Tag: "TalkersRadio"
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Journal Broadcast Group Milwaukee Announces Promotions. From Tom Langmyer, VP/GM of radio operations for Journal Broadcast Group’s Milwaukee stations – news/talk WTMJ and adult hits WLWK “94.5 The Lake” – come the following promotions: Tom Sheridan is promoted to director of sales from his GSM position. The company says in this role, Sheridan has a more clearly defined, overall 
responsibility and accountability for all top-line revenue at Milwaukee’s radio operations. With his promotion it has eliminated the previous dual reporting structure for interactive and national sales and streamlined the sales organization. Jason Bjorson is elevated from local sales manager to general sales manager. Bjorson will continue to oversee local sales, with additional leadership responsibilities across 
all other top-line revenue streams. He will oversee sales training, recruit to expand the sales organization, develop general revenue strategies, lead the company’s growing events business and expand local relationships. Katie O’Connell is promoted to executive producer, digital content and social media. This new lead position will drive the company’s content and social media strategies across all platforms. Prior to her current role at Milwaukee’s radio operations, O’Connell served with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 
WTMJ-TV, and Journal Interactive. Collin Roth has been promoted to managing editor for Right Wisconsin, working with WTMJ personality Charlie Sykes and leading his content team for this growing digital/subscription-based product. Additionally, Bryan Shore and Steve Frank have been named digital sales associates. Langmyer says, “This solid new structure and excellent team will lead us in product development, cross-platform content and revenue growth. These promotions represent a new leadership structure to drive further growth at Journal’s Milwaukee Radio Operations.”
“Brent & Meg” Graduate from TalkersRadio to Launch New Terrestrial Midday Show on GCN. The husband/wife talk radio team “Brent & Meg” (legendary rock radio personality/newsman Brent Seltzer and award-winning public relations veteran Meg McDonald) have signed a deal with Genesis Communications Network (GCN) to launch a Monday-Friday midday show (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET) on Monday, July 7. This development marks the first time a program conceived and launched on TalkersRadio has made the leap from the experimental platform operated by TALKERS magazine to terrestrial radio. “We couldn’t be more delighted,” states TalkersRadio GM David Bernstein, adding, “This marks an exciting milestone for TalkersRadio and is a wonderful testimony to our initial success in carrying out our ongoing mission to be a laboratory where new concepts in talk radio can be developed. I am personally proud of Brent & Meg because I believe what they’ve got to offer midday talk radio has been – with rare exceptions – a missing element from our medium for many years. They are, simply put, sensationally fresh!” TalkersRadio officially began streaming on Talkers.com in September of 2013 and Seltzer and McDonald were among its charter performers. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (who “discovered” Brent & Meg) adds, “Brent & Meg couldn’t be in better hands than with entrepreneurial visionary Ted Anderson who has done such a fantastic job of developing GCN into a budding powerhouse syndication firm. He reminds me of the old record company and studio heads who understood how to build and develop new talent and acts from the grassroots markets up. We sure need more of that in today’s network radio scene.” Harrison goes on to describe “Brent & Meg” as “the newest thing ‘old school’ has to offer – perfect, contemporary husband/wife chat for the midday position…where yesterday meets tomorrow.” To read TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian’s fascinating in-depth account of the Brent & Meg saga posted today (6/18), please click here.
Clear Channel to Put New Audience Targeting Tool to Use for 2014 Political Buys. The new tool is called AuDiO – short for Audience Delivery Optimizer – and what the company calls “a groundbreaking, proprietary radio targeting tool developed specifically for political advertisers.” Clear Channel goes on to say, “This first-of-its-kind radio optimization tool enables local and national political campaigns across the country to precisely target key voter segments using radio — which was confirmed by recent research to be one of the most effective and efficient consumer advertising vehicles.” How does it work? The company says AuDiO matches key information about 245 million Americans who listen to Clear Channel’s 840 U.S. terrestrial radio stations to leading political databases to make actionable predictions about which desired voter segment is listening to which stations at which times. The launch of AuDiO means that Clear Channel is now uniquely able to match broadcast listener data – for any of its 840 stations, at any time of day and in any political district nationwide – to multiple third-party data sources to identify which listeners fall into any given political district and, within that district’s listening audience, which segments are present and in what numbers. CCM+E EVP for political strategy Nathan Daschle comments, “Ninety-two percent of Americans listen to radio every month — but despite radio’s incredible reach, campaigns have never had a tool like AuDiO for radio before. AuDiO takes the guesswork out of radio buying by replacing wild hunches with actionable and precise models so that campaigns know which of their desired target audiences are listening, when and to whom. This means that campaigns, political parties and other groups across America have the ability to use radio in a much smarter way to reach their target voters.”
Nielsen Releases Revised Los Angeles PPM Data. After the controversial case of one Univision Los Angeles programming staffer (who’s been fired) being involved in a PPM household, which delayed the release of May PPM data for the market from last week to this week, the ratings company releases the Los Angeles numbers and revises the April PPM data for the market as well. Those numbers can be found at TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo here. Also, see managing editor and West Coast bureau chief Mike Kinosian’s “Takeaway” from the LA ratings here.
Reality Star Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Podcast Debuts on PodcastOne. Add another colorful celebrity to the lineup of podcasts available through Norm Pattiz-founded PodcastOne as former “Jersey Shore” reality series cast member Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi begins producing a weekly on-demand show for the service. Pattiz comments, “Sometimes I feel like we’re on the Starship Enterprise going where no man has gone before! Taking a star of one medium like Nicole and exposing – in every sense of the word – her on another is what makes this all fun. PodcastOne is pleased to welcome Nicole’s audience to our platform and expose her to the additional hundred million monthly listeners who currently consume PodcastOne programs.”
AdLarge, KMG and Harris Media Partner for Control Room Pro Distribution. Three firms are teaming up to sell and distribute the new Control Room Pro suite of digital production field and studio tools. AdLarge Media will lead the national advertising sales effort, while KMG Networks will spearhead radio station distribution. The two firms share a similar relationship on behalf of several radio and digital products and services. Harris Media founder Lee Harris says, “Most of the new digital and mobile programs for broadcast radio are consumer-facing. We focused on the development of cutting-edge newsroom and radio station field tools that expedite the gathering of news-related material for anchors and streamlined the field reporting process.” Krantz Media Group president and CEO Gary Krantz adds, “Control Room Pro tools already are proven winners in the news/talk marketplace, including top stations like WINS, New York; WCBS-AM, New York; and KYW-AM, Philadelphia. News/talk stations have a high overhead on field equipment and in-studio production programs. These digital products fill a clear marketplace need by increasing productivity and decreasing equipment and production library costs. Radio station affiliates will experience positive bottom line results.”
WIP-FM, Philadelphia and Personality Angelo Cataldi Sell Bobbleheads to Benefit Police Survivors Fund. In cooperation with local business Cottman Transmission & Total Auto Care and the Philly Team Store, CBS RADIO sports talker WIP-FM, Philadelphia and morning drive personality Angelo Cataldi are selling Cataldi bobble-head dolls, a portion of the proceeds from which will benefit the Philadelphia F.O.P. Lodge #5 Survivors Fund. The dolls are being sold for $20 via the station’s website. Both Cottman Transmission and the Philly Team Store are giving dolls away with major purchases. The F.O.P. Lodge #5 Survivors Fund, since its inception, has been invaluable to the members of the lodge who have experienced the most devastating tragedies. The losses incurred by the families of deceased and extraordinarily injured officers cannot be recovered but can be eased through financial support or assistance. This fund continues to be able to provide help for families due to the charitable donations of police family, friends and business partners.
Cromwell’s Bud Walters to Receive National Radio Award. At the coming NAB Radio Show in Indianapolis in September, Cromwell Group founder and president Bud Walters will receive the NAB’s “National Radio Award” during the Radio Show Luncheon on September 12. NAB EVP of radio John David states, “Bud Walters’ exemplary leadership and his enthusiasm for radio have had a positive impact on the industry. We salute Bud for his tireless devotion to serving local communities through the power of radio.” Walters founded his company in 1972. He currently owns and operates 28 radio stations (six AM, 17 FM and five HD2+ translators) in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Iraq Turmoil, Primary Results/State of the GOP, Hillary Clinton Memoir, Benghazi Suspect Prosecution, Child Immigrant Influx, IRS Scandal-Missing Lerner Emails, Soaring Food Prices, and World Cup Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/17). The violence in Iraq as a militant Muslim group vies for power in the state; the victories of Tea Party-backed candidates in the primaries and the future of the GOP; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s memoir; the plans to prosecute a suspect in the deadly Benghazi attack; U.S. immigration policies and the large numbers of child immigrants pouring across the Southwest borders; the IRS scandal and the loss of Lois Lerner’s emails; the dramatic hike in U.S. meat prices; and American interest in World Cup action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
MEET BRENT & MEG: Genesis of an Energizing Mid-Day Partnership
By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS
Managing Editor/West Coast Bureau Chief
LOS ANGELES —Journey back to the “Golden Age” of radio and television, and, you will promptly ascertain that, especially in terms of audience acceptance, pairing a real-life husband and wife was a brilliant programming strategy that tended to produce blockbuster results.
Consider such instantly familiar classic examples as George Burns & Gracie Allen; Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball; Ozzie & Harriet Nelson; and Jim & Marian Jordan as “Fibber McGee & Molly,” whose 24-year radio run concluded in 1959.
Contemporary “Windy City” radio partisans will surely cite “Don Wade & Roma,” who were staples on WLS-AM, Chicago for over 25 years; Don Wade succumbed to brain cancer last September.
Fairly recently (then-married) couples Chet Curtis & Natalie Jacobson on Boston’s WCVB-TV, and Jim Lampley & Bree Walker on Los Angeles’ KCBS-TV co-anchored the news together on their respective stations; 74-year-old Curtis lost his fight against pancreatic cancer five months ago.
These are simply representative examples (certainly not approaching a definitive list) of the effective, albeit not now revolutionary concept.
Consequently, while it will hardly be precedent setting when Los Angeles-based Brent Seltzer and his wife Meg McDonald debut next Monday (6/23) on the Genesis Communications Network for their daily, two-hour (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, ET) broadcast, it nonetheless promises to be a wonderfully refreshing burst of fresh air to talk radio.
Catching Up with Lionel
By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS
Managing Editor/West Coast
LOS ANGELES — Recording artists running the gamut from Bing Crosby to Sam Cooke to Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross (among others) have wonderfully warbled to remind us that the “The Best Things in Life Are Free.”
A 1956 film that starred Gordon MacRae accentuated the point as well.
Offering a different take in the predominantly uplifting sentiment are the Beatles, who – while acknowledging the fact – nonetheless suggested those “free” things could be kept in exchange for “money” – but – that’s another story.
Smart, Funny, and Unedited
Back to the positive point: Words are free and no one in talk radio is more adroit, melodious, and astute in his splendid
employment of the vocabulary than brilliantly witty Lionel, who generously remarks, “If you like my words – take them – they are not mine [anyway], they are yours. As a sesquipedalian and a logophile, I love the mother tongue. Do not marvel at the fancy words. It is part of who I am. I will never try to make people feel stupid. People love smart and funny – they crave it.”
These days, not only does Lionel get to demonstrate how deliciously lovely the language may be when utilized with panache, he also offers a veritable talk radio clinic.
On one hand, it is a fresh and innovative concept, while on the other, there is enormous simplicity to a back-to-the-basics approach. “It came about through the genius, foresight, and wherewithal of [TALKERS publisher] Michael Harrison,” Lionel comments of his Saturday, 9:00 am – 10:00 am ET TalkersRadio show. “It is just a joy and Michael is the preeminent voice in talk radio. Since the beginning, he has told me what I need to do must be the best.”
Monday, March 31, 2014
Boston Marathon Bombing Spectator Suing Glenn Beck for Defamation with Malice. Almost a year after the Boston Marathon bombing, spectator Abdulrahman Alharbi – a then-20-year-old student – is suing Glenn Beck, TheBlaze Inc., Mercury Radio Arts and Premiere Networks in United States District Court, District of Massachusetts for defamation and slander. The complaint states that Alharbi was questioned by authorities investigating the attack, he allowed them to search his apartment and officials quickly concluded he had no
involvement. At that point, other media reports ceased. The complaint continues, saying that Beck, with the active participation of the distributor defendants, repeatedly and falsely identified Alharbi as an active participant in the crimes, repeatedly questioned the motives of federal officials in failing to pursue or detain him and repeatedly and falsely accused Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks and says the statements were made widely and publicly and caused grave injury to the plaintiff. Alharbi says he’s received numerous messages, internet postings and other communications based on Beck’s false statements accusing him of being a murderer, child killer and terrorist. He’s requesting a jury trial and is seeking unspecified damages, interest, costs and attorney’s fees.
