Tag: "Fresno"
Friday, September 23, 2016
Marconi Award Winners Announced. More than 20 Marconi Awards were presented last night (Thursday, 9/22) in Nashville. TALKERS congratulates all the winners and nominees.
“Legendary Station of the Year”: CBS Radio New York all-news WINS
“Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year”: Premiere Networks‘ Deliah
“Major Market Personality of the Year”: Fred Toucher & Rich Shertenlieb (“Toucher & Rich”) of CBS Radio Boston’s WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub”
“Large Market Personality of the Year”: Brooke Fox & Jubal Flagg (“Brooke & Jubal”) of Hubbard Broadcasting Seattle rhythmic CHR KQMV “MOViN 92.5”
“Medium Market Personality of the Year”: Chaz & AJ of Connoisseur Media New Haven rocker WPLR
“Small Market Personality of the Year”: Brent Carl Fleshman of Cookeville Communications’ Cookeville, Tennessee talker WHUB-AM “1400 The Hub” & W299BY “107.7 FM”
“Major Market Station of the Year”: Jerry Lee-owned adult contemporary WBEB “101.1 More FM,” Philadelphia
“Large Market Station of the Year”: Hearst talker WBAL, Baltimore
“Medium Market Station of the Year”: Cox Media Group Dayton country WHKO “K-99.1”
“Small Market Station of the Year”: Ham Broadcasting Cadiz, Kentucky country outlet WKDZ
“Adult Contemporary Station of the Year”: Lewanee Broadcasting‘s WLEN, Adrian, Michigan
“CHR Station of the Year”: Zimmer’s KTXY “Y-107,” Columbia, Missouri
“Classic Hits Station of the Year”: CBS Radio Los Angeles’ KRTH “K-Earth 101”
“Country Station of the Year”: Cox Media Group Houston’s KKBQ “The New 93-Q”
“News-Talk Station of the Year”: Hubbard’s WTOP, Washington, D.C.
“Noncommercial Station of the Year”: Seton Hall University rock WSOU, South Orange, New Jersey
“Religious Station of the Year”: Salem Media Group Dallas’ KLTY
“Rock Station of the Year”: Zimmer’s KCMQ, Columbia, Missouri
“Spanish Station of the Year”: CBS Radio Houston’s KLOL “Mega 101”
“Sports Station of the Year”: CBS Radio Detroit’s WXYT-FM “97.1 The Ticket”
“Urban Station of the Year”: Howard University-owned WHUR, Washington, D.C.
NAB/RAB Radio Show: Final Day Wrap-Up. Radio consultant Holland Cooke is in Nashville covering the NAB/RAB Radio Show for TALKERS and he presents a compact report of some of day two’s key takeaways. Among them are sound bites from radio’s captains of industry and key players from the “Radio Show Advertiser Breakfast.” Also included are Cooke’s notes from a variety of digital media- and marketing-oriented sessions, including those run by Dave Ramsey, Gordon Borrell and more. See it all here.
“Heard” In Nashville. While noted media consultant Holland Cooke is providing our exclusive coverage of panels and presentations taking place at this week’s NAB/RAB Radio Show in Nashville, special features correspondent Jeff McKay is talking to attendees about what is being said at the events. Click here to see what people are telling him.
Nelson Named VP/MM For Cumulus Huntsville. Former vice president/general manager/cluster director of sales for Cox Radio Birmingham, Ray Nelson, is appointed vice president and market manager for Cumulus Media‘s cluster in Huntsville (Alabama). Cumulus Media senior vice president Jeff Brown 
comments, “Ray’s track record of success speaks for itself. Adding him to our team of market managers was an absolute no-brainer. I am excited for Ray and for our talented team in Huntsville.” Nelson notes, “I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Cumulus Huntsville cluster; Huntsville is a fabulous growth market. I appreciate the confidence that Jeff Brown and the entire Cumulus management team have demonstrated in selecting me to champion Cumulus Huntsville.” Nelson’s previous background includes vice president and market manager for Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) Ann Arbor (Michigan) and general manager/general sales manager/national sales manager for Fritz Broadcasting Saginaw (also Michigan). Among persons 12+ in Nielsen Audio’s spring 2016 book for Huntsville, Cumulus Media-owned CHR WZYP is #2 (7.7); WHRP “Today’s Best Variety of R&B” ranks #3 (4.8); AM-FM talk combo WVNN finishes #5 (3.1); country WWFF “Nash Icon 93.3” is #8 (1.3); and AM-FM sports duo WUMP “The Ump” ranks #10 (.6). Leading the field is iHeartMedia country outlet WDRM (11.1, 12+).
Carr, “Joe Pags” Picked Up For Simulcasts by Newsmax TV. Boca Raton, Florida-based conservative Newsmax TV adds weekday afternoon simulcasts of Howie Carr and Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo. According to Newsmax TV chief executive officer Christopher Ruddy, “The addition of both these shows not only give us important new voices to our diverse lineup of thoughtful, informative broadcasters, they help us expand our broadcasting footprint into the late afternoon hours. Our audience tells us they 
are hungry for useful, intelligent, and independent programming. Howie and Joe provide just that.” Carr comments, “I have always had the greatest respect for the entire Newsmax team. I now look forward to reaching a whole new TV audience every afternoon with my show. I couldn’t be more pleased to be joining Newsmax TV.” Pagliarulo remarks, “I am thrilled to be a part of the Newsmax TV team. Having my show in a prime slot on this amazing, growing network is an honor I cherish as it adds a new dimension to the show for my listeners and now viewers.” National Radio Hall of Famer – and author of “The Brothers Bulger” and “Hitman” – Carr originates his four-hour conservative talk show from Entercom-owned WRKO starting at 3:00 pm; “Joe Pags” begins his three-hour syndicated program at 5:00 pm from iHeartMedia‘s WOAI, San Antonio. Carr – syndicated on the Howie Carr Radio Network – is #14 on the TALKERS 2016 “Heavy Hundred” and Pagliarulo – whose national show is distributed by Compass Media Networks – is #23.
SB Nation Radio Enhances Its Football Programming. Seventeen-year NFL player Keenan McCardell signs-on with SB Nation Radio as an NFL analyst. The former receiver joins the network on “Prime Cut” with Sean Salisbury and Steve Bunin each Wednesday at 5:00 pm (ET). Gow Media chief executive officer David Gow comments, “Keenan is as impressive in the broadcast booth as he was on the playing field. He is an exceptional talent who can break down the nuances and subtleties of the game without alienating any of the audience. Whether you played football or are just a casual observer, you’ll love his insights.” Meanwhile, former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf will host a two-hour (8:00 am – 10:00 am, ET) weekly show (Saturdays) on SB Nation Radio. The onetime #2 draft pick states, “I am so honored and grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Gow and SB Nation has afforded me.” In addition, SB Nation Radio will premiere “The Kayce Smith Show,” a two-hour (8:00 pm – 10:00 pm) college football program that will air Monday nights. Smith opines, “One thing missing from the sports industry is the opportunity for women to take strong stances on-air and give their opinions without hesitation. I am so excited to be a part of the SB Nation Radio family and to be able to share this crazy journey with our loyal listeners across the country.” SB Nation Radio chief operating officer and program director Craig Larson declares, “I have never been more excited about the state of our radio network. From top to bottom, there is no doubt in my mind that we have the strongest lineup of personalities in sports radio. The addition of Keenan, Kayce, and Ryan reinforces the idea that SB Nation Radio is truly the next generation of sports talk.” Gow Media has been operating as Yahoo Sports Radio since 2011 and it was rebranded as SB Nation Radio last month (8/1).
WMFS to Add Martin & Smith to Mid-Days. Starting next month, John Martin and Jason Smith will be inserted into the weekday lineup (11:00 am – 2:00 pm) at Entercom Memphis sports combo WMFS-AM “ESPN 680″ & WMFS “92.9 FM.” Entercom vice president and market manager Dan Barron states, “We are thrilled to bring this show to Memphis. Jason and John are highly skilled and bring unique insight. I believe listeners will enjoy this fresh, informative, and entertaining show.” Program director Brad Carson comments, “This is a significant day in this market. We couldn’t be more excited about the reporting and entertainment perspective dynamic that John and Jason both bring.” Smith remarks, “I am so pumped to be with my guy John Martin again. I am so grateful to the folks at WMFS. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I cannot wait to get started.” With WMFS since 2013, Martin is reportedly the youngest sports host in a top 50 market. Smith spent the last six years at The Commercial Appeal as the University of Memphis’ basketball beat writer. The two worked together at The Commercial Appeal. Unchanged at 2.2, WMFS ranks #14 (Nielsen Audio PPM, August 2016, 6+); iHeartMedia urban AC KJMS “V-101” sets the pace in August 2016 with a 10.5 (6+).
Odds & Sods. As part of its coverage of the first presidential debate from Hofstra University, ABC News Radio will provide a preview program anchored by correspondent Aaron Katersky. There will be post-debate analysis until 11:00 pm (ET). Joining Katersky will be 
Brad Mielke, Karen Travers, and ABC News Radio political analysts Steve Roberts and Trey Hardin ….. To note the signing of a three-year broadcast extension with the NHL‘s Columbus Blue Jackets, Radiohio-owned WBNS-FM “The Fan,” Columbus director of programming & operations Jay Taylor and president/general manager Dave Van Stone are presented an official Columbus Blue Jackets personalized jersey by the CBJ’s Stinger. “The Blue Jackets have been part of our programming since day one and we’re excited to be able to continue this relationship,” states Stone.
KMJ Fundraiser Aids Fresno’s Community Food Bank. A day-long broadcast that featured Cumulus Media Fresno talk KMJ on-air talents John Broekse, Christina Musson, Ray Appleton, and Chris Daniel netted more than $154,000. For each dollar raised, however, Gar Tootelian Inc. kicked in 50 cents, thus elevating the total for the Community Food Bank to $231,000. KMJ vice president and general manager Patty Hixson comments, “I am overwhelmed by the support of our community. We can always count on the generosity of our highly-valued KMJ listeners. A special thanks to the hard work of our talented on-air team.” Money raised will provide more than 1.5 million meals for the less fortunate residents of the Central Valley. Seventeen (17) stations appear in Fresno’s spring 2016 book (Nielsen Audio) with KMJ finishing second (6.0, 12+), three-tenths behind iHeartMedia rhythmic CHR KBOS “B-95” (6.3, 12+).
Presidential Race Top News/Talk Story for Week of September 19-23. Landing atop the Talkers TenTM again this week is the presidential election. At #2 on our list of the top news/talk radio stories was killing of black men by police in Tulsa and Charlotte and the riots that happened in Charlotte. Coming in at #3 was the aftermath of the NYC/NJ/Minn. terror attacks; following at #4 was the Syrian Civil War/U.S.-Russia Tensions. 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. View this week’s entire chart here.
Michael Harrison Chats with the ‘First Lady of New York Radio’ – Joan Hamburg. She is one of the most-honored, longest-running, and dazzlingly colorful talk radio personalities in the Big Apple – the quintessential live-and-local host. Joan Hamburg’s career in NYC goes back to the legendary WMCA in the early 1970s where she replaced Bob Grant. From there, she moved over to WOR as a featured personality on the historic “Rambling with Gambling” show. She quickly had her own daily midday show where she stayed for more than three decades covering a wide spectrum of topics that included consumer advocacy, shopping, dining, arts & entertainment and “soft” politics. Joan Hamburg was a pioneer in modern remote broadcasting and regularly performed her show
from, among many locations, the storied Broadway celebrity hangout, Sardi’s. For the past few years, Hamburg, now in her eighties, has been holding court live on-air every Saturday afternoon on WABC in addition to producing special features and stories for the station… and she still does remotes from Sardi’s. The conversation between Harrison and Hamburg is a radiophile’s delight – covering remarkable history including such names as Sally Jessy Raphael, the three John Gamblings, Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, Rick Buckley, Barry Gray, Dr. Joy Browne and many, many more. Harrison states, “It was an honor and privilege having this true ‘grand dame’ of radio on the podcast. We cover so much wonderful history including the golden era of Broadway. She harkens back to the day when talk radio offered a wide variety of lifestyle topics beyond politics and sports. I am really proud of this interview – it will always be a treasured addition to the amazing audio library of media history that I am gathering in this podcast series.” To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Beasley Presents to Lenders Regarding Greater Media Acquisition; Expects $6.2 Million in Combination Synergies. After the acquisition of Greater Media is consummated, Beasley Broadcast Group will jump from the 17th largest radio operator (by station count) to 9th largest with 73 stations (before the divestiture of three signals in Charlotte). In a presentation to lenders, Beasley executives are reporting that after the deal is completed, the company expects to realize $6.2 million in synergies from the combined companies. Specifically, Beasley believes it will save $4.7 million with the elimination of Greater Media executive staff and duplicative corporate departments, as well as other consulting, legal and Board of Director fees. At the station level, it expects to save $1.5 million in group benefit costs for employees and $900,000 in elimination of duplicative research, consulting and outside labor and advertising costs. It will, however, add about $1 million in costs in the operating expenses column. One specific item Beasley is budgeting for is about $300,000 to staff newly re-formatted classic hip hop WMGC, Detroit. You can see the whole presentation here.
Doug Stephan Re-Tools Syndicated Morning Show; Re-Branded ‘On Air with Doug, Jen and Victoria.’ In addition to now being distributed by Envision Networks, Doug Stephan re-brands his former “Good Day” nationally syndicated morning program “On Air with Doug, Jen and Victoria.” Envision says the show 
“delivers passionate discussions on items affecting listeners the most in their daily lives. Hosts Doug Stephan, Jen Horn and Victoria Keelan each bring a distinctive perspective to their highly entertaining conversations. Additional contributors round out each hour by providing listeners with news they can use on pop culture, entertainment,
astrology, health, technology, pets, travel, finances, home improvement and much more.” Moreover, each discussion in the program is self-contained so stations can opt to air all three hours or less and listeners won’t miss out on any part of the conversation. The show is delivered via satellite or FTP download to allow stations to broadcast it live or tape delayed based on their programming needs. Envision also says the show can be tailored to fit multiple formats including talk, adult contemporary, classic hits, hot AC, oldies and more. Stephan says, “I’ve done a lot of radio and have never had as much fun as I am now. And I know listeners love it.”
