Tag: National Religious Broadcasters

Industry News

NRB 2024 Underway in Nashville

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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Pictured above is Salem Radio Network vice president, news & talk programming Tom Tradup (right) with New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg (left) at the 80th National Religious Broadcasters association conference in Nashville. Rosenberg – founder and editor-in-chief of All Israel News – hosts the weekly “Rosenberg Report” from Jerusalem on Trinity Broadcasting Network. NRB 2024 concludes tomorrow evening with an address by former President Donald Trump.

Industry News

Salem Front and Center at NRB Conference

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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More than 4,000 Christian broadcasters are in Orlando this week attending the 79th annual National Religious Broadcasters conference. Among those in attendance are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, evangelist Franklin Graham, and authors like FOX News personality Raymond Arroyo (above, left) being interviewed by Salem Radio Network news correspondent Lori Tradup (right.)

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, September 30, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

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, “Cornered Rat” looks back at this past week of 9/26 to 9/30. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Jason Lewis, former U.S. Congressman (R-MN)/talk show host/author; Glenn Beck, talk show host, Premiere Networks/author; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Tavis Smiley, talk show host/owner, KBLA, Los Angeles/author; Richard Neer, talk show host, WFAN, New York/author. The show airs weekends (Friday evenings to Sunday nights) on 100-plus broadcast signals and networks across the U.S. and U.K as well as having developed a significant international following as a podcast. 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 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.

Audacy to Flip Sports Talk ‘790 The Ticket’ to Spanish Talk as ‘Radio Libre 790.’ Beginning Monday (10/3), sports talk WAXY-AM “790 AM The Ticket” flips to Spanish conservative talk as “Radio Libre 790.” The programming change takes place in partnership with national conservative Hispanic network Americano Media. Audacy regional president and Miami market manager Claudia Menegus says, “We’re proud to introduce Spanish radio to our South Florida portfolio for the first time ever and empower the voice of so many of our neighbors in this community. With the launch of this station, we aim to not only serve our listeners but give them a reliable home for the news they seek and the information they rely on every day.” Americano Media chief Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo adds, “The joint endeavor with Audacy is a natural fit for Americano. We provide the best Hispanic news-talk programming in Spanish, with the best hosts covering important current events, and Audacy’s audience is demanding that information. This is the first of many terrestrial radio syndication agreements for Americano, and we look forward to a strong partnership with Audacy.” The station will feature Americano Media’s talent, which includes former “Radio Mambi” hosts Nelson Rubio, Dania Alexandrino, and Lourdes Ubieta, who will cover the day’s political and critical news events, technology, and breaking news. Americano Media produces 18 hours of original programming each weekday from 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight, with diverse Spanish-speaking hosts. Regarding the sports programming on WAXY-AM, the station’s two local shows – Tobin & Leroy and Hoch & Crowder – are both already simulcast on Audacy’s sister sports talk outlet WQAM and will remain there.

Chicago TV Personality Jane Clauss Named Contributor to WLS-AM’s Steve Cochran Show. Windy City television personality Jane Clauss joins Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM as morning show contributor for “The Steve Cochran Show.” Clauss is an EMMY Award winner and currently host of “Creative Living,” which airs nationally on the Yurview network, as well as “Arizona Living: Your Home Your Inspiration” show and “Craft Room Crash” on CLIXTV. She was the longtime host of “Living Healthy Chicago” on WGN-TV. Clauss has radio experience, having served with WGN-AM and WLUP-FM. WLS-AM program director Stephanie Tichenor says, “I am delighted to welcome Jane Clauss on board as a contributor on ‘The Steve Cochran Show.’ Jane is the consummate media professional whose brand has delighted generations of Chicagoans. From her ‘Loop’ days to her longtime contributions on ‘Living Healthy Chicago,’ Jane has always been authentically ‘Chicago.’ I am excited to have her join Steve as they wake up Chicago every weekday morning with what our listeners need to know to get through the day.” Clauss comments, “I’m thrilled to call ‘the Big 89’ my new radio home. Being a part of the legendary WLS call letters and working alongside Steve Cochran every weekday morning is a true honor.”