Rep. Mike Rogers Talks About Radio Gig on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers shocked the political world last week when he announced he would not seek re-election in the fall and will begin a radio career with Cumulus Media after his term ends. It was politically surprising because he is chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. As radio industry watchers see it, he’s certainly a known commodity in the political news/talk scene due to his frequent media appearances, but many are viewing his deal with Cumulus with a wait-and-see attitude. In general, politicians-turned-radio-hosts don’t have a great track record of long-term success in the business. On yesterday’s “Fox News Sunday,” Rogers spoke about the radio gig, telling host Chris Wallace, “You know, it was an interesting opportunity when you see the level of debate today, Chris, on national security issues and foreign policy. It worries me for the future of this country like nothing I’ve ever seen. So, when someone walked in and said ‘Hey, we’re to give the opportunity to have a discussion in people’s cars, living rooms and kitchen, every single day from California to Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina, we think that you can change the needle on this debate.’ And I thought long and hard about it and I think they’re right…this is a great program, it’s a sophisticated program, that you have, but we need to broaden that audience to have discussion so that we can put America on solid footing as we move forward in a very troubling world.”
WOR, New York Names Pete McCarthy Host of Mets Show. The New York Mets open the 2014 campaign at home today (3/31) at Citi Field versus the Nationals and begin their first season being heard in NYC on Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s WOR, New York. As part of Mets programming, the station announces Pete McCarthy will begin hosting “The WOR Sports Zone,” tonight from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The new sports talk show will be heard weeknights on Mets game days before and after each game. McCarthy joins WOR after more than eight years at MLB.com and five years at SNY-TV, where his duties included sports anchor, play-by-play announcer, color analysis, radio talk show host and sideline reporter. McCarthy says, “I am very excited to be joining WOR and becoming a part of the new flagship station for Mets baseball. As a lifelong and die-hard Mets fan from Long Island, it is a dream come true to be on the radio in New York City talking sports.”
Madison Talk Host Sues Wisconsin Capitol Police. In what could turn out to be a precedent-setting legal case in Wisconsin, WXXM, Madison “92.1 The Mic,” talk show host Dominic Salvia is suing the state’s Capitol Police in federal court after he was arrested last summer while covering protests at the State Capitol. Dominic is co-host of “The Devil’s Advocates,” heard from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm daily on the progressive talk outlet (alongside co-host Mike Crute). In the complaint, Salvia says he was taking photos and observing the protest scene in the Capitol Rotunda for about five minutes when Capitol Police arrested him. He informed the officers he was a working journalist and should not be arrested, to no avail. Civil rights attorney Jeff Scott Olson is handling the case in which Salvia is seeking damages from the three officers. In a related case, the state of Wisconsin is appealing the dismissal of a charge against co-host Mike Crute who was cited for not having a permit to engage in a sing-along protest at the Capitol Rotunda. Last summer, a judge ruled the permit required was unconstitutional. Olson is representing Crute in that appeal. Regarding the first case, it’s expected the state will argue Salvia was not a working journalist. Given the expanding nature of media and journalism, the definition of a working journalist is up for debate and this case will likely revolve around that question.
WGWG, Chicago’s Kaplan to Host Sports Memorabilia TV Show. Chicago sports talk personality David Kaplan – heard daily on Tribune Company’s new sports talker WGWG-LP, Chicago “The Game 87.7” – is going national as host of the WGN-TV produced show, “A Piece of the Game.” As Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports, the show, created and produced by Don Dupree, is getting a national distribution deal. The program features historically significant sports memorabilia and invited fans to have their historic sports items appraised on the program. The show begins taping at the end of April and is expected to begin airing nationally in June.
Odds & Sods. Former NFL star Donovan McNabb extends his partnership with the WestwoodOne and NBC Sports Radio where he’ll continue to co-host the “Under Center with McNabb & Malone” alongside partner Mark Malone…..The Premiere Networks-syndicated 24/7 Comedy format announces comedian and actor Greg Proops is the special guest host all this week. “The Smartest Man in the World” is giving listeners a peek behind one of comedy’s most alluring and intelligent acts, and is highlighting some of his most popular stand-up bits. Proops is also one of the
stars of the CW Network’s improv comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway.”…..Las Vegas-based talk host Dr. Daliah Wachs reports her “FROST contest” is about to get underway and she has radio hosts from all over the country participating in the contest to be the top fundraising host for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Some of the hosts include: Doug McIntyre, KABC, Los Angeles; Simon Conway, WHO, Des Moines; Alan Stock, KDWN, Las Vegas; Jesus Marquez, KLAV, Las Vegas; Eddie Floyd, Dennis Romeo, Brooke Santina & Debbie McCarthy of America Matters, Reno; Josh Tolley of the ‘The Josh Tolley Show,’ GCN Network; and Steve Sanchez, Steve Sanchez Show, GCN Network. Dr. Wachs says she’s adding some extra spice by giving the top fundraising host a $1000 Southwest Airlines Gift Card. The actual campaign begins in two weeks and hosts can still join in by reaching out to her at: doctordaliah@hotmail.com.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
‘AM 970 The Answer’ Coaxes John Gambling Out of Retirement. New York radio legend John Gambling will be back on the radio in New York City on April 14 as he’ll begin hosting a daily two-hour show from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, shaving an hour each off the Mike Gallagher and Dennis Prager shows that surround it. Gambling retired from the morning drive show at Clear Channel’s WOR in December. Salem Communications VP director of 
spoken word format and VP for the New York market Phil Boyce states, “When John Gambling left New York radio last December there was a void created for quality morning radio in this market, and we decided to fill it. John had worked for me for nine years at WABC. Before and after that he worked for Jerry Crowley at WOR. Jerry and I looked at each other and thought this was something we could not pass up.” WNYM vice president and general manager Jerry Crowley adds, “It is rare when you have a chance to build a lineup like we are building here at ‘The Answer,’ and even rarer still when you have a chance to add somebody of John’s integrity and character. Every talk radio listener in this market knows and admires John and we are sure he will do well with both listeners and advertisers. This is huge for us.”
Progressive Talk Returns to Portland Airwaves on Non-Com KXRY. According to reports from The Oregonian and BlueOregon.com, non-commercial outlet KXRY, owned by Common Frequency, Inc. and licensed to Portland, is debuting a hybrid progressive talk and music format that will include local talk personalities Carl Wolfson, Adam Klugman and Jefferson Smith (among others) as well as WYD Media nationally syndicated host Thom Hartmann. KXRY is a class D FM at 91.1 broadcasting at 8 watts. The programming is also streaming at XRAY.FM.
WRCN, Long Island Announces News/Content Partnerships. The newly launched Long Island news/talk outlet WRCN, Riverhead “LI News Radio, 103.9 FM” begins a partnership with WABC-TV, New York “Channel 7/Eyewitness News” that involves “Eyewitness News” Long Island correspondent Kristin Thorne calling into the station every afternoon to give listeners a rundown of what Long Island stories the “Channel 7/Eyewitness News” is working on for their evening news broadcast. The partnership also includes the two media outlets pooling their information in order to provide their audiences with the most up-to-date Long Island news stories. The JVC Media station has also developed a relationship with St. Joseph’s School of Journalism in which the college’s journalism and new media professors and students will contribute to the station’s developing news stories. WRCN general manager Matthew Goldapper comments, “We are incredibly excited to welcome St. Joseph’s College and ‘Channel 7/Eyewitness News’ to our station. Having fresh talent from the college, as well as seasoned talent from ‘Eyewitness News’ participate in our station brings extraordinary resources to ‘LI News Radio’ that we can share with our listeners.” Future goals include having Thorne visit the “LI News Radio” studios (located at MacArthur Airport in Islip) each month where she can participate in the station’s live morning program to discuss stories and issues in greater detail.
Radio Veteran Dick Heatherton Joins TalkersRadio with New Motivational Program. Longtime major market personality Dick Heatherton is launching a new program – “The Dick Heatherton Show” — on TalkersRadio geared to helping people overcome obstacles in their lives during these tough times so they can achieve, regain or sustain success. Heatherton has been in the radio business for more than 40 years — most notably as an on-air personality on legendary outlets as well as serving several stints as a PD and GM. He has been a disc jockey on WCBS-FM, New York and heard on an array of diverse call letters such as KCBS-FM, San Francisco; KFI, Los Angeles; KMPC, Los Angeles; KLIF, Dallas; WFIL, Philadelphia; WPOP, Hartford and more in a career that has spanned more than four decades. He has acted on ABC-TV’s “General Hospital” and has played different roles over 14 years on the soaps as well as performing on NBC’s “One Life to Live.” He has produced a series of jazz concerts for Bravo, CBC and Australian television. He also produced/co-
hosted the nationally syndicated TV show, “New Day Dawning” and has been announcer/warm up guy for many TV game shows. Heatherton was also the American Ambassador of Good Will to the City of Frankfurt, Germany among his extensive list of credits and accomplishments. As he prepares to debut the first installment of the weekly one-hour program this Sunday (3/23), Heatherton tells TALKERS, “Radio prepares you for everything and anything. The best part of radio is it teaches you to think on your feet.” And, these days he’s doing a lot of that as an author/speaker and certified coach, assisting others and giving platform presentations around the country. His first book, Out of the Fog and Into Focus is the stories of how many celebrities overcame tough times in their lives including the lessons they learned along the way. His new book, The Upside to Down Times, will be released in May. Along with his own takes on subjects of personal sensitivity, Heatherton will interview leading motivational speakers as well as today’s headliners, sports figures, actors, talk personalities and money makers who failed on their way to success. On making the announcement of “The Dick Heatherton Show” joining the TalkersRadio line-up, TALKERS GM of broadcast operations, David Bernstein says, “Dick is not only a smooth and accomplished broadcaster, he is a renaissance man who fearlessly reveals his own life’s ups-and-downs including the pain, disappointments and moments of sheer despair – as well as absolutely uplifting examples of redemption and success. This is truly compelling radio and another example of the developmental and experimental type of talk programming we are so dedicated to doing on this radio laboratory called TalkersRadio.” Heatherton’s program will air Sunday evenings between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm ET with repeat broadcasts streamed several times during the week. TalkersRadio, a service of TALKERS magazine, powered by Backbone, is situated on the website www.talkers.com as well as available on TuneIn.
Radio One’s Liggins and Hughes Awarded Bonuses. The compensation committee of Radio One is awarding CEO Alfred Liggins $1.5 million and founder Cathy Hughes $500,000 in bonuses based on employee performance criteria and “additional considerations for the founder.” In an 8-K
filing with the SEC, the company reports how it arrived at the figures. The short version is that the 2008 Employee Agreement that provided the bonus structure lapsed in 2011 so the compensation committee “exercised discretion to reflect a number of factors and changed circumstances not contemplated by the 2008 Employment Agreements.” Citing seven specific factors, including that radio and Reach Media revenue was up 5% (ex-political), the committee arrived at the figures cited above.
Odds & Sods. ESPN Radio announces its schedule for Major League Baseball’s Opening Week. “Mike & Mike” and “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” will both be on the road. Cowherd broadcasts from Chase Field in Phoenix on March 28 in advance of the Arizona Diamondbacks home exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs. Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic will be in Detroit on Monday, March 31, ahead of the Detroit Tigers home opener against the Kansas City Royals. Then “The Herd” moves to Boston for the defending World Series Champions Boston Red Sox hosting the Milwaukee Brewers in their home opener on Friday, April 4 and “Mike & Mike” will back in New York City on Monday, April 7, when the New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles in Derek Jeter’s final home opener…..Digital audio aggregator TuneIn strikes a deal with WestwoodOne to carry its coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and more. TuneIn will deliver all 67 games from the first round through the Final Four in North Texas. It will also offer WestwoodOne’s coverage of other NCAA championship events, including the Division I Women’s Final Four, the Men’s Frozen Four, the Men’s and Women’s College World Series and the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Semifinals and Championship.
Third Round of February PPM Data Released. PPM data from the third of four groups of 12 markets for the February 2014 period (January 30 – February 26) has been released by Nielsen Audio. Those markets include: Portland, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Orlando, and Columbus. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all the (subscriber) numbers here. Managing editor and West Coast bureau chief Mike Kinosian offers his “Ten Takeaways” from the report at RadioInfo.com here.
Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 Mystery, Obama vs. Putin/Crimea-Ukraine Case, ObamaCare Criticism, Winter Weather/Western Drought, and NSA Spying Scandal Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/19). The growing number of theories about the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370; Vladimir Putin’s victory in annexing Crimea and possible plans for taking Ukraine and criticism over President Obama’s response; scrutiny of the rollout and effects of the Affordable Care Act; the winter weather still affecting the Midwest and East and the drought in the West; and renewed concerns about the NSA’s spying tactics were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, February 21, 2014
CC Goal: ‘#1 Multi-Platform Media Company in Revenue and Earnings.’ Radio giant Clear Channel reiterates its corporate goal at yesterday’s Q4 conference call through president and CFO Rich Bressler who says the deals and partnerships it has entered into over the past 12 months are all geared toward that goal of being the “#1 multi-platform media company.” Much of the focus on the Media + Enterainment sector was about iHeartRadio and Bressler spoke glowingly about it, saying, “iHeartRadio reached 43 million registered users by the end of 2013, climbing 84% year-over-year. To put that growth in perspective, iHeartRadio surpassed its 20 million registered user milestone faster than any other digital service and reached 40 million faster than Facebook, Twitter or Pandora, second only to Instagram. Importantly,
iHeartRadio’s total listening hours went up 29% over the year, with mobile representing 54% of iHeartRadio’s total listening hours during the fourth quarter of 2013. Our brand awareness climbed nearly 70%, slightly behind Pandora but above Spotify. We also continue to lead with Facebook engagement, having over 6.7 million likes for our iHeartRadio page, surpassing Pandora, Spotify and even Netflix.” The large number of promotional events the company has produced has affected the expense side of the ledger. Bressler reported, “Operating expenses increased $80 million year-over-year, driven mainly by continued investment on national sales and programming capabilities, special events, promotional costs, compensation and higher streaming and performance royalty expenses during 2013 due to increased listenership on iHeartRadio platform…Expenses were up $36 million due mainly to increased costs associated with our special events and higher streaming and performance royalty expenses.” Thanks to Seeking Alpha for the transcript. Members can read the whole call here.
More Moves in Chicago Sports Talk World. As tipped by Chicago media writer Robert Feder, Chicago White Sox television broadcaster Steve Stone is signed by CBS RADIO to be WSCR’s go-to baseball expert this season. Feder writes that Stone – who worked for “The Score” before joining Cumulus Media’s WLS-AM for baseball correspondent duties last year – was also being wooed by Tribune’s sports start-up WGWG “The Game 87.7″ but since WSCR is the flagship for White Sox games, CBS was able to prevent Stone from working for a direct competitor. Speaking of Tribune’s WGWG, the station is preparing to announce that former Cub Todd Hollandsworth – who’s worked for the MLB Network and Comcast Sports Net Chicago – will join “The Game 87.7” as its baseball expert. Read Feder’s column here.
Kerri Kasem Helps Introduce Bill to Provide Access to Sick Parents. Yesterday, RadioInfo reported that radio personality Kerri Kasem – daughter of legend Casey Kasem – would appear with California Assemblyman Mike Gatto at a press conference on Thursday to introduce legislation that would give judges the ability to allow adult children to see sick to dying parents in cases where they’ve been kept away in the past. Industry watchers are aware of the public battle Kasem’s children have been waging with his second wife, Jean Kasem, over visitation with Kasem who is suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease. Kasem appeared at Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday to bring attention to the introduction of the bill. She commented, “It’s not just me – the daughter of a famous person. There are so many families, so many sons and daughters going through what I’m going through right now.” Kasem said she used the power of her radio show to talk about it and received a lot of feedback from people in similar situations and that’s part of her motivation for working with Gatto on this legislation. “No child deserves to go through what I’m going through and no loving parent deserves to be left alone to die with nobody by his side.” You can view video from the press conference here. Working as district chief of staff for Assemblyman Gatto is radio business veteran Jason Insalaco who’s been involved in the programming and agent ends of the industry during his career.
“The Hard Question with Blanquita Cullum” Launches on TalkersRadio This Weekend. TalkersRadio – the experimental talk radio platform operated by TALKERS magazine at www.talkers.com/talkersradio — announces the launch this weekend (2/22) of “The Hard Question with Blanquita Cullum.” Hosted by veteran talk show host, Washington-insider, and former member of the United States Broadcasting Board of Governors, Blanquita Cullum, the one-hour-per-week show will cover the hottest and most-
pressing economic, environmental and political issues facing the country from a non-partisan, non-ideological perspective. Cullum tells TALKERS, “I’ve been in this business too long to mess around playing the old right-versus-left game that is quickly getting us nowhere. It is time to get serious – especially having this marvelous platform upon which to perform – and dust off the old journalism skills. Just as the name implies, I will be asking big shots and policy makers from the worlds of energy, finance and government the hard questions. None of that easy, puff-piece stuff. This show is going to get down, dirty and real!” The new program will air each Saturday morning at 10:00 am ET with repeats scheduled throughout the week.
KRG Appoints Chenault-Qawwee to VP of Health Care Strategies. Radio rep firm Katz Radio Group (a Clear Channel subsidiary) announces the creation of a new department to “take full advantage of radio’s massive reach and scale in order to deliver compelling health care media solutions for advertisers.” The new Health Care Strategies group, headed by vice president LaTonya Chenault-Qawwee, will “provide a higher level of focus and expertise in the health care category.” The company says that in her new role, Chenault-Qawwee will “oversee all sales operations, developing strategic plans for advertisers by leveraging KRG’s unmatched reach, research and expertise in developing innovative media solutions. She will work closely with the nation’s leading health care companies, as well as federal and state exchanges, to incorporate the latest health care reform needs into high-impact advertising packages. This new position underlines KRG’s continued commitment to be the leading advocate for radio, and to further expand its business by providing advertisers hyper-focused expertise in specific categories.”
Odds & Sods. The Washington Times announces it has partnered with California-based BT Software’s Kaliki Audio Newsstand to provide content for the app that allows users to stream news and talk content. The newspaper’s editor John Solomon says the radio lineup will launch in early March with five daily shows and several weekly shows, anchored by the midday program “Live from The Washington Times” starring Andy Parks…..CBS RADIO’s all-news KNX, Los Angeles announces the next stop on its “KNX in Your Neighborhood” remote series will be South Orange County on Friday, March 14. The station says its “award-winning news team will explore O.C.’s southernmost communities, including Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Hills and Dana Point. Civic and business leaders from these areas will be featured throughout the day live from the Mission Grill in San Juan Capistrano…..CRN Digital Talk Radio debuts a new show called “Wall to Wald Sports,” a hybrid of sports and politics. The show is hosted by Ronnie Wald and Fred Wallin and airs Fridays at 1:00 pm ET. The company says, “Wald and Wallin discuss sports in what they term their own ‘novel’ way before shifting to politics – an area in which they differ significantly. The duo says that ‘to Wald, Ronald Reagan is a hero – but to Wallin, he was a bad actor.’”
Final Round of January PPM Data Released. PPM data from the fourth and final group of 12 markets for the January 2014 period (January 2-29) has been released by Nielsen Audio. Those markets include: Austin, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Providence, Raleigh, Norfolk, Nashville, Greensboro, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Memphis, and Hartford. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all the (subscriber) numbers here. Managing editor and West Coast bureau chief Mike Kinosian offers his “Ten Takeaways” from the report at RadioInfo.com here.
ObamaCare Criticism Remains at Top of Talkers TenTM. The scrutiny of the rollout and effects of the Affordable Care Act remained the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week of February 17-21. Coming in at #2 on this week’s chart was the executive power controversy surrounding President Obama. At #3 was a tie between a possible Hillary Clinton run for president in 2016 and the infighting taking place in the Republican Party followed by the winter weather and the global warming issue at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS and is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Syndicated Host Doug Stephan Suffers Devastating Loss in Dairy Farm Disaster. Early yesterday morning (2/19) Eastleigh Farm – located in the suburban Boston community of Framingham, Massachusetts – suffered a winter-related natural disaster in which one of the barn roofs collapsed under the weight of snow trapping, killing and injuring some of the dairy cows at the historic facility. The farm is owned by nationally syndicated talk show host Doug Stephan, whose long-running morning program “Good Day” is heard on hundreds of stations across the country and is consistently ranked one of the most-listened-to talk shows in the business. According to reports from the scene (pictured here where a cow is seen being hoisted to safety), at least three cows have died and many others are injured. The trauma to the cows is immeasurable. Dairy cows are very sensitive and this has potentially long-term consequences for the health of the farm and the remaining herd. Stephan is somewhat of a local folk hero in the “Metrowest” region of Massachusetts where the Eastleigh Farm – already beleaguered by economic issues challenging small family farmers across America – has been engaged in a high-profile
struggle to exist and continue to bring healthy, raw locally raised dairy products to the community. Eastleigh Farm is the last historical dairy land in Framingham. A fund-raiser has been launched to help with the formidable veterinarian bills, the care of the cows and the rebuilding of the barn. For information about the fundraiser, please click here. To see local video news coverage of the story, please click here. Ironically, Doug Stephan recently launched a new, weekly one-hour show on TALKERS magazine’s experimental talk radio platform, TalkersRadio titled, “American Family Farmer with Doug Stephan,” designed to bring information, inspiration and a political voice to the hard-pressed, small farmers battling the powerful interests of the mega-corporate-government-supported farm industrial complex that has been systematically squeezing them out of existence. The show airs with a new installment on TalkersRadio every Saturday morning at 8:00 am ET with repeats throughout the week at 11:00 am ET. Clearly, this disaster and its aftermath will provide Stephan with a tremendous amount of compelling material and content for the show. (Image: WCVB-TV, Boston)
Radio’s Kerri Kasem to Appear with California Assemblyman Mike Gatto to Introduce Parental Access Legislation. Industry pros and the radio-loving public have been following the tragic story of radio legend Casey Kasem and his second wife’s refusal to allow Kasem’s adult children to visit him as his health deteriorates due to advanced Parkinson’s disease. Now a California legislator is introducing a bill that would “provide reasonable accommodations for adult children who want to visit their parents, and provide children the right to know when an ailing parent’s health becomes worse or if the parent dies. The proposed legislation seeks to protect children from previous marriages from being denied access to a 
parent by a parent’s future spouse or child.” State Assemblyman Mike Gatto will introduce the bill and “Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx” co-host Kerri Kasem, daughter of Casey from his first marriage, will appear alongside Gatto when that happens today at 2:30 pm PT at the Los Angeles Superior Court. In explaining the reason for the bill, Gatto’s office states, “Currently, adult children are not afforded the legal right to visit an ailing parent. With divorce and remarriage becoming more prevalent, there is a greater possibility of conflict between a subsequent spouse and an ailing parent’s children from a previous marriage. These conflicts can become exacerbated when a parent becomes incapacitated or dies. In some cases, elderly parents are not even informed that their children wish to see them. Such conflicts are very painful for those involved and can mean that certain adult children do not get to see their parent(s) before the parent(s) pass away.”
Clear Channel Issues Q4 and 2013 Revenue Numbers; CCM+E Up 3%. The parent company of Clear Channel Media + Entertainment – Clear Channel Media Holdings LLC – is reporting figures for the fourth quarter of 2013 and for the whole of 2013. It reports revenue for the CCM+E division was up 3% — 8% excluding political advertising – and it notes that the reason was “due primarily to stronger national and digital advertising, as well as promotional and event sponsorship with the expansion of the Jingle Ball tour, iHeartRadio Music Festival and album release events.” For all of 2013 CCM+E was up 2%. The company states that “increases across multiple advertising categories were led by the telecommunications, retail and entertainment advertising markets. Digital revenue benefited from higher total listening hours, which were up 29%, and from investments in a digital sales organization. Promotional and event sponsorships also moved higher, driven by special events, such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival, Jingle Ball tour, iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party and album release events.”
Tribune’s WGWG, Chicago Grabs Finfer for Daily Role. The Tribune sports talk format airing on WGWG-LP at 87.7 FM adds another local talent as Ben Finfer jumps aboard from CBS RADIO’s crosstown WSCR. Finfer served as producer for the late morning McNeil & Spiegel show before joining Tribune’s new “The Game 87.7” on Wednesday. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that he’ll be part of the midday shows hosted by David Kaplan and Howard Griffith and Alex Quigley. While all of the media eyes may be on the new guy in town, WSCR and ESPN O&O WMVP have a healthy head start on WGWG. Data from Nielsen Audio’s January PPM indicates WSCR enjoyed a 5.0 share with Men 25-54 and WMVP racked up a 3.6 share, according to Feder.
Colleen O’Brien Joins KIRO-FM, Seattle for Mornings. At Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM, Seattle, former KXLY-TV, Spokane news anchor Colleen O’Brien is named morning drive news anchor, filling the role held by Linda Thomas prior to her exit from the station to join Starbucks as managing editor for online news and content strategy. O’Brien is no stranger to Seattle or the radio side of the business. Prior to her work in Spokane, O’Brien served at crosstown KOMO-AM/FM.
The 4th Annual ‘Imus on Broadway’ Fundraiser ‘Opens’ Monday. For the fourth year in a row, Cumulus Media’s WABC, New York teams up with “The Great White Way” to present “Imus on Broadway” at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The evening’s event – a benefit for the Imus Ranch for Kids with Cancer – is a one-night-only production hosted by New York Post theatre columnist Michael Riedel and features performances from the casts of: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” “After Midnight,” “Avenue Q,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Chicago,” “Mamma Mia,” “Motown the Musical,” “Kinky Boots,” “La Soiree,” “The Lion King,” “Pippin,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Wicked.”
