Industry News

Audacy Names Chris Kinard Sports VP

Audacy names Chris Kinard sports format vice president. Kinard takes over for Spike Eskin, who recently returned to Philadelphia to serve as afternoon show co-host on SportsRadio 94WIP. In this role, Kinard will lead brand and format strategy and execution for the company’s sports portfolio and collaborate closely withim vice president of sports Danny Freisinger on the company’s multiplatform content strategy and production. Kinard will continue to serve as vice president of sports programming and cluster director of operations for Audacy Washington DC that includes WJFK-FM “106.7 The Fan,” WTEM-AM “The Team 980,” and WIAD-FM “94.7 The Drive.”  Audacy EVP and head of programming Jeff Sottolano comments, “We are privileged at Audacy to benefit from the best local sports content thought leaders in the country and Chris has distinguished himself through his leadership of WFJK-FM and WTEM-AM in D.C. over many years. I am excited to see Chris take on this new role and partner with our local and central leadership on further strengthening our unrivaled position in sports.”

Industry News

Alex Cadelago Promoted to RVP for Cumulus in Albuquerque, Tucson and Houston

Cumulus Media promotes Alex Cadelago to regional vice president of Cumulus Media for Albuquerque, Tucson, and Houston. He currently is vice president and market manager for the Houston market. Cumulusim president of operations Dave Milner says, “Alex is an extremely effective and capable leader. His track record in Houston has been outstanding, so it’s a logical progression for him to help lead both Albuquerque and Tucson.” Cadelago comments, “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with our amazing teams in Albuquerque and Tucson and am looking forward to building upon the success Jeff and Ken have achieved in these regions. I would like to thank Mary Berner and Dave Milner for their support in expanding my role with Cumulus, and Dan Bennett for his mentorship over the past 10 years.”

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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Keynote speaker: Premiere Networks syndicated star Glenn Beck, (l) who served as keynote speaker at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond, is pictured with Julie Talbott, president of Premiere Networks (l) and conference producer/director Michael Harrison (c). Shown at far left is Hosea Belcher, SVP affiliate marketing, Premiere Networks.

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A gathering of friends and colleagues: Pictured (l-r), Rich McFadden, VP/operations, Radio America; Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia; Michelle Jerson, host/producer, “Passport Mom”; Asa Andrew, MD, host, “The Doctor Asa Show”; and Mike Paradiso, CEO, Radio America

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Loving liberty and technology: TALKERS was pleased to welcome Sam Bushman (l) and Zak Gillies (r) of excellent content supplier LovingLiberty.net to TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.

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Old friends: Lots of reunions take place at the TALKERS conference.  Pictured (l-r) in the buzzy halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communications are Scott Lakefield, APD, WOR, New York and legendary affiliate relations marketer, Willis Demalt of Talk Media Network. These two go back to their days together at the old WOR Radio Network. Scott Lakefield was a speaker on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel.

Industry News

FOX News Media to Simulcast Presidential Debate

FOX News Media is presenting live coverage of the CNN presidential debate on Thursday (6/27) from Atlanta. Special programming is being made available across FOX News Media platforms, including FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Nation. At 7:00 pm ET, FNCim will kick off debate preview coverage with an early edition of “Jesse Watters Primetime,” followed by “FOX News Democracy 2024” at 8:00 pm ET with chief political anchor Bret Baier, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, and Sean Hannity from the debate’s spin room in Atlanta. The hosts will be joined by FNC senior political analyst Brit Hume and contributors Kellyanne Conway, Richard Fowler and Karl Rove. After the debate, Sean Hannity will host the 11:00 pm ET hour live on FNC from the spin room in Atlanta to break down the event and the public’s reaction.

