Tag: "Bob & Tom"
Monday, October 29, 2018
Galaxy Media Promotes Carrie Wojtaszek to COO. The chief operating officer position is a new one at Galaxy Media and the company promotes Carrie J. Wojtaszek, adding COO to her existing role as general manager of Galaxy events. Now, Wojtaszek will be responsible for the company’s 13 radio stations, digital division, and sports marketing organization. Galaxy president and CEO Ed Levine says, “It’s hard to quantify the impact that Carrie has had on Galaxy. Carrie and Pam Levine have built Galaxy Events from nothing to a nationally known brand. I’m excited to watch the impact that she will have in all of our divisions in the coming years.” Wojtaszek’s appointment comes as Galaxy has completed a near-$10 million refinancing of the company. Levine adds, “Our balance sheet has never been stronger and with the buying out of our former private equity partners, Galaxy is truly poised to become the pinnacle of a locally owned modern media company.”
ESPN Reports ‘Record-Setting’ Podcast Listening in September. Saying that downloads of its podcasts have risen 50% in a year and that its unique audience is up 36%, ESPN calls September a record-setting month for its podcasts. The company says, “ESPN podcasts set a record for any month in September with 39.3 million IAB compliant downloads, breaking the record of 36 million set in May of this year, as measured by RawVoice. ESPN podcasts tallied a total of 5.47 million US Unique Audience, as measured by Podtrac.” ESPN’s top podcast performers also include many ESPN radio and television shows. The Dan LeBatard show led the way with 8.2 million downloads, followed by “Fantasy Focus Football,” then “First Take” and “538: Politics” at 2.8 million, “Pardon the Interruption” with a new monthly record of 2.7 million, “Golic & Wingo” at 2.2 million, “Jalen & Jacoby” at 1.3 and the Stephen A. Smith show at 1.2 million.
iHeartRadio Now Heard South of the Border. Through a deal with Mexican broadcaster Grupo ACIR, iHeartMedia is now making the iHeartRadio platform
available throughout Mexico. iHeartRadio Mexico is available now in beta with the official launch November 3 at the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina. iHeartRadio Mexico will include all 56 Grupo ACIR and 850 iHeartMedia live broadcast radio stations from across Mexico and the U.S., iHeartRadio’s digital only programming and Grupo ACIR’s own offer of digital-only stations featuring the most popular genres in Mexico.
An Interview with George Noory. Nationally syndicated late-night talk show host George Noory is the subject of an interview with public relations executive Ryan McCormick, who also hosts his own radio program titled, “The Outer Limits of Inner Truth.” In this interview McCormick and Noory talk about Noory’s succeeding Art Bell, the phenomenal success of “Coast to Coast AM,” and more. Read it here.
TALKERS News Notes. On Election Day – Tuesday, November 6 – FOX News Radio is presenting special election night coverage for affiliates beginning at 6:00 pm ET anchored by Jared Halpern, along with analysis and the latest on key races. Guy Benson and Marie Harf – co-hosts of “Benson & Harf” (6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET) – are hosting a three-hour, live midterm election special in addition to participating in FOX News Channel’s “AEHQ: 2018 Midterms.” Additionally, FOX News Headlines 24/7 will provide updates every 15 minutes on SiriusXM with correspondents reporting live from around the country.….The murder trial of Steven Avery in Wisconsin in 2007 was the subject of the popular podcast “Rebutting a Murderer.” Now, iHeartRadio announces that part two of that investigative crime podcast “Rebutting a Murderer” premiered on Friday with new episodes. The podcast is hosted by reporter Dan O’Donnell, who covered the trial, and continues to explore the controversial case that was chronicled in a Netflix show that gained a massive cult following…..Entercom’s Philadelphia radio stations – including sports talk WIP-FM, news/talk WPHT, and all-news KYW – have partnered with the Travis Manion Foundation’s Operation Legacy Service Project in Abington, Pennsylvania to renovate the home of Iraqi War veteran Matthew Renner. Entercom Philadelphia SVP and market manager David Yadgaroff says, “As a partner with the Travis Manion Foundation since 2011, Entercom is proud to support and empower veterans to get back on their feet and achieve their goals. Supporting Iraqi War veteran Matthew Renner and the Operation Legacy Service Project is something we are honored to be a part of.”…..Pictured below is Tom Griswold of the syndicated “Bob & Tom Show” made up for his role as the Haunted Sportscaster at The Children’s Museum Guild’s 55th Annual Haunted House in Indianapolis. As a celebrity haunter, Griswold will greet about 60,000 haunted house visitors to help raise funds for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Last year, The Children’s Museum Guild raised $722,000 through its haunted house, which has been an Indianapolis tradition since 1964 and has raised a total of $12.7 million over the years.
The Production and Distribution of Food in the 21st Century Is Topic of Harrison Podcast. One of the nation’s leading experts on the production and distribution of food in the 21st century, Michael Olson, is a guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” In addition to his current position as GM of news/talk outlets KSCO and KOMY in Santa Cruz, California, Olson is the host/producer of a long-running, nationally syndicated talk radio show titled, “Food Chain Radio.” He’s written feature stories about the subject in the San Francisco Chronicle and San
Francisco Examiner, participated in producing network television documentaries for NBC Magazine with David Brinkley, authored several award-winning books, including MetroFarm and Tales From A Tin Can. He has spoken and consulted about food domestically and internationally. Olson joins Harrison in an informative discussion about the growing food crisis. Our food is increasingly being produced on farms and in factories, far from our home communities and the transportation infrastructure by which we receive it is indeed fragile. We don’t know what’s in the food in terms of chemicals, pesticides, preservatives, and other toxic substances. Then again, many of us do know the scary truth and often feel powerless to do anything about it. Then, there’s the GMO issue which most of us don’t fully comprehend. Are we being poisoned by a short sighted, greedy system? Are we poisoning ourselves through ignorance and distraction? To listen to this timely podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column of the TALKERS newsletter and on every page of Talkers.com.
