Tag: "sports radio"
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Newsmax Media Founder and CEO Christopher Ruddy Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The CEO of Newsmax Media – the conservative news organization that owns and operates Newsmax.com and Newsmax TV in addition to a number of other platforms and services in digital and print publishing – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Veteran journalist, entrepreneur, and news executive Christopher Ruddy discusses the history and strategy that has led to Newsmax TV achieving enormous rating gains this year in its juggernaut campaign to provide FOX News Channel with formidable competition in the conservative news/talk cable TV ratings wars. In this revealing conversation, Ruddy tells Harrison his side of the recent story by media writer Ben Smith published in
The New York Times under the headline, “The King of Trump TV Thinks You’re Dumb Enough to Buy It.” He dispels the notion conveyed in that piece that Newsmax TV has strategically flanked FOX to its far right and is telling President Donald Trump’s most ardent loyalists whatever they want to hear regardless of the truth. Ruddy discusses the bigger picture of Newsmax content which also delivers stories and items that are unfavorable to Trump and collectively covers a broader segment of the spectrum best described as center-right, as opposed to far-right. Harrison and Ruddy take a deep-dive into talk media political “positioning” which lies at the very heart of modern competitive programming. They also speculate on the future of American politics and the talk media coverage thereof. True to his unpredictable and often contrarian approach to what many observers consider conventional wisdom, Ruddy states that it appears President-Elect Biden is not veering to the far left as many Republicans and Trump supporters fear he will as evidenced by many of his cabinet picks, and that the 46th president will be far more of a “centrist” than many in both parties are expecting. Ruddy also candidly discusses the balancing act required to maintain a long-standing “friendship” with Trump while not being afraid to criticize his policies on those occasions when he believes such criticism is warranted in addition to outlining his immediate plans to grow Newsmax as a full-service news organization in 2021. This podcast is a must-listen! 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.
Floyd Reese Exiting ‘102.5 The Game’ in Nashville. According to a story in the Nashville Post, former Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese is giving up his sports talk host gig at Cromwell Media’s WPRT-FM, Nashville “102.5 The Game.” Reese co-hosted the afternoon drive program “Jared & The GM” with Jared Stillman for the past five-plus years. Stillman will continue to host the afternoon show now billed as “Stillman & Company” as the station seeks out a new afternoon co-host. The Post cites a press release in which Reese states, “This is something I’ve been contemplating for a while and I feel it’s time for me to take a step back. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my tenure with ‘102.5 The Game’ and doing a show with Jared has been a terrific experience. He and I formed a unique partnership that allowed us to be teammates and friends. I’d also like to thank Cromwell Media owner Bud Walters and [program director] Ryan Porth for their non-stop support over the years. It’s been a good run.” Reese was general manager of the NFL’s old Houston Oilers from 1990-1999 and the Titans (after the Oilers moved from Houston to Nashville) from 1999-2006. He was a senior football advisor for the New England Patriots from 2009-2012. He joined “102.5 The Game” in 2015.
WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte Keeps The Bike Drive Alive. The annual holiday “Bikes for Kids” drive was launched by retired WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte talk host John Hancock 26 years ago. With Hancock’s retirement at the beginning of 2020, the fate of the charitable drive that had provided some 20,000 bikes (as well as gifts, food, clothing and more) to tens of thousands of needy Charlotte-area kids was up in the air. Ultimately, WBT staff, in partnership with the Carolina Panthers, WSOC-TV, Frito Lay, and some other local charitable
organizations, worked to get 400 brand-new bikes collected during the “Bike Drive” that took place on Tuesday (12/15). Brett Winterble, who took over the afternoon drive show following Hancock’s retirement, says, “It was an amazing day for Hancock’s bikes for kids. This was my first opportunity since joining WBT in February to interface with this amazing audience in person. The generosity and good cheer of the hundreds of people who showed up yesterday was truly awe inspiring. In gathering hundreds of bikes for well deserving children I forged new friendships with dedicated listeners to WBT. One man named Steve told me he was a 50-year listener of WBT and had attended every one of the bike drives Hancock led. It was an unbelievable show of generosity and good civic pride. I look forward to next year and can’t wait for this to continue to grow!”
Townsquare Media to Offer $550 Million in Senior Secured Notes. In a filing with the SEC, Townsquare Media reveals it has priced an offering of $550 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.875% senior secured notes due 2026. These notes are being offered to institutional buyers and will be senior secured obligations of the company and will be guaranteed on a senior secured basis by certain of the company’s direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. The closing of the offering is anticipated to take place on or about January 6, 2021. Townsquare says that it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand, to repay existing senior secured credit facilities, to redeem all of its outstanding 6.500% senior notes due 2023. It is also terminating its existing senior secured credit facilities, including its existing revolving credit facility.
