Tag: "WSB-AM/WSBB-FM"
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Walter Sterling Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The weekend nationally syndicated host of the “Sterling on Sunday” show, Walter Sterling, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Sterling, who launched the show as a Sunday night feature on WPHT, Philadelphia some six years ago at the suggestion of then-CBS Radio EVP Chris Oliviero, went into the project after a decades-long career as one of radio’s most creative and influential programming management and consultation figures. Working for five decades under his legal name Walter Sabo, this colorful veteran’s resume, jobs, clients, and
accomplishments as both a talk and music radio innovator are on a rarified level too numerous to list here. Now as on-air talent “Walter Sterling,” Sabo is breaking new ground in news/talk radio specialty programming addressing the social, cultural, and political issues of the day from the perspective of a devoted family man – husband and father – taking a real life, down-to-earth approach to the issues of coping with life in the 21st century. The three-hour show (Sunday nights 10:00 pm ET) is a smash and has already reached the 100-affiliate mark via Sabo’s independent syndication firm, Sterling Sabo. In this fascinating, informal conversation between two old friends, Harrison and Sterling talk about today’s crisis in education, the state of youth in general, and the evolution of radio as it achieves its 100-year milestone. This podcast in a must-listen for students of radio – young and old. Don’t miss it! To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
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Takeaways from Nielsen Audio’s November 2020 PPM Survey. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from the first round of Nielsen Audio’s November 2020 PPM survey that included the markets New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Some observations of note from this group of markets: iHeartMedia’s WOR, New York enters the top 10 in NYC (#9) on the strength of its weekly, 6+ AQH share of 3.6; Cumulus Media’s WBAP, Dallas rockets up to #4 after posting a 1.6 share jump to a 4.9 share; and Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta (11.5 share) maintains its hold on the #1 position for the 17th straight PPM survey. Check out Mike Kinosian’s complete ratings takeaways from this round of markets that look at the news/talk, all-news, sports talk, and public radio news/talk formats here.
WLS-AM, Chicago Officially Names Bruce St. James Morning Host. The story of talk radio pro Bruce St. James being named the new morning drive host at Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM, Chicago was broken last week by Chicago media writer Robert Feder. Now, the company officially announces that St. James will take over for Erich “Mancow” Muller on December 14. WLS-AM program director Stephanie
Tichenor says, “WLS 890 AM has served our Chicagoland audiences for 96 years. From John Landecker to Roe Conn to Mancow, every host has left his mark on the Big ’89 and none more so than Rush Limbaugh. In 2021, we will bring the focus back to those who matter most – our listeners. Bruce St. James is here to have a conversation with our listeners, not a lecture. He is 
not here to change formats. He is here to continue what 890 already does best – inform and entertain our listeners. We are thrilled to welcome Bruce to mornings on the New ’89. Bruce knows radio. And, now Chicago will know Bruce.” St. James comments, “‘Thrilled’ doesn’t begin to describe my feelings. It is an honor and privilege to host a show on the legendary WLS, and I accept the responsibility of living up to the standard set by those before me. Now, more than ever, people need to connect, as well as be informed in an entertaining way. That is our goal every morning and I look forward to getting to know the amazing city of Chicago. Now, about the weather…” St. James has worked almost exclusively in the Southwest, most recently as co-host of the late morning program on Bonneville’s KTAR-FM, Phoenix.
TALKERS News Notes. Today and tomorrow (11/24-25), sports media personality
Jason Whitlock – who writes for Outkick.com – is filling in for Premiere Networks’ Glenn Beck on his nationally syndicated late morning talk radio show…..Entercom Sacramento SVP and market manager Stacey Kauffman has been named to the 40 Under 40 list for 2020 by the Sacramento 
Business Journal. As part of the feature, the SBJ asked Kauffmann what in the industry she sees changing as a result of COVID-19. She says, “COVID-19 is accelerating rising trends of increased in-home listening via smart speakers and streaming that we were seeing pre-pandemic. I believe that will continue to increase, as more companies lean into a remote workforce and time-shifted scheduling.”…..AdLarge Media’s podcast network cabana adds three AccuWeather podcasts to its library. Joining cabana’s offerings are: “Everything Under The Sun,” “Weather Insider” with Bernie Rayno, and “This Date in Weather Industry” with AccuWeather senior meteorologist Evan Myers…..iHeartMedia’s nationally syndicated “Armstrong & Getty
Show” – co-hosted by Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty – announces it raised approximately $1.2 million for the Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station through the show’s annual “Warrior Foundation Freedom Station Give-A-Thon.” The Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station is a 501(c)3 volunteer-based organization that helps wounded vets recover both physically and mentally from service injuries. The funds raised will be used to purchase plane tickets for injured warriors so they can spend the holidays at home and with their families…..Streaming audio and on-demand service TuneIn announces that Richard Stern is named the new chief executive officer. He joins TuneIn from his most recent position as chief product officer for Audible. At the same time, the company announces that a new investment in the company led by Innovation Endeavors will serve to fund the acceleration of TuneIn’s technology innovation and market share as “one of the most widely used streaming audio platforms in the world with an unparalleled offering that brings together live sports, news, music, podcasts and radio.” Stern says, “Over 75 million listeners have come to depend on TuneIn to stay connected and informed in our fast-moving world. It’s my privilege to lead the TuneIn team on our mission to reinvent radio as a digital medium and continue to drive the live audio streaming revolution well into the future.”…..SportsGrid Radio and SiriusXM announce a deal to launch the SportsGrid Radio Channel on SiriusXM, effective January 7, 2021. SportsGrid Radio is replacing the VSiN channel, which will air on SiriusXM until December 31. SportsGrid Radio will feature the team of on-air personalities including Scott Ferrall, Gabe Morency, Ariel Epstein, and Jared Smith along with expert contributors and guest analysts.
RAB and Cumulus Media’s Westwood One to Host Presentation Focusing on Client Spot Loads. The RAB announces that as part of its Business Unusual initiative, its upcoming Open for Business live-video series episode is titled, “How Many Spots
Should a Client Run in a Weekly Schedule?” The presentation features findings and takeaways from a joint spot load study conducted by the RAB and CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One. The presentation will unveil the survey results and provide sellers with a framework of guidelines to help them determine weekly spot schedules that are best suited to meet advertising clients’ campaign goals. It takes on December 10 at 1:00 pm ET and features Cumulus Media | Westwood One chief insights officer Pierre Bouvard and Cumulus Media | Westwood One director, content marketing Lauren Vetrano. The presentation is free for RAB members.
Transition Process Approved/Trump Doesn’t Concede, Biden Administration Appointments, COVID-19 Stats & Projections/Holiday Travel, Israel-Saudi Arabia Relations, China’s Moon Shot, and David Dinkins Dies Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/23). The General Services Administration begins the transition process while Donald Trump announces he’s continuing to challenge the election results; Joe Biden announces members of his administration, including John Kerry to the National Security Council; the fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and abroad, predictions for future cases, and warnings about traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend; the reports that Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman held a private meeting; China announces it is sending a rocket to the moon to collect samples; and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins dies were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. The annual Mayflower Marathon to benefit the Springfield Open Pantry is going virtual this year due to COVID-19. The charity event produced by Saga Communications’ WAQY, Springfield, Massachusetts “Rock 102” usually features market morning legends “Bax & O’Brien” – Mike Baxendale and John
O’Brien – camped out in the parking lot of the Basketball Hall of Fame for three days straight collecting food stuffs and cash. Bax tells TALKERS magazine, “Because of COVID we had to be creative and avoid violating curfews and protocols. Rather than have listeners donate non-perishables at the Hall of Fame, we are instead doing a 52-hour long fundraiser instead. We’re encouraging listeners to donate online and over the phone for Open Pantry instead, and so far, so good. In fact, we’re actually ahead of last year, which had been our best year to date.”…..In Philadelphia, Beasley Media Group’s rock WMMR-FM morning show hosts Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison held their annual “Preston & Steve Camp Out For Hunger” event that raised over 2.5 million pounds of food and $1.4 million dollars in cash to benefit Philabundance, which offers hunger relief to needy individuals and families in the greater Philadelphia area…..iHeartMedia Boston’s country WBWL “101.7 The Bull” and WBTS-TV, “NBC10 Boston” raised more than $38,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during last Saturday evening’s “One Night Only” broadcast special. The show was broadcast on NBC10 and hosted by “101.7 The Bull” personalities Colton Bradford, Amanda Jo, and Jess. It featured performances by country artists Kane Brown, Old Dominion, Kelsea Ballerini, Jon Pardi, Maren Morris, Lauren Alaina, and Jimmie Allen…..Beasley Media Group’s classic rock WCSX-FM, Detroit is presenting the “6th Annual People Helping People” campaign to assist families in Metro Detroit who are facing challenges during the holidays. Now through December 11, listeners are nominating families in need on the air and at WCSX.com. The “Big Jim’s House Morning Show” is sharing requests they receive on behalf of needy families and is connecting them with the appropriate business donors…..WUNC Music – the music discovery streaming radio station produced by WUNC-FM in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina adds two new hosts to its schedule. Alan Thompson, a.k.a. DJ Who4thecru, comes to the station from WNCU in Durham where he hosts the “Morning Jazz” show. Susan Castle joins the WUNC Music team to host the 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm show. She is the long-time morning host at KUTX, Austin.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Van Harden Announces Retirement from WHO-AM, Des Moines in January. Thirty-four-year WHO, Des Moines morning personality Van Harden announced he’s retiring from the station on January 8, 2021, capping a 50-year radio career. In a public statement, iHeartMedia notes that during Van Harden’s time at WHO, he’s won five Marconi awards for his work as the host of the morning show and has been inducted
along with co-host Bonnie Lucas into the Iowa Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Harden says, “I know people will ask why I am retiring. My answer is, after 50 years, why not? For years people have asked me if I ever think about retirement and I have told them, ‘Yes, at 2:45 weekday mornings.’ Getting up has been the biggest challenge of the job and it has gotten more difficult as time has gone on, but I wouldn’t trade any of those past mornings for anything. I want to deeply thank my past co-hosts and good friends, Patti Christensen, Connie Murad, and Bonnie Lucas, especially Bonnie, after putting in 25 years of her own, for being such fabulous on-air partners. I could make a huge list of incredible co-workers from the past 50 years that have made this an amazing ride. Besides the on-air shows it was a great honor to be the program director of WHO for 30 years and of KXNO from the day we put it on the air as a sports station. It has been a privilege to have hired and worked with so many talented people on both stations.”
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. In today’s report from TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian, he notes that news/talk stations in PPM markets have been remarkably consistent in their 6+ AQH share increases this year over last. Based on Nielsen Audio’s data, 64% of news/talk outlets in PPM markets were up August 2019 – August 2020. For the two previous surveys, growth was very similar as is evidenced by the 65% up from July 2019 – July 2020 and the 68% up from June 2019 – June 2020. Returning to the August data, 55% of news/talk stations were up from July 2020 to August 2020 with iHeartMedia’s WLW, Cincinnati (+2.3), WTAM, Cleveland (+2.0), and WISN, Milwaukee (+1.8) leading gainers. Joining WLW and WISN as #1-ranked stations in their respective markets in August were Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta and Bonneville’s KIRO-FM, Seattle. Mike Kinosian also provides cume data in this report and notes that 54% of news/talk stations in PPM markets showed improved cume from the July 2020 survey to August 2020 with Nexstar Media Group’s WGN, Chicago leading the gainers. See his complete report here.