Pittsburgh Synagogue Slayings, Democrat-Targeted Mail Bombs, Midterm Elections, Migrant Caravan, Hillary in 2020?, NFL Action, and World Series Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The deadly assault on a Pittsburgh synagogue that took the lives of 11; the case of mail bomber Cesar Sayoc; the November midterm elections and the battle for control of the House and Senate; the migrant caravan making its way through Mexico to the U.S. border; speculation about whether Hillary Clinton will run for president in 2020; the weekend’s NFL action; and the Boston Red Sox triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World series were some of the stories discussed on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Rochester, Entercom promotes Chris Debbins to assistant program director at CHR WPXY. He will continue his current roles as music director and afternoon drive personality. Speaking about his new role, Debbins says,“I am honored to be able to grow my career with this new role
at ‘98 PXY.’ I look forward to working closely with program director Mike Danger as we continue presenting our listeners with fresh top 40 programming each and every day.” Debbins joined ‘98 PXY’ in April 2014 as producer for the station’s morning show…..At Southern California hip hop duo KDAY/KDEY, Paulina is named host of the 10:00 am to 3:00 pm program. She began with Meruelo Media working on the “Power 106/KDAY” street team. Meruelo vice president of programming Jimmy Steal says, “Paulina has been filling in middays and has done an awesome job both on air and on site. She will be a great asset to both KDAY sales and programming. This is another great example of great in-house talent at Meruelo Media being promoted from within. Paulina has worked hard on her skillset, focused on building her equity, and moved up within our KDAY/Power 106 ecosystem.”…..At Alpha Media’s WHBC-FM, Canton, Ohio, Gabe Carrillo is named program director and afternoon drive host, effective November 1. Carrillo comes to WHBC from his most recent position with Saga Communications CHR WNRG, Milwaukee “Energy 106.9.” Carrillo says, “I’m very excited to be joining a true hall of fame station like ‘Mix 94.1.’ The dream of any broadcaster is to work with a station that is a cornerstone in its community and I’m beyond thankful to Alpha Media, Bo Matthews, Larry Gawthrop, and Phil Becker for giving me the opportunity to join this great team.”
Friday, September 28, 2018
Talk Personalities, News/Talk Stations Finish Strong in 2018 Marconi Awards. At the 2018 RAB/NAB Radio Show last night, the winners of the 2018 Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters were announced and talk radio personalities took home four of the five Personality of the Year honors. Premiere Networks’ Dan Patrick was honored with Network/Syndicated
Personality of the Year; WDBO-FM, Orlando morning host Joe Kelley was named Large Market Personality of the Year; KSRO-AM, Santa Rosa morning host Pat Kerrigan received the Medium Market Personality of the Year award; and WSOY-AM, Decatur, Illinois
morning host Brian Byers was honored with the Small Market Personality of the Year award. Meanwhile, Hubbard Radio’s WTOP, Washington was named News/Talk Station of the Year; Cox Media
Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta took home the Major Market Station of the Year; Cox’s news/talk WDBO-FM, Orlando won Large Market Station of the Year; and Amaturo Sonoma Media Group’s KSRO-AM, Santa Rosa was Medium Market Station of the Year. Entercom’s WEEI-FM, Boston was the Sports Station of the Year. See all the winners here.
Alleged Co-Conspirator Fingers Carton in Plea Deal. According to the New York Post’s report, Michael Wright – the man alleged to be former WFAN morning host Craig Carton’s co-conspirator in the alleged concert ticket racket – told a federal judge that Carton directed him to use funds from investors to pay off Carton’s personal expenses, including gambling debts. Wright has struck a plea deal with prosecutors to testify against Carton at his October 29 fraud trial that alleges Carton and his accomplices used $4.6 million from investors to repay other investors and to pay off debts. The story says Wright is likely to get a 21- to 27-month sentence instead of the 20 years a conviction could carry. Carton has maintained his innocence all along and says he expects to show that at his coming trial.
Adams Radio Group Goes with TTWN for ‘24/7 News Source.’ The deal between Total Traffic and Weather Network and Adams Radio Group calls for the former to provide its “24/7 News Source” wire service to Adams’ 24 stations operating in five markets. The service includes news, sports, show-prep, and audio content. Adams Radio Group president and CEO Ron Stone comments, “Adams Radio Group is live, local, and focused on super-serving our listeners. TTWN continues to innovate all aspects of its media content solutions. We’re thrilled to leverage our new partnership with ‘24/7 News Source’ to enhance our on-air and online products.”
Seen & Heard at the Radio Show: Day 3. TALKERS magazine special features correspondent Jeff McKay is in Orlando reporting from the 2018 RAB/NAB Radio Show at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. In today’s report, McKay reveals the hot topics he’s hearing discussed in the hallways of this year’s conference. He also shares some thoughts from NAB EVP of communications Dennis Wharton on what he sees for radio over the six to 12 months. Read his report here.
