news/talk radio – Page 11 – TALKERS magazine

Thursday, June 23, 2022

By Editor | June 23, 2022 by Editor

Complete Video of ‘Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations’ Panel Posted. Today, TALKERS magazine posts the third video from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island. This session was moderated by KFNX-AM, Phoenix owner Bill Brady. He was introduced by Binnie Media director of brand operations Michael Czarnecki. Panelists included: Marc Beaven, general manager, WCBM, Baltimore; Paul Gleiser, owner/host, KTBB, Tyler, Texas; Todd Starnes, owner, KWAM, Memphis/host The Todd Starnes Show; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ, Albany, New York; and Michael Zwerling, owner, KSCO, Santa Cruz, California. See the video here.

Industry Heavyweights Add Insight and Expertise to Introducer Role at TALKERS 2022. A number of talk media professionals served as introducers for panels and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University. Though limited to brief speeches due to the jam-packed schedule, they provided informative and relevant introductions to the conference presentations. Pictured below is 1010 WINS, New York morning anchor Lee Harris serving as introducer to the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel discussion.

Pictured above is Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein introducing the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era” panel at TALKERS 2022.

Audacy Announces Debut of Web3-Focused Program. A new Sunday morning program and podcast from Audacy titled, “Inside Web3,” is being launched. Audacy says that show, hosted by Shira Lazar, will delve into “the latest in cryptocurrency, NFTs, the Metaverse and beyond.” It will air on stations including KNX, Los Angeles “News 97.1 FM”; KIFM-AM, Sacramento “ESPN 1320”; KWFN-FM, San Diego “97.3 The Fan”; and KCBS-AM, San Francisco. Audacy Southern California regional president Jeff Federman says, “We’re thrilled to jump right into this rapidly growing space with the launch of ‘Inside Web3’ and give our listeners a home for smart, informative content every week. Shira has a sharp perspective of the Web3 world, which we trust will resonate with listeners looking to learn more about everything blockchain technology related.” Shira Lazar is the founder and CEO of the Emmy-nominated digital media brand, What’s Trending. She is a Web3 advocate, collector, and advises as well as consults with companies in the space relating to cryptocurrency, NFTs and the metaverse.

Stan Lehr to Retire from WIBC-FM, Indianapolis. News anchor and reporter Stan Lehr will retire from news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis on July 1, according to the Indianapolis Star. Lehr has served with the station for the past 28 years. He joined WIBC before Emmis Communications bought the station. Emmis recently announced that it is selling WIBC and its other Indianapolis stations to Urban One for $25 million. WIBC news director Chris Davis states in a memo to staffers that Lehr has always been known as a “stickler.” “When I say the word stickler, here is what I mean: Though Stan is gifted with a voice that could have taken him far on its own, he has never wanted recognition for that gift. Instead, he made it clear to all who work or have worked with him that strong writing, accuracy and excellence in delivery are the best ways to serve the listeners.”

Dom Giordano Day Celebrated in Wildwood, New Jersey. Pictured above is WPHT, Philadelphia midday talk show host Dom Giordano (left) accepting a gift clock from Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron (right) on Wednesday as June 22 was again declared Dom Giordano Day. Two years ago, Byron designated June 22 Dom Giordano Day for the City. This year, Giordano and his WPHT crew broadcast live from Mulligan’s Shore Bar and Grill.

FOX News Digital Tops in Multiplatform Minutes for May. According to data from Comscore, FOX News Digital finished May 2022 as the top-performing news organization in the competitive set in multiplatform minutes for the 15th consecutive month. FOX News Digital closed out the month reaching over 2.9 billion total multiplatform minutes compared to closest competitor CNN.com with 2.3 million total multiplatform minutes. FOX News Digital also topped CNN.com in multiplatform total views, 1.47 billion to 1.43 billion. However, in the category of multiplatform unique visitors, CNN.com dominated with 131.7 million to FOX News Digital’s 80 million.

47^th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon Held in New York City. Yesterday (6/22), the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation presented the 47th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Host Hannah Storm, anchor of “ESPN SportsCenter,” led the program alongside presenters Paul “Cubby” Bryant, Co-Host “106.7 LiteFM Morning Show” with Christine Nagy; Linsey Davis, ABC News Live Prime anchor, Weekend “World News Tonight” anchor, and ABC News Correspondent; Larry O’Connor, Host, “O’Connor & Company on WMAL”; Kate Snow, “NBC Nightly News Sunday,” anchor and NBC News senior national correspondent; and Shelley Wade, Afternoon Host, New York City’s “94.7 The Block” and podcast host “All the Rage with Shelley Wade.” Pictured above is the board of the AWM Foundation with host Hannah Storm and entertainer Hannah Ellis. See the complete list of honorees here.

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TALKERS News Notes. Social media platform LinkedIn names Audacy one of its inaugural Top Companies 2022: Media and Entertainment. Through this list, LinkedIn ranks the 25 best companies to grow a career in the industry, aiming to provide a go-to resource for professionals at every stage of their career journeys. Audacy COO Susan Larkin comments, “At Audacy, we strive to not only help propel the audio industry forward but cultivate an organization full of team members who lead that charge. We’re honored to have been recognized by LinkedIn on their list spotlighting media and entertainment companies and sit alongside some of our industry’s best innovators, champions and influencers. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”…..Sounds Profitable, in partnership with Edison Research, has put together a comprehensive study profiling podcast creators in America. Next Tuesday (6/28), the results of the study will be revealed during a 1:00 pm webinar. Sound Profitable and Edison Research say that “The Creators 2022” is the first iteration of a study that will track trends and changes in the podcast creator space annually. “Much of the research in the podcast space up to this point has been related to listening, so ‘The Creators’ will fill a gap in industry knowledge about those who create podcasts.”…..iHeartMedia announces the launch of “Prop Culture” – a first-of-its-kind podcast hosted by iHeartMedia’s very own Non-Fun Squad NFTs and voiced by top comedians and celebrities. The announcement was made at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during a metaverse and innovation panel featuring Paris Hilton, the self-proclaimed “Queen of the Metaverse.” iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group president Conal Byrne states, “iHeartMedia continues to be on the cutting edge of the audio world. We’re excited to introduce ‘Prop Culture’ at Cannes, pioneering the first-ever podcast series voiced by NFTs. The metaverse is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the audio and podcasting space, and we’re thrilled to be on the forefront of this new frontier.”

The Economy, Gun Legislation, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Supreme Court Term, COVID-19, and Uvalde Aftermath Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/22). High gas & food prices, sinking financial markets, and recession fears; the Senate’s compromise on a gun legislation bill; the ongoing January 6 hearings and the case the Committee is making against Donald Trump; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the toll it’s taking on the world’s economy; the end of the Supreme Court’s term and the expected overturning of Roe v Wade; the appearance of two new Omicron subvariants that are better at evading vaccines; and the investigation of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

By Editor | June 22, 2022 by Editor

Political and Cultural Polarization Addressed at TALKERS 2022. At the recent TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island, five talk radio hosts representing various political perspectives participated in the panel discussion “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization.” The panel was moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (below), who was introduced by WINS, New York morning drive anchor Lee Harris.

WCHV, Charlottesville talk show host and program director Joe Thomas takes part in the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

KOA, Denver talk show host Mandy Connell speaks during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz makes a point during his appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

GCN nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

WICC, Bridgeport, Connecticut talk host and Connecticut probate judge Lisa Wexler speaks on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

Complete TALKERS 2022 Session Videos Being Posted TALKERS magazine is posting complete videos of each session from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University. The video of the “Morning Greetings” session has been posted. This session includes: TALKERS 2022 emcee and TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey; the National Anthem performed on saxophone by WOAI, San Antonio and Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated talk host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo; the “Welcome to Long Island” speech by JVC Broadcasting president/CEO John Caracciolo; the “Morning Wakeup” from FOX News Radio host Jimmy Failla; “A Gathering of Friends and Colleagues” presentation from Premiere Networks and FOX News Channel star Sean Hannity; and “Talk Radio in the Post-Rush Era” from Premiere Networks talk host Buck Sexton. See the video here.

KOA, Denver Programmer Greg Foster Among Staffers Let Go by iHeartMedia. The staff reductions taking place at iHeartMedia hit the Denver cluster recently with program director Greg Foster among those getting their pink slips. In addition to Foster, Tim Spence – program director for KHOW, Denver and KCOL, Fort Collins – was also let go, as was talk host Mike Rosen and producer for Mandy Connell’s program, Dave Lauer. Foster tells TALKERS magazine, “As for me, I’m certainly grateful for my 22-years with iHeart/Clear Channel. It was a good run!”

Westwood One Blog Reveals Results of Online Sports Betting Study. The CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One Audio Active Group commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a national brand awareness study of online sports betting brands and it surveyed 1,252 adults 21-plus in February. The study consisted of 483 respondents were from states that have legalized sports betting and 769 respondents were from states that have not. Some of the ley findings include: 1) The ideal target for online sports betting are adults 35-54 who are married, have kids, and work full time. Nearly half of those most interested in online sports betting are adults 35-54 (48%). Women are becoming more interested in online sports betting. The gender profile of those interested is more evenly distributed (men 54% vs. women 46%); 2) Based on media habits of online sports betting intenders, the optimal media allocation is 54% AM/FM radio and 48% TV. Compared to TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners have far more experience with online sports betting, greater interest, greater awareness of, and greater engagement with online sports betting brands; 3) The audio sports betting media plan should contain a wide array of AM/FM radio programming formats and podcast genres. Those interested in online sports betting listen to a broad array of podcast genres and AM/FM radio programming formats beyond just Sports programming. Audio media plans that focus mostly on spoken word (news/talk and sports) will miss the majority of those who are engaged with online sports betting. Based on AM/FM radio programming format preferences among those interested in online sports betting, the ideal allocation is 20% of impressions to rock and then 10% each to the rest of the formats (classic rock, news/talk, sports, classic hits/oldies, country, Top 40, urban, and adult contemporary); and 4) Audio media plans should emphasize reach over frequency and increase weight to reach 60% of the market. Recent monthly AM/FM radio plans are only reaching 38% of the market. Brands should seek to reach at least 60% of the market each month.

AdLarge Names Brian Egan Director of Digital Content and Strategy. Joining AdLarge as director of digital content and strategy is Brian Egan, who most recently was creator and co-founder of Inlet TV, a digital multi-media live streaming platform focused on highly scalable HTTP live streaming technology. In his new role with AdLarge, Egan will “spearhead the expansion of strategic discovery methods to uncover new talent and content creators in order to develop authentic and re-imagined advertising opportunities for clients.” AdLarge co-CEO Cathy Csukas says, “Throughout his career, Brian has had the opportunity to work with some of the largest podcasters in the world and brings an impressive depth of experience and entrepreneurial vision to the company. With his leadership, we’re focused on finding new marketing and content opportunities and look forward to reaching new levels of success for our clients in 2022.” Egan comments, “I can’t express how excited I am to join this incredible team of industry-leading professionals. I’m looking forward to contributing to the inspired work they already do for their content partners, with an eye toward expanding their footprint in emerging markets and products. For anyone looking to connect on podcast content, technology, or to just make an introduction – my inbox is wide open!”

Townsquare Media Closes on Cherry Creek Acquisition. The deal for Townsquare Media to acquire 34 radio stations in nine markets from Cherry Creek has closed. Townsquare is paying $18.75 million for the stations in Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula, Montana; Montrose, Colorado; Sierra Vista, Arizona; St. George-Cedar City, Utah; Tri-Cities and Wenatchee, Washington; and Williston, North Dakota. Townsquare is divesting six radio stations in Missoula, Montana, to Anderson Broadcasting, Legacy Broadcasting (a non-profit organization), and Missoula Community Radio (also a non-profit organization), and is placing two radio stations in Tri-Cities, Washington in a divestiture trust. This transaction is being funded with cash on hand and Townsquare CFO Stuart Rosenstein states, “This acquisition represents a compelling use of capital that aligns with our priorities of investing in our local business through both organic investments and prudent acquisitions that support our revenue and profit growth. This acquisition is net leverage neutral and due to the strong cash generation of our business and the acquired assets, will not impact our ability to reach our goal of 4x net leverage by year end.” KALIL & CO., INC. was the exclusive broker for this transaction.

ESPN Cleveland Hosts Inaugural Block Party. To celebrate the beginning of summer and to show off their new studios, Good Karma Brands’ WKNR-AM “ESPN Cleveland” will host the inaugural Block Party, presented by MGM Northfield Park, tomorrow (6/23) from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Fans can hear their favorite ESPN Cleveland hosts broadcast live, on stage, throughout the day. In addition to live show broadcasts, a second stage will host live music from a variety of local bands, vendors will sell local food and beverages, fans can participate in games with prizes, and even “dunk” their favorite ESPN Cleveland talent in the dunk tank. In addition, Cleveland’s pro sports teams are taking part in the event and all proceeds from it will benefit Muttley Crue Rescue – which rescues, cares for, and re-homes neglected, abused and/or homeless dogs. ESPN Cleveland host Tony Rizzo states, “The block party is going to be great opportunity for fans, partners, and teammates to get together after a long two years. I know the highlight of the day will be Aaron Goldhammer in the dunk tank!”

FABULOUS OFFER: Epoch Times Extraordinary Freebie to TALKERS 2022 Attendees Temporarily Extended to All TALKERS Subscribers. One of the most popular perks of the recent TALKERS 2022 conference held on Long Island (6/10) was a free lifetime digital subscription presented to all of the event’s attendees by The Epoch Times. The 20-plus year old international newspaper based here in the United States is a favorite of news/talk media hosts. The rapidly growing publication is known for its independent reporting and devotion to upholding the First Amendment and American democracy. Readers of TALKERS interested in receiving a lifetime digital subscription – no strings attached – can do so by clicking here.

New C. Crane Emergency Radio a Big Hit at TALKERS 2022. The first 200 registrants to arrive at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention on June 10 were surprised and delighted to find a real prize 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. Placed in a sunny window it’s perfect for the morning news. Audio 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.” To learn more about this fabulous device and enjoy a TALKERS discount on C.Crane purchases, please click here.

Broadcasters Foundation of America Announces Radio Giving Day. The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces its first annual Radio Giving Day taking place on Wednesday, June 29 and calls it “a day to come together as one community with one common goal – to support radio professionals in need of financial assistance due to a critical illness, accident, or disaster.” In addition, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the charitable mission of the Broadcasters Foundation so that a radio professional in acute need can apply for aid. BFoA co-president Tim McCarthy says, “We need to make sure everyone working in radio stations across America is aware of what we do. It’s a tragedy to think that one of our colleagues in need might qualify for aid but doesn’t know about us. We’re asking everyone in radio to spread the word, especially if they know someone who we might be able to help.” The Broadcasters Foundation is encouraging radio groups and stations to implement employee donation drives in support of Radio Giving Day. Several media companies and radio station groups have already committed to helping the Radio Giving Day initiative, including Alpha Media Group, Audacy, Beasley Media Group, Connoisseur Media, Educational Media Foundation, Good Karma Brands, iHeartMedia, Independent Broadcasters Association, Premiere Networks, Salem Media Group, Skyview Satellite Network, Spanish Broadcasting System, and Townsquare Media.

TALKERS News Notes. A new program is launching on SportsMap Radio Network on Saturday, July 2, from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon ET. “The Game Before the Money” pairs football author, podcast host, and oral historian Jackson Michael with author and former NFL executive Upton Bell. Michael and Bell reveal stories that few fans have access to or even know exist. The weekly, hour-long program merges narratives from the NFL’s past with today’s headlines and compares yesteryear’s All-Americans with current college stars. GOW Media CEO David Gow states, “This is a highly entertaining and informative program. Jackson and Upton are both amazing storytellers. This is a wonderful addition to our network.”…..SiriusXM is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX with special programming on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel and on the SXM App that highlights the impact the law had on the future of women’s sports. On June 23, 1972, the federal civil rights law (Title IX) was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. The introduction of Title IX led to a considerable increase in the number of females participating in organized sports within American academic institutions and is considered to have been a significant step forward in the advancement of equality and equity for women and girls in sport. Tonight at 6:00 ET, SiriusXM’s Linda Cohn hosts “Title IX at 50,” which will examine the impact of Title IX on the world of sports, highlight significant moments that followed the passage of the law, and tell the stories of several groundbreaking women who have excelled in various sports.

The Economy, Primary Elections, Gun Legislation, SCOTUS Religious Education Ruling, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Heatwave/Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/21). The high price of gas & food, President Joe Biden’s considering federal gas tax relief, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for November’s midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Senate negotiators reach a deal on bi-partisan gun legislation; the Supreme Court rules against Maine’s ban on taxpayer funding for religious schools; the continuing January 6 Committee’s hearings; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the global economy; and the intense heatwaves taking place in the U.S. and abroad and the drought affecting the Western U.S. 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, June 21, 2022

By Editor | June 21, 2022 by Editor

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

By Editor | June 20, 2022 by Editor

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.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 17, 2022

By Editor | June 17, 2022 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, “Take a Hike,” looks back at this past week of 6/13 to 6/17. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Paul Gleiser, talk show host/owner KTBB, Tyler, TX; Joe Thomas, talk show host/PD, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS/media law professor; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford, CT; and Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

TALKERS magazine Presents Annual Awards at TALKERS 2022 Convention. After two years of not presenting annual awards (2020 and 2021) at the TALKERS convention due to COVID-19 interruptions, TALKERS magazine presented four awards to talk media broadcasters on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University at the TALKERS 2022 convention. As we reported on Wednesday (6/15), WOLB-AM, Baltimore morning host Larry Young was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. At the Breakfast session, KOA, Denver talk host Mandy Connell (pictured below) was presented with the Woman of the Year Award.

WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive personality Jeff Katz (above) was honored for his charity work dedicated to children with developmental challenges and to organizations supporting law enforcement with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.

At the convention’s Closing Reception, “Free Talk Live” co-founder Mark Edge (above left, being congratulated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, right) accepted the 2022 Freedom of Speech Award for the program’s co-founder and lead host Ian Freeman, whose work fighting for what he sees as the freedoms we all should enjoy as Americans has earned him accolades as well as the ire of those – including some New Hampshire and federal authorities – who see him as a troublemaker, or worse.

Audacy Teams Up ‘Bernstein and Holmes’ for Middays at ‘The Score.’ The new midday show at Audacy’s WSCR-AM, Chicago “670 The Score” features two of the station’s longtime hosts – Dan Bernstein and Laurence Holmes. As part of a station programming update, the new “Bernstein and Holmes” show will air from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, beginning June 20. The morning drive “Mully and Haugh” show adds an extra hour and will be heard from 5:30 am to 10:00 am. Leila Rahimi, who had been co-hosting with Bernstein but accepted a new gig as lead sports anchor at NBC 5 in Chicago, will continue in her role on “Leila Wednesdays” on “Bernstein and Holmes.” WSCR brand manager Mitch Rosen states, “Our all-star Chicago lineup improves with ‘Mully and Haugh’ extending later into the morning and two teammates who have worked together for 20-plus years finally sharing a microphone on a regular basis. We couldn’t be more excited for this updated lineup.” Bernstein had previously hosted late mornings on the station. Holmes previously served as host from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

KIRO-AM, Seattle Unveils New ‘Bump & Stacy’ Midday Show. Seattle sports talk personality Stacy Rost is getting a new partner as Michael Bumpus joins her for the new “Bump & Stacy” program on Bonneville’s KIRO-AM “Seattle Sports,” airing from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Station program director Kyle Brown comments, “We’re thrilled Michael Bumpus will be stepping in to join Stacy Rost as a full-time host from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm each weekday. Bump has spent years preparing for this opportunity and I have no doubt he’s ready for this moment. ‘Bump & Stacy’ will bring four hours of unending fun to ‘Seattle Sports’ listeners daily.” Michael Bumpus –who played football at Washington State University before going on to a pro career with the Seattle Seahawks and BC Lions – now serves as the host of the Seahawks pregame, postgame and halftime shows and as a television analyst for the PAC12 Network. Stacy Rost joined “Seattle Sports” as a staff writer and Seahawks Insider in 2017. She has spent the past three years as a talk show host with “Seattle Sports” and producing daily Seahawks Insider reports.

Mike Conti Named Brand Manager for ‘92.9 The Game’ in Atlanta. News and sports radio pro Mike Conti is promoted to brand manager for Audacy’s sports talk WZGC-FM, Atlanta “92.9 The Game.” Audacy says that in this role, Conti will oversee content strategy, talent, operations and branding for the station. He will continue in his current role as radio play-by-play announcer for the station’s flagship coverage of the Atlanta United FC and as host of the Atlanta Hawks Radio Network. Audacy Atlanta SVP and market manager Rick Caffey comments, “Mike has stepped up to the challenge of leading our programming team on an interim basis since February and he has earned this opportunity to lead WZGC. We are excited to have his leadership as we continue to build on our performance of providing the very best in entertainment and sports content for our audience and business partners.” Conti joined “92.9 The Game” in October 2012 from WGST-AM, Atlanta where he served as assistant news director. At WZGC, Conti has served as managing editor, overseeing coverage and production of live sports events. He says, “I want to thank Rick Caffey and my teammates at ‘92.9 The Game’ for the opportunity to lead such a talented group of content creators. As someone who has been with ‘The Game’ since the day we signed on 10 years ago, it has been remarkable to see us evolve into Atlanta’s go-to source of sports information and entertainment, and I look forward to continuing that evolution.”

Round Four of May PPMs Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia news/talk WTKK-FM dips two-tenths to finish with a 7.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and slips to the #4 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF loses half a share for a 1.5 share finish and landing in the #17 rank. Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee remains in the #1 spot after adding four-tenths to wrap the survey with a 10.3 share. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WISN puts up a 2.1 share increase to finish with a 9.6 share that vaults it into the #2 rank. Although dipping by two-tenths and finishing with a 5.9 share, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WWTN-FM, Nashville climbs to the #4 rank. After losing a full share, Cox Media Group’s news/talk WOKV-FM, Jacksonville wraps the survey with a 9.6 share and falls from #1 to #2. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeways from this group of markets (as well as the first three rounds) here.

NPR and Edison Research Reveal Results of 2022 Smart Audio Report. The 2022 Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research was released on Thursday (6/16). The report highlights the increased usage of voice technology, with 35% of Americans 18-plus now owning a smart speaker. This year’s study compares the most recent survey results with the 2017 Smart Audio Report, and also revisits families who were interviewed in 2017, creating a comprehensive picture of the changes over the last five years. Some of the key findings from the study include: 1) Voice technology is everywhere: In 2022, 62% of Americans 18-plus use a voice assistant on any device, and those devices can include: smart speakers, smartphones, TV remotes, in-car systems, a computer/laptop, tablet, among others; 2) Overall usage of voice tech is increasing: In 2022, 57% of voice command users use voice commands daily. Twenty percent of smart speaker owners spend most of their audio time listening through a smart speaker, up from 18% in 2017. The weekly number of tasks is increasing: In 2022, smart speaker owners request an average of 12.4 tasks on their device each week, up from 7.5 in 2017. Smartphone voice assistant users request an average of 10.7 tasks weekly, up from 8.8 in 2020; and 3) Ad messages delivered via voice tech are heard: Half of smart speaker owners have heard an ad on their smart speaker. Fifty-three percent of smart speaker owners who have heard an ad on their device agree they are likely to respond to ads on their smart speaker. Almost half (48%) of smart speaker owners who have heard an ad on their device say that compared to hearing an ad in another place, hearing it on their smart speaker would make them more likely to consider the brand. Find out more here.

