Tuesday, May 31, 2016

WLW, Cincinnati’s Bill Cunningham Wrapping TV Show.  According to a report by WVXU.org’s John Kiesewetter, longtime WLW, Cincinnati afternoon drive personality Bill Cunningham is declining to renew his deal with Tribune Broadcasting to produce three more seasons of his eponymous TV show that airs on the CW Network.  Citing the hectic schedule he has to keep to do both the television program and his WLW and Premiere Networks Sunday evening radio shows, Cunningham told WLW listeners he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.  Cunningham was recruited for the television show by Tribune president of strategic programming and acquisition Sean Compton, a former Clear Channel programming executive who joined Tribune when former Clear Channel Radio president Randy Michaels became chief of Tribune.  The first season of the show was syndicated by Tribune but seasons two through five aired on the CW Network.

Bold Gold Media Group CEO Vince Benedetto Interviewed on ‘Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.’  One of the rising young stars of radio station group ownership, Vince Benedetto, is the guest on this week’s installment of the PodcastOne international hit “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.”  Benedetto, who just turned 40, bought his first station at 29.  In slightly more than a decade, he has built Bold Gold Media Group into a chain that owns and operates nine radio stations, fifteen broadcast frequencies, and multiple digital media platforms throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.  Benedetto is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, a former Air Force captain and Air Force OSI special agent, where he worked on counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism and felony level investigative efforts for the Department of Defense.  In 2013, Bold Gold was nominated for a Pennsylvania Governor’s ImPAct Award for Entrepreneurialism and Vince was recently named by RadioInk magazine as one of the “Top 30 Under 40 Rising Stars in the Radio Industry.”  Benedetto also established and runs a non-profit foundation providing support for young people entering broadcasting and studying the U.S. Constitution.  In the podcast, Harrison and Benedetto discuss the extremely positive aspects of radio ownership that still exist in 2016 and analyze broadcast radio’s transition into the digital era.  They examine the differences between the Boomer and Millennial generations (as well as Generations X and Y) and Benedetto applies his experience in the US intelligence community to the principles of operating a media business as well as commenting on the nation’s present positioning in the struggle against international terrorism.  To listen to the entire podcast please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located on every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.

Cooke: 70 Rocks.  Media consultant Holland Cooke writes today about the maturation of the Baby Boomer generation and the value of these consumers to the radio industry.  For radio station operators – and for news/talk stations that target a mature audience – this demographic is a big fan of radio and is likely to purchase the products and services for which radio marketing campaigns work so well.  Read some of Cooke’s advice for radio stations taking advantage of this generation’s use of radio here.

The Presidential Race, the Battle Against Islamic State, Putin’s NATO Threats, Zoo Gorilla Killing, the Memorial Day Holiday, and the NBA and NHL Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend.  The activities of the candidates for president and the weekend’s Libertarian Party debate; the ongoing fight against Islamic State and the push by Iraqi forces to reclaim Falluja; Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat to prevent U.S. missiles from being places in NATO countries Romania and Poland; the case of the rare gorilla killed in the Cincinnati Zoo after a child had entered the animal’s enclosure; the Memorial Day holiday and the weekend’s NBA playoff and the start of the NHL Finals were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Another Investor Sues iHeartMedia.  This time, the complaint against iHeartMedia comes from Gamco Asset Management Inc., which owns close to 10% of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings public stock.  According to a report by Bloomberg, Gamco is saying that shareholders of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings are not being protected first and foremost and that the subsidiary is being given short shrift in order to benefit the parent company.  An iHeartMedia spokesman says the asset shift is legal.  Gamco was in iHeartMedia’s corner during the recent case iHM won after being sued by senior lenders for the move.  Still, Gamco is alleging the stock’s shift to Broader Media Inc., harms CCOH’s ability “to exploit business opportunities.”

