Tag: "Indianapolis"
Monday, March 23, 2020
Monday Memo: Coronavirus Community. “When normalcy is upended, it is human nature to take comfort hearing how others are faring” and consultant Holland Cooke reckons that “it’s less misery-loves-company than we’re-all-in-this-together.” And in this week’s column, he cautions that, right now, stations are making a lasting impression. Read it here.
The State of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Federal Stimulus Package Debate, Global Stock Selloff, Unemployment Rises/Recession Predictions, Summer Olympics Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The status of the coronavirus pandemic; the federal stimulus package being debated in congress; the global stock selloff is predicted to continue; the expectations of high unemployment figures to be reported and a recession is being predicted for the U.S.; and the possibility the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo will be postponed were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Pending Business: Warning, Speed Bumps Ahead. Radio sales pro and president of Lapcom Communications, Steve Lapa, writes in this new TALKERS column Pending Business about how to work in the sales environment brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Lapa has tips for planning and prioritizing for sales staffers dealing with limited in-person collaborations, online meetings, minimal studio and talent access, constant price fluctuations, and more. Read it here.
WABC, New York Adds Bill O’Reilly ‘Morning Edition.’ Conservative commentator and talk show host Bill O’Reilly is joining the daily program lineup at Red Apple Media’s WABC, New York via his Key Networks-syndicated morning drive radio
feature, “The O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition.” O’Reilly’s 15-minute daily radio program, “The O’Reilly Update,” launched in late April 2019 and between the two shows O’Reilly is heard on more than 200 stations. 
O’Reilly says, “WABC is the station I listened to as a kid. It is a legacy radio outlet and I hope I can add to the legacy with honest, no spin daily commentary.” Key Networks chief revenue officer Dennis Green adds, “Key Networks is so proud to be associated with Bill O’Reilly and ‘The O’Reilly Update.’ The content has been superb and the tremendous response is a testament to Bill and the talent he brings to the airwaves, with a style unmatched in media. We’re thrilled to welcome the great WABC New York, bringing our affiliate group to over 200 stations in 10 months.”
Salem and Hugh Hewitt Agree to Contract Extension. This new deal between Salem Radio Network and talk host Hugh Hewitt runs through December of 2028. Hewitt has been a host on SRN since July of 2000. In April of 2016, he moved from the 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET show on the network, to morning drive, taking over for Bill Bennett who had hosted the “Morning in America” show. Salem says that Hewitt’s national footprint has grown to more than 450 affiliate stations and he’s
also seen on a video simulcast on Townhall.com. Hewitt appears regularly on NBC News programs, including “Meet the Press,” and is a regular contributor to the Washington Post. Hewitt says, “I look forward to not only this fall’s presidential election but the next two presidential 
campaigns and all the news in between them as well. The past 20 years have been two decades of upheaval and crisis, a sudden devastating attack on America, of war and terror and now a pandemic, of hard-fought elections and massive legislative and legal changes. It’s been a privilege to cover these breaking news events for three hours a day with the extraordinary team and guest list we have assembled and rely upon.” Salem Media Group CEO Ed Atsinger states. “Hugh has been a Salem stalwart since 2000. He’s one of the most respected voices in American media today, and as Salem continues to grow our national and international footprint, Hugh’s program remains a flagship show for the news/talk format which Salem helped pioneer.”
Ratings Takeaways from Final Round of Nielsen’s February PPM Survey. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways
from the fourth and final round of February PPM data from Nielsen Audio. Some positive weekly, 6+ AQH share movement among spoken-word stations includes: iHeartMedia’s WTKK-FM, Raleigh adding a half share to 
January’s 1.8 share hike to finish February with a 7.6 share and the #2 rank in the market; Emmis Communications’ WIBC-FM, Indianapolis tacks four-tenths on during the February survey to land at an 8.0 share and the #2 rank; and Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM, Jacksonville piles another six-tenths onto its January share-and-a-half increase to finish the February survey with a 10.4 share and the #2 rank in the market. See Mike Kinosian’s Ratings Takeaways here.
Beasley and Borrell to Present ‘Crisis Marketing for Local Business’ Seminars. This series of complimentary webinars from Beasley Media Group and Borrell Associations takes place tomorrow and Wednesday (3-24/25) as part of Beasley Media Group’s ongoing ‘We Are All in This Together Community of Caring Initiative.’ It consists of five, 30-minute webinars focused on crisis marketing for local
businesses impacted by the current coronavirus situation. Topics addressed will include: valuable tips for communicating with customers & non-customers, how to craft creative & appropriate marketing messages, and common concerns & opportunities faced by local businesses. Beasley is making the session “open to any interested businesses, however, it is especially relevant for local companies located within Beasley Media Group markets.” The webinar will be moderated by Beasley Media Group chief digital officer Todd Handy and vice president of digital sales Dan Frisbie. Local marketing experts Gordon Borrell, Jim Brown, and Corey Elliott of Borrell Associates “will provide valuable guidance on how local businesses can not only survive but thrive and make a difference in times of crisis.”
TALKERS News Notes. Sports talk WKNR, Cleveland “850 ESPN” program director Matt Fishman tells TALKERS that the station has created a new show to get fans
ready for the only major sports event on the calendar – the NFL Draft – taking place on April 23. Beginning tonight from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, WKNR is presenting “ESPN Cleveland’s Countdown to the Draft” hosted by Tony Grossi…..The South Bend cluster of Federated Media – including news/talk WTRC, Niles, Michigan “Michiana’s News Channel” – is launching “Operation: Restaurant Rescue.” The stations have produced a digital menu of area restaurants that are offering carryout or delivery options and allows consumers to buy gift cards for some of the establishments…..Racing star Kevin Harvick, driver of the # 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, is resuming his SiriusXM show, “Happy Hours.” The show airs Wednesday’s at 1:00 pm on the SiriusXMNASCAR Radio channel with Matt Yocum as co-host. Harvick says, “Matt and I figured it would be good to get back on SiriusXM to talk to the fans and try to entertain folks during this downtime. Even though we’re not racing, there’s still plenty to talk about, both the things involving our sport as we look ahead to the season, and also what’s happening in our daily lives away from the track. I hope we can take your mind off other things and maybe make you laugh a little bit along the way.”
iHeartMedia Stations to Play National Anthem. At 12:00 noon ET today, all iHeartMedia radio stations will play a version of the National Anthem. The company says, “In these challenging times, we want to take a moment of
solidarity to celebrate our collective strength as a nation and recognize the heroic efforts of so many workers on the frontline – including our doctors, nurses, health care professionals, caregivers, and other critical responders who are working night and day to get us through this. Today, iHeartMedia will honor the resilience of Americans by encouraging the masses to unite through the healing power of music as our 850+ radio stations and formats across the country air a version of the National Anthem. We want to send our heartfelt thoughts, concern and support to any family who may need it as we face these tough times together as a country.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announce that “The 55th ACM Awards” will take place on Wednesday, September 16 – in a city and venue yet to be announced – and will air on CBS Television. Keith Urban will serve as host and the lineup of performers will also be announced at a later date…..iHeartMedia’s rock WJRR, Orlando announces that its Earthday Birthday Number 27 Music Festival set for April 18 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds will be postponed to September 5 at the same venue…..In response to the coronavirus pandemic, iHeartMedia Charlotte is launching “Carolina Cares,” an initiative to help the local community by highlighting local organizations and services necessary during times of crisis. Across all its stations’ websites, iHeartMedia Charlotte is promoting various local organizations offering services to individuals as well as businesses that are operating on limited hours and restaurants that are offering delivery, pickup or gift cards during this pandemic. Local organizations highlighted will include Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, American Red Cross and Classroom Central, with more to be added on a need basis…..Entravision Communications announces “El Show del Mandril” – starring Ricardo Sanchez – is the new morning drive show on Regional Mexican KDLD, Santa Monica “Viva 103.1 FM.”
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Susan Larkin to Succeed Weezie Kramer as Entercom COO. When Entercom acquired the radio assets of CBS RADIO in 2017, chief operating officer Weezie Kramer put off her planned retirement to help lead the company’s operations “through the integration and critical transformation initiatives to elevate and enhance the company’s competitive position.” Now, Kramer is leaving her COO
position effective May 5 when current New York market manager and regional president Susan Larkin will assume the COO role. Kramer will continue to serve the company as a senior executive adviser to Entercom president and CEO David Field. Kramer joined the company in 2000. The company is already in the process of seeking Larkin’s 
replacement in New York. David Field says, “Weezie has been an extraordinary, inspiring leader and a fiercely determined, tireless competitor and strategist who has built an outstanding record of success over the many years in which she has led us forward as our chief operating officer. She set an uncompromising standard of excellence for all, both professionally and personally, driving us to be our very best while maintaining the highest ethical standards. She earned the sincere admiration, respect and affection of the entire Entercom team, and much of the industry, for her spirited leadership and decency and for being a full-throated, unapologetic champion for radio. She has been an extraordinarily successful COO and we are all immensely grateful to her. While she will be deeply missed as COO, I am thrilled that she will be joining the Entercom board where we will continue to benefit from her wisdom and guidance for years to come.” Speaking about her new role with Entercom, Larkin says, “This is an exciting time for Entercom, and for all audio media. I am thrilled to be part of Entercom’s forward-thinking strategy as we continue to set ourselves apart as the best operator and creator of audio content in the U.S. and realize the value of our engaged impressions with advertisers. Weezie has been an incredible mentor and the best leader I could ask for. I am honored to work with such a strong team and excited about the next phase of Entercom’s continued growth, expansion and strategic vision.”
