Tag: "Don Parker"
Monday, June 11, 2018
Premiere Networks’ Sean Hannity to Broadcast Show from Singapore. Nationally syndicated talk radio superstar Sean Hannity is in Singapore all this week covering President Trump’s Tuesday summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and his Premiere Networks program will emanate from Singapore all week. Hannity, whom Premiere Networks notes was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2018, will also host his prime-time FOX News Channel programfrom Singapore tonight through Wednesday. In addition to his programs, Hannity will be Tweeting real-time updates during the week-long broadcast special, including breaking news and guest appearances.
iHeartMedia Powers Up Progressive Talk on KKSF, San Francisco. Tomorrow (6/12), Spanish-language sports will disappear from the air on KKSF, San Francisco and iHeartMedia will debut new progressive talk outlet “Real Talk 910” that the company says will feature “forward-thinking political talk and opinions that embrace the values of social, economic, and environmental justice, along with human rights, democracy, and multiculturalism.” The prime-time lineup includes WYD Media’s
Stephanie Miller in AM drive, WYD’s Thom Hartmann in late mornings, Cox Media’s consumer advocate Clark Howard in early afternoon, followed by Norman Goldman in afternoon drive. iHeartMedia says the station will present podcast-formatted content, beginning with the iHeartRadio “Daily Dive” news podcast that will air weekdays at 5:40 am, “giving listeners a deeper insight to the news of the prior 24 hours.” Additional podcast originated content will be added to
weekend programming in the weeks to come. iHeartMedia San Francisco SVP of programming Don Parker says, “Hosts like Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, and Norman Goldman have a history in the market from a time that was nowhere near as politically charged as today’s environment. Given their alignment with the liberal-leaning make-up of the Bay Area, we believe they will resonate well with listeners. In addition, our forward-thinking programming approach will take advantage of being based in the tech capital of the world with an ever-increasing amount of podcast content featured as part of our weekly broadcast schedule.” The company names Cory Callewaert program director of the station.
WLS-AM, Chicago Adds ‘DriveChicago’ Program to Saturday Schedule. A new weekend program dedicated to the automobile has launched on Cumulus Media’s news/talk WLS-AM, Chicago titled, “DriveChicago.” The program is a partnership between the station and the Chicago Automobile Association (CATA) to create Chicago’s newest radio show all about the city’s storied car culture. It debuted this past Saturday from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. WLS says the show – hosted by station news anchor Jennifer Keiper – is designed to “deliver a lively and frank discussion of everything automotive.” Joining Keiper on the program are long-time automotive expert Mark Bilek and car enthusiast Jim OBrill. WLS-AM OM and program director Pete Bolger says, “Cars are top of mind to our upscale audience. Combining the connections of CATA and our award-winning automotive industry expert, WLS-AM news anchor Jennifer Keiper, ‘DriveChicago’ will be an informative but fun show; one that creates strong on-air and digital content, relevant to our listeners and advertisers.”
iHeartMedia Launches New Asheville Sports Talker. The trimulcast is called “ESPN Asheville 92.9 FM/880 AM/1400 AM, First for Sports in Western North Carolina” and is based at WPEK-AM. It’s also heard on translator W225CJ at 92.9 FM and WMXF-AM at 1400. iHeartMedia Asheville SVP of programming Brian Hall says, “I’m really excited we’re bringing the ESPN format back to sports talk listeners here in Western North Carolina. The ESPN brand aligns perfectly with our platform of top-rated iHeartMedia radio stations here in Asheville.” Programming will include “Golic and Wingo” in mornings. The regionally syndicated David Glenn show airs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm and the SEC-centric Paul Finebaum show airs from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The station is also airing University of North Carolina football and basketball play-by-play.
Kellar Radio Talent Institute Opens Today at Appalachian State University. Today in Boone, North Carolina, the Kellar Radio Talent Institute at Appalachian State University starts as the Beasley Radio Talent Institute continues at Emerson College in Boston and the TAB Radio Talent Institute poises to start next week at the University of Tennessee. The mission of the National Radio Talent System is to “discover and coach the talent who can be hired today and be the next generation of leaders in broadcasting.” This program has the broadcast profession, the universities, and the National Radio Talent System working together in a collaborative effort to accomplish this unified mission. More than 40 veteran broadcasters from Beasley Media Group, Entercom, Curtis Media, iHeartMedia, Capitol Broadcasting, and others will be leading sessions. Twenty-five students from four universities have been accepted into the Institute. There are no breakout sessions – every student will be in every session, including the RAB Radio Marketing Professional Certification course. NRTS founder Dan Vallie says, “It’s invigorating to all of us to see so many students with a desire for a career in radio. The talent is there, and they are as excited as you and I were when we got into the industry. The collaborative effort from the industry shows the commitment to young talent and the future of the industry.”