Odds & Sods.  Over the Memorial Day weekend, the Libertarian Party’s top five candidates held a debate in Orlando that was moderated by Salem Radio Network nationally syndicated talk radio host Larry Elder.  The debate was aired live on C-SPAN.  SRN VP/news & talk programming Tom Tradup says, “As SRN’s newest nationally syndicated host, we are proud that Larry Elder was selected for this high-profile assignment as the unpredictable campaign 2016 continues to unfold.”…..Pro hoops star Jason Terry is launching a new weekly show on SiriusXM’s NBA channel beginning tomorrow at 7:00 pm ET (6/1).  “The Runway with Jason ‘The Jet’ Terry” will air Wednesdays and also feature co-host Justin Termine…..ABC News Radio correspondent Alex Stone is seen here positioned near police at the Donald Trump rally in San Diego on May 27.  The protest reportedly drew about 1,000 people and was peaceful for three hours until some protestors tried to break a police line.  Thirty-five people were arrested.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Cumulus Media Appoints Dimick Vice President/Programming Operations. Former Lincoln Financial Media senior vice president of programming and operations John Dimick joins Cumulus Media as vice president of programming operations. Cumulus Media senior vice president of content and programming Mike McVay remarks, “John Dimick brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position. He joins Doug Hamand and Greg Frey as a [vice president of programming operations]. Those three, along with our format specialists and analysts, will provide even more tools to our managers and program directors to employ when programming their stations.” Dimick – who begins his new assignment next Wednesday (6/1) – jokes, “I am very happy that Mike McVay would not buy my ‘retirement from the industry’ thinking. The new senior management team at Cumulus is building [something that] is extraordinary and compelling. I am flattered [corporate believes] I can help advance the growth and success of the stations and the remarkable Cumulus platform. Joining the corporate programming team with people like Greg Frey, Doug Hamand and the other pros at Cumulus is very exciting.” For the past 11 months, Dimick was franchise owner of the Dimick Automotive Group. In addition to Lincoln Financial stations in San Diego, Dimick has programmed Emmis rhythmic CHR WQHT “Hot 97,” New York; KPLZ, Seattle; KISN, Salt Lake City; and WNCI, Columbus.

WPGG, Atlantic City Morning Host Harry Hurley Donates $1,000 to the Broadcasters Foundation of America.  This year’s recipient of the Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service by a Radio Talk Show Host (“Humanitarian of the Year”), Harry Hurley of WPGG, Atlantic City, capped off his acceptance speech last Friday (5/20) at TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations by making a donation of $1,000 to the Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA).  For almost a decade, Harry Hurley has used his successful morning show in Atlantic City, New Jersey as a platform for the numerous fundraising activities of his Hurley Morning Show Foundation that have raised more than a half million dollars in support of more than 100 New Jersey charities and service organizations.  And he has an outstanding track record of philanthropic activities going back years prior to that.  TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison describes Hurley as, “The quintessential local radio talk show host – entertaining, community-involved, well-connected and philanthropic – a veritable charity machine!”  Harrison recently email blasted a powerful video plea on behalf of the BFOA to thousands of industry professionals that has drawn strong reaction and donation pledges of thousands of dollars.  According to Harrison, “Radio is one of the only forms of mass media and entertainment in which charity and community involvement are part of its fundamental fabric.  How many other forms of media are so quick to raise money for victims of disaster as radio?  A significant percentage of the stories we cover in the trade press are about radio broadcasters rising to the occasion to help people in need – sick children, homeless veterans, single moms, victims of natural disasters, catastrophic illnesses.  Helping people is a key part of all our formats.  It’s what we do. But who’s out there to help individual broadcasters when WE are stricken by tragedy and have the rug pulled out from under us?  That’s when the Broadcasters Foundation of America steps up to the plate.  I know this for a fact, not just by reading press releases, or going to golden mic dinners and golf tournament fund-raisers – but by the personal experience of seeing, on more than one occasion, the Broadcasters Foundation of America step in and rescue sick, destitute and almost-completely broken people – who were, at one time, important players in this game – from literally being thrown out into the street.”  To view a video recording of Harry Hurley’s acceptance speech and donation to the BFOA, please click here.  To view Michael Harrison’s personal message on behalf of the BFOA, please click here.

