Tag: "Joe Walsh"
Monday, June 23, 2014
WIND, Chicago’s Joe Walsh Returns to Air After Truncated Show Involving Racial Slurs. To be clear, former congressman and current WIND, Chicago 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm talk personality Joe Walsh did not use the ‘N-word’ or any other words referring to actual people. On his Thursday show is used the Washington Redskins controversy as a jumping off point for an academic conversation about words, their meaning and how people perceive them. But in using those words, management pulled him off the air during a commercial break and he did not return. Walsh met with management on
Friday and was apprised of the company’s policy about such language. The following statement issued Friday afternoon from Salem Communications-owned WIND “AM 560 The Answer” general manager Jeff Reisman explains that policy: “Yesterday, AM 560 The Answer’s Joe Walsh conducted a segment of his show regarding the recent controversy about the name of the Washington Redskins. During the segment Joe intended to cite several common racial slurs as examples. He did not in any way use them in a defamatory or derogatory manner, simply as examples. However, AM 560 The Answer did not allow them to go on the air. AM 560 The Answer has a policy of not using certain words on the air that are highly inflammatory and offensive even in the context of a discussion of why those words are offensive. We will continue that policy. Joe Walsh will be back on air tonight.”
Big Little Screen Add for ‘McCullough/Baldwin *LIVE*’. The XtreMEDIA-produced weekend talk show “McCullough/Baldwin *LIVE*,” featuring Kevin McCullough and Stephen Baldwin announces the addition of a new television affiliate for the video stream of the show. Beginning July 1, the program will be seen on KFLA-TV, Los Angeles. XtreMEDIA says the program will be available in the 14 million TV/cable households that get the channel. Kevin McCullough comments, “Being live on television in ‘prime time’ always ratchets up response and numbers. And on a signal like KFLA in SoCal — which stretches literally from Palm Springs to Santa Barbara, Huntington Beach all the way to Bakersfield, blows us away.” He adds that in total through the partnership with BizTV, the weekend broadcast will reach approximately 40 million TV/cable households in some 20 markets. He says of the radio version of the show that “in most recent PPM trends the Saturday night broadcast accounted for more than half the radio station’s Saturday total cume on its flagship market NYC, and two other markets.”
Genesis Communications Network Debuts “Jim Paris Live.” The weekly, two-hour program airs Sundays starting at 9:00 pm (ET). Palm Coast, Florida-based Jim Paris has recently been broadcasting over the internet and the ChristianMoney.com editor comments that he has “wanted to get back to terrestrial radio. Genesis Communications was my first choice and it was a natural fit. I already listen to several programs on the network and feel that my voice will be a complement to their already-fantastic lineup. I love the niche that GCN fills, and I am excited to add my name to their roster.” Paris formerly hosted programs on the Sun Radio Network and USA Radio Network. In the late-1980s, he was a substitute host for financial advisor Charles J. Givens’ syndicated radio show.
Licensing Resource Group Liquidated into Learfield Sports. Although terms of the transaction were not disclosed, Plano, Texas-headquartered Learfield Sports obtains Licensing Resource Group (LRG). Learfield president and chief executive officer Greg Brown states, “The LRG team has done a terrific job serving its collegiate partners – we are thrilled to have them join the Learfield family. We are also excited to now offer a broader collection of services to our collegiate partners.” According to LRG president and CEO Lewis Hardy, “We have a great team of people and have worked hard over the years to build valuable relationships in the college marketplace. Learfield will help us grow our capabilities in the coming years. Learfield has a stellar reputation. We are excited about this new chapter of growth for LRG.” Hardy will continue to manage LRG day-to-day; he will report to Learfield Sports chief operating officer Marc Jenkins. LRG primarily provides schools with licensing services, including trademark and brand management. The company also provides schools and vendors with advice and consulting services. Learfield Sports manages exclusive multimedia rights – including radio broadcast rights – to approximately 100 collegiate properties. Learfield says it does not anticipate making any employee changes related to this acquisition.
AMVETS Joins Forces with ”Frontlines of Freedom.” Denny Gillem-hosted military/veterans-geared talk program “Frontlines of Freedom” enters a long-term partnership with proactive veterans’ service organization AMVETS. Gillem remarks that AMVETS is, “the most inclusive veterans organization in our country – they truly care about our veterans. AMVETS and its members are proactively engaging in local and national events, and initiatives to improve the provisioning of health care for veterans; preservation of earned benefits; recognition of service; encouraging Americanism; and positively representing veterans to our nation as a whole.” The program’s co-creator and executive producer Josh Leng comments that “Frontlines of Freedom” listeners are “already benefiting from this partnership through the additional information and ideas on important veterans issues and the experts it has brought to the program. In just over a year, we have welcomed 46 new affiliates. This past week, we reached the 60-affiliate station mark. Enthusiasm for ‘Frontlines of Freedom’ by station owners, general managers, and program directors has really started to snowball.” The partnership will incorporate information-sharing on veterans’ issues and legislation, shared access to voices on military and veteran support, and action-based opportunities for veterans.
Odds & Sods. Now heading up the sales efforts of Genesis Communications’ three-station cluster Florida cluster of WAMT, Orlando “AM 1190 News,” sports talk WHOO, Kissimmee “AM 1080 The Team,” and WIXC, Titusville “AM 1060 News” is Scott Schwartz whom the company names general sales manager. Schwartz will also oversee sales for the company’s web publications…..Sonoma Media Group adds an FM translator – K276DT, Santa Rosa – to the signal of news/talk KSRO, Santa Rosa. The new signal is at 103.5 FM.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Cumulus Media Moves Kevin Metheny to KGO and KSFO, San Francisco. From his current position with Cumulus Media as program director of WJR, Detroit, Kevin Metheny will go West to take the helm of Bay Area news and talk stations KGO and KSFO as operations manager, effective July 14. The company says that Metheny is “a career content creator whose other recent work includes the successful 
launch of CBS RADIO’s country KMNB, “BUZ*N @ 102.9” in the Twin Cities; program director of WGN, Chicago; and 13 years with Clear Channel in various roles, including regional vice president of programming.” Cumulus EVP and co-COO John Dickey states, “Kevin Metheny’s reputation and accomplishments are unparalleled. His deep understanding of spoken-word radio and ability to work with bigger-than-life talents make him the ideal candidate to lead the legendary KGO and KSFO.” Metheny takes over for Ron Escarsega, who exits the stations.