Minnesota Public Radio Reporter Quits in Solidarity with Victims of Air Personality. According to a report by WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, Minnesota Public Radio news reporter Marianne Combs resigned her position with the public media
company after her editors did not run her investigative piece about the actions of an unnamed air personality at sister triple A station KCMP, Minneapolis “The Current.” Combs tells WCCO-TV that she spent two months speaking to eight women who were “sexually manipulated and psychologically abused” by the staffer. Combs says that she was told that although editors found the behavior “creepy,” it did not rise to the level of illegality and was therefore not worthy of news coverage. MPR president Duchesne Drew told WCCO-TV that they are “blindsided” by her resignation and believed she was continuing to work on it but that he stands by his editors’ decisions. He also adds that editors discussed with Combs how to strengthen the story to allow it to “meet our standards.”
Jim Meyer to Retire from SiriusXM CEO Position. After seven years as chief executive officer of SiriusXM, James E. Meyer announces he intends to retire on December 31, 2020. Meyer was named CEO in April of 2013 after serving as interim CEO since the previous December. Under his watch, revenue has more than doubled to an expected $7.7 billion and the number of subscribers has grown to 34.3 million.
SiriusXM says that current president of sales, marketing and operations Jennifer C. Witz will become CEO. Meyer will remain on the company’s board of directors and will serve as vice chairman. Board chair Gregory Maffei says, “On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Jim for his outstanding service, helping to create the leader in audio entertainment in North America. During his tenure as CEO, SiriusXM has grown to become a diversified audio entertainment provider that is poised to reach more than 150 million people, the largest addressable digital audio audience in North America. We are a better company for his stewardship. We look forward to continuing to work with him on the board and to build on SiriusXM’s strong momentum.” At the same time, SiriusXM announces that David J. Frear will leave the EVP and chief financial officer position to pursue other opportunities and Sean S. Sullivan is appointed to that role. Sullivan has been serving in a similar capacity for AMC Networks since 2011.
Salem Radio Network News Presents September 29 Debate Coverage. When the first presidential debate takes place on Tuesday, September 29 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Salem Radio Network is presenting live coverage. SRN begins coverage with an hourlong “SRN Debate Preview” hosted by nationally
syndicated SRN talk host Hugh Hewitt, joined by special guests and SRN News White House correspondent Greg Clugston. The debate itself runs with no commercial breaks from 9:00 pm to 10:30 pm and will be followed by a “SRN Debate Wrap-Up” at 10:30 hosted by Hewitt. SRN VP/News & Talk Programming Tom Tradup says, “Excitement in anticipation of this first 2020 debate has been building for months. With the polls tightening and no teleprompters on stage, our debate coverage promises to highlight the first gloves-off, no-holds-barred encounter between these two candidates for the highest office in America.”
Hurley in the Morning Charity Passes $1 Million Mark. With last Friday’s 13th Annual “Hurley in the Morning” Charity Golf Tournament at The Harbor Pines Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey in the books, the charity founded by WPGG, Atlantic City morning host Harry Hurley pushes the charity’s total funds raised since its inception
past the $1 million mark. Hurley says, “The latest installment generated more than $50,000, which has enabled the ‘Hurley in the Morning’ Charity to surpass $1 million raised in our history. We are so grateful for the amazing support that we have received over the years. It’s also very gratifying that we have proven that you can safely and responsibly hold an outdoor event during the pandemic. The annual charity event was modified to respect social distancing and was made as contactless as is humanly possible.”
The Presidential Race, Western Wildfires/Climate Change Debate, COVID-19 Stats & Projections, PA Protests/BLM Movement, Facebook Whistleblower Memo, Iran Assassination Plot, and Hurricane Sally Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/14). The November presidential election; the wildfires raging in California, Oregon, and Washington and the debate over climate change and its effect on the wildfires; the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and projections for future cases; the protests in Lancaster, Pennsylvania after police kill a knife-wielding man; a Facebook whistleblower’s memo about the company’s challenges dealing with voter manipulation; President Trump warns Iran after rumors of its intent to assassinate an American ambassador; and Hurricane Sally’s projected path into the Gulf Coast were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Jim Richmond Named Director of Sales for Bonneville Seattle. Sales pro Jim Richmond is named director of sales for the Bonneville Seattle Media Group. Richmond was most recently general sales manager for Entercom San Francisco and
assumes the role held by Cathy Cangiano prior to her promotion to SVP and market manager. She says, “I believe Jim Richmond’s experience, combined with his business acumen and strong leadership skills are well aligned to capitalize on opportunities that we have identified as integral to our success. In addition to his responsibilities leading the sales teams, he will be a key contributor to our Leadership Team and our constant efforts to align with Bonneville’s purpose.”
TALKERS News Notes. Broadcaster and journalist Rita Cosby is named the chair of the Global Service Institute at Long Island University. In this role, Cosby will lead the Institute’s “game-changing and innovative educational initiatives to inspire a timely
commitment toward volunteerism and elevate the importance and power of service. During this unprecedented moment with the economic devastation caused by the virus, the need for volunteers to assist drastically depleted nonprofit organizations has never been greater.” LIU president Dr. Kimberly R. Cline says, “The Global Service Institute established LIU as a premier destination for developing values-driven global citizens who will impact their communities. With her global experience exploring critical headlines and lifelong dedication to service, Rita Cosby is an exemplary leader who will elevate the Institute to even higher levels.”…..This week’s Westwood One blog examines a number of Nielsen 
case studies that indicate AM/FM radio ad campaigns lift TV viewership. The studies compare those who had been exposed to AM/FM radio ads for TV tune-in with people who had not heard the ads. The studies show that while on-network promos and paid TV buys reach heavy TV viewers, AM/FM radio TV tune-in campaigns reach medium and light TV viewers. In one case, the returning season of a scripted cable drama ran an AM/FM radio campaign that represented only 5% of the media plan but generated 20% of the total campaign impressions. 70% of the AM/FM radio impressions were from persons 18-54, while half of the paid TV and TV promo impressions were from persons 55+…..iHeartRadio and Treefort Media announce a new docuseries podcast titled, “DRAFTED,” that follows top college football players as they prepare to enter the NFL Draft. The program is produced in association with Klutch Sports Group and is narrated by Emmy-winning actor Keegan-Michael Key. He says, “I’m excited to be part of this series because it gives mega fans like myself intimate access and insight into the world of these incredible athletes. It’s really special to be able to hear everything they’re going through, and experience their nerves, excitement and tension leading up to one of the biggest events of their lives. I look forward to every moment.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. An internal memo from Entercom chief operating officer Susan Larkin reveals the company’s “hub-and-spoke” programming philosophy for its alternative and country radio stations. As a reduction-in-force for air talent and programmers takes place, we learn that Entercom is creating national and regional program hosts for certain dayparts and is realigning its programming management. For
country, Tim Roberts is named format captain/VP of country programming with John Foxx and Kevin Callahan serving as regional vice presidents. Marci Braun, Justin Cole, and Scott Roddy are named regional brand managers. On air, Katie Neal is the national midday host and “Rob and Holly” are national night hosts. In the alternative format, Mike Kaplan is format captain/SVP of alternative programming with Matt Malone, Christine Malovetz, and Leslie Scott serving as regional vice presidents of programming. Regional brand managers are Bailey and Bryce Segall. Kevan Kenney is the national night host and regional on-air personalities are: “Cane and Corey” for mornings, “Church of Lazlo” in afternoons, and morning shows “Dave and Mahoney,” “Gregr,” and “Stryker and Klein.”…..Country radio personality Shawn Parr begins hosting the Camping World Concert Series “Taking the Highways Across America” tonight, featuring the legendary country group Alabama. Parr hosts the Key Networks–
syndicated “Shawn Parr’s Across the Country” program. He’ll host the 10-week virtual concert series that will feature such country acts as Martina McBride, Chris Young, Ricky Skaggs and Steven Curtis Chapman, Sugarland, Zac Brown Band, Lady A, Brett Young, Little Big Town, and Vince Gill and Amy Grant. Parr says, “I am SO excited to team up with Camping World and host their virtual concert series, ‘Taking the Highways Across America!’ We are having a ball bringing it to all of our affiliates and 
fans ‘Across The Country!’ Plus, we are hitting the road for some NEW adventures in the Parr-V very soon.”…..Beasley Media Group announces that Charlie Maxx is promoted to production director and assistant program director at country WXTU-FM, Philadelphia. She also hosts the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show. Program director Mark Razz says, “Charlie has a depth of experience that will be so helpful in her expanded role her at 92.5XTU. I look forward to putting our heads together to move the station forward.” In addition, WXTU promotes Jennifer “JJ” Scordo to production staffer and weekend personality.
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Round Three of August PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s August 2020 PPM survey has been released for 12
markets including: Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s August 2020 survey period covered July 16 – August 12. You can see all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. Meanwhile, TALKERS magazine managing 
editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this batch of markets. iHeartMedia’s WLW-AM, Cincinnati puts up the biggest gain of any station (all formats) in the PPM markets, rising 2.3 shares from July to August to an 11.5 share and jumps from #2 to #1. Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM Portland dips six-tenths to a 5.9 share and slides to the #4 rank. Entercom’s WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte is flat at a 5.9 share but falls from the #3 rank to #5. iHeartMedia’s WOAI-AM, San Antonio rises by a half share to remain ranked #2 with a 6.0 share. Check out Mike Kinosian’s complete report from these 12 markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.
Nielsen Informs Clients of New Headphone Listening Policies. During Tuesday’s webinar for subscribers, Nielsen Audio laid out its new policy for attributing listening to streams via headphones – a longstanding problem for the technology that requires the PPM unit to “hear” a station’s embedded signal. Nielsen has been providing an adapter for wired headphones to panelists, but usage is believed to be spotty at best and the technology doesn’t account for wireless headphones/earbuds. Nielsen surveyed 5,000 former PPM panelists to get data on listening habits. It concluded that while the majority of radio listening (78.3%) is over the air with no headphones, 12.3% is listening to a stream without headphones, 4% is stream listening with wireless headphones, and 3.5% is stream listening with wired headphones. The formula devised to account for this becomes effective for the October PPM survey in which Nielsen will adjust PPM streaming data that is likely to result in a 2% to 5% increase in total average quarter hour Persons Using Measured Media (PUMM).
CBS News Radio Announces 148 New Affiliates. The CBS News Radio service is being added to 148 radio stations, according to CBS Audio. CBS News Radio VP and general manager Craig Swagler says the stations signed up over the past six weeks
include news/talk stations owned by Cumulus Media and music stations owned by Neuhoff, 7 Mountains Media, Big Radio, SummitMedia and others. Cox Media Group’s Atlanta news/talk juggernaut WSB-AM/WSBB-FM also adds the news service, marking a return of CBS News to the station’s air. Swagler says, “Now, more than ever, listeners are demanding the kind of trustworthy, credible reporting provided around the clock by CBS News Radio journalists. We’re delighted to welcome these new affiliates to the CBS Audio family. Our award-winning content is unsurpassed with CBS garnering more Edward R. Murrow Awards than any other commercial radio network. We look forward to supplying high-quality journalism to our affiliates.”