ObamaCare Criticism, Ukraine Unrest, Sochi Olympics, ‘Smart Gun’ Bill, Jay Leno-‘Tonight Show’ Controversy, and Hillary in 2016 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/19). Scrutiny of the rollout and effects of the Affordable Care Act; the violence and political unrest in the Ukraine; the Winter Games in Sochi; the Democratic proposal for new guns to only fire in the hand of the owner; the accusation by a former ‘Tonight Show’ writer that Jay Leno was ousted for picking on President Obama; and the prospect of Hillary Clinton running for president in 2016 were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Imaging with Style and Class in a PPM World. Your imaging should not try to beat the listener over the head with your message, says voice-over and creative services pro Pete Gustin. Instead, “when done right, your radio imaging will give your listeners the overall impression that you are exactly what you tell them you are. It’s extremely powerful in fact.” What’s the difference? Gustin points out that “the local car dealerships scream about their deals and discounts. The car manufacturers, however, brand their vehicle lines with high-end music, breathtaking imagery, top-notch actors and subtle innuendo. Don’t be a local car dealer screaming at your listeners.” Read more of Gustin’s useful pointers for getting station imaging tuned up for connecting with modern consumers here.
Nielsen Releases Audio Study Charting Use of Radio. A new report from Nielsen titled “State of the Media: Audio Today 2014” is a graphics-intense, 15-page summary of the use of radio among the population based on data culled from the Nielsen RADAR 119 December 2013 and the Nielsen National Regional Database Spring 2013. The study illustrates what most industry insiders probably already know – that the majority of radio listening among all demographics is done outside the home, and that Millennials listen to less radio during a given week than their older fellow media consumers. But the report also notes that “overall, midday is the highest-rated daypart,” due most likely to high at-work listening, though the 7:00 am hour is still the one with the most people listening to radio. The comparison of the three generations – Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials – shows the difference in the use of radio on a weekly basis. Some may quibble with the results. For example, the report states that 88.2% of Men 12-17 hear at least 5 minutes of radio during the week compared to 95% of Men 45-54 who hear at least 5 minutes of radio. There are industry observers who will claim the 88.2% figure is probably too high – that fewer are actually listening to radio – but the figure doesn’t pretend to show heavy users of radio, just those who’ve heard at least 5 minutes during the week. Regardless, the study does show the lower number of young consumers hearing AM/FM radio on a weekly basis compared to the rest of the population. Nielsen promises to update and expand on the study on a quarterly basis. See the entire study here.
Clear Channel and Horizon Media Enter into Cross-Platform Partnership. Media services agency Horizon Media and Clear Channel are announcing a partnership they call a “$100 million multi-year, cross-platform” relationship. In a statement, Clear Channel says this pact will create “first-to-market integrated marketing partnership opportunities for Horizon clients and exclusive access to select Clear Channel platforms including out-of-home, 
broadcast, mobile, events and digital.” Horizon’s clients include such ubiquitously marketed products as Corona beer, GEICO insurance, The History Channel and Silk. Clear Channel adds that the relationship will “provide Horizon Media with exclusive rights across key events and promotions, including select Artist Integration Programs, World Premieres, customized shows at Clear Channel’s iconic iHeartRadio Theaters in New York and Los Angeles, as well as special events created just for Horizon clients. In addition, the agency will have access to the full array of creative talent at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment for special content creation opportunities. The partnership will also allow for the co-creation of new psychographic targeting systems utilizing Horizon’s proprietary tools and insights fused with unique music and consumer research built on Clear Channel Media’s industry-leading national reach. The valuable research insights developed throughout the partnership will fuel further media mix model development.” Horizon founder and CEO Bill Koenigsberg states, “We’re excited about this ground-breaking partnership and the positive impact it will have for our clients’ business. I’ve been impressed with the transformation of Clear Channel into a multi-platform company that can provide national reach while activating locally and providing measurable ROI.”
Mike Kapel Named PD at WDAY, Fargo. At the Forum Communications-owned news/talker WDAY, Fargo, market pro Mike Kapel takes over the program director position. He’ll also host the mid-morning 9:00 am to 11:00 am program. According to the Fargo Forum, Kapel is a native who’s worked in music radio for the past 20 years. Operations manager Jim Manney says, “There is nobody that I trust more than Mike to take over the day-to-day operations of 970 WDAY.” Kapel comments, “I am excited to lead the charge into a new era. As someone who grew up here and as somebody who understands the importance of WDAY to the community, it’s an exciting place to be.”
Doug Stephan Joins TalkersRadio in Development of New Show – “American Family Farmer” — to Launch This Weekend. One of the longest-running syndicated personalities in the business, “Good Day” host Doug Stephan, is launching a new program into development on TALKERS magazine’s online radio station, TalkersRadio, this Saturday morning (2/8). The one-hour program which will air Saturdays at 8:00 am ET with repeat broadcasts throughout the week is a significant departure from Stephan’s generalist weekday morning show, “Good Day” which is heard on hundreds of terrestrial stations and is one of the most-listened-to on-air talk shows in the country. The new program is titled “The American Family Farmer with Doug Stephan” and it taps into a side of the seasoned broadcaster not often displayed publicly in his career thus far as a broadcaster – and that is his alternate career as a farmer. Yes, Doug Stephan is an independent dairy farmer operating two family farms for a number of years in the Boston suburb of Framingham, Massachusetts. In this capacity, Stephan is on top of the numerous issues — many of crisis proportions — facing today’s small farmer in America. He tells TALKERS, “There is a pressing need for a no-nonsense talk show that serves as an
advocate for the interests of the small, independent, family farmer in this great country of ours that is being squeezed on all ends by the combined interests of the mega-corporate agricultural giants – backed by the government – economically and otherwise.” Stephan continues, “This is an area close to my heart and because I am deeply entrenched in this business, as well as broadcasting, I know the issues first-hand and like the back of my hand.” The program will feature commentaries and observations by Stephan, the latest information of value to family farmers and interviews with experts from agriculture, academia and government. Stephan says, “We aim to make a big difference.” On making the announcement of this new program’s launch, TalkersRadio general manager David Bernstein states, “We are extremely focused on bringing this program to its fullest potential on the ‘experimental’ radio platform that is TalkersRadio. The on-air syndicated potential of this show is absolutely enormous with literally hundreds of rural and small market stations across the heartland of America ripe to carry such a powerful vehicle with so important a mission. Meantime, our job at TalkersRadio is to provide Doug Stephan with a ‘safe’ workout space to bring this project up to speed, as we are doing with the growing roster of hosts such as Alan Colmes, Lionel, Brent Seltzer, Meg McDonald, Robbie Student, the Gooches and their projects that are already incubating on this exciting stage. And we are only just getting started! Man, I am really loving this job!”
Not So Fast. Attorney and activist Sandra Fluke will not run for the seat being vacated by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) after all. Fluke tells the Los Angeles Times that her filing papers in the state of California was a preliminary move and that she has decided that she can accomplish more of her goals in a “better way.” Fluke’s national profile skyrocketed after Rush Limbaugh called her a “slut” as part of a critique of the provision that Catholic organizations be forced to provide birth control to students and employees under the Affordable Care Act. The incident ignited a backlash against Limbaugh and talk radio in general by special interest groups such as Media Matters for America.
Cool Job Opportunity. Cumulus Media-owned news/talk WOW-FM, Des Moines is looking for a morning host/program director to lead the station to the next level of success. This person will play a huge role in shaping WOW’s sound by generating great local content and overseeing the presentation of the station’s syndicated programming, imaging and on-air promotion. The successful candidate will have the proven ability to host an information-intensive morning show along with a basic understanding of news/talk programming principles and a desire to develop professionally. Salary is commensurate with experience and ratings history. Resumes, ratings history, references and mp3 should be sent in confidence to cumulusradio.jobs@cumulus.com with the subject “Des Moines News/Talk PD.” Cumulus Media is an EOE.
ObamaCare Criticism, Sochi Horror Stories, Hillary in 2016, Financial Markets Activity, Marijuana Laws, and IRS Targeting Scandal Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/5). Continuing scrutiny of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act; reports from the Winter Olympics site of widespread unpreparedness as the games get ready to open on Friday; the speculation that Hillary Clinton will run for president in 2016; the selling of stocks in financial markets around the world on weak factory reports in the U.S. and China; controversy over the implementation of the new marijuana laws in various states and the effects the changes may be having; and the House hearing investigating allegations of the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
TalkersRadio Hits the Ground Running for 2014 with New Hosts, Shows and Programming Directions
By Kevin Casey
TALKERS
VP/Executive Editor
SPRINGFIELD, MA – TalkersRadio, the “experimental” talk radio station launched last fall by TALKERS magazine to provide the industry with a “work out space” and “showcase for new talk programming concepts” has, according to its general manager David Bernstein, “hit the ground running” in 2014 with the announcement of several new hosts and shows scheduled to join its programming roster this month.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Will Nielsen’s Dominance in Online Measurement Hurt Radio Buys? According to some analysts – most notably J.P. Morgan’s Doug Anmuth – the answer is yes. In a piece published at MediaPost News by Joe Mandese, Anmuth asserts that Nielsen’s Online Campaign Ratings is growing in acceptance and may become the dominant “currency” for digital ratings and that it will drive ad budgets from TV and radio to digital. Mandese writes that though some marketers and agencies prefer comScore’s vCE ratings system used to plan, buy and validate online ad buys, Nielsen’s dominance in the ratings in other media will give it the ability to leverage that into cross-platform ratings. With YouTube’s recent adoption of Nielsen’s ORC system, it’s being predicted by Anmuth the move could “drive material change in TV buyer behavior.” Similarly, Nielsen’s imminent rollout of its streaming audio measurement will affect radio buys. Anmuth writes, “Just as we are seeing a shift in digital video measurement with YouTube, we expect streaming music providers including Pandora to gravitate towards partnerships with traditional measurement providers. Nielsen is deeply engaged in developing the technology to measure streaming radio and it is working to fully integrate Nielsen Audio.” Check out the story here.
Emmis Net Revenue Up 3.4% — on Strength of Publishing. The loss of political advertising that all broadcasting companies are dealing with – the fall of 2012 was a good year for that sector and Emmis’ fiscal Q3 measures September, October and November – affected the company’s 2013 Q3 to 2012 Q3 comparison and the result was a 0.4% increase in revenue for Emmis’ radio division. The publishing segment of the business carried the day with a 9.8% increase in net revenue. Emmis CEO Jeff
Smulyan says in a statement, “The government shutdown in October, coupled with non-recurring political revenues from the prior year, caused significant headwinds for us and the radio industry. However, Emmis’ ability to grow revenues despite these challenges is a testament to the talent, ingenuity and hustle of the Emmis team. Our radio revenues are rebounding in our fourth fiscal quarter as these challenges have abated and our publishing division continues to post impressive revenue gains. NextRadio, the Emmis-led industry initiative to make FM broadcast radio available on mobile phones via a pre-loaded app, continues to gain momentum and recently exceeded 100,000 activations. I’m excited about the progress we are making and the momentum we have heading into calendar 2014.”
TalkersRadio Hits the Ground Running for 2014 with New Hosts, Shows and Programming Directions. TalkersRadio, the “experimental” talk radio station launched last fall by TALKERS magazine to provide the industry with a “work out space” and “showcase for new talk programming concepts” has, according to its general manager David Bernstein, “hit the ground running” in 2014 with the announcement of several new hosts and shows scheduled to join its programming roster this month. Set for launch this weekend (1/12) is “Radio Lifeboat with DG & Mickey Gooch,” described by Bernstein as “a raw, emotion-packed ‘reality’ show that sure ain’t no cruise.” The one-hour-per-week program, emanating live on Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm ET from Malibu, California, is hosted by the mother/son team of Diane “DG” Gooch and her son Mickey Gooch. The show is basically a weekly therapy and educational support session helping people and families overcome the challenges of addiction. Also debuting this month (1/25) is a new program from Lionel – one of the most iconoclastic, impossible-to-peg, and intellectually stimulating talk show hosts of the modern era. A veteran of such major outlets as WABC and WOR, New York among others, as well as being a podcast pioneer at lionelmedia.com the quirky, satirical and extremely original observer of the human condition has been enjoying tremendous success conceiving, writing, producing and performing daily commentaries on the heritage WPIX-TV, Channel 11 for the past four years in New York City where the ex-prosecutor’s also added his insight and experience as its resident legal analyst. However, he has not forgotten his roots in and love for radio and promises that his 9:00 am to 10:00 am Saturday show will provide Lionel enthusiasts around the country with a version of his work that is “like nothing they have ever heard before. This will truly be Lionel unchained!” Another program getting readied for launch on TalkersRadio in either late-January or early-February is “The Hard Question with Blanquita Cullum.” Hosted by veteran talk show host, Washington-insider, and former member of the United States Broadcasting Board of Governors, Blanquita Cullum, the one-hour-per-week show will cover the hottest and most-pressing economic, environmental and political issues facing the country from a non-partisan, non-ideological perspective. Cullum tells TALKERS, “I’ve been in this business too long to mess around playing the old right versus left game that is quickly getting us nowhere. It is time to get serious – especially having this marvelous platform upon which to perform – and dust off the old journalism skills. Just as the name implies, I will be asking big shots and policy makers from the worlds of energy, finance and government the hard questions. None of that easy, puff-piece stuff. This show is going to get down, dirty and real!” These new shows will join the already-developing programs on TalkersRadio that include “The Brent & Meg Radio Show” hosted by the dynamic husband/wife duo Brent Seltzer and Meg McDonald, “Green Connections” hosted by Washington, DC-based energy and sustainability expert, journalist Joan Michelson, “Healed Planet” hosted by well-known talk media star Alan Colmes, “The Robbie Student Show” hosted by record producer and urban philosopher Robbie Student, and “The Talkers Show” hosted by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison. To read more about TalkersRadio, check out a full feature story posted today by TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey by clicking here.
