Tag: "ESPN DEPORTES"
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Mike Calta and Cox Media Group’s ‘The Bone’ Extend Their Relationship. Tampa Bay talk host Mike Calta and Cox Media Group have signed a new, multi
-year deal for Calta to continue as host of the morning program on WPHT “102.5 The Bone.” CMG Tampa director of branding and programming John Brennan says, “Mike Calta leads the most entertaining weekday talk show in Tampa Bay. We are excited that ‘The Mike Calta Show’ will continue to call ‘102.5 The Bone’ home for many years to come.” Calta comments, “I’m excited to call both Tampa Bay and CMG my home and my family for the next couple of years and hopefully plenty more beyond that.”
Round Two of May PPMs Released. The second round of Nielsen Audio’s May 2019 PPM survey results is released for the group of 12 markets that includes: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis-St.Paul, San Diego, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. You can see all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here. TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Takeaways from this group of markets tomorrow (6/13).
Entercom Chicago Cuts Staff. According to Chicago media reporter Robert Feder, a number of off-air positions have been eliminated at Entercom’s
Chicago operations that includes all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM and sports talk WSCR “The Score.” He writes that eight staffers were let go – five in the traffic/continuity department and three in sales. Apparently, there are more cuts to come as Feder’s sources say “another four positions in finance will be cut in August with numerous additional staff reductions on the way.”
Brummel Appointed Group National Sales Manager at SummitMedia. Radio sales pro Jeff Brummel joins SummitMedia as group national sales director,
effective June 24. He’s most recently been serving in a similar capacity with Townsquare Media. During his career he’s served with radio stations in Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia as well as working on the national radio rep sales side in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. He says, “I am very excited to join SummitMedia as group national sales manager. The enviable roster of top performing stations in each of Summit’s markets coupled with the company’s entrepreneurial culture aligned perfectly with my skill set and career goals.”
WREC-AM, Memphis PD and Morning Host Forrest Goodman Dies at 48. The
details are few but the Daily Memphian reports that Forrest Goodman, PD and morning drive co-host at iHeartMedia’s WREC-AM, Memphis died Monday night (6/10) from “multiple health problems” at the age of 48. Goodman also hosted the pre-game and post-game shows for University of Memphis football and basketball for almost 20 years.
ESPN Will Shutter ESPN Deportes in September. The Spanish-language sports talk network launched in 2005 and currently has 44 affiliate stations
across the U.S. ESPN offers its reasoning for the decision to shut down the radio network. “Hispanic audience consumer habits are changing rapidly, and this requires ESPN to evolve as well. It’s no secret Hispanic fans skew heavily on digital and social which is why we made the decision to discontinue ESPN Deportes terrestrial radio (ESPN Deportes Radio) in September. Moving forward, ESPN will continue serving Hispanic sports fans with the widest variety of sports through multiple platforms including television, digital, social, mobile, and audio podcasts.”
TALKERS News Notes. Former one-term congressman Jason Lewis – a
longtime talk radio host and current part-time personality on iHeartMedia’s KTLK, Minneapolis-St. Paul – may run for office again. The Pioneer Press reports that Lewis is being urged by Republican leaders to run for either Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district seat (he lost that seat in a re-election bid to Democrat Angie Craig last year) or to challenge U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) in 2020…..Programming pro Don Parker takes on new duties as iHeartMedia names him general manager for its “PRIDE Radio, The Pulse of
LGBTQ America.” Parker is regional SVP of programming for the company’s Northern California Region and will continue in that role. As GM for “PRIDE Radio,” he’ll “oversee the day-to-day programming, marketing, sales, and operations of PRIDE Radio’ and help further expand the brand’s reach and business development to the LGBTQ+ community on the iHeartRadio app and HD2 stations across the country. Additionally, iHeartMedia will soon conduct a national search for a program director for PRIDE Radio, reporting into Parker.”…..ABC News is presenting a new series titled, “Faith Under Fire” – a look at the violence waged against houses of worship in recent years. The series is being hosted by chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas and features interviews with: Rev. Frank Pomeroy from First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas and his wife, Sherri; Pastor Eric Manning from Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; and Alan Hausman, vice president of Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania…..cabana adds 10 podcasts to its digital audio library with new titles coming from publishers such as Inc. Magazine, New Hampshire Public Radio, and celebrity hosts like Jen Kirkman. cabana SVP of business
development Frank DeSantis says, “We’re excited to welcome these engaging hosts and topics to cabana. As podcast advertising matures, we have a variety of options and opportunities to help our advertisers engage with targeted listeners.”…..Pictured at right is Westwood One nationally syndicated late night host Jim Bohannon emceeing the annual awards dinner for the Society of Professional Journalists, Washington professional chapter on Tuesday (6/11) at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Beasley Honored at 2019 Service to America Awards. WMMR-FM, Philadelphia’s “Preston & Steve Morning Show” was honored with the “Service to Community Award for Radio-Major Market” for its Camp Out for Hunger Initiative and Beasley Media Group received the 2019 “Service to Community Award for Radio-Ownership Group” for its yearlong, company-wide Beasley Best Community of Caring Initiative, that shined the spotlight on issues including bullying, hunger, autism, and the opioid epidemic. Pictured above at Tuesday’s event at the Anthem in Washington, DC are (from l-r): WMMR-FM program director & rock format brand manager Bill Weston, chief communications officer Heidi Raphael, Philadelphia VP/market manager Joe Bell, Cullen Wilson, Preston Elliot, CEO Caroline Beasley, Steve Morrison, Philadelphia community affairs director Lora Lewis, Ft. Myers director of sales Allyson Hillman, vice president of digital marketing Jennifer Williams, and EVP of programming Justin Chase.
2020 Presidential Race, Impeachment Talk, Hong Kong Protests, Kim Jong Nam-CIA Connection, and Dominican Deaths/Big Papi Shot Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/11). The war of words between President Trump and Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden; Democrats talk of impeachment; the protests taking place in Hong Kong against China’s new extradition law; the report that assassinated half-brother of Kim Jong Un– Kim Jong Nam – was a CIA informant; and the mysterious deaths of tourists in the Dominican Republic and the shooting of retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz 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. One staffer in the Westwood One music & entertainment division is promoted and a new one joins the company. Todd Alan becomes vice president, affiliate sales, music & entertainment. He was most recently director, affiliate sales. In his new role, he’ll manage and develop the company’s station relationships and distribution partnerships across its music and entertainment programming, including Westwood One Backstage live marquee events and radio row activations. At the same time, the company brings Julie Bell aboard as director, affiliate sales, music & entertainment. Westwood One’s Stuart Greenblatt says, “I’m thrilled that Todd will take command of our music & entertainment division here at Westwood One. I’ve worked closely with him for many years and know him to be one of the best in the business, with solid industry relationships and impressive sales expertise. I’m also delighted to welcome Julie Bell to our music & entertainment team. Her 20 years’ experience selling entertainment programs make her the perfect person to round out our team, along with Westwood One veteran Neal Weiner.”…..Pictured below are iHeartMedia execs (from l-r) president, COO, CFO Rich Bressler; chairman and CEO Bob Pittman; chief programming officer and president, national programming group Tom Poleman; and president, entertainment enterprises John Sykes with their Music Visionary of the Year awards from the UJA-Federation of New York. Tuesday’s luncheon was attended by 700 guests from the music industry and the event raised more than $1.6 million to benefit UJA-Federation.
Round One of May 2019 PPM Data. Information for the May 2019 ratings period has been released for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen Audio’s May 2019 survey period covered April 25 – May 22. Managing editor Mike Kinosian (Kinosian@TALKERS.com) provides his “Takeaways” from these 12 PPM markets.
New York City
Spoken-Word Formats – Despite being off a collective three-tenths in four
straight down or flat reports (1.8 – 1.7 – 1.6 – 1.5 – 1.5, 6+), iHeartMedia news/talk WOR “710 The Voice of New York” climbs from #22 to #21. An overall -.4 as a result of five straight down or flat sweeps (1.6 – 1.4 – 1.4 – 1.4 – 1.2 – 1.2, 6+), Townsquare Media’s similarly-formatted WKXW “New Jersey 101.5” ends the slide with a gain of one-tenth to 1.3 (#23 to #22, 6+). Three straight dips by Cumulus Media-owned news/talk WABC have led to a loss of one-half share (1.5 – 1.3 -1.2 – 1.0, #23 to #24, 6+).
An April spike of +1.2 by Entercom sports talk WFAN is followed by a decline of two-tenths (3.0 – 4.2 – 4.0, 6+), but the Yankees’ flagship continues in sixth-place. Having posted a 1.8 (6+) in three of the last four sweeps (1.8 – 1.8 – 2.2 – 1.8, 6+), WEPN gains two-tenths to 2.0 (#20 to #19, 6+). By dropping four-tenths in April, “98.7 ESPN New York” curtailed three consecutive up or flat trends that yielded eight-tenths (1.4 – 1.8 – 1.8 – 2.2, 6+).
Entercom all-news WINS, which was -1.1 in three successive down or flat reports
(4.8 – 4.1 – 3.7 – 3.7, 6+), pulls the plug by adding two-tenths to 3.9 (6+) and repeats at #9. Co-owned/similarly-programmed Mets flagship WCBS-AM is a combined -.8 in April/May (3.4 – 2.9 – 2.6, #13 to #15, 6+). WINS was -1.1 in February/March (4.8 – 4.1 – 3.7, 6+), while WCBS-AM gained three-tenths in March (3.1 – 3.4, 6+).
When WNYC Broadcasting Foundation news/talk WNYC-FM gained three-tenths in April, it halted four successive down or flat sweeps that resulted in an overall -1.0 (3.6 – 3.2 – 3.2 – 2.9 – 2.6, 6+). In May, however, WNYC-FM falters by one-half share (2.9 – 2.4, #13 to #17, 6+). The February 2019 through May 2019 topline for co-owned news/talk WNYC-AM is .4 – .3 – .4 – .3 (#31 to #34, 6+).
New York City Music Formats – The combination of Emmis urban AC WBLS “107.5 #1 For R&B” adding three-tenths (6.5 – 6.8, 6+) and iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLTW “106.7 Lite FM” dropping two-tenths (7.0 – 6.8, 6+) results in the two becoming tangled in a first-place tie. This is the 23rd consecutive ratings period that “Lite” has been on top. It posted a one-half share increase in March, but surrendered seven-tenths in April. A combined -5.3 in January/February (12.5 – 7.6 – 7.2, 6+), WLTW was +5.8 in December/“Holiday” 2018 (6.7 – 9.1 – 12.5, 6+). Meanwhile, an April decrease of four-tenths by WBLS interrupted three straight gains that accounted for a collective +1.3 (5.6 – 6.3 – 6.8 – 6.9, 6+). A very legitimate argument could be made that the Big Apple’s co-top story is the fact this marks the final hot AC monthly for WPLJ, which flips to contemporary Christian, following the sale from Cumulus Media to Educational Media Foundation. Legendary WPLJ goes out on a very positive note, as it is without a loss for the fifth straight New York City sweep for a cumulative gain of +1.1 (2.0 – 2.3 – 2.4 – 2.4 – 2.5 – 3.1, #17 to #13, 6+). It eclipses by one-tenth Entercom’s similarly formatted WNEW-FM “NEW 102.7,” which follows April’s gain of one-half share with a dip of one-tenth (3.1 – 3.0, #11 to #14, 6+). Steady at #4, Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish tropical WSKQ “La Mega 97.9” has a February 2019 through May 2019 topline of 5.3 – 5.0 – 5.0 – 5.3 (6+). Advancing from eighth to sixth, iHeartMedia urban contemporary WWPR “Power 105.1” gains eight-tenths through four straight bumps (3.2 – 3.6 – 3.8 – 3.9 – 4.0, 6+). Tied in tenth-place are WWPR rhythmic CHR cluster-mate WKTU “103.5 KTU” (#11 to #10, 6+) and its format rival – Emmis’ WQHT “Hot 97” (3.5 – 3.4, -.1, flat at #10, 6+). This is the ninth time in a row that WKTU is within 3.1 – 3.6 range (3.6 – 3.2 – 3.3 – 3.1 – 3.1 – 3.1 – 3.2 – 3.1 – 3.4, 6+). “Hot 97” is a collective -.4 in April/May (3.8 – 3.5 – 3.4, 6+). Before gaining one-tenth in March to 3.8 (6+), “Hot” notched a 3.7 (6+) in five of the previous six sweeps (3.7 – 3.7 – 3.7 – 3.7 – 3.5 – 3.7, 6+); WKTU logged a 3.1 (6+) in “Holiday” 2018, January 2019, and February 2019. Without a loss the past four ratings periods for an overall net of eight-tenths (2.0 – 2.4 – 2.4 – 2.6 – 2.8, 6+), Cumulus Media’s WNSH “New York’s Country 94.7” forfeits two-tenths to 2.6 (6+) yet inches up from #16 to #15. While unchanged in third-place, Entercom classic hits-oldies WCBS-FM “101.1 New York’s Greatest Hits” is down one full-share via four successive down or flat moves (6.4 – 5.9 – 5.9 – 5.6 – 5.4, 6+), while iHeartMedia classic rocker WAXQ “Q-104.3” is off one-half share in three consecutive dips (4.5 – 4.4 – 4.2 – 4.0, flat at #6, 6+).
Los Angeles
Spoken-Word Formats – Having lost three-tenths in March/April (4.0 – 3.8 – 3.7,
6+), iHeartMedia news/talk KFI “AM 640” picks up two-tenths to 3.9 (6+) and continues in seventh-place. Ever since debuting in February, its internet stream has notched three straight up or flat moves (.6 – .6 – .7 – .8, #36 to #34, 6+). Co-owned news/talk KEIB “AM 1150 The Patriot,” which logged a .8 (6+) in five of the last six ratings periods 
(.8 – .8 – .9 – .8 – .8 – .8, 6+) improves by two-tenths to 1.0 (#33 to #31, 6+). Off one-tenth in back-to-back sweeps (1.0 – .9 – .8, 6+), Salem Media Group news/talk KRLA “AM 870 The Answer” erases half that deficit with a one-tenth progression to .9 (#33 to #32, 6+). The November 2018 through May 2019 topline for Cumulus Media-owned KABC “790 News-Talk-Evolved” is .5 – .7 – .7 – .6 – .6 – .5 – .6 – .5 (#39 to #38, 6+).
Three down or flat moves in a row by Disney-owned KSPN accounted for a one-half share decline (1.6 – 1.5 – 1.1 – 1.1, 6+), but “710 ESPN” benefits with a +.2 to 1.3 (#29 to #27, 6+). After nearly doubling March’s 6+-stat with an April +.6 (.7 – 1.3, 6+), iHeartMedia sports talk/Dodgers flagship KLAC “AM 570 LA Sports” basically levels off with a one-tenth loss to 1.2 (#27 to #28, 6+).
Without an increase the fourth time in a row, Entercom’s KNX “1070 News Radio” falters by nine-tenths in that stretch (3.7 – 3.6 – 3.1 – 2.8 – 2.8, #12 to #13, 6+).
After an April gain of two-tenths, Pasadena City College news/talk KPCC “The Voice of Southern California” is unchanged in May in 6+-share (2.3) and 6+-market rank (#18).
