TALKERS News Notes
KOA, Denver Wins at CBA Awards gala. KOA, Denver talk host Ross Kaminsky tips TALKERS that his station was honored with a win in the “Best News Coverage of a Single Event” category for the program he anchored after President Trump was shot in Butler, PA. from the Colorado Broadcasting Association at its recent awards gala. KOA, led by program director Dave Tepper, was also named “Station of the Year.”
Cumulus and San Francisco Giants Extend. Cumulus Media’s sports talk KNBR, San Francisco signs a multi-year extension with the San Francisco Giants to continue as the team’s flagship radio station. KNBR has been the official radio broadcast home for the Giants since 1979. Broadcasting personalities include: Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Mike Krukow, and Duane Kuiper.
680 The Fan and Atlanta Braves Renew. Dickey Broadcasting Company announces the extension of its flagship partnership with the Atlanta Braves. Under the terms of the 12-year extension, “680 The Fan” will remain the exclusive radio home of the Atlanta Braves, providing comprehensive coverage of all games, expert analysis, and exclusive content. Company president David Dickey says, “We are incredibly proud to extend our relationship with the Atlanta Braves. Our shared passion for baseball and dedication to delivering top-notch content to our listeners has been the cornerstone of our success. We look forward to many more seasons of exciting Braves baseball on ‘680 The Fan.’”
announced the news on-air on Tuesday. Murphy is one half of the “Murph and Markus” show. Murphy tells SFGate, “I’ve just really enjoyed my time talking to the Bay Area every morning and talking to my partners – whether it was 
Francisco. iHM region president AJ Punjabi says, “Alan’s deep experience in both traditional broadcast and digital audio innovation makes him the ideal leader to drive our business forward. His results-driven approach and commitment to client success will strengthen our market leadership across platforms.” Hirschbein comments, “I’m energized to join iHeartMedia’s tremendous leadership team as vice president of sales. As the enduring leader in broadcast radio, iHeartMedia has also transformed itself into a dynamic force in podcasting and digital audio, standing at the forefront of audio innovation. I’m eager to contribute to this continued evolution and help our partners harness the unmatched reach and engagement that only iHeartMedia can deliver.” 
personality Tom Tolbert – who co-hosted the “Tolbert & Copes” show with Adam Copeland – and midday personality John Lund – co-host of “Papa and Lund” are both out. Additionally, 
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s July 2024 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). The survey period covered June 20 through July 17. Today, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media Group’s news/talk WABC rises a half share to finish with a 3.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and climbs to the #10 rank, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR tacks on two-tenths for a 1.7 share finish good for the #19 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI adds three-tenths to finish with a 4.0 share keeping it locked in the #7 rank, while Audacy’s all-news KNX-FM rises two-tenths to a 3.3 share, lifting it to the #10 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN is flat with a 2.5 share but rises two places to the #13 rank, while Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WLS-AM ticks up one-tenth to a 1.2 share, staying in the #25 spot, and Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM dips two-tenths to a 5.2 share good for the #5 rank in the market. 
July 2024 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s July 2024 ratings period (June 20 – July 17) has been released for 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.
Sports talk KNBR “680 & 104.5 The Sports Leader”; sports betting talk KGO “810 The Spread”; and sports talk KTCT “KNBR 1050 The Sports Leader” assistant program director Mike Hohler is elevated to program director for the three Cumulus Media San Francisco properties. According to Cumulus San Francisco-Los Angeles regional VP/market manager Larry Blumhagen, “I am excited to see Mike Hohler take the reins as program director of these dynamic, listener-driven stations. Mike has been a dedicated member of this terrific team for over two decades and knows every working part of our programming operations. He has meaningful relationships with our broadcast partners, which he will continue to build upon and grow in his new leadership role.” Hohler joined Cumulus San Francisco in 2002 as KNBR’s midday producer. Succeeding him as APD for the three stations is KNBR “Murph & Markus” morning show producer John Kerley. 
Regarding Kerley, Blumhagen notes, “He brings a strategic approach to the assistant program director role for our sports talk stations. We are fortunate to have such a talented and collaborative sports programming team and are in very capable hands with Mike and John at the helm. Our all-star lineup – including all the great talent in our bullpen – makes for a winning team and positions these stations for continued success.” The Hohler and Kerley promotions are effective next Monday (7/29).
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2024 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). The survey period covered May 23 through June 19. Today, TALKERS magazine editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC is steady with a 3.3 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but slips to the #11 rank, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR is also steady with a 1.5 share and falls back to the #20 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media’s news/talk WGN slides a half share to finish with a 2.5 share good for the #15 rank, while Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM rises two-tenths to a 1.1 share that lifts it to the #25 rank. In Dallas, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP adds four-tenths for a 3.0 share and rises to the #12 rank, while Audacy’s all-news KRLD-AM is steady with a 1.5 share but slips to the #27 rank. 