Regan Communications Group Names Kahn EVP/Sports Media. Former Entercom vice president and New England market manager Julie Kahn joins public relations firm Regan Communications Group as executive vice president of sports/media. Over and above that, she will be a special advisor to company president/founder George Regan, who comments, “Julie Kahn’s talents, skills, mind, and passion for this business are a grand slam for our company. This is a great start to our new year.” Kahn “had the pleasure” to work with Regan Communications for the nearly 14 years that she was with Entercom. “I am excited to become part of the management team and help Regan continue its growth and success,” she remarks. Among Kahn’s new duties will be working with her former employer – Entercom, Boston – which is one of Regan’s clients. In addition to being a board member of the Boston Sports Museum, Kahn is on the Boston board of directors for the National Sports Management Network. The holder of a JD/MBA from Northwestern University, Kahn began her radio career in WGN, Chicago’s sales department; was general manager of KSAN, San Francisco; and vice president/director of sales for Susquehanna, San Francisco.
Baldwin/McCullough Show Auditions on WNYM, New York. With the move of talk personality Curtis Sliwa to crosstown WABC, Salem Communications news/talk WNYM “Am 970 The Answer” is putting the XtreMedia-produced Baldwin/McCullough program on this afternoon and next Friday as an audition. Actor Stephen Baldwin and media entrepreneur and talk host Kevin McCullough have been hosting the Baldwin/McCullough program as a weekend show for the past several years. Also, Iowa-based talk personality Steve Deace is set to audition in the afternoon drive slot on WNYM next Monday through Thursday.
Midday Changes at Entercom’s ’95.7 The Game’ in San Francisco. The late morning show featuring Sean O’Connell, Matt Steinmetz and producer Justin Kleisley is out and program director Jason Barrett announces “friends since high school” Guy Haberman and John Middlekauff are partnering up for the new 10:00 am to 12:00 noon program. Haberman serves as host of the station’s pre- and post-game shows for Oakland As broadcasts and was host of the evening show at KGMZ during 2013. Middlekauff was West Coast scout for the Philadelphia Eagles for the past two years and served as an NFL analyst for the station since the beginning of the 2013 NFL season. The new pair begin hosting the “Mid-Morning Show” on January 20. Matt Steinmetz had been working at KGMZ in the late morning daypart for the past 18 months. He was joined by O’Connell last February.
Julie Buehler and Geoff Bloom Re-Up with KXPS, Palm Springs. The “Buehler’s Day Off” afternoon drive show at CRC Media West-owned sports talker KXPS, Palm Springs “Team 1010 KXPS” will continue with the station through this year. Sports media pro Julie Buehler and co-host Geoff Bloom joined the station in June of 2012. Buehler comments, “I love the Coachella Valley! Love the vibrancy, the spectrum of sports fans and the rich culture and I’m honored to be a voice for such a passionate community. I know with the vision from CRC Media West and our team’s ability to execute such a thorough game plan, 2014 will be even more groundbreaking, history-making fun than the past 18 months.”
Dan Le Batard Has Baseball Hall of Fame Vote Taken Away. In November, WAXY, Miami and ESPN Radio personality Dan Le Batard – also a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (which votes for Hall of Fame players) – gave his vote to Deadspin.com in a protest saying his vote has become pretty worthless in the “sanctimonious” atmosphere of the process. There’s a rule against that and the BBWAA board of directors voted to strip Le Batard of his vote this season and beyond. He also will not be able to cover any baseball event this season as a sanctioned BBWAA member.
New Morning Show at WRSO, Orlando. At sports talker WRSO, Orlando “810 CBS Sports Radio,” there’s a new morning team in the 7:00 am to 9:00 am slot. Former TV anchor Dave Baumann and local radio personality Big Joe are taking over the slot. The station is owned by Star Over Orlando and it says the program will soon also be heard on the 93.1 frequency as well.
Odds & Sods. All-newser KNX, Los Angeles continues its “KNX on Your Corner” series on January 31 when it takes an in-depth look at the unique aspects of the Crescenta Valley communities lying between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Verdugo Mountains: La Crescenta-Montrose, La Cañada Flintridge, Sunland and Tujunga. The CBS RADIO station will broadcast live from the Black Cow Cafe in the heart of Old Town Montrose. News anchors 
Tom Haule and Vicky Moore will kick off the day from 5:00 am to 9:00 am, Frank Mottek will host the “KNX Business Hour” from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm and Chris Sedens and Diane Thompson will be on hand from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm…..KSCO, Santa Cruz talk host Ethan Bearman will host the KSFO Talk Show from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on Cumulus Media’s KSFO on Monday and Tuesday January 13 and 14. The slot currently has no permanent host…..Talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs – syndicated nationally via Genesis Communications Network – celebrated her 5th 
anniversary on the radio yesterday (1/9). She tells TALKERS magazine that she began her radio career five years ago on KLAV…..MSNBC shuffles its daily lineup after the departure of Martin Bashir. Alex Wagner moves into the 4:00 pm ET slot previously held by Bashir and the network will feature a rotating cast of hosts for Wagner’s 12:00 noon slot – including Joy Reid who’s been sitting in the 4:00 pm slot lately…..For the 3rd consecutive year, Entercom’s WEEI, Boston will serve as the official radio partner for the 2014 Pan-Mass Challenge August 2 and 3. The PMC – a 190-mile bike event starting in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and ending in Provincetown and the tip of Cape Cod – is the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country and, since 1980, has raised more than $414 million for the Jimmy Fund, which supports adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. The “Savage Nation” show hosted by Michael Savage is added to the programming at the following stations: WCFO, Atlanta; WVGG, Lucedale, Mississippi; WLBY, Saline, Michigan; KBHS, Hot Springs, Arkansas; KVPI-AM, Ville Platte, Louisiana…..Business talk host Phil Grande’s “Phil’s Gang” show is added to the lineup at KDWN, Las Vegas…..Cumulus Media Networks’ Mark Levin is now heard on WFNC, Fayetteville, North Carolina; WVLK-FM, Lexington; WFNR, Blacksburg, Virginia; KFAY, Fayetteville, Arkansas; and WALG, Albany, Georgia…..Conservative/libertarian Genesis Communications Network-syndicated talk host Jason Lewis is added to the program schedule at KZRG, Joplin, Missouri…..From WYM Media, the Leslie Marshall show joins the programming at KABQ, Albuquerque and Phil Hendrie’s program is now heard on KNEW, San Francisco and KTNF, Chico/Redding, California…..“Freedom Feens” with Michael W. Dean and Neema Vedadi is added to the programming at WVFT-FM, Tallahassee; WYOO-FM, Panama City, Florida; and KENN-AM/FM, Farmington, New Mexico.
Chris Christie Scandal Top News/Talk Story for Week of January 6-10. The Fort Lee lane closure scandal that’s rocking New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week making it the #1 story on the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was former Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ book Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War (Random House 2013), which criticizes President Obama and his administration. Following at #3 was the “polar vortex” chilling much of the nation tied with the companion topic of global warming and at #4 was Janet Yellen being confirmed chief of the Federal Reserve. The Talkers TenTM is a chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS and is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Mike Huckabee and Cumulus Media Networks Call it Quits on Daily Talk Show. Governor Mike Huckabee’s daily commentaries will continue after the New Year but the daily, three-hour talk show will not. Writing on Facebook, Huckabee says, “I have loved doing the Mike Huckabee show, and its success of going from launch to over 200 stations in less than two years is significant, but the contract was at a decision point for both Cumulus Media and me, and we mutually agreed to conclude.” Huckabee’s program debuted in April of 2012 with the conservative politician and media personality (who is still seen on weekends on Fox News Channel) promising to host a “different” kind of talk show that offers “more conversation, less confrontation.” There’s no way to know how successful CMN was in selling the show or how much money Huckabee made but it stands to reason the show was not making enough to justify continuing the effort on the part of either party.
Media Exec Paul Bell Named Business Director for Rush Limbaugh Print and Digital. Premiere Networks announces the appointment of Paul Bell to the position of business director of Rush Limbaugh print and digital subscriptions. Bell most recently worked with Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal and will remain based in New York where he’ll report to CCM+E president of content and affiliate services for national media groups Julie Talbott. Bell’s focus will be on all aspects of Limbaugh’s subscription businesses including oversight of strategic planning, direct
marketing, circulation management, and subscriber acquisition and retention for Rush 24/7; The Limbaugh Letter; as well as The Limbaugh eLetter, the recently-launched digital version of the publication now available via desktop and on mobile devices. While with Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal, Bell was charged with overseeing strategy and business operations of The Wall Street Journal Sunday, the WSJ Wine Club and the WSJ and MarketWatch Radio Networks, as well as audio podcasting content licensing. Prior to that, Bell served as vice president, radio and executive director of The Wall Street Journal Radio Network for seven years. Julie Talbott states, “We couldn’t be happier to welcome someone of Paul’s caliber to our team. His extensive background in direct marketing and business operations are a winning combination as we continue to grow Rush Limbaugh’s loyal print subscriber base and digital platforms.”
Jeff Katz to Host PM Drive on WRVA, Richmond. Program director Jimmy Barrett tells TALKERS magazine that talk radio pro Jeff Katz is assuming the afternoon drive show from Clear Channel talk host Leland Conway who’s been
doing that program and the midday show on the company’s WHAS, Louisville since the early fall. With Conway now focused on Louisville, Katz can dedicate his attention to Richmond. Barrett states, “We’re excited to have someone with Jeff’s experience anchoring our afternoon drive. Jeff is funny, informative and a great match for the Richmond audience. Best of all, he’s coming here because this is where he wants to raise his family.” Katz has been part of the start-up at the Boston Herald’s online venture Boston Herald Radio hosting the morning show. Katz has been a columnist for the Herald and produces commentary features that air on a number of affiliate stations. He worked for Clear Channel in Boston on WXKS-AM prior to that station’s flip to sports talk. He starts at WRVA on Monday, December 2.
“Green Connections with Joan Michelson” to Debut on TalkersRadio this Saturday. An exciting new weekly program geared to the environmental movement in modern industry and culture is set for launch this weekend on TalkersRadio – the online experimental talk radio station at Talkers.com. The program will originate with brand new, one-hour installments on Saturdays at 3:00 pm ET that will be repeated at various times
throughout the week. The program’s tag lines are “live green, work green, earn green” and “making cleantech cool.” Its host and producer, Joan Michelson, is a highly respected and accomplished Washington, DC-based journalist who specializes in energy and sustainability. She serves as the green expert on WTOP, Washington and has a blog on the Huffington Post, in addition to a number of major media platforms. Describing the new show, Michelson tells TALKERS, “We inform, engage, and connect people with the cool things and opportunities in energy and sustainability. Our stories range from politics and business, to jobs, gadgets, tips and the arts. I am very excited about bringing this groundbreaking show to such an innovative radio platform as TalkersRadio.” In announcing the launch, TalkersRadio general manager David Bernstein says, “This entertaining and informative program is a radio show whose time has come. There is a huge information-hungry audience for this and potential advertisers are sprouting up all over the nation creating an exciting new arena of economic growth making it incredibly fertile for talk radio. Joan Michelson brings a personal likability as well as tremendous knowledge to the discussion. We are proud to be giving birth to and nurturing what promises to be a major broadcasting entity. This SO fits the mission of TalkersRadio.”
WestwoodOne Bumps Dennis Miller to Noon ET Start. Nationally syndicated talk show host Dennis Miller’s WestwoodOne program will move to a new time beginning in January. The company announces the show’s live air time will shift from the current 10:00 am to 1:00 pm ET slot to 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET effective January 6. WestwoodOne CEO Paul Caine says, “WestwoodOne is happy to have the Dennis Miller show as part of our best-in-class lineup and programming. Miller attracts a very large and opinionated audience who are actively engaged across audio platforms, including digital. His show is a prime example of the critical role audio plays in cross-platform integration – a key element in the future of audio.” Miller, who resides in California, currently hits the air live at 7:00 am PT. He adds, “Thanks for letting me sleep in and continue to do the job that I love!”
Salem Communications Adds AM Signal to Miami Properties. With the purchase of WOCN-AM, Miami from Deportes Media of Florida, Salem Communications will have another AM signal in the market to complement business talk WZAB, Christian talk WHIM and Spanish Christian formatted WKAT. The price is $1.2 million for the station and its assets and another $1 million for the property on which the station and its transmitter sit. WOCN-AM is a class C AM at 1450 currently operating at 1,000 watts in a non-directional pattern.