WIND, Chicago Pulls Joe Walsh Off the Air After ‘Conversation About Words.’ Chicago talk show host (and former U.S. Congressman) Joe Walsh was pulled off his radio program on the Salem Communications-owned talk station yesterday (6/19) after he used a number of racial slurs while engaging in what he termed (via Twitter) “an honest, adult conversation about words without resorting to alphabet soup phrases (C-word, N-word etc.).” Walsh was riffing on the controversy over the NFL’s Washington Redskins losing its trademark due a recent Trademark Office decision. He Tweets that he “Found out that if I said Redskins or Cracker or Redneck Bible Thumper I could stay on. But if I said N***er or Sp**k, they cut me off.” As reported in the Daily Mail, Walsh is expected to be off the radio today and will meet with management later this afternoon. Walsh is fairly new to talk radio and apparently didn’t think an academic discussion was the same as outright use of the words he was discussing. Still, management is understandably skittish about the matter. Time will tell if this afternoon’s meeting is about setting it right or a pink slip for Walsh.
Tribune’s WGN, Chicago Takes Top Honors at IBA Awards Ceremony. Chicago news/talker WGN was honored with the Chicago Market Station of the Year award at the 2014 Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Awards ceremony held in Peoria on Wednesday, June 18. This is the seventh year running for WGN taking home that honor. The Tribune-owned station also was honored with first place wins in six categories, including: Best play-by-play team for Chicago Blackhawks broadcasters John Wiedeman and Troy Murray; Best radio series or documentary for “Beyond Bartman: The Story of the 2003 Cubs,” produced by David Kaplan, Trey Elling and Dan Levy; Best radio feature for “Halloween Rescheduled,” with Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder; Best station website for wgnradio.com; Best use of new media for the “Graveyard Shift Tours,” video with Nick Digilio and Dan Sugrue; and Best non-humorous commercial for “Des Plaines Golf Center,” produced by Jason Skaggs. WGN president and GM Jimmy de Castro states, “We are thrilled to have taken home seven awards and to be recognized by our peers at the Illinois Broadcasters Association. You can’t be named Chicago Market Station of the Year without terrific contributions from people like John and Troy of the Chicago Blackhawks and the incredibly talented family at WGN Radio. These awards are a testament to the strong sense of collaboration at our station and the amazing buzz in our hallways.”
Odds & Sods. The chairman of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will take over as general manager of sports talk KLAA, Orange, California after the exit of David Baronfeld. The radio management pro had been GM of the station for the past three years…..Compass Media Networks announces its NFL play-by-play schedule for the 2014 season. Some of the key games the network is offering include: the 49ers at the Cowboys on 9/7, the Raiders at the Seahawks on 11/2, and the Cowboys at the Bears on 12/4…..Sports USA also announces its NFL play-by-play schedule for the coming season. Games available through it include the Saints at the Falcons on 9/7, the Broncos at the Seahawks on 9/21, and the Packers at the Bears on 9/28…..Staradio Corp.-owned rock station WYKT, Kankakee, Illinois will flip to sports talk as “105.5 the Ticket” beginning July 10. The station will use CBS Sports Radio Network programming and will air NFL play-by-play from WestwoodOne as well as local high school football and basketball.
Joy at the United Nations. Nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Joy Browne (right) is pictured here interviewing an unidentified expert from the United Nations at yesterday’s “Talk Radio Day at the United Nations” – the massive radio row at the iconic headquarters of the World Organization — produced by TALKERS magazine in association with the Talk Radio News Service and the United Nations Foundation. Dr. Joy Browne will be at the Talkers New York 2104 conference taking place at the historic India House in Hanover Square today. Meet her there!
Iraq Turmoil Tops Talkers TenTM for Week of June 16-20. The political turmoil and violence taking place in Iraq and the Obama Administration’s policy toward the nation was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the crisis of child illegals pouring over the borders in the Southwest and the larger topic of immigration reform. At #3 was the recent primary results and races and the state of the GOP followed by Hillary Clinton’s memoir tied with speculation about the 2016 presidential race 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. View this week’s entire chart here.
Monday, April 7, 2014
‘Business Rockstars Radio’ to Air on WGN.FM. The Ken Rutkowski-hosted “Business Rockstars Radio” program begins airing on Tribune Company’s WGN.FM digital platform. WGN VP of content and programming Todd Manley says, “Ken Rutkowski is driven by a hunger to understand innovators, and his knack for unlocking the heart and soul of entrepreneurs makes for a potent audio-video-social journey. This fits WGN.FM’s free-form model perfectly, and we can’t wait for Ken’s first Business Rockstars Chicago event.” “Business Rockstars Radio” began broadcasting live today (4/7) from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm CT. Business Rockstars co-founder Steve Lehman comments,
“We’re thrilled to expand ‘Business Rockstars Radio’ into the Chicago market by joining the powerhouse family over at WGN Radio. This new alliance will allow us to reach the huge demographic of ‘Wantrepreneurs’ in Chicago and the surrounding areas with fun, fast-paced and compelling entrepreneurial content about growing, starting, and funding businesses. It’s going to be great to work with the WGN team. Todd Manley is a cutting-edge, forward-thinking programmer, and I’ve always admired and had a great working relationship with my only man-crush, Jimmy de Castro.”