Emmis/Mediaco SVP Charlie Morgan to Leave for New Opportunity. Senior vice president Charlie Morgan is leaving his role with Emmis/Mediaco for a new opportunity. Morgan, who served with the company for the past 10 years – six in Indianapolis and the past four years in New York, is credited by the company with “leading the turnaround of Emmis operations in Indianapolis and New York (now
Mediaco). His focus on product quality, operational excellence, innovation and, perhaps most important, on culture and talent development as the ultimate path to winning have been central to our success. Charlie’s emphasis on building great teams through coaching and development has enhanced the careers of countless colleagues over the years at Mediaco, Emmis, Cumulus, IMS Productions and Susquehanna. We sincerely thank him for all his efforts and wish him the absolute best in his next endeavor.” The company says it is beginning a search for a permanent leader for Mediaco New York. In the meantime, Emmis/Mediaco president Patrick Walsh will serve as interim New York market manager.
George Beasley Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Ceremony. New York’s Plaza Hotel was the scene of last night’s Broadcasters Foundation of America 2020 Golden Mike Award Gala. More than 350 broadcasters and celebrities were there as the BFoA raised more than $400,000 to support broadcasters in need. At this year’s event, Tegna president and CEO Dave Lougee received the 2020 Golden Mike Award and Beasley Media Group founder and chairman George Beasley received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured above are (from l-r): BFoA chairman Dan Mason, Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley (accepting for her father George), BFoA president Jim Thompson and event host and “Inside Edition” anchor Deborah Norville.
New York Festivals to Honor the National Press Club. At the New York Festivals Storytellers Gala taking place on April 21 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, the National Press Club will be honored with the New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award. NYF says its Lifetime Achievement Award “recognizes
prominent industry leaders and driving forces in the broadcast industry whose accomplishment have advanced their field and made a lasting impression on the industry.” NYF TV & Film Awards/Radio Awards vice president/executive director Rose Anderson says, “For over a century, the National Press Club has upheld responsible journalism, supported freedom of the press worldwide, and provided a forum for the exchange of substantive ideas in our Nation’s Capital. Their members’ commitment to excellence encompasses all media. In this year marking the centennial of radio and our inaugural Storyteller’s Gala, we are proud to honor this organization with the New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award.” National Press Club president Michael Freedman will accept the award on behalf of the organization.
Cumulus Nashville Stations to Hold Radiothon for Tornado Relief. The Nashville cluster of Cumulus Media is holding the Cumulus Cares Tornado Relief Radiothon
tomorrow (3/6) at Edley’s Bar-B-Que to raise money for the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund. It started when Will Newman from Edley’s reached out to WGFX-FM “104-5 The Zone” personality Jonathan Hutton about ways to give back to the community in the wake of the devastating tornados. The radiothon was born and tomorrow WGFX-FM, news/talk WWTN-FM, and Cumulus’ three music stations will broadcast live encouraging cash donations. In addition, Cumulus is collecting necessities such as diapers, blankets, baby formula, wipes, gloves, toothpaste, Ziploc bags, tide pods, and feminine hygiene products at accessible areas nearby the broadcast site.
WPHT, Philadelphia to Hold Third Annual Liberty USO Radiothon. In Philadelphia tomorrow (3/6), Entercom news/talker WPHT is hosting the 3rd annual
“Talk Radio 1210 WPHT Liberty USO Radiothon” to benefit Active, Guard and Reserve military and their families through programs and services at the United Service Organization of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey (Liberty USO). The station will broadcast live from Chickie’s & Pete’s Play 2 from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm ET. The broadcast will be anchored by on-air personalities Rich Zeoli and Dom Giordano. Entercom Philadelphia SVP and market manager David Yadgaroff says, “We care deeply about serving those who have served our country and I’m proud of the role WPHT plays in supporting Liberty USO. This annual radiothon aims to raise awareness and funds on behalf of service members and their families right here in our community through the generosity of our listeners.”
Suburban Philly News/Talker to Go Dark. WNPV-AM/W253CA, Lansdale, Pennsylvania “The Talk of the Suburbs” announces it will cease programming on April 30 and go off the air. WFMZ-TV reports general manager Phil Hunt saying in a press release, “Our mission has always been to serve the public interest by
providing top-quality local news, and we have never been willing to compromise on that promise. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to compete for both audience and advertising dollars, and unfortunately it is no longer sustainable to continue to run the business in a way that delivers the service our community expects and deserves. We are grateful for the support of our loyal listeners, the belief of our advertisers and the commitment from our talented team. It has been an honor to serve this community.” The signals are owned and operated by North Penn Valley Broadcasting and serve Bucks and Montgomery counties.
WHO, Des Moines Personality Bonnie Lucas Wraps Radio Career Tomorrow. Des Moines radio personality Bonnie Lucas is retiring from iHeartMedia’s news/talk WHO, Des Moines after tomorrow morning’s show. She’s been co-
hosting the station’s AM drive program with co-host (and station PD) Van Harden since 1994. Lucas’ final show will take place on the road as she and Harden broadcast live from Meals from the Heartland in West Des Moines for the “2020 Van & Bonnie Hunger Fight,” a non-profit, food-packing event where volunteers package meals for delivery to malnourished people in Iowa, across the United States and around the world. Beginning Monday (3/9), Van Harden will host the morning show with special feature guests including familiar WHO personalities such as Jeff Angelo, Simon Conway, Emery Songer, and Maxwell Schaeffer as well as prominent central Iowa public figures and entertainers.
TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM midday anchor – and host of the “Noon Business Hour” – Cisco
Cotto is launching “WBBM In Depth,” a weekly podcast that further explores local business news stories. The podcast will also include interviews plus reports from contributors. focusing on trending news stories and their impact on the business world. It also features longer 
interviews with contributors and experts…..Entercom’s Philadelphia radio stations moved into the company’s new RADIO.COM World Headquarters at 2400 Market Street in Philly last month. All-news KYW-AM, news/talk WPHT, sports talk WIP-FM, adult contemporary WBEB “B101.1,” CHR WDTY, and classic hits WOGL are all now located in the company’s headquarters. At the KYW site, videographer Holli Stephens presents a two-minute video of the gleaming new studios and offices. Check it out here…..The Milwaukee Business Journal reports that former Green Bay Packers fullback and fan favorite John Kuhn is being courted by local and national media organizations for a full-time sports talk role. Kuhn began working in the Packers front office last April as an analyst for digital, broadcast, and game presentations. He was a sideline reporter for radio flagship WTMJ, Milwaukee’s broadcasts last season. The MBJ cites sources saying iHeartMedia’s sports talk WRNW-FM “The Game” is talking with him about joining its lineup, though nothing is set in stone yet.
Coronavirus Pandemic, Presidential Race, Financial Markets Activity, SCOTUS Hears Abortion Case/Schumer Comments, Israel Election, Syria-Turkey Violence, and Tennessee Tornado Aftermath Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/4). The status of the coronavirus pandemic and California’s declaring a state of emergency; Joe Biden’s leap to frontrunner in the Democratic primary race; the world’s financial markets react to the coronavirus pandemic; the Supreme Court hears arguments in the Louisiana abortion law case and Senator Chuck Schumer is criticized for threatening Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh; the results of Israel’s most recent election in which Benjamin Netanyahu failed to achieve a majority; the military clashes between Syrian and Turkish forces; and the aftermath of the Tennessee tornadoes were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
‘Inside Edition’ Anchor Deborah Norville Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. “Inside Edition” anchor Deborah Norville is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” The two-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster is celebrating her 25th anniversary as host of the daily news magazine establishing her as the longest-running daily anchor in national television. She is also getting ready to emcee the annual Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award Dinner tomorrow evening (3/4) at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The dinner is the BFoA’s
signature fundraising event to help broadcasters who’ve fallen on hard times due to medical crises or natural disasters. Norville is an accomplished broadcaster with outstanding television and radio credentials. She joined “Inside Edition” in 1995 from CBS News where she was an anchor and correspondent. She is the former co-host of NBC’s “Today” and anchor of NBC “News at Sunrise.” During her career she has hosted a primetime show on MSNBC, a national radio show on the ABC Talk Radio Network and has served as an anchor and reporter for WMAQ-TV in Chicago. She began her reporting career at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, while still a student at the University of Georgia, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude, First Honor Graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She is also a prolific best-selling author and active with a number of leading causes and charities. Harrison and Norville discuss the Broadcasters Foundation as well as her career in television, changes in audience attention spans, the state of the media industry, and the #MeToo movement. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Monday Memo: Legal Advice. Just several decades ago, attorneys didn’t even advertise. Back to the future: They’re all over billboards and TV. Yet, as consultant Holland Cooke explains in this week’s column: “No medium showcases legal services better than talk radio.” Read it here.
Presidential Race/Nevada Caucuses, Coronavirus Epidemic, China Productivity/Financial Markets Activity, Trump in India, and Weinstein Trial Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The Democrats battling to take on President Trump in November and Bernie Sanders’ victory in Saturday’s Nevada Caucuses; the status of Covid-19 and concerns about a pandemic; the effect of the coronavirus epidemic on Chinese productivity and its effect on the world’s financial markets; President Trump teases trade with India during visit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi; and the jury deliberates in the sexual assault trial of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend.