TALKERS News Notes. Next Tuesday (6/21), Newsmax will present a live New York Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate at 8:00 pm at the famed Kodak Center in Rochester. Moderating the debate for Newsmax will be Eric Bolling and the leading candidates – Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani, Harry Wilson, and Lee Zeldin will take part. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy states, “People across New York are hungry to learn about the Republican candidates as they make their choice in this critical primary. Newsmax is glad to be actively involved across the nation a series of debate and town hall events to further voter awareness.”…..Audacy announces the launch of a new show, “Hey Mayne,” from its sports podcast studio 2400Sports, premiering June 23. Longtime ESPN host Kenny Mayne leads the program that “blends the sports culture with entertainment, politics, music, comedy, and beyond.” Mayne says, “I want to ask guests not just about their work, but who they are. I want to know what people were like in kindergarten. Because I think who you were then is basically who you are today.”…..Nineteen students just successfully completed the Kellar Radio Talent Institute’s broadcast radio training program at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The return of the in-person, 10-day immersive professional development course for college students also marks the first institute to be produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau since it acquired the National Radio Talent System in August of 2020. RAB president and CEO Erica Farber comments, “An integral part of the RAB’s mission is providing the industry with the tools and resources to help broadcasters attract new sales talent to the medium and enhance radio’s professionalism through training and support. Bringing back the talent institutes was a top priority for RAB, and we are excited by this year’s Kellar graduating class, all future broadcasters.”…..iHeartMedia’s WDAS-AM, Philadelphia “FOX Sports Radio, The Gambler” announces that the popular sports podcast “The Divide Live” will make its official broadcast radio debut on the station’s Sunday afternoon drive lineup, effective June 19. Airing from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, “The Divide Live” features two longtime friends – Mike, a diehard Mets fan and Corey, a diehard Yankees fan. Together, the dynamic duo hash it out about all things sports, life and current events…..NRG Media’s sports talk KOZN, Omaha “1620 The Zone” will remain the flagship home for the NCAA Men’s College World Series through 2026. The new five-year contract extension with Westwood One begins this year. NRG Media has been the radio home of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha since 1997…..VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, announces that sports media executive Len Mead will join the VSiN team as general manager. VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musburger states, “Len has excelled at creating original content and growing audience across all platforms throughout his career, and we’re thrilled to add his expertise to our leadership team. Not only does Len bring a wealth of media experience from his prior roles at ESPN, NBC Sports, NESN and others, but he also brings sports betting industry knowledge from his time as head of content for PointsBet. We believe this combination will help VSiN deliver its premium sports betting content to even more bettors, on more platforms, in new ways.”

The Economy and the National Mood Tie for Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 13-17. The state of the U.S. economy, including the sinking Dow & NASDAQ, soaring gas & food prices, and fears of a recession – combined with the unsettled national mood – came together as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week and landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics tied with Tuesday’s midterm election primaries, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM 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, June 16, 2022

By Editor | June 16, 2022 by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Addresses Concerns of Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations. At the TALKERS 2022 convention held at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10, the first panel session of the day was titled “Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations” and probed the issues most pressing to owners of independent stations and those operating small groups of stations. The panel was moderated by KFNX-AM, Phoenix owner Bill Brady (inset), who was introduced by Binnie Media director of brand operations Michael Czarnecki. Appearing on the panel in the photo above were (from l-r): Marc Beaven, general manager, WCBM-AM, Baltimore; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ-AM, Albany; Michael Zwerling, owner, KSCO-AM, Santa Cruz, California; Paul Gleiser, owner/host, KTBB, Tyler Texas; and Todd Starnes, owner, KWAM-AM, Memphis (and host of the syndicated Todd Starnes Show). Video of this complete session will be made available in the coming weeks.

‘Strategizing a Talk Show Hosting Career’ Among Panel Discussions at TALKERS 2022. Last Friday’s TALKERS 2022 convention held at Hofstra University also featured a panel discussion that illuminated some of the challenges that talk hosts face in the modern era, as well as presenting some solutions to those challenges. The panel was moderated by Salem Radio Network personality Mike Gallagher (inset), who was introduced by WPHT, Philadelphia morning drive personality Rich Zeoli. Appearing on the panel in the photo above were (from l-r): Bruce Avery, general manager, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; Heather Cohen, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Martha Zoller, WDUN-AM, Gainesville, Georgia; Frank Morano, host, WABC, New York; Walter Sterling, host, “Sterling on Sunday”; and Brett Winterble, host, WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte. Video of this complete session will be made available in the coming weeks.

Round Three of May 2022 PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s May 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 May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. 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 repeats in the #4 rank despite dipping three-tenths to a 7.9 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share), while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX-AM loses seven-tenths to finish with a 1.9 share good for the #20 rank. iHeartMedia’s KNRS-AM/FM, Salt Lake City is #1 again this month even though it shed 1.2 shares and wrapped the survey with a 9.6 share. Across town, Bonneville’s KSL-AM/FM falls from #2 to #4 after losing 1.5 shares for a 6.1 share finish. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

Cumulus Media Brings ‘The Score’ Back to Providence. Gone for 15 years, Cumulus Media is reviving the sports talk format on WPRV-AM, Providence as “790 The Score.” The station has been airing a business news format since sports talk was jettisoned in 2008. In a YouTube video promoting the change, the company says the new incarnation of “The Score” will include programming from BetQL, CBS Sports Radio’s “Jim Rome Show,” and local personality Kevin McNamara, as well as New York Yankees baseball, Boston Celtics basketball and Brown University football and basketball.

WBZ-AM, Boston Brings ‘Tough as Nails’ Back for a Fifth Season. Local real estate and construction celebrity Cindy Stumpo’s “Tough as Nails” radio show is returning to iHeartMedia’s WBZ-AM, Boston “NewsRadio 1030” Saturday evenings at 8:00. The station says, “Each week, Cindy and [daughter] Samantha welcome guests to unpack the worlds of construction, real estate, renovations, design and more. Cindy and her team are world-renowned for creating opulent floor plans coupled with impeccable attention to detail. Cindy is also known for her raw and uncensored perspective on everything about being a woman in a man’s world. Almost nothing is off limits: panic attacks, menopause, abuse, domestic violence, you’ll never know what’s coming next while being entertained and informed every show. Cindy’s social media presence is unstoppable with over 75,000 followers on Instagram and videos on her YouTube channel regularly garnering 100,000-plus views. Cindy has shown that she is a multimedia force.”

BIA Advisory Services Downgrades U.S. Local Ad Revenue Projections; Significant Growth Still Expected in Radio Digital. This year’s U.S. local advertising forecast is being revised by BIA Advisory Services. The firm says its new estimate is $167.4 billion, down from its original estimate of $173.3 billion issued in December 2021. It cites “headwinds from overseas conflicts, continuing supply chain issues and deep cuts in ad spending from large verticals like automotive” for precipitating the reduction. Positives for the ad market still include an anticipated strong political ad year, the expansion of online gambling local advertising and consumer spending on leisure and recreational activities. BIA SVP and chief economist Mark Fratrik comments, “The year didn’t start as strong as we had anticipated, making for a difficult first two quarters as some expected advertising spend started to retract. On the one hand, personal income continues to rise, but the cost of consumer goods, rising gas prices and inflation are having a major impact and we believe that will influence how advertisers will choose to use their ad dollars in the coming months. All of that must be weighed against what we see as positives for local advertising this year.” The latest forecast estimate still gives traditional media ad revenue a slight advantage over digital at 52.5 % of the ad spend ($87.9 billion), while digital media will get 47.5 % of the ad spend at $79.5 billion. Overall, BIA is decreasing digital estimates slightly from the original 2022 forecast due to mobile facing headwinds amid new privacy measures on iPhones. Additionally, there has been slower than anticipated growth. Even as both digital channels continue to grow, it’s at a reduced pace than originally expected. Significant growth is expected in TV OTA (+30.3 %), TV Digital (+18.3 %) and Radio Digital (+14.5 %).

47^th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon Set for June 22. The leadership of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announces that ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, will host the 47th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon set for June 22 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary content created by, for and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. AWMF chair Heather Cohen comments, “Throughout this past year we have seen a number of remarkable projects by and about inspirational women and Hannah Storm will serve as the ideal host to recognize their work.” AWMF president Becky Brooks adds, “We are honored to shine a spotlight on these women, whose stories have driven cultural awareness, offered entertainment that has made us laugh, cry, and everything in between. We are delighted to return to an in-person format so that we can properly celebrate together.”

TALKERS News Notes. The relationship between ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions is expanding beyond the Monday Night Football “Manningcast.” Now, the two content organizations will premiere a new lineup of original shows, which will launch with six titles produced by Omaha Productions beginning June 20. Manning says, “One of the best parts of the Monday Night Football show is getting to talk about a sport I love with other folks who share the same passion for the game. With this audio network, we want to deliver those same entertaining and informative conversations from a great crew of folks at Omaha Audio, who are not only informed but genuinely love the sports and topics they cover.”…..Sports USA announces that it will cover live broadcasts of the NHL’s 2022 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche. John Alhers will handle play-by-play, Joe Micheletti will serve as color analyst, Billy Jaffe will be the on-ice reporter and Ted Sobel will host the pre and post-game shows, along with the intermission reports…..ARC Software, Inc enters into an agreement with Compass Media Networks tp provide the service that allows networks, producers and other radio service providers to quickly find any radio station to connect with, affiliate, maintain agreements, compliance and much more…..iHeartMedia announces a new partnership with Martha Stewart to produce a new iHeartRadio Original Podcast. iHeartMedia says “The Martha Stewart Podcast” is a talk show style series that will feature intimate, in-depth, probing interviews with some of the most fascinating people in the world – all who are at the top of their respective fields. Stewart says, “I am thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia on my first-ever original podcast series. I think listeners will deeply enjoy these engaging conversations on life and business, which include many interesting takeaways from the notable guests I have the pleasure of interviewing.”

Former KMJ, Fresno Personality Bill Woodward Passes at 81. Former longtime KMJ, Fresno personality Bill Woodward passed away last month at the age of 81. For 37 years, Woodward served as the radio voice of the Fresno State Bulldogs. KMJ program director Blake Taylor says, “Bill was a wonderful mentor. Such gravitas. A true professional. A legend in the broadcasting industry. There’s a reason he’s forever remembered in the Fresno State Athletics Hall of Fame. I miss him, and his play-by-play of Bulldogs sports will always have a place in my heart.”

The Economy/Fed Interest Rate Hike, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, Roe v Wade/Kavanaugh Plot, COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine War, and Western Drought & Extreme Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/15). Soaring gas prices, inflation, and the Fed’s decision to hike interest rates; Tuesday’s primary races and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the January 6 Committee hearings; the Supreme Court’s likely reversal of Roe v Wade and the plot to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh; the rate of COVID-19 cases across the U.S.; Russia’s progress in securing the Luhansk region of Ukraine; and the drought and heatwave in the U.S. West and extreme flooding in Yellowstone 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

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

By Editor | June 15, 2022 by Editor

WOLB-AM, Baltimore’s Larry Young Receives TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured above is WOLB-AM, Baltimore morning drive host Larry Young (left) receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison (right) at the TALKERS 2022 Convention at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10. Young, who has hosted the WOLB morning show since 1998, is retiring at the end of this year.

Newsmax Personality Rob Schmitt Addresses TALKERS 2022 Attendees. Pictured above is Newsmax TV personality Rob Schmitt addressing the lunch crowd at TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10. Schmitt, who previously served with FOX News Channel, hosts the “Rob Schmitt Tonight” program weeknights at 7:00. Schmitt spoke at the lunch program during which WOLB-AM, Baltimore host Larry Young received the Lifetime Achievement Award (see above).

Round Two of May PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. In Washington DC, Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP remains ranked #3 after losing three-tenths for a 7.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish, while Cumulus Media’s crosstown news/talk WMAL-FM tacks on two-tenths to finish with a 3.9 share good for the #10 rank. Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” dominates as the #1 station with a 9.8 share after adding 1.4 shares during the survey. Across town, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO dips one-tenth for a 4.2 share and falls to the #8 rank, while sister all-news WBZ-AM remains locked in the #6 rank after rising one-tenth for a 4.8 share finish. The talk stations in the Twin Cities are locked in a tight battle with Audacy’s WCCO-AM adding a half share to wrap the survey with a 4.5 share and the #12 rank. Hubbard Broadcasting’s KTMY-FM adds six-tenths for a 3.3 share finish and a rise to the #14 rank, while iHeartMedia’s KTLK-AM dips two-tenths, posting a 2.8 share good for the #15 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as yesterday’s first round) here.

Rick Ankiel to Join Good Karma’s ‘ESPN West Palm’ for AM Show Appearances. Baseball great Rick Ankiel is making regular appearances on Good Karma Brand’s WUUB-FM, West Palm Beach “ESPN West Palm” as he joins “Josh Cohen and the HomeTeam with Din Thomas and Tina” in afternoons. His appearances are being sponsored by All Dry of the Treasure Coast restoration and cleanup. Ankiel spent more than 10 years in MLB, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals. He says, “Spending my life in the area I’ve been a fan and even caller to Josh Cohen’s show for many years. I’m excited to join ‘ESPN 106.3’ and Josh Cohen and the HomeTeam with Din Thomas and Tina to talk baseball and more on a regular basis.” ESPN West Palm market manager Stephanie Prince says, “We are excited to have a local legend join the ‘ESPN 106.3’ airwaves! Rick’s experience on and off the field will help create fun, engaging, and appointment listening to our fans.”

Gemini XIII Announces New Ad Sales and Marketing Hires. The new premium audio content, production and marketing services firm Gemini XIII announced the addition of Erica Farmer as vice president, strategic marketing, and Jaclyn Mifka as director of ad operations & planning. Two are based at the company’s New York headquarters and report to co-founder and COO Charles Steinhauer. Farmer was most recently with Westwood One as digital marketing director for the Cumulus Podcast Network. Mifka recently served with ESPN Audio as senior digital & audio sales manager. Gemini XIII co-founder and CEO Spencer Brown comments, “This step marks the first of many in establishing Gemini’s first-class sales and marketing capabilities. Erica and Jaci are experienced audio experts, and we are thrilled to have them join our team.”

TALKERS News Notes. There’s an interview with Chicago comic and media personality Steve Cochran in the Daily Herald by media writer Robert Feder that you can see here. In the interview, Feder asks direct questions of Cochran – who is joining Cumulus Media’s WLS-AM as morning host – about his plans for the new morning show and the 1.0 share, 27^th place program he’s inheriting…..Shining City Audio, a history-focused podcast studio joint venture between Audacy’s C13Originals and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham, announce “History is US,” a six-part audio documentary written and narrated by Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. Audacy says that “‘History is US’ will explore how American history – so indelibly shaped by race – haunts us, and how our past failures and refusals to admit them continue to shape the way we live our lives today.”…..TuneIn announce a new deal with Rivian that says will help to continue “positioning the company as a leader and innovator in bringing premium, live audio to drivers worldwide.” TuneIn CEO Richard Stern says, “We are incredibly excited to be adding Rivian to our existing lineup of automotive and connected car technology partners. At TuneIn, we’re working with the world’s most innovative automotive companies to reinvent radio and live premium audio entertainment for the connected car. Our deep partnerships in the automotive industry enable drivers to discover and access the best audio content from around the world, directly through their dashboard, via a simple touch or voice command via Alexa.”

ATTENTION: TALKERS Heavy Hundred Members. TALKERS has been made aware that a trophy and plaque manufacturing company has been contacting talk show hosts who are listed as being members of the Heavy Hundred (The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America) and is soliciting them to purchase a costly plaque or trophy commemorating the honor. Please be advised that this plaque (or a variety of variations of awards and trophies available in their catalogue) is unofficial and the company – SHOWMARK MEDIA, LLC – enjoys no official connection or licensing agreement with TALKERS. According to TALKERS VP/associate publisher Matthew B. Harrison, “TALKERS has never engaged in charging its award recipients for items or products indicating their receiving an honor bestowed by our organization.”

The Economy, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Gun Control Legislation, Kavanaugh Plot, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Extreme Weather-Yellowstone Damage Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/14). The Fed’s planned meeting today to address the nation’s inflation problem, the soaring price of gasoline & food, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the work in congress to craft gun legislation in the aftermath of the recent deadly mass shootings; the plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the issue of security for justices; the January 6 hearings; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the effect on the world economy; the Western heat & drought and the floods damaging Yellowstone National Park 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, June 14, 2022

By Editor | June 14, 2022 by Editor

Urban One Enters into Deal to Acquire Emmis Communications’ Indy Radio Stations. The price for the four radio stations, two translators and the regional programming network has not been revealed yet, but Urban One, Inc’s definitive asset purchase agreement with Emmis Communications to purchase its Indianapolis radio cluster means Emmis will be effectively out of the radio business. It still owns the licenses to WEPN-FM and WLIB-AM in New York but leases them. Under the terms of this new deal, Urban One will acquire adult contemporary WYXB-FM, country WLHK-FM, news/talk WIBC-FM, sports talk “The Fan” (translators W228CX at 93.5 and W298BB at 107.5), and Network Indiana. Urban One president and CEO Alfred Liggins comments, “These are terrific general market formats and will be a great addition to Urban One in a transaction that is accretive and deleveraging.” Urban One adds that in anticipation of the transaction, it will sell its hip hop WHHH-FM, Indianapolis along with the intellectual property related to WNOW to a third party. Emmis will continue to operate its stations and Urban One will continue to operate WHHH until the transaction closes. Meanwhile, Emmis founder and chairman Jeff Smulyan states, “When Emmis launched our first station, WENS now ‘HANK FM,’ in 1981, I never could have envisioned the journey we would go on. Indianapolis is my hometown, and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish – we’ve become an invaluable contributor to the Indianapolis community, a leader of radio industry initiative and innovation, and a trusted resource for Central Indiana listeners and businesses.” Emmis notes in its press release that in recent years it “has sold many of its media assets and redeployed capital into new ventures which emphasize its sales and marketing experience including: Lencore Acoustics, a leader in high-quality sound masking solutions for commercial applications; Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content for national advertisers; and Digonex, a leading provider of dynamic pricing solutions for attractions and live entertainment industries.”

Round One of May PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC slips by three-tenths to a 3.3 share (weekly, 6+ AHQ share) finish good for the #10 rank. Across town, Audacy’s all-news WINS sheds 1.1 shares to finish with a 3.1 share and the #11 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles loses one-tenth, but remains ranked #3 on the strength of a 5.0 share. Audacy’s all-news KCBS-AM/KFRC-FM, San Francisco is up one-tenth, finishing with a 6.2 share that bumps it into the #2 rank. In Dallas, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP posts a seven-tenths increase that pushes it to the #10 rank with a 3.6 share, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news KRLD-AM is steady at a 2.1 share but falls to the #20 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

TALKERS 2022 Coverage Coming Soon. The 25^th annual installment (and second pandemic-era edition) of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest, and most important national convention – TALKERS 2022 – took place this past Friday, June 10 and by all accounts significantly exceeded expectations. It was widely hailed by many of its longtime participants as “the best ‘TALKERS’ ever!” It was presented by TALKERS in association with Hofstra University’s award-winning radio station WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. Some 275 passionate media professionals from all over the country traveled to the beautiful campus of Hofstra on Long Island to see, hear and meet more than 60 luminary speakers – from talk media programming, management, station ownership, syndication, sales, marketing and technology – tackle the most compelling issues, opportunities and challenges currently at play in the industry. It was a power-packed day of non-stop panels, solo addresses, fireside charts, award presentations, exhibits and networking opportunities. The TALKERS editorial staff is now sifting through hundreds of photos and hours of video preparing extensive coverage of the conference and its enormous treasure trove of content that will be appearing in TALKERS magazine for days and weeks ahead. Pictured at the top of this story is TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (left) interviewing Key Networks-syndicated star Bill O’Reilly (right) during one of three keynote addresses. Pictured in the inset is Premiere Networks nationally syndicated talk radio personality Buck Sexton addressing the attendees during the opening session.

Greta Van Susteren Launches on Newsmax TV Tonight. This evening (6/14), news/talk television pro Greta Van Susteren begins her program on Newsmax TV’s evening lineup. “The Record with Greta Van Susteren” airs at 6:00 pm ET. Van Susteren says, “With all that is going on in the world, I am getting back to my roots — a daily live news show with real reporting from the places where things are happening.” At the same time, Newsmax announces the new daily program schedule on the network: “The Chris Salcedo Show,” 4:00 pm; “Spicer & Co.” with Sean Spicer, Lyndsay Keith, 5:00 pm; “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” 6:00 pm; “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” 7:00 pm; “Eric Bolling The Balance,” 8:00 pm; “Prime News” with Jenn Pellegrino, 9:00 pm; and “Greg Kelly Reports,” 10:00 pm. Newsmax EVP programming Elliot Jacobson comments, “This new schedule will strengthen Newsmax’s ability to deliver hard-hitting news and analysis when Americans need it the most.”

Radio Hall of Fame 2022 Nominees Announced. The nominees for the Radio Hall of Fame class of 2022 have been announced by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The 24 nominees were chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, with input from the radio industry and listeners. Voting for inductees begins Tuesday, June 22 and runs through July 8. The top six vote recipients will gain induction as part of the 2022 Radio Hall of Fame Induction class. The two additional inductees that will make up the eight-person induction class will be selected by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. More than 600 industry members will receive a confidential ballot on Tuesday, June 22, to cast votes for up to six nominated individuals. The confidential ballot will be conducted by Votem.com, and overseen by Miller Kaplan’s Andrew Rosen. The nominees in spoken-word radio include: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, SiriusXM; Dave Ross, KIRO-FM, Seattle; Diane Rehm, WAMU-FM,Washington DC; John & Ken, KFI, Los Angeles; Larry Elder; and Suzyn Waldman, New York Yankees Radio Network. You can see the complete list of nominees here. Radio Hall of Fame co-chairman Kraig T. Kitchin says, “We’ve made changes in 2022, to allow voting participants to vote for up to six nominees for induction, and limit the voting process to knowledgeable industry members. Listeners and industry members alike contributed more than 2,500 suggestions for the Nominating Committee to consider in addition to their own considerations.”

iHeartMedia Names AJ Punjabi Market President for San Francisco. Radio sales and management pro AJ Punjabi moves from iHeartMedia’s Charleston market, where he most recently served as the market president and enterprise leader of the Blockchain/Crypto/NFT category, to San Francisco to serve as market president. iHeartMedia’s San Francisco station group includes business talk KNEW-AM “Bloomberg Radio” and KKSF-AM “BIN: Black Information Network. iHeartMedia division president Scott Hopeck says, “AJ is a talent-focused leader with exceptional digital experience, which will serve him well in the Bay Area, where he will lead a talented team of creators and sales professionals. I’m excited for AJ to begin working with his team and our partners!”

Rob Parker Makes Debut at LA’s The Comedy Store. Last week, FOX Sports Radio personality Rob Parker, co-host of “The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker,” made his stand-up comedy debut at the legendary Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Parker participated in the “Crack’Em Up Comedy” show in the Belly Room, a weekly showcase and workout room featuring rising comedy stars and established comedians. Pictured above are (l-r): Elijah Sebunnya, FOX Sports Radio digital content director; Scott Shapiro, FOX Sports Radio VP of programming; Parker; Jade Kozup, Premiere Networks director of marketing; and Mike Lingard, FOX Sports Radio executive news producer & operations manager.