TALKERS News Notes. Pictured at right are Westwood One EVP news/talk Bart Tessler (right) and VP of news/talk Kevin DeLany after receiving the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for Westwood One News’ coverage of last year’s mass shooting in Las Vegas. The award was bestowed at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on June 8…..Former WILK-AM, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton talk show host Sue Henry is throwing her hat in the ring, challenging fellow Republican Eddie Day Pashinski for his Pennsylvania State Representative seat in the 121st District. Henry was a talk host at Entercom’s WILK for the past 16 years before her exit last month after contract renegotiations stalled.
Trump-Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Trump Overture to Putin, G7 Summit/Trump-Trudeau Spat, Anthony Bourdain Suicide, Tony Awards, Ocean’s 8 Film, Warriors Sweep Cavs for NBA Title, and Capitals Top Golden Knights to Claim Stanley Cup Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The preparation for the summit between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un; Trump makes an overture to Russia’s Vladimir Putin; the tense G-7 Summit in Canada and the tiff between President Trump and Justin Trudeau; celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dead of apparent suicide at 61; Sunday night’s Tony Awards broadcast; the opening weekend of theOcean’s 8 film; the Golden State Warriors sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers to claim the NBA title; and the Washington Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Detroit CHR WDZH “98.7 AMP Radio” names Chris Cruise and Julia Lepidi hosts of “The Morning Show with Cruise and Julia,” starting Monday June 18. They replace Jeff Daly and Josh Foreman, hosts of the “Rat & Puff” show. Cruise is a Detroit native who comes back to the Motor City after
having most recently served at Townsquare Media’s country KAWO, Boise “WOW 104.3.” Lepidi has been hosting evenings at
WDZH since 2015. Entercom Detroit president and market manager Debbie Kenyon comments, “As the leaders in live, local, original audio content, we are excited to bring our community a new show to tune in to while getting their day started. I’m looking forward to hearing Chris and Julia on air together. They have a chemistry that will have listeners laughing out loud and are sure to make for a great morning tandem. I look forward to their success in Detroit.”…..Cort Johnson returns to Alpha Media’s triple A KINK-FM, Portland to serve as afternoon drive host and
assistant program director. Johnson joined KINK and sister news/talk KXL in 2011. He’s most recently been a member of Alpha’s corporate digital content team. KINK content director Ronnie Stanton says, “I am so thrilled to work beside a talent like Cort who brings local knowledge, on-air and digital skills to the table and already understands and loves the intricacies of the KINK brand.”…..In Fredericksburg, Virginia, Alpha Media rebrands CHR WVBX-FM as “LIVE 99.3” from the “99.3 The Vibe” handle. Alpha Media Fredericksburg market manager Beth Vickers comments, “We are very excited to have launched a radio station in Fredericksburg that plays the hit music of today’s hottest artists. Alpha Fredericksburg continues to deliver top quality programming with local and live personalities.”…..In the Land of Lincoln, radio exec Pat Kelley is named market manager for Townsquare Media’s Rockford cluster. He’s been serving in the same capacity at the company’s Fort Collins, Colorado station group. Kelley had served as manager of WLFM-FM, Chicago when it aired smooth jazz…..Entercom announces the call letters WNYL-FM replace the WBMP-FM calls for alternative rock “ALT 92.3.”