Round Four of January PPM’s Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s
January 2020 survey period covered January 2 – 29. Some of the news/talk radio stations that chalked up positive weekly, 6+ AQH share ratings during the January survey include: Sinclair Telecable’s KLBJ-AM, Austin which added nine-tenths to land at a 4.5 share and the #8 rank in the market; iHeartMedia’s WTKK-
FM, Raleigh posts a whopping 1.8 share increase over the Holiday 2019 survey to finish January with a 7.1 share and the #3 rank; Emmis Communications’ WIBC-FM, Indianapolis rockets up 2.2 shares to finish January with a 7.6 share and the #3 rank; Cumulus Media’s WWTN-FM, Nashville adds seven-tenths to end January with a 4.8 share and the #8 rank; and Cumulus’ WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM, Providence tacks 1.3 shares onto its Holiday 2019 number to finish the January survey with a 3.7 share and the #8 rank in the market. You can see all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. Meanwhile, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways here
KLIN, Lincoln’s Jane Monnich Wraps 45-Year Radio News Career. News radio pro Jane Monnich retired from NRG Media’s KLIN, Lincoln, Nebraska on February 20 after a 45-year run with the station. Monnich was news anchor for the KLIN
morning show and on last Thursday’s program, the on-air celebration included visits from past and current co-workers, plus proclamations from Lincoln Mayor Lerion Gaylor Baird and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. KLIN program director Bob Shomper says, “Jane’s career started in 1975, and over the following 45 years she covered 8 different governors, 10 mayors, 13 congressmen, 11 senators, dozens of city councilmen, and 100s of state legislators. It is estimated that Jane wrote over 500,000 news stories and anchored over 105,000 newscasts.” She’s pictured here holding the mayoral proclamation making February 20, 2020 “Jane Monnich Day” in Lincoln. The station is searching for Monnich’s replacement. NRG Media has more about the position here.
TALKERS News Notes. WOR, New York morning drive news anchor Joe Bartlett announced on the “Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning” show that he’s retiring on April 10 after 34 years working full time with the station. Bartlett told listeners, “I’ve reached the point where my free time is more important than my life at work.” He said he and his wife plan to retire to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina…..On Super Tuesday (March 3), ABC News Radio will present live coverage anchored by correspondents Aaron Katersky and Karen Travers. Coverage will feature reporting by radio correspondents Alex Stone in
California, Jim Ryan in Texas, Ryan Burrow in Colorado, Mark Remillard in North Carolina; Andy Field in Washington; multi-platform reporter Ines de La Cuetara in Virginia; and analysis from radio correspondent Brian Clark at the ABC News Decision Desk. ABC News Radio will also provide one-minute Status Reports at least twice an hour throughout the evening. A special edition of ABC News’ daily news podcast “Start Here,” hosted by Brad Mielke, will post on Wednesday morning. It will feature analysis of the results and interviews from ABC News reporters across the electoral map…..Edison Research is launching its first Top Ten Podcast ranker, as part of its Podcast 
Consumer Tracker product. Edison says the ranker depicts the top 10 podcasts in America by reach among weekly podcast consumers as the “only comprehensive and all-inclusive study” of the reach of podcast networks and shows in America. The first ranker indicates news and true crime are top podcast categories as seven of the top 10 fit those categories. They are (in order 1to 10): “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “This American Life,” “The Daily,” “My Favorite Murder,” “Crime Junkie,” “Stuff You Should Know,” “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” “Serial,” “Pod Save America,” and “Radiolab.” Edison says the Podcast Consumer Tracker data is based upon 4,053 online interviews (in English and Spanish) with weekly podcast consumers, ages 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish…..SiriusXM is carrying the live broadcast of the “Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant” from the Staples Center in Los Angeles today (2/24) on its SiriusXM NBA Radio channel.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. St. Louis hot AC KYKY “Y98” makes some air staff changes and relaunches its morning show as “The Wake Up with Jen & Tim,” hosted by Jen Myers and Tim Convy, with contributions from Kevin Berghoff and Lance Hildebrand. The Entercom station promotes Julie Tristan to host of the midday show and station host Paul Cook
continues hosting afternoon drive. Entercom St. Louis SVP and market manager Becky Domyan says, “From day one, Jen, Tim, Kevin, and Lance have impressed me with their energy, passion and desire to learn and win, and they have elevated our morning show in a short time. I’m equally excited about the addition of Julie Tristan to our weekday programming. She has an amazing track record of success in the market. She is an unstoppable talent, and her charitable contributions to the community have been tremendous as well.” Tristan is an Emmy-nominated multimedia St. Louis journalist. She also currently serves as a producer and announcer for “Spotlight STL” on Nexstar Media Group’s KPLR-
TV…..iHeartMedia’s Chicago country outlet WEBG-FM “Big 9.5.” presented a countdown of “The Top 1,000 Country Songs of All Time” and posted the list on its website. The list was created by the station’s “blue ribbon panel of country experts” who considered factors such as: songwriting, artist contribution to country music history, historical and popular cultural significance of a song, sales and/or streaming data, radio airplay, and peak chart position. What was #1? “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
WFAN, New York Officially Announces New Lineup. On New Year’s Eve, Entercom announced the new lineup for sports talk WFAN, New York “The Fan” that takes effect on Monday, January 6. As had been reported in numerous New York media outlets, the station goes from four to three daytime shows with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts moving from late mornings to the 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm slot, replacing Mike Francesa. He will host the 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm
“Mike’s On” program as well as “host special programs, remote broadcasts, and contribute to other shows on WFAN.” Maggie Gray remains with the station in midday, reunited with longtime WFAN personality Marc “Moose” Malusis for the 10:00 am to 2:00 pm “Moose and Maggie” show. Prior to her joining WFAN in 2018 with co-hosts Bart Scott and Chris Carlin, she served with CBS Sports Radio co-hosting a Saturday morning show with Malusis. Malusis currently serves as the host of “Football Sunday” on WFAN with former New York Giants player David Diehl. The rest of the lineup remains the same, with “Boomer and Gio” in AM drive, Steve Sommers in evenings and John Jastremski in overnights. Entercom New York SVP of programming Mark Chernoff says, “This is quite an impressive lineup of talent on WFAN as we remain the one and only place to talk New York sports all day, every day. Combined with our play-by-play of New York Yankees baseball, New York Giants football, Brooklyn Nets basketball and New Jersey Devils hockey, as well as our slate of National Football League games, we look forward to expanding our position as the flagship station for New York sports fans.”
KABC, Los Angeles Adds Two Evening Shows to New Lineup. Los Angeles news/talk outlet KABC adds two one-hour programs to its evening lineup, effective today (1/2). Former Secret Service Agent and NYPD officer and New
York Times best-selling author Dan Bongino hosts his eponymous 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm show and Andrew Klavan brings his “distinctive brand of political satire, cultural commentary, interviews and more” to the 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm hour. Both Bongino and Klavan host 
podcasts of the same name on the Westwood One Podcast Network. Cumulus Media’s KABC recently announced its daily lineup consisting of “Armstrong & Getty” in AM drive, Washington-based Larry O’Connor from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, John Phillips from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, Ben Shapiro from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and “The Savage Nation” with Michael Savage from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. KABC general manager Drew Hayes says, “We are thrilled to add Dan Bongino and Andrew Klavan to our built-for-election year lineup. Both Dan and Andrew have strong, thoughtful opinions and huge followings that will make nights on KABC a real destination for common sense listeners in 2020 and beyond.”
Ratings Takeaways from December PPM Survey. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Ratings Takeaways” from Nielsen Audio’s December 2019 PPM survey that covered November 7 to December 4, 2019. Some positive 6+ weekly AQH share ratings movement for spoken-word stations during the survey includes: Hearst’s news/talk WBAL-AM, Baltimore adds three-tenths to its five-survey uptick to finish at a 3.2 share and the #11 rank in the market; Entercom’s crosstown sports talker WJZ-FM, Baltimore rises six-tenths to a 4.9 share and #8 in the market; Alpha Media’s KXL-FM, Portland adds two-tenths to its fifth survey without a loss to stand at 5.4 share and the #4 rank in the market; and Emmis Communications’ WIBC-FM, Indianapolis adds three-tenths to finish with a 6.7 share and the #4 rank in the market. See all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here and check out all of Mike Kinosian’s “Takeaways” from the December survey here.
A TRIBUTE TO DON IMUS Presented on This Week’s Harrison Podcast. This week’s installment of the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview” presents an uninterrupted reposting of a remarkably candid 2016 conversation between TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and the legendary talk media personality Don Imus who passed away this past Friday (12/27/19) at the age of 79. It was an illuminating conversation in which Imus candidly discussed the highlights as well as lowlights of his colorful life and career – including his rehabilitation
from drugs and alcohol; his regret over the Rutgers incident and the lessons he learned from it; his opinion of Al Sharpton and certain radio management figures who played key roles in his career; his ability to generate radio ad revenue that dramatically exceeded ratings expectations; his deep love for his wife Deidre and the significant role she played in his life; his tremendous work in supporting kids with cancer; the handful of radio guests he found most interesting; his view (back then during the primaries) of the 2016 presidential race and for whom he intended to vote … plus a whole lot more. To listen to the entire podcast, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column of the TALKERS email newsletter and on every page of Talkers.com.
Tegna to Sell KFMB-AM and FM to Local Media San Diego. Television company Tegna is entering into a deal to sell its two San Diego radio stations – news/talk KFMB-AM and adult hits KFMB-FM – to Local Media San Diego for
$5 million. Tegna acquired the radio stations with its $325 million purchase of KFMB-TV from Midwest Television in February of last year. Interestingly, a proviso of the pact with LMSD is that Tegna is keeping the KFMB-AM and FM call letters and the stations will have 30 days to wind down use of the call letters and a year to cease using the calls in relation to sales deals with agencies or local advertisers. Local Media San Diego operates three Tijuana, Mexico signals in the San Diego market: CHR XHITZ, alternative rock XETRA, and rhythmic AC XHRM. In February of last year, executives Norm McKee, Gregg Wolfson, and Steve McNeely led a management buyout of Local Media San Diego.
