Industry News

KMBZ-FM, Kansas City Host Scott Parks Returns After Rehab Stint

Morning drive talk host Scott Parks (right) thanks his co-host Dana Wright (left) and his family members who staged an intervention that got him into rehab for saving his life. Parks returned to the morning show on im Audacy’s KMBZ, Kansas City yesterday (10/26) after spending the last month in a rehab program, according to a story in the Kansas City Star. Parks says he’s been addicted to alcohol for much of his adult life but had been sober for three years before an undisclosed family trauma in July led him back to drinking. Wright noticed Parks’ relapse and, fearing for his health, contacted Parks’ brother. Parks credits the resulting intervention with getting him the help he needed. Read the Kansas City Star story here.

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Stream to Success

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imIn May 2007, I was enjoying the brand-new app called YouTube. Still independently owned, still relatively unknown. Some of the videos pulled millions of viewers, more viewers than enjoyed by ESPN or any cable network. More interesting, the videos with high counts were not made by NBC or ESPN or any traditional video source. High view count videos were being made by people with no experience in traditional media, they were experimenters producing in their basements and bedrooms.

As these new performers were pulling major view counts, they revealed that they worked at Starbucks, were going to school and wanting to make enough money to get out of their parent’s house. Wait. Some video creators were winning more viewers than ESPN and they were broke? Simultaneously major brands like Pepsi and Budweiser knew they had to enter the online video space and each attempt was a disaster. BUD TV! Online video entertainment was a brand-new medium; USG User Generated Content.

I started a company called HITVIEWS. The goal was to placed brand messages in User Generated Content. The first company. No one had ever done it. We gathered the top video performers and started to marry them with brands like Pepsi, FOX TVTimberlandMTV,  CBS TelevisionIBMLogitech, many more. A TALKERS conference introduced the first Influencer (we called them “Web Stars”), Caitlin Hill, to radio executives.

From this pioneering initiative into online video, I can share a significant amount of information about the ingredients of a successful video campaign.

  1. Use video stars, influencers, to deliver your message. It’s a different medium and requires different stars.
  2. Engage every capability of the platform. The videos with the highest view counts demand the most interaction with the viewer. Click now. Comment below. Make a response video. Send a text back. THEN answer all responses. Every single viewer response must be answered by you or it is wasted.
  3. It’s not radio or TV. Don’t bother putting up videos at a fixed day and time. Put up as many videos as you possibly can. Two days is too old!
  4. Funny works best.

Online video success makes the medium the message. The touch screen, mouse, keyboard. Audio, video capabilities must all be integrated into the entertainment. If full functionality is not part of the show, the show is boring.

Walter Sabo has consulted the largest media companies worldwide in digital initiatives. He was the on-site consultant for SiriusXM Satellite Radio for nine years. He can be reached by email at walter@sabomedia.com and his network radio show can be discovered at  www.waltersterlingshow.com.

Industry News

NRG Media’s Iowa Talking Points Goes on Remote

The cross-platform program “Iowa Talking Points” – produced by NRG Media and Mudd Advertising, took to the road last Friday (10/20) for a remote broadcast that featured GOP presidential candidatesim Gov. Ron DeSantis, Amb. Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, Gov. Doug Burgum, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Ryan Binkley. “Iowa Talking Points” is produced for live video stream, imvideo and audio on-demand playback, and radio rebroadcast by NRG’s “News/Talk 1540” KXEL, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo and is hosted by KXEL program director and host Jeff Stein. Previous programs in the series have been produced in front of a live studio audience from Mudd’s state-of-the-art “Studio5@Mudd” facility in Cedar Falls. Last week, the team arranged a special live broadcast from the annual tailgate fundraiser sponsored by Iowa State Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Stein says, “There are very few opportunities to have access to this many candidates at one time. Engaging with them in this way gives our audience the best information free from sound bites and media filters.” Pictured here is Stein with DeSantis (left) and Haley (right).

Industry News

Larry Elder Exits Presidential Race

As reported by UPI, conservative talk media personality Larry Elder suspends his campaign for theim GOP presidential nomination and says he’ll put his support behind Donald Trump. “As I look at the path forward, and after careful consideration and consultation with my campaign team, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign.” Elder was unable to get a spot on either of the two Republican presidential debates held so far. Read the UPI story here.