Industry Views

Kim Komando is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

Talk media megastar Kim Komando is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Komando is a syndicated talk radio star, newspaper columnist, and internationally renowned technology expert. She’s known to her millions of listeners and readers as “America’s Digital Goddess,” For more than three decades, she has been burning up talk media as the leading authority on the evolving technology and sociological impact of the digital era. She is a Radio Hall of Fame inductee and past recipient of the TALKERS Woman of the Year award. This outstanding broadcaster and modern-day thinker produces, hosts, and distributes a weekend three-hour radio talk show, with a recently expanded fourth hour designed to stand on its own. This extra hour was recently added to the Friday evening lineup at WLS-AM, Chicago where it is exploding with ratings success. And now WSB-AM, Atlanta has added it to their Saturday menu where it is showing immediate audience traction. Komando also hosts a couple of short-form daily shows about computers and digital technology heard on stations across America including such giants as WABC, New York and WTOP-FM in Washington, DC. Harrison and Komando engage in an extraordinary conversation about AI and its looming impact on Homo sapiens. Don’t miss this! Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Good Karma Brands and ESPN Los Angeles 710 AM announce a new partnership with the University of Southern California to become the official broadcast home of USC Athletics, including USC Football, USC Men’s Basketball, and USC Women’s Basketball. ESPN Los Angeles market manager Sam Pines comments, “We are thrilled to partner with USC Athletics and bring game coverage to our passionate audience in Los Angeles on ESPN LA 710 AM and beyond with the opportunity for fans to tune in on the ESPN LA app. USC has a rich tradition of excellence in sports, and we are committed to delivering the high-quality coverage for Trojans fans.”

PodcastOne podcast, “Gals on the Go,” is teaming with skincare band fresh beauty for a live podcast recording event in New York City tomorrow (6/22) as part of the Second Annual fresh Beauty Rose Pop-Up. Hosts Danielle Carolan and Brooke Miccio will bring their lively banter and engaging conversation to a live audience gathered to celebrate fresh beauty’s Rose Collection. PodcastOne chief revenue officer Sue McNamara says, “At PodcastOne we strive to find pivotal brand associations that resonate with our hosts and their audiences. Our desire to amplify and highlight products and partnerships with out-of-the-box concepts, ideas and innovations allow us and our shows to align with market leading companies like fresh beauty.”

New England Public Media names John Sutton, currently serving as the NEPM interim chief content officer, to the newly established position of vice president of content and audience strategy. NEPM president Matt Abramovitz says, “In this pioneering role, John will develop the strategy and plan to make NEPM the indispensable guide to Western Mass. After months of searching, John stood out because of his many years of strategic and programming consulting in the public radio system, as well as his experience in-house at NPR and Pittsburgh’s WESA.”

Industry News

Beasley Promotes Two in Philadelphia

Beasley Media Group promotes two leaders at its Philadelphia radio group that includes sports talk WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic” and four music brands. First, Jim Antes is promoted to director of sales for the cluster. He most recently served as director of new business development. Second, Greg Beran is named as digitalim sales manager. He most recently served as a senior digital account executive. Beasley Philadelphia cluster manager Paul Blake says, “Jim Antes’ leadership and passion have been a driving influence within our company, making him the perfect imchoice for director of sales. Jim’s ability to inspire and motivate his team, combined with his deep understanding of the market, positions him to lead our sales division to new heights. His exceptional ability to build strong relationships with both advertisers and employees has been instrumental in our success and will continue to drive our growth. We are equally excited to highlight Greg Beran’s rising star status as a digital leader. Greg has grown within our company, consistently demonstrating innovative thinking and a keen understanding of the digital landscape. His commitment to excellence and ability to drive digital sales initiatives have set him apart as a dynamic and influential leader. Greg’s promotion to digital sales manager is a testament to his hard work, creativity, and strategic mindset, all of which will play a crucial role in our continued success in the digital arena.”

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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Super-agent, Heather Cohen, president of the Weiss Agency (l) pictured with her super-client Fred Toucher, morning co-host on WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” Boston (r) at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Cohen spoke on the “Brave New World” panel and Toucher was the fireside chat guest on “The State of Sports Talk Radio.”

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New England power couple: Howie and Kathy Carr played important roles at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Howie Carr, host, the Howie Carr Radio Network (l) was this year’s recipient of the Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement (2024 TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award) in addition to speaking on the “Behind the Mic” panel discussion. Kathy Carr, president, the Howie Carr Radio Network (r) appeared on the “Generating News Talk Revenue in the Digital Era” panel.