KFNX-AM, Phoenix Owner and Talk Host Bill Brady Named ‘Best Evening Radio Show’ by Phoenix New Times. It’s an honor that news/talk KFNX-AM, Phoenix owner and air personality Bill Brady says he didn’t see coming but is nonetheless thrilled about. The alt-weekly Phoenix New Times names his talk program Best Evening Radio Show in its Best of 2022 feature. Brady’s entry reads: “Aching to ogle at Arizona’s craziest candidates ahead of November’s general election? Pining for a preview of the Arizona Cardinals’ season debut against the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs? Talk radio veteran Bill Brady says, ‘Why not both?’ The Bill Brady Show airs every weekday afternoon from 5 to 7 p.m. on 1100 AM radio, so tune in on your drive home from work and enrich your day with what he calls ‘a return to common sense commentary.’ His instantly recognizable voice has graced the ears of Valley residents during interviews with everyone from CIA directors to sports greats such as NFL quarterback Johnny Unitas and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Most recently, Brady has taken in-depth dives with the Arizona Wildcats, state candidates including Adrian Fontes, and even New York Governor Mario Cuomo.”

Salem Radio Network Host Branden Tatum Addresses NRB’s Capitol Hill Media Summit. Pictured above is Salem Radio Network host Branden Tatum speaking at the recent National Religious Broadcasters’ Capitol Hill Media Summit. The host of “The Officer Tatum Show” spoke from his perspective as a Christian executive, encouraging fellow Christian leaders to set an example for their teams by upholding five pillars of faith, integrity, loyalty, combat, and victory. “God has called us all to something special. We cannot sit back and let the next man do the job God has for us. There’s a group of people that can only hear from you. Remember that faith is not a stagnant verb but an active verb. You have to put action behind your broadcasting.”

Deborah Parenti Receives Lifetime Achievement Award.  The president and publisher of broadcast industry trade journals, Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR, Deborah Parenti (left) received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Parenti was honored for her achievements as a market manager and longtime broadcaster in Dayton. She is pictured with talent agent Heather Cohen, SVP of the Weiss Agency (right), who spoke about Parenti’s outstanding career during the ceremony.

TALKERS News Notes. For the run up to the November election, SiriusXM is inviting Crooked Media to take over its SiriusXM Progress channel. The special Crooked Radio programming will feature Crooked’s top-ranked podcasts, including “Pod Save America,” “Lovett or Leave It,” “Pod Save the World,” and “Strict Scrutiny.” In addition, SiriusXM’s L.A. Garage studios hosted a special taping of “Pod Save America” before an audience of their superfans on September 28. Crooked Media founders Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor, alongside their fellow “Pod Save America” host Dan Pfeiffer, were joined by guests including Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter John Legend, Senator Elizabeth Warren, “Vibe Check” co-host Sam Sanders, and “Dare We Say” podcast hosts Alycia Pascual-Peña and Yasmine Hamady…..Cumulus Media launches “Hello Ross,” an all-new, original podcast on the Cumulus Podcast Network featuring Ross Mathews who’s famous for his television celebrity interviews and red carpet moments. The inaugural episode features an in-depth interview with Chelsea Handler. Upcoming episodes will feature hilarious and insightful conversations with fascinating people including Guy Fieri, Todrick Hall, Kathy Griffin, Bowen Yang, and Martyn Bullard…..FOX Sports Radio unveils its weekend lineup for the 2022 football season. With the transition of “Covino & Rich” from weekends to FSR’s weekday afternoon timeslot, the network welcomes back veteran sports talk personality Mark Willard to lead the network’s Sunday evening show. He’s joined by longtime FSR weekend host Ephraim Salaam. FSR also launches “FOX Sports Radio’s Countdown to Kickoff” on Saturdays and Sundays with Brian Noe, Rich Ohrnberger, Jared Smith, Geoff Schwartz, and Bill “Krack” Krackomberger.

Russia-Ukraine War/Baltic Gas Leak/Foreign Affairs Combine as Top News/Talk Story for Week of September 26 – 30. Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the intentional destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, and U.S. foreign affairs issues combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was inflation and the sell-off on the world’s financial markets, followed by politics and the November midterm elections 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

