Industry News TALKERS 2024

Heavyweight Revenue Session Set for TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond

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 As its amazing agenda begins to take shape, a stellar panel of industry luminaries has been set for TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond coming up at Hofstra University on Long Island Friday, June 7.  “Generating Revenue for Talk Radio” will feature (in alphabetical order) Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; John Caraciollo, president/CEO, JVC Broadcasting; Kathy Carr, president, Howie Carr Radio Network; Ron Hartenbaum, managing member, Crossover Media Group; and Julie Talbott, president, Premiere Networks. The session, moderated by Steve Lapa, president, Lapcom Communications Corp. will explore the financial state and future of talk radio as well as radio in general from a number of perspectives encompassing advertising sales, special events, ratings, and digital vehicles including podcasting, websites, and non-traditional revenue. To register for the event or receive sponsorship information call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413 or email info@talkers.com.

Industry News

FSR’s Rob Parker Enters NABJ Hall of Fame

FOX Sports Radio personality Rob Parker – co-host of “The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker,” MLB Network analyst, and founder/editor of MLBbro.com, was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame on August 4, in Birmingham. NABJ says Parker was honored for hisim 37-year career in journalism, during which he broke barriers and uplifted young sports writers. Parker says, “There’s nothing better than being honored by your own people, your peers, so this is very special to me. I want to thank my family, my friends, all the people who have supported me throughout the years, all my mentees – they fuel me, they inspire me every day. How I got here is that plenty of people helped me along the way, and that’s what it’s all about.” Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “We couldn’t be more proud of Rob. He truly deserves this recognition for his trailblazing career in sports journalism, and for his continuing efforts to elevate and mentor the next generation.”

Industry News

Dan Patrick, Premiere Networks, and NBC Sports Renew Multiplatform Deal

iHeartMedia and NBC Sports announce renewed multiplatform distribution deals for “The Dan Patrick Show.” iHeartMedia’s Premiere Networks will continue its role as the exclusive, global digital and terrestrial audio distribution partner for “The Dan Patrick Show,” currently heard on 360-plus affiliates. The show will also continueim to stream on Peacock and will also be heard on the NBC Sports channel SiriusXM. The terms of the contracts have not been revealed but Patrick told listeners last week that he would work four more years before retiring from the business at the end of 2027. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “Dan Patrick is one of the biggest stars in sports media and entertainment, and we couldn’t be happier to extend our partnership. Dan continues to raise the bar. He’s built a loyal following across multiple platforms by producing the highest-quality content, and he continues to deliver remarkable results for our partners. We look forward to working together for the foreseeable future.”

Industry News

Broadcasters Foundation Holds First Media Mixer in NYC

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The Broadcasters Foundation of America held its first Media Mixer on Friday (7/21) at the New York City studios of iHeartMedia – hosted by nationally syndicated personality Angela Yee. BFoA says more than 150 broadcasters turned out for the event designed to give up-and-coming professionals in broadcasting the opportunity to network with talent, managers, and executives and bring awareness of the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation. BFoA president Tim McCarthy says, “We are delighted with the large turnout of young professionals to last night’s event. We want to hold similar events in other markets. I want to thank members of our Board, industry leaders, and the talent who made themselves available to young professionals who are just beginning their broadcasting careers. Pictured above are McCarthy, Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott, Yee, Katz Radio Group president Christine Travaglini, The Weiss Agency EVP Heather Cohen, and Katz TV Group president and CEO Leo MacCourtney.

Industry News

Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Celebrate Second Anniversary

The nationally syndicated Premiere Networks program “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” celebrates its two-year anniversary today (6/21). The program fills the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET daypart occupied by the late Rush Limbaugh and currently is heard on more than 470 affiliate stations. Premiere says the program’sim podcast averages more than 13 million monthly downloads. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “We couldn’t be more proud of what Clay and Buck have accomplished together over the past two years. They had big shoes to fill, and they hit the ground running with their fresh, dynamic and entertaining brand of news talk. The results speak for themselves, and we’re proud to mark this milestone with them as they continue to deliver impressive returns for our partners.”

Industry News

Premiere Networks Host, Producer Honored with Gracie Award

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Two Premiere Networks staffers were honored at the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s 48th annual Gracie Awards at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” producer Alice Mroczkowski was honored in the Producer – Talk [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial] category and “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” co-host Danielle Monaro was honored in the Co-host [Radio – Nationally Syndicated Commercial] category for the second time in her career. Pictured above are (from l-r): Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott, Mroczkowski, and Monaro.

