Monday Memo: Read The Room
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
This is not about politics. This is about change, and listening to listeners.
The dust is still settling. But, as you might have, I spent election night surfing news channels. I probably landed most often on FOX News, where Karoline Leavitt’s punditry debut was more resigned than her undaunted press secretary persona. Donald Trump had won twice as a change candidate. As the big story was unfolding, MS Now’s Chris Hayes called change FROM Trump “an expression of exhaustion.”
Georgia elected the USA’s first Black woman governor, New Mexico elected the first Native American woman governor, and a Latina will govern Texas; where her fellow Democrat won the most-watched/most-expensive-ever Senate race there. Reliably-red Kansas turned-out an incumbent Republican to send the Senate its first-ever megachurch pastor and Michigan is sending a Muslim. The Senate also gets its first Native American woman and first openly gay member, and Alabama – Alabama! – sends an openly trans woman to Congress. There are dozens of other stories, and two senate races not yet won in which Democrats lead.
In the month before election day, FOX News posted the biggest year-over-year ratings drop any of the three major cable news networks has suffered during a comparable pre-election month in the past decade. Although FOX News still led both, CNN’s primetime adults 25-54 audience was up 40% percent, and MS Now’s grew 30%.
Premiere Networks host Jesse Kelly told The Guardian: “Honestly, it was easy radio, easy podcasting, easy TV to just sit down and just powder Trump’s butt all day long. That’s what the audience wanted to hear. But like any other politician, same for all of them, you don’t stay hot forever. It’s not possible. No matter what, we’re nearing the end of the Trump era because his last term’s almost over and people are going to start looking around for the next guy.”
In that same report, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison: “Anybody who is in radio and who plans to be in radio for a very long time has got to – or eventually learns – that the carpet is going to be pulled out from you eventually, with switching circumstances and public opinion.”
On Election Day afternoon, we got fresh 6+ numbers from big markets. Often public radio is beating noisier commercial news/talk stations.
Now what? Relevance to listeners’ day-to-day lives is imperative. Talk dollars-and-sense. Own your market’s weather image. Say “you” and “your” more than “I” and “me” – less monologue, more dialogue. Make the audience the show. Stations I work with are inviting voice texts, which don’t ask busy callers to wait on hold.
All-Christmas-music stations will do well.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
Mel Robbins Podcast,” “SmartLess” and “Up First,” from NPR. Representing a mix of news, advice and celebrity interviews, they were drawn from a shortlist of 25 programs the Globes had previously deemed eligible. The nominations avoided politics or controversy by passing on popular podcasts from the shortlist, such as conservative-leaning programs ‘The Megyn Kelly Show,’ ‘The Tucker Carlson Show,’ ‘The Ben Shapiro Show,’ Candace Owen’s ‘Candace’ and, most notably, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ which topped Spotify, Apple and YouTube’s list of weekly podcast charts this year. The left-leaning ‘Pod Save America’ also was snubbed, as were popular true crime podcasts like ‘Morbid’ and ‘Rotten Mango.’” Kennedy notes in his report that Ben Shapiro lobbied hard for his show. “Shapiro had launched an all-out Golden Globes publicity campaign for his decade-old podcast, on which he’s spoken with the likes of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past year. In addition to making the rounds with industry publications, Shapiro also secured massive billboard space in New York City’s Times Square.” 
says, “Governor Newsom is going solo and diving into the real issues that matter – government, politics, affordability, quality of life, and the cultural moments shaping our world. No spin, no script, just real talk about what impacts listeners most.” 
Is that host read you are pitching “baked-in?”
Let’s talk streaming because I don’t get what is happening. Maybe you do.
It’s time to start planning your holiday strategy.
unsolved cases. He later served as press secretary for Baltimore County executive John Olszewski and ran for mayor of Baltimore in 2020. He takes over the midday show after Kimberly Klacik exited the position following seven months on the job. WBAL director of programming Jeff Wade says, “The WBAL audience has known and respected T.J. for years for his frank and honest dialogue on the issues that matter most to people living and working in Baltimore. Whether it’s policing, politics, or talking 
Orioles and Ravens, we can’t think of anyone better suited to sit behind the WBAL microphone weekdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.” Smith comments, “As a native Baltimorean who has gone to school, worked, run for office and even suffered loss in the city, I’m very familiar with the feel of the public from west Baltimore to the waterfront. I couldn’t be more excited to join the WBAL Radio family. I look forward to delivering straight talk and sharing my opinion based on my experience working in government and in law enforcement. I’m ready to ‘tell it like it is’ in a reasonable manner.”
complement Manny Munoz. The ideal candidate will be well-rounded and well-informed. They must be passionate about South Florida, news savvy, and have a strong interest in current events, politics, and lifestyle issues affecting their target audience. A strong digital platform and social media skills are vital for this role. In addition, all candidates must be proactive and work well in a team environment.
“ScreenShare” on MSNBC’s Peacock. The program features diverse guests and conversations that “tackle the biggest issues in culture, entertainment, media, and politics.” Best-selling author, advocate, speaker, and strategist Reecie Colbert hosts the Saturday 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm program that addresses politics, culture, current events, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. And broadcaster, news analyst, business executive, college dean, university professor, lecturer, entrepreneur, and advocate Dr. Rashad Richey is host of the Sunday 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm hour that SiriusXM calls “your one-hour Sunday ‘all things’ political, social, and economic empowerment show!”