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This great shot of Chris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York was captured in the ever-buzzing hallway of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication – home of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Oliviero spoke on the panel, “The Big Picture.”

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Former recipient of the TALKERS Humanitarian of the Year award, Larry Young, host, WOLB, Baltimore (l) is pictured with his assistant Vernon Streeter (r). Young presented a stirring tribute to the late talk radio legend Joe Madison of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, who passed away earlier this year.

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Kraig T. Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LCC and co-chair, Radio Hall of Fame (l) is pictured right outside Hofstra University’s “Studio A” soundstage with TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond producer/director Michael Harrison (r). Kitchin – last year’s recipient of the TALKERS Lifetime Achievement award – spoke on the “Big Picture” panel which was moderated by Harrison.

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Longtime WPHT, Philadelphia superstar, Dom Giordano smiles for the TALKERS camera during one of the very quick breaks between sessions at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.  Giordano, the “dean of Philadelphia talk radio” spoke on the “Behind the Mic” panel.

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Under the lights: Another segment of the capacity crowd of attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond is pictured in the Hofstra University Lawrence Herbert School of Communication “Studio A” TV soundstage where the entire event was captured on video. TALKERS will begin posting the video recordings of the conference next week bringing its exciting content to a worldwide audience.

More pictures from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond — as well as videos of panels and presentations — still to come!

Industry News

KMJ, Fresno Documentary Wins Regional Emmy

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The documentary film that chronicles the origins and century of success of Fresno radio station KMJ titled, “KMJ: 100 Years in the Valley,” was honored with a regional Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historical/Cultural News or Long-Form Content at the Northern California Area Emmy Awards Gala on June 15, at the San Francisco Hilton in San Francisco. KMJ-AM/FM program director and producer Blake Taylor accepted the Emmy Award, along with director/producer Jeff Aiello and producer Laura Goodreau and their team. Cumulus Media Fresno RVP and market manager Patty Hixson comments, “So proud of all of those talented individuals past and present that contributed to the greatness of the KMJ brand. It’s humbling to be recognized by our peers for this honor. And a very special thank you to the Bill Tatham family for underwriting this massive project. They are truly central California and Fresno’s gem!”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Remote News Service adds new affiliate stations as WWJB-FM, Brooksville, Florida; WIRY-FM, Plattsburgh, New York; and Champling Broadcasting in Oklahoma City subscribe to the service for local newscasts.

National multimedia sports platform OutKick reports that it finished May 2024 with 5.5 million total desktop and mobile unique visitors, up 3% versus April 2024, which is the second highest month-over-month growth compared to its custom competitive set. The platform also saw 23 million total multiplatform views and 20 million total multiplatform minutes, according to data from Comscore.

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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Like father, like son… Heavy Hundred member John Curley, afternoon star of KIRO 97.3 FM Newsradio, Seattle (r) and his son Ry Curley, sports reporter for KOZI, Chelan, WA (l) were among the attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.  John Curley was this year’s recipient of the TALKERS Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Community Service (“Humanitarian of the Year”).

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Compass Radio Networks syndicated talk radio Heavy Hundred goliath Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo (l) was a major presence at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond delivering the kick off breakfast address “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World” and moderating the “Behind the Mic” panel.  He is pictured here accompanied by his daughters Jia “Pags” Pagliarulo (c) and Sam ”Pags” Pagliarulo (r). Sam serves as executive producer of “The Joe Pags Show.”

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Two of talk media’s long-running mainstays were photographed in the hallways of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at TALKERS 2024: Radio and BeyondChris Krok, evening star of WBAP, Dallas (l) and recent Radio Hall of Fame inductee Lee Harris, director, integrated operations, NewsNation / WGN, Chicago.  Lee Harris served as moderator of the conference’s “Great Debate.”

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Heavy Hundred member Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ (Talk 1300) Albany (l), who spoke on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel is pictured with Kevin Casey, VP/executive editor, TALKERS (r) who served as master of ceremonies for TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.

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Up from the Sunshine State with very long titles… Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeartMedia Miami (l) and Alex Fife, VP/operations, Southeast, iHeartMedia, Total Traffic & Weather Network (r) played significant roles at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Grace appeared on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel and Alex introduced the “Case for AM Radio” address.