Los Angeles Music Formats – Via six straight sweeps without a loss, Entercom classic hits-oldies KRTH is a cumulative +1.4 (4.4 – 4.4 – 5.1 – 5.3 – 5.5 – 5.5 – 5.8, 6+) as “K-Earth 101” repeats in the runner-up slot. While unchanged in third-place, smooth AC sibling KTWV “94-7 The Wave” is a collective +1.6 owing to five consecutive positive spikes (3.6 – 4.3 – 4.4 – 4.7 – 5.0 – 5.2, 6+). Notwithstanding that it backslides from eighth to ninth, Spanish Broadcasting System regional Mexican KLAX “97.9 La Raza” is a collective +1.0 in six consecutive up or flat moves (2.1 – 2.3 – 2.7 – 2.9 – 3.1 – 3.1 – 3.1, 6+). KLOS notches its fifth straight up or flat trend for a net gain of one-half share (2.4 – 2.5 – 2.5 – 2.6 – 2.8 – 2.9, 6+) and advances from #12 to #11. Meruelo Media Holdings acquired KLOS from Cumulus Media for $43 million and is programming the station under a Local Marketing Agreement (LMA). Pulling the plug on three straight setbacks that resulted in a net loss of nine-tenths (5.0 – 4.3 – 4.2 – 4.1, 6+), iHeartMedia hot AC KBIG “104.3 My-FM” registers an improvement of four-tenths to 4.5 (fifth to fourth, 6+). In addition to recording an increase of three-tenths (6.3 – 6.6, 6+), co-owned adult contemporary KOST “Coast 103.5” sets the pace in the “City of Angels” for the eighth straight time. After its “Holiday” 2018 13.0 (6+), “Coast” has followed with 6.2 – 6.5 – 6.5 – 6.3 – 6.6 (6+). Prior to January when it surrendered a -6.8 to 6.2 (6+), KOST was an overall +8.4 via five improvements in a row (4.6 – 4.7 – 4.9 – 5.1 – 9.0 – 13.0, 6+). In four consecutive bumps, Entravision Riverside Spanish adult hits KLYY “Jose” has more than doubled (+1.5) its Los Angeles 6+-stat (1.1 – 1.8 – 2.0 – 2.1 – 2.5 – 2.6, 6+) and progresses from #17 to #16. Four straight increases by Entercom adult hits KCBS-FM “93.1 Jack FM – Playing What We Want” netted nine-tenths (3.3 – 3.5 – 4.0 – 4.1 – 4.2, 6+), but Los Angeles’ version of “Jack” relinquishes two-tenths to 4.0 (fourth to fifth, 6+). April’s 4.2 is its best 6+-stat since May 2018 (4.2, as well). Steady in eighth-place, Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish contemporary KXOL “Mega 96.3” has improved by one-half share through three straight upticks (2.7 – 3.0 – 3.1 – 3.2, 6+). In the market’s CHR contest, iHeartMedia’s KIIS “102.7 Kiss FM” is off four-tenths in three successive sweeps without an increase (4.4 – 4.3 – 4.0 – 4.0, sixth to fifth, 6+), while Entercom-owned KAMP “97.1 Amp Radio” is within 2.0 – 2.9 territory for the 24th time in a row (2.4, +.1, #18 to #17, 6+). “Kiss” lost four-tenths in March/April (4.4 – 4.3 – 4.0, 6+); “Amp” was off one-half share in the same stretch (2.8 – 2.7 – 2.3, 6+). As a result of four consecutive sweeps without an increase, Entercom-owned KROQ regresses by a collective half-share (2.4 – 2.4 – 2.4 – 2.3 – 2.0 – 1.9, #22 to #21, 6+). Its format rival – iHeartMedia’s KYSR “Alt 98.7 – LA’s New Alternative” – is down one-tenth in back-to-back sweeps (2.4 – 2.3 – 2.2, #18 to #19, 6+). Salem Media Group contemporary Christian KFSH “95.9 The Fish” records a .7 (6+) for the fourth time in the last five reports (.7 – .7 – .7 – .8 – .7, #36, 6+).
Chicago
Spoken-Word Formats – While flat at #14, Tribune Media news/talk WGN has
surrendered six-tenths in three straight down or flat trends (3.5 – 3.1 – 2.9 – 2.9, 6+); the White Sox flagship gained one-half share in February. This marks the fifth consecutive report without a loss for Cumulus Media news/talk WLS-AM, which is up seven-tenths in that stretch (1.1 – 1.7 – 1.7 – 1.7 – 1.8 – 1.8, #21 to #22, 6+).
Tacking on one-half share to April’s increase of nine-tenth (2.8 – 3.7 – 4.2, 6+), Entercom sports talk/Cubs key station WSCR “670 The Score” jumps from eighth to sixth with its best 6+-showing since October 2018 (4.2, as well). Even though Disney/ESPN-owned WMVP is up a collective four-tenths in three straight bumps (1.0 – 1.1 – 1.3 – 1.4, 6+), “ESPN Chicago 1000” slips from #24 to #26.
Conversely, Entercom news outlet WBBM-AM, which has lost an overall nine
-tenths in four successive down or flat moves (6.2 – 6.1 – 5.8 – 5.3 – 5.3, 6+), advances from fourth to second. Prior to April, WBBM-AM had been at #1 the previous three sweeps.
Repeating April’s 2.8 (6+), Chicago Public Media news/talk WBEZ drops from #15 to #16.
Chicago Music Formats – Not only is iHeartMedia mainstream CHR WKSC without a loss the sixth successive time for an overall +.7 (2.9 – 2.9 – 2.9 – 2.9 – 2.9 – 3.2 – 3.6, 6+), “103.5 Kiss FM Chicago’s #1 Hit Music Station” cracks the top ten (#12 to #9). A combined +.9 in March/April (2.2 – 3.0 – 3.1, 6+), Entercom CHR WBBM-FM “B-96” falters by four-tenths to 2.7 (6+), skidding from #13 to #18. Up or flat the seventh straight time for an overall gain of four-tenths (1.4 – 1.4 – 1.5 – 1.5 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.7 – 1.8, 6+), iHeartMedia-owned WEBG “Big 95.5 Chicago’s New Country” inches up from #23 to #22. It is chasing Entercom-owned WUSN “US-99 Chicago’s Hottest Country,” whose February 2019 through May 2019 topline is 3.0 – 2.6 – 2.7 – 3.0 (#18 to #12, 6+). Recapturing in its entirety the six-tenths it forfeited in April (4.5 – 3.9 – 4.5, 6+), Cumulus Media classic hits-oldies WLS-FM “94.7 Chicago’s Classic Hits” remains in fifth-place. Entering the April sweep, “Chicago’s Classic Hits” was up nine-tenths in three straight improvements (3.6 – 3.7 – 3.9 – 4.5, 6+). Even though it returns 60% of April’s one-half share gain (5.9 – 5.6, -.3, 6+), Hubbard hot AC WTMX “101.9 The Mix” repeats at #1. April’s 5.9 is its highest 6+-stat since November 2017’s 6.3. Owing to four successive setbacks (5.5 – 5.0 – 4.2 – 3.9 – 3.1, 6+), Univision Radio regional Mexican WOJO is -2.4 as “Que Buena 105.1” fades from the top ten (#5 to #11). Its January increase of nine-tenths halted a December/“Holiday” 2018 mini-slide that resulted in a loss of eight-tenths (5.4 – 4.7 – 4.6, 6+). Spanish Broadcasting System’s similarly-formatted WLEY “La Ley 107.9” has lost seven-tenths in three straight down or flat moves (2.6 – 2.2 – 2.2 – 1.9, #21, 6+). A collective +1.5 in four successive increases (3.9 – 4.5 – 5.1 – 5.3 – 5.4, 6+), Hubbard classic rock WDRV “97.1 The Drive” returns roughly half that increase (4.7, -.7, 6+) and slips from third to fourth. April’s 5.4 is its strongest 6+-showing since August 2018’s 5.5. Adult contemporary sibling WSHE “100.3 SHE,” which notched an overall eight-tenths via four consecutive up or flat moves (2.5 – 3.1 – 3.2 – 3.2 – 3.3, 6+), falters by one-half share to 2.8 (6+), spiraling from #9 to #16. Its format rival, iHeartMedia’s WLIT, is an overall -9.4 as a result of five successive reports without an increase (13.3 – 5.0 – 4.4 – 3.9 – 3.9 – 3.9, fifth to seventh, 6+); “93.9 Lite FM” was a combined +10.1 in December/“Holiday” 2018 (3.2 – 8.4 – 13.3, 6+).
San Francisco
Spoken-Word Formats – Stuck on 2.3 (6+) in March and April, Cumulus Media
news/talk KSFO drops two-tenths to 2.1 (6+), falling from #16 to a three-way tie at #18. With a gain of three-tenths to 1.7 (#26 to #24, 6+), cluster-mate KGO applies the brakes to seven successive down or flat sweeps that resulted in a loss of eight-tenths (2.2 – 2.1 – 2.1 – 1.8 – 1.6 – 1.5 – 1.5 – 1.4, 6+). For the fifth consecutive time, iHeartMedia-owned KKSF-AM “Real Talk 910 – Think Forward” records a .2 (#34 to #36, 6+).
In addition to catapulting from #19 to #8 and boasting the largest (6+) April 2019 
to May 2019 increase (+1.4) of any station in the 12 PPM-markets highlighted here, Entercom sports talk KGMZ “95.7 The Game” catches Cumulus Media’s similarly-formatted KNBR “The Sports Leader” (3.6 – 3.3, -.3, seventh to eighth, 6+). Furthermore, “The Game,” which is the flagship of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, nearly doubles (+1.5) its 6+-stat in three straight sweeps without a loss (1.8 – 1.8 – 1.9 – 3.3, 6+). Meanwhile, Giants’ key station KNBR was +1.0 in April.
Following four straight months in the runner-up slot, KCBS-AM picks up three-tenths (6.3 – 6.6, 6+) and marches to #1. The Entercom all-news operation had been off a collective seven-tenths in three straight dips (7.0 – 6.5 – 6.4 – 6.3, 6+), directly after three consecutive gains for an overall +1.7 (5.3 – 5.7 – 5.8 – 7.0, 6+).
It succeeds Northern California Public Broadcasting news/talk KQED, which had been on top the past four sweeps, but falters by one-half share in back-to-back sweeps (7.3 – 6.8 – 6.3, -.5, 6+), segueing to #2. San Francisco Unified School District’s KALW “91.7 Local Public Radio” is off four-tenths in three straight drops (1.3 – 1.1 – 1.0 – .9, #28 to #29, 6+), directly after more than tripling (+.9) its 6+-share in nine successive sweeps without a loss (.4 – .5 – .5 – .5 – .6 – .6 – .7 – .9 – 1.0 – 1.3, 6+).
San Francisco Music Formats – Not only does Spanish Broadcasting System regional Mexican KRZZ gain seven-tenths to 2.3 (6+), thus curtailing three straight decreases that resulted in an overall loss of nine-tenths (2.5 – 2.1 – 1.9 – 1.6, 6+), “La Raza 93.3” enters the top twenty (#23 to #16). On the other hand, despite posting its fifth straight up or flat trend for a gain of seven-tenths (1.3 – 1.5 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.9 – 2.0, 6+), Bonneville’s KUFX “98.5 K-Fox The South Bay’s Classic Rock” departs the top twenty (#19 to #21). Down one-tenth in back-to-back sweeps (3.8 – 3.7 – 3.6, 6+), Entercom hot AC KLLC “Alice @ 97.3” answers with a +.6 to 4.2 (seventh to third, 6+). At the same time, its internet stream picks up one-half share (.3 – .8, #31, 6+). Flat at #12, iHeartMedia’s similarly-formatted KIOI “Star 101.3” is off one-half share in four successive down or flat trends (3.4 – 3.1 – 2.9 – 2.9 – 2.9, 6+). Before sputtering by two-tenths in April, Cumulus Media classic rocker KSAN was +1.1 in three successive improvements (2.6 – 3.1 – 3.3 – 3.7, 6+), but “107.7 The Bone” bounces back with a May increase of one-half share (3.5 – 4.0, #9 to a three-way tie at #4, 6+). The other players in that three-way, fourth-place logjam are Bonneville-owned adult contemporary KOIT-FM “96.5 Today’s Hits & Yesterday’s Favorites” (4.6 – 4.0, -.6, third to fourth, 6+) and iHeartMedia’s similarly-formatted KISQ “98.1 The Breeze,” which is a combined -1.0 in April/May (5.0 – 4.4 – 4.0, flat at #4, 6+). KOIT-FM, which completely erased February’s -.5 with a March +.5, improved its 6+-stat by seven full-shares in December/“Holiday” 2018, (3.7 – 6.4 – 10.7, 6+), but was a combined -6.4 in January/February (10.7 – 4.8 – 4.3, 6+). Prior to April’s loss of six-tenths, “The Breeze” was an overall +1.2 via three straight gains (3.8 – 4.3 – 4.9 – 5.0, 6+). While iHeartMedia urban contemporary KMEL “#1 For Hip-Hop and R&B” is within 3.0 – 3.9 range for the 11th time in a row (3.7 – 3.6 – 3.9 – 3.5 – 3.0 – 3.5 – 3.0 – 3.3 – 3.2 – 3.7 – 3.0, 6+), it forfeits seven-tenths and departs the top ten (#5 to #11). April’s 3.7 represents its best 6+-stat since October 2018’s 3.9. Forfeiting one-half share each are Bonneville urban AC KBLX “Today’s R&B and Old School,” which surrenders nine-tenths in four straight sweeps without an increase (3.3 – 3.2 – 2.9 – 2.4, #12 to #14, 6+), and Univision Radio regional Mexican KSOL “Que Buena” (2.7 – 2.2, #14 to #17, 6+). KSOL’s Spanish adult hits cluster-mate KBRG “Amor 100.3,” which was +1.0 in three straight sweeps without a loss (2.0 – 2.4 – 3.0 – 3.0, 6+), cedes four-tenths to 2.6 (#11 to #13, 6+). In April, “Amor” had its best 6+-showing (3.0) since September 2018’s 3.1.
Dallas
Spoken-Word Formats – Without a loss the fifth time in a row for a +1.4 (2.3 –
2.8 – 2.9 – 3.1 – 3.7 – 3.7, 6+), Cumulus Media’s WBAP “News Talk 820” jumps from ninth to sixth. The overall “Holiday” 2018 through May 2019 +1.4 completely obliterates its December/“Holiday” 2018 loss of nine-tenths (3.2 – 2.7 – 2.3, 6+). Down one-tenth each are Salem Media Group-owned KSKY “660 AM The Answer” (.9 – .8, #32 to #35, 6+) and Cumulus Media’s KLIF-AM “570 News & Information” (.4 – .3, flat at #37, 6+).
Sports talk cluster-mate KTCK “The Ticket All Sports All The Time” notches a 2.7 (6+) for the third report in succession and downslides from #16 to #17. As a result of four straight declines (3.1 – 2.5 – 1.7 – 1.6 – 1.5, 6+), Entercom’s KRLD-FM “105.3 The Fan” has lost roughly 52% (-1.6) of its 6+-share as the flagship of the Texas Rangers drops from #23 to #26. After six straight down or flat trends that resulted in its 6+-share being sliced in half (-.6) over that October 2018 through March 2019 duration (1.2 – 1.2 – 1.1 – 1.0 – .9 – .8 – .6, 6+), Disney/ESPN’s KESN “103.3 ESPN Dallas” is a combined +.3 in April/May (.6 – .8 – .9, #34 to #33, 6+).
In addition to snapping at four its consecutive string of up or flat trends that produced a net gain of one-half share (2.0 – 2.2 – 2.3 – 2.3 – 2.5, 6+), Entercom news-talk hybrid KRLD-AM (2.3, -.2, 6+) exits the top twenty (#17 to #21). Dating back to “Holiday” 2016, “News Radio 1080” has been within a (6+) high of 2.8 and a low of 2.0.
Repeating April’s 3.6 (6+), North Texas Public Broadcasting news/talk outlet KERA advances from tenth to a four-way tie at eighth. Before faltering by three-tenths in April, KERA was a collective +.8 via three improvements in a row (3.1 – 3.4 – 3.5 – 3.9, 6+).