Industry News

Momo Vemireddy Named Regional Promotions Director for Audacy Austin

Audacy Austin names Manimala “Momo” Vemireddy as regional promotions director. In this role, she’ll work closely with market and brand leadership and regional promotions leads on the ideation,im implementation and management of all market events, promotions and contesting initiatives and support similar initiatives within the region that includes Dallas, Houston and New Orleans. Audacy Austin SVP and market manager Bob Mackay says, “Momo has all the mojo going as far as being connected promotionally in Austin. She loves live music and being out with the brands, which made her the perfect choice to work alongside our vice president of programming Nikki Nite, to help elevate the Audacy Austin marketing efforts.” Audacy operates news/talk KJCE-AM and three music brands in the Austin market.

Industry News

WGN, Chicago Wins Five Silver Dome Awards

Nexstar Media Group’s WGN, Chicago was honored with 2023 Silver Dome Awards in five categories from the Illinois Broadcasters Association at the organization’s reception on Tuesday (10/24) in Bloomington-Normal. The awards were: Best Continuing Coverage – “Highland Park Fourth of Julyim shooting”; Best Hard News Story – “The latest from Highland Park following the Fourth of July parade shooting” for news director Ryan Burrow (pictured holding two of the awards) and talk host John Williams; Best Radio Personality – John Williams; Best Radio Series or Documentary – “Ukraine-Russia War: Russia launches an attack on Lviv” (11/15/2022) for Bob Sirott, Joseph Lindsley, Joe Romano, Hayley Boyd; and Best Sportscaster – Dave Eanet. WGN Radio VP and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle says, “These awards from the IBA serve as a compelling testament to our station’s ability to provide vital information to our local community during critical times. The collaboration between Channel 9, NewsNation, and our own newsroom proves the strength of our combined resources, ensuring that we remain a trusted source of news for Chicagoland.”

Industry News

Doug Stephan Shows Change Satellite Channels

Effective Tuesday (10/31), the “Good Day with Doug Stephan and Jai Kershner,” show along with Stephanim MultiMedia’s weekend programs, are migrating to new satellite distribution as the programming shifts from GCN Channels 1, 3, 4 & 6 to Wegener/Westwood One Satellite Channel A-1DBV165. GCN will continue to offer audio access via Echo Box.

Industry News

Newsmax Names McBride Morning Co-Host

Newsmax names Sharla McBride co-host of “Wake Up America” alongside host Rob Finnerty.im McBride most recently served with CBS affiliate WUSA-TV, Washington DC where she served as a news and sports anchor. McBride says, “I am excited to join an incredibly talented team at Newsmax and look forward to bringing Americans the stories that matter each morning. It has been my dream to work for network news, and I feel my 17 years of anchoring experience have prepared me for this new role of co-hosting ‘Wake Up America.’ It’s an absolute honor!”

Industry News

Mike Gallagher Show Adds Arthur Aidala Legal Segment

Salem Media Group announces that attorney and WNYM, New York host Arthur Aidala will join the Salem Radio Network program “The Mike Gallagher Show” for “The Arthur Aidala Power Hour Legalim Segment” every Friday at 11:45 am. Salem New York VP and general manager Jerry Crowley says, “At a time when politics and legal matters are inextricably linked, like at no time in America’s glorious past, AM970 has brought Mike Gallagher and Arthur Aidala together to make sense of it all.” Aidala adds, “Mike Gallagher consistently delivers informed and intelligent conversation to a vast national audience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit with him each Friday and provide context and insight to the legal issues of the day. I hope Mike and his listeners are as excited as I am.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/25) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Congressman Mike Johnson (R-LA) is elected new Speaker of the House; the Israel-Hamas war and the controversy in the U.S. over publicly declaring support for either Israel or the Palestinians; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the U.S. migrant crisis; Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ forgiven RV loan; the FDA’s notice that COVID-19 vaccinations can bring an elevated risk of stroke if given in combination with flu shots to older people; and Hurricane Otis slams Acapulco, Mexico were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Tucker Carlson’s Media Venture Inks Flagship Advertiser

Former FOX News Channel star Tucker Carlson is launching his new digital media platform Last Country Inc and has signed its first flagship advertiser. PSQ Holdings describes its PublicSq. as a “marketplace of patriotic businesses and consumers” focusing “on highlighting the patriotic, parallelim economy found on PublicSq.” The agreement includes collaborative content segments that will air on Tucker Carlson’s show on both X and Last Country’s own platform. Last Country CEO Neil Patel comments, “We are proud to announce that our new media venture will be partnering with PublicSq. as our first advertiser. PublicSq. is a key company in the parallel economy, specifically countering the Chamber of Commerce and Amazon. There is a wave of disruption coming to the media and economic establishment, and our companies will help accelerate this overdue shift.”