Friday, April 1, 2016
Ronn Owens Move from KGO to KSFO the Tip of Iceberg of Changes at Cumulus San Francisco. The company has not issued an official statement about the changes other than to announce KGO legend Ronn Owens’ move from late mornings there to the afternoon drive
slot at sister KSFO, effective Monday (4/4). But there is much more going on, including what is reported be the dismissal of the majority of the news staff at KGO. One can assume the expense of KGO’s news department was one of the big reasons for the new programming direction. Nielsen Audio’s February PPM ratings saw
CBS RADIO’s all-news KCBS-AM finish #1 with a 6.2 share (6+) compared to KGO’s 1.8 share. There are more changes soon to be announced as Cumulus re-builds KGO and the addition of KSTE, Sacramento-based Armstrong & Getty to the KGO morning slot is one. The duo is moving from iHeartMedia’s crosstown KKSF, San Francisco where it’s been heard for the past few years. On the music side, Cumulus also let the air staff at triple A KFOG go, and is running without jocks as that station announces it is entering a “transformational time.” The station is expected to remain some sort of rock outlet.
Stephanie Miller to Assume Mornings at KKSF; Station Positioned as Progressive Talker. With the departure of Armstrong & Getty from the morning daypart at iHeartMedia’s KKSF, San Francisco “Talk 910” for mornings at KGO, the company announces WYD Media-syndicated
Stephanie Miller is the new morning drive personality. Speaking about the changes, iHM San Francisco SVP of programming Don Parker says, “The Bay Area is arguably the most progressive market in the nation. This move aligns ‘Talk 910’ with the predominant sentiment of the region in all prime dayparts, delivering compelling progressive or lifestyle content throughout the day.” The new lineup is: Stephanie Miller from 6:00 am to 10:00 am,
Gil Gross from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Cory (Callewaert) and Joel (Riddell) from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, “The Doghouse with JV & Elvis” (a.k.a. Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay) from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Los Angeles-based Mo’ Kelly from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Fox News Radio’s Alan Colmes from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Mo’ Kelly, a.k.a. Morris W. O’Kelly, hosts on weekends at iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles where he’s heard from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Presidential Race Tops the Talkers TenTM for Week of March 28-April 1. The activities of the candidates for president were once again the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the aftermath of the Brussels and Pakistan terror attacks. Coming in at #3 was the battle against Islamic State followed by European migrant troubles at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents an analysis of the performances of news/talk-formatted stations in PPM markets based on Nielsen Audio’s February 2016 survey. Yesterday, we published a report on the all-news format. IN this report, see how news/talk stations have progressed since the beginning of the presidential primary season last February. Last month, there were 15 news/talk outlets that ranked in the top 5 (6+) in their respective markets – four ranked #1: WSB-AM, Atlanta; WLW, Cincinnati; KSL, Salt Lake City; and WKXW, Trenton (Middlesex-Somerset-Union market). See charts showing fluctuations from February 2015, market share over the past six surveys, and comparing all-news and news/talk stations. Read it here.
’97.1 The Fan’ in Columbus Adds Local Show with Tim Hall & Beanie Wells. Columbus sports talker WBNS “97.1 The Fan” is moving former Ohio State and NFL running back Beanie Wells (right) into daylight to co-host the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show with Tim Hall (left). The duo had been hosting “The Buckeye Show,” airing evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Program director Jay Taylor tells WBNS-TV, “This is a great opportunity for our loyal and craving audience for get more local sports talk. It also brings another exciting layer to our team on the highest-rated ESPN affiliate in the country.”
New Early Morning Show Makes ESPN Radio Live 24 Hours on Weekdays. Monday’s launch of “First and Last with Lundberg & Golic Jr.” means the ESPN Radio schedule will be live round the clock on weekdays. The 4:00 am to 6:00 am show co-hosted by Robin Lundberg and Mike Golic Jr. will “recap the previous night’s highlights and delve into the coming day’s stories and will be preceded by a two-hour edition of ‘SportsCenter AllNight’ (2:00 am to 4:00 am).” ESPN audio network content VP David Roberts says, “We are constantly looking for new, aggressive ways of serving sports fans. Providing sports talk and information live, around the clock during the week underscores our commitment to offering our listeners another opportunity to engage with our network through a strong opinion-based program. Robin Lundberg and Mike Golic Jr. will set the table perfectly for our flagship franchise, ‘Mike and Mike.’”