Dallas Music Formats – Once again, contemporary Christian grabs the headlines in this Texas market. Specifically, WAY Media’s KAWA “WAY-FM Uplifting-Upbeat-Real” wipes away March’s -1.2 with a combined April/May +1.2 (1.1 – 1.6 – 2.3, #23 to #21, 6+), while Educational Media Foundation’s KYDA “Air 1 Worship Now” regains the one-half share it lost in April (2.4 – 1.9 – 2.4, #21 to #20, 6+). This directly follows a March increase of six-tenths to 2.4, its strongest 6+-showing since December 2016 (2.4, as well). Elsewhere in the format, following an April bump of seven-tenths, Salem Media Group’s KLTY “94.9 Your Life … Inspired” is flat in 6+-share (4.2) and market rank (fifth), while First Dallas Media-owned KCBI is up one-tenth to 1.0 (#32 to #30, 6+). Entering the May 2019 sweep, “90.0 Encouraging Music/Words of Hope” had its 6+-stat whittled exactly in half (-.9) via three successive dips (1.8 – 1.6 – 1.5 – .9, 6+). On the heels of surrendering six-tenths in April, Service Broadcasting urban contemporary KKDA-FM “K-104” erases that deficit completely with a similar-size increase (3.0 – 3.6, +.6, 6+) and rockets back into the top ten (#15 to #8). “K-104” was a combined +.9 in February/March (2.7 – 3.2 – 3.6, 6+). Up an overall eight-tenths in April/May (2.2 – 2.5 – 3.0, 6+), Entercom regional Mexican KMVK “La Grande 107.5” progresses from #17 to #15. Conversely, Univision Radio’s similarly-programmed KLNO “Que Buena 94.1” is a combined -1.3 in April/May (4.2 – 3.8 – 2.9, 6+), plummeting from #8 to #16. The two Cumulus-owned country outlets gain one-tenth each: KPLX “99.5 The Wolf” is 4.2 – 4.3 (fifth to fourth, 6+), while KSCS “New Country 96.3” is 3.5 – 3.6 (#13 to #8, 6+). In addition to returning the four-tenths it accrued in April (6.7 – 6.3, 6+), iHeartMedia-owned CHR KHKS halts at four a successive string of up or flat sweeps that netted eight-tenths (5.9 – 6.1 – 6.3 – 6.3 – 6.7, 6+). Nonetheless, “106.1 Kiss – Dallas/Fort Worth’s Hit Music” is #1 for the fifth month in a row; April’s 6.7 is its best 6+-stat since May 2018’s 6.9. On top 12 straight times, “Kiss” shifted to #3 in “Holiday” 2018. Immediately after posting an April improvement of nine-tenths, adult contemporary sibling KDGE “Star 102.1” forfeits eight-tenths (4.4 – 3.6, third to eighth, 6+). In eight successive May 2018 through “Holiday” 2018 sweeps without a loss, KDGE almost tripled (+4.4) its 6+-stat (2.7 – 2.9 – 3.1 – 3.2 – 3.2 – 3.5 – 3.7 – 5.1 – 7.1, 6+), but then experienced three successive “Holiday” 2018 through March 2019 drops (7.1 – 4.2 – 3.7 – 3.5, 6+). Cluster-mate KEGL “97.1 The Eagle Rocks” has lost six-tenths in five straight (slightly) down or flat moves (3.8 – 3.7 – 3.7 – 3.7 – 3.6 – 3.2, #10 to #12, 6+). Departing the top ten in addition to “The Eagle” is Entercom adult hits KJKK “100.3 Jack-FM” (3.6 – 3.1, -.5, #10 to #14, 6+). Alternative sibling KVIL is up one-half share in four straight sweeps without a loss (2.0 – 2.3 – 2.3 – 2.5 – 2.5, 6+) but “Alt 103.7” backslides from a three-way tie at #17 to #19.
Houston
Spoken-Word Formats – Off three-tenths (3.8 – 3.5, 6+), iHeartMedia
news/talk KTRH slips from #12 to #13. “News Radio 740” was -.7 in December (4.3 – 3.6, 6+); -.7 in “Holiday” 2018 (3.6 – 2.9, 6+); and +.7 in January 2019 (2.9 – 3.6, 6+). Stuck on .4 (6+) in March and April, co-owned KPRC “AM 950 – Houston’s More Stimulating Talk Radio” loses one-tenth in May to .3 (#29 to #30, 6+).
The flagship of the Houston Astros – iHeartMedia-owned KBME – has more than doubled (+.7) its 6+-stat in three upticks in succession (.5 – .6 – 1.0 – 1.2, #23 to #22, 6+). “Sports Talk 790” is one-tenth ahead of Entercom’s KILT-AM “Sports Radio 610,” which gains two-tenths via three straight up or flat moves (.9 – .9 – 1.1 – 1.1, flat at #23, 6+). Meanwhile, Gow Communications’ sports talk KFNC “ESPN 97.5” logs a .8 (#24 to #25, 6+) for the seventh time in the last nine ratings periods (.8 – .8 – .8 – .8 – .9 – .9 – .8 – .8 – .8, 6+).
Despite being off an overall six-tenths in four straight slips (2.7 – 2.6 – 2.4 – 2.2 – 2.1, 6+), University of Houston news/talk KUHF proceeds from #20 to #19.
Houston Music Formats – Up a combined nine-tenths in April/May (5.0 – 5.2 – 5.9, 6+), Cox Media Group classic rock KGLK “The Eagle” advances from fourth to second with its strongest 6+-showing since October 2017 (5.9, as well). Unchanged at #11, iHeartMedia’s KQBT “93.7 The Beat” extends its consecutive up or flat streak to seven and is +1.1 in that November 2018 through May 2019 period (3.3 – 3.3 – 3.6 – 3.6 – 3.8 – 3.8 – 4.4 – 4.4, 6+). Educational Media Foundation contemporary Christian KHJK “Air 1 Worship Now” doubles its 6+-stat (.5 – 1.0, +.5, 6+) and checks in at #24. An overall -4.8 in four straight setbacks (12.1 – 8.6 – 8.5 – 8.2 – 7.5 – 7.3, 6+), iHeartMedia adult contemporary KODA “Sunny 99.1” is nonetheless #1 for the 14th sweep in a row. Immediately in advance of this skid, KODA was a cumulative +4.9 via three consecutive gains (7.2 – 7.5 – 9.7 – 12.1, 6+). Seven successive up or flat reports by Cox Media Group classic country KTHT resulted in a net gain of eight-tenths (1.8 – 1.8 – 1.8 – 2.0 – 2.1 – 2.1 – 2.5 – 2.6, 6+) but “Country Legends 97.1” relinquishes that entire increase (1.8, -.8, 6+) and falls from #18 to #20. The five most recent fluctuations for Univision Radio regional Mexican KLTN “Que Buena 102.9” are: +.5 (January, 6.5 – 7.0, 6+); -.8 (February, 7.0 – 6.2, 6+); +.5 (March, 6.2 – 6.7, 6+); -.6 (April, 6.7 – 6.1, 6+); and now -.6 (6.1 – 5.5, second to fourth, 6+). Prior to plummeting -1.5 in “Holiday” 2018, “Que Buena 102.9” was a collective +3.3 through five successive increases (4.7 – 5.0 – 5.2 – 6.0 – 6.8 – 8.0, 6+). Flat at #17, Liberman Broadcasting’s similarly-formatted KQQK “El Norte 107.9” has lost six-tenths in three consecutive reports without an increase (3.4 – 3.3 – 2.8 – 2.8, 6+).
Both of the market’s country FMs are off one-tenth in May with each dropping one ranker: Entercom’s KILT-FM “100.3 The Bull” is trending 5.2 – 5.0 – 5.2 – 5.1 (fourth to fifth, 6+), while Cox Media Group’s KKBQ “93-Q” has a March 2019 through May 2019 topline of 4.7 – 4.7 – 4.6 (ninth to tenth, 6+). Before losing two-tenths in March, “The Bull” had been +1.7 via three upticks in a row (3.5 – 3.8 – 4.5 – 5.2, 6+); “93-Q” gained eight-tenths in March. This is the fourth report in a row that iHeartMedia alternative KTBZ is without an increase; “94.5 The Buzz” (flat at #14) is off six-tenths in that stretch (3.9 – 3.6 – 3.4 – 3.4 – 3.3, 6+).
Atlanta
Spoken-Word Formats – Down a combined eight-tenths in April/May (7.1 – 6.6 –
6.3, 6+), Cox Media Group news/talk WSB-AM drops from second to third. It had slipped to the runner-up slot in April, following three straight months at #1. WSB-AM had been on top 37 sweeps in a row before segueing to #2 in “Holiday” 2018. In its final report in the spoken-word format, WYAY “106.6 Where Atlanta Comes to Talk” repeats April’s 6+ market share (#25) and 6+share (.9), taking the station below a one-share for the first time in nearly seven-years (.8, July 2012). Coinciding with the sale from Cumulus Media to Educational Media Foundation, WYAY is now contemporary Christian. Tied with a .3 (6+) are Salem Media Group-owned WGKA “AM 920 The Answer” (.1 – .3, +.2, #31 to #29, 6+) and Entercom’s WAOK “1380 The Voice of the Community” (.4 – .3, -.1, flat at #29, 6+). Elsewhere in the format, iHeartMedia-owned WGST “Talk Radio 640” has lost three-tenths via nine straight down or flat trends (.4 – .3 – .3 – .2 – .2 – .2 – .2 – .1 – .1 – .1, #31 to #34, 6+).
While unchanged at #14, Entercom sports talk WZGC “92.9 The Game” is an overall -1.1 in three setbacks in succession (4.0 – 3.7 – 3.1 – 2.9, 6+). At the same time, Dickey Broadcasting’s WCNN “Sports Radio The Fan” is up one-half share in three straight up or flat moves (1.6 – 1.7 – 2.1 – 2.1, 6+), as the AM flagship of the Atlanta Braves carries on at #18.
Following a March decrease of -1.4 (4.8 – 3.4, 6+), City of Atlanta Board of Education news/talk WABE is up three-tenths in April/May (3.4 – 3.6 – 3.7, steady at #11, 6+). Despite dropping three-tenths in April/May (.8 – .6 – .5, 6+), Georgia State University news/talk WRAS advances from #28 to #27.
Atlanta Music Formats – Good news continues for Salem Media Group contemporary Christian WFSH “104.7 The Fish,” which is an overall +3.0 (4.9 – 5.4 – 5.7 – 7.0 – 7.9, 6+) via four successive upticks and repeats at #1. Furthermore, this (7.9) is its best 6+-showing since 8.6 in “Holiday” 2018. The market’s (6+) urban AC share improved by +1.4 (March); deflated by -1.5 (April); and now expands by six-tenths in May as both main format players jump one ranker. Specifically, Radio One’s WAMJ “Majic” is up two-tenths (6.1 – 6.3, fourth to third, 6+), while Cox Media Group-owned WALR “Kiss 104.1 Atlanta’s R&B” improves by four-tenths (5.2 – 5.6, seventh to sixth, 6+). “Majic” was +2.5 via three successive increases (4.4 – 5.4 – 6.3 – 6.9, 6+) but eroded by eight-tenths in April. A combined +1.4 in February/March (4.5 – 5.1 – 5.9, 6+), “Kiss” returned half that increase (-.7) this time last month. For the third time in a row, Entercom urban contemporary WVEE “V-103 The People’s Station” posts a positive bump of two-tenths (5.9 – 6.1 – 6.3 – 6.5, third to second, 6+). On the other hand, Radio One’s similarly-programmed WHTA “Hot 107.9” is an overall -1.3 via three consecutive negative moves (5.2 – 4.6 – 4.2 – 3.9, eighth to tenth, 6+). Frozen on 3.4 (6+) in “Holiday” 2018 and January 2019 before dropping to 3.0 (6+) in February, iHeartMedia’s WWPW gained seven-tenths in March; was down one-tenth in April; and now busts out a +.6 to 4.2 (6+) as “Power 96.1 Atlanta’s #1 Hit Music Station” is back in the top ten (#11 to #8). Its format rival – Cumulus Media-owned WWWQ “Q-100 Atlanta’s New Hits” – has a February 2019 through May 2019 topline of 3.5 – 3.5 – 3.4 – 3.6 (#13 to #12, 6+). “Q-100” logged a +.7 in January, but forfeited six-tenths in February. A combined -1.0 in April/May (5.7 – 5.4 – 4.7, 6+), Cox Media Group adult contemporary WSB-FM “B-98.5” drops from sixth to seventh. Unchanged in ninth-place, iHeartMedia’s WUBL “94.9 The Bull” nets eight-tenths in three straight bumps (3.3 – 3.5 – 4.0 – 4.1, 6+). Before eroding by -1.0 in February, “The Bull” was a collective +1.4 through four straight increases (2.9 – 3.5 – 3.8 – 3.9 – 4.3, 6+). Its country rival, Cumulus Media-owned WKHX “Kicks 101.5 – Atlanta’s #1 For Country Hits,” forfeits four-tenths (3.1 – 2.7, #14 to #16, 6+). Off three-tenths in March, “Kicks” rebounded from January’s loss of six-tenths with an identical magnitude increase in February (2.6 – 3.2, +.6).
Philadelphia
Spoken-Word Formats – By adding one-tenth to 2.2 (unchanged at #20, 6+),
Entercom’s WPHT “Talk Radio 1210” suspends three straight down or flat moves that accounted for an overall loss of four-tenths (2.5 – 2.5 – 2.3 – 2.1, 6+). Townsquare Media news/talk WKXW “New Jersey 101.5” has dropped one-tenth three reports in a row (1.5 – 1.4 – 1.3 – 1.2, #23 to #24, 6+).
After improving by two-tenths in consecutive ratings periods (5.9 – 6.1 – 6.3, 6+), Entercom’s WIP “Sports Radio 94.1” sputters by seven-tenths to 5.6 (third to sixth, 6+); the Phillies’ flagship was -1.3 in February. The October 2018 through May 2019 topline for Beasley Media Group-owned WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic” (#14 to #15) is 2.5 – 2.7 – 2.7 – 2.8 – 2.7 – 2.9 – 3.0 – 2.6 – 2.7 (6+); “The Fanatic” is
the key station of the 76ers and Flyers.
Off a collective -1.0 via four straight sweeps without an increase (5.0 – 4.6 – 4.4 – 4.0 – 4.0, 6+), Entercom’s KYW remains in ninth-place. “News Radio 1060” was down eight-tenths in “Holiday” 2018, but responded in January with a gain of seven-tenths (4.3 – 5.0, 6+).
The three most recent fluctuations for public news/talk WHYY have been by four-tenths (3.0 – 2.6 – 2.2 – 2.6, #18 to #16, 6+).
Philadelphia Music Formats – Having relinquished seven-tenths in April, Beasley Media Group-owned WMMR regains one-half share (5.9 – 6.4, sixth to third, 6+). Prior to April, “93.3 Everything That Rocks” was an overall +1.7 in three successive improvements (4.9 – 6.0 – 6.4 – 6.6, 6+). Ever since Entercom-owned adult contemporary WBEB “Today’s 101.1 More FM” WBEB repeated at #1 in December and “Holiday” 2018, it has been a revolving door for the top spot. Entercom sports talk WIP was there in January; classic hits-oldies sibling WOGL in February; WBEB in March; and Beasley Media Group classic rock WMGK was on top in April. While trending 7.0 – 6.7 – 6.7 (6+), WBEB has its turn again in May. “Today’s 101.1 More FM” was Philly’s market leader from March 2018 through June before being dislodged in July, WBEB was +10.1 (6.5 – 10.4 – 16.6, 6+) just prior to January 2019’s -10.3 (16.3 – 6.3, 6+); it gained one-half share in March. Four up or flat trends in succession by format challenger, iHeartMedia’s WISX “106.1 The Breeze – Relaxing Favorites,” yielded a cumulative +2.3 (2.5 – 3.0 – 4.4 – 4.8 – 4.8, 6+). “The Breeze” surrendered three-tenths in April but regains two-tenths in May (4.5 – 4.7, 6+) and carries on in eighth-place. Formerly rhythmic hot AC “Real 106.1,” WISX became adult contemporary “106.1 The Breeze” in mid-November (2018). Meanwhile, the station WBEB succeeds at #1 – “Classic Rock 102.9 MGK” – follows April’s +1.0 to 6.8 (6+) with a loss of two-tenths (6.6, first to second, 6+). WMGK was a combined -1.3 in February/March (7.1 – 6.7 – 5.8, 6+). After busting out April’s +1.2 to 3.4 (6+), Educational Media Foundation contemporary Christian WKVP “Positive & Encouraging K-Love” returns all but two-tenths of that increase (2.4, -1.0, #12 to #18, 6+). Even though Beasley Media Group-owned WXTU falters by two-tenths to 5.6 (6+), thus interrupting four straight gains that netted +2.2 (3.6 – 4.5 – 4.9 – 5.0 – 5.8, 6+),“92.5 Philly’s Country Station” progresses from seventh to a sixth-place tie. April’s 5.8 is its strongest 6+-showing since July 2018 (5.8, as well). After its +2.1 in January/February (5.0 – 6.3 – 7.1, 6+), Entercom classic hits-oldies WOGL “98.1 – Nobody Plays More 80s” is a combined -1.1 in March/April/May (7.1 – 6.8 – 6.0 – 6.0, fifth to fourth, 6+).