Cumulus Announces Staff Moves at Montgomery Cluster. There are three career moves to report at Cumulus Media’s Montgomery, Alabama station group. First, Rick Hendrick is promoted to operations manager for six-station cluster. He’ll continue to serve as program director for rock 
WXFX. Greg Thomas, who’s spent the last 14 years with Townsquare Media’s Tuscaloosa station group, joins Cumulus Montgomery to program country WLWI-FM. Joe Hunk moves from WJOX, Birmingham to Montgomery to program sports talk WMSP and news/talk WLWI-AM. Hunk will also serve as afternoon drive personality on WMSP. Vice president and market manager Marvin
Kopman says, “The passion, energy and talent of these three programming professionals are undeniable and together, they will create a strong force for programming excellence in Montgomery radio. Rick was a natural choice to lead our cluster operations as operations manager, with his leadership skills and experience within our cluster and community. Both Greg and Joe are tremendous additions to our programming team, and we welcome them and look forward to their contributions.”
Radio Tribute Show for Dr. Joy Browne Set for Tomorrow (9/9) on GCN. A group of industry figures who have worked with or knew the late Dr. Joy Browne have organized a live tribute show in her memory to air tomorrow (9/9) on her regularly scheduled program between 12:00 noon ET and 3:00 pm ET. It will be carried by
the Genesis Communications Network (GCN) on Dr. Joy Browne’s roster of approximately 100 affiliates in addition to streaming live at www.gcnlive.com. Participants include (in alphabetical order): 
David Bernstein, GM, TalkersRadio; Heather Cohen, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Alan Colmes, host, Fox News Radio; Bernadette Duncan, author, Yappy Days: Behind the Scenes with Newsers, Schmoozers, Boozers and Losers (AuthorHouse/Talkers Books, 2016); Jerry Crowley, VP/GM, Salem Media Group, New York; Ron Hartenbaum, Managing Partner, DGital Media; Mike Kinosian, managing editor, TALKERS; and Doug Stephan, president, Stephan Multimedia. The program, consisting of personal anecdotes and commentary, will be moderated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison. The conversation will focus on the significance of Dr. Joy’s career and its important place in talk radio history as well as a look at her life and times.
Fresno’s ‘Powertalk 96.7 and 1400’ Having Fun with ‘Trevor Nation World Tour.’ Afternoon drive personality Trevor Carey has been in that daypart on iHeartMedia’s news/talk simulcast “Powertalk 96.7 and 1400” (KALZ-FM, Fresno and KRZR-AM, Visalia) since February after moving from the company’s Stockton-Modesto talk combo. Now, Carey is setting out to “meet and thank every listener” he has on the “Trevor Nation World Tour.” The “World Tour” will stop at a variety of locations throughout the Valley, with Carey meeting his fans and listeners face-to-face during his live broadcasts. The first stop is the Elbow Room in Fig Garden Village this Friday, September 9. The tour will continue at Vino & Friends in Fresno on Friday, September 16. Carey adds, “I hear the voices of callers, I read emails and social media posts, and I want to shake hands with all of my listeners.”
Nielsen: August PPMs Good to News/Talk. According to research from Nielsen Audio, its August PPM survey (July 14 – August 10) indicates that as a format, news/talk listening was up compared to the same period in 2015. Not only was 6+ listening up from an 8.7 to a 9.6 (AQH share), but in both Persons 18-34 and Persons 25-54, AQH share was up 3.5 to 4.3 and 6.1 to 7.1, respectively.
The Presidential Race/Wednesday’s Candidate’s Forum, Iran Cash Payment Controversy, U.S.-Philippines Relations, iPhone 7 Reveal, and MLB Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/7). The activities of the candidates for president including the buildup to last night’s candidate’s forum; the controversy over the U.S.’ payment of $1.7 billion to Iran at the same time four hostages were released by the country; President Obama meets with Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte days after Duterte threatened to curse at Obama; Apple reveals details about the new iPhone 7; 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.
Newspaper Media Columnist and Former Television Producer Dave Berg is this Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. In what can be described as a media freak’s delight, Orange County Register and USA Today media columnist Dave Berg and Michael Harrison engage in a multi-faceted dialogue about the evolving history of late-night television in America and its role in reflecting, as well as influencing, societal change. It all happens on this week’s
installment of the award-winning PodcastOne series “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison,” posted today (9/6). Berg served 18 years as co-producer of NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and wrote the best-seller Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s View of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show (Penguin Publishing, 2014). In his career he has served as a producer for Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor, a writer for NBC News and the Los Angeles bureau chief for CNBC. To listen to the 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.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Round Three of February PPM Data Released. The third of four rounds of February 2016 PPM 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 survey period was January 28 – February 24. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all of the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. In addition, managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Twelve Takeaways” from this batch of ratings on the main page at RadioInfo.com here.
Report: KRWZ, Denver to Become New Market Sports Talker. According to a story by Colin Daniels at BSNDenver.com, Kroenke Sports Enterprise’s regional sports cable and satellite TV operator Altitude Sports and Entertainment will program the station recently purchased by KSE subsidiary Kroenke Sports Ventures from Entercom. Stan Kroenke’s firm also owns Denver’s Pepsi Center, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. Daniels writes the station will be branded “Altitude Sports” and that the lineup will be: James Merilatt serving as program director; Tom Helmer in the morning drive daypart with a co-host to be named later; Vic Lombardi and Kyle Keefe hosting middays; and former KJAC “105.5 ESPN” duo Nate Kreckman and Tom Nalen in the afternoon drive slot. Read Daniels’ story here.
The Presidential Race, Obama Names SCOTUS Pick, Battle Against Islamic State, U.S. Sanctions North Korea, and Sea World to End Orca Captivity Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/16). The activities of the candidates for president, Marco Rubio’s campaign suspension, and the cancellation of Monday’s GOP debate; President Obama nominates Judge Merrick Garland for Supreme Court; U.S. strikes on Islamic State leadership; the sanctions levied upon North Korea by President Obama for its recent nuclear tests; and Sea World announces it will end its captive breeding of orcas were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Odds & Sods. Broadcasting pro Kris Abrams is joining Futuri Media as director/partner integration. In this
role, Abrams will work directly with client stations on implementing Futuri’s platforms at local stations domestically and internationally. The company says he’ll manage Futuri system installations and the development of strategies with stations to engage and maximize their audiences. Abrams was most recently operations manager for Cumulus Media’s Albuquerque cluster…..Investigative news pro Kate Howard joins Louisville Public Radio to work for WFPL, Louisville’s Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (KyCIR). She comes to the organization after serving five years with The Tennessean…..KMJ, Fresno talk show host Ray Appleton was recently honored as the Boy Scouts Sequoia Council Citizen of the Year. The event at a local restaurant drew more than 100 local dignitaries, friends and family members. Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, Ray’s son Rory Appleton and his former boss (and current fellow KMJ talk host) John Broeske were among the speakers telling of fond and funny memories with Ray.
PodcastOne Introduces New Programs. First, comedian Jo Koy jumps into the podcast business with a weekly show titled “The Koy Pond.” On the show, Koy will welcome friends and fellow comedians to share their hilarious insights on a wide variety of topics, from celebrities and sports, to food and more. Regular will include Vine Superstar King Bach, comedian Anjelah Johnson, and The Black Eyed Peas. Second, the Chase Chrisley podcast launches featuring the cast member of USA Network’s “Chrisley Knows Best.” Chase is the son of Todd Chrisley, patriarch of the family that stars in the reality TV show. Finally, PodcastOne’s partnership with Barstool Sports produces a new show hosted by Caleb Pressley – the former UNC football player and “American Idol” Season 2 contestant.
Consultant Fred Jacobs Joins Michael Harrison on ‘Up Close and Far Out’ Podcast Recorded in Paris. Noted broadcast consultant Fred Jacobs, president and founder of Jacobs Media, is the guest for this week’s installment of the PodcastOne hit series, “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.” Jacobs’ company celebrates its 33rd anniversary this fall, providing research and consulting services to radio stations and an expanding array of communications outlets in the United States and abroad. Jacobs Media’s “Techsurveys” have been widely quoted inside radio – and out – and its two groundbreaking ethnographic studies – “The Bedroom Project” and “Goin’ Mobile” – have helped change the radio industry’s thinking about digital
media. He has successfully helped the industry come to terms with radio’s evolving role and presence in the connected car – one of the medium’s last bastions of dominance. But that’s not all – followers of radio know that Harrison and Jacobs share a similar history in their longtime involvement in the evolution of FM album rock radio… and they discuss it extensively in this spontaneous conversation recorded in the halls of the Radiodays Europe convention in Paris that is sure to fascinate students of broadcasting and pop culture throughout the world. Jacobs is the inventor and chief proselytizer of the radio/music genre commonly known as “Classic Rock.” Harrison was one of the earliest programmers and talents in its precursor, “Progressive Rock” and the man who coined the term “Album Oriented Rock” (AOR). This conversation is a media freak’s delight. To hear the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located in the right-hand column of every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Johnson Joins WTEM as PD. More accurately, as of next Monday (2/15), Chris Johnson will again occupy the programming chair at Red Zebra Broadcasting sports outlet WTEM “ESPN 980,” Washington, DC – just as he did from 2005 to 2008. Red Zebra Broadcasting chairman Terry Bateman states, “We are excited to have someone with Chris’ experience and skill to help us build and grow ‘ESPN 980.’ We have a great lineup of talent and great content. We look forward to putting it all together to give our listeners the best sports talk radio in the Washington, DC market.” Most recently, Johnson covered MLB‘s Washington Nationals as a reporter for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. He previously was a producer of NFL and NCAA games for Westwood One; Johnson’s prior connection with WTEM lasted from 1996 – 2008. Down for the third straight ratings period (2.3 – 2.1 – 1.9 -1.6, 6+), “ESPN 980” finishes #20 in the “Holiday” 2015 report, while its format challenger – CBS Radio-owned WJFK-FM “The Fan” – also off for the third successive sweep (2.5 – 2.3 – 2.1 -1.9, 6+) – is #18. The market leader is iHeartMedia adult contemporary WASH (5.9 – 6.1 – 7.0 – 12.0, 6+).
Trevor Carey Promoted to Afternoons at ‘PowerTalk 96.7’ in Fresno. Radio pro Trevor Carey had been hosting the afternoon drive show on iHeartMedia’s sister “PowerTalk” brand in the Stockton-Modesto market – “PowerTalk 1360” on KFIV and KWSX – in addition to hosting the 6:00 pm hour on “PowerTalk 96.7” (KALZ-FM and KRZR-AM in Fresno-Visalia). Now, with Christopher Gabriel’s recent exit from the PM drive slot, Carey takes over the 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm show. He’ll also host the 6:00 pm hour on the Stockton-Modesto duo.
New Hampshire Primary/Presidential Race Tops Talkers TenTM for Week of February 8-12. Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary and the activities of the candidates for president were the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 was the Hillary Clinton email case investigation. Coming in at #3 was the recent financial markets activity and related concerns about a recession followed by the effects of the Syrian civil war at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine and it is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Sean Hannity to Speak and Host Breakfast at TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations. In what has become an annual talk media industry tradition, Premiere Networks/Fox News Channel superstar Sean Hannity will host “Breakfast with Hannity” and preside over the opening keynote discussion at the forthcoming 19th annual installment of the field’s largest, longest-running and most important national convention. In making the announcement, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “Sean’s contributions to this storied event, as well as to the industry in general, are incalculable. He has spearheaded discussions about crucial issues attendant to the ratings, consolidation, lowering the demos and free speech, just to scratch the surface. He has provided inspiration and encouragement to new generations of broadcasters coming into the field. When Sean walks in the door at this event, all politics are left outside and he becomes a true statesman of the business offering insight, experience and intelligence about the many issues and challenges we face in common. We are delighted that he will again play such an important role in this conference – especially considering its forward-motion theme of bridging the generations.” Over 60 outstanding speakers will participate in TALKERS 2016, set for Friday, May 20 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.
Beasley Broadcast Group 2015 Q4 Net Revenue Up 6.2%. That figure is based on Beasley’s reporting of combined operations – both continuing and discontinued operations – and that’s relative to the 2014 Q4 asset swap with CBS RADIO that saw Beasley exchange five radio stations in the Philadelphia and Miami-Fort Lauderdale markets for 14 CBS stations in the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Charlotte and Philadelphia markets. Net revenue of combined operations for the whole
of 2015 was $105.9 million, an increase of 4.4% over 2014. Beasley CEO and chairman George Beasley states, “Throughout 2015 we implemented a broad range of operating, programming, sales and local strategies intended to extract operating and financial synergies from the stations acquired in the 2014 Asset Exchange. I am pleased to report that we achieved our goal of our clusters outperforming the markets that report to Miller Kaplan for the first time in December 2015 and expect this trend to continue in 2016. Success with our integration and profitability initiatives is also reflected in fourth quarter 2015 station operating income of $9 million and an SOI margin of 31.7%, as well as net income of $3.3 million or $0.14 per diluted share.”
CBS RADIO Revenue Dips 5%. Radio is not the primary focus of CBS Corp. but new CBS chairman, president and CEO Les Moonves has always said he likes the radio business – especially its cash flow. Radio is lumped in with CBS Television Stations to make up the Local Broadcasting category, but the company breaks the two apart in these reports and radio’s revenue was down 5% on “continued softness in the radio advertising marketplace and lower political advertising.” The television sector was down 11% compared to the same Q4 period in 2014 – a period that benefitted from mid-term election political spending.
Odds & Sods. WOR, New York’s “Len Berman and Todd Schnitt in the Morning” spoke on the radio with GOP
presidential candidate and fellow New Yorker Donald Trump yesterday morning (2/11). Responding to criticism that he doesn’t have the temperament to be president, Trump told the WOR audience, “as we get closer, you will be shocked at how presidential I will 
be.”…..Talk host Bill Carroll had been doing an afternoon talk show for Corus-owned news/talk CFMJ, Toronto from Los Angeles while he was still working at iHeartMedia’s KFI (a gig he exited in early January). Now, he’s also leaving the CFMJ show with rumors he’s soon to land at a new station in Canada…..A special edition of the Joan Hamburg show will air on Cumulus Media’s news/talk WABC, New York this weekend as the Big Apple radio host covers New York’s annual Fashion Week. For the second year, Hamburg speaks
with New York’s fashion elite in “The Business of Fashion Week” airing on Saturday (2/13) from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ( a special replay will air Sunday night at 9:00 pm). Hamburg speaks with New York Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis, “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Countess Luann de Lesseps, New York style icon Nick Wooster, Harpers Bazaar editor Avril Graham, and Ben Stiller, director and star of the Zoolander films…..AccuWeather appoints Sarah Katt vice president of product development and operations for the AccuWeather Network. She’ll report to John Dokes, general manager of the AccuWeather Network and chief marketing officer of AccuWeather.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Midwest Communications Names Areka Spencer to Corporate Position. Promoted from her role as news director at Midwest Communications’ WHBL, Sheboygan, Wisconsin is Areka Spencer, who will begin the New Year as national director of digital and on-air news content for the company. Midwest Communications national director of news/talk programming Jerry Bader says that in this newly created position, Spencer will oversee news content across all platforms and will also be responsible for innovating new digital Midwest Communications content. Bader adds, “What Areka has done for our digital content during her time in Sheboygan is nothing short of astounding. In her one short year in Sheboygan, WHBL has shot to the top in news story page views among all MWC stations. We’re excited to see her bring that talent and success to a company-wide level, as well as the high quality she will bring to the on-air content of our stations.”
