Tag: Talk Media

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Audacy Extends Broadcast Partnership with Penn State Football and Basketball.  Audacy and Penn State University have extended their longtime broadcast partnership. As part of the multi-platform partnership, Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, Philadelphia will continue to serve as the flagship home for all Penn State football and men’s basketball play-by-play broadcasts.  “Penn State has been a longtime valued partner of Audacy Philadelphia and Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, and we are delighted to continue this long-standing relationship,” David Yadgaroff, SVP/market manager, Audacy Philadelphia, tells TALKERS. “Philadelphia is home to many Penn State sports fans, and we are proud that Talk Radio 1210 WPHT will provide tremendous reach for fans and alums over the air, on their smart speakers, or the free Audacy app.”

 

FOX News Media to Simulcast CBS’ Vice Presidential Debate.  In addition to simulcasting the event, FOX News Media will present live programming surrounding the CBS vice presidential debate between candidates Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, October 1st in New York City. Special programming will be available across all of FOX News Media’s key platforms, including FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Nation.

 

iHeartMedia Joins Forces with Radio Ambulante Studios.   Radio Ambulante StudiosThe podcast publishing arm of iHeartMedia and Radio Ambulante Studios (RAS), a pioneering Spanish-language podcast production company that tells the stories of Latin America and Latino communities around the world, announced a deal that will bring RAS and its full slate of shows to iHeart’s My Cultura Podcast Network.  As part of the deal, Radio Ambulante Studios’ flagship, award-winning podcast “Radio Ambulante” along with its groundbreaking weekly news show “El Hilo” and its anthology docuseries “Central” will now be distributed by iHeartPodcasts as part of My Cultura, iHeartMedia’s podcast network dedicated to elevating Latinx voices and stories. Under the new partnership, the two companies will also develop and co-produce a minimum of two new shows over the next two years.

 

Industry News

TALKERS Launching YouTube Channel

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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TALKERS is adding a YouTube channel to its array of talk media platforms. The venue – titled Talkers Media Channel – will initially provide a base for the organization’s conference videos and a platform for its founder Michael Harrison’s reimagined video iteration of his pioneering audio podcast, “Up Close and Far Out.” Videos from the recently held TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond will begin being posted after the July 4th holiday. “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison” soft launches today with a conversation between Harrison and radio tech star Kim Komando examining the sociological, biological, and theological implications of artificial intelligence. The Harrison talk show will take several forms including one-on-one interviews, panel discussions and solo commentaries. Harrison and his guests will sometimes appear on camera and on other occasions just be voices enhanced by stunning visuals and music provided by the channel’s producer TALKERS VP/associate publisher, Matthew B. Harrison. The series will be targeted to an audience Harrison describes as “pop culture aficionados, political junkies, media enthusiasts, fans of science, followers of technology and the philosophically curious.” The Harrisons plan to focus heavily upon a stable of guests composed of professionals from the world of talk media covered by TALKERS magazine but stretch beyond that core as well. After it is fully up and running, plans are in place to expand the channel’s menu to include shows and properties produced by an array of content providers. To visit the debut installment of “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison,” please click here.

Industry News

TALKERS Conference is an Advance Sellout

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national event is set for Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University, just outside of New York City on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond – like its colorful predecessors – is an advance sellout.  The power-packed, one-day agenda is spectacular! Check out the official Program Guide here. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “Because the entire agenda of this year’s event will take place on the state-of-the-art television soundstage at Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and a special staging area for individual interviews will be set up on an adjacent TV soundstage, the opportunity to create an in-depth video time capsule of this remarkably transitional moment in talk media history will be unprecedented.” Harrison adds, “The number of heavyweight players from all ends of the business gathered in one place for one day on a television soundstage will be of tremendous historical significance. We will grab the opportunity to save everything we can for posterity. This conference will be more than just another industry ‘convention.’ It will be a ‘symposium’ reflecting and preserving a remarkably colorful and historic era in American media and culture. Broadcasters and students of communications all over the world for years to come will bear witness to this ‘happening.’” The storied talk media industry tradition will again be presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and the school’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. For last minute information, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.

