Industry News

“NPR News Now” Rises to #1 on Triton Podcast Ranker

The January 2023 U.S. Podcast Report from Triton Digital is published and NPR’s “NPR News Now” regains the #1 spot on the ranker, overtaking audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie,” which falls to #2. Commercial radio-relatedTriton Radio - Logo podcasts making the ranker of the top 100 podcasts include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” steady at #6, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” up one spot to #8, Salem Podcast Network’s The Charlie Kirk Show up two spots to #15, and Audacy Podcast Network’s “We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle” up seven spots to #16. See the complete ranker here.

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Monday, June 27, 2022

Monday Memo: Inflation Hacks. Inflation is changing listeners, advertisers and OUR lives, in almost every way. Consultant Holland Cooke vows that, “Rather than joining the blame-game unison, I will be using this column for the entire month of July to offer solutions, dozens of ways you can share on-air, and use yourself.” He begins a week early, with “a renegotiation hit list.” Read it here.

 

Pending Business: Roe v Wade. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade could present opportunities for talk radio. He asks, “As the ruling to reverse Roe v Wade works through societal and financial issues, could 50 years of history be reversed? Could the impact change the next 50 years of talk radio? He suggests three possible shifts. Read about them here.

 

TEACHING NEW GENERATIONS ABOUT “RADIO.”  New C. Crane Emergency Radio a Big Hit at TALKERS 2022 Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Walter Sterling of “Sterling on Sunday” scored a home run with his grade-school-aged daughter Samantha (shown above) upon returning from TALKERS 2022 with a magical device known among communications wizards as the CCRadio Solar.  The first 200 registrants to arrive at the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention were surprised and delighted to find a real special premium, individually handed to them by iconic radio manufacturer/distributor C. Crane for their conference goodie bag. Each attendee received an amazing CCRadio Solar radio unit – valued at $99.99 retail – and the result was raves all around. The CCRadio Solar is a small digital portable radio that is successful as an emergency radio, but the form and format function invite its owner to use it daily. When placed in a sunny window, it’s perfect for the morning news. Audio quality is a surprise; it’s accurate, pleasing and has two modes. A miser mode to conserve battery power in a true emergency and a high-power mode for an even better audio experience. Reception is good for the size. The almost brick-size depth and unique UV resistant rubber perimeter is concave on the bottom which makes it inherently stable. The flashlight is above average in brightness and color because of the selected high-quality LED. The hand crank folded (that’s right, it can be cranked for power) and inlaid on in the back is the only visible clue that it’s an emergency radio. The included lithium-ion battery can be recharged by wind-up, solar panel, your USB port, or optional AC power adapter (not included). When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the radio will run more than 50 hours or charge your phone from the approximately 50% level to 100% level. It can also be powered by three “AA” alkaline batteries (not included) for approximately 50 hours in low power mode or 35 hours in high power mode. C. Crane founder Bob Crane tells TALKERS, “I brought the first CCRadio Solar home and my wife absconded with it until our designer/illustrator had to beg to get it back for documentation. To get it back from him was also overly arduous. I have never seen a radio so coveted. It is about hand-size and it stays charged in a sunny window with an oversize solar panel which means it may not need a power assist for years.” TALKERS founder Michael Harrison says, “The radio industry owes a great debt of gratitude to C. Crane for keeping the appliance known as a ‘radio’ alive in the consumer electronic marketplace and ever-innovative for decades after the business itself abandoned the idea that it would be a good thing to promote and support the appliance as being at least as important a device as a can opener. Shame on the NAB as well as the rest of us for committing this potentially lethal negligence.”  To learn more about this fabulous device and enjoy a TALKERS discount on C.Crane purchases, please click here.

 

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted: Today, TALKERS magazine posts the latest in an ongoing series of video presentations from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island. Today’s video addition features RAB president/CEO Erica Farber moderating a panel session titled, “Generating Talk Radio Revenue in a Noisy Digital World.” Panelists include Erik Hellum, chief operating officer, Townsquare Media, New York/RAB Chad Lopez, president, Red Apple MediaJulie Talbott, president, Premiere Networks, and Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group, New York/RAB.  Introduction provided by Gary Krantz, CEO, Krantz Media Group.  You can watch the video here.