WHO, Des Moines Morning Host Jan Mickelson Recovering from Stroke. Morning drive personality Jan Mickelson is off the air at iHeartMedia’s news/talk WHO, Des Moines after suffering a stroke on Saturday (11/21). He posted the following message on Facebook: “We were trying out our new Power Pressure Cooker XL when I started slurring my words and got a bit dizzy. Suzy sat me down, called 911, and Ankeny Paramedics responded immediately. They took me to Mercy Hospital where they confirmed I’d just had a stroke. I had TPA (tissue plasminogen activator) which works by dissolving the blood clot as well as a relatively new neurological surgery which removes the clot from the artery. I was life-flighted to the University of Iowa Hospitals as they are the only facility in the state which performs the procedure. I’m recovering and doing well.”
Joe Walsh to Host Program on WVNJ, New York. This is a return to the New York market for the former congressman and current WIND, Chicago “AM 560 The Answer” talk show host. Joe Walsh begins hosting a daily 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET program on WVNJ on December 14 that will be a separate program from his WIND show. Walsh was heard in the New York market on Salem Media Group’s WNYM “AM 970 The Answer” from 2014 through June of this year. Walsh
comments, “I’m excited to be back on the air in New York with our message of freedom on a great station like WVNJ. It will be the flagship station for our national expansion of the program into other markets throughout 2016.” Meanwhile, WVNJ director of operations Luis Felix adds, “The Joe Walsh program will be an additional member of our already powerful lineup. He brings a strong presence as we continue to build our offerings of New York’s most dynamic radio talkers.”
Trevor Carey Show to Air in Evenings on ‘Power Talk 96.7’ in Fresno. California talk host Trevor Carey is adding another show to his responsibilities with iHeartMedia. Already heard on the company’s Stockton-Modesto simulcast “Power Talk 1360” (KFIV/KWSX) in afternoon drive, Carey is hosting an early evening show on nearby simulcast KALZ-FM/KRZR, Fresno “Power Talk 96.7,” effective December 7. KALZ-FM program director Jay Bohannon states, “‘Power Talk’ continues to expand our local programming. Adding Trevor Carey to the lineup that already includes Christopher Gabriel, Rich Rodriguez, Michael Der Manouel, and Larry Powell gives us even more opportunity to stay connected with our listeners in the Valley. Trevor Carey is a passionate personality whose roots in the San Joaquin Valley lend him great understanding of our issues, concerns and perspectives.”
DGital Media Adds Two to Sales Team. Audio content firm DGital Media brings two industry sales pros aboard to serve as SVP/account managers. Suzanne Kaufman and Christine Fontana will be charged with developing and managing client relations as well as creating custom brand solutions within DGital’s various audio platforms. Suzanne Kaufman was a founding partner of media agency MEC, serving clients including AT&T, Campbell Soup Co., Energizer Holdings, Activision, Ikea and Pfizer Consumer Products. Christine Fontana has been SVP, director at MediaVest for the past 17 years working with national brands including P&G, Coca-Cola, Walmart and Wendy’s. DGital Media co-founder David Landau says, “We couldn’t be more excited to have these two incredible talents join our management team. Sue and Chris are among the industry’s most knowledgeable media experts, passionate about audio and the potential of new channels to deliver advertising. We cannot wait to work with them to bring DGital to the next level in terms of brand involvement.”
Kim Komando to Speak at 2016 NAB Show in April. Nationally syndicated computer and technology expert Kim Komando is lined up to speak at next spring’s NAB Show in Las Vegas. Komando will address the Radio Luncheon on Tuesday, April 19 – a portion of the show sponsored by ASCAP. NAB EVP of radio John David states, “For over 20 years, Kim Komando has helped consumers navigate complicated new technologies, and in the process has grown an enormous fan base. Her unique perspective as a successful radio personality and technology expert is sure to be a highlight for luncheon attendees.”
‘Coast to Coast AM’ Christmas Album to Benefit Veterans. The Premiere Networks nationally syndicated late night show “Coast to Coast AM” – hosted by George Noory – re-releases its charity album “Holiday Magic Coast Style.” Proceeds from the project benefit various veterans hospitals across the U.S. The album was first released in 2014 and features traditional holiday songs and poems performed by fan-favorite guests of the program, including best-selling author Whitley Strieber, author and paranormal expert Rosemary Ellen Guiley, paranormal investigator Joshua P. Warren, UFO Phil, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, actor/singer Pat Boone and others. Also included on the album is a special performance by Noory. The album can be purchased via Amazon.com.
Paris Climate Summit, 2016 Presidential Race, Russia-Turkey Tensions, the Battle Against IS, Syrian Refugee Controversy, Hillary Clinton Email Probe, Chicago PD Scrutiny, and NFL Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/1). The climate talks taking place in Paris and the larger topic of man-made climate change; the activities of the candidates for president in 2016; the ongoing tensions between Russia and Turkey over the downing of a Russian fighter; the battle against Islamic State in the Middle East and at home; the controversy over policy regarding the handling of refugees from Syria; the continuing investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for State Department business; and the weekend’s NFL action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Napa Valley Broadcaster Tom Young Dies at 94. Former KVON, Napa and KVYN, Saint Helena, California owner Tom Young died on November 30 at the age of 94. Young was a much-respected member of the Napa Valley business community and well-known for his charitable efforts. He and his wife Ita purchased KVON in the 1970s and built its sister FM, KVYN. They sold the stations in 1996.
Friday, February 6, 2015
KFYI, Phoenix Names Rob Hunter News Host. Moving to iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFYI, Phoenix from Bonneville’s crosstown KTAR-FM is news pro Rob Hunter who will become part of the morning drive Mike Broomhead program. The station says Hunter will serve as news anchor during Broomhead’s
show and host the 5:00 am to 6:00 am “KFYI Download” program. Hunter has worked in news/talk for the past 15 years but also has radio experience in the AC, hip hop, rock and sports talk formats. KFYI program director Neil Larrimore states, “Rob is a great addition to KFYI mornings. He is smart, versatile and a solid professional. As soon as we heard he was available, we had to snatch him up.” Hunter comments, “I’m beyond thrilled to begin the next chapter of my career at KFYI, one of the country’s great news/talk stations and to becoming part of the vast iHeartMedia family. I’m looking forward to working closely with KFYI’s award winning newsroom, with talk show host Mike Broomhead and with the Valley’s early morning risers.”
Pat Kiernan Exits WABC, New York’s ‘The Ride Home.’ Big Apple media personality Pat Kiernan leaves his gig with Cumulus Media at news/talk WABC to focus on his morning news program that airs on Time Warner Cable’s NY1 channel. Kiernan had been co-hosting “The Ride Home” with television and radio news pro Rita Cosby. Now, with Kiernan out, Cosby is hosting the 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm program solo.
Otstot Named KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno Morning News Anchor. The new morning news anchor at Cumulus Media’s news/talk KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno is Matt Otstot, who joins “Fresno’s Morning News” host Blake Taylor for daily broadcasts later this month. Taylor says of Otstot, “Matt is an enormous talent with a wealth of experience on air. But it’s his work off-air, in the community, which is invaluable. I can’t wait for Matt to bring his energy to the massive KMJ audience.” Otstot has worked at local television outlets KGPE-TV and KSEE-TV as an anchor and reporter. Most recently he was community engagement coordinator at Valley Children’s Hospital. Otstot says, “Working at Valley Children’s was an honor. But, when you’re offered the chance to work for a place with the reputation and success of KMJ, you jump at it. And I hope my passion and energy for morning news resonates with Valley listeners.”
World’s Best Radio Programs Advisory Board Adds Critchlow, Geller. Those competing for New York Festivals’ “World’s Best Radio Programs” will have to impress TBI Media founding director Phil Critchlow and Geller Media president Valerie Geller: Both are named to the
international radio program awards advisory board and grand jury. Executive director of the NYF radio program awards Rose Anderson states, “These two thought leaders bring creative expertise and deep knowledge of today’s radio industry. Phil Critchlow and Valerie Geller will add tremendous vision and valuable insights as we engage the worldwide radio community and are responsive to what matters to them.” Critchlow comments, “We at TBI have been lucky enough to win a 
number of New York Festivals awards, which always means a great deal to the team. I am delighted to become part of the NYF advisory board.” Geller remarks that, “It is stunning and so satisfying on every level to have the opportunity and honor to have the chance to hear the amazing work that news, documentary, and program teams throughout the world are producing/creating. It is an honor and a pleasure to serve as a judge for the NYF awards entries.” BBC-trained Critchlow joined Unique Broadcasting in 1994 and launched The Big Idea 12 years later. He formerly was chair of the UK Radio Independents Group (RIG) and is a fellow of the Radio Academy. Geller has coached radio, television, and internet broadcasters in 35 countries. The former WABC, New York program director and KIOI, San Francisco news director received the Conclave‘s Rockwell lifetime achievement award. Deadline for entering this year’s competition is in approximately six weeks (Thursday, 3/19). A New York City awards ceremony will be held (Monday) June 22.
Odds & Sods. Joining digital podcasting platform BlogTalkRadio is digital media pro Denise Oliver who is named programming consultant and strategist for the organization. Oliver is widely recognized within the industry as a bright
programming and consulting mind…..Yahoo! Sports Radio personality John Granato is pictured below (far right) celebrating his son J.T. (John Tyler) Granato’s (second from right) signing to the Rice University football team as starting quarterback this National Signing Day. As a longtime radio and television 
sports analyst, the Houston-based host has been grooming his son in the sports industry, and even invited J.T. to intern on his national show, “Prime Cut,” with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury this year. John Granato comments, “This is a great day for our family. We couldn’t be more proud. Thank God J.T. has his mother’s brains – there’s no other explanation for him getting into Rice.”…..Westwood One syndicated talk host Phil Valentine is headed for the big screen. Valentine has a supporting role in the upcoming film, The Secret Handshake, scheduled for release this spring. Handshake is written and directed by Howie Klausner, who wrote the screenplay for the Clint Eastwood movie, Space Cowboys…..SiriusXM is launching a three-week series of live, call-in shows titled, “African Ancestry Radio,” in which hosts will try to help listeners and celebrities of African descent in their quest to reconnect with their heritage. African Ancestry’s Gina Paige and award-winning producer Shirley Neal will host the program on February 8 with Louis Gossett, Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis as their first celebrity guests.
That’s Entertainment! The photo you see here is a full-stage shot of a live production of KIRO-FM, Seattle’s “Tom & Curley” show that happened at The Triple Door on Friday, January 30. The sold-out program was a live reenactment of the duo’s radio show done in the vein of an old-time variety show, complete with their weekly and daily features and guests, a local high school jazz band, as well as a certain degree of audience interaction and…one pet chicken. The station billed the event featuring hosts John Curley and Tom Tangney as “a night of the best conversation you will ever listen in on as Tom and John bring their entertaining take on the news of the day to a select live audience.”
Longtime Buffalo Radio Newsman Ray Marks Dies. Radio news pro Ray Marks (Markiewicz) died on February 4 after a two-and-a-half year battle with leukemia. During his career, Marks served as news director at WJTN, Jamestown, New York and at heritage Buffalo AM signals WGR and WBEN. WGRZ-TV, Buffalo reports that Marks also taught as an adjunct professor at St. Bonaventure University, Buffalo State College, and Medaille College.
Hometown Hero Sets Balloon Records. After Albuquerque resident and expert balloon pilot Troy Bradley set six new world records by flying across the Pacific Ocean with Russian co-pilot Leonid Tiukhtyaev, Cumulus Media news/talk KKOB got one of the first radio interviews. Pictured here, KKOB PM drive personality Scott Stiegler (right) poses for a shot with Two Eagles pilot Bradley (left) at the radio station. Bradley and Tiukhtyaev landed in the ocean about four miles from the California Baja last Saturday.
The Brutality of ISIS and Jordan’s Vow of Retaliation Top News/Talk Story for Week of February 2-6. The increasingly cruel and violent tactics of ISIS and Jordan’s statement it will seek retaliation for the immolation death of its captured pilot were the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio during the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the anti-vaccine controversy. Coming in at #3 was the 2016 presidential prospects followed by the Obama tax hike proposal 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. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Scorpio Selected as iHM’s California Regional PM. Riverside, Fresno, Bakersfield, Monterey, Stockton, and Modesto are the Golden State markets Rob Scorpio will oversee as iHeartMedia‘s regional programming manager. The company’s senior vice president of programming Tony Coles states, “Rob is a proven leader with a great track record. We are thrilled to be able to expand his role within the company.” Scorpio comments, “One of the many great things about iHeartMedia is their commitment to promote within the company. I would like to thank Tony Coles [among other iHM executives] for this opportunity.” Scorpio moves into his new role after being operations manager for iHeartMedia’s Riverside cluster. His past programming credits include KKBT, Los Angeles; KREV, San Francisco; KBXX, Houston; WPGC-FM, Washington, DC; and KFRH, Las Vegas.
Grant Nielsen Stepping Down from Daily KSL, Salt Lake City Wake-Up Duties. After almost 22 years waking up the Salt Lake City market on Bonneville’s news/talk KSL “NewsRadio,” Grant Nielsen announces he’s retiring from his daily co-host of “Utah’s Morning News” gig. He’ll still be a voice on the station in
various dayparts. KSL staffer Brian Martin will take over morning host duties alongside Amanda Dickson, effective March 23. Martin currently anchors KSL’s national news with Nielsen and Dickson and is the host of “Utah’s Noon News.” Prior to joining KSL in 2010, he spent 15 years anchoring and reporting television news in Texas, New Mexico, New York, and Utah. Martin says, “I realize I have enormous shoes to fill, but I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to help grow the institution that Grant and Amanda have created. To work with Amanda to deliver news to Utahns driving into work each morning is something I will never take for granted.”
