TALKERS 2023 is an Advance Sellout. However, Standby List Placed in Operation
TALKERS 2023, the 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s iconic gathering, is an advance sellout. However, at the suggestion of several industry professionals still wanting to attend, there will be a standby list in operation until 12:00 noon ET on Thursday, June 1 which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, as (and if) cancellations occur. Potential attendees in the New York area interested in being put on the list should call Barbara Kurland at TALKERS at 413-565-5413 or email her at info@talkers.com. According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “Industry professionals who have attended the TALKERS Conference in the
past enjoy it and find it to be a valuable experience for a number of reasons beyond the remarkable quality of the speakers and pertinence of the agenda. They appreciate the intimacy of the environment and outstanding ‘who’s who’ in talk media makeup of their fellow attendees. We work diligently to keep this event within those parameters. It is only open to people who work within or are associated in some way with the talk media industry – there is no online open registration – and it all happens within one power-packed day with absolutely no down time.” More than 65 luminaries from the talk media industry are set to speak at a content-heavy day of fireside chats, solo addresses, panel discussions, workshops, award presentations, new equipment showcases and endless networking opportunities. All in a beautiful indoor/outdoor state-of-the-art environment conducive to one-on-one conversations. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison adds, “People attend this seminar not only to see and hear the speakers… they come to meet them and each other as well! This event offers that opportunity.” The entire agenda of events at TALKERS 2023 will be video recorded and posted for world-wide viewing at a later date. Some sponsorship opportunities still exist. See more about the agenda, sponsorship and hotel information here.
the industry as a number of car manufacturers unveiled controversial intentions to eliminate AM radios from the dashboard of electric and even gas vehicles going forward. In making the announcement about this additional agenda element, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison stated, “The automobile issue is rocking the industry and John Catsimatidis has been stepping up to the plate in defense of both radio and good sense. He brings his formidable influence into the arena and we are delighted that he will be delivering a major address to that effect on June 2 at the conference. He has become a radio hero, and this will be another key moment in his growing legacy… and hopefully in prolonging the valuable life of both the AM and FM bands.”
and 2022 guiding the charitable organization to more than quadruple the amount of financial aid it distributes to radio and TV professionals in acute need from $400,000 to nearly $2 million last year. “I am very proud to have known Jim for nearly 40 years as a colleague and a friend,” said Scott Herman, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation. “Jim believed deeply in helping others and his passion and enthusiasm for life always lit up a room. He always saw the positive in every person and every situation.” Prior to his service to the industry as president of the BFoA, Thompson had been president and CEO of Group W Radio, the second largest radio company in the country during his leadership, and along with Mike Craven was co-owner of Liberty Broadcasting, a 19-station radio group concentrated on the East Coast. He began his broadcasting career as an account executive at KYW-TV, Philadelphia in 1971, where he rose to vice president and general manager. An innovator and visionary, Thompson created the Radio-Mercury Awards to encourage and reward excellence in radio creative. He served on the boards of the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Advertising Council, was vice chairman of the Pennsylvania State Broadcasters Association and a member of numerous committees, including the NAB Radio Futures Committee. A member of the U.S. Army, Thompson served in Vietnam. The presentation will be made by talk show host Harry Hurley of WPG, Atlantic City at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island.
student has pivoted between holding positions on key talk stations and performing stints in politics and the public sector. These include being State Director of Field Offices for Governor Brian Kemp. She’s also worked for former U.S. Senator David Perdue in senior staff positions. Back in 2011, she announced her candidacy for Congress in Georgia’s new 9th Congressional District and temporarily left the airwaves to campaign full time. She made it to the runoff in that race, but did not win, although her impressive showing was a victory unto itself. Among her many roles, she has served on the Georgia State Board of Education since 2020. Zoller has been designated the TALKERS 2023 “Woman of the Year” and will be presented the prestigious award at the publication’s national conference on June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. 
concise, practical strategies that can be applied immediately. The three-minute videos cover a wide range of topics, from sales strategies to account management and client relationship building. Each video is accompanied by an eBook that expands on the topic, providing additional tips to help sellers and managers improve performance.
order): Heather Cohen, SVP, The Weiss Agency; Steve Goldstein, CEO, Amplifi Media; Ron Hartenbaum, managing partner, WYD Media; Chris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York; David Pakman, talk show host/commentator, The David Pakman Show; and Larry Young, talk show host, The Larry Young Podcast.
balance between local, national, and multiplatform elements of the ever-evolving talk media space. Brian Kilmeade is a nationally known talk star hosting separate shows on FOX News Radio and FOX News Channel (TV). His syndicated radio show is carried on Long Island (where he also lives) by news/talk WRCN-FM, Riverhead “Long Island News Radio.” The station which serves Eastern Long Island is owned by JVC Broadcasting of which John Caracciolo is president/CEO. Harry Hurley, morning host at WPG, Atlantic City, NJ (and regular guest host on FOX News Radio who occasionally fills in for Kilmeade) will serve as moderator of what promises to be a fascinating three-way conversation. 