‘New Jersey 101.5’ to Present Town Hall on ‘Growing Weed in the Garden State.’ This Thursday (6/16) at 7:00 pm,Townsquare Media’s WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” presents the latest in a series of Town Hall broadcasts. “Growing Weed in the Garden State” explores how the legal adult use marijuana industry is impacting New Jersey. The station’s Eric Scott leads a panel that includes law enforcement, legal experts, regulators, growers and dispensary operators. “The sale of legal cannabis products for recreational use generated over $24 million in the first month,” Scott says. “While there is clearly demand for product, unintended consequences are continuing to surface.” The program will explore not only those unintended consequences, but also how legal marijuana sales are positively impacting New Jersey. The program’s on-air panel will feature: Bill Caruso, co-founder of New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform; Rob Nixon with the New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association; New Jersey State Senate president Nicholas Scutari; Chrissy Buteas, chief government affairs officer at New Jersey Business & Industry Association; as well as marijuana cultivators and dispensary operators.

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, White Nationalist Movement, and Western Heat-Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/13). Financial markets hit bear territory, the soaring price of gasoline & food, and concerns about a recession; Monday’s session of the January 6 hearings; the primary elections for November’s midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the effects of the blockade on Ukraine’s major ports; the rate of infections of COVID-19; the arrest of 30 members of the white nationalist organization Patriot Front in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; and the Western heatwave and ongoing drought 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 13, 2022

By Editor | June 13, 2022 by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Exceeds Expectations. The 25^th annual installment (and second pandemic-era edition) of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest, and most important national convention – TALKERS 2022 – took place this past Friday, June 10 and by all accounts significantly exceeded expectations. It was widely hailed by many of its longtime participants as “the best ‘TALKERS’ ever!” It was presented by TALKERS in association with Hofstra University’s award-winning radio station WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. Some 275 passionate media professionals from all over the country traveled to the beautiful campus of Hofstra on Long Island to see, hear and meet more than 60 luminary speakers – from talk media programming, management, station ownership, syndication, sales, marketing and technology – tackle the most compelling issues, opportunities and challenges currently at play in the industry. It was a power-packed day of non-stop panels, solo addresses, fireside charts, award presentations, exhibits and networking opportunities. The TALKERS editorial staff is now sifting through hundreds of photos and hours of video preparing extensive coverage of the conference and its enormous treasure trove of content that will be appearing in TALKERS magazine for days and weeks ahead. Please stay tuned for forthcoming stories, photos and complete video coverage of all sessions. TALKERS founder and convention producer/director Michael Harrison says, “We are deeply grateful to all the attendees and sponsors as well as our colleagues at Hofstra University for making TALKERS 2022 such a rewarding and memorable experience.” Photos: Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo playing the National Anthem during the opening ceremony (above right), and (above left) WPG, Atlantic City morning personality Harry Hurley interviewing FOX News Channel and FOX News Radio star Brian Kilmeade.

Monday Memo: Identify ‘Piano Movers.’ In this week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke asks, “What is difficult for most people but comes easy to you?” It’s a new business brainstorm for sales reps, and what HC calls “a Side-Hustle Alert for on-air talent.” Read it here.

Pending Business: Happy Father’s Day. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa wonders if your station had a sales meeting solely focused on Father’s Day. “Unlike Mother’s Day where ‘natural’ categories like flowers, candy, dinner, spa days, even jewelry make the annual target list, what did your target list look like for Father’s Day? The irony is, the National Retail Foundation projects only an $80 difference in the average gift spends between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. So how creative was your Father’s Day targeting? Was that list much different from your Christmas targeting for dad?” Read his column here.

NJBA President Paul Rotella’s Struggles, Courage and Imminent Victory Over Adversity. One of the most compelling stories in the radio industry has been the personal and professional journey of New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA) president Paul Rotella. He is thankfully on the mend after suffering a terrible health struggle with rare form of meningitis that took him to the brink of death. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, seeing Paul Rotella at this past Friday’s TALKERS 2022 (6/10) bravely walking with the help of a cane and enthusiastically watching, absorbing, cheering and delighting in the comradery of being with his fellow broadcasters, was SO moved that he pulled together his sources, resources and data to pay tribute to the man as quickly as possible. Harrison states, “I consider Paul Rotella to be a spectacular human being, family man, broadcaster, attorney and spokesman not only for the broadcasting community of the Garden State – but a force of nature in spreading a prideful image of the State of New Jersey, in general, across America – not always an easy task.” Harrison penned a tribute to Rotella including a remarkably candid and personal print interview with him that appears in today’s TALKERS. To read it, please click here.

WWO Blog: Pharmaceutical Brands Realize Benefits of AM/FM Advertising. In this week’s blog from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group comes information from a comprehensive analysis of the pharmaceutical category that included data from Nielsen Media Impact, Nielsen’s media plan optimization tool; a MARU/Matchbox national study conducted over the course of two years from February 2020 through October 2021; and pharmaceutical ad creative testing results from the Advertising Benchmark Index. Cumulus Media EVP, marketing and Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes, says, “Pharmaceutical brands have discovered network radio, and it is one of our fastest growing categories. The big revelation for pharma brand advertising is that audio does all the heavy lifting, and the visuals are secondary. ABX creative testing reveals radio creative performs at 90% of the effectiveness of TV for 25% of the CPM.” Some of the highlights of the studies include: 1) According to Nielsen Media Impact, pharmaceutical/OTC brands see an average incremental reach increase of +38% when including AM/FM radio with TV; 2) Shifting 20% of an arthritis medication’s TV budget to AM/FM radio afforded the brand a significant reach advantage versus its competition (+29%) and increased its total share of voice from 22% to 39%; and 3) A pharmaceutical brand saw its TV reach drop -33% over a four-year period with the same spend due to the erosion of TV audiences. Shifting 30% of the October 2021 TV budget to AM/FM radio recovered the lost reach, generating a +51% lift in campaign reach. See more from the blog here.

Chris Williams Exits KXNO-AM/FM, Des Moines. Sports talk radio personality Chris Williams reveals via Twitter that he’s exited iHeartMedia sports talk outlet KXNO-AM/FM, Des Moines in order to focus on his family life. Williams has been serving as co-host of the afternoon drive program “The Sports Fanatics” with Ross Peterson. Williams tweeted, “When I was attending journalism school at Iowa State in the mid 2000s, my dream was to one day host a sports talk show on the iconic 1460 KXnO. For the last seven-plus years, I have had the privilege to live this dream. A lot has changed since then. I now have two beautiful daughters Cami (7) and Elyse (2), who I love more than I knew was even possible. Ross Peterson was my friend. He is now a brother who will be family forever. I recently made the decision to leave KXnO as a daily host to focus on my young family. The 3-6 time slot is an honor to fill, but also takes a major toll on family when you have young kids (especially when you have aspirations to be the best little league softball coach in the metro). I leave KXnO excited to be a better husband, son, friend and human being.”

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Gun Legislation, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Western Heat-Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The soaring price of gasoline and food, sinking tech stocks, and worries about a recession; today’s scheduled second January 6 Committee hearing; Russia’s advances in the war in Ukraine and the conflict’s effect on the world economy; the attempts at bi-partisan gun legislation; the ousting of San Francisco’s progressive DA, the November midterm elections, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the Western heatwave and drought were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 10, 2022

By Editor | June 10, 2022 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, “2022 ½,” is a special edition of the program that looks back at the first six months of 2022. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/podcaster, MDEdge Psychcast; Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; and Steve Weisman, law professor, Bentley University, Boston/founder Samicide.com. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

TALKERS 2022 Convention Takes Place Today at Hofstra University. The 25^thannual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest and most important convention, TALKERS 2022, is taking place today on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio. Its speaker lineup and attendees comprise a “who’s who” of the talk media industry and its agenda will boldly address the most compelling industry issues of the modern era. For video coverage of the convention, be sure to check in with TALKERS magazine every day in the coming weeks.

Stephan’s Show Rebrands, Moves to USA Radio Networks. In addition to jettisoning the title of his program from “The DJV Show” to its original “Good Day” moniker, Doug Stephan will segue his program to the USA Radio Network. Officially re-launching next Monday (6/13), “Good Day” with Stephan and co-host Jai Kershner will merge with USA’s “Daybreak.” The show Stephan launched in 1988 will continue to air in the morning and remains designed to time-shift to other dayparts. Affiliation will be handled by USA Radio Network, with that web’s president Chip Miller stating, “I’m excited to welcome Doug and ‘Good Day’ to the USA Radio Network family. Doug is an iconic fixture in morning radio throughout the country and we look forward to working with [him] and the ‘Good Day’ team. The lifestyle, non-political content ‘Good Day’ offers is something we feel more stations will welcome during a time when there’s so much going on in the world and in our society. Doug and ‘Good Day’ will serve as the cornerstone for an exciting growth plan for the network. This is our first programming change and show addition since acquiring the network in December 2021.” Stephan comments, “We’ve been hearing from some of our more than 300 affiliates of their frustration with how negative many news/talk programs have become. This move enables us to continue to present the news you need to know, along with our opinions, in addition to the positives that we see every day.” There will be no change in the format clock; technical; traffic; or sales partners. Stephan is the longest running syndicated host of a daily talk show and appears at #29 on TALKERS’ 2022 “Heavy Hundred.”

Guthrie Named iHM Florida Division President. Former six-year Cox Media Group president/chief executive officer Kim Guthrie is set to become iHeartMedia’s Florida division president. In that position, she will succeed Linda Byrd, who retires next month (7/15). Guthrie will report directly to iHeartMedia Markets Group president Hartley Adkins, who states, “At iHeart, we pride ourselves on being a ‘talent first’ company; this decision reflects that commitment. It’s rewarding to find someone who both understands what our listeners need and how to operate in a multi-platform environment. Kim checks every box and more. We’re thrilled she chose to bring her talents to iHeart. Her CEO experience at Cox Media Group makes her uniquely-qualified for this position.” Guthrie adds, “I am very excited to announce my ‘un-retirement.’ iHeart has become a true employment destination and I’m thrilled to be part of America’s #1 audio company. iHeart’s leadership has built a culture of respect, transparency and innovation. The entire team has made me feel like I can make a difference here.” Guthrie joined Cox Media Group in 1998 as vice president/general manager for its Long Island radio station group and later became executive vice president of CMG’s national ad platforms. As Cox Media Group’s CEO, she had complete oversight of the company, including nearly 100 broadcast radio and television stations; dozens of digital assets; and newspapers. She started her career as a television news reporter and anchor for several ABC affiliates. Guthrie was named “Woman of Distinction” by the March of Dimes and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In addition, she won the “Trailblazer Award” from Mentoring And Inspiring Women In Radio and the “Women Who Lead” honor from the Alliance For Women In Media.

Radio Mercury Awards Winners Announced. The 31^stannual such event was held last night (Thursday, 6/9) in-person at New York’s Sony Hall, as well as virtually. This year’s “Best of Show” award was presented to FCB Chicago for its “Go RVing” radio commercial. Other winners included: Mockingbird, iHeartRadio App, The Studio at iHeartMedia (“Creative Radio Promotional Spot or Campaign by a Radio Station or Group”); Great American Settlers, Spreaker.com, The Studio at iHeartMedia tied with Kiddie Pool, The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Water Park, The Studio at iHeartMedia (“Creative Radio Commercial by a Radio Station or Group”); Tick Suck, Steve’s Pest Control, Zimmer Radio & Marketing Group; Dog Years, Motel 6, Barkley (Creative Radio Commercial by an Agency, Production Company, Or Advertiser); and Moolah, Georgia Lottery, BBDO Atlanta. Radio Mercury Awards chief judge/Campbell Ewald executive creative director Ale Ortiz comments, “It’s been an honor to be at this year’s Radio Mercury Awards and to award the incredible lineup of winners. The final round jury and I were very impressed by the winners’ ability to not only entertain listeners, but tell stories through radio and audio.” According to Radio Advertising Bureau president and chief executive officer/Radio Creative Fund chair Erica Farber, “This year’s awards once again proved the power of sound and demonstrated the strength of radio and audio in conveying a brand’s message. This was an incredible night for radio. It was so great to celebrate with everyone both in person and online.” Presenters from this year’s final round jury and advisory council included: freelance creative consultant Larissa Kirschner-Chaney; Josh Grossberg (McCann Health); Nicky Lorenzo (Taylor Global); Ciro Sarmiento (Weber Shandwick); and Joyce King Thomas (King Thomas). Event sponsors of this year’s event were Audacy and iHeartMedia. Dedicated sponsors included CBS News Radio, Hubbard Broadcasting and World Wide Wadio. General sponsors were Beasley Media Group; Cumulus Media/Westwood One; Katz Media Group; Salem Media Group; Skyview Networks; Sound and Fury; and WideOrbit, along with Friends of the Mercuries sponsors Forcht Broadcasting; Neuhoff Media; Nielsen; Triton Digital; and vCreative. For the complete list of winners and to listen to their work, go to www.RadioMercuryAwards.com. Shown in the photo are (left to right): Ale Ortiz; FCB Chicago’s Justin Enderstein and Andrés Ordóñez; and Erica Farber.

WTOP Partners With Greater DC-Maryland’s National MS Chapter. Through a series of on-air and online promotions, Hubbard Radio Washington, DC’s all-news WTOP will raise awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Announcements will highlight various MS events in the community in an effort to increase registrations – and ultimately – donations. WTOP general manager Joel Oxley states, “We wanted to do everything we could to help amplify the critical mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our hope is that, through this partnership, we can help those in their journey with MS and work towards a world free of this devastating disease.” National MS Society Greater DC-Maryland Chapter president Chartese Berry remarks, “We are sincerely grateful [to] WTOP and their amazing partnership in joining our quest towards a world free of MS. Their strong reach in the region will help immensely in raising much needed awareness and funds to support the nearly one million people in the United States living with MS.” WTOP senior sports director Dave Johnson and WTOP anchor/reporter Mike Murillo were diagnosed with MS in 2019 and 2016, respectively. The two will contribute to the campaign by sharing their stories about how MS has effected them and their families. Johnson declares, “MS: Look out we are coming after you. We have the community and we have the support. My mom lost her battle to MS in 1979, and now with my WTOP family and the MS Society we are going to finish the fight.” Murillo adds, “I am so thankful to have benefited from new treatments for MS, but there is so much still to do including finding ways to repair the damage the disease can cause. With your help, I truly believe there will soon come a day when we can say there’s a cure for MS.” WTOP will highlight volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

TALKERS News Notes. Veteran NPR reporter/political correspondent Juana Summers is named one of the rotating co-hosts for the network’s flagship afternoon news program, “All Things Considered.” Summers has been covering politics, race, and justice for the network. She joins Alisa Chang, Mary Louise Kelly, and Ari Shapiro. Summers succeeds Audie Cornish, who departed NPR in January for CNN. According to VP/news programming Sarah Gilbert, “Propelled by her authoritative reporting expertise, versatile journalistic talent, and drive to explore and interrogate the most challenging questions of the moment, Juana emerged as the top candidate.” Summers states, “In my work as a political correspondent, I spend a lot of time talking with young people about the country and the world that they are inheriting. It’s made me think about the future of our audience and the opportunities that we have to grow. I’m excited to play a role in introducing a new, diverse generation of listeners to the blend of powerful storytelling, accountability journalism and culturally relevant conversations that can only [be found] on NPR.” Summers – who previously worked at Politico, CNN, Mashable and The Associated Press – begins her new duties in just over two weeks (6/27) … Housing and Urban Development secretary Marcia Fudge guested this past Sunday (6/5) on Multicultural Broadcasting-owned KBLA “Talk 1580,” Los Angeles’ “A More Perfect Union.” The HUD secretary and KBLA’s chief national political analyst, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, discussed the city’s homelessness problem; the need for affordable housing; and creative ways for first-time buyers to purchase a home and down payment assistance. Fudge commented that HUD is committed to equity by eliminating redlining of “certain kinds of neighborhoods.” … Effective next Monday (6/13), Randy Cable commences as director of sales for Beasley Media Group’s Fort Myers/Naples cluster, which includes sports talk WBCN “ESPN Southwest Florida.” Vice president/market manager AJ Lurie comments, “The more people I asked about Randy, the more excited I got about having him on our team. I think he will be a perfect complement to our brands, products, and family here in Southwest Florida.” Spring Valley, New York native Cable notes, “I am thrilled to join the Beasley family and look forward to working with the incredible team in Fort Myers. I am passionate about helping our team help local businesses thrive and prosper with great ideas and our ability to develop/execute powerful fully-integrated radio and digital campaigns.” Cable formerly was integrated sales manager for Cox Media Group’s Miami and Jacksonville stations, and spent eleven years as director of sales for Audacy Greenville (South Carolina) … The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association (CAPBA) recognizes Your Public Radio-owned public radio news/talk WYPR, Baltimore with five (5) first-place awards and seven (7) second-place awards for work done in 2021. Its first-place citations are in “Outstanding News Series”; “Outstanding Public Affairs”; “Outstanding Specialty Reporting”; “Outstanding Documentary/In-Depth Reporting”; and “Outstanding Serious Feature.” The CAPBA awards ceremony was held last Saturday (6/4) in Ocean City, Maryland. … In addition to hosting afternoon drive on iHeartMedia Des Moines news/talk WHO “News Radio 1040,” Simon Conway has been doing morning drive on similarly-formatted Orlando sibling WFLA “News Radio” and today adds a national assignment, filling in for Joe Pagliarulo. Conway’s PM drive program is simulcast on iHM’s WMT-AM “News Radio AM 600,” Cedar Rapids and WOC “News Talk 1420,” Davenport (Iowa). … Among the Delta Radio Greenville, Mississippi properties McConnell “Man@Large Adams will oversee as the newly-appointed operations director is WNIX “News Talk.” Adams most recently was director of content for Townsquare Media Lansing (Michigan).

Primaries and Trump & the GOP Top News/Talk Stories This Week. This week’s primary races – as well as the recall election of San Francisco’s progressive district attorney – combined as the top news/talk story for the week of June 6 – 10. At #2 this week was the U.S. economy, including the high price of gasoline and food, plus the concerns about a recession, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten 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.

The Road Ahead. With TALKERS 2022 taking place today (Friday, 6/10) on the campus of Hofstra University, this marks our publication’s biggest day on the calendar. We’re right back at it again though next week, as TALKERS vice president/executive editor Kevin Casey leads team coverage of TALKERS 2022 highlights; in addition, we will post regular Monday morning memos from Holland Cooke and Steve Lapa. Later in the week, editor/publisher Michael Harrison reveals his latest guest on “The Michael Harrison Podcast,” while managing editor Mike Kinosian begins his four-part series on “Takeaways” from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 survey period.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, June 9, 2022

By Editor | June 9, 2022 by Editor

Mike “Bax” Baxendale, Morning Talk Show Co-Host at ‘Rock 102,’ Springfield is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Often referred to by Michael Harrison as a “talk radio pound-for-pound champion” Mike “Bax” Baxendale – who has reigned over Western Massachusetts radio ratings and revenue for the past 27 years on an extraordinary level – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Known to his loyal legion of listeners simply as “Bax,” Baxendale has been enormously successful as a key member of the evolving WAQY “Rock 102” morning team since 1995 and is still going strong. First, he enjoyed an amazingly long run with talented co-host John O’ Brien (Bax & O’ Brien) and now the momentum continues with co-hosts Steve Nagle and Dave Coombs (“Bax, Steve and Dave”). See photo (l-r) Bax, Steve Nagle and Dave Coombs. Bax has become, according to Harrison, “a quintessential example of the notable breed of radio talker operating within the context of a duo or team on a music FM station where politics is mostly local, unpredictably non-partisan and not the only focus of interest.” Harrison continues, “This hard-working broadcaster talks politics, music, sports, and a wide scope of day-to-day issues and his range covers silly to serious, irreverent to respectful.” Harrison and Bax talk about the business realities faced by duos and teams on radio as well as the differences between how talk show hosts on music radio stations approach their audiences in terms of subject matter and attitude and those who perform on traditional news/talkers. Harrison refers to his own talk roots in FM music radio. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Podtrac Releases Top Podcast Publishers and Podcasts for May. Releasing its Top Podcast Publishers and Top Podcasts for the month of May based on U.S. unique monthly audience, Podtrac reports that iHeartRadio is #1 with a unique monthly audience of 29.4 million. NPR comes in at #2 with a unique monthly audience of 18.9 million. Other publishers in the top 20 include Daily Wire at #7 (repped by Cumulus Podcast Network), PodcastOne at #8 FOX Audio Network at #11, Blaze Media at #13, and Cumulus Podcast Network at #16. For the top 20 podcasts based on unique monthly audience, Podtrac ranks “The Daily” from The New York Times at #1, followed by “NPR News Now” at #2. “The Ben Shapiro Show” is ranked #5. Other radio-related shows include iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” at #8, “FOX News Radio Hourly Newscast” at #11, and “The Dan Bongino Show” at #13. See the complete charts here.

Glades Media Names 25-Year Rush Limbaugh Engineer as Chief Operating Officer. Radio pro Brian Johnson – who served for 25 years as the radio broadcast engineer for “The Rush Limbaugh Show” – is the new chief operating officer for Glades Media. The company co-founders – Robert Castellanos, chairman and chief executive officer, and James Johnson, chief financial officer – will continue their roles. Castellanos says, “For the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Brian and seeing first-hand what an outstanding broadcaster he’s become. Brian’s passion for radio and people is evident in how he approaches every opportunity and challenge. I look forward to building upon our business partnership as we continue navigating the broadcast media landscape.” Johnson spent 25 years as Limbaugh’s personal engineer, a role that began when the conservative radio icon moved to Palm Beach in 1996. Johnson comments, “It was a blessing to work side by side with the greatest broadcaster in our business. I’m eager to apply that experience and insight into my new role at Glades Media.” Johnson also owns BMZ Broadcasting, LLC and leases WLMX-FM to Glades Media.

Bret Burkhart Joins Audacy’s All-News KCBS-AM, San Francisco. Bay Area news pro Bret Burkhart is joining Audacy’s all-news KCBS-AM as a news anchor. Burkhart joins the station after spending the last 23 years at Cumulus Media’s crosstown news/talk KGO-AM and most recently was an anchor during the station’s morning and midday shows. Audacy San Francisco SVP and market manager Stacey Kauffman states, “We are incredibly fortunate that Bret is continuing his already illustrious career as an anchor for his hometown KCBS. He brings to KCBS a comprehensive and complex skill set that we will all benefit from. Bret knows politics, the Bay Area, what makes a good story and how to tell it, and we look forward to welcoming him aboard.” Burkhart comments, “KCBS is the gold standard for news around the Bay Area and beyond and I feel so fortunate to be joining an amazing group of broadcasters and storytellers.”

Adams Radio Launches Voluntary Employee Donation Drive to Benefit the Broadcasters Foundation of America. The company says that this voluntary employee donation drive is designed to “help create awareness and raise funds for the Broadcasters Foundation of America, a 501(c)3 charity that provides aid to fellow broadcasters in acute need from life-altering illness, accident, or other disaster.” The plan allows all Adams Radio Group employees the opportunity to set up automatic payroll deductions, in any amount, as donations to the Broadcasters Foundation. Adams president Ron Stone states, “When I learned that the sole mission of the Broadcasters Foundation is to provide financial assistance to our colleagues who, through no fault of their own, are in desperate need, I knew we had to get involved. These broadcasters are our colleagues. I would ask every radio group to consider helping the only charity that is dedicated solely to helping our colleagues.” BFoA co-president Jim Thompson says, “We’re very grateful to Ron for launching a voluntary employee donation drive to benefit the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation. With help from broadcasters like Ron, we can continue to provide aid to those in our industry who need it most.”