TALKERS News Notes. As part of the contract extension with award-winning journalist Don Van Natta Jr., ESPN will expand his role across its platforms, including as host of two new series slated to debut in 2019. Van Natta will increase his contributions to ESPN’s investigative news show “Outside the Lines,” and he’s developing an interview podcast called, “The Triangle.” Working with executive producer John Dahl, Van Natta will lead a “three-way discussion featuring provocative pairings that explore topics and shared histories with a level of depth, storytelling and, at times, conflict likely to test the comfort zones of all involved.”…..Cumulus Media’s sports talk KTCK-AM/FM, Dallas “The Ticket” extends its deal with the NHL’s Dallas Stars to continue serving as the club’s exclusive radio broadcast home. Cumulus Houston regional vice president Dan Bennett says, “We are entering our 10th season as the flagship station of Dallas Stars hockey and we are proud to extend our relationship with the Stars for another five years. Thank you to team CEO Jim Lites for his continued faith in the Ticket to represent his great brand.”…..Pictured below is the cast of the nationally syndicated “Bob & Tom Show” performing live in North Foyer of the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek at the 2018 Radio Show. Host Tom Griswold and the cast, including Chick McGee, Josh Arnold, Kristi Lee, Donnie Baker, Allee Breen, Al Jackson, Grace Yinger and Jessica Alsman, broadcast live Wednesday through Friday morning.
WOR Morning Co-Host and New York Post Broadway Theater Critic Michael Riedel Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Legendary New York Post Broadway theater critic, Michael Riedel is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Six months ago, Riedel was named as co-host with sports media veteran Len Berman of the WOR, New York morning show. Together, these two well-known NYC media figures collegially discuss and dissect the hot issues of the day and interview newsmakers from a friendly left-right
perspective (Riedel describes himself as an “Eisenhower Republican with a libertarian position on social issues”). Harrison and Riedel talk about the process of doing news/talk radio in the Trump era and then take a deep dive into the world of Broadway, newspapers, and theater criticism. Harrison states, “Michael Riedel is a fabulous conversationalist and a walking-talking history book of the fascinating universe that is Broadway and its role in almost 100 years of American popular culture. This installment of the podcast is one of my personal favorites because it takes an intelligent and revealing look at the confluence of two of my biggest passions – radio and the theater.” To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Talking Content at the Alpha Media Programming PopUp. — Pictured above are Alpha Media programming execs doing a panel discussion at the company’s “Programming PopUp” — a two-day get-together held Wednesday and Thursday at HQ in Portland for some 50 Alpha programmers. From left to right are: national director of digital content Ernie Martinez, vice president of content Phil Becker, and executive vice president of content Scott Mahalick
Kavanuagh-Ford Hearing Top News/Talk Story for Week of September 24-28. Thursday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee of testimony from accuser Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the investigation into possible connections between Trump campaign operatives and Russian agents. Coming in at #3 was President Trump’s addresses at the United Nations, followed by the president’s accusation that China is trying to interfere in the U.S. elections at #4. The Talkers TenTM 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. See this week’s entire chart here.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Philadelphia, Entercom names radio sales pro Blaise Howard general sales manager for its recent acquisition, hot AC WBEB “101.1 More FM,” effective October 1. In a press announcement, Entercom notes that Howard led WBEB for 18 years as vice president and general manager under previous management in which he “created a culture of high performing professionals and consistently maintained the status as one of the top rated and top revenue producing stations in the Philadelphia market.” Howard says, “I can’t wait to start this new chapter with Entercom and be a part of the team led by Dave Scopinich and David Yadgaroff. I am excited to take a step forward with a company so positive about our industry, and so committed to the growth of radio.”…..iHeartMedia’s Seattle hip hop outlet KUBE
launches the new morning program “The Wake Up Show,” effective October 1. The new show will be hosted by Strawberry, Lizette Love, Jenna and DJ Supa Sam. Station program director Mark Adams says, “In the few months since the re-launch, Seattle listeners have responded passionately to the return of KUBE and we’re creating noise on-air, online, and on the streets. With the addition of these personalities to anchor our mornings, I’m confident ‘The Wake Up Show’ is going to shake things up.”…..Longtime St. Louis on-air personality DC is moving south to Gulf South-owned CHR WKMX, Dothan, Alabama to serve as afternoon host and brand manager. DC, a.k.a. Christian Chymes, spent 20-plus years as one half of the “Steve & DC” team with Steve Shannon. DC comments, “My career began in Alabama and I am so excited to be back. I’m honored to lead the staff at such a legendary station in the market. I was sold after meeting [station manager] Bryan Holladay and his team, as well as getting a little taste of the winning atmosphere in the building. And great BBQ is crucial for a good quality of life!”
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
KOGO, San Diego Adds Higgins to Evening Lineup. San Diego news/talker KOGO adjusts its evening lineup by announcing that the station’s Marilyn Hyder and Jack Cronin are now co-hosting “San Diego’s Evening News” weeknights from 6:00 to 7:00 and that it is welcoming local personality Ben Higgins back as host of “KOGO at Night,” from 7:00 to 9:00. Higgins has served with the iHeartMedia station as a talk
host, and anchor on the “San Diego’s Morning News” program. He is also sports director at Scripps TV’s KGTV-TV “ABC 10News,” a position he’ll continue to hold. Higgins comments, “I’m thrilled to return to my KOGO roots and work alongside San Diego’s top talk radio professionals. It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to carry on a nightly conversation about the things that make us laugh, shake our heads or make us want to scream.” Program director Brian Long adds, “I’m excited about Marilyn and Jack co-hosting ‘San Diego’s Evening News’ and Ben’s return to the station. Ben is a smart and versatile talent who brings a lot of experience and a strong sense of community and with these two shows, KOGO will deliver a top-notch evening line-up for San Diego listeners.”