Salem Communications Adds Chicago-based Joe Walsh to WNYM, New York Afternoon Schedule. Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh is no stranger to the WNYM, New York “AM 970 The Answer” airwaves – he’s been working on the air there since late January. But now the company announces Walsh will host the 5:00 pm hour on “AM 970 The Answer” and then do his 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm CT show on WIND, Chicago. Salem VP director spoken word format Phil Boyce
says, “We looked at a lot of options for late afternoons, but once we put Joe on the air in New York something magical happened. He instantly bonded with the New York audience. Joe sounds like he was born and bred in New York with a fire-breathing attitude. New York politicians need to get ready for this guy.” Walsh comments, “When Governor Cuomo said three months ago that conservatives weren’t welcome in New York, I took that as an invitation. Other talk show hosts threatened to leave New York, but I told the folks at AM 970 I want to go where the enemy lives, and they took me in.”
Radio: Playing Catch-Up to Our On-Demand Culture. Reporting from the RAIN Summit that preceded today’s opening of the NAB Show in Las Vegas, media consultant Holland Cooke writes about what those on the digital platform are doing well and what AM/FM operators can learn from them. Cooke offers analysis of what “curation” can mean to radio station programmers and sales staffers as well as reporting on what works on the podcasting platform and what doesn’t. Read Holland Cooke’s piece here.
CBS-Nielsen Cross-Media Measurement Data Shows Power of TV-Radio Combo Buys. A statement from both CBS and Nielsen calls today’s news “proof of concept (POC)” for local television plus radio audience measurement. Using Nielsen TV and radio panels the two companies “collaborated to demonstrate the additive power of combining media buys for major advertising campaigns. The POC combined audience data from CBS’ local TV and radio assets in order to build a foundation that measured combined and unduplicated reach across both media.” It’s good news for CBS but it’s really the only player with a large number of TV and radio assets across the company. Still,
Nielsen says it intends to open participation in the pilot across a wider group of clients to “further strengthen cross-media selling models.” But the companies go on to say that “creating a measurable foundation gives advertisers using marketing mix models as a basis for their media planning the tools they need to accurately account for how local television and radio together contribute to driving sales. This POC begins the conversation into the data needed by those models to correctly value local television and radio.” Here’s more from the press release: “In some cases, using local television and radio together doubled the reach in certain markets. In the five markets measured in the POC, an advertiser could reach anywhere from 84% to as high as 93% of all adults 18+ within a month by leveraging local television and radio together. Advertisers would be able to see the benefits of combining the buying of these media and dayparts together. For instance, combining television prime time and late news all week with morning drive on weekdays, an advertiser could reach 75% of A18-49 in Boston within four weeks. In this example, a local media buy could make sense for fast food advertisers.” Full results of the study are being presented at the NAB Show tomorrow (4/8). CBS Corporation chief research officer David Poltrack says, “Industry-standard measurement is a first step toward showing large advertisers what local advertisers already know – there is a lot of value to combining local television and radio in a media buy. We will continue working with Nielsen to bring to the industry the rich analytics, reporting tools, and planning software needed to prove these benefits to advertisers. The long-term plan is to include online as well. This proof-of-concept demonstrates the power of broadcasting quickly and frequently to reach mass audiences.”
Howard Stern to Interview Billy Joel for SiriusXM “Town Hall” Series. The “Town Hall” Series on SiriusXM taking place at the end of this month will feature talk radio legend Howard Stern sitting down with rock icon Billy Joel. The satcaster says that this “unique live sit-down special, pays tribute to Billy Joel with conversation, questions, performances by Joel and special guests.” It will take place at a “secret, intimate location in New York City on Monday, April 28.” Additional details about the “Town Hall,” including special performances and guests, will be revealed by Howard Stern in the coming weeks on his program. Stern says, “The 2010 interview I did with Billy Joel was one of my favorites of my career. Now, this special hits a whole new level, with surprise guests whose lives have been changed by Billy, from the unknown to the famous, giving Billy the tribute, and fans the treat, that they deserve.”
KFXX, Portland Debuts Two New Weekend Shows. Adding local programming to its weekend programming roster is Entercom’s KFXX, Portland “1080 TheFan.” The new Saturday program is “The Sinner and the Saint” featuring Keith Hill and Luke Anderson (pictured here) airing from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. On Sundays from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, “Sports Sunday” hosted by Mike Lynch and Rashad Taylor is now heard.
KCAA, Loma Linda CEO Featured on Sundance TV Reality Series Tonight. On this evening’s episode of “Loredana Esq.,” KCAA CEO Fred Lundgren will be featured as station attorney and program star Loredana Nesci represents him in a case that went before the Los Angeles Superior Court. The TV show features Nesci – a former L.A. cop-turned-criminal defense attorney – as she handles cases facing overwhelming odds. During this evening’s episode Nesci represents Lundgren who faces receivership after being sued by a broadcaster for $800,000. Lundgren terminated the broadcaster’s contract due to repeated on-air obscenities. Lundgren says this episode offers a “unique glimpse behind the scenes of a radio station licensee who gets caught between our First Amendment rights and the First Amendment restrictions placed on radio stations by the FCC.”