Cumulus Media Extends ABL Credit Facility. The company states that its indirect wholly owned subsidiary – Cumulus Media New Holdings Inc. – is entering into an amendment of its existing $100 million revolving credit facility. The amendment, among other things, extends the maturity from 2025 to 2027 subject to certain springing maturity conditions. As of June 8, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “By extending the ABL through 2027, we are locking in a long-term, favorable source of liquidity – enhancing our already strong balance sheet and increasing our financial flexibility as we continue to evolve from a one-dimensional radio broadcaster to a multi-dimensional audio media company. This action follows the expiration of the $25 million tender offer pursuant to our $50 million share buyback program and demonstrates our continuing commitment to making operational and financial decisions that enhance shareholder value.”

iHeartMedia Rebrands WBZT-AM, West Palm Beach as “1230 The Gambler.” The West Palm Beach sports talk station is rebranding as “Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler” and is using content from VSiN, The Sports Betting Network iHeartMedia’s WBZT-AM will air 22 hours of live VSiN programming daily in addition to Miami Marlins baseball games and University of Florida football and basketball matchups. Additionally, ‘The Gambler’ will feature “The Greek Zone” live from South Florida, weekday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Station PD Brian Mudd comments, “We’re thrilled to bring this informative and entertaining brand of sports talk to local sports fans. Sports betting as a 24/7 format, and specifically the expert analysis from VSiN and our very own Greek, is a perfect choice for ‘The Gambler.’”

Primary Elections/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Attempted Kavanaugh Attack, Gun Violence-Legislation, Russia-Ukraine War, Extreme Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/8). The results of Tuesday’s primary elections, the ouster of San Francisco’s liberal DA, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; today’s beginning of the January 6 Committee hearings; the soaring price of gasoline & food and concerns about a recession; a California man is arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home intending to do him harm; the recent spate of gun violence and attempts to craft gun control legislation; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and is effect on the global economy; and the severe heatwave forecast for the Southwest 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

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

By Editor | June 8, 2022 by Editor

Steve Cochran to Host Morning Drive on WLS-AM, Chicago. Chicago media personality Steve Cochran is joining Cumulus Media to host the morning drive show on news/talk WLS-AM, effective June 15. Cochran served as morning drive host at Nexstar Media’s crosstown news/talk WGN-AM from 2013 to 2019. He’s been producing two podcasts since his exit from WGN – one titled “Live from My Office” and another with Patty Steele called “The Deep 6 with Patty Steele – both of which he says he’ll continue to produce, according to a report by Chicago media writer Robert Feder. Cochran is taking over the morning show from Bruce St. James, who was brought in from Phoenix in December of 2020 to host the morning show after Erich Mancow Muller exited the station. WLS program director Stephanie Tichenor says, “I’m delighted to welcome Steve to our team, where I know he will bring his wisdom, wit, and political prowess to morning drive. Our listeners need a place to feel safe to express their opinions while having a destination for entertainment, news, and, of course, conservative conversation. Steve will provide that for our Chicagoland audience. I’m looking forward to growing 890 with Steve Cochran in the mornings.” Cochran comments, “Like thousands of others, I did my homework listening to The Big 89 WLS when I was a kid. It’s an honor to say those call letters, and I can’t wait to get started.” Cochran is represented by John McConnell at Workhouse Media.

Cumulus Names Lisa Waks SVP Digital Partnerships and Business Development. Digital media pro Lisa Waks is named SVP, digital partnerships and business development, in which she’ll lead Cumulus Podcast Network’s content acquisition strategy and content pipeline development, with a focus on personality-driven brand franchises in the news; business, money & tech; sports; and entertainment verticals. Waks was most recently head of global media partnerships, strategy, and operations for TED Conferences, where she expanded their digital business, streamlined operations, and launched the TED Audio Collective. Cumulus EVP corporate marketing and Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes says, “Lisa is a trailblazer who has spent years creating new businesses, building new revenue streams, and forging successful and enduring partnerships. We are excited for her to bring this fire and focus to Cumulus to help us continue to expand the Cumulus Podcast Network with innovative, interesting, and unique content that is craved by listeners and partners alike.” Waks comments, “I am thrilled to begin the next chapter in my career with such a long-standing and prestigious organization. Cumulus is best-in-class, leading the audio industry with a wide range of voices and premium content. I believe in the power of the spoken word, and through smart collaborations we will successfully deepen connections and community.”

Adrian Warren Named VP of Sales for iHeartMedia Jacksonville. Radio sales pro Adrian Warren is named vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Jacksonville cluster, effective June 13. The company says that in this role, Warren will be responsible driving revenue across the market’s entire broadcast and digital cluster, with a specific focus on WJBT-FM, WSOL-FM and the Black Information Network. Warren most recently served with Radio One in Indianapolis as digital sales manager and local sales manager. iHeartMedia area president for North Florida Paul Rogers comments, “I’m really excited to have Adrian join our leadership team here on the First Coast of Florida. His track record, personal character, and specific experience with some of the same diverse brands we represent here in Jacksonville were a perfect fit for us, and we were fortunate to get him. I’m confident he’ll help us get back to our market-leading revenue position.”

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Lizzie Baumgartner is returning to Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM to serve as managing editor of podcasts. Most recently, she’s been serving the company as audio production coordinator for its alternative rock and country stations. Her previous role with WBBM was as assistant producer…..A number of executive promotions are taking place at Triton Digital. Stephanie Donovan is now global head of revenue. Alex Fournier is named chief technology officer. Benjamin Masse rises to chief product officer, and Molly Glover Gallatin joins the executive team as SVP of marketing and Jelli customer experience. Triton says the promotions “further support the company’s recent integration of Jelli to accelerate the development of innovative technology that serves the entire audio ecosystem across radio, streaming, and podcasting.”…..SiriusXM is presenting coverage of the Belmont Stakes, the third and final jewel of thoroughbred racing’s 2022 Triple Crown, this Saturday, June 11 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The wire-to-wire race broadcast of the Belmont Stakes is provided by NBC Sports Audio Network.

Making Dreams Come True. Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz (right) before a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game. Katz says, “Being the number one talk radio personality in Central Virginia brings some perks like being asked to throw out the first pitches for the area’s two big baseball teams – the Tri-City Chili Peppers and the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I got those calls but realized there is something better than doing it yourself and that’s making a dream come true for someone else. So, citing my health issues like ‘outgrown hair and a torn rotator cufflink,’ I asked Emily Morrissey (second from left) if she’d be willing to help him. Emily is a 23-year-old young lady with cerebral palsy and other challenges, but she brought the heat and did a great job as my ringer at both Shepard Stadium in Colonial Heights, Virginia and The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia. Emily personally makes beautiful bracelets which are available at www.emilysbracelets.com and donates a portion of the proceeds to the Special Olympics of Virginia. Each player on the Chili Peppers and the Flying Squirrels wore one of her bracelets in their respective team colors during their games.”

Primary Elections/Donald Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Gun Violence-Legislation, and COVID-19 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/7). Tuesday’s primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Thursday’s hearings before the January 6 Committee; the soaring price of gasoline & food, plummeting tech stocks and concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its effect on the global economy; reactions to the recent episodes of gun violence and attempts at gun legislation; and the status of COVID-19 in the U.S. were some of most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

By Editor | June 7, 2022 by Editor

Jason DeRusha Named PM Drive Host at WCCO, Minneapolis as Part of New Lineup. Longtime Twin Cities television news personality Jason DeRusha is joining Audacy as the new host of the afternoon drive program, effective June 27. WCCO brand manager Brad Lane says, “Jason’s not only a beloved and trusted Minnesota broadcaster, he also has the rare ability to truly connect and engage with everyone he talks to. Whether he’s delivering breaking news, telling a family story or giving a restaurant recommendation, people trust him like a friend, and that’s exactly what the legacy and future of 830 WCCO is all about.” DeRusha has spent nearly two decades as a reporter and anchor at WCCO-TV, including co-hosting “WCCO Mornings” since 2013 and winning nine regional Emmy Awards for his work there. In addition, he’s one of the market’s best-known foodies – from being named a James Beard Award finalist for his “DeRusha Eats” television segment to serving as food critic and editor at Minnesota Monthly magazine, a role he’ll continue. He says, “I have always loved the creativity, the unpredictability, and the interactive qualities of radio. I can’t wait to bring my love for Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, as well as my two decades of curiosity about our neighbors and our news to 830 WCCO. Not many people get to have one dream job, let alone two. I’ve loved my time in television and can’t wait to dive into a new dream job in radio and podcasting.” Additonally, longtime 830 WCCO news anchor Adam Carter is being promoted to co-host a new show alongside Jordana Green, airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Green’s longtime co-host Paul Douglas will set aside daily hosting duties to become WCCO Radio’s chief meteorologist. Douglas will appear on air throughout the day and ensure the station remains Minnesota’s most trusted source for severe weather updates.

Chris Duel Moves to Morning Drive Show at WOAI, San Antonio. Talk radio personality Chris Duel is moving from iHeartMedia’s sports talk KTKR-AM, San Antonio and KVET, Austin where he co-hosted the morning drive show with Shannon “Salty” Sweeney to the company’s news/talk WOAI, San Antonio as part of the “San Antonio’s First News” alongside Charity McCurdy, Tim Merryman, and Charlie Parker. Duel tweeted the news, saying, “This is an honor on many levels, especially because I began my radio career in 1997 at WOAI when the late Andrew Ashwood hired me onto the 50,000-watt blowtorch. I worked with Charlie, Tim, and Charity in my first radio incarnation, so this is truly a homecoming for me. My sincere thanks to iHeartRadio executives Matt Martin, Jason McCollim, and Brian Gann for offering me this incredible opportunity.”

Wayne Allyn Root Knighted. Pictured above is Las Vegas-based talk radio host Wayne Allyn Root (center) receiving the honor of being knighted on June 5 at Royal Knighting Ceremony and Gala at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Root was knighted by Prince Rafael (left) of the Royal House of Cappadocia. Root is now a Knight in the Royal Order of Constantine the Great & St. Helen and can forever claim the title “Sir Wayne Allyn Root.” Root was knighted for his notable achievements in entrepreneurship and entertainment – including his 40 years as television and radio host and producer. Other notables knighted at the ceremony included Sir Alec Stern, billionaire founder of ConstantContact; Sir Ray Parker Jr., songwriter for many of the biggest hits in music including “Ghostbusters,” as well as guitarist for The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and Barry White; and Sir Rolando Blackman, former NBA superstar.

TALKERS News Notes. The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards were announced last weekend and Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP, Washington picked up 11 First Place honors, including Outstanding News Operation and Outstanding Newscast. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “As a 24/7 news operation, our work never stops. We are honored that work was recognized by CAPBA. These awards are truly a testament to the hard work of our entire news team.”…..AdLarge signs an ad sales partnership deal with the “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting” podcast, hosted by psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and journalist Reena Ninan. On the program, Dr. Damour and Ninan address everyday parental concerns such as starting a new school year, managing friendships, kids and sports, and technology. They also tackle difficult topics such as anxiety, depression, and suicide…..Hearst Television’s WBAL, Baltimore “NewsRadio 1090 AM / 101.5 FM” and the Naval Academy Athletic Association have agreed to a multi-year extension to their long-running partnership that will keep the station as the flagship of the Navy Football Radio Network. WBAL president and GM Dan Joerres says, “We are thrilled to continue to bring Navy football to our listeners every Saturday during the fall, including the time-honored tradition of the Army-Navy game. It’s truly an honor to partner with such a prestigious institution.”

January 6 Hearing, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Deadly Shootings/Gun Control, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, and Musk & Twitter Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/6). Thursday’s scheduled January 6 Committee hearing and the charging of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and others charged with seditious conspiracy; the primary elections for November’s midterms, LA and SF democrats on the ropes, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the spate of deadly shootings and attempts at gun control legislation; the soaring price of gasoline & food and fears of a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and Elon Musk threatens to end Twitter acquisition over spam & fake accounts data 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 6, 2022

By Editor | June 6, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Your Podcast Isn’t a Broadcast. “Everyone-who’s-anyone is podcasting,” consultant Holland Cooke observes. “And – like Howard Stern migrating to satellite radio – their content is growing the platform.” Thousands and thousands of hobbyists are podcasting, “some doing quite well, though many sound amateurish compared to the more polished way we professional broadcasters can execute.’ In this week’s column, HC notes how, “for all their rough edges, podcasters are better than broadcasters at one thing podcasts do well.” Read it here.

Pending Business: Local Host vs Facebook. Should an ad read by your local talk show host command a higher CPM than a Facebook ad? Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says absolutely yes, and for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the host’s credibility, personal touch, and the trust they have built with their audience. Read more here.

Harry Hurley, WPG Morning Star, to Contribute $6,000 to Broadcasters Foundation at TALKERS 2022. In what has become somewhat of a radio industry tradition, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ morning show host Harry Hurley’s Hurley in the Morning Charity Foundation (501c3) will pay tribute to the Broadcasters Foundation of America (501c3) at TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University on June 10 and in the process donate $6,000 to the cause. Each year since TALKERS 2017, Hurley has made a donation to the BFoA in increasing amounts of $1,000 per year beginning with a one thousand dollar grant the first year achieving a total of $21,000. The Broadcasters Foundation of America’s mission is to improve the quality of life and maintain the personal dignity of men and women in the radio and television broadcast profession who find themselves in acute financial need due to a critical illness, accident, advanced age or other serious misfortune. Photo: Harry Hurley holding a check to the BFoA at TALKERS 2019. To listen to a conversation between TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and Harry Hurley about this year’s donation please click here.

Steve Scully to Host New Show on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel. Longtime C-SPAN journalist Steve Scully is joining SiriusXM to host the new program “The Briefing with Steve Scully” on SiriusXM’s political talk channel P.O.T.U.S. Scully, who serves as SVP at Washington DC’s Bipartisan Policy Center, “will take listeners inside the stories and conversations that are shaping the day in the nation’s capital. From breaking Supreme Court rulings to debates in Congress and briefings from The White House, the program will consider all sides and every perspective, helping listeners stay on top of what’s happening within the Beltway and beyond.” Scully says, “I am thrilled to join the SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. family to share my enthusiasm for politics and public policy with a very smart audience. I look forward not only to focusing on the developing stories of the day, but also to giving listeners a deeper context to complex issues. Together, we will peel back the layers of stories to provide new information with elected officials, key policy makers and leading journalists.”

WWO: Study Reveals Value of AM/FM Ad Campaign. The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group shares the results of a study it commissioned The Harris Poll to do in an effort to understand the performance of the leading meal kit delivery service’s advertising performance. Some of the findings of the study include: 1) AM/FM radio worked for the meal kit delivery service. The test of AM/FM radio advertising was very successful. Between the pre- and post-campaigns, heavy AM/FM radio listeners generated immense brand equity growth, two times greater than the average. Heavy AM/FM listeners, those with the greatest opportunity to hear the campaign, delivered the largest lifts for familiarity and consideration; 2) Heavy historical use of podcast advertising resulted in significant awareness, consideration, and brand equity among the podcast audience for the meal kit delivery service brand. Due to sustained prior use of podcast advertising, podcast listeners far outperformed the average consumer across tested brand measures. Comparing podcast listeners to the general population, the meal kit delivery service had much stronger brand equity (+43%), consideration (+34%), and familiarity (+34%); 3) The meal kit delivery service’s AM/FM radio and podcast campaign boosted purchase intention metrics. The AM/FM radio campaign drove positive movement throughout the purchase funnel. Since the pre-campaign period, there was growth in familiarity (+22%), trial (+5%), and usage (+10%) among heavy AM/FM radio listeners. Among podcast listeners, familiarity grew +4%, trial +21%, and usage +51%; and 4) Growth opportunity: Expand to consistent use of AM/FM radio advertising. As media effectiveness grows with the number of media channels utilized, meal kit delivery service brands have an opportunity to add reach and avoid podcast message saturation by using AM/FM radio. Among meal kit users, 56% only listen to AM/FM radio and don’t listen to podcasts. Expanding the media buy to AM/FM radio reaches the 56% of meal kit category users who aren’t exposed to podcast advertising. See more here.

TALKERS News Notes. Sports talk radio legend Jim Rome is now heard in San Diego on XEPRS “The Mightier 1090.” Rome’s CBS Sports Radio syndicated program has been off the air in the market since February but returns on the Bill Hagen-led station. Rome says, “San Diego is where the Jungle really took hold. It’s where I met my wife. And where I experienced some of the greatest moments of my entire life. There is no better town, no better market and you absolutely CAN go home. And that’s what I plan on doing. And I can’t wait. Let’s do this!”…..Recently, Art Vuolo (pictured below) made a special appearance on Nexstar Media’s WGN-AM, Chicago sitting in with legendary Windy City personality John Records Landecker as the station celebrated its 100 anniversary on the air. “Radio’s Best Friend” and operator of Vuolo Video produced his appearance in a YouTube video that you can see here.

Weekend Shootings/Gun Control, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Boris Johnson Troubles, Korean Missile Launches Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Gun violence over the weekend that took the lives of five people in Philadelphia and Chattanooga and debate over potential gun legislation; televised congressional hearings on the January 6 Capitol breach to begin on Thursday; the still rising price of gasoline, food and consumer goods and fears of a recession; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West not to supply Ukraine with weapons; November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a vote of no confidence by his conservative party over the partygate scandal; and the U.S. and South Korea launch missiles in response to North Korea’s launch of eight missiles were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, June 3, 2022

By Editor | June 3, 2022 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, “Short Week,” looks back at this past week of 5/30 to 6/3. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; Joe Thomas, talk show host/program director, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/podcaster, MDEdge Psychcast; Steve Weisman, law professor, Bentley University, Boston/founder Samicide.com; and Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

Wynter and Massey Promoted to Full Time at WSB, Atlanta. As reported by Rodney Ho in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, air personalities Shelley Wynter and MalaniKai Massey are joining the Cox Media Group Atlanta staff as full timers. They began co-hosting “Word on the Street” on news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM on a weekly basis back in 2019. Later, the program was given nightly status airing at 9:00, but conservative Wynter and more liberal Massey remained part-time employees. Along with this promotion, “Word on the Street” assumes the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm slot, effective June 13. Massey tells the AJC that getting the full-time status was a “test of faith and endurance and perseverance. There were times I wanted to quit and give up before I was on WSB. But I kept pushing and keeping an eye on the prize. This has been very emotional.”

Alex Jones Trial Damages Phase Set for September After Bankruptcy Scheme Fails. Several reports, including this one from Kate Marino at Axios, reveal that Alex Jones’ attempt use bankruptcy laws to avoid what could be large damages paid to families of the Sandy Hook school massacre victims, has failed and the September damages trail in Connecticut remains scheduled. At issue here was Jones’ strategy to use a new subchapter of the U.S. bankruptcy code to declare Chapter 11 for three of his companies that did little or no business and thereby triggering an “automatic stay” on the case. But the subchapter was designed to help struggling small business delay payments to creditors while reorganizing and not as a strategy to simply delay a trial. In addition to the Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog seeking to dismiss the bankruptcy cases for Jones’ companies, the Sandy Hook families also dropped their suits against those companies but are continuing to seek damages from Alex Jones himself. The piece notes that in the Connecticut state court damages trial, “Jones may face much higher penalties than the $10 million he offered in the bankruptcy deal.”

Alpha Media Flips CHR KTFM to Sports Talk as Simulcast of KZDC-AM in San Antonio. Sports talk outlet KZDC-AM “San Antonio Sports Star” gets a full-market FM signal as Alpha Media flips CHR KTFM at 94.1 to a simulcast of KZDC. Afternoon host Jason Minnix writes a blog piece on the station’s site announcing the additional signal. He says, “Moving to 94.1 is huge – the signal is 37 times bigger than what we had yesterday. You know I am a music guy so this is like a band that started playing clubs, moved to arenas and is now playing massive stadiums. Like going from Wolff Stadium to Jerry’s World… This move to 94.1 gives San Antonio one of the biggest sports stations signal wise in the state. Dallas has a sports station with a bigger signal. Houston doesn’t. Austin doesn’t.”

TALKERS News Notes. In a move announced by the company’s board of directors, Saga Communications declares a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share. This dividend will be paid on July 1, 2022, to shareholders of record on June 13, 2022. The aggregate amount of the payment to be made in connection with the quarterly dividend will be approximately $1.2 million. The quarterly cash dividend will be funded by cash on the company’s balance sheet. Including this dividend, the company will have paid over $79 million in dividends to shareholders since the first special dividend was paid in 2012…..iHeartMedia and acclaimed film and television producer Meryl Poster, the founder of Superb Entertainment, announce the season two launch of “Call Your Grandmother,” the show that features New York grandmothers – 83-year-old Ellin Grodsky and 92-year-old Rita Kaye – and celebrates Jewish grandmothers and the irreverent qualities that make them natural comedians…..Mark Fratrik, Ph.D., BIA Advisory Services’ SVP and chief economist, is retiring from the company, effective June 30. BIA says he’ll continue as a strategic advisor and analyst to the company offering continuity for the firm’s forecasting, insights and analytics services that will now be led by Nicole Ovadia, VP of forecasting and analysis. BIA CEO and founder Tom Buono comments, “When I look at the accomplishments of BIA over Mark’s 21-year tenure at BIA, there’s a direct correlation between our success and Mark’s dedication and expertise. Mark’s competence in analyzing the economic forces driving the local media industry has guided our forecasting efforts and allowed us to continuously deliver high-quality, reliable data and insights. His analyses have been integral to informing and influencing decisions at the highest levels of our industry and the government, and his service to BIA has been immeasurable.”

Mass Shootings Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 30 – June 3. The recent spate of mass shootings and the controversy over gun control legislation was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was a tie between the state of the economy, the national mood, and Elon Musk’s battle with Tesla employees, followed by the infection rate of COVID-19 cases at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM 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, June 2, 2022

By Editor | June 2, 2022 by Editor

Triton Digital Releases Streaming Metrics Ranker for April. The monthly rankings of streaming properties in the U.S. for the month of April have been released by Triton Digital. The ranker is based on Average Active Sessions (calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period). The following is based on listening in the U.S. for 6am-12am Mon-Sun. This month, iHeartRadio is #1 with 300,843 AAS, followed by NPR Member Stations at #2 (73,677 AAS), and Audacy at #3 (67,798 AAS). Other radio-related companies finishing in the top 25 include Cumulus Streaming Network at #4 (42,061 AAS), Beasley Broadcasting Corporate at #7 (19,207 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (15,095 AAS), Salem Communications at #11 (8,816 AAS), Urban One at #12 (8,456 AAS), and Bonneville International at #13 (7,358 AAS). See the complete ranker here.

Edison Research to Present ‘The Smart Audio Report’ Five Years In. On June 16, Edison Research will present a live webinar to reveal the results of its The Smart Audio Report 2022. Edison says that back in 2017, it and NPR went into the homes of smart speaker owners to learn how the new technology was being integrated into people’s lives for the original Smart Audio Report. Five years later, they revisited some of those same families to see how they have grown and how their usage of voice assistant technology has changed. “The 2022 installment of the Smart Audio Report will not only offer an update on some of those original families, but also fresh data from a recent national study that measures attitudes around voice tech among those who use it and those who don’t.” Ahead of the June 16 webinar, Edison reveals that recent data shows (for people 13+) share of time spent listening to audio on a smart speaker breaks down as follows: Streaming Audio (Spotify, Pandora, etc.) 41%, AM/FM Radio 13%, YouTube (music and music videos only) 11%, SiriusXM 11%, Owned Music 8%, Podcasts 8%, Audio Books 7%, and Other 1%. You can get more information about the webinar and register here.

