Talk Host Mark Simone Inks New Deal with WOR, New York
New York City talk radio personality Mark Simone signs a new, three-year deal with iHeartMedia’s news/talk 710 WOR to continue hosting the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show. Simone says, “There’s no better
place to be in the radio world than iHeartRadio. Thanks to the finest broadcasting executives around, Tom Cuddy, Thea Mitchem and Bernie Weiss for making it all happen. Walking to work every day is like walking through the Radio Hall of Fame. Just to get to my studio, I pass Elvis Duran, Jim Kerr, Charlamagne tha God, Angela Yee and other all-stars.” WOR program director Tom Cuddy adds, “When I joined WOR almost 11 years ago, Mark was my first hire. Since then, it’s been a blast watching Mark grow into becoming the highest-rated radio talk host in his time slot, along with digital numbers that are among the highest in the country.”
EDITOR’S APOLOGY: The above story about Mark Simone’s new contract at WOR originally ran yesterday (9/5) in TALKERS. Unfortunately, our art department utilized a combination of hand-rendered illustration, CGI and AI in creating a headline banner image that apparently missed its mark. The premise was to depict Simone as the proverbial “800 pound gorilla” of New York radio in which his avatar – a Simone lookalike – inspired by the legend of King Kong, was depicted as a determined figure climbing the Empire State Building. As it turned out, the King Kong reference was not clear to our readers because there was no actual ape depicted and Simone received a large number of emails telling him that TALKERS ran a photo of the wrong guy. We meant it to be a caricature but our creative plan backfired. Simone was upset by the image telling TALKERS, “I have had dozens of caricatures done of me in the past. They are usually somewhat cute. Never had a problem with them. Yours looked hideous and really cheap. When radio people try to do it, they have no skill at it… no one thought it was a caricature and no one thought it was me. The 13 emails I got from radio execs asked me why you used a picture of someone else, so they never thought for a second it was supposed to be a caricature and no one noticed anything to do with the Empire State Building.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Simone is right. Looking back at it now, with the increased objectivity of having a full day to think it over, I can understand why he was upset, although there was nothing specifically disparaging about the image. It just wasn’t clear that it was meant to be him and that he was supposed to be climbing a building in an iconic scenario. After all, a media personality’s sound and image are their brand and they must be protective of its depiction. We have subsequently pulled the banner from the website and replaced it with a more standard format with the same copy but a different graphic (see above). The irony is Mark Simone and I have been friendly for more than three decades and I’ve often stated that he is one of the greatest and most successful radio personalities in New York and the nation, not to mention a top notch human being. I still think that. All of us at TALKERS deeply regret this mistake which was the result of an overly-zealous attempt at being creative. In the world of publicity there’s the old saying ‘as long as they spell your name correctly.’ Well, I guess in this case we spelled Mark Simone’s face wrong.”
As this week’s first Republican presidential debate looms, my FOX News Radio-affiliated client stations are irked. Thanks to their network, they’re carrying it live, and locally sponsored, and promo-ing it aplenty. A couple of my clients will travel to Milwaukee to wrap pre- and post-game color around the play-by-play. So, yuh, they’re irked.
professionals in need from debilitating illness, accident, or disaster. BFoA chair Scott Herman says, “It’s hard to believe our friend and colleague left us a year ago. A true leader and exceptional human being, Jim helped everyone all the time. That’s the kind of person he was. I am proud to have known Jim for nearly 40 years as a colleague and a friend. He is sorely missed.” Thompson’s career included president and CEO of Group W Radio and co-owner of Liberty Broadcasting. He created the Radio Mercury Awards and served on the boards of the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Advertising Council and was vice chair of the Pennsylvania State Broadcasters Association. Upon Thompson’s passing, the Broadcasters Foundation created The Jim Thompson Memorial Fund, which remains open in his honor. 
She was the agent I enjoyed working with most over three decades I was an active real estate investor. We remain good friends, and her technique informs the work I do coaching agents – and attorneys and financial advisors and other professionals – who host ask-the-expert radio shows.
living in the state of Nevada. The native Iowan was beloved by WHO Radio listeners and colleagues. He was known nationally for his thought-provoking talk show and on-air debates, but also for sharing information about local severe weather and other urgent news relevant to his listeners. Mickelson was known for tackling serious topics but was equally appreciated by his devoted listeners for providing much joy and humor with his infectious laughter.” iHeartMedia Des Moines market president Joel McCrea adds, “Jan Mickelson was the best at his craft. He was always prepared and knew how to get you to listen to the radio. If you disagreed with him, he would take your call first because he wanted a spirited conversation. All of us at WHO miss Jan Mickelson.”