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Deck the halls with major broadcasters: WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA morning co-host Mike “Bax” Baxendale (l) and Deborah Parenti, publisher Radio Ink / RBR+TVBR (r) were captured in one frame entering Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication to participate in TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.   Bax spoke on the “Beyond Politics” panel and Deborah was a participant in “The Big Picture” discussion.

More pictures from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond — as well as videos of panels and presentations — still to come!

Industry News

NYPost: FCC’s Carr Warns of “Soros Shortcut”

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr commented to the New York Post about liberal billionaire investor George Soros’ acquisition of $400 million of Audacy’s debt (and a potential controlling interest) and the company’s hope the FCC will greenlight its exit from Chapter 11 reorganization. At issue isim the FCC’s requirement to do a foreign ownership review and Audacy’s request that the FCC grant a limited waiver of that review in order to more speedily exit Chapter 11. This request is under heavy scrutiny due to the political aspects of the case. Carr recently told the Post that the FCC should not allow a “Soros shortcut” – a term used by the Media Research Center in its Petition to Deny filed with the Commission – but must follow FCC procedure. Audacy argued in its opposition to the Petition to Deny that there is nothing unique about this request, saying that the FCC “granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Audacy adds that the notion that the limited waiver is new “completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” See the Post story here.

Industry News

Salem Announces Presidential Debate Coverage

Salem Media Group announces that its Salem Radio Network and Salem News Channel are presenting aim two-hour special prior to the June 27th presidential debate from Atlanta. From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Salem talk hosts Mike Gallagher, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, and Hugh Hewitt will “provide scene-setting commentary and analysis” and will interact with a live Atlanta audience. (The debate itself will have no in-studio audience and CNN is not giving Salem permission to broadcast the actual debate.) Mike Gallagher will host a 30-minute debate wrap-up beginning at 10:30 pm ET.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

FOX News Digital reports that it finished May as the top news brand with multiplatform minutes and multiplatform views, according to Comscore. FOX News Digital closed out the month with 3.2 billion total multiplatform minutes, 1.7 billion total multiplatform views, and 100 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors.

Good Karma Brands adds a third station, WBEV-AM, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin “ESPN Beaver Dam” as a broadcaster for all University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball games starting in the 2024-2025 season. The station joins WTLX-FM “100.5 ESPN Madison” and WTMJ, Milwaukee is carrying the games.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/18) Top News/Talk Media Stories

President Joe Biden’s undocumented spouses plan and the U.S. migrant crisis; the Biden Administration budget deficit; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the presidential race and next week’s debate; the Israel-Hamas war and U.S.-Israel relations; USDA inspectors assaulted in Mexico; Vladimir Putin meets with Kim Jong Un in North Korea; the House Ethics Committee investigation of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz; the Juneteenth holiday; the heat dome affecting much of the eastern U.S. and the western U.S. wildfires; and baseball great Willie Mays dies at 93 were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday (6/7) at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond took place on the ultra-modern TV soundstages of Hofstra University’s magnificent Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. This photo is of the stage during the 8:00 am breakfast which was attended by what was already a packed house. TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey is seen at the podium. The breakfast was sponsored by the Sean Hannity Show and Premiere Networks.

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TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was attended by some of the most important players in talk radio programming. Pictured (l-r) are two key members of the Audacy team: Lisa Polizzi, brand manager of WBEN, Buffalo and Greg Stocker, brand manager of WPHT, Philadelphia. Stocker appeared as a speaker on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel.

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All segments of the talk media industry were represented at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Pictured (l-r) mingling in the halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication are Dave Gorab, VP/GM of talk programming at SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Steven Portnoy, ABC News Radio national correspondent. Gorab presented a touching tribute to Sirius legend the late Joe Madison and his widow (and executive producer) Sharon Madison who was the 2024 recipient of the TALKERS “Woman of the Year” award.

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The dean of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Mark Lukasiewicz addressed the attendees at the TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond luncheon.