Skyview Networks and MLB Radio Rightsholders Team Up for Annual Meeting. This year’s annual meeting of Major League Baseball radio rightsholders and Skyview Networks to discuss their broadcast operations and ad sales experiences from the previous season was done remotely. This year’s panels placed a heavy focus on fan engagement and advertising strategies with emphasis on maximizing digital assets under the restrictions of the pandemic. Skyview Networks president and COO Steve Jones says, “The MLB radio rightsholders play a significant role in their teams’ success through broadcast sponsorships. Radio and baseball have always put fans first and this season proved no different. Skyview played an important role in helping teams find creative solutions during the pandemic and we showcased those solutions to the whole league this week.” Skyview says many teams also leveraged the power of social media to engage with fans through promotions from their biggest sponsors, citing proactive communication as their key to success. Putting their followers’ interests at the forefront, these organizations hosted many virtual gatherings through YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more to encourage listenership and interaction while the season was on a hiatus. Additional panel topics included software and strategies to streamline remote broadcasting, creating awareness for franchises’ ancillary digital content to increase broadcast listening and sponsorship extensions, and monetizing the evolving sports betting opportunities across a radio platform.
New Drive Time Shows on SiriusXM’s P.O.T.U.S. Channel in January. Starting on January 4, the new lineup on SiriusXM’s non-partisan P.O.T.U.S. channel will include “Julie Mason Mornings” (6:00 am to 9:00 am ET) and “The Laura Coates Show” (3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET). Veteran journalist Mason takes over for Tim Farley’s “The Morning Briefing” after Farley’s retirement at year’s end. Coates – a CNN senior legal analyst – moves to the P.O.T.U.S. channel from
SiriusXM’s Urban View channel. Julie Mason has more than 30 years of experience covering local, state and national politics, including four presidential campaigns. In more than 10 years at the White House, she traveled internationally and reported from more than 30 different countries. She is a former elected board member of the White House Correspondents Association. In addition to her media work, Coates has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Law.
United Stations Radio Networks Names Jim Roberts Director of Affiliate Sales and Marketing for Sports. Sports radio pro Jim Roberts is named director of affiliate sales and marketing/sports content for United Stations Radio Networks. He comes to USRN after a 20-plus years career with Disney/ESPN in which he oversaw the inception and growth of the affiliate network of 500-plus stations for ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes while also managing Disney owned-and-operated stations in New York City and Dallas. United Stations recently announced a partnership with SportsGarten Network to provide stations with short-form, long-form and daily daypart options in sports and sports wagering content. In his new role, Roberts will market all USRN sports-related programs and services, including the Total Sports Prep service. USRN’s Stefan Jones comments, “At United Stations we are growing our programming, services, and partnerships in the sports and sports-wagering lane. As more and more states are legalizing sports wagering, we want to ensure our company delivers quality options.”
TALKERS News Notes. Sports media personality Rich Eisen and Westwood One reach an agreement for the latter to feature “The Rich Eisen Show” podcast on the Westwood One Podcast Network, beginning on January 4. The deal also calls for the development of a new podcast by Eisen called “Just Getting Started” (scheduled for a February debut) in which Eisen interviews the biggest names from news, entertainment, sports, and pop culture, discussing their career origins and mining their stories on how they got started, in a format where audiences can be inspired by their endeavors…..In Chicago, Nexstar Media’s WGN-AM, Chicago is handing the agribusiness beat over to Steve Alexander with the retirement of Orion Samuelson at the end of this month. Samuelson is putting the wrap on a radio career that spans 60 years. Alexander says, “When I’ve filled in for Orion over the past 12 years, I’ve often joked that he gave me the key to the tractor, and I was able to keep it out of the ditch until he returned. Come next month, I’ll try to keep the tractor upright and continue Orion’s efforts to explain how important agriculture is to all of us.”…..GCN-syndicated talk radio host Dr. Daliah Wachs’ program adds two new affiliate stations as WEOL, Elyria, Ohio and KPRL, Paso Robles, California pick up the show.
