publisher – TALKERS magazine

Rare Interview with David Clayton-Thomas About BS&T Found in TALKERS Archives – Broadcasters Invited to Use at Will

By TALKERS | June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by TALKERS

The Grammy Award-winning Canadian singer and songwriter whose powerhouse voice propelled Blood, Sweat & Tears to the summit of popular music, died peacefully last evening at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He was 84.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison was friends with Clayton-Thomas and the group back in the early 1970s while he was the morning host at pioneering album rocker WNEW-FM, New York. However, by the mid-seventies, Harrison lost touch with Clayton-Thomas and the group. Move the clock ahead to March of 2020 and David Clayton-Thomas was promoting a new solo album – the latest of many that enjoyed hit status in his native Canada – and Harrison had the opportunity to catch up with his old friend in an interview conducted during the height of the COVID pandemic. Clayton-Thomas was quarantining in Toronto, and Harrison was doing the same in Massachusetts. TALKERS has isolated a segment of the archival interview with the rock legend in which Clayton-Thomas recounts the history of how he joined the band. Interested broadcasters wishing to use any or all of this clip are free to do so. Please click here. (Photo credit: Marie Byers)

TALKERS 2026 to Present “The Big Picture” Super Panel

By TALKERS | June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 by TALKERS

TALKERS 2026 will continue to present one of the iconic conference’s most popular and impactful panel discussions – “The Big Picture.”

This year’s lineup of panelists is nothing short of superb: Steve Jones, president, CEO & Chairman, Skyview Networks; Chad Lopez, president, WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Networks; Chris Oliviero, chief business officer, Audacy; Frank Morano, Member, New York City Council / former host, WABC, New York; Tavis Smiley, owner/host, KBLA, Los Angeles; and Rich Valdés, host, “This Is America with Rich Valdés,” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison will moderate.

“The Big Picture” panel is more pertinent this year than ever before. According to Harrison, “Our goal will be to do exactly what the title implies – present a big picture overview of the state of radio and talk media as we enter the second quarter of the 21^st century, drawing upon the expertise and experience of a remarkably diverse and accomplished set of panelists. We will examine the relentless cultural, political, financial, and technological forces at work in America (and the world) that will impact the future of our field and its role in society at present and during the turbulent days ahead.”

The panel discussion that will tackle the big questions facing the talk media and radio industries will take place this Friday, June 5 – just three days from now – between 2:20 pm and 3:00 pm on Television Soundstage “A” at Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. This is the location at which all of the conference events will unfold.

All of the sessions at TALKERS 2026, including this one, will be video recorded for later playback on a number of platforms including the TALKERS MEDIA channel on YouTube. For more information about registration, hotel and sponsorship, please click here.

TALKERS 2026 to Present “The Big Picture” Panel

By TALKERS | May 8, 2026May 11, 2026 by TALKERS

One of the most popular panel discussions of the annual TALKERS conference – “The Big Picture” – will again be featured at the forthcoming 28^th installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important national gathering. Moderated by TALKERS publisher/founder Michael Harrison (pictured here) and featuring a remarkable, diverse lineup of industry luminaries, the session tackles the major issues – social, political, technological, and financial – facing the talk media business in the current environment of rapid change. Described as the fastest-moving 40 minutes in the broadcasting conference arena, this year’s panelists will include (in alphabetical order): Steve Jones, president, CEO & chairman, Skyview Networks; Chad Lopez, president, WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Networks; Frank Morano, member, New York City Council / former host, WABC, New York; Chris Olivero, Chief Business Officer, Audacy; Tavis Smiley, owner/host, KBLA, Los Angeles; and Rich Valdés, host, “This Is America with Rich Valdés.” The session will take place between 2:20 pm and 3:00 pm at TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter on Friday, June 5 on the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island. Harrison states, “This rapid-fire session of heavyweights ties it all together in terms of trying to make sense of the uncertainties we presently face in the talk media business.” For more information about TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter, please click here.

Chicago News Legend Faces Life without CBS News

By TALKERS | April 22, 2026 by TALKERS

The Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick writes a piece about Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago dealing with the task of replacing the top-of-the-hour CBS News that will cease in May. In the piece, brand manager and news director Craig Schwalb isn’t tipping his hand on what the station will do once CBS News is gone for good. He says “all options are on the table.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison is quoted in the piece noting that WBBM faces a “high bar” replacing a newscast that some 700 stations respected enough to put on their air. Schwalb tells the Tribune, “Conversations have been going on since the announcement, and I think we get closer and closer to a decision every day. But we have to be very careful and be very diligent about making sure the product that we select is going to make sense from a listener perspective and a revenue perspective as well… CBS has been a great top-of-the-hour news piece for a long time, but it’s a very small percentage of what we do in a given hour between business, traffic and weather together on the eights, local news – the strongest local newsroom in Chicago radio.” Read the Tribune story here.