FOX News Radio to Launch Willie Robertson Podcast. Reality television star Willie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame is the host of a new podcast series debuting on Monday (4/4). FOX News Radio says the weekly program will focus on faith and family along with occasional celebrity guest interviews. Robertson will also serve as a FOX News contributor. In conjunction with his role as CEO of Duck Commander, Robertson acts as both a television personality and executive producer for A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” and The Outdoor Channel’s “Buck Commander.” He has also co-written a New York Times bestseller titled, The Duck Commander Family with his wife, Korie Robertson.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Ed Baxter Named Midday Host at KKSF, San Francisco. Longtime market pro Ed Baxter is named the permanent 10:00 am to 1:00 pm host at iHeartMedia’s KKSF, San Francisco “Talk 910.” The Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer was a fixture on crosstown KGO for more than 30 years where he served as news anchor in both morning and afternoon drive slots. iHeartMedia San Francisco VP of programming Don Parker writes on the station’s website, “We are thrilled to add Ed Baxter to the ‘Talk 910’ lineup. Ed has a tremendous audience base from his many years on the air in the Bay Area, as well as a fantastic track record of success for advertisers. Our commitment to live and local talk throughout prime-time programming is unparalleled in the Bay, making ‘Talk 910’ San Francisco’s Talk Station.”
Jennifer Lipp to Leave KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno. Twenty-year Fresno market radio personality Jennifer Lipp is leaving her morning drive co-host role at Cumulus Media’s news/talk duo KMJ-AM and FM. The Fresno Bee reports that Lipp – who is partnered with John Broeske on the John and Jen show – and her family are moving from the area because her husband has accepted a position in Arkansas. The Philadelphia native also worked in the Fresno market at rhythmic oldies KFBT “The Beat 103.7” and rock KKBZ “The Blaze 105.1” before joining KMJ two years ago.
TALKERS Magazine to Present 2014 Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. On Friday (10/31), the editors of TALKERS magazine will present the third annual Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk – The 100 Most Important Sports Talk Radio Hosts in America. This list will rank sports talk hosts, duos or ensembles from 1 to 100, based upon a set of criteria that includes a combination of hard and soft factors. The genre of sports talk radio has evolved greatly and grown exponentially over the past 10 years to go from being a fringe format to an important sub-genre of spoken-word radio programming. With this in mind, the editors of TALKERS debuted the Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk in 2012 to acknowledge the hard-working air personalities on sports talk radio. The results of this list are, admittedly, subjective. Being true to the realities of the media business, ratings and revenue are two of the major factors – some would say they are the only factors worth considering – but the editors also took into account other qualities that help create a list that is reflective of the industry’s diversity and total flavor and still give credit where credit is due. Those qualities include: courage, effort, impact, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness. The other concrete qualification for inclusion is hosts must be working – that is, have a regularly scheduled professional show on the air at a minimum of one terrestrial or satellite radio station – at the time of publication. Look for this annual feature to be published at Talkers.com tomorrow!
Round Three of October PPM Data Released. The third of four rounds of October 2014 PPM data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Portland, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Orlando, and Columbus. The survey period was September 11 through October 8. TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo has all of the numbers from subscribing stations here. In addition, managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Ten Takeaways” from this batch of ratings on the main page at RadioInfo.com here.
Ramping Up to Election Day. Tuesday’s mid-term elections are right around the corner and “The Wall Street Journal This Morning” went to the iconic Independence Mall in Philadelphia to gauge how Americans are feeling about the economy, their wages, their job security, and their small businesses. Host Gordon Deal and news anchor Gina Cervetti will present comments from the people they talk to during special segments of the show on Monday and Tuesday in a feature called “Voices of the Voters.”
Odds & Sods. KBET, Las Vegas talk show host Heidi Harris is honored by being profiled in the 2014 edition of the Distinguished Women in Nevada publication. Harris, a longtime Las Vegas media personality, hosts the 6:00 pm hour on KBET…..WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (who recently re-upped with the CBS RADIO news/talk outlet) is being honored in chocolate! Gertrude Hawk Chocolates will issue “The Dom Bar.” The candy will have a picture of Giordano on the label that will say, “It’s Dom Time.”…..Westwood One announces that Mary Giesen has been hired to serve as vice president, sales planning. It’s a homecoming for Giesen, who previously worked at Westwood One in several sales planning capacities. Her responsibilities this time will include strategic development of the company’s sales initiatives, including management of commercial inventory; sales data; pricing; and performance.