Nielsen: 18+ Consumption of News Spikes in 2016. Election years are traditionally good to producers of news content, and 2016 measured up very well, according to data from Nielsen‘s Total Audience Report. This latest piece of data does not compare the election cycle of 2012 to 2016, but instead compares 2015 to 2016. Still, the increase in minutes of news (by persons 18+) consumed jumped 18% year-over-year. Nielsen reports that last year, adults 18+ spent more than 72.5 billion minutes consuming news in the average week, with most of the increase coming from national cable news networks. For this report, Nielsen is using its panel methodology for national TV, local TV in LPM markets, radio in PPM markets, and digital. Measured in billions of minutes, consumption of radio news in PPM markets increased by 0.9, while consumption of news via smartphones was up just 0.5. As mentioned earlier, national cable news TV consumption spiked by 8.3 billion minutes from 2015 to 2016. See the Nielsen report here.
CBS Sports Radio Adds Reiter for Nights. Starting April 17, Bill Reiter begins hosting his “Reiter Than You” sports talk show on CBS Sports Radio from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET. CBS Sports Radio says the show will “feature Reiter’s refreshing style of spirited and insightful commentary and analysis coupled with special guests, including players, coaches and sports experts.” Director of programming Eric Spitz states, “The talented Bill Reiter will bring a fresh new voice and an energizing perspective to CBS Sports Radio’s already stellar lineup featuring the best sports talk shows and personalities around. His candid commentary and keen analysis will be a welcome addition to the network.” The addition of Reiter’s show comes after moves to new dayparts for “Tiki and Tierney” and “The DA Show.”
Freeman Named LSM at Cox Media Group Jacksonville. Taking on the role of local sales manager at Cox Media Group’s Jacksonville radio cluster is Jacque’ Freeman. She comes to CMG Jacksonville from her most recent position as sales manager for Beasley Broadcast Group in Charlotte. In this role, she’ll be responsible for all local sales for the cluster of stations, digital products and events. She also will focus on new business and growing account managers. In Jacksonville, CMG operates news/talk WOKV “News 104.5,” adult contemporary WEZI “Easy 106.5,” CHR WAPE, classic hits WJGL “Eagle 96.9,” hip hop “Power 106.1” (W291CI), alternative WXXJ “X1029,” and urban contemporary “HOT 99.5” (W258CN). CMG Jacksonville director of sales Bob DeBlois comments, “We are so excited to have Jacque join our team. Her experience, creativity and ‘can do’ attitude is a huge win for our team and for North Florida businesses.”
Bob Kevoian ‘Unretires’ for Open Day Remote Bob & Tom Broadcast. Pictured above on stage at the JACK Casino in downtown Cincinnati are (from l-r): Tom Griswold, legendary Cincinnati Reds radio voice Marty Brennaman, and Bob Kevoian during yesterday’s special remote broadcast of the Bob & Tom show from Reds Opening Day hosted by longtime affiliate WOFX. Kevoian retired from the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom show at the end of 2015. He joined Monday’s broadcast as a special “guest host.”
Susan Rice-Trump Surveillance Connection, Gorsuch Filibuster, Russian Terror Attack, FOX News-O’Reilly Scandal, Revived GOP Health Care Bill, and Monday Night’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (4/3). Questions about Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice’s role in unmasking Donald Trump campaign associates in surveillance of Russian operatives; whether or not Senate Democrats will filibuster the vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch; the deadly train bombing in Moscow; a former FOX News contributor asks for an investigation into the news operation’s sexual harassment history after reports of payoffs to Bill O’Reilly accusers surfaces; Vice President Mike Pence’s shopping around a revised health care bill to influential Republicans; and the build-up to Monday night’s NCAA Championship between North Carolina and Gonzaga were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Michael Harrison Candidly Comments on Radio’s Economic Issues on Providence Media Station. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison joined “GoLocal LIVE” (4/3), a daily video feature of Providence, RI’s hyper-local media station, GoLocalProv.com, and discussed, via Skype, the near bankruptcy of two of the largest radio groups in America, the state of talk radio in Providence, and the future of media. Harrison (pictured on screen alongside host and GoLocalProv.com founder Josh Fenton) says that the merger of CBS RADIO and Entercom may change the sports radio scene in Boston as the combined company owns the two leading franchises — WEEI and WBZ-FM “98.5 the Sports Hub.” He also discusses the future of WPRO-AM post Buddy Cianci and the departure of John DePetro. Cianci died in February of 2016 and DePetro left the station late in the year. To watch a segment of the discussion, please click here.
TALKERS News Notes. In Washington, DC, regional vice president of operations David Ruleman announces he’s retiring from Salem Media Group at the end of June. Ruleman moved from the company’s San Diego offices in 1992 when Salem acquired WAVA-FM and turned it into a Christian teaching talk-formatted station. WAVA-FM station manager Tom Moyer is assuming the station’s general manager role from Ruleman…..iHeartMedia names Rahul Sabnis to the newly created position executive creative director for iHeartRadio. In this role, the company says he’ll “guide the development of breakthrough content that delivers value for advertisers and brands, and will help iHeartMedia and its clients prove what’s possible across all of the iHeartMedia platforms: Broadcast radio, digital, mobile, video, social and events.” Sabnis comes to iHeartMedia from MullenLowe Profero, where he was the executive creative director and head of creative. He’ll report to iHeartRadio president Darren Davis.
