TALKERS News Notes
— NPR promotes Michel Martin to new a role as co-host of “Morning Edition.” Martin, who has been the host of the weekend edition of “All Things Considered” since 2015, takes over for Rachel Martin who is exiting to pursue other media opportunities. She begins working alongside Steve Inskeep, A Martínez and Leila Fadel on March 27.
— The Los Angeles Times’ James Rainey writes a profile piece this week about Tavis Smiley, former PBS personality and current owner of KBLA, Los Angeles – a talk station targeting the Black community. The piece addresses Smiley’s legal battles with PBS after he was accused of sexually harassing multiple women, the court case he lost and one he’s still involved in. It also looks at his efforts to reach the Black community via KBLA and its talk hosts. Read the LA Times story here.
— Edison Research is presenting a four-part series through its Edison’s Weekly Insights exploring the “power of traditional AM/FM radio in the U.S. This week’s edition reports, based on Edison’s Share of Ear study, “Listeners age 13+ in the U.S. spend 59% of their daily, ad-supported audio time with AM/FM radio, more time than with all other ad-supported audio sources combined, including YouTube, podcasts, and ad-supported streaming services. AM/FM radio is the top ad-supported audio source for all ages in the U.S., including Gen Z (age 13-24) who spend 33% of their daily ad-supported audio time with AM/FM radio, more than for any other ad-supported platform.” Read the story here.
communities with local news, entertainment, and community affairs programming seven days a week. The station was built to uplift the voices in the Black community, sharing their stories, ideas and experiences following the George Floyd incident and protests. The station produces a tapestry of content for fans and advertising opportunities for partners that truly represents the Black experience in our city.” The station was honored with a 2022 Anthem Award (from the creators of the Webby Awards) in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility category. Hosts on the station have interviewed notable guests including Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, musicians Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige, and many more.
Every radio sales presentation should start with one powerful number. This number – often found under the Sphinx – will dazzle any buyer, but is rarely revealed. The number is Homes Using Radio (HUR). Once upon a time it was part of the conversation. HUR shows how many people are using radio at any given time, a total number.