Washington Talk Host OK After On-Air Medical Scare. Aberdeen, Washington talk show host Doug McDowell was rushed to the hospital after listeners noticed that he
was having trouble making sense while hosting the “Coffee Talk” program on Jodesha Broadcasting’s KBKW, according to a report in The Daily World. Initial concerns about a heart attack or stroke proved unfounded as doctors determined that McDowell was suffering from a potassium deficiency. McDowell’s wife tells the paper that her husband actually did go into cardiac arrest in the ambulance as it left for the hospital but that as of Wednesday, he was doing well and he expects to go home sometime today.
TALKERS News Notes. Sports media personality Sarah Spain inks a new, multi-year deal with ESPN in which she’ll continue in her role as a featured reporter and columnist
on multiple platforms including espnW and ESPN. She’ll also continue in the regular rotation on “Around the Horn” and “Highly Questionable,” as well as her role as host of the popular “That’s What She Said” podcast. Spain has also reunited with Jason Fitz to co-host the daily ESPN Radio “Spain & Fitz” show from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET. She says, “Ten years and counting with ESPN, and excited to sign on for more. I love being a part of this team, especially the support and guidance I’ve received from amazing mentors and the friendships I’ve formed with brilliant, hilarious, talented colleagues. I love going to work 
every day and I never take it for granted.”…..Entercom announces the debut of a new podcast called “After Hours with the Rise Guys,” featuring WTPT, Greenville, South Carolina “93.3 The Planet” morning show co-hosts Mattman and Nine. Entercom Greenville-Spartanburg SVP and market manager Steve Sinicropi says, “Plain and simple, the Rise Guys’ creative style and unique synergy are unduplicatable. Their national appeal is a driving force for ‘93.3 The Planet’ and we’re proud to expand their brand with original content via a must-listen podcast to further meet the demand of their ever-growing legion of P1s.”…..SiriusXM is presenting coverage of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs. Through its broadcasting agreement with Horse Racing Radio Network, SiriusXM is airing all Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes – as well as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The wire-to-wire race broadcast of the Kentucky Derby is provided by NBC Sports Audio Network and produced in partnership with HRRN.
WWO: Podcast Advertising Grows 2.5X in Five Years. In an advertiser perceptions study that Westwood One will present at next week’s Interactive Advertising Bureau Podcast Upfront, the company says this fifth annual report continues it tracking of buy
-side podcast advertising consideration and intention. This study evaluates the past five years and looks at the industry today. Key takeaways include that since 2015, podcast advertising consideration among brands and agencies has grown 2.5X and spend intention has grown nearly 4X, according to Advertiser Perceptions; Two-thirds of buy-side decision makers are discussing podcast advertising and one-third are actively spending; and podcasting’s audience share of ad-supported audio has nearly tripled since 2016, according to Edison’s “Share of Ear.” See more here.
Presidential Race/Trump in Kenosha, Protests/BLM Movement, Russia Election Interference/Navalny Poisoning, COVID-19 Stats & Projections, School Opening Debate/College Outbreaks, Pelosi Salon Flap, and Tom Seaver Dies at 75 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/2). The November presidential election, President Trump’s trip to Kenosha and Joe Biden’s planned Friday visit; the protests in Portland, Kenosha, and Los Angeles and the Black Lives Matter movement; U.S. intelligence reports on Russian election interference and poisoning of Putin critic Alexei Navalny; the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and projections for future cases; the debate over school openings and the outbreaks at numerous college campuses; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s claim she was set up by the San Francisco salon owner where she violated the law to get her hair done; and baseball great Tom Seaver dies at 75 were some of the most-talked about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Teacher Advocate/Education Visionary Lisa Mozer Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Retired United States Air Force master sergeant and former Weather Channel meteorologist/anchor-turned-radio talk show host Lisa Mozer is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” A native of Statesville, North Carolina – she’s an African American veteran who served a number of years in the Air Force, retiring with the rank of master sergeant. She’s also a highly trained meteorologist who served for seven years back in the late 90s/early 2000s as afternoon anchor on cable TV’s The Weather Channel. In 2016, she added to her various academic credentials by receiving a doctorate in education from Kennesaw State University specializing in Instructional Technology. Today, she is primarily a teacher who operates along the leading edge in education through the platform and facilities of a non-profit organization, Up Wind Project, designing curriculums, and organizing teacher support groups, forums and projects to enhance the ability of educators to meet the tremendous challenges of this new era, not to
mention cope with their own personal problems that mount up day by day. She is a champion of teacher health, well-being and appreciation. Dr. Mozer is an advocate of a system of thought within modern education called STEM – S for Science, T for Technology, E for Engineering, and M for Mathematics that she employs to help girls and disadvantaged youth have the opportunity to get jobs and forge careers in this new unfolding era of the 21st century. In addition, she hosts a weekly radio show and podcast called “Teacher Talk” on her hometown radio station, news/talk WSIC in Statesville, North Carolina which is part of the greater Charlotte market. Harrison and Mozer discuss America at the crossroads regarding the crisis in education, race relations, and politics, plus a number of other contemporary issues. Upon posting this podcast, Michael Harrison states, “As part of my job as publisher of TALKERS, I have both the opportunity and obligation to constantly scan the horizon and dig deep into the grass roots of media to identify and shine the spotlight on individuals making a difference in both the talk media and our society’s most challenging frontiers. I’ve been following the work of this unique woman for the past couple of years and it gives me great satisfaction to introduce the talk media industry to her at a time when her voice is monumentally pertinent.” To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Radio management pro Val Maki is named to the market manager position for Bonneville International’s San Francisco cluster that includes adult contemporary KOIT, CHR KMVQ, urban contemporary KBLX, and classic rock KUFX. Maki assumes the role after longtime market manager Carl Gardner’s recent retirement. Bonneville president Darrell Brown says, “Val is a dynamic and innovative leader who knows how to grow business and strengthen brands. I believe her experience and track record will position our stations for long-term success in the Bay Area.”…..Beasley Media Group appoints John Larson program director for rock WRXK-FM and adult contemporary WJPT-FM “Sunny 106.3.” Larson will also serve as morning drive host for WJPT. Larson was most recently with Cox Media Group’s Tampa cluster as director of branding and programming at adult contemporary WWRM, classic hits WXGL, and adult contemporary WDUV. Beasley Fort Myers operations manager Adam Star says, “John is a brilliant programmer. To have him on our team is a game-changer. I am confident that his knowledge and experience will take these two incredible brands to the next level and beyond!”
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. Compared to the July 2019 PPM survey from Nielsen Audio, 65% of news/talk stations had better weekly, 6+ AQH shares in the July 2020 PPM survey, according to our report from TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian. Looking at ratings increases from the June 2020 PPM survey to the July 2020 survey, 43% of news/talk stations were down, with 35% improving. Gainers from June to July were led by iHeartMedia’s KSTE-AM, Sacramento (+1.2 for a 3.0 share). Back to the year-over-year comparison, Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta was the top gainer, adding 4.0 shares to post a 10.6 share, good for the #1 rank in Atlanta. Cumulus Media’s WMAL-FM, Washington also climbed to the #1 spot (from #6 in 2019) on the strength of an 8.4 share (+3.1). Joining WSB and WMAL in the #1 club in July was Bonneville’s KIRO-FM, Seattle after finishing the July survey with a 7.1 share. See Mike Kinosian’s complete report here.
Air Personality Changes at Sports Talk WKTI-FM, Milwaukee. According to a piece in the Milwaukee Business Journal, the new program schedule at Good Karma Brands’ sports talk WKTI-FM, Milwaukee “ESPN 94.5” includes ESPN television personality Jen
Lada joining the 7:00 am to 9:00 am show alongside co-hosts Gabe Neitzel and former Green Bay Packers tight end Mark Chmura. Lada is prominent 
on ESPN’s “College Game Day” and “College Football Live” broadcasts. Other changes at the station include the move of Steve “The Homer” True’s show from the 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm daypart to the 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm slot. He’s also being joined by new co-host Tony Smith. In the 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm slot is Greg Scalzo and Ben Brust simulcast from Good Karma’s WTLX-FM, Madison. Good Karma general manager Steve Wexler says of the Scalzo and Brust show, “It’s a very high-energy — and we think super-entertaining — afternoon show. They had really great success on our Madison ESPN station.”
Dave Andreesen Upped to Director of Programming and Ops for Binnie Media’s News/Talk and Sports Stations. Programmer Dave Andreesen is promoted to director of programming & operations for news-talk-sports brands at Binnie Media.
Andreesen has been based at the company’s Dover, New Hampshire stations. Company vice president of programming Heath Cole states, “Dave has been an amazing captain of our Dover, NH properties and I’m extremely proud of what he and Mike Pomp have accomplished over the years. Dave will continue in his role with [news/talk] WTSN, Dover as well as [news/talk/sports] ‘107.7 The Pulse’ WTPL-FM, Concord.” Andreesen adds, “It’s an honor to continue in a new role at WTSN, one of the oldest radio stations in the state with a long history of local programming and the personalities who have set the standard for broadcasting. And WTPL is a powerhouse of locally originating programming led by a group of exceptional broadcasters with decades of experience who give the community a voice. Binnie Media is proud to be the home of the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots in these two markets.”
Jules Riley Named Operations Director for CMG Jacksonville. Programming pro
Jules Riley joins Cox Media Group Jacksonville as operations director for the eight-brand cluster that includes news/talk WOKV-FM, sports talk WOKV-AM “ESPN 690” and six music brands. Riley was most recently SVP of programming at iHeartMedia’s St. Louis cluster. CMG Jacksonville vice president and general manager Katie Reid comments, “Jules brings a wealth of experience and talent to CMG Jacksonville. We are extremely excited she will be leading and growing our team, our brands and the future of our programming.”
TALKERS News Notes. Variety is reporting that former PBS personality Tavis Smiley is being ordered by a Washington, DC court to pay the Public Broadcasting Service
$2.6 million after being found guilty of breach of contract. The jury found Smiley guilty of having numerous affairs with subordinates in violation of the morals clause of his contract. The jury awarded PBS $1.5 million for the costs and underwriting revenue for the last two seasons of his talk show. A judge tacked on $1.1 million in damages…..The Props Network and JAKIB 
Media Partners announce a deal for an exclusive partnership between golf podcasters “The Tour Junkies” and “The Tony Bruno Show w/ Harry Mayes” for the former to provide the radio show with weekly golf content. Bruno says, “We have golf action-yo. Weekly, we will bring you the most comprehensive golf coverage as part of ‘The Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes.’ Our show is unpredictable and this content will deliver listeners the in-depth knowledge and insight that is a cornerstone of our program.”…..The Seneca Women Podcast Network, iHeartRadio and P&G announce the premiere of “Seneca’s 100 Women to Hear,” an original 100-episode podcast spotlighting women who have positively impacted and created change across all sectors of society. The series launched Tuesday (8/18) with an episode spotlighting abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth. New episodes will drop over nine consecutive days, through August 26 on Women’s Equality Day, and then move to twice weekly starting in September…..PodcastOne, a subsidiary of LiveXLive Media, Inc., announces a new video podcast deal with actress, model, and influencer Amanda Cerny and award-winning Bollywood actress and social media star Jacqueline Fernandez. Launching later this summer on both PodcastOne and LiveXLive’s platforms, “FEELS GOOD” w/ Amanda Cerny and Jacqueline Fernandez “brings these two lost sisters from different sides of the world together to give global weekly inspiring news story updates alongside insightful reviews, unexpected guests, conversations about sex, dating, wellness, and culture, while delivering to audiences what ‘feels good.’”