CBS News Radio Fallout: Is Broadcast Journalism a Sacred Profession?

By TALKERS | March 26, 2026March 26, 2026 by TALKERS

Is a career in broadcast journalism akin to the “priesthood?” Is radio just a “business” or something more? These philosophical questions were two of several addressed this morning (3/26) in an appearance by TALKERS founder Michael Harrison on WPRO, Providence’s “The News with Gene Valicenti” discussing the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The two seasoned broadcasters took an analytical look at the past 100 years of broadcast journalism – from Edward R. Murrow to modern times – comparing the role and impact of early day giants such as William S. Paley (CBS), David Sarnoff (NBC), and John W. Kluge (Metromedia) to today’s crop of moguls including the Ellison family’s Larry Ellison (Oracle) and his son David Ellison (Skydance Media) who now control Paramount, CBS, and a variety of other media and technological ventures. To listen to the entire segment, please click here.

NYC Radio Icon Richard Neer Publishes 16th Book

By TALKERS | March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 by TALKERS

Legendary New York radio personality Richard Neer, who has served almost six consecutive decades entertaining audiences on album rock WNEW-FM and sports talk WFAN, has authored his 16^th book. Titled, The Perfect Beast, the novel is the latest in Neer’s popular series of detective Riley King murder mysteries and deals with a number of issues of interest to radio and podcast media enthusiasts, including the invasion of AI into the talent job market. Neer first established himself as a heavyweight author in 2001 when he penned the landmark FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio. In The Perfect Beast, Neer poses the question to his fellow broadcasters, “Ever wonder if your job will someday be taken by an AI facsimile of your act?” The story also deals with how a commentator’s words can be twisted and misused, resulting in something evil. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (who makes an appearance as himself in The Perfect Beast) describes Neer as a media “Renaissance man.” Neer can be contacted for interviews via email at novelistcafe@windstream.net.

TALKERS to Present IBS NYC 2026

By TALKERS | January 23, 2026January 23, 2026 by TALKERS

TALKERS magazine is pleased to announce that it will again serve as the presenting sponsor of the forthcoming Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference.

IBS NYC 2026 – America’s preeminent annual college radio and media gathering – will take place February 19-21 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in midtown Manhattan.

In making the announcement, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison stated, “Campus broadcasting continues to take on a growing importance as the radio industry (and its related fields) seeks to connect with and develop a new generation of professional practitioners as well as engaged audiences going further into the digital era. TALKERS is proud to be able to provide major financial support, encouragement, experience, and advice to the dedicated producers of this very special event for the second consecutive year. I highly recommend that radio and media professionals attend this dynamic gathering because the grass roots future of the field oozes out of its meeting rooms, exhibition areas, and hallways. It is a great gathering at which to network with almost a thousand up and coming stars in both talent and management.”

For general information please click HERE.

The event is extremely affordable. Attendees are encouraged to lock in the low rate of $139 (available until January 31) by clicking HERE.

A limited number of rooms at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel are available at only $199 per night. For rooms, please click HERE.

The powerful agenda is coming together. Check its development, thus far, by clicking HERE.

Continue to follow breaking news and details about IBS NYC 2026 during the days and weeks ahead here in TALKERS. Register now to take advantage of remarkable discounts for those that sign up early.

LOOKING AHEAD to the Second Half of the Third Decade of the 21st Century

By TALKERS | December 23, 2025December 23, 2025 by TALKERS

By Michael Harrison
TALKERS
Publisher

With the conclusion of 2025 at hand, we are entering the second half of the third decade of the 21^st century. It will be a remarkably transitional period for the talk radio industry and its closely associated fields in talk media, as well as media-in-general.

Here’s what’s going to happen:

The age old “radio station” paradigm as a brick-and-mortar business/cultural/communications center will disappear. After more than a century, it will be financially and physically impractical to operate the process of “radio” as a federally licensed production company tethered to a broadcast tower that houses programming, sales, and a roster of creative practitioners under one roof on an employee-based payroll. Radio “stations” will be more of an esthetic meme than an actual physical place on a dial coming from a specific business space with desks and “departments.” Programming and sales – local, regional, and national – will be provided by “outside” sources. Most “talent” will operate as either independent contractors or employees (or “partners”) of these outside companies. Local-ness and/or national-ness will not depend upon actual location of sources but rather focus of content. The biggest challenge facing radio station owner/operators will be to transition their “media station” brands from being licensed entities to effectively competing in the “dark jungle” or “high seas” of unlicensed platforms… without going broke.