Odds & Sods. The film An Inconsistent Truth – produced by Westwood One talk host Phil Valentine’s film production company ExtryGood Productions – is being picked up by NewsmaxTV. The two-year deal means the
film will air regularly throughout the contract period, beginning with its debut on NewsmaxTV tomorrow night (2/6) at 9:00 pm ET…..Trevor Carey is named afternoon drive host at iHeartMedia news/talk simulcast KFIV, Modesto and KWSX, Stockton, California “Power Talk 1360/1280.” He most recently was afternoon host at Townsquare Media’s hot AC WJYE, Buffalo (now WMSX)…..Former Fox 29 Philadelphia weatherman John Bolaris will begin hosting a weekly radio show on WTEL, Philadelphia, debuting this Saturday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. According to a story at Philly.com, the “CenterStage with John Bolaris” program will feature high-profile guests. Joining him for the premiere show will by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and “Mob Wives” star Natalie Didonato…..ESPN is launching “Hometown” – a new division of its customer marketing and sales group that will focus on serving national brands looking to connect with fans in specific markets at their greatest passion point – their love of their favorite teams.
‘Aaron Klein Investigative Radio’ to Air in Philly. The two-hour weekend show “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio” – which emanates live from Tel Aviv each Sunday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET – is now heard on Salem Communications’ WNTP, Philadelphia “NewsTalk 990” as well as on the company’s WNYM, New York “AM 970 The Answer.” Klein is a Philly native who now works and lives in the Middle East. WNTP program director Mark Daniels says, “‘NewsTalk 990’ couldn’t be more pumped about adding ‘Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.’ There’s nothing else like it, especially on the weekends! If you watch the Sunday talking heads on TV, then listen to Aaron Sunday evening, and you’ll appreciate the difference his global perspective brings.”
Cool Job Opportunity. Federated Media’s heritage WOWO, Fort Wayne is seeking a news director. Fort Wayne, Indiana’s #1 radio station, a 50,000-watt news, weather and talk service station has a rare opening for a full-time news director/anchor to join our Marconi winning team. If you’re hard working, have a dynamic personality, strong news delivery, ability to command attention through storytelling, have successful interactions with on-air partners and want to work for a station the community adores and loves, we’re looking for you. We’re one of Indiana’s premiere news stations celebrating 90 years in the community — and with a 50,000 watt AM signal with a FM simulcast, we’re the most-listened-to station in our market. Responsibilities include news anchoring, reporting breaking news, attending sporting events and other paid appearances, leading a fully staffed newsroom as someone who leads by example and possibly fill-in hosting duties. An ideal candidate is energetic, efficient and capable of multi-tasking in a lively, fast-paced environment. This sometimes requires weekend and evening hours, both on the street and in the radio station. WOWO is also unique because of a local TV partnership. We simulcast one hour every weekday morning on our local NBC affiliate, as well as live TV traffic updates in the afternoon. This means future candidates must be comfortable with frequent TV exposure. You’ll also be working with one of the best crews in the business, along with a great company to back a positive environment. To be considered, please send a resume via e-mail to operations manager Ryan Wrecker at: wrecker@wowo.com or mail your stuff to Ryan Wrecker, WOWO Radio, 2915 Maples Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46816. No phone calls please. Federated Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Getting Ready for Love. There is no doubt, with Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, love is in the air and as far as nationally syndicated talk duo Brent & Meg are concerned, it will be ON the air as well. The husband/wife midday talk team (syndicated by GCN) were spotted by a Studio City, California Walgreens manager with a smartphone camera as they were doing some shopping in preparation for the big holiday coming up at the end of next week. Brent Seltzer tells TALKERS, “Meg and I are in a constant state of simply being in-love and Valentine’s Day week gives us just another excuse to express, demonstrate, explore, discuss and play with it on the air.” Meg McDonald adds, “Being a married couple approaching 30 years together opens the door to so many conversations and aspects about life that make great content for the kind of free-spirited talk radio that we have the opportunity to do every day. Although our show tackles all the issues of the day and is not what you would call a ‘relationships show’ per se, the fact that we have such an established, real relationship as the baseline of our act really comes in handy in bringing a dimension of utter reality to what we do on the air. Valentine’s Day was made for us!”
The Brutality of ISIS/Jordan Threatens Retaliation, Anti-Vaccine Controversy, 2016 Presidential Prospects, GOP’s ObamaCare Replacement Plan, and Brian Williams Recants Helicopter RPG Attack Story Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/4). The world’s reaction to ISIS’ burning a Jordanian pilot alive and that country’s vow to retaliate; the controversy over anti-vaccine comments made by Chris Christie and Rand Paul; the potential candidates for president in 2016; the plan by congressional Republicans to replace ObamaCare; the response to NBC anchor Brian Williams’ admission that he was not aboard a helicopter hit by a RPG in Iraq in 2004 were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Lars Larson and ‘FM News 101 KXL’ Stay Together. Not that there were any expectations they wouldn’t, but Alpha Media and talk host Lars Larson announce the signing of a new long-term contract between the two. Larson – one of the hardest-working people in talk radio – hosts the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm local and regional show on KXL and 15 affiliates in the Oregon and Washington region. Additionally, he hosts a 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm PT program that is distributed nationally by Compass Media Networks. Alpha Media Portland CEO/president Bob Proffitt comments, “Lars is a Northwest and national talent in talk radio. I’m delighted to have him on board to help deliver content through our many channels at Alpha that is unique, compelling and thought-provoking. One of the many reasons Lars is so good, is an incredible work ethic I’ve witnessed over the past five years that is truly inspiring.” Larson received help in negotiating his new deal from Fred Schreyer, formerly with Nike‘s sports management division. Larson says Schreyer has represented such clients as: ESPN‘s Colin Cowherd, KXTG-AM, Portland’s John Canzano, and NBA stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant.
Paranormal Talker Clyde Lewis Re-Ups with Alpha’s KXL, Portland. The creator and host of “Ground Zero,” heard on Alpha Media-owned news/talker KXL, Portland “FM News 101” will remain with the station as he and the company sign an extension to that effect. Clyde Lewis’ program is also syndicated nationally by Premiere Networks. The program airs six nights per week from 7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight PT. Alpha Media EVP of programming Scott Mahalick comments, “Clyde offers a 7th dimension perspective and is the most compelling story teller I’ve ever met in this business. We’re happy to be at the epicenter of ‘Ground Zero’ in Portland and thrilled to continue our partnership with Clyde. He is a talk radio badass!”
Legal Analysis: Glenn Beck Libel Case. TALKERS legal editor Steven J.J. Weisman, in a story published today (12/4), writes about the recent court ruling on Glenn Beck’s request to dismiss Saudi student Abdulrahman Alharbi’s libel suit against him. As TALKERS reported yesterday, Alharbi was initially questioned by police investigating the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 but was quickly ruled out by police as being involved in the crime. However, for several weeks after that, Beck used his program to accuse Alharbi of involvement in the bombing. Beck’s attorneys argue that Alharbi was a limited-purpose public figure or an involuntary public figure by virtue of his being at the event and, however briefly, becoming part of the story surrounding the event by being investigated by authorities. In today’s story, Weisman explains the legal definitions of the three types of public figures and what threshold must be crossed to commit actionable libel. Read this important piece here.
CBS Sports Radio Network Announces 2015 Lineup. TALKERS reported earlier this week that current KDKA-FM, Pittsburgh personality Gregg Giannotti was going to be joining the CBS Sports Radio Network and that is confirmed as director of programming Eric Spitz announces the network’s new lineup. The new AM drive show will be hosted by Brian Jones (who moves down from the current evening “MoJo” program) and Giannotti. Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney move from AM drive to late morning (9:00 am to 12:00 noon ET). Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb remain in their respective afternoon slots but Damon “D.A.” Amendolara moves from overnights to host the 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET show. Amy Lawrence is promoted from her weekend show to the daily overnight show (2:00 am to 6:00 am). Off the daily schedule at the network with the changes are morning show co-host Dana Jacobson and evening show co-host Chris Moore.
Odds & Sods. As TALKERS reported earlier this week, at CBS RADIO’s KDKA-FM “Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan,” evening host Colin Dunlap is being elevated to the station’s morning show beginning Friday, January 2. He’ll partner with current morning hosts Josh Miller and Jim Colony…..San Antonio sports talker KZDC, San Antonio “ESPN San Antonio” is now simulcasting on translator K234CI at 94.5 FM. The Alpha Media station’s PD, Greg Martin, says, “I am thrilled that Alpha Media recognizes the importance of its AM properties having a presence on the FM, exposing our brand to a large audience who rarely uses AM.”…..Comic and radio personality Jimmie “JJ” Walker will be sitting in for KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno midday personality Ray Appleton on December 17 and 18. Walker hosted radio programs on news/talk stations during the
1990s – including on KKAR, Omaha; WHIO, Dayton; and WOAI, San Antonio…..At Premiere Networks, Tanya Juhasz is promoted to vice president, international business development. The company reports that in her previous role as executive director, international business development, she worked to “ensure Premiere’s industry-leading properties are represented throughout the world, and thanks to her efforts, they can be heard in 47 countries from Canada to New Zealand to China.”…..Recently retired ABC News Radio White House correspondent Ann Compton is being inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame. The Winnetka, Illinois native worked more than 40 years with ABC News Radio before her September retirement.
Grand Jury Choke Hold Death Decision, Ferguson Aftermath, Amnesty Issue, 2016 Presidential Prospects, and Bill Cosby Rape Allegations Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/3). The grand jury decision not to indict a New York police officer in the choke-hold death of Eric Garner and the Justice Department’s decision to open a civil rights investigation; the ongoing aftermath of the Ferguson grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown; the issue of amnesty for illegal aliens and President Obama’s executive order; the potential candidates for president in 2016; and the fallout from renewed allegations of rape against Bill Cosby were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Monday, November 24, 2014
KFTK-FM, St. Louis’ Jamie Allman to Debut TV News Show. With the start of the New Year, KFTK-FM, St. Louis morning drive personality Jamie Allman will launch a television show to air on Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KDNL-TV, St. Louis “ABC 30.” Allman and KDNL-TV are calling the new show a “non-traditional newscast” that will “be an informative, debate-driven format focusing on the topics of the day with guest commentators and a wide social media presence. ‘The Allman Report’ will join together the power of radio and TV behind Jamie’s multiple Missouri Radio Broadcasting Awards and 15 Emmy Awards for his TV reporting.” Jeff Allen programs Emmis news/talker KFTK-FM and he comments, “We are excited about the launch of ‘The Allman Report.’ Jamie has dominated St. Louis morning radio for years now and to extend that to TV every weeknight makes perfect sense. ‘The Allman Report’ is going to be very different than what is currently available locally at 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm and Jamie will no doubt have the same impact on local TV that he has had on local radio.” KDNL general manager Tom Tipton adds, “ABC St. Louis will provide its viewers a more thorough look at the stories that impact St. Louis through in-depth viewpoints from an array of newsmakers on a local, national and international scale. No other news in St. Louis will provide the viewing public in our area this multi-platform reporting and commentary that is lacking in local news coverage.”
KGMZ, San Francisco Changes Morning Shows. Off the morning drive show at Entercom’s sports talker KGMZ, San Francisco “95.7 The Game” is Chris Townsend and in are Chad Doing, Joe Fortenbaugh and former All-Pro NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal who make up the new “Flight 957” morning drive program. Townsend will move to evenings on the station working with Zakariah on the 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm shift. Doing comes to “95.7 The Game” from his most recent post at Alpha Media’s KXTG-AM, Portland “750 The Game” where he hosted the afternoon show. Program director Jason Barrett comments, “We are changing the sound of Bay Area sports radio with the launch of this exciting new morning show. Expect “Flight 957” with Chad, Joe & Lo to deliver a fresh, irreverent, and energetic spin on sports talk. The new show is the latest example of our commitment to bringing The Game’s growing audience the best possible listening experience.”
Online Video Marketing: The Kinder Eggs Shocker. Media consultant Walter Sabo writes in a piece published in TALKERS today that the “predictive indicators for online video success are completely different than predictors for all other media.” Obviously, this is important information for anyone – be it a client buying on a video platform or a radio station using online video to promote itself – wishing to understand what makes a successful internet marketing video. You don’t need to know what Kinder Eggs are, but if you read Sabo’s column and check out the linked video, you’ll understand that how people find video content online and what makes them want to view a video are unique to the internet and require use of that knowledge for a successful marketing campaign. Read Walter Sabo’s column here.
Odds & Sods. Radio programming pro Mike Oakes joins City of Dallas-owned WRR, Dallas “Classical 101.1 FM” as program director. Oakes also currently serves as a research partner at Albright & O’Malley & Brenner. He has held numerous prior programming positions in St. Louis, Nashville, Green Bay, and most recently, three stations in Palm Springs, California including news/talk trimulcast KNWZ/KNWQ/KNWH…..WUSF Public Media announces Tracy Mitchell joins the Tampa public radio outlet as fundraising producer. Mitchell will be responsible for overseeing the station’s year-round, on-air fundraising and will guide communications aimed at encouraging the community to support public radio and television.
KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno’s Chris Daniel Wins Reagan Award. KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno afternoon drive personality Chris Daniel (pictured here) was honored recently with the 2014 Ronald Reagan Award for his work with veterans in the local community. The honor was bestowed at the 2014 Sunbird Conservatives Banquet. Local veterans advocate Charlie Waters also received the award — a large bust of President Reagan. Daniel comments, “While I felt a little uncomfortable having never served in the military, it was very nice receiving such an honor from an organization like Sunbirds.” Daniel commented to his listeners, “At an event honoring our great military, it was wonderful to receive thanks from an organization that has been so easy to support. It’s an amazing group of people who do a great job at everything they do.”
Cool Job Opportunity. Greater Media Charlotte is looking for a senior account executive to join our team of talented sales professionals and move forward with an account list of significant business. Represent legendary radio properties: News Talk 1110am/99.3fm WBT, flagship of the Carolina Panthers and WLNK, home of the nationally syndicated Bob and Sheri Show. Enjoy attractive compensation plans including high commissions, a people-centric culture built on mutual respect and the desire to succeed in the marketplace. What are we looking for in an ideal candidate? Hold proven track record with five (5) + years in media sales; possess the drive and ability to facilitate sales process through from prospecting to final close; have the knowledge and understanding of digital landscape; ability to provide marketing solutions across multiple platforms, on air, on line and on site; exercise sharp negotiation skills; maintain integrity and pride in being a full service account executive; represent WBT and WLNK with the utmost professionalism; desire to cultivate and grow new business; drive to exceed expectations; commitment to the highest standards in customer service; independent and entrepreneurial performer; excellent verbal and written communication. At Greater Media Charlotte, you will be surrounded by people who work hard, respect our products and each other within a fun, pleasant environment offering support and encouragement on a daily basis. Send your resume and a cover letter to: Director of Sales Sandra Szoke at sszoke@gmclt.com and Jessica RoBards at jrobards@gmclt.com.
