Tag: "Eric Johnson"
Monday, June 29, 2020
Monday Memo: Curing the Radio Advertising Pandemic. “Local-Local-Local” has been the desperate plea of programmers, as corporate bloodletting whacked station staffs. In this week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke debriefs an independent station owner – in the eye of the storm in Texas – who weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than absentee-owned competitors, with a grassroots sales strategy focused on the service retailers deemed “essential” during the shutdown. Read it here.
COVID-19 Statistics & Projections, Russia-Taliban Bounties Allegation, Presidential Race/Trump ‘White Power’ Tweet, Black Lives Matter Movement, Confederate & Colonial-Era Statues/Mississippi Flag Change, BET Awards, and Sports Leagues Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The spike in COVID-19 cases in Sun Belt states, the total cases around the globe, and projections for future cases; the report that Russia offered bounties to Taliban fighters for killing American soldiers; the November presidential election and President Trump’s tweet including a supporter shouting, “White power!”; the protests organized by and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement; the controversy over the status of Confederate and Colonial-era statues and Mississippi’s state flag change; Sunday’s BET Awards show; and the state of professional and college sports leagues as they attempt to launch or re-start 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: The Great Ones Have This Trait. Sales and marketing consultant Steve Lapa, president of Lapcom Communications, writes in today’s column that more important than product knowledge, planning & organizational skills, and a “Rolodex” of contacts, is one trait that the best salespeople share: Enthusiasm. So, how do you stay enthusiastic during these challenging times? Lapa offers three tips in his column you can read here.
FOX News Channel Welcomes Will Cain. As had been predicted, Will Cain’s exit from ESPN and his ESPN Radio show on Friday (6/26) is being followed by his joining FOX News Channel as co-host of “FOX & Friends Weekend” (Saturdays & Sundays 6:00
am to 10:00 am ET). Cain will make his official debut on Saturday, August 15 alongside co-hosts Jedediah Bila and Pete Hegseth. FNC VP of morning programming Gavin Hadden says, “Will has a unique ability to connect with an audience on a wide variety of topics and will make an excellent addition to the ‘FOX & Friends’ franchise.” Cain, who was a political analyst for CNN and co-hosted “In the Arena” with Eliot Spitzer prior to joining ESPN, says, “I am excited to join the team at ‘FOX & Friends Weekend’ and look forward to building upon my experience in sports, news, and politics on the number one morning show in the country.”
Eric Johnson Named Program Director at AC WJBR-FM, Wilmington. Programming pro Eric “EJ” Johnson is named program director for Beasley Media Group’s Wilmington, Delaware adult contemporary WJBR-FM. Johnson was most
recently PD at the company’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic,” a position he left last November. Prior to that he spent almost 20 years programming news/talk WKXW, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5.” In his new role, Johnson will be in charge of content for WJBR-FM’s on-air and digital platforms as well as hosting the afternoon drive show. He says, “Thank you to Joe Bell, Justin Chase, and Bruce Beasley for bringing me back to the family. I’m looking forward to working with the Beasley management team and the talented staff at ‘Mix 99.5’ WJBR in serving our listeners and the community! The station has such a rich heritage in Wilmington and the tri-state area and has a tremendous signal. We will make it shine!”
Newsmax TV Live on fuboTV. Cable television news channel Newsmax TV joins the channel lineup on fubo Standard – the basic package of live streaming TV platform fuboTV. The package offers subscribers more than 100 sports, news, and
entertainment channels. Newsmax TV SVP of content distribution Andrew Biggers says, “fuboTV is offering TV viewers an exciting and growing platform for watching content across genres — news, sports, and entertainment. Newsmax is happy to bring a fresh voice to their subscribers, especially when demand for news is so strong.” fuboTV’s Mihir Shah comments, “Adding Newsmax to the fuboTV platform will give our users access to even more news programming, which is critical during these times as cord-cutters are looking for a variety of both national and local news to stay informed.”
Chris Jones Promoted to SVP of Sales for iHeartMedia Atlanta. Rising from his general sales manager post at iHeartMedia’s Atlanta cluster to senior vice
president of sales is Chris Jones. He’ll oversee all sales operations for the Atlanta market and report to iHeartMedia Atlanta market president Justin Schaflander. Jones states, “Atlanta has been my home for 38 years, having grown up in Lithonia, attending UGA and residing in Marietta with my beautiful bride, Shell, and my two amazing daughters, Maggie and Kate Belle. I am blessed to have called Atlanta home. I love everything that is Atlanta — the energy, excitement, and diversity. I am excited to lead the charge for iHeartMedia Atlanta and the incredibly talented group of sellers, support, talent, and leadership I get to work alongside.”