In the wider world of media:

AI is going to put “Hollywood” out of business. Oh, there will still be a nebulously geographic place in Southern California called “Hollywood” but it will no longer be mythically based on big studios, production companies, and star talent.

And lovers of freedom will come to recognize the communications arm of “Big Tech” as the greatest threat to liberty facing humanity since World War II.

More on the above in 2026.

Happy holidays!

Michael Harrison is the publisher of TALKERS. He can be contacted at michael@talkers.com.

Harrison to Continue as Advisor to the NY Festivals Radio Awards

By TALKERS | December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by TALKERS

After years of service to the New York Festivals Radio Awards, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison will continue to be a member of the prestigious organization’s Advisory Board in 2026. Upon receiving this latest appointment (12/9), Harrison stated, “I am honored to be associated with this great group that continues to grow and inspire broadcasting artists and professionals around the world to achieve new levels of quality and positive societal influence – not to mention, unite and provide a sense of cohesiveness to the global media community.” The NY Festivals issued the statement about its Class of 2026: “We anticipate wonderful submissions from around the globe before the deadline. Our Storytellers Gala will salute Radio trophy winners in the spring. Combined with our TV & Film Winners, it will be a celebration of innovative storytellers across all platforms.” For more information, please click here.

102.3 WBAB Continues Long Island Thanksgiving Tradition with Full Airing of “Alice’s Restaurant”

By TALKERS | November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 by TALKERS

Although this story is about the holiday programming activities of a classic rock station, it can certainly apply to talk radio as well. 102.3 WBAB, Babylon – Long Island’s “Only Classic Rock” – tells TALKERS, it is proud to continue one of Long Island’s most beloved holiday traditions with the annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast of Arlo Guthrie’s iconic 18-minute and 34-second, “Alice’s Restaurant” (also known as “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”) in its entirety. Listeners can tune in on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 am and again at 12:00 noon for this celebration of music, storytelling, history, and holiday spirit. Hosted by WBAB’s Rocky, this heritage tradition has become a staple for generations of Long Islanders. Families across Long Island are invited to gather around the radio and join WBAB for breakfast and lunch at “Alice’s Restaurant” – a festive, feel-good kickoff to Thanksgiving Day. “For decades, Long Islanders have made WBAB part of their Thanksgiving tradition, and ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ remains one of the most anticipated broadcasts of the year,” said Chris Lloyd, director of operations, branding and programming for station-owner, CMG Long Island. “We love being part of our listeners’ holiday celebrations, and we’re excited to bring this classic back once again.” Listeners can tune in on 102.3 WBAB, 95.3 on the East End or on the 102.3 WBAB app to join thousands of households enjoying this annual musical and spoken word moment. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, who, along with Richard Neer, played the song as a contemporary Thanksgiving tradition back in the early 70s on WLIR, Long Island and WNEW-FM, New York, says, “I really admire WBAB for maintaining the cultural relevance of this largely spoken word piece of history and would do the same thing on talk radio if I were programming a station today. Holidays give us all a great opportunity to expand our programming heritage and cultural boundaries. This one is hiding in plain sight.”

When the Algorithm Misses the Mark: What the Walters v. OpenAI Case Means for Talk Hosts

By TALKERS | May 20, 2025January 6, 2026 by TALKERS

By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Media Law, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer

In a ruling that should catch the attention of every talk host and media creator dabbling in AI, a Georgia court has dismissed “Armed American Radio” syndicated host Mark Walters’ defamation lawsuit against OpenAI. The case revolved around a disturbing but increasingly common glitch: a chatbot “hallucinating” canonically false but believable information.

The Happenings: A journalist asked ChatGPT to summarize a real court case. Instead, the AI invented a fictional lawsuit accusing Walters of embezzling from the Second Amendment Foundation — a group with which he’s never been employed. The journalist spotted the error and never published inaccurate information. But the damage, at least emotionally and reputationally, was done. That untruth was out there, and Walters sued for defamation.

Last week, the court kicked the case. The court determined Walters was a public figure, and as such, Walters had to prove “actual malice” — that OpenAI knowingly or recklessly published falsehoods. He couldn’t but now it may be impossible.

The judge emphasized the basis that there was an assumption false information was never shared publicly. It stayed within a private conversation between the journalist and ChatGPT. No dissemination, no defamation.

But while OpenAI may have escaped liability, the ruling raises serious questions for the rest in the content creation space.

What This Means for Talk Hosts

Let’s be honest: AI tools like ChatGPT are already part of the media ecosystem. Hosts use them to summarize articles, brainstorm show topics, generate ad copy, and even suggest guest questions. They’re efficient — and also dangerous.