Conservative Commentator Tomi Lahren to Host Outkick Programs. Conservative media figure Tomi Lahren is joining OutKick Media to host the evening program “Tomi Lahren is Fearless,” premiering on June 20. New episodes will air every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:00 pm ET and will be available on demand on YouTube and social channels as well as outkick.com later this summer. Outkick SVP Gary Schreier says, “Tomi has amassed a loyal following throughout her career, and we are excited to bring her signature style and insights to our highly engaged audience at OutKick where she will be an invaluable addition to our expanding programming lineup.” Additionally, Lahren is being named the exclusive voice of “FOX News Commentary” where she will offer her perspective on everything from pop culture to politics with a 60-second FOX News Audio produced feature. The segment will be syndicated three times per weekday across more than 160 FOX News Radio stations.

Hutton, Withrow, and Kuharsky Return to Nashville Airwaves. According to a report in The Tennessean, the sports talk program “OutKick 360,” hosted by Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow, and Paul Kuharsky and formerly known as “Midday 180,” is returning to the Nashville market on the radio. The program has been broadcast digitally on Outkick.com since January of 2021. It originally aired on Cumulus Media’s WGFX-FM “104.5 The Zone.” Beginning on June 13, the show will air from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Cromwell Media’s WBUZ-HD3/W235BW “94.9 The Fan” – sister station to sports talk WPRT-FM “ESPN 102.5 The Game.” Station program director Chase McCabe says, “One of my goals as the new PD was to figure out a way to add ‘OutKick 360’ to our talented lineup. Re-imagining 94.9 as ‘The Fa’n made that possible because not only do we add three voices that Nashville knows, but we are able to bring Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd back to the Music City. It’s a huge win for us and for our city.”

TALKERS News Notes. Today is the beginning of the 2022 Women’s College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City and Cumulus Media’s Westwood One – the official audio partner of the NCAA – is broadcasting every game of the series…..A new podcast titled “R&B Money” hosted by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-producer TANK and his business partner, multi-platinum singer-songwriter-music executive J. Valentine is launching on iHeartMedia’s and Charlamagne tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network. The series “is for the super dedicated R&B fan, highlighting everything from Marvin Gaye to Pink Sweat$. ‘R&B Money’ has produced an exciting space for artists & executives in the game to reminisce with exceptionally compelling storytelling while building a place of discovery for the fans.”…..Journalist Katie Couric is releasing a new iHeartRadio Original special limited podcast series titled, “Abortion: The Body Politic.” In this series, she speaks with historians, doctors, activists, reproductive justice leaders, everyday women who have had abortions, and others to discuss the realities of a country without Roe v. Wade. Guests on the program will include Gloria Steinem; Mary Ziegler, foremost abortion law expert; Jessica Chastain, Academy Award-winning actress; Busy Philipps, actress and activist; Dr. Warren Hern, abortion doctor; and more.

Tulsa Hospital Shooting/Uvalde Aftermath, Inflation-Recession Fears, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Durham Investigation, COVID-19, Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Depp-Heard Verdict Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/1). A shooting at a Tulsa medical center claims the lives of four and the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas school massacre; the still-rising price of gas & food and concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, its effects on the global economy and Vladimir Putin’s threats of nuclear force; the primary races for the midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; special counsel John Durham’s probe into the Trump-Russia investigation; the high rates of COVID-19 in parts of the U.S.; Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee; and the verdicts in the Johnny Depp–Amber Heard defamation case 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

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

By Editor | June 1, 2022 by Editor

Chris Camp Retires from WSB, Atlanta News Director Role. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Rodney Ho reports that after 28 years leading the news department at Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta, Chris Camp is retiring from that station and his role as news director. The story indicates that assistant news director Amanda Moyer will step up to the news director role and Jennifer Perry will rise to assistant news director. The 63-year-old Camp says that around Christmas of last year he made the decision to retire and return to New England where he’s from and where most of his family still lives. Camp tells the AJC, “It’s time for somebody else to shepherd this ship and take it to the new heights.”

Mike Missanelli and ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ Part Company. Philadelphia sports talk host Mike Missanelli announced to his listeners on Tuesday that it would be his last day leading the afternoon drive program on Beasley Media Group’s WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic.” According to a report by NBC 10 Philadelphia, Missanelli told his audience that his contract is expiring in a couple of weeks and “he and the company have decided to go in different directions.” He added that Beasley has a new program under contract to fill the daypart. Missanelli, who previously served with crosstown sports talker WIP, had been hosting at WPEN for 12 years.

Remembering William O’Shaughnessy. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents this look at the life and career of radio executive William O’Shaughnessy, who passed away on Saturday (5/28) at 84 after a battle with cancer. Kinosian writes, “Those privileged to spend time with the perfectly coiffed president & editorial director of Whitney Radio’s WVOX-AM & WVIP-FM were guaranteed to be regaled with classic radio nuggets spun in extraordinary style and vibrant flair. Queries on any subject produced at least a handful of animated recollections, all eloquently crafted by the classy O’Shaughnessy, who frequently and delightfully referred to himself in the third-person.” Read his piece here.

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Salem Media Group’s news/talk WIND, Chicago “AM 560 The Answer” is hosting what is expected to be the final GOP debate before the June 28 Illinois primary. The debate is taking place on June 23 at McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. News director Mike Scott will serve as moderator and WIND morning co-host Amy Jacobson and Illinois Radio Network’s Greg Bishop will serve as panelists. WIND program director Marcus Brown states, “As Chicago’s leading conservative media outlet, we look forward to providing a forum for the Republican candidates for governor to address our audience and make their closing arguments. We know that our listeners will be the ones that decide the outcome of this election, and we expect a spirited and informative exchange of ideas at our debate just a few short days before the election.”…..In celebration of Pride Month, Audacy all-news outlets WINS and WCBS-AM in New York are launching “It’s OK to Say Gay,” a new LGBTQIA+ podcast focused on various topics affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. The podcast is being hosting by managing producer of podcasts Femi Redwood, who says, “As some LGBTQ people feel like they’re being forced back into the closet due to legislation like the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills, queer and trans voices are more important than ever before. With humor and honesty, the new ‘It’s OK To Say Gay’ podcast brings together diverse voices across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum that rarely get to be heard.”…..iHeartRadio announces a deal with Victoria’s Secret and Amanda de Cadenet to bring “VS Voices” to the iHeartPodcast Network. The podcast “builds on the Victoria’s Secret vision of being a leading advocate for women by highlighting stories of trailblazers who have paved the way for other women to succeed today and beyond.” De Cadanet says, “Storytelling with a purpose is what I have focused on for most of my career. I am looking forward to continuing that mission in partnership with iHeart, and to amplify the powerful life experiences that my guests share with me. With each of the podcasts we will be able to tell a wide variety of stories, from the profound and insightful, to those that are simply entertaining. I’m excited to be launching this audio trifecta!”…..Virtual News Center announces that a group of stations owned by Southern Broadcasting LLC joins its roster of affiliate stations. WTKI, Huntsville; WSLV, Ardmore, Tennessee; WIEZ, Decatur, Alabama; WYDL, Middleton, Tennessee; and WWGM, Selmer, Tennessee are now using the Virtual News Center services.

Uvalde Shooting Investigation/Gun Control, Inflation/Recession Fears, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, Durham Investigation, SCOTUS Leak Investigation, and China’s Taiwan Ambitions Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/31). The investigation into the timeline of the Uvalde, Texas shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead and the topic of gun legislation; the still soaring price of gasoline & food and the concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the global economic repercussions; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the impact of restrictions and mandates; special counsel John Durham’s probe into the Trump-Russia investigation and the acquittal of former Hillary Clinton lawyer Michael Sussman; the intensifying investigation into the leak of the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v Wade; and China’s military interest in Taiwan were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022

By Editor | May 31, 2022 by Editor

WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte Announces Promotions and New Contracts for News Staffers. Charlotte news/talk WBT-AM/FM announces that it is “committed to remaining the news and information leader in Charlotte into its second century of broadcasting” with the promotion of veteran news reporter and host Mark Garrison to news director and the addition of a weeknight talk show for senior reporter Brett Jensen. Both Garrison and Jenson have signed new multi-year contracts and Radio One says it will be adding a news producer to its team. In the past two years, WBT has added anchors Anna Erickson, Mark Mueller, and Tony Marino to work alongside Garrison, Jensen, reporter Joe Gillespie, traffic reporters Pam Warner and Boomer Von Cannon, sports reporters Jim Szoke and Sharon Thorsland, and anchors Jeff Atkinson and Mike Dohn. The station says Garrison, long a leader in the Charlotte news community on both radio and television, has demonstrated his commitment to objectivity and journalistic integrity for decades. He will continue to host “Charlotte at Six” each weeknight, delivering his signature storytelling while supervising the day-to-day operations of the WBT newsroom. The station adds that in under four years at WBT, “Breaking Brett Jensen” has become synonymous with breaking news coverage, delivering exclusive content for the Charlotte community like no other. In addition to his reporting duties, Jensen will host “Breaking with Brett Jensen” each weeknight from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm where he will dive deeper into the stories that he has reported and take calls from listeners. Radio One regional VP and market manager Marsha Landess comments, “Mark and Brett are among the elite news professionals in the country, period. We are thrilled that their new appointments will strengthen the best news department in Charlotte.”

WVOX/WVIP’s William O’Shaughnessy Passes at 84. Longtime New York radio executive William O’Shaughnessy died Saturday (5/28) at his home in Litchfield, Connecticut at the age of 84 after a battle with urothelial cancer. He was widely considered one of the country’s most colorful community broadcasters, well-known for his editorials, commentaries, appreciations, elegies, and character portraits, which inspired The New York Times to declare that “Bill O’Shaughnessy’s commentaries make his New York TV counterparts look like so much mish-mash.” He served as president and editorial director of WVOX and WVIP in New Rochelle, New York – stations with which he was associated for 67 years. He began his career in 1957 at the original WVIP in Northern Westchester, a fabled suburban station owned by Martin Stone, producer of “Howdy Doody” and “Author Meets Critic.” He was the station’s top advertising salesman at the age of 21. He went on to serve as executive assistant to WNEW, New York’s general manager John Van Buren Sullivan. He was a longtime member of the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s board of directors and chairman of its Guardian Fund. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Bill O’ Shaughnessy was more than an accomplished broadcaster and author. He was a living symbol of the radio medium’s most glorious ideals – both in substance and style – and he was one of modern-day America’s most influential and inspirational proponents of the First Amendment.” Services will take place at Lloyd Maxcy, 16 Shea Place in New Rochelle on Tuesday, May 31 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. The funeral mass will be held at St. Anthony of Padua, 49 South Street, Litchfield on Wednesday, June 1 at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, the O’Shaughnessy family would be grateful for a donation in his honor to the Broadcasters Foundation of America: https://broadcastersfoundation.org/donate/

WWO Audio Active Group: The Benefits of Emotion-Based Brand Building. In this week’s blog from the Westwood One Audio Active Group, two different types of advertising copy are studied – rational copy rooted in features and benefits and emotion-based copy that can be used to build brands. The blog reports that according to Binet and Field, the rational approach to advertising (relevant and useful targeted activation) works together with the emotion-based approach that “creates positive feelings and associations” via broad-reach ads that are “interesting and enjoyable.” The report also concludes that: 1) Emotion-based creative builds stronger brands and generates greater business outcomes; 2) Emotions guide and simplify our decision making: Positive emotional responses lead to a positive evaluation of choice; 3) According to authors John Kearon, Orlando Wood, and Tom Ewing, ads should build familiarity, create positive emotion, and make things easy to process; and 4) Podcast listeners prefer funny and entertaining ads but say they are more likely to hear rational podcast ads that communicate features/benefits. See the blog here.

TALKERS News Notes. The Radio Television Digital News Association has completed its announcement of the winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and Audacy was honored with 23 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding achievements in electronic journalism. Seven Audacy markets were honored including Buffalo, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis and WCCO, Minneapolis; KYW-AM/FM, Philadelphia; KCBS-AM, San Francisco; and KMOX, St. Louis all picked up “Overall Excellence” Awards. The National Edward R. Murrow Awards will be announced later this summer and winners will be honored on October 10 at a gala in New York City…..SiriusXM announces the debut of a new weekly show “Conversations with Joel,” starring Joel Osteen on Thursday, June 2 on Joel Osteen Radio. SiriusXM says, “Through one-on-one conversations with top leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities and world-renowned influencers, ‘Conversations with Joel’ will empower listeners to unlock the champion within, overcome challenges, break through barriers, and be their best in every area of life. His scheduled guests include actor, comedian and director Kelsey Grammer; actor and television host Terry Crews; “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts; CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown; NFL agent Nicole Lynn; “FOX & Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt; television personality and sports reporter Jay Glazer and others…..ABC News releases the trailer for its new three-part podcast series, “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley.” Hosted by historian and ABC News contributor Leah Wright-Rigueur, the new series chronicles the life and legacy of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose fight for justice after her son’s brutal murder helped spark the civil rights movement. The first episode of “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley” debuts Wednesday, June 1, with new episodes posting weekly…..iHeartRadio and Sound Argument LLC announce the launch of a new documentary podcast titled, “Class Action.” Hosted by Katie Phang, a trial lawyer, anchor, and host for MSNBC and Peacock, the 12-part podcast series will track a diverse cast of outstanding law students who are battling it out in mock trial competitions across the country. The first two episodes will debut on June 7 and can be heard on iHeartRadio and all other major platforms.

Uvalde Massacre Aftermath/Weekend Gun Violence/Gun Control, Russia-Ukraine War, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Inflation/Recession Fears, SCOTUS Leak Investigation, Monkeypox, and Memorial Day Holiday Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The investigation into the police tactics during the attack on Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, the spate of gun violence in the U.S. over the weekend, and talk about gun control measures; Russian’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the conflict’s global effects; the primary races for November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high price of food and gasoline and concerns about a looming recession; the intensifying investigation into the leak of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade; the spread of monkeypox; and the Memorial Day holiday were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, May 27, 2022

By Editor | May 27, 2022 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, “The Numbing Down of America,” looks back at this past week of 5/23 to 5/27. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; Mike “Bax” Baxendale, talk show host, WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Tom Gresham, talk show host, Gun Talk; Walter M. Sterling, talk show host, Sterling on Sunday; and Matthew B. Harrison, associate publisher, TALKERS/media attorney. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

iHeartMedia and Bloomberg Media Unveil New Original Podcasts. The 2022 slate of new original podcasts from Bloomberg Media and iHeartMedia featuring a mix of daily and weekly news programs and narrative-style limited series is announced. These five shows are the first podcasts to debut as part of a multiyear agreement to co-produce and distribute more than a dozen new original podcasts. Shows for this year include: “Bloomberg Crypto” in which Bloomberg’s reporting team teases out what’s actually important in the crypto conversation in this daily podcast; “Bedrock, USA” is about a group of people who didn’t like what they saw happening in their local governments, and decided to get involved – whether that meant holding a rally, recalling an official or storming their government with bullhorns and threats; “In Trust” is a limited series about how members of one of the wealthiest families in Osage County, Oklahoma – home to the federally recognized Osage Nation – came to own more land in the area than anyone else; “The Big Take” immerses listeners in the most urgent stories of the day – on business, markets, economics, finance, politics, technology and more; and “Crash Course,” hosted by Bloomberg Opinion senior columnist Tim O’Brien, brings listeners directly into the arenas where epic business and social upheavals occur.

TALKERS News Notes. As the RTDNA continues to announce winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, more commercial all-news and news/talk stations are being recognized for their excellence. The National Edward R. Murrow Awards will be announced later this summer and winners will be honored on October 10 at a gala in New York City. Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP-FM was honored with three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards: WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green’s COVID Conspiracy series was recognized in the News Series category for its coverage of a secret plot by Russia to spread lies and disinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. In the Digital category, WTOP.com took home a regional award for coverage of news events throughout 2021 including coronavirus, cicadas and the scandal at D.C.’s crime lab. WTOP also received recognition in the Newscast category for coverage of the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “The journalists in our newsroom are dedicated, passionate individuals who want to make a difference in their communities. We are so honored to be recognized with 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards.”…..For the third year in a row, Townsquare Media’s WKXW, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” news team is the recipient of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award. This year the station received a “Best Newscast” honor for the November 3, 2021 edition of “New Jersey’s First News with Eric Scott.”…..Audacy and Rutgers Athletics reach a multi-year agreement to make WFAN-AM/FM the home for Rutgers football and WCBS-AM the flagship station for Rutgers men’s basketball. Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero says, “Rutgers athletics is on the rise under Greg Schiano and Steve Pikiell in the Big Ten, bringing excitement and anticipation to Tri-State area fans. WFAN and WCBS 880 will provide listeners with unmatched coverage of the Scarlet Knights and we are honored to add Rutgers to Audacy’s market-leading play-by-play portfolio.”…..SiriusXM and MasterClass announce the launch of “MasterClass Hour,” a new program that will air on SiriusXM Stars channel 109 and Business Radio channel 132. The programming will kick off with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on “The Power of Resilience,” Metallica on “Being a Band,” Steve Martin on “Comedy,” Issa Rae on “Creating Outside The Lines,” RuPaul on “Self-Expression and Authenticity,” Gordon Ramsay on “Cooking,” Malala Yousafzai on “Creating Change,” and more.

Texas School Shooting Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 23-27. The massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the spike in crime & violence in America’s urban centers and the issue of gun control legislation, followed by partisan politics tied with this week’s primary races for November’s midterm elections at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM 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, May 26, 2022

By Editor | May 26, 2022 by Editor

Walter M. Sterling is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The host of the syndicated 10:00 pm – 1:00 am weekend talk show “Sterling on Sunday” – Walter M. Sterling – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Actually the roles are reversed and Sterling interviews Harrison in a two-segment excerpt from his program this past Sunday night (5/22). Sterling had Harrison on to discuss the impact of digital age technology – specifically the smart phone – on the wiring of the human nervous system. “This is a watershed leap in the evolution of Homo Sapiens,” says Harrison. “While grappling with the question of what it is to be American, society is going to have to increasingly deal with the vastly deeper issue of what it is to be human.” Walter M. Sterling is the on-air persona of historically influential radio programming innovator and management advisor Walter Sabo. Don’t miss this provocative and illuminative conversation. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Salem Media Group Signs Julie Hartman to Multiplatform Deal. This new pact with recent Harvard University grad Julie Hartman comes three months after she began doing a weekly podcast with Salem Radio Network personality Dennis Prager, titled, “Dennis and Julie.” Hartman’s new deal with Salem Media Group involves her doing projects for the Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, and Salem Radio Network. Senior vice president of spoken word Phil Boyce says, “Julie represents a new generation of young media professionals, and we are adding some to the Salem platform, proving that even at Harvard you can come out a conservative if you keep your wits about you. Her story is compelling and even riveting and will probably be a book and a movie someday.” In September, Hartman will begin hosting two shows every weekend on Salem News Channel, three podcasts a week on the Salem Podcast Network, and substitute hosting on various Salem Radio Network programs. Hartman says, “I am honored that Salem Radio Network has entrusted me with this responsibility. Finding Dennis Prager’s work and getting to know him has illuminated my life’s vocation. Because of him, I’ve been able to collaborate with many other remarkably talented people at Salem. My generation needs courageous, independent, truth-telling voices. My goal is to be among the best of them.”

FOX News Media to Launch ‘The Senate Project’ Debate Series with Lindsey Graham and Bernie Sanders on June 13. A new debate series called The Senate Project – being created by the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate – premieres on June 13 in a debate between Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Bernie Sanders. Moderated by FOX News Channel’s Bret Baier, the 12:00 noon ET broadcast will be a one-hour policy debate between the two senators streaming on FOX Nation. The second debate, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, will be held in July at George Washington University, carried live and on demand across C-SPAN platforms, including streamed on C-SPAN Now. A third debate will be held by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation in Utah this fall. The press release states, “The goal of The Senate Project debate series is to reintroduce the culture of seeking common ground and consensus that has been the essence of the Senate since it was conceived in 1789. We hope it will inspire policymakers to not only make the case for their points of view, but to then work towards the example set by Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Orrin Hatch for bipartisan bridge-building.”

WSJS-AM, Winston-Salem Transitions to News/Talk/Sports. Triad sports talk station WSJS-AM, Winston-Salem (along with its four FM translators) is transitioning to a news/talk/sports format, effective June 6. Truth Broadcasting says, “In the legacy of Wally Williams, Wayne Willard, George Lee, Glenn Scott, Gene Overby and Smith Patterson, WSJS is returning to a local news/talk/sports format with Jeffrey Griffin behind the microphone as the host of “Triad Today” (7:00 am to 10:00 am). Midday programming will include familiar voices and award-winning programming from Brian Kilmeade, Todd Starnes and Charlie Kirk.” The station is continuing local sports talk “The Drive with Josh Graham” in afternoon drive. Truth Broadcasting COO Michael Carbone says, “It’s an incredible thrill, as well as a responsibility, to return the voice of the people to WSJS. A local talk station belongs to the listeners – our neighbors – to share their thoughts, their favorite things, favorite teams, their passion for the Triad, their celebrations, their issues, their dreams. We will restart that conversation and let the voices of the city color our days again.”

FANTASTIC SPEAKER LINEUP AND AGENDA for TALKERS 2022. TALKERS is presenting the 25^th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest and most important convention, TALKERS 2022, on Friday, June 10, 2022 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio.

TALKERS 2022 will be a “who’s who” of the talk media industry…

Red Apple Media CEO/WABC, New York owner John Catsimatidis is set to keynote with special guest addresses to be provided by iconic Key Networks personality Bill O’ Reilly and FOX News Radio/FOX News Channel star Brian Kilmeade.

See the complete agenda here.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says, “We are delighted to be able to join forces again with our colleagues at Hofstra – the site of our very successful 2021 and 2016 events – and enjoy the remarkable resources 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. As is its tradition, TALKERS 2022 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. Attendance at the conference is limited to members of the working media and directly associated industries as well as students enrolled in accredited learning institutions. All attendees will be required to register in advance on the phone with credit cards. Attendance will be limited, and the conference is again expected to be an early sellout. Full details about the agenda (more than 50 in-person, luminary speakers) sponsorship opportunities and hotel information will continue to be posted in TALKERS in the days ahead. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $349. Because space will be limited and a sellout is anticipated, all registrations are non-refundable.

To register or to obtain sponsorship information, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.

Travel and Hotel Information for TALKERS 2022. The full-service Long Island Marriott Uniondale is serving as the closest and best hotel for TALKERS 2022. To reserve rooms, please click here. All New York area airports are a car ride away from the hotel and Hofstra: JFK (18 miles), LaGuardia (24 miles), MacArthur (34 miles), Newark (47 miles). Free and convenient parking information at Hofstra will be posted here shortly.

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago market media pro Bob Sirott – host of Nexstar Media’s WGN Radio morning show – will receive the Dante Award from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans at a luncheon today (5/26). The organization says that since its inception in 1971, more than 40 Chicago journalists have received the Dante Award, which recognizes media professionals who pursue truth in their work. Sirott says, “Looking at the long, impressive list of previous Dante Award winners, it makes me realize that the highly respected selection committee who decides who gets this award realized they had given this to every media person in Chicago except me. They simply ran out of names.”…..Salem Media Group announces that it will present at the LD Micro Invitational XII in Westlake Village, California on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 pm ET. LD Micro began in 2006 as an independent resource to the microcap world…..Cumulus Media’s Westwood One, in its capacity as the official network radio partner of the NCAA, will air the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Semifinals and Championship Games over the Memorial Day weekend holiday. For the first time, Westwood One will broadcast the Women’s National Semifinal and Championship games in addition to the Men’s contests.