Radio Execs Make Big Stock Investments in Their Companies. Recently, two executives at major audio media firms have added large amounts of their companies’
stock to their personal portfolios. Entercom chairman David Field just added more than 121,000 shares of Entercom stock, paying $1.6 per share 
and totaling $195,000. This adds 4.9% to Field’s share of Entercom’s stock, according to Yahoo! Finance. On August 14, iHeartMedia filed a Form 4 with the Securities Exchange Commission to report that company CFO and COO Richard Bressler purchased, via the company’s Employee Stock Option plan, $4.14 million worth of its Class A Common Stock (416,500 shares at $8.98 per share).
Presidential Race/DNC, USPS Crisis/Mail-In Voting, COVID-19 Statistics & Projections/Campus Flare-Ups, Fall School Openings, Senate Russian Interference Report, Financial Markets Gains, Anderson Cooper-Mike Lindell Spat, and California Wildfires-Blackouts Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/18). The November presidential election and night two of the Democratic National Convention; the U.S. Postal Service funding crisis and the related criticism of mail-in voting by President Trump; the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and projections for future cases and the related reports of flare-ups at some college campuses; the debate over school openings in September; the latest Senate report concluding that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election; U.S. financial markets hit highs erasing the spring pandemic losses; the tense exchange between CNN’s Anderson Cooper and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell over Lindell’s promotion of oleandrin as a cure for COVID-19; and the Southwestern heatwave and California wildfires were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. The syndicated rock morning drive program “The Billy Madison Show” is now being represented for ad sales and affiliate sales by Key Networks. The program – based at Cox Media Group’s rock KISS-FM, San Antonio – was originally a cooperative effort between CMG and Nineball Radio. United Stations
Radio Networks acquired Nineball in 2016 and had been syndicating it since. It’s heard in the Palm Springs, Corpus Christi, and Salisbury, Maryland markets. Key Networks president and COO Jim Higgins says, “Billy Madison and his team work really hard and deliver a unique brand of passion and humor that has generated huge ratings and revenue for KISS-FM in San Antonio and Billy’s other affiliates. Key Networks is proud to now market his program and get it the recognition and additional stations and listeners that it deserves.”…..Maine’s Binnie Media promotes programming pro Leif Erickson to director of programming and operations for the classic hits FRANK format airing on the company’s WFNK-FM, Lewiston/Portland and WBQX, Rockland. Erickson says, “My predecessor, Stan Bennett, built a powerful brand and taught me a lot. After 15 years of being his right-hand man, it’s an honor to step up and take the reins. Frank FM has been my passion, and I’m excited to keep our winning streak going, aided of course by the best team in the Portland market.”
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Beasley Reports Q2 Net Revenue Down 53.7%. The second major radio group to report its second quarter 2020 financial numbers (Urban One reported last week) is Beasley Broadcast Group and the company says that net revenue was $30.4 million – a decrease of 53.7% from the same period in 2019. It reports an operating loss of $17.6 million, compared to Q2 2019’s operating income of $10.7 million, and a net loss of $18.2 million, compared to Q2 2019’s net income of $4.3 million. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley states, “While Beasley had a strong start to the year, a sharp decline in
commercial advertising occurred in the second quarter with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beasley’s financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2020 reflect the economic pressures we experienced across our business as local and national advertisers adapted their media plans to meet the unique challenges of the pandemic. While we saw sequential month-over-month improvement in our commercial advertising revenue performance from 
April to May, and from May to June, our total net revenues for the second quarter decreased nearly 54%, which is in line with reported overall industry levels. To address the reduction in traditional advertising revenue that has occurred as a result of the pandemic, during the second quarter, we quickly implemented several changes across the company, including reducing operating expenses and corporate overhead and realigning our company-wide cost structure to preserve cash. As a result, Beasley’s second quarter total operating expenses declined by 12.7%, and year-to-date, we have taken approximately $26 million out of our cost structure. In addition to these actions, as part of our response, we have taken proactive steps to accelerate our digital transformation initiatives and revenue diversification strategies, and to become a leaner and more efficient organization, with the goal of growing our market leadership position across our stations, our digital operations, and our esports interests. We believe these steps will allow us to emerge from the pandemic as a stronger company. In addition, during the second quarter, Beasley entered into an agreement to amend the financial covenants and other provisions under our credit agreement to support our liquidity and capital structure as we manage the business through the pandemic.”
Round One of July PPM Ratings Released. The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s July 2020 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta,
Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s July 2020 survey period covered June 18 – July 15. You can see all the 6+ data from subscribing stations here. Also, today TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. Both of Entercom’s New York all-news 
outlets lose ground. WINS dips four-tenths to a 3.8 share and the #7 rank in the market and WCBS-AM is off six-tenths and finishes ranked #14. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI gains three-tenths to finish the July 2020 survey with a 4.7 share and the #2 rank. Entercom’s Chicago all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM adds one-tenth for a 7.0 share and finishes at #1 for the sixth straight survey. Across town, Nexstar’s WGN-AM drops eight-tenths to a 3.3 share and ranks #9 in the market. Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta adds two-tenths for a 10.6 share and takes the #1 rank for the 13th straight survey. See Mike Kinosian’s complete report here.
Former KNBR, San Francisco Host Ralph Barbieri Dies at 74. Bay Area sports talk radio legend Ralph Barbieri died on Monday (8/3) at age 74 after a long battle with
Parkinson’s disease. The San Jose Mercury News reports his passing at his home in Novato, California. Barbieri – dubbed “The Razor” for his raspy voice – worked with Tom Tolbert in afternoons as “The Razor and Mr. T” for 15 of the 28 years he served with KNBR, San Francisco. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2005 and kept it to himself until 2011. He was let go by Cumulus Media in 2012 and sued the company complaining that he was fired because of his age and his health condition. The suit was later settled confidentially.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections/Mask Debate, Stimulus Package, Presidential Race/Primary Elections, BLM/Portland Protests, Microsoft-TikTok Deal, Manhattan DA’s Trump Investigation, Isaias/Apple Fire, and Pro Sports Leagues Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/3). The rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in numerous U.S. states, projections for future cases, and the ongoing debate over wearing masks in public; the status of the GOP-crafted stimulus bill; the November presidential election and today’s primary races in five states; the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing clashes in Portland; the battle over the app TikTok and the potential sale to Microsoft; the Manhattan DA’s investigation into the Trump Organization; Tropical Storm Isaias makes landfall and Southern California’s Apple Fire; and U.S. pro sports leagues navigate positive COVID-19 tests from players and coaches were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
TALKERS News Notes. The New York Post reports that ESPN’s NYC O&O WEPN-FM’s new program schedule will include the first three hours of the ESPN Radio morning
drive show “Keyshawn, Jay and Zubin” starring Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams, and Zubin Mehenti. The local show hosted by Rick DiPietro, Chris Canty, and Dave Rothenberg moves to the 9:00 am to 11:00 am slot, followed by the local Bart Scott and Alan Hahn show from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. WEPN will air the second hour of Mike Greenberg’s network show, “Greeny,” from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm and the first hour of the network’s Max Kellerman show from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The Michael Kay show remains from 3:00 pm to 7:00 
pm and Chris Carlin continues hosting the evening show…..FOX Sports Radio is launching a new iHeartRadio original daily podcast called, “Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre” on the iHeartPodcast Network. The podcast features FSR weekend host and FS1 contributor Jason McIntyre “providing bold opinions on the biggest stories in sports, including the day’s major sports betting topics.” McIntyre says, “I’m beyond thrilled to have this podcast opportunity. I can’t wait to bring my unique enthusiasm and passion to the platform at a time when America’s appetite for sports is at an all-time high.”…..Cox Media Group’s WOKV-AM, Jacksonville “ESPN 690” – via rightsholder Learfield IMG College – solidifies its place as the official Jacksonville station for Florida State University sports play-by-play. The new deal means “ESPN 690” will broadcast live all football and men’s basketball games for the upcoming 2020-21 athletics season…..Entercom’s Cadence13 unveils an exclusive podcast partnership with veteran NBA star JJ Redick and his new podcast company ThreeFourTwo Productions that will launch his new show, “The Old Man & the Three,” from the NBA bubble in Orlando. The weekly show is being co-hosted by writer and producer Tommy Alter…..Talk host Tom Donahue announces that his program is now a weekly show and is being aired on new affiliate WFYL, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania…..iHeartMedia is working with FlynnPictureCo., Psychopia Pictures, and UpperRoom Productions to produce the original, 10-part sci-fi podcast “There Be Monsters” that will be available on the iHeartPodcast Network. The podcast stars John Boyega and Darren Criss. Boyega plays Jack Locke, the mysterious hero with a vendetta who infiltrates a Silicon Valley body-hacking startup run by an enigmatic CEO Max Fuller, played by Criss, whose highly secretive creations promise to enhance human biology in incredible ways – but every drug has a side effect…..SiriusXM announces it is airing comprehensive play-by-play and talk coverage of the 2020 PGA Championship, taking place August 6-9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. It will be golf’s first major championship played in 2020 due to schedule adjustments made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic and SiriusXM will bring listeners inside the ropes with a team of broadcasters calling the action both from remote studio locations and on site at TPC Harding Park.