This case shows just how easily AI can generate falsehoods with confidence and detail. If a host were to read something like that hallucinated lawsuit on air, without verifying it, the legal risk would shift. It wouldn’t be the AI company on the hook — it would be the broadcaster who repeated it.

Key Lessons

AI is not a source.
It’s a starting point. Just like a tip from a caller or a line on social media, AI-generated content must be verified before use.
Public figures are more exposed.
The legal system gives less protection to people in the public eye — like talk hosts — and requires a higher burden of proof in defamation claims. That cuts both ways.
Disclosure helps.
OpenAI’s disclaimers about potential inaccuracies helped them in court. On air, disclosing when you use AI can offer similar protection — and builds trust with your audience.
Editorial judgment still rules.
No matter how fast or slick AI gets, it doesn’t replace a producer’s instincts or a host’s responsibility.

Bottom line: the lawsuit may be over, but the conversation is just beginning. The more we rely on machines to shape our words, the more we need to sharpen our filters. Because when AI gets it wrong, the real fallout hits the human behind the mic.

And for talk hosts, that means the stakes are personal. Your credibility, your syndication, your audience trust — none of it can be outsourced to an algorithm. AI might be a tool in the kit, but editorial judgment is still the sharpest weapon in your arsenal. Use it. Or risk learning the hard way what Mark Walters just did. Walters has yet to comment on what steps – if any – he and his lawyers will take next.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following comment regarding the Georgia ruling: “In the age of internet ‘influencers’ and media personalities with various degrees of clout operating within the same space, the definition of ‘public figure’ is far less clear than in earlier times. The media and courts must revisit this striking change. Also, in an era of self-serving political weaponization, this ruling opens the door to ‘big tech’ having enormous, unbridled power in influencing the circumstances of news events and reputations to meet its own goals and agendas.”

Matthew B. Harrison is a media attorney and executive producer specializing in broadcast law, intellectual property, and First Amendment issues. He serves as VP/Associate Publisher of TALKERS magazine and is a senior partner at Harrison Media Law. He also leads creative development at Goodphone Communications.

Monday Memo: Your Passion, Your Media Station

By TALKERS | May 19, 2025 by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison introduced the term in the 1990s, inviting us to think-beyond the real-time audio we were sending up those towers. What he described seemed conceptual, even futuristic, back then, when we were still logging-onto AOL via dial-up (screech).

The “Media Station” he reckoned we would be producing by now seemed more like a place than a show. It wouldn’t be bound by regulation or sponsor sensitivities or an on-air format. Content needn’t be 30- or 60-seconds or minutes. It won’t even have to be audio. Or governed by how long you can last between bathroom breaks or eating or sleeping, because it won’t be the real-time content that radio was confined to then.

Back to the future. Among headlines from 2025 Edison Research “Infinite Dial” research:

— 248 million Americans are on social media.
— 91% (262 million) own a smartphone.
— 101 million own a smart speaker.
— 40% of vehicles now on the road have phone integration.
— Though AM/FM is still the #1 in-car audio, #2 is online audio, #3: podcasts.
— 210 million listen to online audio every week.
— “Podcast consumption is at an all-time high.” 55% of Americans listen each month.

Anyone anywhere can publish something that is available to everyone everywhere.

Most who read this are probably content creators, many working full or part-time at radio stations, doing the station’s business. Using that same skill set, build your own, a Media Station. Most of the tools are free, including ChatGPT, which will even help you plan it.

What’s your area of expertise?? Your hobby? Your passion? Your media station could include:

— Podcasts
— Blog, inviting participation
— Tutorial videos about a craft or skill
— Tips-N-Tricks about ____
— Checklists/worksheets/recipes/other documents, as PDF downloads
— Stories about businesses or artists, traditions or customs, history, science, tech
— DIY projects, of any sort
— Makeover transformations
— Fitness routines and workout tips
— Money topics
— Food topics of all sorts, including restaurant reviews
— Relationship topics
— Travel
— Product reviews/recommendations
— Sports
— Amazon Associate links to earn commission on related products
— Whatever!