COVID-19 Stats & Projections, Vaccines, the Economy & Closings, Stimulus Talks, Ongoing Election Denial, Georgia Runoff Elections, Biden Transition, and Northeast Snowstorm Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday. The fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and projections for post-holidays cases; the beginning of vaccine distribution in the U.S.; the state of the U.S. economy and forced business closings; the congressional negotiations over a new stimulus package; the ongoing denial of the election results in the Donald Trump camp; January’s runoff elections for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats; the Joe Biden administration’s transition and nominations; and a big snowstorm hits the Northeast 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. There’s a series of holiday programs being made available on Entercom’s RADIO.COM that’s airing from December 18-20. The shows are: “POP Goes Christmas,” featuring Why Don’t We and Ava Max; “Acoustic Christmas,” featuring Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor, Dan + Shay, Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Rob Thomas, Train, Matt Nathanson, Ava Max, and a special performance from Keith Urban; “Country Christmas,” with Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Lady A, Runaway June, and Russell Dickerson; and “Not So Silent Night” starring Machine Gun Kelly, 24kGoldn, All Time Low, SHAED, and Wallows. Those four shows will culminate in the “RADIO.COM LIVE! Holiday Music Festival,” a free video stream of the concert performances on December 21 at 6:00 pm ET, available nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website at RADIO.COM/Live. Portions of the show will also be available on Twitch and via RADIO.COM’s social media channels. The performances will be accessible on demand for 72 hours after the show on RADIO.COM and station websites…..SiriusXM announces the rollout of several new pop up channels, holiday specials, live programs for New Year’s Eve, exclusive video, podcasts and best-of live performances. “New Year’s Nation” will launch beginning December 29 as a pop-up channel on SiriusXM dedicated to the ultimate New Year’s celebration songs in pop, rhythm, dance, and hip-hop from across the nation featuring the hottest hits from Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Drake, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, Taylor Swift and more. New holiday pop-up channels include Top 100 Interviews of 2020, highlighting the top celebrity interviews from the past year. Hosted by SiriusXM’s Jess Cagle and Julia Cunningham, the pop-up channel will feature interviews from shows including “Andy Cohen Live,” “The Hoda Show” and “The Jess Cagle Show” with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Laverne Cox, Lily Collins, Lizzo, Ramy Yousef, Sam Smith, Sean Penn, Spike Lee and dozens more.
Friday, July 17, 2020
NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of 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, WONK-FM in Washington, DC. This new episode titled “Hackers, Hucksters, Harassers, and Hooligans!” looks back at this past week of July 13-17, 2020. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Steve Weisman, law professor, Bentley University, Boston / founder Scamicide.com; Paul Vandenburgh, talk show host /owner, WGDJ, Albany, NY; Matt Battaglia, talk show host, “Business Roundtable” / business manager, KFNX, Phoenix; Rob Carson, talk show host, “What in the World is Going On?” Newsmax TV; Dr. Daliah Wachs, talk show host, Genesis Communications Network / physician; Lincoln Ware, talk show host, WDBZ, Cincinnati; and John Lodge, musician, the Moody Blues. This acclaimed news/talk radio show airs each week on its flagship, WONK-FM, Washington, DC, Friday evenings at 6:00 pm ET. It also airs throughout the weekend on WRKO, Boston; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD (“Freedom 93.7”), Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; KBKW, Aberdeen, WA; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED (“Connect FM”), DuBois, PA; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; Pioneer Valley Radio in Springfield, MA; Podcast Radio, UK and many more. To listen to this week ’s episode (posted Friday 6/3 at 3:00 pm ET), please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.
Ramsey Solutions Seeks Talent to Become Ramsey Personalities. Nashville-based Ramsey Solutions announces that it is growing its team of speakers, writers, and broadcasters – referred to as Ramsey Personalities. Current Ramsey Personalities are thought leaders and communicators, headlining national events and media appearances, while sharing a message of hope through original content published in books and streamed on various platforms. Ramsey Solutions says, “Ramsey Personalities recognize their public platform is a privilege. They are passionate about sharing biblically based, commonsense education to empower the real heroes – audience members, show listeners, and book readers – to take control of their lives. That shared mission of life change drives the company forward, and Ramsey Personalities lead the charge.” Ramsey Personalities EVP Jeremy Breland says, “Ten years ago, I joined the team to train and grow speakers to take Dave Ramsey’s message even farther. Now we have six Ramsey Personalities that help people in all areas of life, like money, relationships and careers.” Dave Ramsey’s passion to help people with their money problems quickly expanded into giving advice in other areas of life. He comments, “I’m in the legacy stage of my career where I now get to share my success and platform with this next generation of speakers, authors, and thought leaders and help them be successful. It’s deeply satisfying to pour into our Ramsey Personalities as we are growing their brands and messages, which ultimately scales the impact and helps more people.” Qualified candidates should be currently working to build their brand through speaking engagements, podcasting, YouTubing, broadcasting or blogging. The team is specifically looking for experts in topics like marriage/parenting, leadership/business, money, careers and personal development. You can apply here.
Entercom and Twitch Partner for Sports Talk Live Video Simulcasts. This deal between Entercom and interactive digital platform Twitch will “bring live video simulcasts of market-leading sports talk programs to Twitch and its 17.5 million daily users.” Entercom says that “initially, live video streaming of leading RADIO.COM sports stations from six major markets across the country will be accessible to Twitch users via individually tailored, branded station channels, providing the Twitch community a full week’s worth of appointment viewing from some of the nation’s most iconic sports talk stations” – starting with WEEI, Boston; WFAN, New York; KRLD-FM, Dallas; WSCR, Chicago; WZGC, Atlanta; and WXYT-FM, Detroit. Entercom VP, corporate business development David Rosenbloom says, “Twitch has built a substantial platform for audiences to connect through video content and we’re looking forward to working with them to bring our unrivaled sports programming to millions of viewers. This partnership will expand how listeners can connect with our on-air talent through real-time engagement on Twitch and introduce a new generation of sports fans to legendary sports brands like WEEI, WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM, and ‘92.9 The Game.’” Twitch director of new verticals Jane Weedon adds, “Over the last several years, there has been a growing sports community on Twitch. With the addition of sports radio, on-air talent, and fans will be able to interact and discuss their favorite athletes, teams and leagues with one another in real time. Through features like Twitch Chat, now the entire audience will be able to participate in the coveted ‘call ins’ and ‘hot takes’ that have come to define sports talk radio.”