Thursday, July 21, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

Tim Van Horn of KWAM, Memphis is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison describes him as “one of the most likeable radio talk show hosts in America.” Tim Van Horn, host of “Wake-Up Memphis” – heard mornings on heritage station KWAM, Memphis – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Van Horn is familiar to radio and TV audiences in Memphis. For over a quarter century, he’s been a longtime meteorologist at NBC affiliate WMC-TV, a play-by-play commentator of Memphis 901 soccer games on ESPN+ and a radio personality on iHeart’s WREC-AM before joining the Todd Starnes-owned independent news/talker in 2020. Van Horn is a prime example of a local personality and family man whose roots run deep within a community and is considered an upstanding friend and a neighbor to the local population. Harrison and Van Horn take a deep-dive into the world of local radio and the elements that keep in ticking as an iconic medium of American culture. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Mike Hulvey Succeeds Beth Neuhoff as CEO of Neuhoff Communications. The leadership of Neuhoff Communications officially changes as longtime company COO Mike Hulvey is promoted to CEO and Beth Neuhoff steps down. Neuhoff – who assumed leadership of the company after the death of her husband Geoff 10 years ago – says, “Mike has a bold vision for where this company is going. He is an excellent team builder and knows what it takes to make Neuhoff the most important and community-focused local media operation in every market we serve. With his deep understanding of our operations and ability to lead both at our company and industry level, I can’t think of a better person to take the reins of this very special company.” In a letter to employees, Beth Neuhoff says the change is the result of “a thoughtful process dating back a few years. In fact, it likely would have happened sooner, but with the global pandemic and devastating impact it had on our company and industry, plans were delayed. While there is still work to do and business isn’t 100% back to normal, our recovery is well underway. Now is the right time to make the move. Mike has earned it.” Hulvey comments, “It is my distinct honor to assume the reins at Neuhoff Communications. We’ve worked hard to build this award-winning organization. I’m ready to build upon our firmly held values of community, innovation, grit, and excellence as this business evolves and grows into the future.” At the same time, the company announces a governance transition. Beth Neuhoff will be transitioning her role as corporate trustee of the company to Julian Hickman and Makena Neuhoff, grandchildren of the late broadcaster, Roger Neuhoff, over the next few months.  Beth Neuhoff says, “It is exciting to see the next generation of Neuhoff’s take an active role in the company’s future. Their enthusiasm and breadth of experiences in business will be of tremendous benefit.”

Triton Digital Releases Top Podcast Report for June. The June 2022 Top Podcast Report from Triton Digital has been published. The report of the 100 top podcasts is based on weekly average downloads and in June, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” jumped up to the #1 spot, edging NPR’s “NPR News Now” out of the lead and into the #2 spot. Steady in the #3 position is audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie.” Other radio-related podcasts of note on the chart include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #8, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #14, and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Matt Walsh Show” and “The Mark Levin Show” at #18 and #21 respectively. See the complete chart here.

TALKERS News Notes. On Monday (7/25), KCMO-AM, Kansas City morning drive host Pete Mundo will host a special “Politics and a Pint” discussion with Missouri U.S. Senate Candidate Eric Greitens at the Jewel KC Event Space in Downtown Kansas City. This live event is KCMO Talk Radio’s fourth “Politics and a Pint” event featuring U.S. Senate Candidates and will feature Mundo having a candid conversation with Greitens, then opening the floor for a few questions from the audience…..Disruptor Radio, LLC is adding New York Yankees baseball to the programming schedule on WJFP-AM, Chester, Pennsylvania “Liberty Radio,” effective tonight. Disruptor president and CEO John Fredericks says, “We are thrilled to partner with the highest profile brand in baseball, the New York Yankees. We are very proud to be an official radio affiliate of the New York Yankees offering baseball fans in the greater Philadelphia area an opportunity to catch every pitch of every Yankees game.”…..Las Vegas-based, USA Radio Network syndicated talk host Wayne Allyn Root is launching a weekly TV show on the Real America’s Voice television network in which he’ll be talking about the “biggest stories of the week that every conservative, Christian, American patriot and Trump warrior needs to know.”…..Salem Radio Network’s SRN News is presenting a week-long special series on “The Future of NRB.” Beginning Monday (7/25), SRN News will explore the immediate and long-term outlook for the National Religious Broadcasters association. Featured prominently in the week’s reporting will be content from an extensive interview with the NRB’s new president and CEO Troy Miller.