Total Traffic + Weather Network Partners with TomTom. The two companies believe the multi-year partnership will augment both their businesses. Clear Channel’s Total Traffic + Weather Network says the arrangement will combine “TomTom’s industry leading real-time and predictive traffic flow data with Total Traffic + Weather Network’s traffic incident, construction and congestion data to create the most
comprehensive traffic solution available in North America. The combined data offering will be available across multiple platforms including radio, television, automotive, online and mobile.” CCM+E EVP engineering & systems integration Jeff Littlejohn states, “We are thrilled about this partnership. Every day, more than 200 million drivers and thousands of our affiliates depend on TTWN for their traffic information. We value that trust and are dedicated to delivering the most precise traffic data available. Therefore, we strive for best-in-class, strategic partners to advance our offerings. TomTom is a committed and innovative leader in traffic products. We are excited about creating new solutions together to provide the fastest, most accurate traffic information to drivers every day.”
Odds & Sods. Jack Callaghan leaves the sales end of the business to return to the mic at Clear Channel’s WTAM, Cleveland where he’s the new news director. Callaghan was most recently eastern regional sales manager at Santa Clara, California-based Beat the Traffic…..Cumulus Media’s WPRO-AM and 99.7 FM in Providence produces its second annual “Top Turkeys” countdown that celebrates the notable and notorious from Southern New England. This year’s winners included Rhode Island native and “Jersey Shore” star Pauly D confirming he’s a baby daddy; former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey announcing a run for governor only to pull out three days later; and calamari – often a punch line for jokes in Rhode Island – failed to be voted the Official State Appetizer after the State Senate declined to vote on it altogether. WPRO-AM PD Craig Schwalb says, “Thanksgiving offers WPRO the perfect opportunity to poke fun at some of the most interesting and most absurd news stories that occurred in the great state of Rhode Island this year.” Check out the web feature here.…..ESPN Deportes Radio reaches what it terms a “sub-license agreement” with Fox to broadcast the UEFA Champions League. The coverage kicked off with two live double headers: Zenit vs. Atlético and Ajax vs. Barcelona yesterday and CSKA Moskva vs. Bayern and Real Madrid vs. Galatasaray today (11/27).
It’s Like Déjà Vu All Over Again. It is an extremely unlikely narrative – but it actually is happening. When Clear Channel took over ownership of heritage radio station WOR, New York from Buckley Radio about a year ago, they moved it from its location in an iconic building on Trinity Place next to the historic Trinity Cemetery about a block from Wall Street to their already-established headquarters in a different part of lower-Manhattan. And as we all know, they also made staff changes in both programming and management. These changes included the departure of longtime WOR
VP/GM Jerry Crowley and his executive assistant Noelia Santelli. Being, as TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison describes “one of the most savvy, connected and well-liked broadcasting executives in the Big Apple,” it didn’t take long for another radio company to recruit Crowley (as well as Santelli) for their own New York operation. That company was Salem Communications for whom Crowley brought his talents as VP/GM of talkers WMCA (570) and WNYM (The Answer). At that time, these stations were located close-by at Salem’s operation across the river in New Jersey. Now for the good part — on December 9, Salem is taking advantage of the marvelous radio broadcasting space vacated by Clear Channel on Trinity Place and moving the operations of both stations into the same suite of offices and studios previously occupied by WOR. That means that Crowley and Santelli (who is now Salem New York’s national sales manager and executive assistant to the general manager) will be moving back to their original offices and even the same desks and furniture! Amazing!
Thanksgiving Holiday, ObamaCare Criticism, Iran Nukes Deal, Immigration Legislation, CBS Gives Lara Logan LOA, and Alec Baldwin Loses MSNBC Gig Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/26). The holiday weekend and the weather-affected travel situation; scrutiny of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act; the negotiations for an Iranian nuclear program deal; President Obama’s proposed immigration legislation; the leave of absence given to CBS reporter Lara Logan in connection with the “60 Minutes” Benghazi report; and Alec Baldwin’s MSNBC show gets cancelled after reports of his “homophobic” language and on-set behavioral issues were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Premiere Networks and Sean Hannity Agree to Multi-Year Extension. This contract renewal, which keeps nationally syndicated talk superstar Sean Hannity with Premiere Networks for years to come, also extends his reach. The company states that Hannity’s program will expand to additional major market Clear Channel talk stations as well as non-Clear Channel stations in 2014. Those details regarding station clearances will be announced at a later date. Additionally, the program will also move from delayed status to live on some of its existing Clear Channel affiliates,
“providing listeners with up-to-the-minute programming and real-time news and information.” As part of this new deal, Sean Hannity will participate in key live events, touring and iHeartRadio Talk, the latter of which the company calls, “the first mass-market focused audio platform to offer on-demand listener-created talk content side by side with established personalities, celebrities and shows.” Clear Channel Media and Entertainment chairman and CEO John Hogan states, “We’re really excited to be able to expand our relationship with Sean, one of the greatest talk radio talents in the country. Sean continues to be one of the most successful radio personalities in both ratings and delivering results for advertisers, and his provocative show has seen significant growth. His blend of intelligence, passion and integrity is what makes him such a successful broadcaster and important asset to radio. We expect this new distribution plan to offer even more exposure and growth for The Sean Hannity Show.” Hannity adds, “From the very first day I went on the air in 1986, and that red light went on, I have been in love with radio. That love has grown every day since. I am extremely appreciative and grateful for the opportunity to do what I love every day. Premiere has been an incredibly supportive partner and a huge part of the show’s success. I look forward to some amazing announcements to come, and the opportunity to continue a dialogue on the issues of the day with the single greatest audience in radio.”
Talkers Los Angeles 2013 Will Sell Out by End of Business Today! The third annual installment of TALKERS magazine’s West Coast convention set for Thursday, October 10 is shaping up to be a blockbuster. The gathering is closing in on being an advance sellout some four weeks before the event so it is advisable for media professionals interested in attending to register now! Due to space limitations at the intimate Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood reaching maximum capacity, reservations ($149 per person) will be sold out by the end of business (5:00 pm ET) TODAY (9/13). The conference is again being presented in association with the Los Angeles Press Club at the historic Steve Allen Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey states, “We are very enthusiastic about the growth and positive impact of this Southern California gathering. It started out three years ago as an experimental LA regional get-together and blossomed into an exciting companion to our big New York convention.” The event - open only to members of the working media – will feature a power-packed day of panel discussions, keynote addresses, special presentations, technology and services exhibits by leading companies such as Comrex Corp. and Broadcasters General Store, tremendous networking opportunities and abundant food and refreshments lavishly catered by the Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company (lunch is sponsored by Premiere Networks and Fox News Channel star Sean Hannity who will address the attendees from New York). For registration or sponsorship information call 413-565-5413. To see the latest agenda, click here.
WTOP, Washington Hosts Special Town Hall on Syria. Hubbard Radio all-news WTOP, Washington hosted a special one-hour edition of its “Town Hall” program this morning from 10:00 am to 11:00 am during which WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Dave McConnell and midday anchor Mark Lewis conducted a Q&A session with U.S. Reps Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) on the issues surrounding Syria.
OPINION: The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is…Ourselves. Sun Broadcast Group Inc. CEO Jason Bailey states in an op-ed piece that the future of talk radio is dependent upon today’s players being bold enough to dare to be different at the same time that we defend the nature of the format in the sales arena. Bailey, referencing the Rush Limbaugh-Sandra Fluke controversy, writes, “The hypocrisy of what a brand will run next to on television but not radio should enrage us all. But we’re afraid to stand up. Have you watched television lately? Calling somebody a slut is like the new way of saying hello. It’s not just modern day television either. I recall in the 80s, and now in reruns, Ms. Blanche Devereaux being called much worse. Did I miss the outrage, the boycott? Is it happening somewhere today because the Hallmark Channel chooses to run such “outrageous content?” No. There isn’t one because the television industry defended itself and stood up to being bold and different. They aren’t afraid to create (or in this case rerun) content for the people that are most important in their world, the viewers. If they push the envelope or they get a few complaint emails, they accept, and move on. We have not been able to move on from our darkest day because we’re afraid to be bold, break the mold, and more importantly, defend ourselves.” Read Jason Bailey’s entire piece here.
“Healed Planet with Alan Colmes” Debuts Sunday on Talkers Radio. A new experimental talk show conceived and hosted by Fox News Radio personality Alan Colmes will debut on Sunday night (9/15) as an exclusive monthly feature on TalkersRadio, the new internet radio station launched on the website of this trade publication earlier this week to serve as a professional “laboratory/workout gym” for talk show hosts to test new concepts. The program will air live every third Sunday of the month between 8:00 pm ET and 9:00 pm ET with numerous repeat airings during the period between new installments. “Healed Planet with Alan Colmes” will be an eclectic mix of science, metaphysics, unexplained mysteries, 
relationships, a small dose of politics and everything else rolling around the mind of Alan Colmes. According to TalkersRadio GM David Bernstein, “It is going to be fun, fascinating, stimulating and informative for talk listeners to hear all the dimensions that make up the personality, creativity and interests one of the nicest and smartest guys in the business – beyond the paradigm of general news/talk radio and TV where – let’s face it - Alan is quite famous. And THAT is what TalkersRadio is all about!” TalkersRadio debuted this past Tuesday with two new live and exclusive programs, “The Robbie Student Show” hosted by noted record producer (and emerging talk talent) Rob “Robbie Student” Stevens (Monday-Friday 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET) and “The Brent and Meg Show” hosted by the husband/wife team of legendary newsman Brent Seltzer and PR veteran Meg McDonald (3:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET). The station is being developed in layers and is expected to be featuring a full line up of creative, experimental programs within several weeks. For more information please contact David Bernstein at david@talkers.com.
Yahoo! Sports Radio Picks Pepe For Mid-Mornings. WUFC, Boston general manager amd midday personality Anthony Pepe has been tapped to host 10:00 am – 12:00 noon ET duties on Yahoo! Sports Radio. Longtime Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan and Boston Herald sportswriter Ron Borges will also be featured on the daily two-hour program, which launches next Monday (9/16). “Anthony is an exceptional host; contributions from Ryan and Borges will provide compelling insights,” comments Yahoo! Sports Radio chief executive officer David Gow. Pepe remarks, “I am honored to host a show on Yahoo! Sports Radio and to work with guys like Ron Borges and Bob Ryan.” Pepe and Borges have been doing a weekly boxing show on the network.
New Dan Yorke TV Show Wraps First Full Week of Production. WPRO, Providence midday talk show host Dan Yorke debuted his nightly television program – “Dan Yorke State of Mind” – on Fox Providence’s myRITV on Monday, September 9. The nightly half-hour show airs at 7:30 and touches on the issues of the day with a special focus on Rhode Island stories. Yorke, who’s been a fixture in local talk media since first moving to WPRO in 2000, is no stranger to local TV. During his long stint on talk radio in the Springfield, Massachusetts market, he did a local program on WGGB-TV, Springfield that aired in late nights. Check out the Providence Phoenix piece on Yorke and his new show here.
KIRO-FM, Seattle Adds Weekend Programming. Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM, Seattle announces some fall programming changes that surround its coverage of Seattle Seahawks football. The station notes the Jason Rantz show expands to a live three-hour show on Saturdays from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Rantz provides an in-depth analysis of the local and national stories that matter most to the Pacific Northwest, and offers one-on-one interviews with some of the biggest newsmakers in the region, including Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Washington’s marriage equality author Ed Murray. Three new shows are added to the Saturday night lineup: “Geekwire” is the preeminent technology news hub in the region, covering the people, companies and innovations emerging from the Pacific Northwest and impacting the world. Founders and co-hosts John Cook and Todd Bishop host the show beginning at 7:00 pm; renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts the first and only radio program devoted to all things space during “StarTalk.” Tyson’s faithful media following lends himself to bridge the gap between pop culture and science with clarity, humor and passion each week with popular celebrities and special guests. It airs from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm; and the station adds Premiere Networks’ “Coast to Coast AM” to air from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am Sunday. Program director Pete Gammell says, “We’re excited to expand live and local news as part of the new KIRO Radio weekend lineup. Alongside live coverage of the Seahawks each weekend, our programming offers something that every Washingtonian can enjoy.”
Odds & Sods. Talk show host – and former U.S. Rep. from Arizona – J.D. Hayworth sits in for Michael Savage on tonight’s Cumulus Media Networks-syndicated program from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight ET…..Talk media personality Jeff Katz‘s daily 60-second feature “The Katz Commentary” — which currently airs on WCAP in the Boston area and KEWI in Little Rock is now heard every day at 1:00 pm on WDBF, Delray Beach, Florida during the Dick Farrel show…..Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus sits down with Entertainment Weekly editor Jess Cagle in front of a studio audience on SiriusXM’s “Town Hall” program. The show will be recorded on September 16 and air on September 19 at 8:00 pm ET on Entertainment Weekly Radio…..Comcast Sports Net New England is reporting that CBS Radio’s WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” will be the new home for the NBA’s Boston Celtics and the deal should be announced soon. Entercom’s WEEI chose not to renew with the team after the two sides could not agree to a contract renewal.