Sports Talk KWFN-FM, San Diego Deploys GeoBroadcast Solutions’ MaxxCasting System. San Diego’s KWFN-FM is now using the MaxxCasting system from GeoBroadcast Solutions to improve its signal. GeoBroadcast Solutions says “the four-node single-frequency network (SFN), which represents the first commercially deployed HD Radio Single Frequency Network (HD SFN), extends clear FM and HD Radio coverage up and down the busy Interstate 15 and State Route 78 corridors. The improved signal also increases penetration with Nielsen PPM Portable People Meters (PPMs) to help broadcasters accurately measure audiences and set advertising rates.” The FCC is currently looking at a rule change for radio broadcasters that would allow them to air geo-targeted programming and GeoBroadcast Solutions says, “This successful implementation of an HD SFN through MaxxCasting also demonstrates that geo-targeting for radio will work when the boosters are equipped with GeoBroadcast Solutions’ ZoneCasting technology. ZoneCasting will eventually owe its success to
MaxxCasting, the foundational architecture that is currently boosting FM and HD signals from the Boston market’s [adult contemporary] WXLO-FM to KWFN in San Diego.” Entercom San Diego market technical operations director JR Rogers says, “There is no question that the commuter listening experience has improved, as the holes in the signal coverage have been greatly diminished. The community was previously served by a massive AM signal originating in Mexico. We especially wanted to provide the Padres and their fans as close to 100% coverage as possible. While high-power AM has a much broader coverage pattern, FM offers far superior sound. The MaxxCasting system will provide the community with higher quality game coverage, and better penetrate the entire market.”
TALKERS News Notes. This year marks the 10th edition of Brock Huard’s Football Camp, led by KIRO-AM, Seattle personality Brock Huard. However, this year the camp will be a virtual one. Bonneville Seattle Media Group says the football camp for youth ages 8-18 will take place July 27-31 with a series of daily training videos hosted by former University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard and featuring former Seahawks players Michael Bumpus, Paul Moyer, and Dave Wyman…..Entercom announces the radio team for broadcasts of Kansas City Chiefs football for the 2020 season. Games are to be heard on the company’s country WDAF, Kansas City “106.5 The Wolf” – the flagship station – in addition to the 70 affiliate stations that make up the Chiefs Radio Network. The broadcast team will feature play-by-play announcer “Voice of the
Chiefs” Mitch Holthus, entering his 27th season, and newcomers Danan Hughes and Josh Klingler…..SiriusXM names Nicole Hughey its new vice president, diversity & inclusion. The company says, “Nicole joins us today with an impressive and extensive career focused on creating a culture for people to be appreciated, respected, and valued for the diversity they bring to the table. We couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.”
WGN-AM, Chicago Names Steve Tarpley GSM. Chicago news/talk WGN-AM promotes local sales manager Steve Tarpley to the general sales manager position. Mary Sandberg Boyle, general manager for the Nexstar Media Group outlet, says, “I am delighted to name Steve Tarpley as general sales manager of WGN Radio. We had our choice of top candidates and Steve proved to be the best person for the job. He’s had incredible success as a seller in his career here at WGN, and he’s excelled as a manager since 2014. Steve knows how to drive results for our advertisers and lead a team of sellers successfully.” Tarpley joined the station in 2010 as a local account executive. In subsequent years, he assumed more responsibilities including the roles of national sales manager, and most recently, local sales manager.
The COVID-19 Statistics & Projections and the Related Schools Opening Debate Tied for Top News/Talk Story This Week. The rampant outbreak of COVID-19 in Southern and Western states and the debate over opening schools in the fall tied as the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio for the week of July 13-17, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was health care, the mask wearing debate, and the CDC-HHS reporting switch. Coming in at #3 was the presidential race, politics, and the Trump campaign shuffle, followed by the Black Live Matter movement, urban violence, and police defunding 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.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Connecticut, Hall Communications cuts two full-time staffers and two part-timers in budget-related moves. Full-time news staffer Kevin Gordon, part-time reporter Bernie Loubier as well as DJ Glenn O’Brien were let go from nostalgia WICH, Norwich and full-time air personality Josh Matty was released from country WCTY-FM, Norwich.….Condolences to the family and friends of country WOKO, Burlington, Vermont air personality Amy Lynn, a.k.a. Amy McGovern, who died on Wednesday (7/15) from injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash in Georgia, Vermont. Hall Communications VP Dan Dubonnet tells WCAX-TV, “We miss her already, dearly. Our station, our employees are pretty much in shock about it. And we’ll always remember her crazy laugh, her bounce up and down the hallway and just her passion for the radio station.”