Long Island
Spoken-Word Formats – Repeating at #15, iHeartMedia news/talk WOR “710 The Voice of New York” is up four-tenths in April/May (2.2 – 2.5 – 2.6, 6+). Off one-tenth in consecutive sweeps (1.5 – 1.4 – 1.3, 6+), Cumulus Media news/talk WABC remains at #25.
In addition to repeating at #1, Entercom sports talk WFAN is +1.0 in three straight positive spikes (4.3 – 4.4 – 5.1 – 5.3, 6+). The Yankees’ flagship has its highest 6+-share in Long Island (5.3) since October 2018’s 5.6. Similarly-programmed WEPN not only picks up one-half share (1.8 – 2.3, 6+), “98.7 ESPN New York” cracks the top twenty (#21 to #17).
In three straight slips, WINS lost eight-tenths (3.6 – 3.5 – 3.0 – 2.8, 6+) but the Entercom all-news outlet is up two-tenths in May to 3.0 (#14 to #12, 6+). After logging a one-half share April increase (3.3 – 3.8, 6+), co-owned/similarly-formatted WCBS-AM spirals by nine-tenths to 2.9 (6+) and departs the top ten (#8 to #13).
Down or flat the fourth time in succession for a net loss of eight-tenths (2.1 – 2.0 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.3, 6+), WNYC Broadcasting Foundation news/talk WNYC-FM slips from #24 to #25.
Long Island Music Formats – Tied in fourth-place are Cox Media Group CHR WBLI, up seven-tenths in three bumps in a row (3.9 – 4.0 – 4.4 – 4.6, fifth to fourth, 6+), and iHeartMedia New York’s similarly-formatted WHTZ “Z-100” (4.5 – 4.6, +.1, flat at #4, 6+). These same two group owners are keeping the classic rock contest tight as well. Cox Media Group’s WBAB “102.3 – Long Island’s Only Classic Rock” picks up one-tenth (4.0 – 4.1, steady at #6, 6+), while iHeartMedia New York’s WAXQ “Q-104.3,” which had lost one-half share in three straight decreases (4.0 – 3.8 – 3.7 – 3.5, 6+), adds four-tenths (3.9, ninth to seventh, 6+). Having shared the lead in April with sports talk cluster-mate WFAN, Entercom classic hits-oldies WCBS-FM is flat at 5.1 (6+) and drops to a second-place tie. An April gain of six-tenths by “101.1 New York’s Greatest Hits” suspended four successive sweeps without an increase that accounted for an overall loss of eight-tenths (5.3 – 4.9 – 4.6 – 4.5 – 4.5, 6+). Up or flat the fifth report in a row for a net gain of seven-tenths (2.6 – 2.7 – 2.7 – 3.0 – 3.3 – 3.3, 6+), iHeartMedia New York rhythmic CHR WKTU advances into the top ten (#11 to #10). Co-owned New York City urban contemporary WWPR “Power 105.1” hasn’t had a decrease in each of the last four reports for a half-share increase (1.6 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.8 – 2.1, 6+) and enters Long Island’s top twenty (#21 to #19). Connoisseur Media-owned adult contemporary WKJY “98.3 K-JOY – Long Island’s Place to Relax” falters by a combined eight-tenths in April/May (4.3 – 4.0 – 3.5, sixth to eighth, 6+). In four consecutive declines, hot AC sibling WALK-FM lost over half (-5.5) its 6+-share (10.5 – 6.0 – 5.9 – 5.1 – 5.0, 6+) but “97.5 – Real Variety” applies the brakes with a gain of one-tenth to 5.1 (steady at #2, 6+). A combined +6.1 in December/“Holiday” 2018 (4.4 – 6.5 – 10.5, 6+), WALK-FM spent five straight sweeps at #1 before shifting to the runner-up slot. Entering the top twenty at #20, Entercom alternative WNYL “Alt 92.3” has a September 2018 through May 2019 topline of 1.7 – 1.8 – 1.7 – 1.6 – 1.6 – 1.7 – 1.7 – 1.6 – 1.7 – 1.9 (6+).
Riverside
Spoken-Word Formats – Following seven consecutive sweeps without an increase (.4 – .2 – .2 -.2 – .1 – .1 – .1 – .1, #23, 6+), iHeartMedia news talk KKDD “1290 News Talk IE” disappears from print.
The November 2018 through May 2019 topline for co-owned KPWK “Fox Sports Radio 1350 AM” is: .2 – .2 – .1 – .1 – .1 – .2 – .1 – .2 (unchanged at #23, 6+). For the 17th straight sweep, similarly-formatted/Los Angeles Angels-owned (LAA 1, LLC) KLAA “Angels Radio
AM 830” is unlisted.
In April/May, San Bernardino Community College news/talk KVCR has lost more than three-quarters (-1.3) of its 6+-share (1.7 – .8 – .4, #13 to #17, 6+). Down or flat the past three monthlies for a net decrease of two-tenths (.3 – .2 – .1 – .1, 6+), Pasadena City College news/talk KPCC “The Voice of Southern California” erases that shortfall with a +.2 to .3 (#23 to #21, 6+).
Riverside Music Formats – Over and above being a combined +1.2 in April/May (6.8 – 7.2 – 8.0, 6+), KOLA repeats at #1. The Anaheim Broadcasting classic hits-oldies outlet last reached the eight-share level (6+) was February 2018 (8.4). Prior to April, KOLA had been at #2 in each of the previous 11 survey periods. It hit #1 exactly one year ago (6.5, May 2018, 6+). Tacking on seven-tenths to April’s +.9 (.3 – 1.2 – 1.9, 6+), Educational Media Foundation contemporary Christian KLRD enters the top ten (#12 to #10). Entering the April sweep, “Air 1 Worship Now” was a collective -1.9 via four successive negative trends (2.2 – 1.7 – 1.5 – 1.2 – .3, 6+). Even though Good News Radio’s similarly-formatted KSGN is off eight-tenths in four setbacks in succession (4.1 – 3.9 – 3.8 – 3.6 – 3.3, 6+),“Family Friendly 89.7” progresses from sixth to fifth. Wiping away the collective +.7 it recorded in February/March/April (3.3 – 3.7 – 3.9 – 4.0, 6+) with a May loss of nine-tenths to 3.1 (6+), iHeartMedia rhythmic CHR KGGI “99.1 Riverside’s Hottest Hit Music” slips from fifth to sixth. In three successive improvements, LC Media urban-rhythmic oldies KQIE was a collective +1.6 (2.1 – 2.7 – 3.0 – 3.7, 6+), but “Old School 104.7” is now a combined -1.0 in April/May (3.7 – 3.4 – 2.7, seventh to ninth, 6+). A cumulative -4.1 in six straight declines (10.5 – 8.5 – 8.2 – 8.1 – 7.4 – 7.0 – 6.4, 6+), Entravision’s KLYY “Jose” repeats at #2. In advance of the April ratings period, “Jose” occupied the #1 spot 11 sweeps in succession. December 2018’s 10.5 marked the first time any Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario station reached double-figures (6+) since April 2015, when KLYY recorded a 10.4. All-Pro rhythmic hot AC KHTI “Hot 103.9 – The I.E.’s Best Mix” is without an increase the fourth straight time for a net loss of three-tenths (.8 – .8 – .8 – .7 – .5, #15 to #16, 6+).
San Jose
Spoken-Word Formats – In addition to this being its eighth straight San Jose sweep without an increase for an overall -1.3 (3.0 – 2.2 – 2.2 – 2.1 – 1.9 – 1.9 – 1.9 – 1.9 – 1.7, 6+), Cumulus Media news/talk KGO’s departs the top twenty (#19 to #21). Co-owned news/talk KSFO, which netted a one-half share increase via four straight up or flat moves (.9 – 1.2 – 1.4 – 1.5 – 1.5, 6+), surrenders two-tenths to 1.3 (6+) but continues at #23.
Sports talk cluster-mate KNBR “The Sports Leader” repeats April’s 6+-share (4.2) and 6+ market rank (seventh); the Giants flagship was +1.1 in April. In three consecutive positive spikes (1.5 – 1.7 – 1.9 – 2.9, 6+), Entercom sports talk KGMZ “95.7 The Game” nearly doubles (+1.4) its 6+-stat as the key station of the Golden State Warriors zooms from #19 to #11.
All-news sibling KCBS-AM is -1.9 in March/April/May (7.1 – 6.7 – 5.6 – 5.2, fourth to sixth, 6+), directly after a collective +1.4 in four straight ratings periods without a loss (5.7 – 5.9 – 5.9 – 7.1 – 7.1, 6+).
After an April-only stay at #1, Northern California Public Broadcasting news/talk KQED falters by eight-tenths (6.9 – 6.1, 6+) and segues to #2. A combined -.9 in January and February (7.1 – 6.9 – 6.2, 6+), KQED erased that deficit in its entirety with a March gain of nine-tenths. Off two-tenths (.9 – .7, 6+), San Francisco Unified School District news/talk KALW falls from #26 to #27.
San Jose Music Formats – There is considerable movement within San Jose’s top five this month. Most notably is Alpha Media classic hits-oldies KBAY roaring back from April’s -1.5 with a rousing +1.3 (6.2 – 7.5, 6+), allowing “94.5 Bay FM – The Bay’s Greatest Hits” to return to #1 after an April-only stay at #2. Prior to the April sweep, “Bay FM” had been +1.5 via three upticks in a row (6.2 – 6.9 – 7.3 – 7.7, 6+). It was a combined -1.8 in December/“Holiday” 2018 (8.0 – 6.9 – 6.2, 6+), after an overall +1.7 in October/November (6.3 – 6.9 – 8.0, 6+). Hot AC sibling KEZR “Mix 106 – Today’s Best Music” erases April’s loss of eight-tenths with a similar magnitude May increase (5.6 – 4.8 – 5.6, sixth to fourth, 6+). In three straight “Holiday” 2018 through March 2019 up or flat trends, “Mix 106” gained six-tenths (5.0 – 5.0 – 5.4 – 5.6, 6+). Format rival, iHeartMedia’s KIOI “Star 101.3,” is a collective -1.1 in four straight sweeps without a gain (4.6 – 3.8 – 3.6 – 3.5 – 3.5, flat at #8, 6+). “Star” was -.8 (4.6 – 3.8, “Holiday” 2018, 6+); +.8 (3.8 – 4.6, January 2019, 6+); and -.8 (4.6 – 3.8, February, 6+). Steady at #15 is yet another hot AC, Entercom’s KLLC “Alice @ 97.3,” which is trending 2.5 – 2.1 – 2.2 – 2.5 (6+). Piling on one-half share to April’s massive +1.5 (3.8 – 5.3 – 5.8, 6+), Bonneville’s KUFX “98.5 K-Fox The South Bay’s Classic Rock” jumps from fifth to third. Univision Radio Spanish adult hits KBRG “Amor 100.3” is a combined -.8 in April/May (6.1 – 6.0 – 5.3, third to fifth, 6+), while co-owned regional Mexican KSOL “Que Buena” falters by one-half share (3.4 – 2.9, 6+) and exits the top ten (#10 to #11). University of Southern California classical KDFC is -1.7 in four drops in a row (3.6 – 2.9 – 2.3 – 2.1 – 1.9, #18 to #19, 6+). For the fifth straight month, KOIT-FM “Today’s Hits & Yesterday’s Favorites” is unlisted in San Jose. As the result of five straight increases (3.0 – 3.1 – 3.2 – 3.3 – 6.0 – 10.1, 6+), it was a cumulative +7.1 and reached #1 in “Holiday” 2018. The Bonneville adult contemporary outlet remains in print in the San Francisco report.
Middlesex
Spoken-Word Formats – As a result of four successive setbacks, Townsquare
Media news/talk WKXW is -1.0 (8.1 – 7.9 – 7.5 – 7.3 – 7.1, 6+), but is #1 for the fifth month in a row; “New Jersey 101.5” was +1.2 in January. Up two-tenths (2.8 – 3.0, 6+), iHeartMedia news/talk WOR climbs from #18 to #16. Cumulus Media news/talk WABC is down or flat the fourth month and has a 40% (-.4) reduction of its 6+-stat (1.0 – 1.0 – 1.0 – .7 – .6, flat at #27, 6+).
Off one-tenth (3.7 – 3.6, 6+), Entercom sports talk/Yankees key station WFAN departs the top ten (#10 to #13). A collective -1.1 in six
straight ratings periods without an increase (2.9 – 2.5 – 2.3 – 2.3 – 2.3 – 1.9 – 1.8, 6+), similarly-programmed WEPN “98.7 ESPN New York” answers with a May gain of seven-tenths to 2.5 (6+) and jumps into the top twenty (#24 to #19).
Having improved by seven-tenths in March/April (2.2 – 2.4 – 2.9, 6+), Entercom all-news/Mets flagship WCBS-AM forfeits one-half share to 2.4 (#16 to #20, 6+). Co-owned/similarly-programmed WINS has an August 2018 through May 2019 topline of: 1.7 – 1.7 – 1.7 – 1.4 – 1.6 – 1.7 – 1.8 – 1.9 – 1.8 – 1.6 – 1.7 (6+). WNYC Broadcasting Foundation’s WNYC-FM stumbles by three-tenths (2.5 – 2.2, #20 to #21, 6+); WNYC was up a combined eight-tenths in January/February (2.0 – 2.5 – 2.8, 6+).
Middlesex Music Formats – By registering a May uptick of seven-tenths (3.4 – 4.1, 6+), Beasley Media Group adult contemporary WMGQ “Magic 98.3 – Today’s Hits & Yesterday’s Favorites” catapults into the top five (#14 to #5) and pulls the plug on four straight decreases that led to an overall -2.4 (5.8 – 4.5 – 4.3 – 3.5 – 3.4, 6+). Entercom alternative WNYL “Alt 92.3” is a cumulative +1.2 as a result of five consecutive monthlies without a decrease (2.5 – 3.0 – 3.4 – 3.6 – 3.6 – 3.7, #13 to #12, 6+). As noted above in the New York City summary, Cumulus Media hot AC WPLJ has been sold to Educational Media Foundation and flips to contemporary Christian. In its last Middlesex-Somerset-Union sweep as a hot AC, however, “New York’s 95.5 PLJ” notches a one-half share uptick (3.3 – 3.8, #15 to #11, 6+). WPLJ posted a +1.0 in April. Moving from an eighth-place tie to a ninth-place stalemate is Entercom’s WNEW “NEW 102.7” (3.8 – 3.9, +.1, 6+), which carries on in the hot AC format. The combination of iHeartMedia’s WKTU “103.5 KTU” dropping one-tenth (2.9 – 2.8, #16 to #17, 6+) and Emmis’ similarly-formatted WQHT “Hot 97” adding one-tenth (2.7 – 2.8, #19 to #17, 6+) results in the two rhythmic CHRs deadlocked at #17. While remaining in the runner-up slot, iHeartMedia New York mainstream CHR WHTZ “Z-100” falters by four-tenths to 5.8 (6+), thus curtailing four straight improvements that netted +1.9 (4.3 – 4.5 – 5.2 – 5.8 – 6.2, 6+). Immediately before this streak, “Z-100” was without an increase four successive times for a collective -1.1 (5.4 – 5.0 – 4.9 – 4.9 – 4.3, 6+).