Entercom Partners with Vewd to Expand Smart TV Footprint. The digital platform RADIO.COM is expanding in the smart TV sphere as Entercom enters into a relationship with smart TV OTT software provider Vewd. Entercom says that as part of the
partnership, “tens of millions of smart televisions, including Sony, Philips and Hisense, will have access to RADIO.COM, the exclusive digital home for all Entercom content across its leading portfolio of over 230 stations, along with hundreds of affiliate stations, thousands of top podcasts, live and on-demand video, and premium content across local and national news, entertainment, music and sports in markets all across the U.S.” Entercom VP of corporate business development David Rosenbloom says, “Connected televisions and smart home devices are the fastest growing segment of RADIO.COM’s rapidly growing audience, with significant demand from both consumers and advertisers. By partnering with Vewd, who powers tens of millions of leading-brand smart televisions, users now have our robust library right at their fingertips.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Los Angeles, Entercom’s six-station cluster has begun the fundraising campaign called “RADIO.COM’s Feed Our Families,” in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District. The month-long, text-to-donate fundraiser benefits local students and families in need. Entercom regional president Jeff Federman says, “Schools are a primary source of meals not only for many students but for their family members as well. We’re delighted to partner with Los Angeles Unified School District to amplify our stations’ collective voice so no child or family member in Southern California goes hungry during these unstable times. We look forward to actively promoting the organization’s selfless efforts over the next month and using our platforms to serve our communities.”…..Atlantic Gateway Communications’ Christian contemporary WGTS-FM, Washington, DC held its popular Summer Concert Series at Tysons Corner Center virtually this year since rule wouldn’t allow listeners to congregate in the outdoor plaza venue. The WGTS team shot part of the concert in advance at the plaza at the mall. Part of the concert came from Matthew West’s “Story House” and the rest of the concert was hosted from the WGTS video studio. WGTS music director and webmaster Rob Conway says, “This was something we’ve never done before, so it made us a little nervous. Thankfully all of the technical details came together and it turned into a great listener experience.”…..Premiere Networks announces today that “CMT After MidNite with Cody Alan” is joining American Forces Network (AFN) and will air from 12:00 midnight to 5:00 am.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Herman Cain Dies After Battle with COVID-19. Business executive, talk radio host, and former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has died after an almost monthlong battle with COVID-19. Cain, 74, was admitted to the hospital around July 2. He’d
traveled from his home base of Atlanta, appearing at President Trump’s Tulsa rally (where he was photographed not wearing a mask) and also visited the Phoenix area. The Herman Cain website states, “We knew when he was first hospitalized with COVID-19 that this was going to be a rough fight. He had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We all prayed that the initial meds they gave him would get his breathing back to normal, but it became clear pretty quickly that he was in for a battle.” Cain had a history of cancer. For years, he hosted a radio talk show on Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta — taking over the late morning daypart previously occupied by Neal Boortz — and was in national syndication for a period of time. Recently, he’d been doing a talk show available via his website. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “We in the talk media industry have lost one of our own with the tragic passing of Herman Cain. He was not only a luminous example of the African American entrepreneurial spirit and largely unheralded conservative political influence, but he was also an accomplished, dedicated talk show host who rose to the heights of the Heavy Hundred for his successful work at WSB and presence in national syndication. He was on the verge of adding yet another chapter to his talk media career with a new show on Newsmax TV. It is a shame our industry has lost such an important voice and yet another stark example of why we must take this wretched virus seriously.”
Urban One Reports Second Quarter Net Revenue Down 37.5%. The first big radio company out of the gate with Q2 2020 financial data is Urban One, Inc. – parent of Radio One. The company reports that net revenue was approximately $76 million, a decrease of 37.5% from the same period in 2019. Broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $30.2 million, a decrease of 33.1%. Operating income was approximately $20.4 million compared to approximately $29.1 million for the same period in 2019. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III says, “The
economic impact of Covid-19 is fully evident in our second quarter numbers: radio advertising was down 51%, and event revenues were -96% year over year. Our TV and digital businesses fared better, with TV advertising revenue down 4.4% and digital -20%, highlighting the benefits of our diversified media asset base. We had to make tough decisions to reduce costs, and I am proud of how our team, including on-air talent, made sacrifices and worked diligently to keep us operating smoothly through the pandemic. With the issue of racial equality featuring so prominently around the world, it is critical that diverse voices continue to be heard and I thank all our staff and talent for their exceptional work engaging with our audience and clients. The outlook for the rest of 2020 remains uncertain, but I anticipate a similar pattern of strong performance from our TV business offsetting some of the weakness in radio advertising and events. On a same station basis, our Q3 core radio business is currently pacing -41% and we continue to see sequential improvement. Our cost saving measures remain in place, liquidity is strong with $70 million of cash on the balance sheet, and I firmly believe that Urban One will continue to successfully navigate our way through these unprecedented times.”
Good Karma Brands Recognizes Mike Golic’s ESPN Radio Career. Tomorrow (7/31) is the last day of ESPN’s “Golic and Wingo” morning radio program as the company’s new radio programming schedule begins on Monday (8/3). While Trey Wingo’s future
with the company is unknown at this time, Mike Golic is transitioning to a position as a college football analyst with ESPN and in recognition of his radio work, Good Karma Brands’ ESPN radio stations are celebrating his 22 years in mornings on ESPN Radio with “22 hours of Golic.” Good Karma Brands’ ESPN stations in Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Madison, and West Palm Beach will be featuring memories, pictures, videos, and stories from his career. Additionally, Golic will also be interviewed on 850 ESPN Cleveland’s “The Really Big Show” with Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer today (7/30). Golic played football at St. Joseph’s High School in Cleveland before heading to Notre Dame and the NFL.
CBS Audio and Skyview Networks Renew Partnership. After two years of their network sales and distribution partnership, Viacom’s CBS Audio Network and Skyview Networks announce they are renewing to continue their relationship. In a press release, the companies say, “Since partnering in 2018, the CBS network’s
audience and revenue have grown through expanded programming and content integration campaigns that generate enthusiastic support and strong results from the advertising community. In the next phase of the partnership, the companies will further develop the CBS sales strategy that leverages its personalities and influencers in both long-form and short-form programming.” CBS Audio Network and CBS News Radio vice president and general manager Craig Swagler says, “Our CBS Audio Network partnership with Skyview Networks strengthens our ability to drive sales efforts. This collaboration continues to assure our 23 million weekly listeners that they will continue to get the highest level of quality journalism they are accustomed to, while also providing for new opportunities for growth.”
Industry Mourns Bob McCurdy. Radio sales and management pro Bob McCurdy died yesterday (7/29) after a long battle with cancer. The All-American basketball star at University of Richmond got into radio at WLEE, Richmond in 1976. He joined Katz
Radio in Chicago in 1980 and, several years later, moved to New York to lead that office for Katz. In 1990, he was named president of Katz Radio. In recent years McCurdy returned to his roots in local radio taking on a leadership position with Beasley Media Group. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley says of McCurdy, “Bob was a trusted confidant, a valued advisor, and an incredible ambassador on behalf of the Beasley Media Group family and the radio industry. His love and passion for the business could be seen and heard in everything he did within our company as well as the industry. Bob will be greatly missed and will be forever remembered as a beloved member of our family.” In a recently completed book about leadership, culture, and sales, McCurdy wrote, “It has often been said that one can never tell where a teacher’s influence ends. The same is true with leaders. As leaders, we are teachers and as with teachers you can never tell where an effective leader’s influence ends. That makes for an amazing legacy.”
Gordon Hastings: McCurdy. Retired Katz Television/Radio president Gordon Hastings writes a tribute to the late Bob McCurdy. He says, “I am not exactly sure why but he was always simply, ‘McCurdy.’ Stu Olds would say, ‘Get McCurdy in here.’ Jim Greenwald, ‘Who’s this guy McCurdy everyone talks about?’ ‘McCurdy taught me,’ said many of the dozens of ‘survivors’ of McCurdy’s legendary sales training program.” Read the complete tribute here.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections, School Opening Debate, GOP Stimulus Bill, Tech CEOs Before Congress, Presidential Race, BLM Protests/Federal Troops, and U.S. Pro Sports Leagues Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/29). The rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in numerous U.S. states and in other countries, plus the projections for future cases; the debate over opening schools in the fall; the wrangling over what will be in the final Republican stimulus bill; CEOs from Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple appear before the House Judiciary Committee; the November presidential election; the Black Lives Matter protests and the controversial use of federal troops; and the issues pro sports leagues are facing playing games were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
TALKERS News Notes. Sports talk personality Dan Sileo says he’s launching a new,
national program on Monday (8/3) via USA Radio Networks that will air 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight ET. He says it’s debuting on stations in Dallas and Miami. Sileo says he’s also hosting a local show on Cielo Media Holdings’ WNMA, Miami “1210 The Man” from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm….. GCN-syndicated talk radio host Dr. Daliah Wachs tells TALKERS magazine 
she’s had a busy summer having just published her 7th and 8th books. She says, “Generation Alpha: They’re Alpha for a Reason is a book on the generation that follows Generation Z, temporarily called Generation Alpha. It describes how their generation may be the most challenged when it comes to identity, social interactions, education, and health. The Art of the BooBoo is a guide written by me, some former students who are now physicians, and my own kids, for parents on how to navigate through minor illnesses, or
booboos, their children may incur.”…..ESPN Audio says it is collaborating with voice-over artist and host Cayman Kelly “to bring his contemporary sound to the network.” Kelly will work with ESPN Audio on a variety of sound for the network’s programming including updates, promotions, and more. Kelly’s career has included work across ESPN and other TV networks, radio stations of all genres, video games, live concerts and events and corporate presentations.
Multi-talented Talk Personality Steve Trevelise Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. He’s a news/talker heard weekday evenings on one of the most innovative radio stations in America – New Jersey 101.5. He’s also a sports/talk host heard weekends on one of the leading radio stations in that genre – WIP, Philadelphia. And he’s an established stand-up comic who’s opened for some of the greats for the past decade-plus at top clubs and venues all over the Delaware Valley. Steve Trevelise is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Born and
raised in the Garden State, Trevelise is described by TALKERS founder Michael Harrison as being “a real Jersey boy who, although not a member of the Four Seasons, is a man for all seasons.” Harrison and Trevelise take the listener on an insightful tour of today’s politically polarized society, the mask debate, similarities and differences between 1968 and 2020, the long-lasting impact of John Lennon and the Beatles, the state of pandemic-era sports, and the challenges faced by humorists during an age of hyper-political correctness. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In Detroit, programming pro Scott Jameson is named director of programming for Beasley Media Group’s cluster there that includes: rock WRIF-FM, classic rock WCSX-FM, hip hop WMGC-FM, urban
contemporary WDMK-FM and the Praise Network. Jameson most recently was vice president of classic rock programming, program director of classic rock KQRS-FM and operations manager of KQRS-FM, KXXR-FM & WGVX-FM in Minneapolis for Cumulus Media. He says, “Joining Beasley Media Group in Detroit is a terrific opportunity. The Midwest is home for me, so it’s a natural fit. The legendary WRIF-FM and heritage WCSX-FM, joined with ‘The BOUNCE,’ ‘KISS,’ and ‘PRAISE’ boast exceptional talent across all five brands. Adding Beasley’s commitment to the community, along with an aggressive digital presence, turns listeners into fans. I’m thankful to Justin Chase for approaching me 
about the Detroit situation and grateful to Mac Edwards and Brian Beasley for their endorsement.”…..Also at Beasley Media Group, the company announces that Al Beck adds evening jock duties at WRXK-FM, Fort Myers “96 K-ROCK.” Beck currently serves as the producer of the “Dave and Chuck The Freak Morning Show” at WRIF-FM, Detroit, is co-host of the Nerd Radio podcast, and can also be heard evenings on WBOS-FM, Boston “ROCK 92.9.” Beasley Media Group Southwest Florida operations manager Adam Star says, “We are excited to add Al Beck to our on-air line up at WRXK. Al’s on-air rock presentation is stellar, plus his connection with our syndicated morning show, Dave and Chuck the Freak, doesn’t hurt either! We felt bringing him on the air made perfect sense to embrace the Fort Myers rock world.”
