Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Peter Boyles to Host Weekend Show on KNUS, Denver. Longtime Denver talk radio personality Peter Boyles is returning to Salem Media Group’s news/talk 710 KNUS to host a Saturday program airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, effective September 10. Boyles has been serving as morning drive host and recently announced his retirement from that full-time position. Last week, Salem announced that former Colorado district attorney and current Denver Post columnist George Brauchler has assumed daily morning show duties. Station operations manager Kelly Michaels says, “Pete is a Denver radio legend and we are blessed to have him back sharing his unique take on the issues of the day.” As part of the lineup change, Randy Corporon’s weekly program moves to Saturdays from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. During his career, Boyles has served with numerous Denver radio stations including: KAAT, KLAK, KWBZ, KYBG, KHOW, and KOA.

WXOS-FM, St. Louis Morning Personality Michelle Smallmon to Exit for ESPN Opportunity. The Hubbard Radio sports talk station posts on its website the news that WXOS-FM, St. Louis morning drive co-host Michelle Smallmon will leave the “Karraker & Smallmon” program after this Friday’s show to join ESPN as overnight “SportsCenter” anchor for ESPN Radio. Earlier in her career, Smallmon served with WXOS as producer of “The Fast Lane” program that included her current broadcast partner Randy Karraker before she left to join ESPN the first time around. She rejoined WXOS in May of 2020.

Leon Williamson Named VP of Sales for iHeartMedia Indy. Broadcast marketing pro Leon Williamson is named vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Indianapolis cluster that includes WNDE “FOX Sports 1260,” WOLT-HD2/W248AW “Business News 97.5,” and three music brands. Williamson transitions to this position from iHeartMedia’s Miami operations. iHeartMedia Indianapolis market manager Kristy Beebe says, “We are so excited to welcome Leon to iHeartMedia Indianapolis. Leon’s unique skill set and passion to lead our sales team is what we’re most excited about. His familiarity of our brands and products, along with the experience he brings from different sectors will be a tremendous addition to our Indianapolis team.” Williamson has also served with Urban One in St. Louis and Cox Media Group in Miami. He comments, “I am extremely excited to lead the Indianapolis team with both my professional and personal skills. I look forward to creating a legacy and blazing a trail for young professionals in media that share my experience.”

Michael Burger Promoted to Market President for iHeartMedia Raleigh. Radio sales and management pro Michael Burger is promoted to market president for iHeartMedia’s Raleigh station group that includes news/talk WTKK-FM and five music brands. Burger was most recently serving as SVP of sales for the cluster. iHeartMedia division president Tom McConnell states, “Michael is a strong natural leader with high business acumen. He has introduced new strategic changes and created synergies between our content creators and revenue drivers that have helped fuel the overall performance for the market.” Burger comments, “I am beyond appreciative and grateful to be trusted with this opportunity. As Raleigh continues to grow, expand and flourish, I look to the future with excitement, encouragement and promise. iHeartMedia Raleigh has established itself as a fierce competitor in the market. We have positioned ourselves incredibly to not only be a destination source for entertainment, music, events, social media, and audio, but to help our clients tell their stories in a creative way that helps them achieve new heights.”

WWO AAG Blog: Performance Marketing Versus Creating Future Demand. This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog addresses the difference between the “buy now” marketing strategy versus one that seeks to “create future demand.” Some of the research-based findings in this study include: For the automobile category, only 3% are in-market for a new vehicle and consequently, sales event ads only work on the small group who are ready to buy. But looking ahead two years, 24% will purchase a vehicle in that time span and therefore advertisers who focus on creating future demand will have access to a much larger pool of potential customers. The report says, “When a business consistently uses brand building to create future demand and sales events to convert existing demand, great things happen.” It posits that the ideal budget mix is 40% for sales events and 60% to create future demand via brand building. Read the blog here.

KWTO, Springfield, Missouri Unveils ‘Uncommon Sense with Cass’ Program. A new weekend program will debut on Zimmer Midwest Communications’ news/talk KWTO-AM/K227AO, Springfield, Missouri called “Uncommon Sense with Cass,” hosted by Cass Bowen. The show launches on September 3 and airs Saturdays at 10:00 am. Zimmer says the show “will cover politics, culture, and social issues through a Christian conservative lens, and will feature a diverse group of guest interviews from politicians, local special interest groups, cultural commentators, and more.” Bowen serves with the station on the KWTO morning drive program as executive producer and air personality.

TALKERS News Notes. The content staff at Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corp – operator of public news/talk WESA-FM and independent music station WYEP-FM announce their intention to form a union with SAG-AFTRA. The bargaining unit includes hosts and disc jockeys, reporters, editors, producers, and others. The group states, “We will approach this process in the spirit of collaboration and professionalism and urge PCBC leadership to do the same by voluntarily recognizing the union and begin bargaining in good faith with us. As a union town, Pittsburgh’s public radio stations should be union shops.” The bargaining unit says its goals are securing livable, equitable wages for staff, and improving the company’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. The union also seeks to create a more supportive and transparent workplace to help strengthen PCBC as an organization…..Community Communications’ public radio outlets WMFE, Orlando and WMFV, Cedar Creek, Florida announce they are launching a revamped version of the weekly arts, culture and entertainment segment “Spotlight” on Septempber 1. The segment, hosted by WMFE’s “All Things Considered” host, Nicole Darden Creston, will air at 4:45 pm on Thursdays. “Spotlight” will relaunch as both a four-minute radio segment and an extended podcast. The segment explores Central Florida’s arts scene from a unique perspective and amplifies voices not often heard. “Spotlight” will also share performances from creators of all stripes.

Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, FBI Raid/Documents Investigation, Biden Student Loan Plan, Russia-Ukraine War, Immigration, Musk vs Twitter, Droughts & Floods Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/29). The primary elections for the November midterms and speculation about the presidential nominees in 2024; the aftermath of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago and the investigation into classified documents; criticism of President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; migrant troubles at the U.S.-Mexico border; Elon Musk’s battle against Twitter to back out of his $44 billion acquisition of the company; the droughts and floods affecting life in America were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, August 23, 2022

George Brauchler Named New Morning Host on KNUS-AM, Denver. Former Colorado district attorney and current Denver Post columnist George Brauchler is named morning drive host at Salem Media Group’s news/talk KNUS, Denver. Brauchler assumes the role held for many years by Denver radio personality Peter Boyles. Brauchler was the lead prosecutor in the Aurora theater shooter trial. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and has served as Chief of Military Justice for Fort Carson, and with the 4th Infantry Division and the U.S. Division-North in Iraq. He is a regular contributor to Court TV. 710 KNUS operations manager, Kelly Michaels says, “George is a great fit for the job. He has grown from his weekend morning show to a brief daily show, following Peter. Over that time, he has proved to be a powerful communicator and entertainer.” Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce adds, “In a very short time, George has captured the hearts and minds of our Denver listeners. Peter Boyles was and is a Denver radio institution, but I am fully confident George will do a fabulous job filling those shoes.”

WXYT-FM, Detroit’s Mike Valenti and Jim Costa Host New Betting Podcast. The newest podcast from Audacy’s 2400Sports studio is called “Cash the Ticket,” and is hosted by WXYT-FM, Detroit’s Mike Valenti and Jim Costa. The podcast will drop twice weekly and spotlight both the NFL and college football from Labor Day until the end of the season. Audacy says, “‘Cash the Ticket’ sets the stage for the football weekend with the extra information listeners need to enjoy and bet confidently. The high-energy duo of Valenti and Costa brings listeners fresh perspectives on everything from the biggest matchups to the best value of the board every week. With sports betting content for the avid fan, Thursdays will be a college football betting preview. Fridays will be an NFL weekend betting preview followed by timely ‘mini’ episodes and social extensions throughout the week.”

TALKERS News Notes. The partnership between iHeartMedia and actress Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment is producing an exclusive slate of shows with iHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network and the newest offering is “Sisters of the Underground,” an eight-part scripted series that tells the true story of the courageous Latina siblings, known as the Mirabal sisters, whose lifelong activism in the Dominican Republic and state-orchestrated assassination led to the downfall of one of the most brutal and enduring dictators of the 20th century, Rafael Trujillo (a.k.a. El Jefe)…..ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts debuts its next installment titled, “The Longest Game,” that documents 33 innings of a surreal minor league baseball game. As they slug it out from dusk to dawn, the teams make history. Baseball holds its records sacred. Most home runs, strikeouts, career wins. But what about the longest game ever? That honor goes to a small-town AAA game in 1981, when the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings played a record-breaking 33 innings full of hope, despair and drama. Radio Diaries and 30 for 30 take listeners to that frigid, surreal night with the voices who lived it – including Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. Most heroes of “The Longest Game” never made it big, but their unflagging endurance made history.…..iHeartMedia announces that the Overtime with Coach Ron and Don program will air on classic rock WBIG Wednesdays at 8:00 am during the Washington Commanders football season. The weekly coach’s show with Washington head coach Ron Rivera and WBIG morning host Don Geronimo is airing on the station as it becomes the new radio flagship station for the NFL club. iHeartMedia region president Aaron Hyland comments, “We are incredibly excited to add this partnership with coach Rivera and Don G to our already impressive and growing roster of Washington Commanders audio content. ‘Overtime with Coach Ron and Don’ will be added to our program lineup, which also includes Washington Commanders gameday action with Julie Donaldson, Bram Weinstein and London Fletcher.

Primaries/2024 Presidential Race, FBI Raid/Documents Investigation, Biden Student Loan Cancellation, The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Twitter Security Issues, and Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/23). Tuesday’s primary races for the November midterms and speculation about the nominees for the 2024 presidential race; the aftermath of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago and the classified documents investigation; President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive up to $10,000 in student loans; the rate of inflation, financial markets activity and concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the assassination of sometime Putin critic Darya Dugina; allegations of poor security issues at Twitter; and the drought affecting much of the U.S., Europe and China were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.