Donald Trump Impeachment, Attacks on U.S. Embassy in Iraq, 2020 Presidential Race, New Year/2019 Retrospectives, Hanukkah Attack, Texas Church Shooting, and North Korea Nuclear Ambitions Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/1). The articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump; the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Iraq and President Trump’s blaming Iran; the Democrats hoping to challenge President Trump in November; retrospectives of 2019 and the “teens” decade; five are wounded at a Hanukkah celebration in New York; the Sunday shooting at a Texas church that claimed the lives of two parishioners; and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
iHeartMedia Extends Deal with Alfred ‘Big Al’ Williams. Denver radio personality Alfred “Big Al” Williams and iHeartMedia sign a new, five-year
deal for the former to serve as an air talent for news/talk KOA “850 AM & 94.1 FM.” Williams joined KOA in September of 2019 after a long career alongside Darren McKee on Bonneville’s crosstown sports talker KKFN “104.3 The Fan.” iHeartMedia Denver president Tim Hagar comments, “Big Al has set the standard for afternoon drive radio. This long-term renewal is a testament to Al’s impact and importance to iHeartMedia, KOA, our partners and his legion of fans throughout Colorado. Not only is he a tremendous talent and a great man, but he is the type of guy who you want on your team no matter what you are doing and we are so glad he’s a part of our team.”
Paige Rockwell Named VP of Sales at iHeartMedia Binghamton. Sales pro Paige Rockwell is named vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s
Binghamton, New York stations. She was most recently director of digital strategy at Townsquare Media’s Utica cluster. iHeartMedia area president Robert Morgan states, “I am thrilled to have Paige lead our sales organization in Binghamton. I know she will bring her passion, tireless energy, creativity, and leadership talents to help us further grow our business and expand upon our partnerships.”
TALKERS News Notes. After a two-year absence, CBS News Radio is back providing news programming for Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP-FM,
Washington. The station had been using ABC Radio News since 2018. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “WTOP’s mission is to deliver news that matters to the people in our community, 24/7/365. It’s a mission we take very seriously. Our partnership with CBS News and the talented journalists who work there helps us accomplish this goal. We are thrilled to be working once again with the CBS team.”…..The St. Louis Post-
Dispatch reports that evening host Jay Kanzler exits CH Holdings’ KTRS, St. Louis after more than two years as a full time host. Kanzler is also a full-time practicing attorney. He tells the Post-Dispatch, “I managed to do it for a couple of years, but it was just a tough schedule to keep.”…..Entercom names Alex Gold (right) and Cody Tapp (left) the new co-hosts of the midday show on
KCSP-AM, Kansas City “610 Sports Radio.” The “Cody & Gold” show takes over for the former “Show and Vern” program with Ron “Show” Hughley and Josh Vernier. Hughley exited the station while Vernier moves to Royals insider and host of Royals pre- and post-game shows for the station…..Mary Zatina is named general manager of Wayne State University’s WDET, Detroit. Zatina served as assistant GM for business and development for the station from 1985-88. She says, “It’s been a while since I worked at WDET, but I have maintained my strong belief in the station’s mission and the critical role it plays to serve metro Detroiters. I’ve never stopped listening to and supporting WDET. I am excited to be coming home and am looking forward to working with this dedicated and dynamic team of professionals.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Programming pro Isaac “Brooks” Wenzel is named music director and afternoon drive host for country WFMS, Indianapolis. Cumulus Media brings Wenzel to Indy from its Madison operations where he was midday host on country WMAD-FM and promotions director for the six-station group. Wenzel says, “I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to join a station with such long-lasting success in an amazing city like WFMS in Indianapolis. Thanks to Cumulus for giving me this incredible opportunity.”…..iHeartMedia announces
former hot AC WMYI-FM, Greenville, South Carolina becomes adult hits “102.5 The Lake.” Station PD and region SVP of programming A.J. says, “‘102.5 The Lake’ is going to bring listeners a variety of music from a diverse group of artists. The philosophy of our programming is that we’ll play anything and you never know what you’ll hear next.”…..Westwood One’s “The BOB & TOM Show” moves from Townsquare Media’s rock WGBF to crosstown The Original Company’s classic hits WJPS-FM in the Evansville, Indiana market…..Flood Communications West closes on the purchase of adult contemporary KSID-FM and country KSID-AM, Sidney, Nebraska. The company paid $300,000 to seller Dead-Short Broadcasting. Jason James of Patrick Communications was the exclusive broker…..Condolences to the family and friends of former country KVOO, TULSA morning drive host Andy Oatman, who passed away on December 30 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Oatman retired from KVOO in 2008.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
San Francisco 49ers Suspend Ryan For “Dark Skin” Comments. The radio analyst for the San Francisco 49ers – Tim Ryan – has been suspended by the NFL team for statements he made earlier this week on Cumulus Media San Francisco flagship KNBR “The Sports Leader.” During his weekly appearance on KNBR’s “Murph & Mac” morning show, Ryan remarked of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, “When you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that [fake]. I mean you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point. If you’re a half-step slow on him, in terms of your vision, forget about it – he’s out of the gate.” A 49ers-issued statement reads, “We are disappointed in Tim Ryan’s comments. We hold Tim to a high standard as a representative of our organization and he must be more thoughtful with his words. Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately. We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience. We have reached out to the Baltimore Ravens organization to extend our apologies and assure them the matter is not being taken lightly.” Ryan’s statement notes, “I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game. Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended.” Ryan, a former University of Southern California and Chicago Bears lineman, will be kept out of the San Francisco radio booth for this Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
SB Nation Radio’s “Above It All” Set To Debut Next Month. The weekday three-hour (10:00 am – 1:00 pm) sports talk “Above it All with
Candace Cooper and Tiffany Marshall” program will launch in January and succeeds Brian Barrett’s “The Break.” According to SB Nation Radio chief operating officer/program director Craig Larson, “After listening to the demo shows, I was absolutely blown away. I’m proud to be a part of a company that is always at the forefront of diversity and inclusion. This show will be groundbreaking on several levels and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” Raleigh sportscaster/former University of North Carolina swimmer Cooper remarks, “I am elated to be joining SB Nation Radio and [having] the opportunity to be working with Tiffany. The time is now for strong, female- driven shows; I’m eager to begin this new adventure.” Marshall, who has worked in sports management and marketing, most recently with the NBA’s Houston Rockets, comments, “ Candace and I are thrilled to be able to represent women in the sports radio industry. We are ready to break down barriers.”
PPM Analysis: All-News. Based on data from Nielsen Audio’s November 2019 PPM survey period, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at performances in the all-news format. Two all-news outlets ranked on top (6+) in their respective markets in the November sweep – Entercom Chicago’s WBBM-AM and its San Francisco sibling, KCBS-AM. While 72% of all-news stations improved from October to November (6+), precisely half as many (36%) showed year-to-year (November 2018 – November 2019) gains. See Mike Kinosian’s entire report here.
Frontado Joins KUT as Executive Editor. It is a newly-created position at University of Texas at Austin news/talk KUT and it will be
filled next month by Teresa Frontado, who most recently was digital director for Miami news/talk WLRN-FM. KUT general manager and public media executive director Debbie Hiott states, “Teresa is going to be a dynamic leader for the newsroom as we increase our coverage. She is a proven innovator in digital strategy, a tough journalist, and someone who is well-attuned to what it takes to cover a community and state undergoing major growth and demographic change.” Frontado notes, “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the KUT newsroom to find new ways to inform and engage with communities in central Texas. Through distinctive coverage of the city of Austin, or serving the whole state with Texas Standard, the journalists in this newsroom are committed to inspire dialogue and understanding indispensable for a strong, civil society.” Frontado previously worked for Univision and the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald.
Fox News Radio Content To Become Available on RADIO.COM. The digital partnership between Fox News Radio and RADIO.COM is an extension of the existing broadcast agreement which includes FNR affiliates on Entercom news/talk stations in St. Louis (KFTK “News Talk 97.1”); Charlotte (WBT); Greenville-Spartanburg (WYRD “Word 106.3”); Wichita (KNSS), and Gainesville (WSKY “News Talk 97.3 – The Sky”). Entercom vice president of business development Corey Podolsky remarks, “Fox News Radio is an essential source of information and entertainment for audiences nationwide and we are pleased to extend our broadcast partnership to our digital platform. RADIO.COM continues to build its library of premium live and on-demand audio news, entertainment, music, and sports content and we are proud to have Fox News Radio included among our roster of industry-leading streaming and on-demand content providers.” The network features five-minute, hourly newscasts, along with one-minute newscasts, business updates, breaking-news coverage, and on-demand original podcasts. Fox News Talk provides weekday programs hosted by Brian Kilmeade and Guy Benson.
TALKERS News Notes. Former associate dean of External Relations at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, Carla Wohl, is appointed senior vice president of development for Southern California Public Radio, which includes Los Angeles news/talk outlet KPCC. Prior to her decade in development at USC, Wohl was assistant dean of External Affairs at the UCLA School 
of Public Health; a west coast correspondent for ABC News; and was a news reporter for Los Angeles’ KCBS-TV …. General sales manager of iHeartMedia Tampa, Jason Fulmino, transfers to iHeartMedia Kentucky-Indiana as regional vice president of automotive sales. Regional senior vice president of sales for iHeartMedia Kentucky-Indiana Kristy Beebe remarks, “We are so excited to welcome Jason to iHeartMedia Kentucky-Indiana. We trust that a marketing veteran like Jason will eagerly share his years of automotive sales knowledge with those in the Louisville, Indianapolis, Lexington, and Somerset markets.” Fulmino notes that, “iHeartMedia continues to create exciting new assets and tools in automotive radio advertising. I look forward to using these assets with a talented team of professionals to present opportunities for the automotive industry in Kentucky and Indiana.” Twenty-seven (27) news/talk and music-intensive stations comprise iHeartMedia Kentucky-Indiana ….. Effective January 21, Jess Clark will join Louisville Public Media news/talk WFPL as education reporter. WFPL director of news and programming Erica Peterson notes, “Jess is an experienced education reporter and also has first-hand 
experience with Jefferson County public schools. She has a track record of telling deeply-reported stories about students, teachers, and educational systems. I’m really excited for her to do that work at WFPL.” Clark previously had similar responsibilities at University of New Orleans news/talk WWNO ….. As part of Salem Radio Network’s “Stand with Israel Tour,” SRN host Mike Gallagher (right) is doing his show from Jerusalem. Joining Gallagher all this week are 615 SRN listeners.