Opening Day at Citi Field. The New York Mets opened the 2017 MLB season at Citi Field and flagship WOR, New York talk talent were on hand for the broadcast. Pictured here are (from l-r): Mets play-by-play voice Howie Rose, WOR morning drive co-hosts Todd Schnitt and Len Berman, Mets color man Josh Lewin, and Mets pre- and post-game host Wayne Randazzo.
Account Executive Gig Open at Entercom Charlotte. The Charlotte station group of Entercom is seeking an account executive for the soon-to-be trio of news/talk WBT-AM/FM, sports talk WFNC, and hot AC WLNK. For information about the position and to apply, click here.
Casey Carter to Program Country WTQR, Greensboro. Country radio pro Casey Carter joins iHeartMedia Greensboro to serve as program director for WTQR “Q104.1.” In this new role, Carter will work closely with on-air personalities and sales to oversee on-air,
digital and music programming, as well as booking artist appearances and interviews for the radio station brand and their local events. Carter was most recently midday personality and APD with the company’s WKKT, Charlotte “96.9 The Kat.” iHeartMedia Virginia-Carolina region SVP of programming Rich McMillan states, “We are very fortunate to announce Casey Carter as the new program director at ‘Q104.1.’ She is an impressive radio talent and successful programmer who brings tons of enthusiasm and excitement to our building. I’m anxious to hand her the keys to the station and to introduce her to Lexington BBQ!”
More Music Radio News and Career Moves. On-air pro Joe Krauss is named the new morning personality at Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s adult contemporary WLDB, Milwaukee “B93.3.” Krauss was most recently on CBS RADIO’s WQAL, Cleveland “Q104” in middays as Average Joe…..Air personality Tara McClure returns to the station where she got her start as an intern when she becomes part of the morning show on Scripps’ CHR KHTT, Tulsa “106.9 K-HITS.” She’ll work alongside morning host Jacob “Chubbs” Day…..Taylor Morgan returns to the airwaves on Beasley Media Group’s rhythmic oldies WUKS, Fayetteville, North Carolina “Old School 107.7 Jamz.” Morgan has been serving as off-air program director for the station for the past four years. She says, “I am honored to be back in the booth! I have enjoyed working both on-air and as program director at Beasley. But, to do both is the best!”…..CBS RADIO Las Vegas announces its “SPF” (“SUN.POOL.FUN.”) national concert returns to the city Saturday, May 20 at Boulevard Pool inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas featuring performances by DNCE, Hailee Steinfeld, Jason Derulo, Niall Horan and Post Malone…..Beasley Media Group’s classic rock WCSX, Detroit says it is continuing its 30-year anniversary celebration by giving local fans a concert performance by Detroit’s own The Romantics at the 2nd Annual WCSX Summer BBQ event on Saturday, June 10. VIP tickets are available for $30 but general admission is free…..iHeartMedia rock KEGL, Dallas “97.1 The Eagle” announces the return of BFD 2017 at Starplex Pavilion on May 28 featuring: Stone Sour, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, Skillet, The Pretty Reckless, Fozzy and Dorothy. iHeartMedia regional SVP of programming Patrick Davis says, “BFD has quickly become a summer
concert staple. We are very proud of our lineup this year and excited for our listeners to once again celebrate the season with us and their favorite artists.”…..iHeartMedia launches a new country outlet on translator W227CX in the West Palm Beach market branded “WAVE 93.3.” The station is airing the Premiere Networks syndicated Bobby Bones show, air personality Eric Hunter and others.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Rush Limbaugh and Premiere Networks Reach Agreement on Extension. There was little doubt from most industry observers that talk radio superstar Rush Limbaugh and iHeartMedia’s Premiere Networks would come to terms on an agreement to continue syndicating Limbaugh’s show. Not surprisingly, today’s announcement from Premiere did not mention the terms of this new deal, but simply called it a “long-term, multi-platform agreement.” Eight years ago, Limbaugh and Premiere announced a partnership agreement that was widely reported to have been worth $400 million. The conventional wisdom is that changes in the radio industry and the backlash from the infamous “Sandra Fluke incident” have negatively affected Limbaugh’s ability to earn the type of ad dollars that would justify that kind of money this time around. At the top of today’s program, however, Limbaugh told his listeners that the deal is for four years and he gets no regular salary but, presumably, a percentage of sales. He said, “I have to make my numbers.” In the press release, Premiere stated, “Ad revenue for ‘The Rush Limbaugh Show’ has also increased by 20% over last year, and the show continues to be the number one program in talk radio.” Limbaugh celebrated his 28th anniversary in national syndication on Monday. He said in the prepared statement, “After 28 fulfilling years, I seriously considered moving on to something else, but Rich [Bressler] and Bob [Pittman] were very persuasive. I’m thrilled to be continuing. And I really want to be on the air if the Russians find Hillary’s emails.”