Edison Research Webinar on Podcasting:  Podcasting Now “Mainstream Media.”  The firm Edison Research presented a webinar yesterday (5/26) on the state of podcasting conducted by its VP Tom Webster and covered for TALKERS by media consultant Holland Cooke.  During the webinar, Webster stated, “It’s safe at this point to call podcasting ‘mainstream media.’”  Cooke comments, It’s always puzzled me how talk radio demonizes that term, while sales reps have been telling prospects that their stations ARE mainstream.  What advertiser wants to utilize FRINGE media?” Admitting he’s wary of making predictions, Webster did venture that “Podcasting has been a medium of slow, steady growth.  This year, we saw a spike we haven’t seen before.  If we’re looking for that ‘hockey stick pattern,’ I’m willing to give you a confident ‘maybe’.”  For full details of the information-packed webinar, see Holland Cooke’s coverage by clicking here.

MLB Flagships: Part Two. In the second of a multi-part series, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian recaps the performance of Major League Baseball‘s radio flagships. In a ratings overview based on data from Nielsen Audio’s April 2016 PPM survey period, Mike highlights each key station’s 6+ share; 6+ market rank; month-to-month and year-to-year fluctuations; and a special breakout chart featuring the flagships by league/division. Whereas all five NL Central key stations can be found in the April 2016 top ten (6+), no AL West flagship finishes higher than #20. Three AL East flagships reach the top ten in April 2016 (6+), as do three key stations of AL Central teams. See the second edition of this exclusive special feature piece about MLB flagships here.

“Sugar Mom” Marshall’s Meaningful Marking. While “voiceover artist,” “audio producer,” and “author” are apt summations of Robin Marshall, the most important depiction of the Dallas-based talent is that she is a one-year cancer survivor. Marshall will release recordings of “Lemons to Lemonade” blogs, which she wrote while undergoing aggressive ovarian cancer treatment. Those episodes will be part of the “Sugar Mom” podcast, leading up to National Cancer Survivors Day next Sunday (6/5). Starting next month, Marshall will distribute her audio book “The Diary of a Sugar Mom: Don’t Tell the Kids” free via her “Sugar Mom” podcast on various podcast directories. Marshall comments, “I want women and men who subscribe to my podcast and/or visit my Facebook page to understand what the concept of a ‘Sugar Mom’ really is, and more importantly, what it is not. If you can try one new thing a day, you are headed towards becoming who you used to be and now want to be again.” The “Sugar Mom” podcast releases new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Marshall spent 20 years as a New York City on-air talent and she is the imaging voice for several radio stations. Since being diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer, she underwent weekly chemotherapy treatments in Dallas; she is in full remission.

Millennials Account For 66.5 Million Radio Users. This is not a homogeneous group with a common set of beliefs, interests, and behaviors; ungrouping millennials can help advertisers, agencies, and radio stations understand each group more closely. Nielsen‘s Q4 2015 “Total Audience Report” separated 18-34s into three groups: “Dependent Adults” (those living in someone else’s home); “On Their Own” millennials (those living in their own home without children); and “Starting a Family” millennials” (those living in their own home with children). The data shows 97% of 18-year-olds live in someone else’s home. By their mid-30s, 90% of millennials live in their own home, and more than half have children. Radio is an important part of a millennial’s life and they listen to it in many ways. In the average week, radio reaches about 92% of “Starting a Family” millennials; 90% of “Dependent Adult” millennials”; and 89% of “On Their Own” millennials. CHR is the number one format for all three groups, but “Dependent Adult” millennials, who tend to live at home with their parents or another adult, listen to more classic rock, classic hits-oldies, and urban AC than the overall millennial group. “Dependent Adult” millennials listen to these formats because they are exposed to them by older adults in the home. “On Their Own” millennials are the least ethnically diverse group and they show a preference for non-ethnic formats like hot AC and alternative. They also listen to sports stations more than the other two millennial groups. Radio reaches 90% of all 18-34 African-Americans each week with urban AC the top format among this group. “Starting A Family” millennials include the highest percent of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking listeners. In this group, regional Mexican has the third-highest share of listening time. Overall, 16% of this group’s listening is spent with a Spanish language format. That is more than three times the amount of “On Their Own” millennials.