NOT saying: Build a media station so it becomes your livelihood after the next round of cutbacks. But, hey…

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

NPR Looks Back at Political Talk Pioneer Joe Pyne

By TALKERS | March 14, 2025 by TALKERS

The NPR program “All Things Considered” produced a piece on political talk media pioneer Joe Pyne (pictured here) that aired on the program yesterday (3/13). TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison was among those interviewed for the eight-minute segment called Radio Diaries. Pyne began his career as a disc jockey but after injecting political commentary into his show was encouraged to do more talking and that eventually evolved into the Joe Pyne radio show that the NBC Radio Network put into syndication in 1966. Pyne enjoyed bringing controversial guests – including “hippies, women’s libbers, Scientologists, swingers, a snake charmer, members of the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birch Society.” He then segued to television in Los Angeles. Harrison is quoted in the segment saying, “There were a lot of people that didn’t like Pyne, but they watched him anyway because they thought it was — amusing? Entertaining? Sensational? Different? You know, not boring.” Photo: Everett Collection Read more and listen to the segment here.

Today is World Radio Day

By TALKERS | February 13, 2025February 13, 2025 by TALKERS

In an era marked by the dizzying speed of technological innovation and the rapid obsolescence of one shiny new platform after another, the iconic platform of radio is beginning its second century of service as one of the most dependable and widely utilized forms of media in the world. Proclaimed in 2011 by UNESCO Member States and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day of the United Nations, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD). Each year WRD focuses on a specific theme involving radio that is timely, and important. This year the theme is “Radio and Climate Change.” UNESCO points out: Radio contributes to the achievement of its international objectives by supporting populations through climate disasters such as tropical storms and floods. It helps with the dissemination of fact-based information, listeners’ voices, and dedicated radio shows.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, who served as executive advisor to UNESCO for last year’s installment of WRD (which celebrated the milestone of radio’s 100-year anniversary), states, “World Radio Day gives broadcasters the opportunity to blow their own horns about the enduring value of this mighty platform. It’s a good thing for the industry, its sponsors and, most importantly, its loyal listeners. Let’s all sing the praises of radio today and every day.” To all radio professionals and volunteers, everywhere in the world, UNESCO salutes your daily work and your commitment to our future.

TALKERS to Serve as Presenting Sponsor of IBSNYC 2025 Conference and Co-locate Innovative “GENERATIONS 2025” at March Event

By TALKERS | February 5, 2025February 5, 2025 by TALKERS

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison has announced (1/22) the launch of a new and innovative industry conference – “GENERATIONS 2025” – that will be co-located at the forthcoming Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) national convention – IBSNYC 2025 – set for Friday and Saturday March 7-8 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. The four-hour TALKERS event will take place between 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm on Saturday, March 8 in the heart of the iconic IBS gathering. It will feature an array of six sessions with 16+ luminary industry speakers (to be named shortly) including a keynote address, fireside chat, and four panel discussions that will tackle such topics as “Launching and Managing a Career in a Changing Media Industry,” “Old School, New School, Next School: Learning from Each Other,” “Radio’s Place in a Digital World,” “Finding and Delivering Truth in an Age of Misinformation,” and much more. TALKERS will also serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the entire IBSNYC 2025 event.

In making the announcement Harrison states, “If this great institution of radio is to survive, let alone thrive in the brave new world ahead, it must meet the challenge of connecting with young broadcasters and listeners… and it needs to do it without hesitation. 2025 will be a pivotal year for radio of all formats – especially our bailiwick of talk radio and talk media – on air and online. There is no radio arena featuring such a massive concentration of young broadcasters and listeners alike as that found in the nation’s college radio community.” Harrison adds, “TALKERS is proud to also serve as the IBS convention’s official 2025 Presenting Sponsor as a show of support and recognition of the organization’s great work and importance. We will live up to the theme of this debut event: ‘Old School, New School, Next School: Learning from Each Other.’ That will be a major take away – as well as the suggestion that the time has come for all broadcasters to begin thinking like entrepreneurs!”

The TALKERS “GENERATIONS 2025” segment of the larger IBS conference will be open to all IBSNYC 2025 registrants who will receive the benefits of its notably reasonable rates to attend the conference and reserve rooms at the hotel. But it is important to move quickly on this while the discounts are still available. For up-to-date information, please click HERE.

For further information about “GENERATIONS 2025” including sponsorship opportunities, please call 413-565-5413 or email info@talkers.com.