Annual Book Fair Broadcast. WNDB, Daytona Beach talk show host Marc Bernier (right) is pictured here during his broadcast from the Miami BookFair International this past weekend. This is the 10th straight year that Bernier has broadcast from the largest book fair in the nation. Bernier was on the air both Saturday and Sunday. He’s pictured here with Canadian children’s author Emily Madill (left) and former White House counsel John Dean, author of, The Nixon Defense. Photo courtesy of Emily Madill.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Ed Baxter Named Midday Host at KKSF, San Francisco. Longtime market pro Ed Baxter is named the permanent 10:00 am to 1:00 pm host at iHeartMedia’s KKSF, San Francisco “Talk 910.” The Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer was a fixture on crosstown KGO for more than 30 years where he served as news anchor in both morning and afternoon drive slots. iHeartMedia San Francisco VP of programming Don Parker writes on the station’s website, “We are thrilled to add Ed Baxter to the ‘Talk 910’ lineup. Ed has a tremendous audience base from his many years on the air in the Bay Area, as well as a fantastic track record of success for advertisers. Our commitment to live and local talk throughout prime-time programming is unparalleled in the Bay, making ‘Talk 910’ San Francisco’s Talk Station.”
Jennifer Lipp to Leave KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno. Twenty-year Fresno market radio personality Jennifer Lipp is leaving her morning drive co-host role at Cumulus Media’s news/talk duo KMJ-AM and FM. The Fresno Bee reports that Lipp – who is partnered with John Broeske on the John and Jen show – and her family are moving from the area because her husband has accepted a position in Arkansas. The Philadelphia native also worked in the Fresno market at rhythmic oldies KFBT “The Beat 103.7” and rock KKBZ “The Blaze 105.1” before joining KMJ two years ago.
TALKERS Magazine to Present 2014 Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. On Friday (10/31), the editors of TALKERS magazine will present the third annual Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk – The 100 Most Important Sports Talk Radio Hosts in America. This list will rank sports talk hosts, duos or ensembles from 1 to 100, based upon a set of criteria that includes a combination of hard and soft factors. The genre of sports talk radio has evolved greatly and grown exponentially over the past 10 years to go from being a fringe format to an important sub-genre of spoken-word radio programming. With this in mind, the editors of TALKERS debuted the Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk in 2012 to acknowledge the hard-working air personalities on sports talk radio. The results of this list are, admittedly, subjective. Being true to the realities of the media business, ratings and revenue are two of the major factors – some would say they are the only factors worth considering – but the editors also took into account other qualities that help create a list that is reflective of the industry’s diversity and total flavor and still give credit where credit is due. Those qualities include: courage, effort, impact, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness. The other concrete qualification for inclusion is hosts must be working – that is, have a regularly scheduled professional show on the air at a minimum of one terrestrial or satellite radio station – at the time of publication. Look for this annual feature to be published at Talkers.com tomorrow!
Round Three of October PPM Data Released. The third of four rounds of October 2014 PPM 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 survey period was September 11 through October 8. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all of the numbers from subscribing stations here. In addition, managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Ten Takeaways” from this batch of ratings on the main page at RadioInfo.com here.
Ramping Up to Election Day. Tuesday’s mid-term elections are right around the corner and “The Wall Street Journal This Morning” went to the iconic Independence Mall in Philadelphia to gauge how Americans are feeling about the economy, their wages, their job security, and their small businesses. Host Gordon Deal and news anchor Gina Cervetti will present comments from the people they talk to during special segments of the show on Monday and Tuesday in a feature called “Voices of the Voters.”
Odds & Sods. KBET, Las Vegas talk show host Heidi Harris is honored by being profiled in the 2014 edition of the Distinguished Women in Nevada publication. Harris, a longtime Las Vegas media personality, hosts the 6:00 pm hour on KBET…..WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (who recently re-upped with the CBS RADIO news/talk outlet) is being honored in chocolate! Gertrude Hawk Chocolates will issue “The Dom Bar.” The candy will have a picture of Giordano on the label that will say, “It’s Dom Time.”…..Westwood One announces that Mary Giesen has been hired to serve as vice president, sales planning. It’s a homecoming for Giesen, who previously worked at Westwood One in several sales planning capacities. Her responsibilities this time will include strategic development of the company’s sales initiatives, including management of commercial inventory; sales data; pricing; and performance.
New Online Hindi Radio Station Offering Music and Talk Shows Targeted to America’s Growing Indian Population. A new online radio station called Mera Sangeet (www.merasangeet.com), based in the Northridge area of Los Angeles and owned by its CEO, the dynamic Indian-born actress, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist Pooja Batra, is now streaming on the web with a wide variety of Hindi music and general interest (Indian issues and pop culture) talk shows. The station’s management, which also includes noted Bollywood film-maker Anshuvijay Rode, describes its target
audience (the Indian diaspora) as “the most affluent ethnic minority in the US.” Many of the station’s impressive lineup of on-air personalities, described as “RJs” (radio jockeys) include household names and stars from India’s show business and Bollywood (cinema) scene. The business model of the fledgling operation consists of two basic entities – the national Mera Sangeet LA stream that emanates from Los Angeles with the bulk of its programming and local franchises across the US (Mera Sangeet USA). The station is offering interested and qualified parties across the country the opportunity to invest in these local franchises which would involve generating a local programming and sales component to compliment the national content provided from Los Angeles. The station is also interested in meeting with potential general investors. Interested parties can call Anshuvijay Rode in LA at 323-203-7445.
KQTH, Tucson Raises $121,000-plus for Fisher House Foundation. On Wednesday (10/29), Journal Broadcast Group news/talk KQTH-FM, Tucson held a 12-hour radiothon to raise funds to help build a Fisher House at the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care Center. During the broadcast, the station helped bring in $121,178 for the cause. Pictured here celebrating the success of the event are (from left to right): KQTH producer Shane Dunn, program director and morning host Bill White, afternoon host James T. Harris and Arizona Fisher House vice chair Rick Grinnell. Other KQTH personalities who participated in the radiothon were Jon Justice, Ben Buehler Garcia and news anchor John Harper. Stations interested in learning how to support the Fisher House Foundation which provides housing for veterans and the families of military personnel being treated at military hospitals can contact Marshall Adams at radio@fisherhouse.org.
Special Election Night Guest. Posing for a photo with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (right) is Salem Radio Network vice president/news & talk programming Tom Tradup (left). Both share a laugh over an Obama t-shirt. The two got together in advance of Tuesday night’s marathon mid-term election coverage on the network in which Cruz will play a role as one of a number of high-profile guests who will join anchor (and SRN-syndicated talk show host) Hugh Hewitt that evening.
Domestic Ebola Cases, Mid-Term Elections, Battle Against ISIS, 2016 Presidential Hopefuls, and World Series Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/29). The domestic Ebola cases and controversy surrounding quarantine policies; next Tuesday’s mid-term elections and the possibility of a majority change in the U.S. Senate; the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and the cases of Western youths joining the militant Islamic organization; the potential candidates for president in 2016; and the Royals-Giants World Series were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Talkers New York 2014 Videos Being Posted. Up Today: David Bernstein Moderates “The State of Local Talk Radio” Panel. Today (7/21) marks the fifth business day of TALKERS magazine’s video posting of speeches, sessions and presentations made during last month’s 17th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national convention – Talkers New York 2014. The presentation of these informative and historic recordings is sponsored by WYD Media Sales, LLC., the rep firm recently launched by Ron Hartenbaum and headed by John Murphy, that specializes in the advertising sales of spoken-word media on all popular platforms. The worldwide showing of these very special videos continues today with the event’s powerful “The State of Local Talk Radio” panel moderated by TALKERS general manager/broadcast operations David Bernstein. The panel – introduced by rising talk star Ethan Bearman of KSFO, San Francisco — features an array of leading local radio figures including Michael “Bax” Baxendale, morning co-host, WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA; Jerry Crowley, VP/GM Salem Communications-New York; Lee Harris, morning anchor, 1010WINS, New York; McGraw Milhaven, morning host, KTRS, St. Louis; and Larry Young, morning host, WOLB, Baltimore. The panel, described by TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey as “excellent and inspiring,” covers an array of topics including the most effective use of social media by local radio, the power of community news and human interest stories, how to cover large, diverse metropolitan areas and their suburbs, the emerging powerful relationship between local radio and newspapers, the revenue benefits of local broadcasting and the true meaning of “local” as opposed to superficial lip-service, among others. The theme of the session is summed up by Larry Young, the 18-year morning host of African American community talk station WOLB, Baltimore, who states, “The most important aspect in local radio is making sure that the constituency you serve feels that you are doing your job to keep them informed. Information is power and the more information you give them, the more apt they are to listen to you.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “Anyone who is championing the cause of local radio should not only view this amazing video, but show it to anyone willing to watch who has influence over the course radio is taking during these delicate, transitional times.” To view “The State of Local Talk Radio” please click here. Coming tomorrow: “The Talkers Awards Ceremony – Part 1 – Presentation of the Humanitarian of the Year Award” emceed by Westwood One legend Jim Bohannon and featuring the presentation of the Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service by a Radio Broadcaster by Talk Media, Inc. CEO Carole Marks to WFTL, Ft. Lauderdale personality Joyce Kaufman. The TALKERS conference videos were recorded by Art Vuolo.
KMJ-AM/FM Promotes Blake Taylor to PD. After the recent departure of Skip Essick from the program director post at Cumulus Media’s news/talk combo KMJ-FM and KMJ-AM in Fresno, APD/news director/morning news anchor Blake Taylor is promoted to the position. Taylor joined the stations in 2007 after spending five years serving as program director at KERN, Bakersfield. Cumulus EVP and COO John Dickey comments, “Blake Taylor’s news experience, digital savvy and competitive energy make him the perfect PD to bring a new generation of listeners to the legendary KMJ-AM and FM. We’re pleased that Blake continues to grow with Cumulus Media.” Taylor adds, “I’ve served as news director at KMJ for almost seven years now, and we’ve experienced some amazing growth during that time. But there are many more opportunities ahead as we continue to grow our audience while maintaining our position as the go-to breaking news station in California’s Central Valley. I look forward to taking on the challenge!”
Talent Moves at CBS RADIO’s ’92.9 The Game’ in Atlanta. After a year in morning drive at CBS RADIO’s sports talk WZGC, Atlanta “92.9 The Game,” Jason Bailey (a.k.a. Buckethead) exits the station and Marc James moves from afternoon drive to the wake-up show alongside Randy Cross. Moving in to co-host afternoons with Carl Dukes is former crosstown WQXI “790 The Zone” personality Mike Bell. Meanwhile, Bailey tells TALKERS he’s available for his next challenge. He’s repped by Paul Anderson, who can be reached at paul@workhousemedia.com. You can check out his website at: www.jasonbailey.com
Clear Channel Re-Brands Sports Talker KLSD, San Diego. Sports talk outlet KLSD, San Diego gets a makeover as the station is now “XTRA 1360 Fox Sports San Diego.” This marks a change from the station’s previous affiliation with NBC Sports Radio. As part of the changes, the station will become the local radio partner of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers airing play-by-play and broadcasting the “Chargers Power Hour Show” weekdays from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Steve Hartman returns to San Diego to host the “Loose Cannons” PM drive show with Mike Costa. For morning drive, Fox Sports Network’s Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth team up. In between, the station is airing FSRN’s Jay Mohr followed by Fox Sports Radio/DirecTV’s Dan Patrick. Evenings will include “XTRA at Night” from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm and “Fox Sports Tonight with Jason Smith” from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The changes take place today (7/21).
KABC, Los Angeles to Carry NHL’s Kings. The Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings will have a new radio home next season as Cumulus Media agrees to have news/talk KABC, Los Angeles serve as the team’s radio flagship for the next five years. The Los Angeles Times reports that the news will be made official today. The move from Clear Channel’s KEIB to KABC may fuel speculation that KABC could flip to sports in order to allow Cumulus to air the CBS Sports Radio Network on the signal. CBS Radio and Cumulus are partners in the syndication of the CBS Sports Radio Network. But it may be just that – speculation. For years rumors about a flip to sports by underperforming AM outlets have bounced around LA. Crosstown KFWB has long been part of that chatter although there’s probably little reason to believe the market needs another AM sports talker with three (KSPN, KLAC, KLAA) all hovering near a 1.0 share (Persons 6+, June 2014 PPM) or less.
Odds & Sods. Hard-working WHO, Des Moines-based talk personality Simon Conway (PM driver there) is doing double duty this week and next as he’s filling in on the morning show at Clear Channel’s WFLF, Orlando “NewsRadio 102.5” today through Wednesday and then again next Monday – all in addition to his WHO duties…..Recently retired Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly joins CBS RADIO’s sports talker WSCR, Chicago for football-related broadcasts, including co-host of the Sunday Bears pre-game show and making appearances during the week on WSCR programs…..Broadway Media is exercising an option to buy sports talk KOVO, Provo, Utah from Simmons Media. The station is chock-full of regional programming with David James and Patrick Kinahan in mornings, Jake Scott and Tony Parks from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, Hans Olsen and Scott Garrard from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, and Spence Checketts and Gordon Monson in afternoon drive. These shows are simulcast from Simmon’s KZNS-AM, Salt Lake City and KZNS-FM, Coalville. KOVO is an NBC Sports Radio affiliate.
Covering the Downing of Flight 17. Pictured here in Maidan Square in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev is ABC News Radio correspondent Aaron Katersky who continues to report from Ukraine following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Former New York Radio Host and Programmer Rob Astorino Under Fire in Gubernatorial Race for Townsquare Media Consulting Income. Before leaving the radio business full time to run for public office – he’s now the Westchester County Executive – Republican Rob Astorino worked at WFAS, Westchester hosting a sports talk show and also worked at ESPN Radio New York where he was part of the team that transitioned WEVD to sports as WEPN. Astorino is running for governor and incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign is making a deal about Astorino’s side job in which he collects $30,000 to consult Townsquare Media. According to a piece in the New York Daily News, the governor’s campaign is contending Astorino is violating the Westchester County charter by accepting outside income but Astorino’s camp states the money he earns is not in violation of county rules. Townsquare VP Alex Berkett tells the Daily News, “Mr. Astorino serves as one of a number of programming consultants that work with Townsquare Media. This role allows Townsquare to benefit from Mr. Astorino’s considerable professional expertise in radio programming.” Read the whole Daily News piece here.