All Roads Lead to the “Pothole Derby.” A constant critic of the legislature’s “lack of action” regarding South Carolina road conditions – which station executives classify as being a “wreck” – Entercom Greenville-Spartanburg talker WYRD-FM “Word” announces a contest focusing on the Upstate’s pothole crisis. Operations manager Mark Hendrix remarks that his station’s listeners are “fed up with our terrible roads, huge potholes, and auto damage, so we are paying them to document how bad our roads really are. We are grateful to have the support of First Class Halt to help us with the ‘Pothole Derby.'” Listeners who submit photos of the biggest, deepest, potholes could win $500 in repair services from the station and their promotion sponsor. Approved pothole pictures will be posted on the WYRD-FM “Word” website. In addition, listeners are encouraged to contact the South Carolina Department of Transportation to file complaints about potholes. Only eight stations (four owned by SummitMedia and four iHeartMedia properties) are listed in Nielsen Audio‘s winter 2016 book for Greenville-Spartanburg (market #59). SummitMedia urban AC WJMZ “107.3 Jamz Today’s R&B” ranks first with an 11.0 (12+).

Getting Together with Smaldone. For almost 24 years, Valerie Smaldone was the mid-day talent at market dominant adult contemporary WLTW “Lite-FM,” New York. More recently, she has been hosting/producing a variety of projects. The latest for the imaging voice of CBS Radio New York all-newser WINS is “Hit Makers: Music Icons in Performance and Conversation”; Tommy James (“Tommy James & The Shondells“) was her first guest and he sang several of his hits. In addition, Smaldone interviewed him about his book “Me, The Mob, and the Music,” as well as his days with Roulette Records. For the past two years, Smaldone’s weekly, three-hour Envision Networks’ talk show “America Weekend with Valerie Smaldone & Friends” is heard in 15 markets.

KCMO-AM Slots Mysterious Saturday Morning Show. The unusual and the unexplained will be explored on the weekly, one-hour (6:00 am – 7:00 am) Wendy Garrett-hosted “Wendy’s Coffeehouse” that debuts next week (Saturday, 6/4) on Cumulus Media Kansas City talker KCMO-AM. Garrett “guarantees” the program will, “cover information and material you will not hear in the normal run of the news. It will address the unusual, under-reported, unexplained, and the mysterious.” Topics to be covered include UFO sightings, near-death experiences, innovative living strategies, and government disclosure issues. Among those already booked are “Children of Roswell” authors Thomas J. Carey & Donald R. Schmitt, who will discuss the aftermath and lifetime impact Roswell has had. Robbie Holz (“Secrets of Aboriginal Healing”) will explain beliefs and principles of the 60,000-year-old healing practices of the Australian Aborigines, who claim their techniques can help cure arthritis and cancer. Nick Redfern (“Weapons of the Gods”) will provide “evidence” that ancient civilizations developed and thrived until they “moved to self-destruction, using weapons with terrifying power.” Prior to working for KCMO-AM, Garrett – who claims to live in a haunted house – has been a reporter, host, and anchor on Kansas City outlets KCKC, KFKF, and KRVK. Among persons 6+ in Nielsen Audio‘s April 2016 PPM ratings period, KCMO-AM is in a three-way tie at #20 and is down or flat for the fifth straight time (1.9 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.5 – 1.5 – 1.2); Entercom hot AC KZPT is at #1 (6.9, 6+).

Presidential Race/Trump Protests Top Talkers Ten^TM for Week of May 23-27.  The activities of the candidates for president and the violent anti-Trump protests in New Mexico and California were the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio during the week.  At #2, the Hillary Clinton email investigation and the FBI’s investigation of Virginia Governor and longtime Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe for alleged campaign finance improprieties were tied.  And following at #3 was President Obama’s trip to Vietnam and the related increase in Chinese naval activity.  The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.  It is published every Friday at Talkers.com.  View this week’s entire chart here.