Alliance for Women in Media Foundation Presents 47^th Annual Gracie Awards. Pictured above at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California is the board of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. Tuesday’s 47^thAnnual Gracie Awards Gala was hosted by Holly Robinson Peete and “recognized exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment.” Local and student winners will be honored at the Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 22 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images for AWM

Texas School Massacre/Gun Control, Primary Races/Trump & the GOP, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, January 6 Investigation, COVID-19, and U.S.-China Relations Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/25). The aftermath of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers and the battle over gun control legislation; Tuesday’s primary races in Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, & Georgia and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high cost of food & gas, the shortage of baby formula, and the tech stock selloff; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the rest of the world; the investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack; the high rate of COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S.; and U.S.-China relations in the wake of President Joe Biden’s visit to Asia 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

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

By Editor | May 25, 2022 by Editor

Larry Elder Joins Epoch Media Group (EMG) Hosting Live TV Show and Other Projects. Speculation has been growing as to what recent GOP California gubernatorial candidate and TALKERS Heavy Hundred radio star Larry Elder’s next talk media move would be since leaving his nightly program on the Salem Radio Network. The wait is finally over as Epoch Media Group (EMG) announces that Elder has joined EMG, publishers of the rapidly growing American international newspaper, The Epoch Times, and will continue hosting the Larry Elder Show on Epoch TV, NTDTV and other platforms associated with EMG. Elder will host a live, streaming show four times per week on which, according to EMG sources, he will “continue to give the audience his take on the latest and most important issues facing America.” He will also host a podcast for EMG. Based in Los Angeles, Elder is known to his following as “the Sage from South Central” and “America’s truth detector.” He was the front-running GOP challenger to Governor Gavin Newsom in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election. Elder is also an attorney, author, and accomplished documentary filmmaker. EMG CEO John Tang tells TALKERS, “Larry Elder is an advocate of the principles of The Epoch Times newspaper – truth and tradition – and is inspired by its mission to bring the readers accurate information so they can form their own opinions about the most significant topics of our time.” Tang adds, “In a day and age of sensationalist and emotionally charged news coverage, Elder uses the facts – with humor and insight – to break down the nation’s current events and most urgent issues.” Commenting on this new association, Elder states, “I’m excited to join The Epoch Times. I’m impressed by the newspaper’s courage and willingness to speak the truth to promote liberty and freedom.”

Hillis Returns to Audacy as Brand Manager for KILT-AM, Houston. Sports radio pro Parker Hillis is named brand manager for Audacy’s KILT-AM, Houston “Sports Radio 610,” effective June 6. Hillis was most recently assistant program director for Bonneville’s KKFN-FM, Denver “104.3 The Fan.” He previously served with Audacy’s KRLD-FM, Dallas “105.3 The Fan” in a number of producer roles. Audacy Houston SVP and market manager Sarah Frazier says, “Parker is a rising star. He has impressed us since day one with his innovative ideas, focus on talent coaching and work ethic. We’re thrilled to have him join our Audacy team.” Hillis comments, “I’m excited to join the ‘Sports Radio 610’ team in Houston. The opportunity to direct and grow an already incredible Audacy brand is truly an honor.”

‘The Fisher House Story’ Available for Memorial Day Weekend Programming. Programmers seeking shows for this Memorial Day weekend should reach out to the folks at Fisher House about carrying “The Fisher House Story: Peace of Mind and a Place to Hear.” The free show is available in numerous lengths, including three-hour, two-hour, one-hour (all with 20 mins of avails), 30 minute non-commercial, and 25-minute content segment for news/talk radio. As you are probably aware, the Fisher House provides free housing for the families of military personnel who are undergoing treatment at VA hospitals that allows them to be near their loved ones. At the Fisher House site, you will find the shows, as well as a marketing & social media toolkit and year round PSAs.

Matt McGill Returns to WVON, Chicago for Midday Show. Windy City media personality Matt McGill is coming back to Midway Broadcasting’s news/talk WVON to host the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm program, effective June 1. McGill stepped away from his afternoon drive show he co-hosted with Kimberly Egonwman last year. Egonwman currently co-hosts the afternoon drive show with Atiba Buchanan. “The Matt McGill Show” – which the station says will be a mix of local news, entertainment and human-interest topics – will replace “Keeping It Real with Al Sharpton” which will move to the station’s website and air live from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. Midway Broadcasting CEO Melody Spann Cooper says, “Al Sharpton will always be a member of our family here at WVON, but Matt’s program will focus on longform, sponsor-driven content that is designed to boost revenue and ratings.”

TALKERS News Notes. Texas media firm Ramar gets back into the TV business after being a radio-only company for some time as it closes on the construction permit for low power television station K26PJ-D in Lubbock, Texas. Ramar is acquiring it from Mako Communications LLC for $30,000. Bob Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive broker for the seller.…..SiriusXM is presenting coverage of the 106^th Indianapolis 500 live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (5/29). Throughout this week, SiriusXM will present more Indy racing content leading up to Sunday’s race…..The GCN-syndicated “The Dr. Daliah Show” – starring Dr. Daliah Wachs– is added to the weekend program schedule at WBIN Media’s New Hampshire news/talk trio WTPL, Hillsborough; WTSN, Dover; and WEMJ, Laconia that is branded “The Pulse of New Hampshire.”

Deadly Texas Shoot Shooting/Gun Control, Primary Races/Trump & the GOP, the Economy/Baby Formula, Russia-Ukraine War, North Korea Missile Tests, and ISIS Plots Bush Assassination Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/24). A gunman in Uvalde, Texas kills 19 children and two teachers leading to debate over gun control; the midterm primary races in Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, & Georgia and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the falling tech sector on Wall Street, the high price of gas & food, and the baby formula shortage; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global economy; North Korea conducts missile tests on the heels of Joe Biden’s Asia trip; and the feds foil a plot, allegedly by ISIS, to assassinate George W. Bush 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, May 24, 2022

By Editor | May 24, 2022 by Editor

Greta Van Susteren Joins Newsmax for Nightly Show. Talk media personality and news anchor Greta Van Susteren is joining Newsmax as host of her own daily signature show, “The Record with Greta Van Susteren.” The program will be based in Washington, D.C. and will premiere on Tuesday, June 14. Newsmax says it will “lead the network’s evening lineup with a solid hour of factual, fair, and independent perspective on the news.” Van Susteren comments, “With all that is going on in the world, I am getting back to my roots — a daily live news show with real reporting from the places where things are happening. I have been friends with [Newsmax CEO] Chris Ruddy for years, and he is giving me this great opportunity to return, giving me the complete freedom to cover the news that really matters to people. I have been impressed by Newsmax’s team and their success and would love to be part of a news network that is really growing.” Van Susteren’s career includes high-profile positions at CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC, as well as her recent work with the Gray television network and as a contributor to Voice of America. Ruddy states, “No one in journalism better exemplifies Newsmax’s mission to provide fact-based news and fact-based opinion than Greta Van Susteren. We are so pleased and honored to have Greta lead our nightly news lineup of programs.”

WBAL-AM, Baltimore Pairs Torrey Snow and Dan Joseph for Afternoon Drive. Charm City radio personalities Torrey Snow (left) and Dan Joseph (right) have been working together at Hearst Television’s news/talk WBAL-AM in a limited fashion but now are officially the afternoon drive team. Effective yesterday (5/23), “Torrey and Dan” is the permanent 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm show. Torrey helmed “The Torrey Snow Program” on WBAL since August of 2020. Joseph had hosted his own program on the station before being partnered with Snow. WBAL president and general manager Dan Joerres says, “‘The Torrey and Dan Show’ is a terrific opportunity for two top-notch hosts to join forces and offer our listeners a dynamic show that touches on a wide range of topics every day. Our responsibility is to our listeners and this show further amplifies that commitment as the leading news/talk station in Baltimore and beyond.”

KMOX, St. Louis Announces New Midday Show. St. Louis news/talk KMOX announces that with the retirement of longtime talk host Charlie Brennan, it will debut its new midday program on May 31. Audacy announces that it is expanding the “Total Information AM” program to 10:00 am, “bolstered by co-anchors Carol Daniel, who returns to the newsroom and Megan Lynch, investigative reporter. Together with Debbie Monterrey and Tom Ackerman, they will deliver the news, traffic and weather listeners depend on, including analysis, in-depth interviews and open conversation.” The new midday program will consist of Amy Marxkors, Kevin Wheeler and Chris Rongey, and air weekdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Wheeler transitions from host of “Sports Open Line” and Cardinals baseball pregame and postgame host, while Rongey expands his part-time role. The station will immediately begin a search for a new host of “Sports Open Line” and Cardinals pregame and postgame programming. As a result of the changes, midday personality Ryan Wrecker exits the station. He says via Twitter, “Yesterday was my last day at KMOX. I would like to think we created some great moments in the last five years in St. Louis. At this point, I have no idea what will happen next, but I trust it’s set up to move in the right direction. Again, thank you all.” Audacy St. Louis SVP and market manager Becky Domyan states, “This series of updates underscores our overarching commitment to delivering news and balanced talk shows to the people of St. Louis, while accentuating the strength of our top-level hosts. From our award-winning morning show to our unrivaled coverage of the Cardinals, we want to elevate the conversation.”

KFI, Los Angeles Takes Eight Honors at 72^nd Golden Mike Awards. Los Angeles news/talk KFI-AM took home eight awards at this past Saturday’s 72nd Annual Golden Mike Awards at Universal City. The press release says the Golden Mike Awards is Southern California’s most prestigious, and most coveted, broadcast journalism prize and one of America’s longest running broadcast news award programs. Robin Bertolucci, program director for the iHeartMedia station, says, “The content being produced by the KFI news department is exceptional and I am so proud of the KFI news team and the talented people who have produced these award-winning broadcasts and podcasts. And it’s exciting to note that KFI won twice as many awards as any other station in our division.” KFI won the following: Best Radio Documentary: “The Death and Life of Kobe Bryant,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producer Eric Sklar; Best Public Affairs Program: “After the Verdict, A Path Forward,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producers Kayla Austin and Clay Roe; Best Digital News Reporting: “Unhoused, A look at Homelessness in LA and OC,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producers Mark Mennie and Lt. Geoff Deedrick; Best Podcast – News: “9/11, Two Decades Later,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez, with associate producers Nico Melendez and Sheron Bellio; Best Podcast – Feature: “The Death and Life of Kobe Bryant,” produced by Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez; Best Serious Feature Reporting: “Illegal Street Racing in the SFV,” produced by Steve Gregory; Best Government and Political Reporting: “2020 Voter Fraud Fear,” produced by Corbin Carson; and Best Newscast Under 15 Minutes: “KFI News with Michael Crozier,” produced by Michael Crozier.

WTAM, Cleveland and Bloomdaddy Raise $460k for Mike Trivisonno Fund. Yesterday’s radiothon on iHeartMedia Cleveland’s news/talk WTAM launched the “The Mike Trivisonno Fund” to benefit Coats for Kids and the special, seven-hour broadcast brought in $460,000 to the fledgling charity bearing the name of the station’s late PM drive personality. Current afternoon personality Bloomdaddy announced the $400,000 commitment to the charity from The Figgie Foundation. The broadcast included a visit from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Bloomdaddy says, “Triv always said it’s not the kids’ fault and I could not agree more. There is one thing I’m also passionate about and that is doing anything I can to help kids both on and off the air. I’m honored to carry the Coats for Kids torch and make sure Triv’s legacy lives on.” Pictured above are (from l-r): “Bloomdaddy Show” executive producer Carmen Angelo, iHeartMedia Cleveland Area metro president Keith Hotchkiss, DeWine, and Bloomdaddy. Photo by Mike Picha/iHeartMedia

SportsMap Launches New Daily Show with Jeff Michael. A new, daily program is launching on June 6 on SportsMap Radio called “The Rundown with Jeff Michael.” The 11:00 am to 1:00 pm show “will be an energetic and fast-paced program featuring the biggest guests and hottest takes in sports talk radio.” Jeff Michael has been a part-time host on the network since 2020 and has created numerous successful podcasts. He says, “Sports talk radio always meant the world to me. Having an opportunity to reach such a large national audience is something I do not take lightly. While I’m so grateful for the opportunity, my focus will always be on creating captivating and informative content.”

TALKERS News Notes. This Thursday (5/26) at 7:00 pm, Townsquare Media’s WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” presents the latest in a series of Town Hall broadcasts. “The Summer of ’22 – Back to the Beach” kicks off summer in the Garden State and the station’s Eric Scott will lead a panel of tourism officials, local mayors, law enforcement and travel experts. Tourism came roaring back after pandemic restrictions were lifted in 2021, but the surge in visitors has also caused disruptions and chaos in many shore towns, as was seen in Long Branch over the weekend when thousands of partygoers showed up at Pier Village for a pop-up party, leading to a curfew and over a dozen arrests. This year, there is also concern about the impact legal marijuana sales will have on tourism and law enforcement. Scott says, “From wild pop-up parties, groups of rowdy teens taking over the boardwalks and changes in policing laws, towns are trying to avoid a repeat, and provide the best possible experience for vacationing families.”…..The RTDNA is announcing the winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and iHeartMedia Boston’s all-news WBZ-AM wins three awards in the categories of Breaking News Coverage, Best Newscast, and Continuing Coverage. iHeartMedia Boston VP of news, talk & sports Rob Sanchez says, “These awards speak to the professionalism and bravery of our news team, who strive to deliver vital news coverage to those who rely on WBZ NewsRadio each day.”…..D’Annette Roy joins C-SPAN as the network’s new director of legal affairs and business risk management. She will provide legal advice, risk mitigation strategies, and project management acumen while also serving as a value-added partner aligned in achieving C-SPAN’s strategic goals. Roy joins C-SPAN from Black News Channel, where she was the manager of standards and practices.

Biden Asia Tour, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Inflation-Recession Fears, Title 42, COVID-19/Monkeypox, and Kellyanne Conway Book Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/23). President Joe Biden’s tour of Asia in which he met with prime ministers from India, Australia and Japan; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global economy; the primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high price of gas & food and fears of a recession; the Biden administrations challenge to Title 42 that prevents migrants from entering the U.S.; the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S. and the spike in monkeypox cases around the world; and former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway’s new memoir 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, May 23, 2022

By Editor | May 23, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Leapfrog Legacybox. “As oxide literally falls off cassettes and reel tape,” consultant Holland Cooke warns, “those precious airchecks will be gone forever” unless you digitize them. “Ditto VHS tapes and photos of loved ones now long gone.” But, in this week’s column, HC’s experience with a major national advertiser points to a local sales lead. Read it here.

Pending Business: The Ego Drive Connection. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that most talk radio sellers don’t stop to think about the personality trait that connects them to their station’s talk hosts. But both have a healthy ego drive. The successful talk radio host is driven to convince their listeners that their take on an issue is the correct one. And their skill set includes the power of persuasion – just a like a good seller. Read more here.

Lars Larson Celebrates 25 Years at KXL-FM, Portland. Talk radio host Lars Larson – whose KXL-FM, Portland-based program is heard on more than 20 stations the Pacific Northwest on Alpha Media’s Radio Northwest Network and whose Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated program serves some 100 affiliate stations – celebrated his 25^thanniversary at KXL on Friday (5/20). In a video on the KXL website, Larson talks about his 25 years at KXL, how he got into radio as a teenager, and the difference between his past work as a television news managing editor and his current work as a talk host. “I love the idea of gathering interesting information and then presenting it to my audience, so they get a chance to hear what’s going on.” See the video here.

Audacy Recognizes 100 Years of KFH, Wichita. Wichita radio station KFH is celebrating its 100^th year of service to the area. The Audacy news/talk outlet – now an AM/FM combo – is Kansas’ oldest commercially licensed radio station. Audacy Wichita SVP and market manager Jackie Wise says, “As the oldest radio station in Kansas, KFH Radio is very much a key piece of a fabric of this region and the city of Wichita. We’re honored to have been able to carry that baton for 100 years now, serving our community in key moments throughout history. We’re proud of the role we play in Wichita and look forward to celebrating our centennial anniversary alongside our loyal listeners.” KFH Radio will kick off its 100th anniversary celebration by welcoming special guests as part of its on-air programming. It will also begin airing short-form audio clips that spotlight some of the most memorable moments in station and Wichita history, including coverage of World War II, Wichita State University athletics, national attention from the 1938 Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” program that aired on the station, and more. KFH Radio, first known as WEAH, was launched on May 26, 1922 for the purpose of broadcasting crop and market reports.

MIW Announces MIW Mildred Carter Mentoring Program Class of 2022. This year’s Mildred Carter Mentoring Program’s class is announced by Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. For the MIW Mildred Carter Mentoring Program that matches up-and-coming women in radio with female professionals recognized as leaders in all aspects of the industry, four candidates from the radio industry within sales, marketing, programming and digital disciplines are selected each year. This year’s mentees are: Susan Aksu-Magarian, director of marketing, Benztown; Lindsay High, general sales manager, Audacy San Francisco; Bri O’Neill, digital sales manager, Leighton Broadcasting, Grand Forks, ND; and Lauren “Lo” Sessions, APD/MD “Energy 94.1” and Content Director “WE 94.5,” Alpha Media, San Antonio. Lindsay Adams, chair of the 2022 MIW Mentoring committee, and a 2006 graduate of the program says, “We couldn’t be happier seeing a year over year increase in the amount of program applicants. The easy part is recognizing a talent and applauding the determination to further develop their career. The hard part is making final decisions from such an incredible pool of candidates. We thank Beasley Media Group and Entravision Communications for their generous support, and we can’t wait to start working with the Class of 2022.”

TALKERS News Notes. The 24th annual “Cares for Kids Radiothon” raised $314,000 for the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med. iHeartMedia Albany’s news/talk WGY-AM/FM “News Radio 810 & 103.1” and “99.5 the River” took part in a 25-hour radiothon on May 5-6. WGY personalities who interviewed medical professionals and patients during the broadcast included: Doug Goudie, Diane Donato, Joe Gallagher, Mike Patrick, and Jaime Roberts…..SiriusXM announces the acquisition of Team Coco, including the critically acclaimed hit podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” and the Conan O’Brien-led podcast network and digital media business. The transaction brings to SiriusXM Team Coco’s staff, who will continue to produce the network’s slate of popular podcasts, as well as collaborate on content for SiriusXM. As part of the deal, O’Brien enters into a five-year talent agreement with SiriusXM, under which he will remain host of his namesake podcast…..Pictured below is one of the pioneers of digital era independent talk broadcasting, James Lowe, a.k.a. Jiggy Jaguar (c) interviewing actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton (l) and musician J.D. Andrew (r) this past Saturday night (5/21) at the McPherson Opera House in McPherson, Kansas where their acclaimed roots rock band called Box Masters were performing.

Title 42 Ruling, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Monkeypox/COVID-19, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Great Replacement Theory, Kellyanne Conway Book, U.S.-China Relations, and Australian Elections Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. A Louisiana District judge rules the Trump-era Title 42 that keeps migrants seeking asylum from entering the U.S. must stay in place while the matter plays out it court; the baby formula shortage, the high price of gas & food, and the selloff on Wall Street; the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and its economic impact; the spread of monkeypox and the fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S.; the primary elections for this November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the controversial Great Replacement Theory; former Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway publishes her memoir Here’s the Deal; the tense U.S.-China relations over Taiwan; and Australian’s oust conservative Scott Morrison in favor of center-left PM Anthony Albanese were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, May 20, 2022

By Editor | May 20, 2022 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, “Primary Directives,” looks back at this past week of 5/16-20. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Mandy Connell, talk show host, KOA, Denver; Brett Winterble, talk show host, WBT, Charlotte; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS/media attorney. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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 Four of April PPMs Released. The fourth of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s April PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s April 2022 sweep covered March 31 – April 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM grows by seven-tenths for a 7.4 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish that pushes it up from #4 to the #3 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF tacks on one-tenth to finish with a 2.0 share and ranking #14. Emmis Communications’ news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis loses half a share, finishing the survey with a 9.0 share and remains ranked #2. In Milwaukee, Bucks playoff hoops and Brewers baseball helps Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ leap from #3 to #1 after adding 1.7 shares for a 9.9 share finish. iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WISN sheds eight-tenths to finish with a 7.5 share and falls from #2 to #4. Cumulus Media’s WWTN-FM, Nashville loses seven-tenths and its 6.1 share causes it to fall from #2 to #6. Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM, Jacksonville continues its hold on the #1 rank after tacking on one-tenth to wrap the survey with a 10.6 share. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the previous three groups) here.

Triton Digital Releases April 2022 U.S. Podcast Report. The April 2022 edition of Triton Digital’s ranking of the top 100 U.S. Podcasts (the report also includes the Top 20 U.S. Networks) based on Average Weekly Downloads is released and NPR’s “NPR News Now” remains in the #1 spot. Some of the other podcasts affiliated with radio-centric companies that made the April chart include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #3 and its “The Dan Bongino Show” at #8. Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” remains ranked at #12. Three more Cumulus Podcast Network shows finished in the top 25, including “The Mark Levin Podcast” at #18, “The Matt Walsh Show” at #23, and “The Michael Knowles Show” at #24. The chart is comprised of networks and programs that opt in for measurement. You can see the complete chart here.

Public News/Talk WYPR, Baltimore Partners with The Baltimore Banner. Baltimore public radio organization Your Public Radio and The Baltimore Banner – a multi-platform news organization established by The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism – are beginning a joint operating agreement that will allow the nonprofit organizations to work collaboratively to deliver quality journalism across the state. WYPR “Your Public Radio” has three signals in the region – WYPR, Baltimore; WYPF, Frederick; and WYPO, Ocean City, Maryland. The two organizations say they will “work together to cover stories, special reports and develop joint programming to serve the needs of communities throughout Baltimore and around the state. This includes content sharing across platforms accessible to Baltimore Banner subscribers and the Your Public Radio audience and members. One of the first collaborations will be to cover the upcoming local elections.” Your Public Radio president LaFontaine E. Oliver says, “We are looking forward to the possibilities of this unique model of nonprofit news as we work to preserve and strengthen local journalism here in greater Baltimore. This partnership between Your Public Radio and The Baltimore Banner is an important step to bolster our local newsrooms in Maryland – with trusted, community reporting at the core of the agreement between the two organizations.”

TALKERS News Notes. Leadership from Hope Media Group and WAY Media announce the official close of their merger into a single media organization headquartered in Houston has taken place. The new company says, “This merger combines the rich heritage of two like-minded organizations, who together engage an audience of more than 4 million individuals worldwide with positive multimedia content over radio and online mediums.” President Joe Paulo comments, “We’re thrilled to officially join forces with Way Media to expand our combined impact. This merger is much more than a business matter. Aligning our efforts is a positive shift within Christian media to create and share uplifting content that encourages and inspires audiences across the country. We could not be more excited for this next chapter as our media brands continue to be a beacon of Hope for all.”…..The Radio Television Digital News Association is revealing winners of the local Edward R. Murrow Regional Awards for the numerous regions in the U.S. and iHeartMedia San Diego’s “Newsradio 600” KOGO, San Diego is honored with the award for a Newscast. A broadcast made by KOGO reporter Phil Farrar was singled out for the honor. “KOGO News with Phil Farrar” will now compete with fellow regional winners for the national award. The national award winners will be announced this summer and presented at the Edward R. Murrow National Awards Gala on October 10, 2022…..SiriusXM announces the launch of an all-new, original podcast “Basic!,” hosted by media veteran Doug Herzog and TV critic Jen Chaney, which explores the groundbreaking programming and glory days of cable television. The first three episodes of “Basic!” are now available on all major podcast platforms. Episode #1 features guest Jimmy Kimmel chatting with Herzog and Chaney about his breakthrough on cable television with Comedy Central’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and “The Man Show.” Amy Schumer joins in for episode #2 where she talks about creating and starring in her sketch comedy cable show, “Inside Amy Schumer,” and Fab Five Freddy is the guest for episode #3 where he shares stories about the creation of MTV’s groundbreaking hip-hop show, “Yo! MTV Raps.”