TALKERS News Notes. Former University of South Carolina and NFL player Rick Sanford announces he’s leaving the South Carolina syndicated radio program
“SportsTalk” due to worsening effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The State reports that Sanford addressed his listeners on Friday (6/26) saying he’s leaving the talk program he co-hosts with Phil Kornblut and Matt Smith because the neurocognitive disorder from which he suffers makes it difficult to perform his duties on the radio. “I struggle with keeping my train of thought, finding the right words, and remembering how to do things. My fuse has gotten shorter and my filter has lessened… This is a progressive condition and the time has now come for me to 
step away from the (microphone).”…..Red Apple Media’s TALKRADIO 77 WABC in New York is partnering with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to present the “All American Weekend” on Saturday, July 4, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm (and replayed on 7/5 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm). WABC says, “The show harkens back to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll when 77 WABC was a music station and its catchy jingle was known to every New Yorker.” The show is being hosted by DJ Vinnie Medugno and will feature former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani conducting special interviews with Tunnel to Towers heroes…..Entercom
says that its Podcast Network is the “top commercial network for the second month in a row, according to Triton. From May 11 through June 7, the network had more than 22.6 million average weekly downloads… In addition, Triton’s latest four-week ranker featured 22 shows from Entercom’s Podcast Network in the Top 100, the most of any publisher for the third month in a row despite new networks joining the report.” Entercom notes that “Pod Save America” was its highest-ranking show at #9.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Over the weekend, Vuolo Video’s Art Vuolo alerted TALKERS magazine that legendary Boston disc jockey Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg passed away at the age of 93. Vuolo
says Ginsburg was a broadcast engineer at both WBOS and WBCN but he is best known for his work as night jock on WRKO and WMEX. Ginsburg’s show was called “The Night Train” and the train whistle sound effect gave him his nickname, “Woo Woo.” Later in his career he was EVP of Pyramid Broadcasting, which owned WXKS-FM “Kiss 108 FM.” Vuolo archived the WRKO reunion that took place in 2017. You can see that video here…..iHeartMedia moves WZEE, Madison “Z104” afternoon host, MD and APD Sean Strife to the company’s Detroit cluster to serve as afternoon host and APD/MD at CHR WKQI “Channel 95.5.”
Friday, June 26, 2020
Chuck Damico Named Program Director for Philadelphia Sports Talker ‘97.5 The Fanatic.’ Six months after programming pro Eric Johnson exited the program director role at Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5
The Fanatic,” the company announces it is promoting programmer Chuck Damico to the position, effective immediately. Damico has most recently been serving as PD for sister adult hits WBEN-FM and as APD for rock WMMR-FM. He will continue to serve as the APD at WMMR-FM 
as well as consult with WBEN-FM until a permanent replacement is announced. Beasley Philadelphia VP and market manager Joe Bell says, “Chuck was the perfect person to take the helm at ‘The Fanatic.’ He is an outside-the-box thinker who knows the market, the listeners, the staff, and is a life-long Philly sports fan! He will do a great job taking the station to the next level and beyond!” Eric Camille, who has been filling in as the interim program director, will continue serving as assistant program director and operations manager of the station.
Hochman and Entercom Strike Contract Extension Deal. South Florida sports talk radio personality Marc Hochman renews his deal with Entercom to continue his role on its Miami sports talk stations WAXY “AM 790 The Ticket” and WQAM
“560 The Joe.” He co-hosts the “Hochman and Crowder” program with Channing Crowder that airs from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on WAXY and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on WQAM. Entercom South Florida SVP and market manager Keriann Worley says, “Marc is a staple in the Miami sports media scene and brings a dynamic repertoire to our weekday sports talk programming on both ‘The Ticket’ and ‘The Joe.’ With four flagship partnerships between the two stations, the lack of live sports has created a unique challenge in programming, but Marc and Channing have continued to inform, entertain and engage with listeners. We look forward to more in the years to come.” Hochman joined WQAM as an afternoon drive host in 2013 after spending the previous 10 years as executive producer of “The Dan Le Batard Show” on AM 790 The Ticket. “Hochman and Crowder” has been heard on both stations via simulcast since 2019.
NOW POSTED: New Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The vibrant, one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS magazine, is now posted. The new episode titled “Masking the Truth!” looks back at this past week of June 22-26, 2020 and features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, talk show host, Compass Media Networks; Robyn Walensky, talk show host, KWAM, Memphis; Holland Cooke, media consultant/talk show host, RT America; Ron Hartenbaum, broadcast talent manager/marketing executive; and Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company. This acclaimed news/talk radio show airs each week on its flagship, WONK-FM, Washington, DC, Friday evenings at 6:00 pm ET. It also airs throughout the weekend on WRKO, Boston; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD (“Freedom 93.7”), Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; KBKW, Aberdeen, WA; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; Pioneer Valley Radio in Springfield, MA; Podcast Radio, UK and many more. To listen to this week ’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.