Lee Habeeb is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Video Podcast

By TALKERS | January 29, 2025January 29, 2025 by TALKERS

Lee Habeeb, the host and founder of the popular syndicated news/talk radio series “Our American Stories,” is this week’s guest on the TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel production “Up Close Far Out with Michael Harrison.” Habeeb is one of the most accomplished and influential storytellers in news/talk radio. He is the creator and host of one of the most innovative and well-received syndicated talk radio shows to come down the pike in many years. It’s called “Our American Stories” – one of the premiere storytelling shows and podcasts in America. It’s a standout show listeners can go to for comfort and inspiration and hear positive, redemptive stories about a good and great country. Two hours a day, five days a week, our guest and his amazing team of broadcast professionals tell the story of America to Americans. There’s no debate. No opinion. No politics. No news. Just stories that bring people together around common values, themes, and the founding principles and ideals of our nation. Stories that create a space for listeners to escape the news and noise of the day and be moved and informed. Habeeb’s talk show credentials are formidable. He co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media in 2008 as VP of content, and launched “Our American Stories” in 2016. He’s a University of Virginia Law School graduate, a Newsweek essayist, and lives in Oxford, Mississippi with his wife Valerie and daughter Reagan. He is currently ranked #11 on the TALKERS “Heavy Hundred” list of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America. Harrison and Habeeb engage in an illuminating conversation about the importance of history and the power of storytelling. Don’t miss this! Watch the podcast in its entirety here.

Industry Mourns Gary Krantz Who Died Tuesday at Age 65

By TALKERS | January 23, 2025 by TALKERS

Gary Krantz, founder of Krantz Media Partners, died on Tuesday (1/21) at the age of 65. He entered the radio business after graduating from Emerson College. He served with syndicator MJI Broadcasting from 1981 through 1996. He joined AMFM Radio in 1997 as EVP of programming and, after then-Clear Channel’s acquisition of AMFM, took on an EVP role at Premiere Networks. He was the president of the fledgling liberal talk radio company Air America and joined Westwood One after Air America shut down in 2006. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “This is a devastating loss to the radio industry. I had the privilege of working with Gary all the way back to my music radio days when he was a young executive at the old MJI Broadcasting with major industry players like Julie Talbott and Josh Feigenbaum in the early days of our careers. He has subsequently worn a number of key management and entrepreneurial hats in the business – all reflecting his dedication to professionalism and quality. He was very well liked and respected by broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic. He will be missed.” A service will be held on January 26, 2025 at Riverside Memorial Chapel at 180 West 76th Street, New York, NY 10023. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Gary Krantz’s memory.

Jim Bohannon Tribute Podcast Posted on TALKERS MEDIA YouTube Channel

By TALKERS | November 14, 2024November 14, 2024 by TALKERS

November 12 marked the second anniversary of the passing of legendary Westwood One syndicated radio talk show host Jim Bohannon who, after waging a brave battle, succumbed to esophageal cancer in 2022. Bohannon’s stellar career in radio covered a span of almost 63 continuous years during which he was honored with just about every award the industry has to offer including induction in the Radio Hall of Fame, the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of the Radio Television Digital News Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award (which has subsequently been renamed in his honor). TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison conducted the final interview ever recorded with Jim Bohannon one month before the talk show giant’s passing. In it, the two friends and broadcasting industry colleagues engaged in a heartfelt, remarkably candid conversation about life and death, in addition to sharing observations about the changing state of radio. Reflecting on that interview, Harrison states, “For all his accomplishments on and off the air, what I remember most about Jim was the sheer bravery and good-natured wisdom that he publicly displayed during the final months, weeks, and days leading up to his death in 2022. We capture that intimacy and spirit in this interview.” Harrison adds, “Jim Bohannon’s life and work embodied the absolute best aspects of talk radio’s modern era.” In recognition of the second anniversary of Jim Bohannon’s passing, this new podcast episode honoring the great radio star consists largely of that final interview along with a general remembrance of his outstanding career and legacy. It has now been posted on the new TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel. To listen to it, please click here.

Talk Radio Shines with Election Night Coverage

By TALKERS | November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 by TALKERS

It was a late night of extra duty for radio talk show hosts as stations and networks across the nation garnered their human and technical resources to provide listeners with accurate news and insightful analysis of the unfolding drama of Election Night in America. In many cases, coverage was provided by panels of air staffers, contributors and special guests gathered in central studio locations and supplemented by remote audio and video call ins. Some stations sent their talent to electoral hot spots for live remote reports. Local talk show hosts from the battleground states enjoyed extra exposure making multiple appearances as guests on other shows and platforms around the nation. Syndication networks used the event effectively to showcase their talent lineups. And the “special” nature of these programs created a wide variety of advertising package opportunities for radio sales departments locally and nationally. In the broader arena of talk media, a number of popular political YouTube channels from both the left and right also put their best efforts into covering the news and views of one of the most anticipated nights in U.S. election history. As TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison put it, “Talk radio and its YouTube and podcasting cousins took a back seat to no one – specifically the major TV networks – in their determination to provide their loyal audiences totaling millions of the most politically active citizens with the news and views that make their collective platforms the most accurate bellwether of American public opinion in the media today.” Pictured above: Election Night coverage live from the state-of-the-art WABC, New York audio/video “Studio 77.” Shown (l-r) George Pataki, former New York State governor; Judge Richard Weinberg, co-host of “Let The Record Show;” Rita Cosby, host of “The Rita Cosby Show” and co-host of “Cats & Cosby;” John Catsimatidis, owner of Red Apple Media and WABC, host of “The Cats Roundtable,” and co-host of “Cats & Cosby;” Anthony Weiner, former U.S. Representative, host of “The Middle with Anthony Weiner,” and co-host of “The Left Versus The Right;” Paul Stone, CEO of Colonial Metals Group and economic contributor to WABC Radio; and David Patterson, former New York State governor and political contributor to WABC Radio.

