Darren White Named PD at KKOB-AM/FM, Albuquerque
Cumulus Media names Darren White program director for its Albuquerque news/talk outlet KKOB-AM/FM and sister sports talk station KNML-AM “610AM/95.9FM The Sports Animal.” White previously served with the station from 2019 through 2021 as host of the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm show and a weekend program. White has also served the Albuquerque community as public safety director for the Albuquerque Police and Fire
Departments, sheriff of Bernalillo County, head of public safety for the State of New Mexico under Governor Gary Johnson. Cumulus Albuquerque vice president and market manager Jeff Berry states, “I am SO excited for Darren’s return to Cumulus Albuquerque as program director. His passion for radio and vision for the future are contagious. We are fortunate to have someone with his background re-join our industry in a leadership position. Welcome home, Darren!” White comments, “I am honored to accept the position of program director for News Radio KKOB and KNML the Sports Animal, and I am humbled by the confidence Cumulus Media has placed in me for this exciting new challenge. Having been a part of Cumulus for over a decade, I have seen firsthand the incredible dedication and talent of the teams at both stations. With a proven history of delivering provocative, engaging, and informative radio that is second to none, I look forward to building on that legacy by attracting new listeners and continuing to bring dynamic programming to our loyal radio family.”
Fayetteville, Arkansas “92.1 The Ticket.” Gee most recently served as assistant program director and co-host of the “Pat Jones Show” on KYAL-FM, Tulsa. Cumulus Fayetteville regional VP and market manager Keith Liesmann says, “Erik’s depth of experience and passion for sports make him a perfect fit for our station. We are thrilled to have him on board and can’t wait for our listeners to experience his insight and energy every morning.” Levi Peckenpaugh will serve as producer for the morning drive program.
and podcasts are all a part of what we do, so show us what you’ve got. The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of programming including scheduling content, coaching on-air staff, station and AM/FM cluster strategy, development of on-air/online promotions and generating associated revenue, oversight and content creation for digital extensions (including streams, websites and podcasts), and have a strong customer service approach towards listeners, staff, & sales. Additionally, the candidate will act as the program director for Legendary News Radio KKOB and KNML The Sports Animal. 
Spacciapolli states, “I first want to congratulate Dave on an incredible career. It has been a privilege to work with him over the past two years. We’re delighted to promote PJ, a mainstay at KDKA for the last 35 years. The trust he has built within our organization and with listeners and partners makes him a great fit to steward this iconic brand into the future as we grow on many levels.” Kumanchik, who has worked in multiple capacities at both KDKA News Radio and “93.7 The Fan” (KDKA-FM) as news producer and editor, morning show producer, sports producer and program director, comments, “I look forward to working with our leadership team, including Michael, to boost the momentum we have created at KDKA News Radio in the past couple of years. As the Voice of Pittsburgh, we will continue to provide news-driven talk that encourages interactions from our listeners.”
Monticello Media’s WCHV-AM, Charlottesville, Virginia, is acquiring WTON-AM, Staunton, Virginia and two FM translators (W255DS, Harrisonburg at 98.9 and W266BQ, Crozet at 101.1) from Stu-Comm, Inc. for $275,000. Thomas is buying the station via his company Thomas Media LLC. After Monticello Media learned of the deal, it severed its relationship with Thomas. He tells TALKERS magazine, “We are looking forward to bringing local news and conversation back to the valley the same way we did for WCHV. We also hope to have my show back on the air in Charlottesville soon.”
been serving as assistant program director and executive producer. iHeartMedia San Diego market president Noreen Ippolito says, “Mary has been a part of our cluster for many years and is more than ready to take the lead role of our talk stations. She’s smart, experienced, and incredibly detailed with her work.” Ayala comments, “This is an exciting time to be taking over the program director position for these brands. Each station has its own distinct flavor, and all of them are filled with great talent I’m looking forward to working with.” 
Worth, news/talk WBAL, Baltimore to name a few. Beasley Media Group Philadelphia VP and market manager Joe Bell comments, “Scott is one of the premiere programmers in sports talk radio. I have been a fan for years and feel he’s the right person to continue developing the Fanatic brand.” Masteller says, “I am excited to partner with Beasley and the talented staff of ‘97.5 The Fanatic.’ Philadelphia is such a great sports town with some of the most passionate fans in the country!”
flexibility rarely found in corporate-structured environments.” Duties include: Managing the station’s audio image via branding, focusing on timely and frequent updates; overseeing social media and creating content that relates to the station’s brand and target audience; hosting a daily on-air shift; proficiency with Google’s G Suite, Selector, and Wide Orbit Automation system; and coaching staff. Learn more at 
includes sports talk WXNT-AM and five music brands. Killabrew has been serving as the program director for WXNT-AM, classic hits WJJK-FM and rock WNDX-FM since May of 2022. He’ll continue in those roles. Cumulus Indianapolis VP and market manager Darlene Park says, “Mike is an impactful leader who has a strong track record of building and developing great teams, serving the community, and delivering results. He understands our market and our amazing brands will grow under his leadership.” 