Viacom-CBS Merger Is Now Complete. Fourteen years ago, Viacom and CBS Corp. went their separate ways, but they are officially back together. After three years of on-again/off-again talks, the all-stock merger between the companies has been completed, with the result being ViacomCBS Inc. The new company will have more than $28 billion in revenue and 4.3 billion cumulative TV subscribers. The combined company’s stock starts trading today (Thursday, 12/5) on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbols, “VIAC” and VIACA.” Viacom chief executive officer Bob Bakish leads the merged company as president/chief executive officer, while CBS Corp. acting CEO Joe Ianniello is now chairman/CEO of CBS, overseeing all CBS-branded assets. According to Bakish, “This is an historic moment that brings together two iconic companies to form one of the world’s most important content producers and providers. Through the combination of complementary assets, capabilities, and talented teams, ViacomCBS will create and deliver premium content for its own platforms and for others, while providing innovative solutions for advertisers and distributors globally. I am excited about the opportunity we have to serve our audiences, creative and commercial partners, and employees, while generating significant long-term value for our shareholders.” The deal brings Viacom’s Paramount Pictures and cable channels such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and BET together with the CBS broadcast network, Showtime, 28 owned and operated television stations, CBS All Access, and Simon & Schuster.
WABC, New York Morning Show Co-host Sid Rosenberg Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. One of the most colorful radio talk show hosts in America, “Heavy Hundred” member Sid Rosenberg, is this week’s guest on the PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Rosenberg is co-host with Bernard McGuirk of “The Bernie & Sid Show” – soon to mark its fourth anniversary in mornings on WABC, New York. In addition to the daily news/talk show, Rosenberg hosts a weekend sports/talk show on WABC, tapping into his years of experience in that genre. Harrison and Rosenberg discuss politics, sports, pop culture, and the state of
radio as well as the inspirational progress the talk show host continues to make in his winning struggle with addiction issues. According to Harrison, “Sid is one of the most authentic voices in American media today and living proof that a human being can overcome their demons. We’re both a couple of Brooklyn boys who speak the Kings English (Kings County, that is). The section of this podcast that depicts Rosenberg’s New York City street-level view of ‘local’ billionaires Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg is worth the price of admission alone – must-listening for talk show broadcasters around the country.” To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column of the TALKERS email newsletter and on every page of Talkers.com.
Cool Job Opening. There is an immediate opening for an afternoon drive host at Entercom Charlotte news/talk WBT AM & FM. The station is looking for someone with a media brand with national reach and a passion to have a local impact; an experienced, authentic storyteller on-air and in the digital space. The candidate should be able to deliver news and lifestyle topics with a strong point-of-view, while always entertaining the listener. All candidates should have three years of hosting experience; possess producer and content creation skills; strong organizational, audio editing, writing, and social media proficiency; and, preferably, a college degree. A candidate must be an “all-in” team player with a positive attitude and an excellent work ethic. To apply, click here.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Recently voted one of the world’s eleven best soccer players, 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion U.S. women’s national soccer team midfielder Julie Ertz will be honored as “Remarkable Woman of the Year” at Entercom Philadelphia classic 
hits-oldies WOGL’s annual luncheon. The station’s morning host, Marilyn Russell, will emcee next Tuesday’s (12/10) 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm event. Ertz, who plays midfield for the Chicago Red Stars of the 
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), will be honored for her soccer accomplishments, as well as her charitable efforts with the Ertz Family Foundation. She comments, “I am extremely honored and humbled to accept this award on behalf of the 100-plus women in the Philadelphia community who have been featured this year on Marilyn Russell’s ‘Remarkable Woman’ program on WOGL. There are so many amazing women doing remarkable things in our community. [My husband, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, and I] are proud to call Philadelphia our community. I have to thank all the volunteers and donors of the Ertz Family Foundation. It is their commitment that makes it possible to make an impact in Philadelphia – we are just getting started here.” Russell notes, “What an honor and privilege it is to showcase truly remarkable women each and every week. From physicians to cancer survivors, to artists, authors, teachers, moms and everyone in-between, each woman has a fascinating story whose contributions to the world invariably moves us. Julie Ertz is the embodiment of a remarkable woman [and] we’re thrilled to celebrate her accomplishments.” ….. Los Angeles city officials honored LBI Media’s Don Cheto yesterday (Wednesday, 12/4) by proclaiming “Don Cheto Day” for his work in supporting the Latino immigrant community. The syndicated
“Don Cheto Al Aire” morning show originates from Liberman Broadcasting Los Angeles regional Mexican KBUE “La Que Buena 105.5/94.3.” LBI Media chief executive officer Peter Markham comments, “We are extremely proud to have Don Cheto as an essential member of our LBI Media family. His unique sense of humor and cultural connection to the U.S. Latino population is second to none. His standing as a leading voice in immigration advocacy and his prowess in addressing and bringing attention to pressing issues that affect the Latino community using his multimedia platforms is the essence of LBI Media’s ‘community first’ approach.” Ceto states, “I am honored to receive this recognition from the City of Los Angeles, a city that my family and I call home and where I have been fortunate enough to do what I love. For me, it’s an honor to be the voice of our hard working Latino community and also represent our cultural heritage and pride.” Fourteenth district city councilman Jose Huizar presented Cheto with a proclamation at the Los Angeles city council’s chamber. Huizar celebrated Cheto’s contributions to the city’s Latino immigrant population and his work in providing education and resources through his morning radio show, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. In addition to his daily radio show, Michoacan, Mexico native Cheto is a celebrity judge on EstrellaTV’s “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento.” ….. Performances by Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, Chris Janson, Blanco Brown, Runaway June, Gone West and Matt Stell highlighted last night’s (Wednesday, 12/4) annual country music concert “Stars and Strings,” which benefitted the American Cancer Society. Entercom New York’s WNSH “Country 94.7” hosted the show at Barclays Center. Entercom senior vice president of programming and music initiatives Michael Martin remarks, “It was amazing to have this level of star power on stage. We are thankful to the artists for an unforgettable evening. There is no better way to get in the holiday spirit than with great music and by supporting American Cancer Society’s mission of helping those affected by cancer.” ….. With the immediate goal of raising money to support families in town to receive care for a sick child, Bonneville Denver adult contemporary KOSI will hold its annual Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver radiothon today (Thursday, 10/5). The station will broadcast from 6:00 am – 6:00 pm from the Ronald McDonald House. Vice president/market manager Bob Call states, “The Ronald McDonald House relieves the worry and stress of where to stay so moms and dads can focus on the best medicine of all – the love and care of their child. I know KOSI listeners will once again step up to support this year’s ‘Light The House’ radiothon.” KOSI program director Jim Lawson notes, “We are very proud to partner again this year and join our incredibly generous listeners to help assist families with housing while they focus on the health of their child.” ….. Six-year iHeartMedia McAllen on-air talent Lauren Campbell exits to start a Rio Grande Valley-based social media consultancy, Top-of-Mind RGV … Earlier this week (Tuesday, 12/3), 
Cumulus Media Fort Walton Beach (Florida) country outlet WYZB “105.5 Nash FM” afternoon personality Skip Davis lost his fight against cancer. During his time at the station, Davis was program director, midday host, and the cluster’s production director. Per a posting on the station’s Facebook page, “With hearts full of sadness, we have lost a son. Skip Davis passed away in his sleep. He moved on in peace and without any distress. Skip has been a radio presence on the Gulf Coast for decades. We ask that you keep Skip’s wife, his family, and friends in your hearts.”
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Round Four of November PPM Ratings Released. The fourth of four rounds of November 2019 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville,
Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s November 2019 survey period covered October 10 – November 6. Some 6+ ratings gains of note for spoken-word stations during the November survey include: In Raleigh, Capitol Broadcasting’s sports talk WCMC-FM “99.9 The Fan” adds another two-tenths to its recent full-share increase to land at a 3.1 share and the #14 rank in the market; Emmis Communications’ flagship news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis “Indy’s Mobile News 93.1” rises six-tenths to a 6.4 share good for the #5 rank; and Cumulus Media’s WWTN-FM, Nashville adds six-tenths to its recent 6+ uptick for a 4.8 share and the #11 rank in the market. See all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. Meanwhile, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Takeaways” from these markets here.
Dave Ramsey Launches ‘Borrowed Future’ Podcast Examining the Student Loan Crisis. This new podcast series from Ramsey Solutions is hosted by George Kamel in which bestselling author of Debt Free Degree – Anthony
O’Neal – joins him to “explore the lies we believe about college, the soaring cost of tuition, and the predatory nature of the student loan industry. Listeners will learn how to pay for college without going into debt and find out if college is even the right choice for them.” Guests on season one of the eight-part “Borrowed Future” podcast include: Mark Cuban, Mike Rowe, Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey, Dr. Meg Meeker, Seth Frotman, and Ramsey Network personalities Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, and Chris Hogan. Apple Podcasts Review says, “This is the first honest approach to the student loan crisis that you will hear. Not just a commentary or criticism, but real-world solutions to the #1 personal finance challenge in America.”