Odds & Sods. Beginning tomorrow (4/8), Tribune’s WGN, Chicago will present a video component to the morning drive Steve Cochran program. According to Chicago media writer Robert Feder, there will be multiple cameras in the studio to, as chief content officer Todd Manley says, give “a peek behind the curtain – a way to see how everybody collaborates.”…..ESPN Radio’s “SVP & Russillo” will originate from Sundance Square in Fort Worth today from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm in advance of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship game. Today’s broadcast featuring hosts Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo is open to the public…..Las Vegas-based talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs reports that
two more talk show hosts have signed on to take part in the effort to raise funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. Casey Hendrickson of WTRC, Michiana-Fort Wayne “News/Talk 95.3” and Len Connell of “The Sex and Money Show” on KLAV, Las Vegas join a number of other radio hosts who are competing to raise the most money and claim the FROST prize (top fundraising host). Dr. Wachs says there’s still time to join the fun and possibly win a $1,000 Southwest Airlines gift card. Contact her at doctordaliah@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Legendary Programmer David Bernstein Named General Manager of TalkersRadio. Prolific radio industry programming and management executive David Bernstein has been named general manager of TalkersRadio, the online experimental talk radio station being developed by TALKERS magazine for launch in mid-August. Bernstein, a leading talk industry consultant and talent coach, has served as PD, OM or GM of such heritage stations as WOR, New York; WRKO, WBZ, and WAAF, Boston; WTIC, Hartford; WPRO, Providence; and KVON,
Napa/San Francisco among others as well as VP/programming of Air America. TalkersRadio will operate as a 24/7/365 streaming station located on the TALKERS website (www.talkers.com) with links strategically situated on major aggregating portals and websites on the internet. Its primary target audience will be members of the broadcasting industry itself, serving as what TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey describes as a “laboratory or somewhat of a ‘skunkworks’ where we can experiment with talk shows that fall outside the typical and safe fare found on AM/FM radio.” Casey continues, “It will be an industry farm system, gym and spring training camp all rolled into one where new show ideas and 
programming concepts can be developed in a professional setting with high standards but without the restraints of commercial, ratings or corporate pressure that currently restrict most professional operations from doing what radio MUST do to survive in the long term, and that is to take chances. It will not only be a place to nurture new talent but a platform upon which current well-known players can work out new approaches to their craft. We are doing this as a service to the talk radio industry, which, of course, is keeping with the mission of TALKERS magazine.” On announcing the appointment, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “The acquisition of the fulltime services of David Bernstein is a major coup for us – one that we have been working on for almost a year, while he’s been finishing up a number of projects for which he was responsible as president of Bernstein Talent. I have known David for almost 25 years and consider him to be one of the most intelligent, creative, versatile and talent-friendly radio managers I have ever met. He is a man of vision and integrity. All of us at TALKERS are absolutely delighted!” Bernstein states, “This is a radio ‘dream job’ and I am enthusiastic beyond words about the challenge ahead whereby I can hopefully be part of an initiative that will ‘make a difference’ in the radio business.” His responsibilities in the new position include scouting, recruiting and developing talent for TalkersRadio as well as advising its day-to-day operations and entering into strategic partnerships with other broadcasting operations. He states, “We will be developing TalkersRadio as a showcase and workshop for new programs to play ‘out of town’ so to speak in front of listening audiences before they open on the big stages of the business. TalkersRadio will give some suddenly-terminated hosts the opportunity to do farewell shows for their listeners and ‘bridge shows’ to carry them to their next gig. It will be a place for ‘orphan shows’ that don’t quite fit existing AM/FM formats to get an airing and see if they have traction. We will give some existing high-profile talent the opportunity to do programs about subjects that they are not ‘known’ for doing within their present situations. For example we are in discussions with a major political news/talk personality who has always had the desire to do a show about metaphysics and parapsychology – stay tuned, it will be mega-cool.” In addition to his responsibilities with TalkersRadio, Bernstein will advise operations of its sister platform PodJockey (“a boutique for outstanding podcasts”) and assume a seat on the TALKERS editorial board. He can be contacted at david@talkers.com. TalkersRadio will utilize the groundbreaking software developed by its technical partners Backbone Networks of Westborough, Massachusetts, revolutionizing the convenience and accessibility of remote spoken word internet broadcasting.
Arbitron to Re-Issue Phase 2 Arbitrends for Fresno Market. Arbitron reports that after learning that six Spring 2013 Phase 2 Fresno Metro diaries were returned from a media-affiliated household, the ratings company will re-issue the data. Arbitron states, “We have confirmed that these diaries, which were In-Tab for the originally issued Spring Phase 2 Arbitrends data, should not be included in the In-Tab sample. Revised Spring Phase 2 Fresno Arbitrends data, based on an In-Tab sample that excludes these diaries, will be released on Monday, July 8, at 12:00 noon PT. Audience estimates reported for KJWL-FM and KYNO-AM may be substantially affected. Estimates for KFIG-AM may be affected to a lesser extent. In addition, estimates to stations that were not recorded in the deleted diaries may be slightly affected as a result of sample balancing and reprocessing procedures that accompany deletion of any diary from the sample.”
Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh Moves to PM Drive at WIND, Chicago. Former Illinois Congressman and leading Tea Party voice Joe Walsh moves up from his 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm slot at Salem Communications’ WIND, Chicago “AM 560 The Answer” to the PM drive slot – 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm beginning this afternoon (7/3). The time opened up with the mutually agreed upon departure of Steve 
Cochran from the afternoon show. WIND general manager Jeff Reisman and program director Marcus Brown say Walsh’s effect on the station has been outstanding. Reisman says, “In just three months, the response to Joe’s show has been overwhelmingly positive from both our listeners and advertisers.” Brown notes, “The only complaint was from Joe…he had more to say than we could fit into two hours, so we added an extra hour and moved his show to drive time. Joe isn’t just a rising star in talk radio. He’s a meteor, and his potential for success in this business is enormous.” Walsh states, “Doing a talk show is hard work, but it’s a labor of love. I’m able to talk with real people every day about all of the critical issues facing our state and our country. As it turns out, there are more important issues to talk about on Chicago radio than just sport. I’m hoping the new time enables Mayor Emanuel and Governor Quinn to listen more often. They might learn something.”
Fox News Channel Re-Ups Contracts with Prime Time Personalities; Megyn Kelly to Join Prime Time. Fox News Channel announces it has signed long-term contract extensions with its prime time talent including Sean Hannity,
Bill O’Reilly, Bret Baier, Shepard Smith, and Greta Van Susteren. At the same time the cable news/talk channel says that when midday “America Live” host Megyn Kelly returns from maternity leave she will join the prime time schedule but FNC does not say in what capacity. In a statement, Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes says of Kelly, “Megyn is an exceptional talent who has successfully filled and surpassed each role we have given her at the network. Her ability to command the screen, delve into the facts and lead a debate is what makes her one of the most sought-after anchors in the business.”
Peter Boyles Debuts on KNUS, Denver. After a snafu that kept former KHOW, Denver talk radio personality off Salem Communications’ news/talk KNUS, Denver for two days, it appears whatever legal technicality prevented Peter Boyles from going to work there on Monday has been ironed out. As has been reported, Boyles was let go from his longtime perch at Clear Channel’s KHOW after getting into a physical tussle with producer Greg Hollenback. He admitted being at fault in a regular column he writes for the Cherry Creek Chronicle but also took the time to take a swipe or two at Clear Channel. Regardless, Boyles made his debut on KNUS this morning (7/3) where he’ll hold down the 6:00 am to 9:00 am slot on the station.