TALKERS News Notes. The New York Post reports that ESPN Radio has inked a deal with Keyshawn Johnson – currently co-hosting the “Keyshawn, LZ & Travis”
show on ESPN O&O KSPN, Los Angeles – to take over the morning show daypart on the ESPN Radio network. That would mean the end of the “Golic & Wingo” morning show co-hosted by longtime morning personality Mike Golic and Trey Wingo. Andrew Marchand’s piece in the Post indicates ESPN has not decided on co-hosts or cast mates for Johnson yet but says the show should launch in August…..Townsquare Media’s news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” is honored with three 
awards from the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists. Reporter Dino Flammia won third place for the Herbert Morrison Award for best audio story, for his series on child mental health, giving parents actionable information about options for getting their children help. Eric Scott, director of special projects, afternoon anchor Patrick Lavery, digital operations specialist Dan Alexander, and digital managing editor Louis C. Hochman shared second place for the Gabe Pressman Award for best news video for 2019’s “Opioids and Addiction” town hall. Statehouse correspondent Michael Symons won third place for the Tim O’Brien award for best use of public records, for “New Jersey’s incredibly shrinking property tax relief program.”…..ESPN reports that during the month of May, ESPN Podcasts experienced 44.2 million downloads, the seventh month in the last eight with a total of 40 million or more. The number represents an 11% increase over the previous month and a year-over-year increase of 32%. In addition, the average ESPN listener downloaded 8.62 podcast episodes in May, up 40% over last year. ESPN’s unique podcast audience is verified by Podtrac and download totals by Rawvoice…..iHeartMedia and youth media company VICE Media Group announce
the launch of a weekly investigative series “covering critical news subjects from around the world” titled “VICE News Reports.” The series is being co-produced by iHeartRadio and VICE News. The companies say, “The year-round weekly series will feature in-depth, on-the-ground reportage, tapping into VICE’s extensive global network of diverse, award-winning journalists, offering rare access audio that brings the listener directly into the story unlike any other program.”…..Entercom-owned podcast producer Cadence13 unveils C13Features, “a groundbreaking podcast feature studio focused on creating a wide-ranging slate of compelling feature-length stories of all genres that appeal to a wide audience.” It goes on to say, “C13Features will use a traditional Hollywood blockbuster movie creative approach to construct audio features at scale. The objective is to develop a brand-new experience of storytelling to the podcast listening universe, while also creating an incubator for a new kind of IP, attractive for film and television.”…..iHeartMedia Tampa Bay announces an agreement with the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee to be their exclusive local radio partner for Super Bowl LV in February 2021. As part of the broadcast agreement, iHeartMedia Tampa Bay will work with the Super Bowl LV Host Committee to support and promote Super Bowl LV initiatives and activations, including events and fan experiences as well as distribute news and information across all nine locally owned-and-operated iHeartMedia radio stations, digital platforms and social media channels…..“Tell Me What to Do with Jaime Primak Sullivan,” the seventh weekly podcast series from the Lemonada Media podcast network, launched yesterday (6/25). Sullivan, star of Bravo’s “Jersey Belle” and bestselling author of The Southern Education of a Jersey Girl (Touchstone, 2016) offers advice to listeners in what Lemonada calls an “edgy audio advice column” delving into topics such as “marital stressors and parenting challenges to developing self-love and taking ownership of our sex lives.”
COVID-19 Statistics and Projections Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 22-26. The rising number of COVID-19 cases in some states and projections for future outbreaks of the illness combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the state of health care during the pandemic and the debate over the efficacy of wearing masks in public. Coming in at #3 is a tie between race relations, police reform, the removal of Confederate and Colonial-era statues, and the NASCAR ‘Noose” case, followed by the presidential race, President Trump’s rallies, the primary elections, and former national security adviser John Bolton’s book all tied at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
NEED A GUEST? We’ve Got Some Good Ones for You at ‘Expert Guests.’ Talk media hosts, producers, and bookers are advised to check out the newly expanded “Expert Guests” section of TALKERS. It is updated on a regular basis with outstanding experts and personalities available by telephone, Skype, or Zoom for booking on radio, TV, and online talk shows. This week you’ll find a wide array of guests that includes widely acclaimed Germany-based Hungarian progressive jazz-rock musician Leslie Mandoki and The Epoch Times leading edge investigative reporter on Communist China, Joshua Philipp. There are also guest commentators on diversity management, school and campus safety, as well as keeping Zoom events secure and private – plus a whole lot more. To visit “Expert Guests,” please click here.
Saga Seeks News/Talk Programmer. Saga Communications holds every one of our news/talk stations in extremely high regard. Our 11 AM/FM news/talkers have been and remain a most important part of Saga’s large portfolio of stations. They are near and dear to Saga president/CEO Ed Christian’s heart with a love and passion for the format that is truly eternal. Saga has a rare opening for a focused