Key Networks Launches ‘O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition.’ A new, morning drive program featuring Bill O’Reilly is being offered in national syndication by Key Networks. “The O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition” is a two-minute
feature and companion to Key Networks’ 15-minute daily radio program, “The O’Reilly Update,” currently airing on more than 180 stations. The three-minute program – two minutes of content with two embedded 30-second network spots – officially debuts in January. Key Networks chief revenue officer Dennis Green says, “‘The O’Reilly Update’ has been a great success in a short amount of time. We have heard from stations that asked for an opportunity to have O’Reilly’s content available for morning drive and Key Networks delivers with ‘The O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition.’ The best way to start your day is analysis from the best commentator in the business. I can’t think of a better way to start 2020 than to bring this expansion of ‘The O’Reilly Update’ to the market.”
Crossover Media to Lead Sales Efforts for Bleav Podcast Network. Cross-platform ad sales firm Crossover Media Group Sales is leading the advertising sales for Bleav Podcast Network’s 150-plus podcasts. The Bleav Podcast Network focuses on sports team content, “uniquely providing team fanbases with former players as hosts in football, basketball, baseball, hockey and
soccer.” In addition to team shows, Bleav creates local and national podcasts with topic experts in multiple categories such as golf, tennis, fitness, gymnastics, family, action sports, racing, film, esports, law, music, self-help, and more. Bleav says 
that based on the highly exclusive local and national content experience, its advertisers see a very high awareness, retention, and response rates based on the show host’s live read endorsements. Crossover Media managing partner Sue Freund says, “We’re excited to be working with Bleav. This is an ideal partnership as both Crossover Media and Bleav are rapidly growing companies within the podcast market. Bleav is introducing new podcasts daily to the marketplace and we’re looking forward to giving advertisers the opportunity to partner with their network of fantastic hosts and content.”
Logan Upped to OM at Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach. Programming pro Bruce Logan is promoted to operations manager for Hubbard Radio’s West Palm Beach station group. Logan has been serving as program director for
country WIRK-FM and adult contemporary WEAT “Sunny 107.9.” In this new role, he’ll add oversight for news/talk WFTL, sports talk WMEN-AM “FOX Sports 640,” hot AC WRMF, and urban contemporary WMBX “X102.3.” Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach SVP/market manager Elizabeth Hamma says, “We have an exceptional cluster of stations in West Palm Beach and I’m pleased to have an exceptional leader in the OM role. Bruce has made an immediate impact on our cluster in the short time he has been with us. I look forward to putting his talent to work on all of our brands.”
KBME, Houston’s Greg Koch to Leave Station to Focus on Health. Former NFL offensive lineman and midday sports talk host Greg Koch told his listeners
on Monday (12/2) that he’s leaving his role with KBME at the end of this week to focus on his health. Koch – who co-hosts the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show with fellow former NFL player N.D. Kalu – was diagnosed a year ago with Parkinson’s disease, but says he realizes he’s been feeling the effects of the disease for more than 10 years. The iHeartMedia sports talk station has issued no statement about its plans for the program after this week. Read the Houston Chronicle account here.
Townsquare Ups Sieks to Regional VP. Sales and management pro Christine Sieks rises to regional vice president for Townsquare Media’s Northeast Region. For the past two-plus years, she’s been VP for Townsquare New
Hampshire. In her new role, she will continue to directly oversee sales in New Hampshire as well. Prior to joining Townsquare, Sieks served in senior management with iHeartMedia New Hampshire. Townsquare SVP Rob Williams says, “Christine Sieks made an immediate impact on our performance and culture when she joined Townsquare in 2016, distinguishing herself among our best local market leaders and strategic thinkers. I’m thrilled to work more closely with her to help our teams continue to learn, grow, and perform.”
BFoA Commences Year-End Giving Appeal. The Broadcasters Foundation of America is launching its annual year-end appeal today (12/3) in conjunction with the national charitable giving event, Giving Tuesday. The BFoA’s drive asks for tax-deductible personal donations to the Guardian Fund and corporate contributions to the Angel Initiative. The Broadcasters Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity, and the only organization dedicated exclusively to providing aid to
broadcasters and their families whose lives have been upended by tragic illness, accident, or catastrophe. The Broadcasters Foundation will award more than $1.3 Million in aid this year. Monthly grants have increased over 75% since 2015, and more than 500 emergency grants have been awarded since 2017. Over the past 19 years, the Broadcasters Foundation has distributed over $11 million to broadcasters in need. Donations can be made by visiting www.broadcastersfoundation.org/donate. BFoA chairman Dan Mason says, “These funds make a huge difference in the lives of broadcasters and their families. Our grant recipients are hard-working broadcasters who have experienced unthinkable tragedy and desperately need and deserve our support.”
Impeachment Proceedings/Republican Report, NATO Summit, 2020 Presidential Race, China Bans U.S. Military from Hong Kong, U.S.-France Tariffs, Jeffrey Epstein Case, and ‘AGT’ Controversy Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/2). The impeachment proceedings against President Trump and the Republican-authored report attempting to refute the Democrats’ case against the president; the controversial start to the NATO summit as President Trump calls comments by France’s Emmanuel Macron about the U.S.’ reliability “very insulting”; the Democrats vying to challenge President Trump in 2020; China enacts a ban on U.S. military ship stopovers in Hong Kong because of the U.S.’ pro-democracy act; Trump ramps up tariffs on French goods; the Jeffrey Epstein case returns to the news cycle after BBC interview with Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre; and the controversy over the exit of judges from “America’s Got Talent” due to allegations of a hostile workplace were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Programming pro Derrick Brown is promoted to vice president of urban programming for iHeartMedia’s Chicago region. He’d been serving the company as director of urban programming and program director for urban contemporary
WVAZ “V103.” He’ll continue to program “V103.” iHeartMedia Chicago SVP of programming James Howard says, “Derrick’s exemplary record of success with our urban brands puts this promotion into the no-brainer bucket of decisions. We are beyond fortunate to have him at the helm of the Chicago region’s phenomenal urban brands.” In this role, Brown will be responsible for overseeing all urban programming and digital operations for “V103,” hip hop WGCI and Gospel WGRB-AM “Inspiration 1390.”…..Programmer Eric White is adding PD duties for alternative WRMR, Wilmington, North Carolina to his current role as program director at Sunrise Broadcasting’s co-owned hot AC WILT. White, who takes over for Laura Lee, says, “I’m grateful to Valerie Brooks, Sunrise, and Capitol Broadcasting management for this opportunity. I look forward to digging in and taking on the already solid modern rock brand and growing it to new heights in 2020.”
Friday, November 22, 2019
Steve Bannon’s ‘War Room: Impeachment’ Airing on Newsmax TV. The one-hour, daily talk program, “War Room: Impeachment,” hosted by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, is now airing on Newsmax TV at
9:00 am ET. Bannon’s co-hosts on the program are former Trump campaign senior communications strategist Jason Miller and Raheem Kassam, former chief adviser to Brexit leader Nigel Farage. They provide up-to-the-second analysis and commentary on the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump. Bannon says, “We will deliver information and analysis on the impeachment of President Trump to hard-working Americans as they get on with their busy lives. The citizens of this country will be the real jury in this case, and it is vital they get the facts.” The program is also being distributed as a radio program via Salem Radio Network.
NOW POSTED: New Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The vibrant, one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS
magazine, is now posted on the website of its flagship station, iHeartMedia’s WONK-FM, Washington, DC (11/22). The new episode titled, “Poll Dancing with the Stars!,” looks back at this past week of November 18-22, 2019 and features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Jeffrey 
Kuhner, talk show host, WRKO, Boston; Dr. Dana Cheng, senior China news reporter, The Epoch Times; Thom Hartmann, talk show host, WYD Media Network; Rich Zeoli, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Tony Katz, talk show host, WIBC, Indianapolis; and Victoria Jones, executive director, DC
Radio Company. This acclaimed news/talk radio show first airs each week on WONK-FM, Washington, DC on Friday evenings between 6:00-7:00 pm; followed by WRKO, Boston; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; KBKW, Aberdeen, WA; the Virginia Talk Radio Network and Pioneer Valley Radio in Springfield, MA. It also appears on the iHeartRadio App. To listen to this week’s episode (and the program’s complete archives), please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here.
Six Honored at Gracies Leadership Awards Ceremony. At the annual Gracies Leadership Awards luncheon in New York City yesterday (11/21), the Alliance
for Women in Media honored six female media leaders. Honorees included: Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary Berner, Entercom COO Weezie Kramer, Univision chief communications officer Rosemary Mercedes, TV One general manager Michelle Rice, Crown Media Family Networks EVP programming and network publicity Michelle Vicary, and E.W. Scripps VP employment & labor law and chief diversity officer 
Danyelle Wright. Katz Direct president Chickie Bucco was honored with the inaugural AWM Legacy Leadership award. Elizabeth Smart delivered the keynote address, sharing her captivating story of overcoming the trauma of her nine-month abduction, at the age of fourteen. Smart said, “I don’t think that you are made by what happens to you. I think you are made by the choices you make after things happen to you.” She ended the speech, saying, “As I move forward with my life, I am dedicated to preventing what happened to me from happening to anyone else and continuing to empower women, and girls of all ages, as much as I can.” Pictured here is Alliance for Women in Media treasurer and The Weiss Agency EVP Heather Cohen (at right) with Mary Berner and (at left) with Weezie Kramer.