Introducers Play Vital Role at TALKERS 2022. Last week, TALKERS began highlighting the talk media professionals who introduced the panel discussions and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University. Today, we continue to give a little digital ink – as well as our tremendous thanks for their outstanding efforts – to those who took the time to prepare brief speeches that provided informative and relevant information prior to the conference presentations. Pictured below is Rich Zeoli, morning drive host at WPHT, Philadelphia, who introduced the panel titled, “Strategizing a Talk Show Hosting Career.”

 

“NPR News Now” Tops Triton Digital’s May Podcast Report. The latest (May 2022) U.S. podcast report from Triton Digital findsNPR News Now” leading for average weekly downloads. In descending order, the top ten in that category includes: “NPR News Now”; “The Ben Shapiro Show”; “Crime Junkie”; Dateline: NBC”; “Morbid: A True Crime Podcast”; “Up First”; “The Dan Bongino Show”; “My Favorite Murder”; “Fresh Air”: and “Last Podcast On The Left.” Meanwhile, the top 10 podcasts by average weekly users are: “Crime Junkie”; “Up First”; “Morbid: A True Crime Podcast”; Dateline: NBC”; “The Ben Shapiro Show”; “NPR News Now”; “Smartless”; “My Favorite Murder”; “The Dan Bongino Show”; and Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.” Rankers indicate Stitcher Media is the top network based on average weekly users. That top 10 includes: Stitcher Media; Audacy Podcast Network; Audioboom; NPR; Wondery; Cumulus Podcast Network; NBCUniversal News Group; Warner Media; Kast Media; and Paramount. Extremely similar to this list is the top 10 networks by average weekly downloads: Stitcher Media; NPR; Audacy Podcast Network; Wondery; Cumulus Podcast Network; Audioboom; NBCUniversal News Group; Paramount; Warner Media; and Kast Media. The top three highest indexing shows for women 18+ are: “Watch What Crappens” (Stitcher Media); “Something Was Wrong” (Wondery); and “The Viall Files (Kast Media). The top three highest indexing shows for men 18+: “The Pat McAfee Show 2.0” (Stitcher Media); “The Fighter & The Kid” (Kast Media); and “2 Bears 1 Cave with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer” (Stitcher Media). Based on downloads, top podcast genres were: “News” (27%); “True Crime” (20%); “Comedy” (18%); “Society & Culture” (7%); and “Sports” (6%). More than nine of ten (93%) episodes were downloaded on mobile devices; 1.8% occurred on a desktop or laptop. Numbers do not include all shows and exclude those not participating in this particular measurement system. The entire report is available on TritonRankers.com.

 

Legislation Gains Steam To Allow Cannabis Ads on Radio. Language on a House Appropriations committee bill advanced last Friday (6/24) would prevent the FCC from taking administrative action against broadcasters accepting cannabis advertisements consistent with the law of the state or jurisdiction in which the station is licensed. NAB spokesman Alex Siciliano comments, “We are pleased to see this bipartisan language has advanced in the House. As the vast majority of states have legalized cannabis in some form, today marks a long overdue step toward finally allowing broadcasters to receive equal treatment regarding cannabis advertising that other forms of media have had for years. While we welcome [Friday’s] progress, local broadcasters will continue to work with all policymakers towards a broader resolution of this competitive disparity and in support of our unique service to local communities.” New York State Broadcasters Association president David Donovan adds, “We are grateful to House Appropriations Committee chair Rosa DeLauro; subcommittee chair Mike Quigley; and members of the committee for recognizing the unfairness of the present situation with respect to cannabis advertising. The provision in this appropriations bill is a major step forward for leveling the playing field for local broadcasters. We believe the law of the state in which a station is licensed should determine whether a station can accept cannabis advertising, if they so choose. We look forward to working with members of Congress and the administration to help restore parity between local broadcasters and other media outlets.” In states that have approved cannabis for medical and/or adult use, local radio and television stations have been unable to accept advertisements from legally-authorized cannabis distributors. Meanwhile, cable; satellite; internet; print; magazine; billboards; and social media platforms are free to accept and transmit these ads.