January 6 Hearings, Midterms/2024 Election, The Economy, Heatwave/Global Warming, Abortion/LGBTQ Rights, Russia-Ukraine War, and COVID-19 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/20). The ongoing January 6 hearings; November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP, and speculation about the nominees in 2024; high gas & food prices, financial market activity, and fears of a recession; the record-breaking heat in Europe and the heatwave hitting much of the U.S. plus talk about global warming; the Roe v Wade protests and the House bill that would secure gay marriage rights; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and the fast-spreading BA.5 subvariant pushing COVID-19 numbers up 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

Thursday, March 10, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

Townsquare Media Reports 2021 Q4 Net Revenue Up 1.9%; Full Year Net Revenue Rises 12.6%. The 2021 fourth quarter and 2021 full year financial report from Townsquare Media reveals Q4 net revenue of $110.6 million, an increase of 1.9% over the same period in 2020. For the full year of 2021, net revenue was $418 million, up 12.6 % over the full year of 2020. Townsquare Media reports its financial information in three primary segments: 1) Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions, which includes the company’s subscription digital marketing solutions business called Townsquare Interactive. 2) Digital Advertising includes the digital advertising business sold as Townsquare Ignite, and 3) Broadcast Advertising includes the company’s local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered via terrestrial radio broadcast, as well as other miscellaneous revenue that is associated with the broadcast advertising platform. Company CEO Bill Wilson says, “Beginning with our 2021 year-end reporting, we have re-segmented our business to provide greater visibility for our existing and prospective investors. Importantly, this re-segmentation will highlight the profit characteristics of our digital platform, which is essentially equal to those of our broadcast platform, each with profit margins of approximately 30%. Given this new and more detailed information, Townsquare should be viewed and valued as a Digital First Local Media Company, rather than being painted with a traditional broadcast radio brush. While we view local radio as an extremely valuable asset with significant and attractive cash flow properties, unparalleled consumer reach, and an important and trusted local connection to our audience, it is not our primary growth driver. Our growth engine is and will continue to be digital, which fueled our transformation into a Digital First Local Media Company. With nearly half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, we have a strong growth engine that will drive significant and consistent growth in the coming years. It is our hope and expectation that given this new more detailed information, Townsquare will be afforded a sum-of-the-parts valuation that gives credit to our digital assets, credit which to date we have not received.” For the full year of 2021, Townsquare reports net income of $18.8 million, compared to a net loss of $80.6 million reported for the full year 2020, which the company says was primarily driven by approximately $109.1 million of non-cash impairment charges, primarily related to its FCC licenses.

 

Saga Communications Q4 Net Revenue Flat; 2021 Full-Year Net Revenue Up 13.1%. The company reports 2021 fourth quarter net revenue of $29.2 million, basically flat compared to the $28.8 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2020. Net income for Q4 of 2021 was $3.7 million compared to $2.3 million reported for the same period in 2020. For the full year of 2021, Saga Communications reports net revenue increased 13.1% to $108.3 million compared to $95.8 million for the full year of 2020. The company reports net revenue for 2021 of $11.2 million compared to the net loss of $1.9 million reported for the full year of 2020. Saga says its balance sheet reflects $54.8 million in cash on hand as of December 31, 2021 and $56.2 million as of March 7, 2022.

 

KOA, Denver Morning Personality April Zesbaugh Announces Retirement. “Colorado’s Morning News” co-host April Zesbaugh announces that she’s retiring from iHeartMedia’s news/talk KOA, Denver in the coming months after a 30-year broadcast journalism career that includes 25 years with KOA. Zesbaugh has co-hosted “Colorado’s Morning News” since 1996 and is one of the longest running news personalities in Colorado. She comments, “Despite my 2:30 am wake-up call for the last 30 years, I feel very fortunate for every second in front of the KOA microphone. It’s time to hang-up my headphones to pursue more family time, play more tennis, travel in our RV and see what it feels like to sleep without an alarm clock.” Zesbaugh is the winner of one national and numerous regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism excellence by the Radio Television Digital News Association, as well as countless awards for “Colorado’s Morning News” from the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press. She has also been an influential member of the Denver community and has emceed numerous charity events, including those focused on mental health, Alzheimer’s disease, the challenges of single mothers and animal rescue. KOA program director Greg Foster says, “April is one of the most recognizable and popular voices in Colorado and has set a professional standard which has contributed to the success of KOA. While we will miss our friend and colleague, April has earned the opportunity to enjoy her retirement.” Zesbaugh adds, “I’m grateful to Jerry Bell, former news director of KOA, for hiring me – calling me during my honeymoon to offer me the job – and to the current news director, Kathy Walker, and the KOA news team who have been with me every step of the way in helping to make me a better broadcaster and journalist. I’m leaving our listeners in good hands with my co-host, Marty Lenz. He has great news chops and asks really smart questions.”