Partisan Politics and Elections Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 16-20. The partisan politics surrounding the primary elections leading up to November’s midterms was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the economy – including high gas & food prices, the selloff on Wall Street, and concerns about a recession, tied with the shortage of baby formula. At #3 this week was the Russia-Ukraine war and the related U.S. foreign affairs. The Talkers Ten^TM 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.

FOX News Media Seeks Freelance Radio Anchor. This is a New York or Washington, DC-based position. FOX News is looking for a freelance radio anchor to join the FOX News Audio family as on-air talent for FOX News Radio Network/FOX News Headlines 24/7 Sirius XM Channel 115. As the freelance radio anchor, you will work under tight deadlines and deliver top-notch newscasts. You have a passion for breaking news and the flexibility to work on a day’s notice. Find out more and apply here.

FOX News Media Has Opportunity for Freelance Producer/Editor. This New York-based position is a freelance producer/news editor role in which you will supervise the staff for network radio news operations (terrestrial and FOX News Headlines 24/7 – Channel 115 on SiriusXM Radio). As the freelance producer/news editor you are our editorial leader, working with news anchors to craft the content and structure of a 24/7 news operation. This is fast-moving news environment! Your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven newsroom allows you to deliver top-quality segments/newscasts. You excel at multi-tasking and pay close attention to details. Your writing and editing skills are excellent and your editorial judgment is first-rate. Find out more and apply here.

Podcast Producer Position Open at FOX News Media. FOX News Audio is looking for a producer for The Will Cain Podcast to be part of the fast-paced and growing FOX News Podcast Network. The producer for The Will Cain Podcast will develop ideas, pitch stories, and work with FOX News Channel talent in crafting daily and weekly podcasts. The producer will also direct bookings, edit shows, and work with production teams to create high-quality content every day. In addition to their production duties, they will also lead creative on social media posts and website write-ups to promote the product. This is a New York, Washington, or Nashville-based position. Find out more and apply here.

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Thursday, May 19, 2022

By Editor | May 19, 2022 by Editor

Dennis Green is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The COO of Key Networks, Dennis Green, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Green’s background in network and syndication radio is extensive. Prior to joining Key Networks, he served 22 years at Westwood One and Cumulus Media Networks where he held several VP positions in affiliate sales and broadcast operations. During this period, he was instrumental in the launch of big shows for a wide variety of major talent. Prior to that he served as head of multimedia syndication at Bloomberg in New York in addition to holding other radio industry positions in his early career. Green is also the chairman of the nominating committee for the Radio Hall of Fame. Harrison says, “I love talking with Dennis Green about radio. His clear insights illuminate how the medium works as a business and relates to popular culture. Radio enthusiasts on both sides of the speakers will enjoy this panoramic conversation.” Harrison and Green take a deep dive into the history and culture of the radio business – past, present and future. To listen to the podcast in its entirety please click here.

Round Three of April PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s April 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 April 2022 sweep covered March 31 – April 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, while Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM adds one-tenth to finish with an 8.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share), it slides from the #3 rank to #4. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KEX, Portland loses seven-tenths for a 2.6 share finish good for the #16 rank. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM adds nine-tenths to wrap the survey with a 10.8 share and takes the #1 rank, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM rises 1.3 shares for a 7.6 share finish that puts it in the #2 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WLW, Cincinnati posts a 1.2 share increase that gives the station a 13.4 share – good for the #1 rank – while sister news/talk WKRC adds three-tenths for a 5.4 share finish ranking it #4. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the two previous groups) here.

Former WNKT-FM, Columbia Sports Talk Host Tim Hill Launches Online Sports Talk Show While Challenging Cumulus Vaccine Mandate. According to a story at Outkick by Armando Salguero, sports talk host Tim Hill is launching a daily, two-hour sports talk program he’s streaming online that stands to compete with former employer Cumulus Media’s WNKT-FM, Columbia, South Carolina “107.5 The Game.” TALKERS magazine reported last fall that Hill was let go from the station for refusing to get a COVID vaccine – a policy Cumulus was instituting to bring its talent and most staffers back into the office. Hill requested an exemption to be allowed to broadcast his program from home as he’d been doing since the 2020 lockdown. The company refused. According to the Outkick story, Hill is also challenging Cumulus’ actions. He’s filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which is current investigating.

15^th Annual ‘Hold Their Feet to the Fire’ Radio Row Scheduled for September 21-22. The Federation for American Immigration Reform announces that the 15^th annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire radio row broadcast in Washington will take place this year on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22. This event brings talk hosts from across the nation to Washington to broadcast live both days debating immigration policy while interviewing members of Congress, law enforcement officials, experts, activists, administration officials, high-profile media personalities, and those who live and work along the southern border. FAIR executive director Bob Dane says, “F2F has now spanned four presidents and become America’s largest annual gathering of talk hosts, and the centerpiece of the immigration debate each year for the media. This September marks its 15^th anniversary coinciding with the most consequential midterm election of our lives. Those outcomes will determine whether Biden’s Border Crisis continues and will also set the stage for 2024. This event is about harnessing the reach and influence of talk radio to properly inform voters on the immigration issue.” This year, “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” is being staged at its new location on the rooftop terrace of FOX News overlooking the Capitol at 400 North Capitol Street in Washington. D.C. The event accommodates 75 hosts in the broadcast center and fills up earlier each year. Reservations are required and hosts should call FAIR immediately to reserve a booth. As always, there is no cost to attend. Talk hosts interested in attending should contact Bob Dane at 202-742-1824 or bdane@fairus.org.

WGN-AM, Chicago Celebrates 100 Years of Broadcasting. Today (5/19) Chicago’s WGN Radio celebrates its 100th anniversary as the 50,000-watt voice of “Chicago’s Very Own” and will continue the celebration during the entire month of May and throughout all of 2022. On May 19, 1922, two young Chicagoans and radio enthusiasts named Thorne Donnelley and Elliott Jenkins started broadcasting from the Wrigley Building with their experimental station named WDAP. In 1924, the station acquired the WGN call letters with the takeover by new owner Col. Robert McCormick, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. Tonight at 7:00 pm CT, WGN-TV will debut the documentary “100 Years of WGN Radio: A Retrospective.” The 45-minute documentary, produced by WGN Radio, tells the story of the radio station and journeys from its beginnings in 1922 through 2022. Today, WGN-TV’s Emmy Award-winning entertainment reporter and critic Dean Richards will be reporting live from WGN Radio’s studios throughout the day. Also, Metropolitan Brewing, Conrad Seipp Brewing Company, and the Chicago Brewseum will launch Chicago’s Very Own, a golden lager canned exclusively to celebrate WGN Radio’s 100th birthday. Chicago’s Very Own golden lager will first be available for public sale at the official beer release at Metropolitan Brewing on Friday (5/20) and will be available on draft at select locations around Chicagoland starting the week of May 23.

TALKERS News Notes. Radio pros Pete Benedetti and Lori Olsen join Quu Inc. as EVP of revenue and administrative and contracts manager, respectively. They will report directly to Quu CEO Steve Newberry. Benedetti is a longtime radio executive with deep experience acquiring, owning, and integrating radio stations in all market sizes…..Audacy announces the launch of a new show from its sports podcast studio 2400Sports in partnership with Major League Baseball. “Unwritten: Behind Baseball’s Secret Rules,” premieres June 1, is hosted by MLB broadcasters and former players Ron Darling and Jimmy Rollins, and explores a different unwritten rule of the game each week – bat flips, no-hitter jinxes, retribution and more…..SiriusXM is offering subscribers coverage of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s 2022 Triple Crown, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore this Saturday (5/21). SiriusXM will also air the Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The wire-to-wire race broadcast of the Preakness Stakes is provided by NBC Sports Audio Network.

Midterm Primaries/Trump & the GOP, the Economy, COVID-19, Buffalo Shooting/Great Replacement Theory, and Disinformation Board Demise Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/18). The primary races for November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the selloff on Wall Street, inflation, the baby formula shortage and concerns about a recession; the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the debate over returning to mask mandates; the aftermath of the Buffalo shooting and the controversy over the Great Replacement Theory; and the shuttering of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Board were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Monday, May 16, 2022

By Editor | May 16, 2022 by Editor

Pending Business: You Only Know What You Know. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that sellers and managers who’ve worked at just one station or in one market their entire careers can find their knowledge of innovation in the industry limited, and causes him to ask, “How do you learn new sales concepts and grow past what you know?” Read more here.

Monday Memo: Repeat After Me. “Who ARE you, for listeners’ purpose?” consultant Holland Cooke asks in this week’s column, which reminds that “we need to remind, remind, remind.” Read his column here.

iHeartMedia’s BIN Partners with CareerBuilder for Jobs Initiative. A new relationship between iHeartMedia’s BIN: Black Information Network and , the first and only 24/7 national and local all-news audio service with a Black voice and perspective, and global talent acquisition and job marketplace platform CareerBuilder, are joining forces to launch “100,000 Careers,” a career initiative platform that aims to connect employers who are seeking a highly qualified and diverse workforce with Black American job seekers who are looking to advance to higher levels or start a career. A press release states that the mission of the “100,000 Careers” initiative is to help people in the Black community find a job and build the career of their dreams. The platform includes tools to help candidates get started, such as job listings, easy resume building, and custom content designed to help Black listeners identify their transferrable skills and discover new careers. The 100,000 Careers platform will be a one-stop-shop for connecting employers with Black American career-seekers looking to advance. Tony Coles, division president for iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group and president for BIN: Black Information Network, says, “One of our highest priorities has been to call attention to the disproportionate income and unemployment gaps the Black community faces. That’s why we are thrilled that our partners at CareerBuilder have joined us in this effort to help 100,000 listeners not only find work, but to help them leverage their transferrable skills to build careers.”

Buffalo Mass Shooting/Houston & SoCal Shootings/Gun Control, Abortion Rights, the Economy, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, and Elon Musk & Twitter Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Deadly shootings that took the lives of 10 in Buffalo, one in California, and two in Houston; reactions to the leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s expected ruling that would overturn Roe v Wade; the high price of gas & food, supply chain issues, and fears of a recession; the primary races for the November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war; the Omicron variants keeping COVID-19 present in the U.S. and China’s zero-COVID actions; and Elon Musk’s bid to acquire Twitter is put on hold among top news/talk stories over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, May 13, 2022

By Editor | May 13, 2022 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, “Musky and Murky,” looks back at this past week of 5/9 to 5/13. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Derek Hunter, talk show host WCBM, Baltimore/Talk Media Network; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Claire Carter, talk show host/founder, Good For You Radio; Martha Zoller, talk show host, WDUN, Gainesville, GA; and Dr. Murray Sabrin, emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College, NJ/libertarian scholar. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Killers Debuts at #1. This new book is the 11^th in the “Killing” series and it’s the 11^th to be a #1 New York Times bestseller. Sales in this series are roughly 19 million copies worldwide and have spent close to 340 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In the new book, Killing the Killers – The Secret War Against Terrorists (2022 St. Martin’s Press) Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard report on America’s intense global war and manhunt against terrorist extremists who both masterminded the horrific 9/11 attacks as well as executed hundreds of others on American and international soil. They trace America’s efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and ISIS worldwide. O’Reilly and Dugard gained access to top secret national security documents as well as interviewed the highest national security officials in the U.S. The publisher says that primed with deeply sourced information, detailed maps and revealing photographs, O’Reilly and Dugard have created a riveting account that has never been reported to this scope and depth. Bill O’Reilly’s radio programs – including the new, national daily one-hour “No Spin News,” show – are syndicated by Key Networks.

Salem: 2000 Mules is Most Successful Political Documentary in a Decade. The new film, 2000 Mules, from director Dinesh D’Souza and executive producer Salem Media Group is being billed by Salem as “the most successful political documentary in a decade.” Salem says that 1 million people have seen the movie – available for download and DVD purchase on SalemNOW.com – and has become a huge hit on Rumble and its Locals platform. D’Souza says, “The movie is a success financially for sure, but also it is successful in its political and cultural influence. It’s the most-talked-about movie out there right now, making headlines in multiple publications, and is trending extremely high on social media.” The film purports to provide proof of illegal ballot harvesting, both in geo-targeting of cell phone data, and in actual video surveillance of the many unmanned ballot boxes in the five key battleground states. The movie’s conclusion of illegal ballot harvesting is based on research by True The Vote. It features five Salem radio talk show hosts as they walk through the process of learning what the evidence shows, and then discussing what this means for the American belief in free and fair elections. Salem says those hosts, Dennis Prager, Sebastian Gorka, Charlie Kirk, Eric Metaxas and Larry Elder, all came away disturbed at what they learned really happened to hand the election victory to Joe Biden.

iHeartMedia Names Jorge Lopez VP of Sales for Hispanic Brands in Tampa and Jacksonville. Sales and marketing pro Jorge Lopez is promoted to vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Tampa and Jacksonville Hispanic brands that include broadcast and digital brands encompassing more than 10 music, talk, and news formats. iHeartMedia operates the Spanish news outlets WHNZ-AM/W290BJ, Tampa “Acción 1250 & 105.9” and WFXJ-AM/W247CF, Jacksonville “Acción 97.3.” Lopez says, “I am very grateful for this new role in my career. I’ve been with iHeartMedia for more than six years and I think it’s great to have this distinguished opportunity where I contribute with my experience and skills to the expansion and growth of the brand. With the continuing growth of the Hispanic population in Florida it is very important that we serve our community with an authentic voice and a compelling product.”

Abortion Rights Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 9-13. The fallout from the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v Wade, including the protests at justices’ residences, was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the Russia-Ukraine war tied with the larger topic of U.S. foreign policy, followed by the economy, including inflation, supply chain woes, the financial markets and recession fears at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM 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, May 12, 2022

By Editor | May 12, 2022 by Editor

Michele Tafoya Joins Salem Podcast Network. National sports media figure Michele Tafoya is joining Salem Media Group’s Salem Podcast Network to host a new podcast titled, “Sideline Sanity.” The former NBC Sports sideline reporter’s new show – focusing “life, politics, and world news” will be produced four times per week, beginning on May 23. Tafoya’s broadcasting career includes a lot of radio in addition to her TV work. She served with iHeartMedia’s sports talk “KFAN,” hosted afternoon drive on Audacy’s WCCO-AM, and worked alongside morning star Tom Barnard at Cumulus Media’s KQRS-FM. She says, “I’m thrilled to launch my first podcast with the Salem Podcast Network. It’s exciting to join the chorus of talented Salem voices discussing the historic issues facing America and the world.” Salem Twin Cities general manager Nic Anderson comments, “I cannot wait for the rest of the country to get to know Minnesota’s own Michele Tafoya beyond her successful years of reporting from the sidelines. She’s full of insight, passionate about her platform, and she’s ready to speak her mind. And Salem Media-Twin Cities is eager to help as we produce her podcast for a national audience and look forward to working with her locally as opportunities arise.” Tafoya announced her retirement from NBC Sports in February of this year and has joined the campaign of Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls as campaign co-chair.

David ‘Mad Dog’ DeMarco to Exit ‘The Game’ in Lansing After 26 Years. Sports talk personality David “Mad Dog” DeMarco is leaving his role as afternoon drive host on Townsquare Media’s WVFN, Lansing, Michigan after tomorrow’s program, capping a 26-year sports talk career in the market. According to a story in the Lansing State Journal, DeMarco began his sports talk gig in 1996 as part of “The Sports Guys” on WVFN. For four years in the early aughts, the “Mad Dog & Company” show aired on crosstown WQTX-FM, returning to WVFN in 2007. For the past 12 years, DeMarco has been selling for the station, as well. He says, “I had to be like Clark Kent and then go into sales mode and hit the streets as a salesman. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand. They just think that I did the show for three hours and I go home and smoke cigarettes and get high and stuff. I had to really buckle down and be disciplined that I was going to do this. And I did. It’s not even ratings anymore. It’s how much money that you can bring in. It’s like the mafia — you’re an earner is what you are. And if you can’t earn, you’re not going to be around.”

Edison: Comedy Top Podcast Genre for First Quarter of 2022. According to data from Edison Research’s Edison Podcast Metrics, the top podcast genre in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2022 was comedy. This list of podcast genres is based on weekly audience size. (Nineteen genres are identified as having at least one percent reach among those in the U.S. age 18+.) The list of the Top 10 Genres for Q1 2022 is: 1) Comedy, 2) News, 3) Society and Culture, 4) True Crime, 5) Sports, 6) TV and Film, 7) Business, 8) Arts, 9) Religion and Spirituality, and 10) Education. Edison Research SVP Melissa Kiesche comments, “As advertisers increasingly seek to target podcast listeners, it becomes more important to understand the appeal of various genres in the space.”

TALKERS News Notes. There’s special programming available from ABC Audio for the coming Memorial Day weekend. ABC News Radio will present, “Honor, Hope and Healing,” hosted by correspondents Aaron Katersky and Alex Stone. The program reports on America’s heroes, including those who lost their lives serving their country and individuals performing good deeds at home. It features Katersky’s interviews with Gold Star families who lost loved ones last summer in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrew its troops. The special also shines a light on COVID-19’s toll on the country as well as the resilience of Americans trying to emerge from the pandemic and recover from the past two years…..WNYC Studios announces that Kenya Young is appointed to the newly created position of SVP, WNYC Studios – part of New York Public Radio. In this position, Young will oversee a portfolio that includes “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” “The Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry,” “The United States of Anxiety with Kai Wright,” “Death, Sex and Money with Anna Sale,” “La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience,” and the “Blindspot” series co-produced with HISTORY. Young was most recently managing editor for collaborative journalism at NPR. Young will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for WNYC Studios’ portfolio of podcasts, and leading and supporting the teams developing and producing shows. In partnership with Emily Botein, VP, original programming, she will manage and grow current Studios productions and build out WNYC Studios new documentary unit devoted to producing longform nonfiction audio works…..Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal “Save Democracy” Tour 2022 will make a Los Angeles appearance at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Joining Miller will be Hal Sparks, Frangela, and John Fugelsang on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 pm for an evening of standup comedy and special guests. Miller says, “We have a lot of work ahead of us supporting the Democratic agenda that moves all of America forward by delivering an even bigger majority to Capitol Hill.”…..“The Regular Joe Show,” hosted by Joe Giganti and syndicated by Genesis Communications Network, adds two new stations to its roster of affiliates. Pan American Broadcasting’s KDAZ-AM/K245CD, Albuquerque adds the program to air from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and WPA Radio LLC’s KTLR-AM/K279CR, Oklahoma City is now airing two hours of the program daily. Giganti says, “These are exciting opportunities to bring our upbeat, witty take on some of the most pressing and challenging issues of the day. I think it’s so important to maintain your ability to laugh and have a little fun, especially when tackling some of the heavier hot topics – perhaps now, more than ever.”

The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Roe v Wade, COVID-19, Elon Musk & Twitter, and Western Drought/Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/11). The high cost of food and gasoline, the roiling stock market & plunging value of cryptocurrency, and concerns about a recession; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rumors of Vladimir Putin’s poor health, and Putin’s warning to Finland over plans to joins NATO; the Trump-approved primary candidates for the November midterms and Trump’s influence over the GOP; the protests over the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., concerns about new variants, and the Chinese zero-COVID policy; the controversial attempt by Elon Musk to acquire Twitter; and the drought and wildfires affecting 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

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

By Editor | May 11, 2022 by Editor

Salem Media Group First Quarter Revenue Rises 5.5%. Reporting financial data for the first quarter of 2022, Salem Media Group says total revenue was $62.6 million, an increase of 5.5% over the same period in 2021. Operating income was $5 million, up 14.2% from the same period a year ago. Salem posted net income of $1.7 million in Q1 of this year compared to the net income of $0.3 million reported for the same quarter in 2021. Breaking down the company’s data by segment, net broadcast revenue increased 10% to $48.4 million from $44 million in 2021, while digital media revenue increased 7.1% to $10.3 million from $9.6 million, and publishing revenue decreased 31.8% to $3.9 million from $5.7 million. Looking ahead, Salem Media Group says that for the second quarter of 2022, it is projecting total revenue to increase between 6% and 8% from second quarter 2021 total revenue of $63.8 million.

The Vastness of Night. “The two most effective, engaging forms of advertising are in-theatre and overnight radio,” says Walter Sterling. “Surrounded by darkness without distractions, the audience choses to receive the advertising message in the comfort of a bed, perfectly adjusted car seat, or reclining throne. Overnight radio is 25% of the broadcast day. Twenty-five percent. A locally hosted all-night show in a major city is a gift to listeners and advertisers.” You say you can’t afford an all-night talk radio host? Read more of what Walter Sterling has to say here.

Tom Millikan Upped to Assistant Brand Manager for WXYT-FM, Detroit. Executive producer Tom Millikan is promoted to assistant brand manager at Audacy’s sports talk WXYT-FM, Detroit “97.1 The Ticket.” He will continue in his executive producer role for “The Morning Show with Stoney and Jansen.” Audacy Detroit SVP and market manager Debbie Kenyon says, “Tom has done an outstanding job as an executive producer and has played a vital role in the success of the station. He is very deserving of this promotion and we look forward to even greater success with Tom in his new role.” Millikan comments, “Throughout my 20-plus years in radio, I’ve been blessed with countless memories of championships and pure joy. I’m living out a dream. I wanted to work in sports radio since the format exploded in the early 90s and I’ve been blessed by the tutelage of all of my co-workers and peers. I was born and raised in Detroit and Detroit sports are part of my DNA. Listeners might not agree with my opinions or show content all of the time, but I genuinely try to produce shows that Detroit sports fans want every single day.”

ABC Audio Promotes Liz Alesse to VP. Rising from the director and executive producer of podcast programming position to vice president of ABC Audio is Liz Alesse. In this role, Alesse will oversee the organization’s entire audio business, including ABC News Radio, podcasts, and the entertainment content service. ABC News senior vice president of streaming and digital content Reena Mehta says, “She has been instrumental in growing and re-organizing our award-winning podcast team, developing successful content and monetization strategies, and partnering closely within the news division and across The Walt Disney Company to promote our work. Liz oversaw the successful launches of new podcasts, including, ‘Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson,’ ‘Close Up’ and ‘The Book Case with Kate and Charlie Gibson.’ She also spearheaded creating the ‘GMA’ Channel on Apple Podcasts, which holds the new ‘Good Morning America’ podcast and ABC Audio’s growing library of lifestyle, culture and entertainment on-demand audio content. Under her leadership, the team received Webby Awards, a Gracie Award, GLAAD Special Recognition honors and more.”