Trump-Backing Talker John Fredericks Dubs Project 2025 a “Grifter Sh*t Show”

By TALKERS | July 31, 2024 by TALKERS

On the heels of the resignation of Paul Dans, who served as the director of the Heritage Foundation’s controversial Project 2025, talk radio host and broadcasting entrepreneur John Fredericks is calling Project 2025 “an unauthorized grifter sh*t show that was generated by The Heritage Foundation for the sole purpose of raising money.” Fredericks is a dyed-in-the-wool Donald Trump supporter and operator of 10 conservative news/talk stations plus the John Fredericks Radio Network. He adds, “This undertaking was never authorized, sanctioned, or endorsed by President Trump or his campaign. Despite several very direct public communications disavowing any affiliation by Trump campaign senior staff, the fake news continued to propagate phony stories, which The Heritage Foundation and their Project 2025 leaders were willing and happy to substantiate. Sources say President Trump made the decision to shut it down himself. Good riddance to yet another grift charade using Trump to raise money.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison commented on Fredericks’ statement saying, “It has been disturbing watching the once-honored think tank known for its even-handed academic fastidiousness devolve into what is now perceived as just another fund-raising propaganda machine in the mud-slinging political wars. This is the kind of credibility squandering that damages the true American conservative moment and people’s confidence in all political organizations.”

Monday Memo: WHY Are You Podcasting?

By TALKERS | May 20, 2024 by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Because you can? Because you aren’t doing AM/FM radio? Because you are on radio, but can’t-do-there what you can-do podcasting? Because you are making money podcasting?

Podcasters I help must first survive a conversation about WHY. “It’s a success…if…” WHAT?

Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly reckons that “a creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, video maker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 true fans to make a living.”

Devour these four pages he wrote – a genuine whack-on-the-side-of-the-head – and the structure for my coaching: http://getonthenet.com/1000TrueFans.pdf

What you read there may change how you approach the podcast you’re doing… or nudge you into podcasting if you don’t. As does the Edison Research 2024 Infinite Dial survey. Here’s that download, and a cautionary video from TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison: http://getonthenet.com/podcasting.html

Next Monday is Memorial Day here in the USA, so I’ll be back here on “…the third of June.” If you work mornings, this is my last column you will see before your show that day, so make a note in your bumper file: Bobbie Gentry, “Ode to Billy Joe.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News TALKERS 2024

Sharon Madison Named 2024 TALKERS Woman of the Year

By TALKERS | April 5, 2024April 11, 2024 by TALKERS

Sharon “Sherry” Madison has been selected 2024 “Woman of the Year” by the TALKERS editorial board. She will be presented the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievements in Talk Media by a Woman during TALKERS 2024 on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. Mrs. Madison served as executive producer for her late husband Joe Madison’s long-running morning drive program on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Urban View channel since its debut on the platform in 2008. Prior to that she worked closely with her husband – a Radio Hall of Fame inductee – on his talk shows heard on a number of stations including WOL and WWRC in Washington, DC. The Madisons were married for more than 45 years. Joe Madison succumbed after a bravely fought battle with cancer earlier this year. The “Woman of the Year” award will be presented by legendary radio talk show host Larry Young of WOLB, Baltimore during a TALKERS tribute to Joe Madison at the conference. Upon announcing the choice, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison stated, “This is a classic case of a great woman behind a great man. This brilliant, distinguished woman has served with skill and steadiness creating a landmark program of utmost importance as one of the truly outstanding producers to ever work in talk radio. In 2024, no one deserves it more.”