New Online Hindi Radio Station Offering Music and Talk Shows Targeted to America’s Growing Indian Population. A new online radio station called Mera Sangeet (www.merasangeet.com), based in the Northridge area of Los Angeles and owned by its CEO, the dynamic Indian-born actress, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist Pooja Batra, is now streaming on the web with a wide variety of Hindi music and general interest (Indian issues and pop culture) talk shows. The station’s management, which also includes noted Bollywood film-maker Anshuvijay Rode, describes its target
audience (the Indian diaspora) as “the most affluent ethnic minority in the US.” Many of the station’s impressive lineup of on-air personalities, described as “RJs” (radio jockeys) include household names and stars from India’s show business and Bollywood (cinema) scene. The business model of the fledgling operation consists of two basic entities – the national Mera Sangeet LA stream that emanates from Los Angeles with the bulk of its programming and local franchises across the US (Mera Sangeet USA). The station is offering interested and qualified parties across the country the opportunity to invest in these local franchises which would involve generating a local programming and sales component to compliment the national content provided from Los Angeles. The station is also interested in meeting with potential general investors. Interested parties can call Anshuvijay Rode in LA at 323-203-7445.
KQTH, Tucson Raises $121,000-plus for Fisher House Foundation. On Wednesday (10/29), Journal Broadcast Group news/talk KQTH-FM, Tucson held a 12-hour radiothon to raise funds to help build a Fisher House at the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care Center. During the broadcast, the station helped bring in $121,178 for the cause. Pictured here celebrating the success of the event are (from left to right): KQTH producer Shane Dunn, program director and morning host Bill White, afternoon host James T. Harris and Arizona Fisher House vice chair Rick Grinnell. Other KQTH personalities who participated in the radiothon were Jon Justice, Ben Buehler Garcia and news anchor John Harper. Stations interested in learning how to support the Fisher House Foundation which provides housing for veterans and the families of military personnel being treated at military hospitals can contact Marshall Adams at radio@fisherhouse.org.
Special Election Night Guest. Posing for a photo with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (right) is Salem Radio Network vice president/news & talk programming Tom Tradup (left). Both share a laugh over an Obama t-shirt. The two got together in advance of Tuesday night’s marathon mid-term election coverage on the network in which Cruz will play a role as one of a number of high-profile guests who will join anchor (and SRN-syndicated talk show host) Hugh Hewitt that evening.
Domestic Ebola Cases, Mid-Term Elections, Battle Against ISIS, 2016 Presidential Hopefuls, and World Series Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/29). The domestic Ebola cases and controversy surrounding quarantine policies; next Tuesday’s mid-term elections and the possibility of a majority change in the U.S. Senate; the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and the cases of Western youths joining the militant Islamic organization; the potential candidates for president in 2016; and the Royals-Giants World Series were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, December 6, 2013
NEW Rosters Coming to SF Talk Outlets. In the banner story first published yesterday (see next item), TALKERS detailed Clear Channel‘s plans for significant changes involving heritage Los Angeles talker KFI and under-performing sibling KTLK-AM – which will be re-branded as “The Patriot.” The City of Angels, however, is not the only locale where the company is mixing things up with its talk properties. As of the first of the year, modified talent lineups will surface on a pair of Clear Channel San Francisco facilities. Changes on “960 KNEW” will include Rush Limbaugh on from 9:00 am – 12:00 Noon, Sean Hannity 12:00 Noon – 3:00 pm, and Andy Dean from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm; Glenn Beck will
continue to air in morning drive (6:00 am – 9:00 am). Casts from Fox News Radio will air at the top and bottom of every hour. Down the dial five clicks to the left on “910 KKSF,” Armstrong & Getty will add an hour (6:00 am – 10:00 am); Frosty Stilwell moves to 10:00 am -1:00 pm; and Randi Rhodes (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) segues from KNEW. Gil Gross will remain in his afternoon drive slot (3:00 pm – 7:00 pm). Vice president of programming Don Parker comments, “We are excited to continue to grow the live and local programming on ‘Talk 910’ with the expansion of Armstrong & Getty. We are also thrilled to welcome the Bay Area’s leading midday talk personality, Randi Rhodes, to ‘Talk 910.’ The new lineup on ‘960 KNEW’ will be a destination for conservative listeners who follow America’s top personalities – all in one place.” Among persons 6+ this November (PPM), KKSF-AM ranked #17 (2.1, +.1 from October’s 2.0), while KNEW finished at #31 (flat from October’s .4).