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Widely respected talk radio programmer/host Joe Thomas (r) and his wife Elaine Thomas (l) celebrated the new co-ownership of their recent acquisition of WTON, Staunton, VA by attending TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Joe Thomas served as introducer of the panel discussion, “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era.”

Industry News

“New Jersey 101.5” Morning Host Bill Spadea to Run for Governor

WKXW-FM, Trenton New Jersey 101.5 morning drive talk host Bill Spadea announces his candidacy for governor of New Jersey as a Republican. In announcing his campaign, Spadea says, “I’m an outsider they can’t control and because I’m unapologetically conservative: pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-imTrump… I’ll make the tough budget cuts that scare the career politicians. We’ll fix the way we fund schools so suburban parents pay less property tax. Give kids an education at school, not indoctrination. We’ll stop Joe Biden from using our state as a dumping ground for his illegals and end the handouts they get from Phil Murphy and weak sellout Republicans.” Townsquare Media says Spadea will continue to host his program until he becomes a legally qualified candidate. The company says, “We are sensitive to the legal parameters attendant in keeping a broadcast personality on air while they are seeking public office. Accordingly, we have taken steps and imposed guidelines to ensure that Bill’s on-air presence over the coming months and until he becomes a legally qualified candidate are in accordance with New Jersey election law, applicable FCC guidance, and industry standards and best practices for such circumstances.”

Industry News

Mason Promoted to OM for Spoken Word in Nashville

Cumulus Media promotes Paul Mason to spoken word programming operations manager for Nashville’s news/talk WWTN-FM “SuperTalk 99.7” and sports talk WGFX-FM “104.5 The Zone.” Mason takes over the news/talk programming position previously held by Dan Mandis, who remains host of “Nashville’s Morning News” on WWTN-FM. Cumulus Media Nashville VP and market manager Allison Warren says, “Paulim Mason, a visionary leader who has successfully guided our sports station for the past four years, is now poised to bring the same focus, passion, and energy to our news/talk station – ‘SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.’ With an exciting blend of local hosts delivering both local and national stories in an informative and engaging manner, Paul is ready to lead this station to new heights. As we recently launched the SuperTalk YouTube channel, we anticipate continued dominance in spoken word content under Paul’s steady guidance. I would be remiss if I did not at the same time thank Dan Mandis for his outstanding leadership of the station over the last 10 years. Dan has successfully managed both the station, especially through challenging times, and breaking news while maintaining hosting duties and we look forward to letting him settle into his weekday morning show.” Mason comments, “SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s reputation in the news/talk format is among the elite. Dan Mandis has built a strong brand, and I look forward to working alongside not only Dan, but with the entire on-air staff (Chris Hand, Matt Murphy, and Brian Wilson), and our producers. The recent launch of SuperTalk TV has positioned WTN to continue to be a leader in news/talk. WTN has loyal clients and listeners, and we are committed to bringing stories, news, and opinions in a meaningful and engaging way. I’m humbled and thankful for the trust Allison Warren, Brian Phillips, and John Dimick have in me to lead spoken word at Cumulus Nashville.”

Industry News

“The Chad Benson Show” Joins KRLD-AM, Dallas

Audacy welcomes the Radio America nationally syndicated program “The Chad Benson Show” to KRLD-AM, Dallas-Fort Worth, airing in the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm daypart. Audacy news/talk format VP and KRLDim brand manager Drew Anderssen states, “We know our listeners trust KRLD for news updates, and now more than ever, where you get your information matters. We’re excited to bring Chad and his wildly popular show to KRLD and deliver trusted news and insights to our listeners. His conversational, informative, and funny takes on issues will be a refreshing addition to our weekday programming.” Benson comments, “I’m so excited to be a part of KRLD, a legendary station with a long history in DFW and North Texas. I look forward to connecting with listeners about the biggest issues we’re facing today.”