Industry Views

The State of Journalism in 2024: Why Talk Media Needs Investigative Reporting Now More Than Ever

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Ted Bridis
University of Florida
Professor

imThe headlines haven’t been kind to journalism lately. That recent New York Times piece declaring its demise? It wasn’t exactly a morale booster. The Messenger, created to revitalize journalism in the digital age, shut down after just one year. Sports Illustrated was on the cutting block until Minute Media came onto the field with a Hail Mary to save the 70-year-old publication. The Wall Street Journal laid off a slew of talented reporters despite record profits. Yet, some of these decisions have nothing to do with the state of journalism but are based on balance sheets, declining advertising buys, and changing tastes in media consumption.

David S. Levine of the Times of Israel has written, “Journalism is dead. You are on your own.” But here’s the thing: I’m not buying it.

As a journalism professor at the University of Florida with more than 35 years in the industry, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs. Remember the rough economic patches of 2001 and 2008? The internet’s constant disruption? We’ve weathered those storms, and we’ll weather this one, too.

In fact, universities like mine are leading the charge in a new era of journalism. The investigative, political journalism and public policy reporting classes that I teach feed directly into something near and dear to me: credibly holding powerful institutions accountable. And we’re building partnerships to help sustain the industry.

Our Fresh Take Florida news service distributes significant reporting by our undergraduate journalism students to major news outlets across Florida. Newsrooms receive high-quality content for their readers, viewers, and listeners. Students earn real-world experience covering challenging subjects and gain exposure with editors and news directors who hire them when they graduate. Every semester, sadly, my classes of young reporters dwarf the size of many professional newsrooms in some of Florida’s biggest cities.

Talk media is especially vulnerable as our journalism industry works its way through these latest challenges. It relies on journalists to unearth those hard-hitting stories, identify credible sources, and separate fact from fiction.

Here’s the truth: Talk media can’t function without a healthy investigative journalism ecosystem. They need that next generation of journalists I’m training — reporters who are not just trustworthy and credible, but efficient and effective in getting the story out quickly. After all, in today’s fast-paced world, talk radio often relies on journalists for its content.

This is precisely why investigative journalism programs around the country and the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability are so crucial. The $25,000 Collier Prize, established at the University of Florida with a generous gift from Nathan Collier, a descendent of the family that founded the pioneering investigative journalism magazine Collier’s in the late 1880s, is one of the largest journalism awards in the country. It recognizes and celebrates the very kind of investigative reporting that underpins strong talk media.

We’re fostering a new breed of investigative journalists who can seamlessly serve the needs of both traditional and talk media. They understand the importance of speed and accuracy, the ability to distill complex issues into digestible segments, and the value of unearthing stories that spark conversation and hold power to account.

The future of journalism isn’t about flashy headlines or clickbait. It’s about dedicated professionals committed to truth, transparency, and giving a voice to the voiceless. It’s about investigative reporting that illuminates injustice and empowers citizens. And it’s about demonstrating to readers, viewers, and listeners that objective, hard-hitting journalism is worth paying for, after a generation where we gave it away free online.

Talk media is dependent to a degree on the success of the rest of the ecosystem, which is an important point. We highlight and identify credible sources who then become guests on programs that can go into a lot more depth than they can with a quote in a 1,000-word story. Talk radio very much has a stake in the success of journalism. They need this next generation of journalists to be better than ever — credible, trustworthy, and ethical but also efficient and effective — working expediently to get the story told because in a lot of cases talk radio is getting its content from journalists.

We are never not going to need journalists. That’s the silver lining — democracy needs journalists. It needs trustworthy, independent, independently minded journalists who seek the truth and report it. That sentiment is alive and well, and talk media needs this kind of journalism now more than ever.

Award-winning investigative journalist Ted Bridis led the Associated Press’ Pulitzer Prize-winning team before joining the University of Florida. He’s known for his expertise in source protection, FOIA law, and uncovering high-profile stories like the Clinton email server and Paul Manafort’s foreign lobbying. Previously, he analyzed national elections for the AP and covered technology, hackers, and national security.