 

Chris Hansen is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Multi-platform reporter and predator-hunter Chris Hansen is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” For nearly four decades, Hansen has been on the front lines of crime, enterprise reporting, and breaking news all over the world. Most recently he was an executive producer and reporter for the “Onision: In Real Life” and “Unseamly…The Peter Nygard Investigation” series now on Discovery+ and the current top-rated podcast “Predators I Have Caught with Chris Hansen.” He has also been host and correspondent for the syndicated program “Crime Watch Daily” as well as “Killer Instinct on ID” and “Dateline NBC.” He created the groundbreaking investigations, “To Catch A Predator,” among others. These investigations are responsible for exposing some 400 men attempting to meet children online for sex. Hansen has been honored with 10 Emmys, five Edward R. Murrow awards as well as excellence in reporting by the Overseas Press Club. He also has a substantial digital presence including a YouTube channel, which has more than 375,000 subscribers and 25 million views. The deep-dive conversation between Harrison and Hansen covers two major areas – the rapid evolution of media (including the tenets of building a YouTube channel) to the scourge of crime on our city streets as well as the mean streets of cyberspace where sexual predators continue to prowl for children and young women. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

 

 

SRN’s Eric Metaxas Broadcasts from National Religious Broadcasters Conference. Pictured above (at right) is Salem Radio Network host Eric Metaxas broadcasting his program live from the National Religious Broadcasters conference from the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Pictured with Metaxas are U.S. Congressman Allen West (left) and Rick Green, founder of Patriot Academy (center). NRB 2022 continues through this weekend.

 

PodcastOne Joins Top 10 Podcast Publishers. According to data from podcast metric company Podtrac, PodcastOne is ranked #8 on the list of Top Podcast Publishers. Podtrac ranks top publishers based on unique audience counts. PodcastOne president Kit Gray says, “Being recognized by Podtrac with inclusion on the Top Publishers list is a testament to the hard work of the PodcastOne team both behind the mic and behind the scenes. Our hosts are delivering top-notch entertainment and providing content that is resonating with listeners as is evidenced by the growth in audience numbers across the board.” PodcastOne says its growth “comes on the heels of the successes and strengths of tentpole podcasts ‘Baby Mamas No Drama’, ‘Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe,’ ‘The Jordan Harbinger Show’, ‘LADYGANG’ and ‘The Adam Carolla Show,’ as well as acquisitions of top-performing programs such as ‘Coffee Convos,’ ‘True Crime All the Time Unsolved,’ and ‘This Is MONSTERS,’ which all saw significant audience growth since joining PodcastOne.”

 

JVC Broadcasting: ‘Radio is Working and Radio Works!’ Long Island-based JVC Broadcasting is sending a message to the industry – and beyond – that its recent hiring spree shows that the radio market is a good place for job seekers. JVC says that this January, it began a massive recruitment campaign using its local radio stations and social media platforms and the response was overwhelming. JVC announces that is has hired or internally promoted 16 media and entertainment professionals companywide. JVC president and CEO John Caracciolo states, “The current radio market is great for employment. There was a lot of trepidation for media companies in 2020 and 2021. People wanted to see how things would work out and if the radio business would bounce back, and it did stronger than ever. The most important and most rewarding investment an entrepreneur can make isn’t a new client or a cool piece of equipment, it’s your team of employees. I have built this business by surrounding myself with fantastic people who are visionaries and leaders. If all your employees become entrepreneurially minded or leaders in their own right, your organization will grow even faster. And the coolest thing about this entire recruitment campaign is we did all the outreach using only our local radio station assets! So yes, radio is working and radio works!”

 

Russia-Ukraine War, House Omnibus Bill, Gas Prices/Inflation, Biden Cryptocurrency Order, COVID-19, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, and MLB Season Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/9). Russia’s ongoing invasion of the Ukraine and the West’s reaction; the U.S. House passes an omnibus bill that would include $14 billion in Ukraine aid; the soaring price of gas at the pump and high consumer retail prices; President Joe Biden signs executive order to investigate risks and opportunities of cryptocurrency; the falling rate of COVID-19 cases and the rolling back of mask mandates; the battle for control of Congress in the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the failing negotiations between MLB owners and players were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.