Industry News

Audacy Releases Modern Blueprint for Audio Advertising

Audacy is releasing the fifth installment of its bi-annual audio thought leadership series, State of Audio: Level Up, that it calls “a modern blueprint for audio advertising, designed to provide a go-to playbook – including planning tips, creative how-to’s and innovative trends – to help advertisers level up the performance of their audio investments.” Audacy chief marketing officer Paul Suchman says, “Audio is proving itself as a must-have media for marketers. Our advertisers are embracing the power of multiim-platform audio with media plans that utilize radio, digital audio and podcasts, working together to reach audiences with unprecedented precision and drive quantifiable outcomes for their brands.” Some of the findings within the guide include: 1) Audio advertising works harder – driving more than two times the attention of TV and social media at more desirable CPMs; 2) Radio and digital audio are stronger together. A multi-platform audio strategy is so powerful that advertisers see 1.5 times the return on ad spend compared to digital-only campaigns; 3) Advertisers are leaving upwards of $6 billion in revenue on the table by not including total audio – a balanced mix of traditional broadcast radio and digital audio – in their media mix, according to a study conducted by Audacy and Neustar. The report also offers actionable tips for producing effective ads under the section titled, “5 Ways the Best Audio Ads Crush the Status Quo.” Here, Audacy says, “Advertising on the #1 reach media — Audio — will get you the most ears. But to keep them, your creative can’t just be good — it needs to be really freaking great.” See the report here.

Industry News

FOX News and SiriusXM Renew Content Deal

SiriusXM and FOX News Media announce they have signed a new, longterm agreement for SiriusXM toim continue carrying FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network and FOX News Headlines 24/7 exclusively across SiriusXM’s platforms. Additionally, FOX News On-Demand Audio will remain available on the SiriusXM app. FOX News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace says, “We value our relationship with SiriusXM and are pleased to extend our broadcast agreement, ensuring their audience continued access to their favorite FOX News personalities and powerful primetime lineup.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

iHeartMedia Inc will hold an earnings call to discuss its financial results from the third quarter of 2023 and its business outlook on Thursday, November 9 at 8:30 am ET. The company will release its Q3 2023 financial report prior to the earnings call.

Beasley Broadcast Group Inc will report its 2023 third quarter financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, November 1. The company will host a conference call and webcast at 11:00 am ET that morning to review the results.

Red Apple Media’s 77WABC is saluting law enforcement today (10/25) with “Respect the Blue, Trust The Blue, Back the Blue, “an all-day tribute honoring the men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives every day to keep New York City and America safe.” The day’s events include a drive to raise money for the 77WABC Foundation’s Back the Blue Fallen Officer Family Fund.

iHeartMedia Memphis — including news/talk WREC-AM — announces the 8th annual “Cognac, Cars & Cigars” on Saturday, November 4. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit local charity Merge Memphis, a non-profit with a mission to serve homeless women.

Industry News

Lange Rises to VP, Client Success and Strategy for Audacy

Audacy announces that Ryan Lange is promoted to vice president of client success and strategy in its Midwest region. In this role, Lange will oversee sales strategy and digital fulfillment teams for Audacy’sim Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis markets. He has been serving the company as director of digital sales and strategy. Audacy regional president Rachel Williamson states, “Over the past four years, Ryan has played a pivotal role in developing our critical sales support team, and his invaluable contributions have been instrumental in building strong relationships with clients. We look forward to continued growth and innovation under his leadership across the region.”