Friday, July 1, 2016
TALKERS 2016: Bridging the Generations – WFAN, New York Sports Talk Star Mike Francesa Video Now Posted for Viewing. A Livestream video recording of WFAN, New York sports talk personality Mike Francesa delivering the morning keynote address at the recent Talkers 2016: Bridging the Generations convention is now posted and available for viewing (7/1). Francesa spoke at the event on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY at the 19th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important convention. He discusses the state of the radio business from the perspective of talent including podcasting and a variety of other aspects of the digital era. If you didn’t catch it live the first time around, this video is certainly not to be missed. To view it and the other videos from the convention now being posted, please click here.
Hip-Hop & R&B “Bounces” to Detroit. The mystery regarding what would succeed sports on Greater Media Detroit’s WMGC has been answered: It’s “105.1 The Bounce – Detroit’s Throwback Hip Hop and R&B.” Representative artists will span from 2Pac and Ice Cube to Drake and Rihanna. Vice president and market manager Steve Chessare states, “Greater Media is thrilled to unveil this fun and unique new format in the Motor City. We look forward to providing a fun, fresh new sound featuring some of the best throwback hip hop and R&B sounds over the past for our listeners to enjoy.” Greater Media senior vice president of program development Buzz Knight adds, “We are thrilled that our great Detroit cluster is adding a new brand for our audience and our customers.” Detroit’s “Bounce” was introduced today (Friday, 7/1) at 12:00 noon and is playing 10,000 songs in a row; its on-air line-up will be announced soon. News of an impending WMGC format transition was made earlier this week. In the past six Nielsen Audio PPM ratings sweeps, the sports station failed to rise above a one-share (6+). Its .9 in May places it at #23, while CBS Radio‘s WXYT-FM “The Ticket” not only notches a 7.3 (6+), it reigns at #1.
Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Taps O’Reilly President/CEO. The appointment of Terry O’Reilly as president/chief executive officer follows the recent consolidation of talk WESA and triple A WYEP into a single public media entity. Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation board
president 
Harris Jones comments, “We are excited that Terry will lead the team we have built. His experience and expertise will help accelerate our efforts to deliver high-quality global, national and local music, news, information and cultural programming that is engaging, relevant and inspiring. His diverse background also serves us well as we extend our strong broadcast brands across digital media and other emerging platforms.” O’Reilly states, “It is an honor to join WYEP and WESA, the two leading public radio stations in my hometown of Pittsburgh. The media industry is at a critical inflection point and public radio is well-positioned to thrive by focusing on what it does best – allowing each of us the opportunity to hear, listen, learn, and participate. Pittsburgh’s public radio stations remain remarkably strong, with growing audiences, in this changing media environment.” For the past seven years, O’Reilly – who begins his new duties in just over four weeks (8/1) – was senior vice president and chief content officer for Twin Cities PBS. Prior to that, he spent approximately 30 years in the commercial television industry. Over the last six Nielsen Audio PPM ratings periods, WESA (1.9, #12, 6+) has registered a 1.9 four times and a 2.0 the other two; WYEP (#13, 6+) notches a 1.3 for the third time in the last six sweeps. The market’s 6+ market leader is iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies outlet WWSW (10.2, 6+).
PPM Analysis: All-News. Based on PPM data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2016 survey period, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of all-news stations to see how the 2016 presidential race has influenced their ratings. There is a bit of a similarity between the month-to-month and year-to-year comparisons, in that, 63% of the sample in our overview was down April 2016 – May – 2016 (6+) and 58% of our all-news panel experienced May 2015 – May 2016 6+- erosion. The typical all-news station in May 2016 has a 6+-share of 4.21 and finishes tenth in its respective market (#10.15). See Mike’s entire report here.
Tobin Joins New York Times. WBUR, Boston senior producer Lisa Tobin departs the Boston University-owned public outlet to join the expanded audio content division of The New York Times as an executive producer. Stated in a memo announcing Tobin’s arrival was mention that “Modern Love,” the first podcast “to briefly displace ‘Serial’ at the top of the charts, was Tobin’s idea.” The memo further states Tobin has “launched feature shows, like the literary advice podcast ‘Dear Sugar Radio,’ based on the cult-favorite advice column. She has developed newsy shows, including a daily podcast produced in partnership with The Boston Globe during the trial of [Boston Marathon bomber] Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and she has incorporated audio into giant multimedia projects.” Once Tobin has settled in, she and editorial director Samantha Henig plan to solicit podcast ideas from their NYT colleagues.
Odds & Sods. There is a rolodex alert for ABC News Radio, which relocates from 125 West End Avenue (New York) to ABC News headquarters at 47 West 66th Street (New York, NY 10023). Remaining at the West End Avenue address though are sports outlet WEPN-FM “ESPN New York” and Spanish sports WEPN-AM “ESPN Deportes 1050” ….. Two
weeks from tomorrow (Saturday, 7/16) is the first-ever WCMC “The Fan,” Raleigh “Beer Academy.” The event of the Capitol Broadcasting sports outlet benefits the Me Fine Foundation and will be held at Bull Durham Beer Company inside the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Joe Ovies of “The Fan” and executive brew master Sebastian Wolfum will teach listeners how to make their favorite beverage and educate them on North Carolina beers. There will be two 90-minutes sessions, one starting at 1:00 pm and the other at 3:30 pm ….. As part of a multi-year exclusivity pact between Salem Media Group Twin Cities’ KYCR “Business 1440” and North Dakota State University, all regular season games and any post-season contests of the five-time defending champion Bison football team will be available in Minneapolis-Saint Paul on KYCR. Salem Media Group Twin Cities general manager Nic Anderson remarks, “Bison football is serious business, and ‘Business 1440’ is the serious voice of Twin Cities business news and financial information. It is a winning combination.” The first game of the 2016 NDSU Bison football season is (Saturday) August 27 at 6:30 pm.
‘Brexit’ Aftermath Top News/Talk Story of the Week. The aftermath of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. Following at #2 was the U.S. presidential race. Coming in at #3 was the GOP’s Benghazi report tied with the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and, at #4, was the Istanbul terror attack. 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.
Trio Added to New York Public Radio Board. Joining the board of trustees of New York Public Radio are author-Roots drummer-“The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” regular Questlove; investor David Tisch; and entertainment attorney Marc Chamlin. Board chair Cynthia King Vance comments, “Questlove, David, and Marc each bring a deep understanding of the value and potential of public radio, and a commitment to working with our highly engaged board to advance our mission and help us reach our digital, content, and audience development goals. Their appointment broadens the base of expertise on the board; we are thrilled to have them.” Chamlin chairs the television group at Loeb and Loeb. Tisch is managing partner of New York City-based angel capital firm BoxGroup. Meanwhile, 30+-year board member Billie Tisch has been elected to its honorary board.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Eyes (and Ears!) on News/Talk Radio as Recent Ratings Trends Spur Criticism. As the September PPM data continues to roll out, industry watchers and mainstream media writers and analysts are scrutinizing talk radio’s numbers – as well as its programming. Citing a perceived slow-but-steady decline in ratings for the news/talk format in general, critics are wondering if the political “right-versus-left” programming philosophy has become tiresome to all but the staunchest news/talk radio fans and is resulting in the generally lower numbers in Nielsen Audio’s PPM and diary ratings. Some high-profile cases have been cited, including KFI, Los Angeles’ 
decline in 6+ PPM ratings over the past year from being one of the country’s best-performing news/talk stations in one of America’s most vibrant markets. Just today (10/2), Chicago media writer Robert Feder writes about the state of Cumulus Media’s WLS, Chicago and its declining place in the 
ratings race. The reasons for the states of these stations are open to analysis – including, but not limited to, the possibility that Nielsen Audio’s PPM methodology is less than perfect – and could easily vary from market to market. When talking ratings, what are usually not included in the recent criticism of news/talk as a format are: the #1 showing for Cox Media’s WSB-AM, Atlanta (which carries the oft-maligned Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity); 
Cumulus’ WMAL, Washington’s rise in the September PPM; CBS Radio’s high-flying KMOX, St. Louis; Bonneville’s steady-performing KIRO-FM, Seattle; Cox’s WOKV, Jacksonville; and the two Milwaukee news/talk outlets that have 
consistently performed as two of the top six stations over the last year – Clear Channel’s WISN and Journal’s WTMJ. Constant awareness and analysis of the sound and perception of one’s stations are the hallmarks of good operators and effective programmers should care about how the format is perceived. But discovering what’s “wrong” with a format or a station is not easy and not always possible given the limited information available. In the words of TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, “The first people out there ready to proclaim news/talk radio as being dead are usually people who see the world primarily through a political lens who disagree with the ideology of the hosts they dislike. Political news/talk radio is cyclical and will always come back from the brink when there’s inevitably a new chapter in contemporary issues. Regardless, the good thing that hopefully will come out of this ratings down-tick will be some of the major operators giving consideration to different forms of talk and even news/talk that are just being ignored. There are so many potential ways of doing ‘talk radio’ it is crazy for so many stations to bunch up around one predominant style. Everyone should spread out and claim and develop new territory on the spectrum of possibilities.” This topic will be one of those addressed at the Talkers Los Angeles 2013 conference taking place next Thursday, October 10 at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood.
Nielsen Begins Synergies; Sean Creamer and Debra Delman to Exit Ratings Giant. Nielsen responded quickly to TALKERS last week after we reported that the “$20 million in 
synergies” the company hopes to realize with the acquisition of the former Arbitron would cost jobs. The company stated it had “no plans to reduce headcount at this time.” Perhaps that applies to the rank and file and not the executive strata because it’s now being reported that former Arbitron CEO Sean Creamer and CFO Debra Delman will leave Nielsen at the end of the year. Though Nielsen has not released a statement about the changes, it’s expected that other executives may also be headed for the door. Both Creamer, Delman and most of the other high-level execs who might follow the two have clauses in their contracts that will give them very nice golden parachutes. Creamer could realize almost $7 million in total compensation and Delman’s take is just shy of $2 million.
ESPN Deportes Radio Extends NFL Deal. Sports giant ESPN reports that its ESPN Deportes Radio unit has reached a new multi-year agreement for media rights to the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 National Football League seasons. Under the agreement, the network will have exclusive Spanish-language rights to Monday Night Football, the 2013-2014 National Football Conference Playoffs, the 2014 Super Bowl, 2015 Pro Bowl and the 2014-2015 American Football Conference Playoffs. ESPN Deportes Radio general manager Oscar Ramos says, “We’re incredibly excited to add NFL to our diverse roster of programming. U.S. Hispanics are becoming avid NFL fans and this new deal allows us to deliver the content they want in the language they prefer.”
MEDIA BROKER SPOTLIGHT: Diane Warren and Jean Robinson – MMTC Media Brokers (run by Bounceology). In this week’s installment of Media Broker Spotlight, Sandi Bergman of RadioTVDeals.com interviews media brokers Diane Warren and Jean Robinson of MMTC Media Brokers (run by Bounceology) located in San Antonio, Texas. MMTC Media Brokers specializes in locating properties and selling them to potential minority, multicultural and women buyers. In addition to telling their fascinating story, they share several outstanding opportunities that they have among their listings that would be of interest to first-time buyers. To read the entire installment of Media Broker Spotlight, please click here.
CNBC’s Jim Cramer Featured on SiriusXM ‘Town Hall.’ CNBC “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer (left) recently took part in SiriusXM’s “Town Hall” series for a Q&A with SiriusXM personality Pete Dominick (right). The program will be aired on Friday, October 4 on its Indie channel. The conversation – which took place before an audience of SiriusXM listeners – covered financial markets, fiscal trends, the economic state of the nation, and the story of Cramer’s personal road from hedge fund manager to popular CNBC host. Dominick is a stand-up comedian who has opened up for Cramer on his “Mad Money Back to School Tour.”
Two Weeks in a Kennel Reaps Rewards for KIDO’s Kevin Miller. KIDO, Boise morning drive host Kevin Miller (right) is pictured here with ASPCA senior director Tami McReynolds (left) and Canyon County Animal Shelter director Barb Hutchinson (center) showing off the check for $35,000 the CCAS received after Miller helped get more than 300 animals adopted. To achieve that and win the $35,000 prize, Miller spent two weeks living in a makeshift kennel from which he broadcast his morning program. The contest is national in scope and – with Miller’s help – the CCAS is the only shelter to win the prize twice.
Government Shutdown, ObamaCare Enrollment Begins, Scrapped Hillary Clinton Programs, U.S.-Iran Relations, and Financial Markets Activity Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/1). The battle between the GOP and the Obama Administration and the government shutdown; the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act begins; two television projects on the life of Hillary Clinton are scrapped; possible diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. and the former’s nuclear program; and the effects of the government shutdown on the U.S. financial markets were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Tuesday, October 1, 2012
Entercom Brings Phil Zachary to Boston as VP/Market Manager. A day after losing Jeff Brown to Cumulus Media’s Atlanta operations, Entercom announces Phil Zachary will take over as vice president and market manager effective October 21. Zachary will lead sports talk stations WEEI-FM, ESPN on WEEI-AM, rock WAAF, news/talk WRKO and The Boston Red Sox Radio Network. The company says, “This represents a homecoming of sorts for Zachary, whose first 
paid radio job was as a part-time, on-air announcer at WAAF. Zachary is a 41-year radio veteran, a Connecticut native and graduate of Holy Cross in Worcester. After beginning his career in Worcester, he moved on to stints in Providence and Boston. While in Boston, Zachary served as operations manager at the old WITS 1510. There his role included direct oversight of both Red Sox and Bruins play-by-play. Zachary comes to 
Entercom from Curtis Media Group in Raleigh where he was president and chief operating officer, overseeing the company’s entire slate of radio stations, networks, digital and interactive divisions and print publications. Prior to joining Curtis Media in 2002, he was VP/market manager for CBS Radio in Washington. Entercom group president Weezie Kramer says, “Phil is the right person at the right time for Entercom Boston. He is a leader and a listener. He understands the challenges we face but he also sees the tremendous opportunity we have. Phil believes in the strength of our brands, the dynamic nature of our content and the true potential of our team.” Zachary comments, “The only reason to leave a great job in radio is for one of the absolute best jobs in radio. Make no mistake – WAAF, WEEI and WRKO are not only some of the greatest call letters in Boston radio history, but some of the best brands in our industry. This amazing opportunity brings me back to my New England roots and the place I started my radio career. There are great challenges ahead, not to mention best-in-class competition, but I look forward to it and can’t wait to get started.” Management consultant Joel Hollander has been retained by Entercom to assist in the transition.
Turner Broadcasting Content to Be Available on iHeartRadio Talk. A deal between Turner Broadcasting and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment will see select audio content including news from CNN, entertainment clips from TBS‘s “CONAN” and sports programming from Bleacher Report, in its new iHeartRadio Talk feature. The content will also include segments from “Anderson Cooper 360,” “New Day,” “Piers Morgan Live,” and “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” Full episodes of “Anderson Cooper 360,” “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” “State of the Union,” and “Erin Burnett Out Front” will also be accessible via iHeartRadio Talk. Clear Channel president of digital Brian Lakamp states, “This marks yet another significant milestone for iHeartRadio Talk. We are continuing to identify and add quality partners to iHeartRadioTalk to continue to deliver our listeners even more content that is relevant and entertaining anywhere they are.”