Beasley Broadcast Group Board Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend. It is for $0.045 per share of its “Class A” and “Class B” common stock. The dividend is payable on July 8 to shareholders of record on June 30. While Beasley Broadcast Group intends to pay regular quarterly cash dividends for the foreseeable future, all subsequent dividends will be reviewed quarterly and declared by the board at its discretion.

Odds & Sods: WHO, Des Moines afternoon driver Simon Conway pulls off a triple play today. In addition to doing his 9:00 am – 11:00 am show on WMT-AM, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) and hosting his 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm program on WHO, Des Moines, he will fill in on Joe Pagliarulo‘s syndicated “Joe Pags Show.”

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Cumulus v Johnny and Blondie Gets Underway in Michigan.  Another non-compete case involving Cumulus Media is in the courtroom, this time in Michigan.  Cumulus is suing former WHNN, Saginaw, Michigan morning personalities Johnny Burke and Bonnie Belger-Holzhei, a.k.a. Blondie, alleging they violated the non-compete and non-solicitation clauses in their contracts after being fired by the station earlier this year.  As reported in MLive.com, this comes after the pair sued Cumulus for age discrimination.  Cumulus is asking the court to prevent the duo from continuing to host the internet show they launched shortly after leaving the station.  Interestingly, Cumulus is not after Burke for the non-compete violation since it would then have to pay six months of his $125,000 salary but is pursuing the non-compete matter with Belger-Holzhei as her salary was just $31,200.  What Cumulus really appears to want is the court to find that they have been going after Cumulus clients to sponsor their internet show and force them to stop.  Read the MLive story here.

Dave Ramsey Interviews George W. Bush at Dallas Appearance.  At Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership Summit – held May 23 – 25 at the Omni Dallas Hotel – the nationally syndicated superstar interviewed former President George W. Bush (pictured at left with Ramsey).  The three-day conference also included speakers Seth Godin, Jim Collins, Pat Lencioni, Dr. Henry Cloud, Chris Hogan and Christy Wright, providing attendees with knowledge on leadership, building company culture, communication, work/life balance and organizational health.

The Presidential Race/New Mexico and California Trump Protests, SC Abortion Ban, Hillary Clinton Email Investigation, Texas Restroom Law Suit, China Naval Activity, Katie Couric Gun Doc Controversy, Thiel-Hogan Gawker Suit Connection, and NBA-NHL Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/25).  The activities of the candidates for president and the violent anti-Trump protests in New Mexico and California; the new South Carolina law banning abortion after 20 weeks; the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for State Department business; Texas and 10 other states file suit against the Obama Administration over transgender restroom laws; growing concern over China’s naval activities including its patrolling the Pacific with nuclear-armed subs; allegations Katie Couric edited the statements of gun rights activists in a new documentary; the revelation that billionaire Peter Thiel is funding Hulk Hogan’s suits against Gawker; and the NBA and NHL Playoffs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Odds & Sods. At the Toledo operations of iHeartMedia, WSPD program director and afternoon talk show host Scott Sands is promoted to SVP of programming for the station group.  In addition to programming news/talk WSPD, he now has oversight of CHR WVKS, country WCKY, adult contemporary WRVF, rock WIOT and sports talk WCWA.  Sands assumes the role previously held by Nathan Reed who recently exited the company to join Cox Media Group’s hot AC KRAV, Tulsa “MIX 96.”…..In advance of President Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima on Saturday (5/28), the Japanese TV network TBS interviewed CBS Radio News reporter Pam Coulter (pictured at left in yellow) about the president’s decision to go to Hiroshima.  Coulter is the only U.S. radio network reporter in Japan covering the event.