Industry News

McNicholl Named FNC Miami Correspondent

FOX News Channel brings Danamarie McNicholl aboard as a Miami based correspondent, effective November 6. McNicholl is an Emmy Award-winning reporter who served with KFMB-TV, San Diego forim the past two years. Prior to that she served as a reporter and anchor for KREM-TV, Spokane. McNicholl holds a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast and electronic journalism from Gonzaga University and is currently finishing her master’s degree in criminal justice and cybersecurity at Boston University. She is also a member of The Miss America Organization and was named Miss Washington in 2018.

Industry News

ENCO, Benztown and Compass Partner on SpecAI Service

ENCO joins forces with Benztown and Compass Media Networks to bring its SpecAI ad creation solution to the North American radio broadcast market. The companies say the SpecAI technology can help broadcasters create spec ads for sponsors on demand, alleviating the time, energy, and costs of traditional production methods while accelerating the sales process and time to market. Compass CFO Hiram Lazar says, “AI adoption has swiftly moved forward over the last few months, and as the largest player in spec commercials for over 10 years we recognized it was time to offer an AI solution for our clients. Using Benztown’s libraries, we can now give our clients the option to produce ads with an AI voice or a live voice to customize prerecorded spec commercials.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

PodcastOne releases preliminary financial data for the company’s Q2 fiscal 2024 period ended September 30, 2023 estimating revenue for the period will be more than $10.5 million, an increase of 24%.

Cumulus Media will host a conference call on Friday (10/27) at 8:30 am ET to discuss its third quarter 2023 operating results. The company will issue a press release containing a summary of these results before the call at approximately 8:00 am ET.

SiriusXM launches its coverage of the 2023-24 NBA season tonight with the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by the Phoenix Suns visiting the Golden State Warriors on the SiriusXM NBA Radio channel.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Your 2024 Ad Sales Forecast

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imYour crystal ball is still foggy, isn’t it?

Even worse, no matter how many times you try and shake it into a predictive submission, the answer is still the same, “Political-not sure, Weather Emergency-unforecastable.”

Nobody in business likes a lack of confidence, so “Not Sure” is a non-starter. For us radio fans, the variables in predicting a 2024 ad sales forecast are the most unforecastable, unpredictable, variables since the original gang of head-in-the-sand radio gurus pegged MTV as a 1981 fad.

And here we are, 42 years later where a pure-play music video channel challenging FM music radio, satellite music radio, music streaming and downloadable audio would include dating games and ridiculousness, once again saving America’s most-listened-to free music source: radio.

Remember 1981 when talk radio was mounting a competitive threat to all-news radio. Rush was 30, Hannity was 20, Bongino was seven and Ben Shapiro was not born yet. Anybody here have 42 years to wait out your 2024 predictions and get it right? How about 42 days late with your forecast?

Our new world of AI, super-speed computer analysis, blended into an ever-changing digital and social media landscape, under pressure from the economy, global events and the melting radio revenue ice cube has made predicting 2024 ad projections a Vegas skill game.

Thankfully, we have the experience, patience, and cooperation of radio’s leadership to adjust forecasting quarter by quarter, sort of. Back to the task at hand and how to navigate this cracked crystal ball as you mount your sales strategy into 2024.

— Keep your eye on the prize. Always remember, your current advertiser is your best advertiser. Take diligent care of your foundational base billing and that means super serving your customers, as competitors from every medium are monitoring, planning, and pricing a counter plan.

— Positive Paranoia. Thank you, Andy Grove. The third CEO of Intel and a driving force behind Silicon Valley’s original exponential growth knew how to channel innovation and competition into a positive zone. How about you?

— Never stop learning. What new strategies and sales techniques will you drive into next year.

— Something will drop out of your sales picture. What is it? Eventually a sale resource will drop out. Identify how you will compensate for the loss and how you will grow your business as a result.

— Do you have minimum and maximum goals? There are only so many accounts you can sell and service in a month. What is that number and how much do each of those accounts need to generate monthly?

— Attrition. The arch-enemy of sales. Some business never returns. Now what?

Many 2024 projections are falling in the ultra-conservative, no risk, under promise/overdeliver category. Yet there is a fine line between being too conservative and a vote of no confidence. What’s in your forecast?

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: ChatGPT – Threat and Tool

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imAfter post-consolidation cutbacks have whacked local on-air content, there’s now angst that Artificial Intelligence can – literally – dehumanize radio (and other media – HUGE issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike). Voice cloning is child’s play; and several vendors are already peddling AI gimmicks to radio stations.