The Impeachment Hearings Top News/Talk Story for Week of November 18-22. The week’s testimony at the impeachment inquiry against President Trump was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the 2020 presidential race and Wednesday’s Democratic debate. Coming in at #3 was the Hong Kong Human Rights Act and U.S.-China trade relations, followed by the Prince Andrew–Jeffrey Epstein connection at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
TALKERS News Notes. WFNI, Indianapolis “The Fan” program director and
morning drive co-host Jeff Rickard is recovering after suffering a heart attack last weekend. Rickard updated listeners via a tweet yesterday, saying, “I’m feeling a little better but have been missing here and on air after suffering a major heart attack last Saturday. THANKS to all who have reached out and hopefully I’ll be back to work soon. I’m going to go back to being quiet for a few days.”…..iHeartMedia news/talk WILM-AM, Wilmington, Delaware signs a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA G League affiliate the Delaware Blue Coats to air play-by-play of all of the team’s regular season and post season games for the 2019-2020 season. Blue Coats president Larry Meli says, “We are thrilled to bring Delaware Blue Coats basketball to the Delaware airwaves. iHeartMedia Wilmington is a terrific partner for our program both in the broadcast sense and also from a community engagement perspective. We’re proud of the commitment both organizations have to bettering the city of Wilmington.”…..SiriusXM is participating in WhyHunger’s Hungerthon 2019. The online auction takes place now through Wednesday, December 11. WhyHunger is a non-profit organization founded by the late Harry Chapin and led by executive director Noreen Springstead. Hungerthon auction items include a trip to meet and see Billie Eilish in Los Angeles; a trip to meet and see Kenny Chesney in Arlington, Texas; tickets to see all four nights of Phish’s New Year’s Eve shows or their exclusive concert for SiriusXM in Philadelphia on 12/3; tickets to attend SiriusXM’s exclusive event with Billy Joel in Miami on 12/5; signed guitars from Taylor Swift, 5 Seconds of Summer, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, and more; autographed items that include a signed Rolling Stone cover from Camila Cabello; framed lyrics of “Too Good at Goodbyes” signed by Sam Smith; a helmet signed by Marshmello; tickets to the 2020 Daytona 500; tickets to the 2020 PGA Championship and much more.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Air personality Jason Howard is named co-host of “The River Morning Show” on iHeartMedia’s hot AC WRVE, Albany “99.5 The River” alongside
current WRVE personality Tracy. Howard – a graduate of SUNY Brockport – joins WRVE from Hurley’s Media in the Cayman Islands where he was OM and morning host. iHeartMedia Albany SVP of programming Randy McCarten says, “Jason’s experience as an entertaining morning host along with his commitment to community involvement will be a great asset to ‘The River.’ Tracy and Jason 
have a chemistry that is just a lot of fun to hear every morning.”…..Westwood One appoints Nick Fox country program director for Westwood One’s 24/7 formats. In this role, Fox will oversee day-to-day operations of delivering 24/7 programming to Westwood One country affiliates. He’ll manage on-air talent while supervising music databases and support current and potential 24/7 affiliates. Fox was most recently the program director and midday personality at Cumulus Media’s country WXBM, Pensacola…..Programming pro Nick Cash is named operations manager at Townsquare Media’s Killeen-Temple, Texas station group that includes country KUSJ, hip hop KOOC, urban contemporary KSSM, and classic rock KLTD. Cash was most recently program director and afternoon host at iHeartMedia’s country KHGE, Fresno “102.7 The Wolf.”
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
WIBC, Indianapolis Talk Host Tony Katz Speaks with VP Pence at White House Radio Row. In the photo above taken at yesterday’s White House Radio Row on the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, WIBC-FM, Indianapolis morning host and syndicated late morning personality Tony Katz (right) interviews Vice President Mike Pence (left). Katz says he was one of just three talk hosts to interview Pence at the daylong event that featured a number of GOP members of Congress and Trump administration officials speaking with the invited group of radio hosts. Pence’s comments to Katz on the China-Hong Kong tensions made national news, with the VP saying, “The president has made it very clear; it would be very hard to do a deal with China if there is any violence or if that matter is not treated properly and humanely.”
Lori Lewis Launches Social Media Consultancy. Social media and radio pro Lori Lewis announces the launch of her social media consultancy firm, Lori
Lewis Media. She says her firm offers “brands the most affordable way to finally put a social media strategy in play with proven, winning tactics to drive audience and revenue growth.” Lewis served for three years as vice president of social media for Cumulus Media and Westwood One. Prior to that, she was director of digital and social strategy at Jacobs Media. She’s also worked in the radio industry as a programmer and talent.
FOX Sports Radio Reports October Audience Growth. The sports audio network cites October 2019 data for its radio and streaming ratings as well as podcast listens, reporting record audience totals. FOX Sports Radio – a division of Premiere Networks – says that “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”
achieved its “single greatest month in average quarter hour audience, growing +31.4% with Adults 25-54 and +36.2% with Men 25-54.” “Outkick the Coverage with Clay Travis” “had its best AQH month ever in October, increasing +38.3% with Adults 25-54 and +53.5% with Men 25-54.” Also, FOX Sports says it posted its largest streaming audience in the history of the network with total listening hours increasing +21% year-to-year in October 2019. The network also set another record for total monthly podcast listens in October, reaching more than 11 million monthly listens.
Entercom Adds Local News Content on Google Assistant. Leveraging the power of its all-news radio stations, Entercom is adding local news audio content to the new “Your News Update,” on the Google Assistant. Entercom says that through this partnership, local content from stations including 1010 WINS and WCBS 880 in New York, KNX 1010 News Radio in Los Angeles, WBBM
Newsradio in Chicago, Newsradio 1080 KRLD in Dallas, WWJ News Radio 950 in Detroit, KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia, KCBS All News in San Francisco and News Radio 1120 KMOX in St. Louis will be featured as part of the “Your News Update” platform. This follows the stations’ exclusive participation as part of the platform’s beta-testing phase. “Your News Update” will showcase a mix of short news stories chosen in that moment based on users’ interests, location, history, and preferences, as well as the top news stories from publishers from around the world including Associated Press, FOX News, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and more.
Vanessa Wojtusiak Named VP of Marketing for iHeartMedia Hartford/New Haven. Marketing pro Vanessa Wojtusiak joins iHeartMedia Hartford/New Haven as vice president of marketing. The markets include news/talk WPOP-AM, Hartford and WELI, New Haven plus sports talker WUCS-FM, Hartford and
WAVZ-AM, New Haven. Wojtusiak joins iHeartMedia from Nexstar’s WTNH-TV, New Haven where she most recently served as the director of audience development and executive digital producer. She’s also served as national director of social marketing for iHeartRadio, an online marketing manager for WHTZ, New York “Z100” and the marketing assistant for WXKS-FM, Boston “KISS 108.” She says, “I am thrilled to be back home where I started my media career 18 years ago. Radio has been my longstanding passion and a medium that still has a meaningful and powerful presence in local communities. I can’t wait to keep elevating the iconic local brands alongside a very talented team.”
TALKERS News Notes. The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand is continuing his watch over the sports talk radio scene in New York and reports that current
WFAN 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm personality Bart Scott is expected to jump across town to ESPN-owned rival WEPN as co-host of the show in the same time slot. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith – currently hosting the ESPN Radio network show in that daypart – is leaving his radio duties with the company for more TV work, leaving that time slot open. He also says sources indicate current WFAN midday team Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts are odds-on favorites to assume the afternoon drive show on WFAN when Mike Francesa moves to the RADIO.COM platform. Read his column here…..iHeartRadio launches a new branded podcast in collaboration with T-Mobile for Business, titled “This Time Tomorrow.” In it, podcast hosts Oz Woloshyn and Karah Preiss look closely at how innovations in 5G connectivity will revolutionize the way people work, socialize, and interact with the world…..Cox Media Group’s news/talk KRMG-AM/FM, Tulsa launches its 14th annual Stories of Light fundraiser to benefit Make-A-Wish Oklahoma. The goal is to raise $300,000 during the three-day radiothon. The KRMG team moves its entire broadcast to LaFortune Park in Tulsa for the radiothon and encourages listeners to stop by with donations. This event has raised more than $3 million since its inception…..SiriusXM and Amazon announce that SiriusXM’s On Demand library is now available to subscribers with Amazon Alexa and Echo devices, as well as several third-party devices with Alexa built-in. The move allows subscribers with streaming access to simply ask Alexa to play their favorite SiriusXM shows and compelling content whenever they want it.
Edison Research Unveils ‘Podcast Consumer Tracker’ Report. This new report from Edison Research is what the company calls “the first successful endeavor to present a unified look at audience information at the publisher/network level.” It says the Podcast Consumer Tracker also contains “competitive intelligence, audience demographics, and sales targeting information for podcast publishers and networks. It currently has 10 charter subscribers, including NPR, PodcastOne, Wondery, ESPN, WarnerMedia, and “other significant publishing and agency partners.” While the comparative
rankings of publisher networks are available only to subscribers, Edison offers some of the findings of its first report: “The Joe Rogan Experience” is the leading podcast in terms of reach amongst weekly podcast consumers; there are significant content consumption differences between iPhone and Android users, rendering ‘Top Podcast’ charts derived exclusively from users of either to be unrepresentative of total listening behavior; and while the study tracks the relative reach of the top podcast networks, 54% of weekly podcast consumers have listened to an unaffiliated, independent podcast in the last week. Edison Reasearch SVP Tom Webster says, “This is the first study in the podcast space to tackle a universal measure of reach. There are, of course, various charts of downloads that cover parts of the overall universe, but those either reflect only a portion of the podcast audience, or they only measure publishers that opt-in. The Podcast Consumer Tracker’s goal is a truly inclusive measure of the comparative penetration of the leading publishers and networks. In that, we have been highly successful.”