PPM Analysis: Alternative. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of radio stations based on data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2020 PPM survey, today focusing on alternative rock. In this report you can see how stations’ weekly, 6+ AQH shares fared compared to the May 2020 survey, compared to the June 2019 survey and how alternative stations ranked in their respective markets. See the complete report here.
Sports Radio and the Coronavirus Pandemic – Now What?
By Andy Bloom
Andy Bloom Communications
President
MINNEAPOLIS — In the days leading up to MLB’s Opening Day, I advised sports radio clients regarding ideas to keep listeners interested in their stations and teams while live sports remains on hiatus due to the coronavirus.
The ideas require franchises and leagues to work with local broadcast rights holders. I didn’t have contact with any of the teams or leagues. I thought, however, it would be logical for these organizations and their local broadcast partners to help keep their brands pertinent during the pandemic. A Wall Street Journal article I read convinced me the teams and leagues will listen to the idea.
Monday, July 2, 2018
Price: Who Else Must Die? Business continuity expert Howard B. Price writes about the importance of security at media outlet offices in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Annapolis, Maryland newspaper Capital Gazette. “This is not the time for the media to cower in fear. This is the time for action. This is the time to stop talking about this issue of violence perpetrated against members of the media – and start DOING SOMETHING…The work we do every day – and the toxic environment in which we do it now – exposes print and broadcast journalists, crews and support staff to unspeakable risks that would have been unheard of just a few short years ago, except in war zones and riots. Yet, most often the response within our industry is – crickets. Or a series of lame excuses. Or an unending game of kick the can into the next budget cycle. Or the next. Or the next.” Read what Price has to say about developing a security and safety plan here.
Iowa Sports Media Pro Larry Cotlar Dies in Des Moines Flash Flood. Central Iowa sports radio personality Larry Cotlar died on Saturday (6/30) after being swept away by flash flood waters in Des Moines. The 65-year-old broadcaster had been the voice of Drake University men’s basketball for the past 12 seasons and was currently hosting a weekly sports talk show on Saga Communications’ KRNT, Des Moines “1350 ESPN.” According to WHO-TV, Cotlar’s van became stalled in high waters. Cotlar and unnamed occupants left the van but Cotlar was swept away. His body was found several hours later a couple of blocks from the van. Cotlar started his sports radio career on WHO-AM in 1981. He’s also served at Des Moines stations KXNO and KBGG in addition to producing and co-hosting the “Out of Bounds” show on KCCI-TV. Saga issued the following statement: “All of us at 1350 ESPN and the Des Moines Radio Group are devastated by the loss of our voice, our colleague, and our friend, Larry Cotlar… today, our thoughts are with his wife, Deb and their son, Zach. There is absolutely no replacing Larry. He will be thought of fondly and missed greatly by his family, friends, and his extended families in the sports and broadcasting communities.”
WCCO, Minneapolis’ John Hines to Retire at Summer’s End. Minneapolis-St. Paul news/talk station WCCO-AM announces that late morning talk show host John Hines is retiring from his position at the end of the summer (though he will continue to do part-time fill-in work for the station). He’s been with WCCO since 2012. He released a statement saying, “I am thankful to the many listeners who have supported me over the years and to WCCO in allowing me the opportunity to extend my career these past years. I am also pleased that WCCO has invited me to stay on in a part-time/fill in capacity.” During his career in the Twin Cities, he’s worked at WWTC, KSTP-AM, WLOL-AM, and KSTP-TV, among others.
Mike Valenti Signs New Deal with WXYT-FM, Detroit. Motor City sports talk personality Mike Valenti signs a new, long-term deal with Entercom sports talker WXYT-FM “97.1 The Ticket” to continue as host of the 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm program. Valenti is a native New Yorker who made his way to Michigan to study at Michigan State and began his radio career as a producer in the Lansing market. Prior to joining WXYT-FM in 2007, he was co-host of “The Sports Inferno” on WXYT-AM. Entercom Detroit SVP and market manager Debbie Kenyon says, “Mike is an extraordinary talent who has a great rapport with Detroit sports fans. He has built a dedicated listener base and we’re thrilled to have him on the 97.1 team for years to come.”
Ex-“stream”-ly Enlightening Net Results. TALKERS magazine editor Mike Kinosian takes a look at how stations’ streams add to their (6+) ratings, based on data from Nielsen Audio’s PPM surveys. Kinosian notes that during the most recent survey, “Among all formats throughout the entire 48 PPM markets, there are only 34 instances of a station’s online ‘stream’ appearing in print during the May 2018 sweep.” See which stations are getting credit for streaming listening and how it affects their overall ratings in Kinosian’s report here.