41^st Annual Gracie Awards Held in Beverly Hills.  The annual Gracie Awards took place last night at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.  Awards were handed out in both television and radio categories.  Some of the women working in commercial radio who were honored include: Loren Raye, co-host of “The TJ Show” on WODS, Boston “103.3 AMP Radio”; Marla Diamond, reporter/correspondent with WCBS, New York; Nina Hajian, co-host “Shoboy in the Morning” at WBMP, New York “92.3 AMP Radio”; Rita Cosby, WABC, New York; Joan Hamburg, WABC, New York; Felicia Middlebrooks, WBBM, Chicago; Suzyn Waldman, WFAN, New York; and Jane Tillman Irving, WCBS, New York.  See the entire list of winners here.  Pictured above is the Alliance for Women in Media board at last night’s awards ceremony.  They are: (l-r, front) Kristen Welch, AWM/F chair, SVP, Global Content Operations, Discovery Communications; Christine Travaglini, AWM/F treasurer-elect, president, Christal Radio; Karla Ballard Williams, AWM/F director and Gracies chair, founder and chief executive, Ying Bank; Josie Thomas, AWM director, EVP and chief diversity and inclusion officer, CBS Corporation; Heather Cohen, AWM/F director and Gracies chair, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Annie Howell, AWM/F director and Gracies chair, founder & co-president, The Punch Point Group. Back row: Sarah Foss, AWM/F chair-elect, vice president, product management, media, Imagine Communications; Kimberly Maki, AWM/F director, Bright House Networks, corporate vice president, Corporate Communications; Keisha Sutton-James, AWM/F treasurer, vice president, ICBC Broadcast Holdings.  Photo: Hamilton Photography

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Michael Harrison Conducts Candid ‘Fireside Chat’ with Sean Hannity.  One of the highlights of last week’s TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations was a “fireside chat” conducted by Michael Harrison with Premiere Networks/Fox News Channel superstar Sean Hannity.  They tackled a variety of hot industry topics, including ratings in the digital era and Hannity’s ongoing critical assessment of the progress being made by Nielsen in providing accurate metrics reflecting talk radio’s numbers both on air and online.  They explore the dynamic and volatile relationship between politics and talk radio – focusing on the Trump phenomenon.  Harrison asks Hannity to spill some behind-the-scenes gossip about the impact of this year’s presidential election on the relationships between his high-profile colleagues at Fox News Channel.  In addition, they discuss lowering the demos and make very positive predictions about the future of talk radio and talk media in general.  Hannity reveals that he has just re-signed contracts with both Premiere and Fox through 2020.  To listen to the entire conversation within the context of this week’s installment of the PodcastOne international hit “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison,” please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box in the right hand column on every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.

The Presidential Race, McAuliffe Investigation, Battle Against Islamic State, Obama Vietnam Trip/China Military Expansion, EgyptAir Flight 804 Investigation, Bill Cosby to Stand Trial, and NBA-NHL Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/24).  The activities of the candidates for president; the FBI investigation into fundraising by Virginia Governor and longtime Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe; heightened attacks on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Iraq; President Obama’s trip to Vietnam, the change in policy allowing U.S. weapons to be sold to the country, and Vietnam’s concerns over China’s military expansion onto islands in the South China Sea; the ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash of EgyptAir flight 804; entertainer Bill Cosby to stand trial in Pennsylvania on sexual assault charges; and the NBA and NHL playoffs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Odds & Sods.  Marketing pro Dayne Damme is named marketing director for Entercom’s Austin station group that includes news/talk KJCE “Talk Radio 1370,” adult contemporary KKMJ “Majic 95.5,” hot AC KAMX, “Mix 94.7,” and urban AC KKMJ-HD3 “96.3 RnB.”  Damme moves to Texas from Entercom’s Sacramento cluster where he held a similar position…..The Siga Broadcasting-owned signal KGBC, Galveston, Texas is no longer airing programming from China Radio International.  The station is now airing programming from BizTalkRadio…..CBS RADIO Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Parks are presenting “Family Fitness Fest,” a free interactive day of activities and information focused around fitness and wellness Saturday, June 4.  The radio station group is organizing a Family fun run and allowing attendees to participate at various sports stations, among other activities…..KHTE, Little Rock “96.5FM The Answer” afternoon personality Dave Elswick is recovering from quintuple bypass surgery.  As you can see at right, the longtime Little Rock market personality received get-well wishes from a couple of the servers at the local Twin Peaks restaurant that he frequents.  Elswick says he should be back on the air next Tuesday (5/31).