Industry News

Broadcasters Foundation Recognizes Industry Leaders

Last Wednesday (4/19), the Broadcasters Foundation of America held its Annual Breakfast and gave out six Leadership Awards, the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award, and the very special Chairman’s Award. Pictured above at the event are (from l-r): Steven Lanzano, president, Television Bureau of Advertising – Leadership Award; Deborah Parenti, president/publisher, Radio Ink/RBR+TVBR – Leadership Award; Scott Herman, chairman of the BFoA; Dan Mason, former CEO of CBS Radio and previous chairman of the BFoA – Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award; Tim McCarthy, president of the BFoA; Jim Doyle, founder, JDA Media – Leadership Award; Debra O’Connell, president, networks, The Walt Disney Company – Leadership Award; Cindy Thompson, who accepted the posthumous Chairman’s Award on behalf of her husband Jim Thompson, who had been president of the BFoA; Heidi Raphael, chief communications officer, Beasley Media Group – Leadership Award; Jim Thompson, who also accepted on behalf of his father. Not pictured is Julie Talbot, president of Premiere Networks, who accepted the posthumous Leadership Award on behalf of Rush Limbaugh.

Industry News

Eric Stanger Promoted to SVP of Operations for Sean Hannity Show

Premiere Networks announces that Eric Stanger is promoted to SVP of operations for “The Sean Hannity Show.” Premiere says, “Stanger, who most recently served as vice president of operations for the program, will continue to serve as brand manager of the program, which reached the 700th affiliate milestone last November and attracts tens of millions of listeners nationwide. He’ll also continue to oversee all daily operations for theRick Dees - WBZ-FM top-ranked program, including production, affiliate sales, marketing and staff management.” Premiere Networks EVP of affiliate sales Peter Tripi says, “Eric is a key member of ‘The Sean Hannity Show’ team, and his leadership and collaboration with our affiliate partners have been instrumental in the program’s continued growth and success. I couldn’t be happier to recognize his efforts with this well-deserved The Sean Hannity Show - Logopromotion.” Prior to joining Premiere when the company began syndicating “The Sean Hannity Show” in 2009, Stanger served as director of talk programming at ABC Radio Networks. He’s also previously served as APD at KABC, Los Angeles as well as at WABC, New York, and at Westwood One as executive producer of “The Tom Leykis Show.” Stanger first joined forces with Hannity during his time at WGST Atlanta, where he served as producer of “The Sean Hannity Show.” Stanger comments, “I want to thank Peter Tripi, Julie Talbott, Sean Hannity, and our amazing studio team. It’s an honor and inspiration to work with this group of radio professionals every day – they are the best of the best!”

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

TALKERS 2022 Convention Explores News/Talk Programming. At the TALKERS 2022 convention held Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University, news/talk programming pros spoke on the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era” panel, moderated by McVay Media Consulting president Mike McVay (inset). Pictured above are (from l-r): Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeartMedia; Greg Stocker, program director, WPHT, Philadelphia; Kevin DeLany, VP, news & talk programming, Westwood One; Phil Boyce, SVP, spoken word format, Salem Media Group, Salem Radio Network/operations VP, New York region; and Dr. Asa Andrew, The Dr. Asa Health Network.

 

Complete TALKERS 2022 Session Videos Being Posted Today, TALKERS magazine begins posting complete videos of each session from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University. The first video posted is the Breakfast Session during which KOA, Denver talk host Mandy Connell was presented the “Woman of the Year” award and WRVA, Richmond, Virginia talk host Jeff Katz was honored with the “Humanitarian of the Year” award. See the video here.

 

Steven Cohen Named VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Crossover Media Group. Radio and podcasting pro Steven Cohen joins Crossover Media Group in the newly created position of vice president of business development and partnerships. For the past seven years, Cohen has served with Audacy-owned podcast creator Cadence13. In his new role with Crossover Media Group, he’ll be tasked with developing new business opportunities and partnerships. Crossover managing member Sue Freund states, “Steven is one of the most recognizable faces in podcasting from both the advertising and content sides. Given his background in both the audio and the digital podcast space, he brings a wealth of experience to the team which fits ideally with our content lineup. He’s relentlessly client-focused and he ‘gets’ the business of podcast advertising.”