Sean Hannity Receives GOP Statesman of the Year Award in Florida. An enthusiastic, record-breaking crowd welcomed Sean Hannity to Sarasota, Florida, this past Friday night (9/27) to witness his acceptance of the Statesman of the Year award. The event, underwritten by the Republican Party of Sarasota County, drew nearly 2,000 people to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota to hear a lineup of state notables, such as Florida Governor Rick Scott and State Attorney General Pam Bondi, laud the radio and TV talk show host and to listen to his acceptance remarks. TALKERS magazine sales expert Al Herskovitz was in attendance at the event. Hannity in his acceptance, adhered to his well-known partisan positions in line with his radio and TV point of view. However, the speech was generously laced with numerous personal
anecdotes about his family, career and upbringing and peppered with much good humor. He even poked a few light-hearted jabs at his former TV co-host, Alan Colmes, but pointed out that Alan and he remain friends. During the VIP reception, Hannity personally and individually greeted a nearly block-long line of well-wishers posing for photos, signing autographs, shaking hands and holding mini-conversations. This step took over an hour by itself. In spite of the frenzied attempts by various factions and individuals in the crowd trying to get the popular talk show host’s attention, literally pulling him in all directions, Hannity remained calm, friendly and good-humored, making it a point to speak with as many individuals in a one-on-one manner as humanly possible. Commenting on Hannity’s ability to “work a room,” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “Sean Hannity is more skilled at mingling with a large crowd and making everyone in it feel good than any radio personality I have ever witnessed. He might have a completely opposite view of politics than Bill Clinton – but he shares the former president’s supreme skills at pressing the flesh and connecting with people in person. It is because of this gift, coupled with his steadfast loyalty to the principles and listening constituency he represents, that Sean Hannity would make a magnificent candidate for national office. Obviously, I am not the only one with this opinion as evidenced by Hannity receiving so prestigious an award from the GOP.” The radio talk show industry was well-represented in the audience. Among them was Barb Yoder, the general manager of WGUL, Tampa and WLSS, Sarasota – part of the Salem Broadcasting Group in the area. Also on hand was Andi (she uses only her first name) of the morning team of Ken Walsh & Andi on News/Talk 1260, WFTW, Fort Walton Beach — a Cumulus property. The annual Statesman of the Year award has taken on growing importance. Recent recipients were former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and financier Donald Trump, who sent along video-taped wishes to Hannity.
TALKERS PROFILE: Bill Meyer of KMED, Medford, Oregon – Super Serving Local Listeners, a Blueprint for Talk Success. If you leave Portland, Oregon and head just over four hours south down Interstate 5, before you reach the California border you’ll drive right into the town of Medford. About 75 miles inland through rugged terrain from the Pacific Ocean, Medford is a small town with a population of 76,000, but is also an economic hub for Southern Oregon and a home for the state’s growing wine industry. Medford is also the home of KMED-AM (1440), a news/talk station owned by 
Bicoastal Media and the oldest radio station in Medford. Its weekday lineup includes syndicated superstars Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, along with Glenn Beck and Alex Jones. However, what drives the station is their morning show, and extremely talented host Bill Meyer has not only made the morning show his own, he has been able to create a blueprint of how to package a large-market type of local show and imprint that on a small-market audience, giving the station a very sellable show, while the listeners get the interaction and local flavor they would not get with a nationally syndicated program. And, he does it all on his own – without a show producer. Read TALKERS magazine special features correspondent Jeff McKay‘s profile on Bill Meyer and KMED by clicking here.
Journal Goes Spanish Sports in Wichita. Flipping KLIO, Wichita from its true oldies format, Journal Broadcast Group moves to service the Spanish-speaking population in the market with sports talk using ESPN Deportes. Journal Wichita vice president and general manager Eric McCart says, “We are very excited to join with ESPN Deportes to broadcast live 24-hour unparalleled sports content in Spanish, including SportsCenter updates, soccer, Major League Baseball and much more. ESPN Deportes on 1070AM will deliver a passionate and relevant sports listening experience to Latino sports fans who have been underserved in our market. It will also provide a unique opportunity for local advertisers to connect with our community’s growing Hispanic population.”
Odds & Sods. Florida-based talk show host Nicole Sandler is sitting in for Gloria Neal (7:00 am to 10:00 am MT) on Clear Channel’s progressive talk KKZN, Denver today (10/1) through Friday. Sandler will also be subbing for Premiere Networks nationally syndicated host Randi Rhodes the week of October 21 -25…..ESPN Radio begins its 16th season of Major League Baseball playoff game broadcasts tonight. “Sunday Night Baseball” play-by-play voice Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser will call the National League Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the National League Division Series (NLDS) between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and the World Series. ESPN Radio’s “Sunday Night Baseball” team of Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton will describe the American League Wild Card game (Tampa Bay Rays against the Cleveland Indians), the American League Division Series (ALDS) between the AL Wild Card winner and the Boston Red Sox, and the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Additionally, Dave Flemming and analyst Rick Sutcliffe will call the NLDS between the NL Wild Card winner and St. Louis Cardinals while Michael Kay and analyst Aaron Boone will describe the ALDS between the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers.
SCBA to Honor Radio Advertisers. The Southern California Broadcasters Association and its General Sales Managers Council will honor the Southern California Ford Dealers, AIS Insurance, In-N-Out Burger, and Cedars-Sinai with its annual Outstanding Achievement in Radio Awards on October 24 at a luncheon to be held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City. The awards are voted on by the GSM Council and represent the very best in creative radio commercials using both Southern California’s Radio and digital platforms. SCBA president Thom Callahan states, “We are thrilled by the client and agency excitement and response to attending this prestigious Radio Awards luncheon. The senior management from each client honored will be in attendance. These special clients really understand the ubiquitous reach and power of Southern California Radio and we are excited to give them the public recognition they so richly deserve.”
Beasley Broadcast Group Honors Staff with Company Operating Awards. Beasley bestowed Company Operating Awards during its annual management meetings held in Naples, Florida. The company reports it gathered corporate management and station leadership from the 11 markets in which it operates to celebrate achievements and contributions from individual employees and radio stations over the preceding 12 months. The 2013 honorees include: WXTU-FM, Philadelphia – Radio Station of the Year; Tom Humm– General Manager of the Year/Las Vegas; Robin Wood – Business Manager of the Year/Fayetteville, NC; Matt Smith – Sales Manager of the Year/WXTU-FM and WRDW-FM, Philadelphia; Shelly Easton– Program Director of the Year/WXTU-FM, Philadelphia; Charlie McCoy – Engineer of the Year/Augusta, GA; Sam Floyd– CEO Award of Excellence/ Executive Vice President. Founder, chairman and CEO George G. Beasley comments, “Each year, as we honor our company’s highest achievers, I’m reminded of the quality of professionalism within Beasley Broadcast Group. The ladies and gentleman we recognize this year have certainly earned our respect and it is my privilege to acknowledge their accomplishments and congratulate each and every one of them.” Pictured here are (from l-r): Sam Floyd; Mac Edwards (accepting for Robin Wood); president Bruce Beasley; EVP Brian Beasley; Natalie Conner (accepting for WXTU; Shelly Easton & Matt Smith); chairman & CEO George Beasley; EVP/CFO Caroline Beasley; Tom Humm; and Kent Dunn (accepting for Charlie McCoy).
Sean Hannity and Andy Dean Help WOKV, Jacksonville ‘Stand Up for America.’ Cox Media Group’s Jacksonville news/talk outlet WOKV held its annual “Stand Up for America” event at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Jacksonville over the weekend and Premiere Networks stars Sean Hannity and Andy Dean were there. The station reports that “thousands of fans gathered at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts where Hannity and Dean, along with former presidential candidate Herman Cain and veteran Washington reporter Jamie Dupree, appeared on a panel to discuss a wide range of topics, including ObamaCare, Syria, taxes, spending, dependency on foreign oil and much more.” Pictured here are (from l-r): Jamie Dupree, Sean Hannity, Herman Cain and Andy Dean.
Government Shutdown, ObamaCare, U.S.-Iran Relations, Scrapped Hillary TV Movies, and Syria Weapons Inspections Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/30). The eve of the shutdown of the federal government; the beginning stage of the implementation of ObamaCare; relations between the United States and Iran; two scrapped TV movies about Hillary Clinton; and the start of the inspection of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Jimmy Hayes to Retire from Cox Enterprises President and CEO Post; Executive Structure Transitions Announced. Jimmy Hayes has served as president and CEO of Cox Enterprises since 2008 but now he will retire from the company in April of 2014 and John Dyer, who becomes chief operating officer of Cox Enterprises, will succeed him when he steps down. Hayes will maintain a seat on the company’s board of 
directors. In related moves, Doug Franklin, currently president of Cox Media Group, moves up to become EVP and chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises. Cox Media Group executive vice president Bill Hoffman moves up to become president of Cox Media Group. Cox Enterprises chairman Jim 
Kennedy says of Hayes, “Jimmy has led an impressive career at Cox, and I consider it a privilege having worked alongside him for so many years. I thank Jimmy for his loyalty and service to Cox, and am delighted to work with him over the next 12 months to carefully and thoughtfully transition Cox’s next senior leadership team.” Kennedy also addressed Hoffman’s rise to president of Cox Media Group. “Bill is a talented senior executive who will provide strong leadership, continuity and direction at Cox Media Group. His innate understanding of the integration of broadcast, print and digital media will help ensure Cox outlets maintain their enviable rankings in a highly competitive media landscape.”
WTMA, Charleston Names John Quincy PD. Cumulus Media’s WTMA, Charleston, South Carolina — “Charleston’s Big Talker” announces John Quincy is promoted from assistant program director to program director of the station. Quincy also serves as producer of the station’s morning program “Tara on TMA” hosted by Tara Servatius. Quincy has worked in the Charleston market since 1981 and he’s been with WTMA since 2002. He says, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to helm this legendary radio station. As WTMA celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2014, I’m more passionate than ever about its news/talk format.”
Imaging Master Suggests Slowing Down Voice Presentations to Be Noticed in “Hyper-Communicated World.” Highly respected radio/TV voice-over and imaging professional Nick Michaels, author of the concept, “over-communicated world,” tells TALKERS that we are now quickly moving past it to what he describes as the “hyper-communicated world” which he says can be “a very uncomfortable place.” He says, “One of the downsides of too many messages is the inability to focus on any one thing long enough to enjoy it. The by-product of the over-communicated world is the feeling that life is moving faster, even though we are sitting still. An occasional ride on a roller coaster is fun, but living on one is a nightmare.” Michaels suggests that radio personalities and commercial producers can make their work stand out in this dizzying environment by stepping back and slowing things down by adding drama and variety to their pacing. He advises, “Media, and especially advertising and promotion, can take advantage of this by making their messages slower and lower. In audio messages, speak softly and use the power of the pause. In the over-communicated world, messages that subliminally make you feel more comfortable have an advantage over those that do not. That advantage can be the difference between your message being received or rejected.” To read a recent interview with Nick Michaels that appeared in TALKERS magazine’s sister publication for music radio, RadioInfo, click here.
Clear Channel to Return WGST-AM, Atlanta to News/Talk. The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Rodney Ho tips us that Clear Channel Media and Entertainment plans to drop the Spanish sports on WGST-AM, Atlanta and return to news/talk with a syndicated lineup of stars including Premiere Networks’ Glenn Beck, independently syndicated financial talk sensation Dave Ramsey, Talk Radio Network rising star Andrea Tantaros and “The Wall Street Journal This Morning” featuring Gordon Deal for AM drive. The rest of the schedule is not known at this time. It’s been eight months since CC dropped the news/talk – including local hosts Rob Johnson in mornings and Rusty Humphries (who did a separate program from his successful TRN syndicated show) in PM drive and opted for Spanish sports talk via ESPN Deportes.
Keith Cunningham Named Vice President of Programming at Clear Channel Seattle. Moving in from his most recent position as broadcast consultant for Jacobs Media, Keith Cunningham takes the VP of programming position and will be in charge of the programming at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s cluster in Seattle. Cunningham says, “The past seven years with Jacobs Media has been a wonderful experience and I feel fortunate to now have the opportunity to return to Clear Channel to work with Seattle’s great brands like ‘Kiss,’ KUBE, KJR-AM and FM and ‘The Brew.’ The Clear Channel Seattle cluster is well positioned for growth – the resources available to the team are second to none and each brand is loaded with great talent, both on and off the air.” The company’s Seattle properties include: hip hop KUBE, classic hits KJR-FM, rock KKBW “The Brew,” CHR KBKS “106.1 Kiss FM,” and sports talk simulcast KJR-AM and KNBQ-FM.
Clear Channel’s KOA, Denver Extends Deal with NFL’s Broncos. The relationship between Clear Channel’s KOA, Denver and the Denver Broncos is extended for another four years through the 2017 season. As part of the new deal, Broncos play-by-play will also air on Clear Channel’s classic rock KRFX “103.5 The Fox” beginning with the 2013 season. As in the past, the relating programming includes exclusive interviews with starting quarterback Peyton Manning, executive vice president of football operations John Elway and head coach John Fox as well as Broncos-themed talk shows. KOA’s Dave Logan is entering his 24th season in the Broncos broadcast booth and 17th season as the radio play-by-play voice of the team. Former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey will be back for his second year as color commentator. KOA serves as the flagship for more than 60 affiliate stations in nine states.
KIRO-FM, Seattle Adds Weekend Boat Show. Bonneville Seattle’s news/talk KIRO-FM announces the addition of “KIRO Radio On the Water” – a one-hour Sunday morning program hosted by Captain Bob McLaughlin. The program promises to discuss “nautical subjects from the latest boat maintenance techniques and models; to water sports and safety tips; to the cruise ship industry and marine life in the Puget Sound.” McLaughlin is not just any boat aficionado, he’s a founder and board member of Seawolf Rescue and Research, a non-profit organization that provides the expertise and equipment to rescue and relocate wild marine and terrestrial animals, while documenting the process for future educational and research opportunities. The group has conducted research and observational work for both the U.S. and Canadian governments. McLaughlin took part in the only successful reintroduction of an orphaned marine mammal being reunited with its family, and has co-produced an Emmy and Columbia Peabody award-winning documentary on the plight of killer whales.
Odds & Sods. CBS Radio News has been honored with five 2013 Headliner Awards and, for the third consecutive year, finished in first place in both the Network Newscast and Breaking News or Continuing Coverage categories. The National Headliner Awards recognize journalistic merit in the communications industry. In the Network Newscast category, correspondent Sam Litzinger and editor Dianne James won for the hourly newscast for coverage of the Newtown massacre; CBS Radio News also won in the Breaking News or Continuing Coverage of a Single News Event category for its Newtown coverage; and correspondent Heather Bosch won in the News Series category for her programs on “Women Warriors.” In the five-part series that aired for 2012 Memorial Day, Bosch talked to women who have been on the front lines in Afghanistan and are struggling to overcome the effects of PTSD…..CBS Radio’s KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia was honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association
(RTDNA) with three regional Edward R. Murrow awards, standing out among other very competitive major market stations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania…..Journal Broadcast Group’s news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee and country KTTS-FM, Springfield, Missouri were also honored with regional Edward R. Murrow awards. WTMJ picked up six including Best Breaking News, Continuing Coverage and Overall Excellence and KTTS-FM was honored with five awards including Best Newscast, Breaking News Coverage and Overall Excellence.
David Webb Explores Immigration with Governor Jan Brewer. With the subject of immigration reform front-and-center, SiriusXM Patriot channel evening talk host David Webb conducted a special one-hour interview program with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called “David Webb’s American Forum with Jan Brewer” that aired on April 23 (encore airings will take place on April 27 at 10:00 am and 7:00 pm ET). Topics covered included immigration, border security, states’ rights and responsibilities. Webb and Governor Brewer posed for a photo at the satcaster’s New York studios.
Boston Marathon Bombing Aftermath, Immigration Reform Legislation, New Gun Law Proposals, Domestic Drones Issue, and Keystone Pipeline Case Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (4/23). Debate over terrorism policy in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing; new proposals for immigration reform legislation; gun law proposals; the lethal domestic drone debate and Washington, DC discussion over the Keystone Pipeline project were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Gun Control Issue Surges as Talk Radio Topic. The Newtown, Connecticut tragedy has stimulated a tremendous amount of talk about guns in America. Usually it is one of those topics — like abortion — that hosts and programmers try to avoid because there are seldom new angles and little give and take between sides. Sandy Hook has changed that. It is this week’s number one talk radio topic. So, how have talk hosts and stations been handling this issue? TALKERS recently spoke with a number of leading talk hosts and programmers across the country about their views both on and off the air on this issue. Find out what personalities including Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes, Lionel, Lars Larson, Thom Hartmann, Doug Stephan, Kevin McCullough and others are saying about this here.