Thursday, July 23, 2020
TALKERS Marks 30th Anniversary Today. It was 30 years ago today – July 23, 1990 – that TALKERS was launched as “The Information-Radio Newspaper.” It first appeared as a tabloid-style, 12-page newsprint publication distributed to radio stations around the country by mail and eventually grew into a full-color, glossy magazine and, eventually, a multi-platform communications organization. Over the decades, TALKERS has produced 22 annual national talk media conventions in New York City plus several “bonus” conferences in Los Angeles. At those conferences, a number of the
publication’s annual awards were presented, including the coveted TALKERS magazine Freedom of Speech Award. TALKERS magazine was a pioneer in producing radio row events that began in the mid-1990s. The organization also presented numerous talk media forums in Washington, DC and New York featuring talk personalities discussing important issues of the day. Many of those were aired on C-SPAN. As digital media became inextricably intertwined with radio and television, TALKERS itself evolved into a multimedia platform presenting video elements via Talkers TV and launching Talkers Radio. Annual features, including the “100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America,” a.k.a. the Heavy Hundred (and later its sports talk radio sister list), have become highly anticipated presentations within the industry. Upon reaching this milestone, founder Michael Harrison stated, “TALKERS is a reflection of my lifelong fascination with and love of radio, as well as my core devotion to the tenets of the First Amendment. It has come very far during these three decades and most of the credit for its remarkable longevity and adherence to quality has been to the credit of its devoted core staff (in alphabetical order) – David Bernstein, Kevin Casey, Marcia Daly, Matthew B. Harrison, Al Herskovitz, Mike Kinosian, Barbara Kurland, and Steve Weisman with a special salute to the late Sharon L. Harrison. Add to that list our loyal advertisers and sponsors, our talented contributing writers, as well as our readers. The radio and its related media industries have been extremely kind to us and, for that blessing, I am eternally grateful.”
‘98.5 The Sports Hub’ Host Fred Toucher Off the Air for Medical Help. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn reports that WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” morning drive co-host Fred Toucher is off the air for the time being as he deals with personal issues that were revealed during the July 21 program. Toucher posted to his Instagram
account: “First of all thank you to the listeners that have my back. For some reason I want you guys to know I have never been drunk on the air [management has never accused me of such] I am going to a mental institution next week. I am sometimes too forthcoming on the air. I’m used to just being honest about my life but when you are a f*ckup that isn’t such a good idea.” Finn reports that Toucher confessed he’s going through a divorce on the Tuesday morning program discussion that he describes as “unsettling.” Co-host Rich Shertenlieb suggested he take some time off the air and offered to take a leave with him. However, on Wednesday’s program, Shertenlieb told listeners Toucher is taking some time off and they can’t wait for his return. Beasley Media Group issued the following statement to the paper: “As a responsible company committed to the Boston Community, we take this matter very seriously. Fred will be off the air while we continue to review the situation.”
WLW, Cincinnati-Based “America’s Truckin’ Network” to Avoid Political Discussion. In a move that’s clearly a sign of the times, the overnight program “America’s Truckin’ Network” has been ordered by management to steer clear of political discussions. The show is nationally syndicated and available via SiriusXM but
is produced at iHeartMedia’s WLW, Cincinnati and hosted by Steve Sommers (son of program founder Dale “Truckin’ Bozo” Sommers). Sommers tells the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jim Calhoun that after complaints to corporate headquarters in San Antonio about a caller’s comments that aired, he was held responsible for the comments that shouldn’t have aired and was given a warning. He’s also been told to refrain from politics and stick to issues relevant to the trucking audience. iHeartMedia Cincinnati SVP of programming Scott Reinhart issued the following statement to the Enquirer: “The ATN has been on the air for over 30 years. We regularly review all our shows to ensure they provide the best and most compelling programming, and we have always relied on comments and feedback from our listeners to help us make these decisions.”
Cume & Coronavirus (Part 3). TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian continues his analysis of ratings data for spoken-word radio stations based on information from Nielsen Audio’s June 2020 PPM survey. After looking at 6+ cume data for the all-news and sports talk formats in parts one and two, today Mike Kinosian turns to the news/talk format. When it comes to cume (versus AQH share), two news/talk stations stand above the rest based on June numbers – iHeartMedia’s KFI, Los Angeles (747,600) and Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta (709,800). In this report, see comparisons of cume from the May 2020 survey to the June 2020 survey – which stations went up and which went down – as well as charts showing cume by market rank and more. See it here.
Entercom Seeking Vice President of News Candidates. Posted on Entercom’s website in its career opportunities section is a notice seeking applicants for a new corporate position, VP, News. The post states, “The VP, News is responsible for
overseeing all news content across Entercom’s best-in-class local news brands and via the RADIO.COM platform. The ideal candidate has experience managing both broadcast and digital news operations and is adept at leading through change and innovation.” Among the duties that are part of this position are managing “all broadcast and digital news content across 8 All News and 18 News/Talk stations in 23 markets working with brand managers and news directors across the country.” The post adds, “This role is for a hands-on leader and self-starter who is relentless in his/her quest for excellence in journalism. This role will require strong business acumen and the ability to drive results leading market-based teams across the country and in our corporate offices in Philadelphia and New York.” Read the post here.
iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell Partner for New Comedy Podcast Network. Comedian Will Ferrell and iHeartMedia are announcing their new deal that will bring the initial six co-produced podcasts to the Big Money Players Network of comedy podcasts that
will be heard on the iHeartRadio platform later this year. The programs include “Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang”; “Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Podcast” in collaboration with The Lonely Island and Comedy Bang Bang; “My Momma Told Me with Langston Kerman”; “POOG with Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak”; “Bald Talk” hosted by Brian Huskey and Charlie Sanders; and “True Romance with Carolina Barlow and Devin Leary.” Will Ferrell comments, “The iHeartPodcast Network really knows how to make a podcast. In addition to the creative minds working behind the scenes, the network has an unprecedented ability to reach millions of new podcast listeners. These first few shows for Big Money Players Network will set the standard for the type of high-quality comedy podcasts we’re striving to produce with this collaboration.”
TALKERS News Notes. The “Kim Komando Daily Tech Update” is expanding to seven-days-per-week delivery. Komando says, “As our
country was forced to work from home, unemployment soared and parents became teachers, ‘The Kim Komando Show’ and programs became more popular than ever. We pivoted to focus on providing COVID-19 much-needed digital life advice and assistance to our listeners, offering inspiration and confidence to all.” As a result of demand, the “Daily Tech Update” goes from five days per week to seven with the Saturday and Sunday editions being delivered just like the weekday editions…..Today (7/23) on SiriusXM’s Business Radio channel, a special program titled “The Business of Sports Reopening During a Pandemic” which will air from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon ET. Dan Loney, host of “Wharton Business Daily,” leads the discussion and speaks with high-ranking executives in the world of sports, including: Houston Texans president Jamey Rootes, San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer, agent Drew 
Rosenhaus, and more…..Chicago media reporter Robert Feder writes that Nexstar Media Group’s WGN-AM is eliminating the creative services manager position at the news/talk station and Chris Duffy exits after more than 10 years there. As Feder notes, Duffy was one of the staffers brought aboard when former Clear Channel Radio president Randy Michaels assumed the CEO role at Tribune, former owner of the station, in 2007. Duffy posted on Facebook, “After over 10 years, three Stanley Cups, one Cubs World Championship, working with some of the absolute best in the business, yesterday I closed the book on WGN Radio. It will always be the pinnacle of my radio career.”…..PodcastOne and Violet Benson come to terms on a deal to bring Benson’s podcast “Too Tired to Be Crazy” to the network. The podcast features Benson and a wide swath of friends, guests, and frequent co-hosts chatting about topics ranging from living and dating in Los Angeles, to millennial life, to pop culture news perfectly capturing the zeitgeist of today…..WAPT-TV, Jackson reports the death of civil rights activist and talk show host Charles Evers, who passed away on Wednesday (7/22) at the age of 97. Evers was the older brother of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers. In addition to his lifelong work on civil rights, Charles Evers owned and operated WMPR-FM, Jackson, Mississippi for many years. He hosted the “Let’s Talk” program on the station for decades.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections, Fall School Plans, U.S.-China Tensions/Hacking Allegations, Portland Protests/Chicago Violence, Federal Agents Controversy, GOP COVID Stimulus Plan, and MLB Season Opens Today Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/22). The soaring number of COVID-19 cases in numerous states and projections for future cases; debate over plans to return children to schools this fall; tensions between the U.S. and China as the latter’s consulate in Houston is ordered closed and feds seek a Chinese scientist believed to have lied on her visa application; the protests taking place in Portland and the violence on Chicago’s streets; the controversy over President Trump’s use of federal troops to combat protestors; the Republican plan for COVID-19 relief and stimulus; and Major League Baseball begins the 2020 season today were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Legendary Moody Blues Member John Lodge Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The venerable British bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the Moody Blues, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” John Lodge is the writer of Moody Blues hits that include “Ride My See-Saw,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band),” “Isn’t Life Strange?” and many more. This musical legend has been performing and recording with the Moody Blues for more than five decades, selling in excess of 70 million albums. He’s been voted one of the “10 most influential bass players on the planet,” and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious music industry awards. Although he primarily lives in London, Harrison caught up with Lodge via phone at his condo in Naples, Florida where he’s been isolating from COVID-19 for the past four months and during which time he wrote and recorded a new song titled “In These Crazy Times (Isolation Mix).” Harrison (an album rock radio pioneer) and Lodge talk about a wide range of topics including the recording of the groundbreaking album “Days of Future Passed,” their personal encounters with Dr. Timothy Leary (“Legend of a Mind”) and the psychedelic era, changes in popular music over the years, and the impact COVID-19 is having on live music and theater. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Former “American Idol” contestant and current WKLB, Boston “Country 102.5” morning drive co-host Ayla Brown will be featured singing the National Anthem at a future NBA game in Orlando. Beasley Media Group says
Brown has performed the Anthem for every major sport in Boston and was the Celtics’ “Lucky Anthem Singer” when the team won the 2008 National Championship. She says, “Growing up in Massachusetts and being a former basketball player for Boston College, my dream was always to step on the court at the Garden. While I never got to lace up the sneakers for a game, singing the National Anthem over the years for the team has always been the highest honor. Thank you to the Boston Celtics for this wonderful opportunity!”…..On-air pro Christy is exiting Pamal Broadcasting’s CHR WFLY-FM, Albany “FLY 92” because of her husband’s relocation to the Boston area. She was part of “The Fly Morning Rush With Jake & Christy.” As a result, program director Ally Reid is seeking a new morning drive co-host. Interested candidates should email her at ally@fly92.com.