 

Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Celebrate One Year in Syndication. Today (6/21) marks the first anniversary of the national syndication of “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” by Premiere Networks. Premiere says the show debuted on more than 400 affiliates last summer, marking one of the biggest launches in talk radio history and is continuing to experience rapid growth and success across multiple platforms. It also says that program’s total AQH audience has increased 32% since the launch in the key demo of Adults 25-54. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott states, “We’re so proud of the program Clay and Buck have developed together over the past year. We knew they had the talent, passion and enthusiasm to deliver something new and exciting to the talk radio format. We couldn’t be happier with the result and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones together.” Pictured above at a private, intimate party in New York City to celebrate the anniversary are (from l-r): Dan Metter, Premiere Networks EVP, director of personality sales; Clay Travis; Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott; Buck Sexton; and Alan Korowitz, president of National Platforms at iHeartMedia Photo: Cate Groubert for iHeartMedia.

 

WRVA’s Jeff Katz Does Election Day Hit on ‘FOX & Friends. Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond, Virginia afternoon drive host Jeff Katz (left) on with Brian Kilmeade (right) from FOX News Channel’s “FOX and Friends” program broadcasting live from iconic Richmond diner McLean’s Restaurant. Katz, who tells TALKERS he “knows a thing or two about pancakes and coffee,” joined Kilmeade to talk Virginia Congressional primary races as well as efforts to roll back gas and grocery taxes in the Old Dominion.

 

KTAR, Phoenix Recognizes 100 Years of Service. Phoenix, Arizona news/talk station KTAR “News 92.3 FM” is celebrating 100 years as the “Trusted Voice of the Valley.” KTAR-AM began broadcasting the news/talk format that is now heard on KTAR-FM. Bonneville SVP and market manager Ryan Hatch comments, “As we reflect on a century of broadcasting for KTAR, we are honored to have such a tremendously talented team that continues to serve this community and innovate to keep our audiences connected and informed and deliver extraordinary results for our local business partners. While many voices have changed over the years, KTAR’s commitment to produce news that Arizonans can trust when it matters the most has never been stronger.”

 

Radio Personality Matt Pinfield Addresses Addiction in ‘Sound, Sobriety & Success’ Podcast. Radio & TV personality and rock journalist Matt Pinfield is partnering with Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks to host the new podcast “Sound, Sobriety & Success.” Pinfield says, “Living clean and sober is a beautiful gift for those of us who have struggled with addiction. Through this podcast, I am grateful to share the success stories of people in recovery to help others fight and understand their battles with alcoholism and addiction. I want to help people identify similarities in others’ stories to understand how they have successfully made their life changes. This podcast is a natural for me, as I have been transparent about my own struggles and journey in recovery and how it has completely changed my life for the better. I think this podcast is a great way to be of service through storytelling – sharing the faith, strength and hope that many of my contemporaries and friends have experienced.”

 

TALKERS News Notes. Joining the programming at DuPage Radio’s WCKG-AM, Chicago is the Chicago Bears program “The Sick Podcast,” hosted by the NFL Network’s Adam Rank. The program will air each Friday from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. WCKG sports director Jon Zaghloul says, “Adam’s passion for the Bears makes for such quality content. I’m proud to bring his show to where it belongs – WCKG, Chicago. Listeners should look forward to Adam’s opinions, guests, and commentary on all things Chicago Bears. This is a great move for our brand, and I’m excited to get things started.”…..Public media producer GBH announces the hiring of Sandra Lopez Burke as managing director of community and government relations. In this new role, Lopez Burke will build on GBH’s community engagement efforts, creating greater diversity among audiences, thought leaders, and supporters, while managing strategic partnerships to further the organization’s goals…..“The BOB & TOM Show” raised $12,000 on Friday (6/17) to help send Indianapolis-area children to summer camp through its Pop-Up Comedy For A Cause event at the historic Irving Theater in Indianapolis. The program featured performances by Willie Griswold, Jeff Oskay, Josh Arnold and Pat Godwin.

 

The Economy, Primaries/Donald Trump & the GOP, SCOTUS Term, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Israeli Government, and Heatwave/Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/20). The high price of gas & food, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession; today’s primary races for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the Supreme Court prepares to end its term as the expected reversal of Roe v Wade looms and the safety of justices is debated; today’s continuation of the January 6 Committee’s hearings and speculation about prosecuting those – including former President Donald Trump – responsible for orchestrating the Capitol breach; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the world’s economy; Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett steps down and disbands the governing coalition, prompting new elections; and the heatwaves in the U.S. and abroad, combined with the drought facing the U.S. West were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, June 20, 2022

Monday Memo: Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime. Although the season officially begins tomorrow, consultant Holland Cooke says. “People are already there emotionally.” And in this week’s column, HC suggests how stations can relate to listeners’ inflation-hampered circumstances. Read his column here.