Clear Channel Los Angeles Blows Up Progressive Talk KTLK; Creates New Conservative Talker. Progressive talk radio takes another blow as Clear Channel Media + Entertainment prepares to flip KTLK, Los Angeles to “The Patriot AM 1150” in the New Year with the following lineup: Glenn Beck, Rush
Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, PM drive TBA, and Clark Howard. That leaves a midday hole at sister KFI (Limbaugh airs there from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon right now) as the station moves Bill Carroll to the 10:00 am
to 1:00 pm slot leaving the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm show host TBA for now. In a statement, program director Robin Bertolucci says, “Los Angeles is one of the most dynamic radio markets in the United States and we want to present the best of talk radio from across the spectrum. These changes are designed to give our current and future programming a home where listeners can find and enjoy their favorite talk show hosts.” Some of the current KTLK air talent will remain with the company. PM drive host David Cruz will still talk local issues Saturdays from 12:00 to 2:00 pm on KTLK. Cruz will also join the KFI news team, reporting local news for the station in addition to his weekend community show. Mo’ Kelly adds another weekend edition of his program to the KFI weekend schedule. His show will air on both Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The move takes Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes and Bill Press off the schedule.
KOGO, San Diego PD Cliff Albert’s Status in Question. The local radio blog SanDiegoRadio.org is reporting that sources tell it longtime KOGO, San Diego program director Cliff Albert (along with talk host Steve Yuhas) has left the building. This has not been confirmed and Albert’s “Cliff’s Notes” commentary on the KOGO website is still active – often a dismissed staffer’s likeness and content are purged upon leaving. Albert has been programming KOGO for the past 17 years.
Steve Murphy to Retire from WCCO, Minneapolis. After 33 years with the station, morning anchor and managing editor Steve Murphy is retiring from the CBS Radio news/talk station at the end of the year. Murphy says that his wife recently retired from her nursing job and he’s ready to hang up the headphones and stay up past 7:30 in the evening. CBS Minneapolis SVP and market manager Mick Anselmo says, “He’ll be sorely missed. Steve is a wonderful example of a professional radio journalist with a great sense of news, a confident, soothing but direct delivery and an uncompromising work ethic that will be difficult to duplicate.” Murphy himself made the news last month after getting mugged and beaten while on the way to work at 2:30 am. He says that incident had no impact on his decision but rather the idea of sleeping past 2:30 am was a huge factor.
Lincoln Financial Media Appoints Prain DOS in Miami. Lincoln Financial Media announces broadcast pro and media sales consultant Jim Prain is named director of sales for the company’s Miami cluster that includes: AC WLYF, “LITE 101.5,” classic hits WMXJ, “MAGIC 102.7,” and sports talk WAXY-AM/FM “104.3 The Ticket.” LFM Miami SVP and general manager Maureen Lesourd states, “I have had the privilege to know Jim throughout his career and find him a highly credible, accountable and strategic thinker. His leadership will help propel our sales effort to meet the growing demands of our clientele and maximize all the on air, online and social media assets we have to offer.” Prain’s media career includes 25-plus years of media management experience in major and large markets, including positions at companies such as ABC, ABC/Cap Cities and Cox Media. He also invested two years as a small business owner in Detroit, where he launched a power sports company. Prain comments, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Maureen and LFM CEO Don Benson over the years and feel this is the perfect fit for me professionally and personally. My passion for helping our customers, combined with the recent benefits of owning a small business, affords me a unique perspective on both sides of the marketing equation. I’m excited to get started.”
Norm Pattiz and PodcastOne Featured in Bloomberg Businessweek Piece. Westwood One founder and current chairman and CEO of Courtside Entertainment Group and subsidiary PodcastOne, Norm Pattiz, is featured in a piece in Bloomberg Businessweek where he projects revenue from podcasts for his company will reach $8 million for this year. He expects that figure to hit $15 million in 2014. The piece includes more figures: Pattiz says his 200 programs on PodcastOne are averaging 100 million downloads per month and have attracted advertising attention from such corporations as Ford Motor, 21st Century Fox’s Fox, Walt Disney’s ABC, and Hulu.com. Read the entire piece here.