Glass-half-full: When I asked, “How talk radio hosts and DJs can use ChatGPT to prepare shows,” the robot replied instantly…

“Talk radio hosts and DJs can leverage ChatGPT to enhance their show preparation, generate engaging content, and connect with their audience more effectively. Here’s a guide on how they can use ChatGPT effectively:

— Show Topic Generation: Use ChatGPT to brainstorm and generate unique and interesting show topics. Input keywords related to your show’s theme or current events to get topic suggestions.

— Content Research: Ask ChatGPT to provide background information on a particular topic or guest. It can summarize recent news, provide historical context, or even suggest relevant questions.

— Interview Preparation: Use ChatGPT to generate interview questions and talking points. Input information about your guest or their expertise, and ChatGPT can help you create a list of thoughtful and engaging questions.

im

— Script Writing: When scripting segments or promotional materials, you can collaborate with ChatGPT to draft scripts. It can provide creative ideas for introductions, transitions, and promotional announcements.

— Audience Engagement: Ask ChatGPT to generate polls, questions, or discussion points to engage with your audience during live shows. It can also help create intriguing teasers to promote upcoming segments.

— Fact-Checking: Use ChatGPT to fact-check information before presenting it on air. This ensures the accuracy of your content and maintains your credibility.

— Content Expansion: If you need to expand on a topic or provide additional information during a show, ChatGPT can help by generating elaborative content or explanations.

— Generating Show Summaries: After the show, ChatGPT can assist in creating summaries or show notes for your listeners, making it easier for them to catch up on missed episodes.

— Storytelling and Narration: DJs can use ChatGPT to help craft engaging stories or narratives to share with their audience, making their radio shows more entertaining and relatable.

— Creative Segment Ideas: Ask ChatGPT for creative ideas for segments, games, or challenges to keep your show fresh and exciting.

— Language Assistance: For DJs hosting shows in multiple languages, ChatGPT can help with translation, pronunciation, and language learning, ensuring smooth communication.

— Show Promotion: Collaborate with ChatGPT to create compelling social media posts, newsletters, or blog content to promote your shows and engage with your audience online.

— Handling Caller Questions: If you take live caller questions, ChatGPT can assist in formulating responses or clarifying complex issues for your callers.

— Real-Time Updates: For breaking news or sudden changes, ChatGPT can provide real-time updates and help you adapt your show’s content on the fly.”

Remember how those Terminator movies warned-against SkyNet A.I. becoming self-aware? While there’s no question that ChatGPT is the cure for writer’s block, its response ended with some impressive self-awareness, a reminder that YOU are the author of your show: “Remember to review and edit the content generated by ChatGPT to ensure it aligns with your show’s tone, style, and audience preferences. ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for radio hosts and DJs, streamlining the preparation process and enhancing the overall quality of their shows.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio;” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

Tony Bruno Launching Sports Talk Network

Philadelphia sports site Crossing Broad shares a press release from sports talk media personality Tony Bruno that announces the debut of his new sports talk venture, the Tony Bruno Sports Network. The network will feature “The Tony Bruno Show” in afternoon drive (3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET), along with “The Pete Sheppard Show” (7:00 am to 10:00 am ET), “Defo & Lubie” (10:00 am to 12:00 noon ET), andimMartinez & Company” (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET), with the early afternoon daypart to be announced. The press release states, TBSN will debut October 30th  with LIVE programming every weekday with sports talk radio from 7am to 8pm to start. Additional time slots and weekend programming will be added over the following months. TBSN is available to listeners nationwide online via LIVE365.com and on the ‘Tony Bruno Sports Network’ app for Android and iPhone.” Bruno adds, “I want to thank all of my fans who have followed and supported me through the years. I am grateful to everyone who has encouraged me to return and who still want to hear my daily fun approach to sports and current affairs, which has been my forté for over five decades in broadcasting; this time, I’m bringing friends! I hear over and over again that fans are tired of X’s & O’s sports radio. I plan to bring back exciting, sports talk radio again, with a Florida flair. What better place to launch a new nationwide sports network than in Florida, a true melting pot of fans from all over the nation.”