News Radio Network/FOX News Headlines 24/7 SiriusXM Channel 115. As the Freelance Radio Anchor, you will work under tight deadlines and deliver top-notch newscasts. You have a passion for breaking news and the flexibility to work on a day’s notice. 
touches, including PR best practices, recent industry trends, case studies, the media, marketing, strategy, career development, and profiles of PR pros. Goldman says, “I’m excited to launch this show and have the opportunity to talk with so many smart, inspiring, and insightful people. I’m learning so much during the conversations I’m having with them on my show, and I know everyone who listens to the show, whether on the radio or as a podcast, will find value in these conversations.” The program airs Mondays at 5:00 pm on Hofstra University’s WRHU-FM, Hempstead, NY and is available nationally on the station’s livestream online and on most streaming devices. Check it out on Goldman Communications Group’s website (
Coinciding with the Independent Broadcasters Foundation’s fourth anniversary are new enhancements (including a redesigned website which unveils today) and policies. To more effectively focus on members’ needs, the IBA implements a cap of 300 company members, with no limit on number of stations under a company. According to IBA president/executive director Ron Stone, “These improvements allow the IBA to grow into the best possible organization representing independent radio stations. Future members will have market exclusivity to IBA membership. All current members that share a market will be grandfathered in and are not affected by this change. A group is considered one company. Once we reach the 300-mark, membership will be closed. New members will only be received if the number of member companies drops below 300.” National cash contests will now include text-to-win capability and Stone states, “Participating member stations have experienced as much as 30X ROI from [those contests].” Only IBA member stations can participate in the September National Cash Contest; the deadline for stations and groups to register is in less than three weeks (7/31). An IBA member may be a single station or a group of stations, as long as the company is not traded on a public market.
programming and spoken-word radio. Energy, enthusiasm, and experience within the genre is a must. You will be responsible for all aspects of programming including managing on-air staff, imaging, station strategy, developing and executing revenue generating sales & programming promotions, website & social media, digital content and have a strong understanding of the core audience(s). 
program two legendary news/talk stations. Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail and experience in news writing/delivering and talk show hosting is a necessity. You must have the ability to interact with listeners and handle multiple phone calls at one time. You will be responsible for all aspects of programming including managing and motivating on-air staff, imaging, station strategy, developing and executing revenue generating sales & programming promotions, website & social media, digital content and have a strong understanding of the core audience of a news/talk format. The position also requires a daily AM drive air-shift, along with live appearances and live broadcasts! 
brought Carton back to WFAN after he served a year in prison for fraud. He said, “I had a saint in my corner. A gentleman by the name of Chris Oliviero. He has maintained his support of me as a friend and a brother through all the ups and downs of my radio career. When I got myself in trouble, he came and visited me. He told me if I ever got my life back in order and figured out why I made the bad decisions I made, he would be there for me. No guarantees of a job, but that he would never stop being my friend. Having a guy like that as your friend, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. Not only is he my friend, but he paved the way for me to come back to WFAN.” The WFAN website says Carton will continue to do his weekend gambling addiction program, “Hello, My Name is Craig” show that airs on WFAN on Saturday mornings. He added, “WFAN has meant the world to me. If WFAN didn’t give me the opportunity to come back and restart a career, no joke, I’m unemployable… so, walking away from WFAN is not easy. WFAN is my home.”
monthly podcast listeners started listening as a child, 57% started listening as a teenager and 25% started listening as an adult. This means 73% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners began listening before the age of 18; 3) Those who began listening earlier in life, listen longer: Gen Z monthly podcast listeners who started listening as a child consume 10.6 hours of podcasts per week; those who started as a teenager consume 7.5 hours per week, and those who started as an adult consume 6.6 hours of podcasts per week. The average for all Gen Z monthly podcast listeners is 7.7 hours per week; and 4) Gen Z act as a result of podcast ads: 82% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners have taken any action as a result of hearing a podcast advertisement; 70% have either purchased or wanted to purchase the product or service they heard advertised, 61% have visited a company or product website, 44% have used a promo code or discount code mentioned in the podcast, and 42% have recommended a product to a friend or family member. 
tours that provide a significant revenue stream for stations (or syndicators) as well as world-wide free travel for their top personalities. Collette is planning a major presence at TALKERS 2023 tomorrow (6/2) at the 26th annual sold-out installment of the talk media industry conference at Hofstra University on Long Island. Jim Edwards, VP, US affinity development (
for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was also an important endeavor. I knew personally how cancer affects the lives of the patient and their families. It has been a passion and I’ve been blessed with many years of good health. I didn’t expect in 2023 that we would be having this conversation. After feeling lethargic, exhausted and experiencing some strange weight gain I had blamed it on a recent change of medication. Instead my blood work showed tremendous blood loss and levels of iron and hemoglobin that were dangerously low. We still believed that it would reveal an ulcer or a stomach tear that was being irritated by the new medication causing the bleed. We scheduled a short hospital stay to have all my tests in one day. It’s 76ers playoffs and I needed to get back to work quickly! The colonoscopy revealed the cancer and a subsequent CT Scan has given us some optimism that this cancer journey will end successfully. I have a great support system within the walls of Beasley Broadcasting from the Executive Suite to the interns. I feel blessed that everyone has already rallied behind me at ‘The Fanatic’ to make sure I succeed in this battle. My sponsors have always shown me such loyalty and support. I’m going to do my best to continue to deliver for them. I work with an excellent team on ‘The John Kincade Show’ and I’ve asked them to do everything possible to keep things as normal as possible. With our crew, normal is of course up to interpretation.” 