Industry News

Tom Leykis Wraps Talk Host Career

The Los Angeles Daily News reports that talk radio personality Tom Leykis has ended production of his internet talk show and is retiring from the business. Los Angeles-based Leykis served for years with thenim-CBS Radio’s talk KLXS-FM before the company dropped the talk format, which led to Leykis forming his The New Normal Network in 2012 and distributing his show online to subscribers.  The Daily News story indicates that Leykis – who turns 68 in August – decided it was time to call it quits, saying, “A long time ago, I realized I did not want to be like some of the hosts I heard in the past — begging for callers, stretching for topics. I wanted to go out on my terms when I wanted. So, I did.” Leykis produced the final edition of his show in mid-May. See the Daily News story here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/17) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The presidential race; the U.S. migrant crisis; Donald Trump’s legal battles; Vladimir Putin’s visit with Kim Jong Un in North Korea; Russia’s warships in the Caribbean; a Kentucky judge blocks Joe Biden’s Title IX expansion; the Juneteenth holiday; New Jersey Democrat George Norcross indicted on racketeering charges; and the heat dome affecting much of the eastern U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place this past Friday (6/7) at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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One of the exciting sessions of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was titled “The Big Picture.”  It sparked a dialogue about the state of talk media and radio in general in the face of tremendous technological and sociological change.  It put forth the premise that for “radio” to succeed in the multiplatform arena of the digital age, its health and survival will depend upon its practitioners having a clear understanding what the term “radio” means and how that definition differs from the word “audio.” The stellar panels included (l-r): Tavis Smiley, host/owner, KBLA, Los Angeles / Smiley AudioMedia; Kraig Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LLC; Deborah Parenti, publisher, Radio Ink / RBR+TVBRChris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York; Lisa Wexler, host, WICC, Bridgeport; and Chad Lopez, president, WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Network. (Not pictured, moderator Michael Harrison.)

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Westwood One host Rich Valdes, host of “America at Night,” introduced “The Big Picture” panel eloquently pointing out that for radio to successfully serve the big picture of American society it will have to grasp the demographic and ethnic changes that are rapidly taking place within the nation’s shifting population.

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The “Beyond Politics” panel explored the programming options available to talk radio stations – particularly news/talk – to expand programming possibilities that enhance ratings and revenue beyond reliance on the popular paradigm of pure, targeted 24/7 partisan politics.  Panelists included (l-r):  Asa Andrew, MD, host, “The Doctor Asa Show”; Danielle Lin, C.N., producer/host, “The Art of Living and the Science of Life”; Lee Habeeb, CEO/host/producer, “Our American Stories”/American Private Radio; Daliah Wachs, MD, host, “The Dr. Daliah Show”; Mike “Bax” Baxendale, co-host, morning show, WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA; and Walter Sabo (A.K.A. Walter M Sterling), consultant, Sabo Media Partners / host, “Sterling On Sunday,” TMN / “Sterling at Night,” WPHT, Philadelphia. (Not pictured, moderator David Bernstein.)

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Talk radio programming legend David BernsteinTALKERS director of broadcast operations, served as moderator of the “Beyond Politics” panel session.

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Kevin Casey, TALKERS VP/executive editor (l) served as TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond master of ceremonies and John Fredericks, owner/host, the John Fredericks Radio Network (r) delivered the introduction to the “State of Sports Talk Radio” fireside chat. 

Industry Views

Pending Business: Summertime Blues

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhen market leaders drop rates, what comes next?

We have all been there. A market leading radio station will review sales, income, profits, pacing, costs and determine the best path to increasing income and reversing a negative sales trend is to strategically reduce, repackage or simply drop rates.

Assume the position of being downstream in audience delivery, which should mirror most reading this column. This is the time of year when many news/talk operators face this never-ending strategic pricing dilemma. Unless you are fortunate enough to sell or manage for the market leader, the trickle-down effect of the market leader dropping rates in a knee-jerk reaction to slow sales can be a 90–120-day revenue and income killer for those living downstream. It can happen in any business, but ad sales are particularly vulnerable as cancellations, market business conditions and weather can often impact the delicate ecosystem of radio ad sales.

Like it or not, very few if any business decision makers wake up shouting, “Gotta buy some radio ads right now!” With Father’s Day behind us (hope you had a good one) and Labor Day in front of us, let us review some basics to help keep our collective eye on the prize and focus on delivering performance through year end.