Industry News

BIA Advisory: Political to Drive 2024 Ad Spend

BIA Advisory Services releases its 2024 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast in which it predicts that revenue across all media in the U.S. will be $175.6 billion next year, primarily due to the political season. “The 8.6% increase over 2023 is slightly shadowed by concerns of an economic downturn and overall lower ad spending. With the forecasted political revenues removed, BIA’s projection in 2024 is $164.6im billion in total local advertising, only a 2.2% increase in local advertising year-over-year.” BIA VP of forecasting & analysis Nicole Ovadia adds, “As expected, 2024 will be driven by political spending, and, even in markets that are not highly contested there will be a large amount of political advertising. Local political advertising will be fueled by the presidential and senate campaigns as well as issue-based advertising. When we look at the forecast without political, we expect only a slight increase in ad spending due to both global and local economic trends that may create more cautious spending.” See more about the forecast here.

Industry News

Remote News Service and McVay Media Collaborate

Remote News Service and McVay Media announce a deal for the latter to consult the news providingim organization. Remote News Service provides radio anchors and reporters for news and traffic content. McVay Media president Mike McVay says, “I was very familiar with RNS and the company imthat president Lesley Lotto has built. I like what they do and what they offer. Given the economic situation that media finds itself in today, the question has become how can we be cost effective without diminishing the quality of the content? Remote News Service is the answer to that question.”

Industry News

Outkick Reports Q3 Audience Up 34%

Sports media platform OutKick says that its third quarter audience data from Comscore indicates it had the “highest year-over-year growth amongst its competitive set averaging more than 5 million totalim multiplatform unique visitors, which is up 34% versus 3Q of 2022.” The platform also delivered 67 million total multiplatform minutes and 64 million total multiplatform views. Outkick founder Clay Travis says, “Once again OutKick finishes the quarter with strong numbers that highlight our consistent growth across the platform. Our in-depth and common-sense reporting continue to be the driving force and differentiate us from your standard sport sites.”

Industry News

XDS Service for GCN-Syndicated Shows to End November 1

Talk radio programs syndicated by Burnsville, Minnesota-based Genesis Communications Networks learned this week that XDS satellite delivery service to affiliate stations will not be provided after November 1, 2023. As a full-service radio syndicator, GCN provides affiliate sales, commercial sales,im and satellite delivery of programming. It contracts for that XDS satellite delivery from Westwood One. GCN CEO Ted Anderson tells TALKERS, “We’ve been working with Westwood One for almost 30 years and it appears that we are at an impasse with them contractually going forward. It has been a very positive and productive relationship, but it is time to move on. C-Band is a legacy technology that developed in the earlier days of talk radio but it is no longer a fundamental choice. We intend to provide our hosts and clients with modern, real-time audio with less delays than C-Band.”

Industry News

WTMJ, Milwaukee Talk Host Jeff Wagner Announces Retirement

Longtime Milwaukee talk radio personality Jeff Wagner announces that he will retire from Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ-AM where he hosts the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show after his December 15 show. His 25-year career with WTMJ began in 1998 as a part-time host. He quickly moved into a full-time position in November of that year. Wagner says of his decision to retire, “No show runs forever, andim it has been an honor and a pleasure to host a daily radio talk show in my hometown for a quarter century. I am extremely grateful to Good Karma Brands, my teammates (past and present), our partners, and most importantly, our fans for all their support over the years. While I’m excited to see what comes next, I will truly miss the daily interaction with listeners about the issues of the day.” Wagner has been a long-standing member of the TALKERS magazine Heavy Hundred – the annual list of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America. Good Karma Milwaukee market manager Greg Scalzo comments, “Jeff is a broadcasting legend whose daily wisdom and dedication to the station was felt by our audience throughout his entire career. His retirement marks the end of an era, and we celebrate the legacy he leaves behind.” Before joining WTMJ, Wagner was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and later an attorney in private practice.