 

Pending Business: Digital Audio Keeps Growing. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that recent data indicates listening to digital audio – especially via smart speakers – continues to grow and that leaves opportunity for the audio seller. “No matter how your digital platforms are packaged, the concept of ‘influencer’ is alive and well when a listener accesses that feed. And every listener who accesses that smart speaker audio feed adds impressions to your talent’s content.” Read more here.

 

Talk Radio Revenue Addressed at TALKERS 2022 Convention. The recent TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island examined a number of issues facing talk media professionals, including selling spoken-word programming. Pictured above are four of the sales pros who appeared on the “Generating Talk Radio Revenue in a Noisy Digital World” panel, moderated by RAB president/CEO Erica Farber (inset). They are (from l-r): Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group, New York/RAB; Julie Talbott, president, Premiere Networks; Chad Lopez, president, Red Apple Media; and Erik Hellum, COO, Townsquare Media, New York/RAB. Beginning tomorrow (6/21), TALKERS magazine will begin posting videos of the numerous convention sessions, one per day.

 

Talk Host Meets Senator. Pictured above is KNTH-AM, Houston “AM 1070 The Answer” morning host Sam Malone (right) having an animated discussion with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz R-TX (left) on the floor of the annual Texas State Republican Convention. Malone and Cruz sparred over the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending ruling on Roe v Wade that many expect to be handed down this week.

 

Urban One to Pay $25 Million for Emmis’ Indy Stations. According to the SEC filing by Urban One on Friday (6/17), the price that it is paying for Emmis Communications Indianapolis radio stations adult contemporary WYXB-FM, country WLHK-FM, news/talk WIBC-FM, translators W228CX and W298BB “The Fan 93.5FM and 107.5FM,” and Network Indiana is $25 million. The two companies announced the deal earlier in the week. As noted then, this move leaves Emmis effectively out of the radio business. It owns the licenses to WEPN-FM and WLIB-AM in New York but leases them. Emmis continues to operate with a focus on its sales and marketing businesses.

 

Cromwell Media Officially Launches ‘94.9 The Fan’ in Nashville. Emanating from Cromwell Media’s WBUZ-HD3 and translator W235BW, “94.9 The Fan” becomes Nashville’s newest sports talk radio station. Programming includes “The Dan Patrick Show” and “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” as well as “OutKick 360” with Chad Withrow, Jonathan Hutton and Paul Kuharsky, and sports betting content from VSiN, The Sports Betting Network. Cromwell Vp/market manager Dennis Gwiazdon says, “The type of exciting sports content offered on ‘94.9 The Fan’ is not only unique by design, it’s the perfect complement to the live and local sports talk programming offered on sister station ‘ESPN 102.5 The Game.’ We now offer a ‘one-stop shop’ for all types of sports fans and sports bettors who want only the best local and national sports talk along with live sports broadcasts that include the Nashville Predators, the Nashville Sounds, MTSU football and men’s basketball, NASCAR, the Music City Grand Prix and much more.”

 

‘Chicks On The Right’ Redouble Efforts to ‘Give Conservatism a Makeover.’ Talk media entrepreneurs Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark – hosts of the Radio America syndicated podcast “Chicks On The Right” – are embarking on a makeover of their own, launching a new website (and subsequent newsletter), hiring an all-female staff, and committing to a national tour of events to meet their growing fanbase across the country. Radio America says, “This relaunch campaign comes in response to the Chicks’ exploding popularity and record engagement from fans. Their website boasts as many as 2 million views a month and they earn more than 3 million impressions per month on their popular daily program. Weaver says, “Amy Jo and I started ‘Chicks On The Right’ as a fun side project. We were two working women who felt like our views weren’t represented in national discourse and decided to speak up. We never imagined that more than a decade later, we would quit our jobs to commit to ‘Chicks On The Right’ full time due to the overwhelming support we’ve received from women (and men) across the country, especially this year.”

 

Station Owner Shawn Knight Dies in Paragliding Accident. The details are few at this time, but Edhat Santa Barbara is reporting that Knight Broadcasting owner Shawn Knight died on June 15 in a paragliding accident. Knight’s company operates three Southern California radio stations, including: news/talk KUHL, Santa Maria; country KRAZ-FM, Santa Ynez; and AC KSYV-FM, Solvang.

 

The Economy, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, Juneteenth Holiday, End of SCOTUS Term, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, and Columbia Elects Leftist Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The high price of gas & food, the sinking Dow & NASDAQ, and concerns about a recession; the primary races for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the aftermath of the January 6 Committee hearings; today’s Juneteenth holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the U.S.; the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to close its term and the overturning of Roe v Wade is expected; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; the still-present COVID-19 virus and concerns about new subvariants; and Columbia elects leftist Gustavo Petro president were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.