Former Mercury Radio Arts and TheBlaze Chief Sued by Glenn Beck. In a case filed in District Court of Dallas County, Texas on Friday (7/29), Glenn Beck is suing his former executive, Christopher Balfe, alleging among other things: Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Faithless Servant, Fraud, Breach of Contract, and more. The suit does not specify how much money Mercury Radio Arts is seeking from Balfe, but states it’s asking for actual, consequential and punitive damages; forfeiture of everything Balfe earned from Mercury since he first breached his duties, and more. The lawsuit alleges that Balfe earned more than $13 million between 2009 and 2014 and calls it “a shockingly excessive amount
that far exceeds appropriate compensation for companies of Mercury and TheBlaze’s size and financial performance.” It also alleges that Balfe signed a lease for New York office space – the entire 12th floor of Five Bryant Park – for $2 million per year for 10 years that was “motivated by his own self-interest.” The suit calls the $20 million liability an example of Balfe ignoring his duty to Mercury. Beck comments on the case on TheBlaze’s
website, saying, “You have all heard me over the last couple of years describing how hard a time it has been. Between being sick, turning over my company, etc…It culminates in a lawsuit that we filed Friday in Dallas between MRA and the former president. I am embarrassed and saddened it has come to this.” It’s difficult to read the suit and not come to the conclusion that Beck hired a man whom he considered a friend who was simply not qualified to serve in the positions in which he did. Scribd has the complaint and you can read it here.
‘Bob & Tom Show’ Rounds Out Cast with Josh Arnold. The nationally syndicated “Bob & Tom Show” adds comic Josh Arnold to the cast. The Westwood One program features show co-founder Tom Griswold, Chick McGee, Kristi Lee, and now St. Louis native Arnold. The press release from Westwood One says Arnold “has established himself as one of the top nationally touring feature comedians in the country. Arnold’s comedy has been heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and he’s provided material for Comedy Central’s ‘@Midnight’ and ‘The Burn.’” Griswold says, “We are thrilled to have Josh join us each day…he is one of the funniest, most twisted people I know.”
Cumulus’ Gary Pizzati Announces His Retirement. Longtime Cumulus Media senior vice president Gary Pizzati is retiring from the company and from radio broadcasting at the end of August. Pizzati started his career as an air talent and programmer and then moved into sales and management. He joined Cumulus in 1998 to manage the Augusta, Georgia cluster. Pizzati says, “The past 30 years in radio and 18 with Cumulus have been extremely rewarding. I truly love radio and all the amazing people who power this exciting industry. It’s been a part of my life since my teens and has been a remarkable journey that started from my days on air.” Pizzati rose to SVP in 2005 with responsibility for 27 markets, including two of the company’s largest. Cumulus especially commends him for “turning around several major markets and recruiting some of the best talent into the company.” President and CEO Mary Berner adds, “Known as a strong leader, teacher, and consummate radio guy, Gary’s contributions to Cumulus cannot be overstated. He will be greatly missed by his Cumulus colleagues.”
The Farmer That Roared: Doug Stephan is This Week’s Guest on ‘Up Close and Far Out.’ Radio talk show host Doug Stephan, whose daily generalist news/talk morning show is the third longest-running weekday syndicated program in the industry having launched in 1988 (behind Rush Limbaugh by a few months and “America in the Morning” by four years), is the guest on this week’s installment of the PodcastOne hit series “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.” Stephan discusses his dual career (and arduous schedule) as both a broadcaster and a dairy farmer. In his role as host of the rapidly
growing weekend specialty show, “American Family Farmer” (almost 100 affiliates in less than a year), Stephan has stepped up to the plate as a powerful advocate of the beleaguered people who own and operate small farms in the US, that are slowly but systematically being put out of business by the combined interests of big business (“factory farms”) and big government. He and Harrison also talk about the growing “locavore” movement that ties into this issue. (A locavore is a person whose diet consists primarily of locally produced and sold food.) To listen to this fascinating podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located in the right-hand column of every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.
Nielsen Audio Releases First Round of July 2016 PPM Data. The first of four rounds of July 2016 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). The June 2016 survey period covered June 16 through July 13. You can find the complete 6+ ratings numbers from subscribing stations here. Additionally, TALKERS/RadioInfo managing editor Mike Kinosian provides his “Twelve Takeaways” from this group on the main page of our sister publication here.
The Presidential Race/Khan Family Controversy, FBI Staffer Guilty of Selling Secrets to China, South China Sea Dispute, Black Lives Matter Movement, Miami Zika Outbreak, Rio Olympics Troubles, and MLB Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/1). The activities of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, including the public conflict with the Khan family; former FBI employee Joey Chun pleads guilty to being an agent of the Chinese government; the dispute over China’s claim to territory in the South China Sea; the state of the Black Lives Matter movement; the CDC’s warning about a Zika virus outbreak in an area near Miami; reports of poor conditions and lack of preparedness at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics; and Major League Baseball action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Talk Rumble Video Posted from TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations. One of the highlights of the recent TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations convention – “The Talk Rumble” – is posted today (8/2) on Talkers.com. The panel discussion was part of the 19th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national convention that took place May 20 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. Moderated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison and co-moderated by CBS News VP Harvey Nagler, participants include (in alphabetical order): Howie Carr, host, Howie Carr Radio Network; Brian Kilmeade, host Fox News Radio/Fox News Channel; Sid Rosenberg, host, WABC, New York; Dr. Daliah Wachs, host Genesis Communications Network; Lisa Wexler, host, WGCH, Greenwich, CT: Larry Young, host, WOLB, Baltimore; and John Ziegler, host Envision Networks. To view the Talk Rumble in its entirety, please click here. Stay tuned to Talkers.com for more videos from TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations that will be posted in the days and weeks to come.
Odds & Sods. WAXY, Miami “790 The Ticket” extends its partnership with the NBA’s Miami Heat to continue broadcasting play-by-play through 2021. The Entercom sports talk station says Mike Inglis and John Crotty will continue to call the games. Tommy Tighe will provide the pre-game, halftime and post-game reporting and Jonathan Zaslow, host of the station’s morning show, will continue as host of the pre- and post-game shows…..FOX Sports Radio personality Ben Maller will join the minor league baseball Bakersfield Blaze for a night of festivities on August 13 as the team takes on the Lake Elsinore Storm. Maller says, “Having been a Dodgers fan my entire life, Bakersfield baseball is near and dear to my heart. My firecracker staff is thrilled to be joining me for this occasion and I’m sure Sam Lynn Ballpark will welcome us with open arms.”