 

Sigma Delta Chi Journalism Award Winners Announced. Honorees were cited by the Society of Professional Journalists in a video presentation last Thursday (6/23). In Sigma Delta Chi’s category of “Radio Breaking News Reporting, Market 1-100 or Network Syndication,” CBS News Radio’s staff won for “Assault on the U.S. Capitol.” Other winners included: Chicago Public Media-owned public radio news/talk WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Susie An, and Alden Loury for “Fertile Soil For Abuse: A Reckoning at Covenant Fellowship Church” (“Radio Investigative Reporting, Large Market”) and Virginia Tech public radio news/talk WVTF, Roanoke’s Sandy Hausmang for “COVID-19 in Virginia Prisons” (“Radio Investigative Reporting, Small Market”). NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang won for “Immigration Hard-Liner Files Reveal 40-Year Bid Behind Trump’s Census Obsession” (“Radio Feature Reporting, Large Market”), while Wichita State University public radio news/talk KMUW’s Suzanne Perez won for her piece on 3,000 Kansas kindergartners (“Radio Feature Reporting, Small Market”). Elsewhere, University Radio Foundation public radio news/talk WFAE, Charlotte’s David Boraks was victorious in the “Radio Documentaries, Large Market” category for “Asbestos Town.” Reports regarding healthcare mistreatment in Maine State Prisons by Maine Public Radio’s Susan Sharon and Mark Simpson won in “Public Service in Radio Journalism.” The award for “Narrative Podcast” went to NBC NewsAyman Mohyeldin and Preeti Varathan for “American Radical.”

 

Lee Named to Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. On October 5, Kristi Lee – the co-host and news director of Westwood One’s “Bob & Tom Show” – will be among six Hoosiers to be inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Indiana Broadcasters Association executive director Dave Arland notes, “The 2022 Hall of Fame Class is comprised of well-known broadcasters who pushed the boundaries of innovation and made the Indiana communities they served better, more informed places to live. For decades, our newest group of Hall of Famers have provided critical eyes, ears, and voices for listeners and viewers in Indiana and beyond. They have told wonderful stories and are each also active members of their communities. We are honored to add our 2022 honorees to the honor roll of the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame.” Lee – who has covered sports for ESPN and the Indiana Pacers – comments, “I am humbled and honored to be included amongst these prestigious honorees. As a lifelong Hoosier, I have been lucky enough to spend my entire career in my home state. I cannot imagine a more meaningful award.” Over 100 stations carry “The Bob & Tom Show.”

 

BetMGM Becomes Exclusive Sportsbook of the BetQL Network. The partnership is a multi-year agreement that expands the current relationship between BetMGM and Audacy. Audacy chair, president and chief executive officer David Field comments, “We are delighted to expand our strategic partnership with BetMGM, highlighted by their new exclusive position with the BetQL Network. Barely a year old, the BetQL Network has a bright future ahead of it as legalized sports betting continues to expand over the next decade.” BetMGM chief revenue officer Matt Provost notes, “We’re excited to further our strategic partnership with Audacy and to bring our market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment content to millions of listeners nationwide across the entire BetQL Network platform.” Since its launch last June, the BetQL Network has expanded from two markets to 31. Beginning in September, BetMGM will have category exclusivity of the network’s full slate of programming, including flagship “You Better You Bet” and “BetQL Daily,” “The Daily Tip,” and “BetMGM Tonight.” Audacy will produce content for live audiences at various MGM Resorts across the country. Audacy first announced a partnership with BetMGM in March 2021. The BetQL Network is a live, linear digital channel that distributes approximately 100 hours of original content per week on the Audacy and BetQL digital platforms and YouTube.