and skilled news/talk program director at WHCU in Ithaca, New York. The Cayuga Radio Group has a total of 10 outstanding radio stations in virtually every format and is led by president/GM extraordinaire Chet Osadchey and our terrific operations manager Chris Allinger. Check out Ithaca! It’s home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation such as Ithaca College and Ivy League member Cornell University. Looking to make a difference in one of the most beautiful parts of the country? We want to hear from you. Send your materials, including cover and resume, to operations director Chris Allinger at callinger@cyradiogroup.com. Join one of the premiere broadcast companies in the world. Saga is an EOE. No calls please.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. A virtual, fundraising event designed to honor the community and benefit first responders who have withstood and continue to endure through the COVID-19 pandemic is being presented on July 2 at 7:00 pm ET by Reach Media and Radio One. Titled, “A Night of Inspiration,” it’s being hosted by Reach Media personalities Erica
Campbell, Willie Moore Jr., and Darlene McCoy. Radio One EVP of business affairs and entertainment Gary Bond says, “‘The Night of Inspiration’ at its essence is about taking an inspirational moment and turning that into hours, days, weeks, and years of positive action during these unprecedented times. In this COVID-19 climate of social distancing and limited gatherings, we’re coming to people where they are, right in the living room, by bringing a spectacular night of entertainment to uplift, edify, and renew us all as agents of change.”…..Tonight (6/26) at 8:00 pm ET, more than 60 affiliate stations that air Premiere Networks’ “The Sweat Hotel” with Keith Sweat, will hear R&B legend Brian McKnight give a special, remote performance for fans as part of the “Keith Sweat Presents the iHeartRadio R&B Live Concert Series.”.….Non-commercial triple A WYMS-FM, Milwaukee announces that its Backline grant and educational initiative for local musicians is continuing its 12-week accelerator program with the $20,000 grants despite the challenges of the pandemic. It announces the four Spring 2020 Backline artists are: Bisca Rae (FKA Liza Jane), an Anti-pop singer-songwriter; Cameron Jarrell Henderson, better known as Lorde Fredd33 (pronounced “Lord Freddy”), who’s made a name for himself by releasing a fusion of work that touches the bases of folk, alternative, and hip hop; Cameron Williams, also known as Cam Will, is a rap/hip hop artist who left behind his full-ride D1 athletic scholarship to channel his work ethic and determination into his passion for music full-time; and So Zuppy who is the solo music project from multimedia artist and producer Micah Foust…..Key Networks nationally syndicated country radio host Shawn Parr is pictured below with the staff of Jasper on the Air Inc’s country WQKZ, Jasper, Indiana, the newest affiliate station for his “Shawn Parr’s Across the Country” program.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Entercom Q4 2019 Net Revenue Up 1%; Full Year 2019 Up 1.9%. Releasing its 2019 fourth quarter and full-year financial data, Entercom Communications reports 2019 Q4 net revenue was $414.1 million, an increase of 1% over the same period in 2018. For the full year of 2019, Entercom reports net revenue of $1.49
billion, an increase of 1.9% over 2018. Entercom president and CEO David Field states, “I am pleased to report that Entercom achieved its fifth consecutive 
quarter of growth, completing a year in which the company delivered strong financial performance as net revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net income per share grew 2% (3% ex-political), 10%, and 19%, respectively. Our significant investments in podcasting, digital, and data and analytics, along with the expansion of our sports, networks and events businesses, are beginning to reshape our company and position us for sustained growth as we enhance our integrated, multi-platform offerings to advertisers increasingly interested in the undervalued and emerging audio space.”
ABC Audio Names Eric Johnson Director and Executive Producer of Podcast Programming. News and broadcast producer Eric Johnson is named to the director and executive producer of podcast programming for ABC Audio, effective in mid-March. ABC Audio vice president and general manager Stacia Philips
Deshishku says Johnson – who most recently served as senior broadcast producer at “Good Morning America” – “is an award-winning producer with a knack for storytelling who’s touched nearly every part of ABC News over his 13-year career here. His strong relationships throughout the news division, coupled with his impressive experience in long-form and news programming, will make him a great asset to our 
flourishing podcast division. In his new role Eric will build on the success of our existing podcasts and help design a fresh powerhouse podcast network. He will strategically gather and organize podcast ideas and harness the talent, resources, and storytelling ability available across ABC News and Walt Disney Television.” Johnson was honored with a duPont Award as co-producer of Diane Sawyer’s interview with Caitlyn Jenner and has won multiple Emmy Awards for projects including his role as senior producer of ABC News’ Town Hall “The President and the People: Race in America.”
Calendar Boy. WPHT, Philadelphia mid-morning star Dom Giordano (above) is the creator and “host” of a 2020 wall calendar geared specifically to fans of the station, news/talk radio listeners and the local business community. The idea started several years ago, when Giordano, a former educator, noticed that important events in American history such as the invasion of Pearl Harbor were left off most commercially produced calendars. He then designed a calendar that not only includes a variety of such events but recognizes talk radio hosts and other items of specific interest to the listening audience. Giordano appears on a number of pages dressed in period costumes further adding color to the collectable piece. The calendar, monetized by local sponsors who are also featured in its pages, is distributed free to listeners as a highly sought premium at WPHT events.
Newsmax TV Appoints Jason Villar VP of Research and Analysis. Marketing pro Jason Villar joins Newsmax TV as vice president of research and analysis. In this position, Villar will head up data, market, and ratings analysis, and work closely with
the company’s advertising and programming departments. Villar had been serving as vice president of media and market research for FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, and FOX Digital for the last 10-plus years. Newsmax CRO and EVP of national advertising Sam Moser says, “Jason was responsible for much of FOX’s forward-thinking research approach and we’re delighted he’s joined Newsmax TV to help make us America’s No. 1 choice for news.”