Friday, July 8, 2016
Craig Stevens Upped to Format Captain for Spoken Word at iHM Allentown-Harrisburg. Big changes at the Allentown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania operations of iHeartMedia as SVP of programming Craig Stevens is also named format captain for the company’s spoken word stations in seven markets. At the same time, the company promotes Jimmy Steele to program director for adult hits WRFY “Y102” and
“Rumba 92.3 FM,” stations Stevens was programming. Additionally, Steele becomes part of the “Y102” morning show alongside Andi Kurzweg. Stevens assumes responsibility for the programming and day-to-day operations of: WAEB-AM, Allentown; WHP-AM, Harrisburg; WILM-AM, Wilmington, Delaware; WDOV, Dover, Delaware; WRAK, Williamsport, PA; WTKT, Harrisburg; WSAN, Allentown; WWTX, Wilmington, WTGM, Salisbury, Maryland and WJDY, Salisbury. iHM regional SVP of programming Jeff Hurley states, “Craig has been an exceptional member of the iHeartMedia team for 23 years. He’s one of our most talented and driven programmers and I’m excited for the energy he’ll bring to all the spoken-word brands within our region.”
The Hillary Clinton Email Case Tops Talkers TenTM for Week of July 4-8. The FBI’s decision not to charge Hillary Clinton for using a private email server for State Department business was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week. Coming in at #2 was the presidential race. Following at #3 was the sniper slayings of five Dallas police officers on Thursday and, at #4 was the Baton Rouge and Minneapolis shooting deaths of black men by police officers. The Talkers TenTM is a 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.
CBS Radio News Devotes ‘Weekend Roundup’ to Dallas, Baton Rouge and Minneapolis Police Shootings. This weekend’s edition of the CBS Radio News program “Weekend Roundup” will be a special program reporting on the Dallas police slayings and the deaths of black men at the hands of police in Baton Rouge and Minnesota. The 48-minute program available to CBS Radio News affiliates is titled, “CBS WEEKEND ROUNDUP SPECIAL EDITION: Ambush in Dallas: Race, Guns, Police and Protests.”
Nielsen Audio Releases Third Round of June 2016 PPM Data. The third of four rounds of June 2016 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Portland, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Orlando, and Columbus. The June 2016 survey period covered May 19 to June 15. You can find the complete 6+ ratings numbers from subscribing stations here. Additionally, TALKERS/RadioInfo managing editor Mike Kinosian provides his “Twelve Takeaways” from this group on the main page of our sister publication here.
Chicago-Based Talk Host Joe Walsh Criticized for Post-Dallas Tweet Warning President Obama, ‘Real America Is Coming After You.’ WIND, Chicago-based talk show host and former U.S. Rep. from Illinois Joe Walsh, is causing a stir in the Twitterverse after posting remarks some deemed threatening to President Obama. The tweet, since deleted, was posted by Walsh after news of the Dallas police slayings broke. It read, “3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.” Walsh deleted the tweet and then posted the following, “I wasn’t calling for violence, against Obama or anyone. Obama’s words & BLM’s deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.” Walsh’s program is also heard on WVNJ, Oakland, New Jersey.
Kristi Lee Returns to ‘The Bob & Tom Show.’ In a statement from syndicator Westwood One, there’s no mention of why the longtime “Bob & Tom Show” cast member parted company with the program back in January, nor what events brought about her return to the show, but return she shall. Effective July 11, Kristi Lee joins Tom Griswold and cast members Chick McGee, Donnie Baker, Scott Polanski, and “an ensemble of comedy hosts and guests as the show continues to entertain morning audiences across the country and worldwide on the American Forces Radio Network.”
Odds & Sods. It’s been seven years since Kennesaw State University transitioned from Division II to Division I NCAA athletics, now Dickey Broadcasting Company’s Atlanta sports talker WFOM-AM, Marietta, Georgia “ESPN Radio 1230 The Fan 2” signs a multi-year deal with the school to broadcast Kennesaw State football beginning with this season. WFOM president David Dickey says, “We are excited to expand Dickey Broadcasting Company’s unprecedented college football coverage through our exciting partnership with KSU. Vaughn Williams and his team have done an incredible job of launching KSU football and we look forward to helping them create and distribute market-exclusive content, for all KSU students, fans and sponsors to enjoy.”…..In New England, Dartmouth College, through Learfield’s Big Green Sports Properties, signs a new three-year contract with Great Eastern Radio for WSTV, Claremont, New Hampshire and translator W233CC, Lebanon at 94.5 FM to serve as the flagship for live play-by-play of the Ivy League school’s football and men’s and women’s hockey. Both men’s and women’s basketball will air on classic hits WWOD, Woodstock, Vermont “Kool 93.9.” Great Eastern OM Matt Houseman states, “We are thrilled to be the new home of Dartmouth sports. This new partnership allows us to showcase the premier Division I athletics we have in our area like never before. It’s great local content and we look forward to providing Dartmouth sports to listeners in the Upper Valley and beyond.”