Monday, July 20, 2020
Monday Memo: Profiting from the Pandemic, Part Deux. Because “chaos presents opportunities,” consultant Holland Cooke updates a recent column outlining sales opportunities his client stations are monetizing. Read it here.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections, Trump on FOX News, Portland Protests-Federal Detentions, Seattle BLM March Violence, Fall School Openings, Presidential Race, U.S.-China Relations, and Sports Leagues Opening Plans Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The spiking number of COVID-19 cases in numerous states and projections for future cases; President Trump’s sit-down interview with FOX News’ Chris Wallace; the violent protests in Portland and the controversy over federal agents detaining protestors; Sunday’s Black Lives Matter protest that turned violent in Seattle; the debate over opening schools this fall; the November presidential election; the tense relationship between the U.S. and China; and the plans for U.S. pro sports leagues to open their seasons were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Pending Business: Why Do Sellers Veer from Their Goals? Sales and marketing consultant Steve Lapa, president of Lapcom Communications, writes in today’s column about keeping sellers focused on their only goal: closing sales. “The path, persistence and process that gets you there is important, but the only action that gets you paid is a closed sale. Sounds simple, but when you hear the objections, new WFH distractions, zoom meetings, your focus fades and so does your goal of closing business.” Read about his advice here.
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of radio stations based on ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2020 PPM survey, today focusing on news/talk. Sixty-one percent of news/talk stations in PPM markets were down (weekly, 6+ AQH share) from the May 2020 survey, however 68% of news/talk stations saw their numbers go up from June of 2019 to June 2020. Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta led that group with a 4.1 share increase to post a 10.4 share in June 2020. Cumulus Media’s WMAL-FM, Washington was right behind with a 3.8 share jump for an 8.2 share in June 2020, followed by iHeartMedia’s KFBK, Sacramento, up 3.7 shares for an 8.9 share in June 2020. See Mike Kinosian’s complete report here.
Ramsey Network Launches “Call of the Day” Podcast. A new, short-form podcast from Ramsey Network is debuting today. Ramsey Media says, “Finding new ways to help people with their money and their lives in these unprecedented times, Ramsey
Network is adding a new short-form podcast to its already impressive roster.” The “Ramsey Call of the Day” podcast features financial expert Dave Ramsey and Ramsey Network personalities, Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, Chris Hogan, Christy Wright, Anthony O’Neal, and Dr. John Delony. Ramsey Media EVP Brian Mayfield says, “It’s imperative in the climate we’re in that we reach as many people as possible with our message. The ‘Ramsey Call of the Day’ could be anything from an inspirational story of knocking out debt, to tips on how to deal with loss of income and making decisions in this current climate. We’re really excited to bring this to our listeners.” “Ramsey Call of the Day” is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the Ramsey Network app, and on Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart speakers. Check it out here.
Radio America Unveils ‘The Sara Carter Podcast.’ A new podcast and radio program is available from Radio America, hosted by investigative reporter Sara Carter. “The Sara Carter Podcast” is available twice weekly and features Carter’s “investigative
reporting and her unique perspective as a mom, a wife to a wounded war hero, and a reporter who’s told stories from the darkest corners of the world.” Radio America COO Mike Paradiso says, “Sara is a talented investigative reporter who has great insights into the real stories that are driving the news cycle. I love her personable style and the way she is able to connect with listeners.” Carter is currently an investigative reporter and FOX News contributor. She formerly worked as a senior national security correspondent for Circa News, as well as Los Angeles News Group, The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner, and wrote numerous exclusives for USA Today, US News World Report, and Arutz Sheva in Israel. She has made guest appearances on FOX, CNN, BBC International and C-SPAN. She has interviewed numerous heads of state and foreign officials.
2020 Radio Hall of Fame Listener Voting Begins Next Monday. Voting for the two categories in which listeners will determine the inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame
begins a week from today (7/27) and runs through August 9. The spoken-word category nominees this year are: Glenn Beck, “The Glenn Beck Show,” Premiere Networks; John & Ken, “The John & Ken Show,” KFI-AM, Los Angeles; Stephanie Miller, “The Stephanie Miller Show,” WYD Media; and “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” NPR; On the music side, nominees are: Whitney Allen, “The Big Time with Whitney Allen,” Westwood One; Bob & Sheri, “The Bob and Sheri Show,” Westwood One; Sway Calloway, Sirius XM; and John Boy & Billy, “The John Boy & Billy Show,” Premiere Networks.
TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Newsweb is turning the license for WAIT-AM, Crystal Lake, Illinois to the FCC. The station has been dark since August of last year when it sold the transmitter site to McHenry County College. The company continues to operate progressive talk outlet WCPT as well as three time-brokered AM stations…..Seeking intelligence about the podcast advertising segment, Westwood One subscribes to Magellan AI for its ad data and competitive intelligence that provides WWO with information about who is advertising, what they are advertising and how much they are spending. Westwood One says its recent analysis of Magellan AI’s data found brands are pouring into podcasting and have doubled the number of ads they’re running. The study also uncovered the use of mid-roll ads is on the rise at the expense of pre-roll ads…..In Lafayette, Louisiana, Delta Media launches a news/talk outlet on KFXZ-AM/K253CO. The Advocate reports that the station is airing syndicated conservative talk shows including: Premiere Networks’ Glenn Beck; Compass Media Networks’ Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, Lars Larson, and Todd Schnitt; and Westwood One’s Ben Shapiro…..Entercom announces a new podcast that’s airing Saturday mornings at 9:00 am on sports talk KIKK-AM, Houston as well being available nationwide on RADIO.COM. The company says, “I’m Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hangry!” is an “epicurean foodie podcast featuring ‘Mix 96.5’ (KHMX-FM) morning show personality Jessie Watt and food influencer, Hangry Houstonian, Danielle Dubois.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Kansas City classic rock KCFX “101 The Fox” names Lyndsay Marie midday host. She has served with Cumulus Media stations in the past, most notably at WNNX-FM, Atlanta and WLUP-
FM, Chicago. Cumulus Kansas City regional vice president and market manager Donna Baker says, “I had the privilege of working with Lyndsay at ‘The Loop’ in Chicago and have been a raving fan since. Her passion for classic rock and quick wit make her the ideal match for the iconic ‘101 The Fox’ during the workday. We are thrilled to welcome her to KC.”…..iHeartMedia Philadelphia announces it is bringing the syndicated alternative rock morning program “The Woody Show” to the market, effective August 3…..In southwestern Michigan, Mid-West Family Broadcasting launches a new alternative station on former sports talk simulcast WSJM-AM/W291DK. Station manager Bill Gamble says, “It’s going to play new music from bands like 21 Pilots and Billie Eilish and Panic at the Disco and Imagine Dragons. It will not be your older brother’s alternative radio station. This will not be the Pearl Jam radio station. This will be a radio station that focuses on new music and the sounds of today.”…..Cumulus Media Atlanta announces that its “Grow My GA Business” initiative – launched in late March – has donated more than $1 million in creative services and airtime on three of its radio stations there to 375 Atlanta-area small businesses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Grow My GA Business” provides free creative services and radio time on WWWQ-FM “Q997,” WNNX-FM “Rock 100.5,” and WKHX “New Country 101 FIVE.”
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
ESPN Radio Reveals New Lineup; Mike Golic and Trey Wingo Exit. Previous news reports about the re-tooling of the daily lineup on ESPN Radio that predicted longtime morning personality Mike Golic was headed for the exit turned out to be accurate. The company announced its new lineup consisting of existing ESPN staffers – effective August 17 – and current morning hosts Golic and Trey Wingo are not part of it. Instead, the new morning show will be a trio co-hosted by Keyshawn
Johnson, NBA and college basketball analyst Jay Williams, and “SportsCenter” anchor Zubin Mehenti. “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” remains in the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon ET slot. Mike Greenberg, who was Mike Golic’s longtime partner before they parted and Trey Wingo joined the morning show, returns to radio to host the 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm ET daypart. Max Kellerman launches his national radio show airing from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. In PM drive, two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike and Mike Golic Jr. will host the “Chiney and Golic Jr.” program from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET. espnW and ESPN Radio host Sarah Spain reunites with former co-host Jason Fitz for the “Spain and Fitz” show from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET, followed by “Freddie and Fitzsimmons,” hosted by Freddie Coleman and Ian Fitzsimmons, airing from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am ET. ESPN EVP and executive editor, production Norby Williamson says, “Our new lineup will provide sports fans informative and engaging content throughout the week from hosts who all have radio experience. They know how to connect with fans and keep them invested in the programming. Our listeners will hear diverse perspectives on key topics from some of the most talented, knowledgeable and contemporary voices in the industry.”
Frank Morano Joins WABC, New York. New York market talk radio pro Frank Morano is joining Red Apple Media’s TALKRADIO 77 WABC as “part of its ever-growing commitment to quality live and local talk.” Morano will host the weekly
“Frank Morano Program” Sunday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (beginning 7/12) and will anchor “Morano in the Morning” daily from 1:00 am to 5:00 am, effective in August. Red Apple says Morano’s show “will feature newsmakers, insightful commentary, expert guests, lively exchanges with callers, and a healthy dose of satire.” In addition, Morano presently is hosting the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show on WLIR-FM, Long 
Island, the station Red Apple is operating under an LMA and on which it is simulcasting much of WABC’s programming. Morano spent the last 10 years with Salem Media Group’s WNYM “AM 970 The Answer” serving as producer for “The Joe Piscopo Show,” “The John Gambling Show,” and “The Curtis Sliwa Show,” as well as hosting a weekly program. At WABC, Morano will continue to serve as a producer and on-air contributor to “The Cats Roundtable,” hosted by Red Apple CEO John Catsimatidis. WABC SVP of programming Dave LaBrozzi says, “Frank has already contributed a great deal towards furthering civic discourse in New York. To have him back on WABC is a major coup for us and we know he’ll be an essential building block in making radio fun again. We are incredibly honored that he is joining our team and look forward to working with him.”
Round One of June PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2020 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San
Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen Audio’s June 2020 survey period covered May 21 – June 17. You can see all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. Also, today TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Ratings Takeaways” from this batch of markets. Entercom’s New York all-news stations move in different directions with WINS dropping seven-tenths for a 4.2 share and the #7 rank in the market while WCBS-AM rises three-tenths to finish with a 3.4 share and the #9 rank. iHeartMedia’s KFI, Los Angeles 
sheds two-tenths for a 4.4 share and the #4 rank. Entercom’s WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago maintains the #1 rank after dipping only one-tenth for a 6.9 share. But Nexstar’s news/talk WGN-AM loses seven-tenths to sink to #7 and Cumulus Media’s WLS-AM is off one-tenth with a 2.0 share and the #19 rank. In Houston, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KTRH gains three-tenths for a 6.3 share and the #4 rank. Although Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta loses seven-tenths, it finishes the June survey with a 10.4 share and remains ranked #1 for the 12th straight month. You can see all of Mike Kinosian’s “Ratings Takeaways” here.