Industry News

TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond Set for Friday, June 7

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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TALKERS 2024, the 27th annual edition of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national conference is set and going to be one of the storied event’s most important installments. The power-packed, one-day event will again be presented by TALKERS on Friday, June 7, 2024, on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio. 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 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2016 events – and enjoy the remarkable resources that its Lawrence Herbert School of Communication brings to the table.” TALKERS 2024 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. The focus, as always, will be on talk radio and its changing relationship with the larger arena of “audio” and “video” including podcasting, satellite, and digital venues. News/talk, sports talk, all-news, and general talk will be amply covered. The conference will also provide participants with unique and powerful networking opportunities. There will be over 50 top industry speakers and registration will be limited to insure intimacy. Attendance at the conference is limited to members of the working media and directly associated industries as well as communication students enrolled in accredited learning institutions. All attendees will be required to register in advance on the phone payable by credit card. Because attendance will be limited and the agenda outstanding, the conference is again expected to be an early sellout. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $379. Take advantage of the early bird fee of $279 available until 5:00 pm ET on Friday, March 15. Because space will be limited and a sellout is anticipated, all registrations are non-refundable. To register for TALKERS 2024 or to obtain sponsorship information, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413. Nearby hotel information will be posted here shortly.

Industry News

SiriusXM and Megyn Kelly Agree to New, Multi-Year Deal

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

SiriusXM announces that talk media personality Megyn Kelly signs a new contract to continue hosting “The Megyn Kelly Show” live on the platform. SiriusXM says, “Under the multi-year deal, the veteran journalist and legal expert will deliver her signature commentary and hard-hitting interviews through theim 2024 election season and beyond. ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ will premiere exclusively on SiriusXM Triumph channel 111 on weekdays from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm ET, with the program later available on all major podcast platforms. The program will also air a special edition on September 14 when Kelly interviews former President Donald Trump. Kelly comments, “I’m thrilled to continue my relationship with the great people at SiriusXM who have been tremendously supportive of our show from the start. In an age where conversations are being stifled and news skewed to please the politics of only a small set of people, it is a privilege to work with a company that values free speech and open, respectful, elevated debate.”

Industry News

FNC Expands Mark Levin’s Weekend Program

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

FOX News Channel is adding another weekend program starring talk media personality Mark Levin. Levin has been hosting his “Life, Liberty & Levin” program on Sunday evenings at 8:00 pm ET and will nowim add a Saturday edition of the program that will also air at 8:00 pm ET. FNC EVP of primetime programming Meade Cooper says, “Since joining the network in 2017, Mark has provided our audience with thought-provoking analysis on America’s core values and their impact on current events. We are looking forward to expanding his popular show to two nights a week.” Levin comments, “It’s an honor to join the other outstanding hosts on Saturday in bringing the most intelligent, informative and entertaining programming to the nation. Thank you to our loyal audience and FOX News.”

Industry News

TALKERS Vice President/Executive Editor Kevin Casey is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Last month marked the 33rd anniversary of the launch of TALKERS magazine – the talk media industry trade publication founded by Michael Harrison in July of 1990. The term “talk media” established and popularized byim the journal refers to AM, FM, online and satellite talk radio, cable news/talk TV, and talk podcasting.

Marking this third-of-a-century milestone, TALKERS longtime VP/executive editor, Kevin Casey is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Casey, then a program director for Clear Channel’s WHYN, imSpringfield, MA, joined TALKERS as its managing editor almost a quarter-of-a-century ago in 2000. The big story during that pre-9/11 year was the excruciatingly inconclusive presidential election between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore that took over a month to settle.

Michael Harrison states, “I’ve been blessed with a tremendous group of media professionals who operated and built TALKERS into the established communications vehicle that it has proven to be in many ways paralleling the growth of talk radio and its offshoots for more than three decades. One of the key individuals who has been responsible for its growth and longevity is my dear colleague, Kevin Casey.”