TALKERS News Notes. Topeka’s KMAJ-AM “The Big Talker” adds the KSTE,
Sacramento-based, syndicated “Armstrong & Getty Show” to its program schedule for the 8:00 am to 11:00 am daypart. The show says this move “continues the homecoming tour for Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. They were each born in the Midwest and they met when working separately in radio in Salina, Kansas. They became a team when hired in Wichita and began their conservative talk show when they moved to KSTE-AM.” KMAJ-AM is a Cumulus 
Media station…..WHO, Des Moines afternoon drive talk show host Simon Conway will also be heard on iHeartMedia’s WOC, Quad Cities beginning tomorrow (2/26). Conway’s program is also heard on the company’s WMT, Cedar Rapids. Conway says, “What an honor it is for me to now be live on both of President Ronald Reagan’s first radio stations. I’m excited to hear from the WOC audience in Iowa and Illinois.”…..Hubbard Radio’s sports talk WXOS-FM, St. Louis is bringing St. Louis Cardinals television play-by-play personality Dan McLaughlin aboard as lead Cardinals contributor. In this role he’ll offer daily reports, interviews, and a one-hour weekly show, as well as filling in on other shows year-round. Station operations manager and brand content director Tommy Mattern says, “I am extremely excited that Dan has joined the staff at ‘101 ESPN.’ It’s so important to increase our coverage of St. Louis Cardinals baseball and having the voice of the team contribute on multi-platforms is invaluable.”…..Cumulus Media’s Westwood One and Prologue Projects are producing a new podcast titled, “5-4,” presenting “an irreverent take on the U.S. Supreme Court’s past.” Each episode focuses on a pivotal case in which the justices make one of the most important decisions in recent memory – dissecting it from every angle and tearing it apart. The first episode tackles Bush v. Gore. Future episodes take on the Supreme Court’s decisions on campaign finance, affirmative action, voting rights, and stop and frisk…..Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Chicago District Golfer magazine editor Barry Cronin is the new co-host of the Saturday morning golf show “Scorecard” in Entercom’s WSCR “The Score.” He’ll work alongside WSCR reporter and update anchor David Schuster. The duo take over for Ed Sherman and Steve Olken, who resigned from the program after a 10-year run…..SB Nation Radio announces that in addition to having reporters at all NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament sites, it is adding Pat Kennedy and Daniel Ewing as analysts. They will both make appearances on all network programs throughout the tournament. Also, “SB Nation Tonight” host John Michaels will originate his show from the Final Four in Atlanta.
Presidential Race, Weinstein Verdict, Covid-19 Epidemic, Financial Markets Tumble, Trump in India, Kobe Byrant Memorial/Lawsuit Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/24). The Democrats battling to challenge President Trump in November; the guilty verdicts in the sexual assault trial of former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein; the status of the coronavirus epidemic and concerns about the ability to avert a pandemic; the world’s financial markets dive as China’s productivity is affected by Covid-19; President Trump’s visit to India amidst adulation and protests; and Monday’s memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant in Los Angeles were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Learning the Sports Talk Radio Biz! Pictured above (from l-r) are: WAXY-AM and WQAM, Miami sports talk host Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins center/long snapper Taybor Pepper, Dolphins quarterback Jake Rudock, Dolphins linebacker Terrill Hanks, and WAXY-AM and WQAM host Marc Hochman. Hochman tells TALKERS that while the NFL Combine is going on in Indianapolis, the Miami Dolphins offer their current players the chance to participate in a “Business Combine” where they can learn real estate, investing, and even broadcasting as players prepare for a life after football. Hence the three Dolphins above were at the Entercom South Florida studios getting an afternoon of broadcast instruction from former Dolphins LB Channing Crowder and Hochman.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Programming pro Mike Preston is named program director for Cumulus Media’s Dallas country stations KPLX “99.5 The Wolf” and KSCS “New Country 96.3.” Preston most recently served as SVP of programming for iHeartMedia Baltimore and PD for
country WPOC and adult hits WQSR “102.7 JACK FM.” Cumulus Dallas-Houston RVP Dan Bennett says, “These two country brands, each in their own distinctive way, have captured the hearts of DFW country music fans. We believe Mike Preston is the right person to lead our talented teams into the future. Mike has had big success in his career as a creative PD who knows how to coach big time talent. We can’t wait to have him in Dallas to further ignite two of the most-listened-to country stations in America.”…..Programmer Jamillah Muhammad exits Taxi License Corp’s urban AC KJLH, Los Angeles “Radio Free 102.3” where she was operations manager…..Air 
personality Jenna Owens is leaving her daily role with the YEA Networks-syndicated “Kidd Kraddick Morning Show” to focus on her Fitish skin care business. Owens will continue her weekly “That’s What I Like” segment that airs each Friday and will become a correspondent for the show, doing press junkets in New York and Los Angeles, reporting live from events like SXSW, Coachella, and more. In addition to the correspondent role, she’ll team with her “The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show” co-host, J-Si Chavez, to launch a weekly podcast, also called “Fitish,” that will be produced and distributed by YEA…..Public radio triple A personality Cindy Howes is joining WUNC, Raleigh to host the 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm daypart on the public media company’s triple A streaming station WUNC Music. Howes was previously with triple A WYEP, Pittsburgh as morning personality and host of the “Folk Alley and the Basic Folk” podcast…..Rachel Hubbard is promoted to executive director at Oklahoma State University’s news/talk/adult alternative KOSU, Oklahoma City. She most recently served as news director at the station. Hubbard comments, “I want to fight for public media in Oklahoma. Oftentimes, people look at news outlets that are outside of Oklahoma and talk about the things they’re doing well, and I don’t see any reason why we can’t own that right here in Oklahoma and have a media resource that is ours – it’s made by us and it’s made for us.”