TALKERS News Notes. Radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, a.k.a. Lenard
McKelvey, will launch a weekly talk show on Comedy Central according to a report by WJLA-TV, Washington. Charlamagne Tha God co-hosts the WWPR-FM, New York-based, Premiere Networks-syndicated “The Breakfast Club” morning show with DJ Envy and Angela Yee. Comedy Central indicates it hopes to have the show on the air before the 
November election…..Conservative media figure Ben Shapiro is officially leaving his editor-in-chief role at the Daily Wire – the alternative news outlet he co-founded in 2015. TheBlaze reports that co-CEO Jeremy Boreing says John Bickley will officially assume the editor-in-chief duties that he’s been performing for the past two years and Shapiro becomes editor emeritus. Shapiro remains part owner and will continue to be featured on the Daily Wire…..The RAB says that given the recent Facebook boycott and “continuous concerns regarding brand safety, transparency
and trusted environments for advertising, RAB thought it important to provide you the tools to reinforce to the advertising community and listeners that broadcast radio is not only a safe place for brand messages, but it is trusted by consumers and influential when it comes to their decision-making.” RAB and Yamanair Creative have created an audio campaign for stations to air to reinforce 
that “radio always has and will continue to fulfill the responsibility of the trust we have earned with our listening audiences and advertising partners.” The Trust and Truth spots can be customized with station branding and may be downloaded for free here…..Pictured at left is GCN-syndicated talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs donating blood. She says blood banks such as Vitalant and American Red Cross are testing blood donations for COVID -19 antibodies (for free) so people can in turn donate plasma to those in the ICU fighting COVID. She adds, “Despite the craziness this year we are still on course for National Blood Donation Week (this year 9/1/20 – 9/7/20) with National Blood Donation Day 9/4/20.”
Longtime Delaware Radio News Pro Allan Loudell Dies. Delaware Online reports
that longtime Delaware radio newsman Allan R. Loudell has died at 64. The Colorado native joined WILM, Wilmington in 1988 after working in the Memphis market. He transitioned to WDEL in 2005 and served there until March of this year when station owner Forever Media cut staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The story does not report a cause of death but notes that Loudell took a medical leave in the spring of 2019.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections, Trump Pushes to Open Schools in Fall/Bans Foreign Students, Gun Violence Uptick/Police Reform, Mary Trump Book, Presidential Race, U.S.-China Relations, and Sports Leagues Plan Seasons Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/7). The rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in numerous states and projections for future cases; President Trump voices his push for U.S. schools to re-open in the fall and announces foreign students must leave the U.S. if their college moves to online-only classes; the surge of gun violence in several American cities amidst the calls for police reform; the family tell-all book written by President Trump’s niece, Mary Trump; the November presidential election; the tense relations between the U.S. and China; and U.S. pro sports leagues prepare for seasons were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Philadelphia non-commercial triple A WXPN is transitioning its cancelled 2020 XPoNential Music Festival to a virtual event taking place July 25 through 27 in which the weekend will feature archived full-length sets and two-song sets presented online from some of XPoNential Music Festival’s most memorable past performers on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, new and exclusive live, full-length performances from seven of the artists who were scheduled to perform will be presented both online and on-air at the University of Pennsylvania-owned station. WXPN general manager Roger LaMay says, “XPNFest Weekend will be the next best thing to being outdoors on the Delaware Riverfront with thousands of other music lovers enjoying our unique, annual XPoNential Music Festival. To have almost a quarter of the artists who were to have appeared live at the 2020 festival still want to give WXPN members and listeners new and exclusive full-length, live performances on Sunday, July 27 says a great deal about their affection for the WXPN community.”…..Multi-platinum, award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion is guest hosting Premiere Networks’ “American Top 40” this weekend (7-11/12). In addition to counting down the Top 40 songs, she will tease new music and talk about the making of her latest single “Girls In The Hood.” The 2020 BET Award winner will also share her advice for having a “Hot Girl Summer” while in quarantine.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Memo: Copy Copy Like This. While listeners – whom your advertisers want to meet – have been disrupted, NOTHING resonates like empathy, succinctly conveyed. For this week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke has collected examples instructive to commercial copy we craft for local retailers, and station imaging. Read it here.
Re-Opening Across America, Memorial Day Holiday, Michigan Protests, COVID-19 Tests/Vaccine Research, Presidential Race, Brazil Travel Ban, and ‘The Match’ Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. States across the country begin cautiously re-opening their economies; the Memorial Day holiday takes place without the usual parades and observances; Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s battle against lockdown protesters; the number of COVID-19 tests being done in the U.S. and the global work being done to create a vaccine; the November presidential election; President Trump puts a ban on flights from Brazil as the coronavirus sweeps through the South American nation; and “The Match” featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady playing golf were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Pending Business: What’s All the Fuss About? Sales and marketing consultant Steve Lapa, president of Lapcom Communications, writes in today’s column that great sellers have always been built to work remotely. He draws a sports analogy. “High-performing athletes are regularly well-coached and prepared. Then, on their own, away from the head coach – remotely – often with private coaches, they practice. When they return for the next session they are better… the takeaway here is the individual commitment to practicing ‘remotely.’” Read his column here.
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of radio stations based on data from Nielsen Audio’s April PPM survey, today focusing on news/talk formatted stations. It appears that radio listeners shifted from wanting straight news about the pandemic in March – when all-news outlets saw their weekly, 6+ AQH shares shoot up – to wanting to hear analysis and discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic in April. Seventy-eight percent of news/talk stations saw their AQH shares go up during the April survey, led by big gainers such as iHeartMedia’s WISN-AM, Milwaukee (+3.5, 9.3 share), Bonneville’s KSL-AM/FM, Salt Lake City (+2.8, 8.8 share), and Cumulus Media’s WPRO-AM, Providence (+2.3, 6.1 share). It’s important to note that radio cume was down across the board in April and that dramatic increases in time spent listening are driving these AQH spikes. With that said, some impressive year-over year AQH increases happened in April. Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta was up 7.3 shares over April 2019 (13.9 share, #1), iHeartMedia’s KFBK, Sacramento shot up 5.6 shares (11.6 share, #1), and Emmis Communications’ WIBC-FM, Indianapolis was up 5.1 shares (10.3 share, #1). Also, in April there were 11 news/talk outlets that ranked #1 in their respective markets. See Mike Kinosian’s entire report here.
Erick Erickson Interviews Mike Pence in Sanitized Space at Waffle House HQ. Pictured above is Georgia talk radio host Erick Erickson (left) conducting an in-person interview with Vice President Mike Pence (right) on Friday (5/22) at Waffle House corporate headquarters in Norcross, Georgia. The interview aired on Erickson’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta afternoon drive show on Friday and on his statewide syndicated late morning show today (5/26). Erickson says of preparing for the interview, “I didn’t have to wear a mask. The Secret Service took my temperature, made me set up all my equipment, then made me leave the room so they could sanitize everything themselves. I was not allowed back to my equipment until the interview. It was a new twist on these sorts of interviews.” The two discussed the progress being made in re-opening Georgia, the what-ifs of a potential flare-up of coronavirus cases, and what might be expected for college football this year.
KOIL, Omaha Launches New ‘Local 1290’ Program. Omaha news/talk KOIL “News Talk 1290” says it is debuting a new, daily two-hour program “focusing on the local community as our friends, neighbors and businesses begin to face the new
normal.” The live program is being hosted by Neil Nelkin and will focus on everything “local” in Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa as businesses start to re-open and figure out how to go forward. Other NRG Media on-air talent will join the program as co-hosts, including Nikki and Laura from KQKQ-FM “Sweet 98.5,” Mike’l Severe and Damon Benning from KOZN-AM “1620 The Zone,” and Matt Tompkins from KOOO-FM “101.9 The Keg.” Neil Nelkin comments, “Finally a positive show about our listeners, our community and businesses within the Omaha and Council Bluffs area. We want to highlight the local business and hear their stories about how they are doing and re-opening. It’s a community feel good, as we are all in this together.”
TALKERS News Notes. The global pandemic can’t keep Stephanie Miller’s “Sexy Liberal Tour” down. Miller’s SM Radio Productions says, “Until it’s safe to travel
and gather in large groups again, the hysterically funny ‘Sexy Liberal Tour’ is now set to come into fans’ homes with ‘Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Virtual Tour.’” It will debut virtually on Saturday, June 6 at 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT and will feature Stephanie Miller, John Fugelsang, Hal Sparks, Frances Callier, and Angela V. Shelton…..Nationally syndicated talk host Buck Sexton interviewed President Trump in the Oval Office for a conversation that aired on his Premiere
Networks-syndicated show. Among the topics discussed were the president’s thoughts on the intelligence community, the judiciary, the “deep state,” “Russiagate,” Michael Flynn, and more. The president also told Sexton the country will “never do this again” and will deal with the coronavirus issue by employing the country’s “best resources” to put out any fires as they emerge…..The Times-Union of San Diego reports 
that Mexican signal XEPRS-AM, Tijuana could be back on the air as “The Mightier 1090” around July 4, to coincide with the return of Major League Baseball. As has been reported, Flagstaff, Arizona-based marketing executive Bill Hagen is leasing the former sports talk outlet and plans to build a lifestyle and sports talk station around afternoon personality – and former longtime “Mighty 1090” personality – Scott Kaplan. The sports talk format on XEPRS ended 13 months ago when Broadcasting Company of the Americas lost its lease on the signal…..GCN-syndicated host Kate Delaney
is honored with a 2020 Communicator Award for Excellence from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Her DelaneyMediaGroup won in the Commercial Campaign category for “Her Story.” Delaney tells TALKERS magazine the feature airs on 70 stations and Amazon’s Echo…..Last Friday (5/22), WTKS-FM, Orlando’s “The News Junkie” radio show – hosted by Shawn Wasson, Sabrina Ambra, and Chris “C-lane” Lane – held “the World’s First Live Radio Broadcast With Social Distancing.” Pictured below is the trio at their broadcast booth. They say that fans arrived at staggered times to prevent a large crowd outside and those feeling sick were urged not to attend. Each table was limited to only a few guests and hand sanitizer and optional masks were available for all guests. Wasson says, “The show featured plenty of drinks, plenty of fun and games. What we didn’t do is have people shaking hands and hanging all over each other. We showed that with enough planning and preparation you can juggle being safe and having a blast.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Last week’s WKQX, Chicago radiothon supporting the Chicago Independent Venue League netted $34,000 for the association and its live music venues. The morning show trio of Brian, Ali, and Justin were on air for 34 hours and interviewed artists including Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day, Grouplove, Silversun Pickups, Cage The Elephant, Local H, KFlay, All Time Low, Powfu, Chip Z’Nuff, and Jerry from JBTV. The event was sponsored by Goose Island Beer Company, supporting Chicago music venues since 1988…..iHeartMedia flips classic hits WJDX, Jackson, Mississippi to hip hop as “The New Real 105.1.” The station’s lineup includes “The Breakfast Club,” with DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God in morning drive. iHeartMedia Jackson market president Mike Comfort says, “We are excited to launch ‘The New Real 105.1’ in Jackson and bring another choice for hip hop and R&B to the market. Based on our research, we know not only is this going to connect with our market’s audience, but this format is also going to produce a strong listener base for our advertisers – things just got real!”…..iHeartMedia Philadelphia re-brands alternative WRFF as “ALT 104.5.” Station PD and midday personality Amber Miller says, “Who doesn’t love the big reveal at the end of a makeover show. Well, ta-da! Philly’s Alternative Rock station is now sounding bigger and better than ever, combining the music and personalities our listeners love with this fresh, energetic new aesthetic. The station offers listeners the same music and entertainment they crave, just with a fresh new coat of paint.”
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