TALKERS magazine

Thursday, 28 August 2008

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Welcome to TALKERS magazine online

Welcome to the official online website of TALKERS magazine.

TALKERS magazine is the leading trade publication serving the talk media industries in America. The term "talk media" includes broadcast talk radio and television, cable news/talk television, as well as the new talk media delivered via the Internet, podcasting and satellite radio.

On this site you will find brief opening excerpts from the current stories in each monthly print edition of TALKERS magazine. Plus, you will find free online versions of some of the publication's most popular features including NewsNotes, the Week in Review, the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America (The Heavy Hundred), the Top Talk Radio Audiences, the Talk Radio Research Project™ and classified advertising. You will also find coverage of TALKERS magazine sponsored industry events such as the annual New Media Seminar and the publication's many seminars and radio rows.

Stay tuned to TALKERS.COM for ongoing updates and changes.

Talk Media News

Obama Campaign Protests WGN Program. The Barack Obama campaign urged supporters to lodge protests against WGN, Chicago and the “Extension 720” program hosted by Milt Rosenberg. The August 27 program featured conservative writer Stanley Kurtz speaking on Barack Obama’s ties to leftist radical Bill Ayres. WGN says it offered the Obama campaign to provide a representative but was refused.

KFYI Morning Host Angers Widow's Supporters. KFYI, Phoenix morning drive host Bruce Jacobs has ignited a firestorm in the market for his criticism of a police officer’s widow with whom he disagrees on immigration reform. Julie Erfle’s husband was killed in the line of duty by an illegal immigrant with a criminal history. Erfle has been publicly campaigning for immigration reform – what Jacobs terms “amnesty.” Jacobs maintains Erfle’s stance will open more officers up to dangerous situations. Regardless, a number of Phoenix officials are condemning Jacobs’ criticism of Erfle and at least one advertiser has suspended its campaign with the station.

WPRO/WEAN-FM, Providence's Ratings Controversy Solved. It turns out the "media-related" diaries that saw morning drive talk host John DePetro's show shoot through the roof in the 25-54 demo were the work of DePetro's wife. DePetro says he had no knowledge of his wife's actions and the station issues a statement saying it is "disappointed" by her actions. As you may recall, Arbitron released the revised numbers from the Spring Book Monday (8/11) and without those six diaries and DePetro's show went from #4 with persons 25-54 to #9. The effect on the station’s 12+ rating was not as dramatic. Instead of being #1, the station drops to a tie for second place with AC WWLI-FM with a 6.7 share. Before the revision WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM had a 7.2. Still, the 6.7 is a nice boost from its 5.9 share in the Winter Book.

Bob & Tom Get TV Show. Premiere Radio Networks nationally syndicated morning duo Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold are joining the Tribune family as a new daily television version of their radio show airs this fall on the newly re-positioned cable channel “WGN America” from 12:00 midnight to 1:00 am ET. The program is a best-of the radio show which often features the best comics in America and Bob & Tom’s own humor. Tom Griswold tells TALKERS magazine, “The WGN program provides a visual version of our brand of comedy and entertainment. We have a lot of fun doing the show and we know viewers will enjoy this unique peek behind our radio curtain.” Fox News Radio Plays Role in Company’s “Fox Experience” at Conventions. Dubbing it “The Fox Experience,” five Fox news platforms will come together to provide coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Denver and St. Paul, respectively. Fox News Radio will provide at least two hours of anchored coverage of the conventions each night during prime time with anchors Mike Majchrowitz and Jeff Birnbaum, in addition to other features. Fox News Channel, Fox Business News, Foxnews.com and Fox News Mobile are also providing comprehensive coverage of the conventions.
TRN and Ingraham Announce Contract Extension. Talk Radio Network and nationally syndicated talk star Laura Ingraham are announcing a multi-year extension of their contract. Her radio program is heard on more than 300 stations across the country with several more major stations to be announced soon. She also fills in for Bill O’Reilly on the Fox News Channel and has a regular feature, “The Ingraham Angle,” on “The O’Reilly Factor.” Laura Ingraham tells TALKERS magazine, “TRN, led by Mark Masters, has demonstrated a clear talent for fostering and growing innovative talk radio programming, and I look forward to continuing our successful collaboration. Americans want and deserve smart, funny and irreverent talk, and I intend to keep giving it to them.”
Maddow Gets TV Show. Liberal talk host Rachel Maddow is the new host of the 9:00 pm ET hour on MSNBC. Maddow, who is a regular radio talk host with Air America Radio and who has filled in for MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, will handle the hour immediately following Olbermann’s program.
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo Joins Sirius XM.   As had been rumored, Chris Russo joins Sirius XM less than a week after ending his longtime partnership with Mike Francesa at CBS Radio's WFAN, New York.  Russo enters into a five-year deal with the satcaster to create a sports talk channel on both Sirius and XM called Mad Dog Radio. Russo tells TALKERS magazine, “No other sports talk radio comes close to what I will be able to do with SIRIUS XM Radio. I get to create a whole channel of my kind of sports talk and am very excited to join SIRIUS XM which has the largest collection of sports properties in the history of radio, consisting of virtually every major sport including, MLB, NFL, NASCAR and the NHL. With football season about to kick off and all the pennant races heating up, I can't wait to get on the air and talk to the 18.5 million SIRIUS XM Radio subscribers around the country.”
More Cuts on Citadel’s Horizon. During his quarterly conference call on August 7, Citadel CEO Farid Suleman said with revenues down 9% from last year (network down 11% and stations down 8%) there are going to be more cuts. The company cut more than $20 million in expenses last quarter and hopes to realize another $15 million in savings by 2010 through additional cuts. Suleman noted that Paul Harvey’s absence for much of the year has hurt the bottom line but stated the 89-year-old legend is working his way back.

Appeals Court Backs Rhodes-Air America. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia agreed with a lower court ruling that former Air America talk host Randi Rhodes was within her First Amendment rights when she commented on defense contractor CACI and its connection with the Abu Ghraib scandal. In an on-air rant, Rhodes stated the CACI employees had raped and murdered detainees. The court found Rhodes did not act with wanton disregard for the truth even though her words may have been over the top.
Salem Goes Talk in NYC. As had been predicted since the station started stunting with Frank Sinatra on its 970 AM outlet on 8/4, Salem unveils WNYM “The Apple” on August 6 with a full slate of company programming. The recently upgraded 50k signal is the new home to Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager plus Take On The Day’s Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Westwood One’s Jim Bohannon and Wall Street Journal Radio Network’s Gordon Deal.
Scott Hennen’s WFZG Debuts. SMAHH Communications President/CEO Scott Hennen puts his brand-new 50k news talker WFZG – 1100 The Flag – on the air with Senator John McCain as the first guest on Hennen’s own mid-morning program.

FAIR Announces Immigration Talk Radio Rally. The Federation for American Immigration Reform is holding its annual “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” talk radio rally September 10 and 11 in Washington, DC. FAIR expects this to be the largest of these events with upwards of 50 to 75 talk radio hosts expected to broadcast from Washington. FAIR says the goal of the event is to “counteract the special interests attempting to set an amnesty agenda for the new Congress and the next president.” Dan Stein, president of FAIR Conggressional Task Force, tells TALKERS magazine, “Powerful special interests are now in full force pushing for amnesty and foreign guest workers with no regard to the plight of the American worker, wages or a deteriorating economy. The candidates aren’t talking about it. Radio talk hosts representing millions of listeners will, and their collective voice is a voice that roars.” Event manager Bob Dane can be reached at FAIR by calling 202-328-7004.