Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

KYW, Philadelphia Names Kristina Koppeser Brand Manager; Promotes Tom Rickert to Assistant Brand Manager. Rising to the role of brand manager and director of digital content at Audacy’s all-news KYW-AM/FM is Kristina “Luca” Koppeser. She was most recently serving as digital managing editor. At the same time, the company adds assistant brand manager duties to Tom Rickert, who will continue his role as as director of podcasting. Audacy Philadelphia SVP and market manager David Yadgaroff states, “We’re thrilled to usher in the next chapter of this heritage brand by elevating two exceptionally talented individuals in Luca and Tom. They both not only have a finger on the pulse of this city, but an immense understanding for the role this station plays for our listeners each and every day. I have full confidence that under their leadership KYW Newsradio will continue its growth and further extend its position as a trusted and respected voice in this community.” Koppeser comments, “The passion, tenacity, and dedication of the KYW newsroom is unrivaled. Having the privilege of working alongside and learning from these award-winning journalists inspires me every day. I am honored to help write the next chapter of KYW Newsradio and to continue to serve the greater Philadelphia region with the top-notch local news that matters most.” Rickert adds, “KYW Newsradio is a venerable newsroom, a cherished institution, and a group of the finest journalists in Philadelphia – but it’s much more than that too. It’s the pulse of this city, the soundtrack for generations, and in times of trouble and uncertainty, a critical lifeline for millions. It’s a great honor and a privilege to champion the peerless journalism of this incredible news team and to serve the diverse communities of Philadelphia with the dependable local news and information they not only trust but deserve.”

FOX Sports Radio Adds ‘Covino & Rich’ to Daily Lineup. A tweak to the afternoon programming from FOX Sports Radio puts the duo of Steve Covino and Rich Davis into the 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET slot, effective September 26. The duo first joined FSR in September 2021 as part of the network’s weekend football lineup. In addition to their move from weekends to weekdays, they will continue to host the “Covino & Rich” live podcast, which debuted in 2004 on SiriusXM. With the addition of “Covino & Rich” to its weekday lineup, “The Doug Gottlieb Show” transitions from a three-hour program to two hours, airing from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET. Gottlieb will also host a new, original daily podcast featuring interviews with the latest newsmakers in sports. “Covino & Rich” will be heard on more than 200 stations nationwide, in addition to FOX Sports Radio’s channel on iHeartRadio. iHeartMedia Sports EVP Don Martin and FOX Sports Radio VP of sports programming Scott Shapiro say, “‘Covino and Rich’ will add a dynamic punch to an already rich roster. They’re so talented we had to make room for them in what is the best sports talk lineup in the nation. We can’t wait to share this one-of-a-kind duo with even more listeners across the country.”

Ryan Williams Joins Good Karma Brands Milwaukee as Director of Marketing. Joining Good Karma Brands Milwaukee as director of marketing is Ryan Williams. He’ll lead all marketing operations for the company’s news/talk WTMJ “Newsradio 620,” sports talk WKTI-FM “94.5 ESPN,” and talk WGKB-AM/W269DL “101.7 The Truth.” He was most recently regional brand manager for Audacy Chicago. GKB Milwaukee market manager Steve Wexler comments, “We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to Good Karma Brands. His experience, as well as his natural alignment with GKB’s core values, make him the perfect choice to lead our marketing efforts and team forward.” Williams begins his new position on October 17. He says, “I’m thrilled and honored to be joining GKB Milwaukee working on three great brands in the market. I look forward to collaborating with my teammates on creative and innovative projects for GKB Milwaukee’s fans and partners that continue to build on the presence that 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee, Newsradio 620 WTMJ, and 101.7 The Truth have in the community.”

Kristy Beebe Named iHeartMedia’s Area President for Kentucky/Carolina. Management pro Kristy Beebe is promoted to the area president role for iHeartMedia’s newly formed Kentucky/Carolina Area that includes 47 broadcast and digital brands. Beebe will be responsible for all operations over seven markets including Louisville, Lexington and Somerset, Kentucky along with Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Florence, South Carolina. Beebe was most recently market president for the company’s Indianapolis station group. iHeartMedia division president Nick Gnau says, “Kristy has shown success in every opportunity that has been presented, she knows how to build culture and high performing teams. Her passion for serving the community, our portfolio of assets and her team makes her the perfect choice to lead this newly developed Area. I look forward to working with Kristy and watching her continued successes over the seven markets in the Kentucky/Carolina Area.” Beebe states, “I am excited to be leading the alignment of the Kentucky/Carolina Area within the Gnau Division. Our combined talent and resources will create exciting new opportunities and growth within this newly formed group of markets!”