Dave Ross Moves to AM Drive on KIRO-FM, Seattle. The two-month experiment of having talk host John Curley do the morning drive show with Linda Thomas on Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM is over and KIRO and market veteran Dave Ross has moved to the seat alongside Thomas for the news-intensive morning program. KIRO-FM general manager Carl Gardner told Curley they were moving him off the show because, simply put, “It isn’t working. I thought that it would, but it’s not.” That quote comes from the Seattle Times’ story about the change, as told by Curley. John Curley was hired for the evening talk show and did well there. Management thought he would work well in AM drive but ratings started to plummet after the move. Curley stays on the payroll and the Times story indicates the station would like to find a place for him. As for Ross, he’s not thrilled with a 3:30 am wake-up call but understands the business. “(Changes) always happen. That’s part of the job,” he says. He had been co-hosting the late morning program with Luke Burbank, who will continue solo.
Ken Coleman Begins Daily PM Drive Show on WDUN-AM/FM, Gainesville. The Jacobs Media Corp. station ups talk host Ken Coleman from his weekly Saturday afternoon program to a new, two-hour PM drive show airing from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm starting Monday. Director of radio operations for Access WDUN and Jacobs Media Bill Maine states, “We are all very excited about this move. Ken Coleman has proven himself to be a dynamic interviewer and his fan base just continues to grow. Ken Coleman just has this energy about him, and instead of just talking at you, he talks to you. It really is a one-on-one conversation. Ken leaves you with information you can actually use in your everyday life. I think Ken Coleman will add a much-needed voice to the weekday line up, and we are all very excited to see what new guests he will bring.” Coleman is eager to begin a new stage in his media career. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create a new and refreshing conversation that is needed now more than ever. Radio was the first medium to create community over the airwaves. The entire focus of my show is to be a place that offers insightful, invigorating and inspiring conversations about personal growth, marriage, parenting, careers, money and legacy. It’s going to be real-life conversation that matters.”
2013 Consumer Electronics Show: Big Implications for Radio. Radio consultant Holland Cooke has been at the huge Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and he reports the relevant news for radio operators. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the new technology and to be impressed by such items as the “connected TV” and the voice activated TV remote from LG. But Cooke says the gadgets won’t impress in the long run, “But even with transmitters making radio ‘real,’ people will filter it out unless it’s real special, no matter how many dashboard buttons we get.” Read Holland Cooke’s report from the 2013 CES here.
Odds & Sods. Providence-based, nationally syndicated weekend talk host Dr. Ellen Kenner celebrates the beginning of her 17th year hosting her eponymous radio program. Dr. Kenner is a romance author and clinical psychologist…..Dr. Daliah Wachs – a Las Vegas-based physician and talk show host whose program is distributed via Genesis Communications Network – celebrates her 4th anniversary on the radio…..WEPN-AM, New York “ESPN Deportes Nueva York” and Madison Square Garden Company reach an agreement for the station to carry select New York Knicks games in Spanish throughout the remainder of the season. Play-by-play coverage will be led by Clemson Smith Muñiz, who is also the voice of the New York Jets on 1050AM, and Tiny Cains. Jerry Olaya and Felipe López will also contribute.
CBS Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb Visits Albuquerque. Nationally syndicated sports talk radio personality Doug Gottlieb was in Albuquerque on Wednesday to handle TV color commentary for CBS of the New Mexico vs. UNLV basketball game. He did his national program from Cumulus’ KNML, Albuquerque studios and made some appearances on the station’s local programs. He’s pictured here on the station’s “Sports Bar” program speaking with personality David Jubb.
TALKERS Weekly Affiliate Roundup. The Kevin McCullough show – produced and distributed by XtreMedia – adds nine affiliates to push it over the 300-station mark. Some of the new adds include: WWRC, Washington, DC; WGKA, Atlanta; KRCN, Denver; and WCRU, Charlotte…..Premiere Networks’ Glenn Beck program is added to the lineup at Emmis’ KLBJ, Austin. The program airs in the 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm slot…..“America’s Financial Headquarters” talk show is added to the program schedule at WTKF, Atlantic, North Carolina and KRMS, Osage Beach, Missouri.
Gun Legislation Debate Top News/Talk Story for Week of January 7-11, 2013. The debate over new gun legislation and the administration’s threat of executive order was the most-talked-about story of the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. Following at #2 was President Obama’s cabinet nominees. At #3 was the proposed Afghanistan troop withdrawal and at #4 was the looming debt ceiling and the trillion dollar coin flap. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s entire chart here.
Cool Job Openings.
Farm Broadcaster/News. WNAX Radio in Yankton, South Dakota, your Big Friend in the Midwest, is looking for a farm/markets/news broadcaster. WNAX has one of the largest radio signals in the United States and signed on in 1922. This is an EXCELLENT broadcast opportunity for the right person. If you want to work for an incredible company, RUSH your audio, resume and cover letter to: Steve Crawford, OM WNAXJOBS@sagacom.com Saga Communications is an equal opportunity employer.
Townsquare Media has an incredible opportunity for a News/Talk Brand Manager. You must have a proven track record in programming news/talk. In addition, candidates should be digitally savvy and demonstrate a deep, rich understanding of interactive branding including social media, loyalty programs, content creation, streaming platforms, mobile and texting. Additionally, you should feel comfortable being on-air. Candidates need to possess outstanding verbal and written skills as well as being highly organized, driven and comfortable delegating responsibility. You will be working in unison with digital, sales, promotion and engineering staff. It is essential that you have a strong working knowledge of digital audio systems and online media platforms, develop production and schedule all on-air content. In addition to the above, you will work to build the identity of the station within the community. If you can’t tell, this isn’t your typical 9-5 job. But don’t worry, we work hard and we have fun doing it! If you’re a fun, dynamic, creative, proven winner, send all of your materials, including references, to Chuck Armstrong at chuck@townsquaremedia.com. Townsquare Media is an equal opportunity employer.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Lionel Joins Morning Show at Merlin Media’s WWIQ, Philadelphia. Talk media personality Lionel – known for his years of expanding talk radio’s dimensions with successful stints in national syndication and in local
markets gigs including New York City – joins the morning drive show at Merlin Media’s WWIQ, Philadelphia beginning today. Lionel, who anchors Tribune’s WPIX-TV, New York’s “Morning News” from 4:00 am to 6:00 am and produces commentaries for the station that air on its 10:00 pm news, will join the program with Al Gardner from 6:00 am to 8:30 am. In addition to these “traditional media” gigs, Lionel has been operating the digital media station LionelMedia.com for the past several years.
Gregg Henson Named PD at WPGB and WBGG, Pittsburgh. Sports talk and news/talk pro Gregg Henson takes the programming reins at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s news/talk WPGB, Pittsburgh and sister sports talk WBGG “970 ESPN.” Henson most recently served as director of programming operations at Federated Media’s WOWO, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Henson says, “I’m excited to return to the Clear Channel family and I look forward to working with the excellent staff at ‘FM News Talk 104.7’ and ‘970 ESPN.’ Pittsburgh’s passionate and loyal Steelers and Penguins fans make this an exciting new opportunity.” CC Pittsburgh OM David Edgar states, “Gregg has the skills and passion to lead our sports, talk, and news programming on all of our brands in Pittsburgh to new levels of success. His past experience will be a great asset to the Clear Channel Pittsburgh team.” Henson replaces Jay Bohannon who exited the cluster last month.
Dave Ramsey Celebrates 20th Anniversary in Radio with Big Nashville Bash including Affiliate Meetings and Gala Live Broadcast. This past Friday, September 28, nationally syndicated radio talk show host Dave Ramsey marked his 20th year in radio with a special episode of “The Dave Ramsey Show.” The program took place before a live audience of more than 2,000 listeners in a huge tent in the parking lot of Ramsey headquarters in suburban Nashville. It included calls from long-time listeners and well-wishes from friends and celebrities such as Brad Paisley, George Stephanopoulos, Mark Cuban, Billy Gibbons, Piers Morgan, Zac Brown, Neil Cavuto, Darrell Waltrip, and Glenn Beck. Video of the show was streamed live online. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam declared September 28, 2012 Dave Ramsey Day in the state of Tennessee. He presented the proclamation to Ramsey during the first hour of the radio show (see photo). The show was the culmination of Ramsey’s fifth annual Affiliate Executive Council (AEC) meeting held last week between Wednesday and Friday (9/26-28) in which he and his staff provided some 60 executives from his affiliates across the country with seminars,
workshops breakout sessions and entertainment activities experienced in true Nashville fashion. A highlight of the AEC event was an industry trade panel featuring professionals who have never been on one stage together. The panel focused on current industry issues and events and was moderated by Radio Advertising Bureau CEO Erica Farber. Al Peterson from NTS Media Online, Gene McKay from Inside Radio, and Michael Harrison from TALKERS and RadioInfo participated on the panel (see photo). According to Harrison, “Attending the Ramsey event was an eye opener into how this amazing broadcaster and his superb staff have created a viable, productive partnership with their affiliate radio stations as well as a personal bond with them on a level unmatched by any other syndication company or network in the business. Ramsey has created a business model and success story worthy of emulation, indeed!”
Syndicators Hit the Deck Running Today to Promote Shows to Stations Left Unprepared for Savage Exit. After a weekend during which approximately 300 radio station managers who were affiliated with TRN’s Michael Savage Show (“The Savage Nation”) were trying to figure out what to put in the gaping vacancy left in their schedule by the sudden exit of Michael Savage from the airwaves this past Friday, the syndication and network community are readying a mad dash to get to them and have them consider taking any of a number of their available programs as its replacement. Savage left the airwaves without warning after scoring a victory in a fierce legal battle with TRN to get out of his existing contract (see story below). Talk Radio Network has teased that it will name Savage’s replacement (as “radio’s October surprise”) – at least within its stable of available hosts – sometime today.
Talk Host Michael Savage Produces First Internet-Only Broadcast. Former Talk Radio Network nationally syndicate host Michael Savage – who won his arbitration case against the company last week to get out of his contract and left terrestrial immediately thereafter – produced his first Ustream-hosted webcast on Sunday evening (9/30). Savage broadcast for about an hour. His website encourages visitors to check back for announcements of future broadcasts. The video is not being archived for repeat views at this time – so it must be watched live – and chatter on Ustream’s message board reveals some Savage fans are irked by that move. Could it be that Savage is trying to create an appetite for a pay model? The arbitrator’s decision voided Savage’s contract with TRN and allows him to work anywhere he likes. Stay tuned!
TRN’s America’s Radio News Network Inks with Armed Forces Radio Network. Talk Radio Network-owned America’s Radio News Network announces it has signed an agreement with Armed Forces Radio Network to serve as the top-of-the-hour news on the broadcast service for American military personnel. American Forces Radio Network Worldwide director Jef Reilly, tells ARN, “The troops want news, not agendas, and I think you’re delivering that.” ARN/ANN vice president for news John McCaslin says, “Our expanding team of news anchors, producers and board operators is extremely proud to enlist the trust of the millions of men and women of America’s armed forces, who every day put their lives on the line and sacrifice so much for those of us here at home.”
Hubbard Radio’s WTOP, Washington Brings Del Walters Aboard Full Time. Washington, DC’s all-news WTOP announces broadcast journalist Del Walters is promoted to a full-time position with the station. WTOP states, “For more than two decades, Walters has been broadcasting in the Washington/Baltimore area, working as an anchor and investigative reporter for various stations including WJLA in Washington and WMAR in Baltimore. Walters joined WTOP in 2010 as a part-time anchor and reporter but will now step into a full-time role.”
Clear Channel Flips WGST, Atlanta to Spanish Sports Talk. Last week we reported that Clear Channel Media and Entertainment would be dropping the news/talk at heritage WGST, Atlanta and flipping to either a Spanish-language format or all-comedy. CC chose to go with Spanish sports talk and debuted 640 ESPN Deportes on Friday afternoon.
Radio Vet Ron Cutler Shares Secrets of his Financial Success in New Radio Biz Book. Radio veteran Ron Cutler turned a $15,000 investment in this industry into a $10 million payoff and now he’s written a book explaining how he did it. The colorful radio and business book is titled How I Turned $15,000 into $10,000,000 (HIT) and You Can Too, and it serves up a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the radio business. The advice is based on Cutler’s 
colorful experience as a top-rated Philadelphia DJ “Ron Diamond”; as the original owner and creator of the legendary KOME, the San Jose FM radio station that he sold to Michael Wiener and Gerald Carrus who formed Infinity Broadcasting making KOME Infinity’s first station; as the creator of 15 hit radio shows and services, Cutler was instrumental in launching the national shows of Rick Dees, Tom Joyner and Cousin Brucie; as the owner of Cutler Comedy Networks, a leading comedy programming company that serviced more than 4,000 radio stations and was acquired in 1996 by Premiere Radio Networks; and as an entrepreneur in numerous entertainment ventures. He tells TALKERS, “My path wasn’t an easy one. At this stage in my life, I’d like to help others get a leg up, particularly during this challenging economy. Perhaps the lessons that taught me resilience, determination and self-reliance will resonate with others.” For more information visit www.roncutlerbooks.com. To interview Ron Cutler contact Amir Forester at 310-857-6207 or e-mail amir@foresterpublicrelations.com.
Monday, September 10, 2012
ESPN O&O WEPN-AM/FM, New York Separate Sports Talk Programming. English-language sports talk is now heard only on the FM at ESPN O&O WEPN in New York as the sports media giant took the AM side Spanish with the debut of ESPN Deportes Radio Nueva York 1050 on Friday, just in time to broadcast the New York Jets season
opener victory over division rival Buffalo in Spanish. Station GM David Roberts says, “We are thrilled to add the New York Jets to our solid roster of play-by-play offerings just in time for our launch. There is tremendous passion for the NFL among the Hispanic community of New York, and this alliance with an elite franchise will further position 1050 AM as the Spanish-language audio destination for the Hispanic sports fan in New York.” The station debuts two local sports talk shows today. The first is “Firma ESPN” from 7:00 am to 10:00 am billed as the only radio program devoted to the New York Hispanic sports fan. It is hosted by ESPN Deportes Radio veteran Renato Bermudez alongside the renowned Ernesto Jerez, the “signature Spanish-language voice of MLB,” plus Jorge Ebro and many other ESPN Deportes Radio experts. The second program is “Zona ESPN NY,” airing from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and hosted by Carolina Guillen, Sebastian Christensen, along with Enrique Rojas.
Talk Host Ian Punnett Suffering from Tinnitus; Cuts Back On-Air Hours. Hubbard Radio morning drive talk host Ian Punnett is cutting his hours on the radio by half in order to curb his exposure to audio that aggravates his tinnitus – a condition he’s been dealing with since 2009. The Pioneer Press reports Punnett, who co-hosts the morning drive show on KTMY, Minneapolis with his wife Margery, joins her on the air from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Margery starts the program at 5:30 with Elizabeth Ries and wraps it up at 10:00 am. Punnett tells the Pioneer Press he first noticed the intense ringing in his head during a remote broadcast in 2009. “It never goes away. It’s the last sound I hear at night, it’s the first sound I hear in the morning. It often wakes me up in the middle of the night.” The story notes Punnett and his doctors have decided cutting back on his air time is part of a more aggressive treatment for the condition.
Host Shuffle at ESPN O&O KSPN, Los Angeles. 710 ESPN Los Angeles flips its midday and PM drive shows moving Steve Mason and John Ireland to the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm shift beginning today. Midday duo Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley go to the PM drive slot. The changes also include the debut of the late morning “ESPNLA Now” show airing from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and hosted by Mark Willard.
Good Karma’s WKNR, Cleveland Hit with $4k Fine for Contest Violation. The FCC is hitting Good Karma’s sports talk WKNR, Cleveland with a $4,000 forfeiture order for running what it called a “bogus” contest called “Who Said That?” from November 2007 until September 2009. The contest involved callers having to identify the speaker of a clip played over the air. The complainant asserted that the station originally talked about offering prizes and then “dropped talking about prizes.” Good Karma tried to argue that the programming in question was not a contest but was more accurately characterized as a program. But the commission ruled that the stations did conduct a contest and didn’t “fully and accurately” and “with sufficient frequency” list the prizes that a contestant could possibly win.