In a casual conversation between longtime friends and co-workers, Harrison and Casey take stock of the publication’s journey which parallels the historic role of talk radio’s modern era. Hear the complete podcast here.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 VIDEO: KBLA Talk 1580 Founder Tavis Smiley Honored with Freedom of Speech Award

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Prolific author and veteran talk media purveyor of current events with a focus on African American perspectives, Tavis Smiley, was honored by the TALKERS editorial board at the TALKERS 2023 conference as the 2023 recipient of the highly prestigious Gene Burns Memorial Award for Freedom of Speech. (The presentation was sponsored by The Todd Starnes Show) The award is presented each year to a talk media practitioner whose work sets an example for the exercise and preservation of the First Amendment. Smiley, who has hosted shows on a diverse array of platforms such as BET, CNN, ABC, PBS, KABCim Radio, and KGFJ Radio among others, joins such former recipients of the award as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’ Reilly, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Bob Grant, Thom Hartmann, Alan Colmes, Joe Madison, Karen Hunter, Al Franken, Brian Lamb, Norm Pattiz, Ian Freeman and others dating back to the origins of TALKERS in the late 1980s. Some two years ago, Smiley’s media company acquired an AM radio station in Los Angeles, the former hip hop legend KDAY, and transformed it into a new station and format – KBLA Talk 1580 – where he’s assembled an outstanding on-air staff, including himself, with the impassionate mission of, as he puts it, “unapologetically serving people of color and who are politically progressive.” In making the announcement of this year’s recipient, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison states, “This is our longest-running and most-important award. Mr. Smiley has risen to the enormous talk radio challenge of providing underserved African Americans and progressives with a major commercial platform in the nation’s second largest market with a worldwide reach. In today’s political environment and struggling AM radio industry, it doesn’t get any more ‘First Amendment’ than that.” Tavis Smiley was presented the award by Harrison at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. See the presentation and Smiley’s acceptance speech here.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 Lives Up to High Expectations

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

For 10 exciting hours on Friday, June 2, Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York became the center of the talk media universe as some 250 professional broadcasters and dedicated students of communications gathered to hear more than 60 speakers in addition to networking with each other at TALKERS 2023. It was the 26th annual installment of the talk show field’s longest running and most important national conference. Speakers included such luminaries as WABC, New York/Red Apple Media CEO, John Catsimatidis; Newsmax Media CEO, 

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Christopher Ruddy; Connoisseur Media CEO, Jeff Warshaw; KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles CEO (and Freedom of Speech Award recipient) Tavis Smiley; Sound Mind, LLC CEO (and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) Kraig T. Kitchin; and WDUN, Gainesville, GA talk show host (and Woman of the Year recipient) Martha Zoller. There was a special, exclusive video appearance by iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman. The iconic conference included panel discussions addressing such topics as programming news/talk and sports talk radio, podcasting, generating revenue, artificial intelligence in broadcasting, navigating a talk show hosting career, AM radio and automobiles, the challenges facing the ratings process, and the future of technology and media. Speakers included major talk show hosts, program directors, brand managers, agents, syndicators and radio station owners. Look for extensive stories and photos from the conference in TALKERS over the next days and weeks including full video coverage of every speech, panel and presentation. All of us at TALKERS are grateful to the talk media industry for making TALKERS 2023 a tremendous success!

Industry News

CONFERENCE CLOSER: John Catsimatidis to Tackle AM Car Radio Issue

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

WABC, New York/Red Apple Media CEO, John Catsimatidis is set to deliver the closing keynote address at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. The speech, titled, “AM Radio and the Automobile Industry,” will be the highlight of the event’s closing reception and tackle the existential issue facingim the industry as a number of car manufacturers unveiled controversial intentions to eliminate AM radios from the dashboard of electric and even gas vehicles going forward. In making the announcement about this additional agenda element, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison stated, “The automobile issue is rocking the industry and John Catsimatidis has been stepping up to the plate in defense of both radio and good sense. He brings his formidable influence into the arena and we are delighted that he will be delivering a major address to that effect on June 2 at the conference. He has become a radio hero, and this will be another key moment in his growing legacy… and hopefully in prolonging the valuable life of both the AM and FM bands.”