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Round One of November PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of November 2019 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas,
Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). The November 2019 rating period covered October 10 – November 6. Some 6+ ratings gains of note for spoken-word stations during the November survey include: Nexstar Media Group’s WGN-AM, Chicago adds another 0.5 share to its two previous increases for a 4.0 share and a #8 ranking in the market while Cumulus Media’s crosstown WLS-AM is flat at a 2.3 share; Cumulus’ WBAP, Dallas continues its upward trend, posting a 4.4 share good for 
#5 in the market; iHeartMedia’s KTRH, Houston posts its third consecutive ratings gain with a 4.1 share, keeping it at #11 in the market; Cox Media Group’s Atlanta juggernaut WSB-AM/WSBB-FM is up 3.0 full shares over the past five surveys with November’s 9.3 share keeping it locked at #1 for the fourth straight month; and Entercom’s sports talk WIP-FM, Philadelphia lands at #1 in the market for the third straight month after finishing with an 8.2 share. See all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. Meanwhile, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Takeaways” from each market here.
Eric Johnson Exits WPEN-FM, Philadelphia. Programmer Eric Johnson exits
Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 FM The Fanatic” after two years with the station. Numerous Philly news outlets have picked up on the story but there’s little to report beyond Johnson’s own post to his Facebook page that simply says he left the station yesterday (11/25). Johnson joined “The Fanatic” in 2017 after serving for many years as program director for Townsquare Media’s WKXW, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5.”
Impeachment Testimony, 2020 Presidential Race, SCOTUS Trump Financial Records Ruling, McGahn Ruling, Trump’s Navy Seal Controversy, Hong Kong Election, and German Jewel Heist Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/25). The testimony in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump; the Democrats vying for the nomination to challenge President Trump in 2020 and Democrat Michael Bloomberg’s entrance into the race; the Supreme Court sides with Trump on a request to block a subpoena from House Democrats seeking data from the president’s accounting firm; a judge rules former White House counsel Don McGahn must obey a subpoena for his testimony; the controversy over Trump’s order to remove Navy Secretary Richard Spencer over the Eddie Gallagher case; the results of the Hong Kong elections in which pro-democracy candidates won; and the theft of priceless historical jewels from Dresden’s Royal Palace were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
TALKERS News Notes. New York Post sports columnist Andrew Marchand
reports that former WFAN, New York personality Chris Carlin appears headed to ESPN’s crosstown WEPN-FM to host the evening show. Current evening host Alan Hahn is reportedly set to be promoted to middays alongside Bart Scott, who is currently co-hosting middays with Maggie Gray at WFAN. See Marchand’s 
column here…..Sports talker Matt Jones – who left his gig hosting the WLAP, Lexington-based “Kentucky Sports Radio” while considering a run for Mitch McConnell’s U.S. Senate seat – announces he’s inked a new, five-year deal with iHeartMedia to return to the show on December 26. Jones made national news in August when he was let go from his “Hey Kentucky!” TV show on WLEX-TV, Lexington after announcing his plans to publish a political book titled, Mitch, Please! Earlier this month he was ousted from “Kentucky Sports Radio” after an election rules complaint from the Kentucky Republican Party. See
WLEX-TV’s report here…..iHeartMedia announces chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and president, COO, and CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday, December 4. Wells Fargo says “senior executives from more than 140 leading public and private technology, media, and telecom companies are already confirmed to attend the third annual” event.
Study Indicates AM/FM Campaigns Can Drive Web Traffic for Retailers. Data from a study by marketing attribution platform LeadsRx for Westwood One measured the website visitor traffic increases after consumers were exposed to an AM/FM radio campaign by a major jewelry retailer. WWO says the results offer retailers a way to understand how their advertising performs on a granular level so that plans can be optimized in the future. Some of the
findings include: As a result of the AM/FM radio campaign, the jewelry retailer saw an +11% increase in their site traffic. The boost was +38% greater than the average for the jewelry category as measured by Analytic Owl’s analysis of 92 AM/FM radio campaigns reported by the Radio Advertising Bureau; throughout the course of the AM/FM radio campaign, the highest rate of conversion occurred in early December. The greatest share of attributed web sessions (27%) occurred from December 3rd through the 9th, followed by 20% of attributed web sessions taking place the following week; and the jewelry retailer saw spikes in web sessions in the middle of the week and on Sundays. On Thursdays, ad occurrences comprised 16% of the total impressions of the jewelry retailer’s campaign, while accounting for 19% of the attributed web sessions. On Sundays, 12% of total campaign impressions ran, driving 14% share of the attributed web sessions to the jewelry retailer site. See more here.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. In St. Louis, Entercom’s hot AC KZPT “99.7 The Point” announces that Shaylee Henning is promoted to midday personality. Henning takes over for Leigh McNabb, who exited recently to take on the program director role at Saga Communications’ classic hits KIOA, Des Moines. Henning continues in her role as production assistant for the station group…..At Cox Media Group’s CHR WFLC, Miami “Hits 97.3,” DJ Laz exits the morning drive show. Cluster director of operations Jill Strada is expected to announce the plans for the station’s morning show in the near future…..Saga Communications classic rock outlet WAQY, Springfield, Massachusetts “Rock 102” is underway with the 25th Annual Mayflower Marathon to collect nonperishable food donations to benefit the region’s Open Pantry Community Services organization. Morning show team Mike Baxendale and John O’Brien – “Bax & O’Brien” – along with producer Steve Nagle, will be on the radio for 52 hours broadcasting live from the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. The goal is to fill three 48-foot Mayflower moving van trailers by 10:00 am Wednesday.