Clear Channel Announces Corporate Additions and Promotions. From Clear Channel president national programming platforms Tom Poleman comes news that former Clear Channel programming executive Marc Chase has rejoined the company. Chase will serve in the national programming platforms division as VP/strategic services, marketing & innovation. Chase worked with Tribune during the Randy Michaels years and most recently was with Nuvoodoo. Other moves at CC include Darren Pfeffer being promoted to senior VP/music & entertainment marketing where he’ll continue to be in charge of CC’s promotions and events, including the iHeartradio Music Festival, the iHeartradio Jingle Ball Tour and the iHeartradio Country Festival. Also promoted are Marissa Morris and Adellyn Polomski who are VP/artist relations and director of artist relations & programs, respectively. At the same time as these announcements comes news that Zena Burns is exiting her position as the company’s first digital program director to pursue other interests.
Skip Essick Exits Cumulus Media’s KMJ-AM and KMJ-FM. For the past seven years, radio programming pro Skip Essick has been serving as PD at KMJ-AM and KMJ-FM in Fresno. Essick oversaw the splitting of the two stations into separate news/talk stations while they were owned by Peak Broadcasting. Last August, Townsquare Media agreed to purchase the stations from Peak and proceeded to sell them to Cumulus Media as part of a deal that saw Townsquare get Cumulus’ Dubuque and Poughkeepsie stations.
Schwartz Joins Yahoo! Sports as EVP Corporate Strategy. This is a newly created position at the Houston-based Yahoo! Sports Radio and the company’s CEO, David Gow, says the arrival of Jeffrey Schwartz “will provide unmatched opportunities for our affiliate and advertising partners to thrive.” Schwartz is charged with overseeing “business growth and partnerships, in addition to working with
management to advance programming strategy, multi-platform marketing and promotional opportunities, and affiliate and talent relations.” Schwartz comments, “I look forward to working with the Yahoo! Sports Radio team and the quality sports product they have developed to enhance the brand, as well as opportunities for our partners. Yahoo! Sports, one of the top sports sites in the world, will be a great asset to our strategic plans.” Schwartz’s experience includes serving as manager of sales and promotion at classic rock WLUP-FM, Chicago “The Loop,” director of operations at sports talk WSCR, Chicago “The Score,” and director of operations at WMVP, Chicago “ESPN 1000.” Concurrent with Schwartz’s arrival, the company announces Amanda Deutchman joins in the new position of director, marketing and business development. She most recently was marketing and communications manager for Premiere Networks’ Fox Sports Radio Network.
Simons New PM Anchor at KXL, Portland. Joining co-anchor Val Stouffer at Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM, Portland “FM NEWS 101” for the “Portland’s Afternoon News” program is Joe Simons. He joined KXL last year as a weekend morning news anchor. Simons previously served as the voice of the University of Idaho Women’s Basketball team for two seasons and hosted TV and radio shows in Idaho while also serving as a field reporter for KQQQ, Pullman, Washington. Simons says of his new gig, “I’m thrilled to be part of the incredible team at KXL. The amount of experience and talent our staff has is second to none. I hope to bring my unique perspective and enthusiasm to ‘Portland’s Afternoon News.’”
Kevin Jackson Joins WBOK, New Orleans. Conservative media personality Kevin Jackson – executive director of The Black Sphere LLC – joins the daily lineup at Bakewell Media-owned urban talk/gospel-formatted WBOK, New Orleans. Jackson has been producing a program that airs on weekends on Salem Communications-owned Florida outlets WGUL, Tampa and WLSS, Sarasota. Now his show will air nightly after the Al Sharpton program. Jackson says, “I’m happy to follow Al Sharpton, because there couldn’t be a bigger difference in thought. I believe black stations need to allow their listeners varying points of view, and I’m excited about the opportunity to have a predominantly black audience compare my viewpoint to Sharpton and Martin.”
Round Four of June PPM Data Released. The fourth and final round of June 2014 PPM data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Austin, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Providence, Raleigh, Norfolk, Nashville, Greensboro, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Memphis, and Hartford. The survey period was May 22 through June 18. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all of the numbers from subscribing stations here. In addition, managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Ten Takeaways” from this batch of ratings on the main page of RadioInfo.com here.
Horizon Broadcasting Re-Launches Local News and Information Site. What the company calls “the region’s most comprehensive website for local news and community information” – MyCentralOregon.com – has been re-launched by Horizon Broadcasting Group. The company owns five stations in the Central Oregon region and operates 
news/talk KBNW via an LMA with station owner SummitMedia. Horizon CEO Keith Shipman says, “We are excited to provide Central Oregon residents with a reliable option for real-time local news and community information. We found that over 90% of our past visitors to the site were primarily interested in viewing local and national news content, which is where we will place our emphasis. Local weather forecasts are a prime driver and we will rely on the expertise of AccuWeather to provide forecasts for communities throughout Central Oregon, complete with a 5 day outlooks and satellite radar images. Visitors to MyCentralOregon.com will find breaking local news from the KBNW news team featuring Glenn Vaagen and Kellen Pierce. Our national, international, political, entertainment, health and business news content will be robust thanks to our alliances with ABC News and The Wall Street Journal. Visitors will also be able to get the latest traffic information, including mountain pass conditions, road reports featuring cameras from the Oregon Department of Transportation, school closures and the latest gas prices throughout Central Oregon.”
Odds & Sods. When the 25th Annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament begins this week, NBC Sports Radio Network will broadcast live from Edgewood and Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. The Westwood One/NBC Sports Group-run networks will broadcast its sports talk shows from the site on Thursday, Friday and throughout the weekend…..KSCO, Santa Cruz announces the addition of the “Wagner & Winick On the Law” program to the station’s weekend lineup. Monterey College of Law Dean Mitchel Winick and Law Professor Stephen Wagner began hosting the weekly, one-hour radio program last Saturday, July 12…..AL.com reports that South Alabama sports is moving from longtime home Dot Com Plus LLC-owned WNSP-FM, Mobile to Clear Channel’s Mobile station group where Jaguar football games will air on adult contemporary WMXC while Men’s Basketball and Baseball will air on news/talk WNTM.
Spartanburg-Greenville Personality Bill Drake Dies at 73. South Carolina radio personality Bill Drake died on July 11 from complications after successful surgery to treat esophageal cancer. Although Drake also worked in Green Bay and Milwaukee during his career, he spent 29 years as morning host at WSPA, Spartanburg and then did mornings at WOLT-FM for seven years. His “Awake with Drake” program was last heard on WOLI, Spartanburg.
Albany Broadcaster Bob Ausfeld Passes Away. After years of heart troubles that required longtime Albany broadcaster Bob Ausfeld to have a heart pump implanted, Ausfeld went into surgery last week after a donor heart became available. Ausfeld did not survive the recovery from the surgery and died over the weekend. Ausfeld began his broadcasting career in the market at WPTR. He worked for Townsquare Media through 2011 and joined Albany Broadcasting as general manager for the company.
De la Hoya Visits Marc Hochman Show. WQAM, Miami afternoon drive host Marc Hochman (center), and co-host Zach Krantz (right), pose for a pic with fight promoter and Hall of Fame boxer Oscar de la Hoya (left) in Las Vegas. Hochman brought his show to Las Vegas for a special broadcast last week in anticipation of the Canelo vs. Lara fight at the MGM Grand.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Dan Mandis Hosts Early Afternoon Show at WWTN, Nashville. Talk radio pro Dan Mandis is the new 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm personality at Cumulus Media’s WWTN, Nashville “SuperTalk 99.7.” Mandis, who spent years as executive producer of the Dr. Laura Program, has most recently been programming such talk radio outlets as Clear Channel’s KHOW and KKZN in Denver and Federated Media’s WOWO, Fort Wayne. He also hosted the
Saturday morning show on KOA, Denver. With Mandis’ arrival at “SuperTalk 99.7,” the station is now live and local from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm. He’ll follow morning host Ralph Bristol and late morning personality Michael DelGiorno while leading into PM drive host Phil Valentine. WWTN program director Brian Wilson states, “We think Dan’s view of the world is just familiar enough to be comfortable for our audience and at the same time just different enough that he’ll make a lot of people stop and think twice about the disease behind the symptoms. As the fourth leg to the table, we think all our core shows will complement each other. The effect is that the whole will be greater than the sum of the parts.” Mandis comments, “There are so many reasons to be excited about this opportunity. Being part of an amazing talk radio station on FM is one, and living in a great city like Nashville is another. I honestly can’t wait to get started.”
‘PowerTalk 96.7’ Fresno Host Bill Manders Receives Kidney from Teen Suicide Victim. Afternoon drive personality Bill Manders returned to his show on Clear Channel’s news/talk duo KALZ and KRZR in Fresno after kidney transplant surgery three weeks ago. According to local TV station KFSN, Manders received a kidney from a local teen who had just committed suicide. It turns out 17-year-old Lexi Morris’ father Jason is a regular listener to Manders’ program and made the unusual request that Manders receive his daughter’s kidney. As the story notes, this is not the usual procedure but the kidney was a perfect match. Manders tells the TV station, “I was in tears when I heard her story, but I would rather concentrate on the plusses in her life. She was smart, athletic, she has a great family, and I know she’s there looking down on me, so I’ve got to honor her.” Read the whole story here.
Marc Hochman Officially Signs with Beasley to Host PM Drive on WQAM, Miami. Nothing is ever official until the contract is signed but Marc Hochman’s departure from Lincoln Financial Media’s crosstown WAXY last fall with the intent on sitting out his non-compete and landing in PM drive at WQAM was one of radio’s worst-kept secrets. As soon as it was legal (at 12:01 am on 4/1), Hochman (second from left) inked a pact with WQAM to begin his run as the station’s afternoon personality. The new Marc Hochman show will also feature Zach Krantz (right), former Miami Dolphins cheerleader Sha Tabb (second from right), and longtime WQAM producer Victor Bermudez (left). WQAM program director Andy King says, “Marc is an incredible talent and one of the most creative minds in radio. His ability to blend sports, pop culture and humor into an entertaining show has led him to tremendous success throughout his career and I’m excited for him to continue that success here at 560 WQAM.” Hochman adds, “I am the quintessential ‘radio nerd,’ so the opportunity for me to host an afternoon drive show on the most legendary sports talk station in Miami was one that I couldn’t pass up. When I first moved to Miami in 1987, I listened to WQAM all the time. Now, a little over 25 years later, I’ll be sitting behind that microphone, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!” The station also announces that one of the most legendary voices in South Florida sports history, Howard Schnellenberger, has signed on as the imaging voice of the Marc Hochman show. All the show intros and production will be voiced by Schnellenberger.
Melanie Morgan Returns to Radio in Santa Rosa. Long time Bay Area news radio and talk radio pro Melanie Morgan (formerly with Cumulus Media’s KGO and KSFO, San Francisco and, for a time, with TRN’s “America’s 
Morning News”) joined Sonoma Media Group-owned KSRO, Santa Rosa, California as news director and morning anchor. She began her news director duties yesterday (3/31) and starts on-air next Monday (4/7). Melanie replaces a heritage morning news anchor, David Wesley Page, who retired from radio about a month ago after nearly 30 years on the KSRO morning news. Morgan is married to former longtime KGO program director Jack Swanson.
Brian Mitchell and Scott Jackson Re-Up with WTEM, Washington. Two of Doc Walker’s co-hosts on Red Zebra Broadcasting’s WTEM, Washington “ESPN980” are in the fold for another three years. The company
announces that Brian Mitchell and Scott Jackson have extended their contracts with the station, keeping them on the “Inside the Locker Room” with Walker through 2017. The mid-afternoon show teams former Washington Redskins Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell along with veteran talk show host Scott Jackson. Mitchell has been a part of the “ESPN980” family for five years. Brian also is a contributing member of the Washington Redskins Radio Network, offering analysis pre-game, post-game and during halftime. Jackson has worked at WTEM for nine years and will serve in many additional roles, including hosting “Redskins Recap,” Mondays after Washington Redskins games and as the station’s lead NBA analyst. Vice president of programming Chuck Sapienza says, “’Inside the Locker Room’ has been a ratings success. To have all three guys under contract for the next few years makes our station stronger. Doc, B-Mitch and Jack have so much fun on the air, you can’t help but laugh along with them while listening.”
Business Rockstars Radio Affiliates with CRN Digital Talk Radio. This week “Business Rockstars Radio,” hosted by Ken Rutkowski began an affiliation relationship with CRN Digital Talk Radio. The program that features “Rockstar” CEOs, entrepreneurs, and start-ups targeting the 30 million “Wantrepreneurs” in the U.S., joins CRN’s integrated audio platform combining television, radio and social media. CRN Digital Talk Radio CEO Mike Horn says, “We’re thrilled about our new partnership with ‘Business Rockstars Radio,’ a show with such compelling content, we’ve decided to air it three different times across our platform. ‘Business Rockstars Radio’ is the only 
national entrepreneurial radio show that brings in ‘Rockstar’ CEOs and entrepreneurs combined with the magic of Ken Rutkowki’s talent and continuing with each guest on the show. We are also excited to partner with the legendary Steve Lehman, a name synonymous with cutting-edge talk radio.” Lehman adds, “We’re excited to expand the Business Rockstars Radio footprint by joining Mike Horn’s renowned CRN Digital Talk Radio Network. This new alliance will add an additional 11 million television households across the U.S. to the Business Rockstars Radio Network, allowing us to reach more ‘Wantrepreneurs’ with fun, fast-paced, and compelling content about growing, starting, and funding businesses.” Business Rockstars Radio guests include some of the biggest CEOs and entrepreneurs daily, including: Nolan Bushnell (Atari and Chuck E. Cheese Founder), Akon (musician and entrepreneur), Daymond John (Host of ABC’s “Shark Tank”), Cheryl Tiegs (model, actress and entrepreneur), Thom Beers (CEO of Freemantle Media), Scott Painter (Founder and CEO of TruCar) and many others.
Sports Talk Post-Super Bowl. The American sports (and money!) juggernaut that is the National Football League plays a huge role in the success of sports talk radio in America. Not to disparage the MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA, but it’s clearly the most successful and popular league in professional sports in America. So, what effect does the end of the NFL’s season the first weekend in February have on sports talk stations? TALKERS managing editor and West Coast bureau chief Mike Kinosian takes an in-depth look at sports talk radio’s performance in PPM markets leading up to the Super Bowl and in the month that follows. Check out his report here.