Gunhill Road Music Video on YouTube Flagged and “Shadow Banned” by Google for Containing Shocking Content

By TALKERS | March 29, 2024March 29, 2024 by TALKERS

The music video for the Gunhill Road song “Damn Scammers (Get Off My Phone)” has been flagged by the editorial powers-that-be at Google for containing “shocking” content. The video has, thus, been relegated to a covert censorship process on YouTube commonly known as shadow banning which drastically inhibits its ability to garner views and potentially go viral within the processes of the platform’s algorithms. The song and video make a powerful statement against the growing practice of scamming that is polluting the internet and sowing the seeds of distrust throughout modern society. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, a member of the heritage rock band and co-writer (with Steve Goldrich, Paul Reisch and Brian Koonin) of the controversial song states, “When we wrote the song and created the accompanying video images, we knew that some folks – including the censors at Google – might find it troubling. But we were pretty sure that most people (and hopefully the folks at Google) would realize it is just provocative satire and not a literal call for violence. After all, we are only venting in highly dramatic fashion against a universally hated category of criminals who operate in the darkness of anonymity and are destroying innocent people’s lives. Perhaps we misjudged its potential impact. Regardless, we are neither withdrawing it from distribution nor apologizing for its alleged offensiveness. We realize this is not a First Amendment issue. Google and YouTube have the right to post whatever they choose. And for the most part, I love and am a big fan of YouTube. However, because of the enormous, borderline monopolistic power of Big Tech, it might eventually be considered a First Amendment issue.” The song and video presents scammers as hideously ugly, troll-like figures and calls for their deaths by firing squad, electric chair, hanging, burning at the stake, castration and being blown up by drones.

Media attorney and TALKERS associate publisher, Matthew B. Harrison – the video’s producer – states, “It’s like being silenced but without a whisper – shadow banning – an invisible barrier between your content and your audience. Social media platforms may limit the visibility of your content without any notification, causing confusion and frustration. Why does this happen? Often, it’s due to violations of community guidelines, albeit sometimes mistakenly. Do you think they’ve got people watching everything? No. It was most likely a bot. So, understanding context is not going to be at the top of its abilities. The solution? Regularly review the platform’s policies, engage with your content positively, and diversify your social media presence to ensure your voice is widely heard.”

To view the unedited version of “Damn Scammers (Get off My Phone)” (viewer discretion is now advised) please click here.

Monday Memo: Milk It

By TALKERS | February 12, 2024 by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

If last week’s column didn’t out me as an utter Smerconish fan-boy, this week’s will. Find his 2/10 CNN show online. It may be the best hour of cable news Talk TV I’ve ever seen; and having hosted several hundred myself, I don’t say so casually.

After Special Counsel Robert K. Hur’s report on President Biden’s mishandling of classified material characterized him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Michael’s poll asked: “Should Jill Biden suggest to her husband that he not seek re-election?”

50,504 votes (not a misprint): 63.85% Yes, 36.15% No.

Guest James Carville quipped that “Today is the youngest you’ll ever be for the rest of your life;” and he noted that LBJ didn’t drop out of the 1968 race until March.

Meanwhile, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejects Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for the potential crimes tied to trying to stay in office despite losing the election…AND polls consistently demonstrate that most Americans don’t want a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024. Undaunted, Nikki Haley asks “do we really want two 80-year-olds” to be the choice?

With all due respect to Rush Limbaugh for leading the vaunted “Talk Radio Revolution” back then, this format’s golden age is NOW. We are in the suspense business. Milk it.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison asks, “Does the current crop of hosts, trained to preach to their target audience choirs, have the skill and balls to take advantage of the frustrated – even desperate – mood of the greater American public outside their narrow-minded core followers? And will their bosses allow them to even try?”

While I share his concern, I am advising news/talk stations that the “news” component is MUCH more tactically opportune than the “talk” – even for FOX News Radio affiliates which program major syndicated political hosts. ABC and CBS newscasts are also big assets, appointment listening if we promote overtly.

Specific goal: Add occasions-of-tune-in. How: “With SO much changing SO quickly now, stay close to the news. Check-in for a quick [name of network] update, every half hour…here. [dial positions, call letters].”

Local news people: This tactic will better expose your work too. Emulate your network’s writing style, latest-aspect-first, short sentences, use sound, and sound different than last hour.

Hosts: LISTEN. If callers barely let you get a word in edgewise, you’re playing this just right.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins”and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Two Crows in Jupiter

By TALKERS | January 31, 2024 by TALKERS

Pictured above with the iconic blackbirds familiar to Florida deli enthusiasts as the feathered mascots of the TooJays restaurant chain are Steve Lapa, president, Lapcom Communications Corp (left) and TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (right) who met yesterday (1/30) over a hearty bowl of matzoh ball soup to discuss plans for the sales and marketing component of the forthcoming 27^th annual TALKERS conference. Lapa, a regular TALKERS columnist and one of the radio industry’s leading experts on the challenges of revenue generation in the digital age, will moderate the sales workshop at the 27^th annual installment of talk media’s longest running and most important national convention. Details for TALKERS 2024 will be announced next week. Meantime, save the date Friday, June 7.