Industry News

The Case for AM Radio

One of the many video highlights from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond – “The Case for AM Radio” – is now posted on the brand-new TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel. The presentation took place at the 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running national gathering held at Hofstra University on Long Island this past June 7. The event, which took place at Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was presented by TALKERS in association with the university’s multi-award winning WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. The special address was delivered by Bill Brady, owner of news/talker KFNX-AM, Phoenix. Brady, a seasoned broadcaster, gave a thorough presentation in support of the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” that is currently working its way through Congress in addition to citing all the benefits of keeping AM radios in new automobile dashboards in spite of the intention of a number of car manufacturers to phase them out. The segment was introduced by Alex Fife, VP of Southwest operations, iHeartMedia Total Traffic & Weather Network.  To watch the video, please click here.

Industry News

TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond Sharon and Joe Madison Tribute Posted

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One of the many video highlights of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond – “A Tribute to Sharon and Joe Madison” – is now posted on the brand-new TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel. The presentation took place at the 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national gathering held at Hofstra University on Long Island this past June 7.  The event, which took place at Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, was presented by TALKERS in association with the university’s multi-award winning WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. The double tribute consisted of two important elements. It was a memorial to the late African American talk radio legend Joe Madison. It was also a presentation honoring Joe’s loving wife and dedicated executive producer Sharon “Sherry” Madison who was named the 2024 recipient of the TALKERS “Woman of the Year” award (the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Talk Radio by a Woman). Mrs. Madison served as executive producer for her late husband’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 Joe – 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 double tribute was presented by beloved radio talk show host Larry Young of WOLB, Baltimore and Dave Gorab, VP/GM of talk programming at SiriusXM.  The award was accepted for Mrs. Madison, who was unable to attend, by last year’s recipient, Martha Zoller of WDUN, Gainesville, GA. 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.” To watch the video, please click here

Industry News

TALKERS Launching YouTube Channel

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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

David Pakman is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast

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.