FOX Nation to Produce Roseanne Barr Comedy Special. The special program is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2023 on FOX News Media’s direct-to-consumer streaming service FOX Nation. Speaking about the Roseanne Barr comedy special, FOX Nation president Jason Klarman says, “Roseanne is a comedy icon whose humor connects with the American audience like no other. Her ability to channel the challenges of everyday people and find the humor in it all has earned her the passionate following of millions of dedicated fans. We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the FOX Nation catalog.” FOX Nation says, “The one-hour special will feature Ms. Barr’s signature comedic take on a variety of topics, with no subject off limits. ‘A Roseanne Comedy Special’ adds to the growing portfolio of exclusive content on FOX Nation, which includes original series such as ‘Duck Family Treasure’, ‘Sharon Osbourne: To Hell & Back’ (dropping on September 26) and the upcoming ‘Yellowstone: One-Fifty with Kevin Costner.’”

Soledad O’Brien to Keynote Gracies Leadership Awards. The Alliance for Women in Media announces that Soledad O’Brien – award-winning journalist, CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions, philanthropist, and author – will keynote the Gracies Leadership Awards on Monday, November 14, 2022, at Tribeca 360 in New York. At this event, AWM will present its Legacy Leadership Award to Valerie K. Blackburn, a longtime radio executive and industry leader as well as active and committed supporter of AWM. Google News Initiative is a presenting sponsor for this key education and recognition celebration. AWM says the annual event provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the significant impact women have made in the media industry, while also spurring to action and emboldening female leaders in attendance. The list of this year’s honorees will be announced soon. O’Brien says, “The Alliance for Women in Media’s commitment to shining a light on the impressive work of women in our industry and how they cover them in support and celebrate their talent makes me all the more honored and delighted to serve as keynote.” AWM president Becky Brooks comments, “The Alliance for Women in Media is proud to recognize women for their exceptional achievements. It is our honor to have Soledad O’Brien as keynote and Valerie Blackburn as the AWM Legacy Leadership recipient, both undoubtedly trailblazers in the world of media leaving a legacy for all women in media to follow.”

TALKERS News Notes. A new deal between Skyview Networks and the nationally syndicated radio show, “Bob & Sheri,” has the company handling advertising sales for the program, with access to digital and podcast opportunities. The independently syndicated program stars Bob Lacey and Sheri Lynch and is co-owned by Lynch and Tony Garcia. Lynch says, “The team at Skyview Networks truly shares our passion for creativity and innovation. They are absolutely all in. It’s an exciting partnership and I’m thrilled at this opportunity to learn and grow while serving our audience, affiliates, and advertisers in new, dynamic ways.”…..Tomorrow (9/22), WMVP-AM ESPN Chicago personality David Kaplan will lead the 3rd Annual Walk as One Chicago event to benefit Bernie’s Book Bank, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing book ownership among under-served Chicagoland children. As part of the event, Kaplan and Bernie’s Book Bank CEO Darrin Utynek will distribute free books to K-6th grade students at Jahn Elementary School. The walk was created by Kaplan, who co-hosts “Kap & J. Hood” on the Good Karma Brands station. Since 2009, Bernie’s Book Bank has distributed more than 22 million free, quality books to Chicagoland children ages birth through sixth grade…..This Saturday (9/24) is the only Midwest production of Stephanie Miller’s “Sexy Liberal Save Democracy Tour” with John Fugelsang, Hal Sparks, and Frangela taking place at Chicago’s Harris Theater and presented by affiliate station WCPT-AM, Chicago.

Immigration/Migrant Transportation, Trump Documents Case, Inflation/Financial Markets Activity, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, UN General Assembly, COVID-19, Hurricane Fiona Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/20). The state of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border and the legal issues surrounding the transporting of migrants by red state governors to blue state cities; the legal procedures relative to the classified and top secret documents former President Donald Trump was keeping at Mar-a-Lago; the high price of food and consumer goods, the effect on the world’s financial markets, and the Fed’s expected interest rate hike; Vladimir Putin’s doubling down on his invasion of Ukraine and his threats of nuclear force; the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees for president in 2024; the tenor of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York; the conflicting statements about the COVID pandemic from President Joe Biden and Dr. Tony Fauci; and the damage to Puerto Rico from Hurricane Fiona 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

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Peter Boyles to Host Weekend Show on KNUS, Denver. Longtime Denver talk radio personality Peter Boyles is returning to Salem Media Group’s news/talk 710 KNUS to host a Saturday program airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, effective September 10. Boyles has been serving as morning drive host and recently announced his retirement from that full-time position. Last week, Salem announced that former Colorado district attorney and current Denver Post columnist George Brauchler has assumed daily morning show duties. Station operations manager Kelly Michaels says, “Pete is a Denver radio legend and we are blessed to have him back sharing his unique take on the issues of the day.” As part of the lineup change, Randy Corporon’s weekly program moves to Saturdays from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. During his career, Boyles has served with numerous Denver radio stations including: KAAT, KLAK, KWBZ, KYBG, KHOW, and KOA.

WXOS-FM, St. Louis Morning Personality Michelle Smallmon to Exit for ESPN Opportunity. The Hubbard Radio sports talk station posts on its website the news that WXOS-FM, St. Louis morning drive co-host Michelle Smallmon will leave the “Karraker & Smallmon” program after this Friday’s show to join ESPN as overnight “SportsCenter” anchor for ESPN Radio. Earlier in her career, Smallmon served with WXOS as producer of “The Fast Lane” program that included her current broadcast partner Randy Karraker before she left to join ESPN the first time around. She rejoined WXOS in May of 2020.