Friday, October 17, 2014
Boyce: Talk Radio Is NOT Dying. In a new opinion piece posted today in TALKERS, Salem Communications VP/director, spoken word format and operations VP, New York region, Phil Boyce, answers the steady stream of critics who claim that news/talk radio is gasping its last gulp of air. He writes, “They seem to come out of the woodwork these days. Most of them never understood talk radio, and why it got so big. Some of them have their own personal dislikes about the format, and now that there are rumors of our death, they relish in it. I have seen more reasons for this than I can shake a stick at, and NONE of it makes sense to me.” Boyce takes issue with the findings of the recently released report from Bridge Research (originally exclusively published in TALKERS on10/15) stating that listeners are fatigued by the repetitive nature of today’s media news cycle and talk radio’s response to it. Boyce also answers a widely disseminated blog by a political science professor in Human Events claiming talk radio is dying because of “conservative greed” and takes a shot at Nielsen’s ongoing exclusion of online numbers when tallying radio audience figures, an omission that is particularly detrimental to news/talk. To read Phil Boyce’s entire piece, please click here.
Dave Ramsey Delivers in Seattle. This photo shows nationally syndicated talk radio superstar and New York Times best-selling author Dave Ramsey heading out onto the stage at Benaroya Hall in Seattle on October 16 where he presented his “Legacy Journey LIVE!” event. For this presentation, Ramsey’s daughter, Rachel Cruze, joined him on stage to talk about winning with money, strengthening marriages and leading children with confidence. The day before, Ramsey hosted his “EntreLeadership 1 Day Event” along with speakers Chris Hogan and Christy Wright. That presentation focused on how to run a business using the same common-sense principles that Ramsey practices in his own company of more than 400 team members. Local affiliate KTTH partnered with Ramsey to promote the events. Station program director Jason Antebi says, “Whenever Dave comes to town, people get excited – from the listeners to the station’s staff. Not only does he provide great inspiration and insight to listener’s lives through his show and top-notch events, his team offers some great tips we can impart to our sellers. Can’t Dave just move to Western Washington?”
Salem Stations Hold Listener Rallies in Advance of Elections. Three of the conservative news/talk stations owned by Salem Communications are holding listener rallies in the weeks leading up to the November 4 elections. On October 18, KSKY, Dallas
“660 AM The Answer” welcomes Premiere Networks syndicated star Sean Hannity who joins local hosts Mark Davis and Jon David Wells to a sold-out event where potential 2016 presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz will appear. On October 19 in Glendale, California KRLA “AM 870
The Answer” is presenting “Town Hall 2014” featuring the “Morning Answer” team of Brian Whitman, Ben Shapiro and Elisha Krauss, along with Salem Radio Network national hosts Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt. Townhall.com columnist Katie Pavlich will also be in attendance. Then on October 24 and 25, WIND, Chicago “AM 560 The Answer” presents an event featuring local host and former congressman Joe Walsh, morning team John Howell and Amy Jacobson, Sean Hannity, potential presidential candidate Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, author and speaker Mark Steyn, and Radio America syndicated personality Dana Loesch. Sean Hannity comments, “It’s always a blast to see our listeners face-to-face and feel their excitement as we move into the final stretch of this important election season.” Salem VP/director of spoken word format Phil Boyce says, “All of our news/talkers have been all over this election season for months and these events will help them capitalize on the enthusiasm and interest in three of our largest markets. It’s just another thing we do to stay connected to the community.”
Odds & Sods. At the CBS RADIO cluster in Chicago, the company promotes Ashley Fields from her director of marketing position at sports talk WSCR to marketing director of all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM and WSCR. According to Chicago media writer Robert Feder, the addition of Cubs broadcasts on WBBM-AM beginning next season means a new focus on sports programming for the all-newser. Feder reports Fields will also “oversee integrated marketing and non-tradition revenue efforts for Cubs baseball and Bears football on WBBM Newsradio and White Sox baseball on ‘The Score.’”…..SiriusXM personality Joe Madison is one of a number of DC VIPs being honored in Washington on Sunday, October 26 at “No Permission Needed 2014” – the 10th anniversary celebration and afternoon of fine art by M. Gasby Brown. The event pays tribute to Detroit natives who’ve “lived, worked and played in Washington, DC.” WPGC, Washington news anchor Guy Lambert is serving as master of ceremonies for the celebration…..Former WQAM, Miami evening personality Kevin Rogers is now handling weekend news anchor duties for iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WIOD. During his time with Beasley Broadcast Group, Rogers also was studio host for the Florida Panthers Radio Network…..Angie Austin is the new host of “Daybreak USA,” syndicated by Ten Syndication and IRN-USA Radio Network. She most recently was a personality at Crawford Broadcasting-owned religious stations KLTT and KLVZ in Denver.
Bob & Tom Debut Customized Football Songs. The first affiliate to get a Bob & Tom customized football song is iHeartMedia-owned classic rock WOFX, Cincinnati “Fox 92.5.” The Westwood One-syndicated morning show duo is creating the songs for affiliates in markets with college or pro football teams. The song for WOFX promotes the Bob & Tom show while getting listeners pumped for the next Bengals matchup. Sample the Cincinnati Bengals song, “Who Dey,”
Ebola Pandemic Threat Tops Talkers TenTM for Week of October 13-17. The growing threat of an Ebola pandemic along with associated topics including criticism of the CDC, the Obama Administration’s response and questions about travel restrictions combined to be the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week. At #2 on the Talkers TenTM was the battle against ISIS. Following at #3 was the looming mid-term elections and chatter about the possibility of a majority change in the House and at #4 was Florida’s Charlie Crist–Rick Scott debate flap. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio each week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.