Chris Markowski ‘Money Minutes’ Feature Expanding. Financial expert Chris Markowski’s industry profile continues to grow as the host of the weekend syndicated program “Watchdog on Wall Street” continues to garner more affiliates for his free daily feature “Money Minute.” The program just added WJHC, Jasper, Florida “Talk 107.5.” Markowski is a regular face on cable news/talk and business talk television in addition to his weekly radio program daily vignettes. Stations interested in adding the daily “Money Minute” can contact Shannon Rose at info@mediaproductions.tv.
SiriusXM and Bleacher Report Team for Sports Talk Show. Adding the program to its SiriusXM Sports Zone channel, the satcaster is teaming with Turner Broadcasting-owned digital sports destination Bleacher Report to create “Bleacher Report Radio.” The daily show will air from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and be hosted by SiriusXM’s Steve Covino and Rich Davis and feature some of Bleacher Report‘s most prominent contributors, including Mike Freeman, Matt 
Bowen, Matt Miller, Michael Schottey, Adam Kramer and Michael Felder. SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein states, “Bleacher Report has distinguished itself as a go-to source for passionate sports fans and we’re excited to team up to deliver a new and unique brand of sports talk to our subscribers. We are focused every day on giving our listeners access to the best sports content available, and the most in-depth access to their teams, no matter where they are across the U.S. ‘Bleacher Report Radio’ was created with that goal in mind and will showcase many of Bleacher Report‘s best writers while giving sports fans a forum in which they can react to and discuss the day’s headline stories involving their favorite teams and players.”
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. Panama City, Florida-based Burnie Thompson show is added to the program schedule at WDVH-AM, Gainesville, Florida and WRZN, Hernando, Florida…..“Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline” is added to the 10-station “SuperTalk Mississippi Radio Network” that covers the state…..“The Freedom Feens” hosted by Michael W. Dean and Neema Vedadi joins the weekend program schedule at WKRO, Cairo, Illinois…..Talk Media Network-syndicated “Frontlines of Freedom” with host Lt. Col. Denny Gillem adds KYYA, Billings and WHFB, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan to its roster of affiliates. The network also announces “Fat Guys at the Movies” with hosts Kevin Carr and Kristin Dreyer Kramer is added to the program schedule at WBCF-AM/FM, Florence, Alabama and WHFB, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan.
U.S. Debate Over Syria Action Top News/Talk Story of the Week. According to the Talkers TenTM, the debate over United States action in Syria was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week of September 9-13. Landing at #2 on the chart was Vladimir Putin’s chastising the U.S. tied with threats from Iran. At #3 was the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and at #4 was the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. 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. To view this week’s chart, click here.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Yankees to Remain with CBS Radio but Move to WFAN; Status of Mets Unclear. In a story in The New York Times, an executive privy to the negotiations tells the paper that the New York Yankees have re-upped with CBS
Radio to the tune of $15 million per year for 10 years – a $150 commitment on the part of CBS Radio. (The current contract for the Yankees on WCBS pays the team $14 million per season.) However, the company’s flagship sports talk station WFAN-AM/FM will be where fans will hear the Yankees and not the National League rival Mets as they have for the past 25 years. Reports indicate the Mets are confirming they will not be on WFAN next year but there’s no indication which NYC outlets they may be talking to. Obvious candidates would include ESPN O&O WEPN-FM, Clear Channel’s WOR and Cumulus Media’s WABC. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon tells the Times he expects negotiations to be resolved in about six weeks.
Cox Media Group’s Bill Hoffman Loves TV-Newspaper-Radio Synergy; Says Data from Dayton and Atlanta Proves it Works. In an interview with TVNewsCheck’s Harry Jessell, Cox Media Group president Bill Hoffman says the synergy of having a television outlet, daily newspaper and radio properties (specifically news/talk outlets) has been very good for the company. So much so that when it had the opportunity to buy TV stations, it chose Jacksonville and Tulsa – markets where it operates successful news/talk stations WOKV-AM/FM and KRMG-AM/FM, respectively. Hoffman tells TVNewsCheck its Dayton and Atlanta clusters – each with a news/talk radio station, TV outlet and a daily newspaper – 
perform well as a result. “We have really made Dayton kind of this incubation center for collaboration because it’s the market where all three media — newspaper, radio, TV — are all under the same roof. Every single data point says that 
group is performing outstandingly — the station and the individual entities altogether. We just have a juggernaut of a media outlet there between newspaper, TV and radio.” He adds, “Atlanta [where Cox owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV and WSB-AM/FM] is a much bigger market. To listeners, readers, viewers in Atlanta, they feel like it’s three distinctive brands. But behind the scenes the kind of collaboration that’s going on in content, marketing, sales, back-room efficiencies is very robust. It’s leading to better financial performance. The brands are stronger by whatever use-metrics you can put against them.” To read more of Harry Jessell’s interview with Bill Hoffman, click here.
Clear Channel Makes Inroads into the Digital Dash Via Nissan. With today’s announcement that its iHeartRadio digital audio app will be available in-dash in select 2014 Nissan vehicles via its made-for-driving application – iHeartAuto – Clear Channel Media and Entertainment makes progress toward inclusion in the digital dashboard. Beginning this fall, iHeartRadio will be available in select Nissan vehicles equipped with NissanConnect (available in SV and SL models) an in-vehicle global smartphone integration platform for Android and iPhone operating systems. Once a user connects their compatible smartphone with the NissanConnect App, drivers can control and personalize their iHeartRadio listening experience directly through the dashboard or via steering wheel controls, allowing easy access for in-vehicle enjoyment. There is no monthly fee or subscription to NissanConnect but the rates that apply to the user’s smartphone apply to use of the car’s system. CC president of digital Brian Lakamp states, “Working with Nissan to integrate iHeartRadio into the NissanConnect platform allows our listeners to seamlessly access the stations they love in a way designed to minimize distraction. Now, Nissan drivers will be able to tune into radio stations from anywhere in the country and keep connected to their favorite on-air personalities without having to worry about driving out of range.”
Denise Bishop Exits Radio One’s ‘News92 FM’ in Houston. Houston media blogger Mike McGuff reports that news director Denise Bishop has left the building at Radio One’s all-news KROI, Houston “News92 FM.” McGuff further reports that Bishop’s position is being eliminated and that a staffer who wishes to remain anonymous told him, “I’m beyond stunned. I’m heartbroken. She’s a fine woman and a pro.” Bishop was with the station since its inception in 2011 and came from a news background that includes having served as news director at KRIV-TV, Houston for 16 years.
Talkers Los Angeles 2013 Will Sell Out by End of Business Friday! The third annual installment of TALKERS magazine’s West Coast convention set for Thursday, October 10 is shaping up to be a blockbuster. The gathering is closing in on being an advance sellout some four weeks before the event so it is advisable for media professionals interested in attending to register now! Due to space limitations at the intimate Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood reaching maximum capacity, reservations ($149 per person) will be sold out by the end of business (5:00 pm ET) this coming Friday (9/13). The conference is again being presented in association with the Los Angeles Press Club at the historic Steve Allen Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey states, “We are very enthusiastic about the growth and positive impact of this Southern California gathering. It started out three years ago as an experimental LA regional get-together and blossomed into an exciting companion to our big New York convention.” The event - open only to members of the working media – will feature a power-packed day of panel discussions, keynote addresses, special presentations, technology and services exhibits by leading companies such as Comrex Corp. and Broadcasters General Store, tremendous networking opportunities and abundant food and refreshments lavishly catered by the Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company (lunch is sponsored by Premiere Networks and Fox News Channel star Sean Hannity who will address the attendees from New York). For registration or sponsorship information call 413-565-5413. To see the latest agenda, click here.
Walt Phillips to Lead Cox Media Group’s Atlanta Sales Efforts. Cox Media Group announces it has named Walt Phillips director of sales for its four Atlanta stations that include: news/talk WSB-AM and 95.5 FM; AC WSB-FM “B98.5 FM”; classic hits WSRV “97.1 The River”; and urban contemporary WALR “Kiss 104.1 FM.” Cox Atlanta market manager Ben Reed says, “I am very pleased that we have an exceptional talent like Walt Phillips stepping in to lead radio’s best sales organization. Walt is a proven, respected, talented and inspirational leader, and CMG Atlanta radio will rise to new levels under his leadership.” Phillips most recently was director of sales at Citadel’s Nashville cluster.
TalkersRadio Soft Launches Yesterday (9/10) with Two New Live Shows. In what TalkersRadio general manager David Bernstein describes as “an extremely soft and gentle launch of a very different kind of radio station,” the brand new “TalkersRadio” internet stream, operating on the platform of Talkers.com, launched with four hours of original programming. “The Robbie Student Show” originating in New York City (hosted by talk show host/record producer Robbie Student) streamed live between 1:00 pm ET and 3:00 pm ET. It was followed by the launch of “The Brent & Meg Show” (hosted by the husband/wife team of Brent Seltzer and Meg
McDonald pictured below) originating in Los Angeles which streamed live between 3:00 pm ET and 5:00 pm ET. Both programs were re-streamed as repeats for the rest of the day. Both will air again today with new live programs in their respective afternoon 
time periods and will serve as limited engagement anchor shows for TalkersRadio as the rest of what will shortly be a full-time outlet is built around them during the next several weeks. The next new program to join the lineup will be “Healed Planet with Alan Colmes,” (hosted by Fox News Radio personality Alan Colmes) scheduled to debut live from New York City this Sunday evening (9/15) between 8:00 pm ET and 9:00 pm ET. According to Bernstein, “Industry people and the most ardent talk radio fans tuning in to TalkersRadio during these next few weeks will not only hear some really
interesting and creative programs un-self-consciously going through a public dress rehearsal, they will also hear a radio station being put together right out there on the bare stage of the internet. It will be as if they arrived at the theater hours before the curtain rises and get to see how the sets and props and lighting all comes together. This is truly going to be an experimental, no BS talk programming laboratory.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison adds, “We are delighted with the way this thing lifted off the ground. I haven’t had this much fun being involved in a radio station since July 1, 1970 when we launched the legendary progressive rocker WLIR on Long Island.” TalkersRadio is powered by a revolutionary new software system designed by Backbone Networks of Westborough, Massachusetts - the same system currently in place at Boston Herald Radio. The mission of TalkersRadio is to serve as a workshop for new and innovative talk programming concepts as well as numerous other functions not presently served by the commercial talk radio establishment. To listen to TalkersRadio click here.
Legendary Broadcaster/Promotions Expert Rich Piombino’s RD Music & Marketing Signs LM Communications as Client. He was one of the most dynamic rock radio programming and promotions managers in the 1980s and 1990s working at such heritage outlets as KMET, Los Angeles and WMMS, Cleveland, among others. He has gone on to establish Atlanta-based RD Music & Marketing as a force in the independent multi-media promotions arena working with a diverse roster of clients that includes such disparate entities as rising musical star Tora Fisher and NASCAR. Now Rich Piombino announces that RD Music & Marketing has signed a consultant/client relationship as group promotions consultant with Lynn Martin‘s LM Communications. LM has six radio stations in Lexington, five in Charleston, WV (including the iconic WKLC “Rock 105,” and two in Charleston, South Carolina. LM Communications also owns WBKI-TV in Louisville. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says of Piombino, “Rich Piombino served as promotions director during my time as PD at KMET, Los Angeles in the early 1980s and I have to say that I have seldom seen anyone in this business in that capacity with his level of ‘clever energy’ — he is focused like a laser and one of the best in the business, indeed!”
TOM RAY: What the Heck Is a Codec? To some, the answer to that question is elementary, but others may simply know a codec as “one of those things in the studio rack that brings outside audio into the board.” That’s mostly correct, but for those who’d like a concise and thorough explanation of what a codec is, how it works and what its relationship is to your audio chain, TALKERS technical editor Tom Ray is here to help. Click here for Tom’s column.
Latest Arbitron RADAR: Radio Increases Reach. Arbitron Inc. reports in its September 2013 RADAR 118 National Radio Listening Report that “radio’s audience again increased year over year, adding more than 500,000 weekly listeners. Radio now reaches 242.2 million listeners, or 92% of persons, age 12 and older, on an average weekly basis.” The ratings giant also states that its data indicates “daily time spent listening to radio among persons age 12 and older held steady versus the September 2012 RADAR report. People aged 12 and older who listen to the radio spend approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes a day with the medium.” With regard to minority audiences, Arbitron reports several findings: 1) Radio’s Hispanic audience aged 12 and older added 468,000 weekly listeners versus the September 2012 RADAR report. Radio reaches 94 percent of Hispanic listeners aged 12 and older in an average week; 2) Young Hispanic teens aged 12 to 17 showed impressive gains versus last year, adding 265,000 weekly listeners. Radio now reaches 5.2 million Hispanic teens in an average week; 3) Radio now reaches nearly 31 million Black (non-Hispanic) listeners, age 12 and older, in an average week, or 92 percent of this demographic; and 4) Radio’s Black (non-Hispanic) teen audience aged 12 to 17 again remained steady versus the September 2012 report. Arbitron RADAR (Radio’s All Dimension Audience Research) September 2013 is the standard currency for national network radio ratings and measures 45 individual radio networks. These networks are operated by American Urban Radio Networks, Crystal Media Networks, Cumulus Media Networks, Premiere Radio Networks, United Stations Radio Networks and WestwoodOne.