as a major ‘go-to’ source across the nation and continues to grow as a major political and social thought leader in the Peach State utilizing her local radio platform most effectively. She is truly a gem in this field.” Over the years, Zoller pivoted her multi-faceted career at different times between being a local and regional radio talk show host, a student, a political operative, a congressional candidate (where she made it to a run-off) and a businesswoman as well as a wife, mother, and grandmother. After graduating in 1979 from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism from the prestigious Grady School of Journalism, she worked in the corporate world in addition to raising a family. She states, “I know there is no glass ceiling and women can have it all, just not at the same time.” A lifelong learner, Zoller completed her MA in Political Science in 2021 at the University of Georgia’s School of Politics and International Affairs. Her thesis was on women’s electoral success in the GOP. Among her political experiences, she served as the State Director of Field Offices for Gov. Brian Kemp. From 2014 until 2018, she worked for Sen. David Perdue in senior staff positions. Martha began her talk radio career in 1994 after being a regular caller to WDUN. Her first call to the station was prompted by Hillary Clinton’s lament that “she could have stayed at home and baked cookies.” In addition to being a perennial member of the TALKERS “Heavy Hundred,” Zoller has been named to James magazine’s list of Most Influential Georgians and Georgia Trend magazine named her as one of Georgia’s most influential members of the media. She also serves as the 9th District Representative on the Georgia State Board of Education since 2020. Meet Martha Zoller at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University. For more information see story below.
that its Lawrence Herbert School of Communication brings to the table.” As was the case last year, this event will be held in a COVID-19 compliant environment based upon the circumstances at the time of the convention. TALKERS 2023 will boldly address key issues – some existential – facing the talk radio and talk media industries at this dramatically critical juncture of rapidly accelerating technological and societal change as well as identifying the remarkable opportunities inherent in these developments. It will also provide participants with unique and powerful networking opportunities. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $379. Take advantage of the early bird fee of $329 available until 5:00 pm ET on Friday, March 31. Because space will be limited and a sellout is anticipated, all registrations are non-refundable. 
Communications Partners LP, a 39-station group which he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million. At this time, he pioneered notable progress in integrating legacy media with emerging digital technology. In 2004, he formed Connoisseur Media which now operates 13 radio station brands and digital assets in five markets. Highly respected and celebrated industry-wide for his outspoken candor and bullish approach to radio station ownership, Jeff Warshaw serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the executive committee of the Radio Advertising Bureau, and is chairman of the Nielsen Audio advisory council. Harrison describes Warshaw as “one of the most knowledgeable, emerging forces to be reckoned with among radio industry leaders.”
Christopher Ruddy founded Newsmax in 1998 to publish online and offline content in the fields of news, politics, health and finance. Newsmax.com ranks consistently as one of the country’s most-trafficked news websites. Newsmax TV, a cable and over-the-top media service news channel started in 2014, has shown remarkable growth becoming one of the nation’s leading television news and political opinion sources. Newsmax recently entered the field of talk radio with a syndication arm and is reportedly exploring expansion into radio station ownership. As a journalist, Christopher Ruddy previously worked at the New York Post and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. He was also awarded a Media Fellowship at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University. He holds a BA summa cum laude in history from St. John’s University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics. Harrison describes Ruddy as “a key player in emerging 21st century media.”
businesses of high-profile radio and podcast personalities as well as production companies. He also serves as a strategic advisor to Oxford Road, a media placement agency specializing in audio advertising, with a focus on podcasts and audio integrations. The nine-year-old agency is a leader in the audio space on behalf of more than 50 clients. Kitchin also serves as chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame to which he was appointed in 2014. Since assuming the role, he has reinstituted national public voting for two of the six categories of induction and has doubled the voting participant panel. Under his leadership, more than 75 radio icons have been inducted. Prior to launching his own firm, Kitchin was one of the founders of Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., in 1987. The company grew to be the number one radio network in the country syndicating 90 radio programs and services to more than 4,600 radio affiliates, reaching 190 million listeners weekly. He started as executive vice president of sales and by 1998 at the age of 37, he assumed the role of president/COO, one of the youngest in the country to run a $300 multi-million-plus radio company. During his 10-year tenure at Premiere, Kitchin directed and oversaw all talk and music programming and services featuring the nation’s most popular personalities like Limbaugh, Delilah, Jim Rome, Glenn Beck, Casey Kasem, Bill Handel, Ryan Seacrest, Bob (Kevoian) and Tom (Griswold), Steve Harvey, Whoopi Goldberg, Blair Garner, George Noory, Maria Bartiromo, Jim Cramer, Matt Drudge, the late Art Bell, Donald Trump, Bob Costas and others. In addition, he supervised Premiere Radio’s other properties: Mediabase 24/7, the industry’s leading music monitoring service, MJI Programming, and FOX Sports Radio. Kitchin started his career in station management at WFMK-FM in Lansing, MI, and KTYD-FM in Santa Barbara, CA before serving as sales manager of the Katz Radio Group Network in Los Angeles. Kitchin will be one of 60 industry leaders speaking at TALKERS 2023. For more information, see story below.
DirecTV and its leadership for working with us to find a mutually beneficial business agreement to bring our programming back to its customers. While we raised the issue of censorship relating to our removal, we now believe in DirecTV’s commitment to distributing diverse viewpoints, including conservative ones. DirecTV has made clear during our negotiations that it has always been focused on protecting its customers from the rising programming costs across the pay TV industry and never intended to limit one perspective or to target conservative voices. We accept their position and believe that our new agreement with DirecTV will allow them to continue to be a go-to-source for one of the most diverse lineups of news programming, now with three conservative news networks including Newsmax.” Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy will be speaking at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.