Leon Williamson Named VP of Sales for iHeartMedia Indy. Broadcast marketing pro Leon Williamson is named vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Indianapolis cluster that includes WNDE “FOX Sports 1260,” WOLT-HD2/W248AW “Business News 97.5,” and three music brands. Williamson transitions to this position from iHeartMedia’s Miami operations. iHeartMedia Indianapolis market manager Kristy Beebe says, “We are so excited to welcome Leon to iHeartMedia Indianapolis. Leon’s unique skill set and passion to lead our sales team is what we’re most excited about. His familiarity of our brands and products, along with the experience he brings from different sectors will be a tremendous addition to our Indianapolis team.” Williamson has also served with Urban One in St. Louis and Cox Media Group in Miami. He comments, “I am extremely excited to lead the Indianapolis team with both my professional and personal skills. I look forward to creating a legacy and blazing a trail for young professionals in media that share my experience.”

Michael Burger Promoted to Market President for iHeartMedia Raleigh. Radio sales and management pro Michael Burger is promoted to market president for iHeartMedia’s Raleigh station group that includes news/talk WTKK-FM and five music brands. Burger was most recently serving as SVP of sales for the cluster. iHeartMedia division president Tom McConnell states, “Michael is a strong natural leader with high business acumen. He has introduced new strategic changes and created synergies between our content creators and revenue drivers that have helped fuel the overall performance for the market.” Burger comments, “I am beyond appreciative and grateful to be trusted with this opportunity. As Raleigh continues to grow, expand and flourish, I look to the future with excitement, encouragement and promise. iHeartMedia Raleigh has established itself as a fierce competitor in the market. We have positioned ourselves incredibly to not only be a destination source for entertainment, music, events, social media, and audio, but to help our clients tell their stories in a creative way that helps them achieve new heights.”

WWO AAG Blog: Performance Marketing Versus Creating Future Demand. This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog addresses the difference between the “buy now” marketing strategy versus one that seeks to “create future demand.” Some of the research-based findings in this study include: For the automobile category, only 3% are in-market for a new vehicle and consequently, sales event ads only work on the small group who are ready to buy. But looking ahead two years, 24% will purchase a vehicle in that time span and therefore advertisers who focus on creating future demand will have access to a much larger pool of potential customers. The report says, “When a business consistently uses brand building to create future demand and sales events to convert existing demand, great things happen.” It posits that the ideal budget mix is 40% for sales events and 60% to create future demand via brand building. Read the blog here.

KWTO, Springfield, Missouri Unveils ‘Uncommon Sense with Cass’ Program. A new weekend program will debut on Zimmer Midwest Communications’ news/talk KWTO-AM/K227AO, Springfield, Missouri called “Uncommon Sense with Cass,” hosted by Cass Bowen. The show launches on September 3 and airs Saturdays at 10:00 am. Zimmer says the show “will cover politics, culture, and social issues through a Christian conservative lens, and will feature a diverse group of guest interviews from politicians, local special interest groups, cultural commentators, and more.” Bowen serves with the station on the KWTO morning drive program as executive producer and air personality.

TALKERS News Notes. The content staff at Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corp – operator of public news/talk WESA-FM and independent music station WYEP-FM announce their intention to form a union with SAG-AFTRA. The bargaining unit includes hosts and disc jockeys, reporters, editors, producers, and others. The group states, “We will approach this process in the spirit of collaboration and professionalism and urge PCBC leadership to do the same by voluntarily recognizing the union and begin bargaining in good faith with us. As a union town, Pittsburgh’s public radio stations should be union shops.” The bargaining unit says its goals are securing livable, equitable wages for staff, and improving the company’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. The union also seeks to create a more supportive and transparent workplace to help strengthen PCBC as an organization…..Community Communications’ public radio outlets WMFE, Orlando and WMFV, Cedar Creek, Florida announce they are launching a revamped version of the weekly arts, culture and entertainment segment “Spotlight” on Septempber 1. The segment, hosted by WMFE’s “All Things Considered” host, Nicole Darden Creston, will air at 4:45 pm on Thursdays. “Spotlight” will relaunch as both a four-minute radio segment and an extended podcast. The segment explores Central Florida’s arts scene from a unique perspective and amplifies voices not often heard. “Spotlight” will also share performances from creators of all stripes.

Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, FBI Raid/Documents Investigation, Biden Student Loan Plan, Russia-Ukraine War, Immigration, Musk vs Twitter, Droughts & Floods Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/29). The primary elections for the November midterms and speculation about the presidential nominees in 2024; the aftermath of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago and the investigation into classified documents; criticism of President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; migrant troubles at the U.S.-Mexico border; Elon Musk’s battle against Twitter to back out of his $44 billion acquisition of the company; the droughts and floods affecting life in America were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.