Odds & Sods. The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Rodney Ho reports Chris Dimino – one third of the former “Mayhem in the AM” show from WQXI, Atlanta “790 The Zone” – has been hired by Dickey Broadcasting’s crosstown sports talk WCNN “680 The Fan.” Dimino appeared at a recent Atlanta Falcons press conference as a credentialed reporter for the station but he has a non-compete and won’t appear on the air on WCNN until that runs out in another six months. Dimino, along with Steak Shapiro and Nick Cellini, were fired by WQXI after a bit which mocked former NFLer Steve Gleason who suffers from ALS…..Longtime WGN, Chicago host (and WGN-TV’s Emmy award-winning entertainment critic and
reporter), Dean Richards, will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Naperville Independent Film Festival’s 6th annual event on Saturday, September 21. The award commemorates Richards’ contribution and dedication to the entertainment industry. Richards can be heard talking entertainment on WGN daily at 8:20 am on “The Steve Cochran Morning Show” and also on his own show, Sundays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. He has accumulated over 30 local and national awards during a career that has spanned more than three decades……Yahoo! Sports Radio adds a new Friday evening show hosted by Elissa Walker Campbell titled “The Big E Show” airing from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET.
Syria Chemical Weapons Deal, Iran Threatens U.S., 9/11 Anniversary, and New Miley Cyrus Video Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/10). The proposal by Secretary of State John Kerry to have Syria give up its chemical weapons to avoid a U.S. strike; threats by Iran to attack the U.S. and its allies if Syria is struck; the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11; and controversy over Miley Cyrus’ latest video were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Eight More Arbitron PPM Markets Gain Accreditation by MRC. The Media Rating Council gives accreditation to eight more Arbitron PPM markets – making the total number of accredited markets 26. In making the announcement, Arbitron notes that the MRC is not granting accreditation in the remaining 22 markets at this time. The eight newly accredited markets include: Cleveland, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver-Boulder, Detroit, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, Pittsburgh, Portland OR, and Nassau/Suffolk (Long 
Island). They join the 18 markets the MRC is voting to continue accreditation: Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee-Racine, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Riverside-San Bernardino, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Arbitron executive vice president, service innovation and chief research officer Gregg Linder states, “MRC accreditation for our PPM markets is a company-wide priority at Arbitron, and we are pleased the MRC continues to recognize our ongoing efforts to improve Sample Performance Indicators and other quality metrics in our Portable People Meter ratings services. Continuous improvement remains our watchword, for PPM and for all our ratings and software offerings and we are focused on earning accreditation for the balance of our PPM markets.”
Former CNN Producer/Reporter Joins Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze. Steve Krakauer – former CNN digital producer and media reporter – is named vice president of digital content for TheBlaze. In his work at CNN, Krakauer oversaw the social and digital output of the CNN domestic U.S. television programs. He also managed the team that ran @CNN — the network’s flagship Twitter account. Krakauer joined CNN in November 2010 as the digital producer of “Piers Morgan Tonight.” At TheBlaze, Krakauer will be responsible for growing the network’s presence across all digital media. TheBlaze president and chief content officer Joel Cheatwood states, “Steve was one of the first people to truly recognize the growing relationship between digital media and traditional television and has built a remarkable track record integrating the two media. We are excited to have Steve join TheBlaze as we continue to be at the forefront of creating a television network designed for the 21st century.”
Ed Schultz Returns to Weeknights on MSNBC. It hasn’t been quite five months since MSNBC moved “The Ed Show” from weeknights at 8:00 pm to a Saturday and Sunday 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm slot with Ed Schultz saying the move was for personal and professional reasons. Now, the Hollywood Reporter writes that MSNBC president Phil Griffin asked Schultz to return to weekdays in the 5:00 pm slot replacing the first run of “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” Matthews’ show will only air at 7:00 pm beginning August 26 when Schultz returns to weekdays. Griffin told the publication, “Ed has proven himself no matter where we’ve put him.”
CEO Gary Nell to Exit NPR to Head Up National Geographic. NPR CEO Gary Nell announces he’s leaving the public radio company after 21 months on the job. In a letter to staff, he says, in part, “As president and CEO, supporting NPR’s success – your success – has been my highest ambition. Working together, we have put NPR on more solid footing to continue to deliver the highest-quality journalism and programming. We have launched innovative new platforms and made meaningful strides in attracting new audiences and new funding. We have promoted a series of collaborations in news gathering, development, and a digital future. And we have an exceptionally strong leadership team in place that is charting an ambitious path for our future. We also face challenges, including the mandate to bring NPR to break-even cash operations. We are completing a plan to focus our limited resources which support our essential services to stations and audiences. We will present that plan to the Board soon, go over it carefully, and make it a reality.” Nell took over the reins of NPR in December of 2011 after the high-profile departure of former CEO Vivian Schiller. During her tenure, Juan Williams was fired after making comments on Fox News Channel admitting to feeling nervous when seeing people dressed in Muslim garb on airplanes. Also, NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller (no relation) was recorded denigrating conservatives at a lunch meeting.
Boston Herald Reports Kevin Graham Will Succeed Jason Wolfe at WEEI-FM, Boston. There is no confirmation from Entercom Boston market manager Jeff Brown about the Boston Herald’s recent report that KFNZ, Salt Lake City “1320 KFAN” program director and afternoon drive co-host Kevin Graham will take over the program director post at the station. According to his bio on the KFNZ website, Graham was one of the key architects of KFNZ back in 1996 and has worked as programmer at KTAR-AM, Phoenix; WXYT, Detroit and other sports talk outlets. In addition to programming KFNZ, Graham co-hosts the Gunther & Graham pm drive show with Kyle Gunther. Longtime program director Jason Wolfe exited the station last week and the Boston media is rife with speculation about the status of the station’s air talent – especially morning duo John Dennis and Gerry Callahan. CBS Radio’s crosstown WBZ-FM “The Sports Hub” has been topping WEEI-FM in recent ratings reports. Still, the Herald also reports that Dennis and Callahan have been assured that they are not on the chopping block at this point.
Brent Seltzer and Meg McDonald (“Brent & Meg”) Sign Up as Charter Members of TalkersRadio Lineup. The married couple team of “Brent & Meg” (Brent Seltzer and Meg McDonald, pictured below) join the initial lineup of the soon-to-be-launched experimental internet talk station, TalkersRadio. They will be hosting a Monday through Friday, two-hour Los Angeles-based program titled, “The Brent & Meg Show,” that will stream live between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm ET with possible re-streams at other times during the following 24 hours.
According to TalkersRadio GM David Bernstein, “There never has been a ‘Brent & Meg Show’ prior to TalkersRadio. They are coming together to do this specifically because the station is designed for these kinds of experiments. Although they’ve been married for 28 years and have been in the media business doing everything from amazing short-form features to ground-breaking public relations campaigns for years, the idea of them being on the air live as a team hosting a long-form talk show is the brainchild of Michael Harrison who has been after them to do this for over two years now since hearing them bounce off each other in the ongoing short-form feature ‘Brent Seltzer, Still at Large.’ “I am excited about the potential of this show. We envision it to be in the tradition of the classic husband/wife chat shows of the golden era – except with its focus fully planted on a 21st century foundation.” The short-form feature “Brent Seltzer, Still at Large” — written, produced and performed by the couple — has accrued a dedicated multi-platform cult-following on Podjockey.com and XM Satellite Radio after having broken out in 2008 as a hot commodity at KSRO, Santa Rosa. According to the couple, “Outraged by the cable TV political bloviates, we invented ‘Brent Seltzer, Still at Large’ as a panacea to the anger and complacency that radio was becoming. We figured that since all the extreme right wingers and extreme left wingers were only preaching to their targeted choirs, we could have an extremely good time talking about anything to everyone. It is our intention to continue that tradition on the ‘Brent & Meg Show.’ Absolutely no politician, celebrity, corporate business practice, social custom, anything or anybody will be safe from our scathing, biting and hopefully humorous and entertaining observations. Hey, we just wanna have fun!”
Brent Seltzer is legendary in the annals of West Coast radio having worked as a personality “rock ‘n’ roll newsman” on two of the most storied signals in rock radio history – KMET, Los Angeles and KGB, San Diego — as well as LA’s KZLA-FM/AM, KNX-FM, and KMPC. He has also been a popular radio writer working for years at companies such as Watermark (“American Top 40”) and its founder Tom Rounds’ celebrated international company, Radio Express.
Born into a Hollywood show business family, Meg McDonald’s mother was the popular character actress Elisabeth Fraser and her father was the dancer Ray McDonald. Although a native of Santa Monica, her parents divorced when she was very young and her Mom moved to New York to co-star with Phil Silvers in his popular comedy, “You’ll Never Get Rich,” later known as “The Phil Silvers Show.” As her mother went to work in many classic films, TV shows and Broadway shows, Meg found herself surrounded by gifted writers including Neil Simon, Norman Lear and Gore Vidal. Returning to LA after a few years, Meg never thought of herself as a performer, so she majored in Journalism at LACC, but chose a career in public relations where she has forged an award-winning history as founder of her own shop, McDonald Media Services. Strikingly beautiful with a big gorgeous voice, she always wanted to be on-air but was too shy to take the shot, until she met Brent Seltzer. “The Brent & Meg” show debuts on TalkersRadio Tuesday, September 10. For more information about TalkersRadio call 413-565-5413 or email GM David Bernstein at david@talkers.com. TalkersRadio streaming is powered by Backbone Networks.
WOWO-AM/FM, Fort Wayne Morning Show to Begin TV Simulcast. Federated Media’s WOWO-AM/FM, Fort Wayne will begin a simulcast of one hour of “Fort Wayne’s Morning News with Charly Butcher“ on local NBC affiliate WISE-TV “NBC33″ on September 23. The television outlet will air the 6:00 am hour of Butcher’s program using several high definition cameras placed in the studio and newsroom at WOWO. Program director Ryan Wrecker says, “What we’re doing is taking a historic show in the market and advancing it to a new medium. Finding new platforms for our product is an important part of our station strategy, and we think this is going to make a big impact not only in the market but it’s what should be expected for news/talk stations looking for ways to gain a younger audience share.” Butcher states, “We’re excited to bring a show we work very hard on every morning to NBC33. It’s another way for listeners to get a behind-the-scenes look at what we do and get all the information they need every morning. I’m not excited that I might need to start wearing make-up.” Pictured above is the WOWO-AM/FM morning show in action (Butcher at right.)
SiriusXM and MLB Reach Six-Year Extension. Satcaster SiriusXM and Major League Baseball have reached an agreement to extend their relationship for another six years. As a result, every regular season and post-season game will be available on both Sirius and XM platforms through 2016. The deal also includes select exhibition games and Spanish-language broadcasts. SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein states, “Baseball has been an essential part of our programming lineup and we’re very happy to extend our relationship with MLB to deliver the games to our subscribers for many years to come. We’re especially pleased to now offer the games to SiriusXM subscribers whether they listen through Sirius radios, XM radios, the SiriusXM App or online.”
NPR Producer Teshima Walker Dies at 44. After a two-year battle with colon cancer, NPR executive producer Teshima Walker passed away on Friday morning. Walker had been executive producer of the Michel Martin-hosted “Tell Me More” program since 2011. She’d been with the show in various capacities for four years prior to that. During her career she had worked at WBEZ, Chicago and served as a producer on the Tavis Smiley program.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Odds & Sods. In honor of Rosa Parks Day on February 4, the Premiere Networks-syndicated Comedy 24/7 format will air special clips of comics of the civil rights era talking about the issue. African American comedians including Dick Gregory, Godfrey Cambridge and Slappy White were outspoken about necessary changes to be made in our society during that time and the format will air special tracks by these comedians and others as they spoke out in the language of the times at :57 after the hour all day on February 4…..Former NFL coach and executive Mike Holmgren will serve as a football analyst with Clear Channel’s sport talk KJR, Seattle next season after handling the same duties in 2013…..Milwaukee Brewers radio play-by-play voice Bob Uecker will step back a little bit from his duties with the team beginning this season as he’ll call fewer road games for flagship WTMJ, Milwaukee. Uecker, who turns 80 this year, will still call all home games and be present for spring training in Arizona.
The State of the Union Address Top Talk Radio Story This Week. According to the Talkers TenTM, the president’s State of the Union Address was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week of January 27-31. At #2 this week was criticism of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. Following at #3 was new immigration legislation and the prospect of amnesty and at #4 was the extreme winter weather affecting much of the nation. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS and is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
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