Uncategorized

Disney Breaks Out ESPN Revenue

For the first time, Disney is releasing financial data for its ESPN operations in a corporate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alexandra Canal at Yahoo!Finance writes that ESPN “generated more than $16 billion in revenue and $2.9 billion in operating profit in Disney’s fiscal yearim 2022, which ended on Oct. 1, 2022. The bulk of that revenue and profit came from its domestic business at $14.6 billion and $2.81 billion, respectively.” The filing also shows how important cable television is to ESPN’s bottom line. Canal writes, “The bulk of the sports segment revenue came from affiliate fees at $10.8 billion followed by advertising at $4.4 billion and subscription fees for ESPN+ at $1.1 billion. ESPN typically has the highest carriage fees, or fees pay-TV providers pay to network owners to carry their channels, of all basic cable networks. According to an estimate from SNL Kagan, ESPN charges pay-TV operators $8 to $9 per subscriber.” Read the Yahoo!Finance piece here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases Podcast Ranker for September

The September podcast ranker (Sept. 4 – Oct. 1) from Triton Digital is a bit wonky as NPR’s shows are not included due to “a planned data collection migration,” and for the third month in a row there is a problem with Cumulus experiencing a data collection issue for DailyWire programs such as “The Benim Shapiro Show,” which ranked #3 in the June 2023 ranker. This means that NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” rises to #1 with audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” remaining in the #2 spot. Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” moves up three spots to the #4 rank. Other noteworthy moves from radio-related companies includes Audacy Podcast Network’s “We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle” climbing 11 spots to the #14 rank and Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” up six places to the #16 rank. There is more dramatic movement among shows in the 20 – 100 portion of the ranker, including NBCUniversal News Group’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” falling 26 spots to the #76 rank. See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

FOX News Digital Leads News Brands in Multiplatform Minutes

FOX News Digital reports that according to data from Comscore, it finished the third quarter of 2023 marking 10 consecutive quarters leading news brands with multiplatform minutes, while seeing double-imdigit, year-over-year growth across all key performance indicators. FOX News Digital topped competitors CNN.com and NYTimes.com in total multiplatform minutes with 9.5 billion. It also led news brands in multiplatform views with 5.2 million. CNN.com continues to lead both FOX News Digital and NYTimes.com in multiplatform unique visitors with 120.5 million to FND’s 88.4 million and NYTimes.com’s 72.1 million.

Industry Views

Harry Hurley is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

WPG, Atlantic City, New Jersey legendary host Harry Hurley is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Hurley has been at the helm of the heritage station’s wildly successful morning show for more than 30 years. He is also known to talk radio audiences nationwide as a special guest host making numerous appearances on FOX News Radio. Before he made an indelible mark in radio, Hurley was an accomplished executive in Atlantic City’s hotel and banking industries. Michael Harrison describes Hurley as being “a remarkable combination of business savvy and emotional intelligence – not to mention, extremely talented.” One of the notable accomplishments this outstanding broadcaster has achieved in his career has been on the philanthropical front. During the past 16 years, Hurley’s 501c3 charitable foundation, which annually presents both a gala civic dinner and a charity golf tournament, has raised and distributed more than $1.4 million to worthy causes across the State of New Jersey and beyond. His most recent dinner took place on September 29. It alone raised over $100,000. Hurley is a public service dynamo and in Harrison’s words, “a role model for local hosts and stations to emulate in establishing a positive brand within their market.” Hurley is the recipient of numerous radio industry and local New Jersey honors. Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

SiriusXM announces that Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will host the premiere episode of the 19th season of his exclusive weekly SiriusXM show, “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K,” today (10/19) at 6:00 pm ET with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, whose team faces the Phillies in game three of the NLCS this evening. Also on the program will be NBC broadcaster Maria Taylor.

Audacy announces the launch of the third season of “Gone South,” the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning original investigative franchise. In “Gone South, Season 3: The Sign Cutter,” Audacy and Emmy- and Peabody Award-nominated producer and journalist Jed Lipinski team up to unravel the story behind the 2018 killings of four sex workers in the border town of Laredo, Texas. Those murders triggered a manhunt for a serial killer that would lead to a shocking standoff with a man once tasked with protecting the town.

AdLarge announces that Headspace Studios joins its podcast portfolio, expanding content focused on mental health, wellness and mindfulness. Headspace’s podcast collection includes “Dear Headspace,” “Radio Headspace,” and “Sunday Scaries.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (10/18) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) fails in his second bid to become Speaker of the House; the Israel-Hamas war and President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; the Russia-Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin’s meeting with China’s Xi Jinping; and Joran van der Sloot admits to killing Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005 were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.