Matty “Ice” Hayes Inks Extension at The Fan in Columbus
Midday talk host Matty “Ice” Hayes signs a multi-year extension to remain with Tegna’s sports talk WBNS-FM, Columbus “97.1 The Fan” as co-host of the “Rothman and Ice” (alongside Anthony
Rothman) program and as host of “The Fan” pregame show every gameday Saturday in the fall. Hayes says, “‘The Fan’ has been my home for 10 years and I’m very excited to continue working at a station that has been a part of my life for so long.” WBNS station manager Cody Welling comments, “Matt has been working extremely hard developing his broadcast talents. We value his point-of-view on topics, and is the perfect duo for our highly rated midday show, ‘Rothman and Ice.’ I’m happy that Columbus sports fans will be able to access Matt Hayes for years to come each weekday, and on college football gamedays.”
Effect’s most popular personalities for a day full of live podcast tapings and informative discussions aimed at aspiring podcasters in the Black community. He says, “We are proud to return to Atlanta for the second year in a row to showcase the talent across our network, and some of the biggest shows in podcasting. Through culture-defining storytelling, unique brand partnerships, compelling panel discussions, special live podcast recordings and more, we are inviting everyone to experience the power of The Black Effect and the many ways Black creators are driving the culture forward.”
The AI Listener Voice Generator enables library subscribers to simulate “listener” audio and addresses the challenges that stations increasingly face in collecting listener audio from the public. Benztown CEO Andreas Sannemann says, “The Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Speech capabilities of this new feature make an audio producer’s job easier and more efficient than ever – and it sounds incredible!”
solidifying our confidence that a large number of AM/FM streaming listeners are willing to pay a subscription to avoid commercials while listening to their favorite stations. The challenge now becomes how to grow the free tier user base in the most cost-efficient manner possible to increase our pool of potential subscribers. The Radio FM acquisition allows us to acquire 4.6 million retained users at a customer acquisition cost (CAC) that is approximately 70% lower than the cost to acquire a free tier user through our direct marketing methods.”
The fourth of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. The survey covered January 4 – 31. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN adds 2.5 shares to finish with an 11.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) good for its fifth straight month ranked #1, while Good Karma Brands’ crosstown news/talk WTMJ does not appear in this survey. (TALKERS has reached out to GKB for clarification.) In Nashville, Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WWTN-FM rises 1.5 shares to finish with a 5.4 share that lifts it to the #6 rank, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WLAC adds nine-tenths for a 2.1 share finish good for the #18 rank. In Providence, Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM tacks on a full share to wrap the survey with a 6.9 share, lifting it to the #4 rank, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WHJJ-AM is up two-tenths for a 1.0 share finish and the #13 rank. 
Paul Anderson says, “We are beyond fortunate to have Scott as part of the Workhouse family. Scott is a smart, disruptive thinker whose background and entrepreneurial drive make him the perfect person to lead our new sports vertical.” Workhouse EVP John McConnell adds, “I’ve worked alongside and across the table from Scott for 30 years. He is a best-in-class executive and is perfectly positioned in this role.” McCarthy says, “I could not be more excited or honored to be joining the Workhouse Media team and getting the opportunity to work alongside Paul, John, and 
president and Sara Morris is elevated to vice president of government affairs. Pigue joins iHeartMedia following seven years advising U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) on technology, telecommunications, consumer protection, finance, banking, budget, tax, health care and judiciary policy issues. Gonzalez most recently served as deputy director of scheduling and assistant to the chief of staff for Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia). iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman states, “Our company is deeply appreciative of iHeartMedia’s Government Affairs team and their hard work on behalf of our company as well as on issues of critical importance to the broadcast radio industry. I congratulate Jessica and Sara on their promotions, and welcome David and Sophia to the iHeart team.”
building “Sports Rap Radio” to air on Audacy’s WXYT-AM, Detroit with a target launch of mid-May. In what will likely be a first in sports talk radio, the lineup of air talent will be all-Black. WXYT-AM currently airs Audacy’s BetQL Network programming. Parker is quoted by the Detroit News saying, “It will be young people getting opportunities and former athletes, from Detroit or with ties to Detroit.” The lineup will be local from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and will segue into FOX Sports Radio’s “The Odd Couple” featuring Parker and Chris Broussard at 7:00 pm. Parker plans to fill the overnight hours with podcasts featuring Black hosts. 
January 24, 2024, the Group reported beneficial ownership of approximately 10.01% of the company’s outstanding Class A shares and stated its intent to acquire 20% of Cumulus. The Group has investments in other media companies, including a sizeable holding in a direct competitor of Cumulus Media. According to Investopedia, a poison pill “is a defense strategy used by the directors of a public company to prevent activist investors, competitors, or other would-be acquirers from taking control of the company. Poison pills are executed by buying up large amounts of its stock. They effectively block the accumulation of a company’s outstanding shares. Companies promise to distribute additional free or heavily discounted shares to all existing shareholders, which dilutes the shares so outsiders can’t take over the company by purchasing a controlling amount of shares.” Cumulus board chairman Andrew Hobson says, “Given the facts, the Cumulus board firmly believes it is necessary to adopt a limited-duration rights plan to protect the interests of all Cumulus shareholders. The Rights Plan is intended to enable the company’s shareholders to realize the long-term value of their investment, ensure that all shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover of the company, and guard against tactics to gain control of the company without paying all shareholders an appropriate premium for that control. Cumulus Media’s leadership maintains open dialogue with its investors, including the Group, and intends to continue that practice.”
from West Virginia to Georgia. The programming includes “The John Fredericks Show,” “The War Room with Steve Bannon,” Newsmax’s “Rob Carson Show,” and more. Fredericks states, “This West Virginia opportunity is key to our growth plan, as it dovetails nicely with our Pittsburgh footprint and reaches a very pro-populist, pro-America First and pro-Trump area of America. We are excited about offering listeners in West Virginia a choice from the stale, woke, and warmed over pablum served up every day by the corporatists and conservative Inc. bunch that regurgitate the FOX and RNC talking points of the day. Our lame and boring news/talk competition falls into one of four categories: weather on the fives and traffic on the eights, stock prices trading below fifty cents, stock de-listed off the big board, or George Soros buying up bankruptcy debt with a controlling stake to eventually take over the company and its programming.”
competition last evening (2/22) at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, MA. The American Bar Association, Law Student Division holds a number of annual national moot court competitions. One such event, the National Appellate Advocacy Competition, emphasizes the development of oral advocacy skills through a realistic appellate advocacy experience with moot court competitors participating in a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court. This year’s legal question focused on the Communications Decency Act – “Section 230” – and the applications of the exception from liability of internet service providers for the acts of third parties to the realistic scenario of a journalist’s photo/turned meme being used in advertising (CBD, ED treatment, gambling) without permission or compensation in violation of applicable state right of publicity statutes. Harrison tells TALKERS, “We are at one of those sensitive times in history where technology is changing at a quicker pace than the legal system and legislators can keep up with – particularly at the consequential juncture of big tech and mass communications. I was impressed and heartened by the articulateness and grasp of the Section 230 issue displayed by the law students arguing before me.”