Impeachment Hearings/Ukraine Allegations, 2020 Presidential Race/Atlanta Debate, Epstein Guards Charged, Israel-Syria Skirmish, and Hong Kong University Siege Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/19). This week’s impeachment testimony about the allegations of President Trump’s impropriety with regard to Ukraine military aid; the Democrats hoping to challenge President Trump in 2020 and tonight’s debate in Atlanta; the charges being filed against the Manhattan prison guards on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died are charged as the investigation continues; Israel fires at Iranian military targets in Syria; and the Hong Kong University siege were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
The Story of The Fisher House Foundation. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian writes about the birth and growth of the Fisher House Foundation and its harnessing the “power in radio” to
raise awareness of the organization’s mission. As regular TALKERS readers are probably aware, the Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where family members of military personnel and veterans can stay while their loved one is in the hospital. Since its inception, the Fisher House estimates it has saved families $451 million in out-of-pocket costs for housing and transportation. How the Fisher House Foundation began and how its relationship with radio – especially news/talk radio – is an interesting story. Read Mike Kinosian’s piece here.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Los Angeles, entertainment, news & traffic reporter Lisa May announces she’s leaving the “Frosty, Heidi & Frank” morning show at Meruelo Media’s classic rock KLOS, effective December 13. The longtime Los Angeles radio personality is moving to Palm Springs to work in the personal fitness
business…..A surprise on Long Island as longtime adult contemporary WALK-FM morning drive personality Mark Daniels exits the station. Newsday reports the 63-year-old Daniels has been with Connoisseur Media’s WALK since 1985. Daniels’s on-air partner Jamie Morris is staying on and will be part of the new morning show set to debut in January…..YEA Networks announces that the “Tino Cochino Radio” show is being added to the programming lineup on hip hop KQKS, Denver “KS 1075,” its first Entercom-owned affiliate station.….On Friday (11/22), the iHeartRadio album release party with Coldplay, celebrating the release of Everyday Life takes place. The hour-long on air special will feature a performance and an exclusive interview hosted by iHeartRadio on-air personality, Harms. It airs at 8:00 pm local time on iHeartMedia alternative and triple A stations…..BMI announces the appointment of Nexstar Media Group president and CEO Perry Sook to the BMI board of directors, effective January 1, 2020. Board chair Michael J. Fiorile says, “We’re extremely pleased to welcome Perry Sook to the BMI board of directors. Perry has achieved incredible success at Nexstar and we know he will be a valuable addition to the board as we continue our mission of protecting the rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and advocating for the value of music.”
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Tegna Putting San Diego’s KFMB-AM and KFMB-FM Up for Sale. According to Ken Leighton’s report in the San Diego Reader, Tegna has put news/talk KFMB-AM and classic hits KFMB-FM up for sale and intends to announce a
potential new owner by November 15. The story indicates radio station staffers learned about Tegna’s plans in a memo last week. Tegna bought the two radio stations as part of its acquisition of two San Diego television outlets – KFMB-TV and KFMB-DT2 – back in December of 2018. The piece reports that iHeartMedia is rumored to be interested and goes on to speculate that KFMB-AM could become a sports talk station, with programming from iHeartMedia’s crosstown KLSD moving to KFMB-AM’s better signal. However, such an acquisition would put iHeartMedia over the ownership cap in the market and require divestitures.
Hofstra’s WRHU-FM Wins Third Marconi Award. At this year’s Marconi Awards at the NAB/RAB Radio Show in Dallas, Hofstra University’s WRHU, Hempstead, New York took home its third Marconi Award. The
school’s station won the Noncommercial Station of the Year in 2014 and 2017. This year, the station won the inaugural College Station of the Year honor. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a feature-length look at Hofstra’s WRHU. Kinosian writes that several things make WRHU unique. “Operated primarily by a roughly 250-member student staff, which in itself is fairly mind-blowing, the noncommercial, educational, community-oriented facility has another 20 or so ‘community volunteers.’” Read the entire piece here.
TALKERS News Notes. Indianapolis sports talk host Dan Dakich is serving a
one-week suspension from his show on Emmis Communications’ WFNI-AM “The Fan” for “a failure last year on Dan’s part to adhere to the journalistic principles valued by Emmis,” according to a report in the Indianapolis Star. However, neither Emmis nor Dakich are responding to inquiries about the specifics of his transgression. Former Indiana Pacers player Scot Pollard is sitting in as host of Dakich’s 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show…..Entercom sports talk personality 
Christian Fauria is doing a marathon radio broadcast on WEEI, Boston to raise awareness of diabetes and raise funds for the American Diabetes Association. “Christian Fauria’s 25 for 25k” entails Fauria broadcasting live for 25 hours straight from 2:00 pm on November 13 to 3:00 pm on November 14 in an effort to raise $25,000. Fauria’s son was recently diagnosed with diabetes and during the broadcast, he’ll discuss his family’s journey with diabetes and welcome special guests, including New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower, diabetes patients, medical professionals, and Susan Sarro, executive director of the American Diabetes Association in New England…..This week’s Westwood One blog looks at the levels of awareness, usage, and enrollment in their rewards programs for Uber and Lyft among AM/FM radio listeners. According to a national MARU/Matchbox study commissioned by Westwood One, heavy AM/FM radio listeners are big users of ridesharing. 60% of heavy AM/FM radio listeners used Uber in the past year compared to 37% of light AM/FM radio listeners. A greater proportion of heavy AM/FM radio listeners used Lyft in the last year (49%) versus only 21% of light AM/FM radio
listeners. See more here…..ESPN Radio is reporting that its summer ratings (June 20-September 11) with men 25-54 in PPM markets were up 4% over the same period in 2018 (6a-6p). The upward trend was aided by an increase in time spent listening of 6%. The morning drive “Golic and Wingo” show was up 5% year-over-year with men 25-54 and enjoyed a 17% increase in TSL for the same period.
Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Tells TALKERS, “We live in a time of journalism by clickbait.” Criticism of today’s media and journalism is not the exclusive domain of President Donald Trump. Nor is the observation
that the national party committees are above putting their thumbs on the scale to help certain candidates of their own choosing. Interestingly, a candidate who is ideologically as far from the president as anyone in the race – Marianne Williamson – shares his view that both today’s media journalism and political party machinery can use improvement when it comes to honesty, integrity, and competency. Although Williamson has not qualified for inclusion in the last two debates, her candidacy remains very much alive. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison caught up with Williamson last week shortly after the Democratic debate on CNN. To listen to the conversation, please click
John McConnell to be Honored by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Radio industry veteran programmer, executive, and talent agent John McConnell has been named the 2019 recipient of prestigious Arnold Schneider Visionary Award by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for his work on behalf the organization’s mission to improve quality of life and speed the development of treatments for paralysis and breakthroughs in spinal cord research. The award will be presented at the Foundation’s annual Gala
dinner in the Big Apple in November. McConnell is executive vice president of Workhouse Media and runs the talent agency’s New York office. One of his clients, the legendary Scott Shannon of WCBS-FM, New York tells TALKERS, “Since the moment he first joined the ranks as a fundraiser and now vice chair, John has left an indelible mark as a leader. He fractured his neck in 2005 after flipping over his bike. While he recovered, this experience ignited a passion and purpose to help the Foundation accelerate its mission. A year to the day after the injury, John ran the New York City Marathon. He’s since completed multiple marathons, raising millions under the Reeve banner.” Shannon continues, “I’ve known John for 30 years. Our love of radio brought us together and we have a wonderful friendship. And I’m proud to call him my agent.” This year’s Gala is titled “A Magical Evening” and it is set for Thursday, November 14 at Cipriani South Street located at 10 South Street in New York City. Those interested in attending or making a contribution may contact the Gala office at 973-933-7114 or events@christopherreeve.org for reservations.
Egan Named GSM for Alpha Media Portland. The Alpha Media Portland station group that includes news/talk KXL-FM, talk KUFO “Freedom 970,” and sports talk KXTG-AM “750 The Game,” and four music brands names Michael Egan its new general sales manager, effective November 4. Egan was most
recently general manager at Pitt Learfield/IMG College Sports Marketing in Pittsburgh. Prior to his six-year stint at Learfield/IMG, Egan held senior roles in corporate sponsorship sales for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Portland Trail Blazers. Alpha Media Portland director of sales Cressy Walton says, “We are very excited to have Mike join us and look forward to the ideas, relationships, and experience he is bringing to our team. His knowledge, sense of humor, leadership, work ethic, and Oregon roots are a perfect fit.”
Impeachment Inquiry Delay, Syria Withdrawal, 2020 Presidential Race/Gabbard-Clinton Clash, Trudeau Ekes Victory in Canada, Netanyahu Fails to Form Government, and Brexit Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/22). The Democrats delay the impeachment inquiry against President Trump; debate over the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Northeastern Syria; the Democrats hoping to challenge President Trump in 2020 and Hillary Clinton’s calling Tulsi Gabbard a “Russian asset”; Justin Trudeau wins Canada’s prime minister race but will lead a minority government; Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a government in Israel; and Boris Johnson’s asking Parliament to approve his Brexit deal were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Changes are taking place on air at Connoisseur Media’s Connecticut operations. Air personality Allan Lamberti is moving from mornings on classic rock WFOX, Southport “95.9 The Fox” to sister adult contemporary WEBE, Westport for afternoons, taking over for Jay Michaels, who is stepping down this week. Charlie Padgett will assume morning duties on WFOX. Lamberti says, “I grew up in Trumbull, live in Bridgeport, and have long listened to and admired WEBE108. I’m extremely excited to take over in my new role on afternoons on such a legendary signal.”…..iHeartMedia’s hip hop KMEL, San Francisco announces the lineup for its 2019 “Holiday House of Soul” taking place on Saturday, December 14 at The Masonic in San Francisco. The event will feature live performances from artists including Layton Greene, SiR and DVSN. iHeartMedia San Francisco SVP of programming Don Parker says, “The KMEL ‘Holiday House of Soul’ is a Bay Area tradition and frequently showcases some of the biggest new stars in R&B. Previous shows have included talent such as SZA and The Weeknd, just as their careers were in their earliest stages. We’re proud to again feature several of today’s freshest R&B artists who’ve all had a breakout year in 2019 with big things to come in the years ahead.”
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