TALKERS Continues Posting Videos Today of the Recent TALKERS 2018: Full Speed Ahead! Convention – Today’s Post: Special Presentation by WFAN, New York, Afternoon Drive Mega-Star, Mike Francesa. Today (7/2), TALKERS magazine continues posting individual events from the recent TALKERS 2018: Full Speed Ahead! convention held in New York City on June 8. Each business day, another session will be posted in the order that they originally took place. Today’s sixth installment features the special presentation by WFAN personality Mike Francesa titled “Sports Talk’s Role in Media and Popular Culture” with an introduction by author and former radio producer Bernadette Duncan. Videos already posted include: Salem SVP Phil Boyce’s address titled “What Has Donald Trump Done to Talk Radio?” Last week’s posts also include the Fireside Chat between TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison and Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley including Harrison’s presentation of the 2018 “Woman of the Year” award to Beasley; Harrison’s Fireside Chat with FOX News Radio/FOX News Channel mega-star Brian Kilmeade with an introduction by Westwood One syndicated host Walter Sterling and special remarks by Sean Hannity; opening remarks by the convention’s co-emcees, TalkersRadio GM, David Bernstein and Good Day Networks/DJV Show CEO/host, Doug Stephan; KGO, San Francisco host, Ethan Bearman delivering the event’s welcoming remarks and Pioneer Valley Radio GM/host, Brad Shepard introduction of Bearman. Also posted: the presentation of the Gene Burns Memorial Award for Freedom of Speech (“Freedom of Speech Award”) by TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian to SiriusXM Satellite Radio host, book publisher, Hunter College professor, and former New York Daily News/Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, Karen Hunter. To view the page, please click here.
Talk Host Phil Valentine and Book Publisher Question Google’s Ad Rejection. As regular TALKERS readers are probably aware, Nashville-based, nationally syndicated talk host Phil Valentine is an author and filmmaker in addition to his radio work. He just published his latest novel, a spy-thriller titled, Barbican: A Sterling McQueen Spy Story, and publisher Oxley Durchville created a 30-second video ad to promote the book and submitted it to Google Adworks. They were surprised when the ad was rejected for “dangerous and derogatory content.” They’ve reached out to Google for further explanation but have not yet heard back. You can see the ad here. Oxley Durchville and Valentine are concerned the rejection has nothing to do with the ad but with Valentine being a conservative talk host. After viewing the ad, the consensus among TALKERS editors is that a rushed and harried censor probably noted the tone of the ad, saw the phrase “politically incorrect” connected with the book cover’s swastika image, and arrived at this conclusion. Time will tell if the two parties can resolve this issue.
Giordano Hosts Eagles QB Nick Foles at Speaker Series. Pictured above is WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (left) chatting with Philadelphia Eagles QB – and Super Bowl LII MVP – Nick Foles (right). The interview was a special installment of the station’s “Speakers Series.” Foles talked about his new book, Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure and Overcoming the Odds (2018, Tyndale Momentum). WPHT says listeners who attended the live event made it the largest audience to date for the series.
Veteran Talk Show Host Mike Siegel Broadcasts from the Free Iran 2018 Rally in Paris. Longtime radio talk show host and author Mike Siegel brought his microphone to Paris where he conducted numerous interviews on the site of yesterday’s (7/1) Free Iran 2018 rally. The rally is an annual call for a democratic Iran and included hundreds of dignitaries from around the world joining tens of thousands of Iranians supporting the ousting of the nation’s authoritarian regime. Pictured is Siegel (right) interviewing former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (left) who was one of the many speakers at the event.
TALKERS News Notes. The weekend “Hugh Hewitt Show” on MSNBC has aired its last episode. During Saturday’s program – which was a “best-of” format – Hewitt announced the end of the show that began a year ago. He offered no reason, but Mediaite’s coverage of the story notes that the weekend edition of “FOX & Friends” on FOX News Channel topped Hewitt’s program in the ratings. The Salem Radio Network-syndicated radio personality did say he will remain with MSNBC as a contributor and a guest on “Meet the Press.”…..The nationally syndicated “Free Talk Live” program adds new affiliates. The Saturday night edition of the show is airing on Entercom’s WRKO, Boston. Other new stations include: KYCA-AM/FM, Prescott, Arizona; and WRKQ-AM, Madisonville, Tennessee. “Free Talk Live” is heard on 190 affiliate stations…..Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that journalist, author, and radio personality Amy Guth is named executive director of the Midwest Independent Film Festival. Guth is a weekend personality on Tribune’s news/talk WGN.
Air Personality and Programmer Richard “Box” Bachschmidt Dead After Suicide. Radio programming and on-air pro Richard “Box” Bachschmidt has died after apparently committing suicide in Charleston, South Carolina. Most recently, he’d been hosting an Internet morning program. He left his gig with LM Communications where he was hosting AM drive on triple A WCOO, Charleston “The Bridge” in February. During his career he’d also served with iHeartMedia as host and PD at news/talk WSC, Charleston and APD at Cumulus’ WTN-FM, Nashville.