1. Summer Sales. Like or not, the American retail world we grew up and live in today conditioned us to anticipate and respond to those great summer sales events. July 4th, Labor Day, Back to School, these are all themed marketing opportunities that most of us expect and celebrate. That “Summer Sizzler” sale is not limited to steaks, barbeques, fashion, and vacations. Be creative, go with the flow and work with your teams to be a front runner in the creative packaging opportunities department.

2. Plan to adjust. Keep an idea or two on hold until it is “break the glass” time, then pull the trigger on your adjustment and move fast!

3. Expand your prospecting universe. New business opportunities are the lifeblood of sales. That email you send asking if there is anything happening this season is a necessary evil and without anything compelling to add it is deleted as quickly as you hit send. Be different!

4. Balance your short-term sales panic button with a long-term plan. We all must deal with the uncontrollable competitive variables in our sales environment. But success belongs to those who anticipate, adjust, accommodate, and answer the challenge!

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.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: “Cart This Up”

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Talk host: Hot-key this SFX: stopwatch – TV’s iconic “60 Minutes” sound – 60 seconds of tick-tick-tick, then some sort of time’s-up sound. Play it underneath callers who vehemently disagree with you, or each other.

By giving them uninterrupted time, you will seem more welcoming than rude controlling caricature hosts. (The most compelling shows are those that sound nearly-out-of-control.)

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If the caller’s beef is with you, you’ll likely “win,” because even the most PO’d caller can’t fill the allotted :60.

Another SFX: tap dancing. Play this underneath callers or sound bites of newsmakers who sound like they’re on-the-spot… or under interviews that sound humorously all spin.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Lonnquist to Lead Sales for iHeartMedia Twin Cities

iHeartMedia names Eric Lonnquist SVP of sales for the company’s Minneapolis stations that includes news/talk KTLK-AM, sports talk KFXN “K-Fan” and five music brands. Lonnquist most recently served inim major market sales at Paycor. iHeartMedia Minneapolis market president Greg Alexander comments, “Eric Lonnquist is a seasoned sales professional in the Minneapolis market. His extensive background in media sales, combined with his leadership roles in major market sales makes him the perfect fit for our team. We are excited to have Eric lead our sales strategy and drive our continued success across our iconic broadcast and digital platforms.”

Industry News

iHeartMedia and Deep Blue Announce WSAN Shows

iHeartMedia and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment announce the inaugural lineup of original podcast shows for the Women’s Sports Audio Network (WSAN). iHeartMedia says the free, ad-supported network available across its broadcast, digital and podcast platforms is “designed to amplify well-known and new influentialim women sports athletes and relevant programming to millions of listeners nationwide, and also unlock access to inventory and opportunities for brands to engage.” iHM chief marketing officer Gayle Troberman says, “We’re committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until women’s sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved. It’s humbling and inspiring that the first-ever, dedicated women’s sports reports will start airing with the massive reach of iHeart’s broadcast radio platform and the full-on power of collaboration between world class athletes, incredible journalists, podcasters and the fans.  This is a pivotal moment for women’s sports to get heard.” Content will include: “Good Game with Sarah Spain,” and shows hosted by Sheryl Swoopes, Tisha Alyn, Madison Packer, Rennae Stubbs, Caitlin Thompson, and Khristina Williams.

Industry News

BIN Announces Gun Safety Campaign

BIN: Black Information Network announces the new initiative, “Lock It and Store It! A BIN Gun Safety Awareness Campaign,” designed to inform the community about the importance of keeping guns out of the reach of children to help save lives. It will include the airing of special features, news reports and socialim media on the costs and impacts of unintentional shootings by Black children in America. BIN president Tony Coles states, “This campaign is a shining example of the role community leaders play in the programming on the Black Information Network. This topic has been a part of so many stories we have aired, and keeping children and families safe is vital to the communities we serve. Bringing this campaign to life started with the BIN Local Roundtable and would not be possible without them.” The BIN Local Roundtable was designed as a forum for business and civic leaders from local communities across the U.S. to provide perspective and collaborate with BIN’s leadership team regarding the network’s programming and local engagement.

Industry News

Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place this past Friday (6/7) at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments.  See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.