Odds & Sods. Sports talk host Dan Sileo – most recently with WMEN, West Palm Beach – is doing holiday fill-in work at Broadcast Company of the Americas-owned sports talker XEPRS, San Diego “Mighty 1090.” Sileo – who’s also worked at WQAM, Miami and WDAE, Tampa, to name a few – tells TALKERS magazine he’ll be doing morning drive (6:00 am to 9:00 am) from December 23 through 31…..Former WPGB, Pittsburgh morning team Jim Quinn and Rose Tennent hosted a live broadcast in conjunction with a Toy Treasures charity event at a Pittsburgh-area hair salon this morning. The pair signed copies of their book, Thanking Our Soldiers…..Galaxy Communications-owned classic rock duo WTKW, Bridgeport, New York and WTKV, Oswego, New York (Syracuse market) sign up with CBS Radio to be the local affiliate for New York Yankees baseball for the 2014 season.
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. Premiere Networks’ Sean Hannity becomes part of KTLK, Los Angeles’ lineup in the New Year…..“Free Talk Live” with Ian Freeman and Mark Edge joins the programming lineup at WMEL, Melbourne, Florida…..Genesis Communications Network-syndicated “Freedom Feens” with Michael W. Dean and Neema Vedadi is added to the program schedule at WKVL, Knoxville and KINX-FM, Great Falls, Montana.
ObamaCare Criticism Tops Talkers TenTM for Week of December 2-6. Criticism of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act was again the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week. At #2 was the decline in support for President Obama from the Millennial generation. Following at #3 was the Rush Limbaugh–Pope Francis Marxism flap followed by the Iran nuclear weapons talks and the NSA cell phone location database story tied at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS and is published every Friday at Talkers.com. To view this week’s entire chart, click here.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
FM Talk Winning in PM Drive with Alan Cox Show on Cleveland’s Legendary Rocker WMMS-FM. The Alan Cox show is quietly defying the conventional wisdom about what talk targeting younger demos on FM is all about. Ensconced in afternoon drive on Clear Channel’s legendary rock outlet WMMS-FM, Cleveland, Cox’s success is not a widely told tale in the radio industry, in part because it doesn’t appear to be a piece of a corporately directed programming puzzle with companywide ambitions. Cox credits local management for daring to be innovative with spoken-word programming outside the realms of news/talk and sports talk. “’MMS, everybody knows, is a legendary station and management had the foresight to realize music on FM is kind of going away and to see if it can work with two talk products and it has worked amazingly well. The foresight that brought them to try this hybrid station also makes them realize that you have to honor the heritage the station has but everything has to move forward.” Read this entire story here.
Gil Gross Replaces Gene Burns in PM Drive at KKSF, San Francisco. Talk radio legend Gene Burns is not going away from Clear Channel Media and Entertainment San Francisco as he continues to rehab from a stroke he suffered last December but cluster director of operations Don Parker gives the PM drive slot to Gil Gross, who’s been one of those filling in for Burns since January. Parker states, “I’m thrilled to have Gil Gross aboard full time for the Bay Area’s only live and local afternoon drive talk show. With his extensive background in network news, everyone in news/talk radio knows the name Gil Gross. I couldn’t be happier to have KKSF be his new home. NewsTalk 910 has been very fortunate to have the highest caliber of talent filling in for Gene Burns since January. I’d like to thank John Rothman, Ed Baxter and Rosie Allen for their contributions and for continuing to play a role on NewsTalk 910 moving forward.” Burns will continue to blog at newstalk910.com and his Saturday “Dining Around” program will remain on the program schedule with Joel Riddell hosting . Additionally, John Rothman is named the station’s political analyst. He’ll contribute to the station’s talk shows and newscasts as well as serve as host for KKSF’s 2012 election coverage. Baxter and Allen will remain with the station for fill-in and blogging duties. On his new position, Gross states, “I am thrilled to keep the live, local talk flame alive in the Bay area. From the Occupy movement to Oscar Grant or the struggles of our economy, it’s important for the Bay area to have a platform to discuss today’s most pressing topics. I look forward to having my friend and colleague, Gene Burns, back in the line-up. I also look forward to building the future at NewsTalk 910, a unique station that will not be one point of view all day long.”
Tony Kornheiser Negotiating for Long-Term Deal to Remain on WTEM, Washington. Washington, DC-based sports media personality Tony Kornheiser tells his audience he hopes to be assured his radio talk show will be heard on Red Zebra’s WTEM – ESPN 980 for “another two years, at least.” The Washington Post reports director of programming Chuck Sapienza hinted the two sides are negotiating, quoting him saying, “Our goal has always been to have Tony with ESPN 980 long term, and we hope to have an official announcement soon.” Kornheiser will take much of the summer off from his radio show telling his audience he will do a few weeks of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” but will not do radio in July or August.