Tik-Tok is hot (largely among users too young to be heavy AM/FM listeners) and it’s in-the-news (about its possible ban). And, yes, Facebook remains T-Rex in the social media jungle. But people on Twitter seem to live there.
own. She cites a February 2, 2021 appearance by Mike Lindell on Newsmax TV during which anchor Bob Sellers vehemently challenges Lindell’s allegations of voter manipulation, to the point of walking off the set in frustration. The story also notes Newsmax’s defense as laid out in court filings. The company says, “It reported fairly and accurately on the public statements made by President Trump, his attorneys, and 
surrogates; It had a right to report on statements made by public figures, including the president; Newsmax reported on both television and online claims by multiple officials and experts that the election was not ‘stolen’ or ‘rigged.’; Newsmax reached out to Dominion, and Dominion did not accept offers to appear on the network; Newsmax published online at least a dozen articles sharing Dominion’s response to Trump campaign claims. Those headlines appeared on Newsmax TV; On Dec. 19, 2020, Newsmax published to its website a statement, ‘Facts About Dominion, Smartmatic You Should Know,’ which read, in part, ‘No evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election.’; Newsmax shared its statement over the course of months during segments related and unrelated to the 2020 election.” Finally, Newsmax adds, “It should be noted that FOX News has never made a statement, even after its settlement, as strong and specific as Newsmax’s statement of Dec. 19, 2021.” 
concise, practical strategies that can be applied immediately. The three-minute videos cover a wide range of topics, from sales strategies to account management and client relationship building. Each video is accompanied by an eBook that expands on the topic, providing additional tips to help sellers and managers improve performance.
Communications Partners LP, a 39-station group which he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million. At this time, he pioneered notable progress in integrating legacy media with emerging digital technology. In 2004, he formed Connoisseur Media which now operates 13 radio station brands and digital assets in five markets. Highly respected and celebrated industry-wide for his outspoken candor and bullish approach to radio station ownership, Jeff Warshaw serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the executive committee of the Radio Advertising Bureau, and is chairman of the Nielsen Audio advisory council. Harrison describes Warshaw as “one of the most knowledgeable, emerging forces to be reckoned with among radio industry leaders.”
Christopher Ruddy founded Newsmax in 1998 to publish online and offline content in the fields of news, politics, health and finance. Newsmax.com ranks consistently as one of the country’s most-trafficked news websites. Newsmax TV, a cable and over-the-top media service news channel started in 2014, has shown remarkable growth becoming one of the nation’s leading television news and political opinion sources. Newsmax recently entered the field of talk radio with a syndication arm and is reportedly exploring expansion into radio station ownership. As a journalist, Christopher Ruddy previously worked at the New York Post and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. He was also awarded a Media Fellowship at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University. He holds a BA summa cum laude in history from St. John’s University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics. Harrison describes Ruddy as “a key player in emerging 21st century media.”
Local news sponsorship is an opportunity to “fish for whales,” institutional advertisers who can associate with something special. And, well-done, local news sure is special, because:
hour. Starting next Monday, our sports reports will begin airing at :25 and :55 and our money/business reports will move to :10 and :40 past each hour. We will also be reducing the number of commercial breaks listeners hear each hour and increasing the amount of news we deliver at the same time. These changes allow us to provide our listeners with longer, uninterrupted news segments, which we believe offer a better listening experience overall.” Ziegler adds they are tweaking how they approach news content. “WTOP will always be the place you can turn to when news is breaking, but we realize news consumers want more than that — not just from WTOP but from the news industry as a whole. So, it is our commitment to balance out those serious news stories we deliver each day with news about the good things going on in the D.C. region, too. Stories that make you smile; stories that inspire hope; and stories that make you laugh or are just cool. We’re also committed to providing you with stories that can help you, your kids, your finances and your health, too.”
soliciting listeners via the station’s website to reserve spots to be in-studio today through Friday (2/24). Kincade says, “More than any show in Philly sports radio, we have always been interested in getting out and interacting with our listeners. This is a great way for us to welcome our listeners behind the scenes at our brand-new performance studio to get even better connected with the show.” Special guests scheduled to join the show include Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin, Sixers radio announcer Tom McGinnis, Sixers TV announcer Kate Scott, former Phillies players Tommy Greene and Mickey Morandini, Flyers radio broadcasters Tim Saunders and Steve Coates, Zach Berman from The Athletic, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Surprisingly, my company Sabo Media has bought commercial time on radio stations. It’s a surprise because brands have come to us because the word “media” is in the name. Some brands think Sabo Media is a media buying company. Hysterical.