posting local content on our websites/social media platforms. Send your resume and demo to operations manager Kevin Tlam at 
In a research piece posted on the Radio Television Digital News Association’s website, Syracuse University research professor of broadcast & digital journalism Bob Papper and Syracuse University associate professor of broadcast & digital journalism Keren Henderson reveal this year’s radio news salaries fell 2.5%. With 2024 inflation at 3.1%, real wages (actual wages minus inflation) dropped 5.6%. Real wage radio salaries have lost .5% (2021); 6.6% (2022); 1.9% (2023); and 2.5% (2024). Thus, a total wage loss of 11.5% over the last four years. While the median salary for news directors remained steady, the average salary increased 6.7%. An average reporter’s salary dropped .9%, but the median salary is up 12.5%. News producers did even better with average salary (+5%) and median salary (+10.4%). News anchors, sports anchors and sports reporters, however, all lost ground in both average and median salaries. Web producers/editors dropped slightly on average and held even on median. Historically, non-commercial radio salaries have been substantially higher than commercial radio salaries, but Papper and Henderson note that’s not the case this year. They write, “When we look at large and major markets, all the average commercial salaries are higher than non-commercial salaries, and median salaries are fairly close. Overall, commercial radio salaries in large and major markets went up a whopping 23.5% [while] non-commercial salaries went down 8% from a year ago. The drop in radio news salaries lies almost entirely in the non-commercial world.”
Founded 11 years ago by Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report website (www.therudenreport.com) is dedicated to Fairfield County (Connecticut) sports news and information. Ruden will remain with the online publication as director of operations. Connoisseur Media owner/chief executive officer Jeff Warshaw comments, “We’re happy to have The Ruden Report join our family. We look forward to offering our audience local content with his exceptional reporting.” Connoisseur Media senior vice president/general manager Kristin Okesson states, “This addition to our programming lineup is a perfect fit for each station and their audiences. As someone who values high school sports coverage, I’m excited to bring The Ruden Report to our six radio stations. I know our Southern Connecticut listeners will enjoy the local updates and in-depth coverage of their favorite teams, athletes, and games.” Ruden adds, “My ongoing goal has been to cover more which is why I have decided to partner with Connoisseur Media. It is a company that has both a longstanding tradition of excellence and the infrastructure to help take The Ruden Report to the next level.” Connoisseur’s six Connecticut stations include Bridgeport heritage news/talk WICC.
WTOP.com, Outstanding Newscast and the Best in Show Award for all radio for Outstanding News Operation. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler comments, “In addition to the breaking news, traffic and weather WTOP offers, we have also made a concerted effort to offer a balanced news diet to our consumers across platforms. There are great ‘good news’ stories happening across the DC region every day. It is a great honor to see some of them honored in this way.”
alongside Jeff Deminski on Townsquare Media’s news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5.” It’s unclear whether this move was budget related or precipitated by something else, but Doyle’s info has been scrubbed from the “New Jersey 101.5” website and Deminski is listed as solo host in afternoons. Deminski and Doyle had been on-air partners since 1994, serving two stints with NJ101.5 from 1994 – 1999 and from 2011 to the present. TALKERS’ attempts to contact management at the Townsquare Trenton offices were unsuccessful.
What happened to us? Unless we move quickly, the radio business stands to lose the final frontier: in-car listening.
Indianapolis where Art Vuolo – chronicler of radio history and operator of Vuolo video – fondly remembers him early in his career as “a very popular night DJ at powerful WIBC-AM 1070 in Indianapolis doing his show from a tiny studio atop a Mel’s Drive-Inn style restaurant known as Merrill’s Hi-Decker where listeners would vote for favorite songs by flashing their headlights! He also was Indy’s local Dick Clark with a teen dance show on WISH TV 8 called the RC Cola Rhythm Carnival.” After Indy, Summer landed the late-night show at WBZ in 1963. WBZ says, “His show, ‘Nightlight,’ was known for its humor, along with listeners calling in to give him the ‘password’ of ‘one hen, two ducks, and three squawking geese.’ He would also recite poetry on air.” Summer was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2018 for his work in the industry. He was also known for his TV and radio commercial voiceover work and spent time as a podcast host.
Actor Hugh Grant’s Tweet called it “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.” He was reacting to Apple’s 
and a translator in Decatur, Illinois; and an FM station in Monticello, Illinois to Champaign Multimedia Group, LLC, an Illinois-based company headed by Larry Perrotto. The transaction also included two websites – vermilioncountyfirst.com and nowdecatur.com.
When a new restaurant opens, smart owners put the phone on busy so would-be diners believe the joint is hot, packed and hard to get in to. At street fairs we are drawn to merchant booths with long lines. Crowds give us confidence.
and podcasts are all a part of what we do, so show us what you’ve got. The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of programming including scheduling content, coaching on-air staff, station and AM/FM cluster strategy, development of on-air/online promotions and generating associated revenue, oversight and content creation for digital extensions (including streams, websites and podcasts), and have a strong customer service approach towards listeners, staff, & sales. Additionally, the candidate will act as the program director for Legendary News Radio KKOB and KNML The Sports Animal. 
To be an expert in marketing requires expertise in how memory works. Early in my consultant practice, I studied and read every book I could find on the processes of memory. The best book is Effective Frequency: The Relationship Between Frequency and Advertising Effectiveness. Put simply, how many times does a consumer have to hear a message before it has impact? The book, a collection of studies, is the foundation for every qualitative study in the field today.
Original ideas are golden and rare. Here are five ideas worth stealing because of their novelty, success and oh-wow factor!
When reviewing our industry’s awards such as the Crystals or Marconis there are two categories missing. They are: “Best New” and “Best Innovation.” Imagine if winners were announced for these prizes:
should keep quarterback Justin Fields or trade him in the upcoming draft for the #1 pick. Parkins and Spiegel will kick off the discussion from Audacy Chicago’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Performance Stage from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Football experts and a live audience will join Parkins and Spiegel to weigh in on the looming decision. “The Score” ran a contest this week for a chance to attend the “QB1 Town Hall.” These winners will make up the crowd that will have the opportunity take part in the debate. WSCR VP of programming Mitch Rosen says, “This decision will determine the entire season’s trajectory and the fans are passionate about their views on it. We’re looking forward to opening up this conversation to our listeners and Bears faithful.” The show is being made available via the Audacy app & website, the station’s Twitch, and YouTube channels. 
For several years I’ve had the surprising privilege of serving as a member of the nominating committee of the Radio Hall of Fame. How does the process work? Let me clear up some of the mystery. FAQ:
small attributed lift (0% to +3% lift) to excellent (+15% or more). Across the 17 campaigns analyzed, the average attributed lift was +14%. Three tax preparation service campaigns achieved “excellent” status ranging from a +30% to +48% attributed lift; 2) On average, the 17 AM/FM radio campaigns saw the highest percentage of impressions at the start of the week, peaking on Mondays and Tuesdays. Compared to the Nielsen impressions, the AM/FM radio campaigns outperformed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Advertisers should increase their use of AM/FM radio on the weekends. AM/FM radio campaigns on weekends drive impact and results; and 3) On average, evenings have a greater share of attributed web sessions due to available devices and free time of consumers. Mornings historically underdeliver their share of impressions since consumers are busy getting ready for work and school. This expected pattern should not be a reason to move campaign weight out of morning drive. Morning drive exposure results in web sessions during later dayparts when consumers have the time and available devices to respond.