NextRadio: Interactive Experience Results in More Tune-Ins.  Research from NextRadio indicates that stations providing a “more visually appealing and interactive in-app experience” realize more listener tune-ins and more time spent with those stations.   NextRadio is the app that allows users to listen to free, over-the-air FM radio on their smartphones.  It reports that when comparing NextRadio usage in 2015 to 2016, radio stations creating enhanced in-app experiences – such as program schedules, social media interactions, contest entries or other visuals – experienced three times the growth in tune-ins when compared to those stations that only displayed a station logo or nothing at all.  Tune-ins refers to the number of times a unique listener listens to a FM radio station broadcast through the NextRadio mobile app.  NextRadio also says stations with enhanced content also saw 1.6 times the growth in time spent listening when compared to non-enhanced stations.

Vox Animali Posts New Installment on TalkersRadio.  The online experimental talk show “Vox Animali,” heard on TalkersRadio, posts a brand new installment today (5/25) featuring an interview with animal rights activist Scotlund Haisley, president/founder of Animal Rescue Corps.  Listen to it here.  “Vox Animali” is hosted and produced by award-winning radio journalist Lori Lundin.  Lundin is a news reporter heard on the Voice of America and NPR.  TalkersRadio general manager David Bernstein states, “We are fortunate to have a radio broadcaster of Lori Lundin’s experience, quality and dedication participating in this great talk radio ‘workshop’ known as TalkersRadio – a platform for talented broadcasters to work on new ideas and programming concepts without the pressure of ratings or commercial considerations.  Since we launched this experimental platform a few years ago, TalkersRadio has spawned some exciting new concepts that have gone on to find opportunities in syndication and more formal platforms. For example, American Family Farmer – a weekly show hosted by Doug Stephan dedicated to serving the needs of beleaguered small, independent farms in America – is now thriving on more than 120 terrestrial radio stations across the nation.  The Brent & Meg Show (starring the husband/wife team of Brent Seltzer and Meg McDonald), that got its start on TalkersRadio, also made its way onto the airwaves of broadcast radio and national syndication before Brent’s recent tragic and untimely death.  Plus, there are more.”  In addition to “Vox Animali, TalkersRadio is presently home to “Healed Planet,” starring Alan Colmes, and “Good for You Radio” starring Claire Carter.  For information about being considered to participate in TalkersRadio, contact David Bernstein at 413-565-5413.

Longtime White House Correspondent Ann Compton to Contribute to ABC News Radio’s Election Coverage.  News pro Ann Compton – who recently retired from full-time news duties with ABC News Radio – is joining the company’s team covering the Republican and Democratic 2016 conventions.  Compton served covering the White House for 41 years prior to her retirement.  ABC News Radio president Steve Jones tells his staff in a memo, “Few people have witnessed as much history first hand as Ann Compton.  Her blend of experience and wisdom gained from decades covering politics make Ann uniquely suited to put today’s political developments in perspective and to offer context that will best inform our listeners and distinguish our coverage in Cleveland and Philadelphia.”  ABC News’ Aaron Katersky will anchor nightly convention coverage with Compton at his side.  Also working the conventions will be ABC News political analysts Steve Roberts and Trey Hardin along with ABC News’ Alex Stone, Brad Mielke, Jim Ryan, Ryan Burrow, Mark Remillard and Cheri Preston.  (Compton and Katersky are pictured above.)

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

iHeartMedia Prevails in Suit Against Creditors.  As reported by Reuters, iHeartMedia Inc wins its suit against a group of creditors that wished to have the company declared in default on its debt obligations after transferring $500 million in Clear Channel Outdoor stock to a shell company called Broader Media Inc.  The trial lasted just over a week in Bexar County, Texas.  The court ruled the transfer does not violate the terms of its loans.