Sports Byline USA Host Nick Bonsanto to Host Mornings at ‘103.7 The Game’ in Lafayette; Serve as PD. Nick Bonsanto hosts his eponymous program from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET on the Sports Byline USA Network and he’ll continue in that role. Now, he joins Delta Media Corporation’s sports talk KLWB, Lafayette, Louisiana “103.7 The Game” to host the AM drive program and serve as the station’s program director. Bonsanto says, “Sports is my canvas for the show…like a good artist, you never know what brush strokes I will put on the sports canvas, so what the final picture looks like…will be one of a kind.”
Brian Kilmeade Does “Reality Show” Segment on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends” Taking Viewers Behind the Scenes of His Fox News Radio Program. As reported yesterday, multimedia talk star Brian Kilmeade took viewers of the morning show he co-hosts on Fox News Channel, “Fox and Friends,” behind the scenes of his midday Fox News Radio program “Kilmeade and Friends” this morning (7/3) with a cleverly produced reality show-style feature. In case you missed it, please click here. It’s a lot of fun and Kilmeade comes across as the cool and extremely likable guy he is.
WGAC-AM/FM, Augusta, Georgia Senior AE Debbie Pretzello Named ‘President’s Club Overall Winner.’ Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. announces news/talk WGAC-AM/FM, Augusta, Georgia senior account executive Debbie Pretzello has been named the company’s “President’s Club Overall Winner” for the calendar year 2012, the second time that she has earned this prestigious award. The President’s Club consists of Beasley sales executives inducted annually for their abilities to meet or exceed individual and market goals, attain accreditation from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) as Certified Radio Marketing Consultants (CRMC), and over-deliver their clients’ expectations on a daily basis. One account executive in each market is named to the Club monthly, and after the year ends the individual with the highest ranking from this illustrious pool of top performers is named the “President’s Club Overall Winner” for the previous calendar year. Pretzello has been a member of the company’s President’s Club for the past four consecutive years (2009 – 2011) and additionally earned the coveted “Overall Winner” status in 2010.
Congressman Doug Lamborn Reintroduces Bill to Outlaw CPB Funding of NPR. This is the same bill that passed through the U.S. House in 2011 but was unable to make it to the floor of the U.S. Senate. As it is written it would forbid public radio stations to use Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants to pay fees to NPR for programming. The Colorado Republican says in a statement, “At a time when millions of federal workers are being furloughed, schoolchildren are barred from visiting the White House, and many military training flights are grounded to save money, it is unacceptable that taxpayers are still on the hook for millions of dollars each year to subsidize National Public Radio. Additionally, it was highly inappropriate for NPR to move into a lavish new headquarters building partly paid for by taxpayers, many of whom continue to struggle under the worst economy since the Great Depression.” Current.org reports NPR financed the new headquarters Lamborn refers to using “$35.2 million from the sale of 635 Massachusetts Ave. and $165.8 million in tax-exempt bonds, issued with assistance from the D.C. government. The new building is located in NoMa (shorthand for “north of Massachusetts Avenue”), an area near the Capitol Hill transportation hub Union Station that is now a focus of D.C. redevelopment. Building the new headquarters cost NPR $201 million, with $78 million of that spent on construction, according to financial details provided by NPR. Additional costs include $44 million to outfit the building for multimedia production and distribution. According to IRS records, NPR netted $80 million on the redevelopment contract after paying off $30.4 million in debt attached to the property at 635 Massachusetts Avenue, the broker’s commission and other costs.”
Egypt Power Struggle, ObamaCare, NSA Surveillance/Snowden Whereabouts, George Zimmerman Trial, and Abortion Legislation Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/2). The power struggle between Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and the military; the promotion and effect of the Affordable Care Act; the NSA surveillance program and the whereabouts of Edward Snowden; the ongoing trial of George Zimmerman; and abortion legislation being proposed in various states and nationally were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
TALKERS Offices Closed for Independence Day Weekend. The offices of TALKERS magazine will be closed for the four day holiday (7/4-7). The daily emailed headlines will return on Monday (7/8). We wish all our readers a restful and safe holiday weekend and a happy birthday with good times ahead to our great nation.
Friday, March 15, 2013
KSCO, Santa Cruz Is an Independent Talker that Flies in the Face of Corporatism. The news/talk radio station in question is not owned by a hedge fund or multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Nor is it in debt. Its ownership group doesn’t occupy the top floors of a big-city skyscraper. You will not see the morning or afternoon show brandishing seven-figure contracts, nor the corporate PD flying into town on the company Lear jet, or the “brand manager” moving from market to market implementing new strategies to grow the market cluster. The fact of the matter is none of the above elements – which have become somewhat commonplace in today’s radio industry – exist at this station. 10k KSCO (1080 AM) is located in Santa Cruz, California, in a neat stand-alone building (that also houses its smaller sister station KOMY 1340 AM – a facility that its owner uses as a developmental farm club) on a piece of land that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It would be the envy of any real estate developer in a town known for its college, its beach and boardwalk, liberalism, the state park land and forests that surround it, and is an 80-minute drive from San Francisco. KSCO is also one of the last “mom & pop” radio stations left in the United States. It has not only survived the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it has thrived despite consolidation based upon several key factors, including vision by its family ownership, a shocking format change by a chief competitor, along with a non-traditional revenue approach, and a solid and real commitment to a local audience. To understand KSCO, how it operates and its success, you have to understand the people who run the highly successful news/talk station. TALKERS correspondent Jeff McKay writes a special feature about a special station. To read it, click here.