Saturday Immigration Policy Protest Rallies/Abolish ICE Movement, Open Supreme Court Seat, Iran Sanctions/Regime Change, New Canada Tariffs/Trade War Concerns, North Korea Nuclear Program, Lopez Obrador Wins Mexican Presidency, LeBron James Signs with Lakers, and MLB Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Saturday’s “Keep Families Together” rallies and the related movement to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau; the open Supreme Court Justice seat; President Trump’s call for renewed sanctions in Iran and Rudy Giuliani’s statement that the Trump wants Iranian regime change; Canada puts tariffs on more American goods and concerns about the effects of a global trade war; new intelligence suggesting North Korea is expanding its nuclear missile program; leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wins the Mexican presidency; LeBron James’ new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers; and Major League Baseball action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Radio Hall of Famer Wolfman Jack is back on the air as Envision Networks begins offering digitally remastered programs. The classic radio show
is available as a five-hour weekly show and contains Wolfman’s comedy bits, funny phone calls, crazy characters, celebrity interviews, and great music from the 60s and 70s. Wolfman Jack Licensing executive producer Jay Harvey says, “We are delighted to be working with Danno and his team at Envision Networks. The world famous Wolfman Jack Radio Show is back and sounding better than ever.”…..Country air personality Roxanne Steele exits Entercom’s WYCD, Detroit. The company has scrubbed her info from that station website and Steele posted the following message, “I’m back from vacation but on a permanent vacation from WYCD. I’m still having a hard time processing that I no longer wake up and go to a job I absolutely loved. This is like a bad dream that doesn’t seem real even though I’ve been through this before.”…..Anaheim Broadcasting’s rock KCAL, Riverside-San Bernardino is saying adios to longtime personality Kelli Cluque who is joining Cal State Bernardino to serve as operations manager for the school’s Coyote Radio station.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Jarnigan Named OM at Cumulus Knoxville. The three-station Cumulus Media cluster in Knoxville, Tennessee has a new operations manager as Jeff Jarnigan is appointed to the post. The company says Jarnigan
has more than 30 years of radio broadcasting experience in the Knoxville market and more than 20 years of experience in programming management. Cumulus operates country WIVK, news/talk WOKI-FM, and sports talk WNML “The Sports Animal.” Jarnigan says, “Being associated with the legendary WIVK, as well as the flagship station for the Vol Network, sports radio WNML, and the home of Phil Williams and Hallerin Hilton Hill, ‘NewsTalk 98.7,’ is akin to winning the radio lottery. These stations are each dominant in their respective formats and have defined success in East Tennessee radio for decades. I am excited to partner with the station teams to continue that success and drive their future growth.”
TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations – Mark Levin Receiving Freedom of Speech Award Video Posted Today. The Livestream video recording of the Freedom of Speech Award presentation – one of the many highlights of the recent TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations convention – has been posted today (7/13) to Talkers.com. The 19thannual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important convention took place on Friday, May 20 on the fabulous campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The video shows the opening round of the Awards Ceremony segment of the gathering in which Cumulus Media/Westwood One syndicated host Mark Levin was presented the 2016 Gene Burns Memorial Award for Freedom of Speech. The ceremony includes remarks by GCN syndicated host Dr. Joy Browne, Awards Ceremony emcee and Cumulus Media/Westwood One host Jim Bohannon, and TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison. To view the video, please click here. More videos from the convention will be posted to Talkers.com in the days and weeks ahead.
The Presidential Race/Bernie Endorses Hillary, Police on Black Violence/Dallas Cop Slayings Aftermath, AG Lynch Stonewalls Congress, May to Become British PM, Hague Rules Against China, and MLB All-Star Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/12). The activities of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, including Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Clinton for president; police violence against black men and the related killing of five Dallas police officers; Attorney General Loretta Lynch refuses to answer questions from a congressional panel about the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email server; the expected naming of Home Secretary Theresa May as the next Prime Minister of Britain; an international tribunal’s ruling against China in the matter of its development of a South China Sea military installation; and the Major League Baseball All-Star activities were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Rare Ancient Limbaugh Audio Interview Discovered. A 26-year-old audio transcription of a telephone conversation between Rush Limbaugh and Michael Harrison conducted during the summer of 1990 for a print article was discovered in the TALKERS archives this week during a routine “housekeeping” in the trade publication’s warehouse. The interview originally served as the basis of a story in the third issue of TALKERS back in August of 1990 and has never-before been heard publicly as an audio conversation. According to TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey, “This dusty cassette, originally implemented as the reference for a print piece, contains talk radio history gold. The conversation between Rush and Harrison provides seminal information, issues and insights that set the stage for the basic foundation upon which the modern era of talk radio has been built. It is fascinating, to say the least, and must-listening for any present-day student or practitioner of radio broadcasting. The authenticity and passion expressed in their conversation lends a dimension to the material that could never be conveyed in print.” At the time of the recording, Limbaugh’s nationally syndicated show, only in its second year at that point, was already considered a phenomenon having cleared almost 240 stations and challenging then-existent notions about the role of syndication in major market radio. Harrison was in the process of publishing the first issue of TALKERS (originally described as “The Information-Radio Newspaper”) that summer and was gathering material ahead for the second and third issues. The Limbaugh conversation was set for the third installment of the then-bi-
weekly publication. After the conclusion of the interview, the recording contains several minutes of ongoing conversation between the two discussing the new trade publication and Harrison’s vision of what it would be. According to Harrison, “I was thinking totally print when conducting the interview – so I tossed the cassette in box of unfiled random stuff after it was transcribed for the newspaper not thinking that 26 years later the concept of ‘TALKERS’ would be an online ‘media station’ with elements of not only text and graphics – but audio and video as well. And as far as my weekly podcast is concerned, this strikes at the core of what it is all about!” Harrison is pictured here holding a copy of the original issue of TALKERS containing the interview. The entire conversation is being made public on this week’s installment of the award-winning PodcastOne program “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.” To listen to it in its entirety, please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located in the right-hand column of every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.