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including
Generally speaking, Major League Baseball radio flagships enjoyed a solid first at bat in Nielsen Audio’s 2024 rating season (March 28 – April 24).
April 2024 PPM Data – Information for the April 2024 ratings period (March 28 – April 24) has been released for 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).
The first of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s March 2024 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). The survey covered February 29 through March 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media Group’s news/talk WABC rises two-tenths to finish with a 4.0 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that lifts it to the #9 rank in the market. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR is steady with a 1.6 share and the #20 rank, while Audacy’s all-news WINS-FM adds one-tenth for a 4.6 share good for the #5 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI inches up one-tenth for a 5.5 share that keeps it locked into the #3 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s WGN-AM dips three-tenths, finishing with a 3.2 share and the #9 rank, while Cumulus Media news/talk WLS-AM falls six-tenths to a 1.4 share good for the #25 rank. Audacy all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM is steady with a 5.4 share but falls back to the #4 rank. 
in population take place in the U.S. – with growth often seen in southern markets – the ratings giant adjusts its rankings. Among the notable changes are the Dallas-Fort Worth market leapfrogging San Francisco to the #4 market and San Francisco now at #5. Other markets moving up include Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood to #11 and San Diego to #18. 
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s February 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). The February survey covered February 1 – 28. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC adds three-tenths to finish the survey with a 3.8 share (6+, weekly AQH share) but remains ranked #11, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR loses one-tenth for a 1.6 share finish and falls to the #20 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN tacks on four-tenths to finish with a 3.5 share that lifts it to the #8 rank, while Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM adds two-tenths for a 2.0 share finish and remains ranked #18. Audacy’s crosstown all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM fell eight-tenths to a 5.4 share but only regressed one spot to the #3 rank. 
February 2024 PPM Data – Information for the February 2024 ratings period (February 1 – February 28) has been released for 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).
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2024 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). The survey period covered January 4 – 31. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC-AM adds half a share to finish with a 3.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #11, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR-AM rises half a share to a 1.7 share that lifts it to the #17 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI adds nine-tenths for a 4.5 share finish good for the #3 rank in the market. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN-AM is up a half share, finishing with a 3.1 share and the #10 rank, while Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WLS-AM rises two-tenths to a 1.9 share and moves up one spot to the #18 rank. And in Atlanta, Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM claims the #1 rank after rising 1.2 shares to an 8.6 share. 
January 2024 PPM Data – Information for the January 2024 ratings period (January 4 – January 31) has been released for 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).
sales division. Farber was most recently an executive director in sales at The Walt Disney Company and ABC. iHeartMedia SVP of sales Joe Donnarumma says, “Nicole’s extensive expertise and Todd’s strategic acumen, paired with their 
proven leadership in navigating the Bay Area’s competitive landscape, make them ideally suited to lead our sales teams toward greater success.” iHM San Francisco region president AJ Punjabi adds, “Bringing Nicole and Todd on board reinforces our mission to innovate and excel. Their fresh approaches are key to elevating our position as a leader in the evolving landscape of audio and digital media.” 
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s Holiday 2023 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). The ratings period covered December 7, 2023 – January 3, 2024. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC adds two-tenths to finish with a 3.0 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #11, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR tacks on one-tenth for a 1.2 share finish good for the #21 rank, and Audacy’s all-news WINS-FM falls two-tenths to a 3.9 share but rises to the #9 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia news/talk KFI loses half a share to finish with a 4.6 share pulling it from the #2 to the #4 rank, while Audacy’s all-news KNX-AM/FM loses two-tenths to finish with a 2.5 share good for the #12 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN-AM dips two-tenths for a 2.6 share finish leaving it ranked #11, while Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM is steady at a 1.7 share good for the #19 rank, and Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM loses three-tenths to finish with a 4.9 share and remaining ranked #4. 
Holiday 2023 PPM Data – Information for the Holiday 2023 ratings period (December 7, 2023 – January 3, 2024) has been released for 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).
New York; KNX-AM/FM, Los Angeles; and KCBS-AM/KFRC-FM, San Francisco. As part of the deal, CBS News Radio provides its full news and programming to the Audacy stations, including top-of-the-hour newscasts, CBS WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP, breaking news, special events coverage, correspondent interviews, and audio. Paramount Global EVP of podcasting and audio Steve Raizes states, “This new agreement ensures listeners in the top markets continue to get CBS News Radio’s award-winning national and global news for years to come. This new agreement continues our long-running relationship with Audacy and its stations.”