promotions department at KNBR and was later hired at KNBR as a part-time board operator. In 2017, Copeland was promoted to full-time producer of “KNBR Tonight,” was then named host of “The Leadoff Spot,” and served as producer/board operator of the “
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Amb. Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, Gov. Doug Burgum, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Ryan Binkley. “Iowa Talking Points” is produced for live video stream, 
video and audio on-demand playback, and radio rebroadcast by NRG’s “News/Talk 1540” KXEL, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo and is hosted by KXEL program director and host Jeff Stein. Previous programs in the series have been produced in front of a live studio audience from Mudd’s state-of-the-art “Studio5@Mudd” facility in Cedar Falls. Last week, the team arranged a special live broadcast from the annual tailgate fundraiser sponsored by Iowa State Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Stein says, “There are very few opportunities to have access to this many candidates at one time. Engaging with them in this way gives our audience the best information free from sound bites and media filters.” Pictured here is Stein with DeSantis (left) and Haley (right).
marketing and community engagement for Chattanooga’s Erlanger Health System, TVFCU, and the Skyuka Hall School. A beloved media personality, Mescon’s signature style, boundless energy, and passion for the community have made him a household name throughout the Chattanooga region.” Cumulus Chattanooga VP and market manager John Lewis states, “We are thrilled to welcome Jed to WGOW and our Cumulus Chattanooga team. Jed has amassed an impressive career in media and his unique perspective, connection to the community, and skillset will undoubtedly take WGOW to the next level.” Mescon comments, “I spent 28 years waking up at 2:45 am to bring the news to Chattanooga. This brings me back to my roots, doing both news and co-hosting mornings from 6-10am on WGOW Talk Radio 102.3.”
its program schedule airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Station program director Jeremie Poplin comments, “The Blitz is proud to welcome Dan back to the market in Tulsa and we look forward to the tremendous content he presents each day.” 
programming and spoken-word radio. Energy, enthusiasm, and experience within the genre is a must. You will be responsible for all aspects of programming including managing on-air staff, imaging, station strategy, developing and executing revenue generating sales & programming promotions, website & social media, digital content and have a strong understanding of the core audience(s). 
program two legendary news/talk stations. Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail and experience in news writing/delivering and talk show hosting is a necessity. You must have the ability to interact with listeners and handle multiple phone calls at one time. You will be responsible for all aspects of programming including managing and motivating on-air staff, imaging, station strategy, developing and executing revenue generating sales & programming promotions, website & social media, digital content and have a strong understanding of the core audience of a news/talk format. The position also requires a daily AM drive air-shift, along with live appearances and live broadcasts! 
an illustrious career in LA radio, from LOVELINE’s inception on KROQ through the show’s network syndication and MTV. We’re thrilled to have Ann joining our iHeart LA team.” Ingold was most recently serving as producer on ITV’s weekly live Facebook Watch program and consulted Los Angeles radio shows for Audacy and Meruelo Media. She comments, “I want to thank Robin and everyone at KFI for being so welcoming.”
“During that time, he has guest-hosted statewide news/talk programs as well as a regular weekend show, produced their daily morning show, worked with clients in a creative variety of ways, and spent countless evenings and weekends announcing local soccer and baseball games.” KFAB program director Scott Voorhees adds, “Emery will continue KFAB’s nearly 100-year-old tradition of on-air personalities who are passionate about connecting with the community we serve. It’s not about hammering an agenda; it’s about entertaining and relevant conversations of interest to Omaha/Council Bluffs and the surrounding area.”
was stepping back from his duties, that allowed the station to use internal research to consider the best options to tweak its programming. That resulted in the station naming longtime station reporter and anchor Chris Chandler the new morning host, swapping late morning and afternoon hosts Mark Arum and Eric Von Haessler, and making Shelley Wynter solo host in evenings and giving his former co-host MalaniKai Massey her own Saturday night program. Charles says, “I feel very comfortable that we’ve got the right people in the right slots. We are set to grow our success.” 
WCBM. Her energy, passion, and commitment to Baltimore are second to none and we know that our listeners will appreciate her insights on the issues that matter most to them. Klacik says, I am excited to join the team at WCBM and have the opportunity to engage with listeners in the Baltimore area. I believe that conservative principles and policies are the key to unlocking the potential of this great city, and I look forward to sharing my ideas and insights with the WCBM audience.” Regarding the decision to replace Derek Hunter, the station says the decision was not made lightly. “It was a result of WCBM’s ongoing efforts to better serve its listeners by offering more diverse programming options. While Derek Hunter has a loyal following, the station decided to go in a different direction to attract a broader audience.”
The decision to change WABC from music to talk back in 1982 was not made by corporate, it was made by its then-program director, Jay Clark. Corporate was hoping he would approve the change, “they” lobbied for it, but the call was the ultimate responsibility of the program director. The business plan for WABC as a talk station predicted it to be profitable in year 10. (That’s because KABC, Los Angeles took 10 years to turn a profit.) As it turned out, WABC turned a profit in year 11.
The whining is non-stop. Many in radio mourn the advent of consolidation, corporate dictates, staff cuts. They miss the way the industry was – before.
holding the GM position in 2022. This is basically flat from last year but has shown consistent growth from 2004, when the percentage of female general managers was only 14.9%. MIW calls the sales manager position “the best management opportunity for women in radio.” Last year, 33.45% of stations had a woman sales manager (basically flat from 33.59% in 2021). The greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of program directors/brand managers, according to MIW. Women currently program 11.72% of stations, versus 12.09% in 2021. MIW board president Ruth Presslaff comments, “Historically we have celebrated modest to very modest gains. But this year we’re calling out to industry leaders to recognize the leadership, creativity and dedication of women broadcasters, particularly programmers, and put them to work improving your content, your culture and your cash flow.” MIW points out that a study 