Terry Gross Celebrates 25 Years of National Syndication for “Fresh Air.” Tomorrow “Fresh Air” host Terry Gross will celebrate her 25th anniversary in national syndication via NPR. Gross began the program on WHYY-FM, Philadelphia – where the show is still based – in 1975. Gross tells the Philadelphia Daily News’ Dan Gross (no relation), “I fell in love with radio the moment I started doing it. I still find it a privilege to be able to talk to and engage in a pretty personal level with people whose work I respect.” Surprisingly for some, Gross tells the paper she counts Howard Stern among those whom she’d like to interview but has not. She says she’s a fan of his radio show.
Carmichael Dave Out at KHTK, Sacramento. The producer and sidekick to morning host and PD Don Geronimo and host of his own midday show exits the CBS Radio sports outlet. His tweets about his exit are vague but it appears Carmichael Dave is the victim of a budget-related maneuver. He tweets, “As of today I am no longer a part of CBS Radio…I’m getting a lot of response that this was contract related. I asked for nothing. I can’t go into details. Just know that I love the station and the people.” The station is airing DirecTV/Premiere’s Dan Patrick show in middays.
Analysis: The Legal Basis for the Bob Lonsberry Decision. TALKERS legal editor Steven J.J. Weisman reviews the recent ruling by the Appellate Division, Fourth Department of New York in the defamation case filed against WHAM, Rochester talk show host Bob Lonsberry. Weisman writes that for talk hosts who make a living expressing their opinions, it’s important to note that “not all opinion is protected, but when it is made about a matter of public concern, the speaker is protected by the First Amendment.” Read Steven J.J. Weisman’s piece here.
Odds ‘n’ Sods. CBS Radio names Brian Thomas vice president of programming for its Tampa cluster that includes sports talk WQYK – 1010AM Sports…..Syndicated Solutions, Inc. begins distribution of Chuck Woolery’s “Save Us Chuck” political commentary feature on June 4. The game show legend states, “I started in radio and just love it! During all my years on television, I’ve come to realize that radio is truly the only medium where I can connect one-on-one with the audience and help to create real change.”…..CBS Radio’s KNX, Los Angeles visits the foothill cities of the San Gabriel Valley as part of its “KNX on Your Corner” remote broadcast series. The broadcast will emanate from the Monrovia Coffee Company in the heart of Old Town Monrovia on June 1…..WTKK-FM, Boston midday talk host Doug Meehan’s listeners are launching a campaign to get the host an on-air audition with Kelly Ripa on ABC TV’s “Live! With Kelly.” Meehan has recorded his pitch to be on the show and posted it on WTKK’s website. He’s encouraging listeners to visit the “Live! With Kelly” website touting Meehan for a shot at a guest host appearance…..Former WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte regular fill-in host Wayne Powers wins his primary contest for a seat on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.
First Caller Puts Curse on New Talk Show Host. What a way to start a new gig! Gregg Henson, the station’s program director who replaced afternoon drive host Pat Miller on WOWO, Fort Wayne, was greeted with a first call that sounded like something out of a Steven King novel. Not only did the listener with a heavy accent voice his disapproval of Henson and insult him by saying he is “a snake” who “doesn’t bring anything to the table” — he went on to actually put a curse on him! Check THIS out. Listen to the audio here.
2012 Presidential Race, Obama Gay Marriage Issue, Feds to Sue Arizona Sheriff Arpaio, and Putin Snubs Obama Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/9). The 2012 presidential campaign, President Obama’s change of heart on the gay marriage issue, the federal lawsuit being filed against Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s backing out of meeting with President Obama and the G-8 were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Media Veteran and Fenway Park Announcer Carl Beane Dies in Auto Crash. Fenway Park’s voice of the Boston Red Sox, Carl Beane, died Wednesday at age 59 after suffering a heart attack and crashing his car while driving. Beane won the Fenway Park gig after the 2002 season. He was a radio sports announcer, talk host, news reporter and more during his long career. In addition to stringing for AP, ESPN and SiriusXM, Beane had worked at WBZ, Boston and spent many years in the 1990s working at then talk/music hybrid WESO, Southbridge.