Al Gardner Gone from WWIQ, Philadelphia Morning Show. At Merlin Media’s WWIQ, Philadelphia “IQ 106.9,” morning co-host Al Gardner is out and, though TALKERS has not had a response yet to its inquiry from management about the move, chatter in the Philly radio scene is they want to take the morning show in a less “conservative” direction. Morning show co-host Lionel and news director Michelle Murillo are still listed on the station’s web page, but it’s unclear what the station’s plans are for the future of the daypart.
NBC Sports Radio and Dial Global Name McNabb and Malone PM Drive Hosts. Six weeks after teasing the former NFL quarterback would be part of the NBC Sports Radio Network 24/7 lineup, it’s announced Donovan McNabb, and
another former NFL QB Mark Malone, will pair up for the network’s 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm program called, “Under Center with McNabb & Malone” beginning April 1. Mark Malone has been serving as an analyst for Dial Global Sports‘ Sunday afternoon NFL package and he also hosts “NFL Insider” each week. Dial Global EVP/GM Chris Corcoran says, “We’ve got two quarterbacks, two leaders, two competitive former professional athletes and two current media personalities who know all sports – you know this is going to be a fun ride for sports fans!”
Salem Chicago Confirms New Joe Walsh Show. As Time Out Chicago’s Robert Feder reported last week, one-term Republican Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh begins a new 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm talk show on Salem Communications’ WIND beginning Monday, March 25. General manager Jeff Reisman states,
“There are few politicians in Illinois or anywhere in the country that garner as much attention as Joe Walsh. Joe is an outspoken defender of freedom, and because of his firsthand experience in Congress, he brings a unique perspective to the national conversation as our country searches for answers during these challenging times.” Walsh’s arrival bumps Salem Radio Network’s Hugh Hewitt to the 2:00 am to 5:00 am slot. Feder quotes Walsh saying, “We’re at a crucial point in this country, and I’m excited to take the debate right to listeners throughout Chicagoland via the airwaves. The radio program will be a great platform to help grow a freedom movement which is already gaining momentum right here in Illinois. I intend to do with this program what I did as a U.S. congressman — speak plainly, speak directly, not worry about political correctness, and engage in respectful, engaging debate with all viewpoints. This is just too important of a time for all of us to do anything less.” Walsh’s agent tells Feder if things go well the show could go national.
‘Phil’s Gang’ Returns to Denver on KRCN. The nationally syndicated business talk show “Phil’s Gang” – hosted by nationally recognized investor and entrepreneur Phil Grande – returns to the Denver airwaves on KRCN 1060 “The Biz” at 1:00 pm beginning Monday, March 18. Radio Colorado Network general manager Les Haber states, “We are excited and very pleased that Phil Grande is back in Denver because he is one of the best investment talk show hosts in the country. Phil Grande brings insightful information that is very current and very cutting edge to an audience that will benefit from his program.” Grande’s show is independently syndicated to stations across America and he describes his program as providing “all the information that Wall Street and the government doesn’t want you to know.”
CBS Radio’s “92.9 The Game” Atlanta Adds Kristen Ledlow to AM Drive Show. The five-month-old Atlanta CBS Radio sports talker brings Kristen Ledlow aboard the “Opening Drive” morning show with Rick Kamla and Randy Cross. Ledlow takes over for CJ Simpson who leaves the program to be the in-game host of the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks broadcasts. Ledlow comes to the station after serving as the Southeast field reporter with Fox Sports NEXT in Atlanta. She’s also worked as television host and sideline reporter with ABC News in Tallahassee and as co-host on ESPN Radio in Tallahassee. WZGC program director Terry Foxx states, “We were very fortunate that Kristen was available. She has tremendous passion, an incredible personality and a love for sports.”
Fisher House Foundation Offers Second Annual Memorial Day Program for News/Talk Stations. For the second year in a row, the three-hour “A Grateful Nation” program is being offered for broadcast by news/talk
stations this Memorial Day weekend. The program is a project of the Fisher House Foundation which provides no-cost housing and other support for the families of wounded warriors while their loved ones are being treated at military and VA hospitals. The radio special debuted last year as a one-hour program, but was expanded to a three-hour format in its second year due to popular demand. The program includes profiles of several wounded warriors who have overcome serious injuries to build full and happy lives. It also looks at how today’s America remembers her fallen heroes and cares for the loved ones left behind. It’s hosted by Scott Slade, award-winning host of “Atlanta’s Morning News” on Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/FM. Slade states, “It’s so important that we continue to remember and support our volunteer military and their families. These folks make incredible sacrifices to protect our freedom and keep us safe. I’m honored to tell their stories.” Produced by Bloomquist Media and distributed by Premiere Networks, interested stations can get more information and sign-up for “A Grateful Nation,” by contacting Kurt Kretzschmar at 602-374-6351 or kkretzschmar@premiereradio.com.
Russillo and Ryan Come Off the Bench for Celtics Broadcast. ESPN Radio personality Ryen Russillo and Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan will sub for Cedric Maxwell alongside Sean Grande in the radio booth for WEEI, Boston’s broadcast of Saturday’s Boston Celtics vs Charlotte. Russillo co-hosts ESPN Radio’s SVP & Russillo show.
Herring Broadcasting and The Washington Times Partnering on New Conservative Cable News/Talk Channel. Various media reports indicate a new conservative-slanted cable TV news/talk channel is scheduled to hit cable systems beginning around July 1, 2013. Deadline.com reports it’ll be called One America News, and be a combined effort of The Washington Times and Herring Broadcasting, owner of WealthTV. President Charles Herring is quoted saying his family’s company has invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” into the San Diego-based media outlet that will broadcast a combo of news and conservative talk and expects to be available in about 10 million to 20 million homes to start. The story also quotes Herring saying he plans “to open up another front and give independents, libertarians and all kind of different voices under the conservative umbrella an opportunity to express themselves.”