Tuesday, January 9, 2017
Anne Gress Named Brand Manager at ‘New Jersey 101.5.’ Radio programming pro Anne Gress is the new brand manager for Townsquare Media’s talk WKXW, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5.” She takes over for longtime station programmer Eric
Johnson, who exited the station at the end of 2017 to become the director of sports content for Beasley Media Group’s WPEN-FM, Philadelphia. Townsquare market president and chief revenue officer Ron DeCastro comments, “I am extremely happy to have a true 
professional like Anne join the team at ‘NJ 101.5.’ I have long admired Anne’s work, going back to our days at ‘Power 99.’ She is innovative, creative and understands how to work with talented people. We are all excited to have her join this winning team.” Gress – who has worked in the Philly market at such stations as hot AC WYXR, smooth jazz WJJZ, hip hop WUSL, and classic hits WOGL – says, “I’m genuinely excited to join the team at Townsquare Media and ‘NJ 101.5.’ Their unique format, rock star staff, and consistently strong ratings make this an irresistible opportunity. I look forward to adding my voice to their highly successful model.”
New Year Brings Dave Ramsey 600th Affiliate; Podcast Achievements. 2018 is off to a great start for talk media superstar Dave Ramsey. His nationally syndicated radio program – The Dave Ramsey Show – just cleared its 600th affiliate station with the addition of Cumulus Media’s KSFO, San Francisco. Also, the Dave Ramsey show podcast is being recognized by iTunes as the fourth-most-downloaded podcast of 2017. The podcast averaged 10 million downloads per month. Ramsey Media SVP Brian Mayfield comments, “We are pleased to not only top the 600-affiliate watermark, but to do so with a station the caliber of KSFO is validation we are doing things right. Growing our radio audience by almost 1 million listeners in 2017, while simultaneously becoming the fourth-most-downloaded podcast of the year, shows there is a larger audience searching for solid content. We are honored they chose to listen to ‘The Dave Ramsey Show.’”
Curtis Sliwa Returns to the Air on WABC. New York City talk radio pro Curtis
Sliwa – pictured at right walking through the streets of NYC on his way to Columbia Presbyterian to have his stitches removed – was back on the air at 77WABC yesterday (1/8) after a December 13 surgery to treat Crohn’s disease. Sliwa tells TALKERS magazine that yesterday was the first day he was able to do his daily midday show and the 5:00 pm “The Drive at Five” program since last month’s procedure. Speaking about yesterday’s shows, he says, “It was exhausting and I am sore as a result. But having lived on a variety of pain killers for the past two years I was able to jump right back into the ‘Fire and Fury,’ which I actually read. More importantly I am taking it right to Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his opposition to medical marijuana. I will be registering for my medical marijuana card in New York State, which is not easy to get, but for which I now qualify.”
Report from CES 2018. Media consultant Holland Cooke is in Las Vegas at the enormous CES 2018, presented by the Consumer Technology Association. He’ll be filing reports from Sin City in TALKERS magazine all week. Check out his notes from yesterday’s action here.
Salem Media Group Announces Executive Appointments. First, Jamie Cohen is the new vice president/local digital. He was most recently with USAToday Network where he was in charge of digital sales. Salem Media Group president of broadcast media David Santrella states, “Providing our clients with multi
-dimensional marketing campaigns that include best-in-class digital services is vital to our continued growth. Jamie has the drive and experience to lead that evolution for Salem’s broadcast division and I’m thrilled to have him joining us in this key position.” Second, Lorenzo Caldara is named general manager of the Philadelphia duo of news/talk WNTP and Christian talk WFIL. Caldara was most recently VP/corporate director of sales for Townsquare Media’s WKXQ, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5.” And third, the company promotes Kevin Anderson from general sales manager to general manager for the five-station Nashville cluster.
Fire and Fury Book/Trump’s Presidential Fitness, Golden Globe Awards/Oprah Presidential Run, Trump Deportation Policy/Mexican Wall, CNN’s Tapper-Miller Interview, Soaring Dow/Bitcoin, North-South Korea Talks, Monday’s College Football Championship, and the NFL Playoffs Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/9). The controversy over Michael Wolff’s Trump book Fire and Fury, the issue of Donald Trump’s mental fitness, and Stephen K. Bannon’s relationship with the White House; Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards and the related chatter about an Oprah Winfrey presidential run; the Trump Administration’s Salvadoran deportation policy and the Mexican Wall issue; the flap over Jake Tapper’s interview with Trump counsel Stephen Miller on CNN; the high-flying Dow and the fluctuating Bitcoin; the talks between North and South Korea; Monday night’s College Football Championship between Alabama and Georgia; and the NFL Playoffs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
WABC’s John Batchelor to Broadcast from Qatar. Night host John Batchelor is broadcasting his WABC, New York talk show from Doha, Qatar this week after
accepting an invitation from the Middle East nation. Batchelor is leading a delegation of visitors including former Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCottter and New York attorney Christopher Nixon Cox. Batchelor is scheduled to speak with high Qatar government officials about regional politics, trends in international trade, and much more. He’ll speak with area ministers, corporate leaders, academics, journalists, students, and artists. And he’ll also provide coverage and discussion about the preparations for the 2022 World Cup taking place in Qatar. WABC program director Craig Schwalb says, “Batchelor leads the international conversation in talk radio, so it only makes sense that he places focus on Qatar and the entire Persian Gulf region during his show this week.”