Historic conference nearing sellout

The 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important gathering set for Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island is nearing an advance sellout. Conference organizers estimate it will reach that point at any time within the next two weeks. Thus 5:00 pm ET on Tuesday, May 23 has been set as the absolute cutoff point – although it could reach the limit any time before that. According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “Industry professionals who have attended the TALKERS conference in the past enjoy it and find it to be a valuable experience for a number of reasons beyond the remarkable quality of the speakers and pertinence of the agenda. They appreciate the intimacy of the environment and outstanding ‘who’s who’ in talk media makeup of their fellow attendees. We work very diligently to keep this event within those parameters. Thus, it is only open to people who work within or are associated in some way with the media industry – there is no online open registration – and it all happens within one power-packed day with absolutely no down time.” More than 60 luminaries from the talk media industry are set to speak at a power-packed day of fireside chats, solo addresses, panel discussions, workshops, award presentations, new equipment showcases and endless networking opportunities. All in a beautiful indoor/outdoor state-of-the-art environment conducive to one-on-one conversations. The time to register is now. See more about the agenda, registration, sponsorship and hotel information here.

Industry News

Panel Discussion to Tackle the Talk Media Industry’s Key Concerns

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

One of the most popular sessions at the annual TALKERS Conference is “The Big Picture” panel and this year’s planned installment of the discussion promises to continue in that tradition of perspective and pertinence.  The panel will be introduced by TALKERS associate publisher/media attorney, Matthew B. Harrison, Esq. and moderated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison.  Panelists include (in alphabetical order): Arthur Aidala, Esq. founding partner, Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, PC/host, AM 970 The Answer, New York; Dr. Asa Andrew, CEO/host, The Doctor Asa Network; Lee Habeeb, host/producer, Our American Stories; Lee Harris, director of Integrated Operations, NewsNation; and Kraig Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LLC/chairman, Radio Hall of Fame.  One more panelist has yet to be named.  The issues that the session will cover include: the existential cultural, technological and financial issues facing radio and talk media; the medium’s role in the national political conversation and culture wars; the impact of artificial intelligence on intellectual property and creative originality; the evolution of ethics, justice and journalism in American society; and an examination of potential topics and concerns that will keep the medium vibrant as we move deeper into the 21st century. “It’s all about perspective,” says panel moderator Michael Harrison. “If we are to survive as an industry as well as a community, we have to step back and look at the big picture within which we operate… and it is getting bigger and bigger with each passing moment. We must avoid becoming smaller and smaller.”  More than 60 luminaries from the talk media industry are set to speak at a power-packed day of fireside chats, solo addresses, panel discussions, workshops, award presentations, new equipment showcases and endless networking opportunities. TALKERS 2023 is nearing an advance sellout. See more about the agenda, registration, sponsorship and hotel information here. 

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 Nearing Early Sellout

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

With slightly less than a month to go, TALKERS 2023, the 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important national gathering, is nearing an early advance sellout. The one-day, power-packed conference will take place on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. It is presented by TALKERS magazine in association with Hofstra’s nationally acclaimed radio station, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “There is particularly strong interest in the event this year – perhaps because of the huge influence talk media – especially news/talk radio, cable news/talk TV, sports/talk radio and podcasting – are exacting on the national conversation. At the same time, all of these platforms are facing major existential issues ranging from challenges generating revenue, navigating controversy, and competing against technologically induced cultural sea-changes.” Casey adds, “The magnificent setting of Hofstra really works well for this conference. The state of the art theater is wonderfully spacious – which means a lot during what will hopefully be the tail end of COVID; the broadcasting facilities for those attendees who’ll be doing their shows live from the site are second-to-none; the breakfast, lunch and closing reception events take place outdoors under an open tent in a delightful and health-minded setting; the agenda features more than 60 outstanding speakers and directly addresses the key questions facing the industry. Knowledge and connections are power. TALKERS 2023 will provide the latest information and it is a fantastic networking opportunity.” Conference director Michael Harrison says, “This industry conference is steeped in history, tradition and dynamic purpose. Careers and lives change at the TALKERS conference!” Register now to avoid being shut out. See more about the agenda, registration, sponsorship and hotel information here.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 Agenda Update

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The agenda for TALKERS 2023 is now posted subject to daily updates. Please check it regularly. The 26th annual edition of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important conference takes place on Friday, June 2, 2023 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio. TALKERS 2023 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. See the latest complete agenda here. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $379. Attendance is only open to the working media and associated industries as well as students attending accredited learning institutions. Due to space limitations and the commitment to maintaining an intimate environment, the conference is again expected to be an early sellout. Don’t be shut out!  See convention registration and hotel information here.