Chuck Wilder Returns to CRN Digital Talk Radio Show. Veteran radio host Chuck Wilder will be back behind the mic of his “Talkback with Chuck Wilder” program on March 18 on CRN Digital Talk Radio after being on medical leave since late January. With Wilder out, a number of top radio personalities have been sitting in including: Barry Farber, Frank Morano of New York City’s WNYM AM 970, actor P.J. Ochlan of the TV series “Castle,” Jennifer Horn, of “Doug Stephan’s Good Day,” Larry Van Aalst of CRN’s “What’s Cookin’ on Wine: Sonoma Report,” and actor and radio host Fred Dryer, among others. Wilder says, “I’m extremely pleased to have such great talent filling in for me during my leave and I’m especially happy to hear how great our audience has responded to them in the interim. It’s been a great experience to listen to the show these last two months, but I’m looking forward to returning to the studio and getting back to work.” The show airs 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm PT on CRN and its affiliates across the country.
Eclectic Group of Visionaries Set for “Big Picture” Panel at Talkers New York 2013. The stellar roster of speakers at the forthcoming Talkers New York 2013 continues to be unveiled. The lineup is being set for this year’s “Radio: The Big Picture” panel. Moderated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, the panel’s speakers include (in alphabetical order): Jeremy Coleman, SVP/talk and entertainment, Sirius XM; Steve Goldstein, EVP, Saga Communications; Ron Hartenbaum, CEO, WYD/WYM Media; Mike McVay, SVP/programming, Cumulus Media; Tom Ray, president, Tom Ray Consulting; Walter Sabo, chairman, Sabo Media; and Dennis Wharton, VP/communications, NAB. “It is always an invigorating challenge to moderate these ‘Big Picture’ panels because of the diversity of specialties brought to the table by the movers and shakers participating,” says moderator Harrison. “The idea is to create a lightning-fast informal chat session giving serious insights to at least 15 burning issues relevant to the industry.” Talkers New York 2013 takes place Thursday, June 6 and is on track to being an early sellout. Because of space limitations, registration is only open to working members of the media and can only be taken via telephone at 413-565-5413. Stay tuned to Talkers.com for more agenda details about speakers, panels, presentations and award recipients coming in the immediate days ahead.
Mike Gallagher Live from CPAC. Salem Radio Network syndicated talk host Mike Gallagher is in Washington, DC broadcasting his program live from the site of CPAC 2013. He’s pictured here talking on the air with former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich and oil industry expert Scott Noble about energy policy. CPAC 2013 takes place through this weekend.
Sequestration and Budget Battle Stay Atop Talkers TenTM for Fourth Straight Week. The debate in Washington over the sequestration and the nation’s budget deficit and national debt was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, according to ongoing research from TALKERS. Coming in at #2 was the naming of Pope Francis as leader of the Catholic Church. At number #3 was the costs of the Affordable Health Care Act followed by North Korea’s military threats 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 published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s chart here.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Acquiring Arbitron Adds to the Total Media Mix for Nielsen. At day two of the Deutsche Bank DbAccess 21st Annual Media and Telecom Conference, Nielsen president of Global Media Products & Advertiser Solutions Steve Hasker says that the acquisition of Arbitron will add another two hours per day to its understanding of the media to which consumers are
exposed. “If you think about media consumption here in the U.S. as one geographic example, we cover about five hours per day for the average consumer through television audience measurement…That is the bedrock of our ‘Watch’ business. To that, we hope to add radio, which is another two hours of consumers’ time. And we felt that this was a very important part, both of understanding the media exposure and what consumers watch and what they listen to, but also a very important part of the overall media mix particularly for local advertisers. And so the ability to capture this data and combine it with our TV data and our digital information, which is online and mobile through products like ‘Online Campaign Ratings,’ ‘Brand Effect’ and the ‘Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings,’ put it all together and we’re covering around about eight hours of a consumer’s time per day exposed to media…think about that as coverage of everything except for print and we think that those are the most valuable parts of the media mix and are central to our proposition of understanding consumer behavior at a very, very deep level.”
Salem’s WIND, Chicago to Air Evening Show with Former Congressman Joe Walsh. Time Out Chicago’s Robert Feder reports that one-term Tea Party congressman Joe Walsh will begin a two-hour early evening talk show on Salem Communications’ WIND, Chicago on March 18. Although Salem was not commenting officially, Walsh spoke openly to Feder. The “Joe Walsh Unplugged” show will air from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and will often emanate from locations around the state as he indicates his recent travels to push the Tea Party ideals are part of his desire to create a movement. He tells Feder, “We are going to make this a real grass-roots push and advocacy thing, and the radio show is going to be a key part of that.” Feder reports the show is expected to be officially announced on March 14 when Walsh appears at “Obama 2.0: The Road Ahead,” a public event sponsored by WIND. Expected to be there with Walsh will be WIND afternoon host Steve Cochran, Salem Radio Network host Michael Medved and Illinois Policy Institute’s John Tillman.
Cumulus Media Names Steve Shaw SVP of National Sales. In his new role with Cumulus Media, the former president of Katz Radio Group will be based out of New York. Steve Shaw most recently served as president of Cox Digital Solutions where he founded the digital rep group Cox Cross Media. Cumulus executive vice president and co-COO Jon Pinch says, “Having run Katz Radio for years, Steve is the natural choice for this position. He understands the national marketplace, has key relationships with buyers and sellers, and is well known for high integrity and an intense work ethic. Steve will work closely with our team of national sales managers, our partners at Katz, Mike Pallad, myself, and other senior management at Cumulus.” On his new position, Shaw states, “I am thrilled to be joining Cumulus Media – they operate some of the best brands in radio and I look forward to helping design and implement great solutions for our national advertising partners. Our combination of scale and quality programming will allow us to deliver great results that drive our customers’ businesses.”