McHale Named VP/CTO for Journal Broadcast Group. The Milwaukee-based company announces Brian McHale is its new vice president and chief technology officer, overseeing “the leadership, management, implementation and long-term planning of the company’s technical and physical infrastructure across its 13 television stations and 35 radio stations in 11 states.” Journal Broadcast Group also says McHale will “ensure the efficient and on-schedule delivery of media content, identify emerging technologies and how to profitably deploy them, and work closely with Journal’s leadership team to develop the company’s operational and strategic direction.” McHale comes to Journal from Seattle’s Fisher Communications where he was vice president of technology.
How to Help Your Remote Guests Shine. Radio is a busy business and sometimes hosts must process guests with a level of assembly-line speed that doesn’t always allow for the kind of attention to detail that can make the difference between a quality broadcast and a tune-out. Many interviews on radio sound like there was no forethought to audio quality. And many guests sound like they were thrown into an unfamiliar situation with no preparation. In a very helpful, extensive advice piece posted today (4/1) Genesis Communications Network (GCN) talk show host Michael W. Dean (“The Freedom Feens” and “Michael Dean After Dark”) offers advice on how to maximize the quality of your remote guests covering everything from programming content to technical delivery in today’s frenzied radio environment. To read it in its entirety, please click here.
ObamaCare Criticism, Russian Aggression, North and South Korean Tensions, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Discrepancies, Global Warming, and “Noah” Criticism Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/31). Scrutiny of the rollout and effects of the Affordable Care Act; the international implications of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and Eastern Europe and President Obama’s dealings with Vladimir Putin; heating tensions between North and South Korea; conflicting information from the Malaysian government about the disappearance of Flight 370; renewed debate about global climate change; and criticism of the new film “Noah” were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Still More Positive News/Talk Radio Stories. For the past several days, TALKERS magazine has been writing about some of the individual success stories of news/talk stations that are performing well or even enjoying a ratings bounce during a time when the mainstream media (and some of the trades) are presenting the idea that news/talk radio is dead, dying or, at the very least, suffering from some malady. TALKERS editors believe this too-broad approach to describing the state of a whole radio format that’s heard across an entire continent is detrimental to the industry. And apparently many of the industry’s practitioners agree as we are being besieged with accounts of success from PDs, talent and
anonymous station staffers (who want to keep a low profile). Cumulus Media’s KKOB, Albuquerque has long been a ratings-getter in the market and program director Pat Frisch tells TALKERS things are going particularly well for new PM drive host Scott Stiegler. “He is #1 Persons 25-54 in afternoon drive. It took Stig 
just six months to take the afternoon show from 8th to 1st in Persons 25-54. They are also listening to the Stig show an hour longer a week than they were six months ago in the key demo.” Frisch also commends Premiere Networks’ Rush Limbaugh for his recent success. “The rock of the station, Rush, is #1 Persons 25-54 and they are listening an hour longer per week to Rush in the key demo, as well. Conservative talk still works and works well if you are a true conservative and stick to your principals.” At NRG Media’s KOIL, Omaha, talk radio pro Tom Becka says his story – exiting crosstown KFAB, doing a year in Fargo, and returning to the market on KOIL – is indicative of how success can be achieved without headline-grabbing stats. “We hit our sales quota for the year two months ago and I am beating or competitive with KFAB in my time slot in the demo. Advertisers that are looking ahead to 2014 are putting us in their mix when we were a non-issue at this time last 
year. I don’t have to beat (Clear Channel’s) KFAB to win. But it is good to know that good local programming that responds to the needs of the listeners still wins.” Reports from KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno (a Peak station soon to be owned by Cumulus Media) indicate the station’s efforts to rebuild its programming after losing Premiere shows to Clear Channel’s new crosstown news/talker have worked in “retaining format leadership in the Fresno market.” Finally, TALKERS is getting reports that the Cox Media Group–WestwoodOne effort syndicating Herman Cain is getting good traction and results. The WSB-AM, Atlanta-based Cain is #5 in that market with Men 25-54 (6.1 share); #1 at WHIO, Dayton with Men 25-54 (10 share); and #3 with Men 18-49 at KRMG, Tulsa (8.1 share). Thanks to all the folks who’ve reported positive news/talk stories over the past few days. We look forward to hearing – and reporting – more of them in the future! For those attending the Talkers Los Angeles 2013 conference at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood next Thursday, this will be one of the focal points of the event.
WQAM, Miami Names Andy King PD; Channing Crowder and Brandon Guzio to PM Drive. Beasley Broadcast Group’s Miami sports talker WQAM fills the afternoon drive slot and program director position that had been open since Jorge Sedano left to join ESPN. The station ups APD Andy King to PD. 
King started at WQAM in 2005 as producer of the Dan Le Batard show, eventually became executive producer of the Jorge Sedano show and took the position of assistant program director in May 2012. WQAM reports that in King’s first 
year there, he helped the station grow nearly a full share point in the coveted Men 25-54 target audience. The new permanent PM drive program is the Channing Crowder show featuring the former University of Florida and Miami Dolphins star along with co-host Brandon Guzio. Crowder began his radio career with WQAM while still playing professional football and joined the station full time in October 2012 as co-host of the “Kup & Crowder” show. Guzio joined the station’s Jorge Sedano show in 2013 and is also currently the host of “The Post Game Show” following every Miami Dolphins game. With Crowder moving to afternoons, longtime WQAM personality Captain Curtis Stevenson joins Adam Kuperstein for the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm “Kup & Curtis” show.
Prime Opportunity for Conservative Talker in Seattle. As Bonneville’s conservative talk outlet KTTH, Seattle celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, program director Jason Antebi tells TALKERS he is preparing to add another local talk show to the station’s lineup. Antebi says, “The station has been sharpening its vision – who do we want to talk to, what do we talk about and what unique value can we provide to our listeners? We are passionate about our beliefs, yet we also want to move the community conversation forward in a meaningful way and make a difference where we live and work. I’m lucky to work at a company like Bonneville where we’re able to truly provide a place to passionately advocate for traditional American values (like freedom, community, and personal responsibility) without having to be a bomb-thrower.” Antebi says he’ll be looking for “talk show hosts who feel they have what it takes to stay on top of breaking news with insightful, civil and forward-thinking analysis and constructive conversation.” Those interested in learning more about the position should contact him at jantebi@bonneville.com.
Progressive Talk Radio to Return to Portland on New FM. KXRY, Portland (HERP of 8 watts at 91.1 MHz) is currently dark but owned by not-for-profit Common Frequency, Inc. and is expected to go on the air as a non-commercial station in the near future with a progressive talk and music hybrid format. Writing on BlueOregon.com, Carla Axtman says the goal of
“XRAY.FM” is to fill the gap left by the demise of former progressive talker KPOJ. It plans to air former KPOJ AM drive host Carl Wolfson (who is running his own internet station) as well as WYD Media’s Thom Hartman, who made Portland his home base for a number of years. Axtman also writes, “Why the sudden audio activism? October 2013 marks the only opening for new independent radio licenses granted by the FCC – a one-week window after a 15-year battle. Congress has allowed commercial radio stations to snatch up nearly all available frequencies (and the ears of billions of listeners) for a long time. This is XRAY.FM’s chance to bring Thom Hartmann, Carl Wolfson and the music of independent artists back to your local dial. XRAY.FM is partnering with community organizations around Oregon to make sure that the whole state can enjoy the sweet sounds of progressive radio once again.”
Odds & Sods. The Los Angeles Lakers and ESPN agree to extend the club’s relationship with KSPN, Los Angeles “ESPNLA” for another seven years with the station airing Lakers play-by-play through the 2019-2020 season. John Ireland and Mychal Thompson will continue to call the games…..WBBM-AM and WCFS, Chicago part-time anchor and reporter Brandis Friedman leaves CBS Radio to join public television station WTTW-TV, Chicago as a full-time correspondent for the “Chicago Tonight Program,” according to Chicago media writer Robert Feder…..Dave Rutherford begins contributing daily commentaries to Rogers’ CFFR, Calgary. Rutherford exited Corus’ crosstown CHQR where he hosted a talk show prior to the expiration of his contract after he criticized that station’s coverage of the flooding in Alberta in June.
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. Cumulus Media Networks’ Mark Levin show becomes part of the programming at WEZO, Augusta, Gerogia; KVML, Sonora, California; and WLVA, Roanoke, Virginia…..Cumulus’ Mike Huckabee is added at WGDJ, Albany; KVRC, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; and WBKK, Wilton, Minnesota…..The Wall Street Journal Radio Network’s “The Wall Street Journal This Morning” is added to the lineup at KOKC, Oklahoma City and KJCE, Austin. Additionally, KFAQ, Tulsa expands its carriage of the show to 4:00 am to 6:00 am…..GCN’s “The Freedom Feens” with Michael W. Dean and Neema Vedadi is added to the program schedule at WSZL, Barstow, Californnia…..“Armed American Radio” with Mark Walters joins the programming at WGTK, Louisville, Kentucky.
Jennifer Hudson on ABC News Radio. Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson (right) sits down with ABC News Radio’s Joi-Marie McKenzie (left) to discuss her latest movie “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete” which hits theaters on October 11.
Government Shutdown Tops Talkers TenTM. The shutdown of the federal government and the political battle to re-open was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week of September 30 – October 4. Coming in at #2 this week was the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. At #3 was U.S.-Iran relations and at #4 was the IPCC’s climate change report. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS and is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s entire chart here.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Seven AEs Sue Clear Channel Claiming Civil Rights Violations. In a suit filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana by seven current and former AEs working at Clear Channel’s New Orleans stations, the group charges that after the economic downturn of 2008, accounts were redistributed at a meeting in Gonzales, Louisiana in February of 2009 in such a way that helped ease the financial hit Caucasian AEs were taking through the redistribution. The complaint alleges many of the redistributed accounts had been built up by African American AEs. The complaint – filed jointly by Wil Watson, Gary Watson, Prixie Montgomery, Ave Gaines, Darnetta Mahaffy-Nelson, Dinah Campbell, and Brandin Campbell – details salaries before and after the redistribution and concludes, “As a result of the redistribution of accounts, whether intentional or negligent, African-American account executives were disparately, and negatively, impacted, to their severe economic detriment as compared to their Caucasian counterparts…Overall, African-American account executives lost on average more than 40% of their 2008 income in 2008-9. On information and belief Caucasian account executives lost no more that about 15% of their 2008 income, on average, during the same period of time.” Three of the seven were fired, they allege, after complaining about the practices. The seven seek relief, punitive damages, general damages, attorneys’ fees and statutory remedies.
It’s Official: Kevin Graham Named Brand Manager at WEEI, Boston. As rumored late last week, sports talk programmer and personality Kevin Graham is leaving his PD and co-host role at Cumulus Media’s KFNZ, Salt Lake City “1320 KFAN” to become brand manager at Entercom’s WEEI. According to his bio on the KFNZ website, Graham was one of the architects of KFNZ as the station was built in 1996. He’s worked as programmer at KTAR-AM, Phoenix; WXYT, Detroit and other sports talk outlets. In addition to programming KFNZ, Graham co-hosts the “Gunther & Graham” PM drive show with Kyle Gunther. Graham has extensive experience in the digital sports arena assisting in building 
ArizonaSports.com in Phoenix and as the founder/editor of SportsMashup.com. He’ll begin work at WEEI in September, taking over for longtime programmer Jason Wolfe. Entercom Boston GM Jeff Brown states, “WEEI is more than a radio station; it is an entire sports ecosystem. From our on-air talent to Red Sox play-by-play to WEEI.com, where we had 1.4 million unique visitors just last month, WEEI is a more complete sports brand than ever before. We are thrilled to announce today that Kevin Graham will lead WEEI as our new brand manager. His background both in front of and behind the mic, along with his years of digital sports experience made him the best choice to lead WEEI. Kevin will bring a fresh perspective to the entire WEEI team and our complete package of digital sports assets.” Speaking about his new gig, Graham comments, “I am honored and excited to join the WEEI team. WEEI is one of the most recognizable and powerful sports radio brands in the country. With great resources, amazing talent, and one of the best digital brands in sports, the sky is the limit. I can’t wait to get started, especially with the Red Sox in the midst of such a great season.”
“The State of News/Talk/Sports Programming” Panel Set for Talkers Los Angeles 2013. A diverse and powerful panel of front-line programmers has been set for Talkers Los Angeles 2013 that will explore the major issues of programming within the present-day news/talk/sports realm. Participating panelists include (in alphabetical order): Robin Bertolucci, PD, KFI/KTLK, Los Angeles; Skip Essick, PD, KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno; Andy Ludlum, director of news programming, KNX/KFWB, Los Angeles; Don Martin, senior VP sports programming, Fox Sports Radio/Clear Channel Media & Entertainment; Chuck Tyler, PD, KRLA/KKLA, Los Angeles; and Bill White, PD, KQTH-FM/KFFN-AM/FM, Tucson. The panel will be moderated by TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey who states, “This will be a fast-moving discussion that will really capture the flavor of today’s talk radio programming scene and do so with a solid Western states perspective – which makes this California edition of our two-part national conference so valuable. It will present a diverse array of formats including news/talk, all-news, and sports talk, as well as company types ranging in size and varied styles of corporate culture.” This third annual installment of TALKERS magazine’s West Coast convention is set for Thursday, October 10 and is already shaping up to be a blockbuster. The gathering is closing in on being an advance sellout some six weeks before the event so it is advisable for media professionals interested in attending to register now. It is again being presented in association with the Los Angeles Press Club and held at the historic Steve Allen Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. Registrations – $149 per person – can only be taken over the phone. For sponsorship information or to register, call 413-565-5413. More agenda details coming in the immediate days ahead.