Edison Research Q1 Top 50 Podcasts Chart; Controversy Has Not Hurt Joe Rogan. The Edison Podcast Metrics chart of the top 50 podcasts in the U.S. for the first quarter of 2022 has been released and the controversy surrounding Spotify’s “The Joe Rogan Experience” in 2021 has not harmed listening; in fact, it appears to have helped it. Edison Research director of research Gabriel Soto says, “Despite a turbulent and controversial ride for Joe Rogan at the beginning of the quarter, his show not only remains the most popular in the U.S., but it has increased in listenership – distancing itself from the number two spot.” This chart by Edison ranks the 50 biggest podcasts by audience size, based on Edison Podcast Metrics (formerly known as the Podcast Consumer Tracking Report). Edison says its list is “the only podcast measurement service that measures the relative audience size and demographics of all podcast networks in the U.S. and measures based on actual podcast listening, not downloads, and does not require an opt-in from podcast networks. Some of the other podcasts making the chart connected to radio-oriented companies include: #6 “Stuff You Should Know” (iHeartPodcasts), #9 “The Ben Shapiro Show” (The Daily Wire), #18 “The Dan Bongino Show” (Cumulus Podcast Network), #31 “The Dave Ramsey Show” (The Ramsey Network), and #39 “The Mark Levin Show” (Cumulus Podcast Network).

TALKERS News Notes. According to data from Nielsen, Newsmax’s live coverage of former President Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally pushed the network ahead of CNN in audience viewership on Friday night (5/6). Newsmax says that it pulled 738,000 total viewers between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm ET, with an evening prime-time average of 579,000 viewers. CNN peaked at 645,000 viewers during Anderson Cooper’s show, drawing an average audience of 545,000 on Friday night. Newsmax adds that for the past year, is has consistently held the position as the fourth-highest-rated cable news channel in the U.S. and a top-20 cable channel in daytime, according to Nielsen…..The Independent Broadcasters Association says it is delivering on its promise to provide an efficient way for members to share local talent in which all talent made available to members by members will be on a very affordable cash basis, eliminating the need for costly barter deals. IBA executive director Ron Stone comments, “One of the most costly expenditures for independent radio is paying for syndication, whether by cash, barter, or a combination thereof. Our goal is to provide our IBA members with an opportunity to choose cost-effective talent from other IBA members and eliminate the need to give local inventory to large networks that sell to the very clients we used to do business with nationally, and at far better prices than network pricing. This, I believe, is a huge opportunity to get back inventory used against us at extremely low prices.”

The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Mark Esper Book, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Roe v Wade, Musk & Twitter, COVID-19, and Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/10). The state of the U.S. economy, the high cost of food and gasoline, and concerns about a recession; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rumors of Vladimir Putin’s poor health, and the U.S. House approves aid to Ukraine; former Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s book, A Sacred Oath, that paints former President Donald Trump in an unflattering light; the Trump-approved primary candidates for the November midterms and Trump’s influence over the GOP; the protests over the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade; the controversial attempt by Elon Musk to acquire Twitter; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., concerns about new variants, and the Chinese zero-COVID policy; and the drought affecting 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

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

By Editor | May 10, 2022 by Editor

Townsquare Media Reports Q1 Net Revenue Up 13%; Tops Pre-COVID Net Revenue by 7%. For the first quarter of 2022, Townsquare Media is reporting net revenue of $100.2 million, an increase of 13% over the same period in 2021 and an increase of 7% over the same period in Q1 of 2019. Townsquare is also reporting net income of 2.74 million for Q1 of 2022 compared to the loss of $6.1 million it reported in the first quarter of last year. Townsquare reports in three segments: 1) Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions – including its subscription digital marketing solutions business, Townsquare Interactive. That segment reported revenue of $21.8 million, an increase of 15% over Q1 of 2021; 2) Digital Advertising – marketed externally as Townsquare Ignite that includes digital advertising on its owned and operated digital properties and its digital programmatic advertising platform. That segment reported revenue of $29.2 million, an increase of 16.6% over last year; and 3) Broadcast Advertising – including the company’s local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered via terrestrial radio broadcast (plus other miscellaneous revenue associated with the broadcast advertising platform). That segment’s revenue was $48.1 million, an increase of 7.7% over the same period a year ago. Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson states, “I am proud to announce our strong start to 2022, with net revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and net income increasing year-over-year by +13%, +10%, and $8.9 million, respectively. In addition, net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA exceeded our previously issued guidance due to strong growth and strong margins. As a Digital First Local Media Company, our first quarter performance was driven by our digital platform and solutions, with total digital revenue increasing +16% year-over-year in the first quarter (representing 51% of our total Q1 net revenue) and total digital Adjusted Operating Income increasing +11% year-over year (representing 55% of our total Q1 Adjusted Operating Income). As we move forward, we expect double-digit digital net revenue growth to continue at strong margins, fueling our overall growth and subsequent debt reduction, from 4.66x net leverage today to 4.0x by year end. We are also pleased to re-affirm our 2022 guidance and our 2024 digital revenue target of at least $275 million. These results and confidence in our outlook are due, in part, to the fact that Townsquare is the only local media and digital marketing solutions company of scale focused principally on markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States, a vital differentiator for our company. Our new reporting segments 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%. 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 and communities, it is not our primary growth driver. With approximately half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, we have a strong digital growth engine that will drive significant and consistent growth in the coming years. It is our belief that as a Digital First Local Media Company providing a detailed breakout of our digital revenue and digital profit, Townsquare should be afforded a sum-of-the-parts valuation that gives credit to our digital assets.”

MIW Launches State Broadcasters Partnership Program. The non-profit organization Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc., dedicated to the advancement of female leadership in radio broadcasting, announces a new national program designed to create mentorship opportunities in every state in the union. This three-to-five-year strategic plan exponentially expands the organization’s mentoring outreach across the United States. The first pilot program partners MIW with the Minnesota Broadcasters Association to create, “Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Minnesota.” MIW’s long term plan includes establishing close working relationships with leadership from all interested state broadcasters associations and broadcasters across the country to create mentorship curriculums for female professionals in radio broadcasting. With MIW’s guidance, these state-centered programs will be based on the tenets, structure, and best practices of MIWs broad array of successful and established mentoring opportunities. MIW Board president Ruth Presslaff says, “This program is designed to dramatically expand our mentorship outreach. We couldn’t ask for a better first partner than president Wendy Paulson and the Minnesota Broadcasters Association as we work toward a mentee in every state. Cheers to the first. Forty-nine to go!” Find out more here.

TALKERS News Notes. When the Radiodays Europe conference takes place in Malmö, Sweden May 15-17, Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley will take part in two sessions. She will participate in a special one-on-one session titled, “American Regional Radio in the Digital Age,” hosted by Benztown president Dave “Chachi” Denes. In addition, Beasley will take part in the “Audio Summit” panel, featuring Sibyle Veil (CEO Radio France), Linda Pamgren (CEO Bauer Media Sweden) and Cathinka Rondon (head of Radio-NRK). The session will be moderated by Folder Media creative director Matt Deegan…..The nationally syndicated, weekend shooting sports program “Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk” adds WBIN Media’s WTPL-FM, Hillsborough, New Hampshire and Berkshire Broadcasting Corp’s WLAD-AM/W231DJ, Danbury, Connecticut to its roster of affiliate stations. The program is syndicated by Talk Shows USA…..Chicago-based MediaTracks Incorporated sells “Radio Health Journal” and “Viewpoints Radio” to American Urban Radio Networks, LLC. The two weekly public affairs programs are syndicated on a total of nearly 1,500 stations in more than 200 U.S. markets. Bob Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive broker for the seller in this transaction…..Audio content, marketing, and advertising services firm Gemini XIII, joins forces with Diversion Podcasts through an investment that will grow Diversion’s offerings under a new premium podcast network called Diversion Audio. Diversion Audio will become Gemini XIII’s content division. The division will leverage sister company Diversion Books’ publishing assets and author relationships to offer a focused content model it says is unique to podcasting: expanding IP from books, authors, and personalities into the podcast medium as original audio content across both high-frequency episodic shows and engrossing narrative limited series. Gemini XIII co-founder and CEO Spencer Brown says, “Through Diversion Audio, we will build upon the successful franchises and proven track record that Scott [Waxman] and his talented team have created at Diversion Podcasts. Together with our recent acquisitions of Phantom Producer and The Infinite Agency, Gemini XIII is well-positioned to optimize these premium assets and capabilities to build and grow a new breed of audio company. The creation of Diversion Audio advances that strategy considerably. We think podcast listeners and readers alike will love what they hear as we launch new podcasts tied to Diversion’s expansive intellectual property library.”

The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Roe v Wade, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, COVID-19, Vicky White/Casey White Manhunt, and Western Drought/Texas Wildfire Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/9). The falling Dow and NASDAQ, the high price of gas & food, and concerns about a full-blown recession; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns about Vladimir Putin’s health and willingness to use nuclear weapons; the aftermath of the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade; the November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the rate of cases, hospitalizations & deaths from COVID-19; the manhunt for Alabama corrections officer Vicky White and convict Casey White ends; and the drought in the U.S. West and the Texas wildfires 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, May 9, 2022

By Editor | May 9, 2022 by Editor

Pending Business: Howdy Partner. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes today about the strange use of the word “partner” for the advertiser on a radio program. Lapa says, “Do our advertisers (customers) really want a partnership in the true sense of the word? Or do our advertisers want what everyone else wants: maximum value at the best price?” Aside from the inaccurate nomenclature, Lapa wonders if the “partner” designation affects the sales effort. Read his column here.

Monday Memo: “Gas cards? OR…Bitcoin?” “Imagine asking a contest winner to choose THAT?” consultant Holland Cooke asks. In this week’s column, he recalls “when radio stunts were fun,” and how a contest “will sound as big as you make it sound.” Read more here.

Audacy First Quarter Net Revenue Up 14%. For the first quarter of 2022, Audacy reports net revenue of $275.3 million, an increase of 14% over the same period in 2021. The company also saw its net loss shrink from $21.6 million in the first quarter of 2021 to $11 million in Q 1 of this year. Audacy provides financial data by segment and reports that spot revenue (national and local) was $173.9 million, while its digital segment (including podcasting) rose 16% to $53 million from the $41.6 million reported in the first quarter of 2021. Audacy also breaks down net revenue by format type and reports music radio revenue was $140.4 million; sports radio revenue was $53 million; and all-news & news/talk revenue was $48.3 million. Audacy president and CEO David Field comments, “I am pleased to report that Audacy posted strong first quarter results, delivering 152% growth in Adjusted EBITDA led by double digit revenue growth in both digital and spot radio. With our scaled, leadership position across broadcasting, podcasting and digital audio and our differentiated premium content offerings, we are well positioned to drive rapid evolution and innovation across the organization to capitalize on the outstanding growth opportunities in the dynamic audio marketplace. In Q1, we launched the Audacy Digital Audience Network, an addressable aggregate of 60 million listeners across our app, streaming content, and podcast lineup, enabling precision targeting at scale coupled with real-time optimization and reporting. We are looking forward to a number of exciting additional product and content launches and enhancements over the course of 2022 that will accelerate our audience growth and bolster our advertiser appeal.”

Beasley Broadcast Group Reports Q1 Net Revenue Increase of 15.6%. Reporting its financial data for the first quarter of 2022, Beasley Broadcast Group – parent company of Beasley Media Group – states that net revenue was $55.7 million, an increase of 15.6% over the same period in 2021. The company is also reporting an operating loss of $2.7 million in Q1 compared to an operating loss of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2021. The increase in operating loss is primarily the result of an increase in operating expenses, which reflects additional cost of sales related to the revenue increase, other expenses related to sports and marketing, and additional expenses related to the company’s digital agency build out. Beasley’s net loss for the quarter fell to $3.7 million compared to the net loss of $10.7 million reported for the same period a year ago. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley states, “First quarter results highlight ongoing progress toward our goal of returning all of our revenue sources to pre-pandemic levels. Net revenue rose 15.6% inclusive of a 35.5% rise in digital segment revenue, which accounted for 14% of total net revenue in the quarter, marking further success of our digital transformation strategies. Comparing our revenue performance to the first quarter of 2019, revenue was down $2.0 million, or 3.4%, as the 2019 results benefited from events and other revenue that has not fully recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total outstanding debt as of March 31, 2022 was $300 million, as we did not have any scheduled debt payments during the quarter, and we had $50.7 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand at quarter end. We made an interest payment of approximately $12.9 million in February and repurchased $5 million of our 8.625% senior secured notes at a discount early in the second quarter. Our strong liquidity position enables us to make debt repayments while providing us with increased financial flexibility to pursue a potential acquisition or investment within the digital space, should an opportunity arise that could accelerate our digital growth, provide synergies or improve financial results. Looking ahead to the second quarter and second half of 2022, our focus remains on driving further revenue diversification and audience expansion, improving margins, benefiting from the return of the political cycle, maintaining a strong and flexible balance sheet, reducing net leverage and growing free cash flow. We expect progress on each of these fronts as we continue to close the gap on our pre-pandemic revenue and SOI levels and grow from there. I am extremely proud of our team members across the company for everything they have done and are doing to help us move past the challenges presented by the pandemic. We have clearly accomplished a lot and I believe we have many more opportunities ahead to build the company and enhance stockholder value.”

Ramsey Solutions Wins Webby Award for Borrowed Future Documentary. The documentary film Borrowed Future – produced by Ramsey Solutions – will be recognized as the Best Video Documentary in the Longform category of the 2022 Annual Webby Awards. Known as the “best of the Internet,” the Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. Borrowed Future was originally released as a podcast in 2019 and reveals the inner workings of the predatory student loan industry that keeps borrowers trapped in debt. Directed by David DiCicco, the story follows college graduates who owe between $9,000 and $1 million in student loans, a college graduate who paid cash for college, and a group of high schoolers who haven’t made their choice yet. Leading voices like Mike Rowe, Seth Godin and Dave Ramsey are also featured. For weeks, the film held top spots on multiple streaming platform charts: #1 documentary on Google Play, #2 documentary on Apple TV and #5 documentary (rent or buy category) on Amazon Prime Video. Dave Ramsey says, “There’s no doubt we stirred up a holy ruckus with this documentary, and I’m so proud of the team that put it together. The student loan industry is downright evil. We definitely can’t bank on student loan forgiveness, and it’s about time America said, ‘I’ve had it!’” Webby Awards executive director Claire Graves comments, “Borrowed Future has set the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet. This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.” The 26th Annual Webby Awards will take place in New York City on May 16. See more about the film here.

Brandon Tatum Joins Salem Radio Network for Syndicated Radio Program. Conservative media figure and former Tucson police officer Brandon Tatum is joining the Salem Radio Network to fill the slot Larry Elder held until his retirement from radio in early April. He will assume duties as host of the 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET program on May 16. The third hour of the program will be repurposed into a podcast. Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce says, “Salem conducted a nationwide search, and some very big names were interested in taking this important slot. Brandon brings a unique talent to Salem, and has a strong following among the nation’s youth, with his involvement with Turning Point USA. His compelling story is riveting.” Tatum has been serving as director of urban outreach for Turning Point USA and hosts the popular program “The Officer Tatum Show” on social media platforms including YouTube. Tatum says, “Words cannot describe what a blessing it is to be a part of the Salem family. I am incredibly humbled and honored to continue the legacy of the great Larry Elder. My mission in life is to serve God with the gifts he has given me. Being the voice of and for the people is one of those gifts.” Additionally, Tatum co-founded Blexit with Candace Owens, an organization “dedicated to changing the narrative in the black community through education, community outreach, and empowerment.” Carl Jackson, who has been subbing as guest host in Elder’s absence both last summer when he ran for governor, and more recently after Elder’s decision to retire from radio, will continue as a regular sub for Tatum.

TALKERS News Notes. Philadelphia sports media legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Didinger announces he’s retiring from his weekend radio program on Audacy’s WIP, Philadelphia. The station reports that Didinger said on yesterday’s program that he co-hosts with Glen Macnow, “Sunday, May 29th will be my final show. I am ready to transition from Ray Didi to grandpop.” Audacy says Didinger covered the NFL for The Philadelphia Bulletin and The Philadelphia Daily News for over 25 years and in 1995 his name was added to writer’s honor roll in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Didinger also worked as a senior producer at NFL Films, as an Eagles TV analyst on NBC Sports Philadelphia…..SiriusXM announces that Jessica Casano-Antonellis joins the company as SVP and head of communications, reporting to chief marketing officer Denise Karkos. In this role, she will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s communications function, including strategic communications, brand reputation management and media relations. Karkos adds, “Jessica is a valued and respected leader who brings a wealth of strategic communications experience in the media, entertainment and technology industries to SiriusXM. She will be an incredible asset to the company and will play a key role as we continue to tell the story of SiriusXM as a leader in audio entertainment.”…..Former KQQZ, St. Louis station owner Bob Romanik – whose self-given nickname was “The Grim Reaper of Radio” – has died at age 72 while in hospice. According to his obit in the Belleville News-Democrat, Romanik served as an East St. Louis police officer and chief of police in both Washington Park and Valmeyer, Illinois during his career. He was a notorious raconteur who liberally used racial epithets on the air and referred to his programming as W.A.R. or White Awareness Radio. In 2020, after attempting to conceal his ownership of KQQZ and failing to show up for FCC hearings on the matter, the Commission permanently dismissed his application for renewal.

The Economy, Roe v Wade, COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Investigation, and Musk & Twitter Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The sinking Dow and NASDAQ, the high price of food & gas, and the ongoing supply chain woes; the reactions to the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v Wade; the rising rate of COVID cases in some parts of the U.S., concerns about new variants, and the ongoing lockdowns in China; Russia’s war in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s propaganda; the November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack; and Elon Musk’s attempt to acquire Twitter were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, May 6, 2022

By Editor | May 6, 2022 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, “Mothers of Contention,” looks back at this past week of 5/2 to 5/6. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City; Thom Hartmann, talk show host, WYD Media; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; and Gregg Stebben, correspondent, beamz.live. 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; 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 Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast 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.

iHeartMedia Reports Q1 2022 Consolidated Revenue Up 19.4%. Financial results from the first quarter of 2022 for iHeartMedia Inc. reveal consolidated revenue of $843 million, an increase of 19.4% over the same period a year ago. The company’s net loss shrank during the first quarter to $48.7 million from the $242 million net loss posted during Q1 of 2021. iHeartMedia posted operating income of $12.3 million for the first quarter, compared to the operating loss of $76.4 million it reported in Q1 of 2021. Looking at the company’s reporting by segment, broadcast radio was up 16.2% on revenue of $416.5 million, and networks was up 2.1% on revenue of $117.6 million. Those, along with sponsorships & events, comprise the company’s Multiplatform Group. The Digital Audio Group consists of digital excluding podcasting, which reported revenue of $145.7 million (up 22.2%), and podcasting, which reported revenue of $68.5 million (an increase of 78.7%). The company’s Audio & Media Services Group reported revenue of $60.9 million (up 10.4%) for the quarter. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman states, “We’re pleased to report another quarter of strong results, and believe our performance is further evidence of the successful execution of our digital transformation and multiplatform strategy, and the power of our position as the #1 audio company in America across broadcast radio, digital radio, and podcasting. We remain committed to building on iHeart’s transformation into a data-led, digitally focused business; to investing in areas with high-growth potential; and to continuing our focus on innovation and being at the forefront of new technologies and digital platforms which create incremental growth opportunities for Audio.”

‘Toucher & Rich’ Morning Show Expands to Springfield, Mass. Market. The “Toucher & Rich” morning program based at Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” will be heard on rock Saga Communications’ WLZX-FM/W253CD in the Springfield-Northampton, Massachusetts market beginning on May 9. The program, hosted by Fred Toucher (left) and Rich Shertenlieb (right), began expanding to affiliate stations throughout New England last fall. This is an uncommon move for Saga, which has a history of keeping its morning drive programs live and local. Toucher & Rich comment, “We’re excited to be launching ‘Toucher & Rich’ in Springfield and Northampton on ‘Lazer 99.3 and 98.5’ with our new friends at Saga Communications. We’re fortunate to have some of the most loyal listeners in radio and look forward to introducing our show to a whole new audience of potential T&R diehards.”

Moms & Media 2022. “Two years into COVID,” Moms’ media consumption is changed. “The Research Moms” at Edison Research updated their annual report in a Thursday webinar consultant Holland Cooke attended; and HC’s “one-sentence version” is: “To reach Mom, use smartphones, Alexa, Facebook, and TikTok.” Click here for his notes, and links to download the report and watch a video of the narrated presentation. Read more here.

WJR-AM, Detroit Celebrates 100 Years on the Air. On Wednesday (5/4), Cumulus Media’s news/talk WJR-AM, Detroit kicked off a year-long Centennial celebration. WJR signed on for the first time on May 4, 1922, as WCX, which changed a few years later to WJR to reflect the ownership of the Jewett Radio and Phonograph Company. Cumulus says, “The station has served the community with excellence for 100 years, with a 50,000-watt signal that can be heard across nearly half the country at night, providing the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the Upper Midwest with news, music, sports, and information by some of the most talented people in the radio industry. Through the years, WJR’s legendary lineup has featured broadcasting giants such as Paul W. Smith, Jack Parr, Mitch Albom, J.P. McCarthy, Frank Beckmann, Ernie Harwell, Guy Gordon, and Rush Limbaugh.” In the last several months leading up to Wednesday’s 100th year birthday, WJR has presented dozens of on-air vignettes that mark memorable moments, tell interesting stories, and feature the unique sound and talented people from WJR’s history. In addition, the station has populated www.wjr.com with archival video, audio and photos that tell the story of WJR’s first 100 years. Cumulus Detroit VP and market manage Steve Finateri comments, “Being at WJR is like being part of an all-star team at every position in this famous Fisher Building. WJR is iconic because of the extremely high standards set by so many world class broadcasters over the past 100 years. Today, those same high standards and our ‘blow torch coverage’ is what still attracts top newsmakers from around the Great Lakes Region and is the reason for our continued success. We take great pride in our programming, our business and civic relationships, and serve the community by raising millions every year for numerous worthy charities that improve the quality of life in Detroit. The best-of-the-best seem to find their way to WJR, and I know that tradition will continue on for the next 100 years.”

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Windy City media personality and former WGN-AM, Chicago morning drive host Steve Cochran is going to be heard on Cumulus Media’s WLS-AM in mornings next week. Cochran will guest host the program that is without a permanent host since Bruce St. James exited the station last month. Since exiting WGN, Cochran has been producing a twice-weekly podcast titled, “Live from My Office.”…..Audio streaming service TuneIn names Tom Fuelling chief financial officer. Fuelling has served as CFO for Hulu, OpenX, ARTISTdirect and most recently, Spokeo, Inc. TuneIn CEO Richard Stern says, “Tom is an incredible addition to our growing leadership team. His experience scaling global media businesses that consumers love is unparalleled. Working in a competitive landscape, TuneIn has emerged as a leader in live audio streaming and we look forward to working with Tom as he’ll help us sustain and maintain our growth both domestically and abroad.”…..FOX News Media, in partnership with the National Merit Scholarship Program, announces the selection of the recipients of the third annual Dr. Charles Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship. This year’s scholarships will be endowed to Emmett Gaffney, son of vice president of documentary programming, Brian Gaffney and Grace LeCroy, the daughter of FOX News assignment desk manager Lillian LeCroy and FOX News Edge photojournalist Phil LeCroy. The winners will be featured on the network’s evening newscast, “Special Report with anchor Bret Baier,” on which Dr. Krauthammer was a fixture over the years. Additionally, Daniel Krauthammer will appear on the program tonight to discuss his father’s legacy. In making the announcement, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott says, “We are pleased to continue the tradition of honoring Charles Krauthammer’s extraordinary and celebrated career. Emmett and Grace are exceptional students whose many talents extend beyond the classroom. It is our hope that Charles’ brilliant intellect, integrity and courage will serve as an inspiration for them throughout their next endeavors in higher education. Congratulations to Emmett, Grace, and their families.”

Roe v Wade Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 2-6. The leak of a draft decision indicating the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v Wade was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics tied with the 2022 and 2024 elections, followed by January 6 committee activity tied with Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the 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.

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