 

TALKERS News Notes. Ramifications on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade will be discussed tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, 6/28) on Boston public radio news/talk WGBH’s “Community Conversation: The Roe v. Wade Ruling”  (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm). WGBH general manager/news Pam Johnston comments, “The Supreme Court’s opinion on Roe v. Wade will impact our lives in Massachusetts in ways we haven’t even begun to understand yet and opens up a host of questions for people across the Commonwealth. We invite people to gather at the ‘GBH Studio inside the Boston Public Library to discuss and unpack these critical and far-reaching issues.” WGBH hosts Callie Crossley, Margery Eagan, and Paris Alston will be joined by Reproductive Equity Now executive director Rebecca Hart Holder and Suffolk University professor Renee Landers … Taking effect this Friday (7/1) will be a ten-year extension between Learfield and the University of Oklahoma athletics department. Learfield executive vice president/university partnership group Mike Hamilton notes, “We’re extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue representing the Sooner brand. We appreciate Oklahoma University Athletics’ longtime trust in us. The unprecedented agreement commencing in July speaks to the forward-thinking, strategic decisions necessary in today’s rapidly evolving college sports landscape.” Oklahoma University vice president/director of athletics Joe Castiglione comments, “As with any challenge and change our industry experiences, we intentionally seek cutting-edge collaborations to move us forward in the marketplace. [Learfield’s] leadership continues to help our administration navigate through areas such as evolution in the content game and digital innovation.” Sooner Sports Properties’ newly-named vice president/general manager Kelly Collyar remarks, “We are genuinely excited about this extension and how it will transform the way our brand partners integrate with our fans. Through the expansion of categories and assets, sponsorship will truly take on a new meaning at Oklahoma University.” Meanwhile, pending finalization of a deal first reported by The Grand Forks Herald, radio rights to University of North Dakota athletics broadcasts will be awarded to iHeartMedia, which currently airs Fighting Hawks sports. According to the report, Leighton Broadcasting also bid on the radio package … Several major media and entertainment companies such as Comcast, Discovery, Disney, Meta, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. will cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, April 22, 2022

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “MiGs, Masks & Musk,” looks back at this past week of 4/18 to 4/22. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERSChristopher Ruddy, CEO NewsmaxDr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications NetworkBill O’Reilly, talk show host/commentator, Key Networks; and Joe Madison, talk show host, SiriusXM Satellite Radio. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas;  WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio NetworkCRN Digital Talk Radio NetworkPodcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

 

Round Three of March PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s March 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s March 2022 sweep covered March 3 – March 30. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM adds four-tenths for an 8.1 share (6+, weekly AQH share) finish and climbs to the #3 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX tacks on two-tenths for a 3.3 share good for the #13 rank. Radio One’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte leaps nine-tenths to finish the survey with a 4.2 share and rises to the #10 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOAI, San Antonio jumps from #7 to #3 after climbing 1.1 shares for a 6.2 share finish. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s KNRS-AM/FM is #1 in the market after leaping 1.5 shares to wrap the month with a 9.9 share, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM is up three-tenths, finishing the survey with a 6.3 share good for the #3 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

 

Triton Digital March 2022 U.S. Podcast Report Released. Data from Triton Digital’s March 2022 U.S. Podcast Report is released. The ranking of the 100 top podcasts – based on average weekly downloads – is of the pool of programs from participating podcast networks. In March, “NPR News Now” from NPR was the #1 podcast in the U.S. But Cumulus Media podcasts fare very well in the ranker, with several in the top 25 including “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #2, “The Dan Bongino Show” at #7, “The Mark Levin Podcast” at #19, “The Matt Walsh Show” at #21, and “The Michael Knowles Show” at #24. Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” was up to #12 in March and Audacy Podcast Network’s “Pod Save America” ranked #11. You can see the complete ranker, as well as a rank of the top 20 U.S. podcast networks, here.