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A group of top talk radio pros participated in the panel discussion “Programming News/Talk Radio.” Pictured (l-r): Doug Stephan, CEO/Founder, Stephan Multimedia; Phil Boyce, SVP, spoken word format, Salem Media Group / ops VP, New York region, WMCA / WNYM-AM 970 The Answer; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ Talk 1300, Albany, NY; Scott Lakefield, APD, WOR, New York; Greg Stocker, brand manager, WPHT, Philadelphia; and Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeart Media Miami.  The panel was moderated by Mike McVay, president McVay Media Consulting (pictured below).

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TMN syndicated host Dr. Daliah Wachs performed the singing of the National Anthem.

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One of the main panel discussions at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era.” Pictured (l-r): Moderator Steve Lapa, president, Lapcom Communications Corp.; Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; Josh Leng, Founder/CEO, Talk Media Network; John Caracciolo, president/CEO JVC Broadcasting; Ron Hartenbaum, managing member, Crossover Media; Kathy Carr, president, Howie Carr Radio Network; and Julie Talbott, president Premiere Networks.

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Pictured above is a segment of the crowd at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond giving a standing ovation during the event.

Industry News

Round Four of May PPMs Released

imThe fourth of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. The survey covered April 25 through May 22. Today, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeways from this group of markets. In Austin, Waterloo Media’s news/talk KLBJ-AM is steady with a 4.4 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #7, while in Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM adds a full share for an 8.3 share and climbs to the #2 rank, and in Indianapolis, Urban One’s news/talk WIBC-FM rises 1.2 shares for a 6.9 share finish that lifts it to the #4 rank. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN posts its ninth straight #1 rank after adding 1.8 shares to finish with a 12.1 share. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeways from this group of markets here.

Industry News

REVERSE ROLES: Harry Hurley Interviews MH on Harrison Podcast About Artificial Intelligence

WPG, Atlantic City radio star Harry Hurley reverses roles with MH on this week’s installment of the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Actually, this week’s episode of the long-running podcast consists of provocative excerpts from Harrison’s recent guest appearance (6/4) on Hurley’s popular WPG morning show in which he was booked to discuss the technological and sociological implications of AI. This took place in conjunction with the release of the new Gunhill Road music video, “Artificial Intelligence (No Robots Were Injured in the Production of this Song).”  Harrison co-wrote and performs lead vocals on the song with the venerable band which had its world premiere on WPG that morning and kicked off Harrison’s “Obsolete Slobs” radio tour in support of the piece. The conversation is a no-holds-barred look at the implications – beneficial and destructive – of the remarkable new technology that is disrupting art, communications, and life here in the early decades of the 21st century and promises to have dramatic impact on the course of humanity going forward. Don’t miss this! Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry News

Frank Morano Show Adds Stations in Las Vegas and the Twin Cities

The WABC, New York-based overnight talk show, “The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano,” is nowim airing on Audacy talk outlets WCCO, Minneapolis and KMXB-HD3, Las Vegas “K-DAWN.” Red Apple Audio Networks distributes the show live from 1:00 am to 5:00 am nightly. Morano comments, “I’m incredibly grateful to be on both of these great radio stations. I’ve dreamt of being on the radio in Minnesota ever since Jesse Ventura ran for governor. It’s great to be on a station that has so many independent thinkers. As far as ‘K-DAWN’ goes, I’m absolutely thrilled to be on the air in Las Vegas, a 24/7 city. It’s great to talk to an audience in a city that’s up all night.”

Industry News

Hegseth’s War on Warriors Tops Bestseller List

The new book from Army veteran and “FOX & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men who Keep us Free (FOX News Books, 2024) hits the top spot onim the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list. FOX News Media says that this marks Hegseth’s fourth New York Times bestselling title and follows the runaway success of his inaugural FOX News Book, Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes, which debuted in 2020. Hegseth says, “Publishing this book has been a moving experience from start to finish. I am honored and humbled that The War on Warriors has resonated with so many people; most especially with actively serving troops, veterans, and military families. This book is for them, and for our country. A great nation needs a great military, and I hope this book plays a role in restoring the military to its core function: deterring, fighting, and winning our wars.”