New Jersey’s WCTC, New Brunswick Makes Big Local Moves. Saying “there is a thirst for local content in this market,” WCTC, New Brunswick “The Voice of Central New Jersey” PD Bert Baron announces that the longtime news/talk station will debut a new and completely revamped on-air lineup starting Monday, August 26. The Greater Media-owned station is making mass changes to its weekday programming, moving Baron from his two-hour
afternoon slot to morning drive, where he will host “Jersey Central with Bert Baron” from 6:00 am to 9:00 am. Baron says his show will include “everything you need to know in New Jersey – news, sports, events, entertainment, politics, lifestyle, traffic and weather.” Following Baron will be the Courtside Entertainment-syndicated Laura Ingraham, who moves up one hour from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. From 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, WCTC will carry “The Tommy G Show,” the first time a terrestrial radio station will simulcast a daily internet radio show in New Jersey. “Tommy G is very unique and brings a Jersey angle to what is happening here. He’s a radio name with a great presence in the market. He gets Jersey,” says Baron. Tommy G, who was also named to this year’s TALKERS magazine Frontier 50 – A Selection of Outstanding Talk Media Webcasters – 
tells TALKERS his show is “all about New Jersey and what Jerseyans are talking about,” and says his show could change the face of local talk radio. “I’m introducing ‘syndi-local’ to talk radio and consulting others on the process, showing that
companies can save money while talent can build their own business and brands. It’s a win-win,” says Tommy G, who will be joined on Mondays by the New York Times best-selling author of “The Soprano State,” Bob Ingle. Following Tommy G and replacing the syndicated Mancow is another new show hosted by longtime New York metro area talent Steve Malzberg. Malzberg’s show is syndicated by Newsmax, and will be carried live from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Says Baron, “Steve is a name in the area,” and despite being a national show, it’s expected Malzberg will discuss “a fair amount of local and regional news and topics.” From 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, WCTC, which is the flagship 
station for Rutgers University sports, debuts “BTN Live,” a sports talk show about the Big Ten, the NCAA conference Rutgers begins competing in this fall. Baron, who along with Tommy G, is well known for his community involvement, says he believes the changes are not only necessary but that stations must embrace how local content will make them stronger. “We will be much more local in our approach to serving our listeners – from our shows to remote (broadcasts) and our community involvement. For us it will be cost effective. We will make noise in the radio landscape.”
Todd Feinburg Subs in Boston and Louisville. Boston-based talk show host Todd Feinburg is filling in for WBZ-AM, Boston’s Dan Rea on the evening program tonight and tomorrow (8-22/23). Next week he’ll be heard 829 miles away on Clear Channel’s WHAS, Louisville sitting in hosting the 9:00 am to 12:00 noon slot on both Thursday and Friday, August 29 and 30. The multi-faceted Feinburg spent many years working full time at Entercom’s WRKO, Boston.
WIP-FM, Philadelphia Announces Howie Roseman Show. CBS Radio sports talk outlet “SportsRadio 94 WIP” is announcing Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will make weekly appearances on the afternoon drive show with Anthony Gargano – accompanied by Eagles play-by-play voice Merrill Reese – every Monday from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm live at Chickie’s and Pete’s in South Philadelphia. The station states, “In addition to discussing each week’s game with Gargano and Reese, Roseman will take calls and talk with fans on site at Chickie’s and Pete’s. The show is the first of its kind. It is the only live weekly interactive radio show with an NFL general manager. The show, sponsored by Miller Lite, can be heard live on 94WIP, online at www.cbsphilly.com and via the Radio.com application for a variety of mobile devices. The show will debut on Tuesday, September 3 due to the Labor Day holiday and be heard on Tuesday, September 10 due to the Eagles-Redskins Monday Night Football debut on September 9. From 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm a leading Eagles player will join the show each week.
Hangin’ with Mike Tyson. Fox Sports Radio Network nationally syndicated host Jay Mohr (l) poses for a shot with former boxer Mike Tyson (r) in the Fox Sports Radio studios in Los Angeles. Tyson visited Mohr’s program to talk about his life after boxing, being a dad and much more. They also chatted about a recent run-in at a frozen yogurt shop, as well as Tyson’s upcoming FOX Sports 1 cable TV show, “Being Mike Tyson.”
Country Act The Lost Trailers Cuts Custom Theme Music for Dial Global’s “Sunday Night Football.” The theme music to Dial Global’s “Sunday Night Footbal” this season is a tweaked version of The Lost Trailers’ single “It’s Goin’ Down Tonight” that features football highlights, sound bites and customized lyrics. The company announces, “The new theme music, performed by The Lost Trailers and powered by Early Shares Music, will debut during the first regular season NFL broadcast on Thursday, September 5 which kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET. The highly anticipated season opener between the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos will feature Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason behind the microphones.” The band’s founding member Stokes Nielson states, “We are truly excited to be a part of the NFL broadcasts on Dial Global. We are huge sports fans and we can’t wait to help the announcers kick off every Sunday night game, because it’s goin’ down tonight, every Sunday night, all over America!” The band previously collaborated with Dial Global Sports, customizing their top 10 single “Holler Back” for the network’s opening montage in Super Bowl XLIII.
Bradley Manning Verdict/Gender Issues, OK Thrill Kill Case, Averted Georgia School Shooting, NSA Surveillance Program, U.S.-Egypt Tensions, Syria Chemical Weapons Allegations and ObamaCare Implementation Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/21). The 35-year sentence handed to Bradley Manning and his desire to begin gender change procedures; the case of three Oklahoma teens suspected of slaying Australian college baseball player Christopher Lane; a Georgia School staffer talks an armed man out of firing and averts a tragedy; the scope of the NSA surveillance program; the U.S. policy regarding Egypt; allegations Syria is using chemical weapons against citizens; and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Industry Mourns Death of Dr. Joyce Brothers. Before there was a Dr. Laura Schlessinger or a Dr. Joy Browne on the radio and in talk media, there was a Dr. Joyce Brothers. Named by TALKERS magazine as the 72nd most important radio talk show host of all time (“Heaviest Hundred”), Joyce Bauer Brothers, the mother of media psychology, died yesterday at the age of 85 surrounded by her family. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Dr. Joyce Brothers exploded into the public conscience in 1955 after appearing on the TV game show “The $64,000 Question,” the most popular program at the time. She was the second person to ever win the entire payment and she was the first woman. Those qualities alone may have made her an instant celebrity, but add into the mix this unexpected element: she answered obscure questions on the subject of boxing while pitted up against boxers. After that, she landed an opportunity to do commentary for CBS Sports during a boxing match between Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson. Thus began her television career. By 1958, Dr. Brothers was hosting a new kind of television talk show – one where she took mailed-in questions from viewers on the subjects of love, marriage, childrearing, and sex. It was that last subject during an innocent era of the late 1950s which summoned the NBC executives into the control room one day. They sweated through her response to a question about premature ejaculation and then waited for the calls to come in – calls of complaints. In the book Making Waves, the 50 Greatest Women in Radio and Television, Dr. Brothers says, “Their white faces drained of blood, and they were waiting for phone calls of complaints and horror.” Sure enough the calls did come in – but “were all positive – men saying ‘This is something I’ve had all my life and you’ve helped me.’” There was not one complaint among them, she recalled. And from that point forward, “I went on my own way and I was on my own way,” a path that lasted decades during which she was often cited as one of the most admired women in America. Her ability to take private issues public with genuine compassion, grace and intelligence — and never embarrass or offend someone – was the key to her connection to the viewer and listener. The only topic she declined to ever discuss? “Mental illness,” she once explained. “I am not trying to do therapy on the air. If I think there is even a possibility that people need therapy, I suggest they seek professional help.” Though her media career began in television, she made a significant foray into radio on NBC Radio/Westwood One and is widely credited with spearheading the call-in psychology shows that became a traditional genre of talk radio. Over the years, she appeared frequently as a guest on talk shows such as “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” Dr. Brothers also landed numerous television roles – many of which were comedic cameo appearances on sitcoms and even ended up in an animated version of herself on “The Simpsons.” She was the author of nine books including most recently Widow, in which she dispenses advice to women who have lost a husband (hers died in 1989). Her articles have appeared in Readers’ Digest, Good Housekeeping and Parade. Born to attorney-parents who worked together in their own law practice, Dr. Brothers grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. She credits her off-the-charts memory for her ability to cite details for things she only read once. Not only did she skip two grades in high school, but then she went on to graduate with honors. After winning a scholarship to Cornell University where she was forced to major in Home Economics (to retain the scholarship), she discovered psychology and achieved a double-major. She went on to get her doctorate at Columbia University. Dr. Brothers married medical student Milton Brothers in 1949 and left a teaching position in 1955 at Hunter College in New York City to be a stay-at-home mother for her newborn daughter. It was when their money got tight that Dr. Brothers hoped to take home the prize from “The 64,000 Question.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Dr. Joy Browne Credits Pioneer Dr. Joyce Brothers with Making Psychology Accessible. One of the leading radio psychologists of the last quarter century, Dr. Joy Browne (syndicated 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm daily by Radio America) tells TALKERS, that in addition to the media pioneer being an enormous influence on her career, not to mention talk radio and TV in general, the late Dr. Joyce Brothers was a giant figure in America popular culture because “she made psychology accessible to the masses.” Browne, who worked on a number of occasions with Brothers, describes the legendary broadcaster as being one of the “most focused people I’ve ever met in this business.” Browne recalls, “Dr. Joyce Brothers could accomplish almost anything she wanted to do simply by putting her brilliant mind to it…whether it was remembering minutia about boxing to win a game show… to knowing exactly what to do to promote her books… to distilling complex topics down to their basic essence so people could understand them. She had an amazingly disciplined mind.”
Talk Host Phil Valentine Alleges Experiencing IRS Harassment as Political Payback. In an op-ed piece posted today (5/14) exclusive to TALKERS, Nashville-based Cumulus Media syndicated conservative host Phil Valentine claims that he has been repeatedly audited by the IRS over a number of years for no wrongdoing on his part which he believes is tied to his on-air political positions. He also says that he has spoken a number of his liberal friends on radio who’ve told him they have experienced the same thing. He writes, “The revelation on Friday (5/10) that the IRS was targeting conservative groups came as a shock to much of America, especially those on the right side of the aisle. Once the story broadened on Monday to include more groups and more abuse it became apparent that there’s something big going on here. For me, it was all simply a confirmation of something I’ve been experiencing for some time. In fact, I’ve been chronicling the experience on my radio show.” Valentine encourages fellow talk show hosts who have been experiencing the same thing but are afraid to complain because of how “frightening” the IRS can be, to stand up and come forward. To read his entire opinion piece, please click here.
Some On-Air Do’s And Don’ts from a Leading Consultant. One of the hardest-working consultants (and TALKERS columnist) in the radio business today, Holland Cooke shares some helpful tips to sharpening up on-air performance (sort of like an old “aircheck meeting”) and keeping people listening longer. In a new article posted today (5/14) Cooke suggests prepping better, listening better (while on the air), and speaking in the second person singular. He advises not to talk like a radio guy (avoid terms like “remote” broadcast – people think a remote is what they use to change TV channels), do not waste listeners’ time, and SEDUCE listeners into giving you more of their time. Cooke writes, “The way Arbitron ratings are calculated – diaries or PPM — keeping listeners even just five more minutes each time they tune in could as much as DOUBLE your ratings. So when you tease, really tease!” To read Holland Cooke’s entire column, click here.
John Curley Back on Evenings at KIRO-FM, Seattle. The night shift was the original slot John Curley had when he joined Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM, Seattle but he moved to morning drive in November of 2012. Just two months later the station replaced him in AM drive with Dave Ross and he’s been off the air since. Now, program director Pete Gammell pairs Curley up with current evening host Andrew Walsh. Gammell says in a statement, “With John’s comfortable style and storytelling skills he naturally fits well in a nighttime setting. Partner John’s entertaining approach with Andrew’s newsy perspective and you have a completely new dynamic and compelling show.”
Inga Barks Adds PM Drive Show to Hosting Responsibilities. Bakersfield, California-based talk radio personality Inga Barks begins hosting the 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm program on Buckley Broadcasting’s KNZR, Bakersfield. She’ll handle this program in addition to her evening talk show heard on Peak Broadcasting’s KMJ-AM, Fresno. Barks previously worked in the Bakersfield market on American Media General’s news/talk KERN.
Las Vegas Talk Personality Heidi Harris Debuts Daily Feature. Las Vegas-based talk show host Heidi Harris – most recently heard in Los Angeles on Salem Communications’ KRLA – is producing a daily feature dubbed the “Heidi Harris Files” that is airing on Silver State Broadcasting’s news/talk KBET. The three- minute vignette will air on KBET three times daily at 7:30 am, 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Harris has also worked at CBS Radio‘s KXNT and Beasley Broadcasting‘s KDWN in the Las Vegas market.
Bruce Newbury to Host Local Show on WADK, Newport, Rhode Island. 3G Broadcasting is adding a local program to its news/talk WADK, Newport with Bruce Newbury hosting his “Talk of the Town” show. Newbury also hosts a weekend food and cooking show on Cumulus Media’s WPRV, Providence and he’ll continue in that role. Newbury’s 9:00 am to 12:00 noon program will debut on May 22.
New York Festivals Announces 2013 Radio Programs and Promo Awards Finalists. This international competition isn’t limited to spoken-word programs as the list of categories indicates, but many of the categories include news, long-form and community service components in the spoken-word realm. As you’ll notice by scanning the list of finalists from the United States (which will compete with finalists from other countries with winners announced June 17 in New York) many programming finalists were produced at public radio stations or companies. However, commercial broadcasters including ESPN and SiriusXM were well represented. ESPN had finalist entries including the “Best News Documentary or Special” for “Outside the Lines and The Sporting Life: A Fight for Faith.” SiriusXM was also represented as it was a finalist with “Best Interview” for “Bob Edwards Talks with Children’s Book Author Jack Gantos,” among others. Bloomquist Media is a finalist in both the “Community Service” and “Profiles/Community Portraits” categories for “A Grateful Nation.” See the entire list of finalists here.
Two Generations of Hayworth Men Grace San Diego. Talk radio personality (and former Arizona Congressman) J.D. Hayworth is currently co-host of the morning drive program alongside Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton on XEPRS, San Diego “The Mighty 1090.” On a recent visit to the station’s partners in downtown San Diego – Fox Sports San Diego – J.D. Hayworth noticed a huge black and white photo of Babe Ruth crossing home plate. Hayworth tells TALKERS magazine, “Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw this HUGE photo of my grandfather, Ray Hayworth, a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, reaching to tag Babe Ruth at home plate! My grandfather greets passersby outside the building, while the Bambino’s image is seen inside the lobby!”
Obama Benghazi Reaction, IRS Target Allegations, Justice Department AP Phone Records Search, Syria Tensions, and Philly Abortion Doctor Found Guilty Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/13). The president’s reaction to recent Benghazi testimony and the GOP’s push to continue searching for answers; the IRS’ alleged targeting of conservative groups; the Justice Department’s investigation into phone records at the Associated Press; ongoing tensions in Syria; and the conviction of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