RAB Names Brooke Trissel Senior Vice President, Membership. The Radio Advertising Bureau announces that, as part of its mission to serve its members, it is appointing Brooke Trissel senior vice president, membership. In this position Trissel will partner with the RAB’s Membership team to enhance and communicate the organization’s core membership benefits to existing and new members. She’ll report to president and CEO Erica Farber and will be based at RAB Dallas. Farber states, “I’m thrilled for Brooke to join the RAB in this capacity where she brings her vast experience in radio broadcasting to super-serve our growing membership. Brooke is the consummate radio executive who will work closely within the organization and our members to meet their needs in a changing radio and media landscape.” Trissel grew up in a radio family that owned and operated Oklahoma-based Omni Media Group. She served in many roles within the company including sales manager for KWOX-FM/KMZE-FM and station manager for KOMI-TV in Woodward, Oklahoma. Most recently, she has been overseeing marketing and sales as the vice president of News/Talk/Sports MediaOnline with prior experience selling advertising and sponsorships at Radio & Records. Trissel also worked in affiliate sales with ABC Radio Networks in Dallas. She says, “I’ve long been a fan of the RAB’s products and services and I’m excited to partner with Erica and the Membership team to share all the exciting enhancements taking place at the organization with our members.”
Neal Boortz Pens Talk Radio Memoir. The title of the book is Maybe I Should Just Shut Up and Go Away (Carpenters Son Publishing 2013). In it, iconic formerly Atlanta-based talk radio legend Neal Boortz looks back at his 42 years on the radio as a talk show host. The promotion for the book says, in part, Boortz “shares the often-hilarious reality of what happens behind the scenes when you’re a talk radio icon. Longtime friend with national radio greats Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, he tells how those relationships began in the hot seat of competition…Though early predictions by those who knew him in his youth cast Boortz as a sure prospect to become a preacher, he took a different route to educating the masses. Longtime listeners are certain to become enthusiastic readers as Boortz finally tips his hat to more than four decades of teeing up controversy, political education and general entertainment for audiences across the country to enjoy—and tells all they’ve been wanting to know but couldn’t get anyone to share until now.”
Arbitron to Present “Special PPM Report on the State of the Spoken Word” at Forthcoming TALKERS Conference. The agenda for the forthcoming “Talkers New York 2013″ continues to grow as Arbitron, Inc. has joined the roster of presenters with a special in-depth statistical insight into the research company’s findings about the news/talk, sports talk, all-news, and NPR formats’ performance in a PPM world. It will also include a special look at listening habits and listener direction trends on the AM dial. The presentation will be delivered by Arbitron’s director of programming services Jon Miller who spearheaded a similar presentation analyzing country radio at the recent CRS in
Nashville. In making the announcement, TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says, “We were so impressed with the extraordinary value of the country conference presentation we checked out to see if they have a similar study pertinent to talk radio. As it turns out they do and we are delighted to make it available to our attendees.” Talkers New York 2013 is the 16th annual installment of the industry’s longest-running and most important national talk radio convention. It will take place on Thursday, June 6 and is open only to members of the working media. Registration is $199 per person which includes all sessions, attractions and food services. An advance sellout is expected. For registration (phone only) and sponsorship information call 413-565-5413. Stay tuned to Talkers.com for more exciting agenda details to be announced in the coming days.
WXOS, St. Louis Crowns ‘Sportscaster Factor’ Winner. Hubbard Broadcasting’s WXOS, St. Louis “101 ESPN” announces it finished its first-ever “Sportscaster Factor” competition on Saturday, March 2 and has named Brett McMillan winner of the inaugural competition for which he gets bragging rights and a weekend show on the station. McMillan, a student at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, beat out 175 other competitors in the competition. During Saturday’s final round at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 101ESPN’s Randy Karraker, PD Kent Sterling and APS Chris “Hoss” Neupert trimmed the 38 semi-finalists down to 16 finalists, and then to the eight who competed for the coveted spot. Sterling says of the promotion. “This was a great competition. We never had any inkling that there were so many talented broadcasters in St. Louis. Everyone knows this is a great sports town, but it’s also a great broadcasting city. When this started, we would have been really happy with any of the final eight – and most of the rest of the sixteen finalists. In Brett, we think we have found exactly what this competition was designed to find – a host that is really good today, will be better down the road, and someone we would not have found otherwise. I fully anticipate doing this again. It was fun for the contestants and for us. Not only did we find a solid host, we found several who might end up working for 101ESPN one day.”
Odds & Sods. Montana talk host Aaron Flint gets props from the Washington Post for his political blog “The Flint Report” as part of the paper’s “Best State-Based Political Blogs” piece. Flint, who broadcasts a daily talk radio show that airs on 17 stations across Montana, including Connoisseur Media’s KYYA, Billings, is an officer in the Montana Army National Guard and served three tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. Of his media work, he says, “Every day, I hope to take a wide range of experiences to show audiences the bigger picture, or to give them a side of the story they won’t get anywhere else.”…..Programmer Peter Bolger is promoted to director of AM programming at Clear Channel’s San Antonio cluster. Bolger has served as program director for news/talk WOAI and sports talk KTKR since joining the cluster in
2007……CBS Sports Radio Network’s John Feinstein debuts a weekly hour-long segment called “One-On-One” as part of his late morning show on the network in which he interviews a sports newsmaker. The first installment is today from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon with Bob Costas. Upcoming guests for the segment include sports figures and celebrities such as NBA Commissioner David Stern, professional golfer Tom Watson and NBA champion Steve Kerr…..Talk radio pro Jeff Katz sits in for Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated host Todd Schnitt on his Monday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 13 programs.
Curtis Sliwa Boasts Five-Hour ‘Commemoration’ of Hugo Chavez. WNYM, New York “970 The Answer” talk personality Curtis Sliwa tells TALKERS magazine his was the only station to “commemorate” the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez yesterday. Sliwa states, “We got the news yesterday afternoon and did two hours on the “Curtis & Jeffrey” show from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and then continued this morning from 6:00 am to 9:00 am on my solo show. Additionally, we discussed his career as a TV and radio talk show host as the host of “Alo Presidente.” You may think that we were comrades in arms because of our red berets and our battles with cancer. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Pictured here is Sliwa in Cuba several years ago leading an anti-Castro and anti-Chavez chant among like-minded Cuban citizens.
Sequester Impact, Hugo Chavez Dies, Iran/North Korea Nuclear Threats, and High-Flying Dow Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/5). The impact of the sequester and the ongoing battle over federal budget issues; the death of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez; Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear threats; and the still-soaring Dow were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