Cumulus Launches New FM Talker on 99.5 in Birmingham.  The former NASH Icon station becomes an FM talk outlet this morning (5/24) branded “Talk 99.5, Birmingham’s Real Talk.”  Cumulus Media announces WZRR-FM is featuring a live-and-local lineup of personalities starting with morning show “Matt and Aunie” – Matt Murphy and Andrea Lindenberg.  Lindenberg handles the 10:00 am hour solo, followed by Richard Dixon from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Leland Whaley hosts “Leland Live” from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  After that it’s Westwood One programming with Mark Levin from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Michael Savage from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, “Red Eye Radio from 12:00 to 5:00 am and “First Light with Evan Haning” at 5:00 am.  Matt Murphy is also the program director for the station and he says, “‘Talk 99.5, Birmingham’s Real Talk’ is designed not only to be a source for breaking news and information, but as a place for Birmingham listeners to talk about the issues important to them.  We are extremely excited to bring an all-star lineup to an all-star state.  Our commitment to live and local hosts represents our commitment to delivering the very best news, information and talk to the people of Alabama.”  The format is being simulcast on the company’s longtime news/talk-formatted WAPI-AM.

Albany Sports Talker Jumps Across Town.  Sports talk personality Rodger Wyland has left iHeartMedia’s WOFX, Albany and will reappear on Townsquare Media’s WTMM on July 5, according to a report in the Albany Times Union.  Wyland hosted the “Big Board Sports” show and had been with the station for the past 15 years.  The paper is reporting the WTMM show will air from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.  Neither of the sides are commenting on the move but it appears, based on his start date at WTMM, that Wyland may be sitting out a 30-day non-compete.  How WOFX will fill the host role on “Big Board Sports” is unknown at this time.

The Presidential Race, EgyptAir Crash Investigation, Airport Security Wait/TSA Scrutiny, Obama Vietnam Visit, Freddie Gray Case Acquittal, Facebook’s Alleged Anti-Conservative Bias, McAuliffe FBI Investigation, and NBA-NHL Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/23).  The activities of the candidates for president; the investigation into the cause of the crash of EgyptAir flight 804 and initial indications an explosion is a likely cause; public furor over long airport security wait lines and the dismissal of TSA security chief Kelly Hoggan; President Obama’s visit to Vietnam and the reversal of policy allowing the U.S. to sell weapons to the former adversary; the acquittal of Baltimore police officer Edward Nero in the case of the death of Freddie Gray; the charges against Facebook that it manipulated trending stories in a bias against conservative topics; the FBI investigation into Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe for campaign finance violations; and the NBA and NHL playoffs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Odds & Sods.  The Boston operations of CBS RADIO report that longtime WBZ-AM personality Jordan Rich is giving up his weekend overnight talk show role in order to spend more time with family “after working seven days (and nights) a week for so many years.”  CBS says Rich will still be producing the “New England Weekend” and “Connoisseur’s Corner” segments that air on the station.  Rich also operates his own Chart Productions audio production company…..“Motley Fool Money” with host Chris Hill adds an exciting new affiliate in London-based U.K. financial talk media platform Share Radio.  Hill tells TALKERS it’s the first American show the company is airing.

Radio Pro Jo Maeder Publishes Novel Titled, NAKED DJ.  Former rock jock and talk show host Jo Maeder is publishing a novel set in the radio business titled, NAKED DJ (Vivant Press 2016).  The former “K-ROCK” New York air personality says of her novel, “NAKED DJ is an uncensored, all-access pass to one woman’s climb to the radio top.  Then her troubles really begin.  It’s also a great contemporary story.  How far do you go for your job?  And for love?”  Several years ago, Maeder wrote a best-selling memoir about her time caring for her aging mother titled, When I Married My Mother.  Now, she says she’s a full-time writer.  High-profile entertainment and media people quoted promoting the book include, musician Paul Shaffer, Premiere’s Delilah, and TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison.  The audio version of the book is read by comic and impressionist Rachel Butera who is booked to appear on SiriusXM with Mader’s old “K-ROCK” co-worker Howard Stern in June.