 

iHeartMedia and Seneca Women Partner for Search for the Next Great Female Podcasters. This new partnership between iHeartMedia and global women’s leadership platform Seneca Women will establish the “first-ever Seneca Women Podcast Academy, a program designed to help amplify the voices of women in podcasting. The inaugural class will consist of 10 winners from iHeartMedia’s nationwide initiative, ‘Seneca Women to Hear: The Search For the Next Great Female Podcasters,’ which set out to find the next breakout female podcast stars.” The Seneca Women Podcast Academy will help these winners develop and launch their own shows on the Seneca Women Podcast Network, distributed by iHeartMedia. The six-week intensive program will kick off in May and will include one lecture per week with direct access to industry-leading mentors, all women who are at the top of their respective fields in podcasting. Creators will also receive a stipend and top-of-the-line audio equipment to produce episodes of their shows, which will all become part of the Seneca Women Podcast Network. iHeartPodcast Network COO Will Pearson says, “iHeartMedia is proud to say that 50% of our new shows over the past 12 months are hosted by women. We want to continue that growth and we believe starting the Seneca Women Podcast Academy is an exciting next step toward changing the makeup of podcasting. These 10 shows will only bolster our platform and we’re thrilled to offer these creators the space and support to become the next generation of influential podcasters.”

 

Skyview Networks Promotes Jeanne-Marie Condo to President of Network Partnerships and CRO. Media executive Jeanne-Marie Condo is promoted to president of network partnerships and chief revenue officer for Skyview Networks. Skyview CEO and president Steve Jones comments, “Jeanne-Marie has been the architect of our sales strategy, carefully integrating business partners to create unrivaled value for our advertising clients while driving significant return for the audio brands we steward. This new title recognizes Jeanne-Marie’s leadership role in the company and across the industry wherein she has become respected for her commitment to our clients and early development and implementation of integrated sales and brand awareness for our advertisers.” Condo has been with the company since shortly after its inception by executive chairman of the board Ken Thiele.

 

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that WGN-AM, Chicago morning drive host Bob Sirott will be one of the personalities on Marquee Sports Network’s new program “The Reporters” when it debuts on May 1. Marquee general manager Mike McCarthy says, “We’re excited to launch ‘The Reporters’ as part of our Sunday morning programming lineup, discussing the biggest sports stories with the writers and broadcasters closest to the action. We look forward to bringing additional coverage across the Chicago sports landscape to Marquee viewers.”…..Edison Research is presenting “Moms and Media 2022” in a webinar on Thursday, May 5 at 2:00 pm ET. The company says this year’s study provides insight on U.S. moms and their media usage, social media habits, and current outlook on tech. Findings incorporate data from The Infinite Dial study from Edison Research, Wondery, and ART19, as well as new data from a national online study of adults 18 and older. You can get registration information here…..The nationally syndicated weekend program “Talkin’ Pets” with host Jon Patch celebrates 32 years on the air this month. Patch says, “Each week you get a variety of veterinarians and trainers, not just me, which keeps our show current, fresh, exciting and always new.” The program also features news on animal welfare, wildlife, farming, and environmental issues that affect animals, as well as interviews with celebrities…..AdLarge signs an ad sales partnership deal with globally recognized financial icon Tori Dunlap on the re-launch of her “Financial Feminist” podcast. AdLarge says, “The first season of Financial Feminist podcast, which wrapped in Summer 2021, it was ranked #1 in business podcasts and is currently the only woman-founded, woman-hosted, and women-focused podcast in the Top 20.”

 

The U.S. Economy Top News/Talk Story for Week of April 18-22. The state of the U.S. economy including the high price of gasoline & food, the supply chain problems, the crash of Netflix stock, and concerns about a recession combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. Tied at #2 this week was the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S. foreign policy, and the French presidential race between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, followed by COVID-19 at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, February 25, 2022

 

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS magazine, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Putin Shootin,’” looks back at this past week of 2/21 to 2/25. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERSVictoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio CompanyFrank Morano, talk show host, WABC, New York; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications NetworkRoss Kaminsky, talk show host, KOA, Denver; and Matthew B. Harrison, attorney/associate publisher, TALKERS. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas;  WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio NetworkCRN Digital Talk Radio NetworkPodcast Radio, UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

 