Industry News

Kilmeade, Caracciolo, and Hurley Talk Connections at Conference

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

A special discussion exploring the delicate balance between local, national and cross-platform talk media elements is set as one of the many sessions comprising the forthcoming TALKERS 2023 conference on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. Brian Kilmeade, John Caracciolo, and Harry Hurley will engage in a conference-closing conversation titled, “Cross Currents of Talk Media.” It will examine the delicate balance between local, national, and multiplatform elements of the ever-evolving talk media space. Brian Kilmeade is a nationally known talk star hosting separate shows on FOX News Radio and FOX News Channel (TV).  His syndicated radio show is carried on Long Island (where he also lives) by news/talk WRCN-FM, Riverhead “Long Island News Radio.” The station which serves Eastern Long Island is owned by JVC Broadcasting of which John Caracciolo is president/CEO. Harry Hurley, morning host at WPG, Atlantic City, NJ (and regular guest host on FOX News Radio who occasionally fills in for Kilmeade) will serve as moderator of what promises to be a fascinating three-way conversation. See all the speaker, registration, and hotel information for TALKERS 2023 here.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023: Speakers Added to Powerful Agenda

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Registration and Hotel Information Available

TALKERS 2023, the 26th annual edition of the talk media industry’s longest running and largest convention is shaping up to be one of the storied event’s most important installments.  The power-packed, one-day event will be presented by TALKERS on Friday, June 2, 2023 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio. 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 2022, 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. TALKERS 2023 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. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $379. Take advantage of the early bird fee of $329 available until 5:00 pm ET on Friday, March 31. Because space will be limited and a sellout is anticipated, all registrations are non-refundable. You can see the list of in-person speakers and get registration and hotel information here.

Industry News

Axios: Talk Radio Landscape Two Years After Limbaugh’s Passing

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

A piece by Sara Fischer in Axios looks at the state of conservative talk radio two years after the genre’s putative founding father Rush Limbaugh passed away, leaving a literal and figurative void in the industry. Talk media practitioners are aware that the occasion of Limbaugh’s passing gave rise to a number of conservative talk personalities as they battled to fill the midday radio time slot occupied for so many years on more than 600 stations. In the bigger picture, Fischer writes, “Today, no one radio host commands the same level of power and influence that Limbaugh did, but a number of new voices are emerging — blending the reach of traditional and digital platforms — and collectively proving to be more powerful in shaping conservative opinion for younger audiences.” TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison is quoted in the piece saying, “The world is changing and there are questions as to how Limbaugh, had he lived and remained healthy — based upon his mindset and his approach to the business — would have remained as pertinent as he was. He was not as flexible when it came to social media and some of the other forms that it takes right now to be a media presence as opposed to just a radio presence.” Read the entire article here.

Industry News

David Pakman is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Progressive talk media host David Pakman is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Pakman is one of the relatively rare breed of progressive talk show hosts currently heard with a modest footprint on commercial radio. But beyond that, he has a significant and growing presence on his own YouTube channel where he has over a million-and-a-half subscribers, a commercially sold-out schedule, and is part of an emerging genre of progressive hosts seen regularly by loyal political talk media consumers. Only 39, Pakman has been a practitioner of progressive talk media since his early 20s. “The David Pakman Show” started in August 2005 as a community radio program called “Midweek Politics” in the basement of WXOJ’s studio in Northampton, Massachusetts. Today, it is a daily internationally syndicated politics and news talk show airing on radio, television, and the internet, as well as on Free Speech TV via DirecTV and DISH Network. Pakman is a naturalized citizen of the United States having moved here with his family at the age of five from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Harrison and Pakman discuss the rewards and challenges – financially and otherwise – of multi-platform digital broadcasting. Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, June 13, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Exceeds Expectations.  The 25th 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.