Odds & Sods. The radio play-by-play rights for University of Michigan athletics are staying with CBS RADIO’s all-news WWJ and sports WXYT-FM in Detroit. This new contract between CBS RADIO and rights holder IMG is an extension of the current deal and will keep the school with CBS RADIO Detroit for years to come. WWJ continues to serve as the flagship station for Michigan football and WXYT-FM will simulcast select games. Men’s basketball will air on WWJ and hockey will air on WXYT-AM. Additionally, “97.1 The Ticket” will air the weekly interview with Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh…..ESPN
Radio announces Marc Kestecher is being named the lead play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ESPN Radio beginning with the 2016-17 season. He’ll work with analysts Jon Barry, PJ Carlesimo and Kara Lawson as well as Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown on the NBA Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Kestecher is a 17-year ESPN vet who will continue to call NFL, college football and college basketball games on ESPN Radio, and will also remain as a studio host for other programming, including the pre- and post-game shows for the College Football Playoff Semifinals and Championship and select ESPN TV events…..SiriusXM is airing a special program recorded at the Washington, DC studios titled, “Protect America: A SiriusXM Forum on Stopping Gun Violence.” This special panel discussion on curbing gun violence in America will be moderated by SiriusXM host Ari Rabin-Havt and will feature Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson, New Republic senior editor (and gunshot survivor) Brian Beutler, and Miya Rahamim Tandon, whose father was a victim of gun violence. The studio audience will be comprised of members from the organization Everytown for Gun Safety, as well as individuals directly affected by gun violence. The program will air on Friday, July 15 on “The Agenda with Ari Rabin-Havt” at 8:00 am ET on SiriusXM Progress, channel 127.
PodcastOne to Launch ‘The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast.’ This new show is from blogger and “digital influencer” Lauryn Evarts – founder of The Skinny Confidential. It features Lauryn Evarts and her husband Michael Bosstick who will co-host and provide the male perspective on a variety of topics, including branding, blogging, entrepreneurship, relationships, wellness, travel, marketing and social media, and more. PodcastOne founder and executive chairman Norm Pattiz says, “Lauryn has built an extensive digital brand with The Skinny Confidential. It’s great to be able to work with someone who has become such a strong impact in the digital space, and provide a new, on-demand and intimate outlet for fans to connect with Lauryn and Michael.”
August 2015 PPM Analysis: MLB Flagships
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — This exclusive TALKERS overview of MLB flagships encompasses the August 2015 ratings period.
Survey dates for that sweep were July 16 – August 12. It is also imperative to note that – rather than limited to a specific day-part – ratings data cited here is Monday-Sunday, 6:00 am – 12:00 midnight.
Listed is each team’s primary, 162-game English-language flagship; however, that station must be a Nielsen Audio subscriber that appears in print.
Key outlets of the two New York City franchises (Mets and Yankees) are found in three PPM-rated markets (New York, Long Island, and Middlesex).
Flagship of the Los Angeles Angels (KLAA) is listed in Los Angeles and Riverside.
Key stations of the San Francisco Bay Area franchises (Giants on KNBR, and Oakland A’s on KGMZ) appear in the San Francisco and San Jose ratings reports.
In these instances, flagships for the Mets (WOR) and Yankees (WFAN) have New York City ratings info only.
Los Angeles ratings stats are used for the Angels’ key station (KLAA).
Data for flagships of the two Bay Area teams comes strictly from the San Francisco report.
Thus, in all cases (not just the ones noted above), each team is shown with one flagship in just one PPM-market.
Now, the exception to the fine print: Toronto is MLB’s only non-PPM market; consequently, CJCL – the key station for the American League East’s Toronto Blue Jays – has no ratings information of any type anywhere in this analysis.