Round Three of January PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s January 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s January 2022 sweep covered January 6 – February 2. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM adds 1.7 shares for a 7.6 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and rises to the #4 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX-AM tacks on a half share for a 2.8 share finish and the #15 rank. Radio One’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte rises a full share to finish the month with a 3.9 share and leaps to the #13 rank. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM rises by 1.9 shares for a 7.6 share finish and climbs to the #2 rank, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM adds 1.2 shares for a 6.5 share finish and wraps the survey ranked #4. Audacy’s Kansas City news/talk KMBZ-FM leaps 2.2 shares to wrap the survey with a 7.2 share good for the #3 rank in the market. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

 

Triton Digital Releases January Podcast Report. The January 2022 edition of Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Report has been released, revealing its ranking of the top 20 podcast networks and the top 100 podcasts based on average weekly downloads and on average weekly users for participating networks and publishers. Based on average weekly downloads, Stitcher Media (SXM Media) was the top podcast network (55.4 million AWD). It was followed by NPR at #2, Audacy Podcast Network at #3 and Cumulus Podcast Network at #4. For the ranking of top podcasts (based on average weekly download), “NPR News Now” (NPR) was #1. Following at #2 was “Crime Junkie” (SXM), with “The Ben Shapiro Show” (Cumulus Podcast Nework) at #3. There was a debut on the top 100 rank this month as “The Brian Kilmeade Show” (FOX News Podcasts) entered the chart at #87. You can see the complete report here.

 

Newsmax TV Has Boots on the Ground in Ukraine. The news and talk network Newsmax TV is delivering the latest from Ukraine thanks to its two correspondents Sarah Williamson and Chuck Holton. Since early February of this year, Newsmax has had two television correspondents stationed in Ukraine tracking the escalating tensions and full-scale invasion.  Australian Sarah Williamson joined Newsmax only in December and was quickly assigned to the European war zone. Her experience includes covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for Israel’s i24 News for four years. Veteran war correspondent Chuck Holton is described by Newsmax’s chief content officer Elliot Jacobson as the company’s conflict zone correspondent. Most recently, he was reporting from Panama about migrants moving north toward the U.S. border. Jacobson says of their work in Ukraine, “We’re getting some unique perspectives. We’re talking to people on the ground. We have interviewed Ukrainian officials. We’re not just reporting without any interaction with the locals.” Newsmax has taken a stance in the conflict saying it “strongly opposes Putin.” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy adds, “Newsmax believes Russia has made a major transgression and this should be condemned strongly by all people. I think we are seeing for conservatives a clarity moment where FOX News’ main host is stating categorically, he is siding with Putin and Russia in support of the invasion. Newsmax supports President Biden’s efforts to stop this invasion. If anything we think he is not being strong enough. We believe there is a bipartisan consensus in opposition to this dangerous aggression.”

 

Trevor Morini Named VP of Programming for iHeartMedia Raleigh. Programming pro Trevor Morini is appointed vice president of programming for iHeartMedia’s Raleigh station group that includes news/talk WTKK-FM and four music brands, including CHR WDCG-FM, for which Morini will also serve as program director. He previously served with iHeartMedia as format center executive producer for iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group. Morini says,, “I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead the talented programming team in Raleigh. Together we will build upon their success and continue to grow our market-leading brands, and I am honored to be a part of it. Thank you to the iHeartMedia senior leadership team for their continued support.”

 

 

Salem Radio Network on Radio Row at CPAC. Pictured above at the CPAC 2022 radio row in Orlando are Salem Radio Network hosts Sebastian Gorka (left) and Charlie Kirk (right).  In addition to hosting his program from the convention, Gorka is also taking part in a panel discussion called, “Fire Fauci” that features talk radio host Todd Starnes, Dr. Peter McCullough, and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

 

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Top News/Talk Story for Week of February 21-25. The shelling and movement of Russian troops into the Ukraine was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Takers TenTM. At #2 this week was the state of the U.S. economy, the financial markets activity and the soaring inflation, followed by the COVID-related issues of masks, vaccines, mandates and the Truckers’ Convoy at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.