TALKERS News Notes. Nationally syndicated talk host Dana Loesch interviewed Vice President Mike Pence on her Radio America-syndicated program yesterday.
The two discussed tax reform, North Korea, The Golden Globes, legislative plans for 2018 as well as the controversial book Fire & Fury (which Pence referred to as a “book of fiction”). On North Korea, Pence told Loesch and her listeners, “President Trump has been marshaling unprecedented economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. And to have North Korea literally be willing, as they’ll do later today, to sit down with South Korea – just on the topic of Olympics – I think is a direct result of the pressure that President Trump has been able to marshal on North Korea. And we’re not going to relent until North Korea abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”…..Portland news/talk KUFO “Freedom 970” adds the Dave Ramsey show to air in the 9:00 am 12:00 noon daypart. Bruce Collins is the content 
director for the Alpha Media station and he says, “It’s great to have Dave as part of our lineup giving his wonderful, amazing financial advice.”…..John O’Brien – one half of the “Bax & O’Brien” morning show on Saga Communications’ rock WAQY, Springfield, Massachusetts “Rock 102,” is taking time off the radio to undergo and recuperate from surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. The recovery could take three months, so producer Steve Nagle is ramping up his on-air presence alongside co-host Mike Baxendale…..Somerville, New Jersey-based Edison Research announces it has additional office space and promoted a number of
employees as part of a significant expansion due to growth in its election and audio research. Edison has been the sole provider of exit polling to the National Election Pool since 2003. In mid-2017, the company was also awarded the sole contract to provide vote count data to the NEP, and many of the company’s new hires will be dedicated to that effort. In addition, Edison is expanding its digital audio portfolio, as the company has seen significant growth in research engagements in podcasting, streaming audio, and the syndicated Share of Ear research series. Edison Research president Larry Rosin comments, “We are honored by the immense trust placed upon us by our election, media, and 
consumer research clients over the past 24 years and we are thrilled to be able to continue to grow and expand our capabilities. We know we have the right team in place to continue to achieve our objectives.”…..Genesis Communications Network-syndicated talk host Dr. Daliah Wachs tells TALKERS magazine she’s celebrating her ninth anniversary hosting a talk radio show. She says, “What started as a once-a-week broadcast on January 9, 2009 has now become a dream come true. Thanks for all your support.”
Music Radio News and Career Moves. “Y108” in Pittsburgh announces two new voices joining the morning drive “Broadway’s Backyard” program. Entercom’s country WDSY brings Jade and Cowboy Curt aboard as co-hosts alongside show host Broadway. Jade has been a promotions assistant, control operator and part-time talent on the station. Cowboy Curt was most recently the control operator for sister stations KDKA-FM “93.7 The Fan” and KDKA-AM “News Radio 1020”…..The nationally syndicated music morning program “The Bert Show” is seeking a co-host. Brian Moote is exiting after two years to be closer to his family in Los Angeles. Send resume and audio submissions highlighting your personality to cohost@thebertshow.com…..Classic rock WLPW-FM, Lake Placid, New York is sold to North Country Radio for $32,000 cash. The seller, Radio Lake Placid, is represented by Jason James of Patrick Communications…..The latest Westwood One blog post looks at the results from a question asked by researcher Vision Critical/MARU: How many Pandora, Spotify, and AM/FM radio listeners actually hear ads? WW1 says the results indicated “only 54% of Pandora and Spotify listeners pay attention to ads. Advertisers hoping to reach an engaged audience won’t be effective across these platforms. These listeners are using Pandora and Spotify at home, with these services being great for “chilling out” but not so great for engaging with the advertisements. AM/FM radio sees a much different story. On average, 84% of the AM/FM radio audience hears the ads. Whether they are at home, at work, or traveling in the car, the results show that consumers hear what people are talking about when they listen to AM/FM radio.”…..Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary Berner will be the spotlight of a keynote conversation at Country Radio Seminar 2018 on Tuesday, February 6. Emmis Communications’ Charlie Morgan is conducting the interview, titled, “Radio Today with Cumulus Media’s CEO Mary Berner.”
PPM Analysis: Hot AC. Managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of radio stations based on 6+ data from Nielsen Audio’s December PPM survey, today focusing on the hot AC format. Looking at ratings movement month-to-month, Kinosian says, “Twice as many stations on this hot AC panel (58%) are down November 2017 – December 2017 (6+) as are up (29%); the remaining 13% are flat. Comparing December 2016 to December 2017, approximately one of every two hot AC panelists in our sample improves year-to-year (51%), while 44% are down; 5% are flat.” During this survey, three hot AC stations ranked #1 in their respective markets: iHeartMedia’s WLIT, Chicago; Connoisseur Media’s WALK-FM, Long Island; and Palm Beach Broadcasting’s WRMF, West Palm Beach. See the rest of the report here.