Rare Opportunities at Federated Media’s WOWO-AM/FM, Fort Wayne. Jon Zimney tells TALKERS magazine that there are two tremendous opportunities at Federated Media’s heritage news/talk WOWO, Fort Wayne. After the departure of OM and PM drive host Gregg Henson in August, Woody Zimmerman was named PD for the station. But he’s now been re-assigned to general manager of the company’s Warsaw, Indiana cluster. In the interim, Zimney, who serves as program director and news director at Federated’s WTRC, South Bend – 95.3 Michiana’s News Channel – is doing double duty programming both stations. Additionally, WTRC morning host Casey Hendrickson is handling the PM drive duties at WOWO. Federated Media is looking for two individuals to fill the PD and talk host positions at WOWO. For the program director position, Zimney is looking for someone who can get the most out of talented talk show hosts and make them even better; has a strong understanding of local news and solid station programming; understands great news writing, presentation, and on-air execution; has a strong sense of news ethics and integrity; embraces and champions new technology in news (web, text, social media, video, etc); has examples of really good marketing, promotion and community involvement projects that they’ve conceived and executed. For the talk host position, they are looking for “a personality who is well-rounded in politics, social issues and recognizes compelling stories that generate talk. The ideal host is entertaining, informative and creative…can debate with listeners and guests in a spirited, but respectful manner, follows news like a hawk, expresses passion about local issues as well as national issues and also recognizes how everyday life can contribute to a show that is unique and compliments our winning lineup of Beck, Rush and Sean.” To apply for either position, e-mail materials to Jon Zimney at: jzimney@federatedmedia.com.
Fox Sports Radio’s Petros & Money End Summer with “Deep V & Capri” Remote Bash. Fox Sports Radio Network’s Petros Papadakis and Matt “Money” Smith broadcast live from the Hooters restaurant in Anaheim last week for their end-of-summer bash dubbed the “deep V & capri” party. Papadakis (l) and Smith (r) are pictured here with a couple of listeners sporting their deep v t-shirts and capri pants at the event.
CBS Radio Philadelphia Partners with Clean Air Council for Greenfest Philly. CBS Radio’s four Philadelphia stations took part in yesterday’s “Greenfest Philly” at Headhouse Square in Philadelphia for the 7th annual event designed to promote sustainable living. All-news KYW, sports WIP-AM/FM, news/talk WPHT and classic hits WOGL all broadcast live from the event that showcased businesses, regional green innovators, and non-profits of all sizes with strong commitments to sustainability.
Spoken-Word Content Aggregator Stitcher Offers Offline Mode. Stating that 38% of its users indicated they prefer to listen to the service offline to protect against mobile data overages, Stitcher released an offline mode update that enables anytime, anywhere listening for its iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad apps. “Listeners can now seamlessly access and discover the best of over 10,000 shows at work, at the gym, anywhere, regardless of cellular or WiFi connectivity,” the company states. CEO Noah Shanok says, “Our goal is to make on-demand radio more accessible than ever. Our most requested feature, offline mode, solves the biggest obstacle to listening on the go or when users would prefer to use Wi-Fi and conserve mobile data usage.” Stitcher bills itself as “the mobile leader in on-demand news, entertainment, sports and talk radio.”
Let Your News/Talk Flow. WLAC, Nashville-based syndicated talk host Steve Gill is pictured here with the Bellamy Brothers at his studios in Nashville. The legendary country duo stopped by the show to play some songs from their latest release, including the title track, “Pray for Me.”
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
No-Holds-Barred Opinion: WDAE, Tampa Morning Sports Talk Phenomenon Dan Sileo Says Your Show Is About You! According to Dan, too many sports talk hosts are putting bad callers on the radio, conducting long, boring interviews and emulating bad radio. He boldly proclaims the best thing a host can do is listen for bad radio, recognize it for what it is and make sure you’re NOT doing it on your show. Read more here.
KOGO-AM/FM, San Diego Adjusts Program Schedule; Bryan Suits Exits Station and Chris Merrill Comes Aboard. Talk show host Bryan Suits had been hosting the midday show from Seattle and he tells his fans via his Facebook page that he and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment could not agree on the terms to bring him back to Southern California in order to move into the 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm program slot so they’ve parted ways. The new lineup is LaDona Harvey from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm; Chris Merrill from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Bob “Sully” Sullivan from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Merrill’s “The Voice of Merrill” show airs on Entercom’s KMBZ, Kansas City daily from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
Plans Being Set for 15th Annual New Media Seminar. Full details will be announced later this week, as TALKERS prepares to announce plans for the 2012 installment of the talk industry’s longest running and most important national conference. According to TALKERS VP/managing editor Kevin Casey, “This next conference will be extremely innovative – not just in content, but structure as well — and will be specifically geared to the nature of these economically challenging times. All I can say at this moment is it will again take place in New York City in early June – but this version of the event will be a significant departure from and improvement over traditional radio business conferences in terms of accessibility to the hard-working folks of our industry. Stand by!”
Stitcher Integrates News and Talk Programming with Facebook’s Timeline Feature. Stitcher is an app that allows iPhone and iPad users to listen to news and talk audio content in much the same way Pandora does for music. Stitcher says users have access to more than 6,000 programs and podcasts ranging from talk titans like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to news from CNN and NPR. Now, according to CNET, Stitcher has integrated with Facebook’s Timeline feature which essentially allows Timeline users to see what their friends are listening to. Stitcher CEO Noah Shanok tells CNET this means the ability to discover new programs and share favorites with friends has become even easier. “We have a huge selection of NPR content but there’s other content like NPR that you might like that could be exposed through a social integration and viewing the listening habits of a friend who you know has similar habits as you do.”
Clear Channel Media Holdings Reports 2011 Financials Today; Positive News for Media and Entertainment Division Expected. The parent company of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment holds a conference call with analysts this morning and although the company’s financial structure is very different from the days when it sold common stock like other publicly traded broadcasting companies, the industry is always interested in hearing from Clear Channel about its performance as a bellwether for the media industry as a whole. The industry can expect an announcement coming from this conference call that CC’s radio revenue was up 4% in 2011. According to the Clear Channel-owned, in-house radio trade publication Inside Radio: “Propelled by the addition of Westwood One’s traffic division in April and higher digital radio billings, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment revenue swung to $6.16 billion in 2011, a 4% increase from 2010. Like most of the industry, fourth quarter revenue was softer, growing 2% to $15 million.” Today, Clear Channel Media Holdings and subsidiary Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings will give 2011 fourth quarter earnings and revenue numbers for the whole of 2011 as well as guidance for the current year.
Houston Police Looking into Investigation of Hit-and-Run Incident Allegedly Involving KTRH, Houston Host Michael Berry. Last week TALKERS reported on the story out of Houston in which KTRH talk host – and former Houston City Councilman – Michael Berry is alleged to have hit a car outside a well-known gay bar in the city and left the scene. At that time, local news reports indicated Berry was also seen inside the bar prior to the incident. At this time Berry has not been charged with anything but the Houston Chronicle is reporting that Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland is ordering an investigation into his department’s handling of the case. At issue here appears to be whether police, who initially offered little evidence to the district attorney’s office to charge Berry, may have ignored other testimony from the scene clearly linking Berry’s SUV to the incident. Berry has said on his radio show that he can’t talk about it but asks people to hold their judgment until all the facts are out. Berry’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, tells the paper, “It’s much ado about nothing, it seems to me.”
Independently Syndicated George Jarkesy Show picked up by CRN Digital Talk Radio. An hour of the recently launched independently syndicated Houston-based program, the George Jarkesy Show recently featured at Talkers.com has added CRN Digital Talk Radio as one of its distribution platforms carried on the Mike Horn-owned venue’s “CRN 5” airing Mondays at 1:00 pm. A money manager and successful professional investor, respected financial and corporate advisor, George Jarkesy has founded, invested in and helped to build companies engaged in a broad range of industry sectors, including financial consulting, media, real estate investing, natural resources, and healthcare. He also appears as a regular guest commentator on most of the major cable news/talk channels where he gained talk media industry attention as a solid information resource for the common sense blending of money matters and politics geared to the middle class investor and entrepreneur. Jarkesy’s daily show runs Monday through Friday 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm with plans in the works to expand to three hours per day. For more information, visit www.GeorgeJarkesy.com.
GOP Primary Race/2012 Presidential Race, Iran Oil Blockade Threat, Rising Gas Prices, Greece Bailout and Lin/ESPN Flap Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/20). The battle among GOP primary contenders and the larger 2012 presidential race; Iran’s threat to block oil out of the Persian Gulf and rising gas prices in the U.S.; the Euro Zone’s approval of another bailout for Greece; and the controversy over a racial slur used by ESPN staffers referencing Knicks player Jeremy Lin were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Charlotte Talk Media Personality to Moderate Debate. Charlotte, North Carolina talk media personality and regular WBT, Charlotte fill-in host Wayne Powers is set to moderate today’s 8th Congressional District Republican Debate. The debate, sponsored by the Cabarrus Republican Women, takes place tonight at 7:00 pm at the Vintage Motor Club in Concord, North Carolina. All six candidates vying for the opportunity to challenge incumbent Democrat Larry Kissell will take part in the debate.
Live from L.A. Plaza. ESPN Deportes stepped outside its studios to celebrate the first anniversary of Spanish-language sports talk show “Nacion ESPN.” Pictured here are co-hosts Adriana Monsalve and David Faiteslon. The two were joined on the program by ESPN’s Rafa Ramos and Bernardo Osuna, Mexican-Brazilian soccer star Luis Alberto Zaque, renowned Mexican soccer stars Ramon Ramirez and Claudio Suarez, and boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez. On a state-of-the-art set, Adriana and David welcomed the crowd and its special guests presenting several surprises, heated debates and friendly competitions.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI Ground Zero for Sports Radio This Week. The annual American ritual that is the NFL’s championship game is more than just a sports broadcasting event and has been for many years. But this year’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants is especially intriguing and is creating enormous content, revenue and positive imaging for the spoken-word stations taking part on a level that rivals and perhaps exceeds a national political convention. Some 100 sports stations, talk stations and network programs are filling the radio row and broadcasting from Indianapolis this week. CBS Radio’s WFAN, New York is promising to deliver more than 50 hours of coverage leading up to, during and after the game with hosts Mike Francesa, Boomer & Carton, Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts. Entercom’s WEEI, Boston is similarly situated in Indy broadcasting most of its programs from the site including Dennis & Callahan, Mut & Merloni and “The Big Show.” Numerous sports talk stations from markets outside New England and New York broadcast from the site as are the networks – ESPN, Fox Sports Radio and others. Sirius/XM Satellite Radio sports talk maverick Dino Costa is on the scene telling TALKERS, “You have no idea how much fun it is to be here and to be broadcasting from this amazing event.” Dial Global has the national radio rights to the game (Giants and Patriots local rights carriers WFAN and WBZ-FM, respectively, can broadcast the game) and has cleared the game broadcast on more than 650 stations and has sold out the inventory. Football is traditionally considered a television sport but football fans can’t always be near a television (or internet video feed) and that usually gives radio a healthy audience – as evidenced by Dial Global’s Edison Research-commissioned poll indicating more than 29 million Americans listened to at least a portion of the conference championship games this year.
KRMG-AM/FM, Tulsa Shifts Network Programming; Adds PM Drive News Hour. Cox Media Group’s news/talk KRMG-AM/FM, Tulsa brings market news and talk pro Dan Potter back to the station to host a 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm program called “The KRMG Afternoon News with Dan Potter.” Program director Drew Anderssen says, “KRMG listeners have told us it’s more
important than ever for us to give them more frequent news, weather and traffic reports on their way home from work. So, we’re taking action to address those needs.” The station is also shifting Premiere Networks’ Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from a one-hour delay to their live air times of 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm CT respectively. “With this change, listeners will now be able to hear what Rush and Sean have to say about events as they happen, not one hour later,” Anderssen states. Dan Potter previously served as KRMG news director and morning news anchor before leaving the station in 2010 to attend to family matters.
Garrett Lewis Appointed to PD Post at KNST-AM/FM, Tucson. Clear Channel Tucson 
ups morning drive host Garrett Lewis to the program director position, replacing former PD Chris Patyk. Lewis – host of the “Morning Ritual” AM drive show since February of 2010 – signs a two-year deal to continue anchoring the morning show and stepping into the programmer’s role as well. CC Tucson operations director Chris Pickett states, “Being able to keep Garrett is a big part of the evolution of KNST to FM. His show has become must-listen radio and with his direction, I am confident that KNST will soar to new heights in the not-so-distant future.”
Current TV Enlists Guest Hosts for Ailing Keith Olbermann. According to Mediaite, “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann’s chair is being filled by Bill Press and others while he recovers from a case of bronchitis. Earlier, TALKERS reported that former New York Governor and CNN personality Eliot Spitzer was sitting in for Olbermann. That was not correct as Bill Press has been hosting the show the past four nights. However, Mediaite is reporting that Spitzer will host the program tonight (2/1). Speculation is that Olbermann and Current TV have been butting heads lately – something founder Al Gore has publicly denied – and that Current TV may be testing the waters to see who might be a good fit for the network if Olbermann exits.
ESPN Radio Gets Back into the Detroit Metro on WCAR. The Birach Broadcasting-owned station is licensed to Livonia, Michigan west of Detroit on the way to Ann Arbor. Sima Birach, Jr. says, “Detroit is nationally recognized as one of the top three sports towns in America and we are ecstatic to bring the full force of the ESPN brand to Detroit’s loyal sports fans. In addition to local programming which features some of Detroit’s iconic sports figures, we’re confident we’ll serve our listeners with the content they’ve been longing for.” The station will carry the full lineup of ESPN Radio programming.
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Puts ESPN Deportes on Chicago Translator. The deal between Clear Channel and ESPN places the latter’s Spanish-language sports format on what has been a translator for Educational Media Foundation’s Christian WNKV-FM, Norco, Louisiana – we’re assuming EMF and CC have a deal for the latter to handle the programming. According to ESPN, the 3-watt signal in Chicago at 95.7 FM covers “downtown Chicago and will also reach largely Hispanic/Latino neighborhood communities, including Cicero, Berwyn and Pilsen.” ESPN Deportes Radio GM Oscar Ramos says, “This expansion is a milestone for the ESPN Deportes brand and yet another step forward in our effort to make ESPN Deportes Radio available to Hispanic sports fans nationwide. We are thrilled with our agreement with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment to bring our comprehensive programming to Chicago fans while also providing a great platform for advertisers.”
Thom Hartmann’s “Big Picture” TV Show Gets International Distribution. Dial Global nationally syndicated progressive talk host Thom Hartmann produces a TV program called “The Big Picture” which is already distributed to Free Speech TV and RT America. Now, RT International announces it will distribute Hartmann’s show to cable systems elsewhere including the UK and Europe, Africa, Australia and South America. RT International states it has a reach into 100 countries containing a half-billion households. Hartmann says, “This is such an important time, with a U.S. presidential election as important as any I can remember, a global financial crisis, and tensions in the Middle East seeming to rise once again. I look forward to the opportunity to share my common-sense progressive views on these issues and more with viewers throughout the globe.”
Talk Host Phil Valentine’s Global Warming-Challenging Film Debuts. Nashville-based talk show host Phil Valentine’s movie “An Inconsistent Truth” hit the theater in Nashville last weekend and grossed more than $20,000. Valentine produced and stars in the film that challenges anthropogenic global warming with Phil taking the role of a conservative Michael Moore-type 
documentary host. (The film was co-produced by Ann Cates and executive producers David Harper, Joseph Edwards and Michael Costanza.) Valentine used the power of his talk show in Nashville to promote the movie and drew good crowds based on the one-weekend gross. This kind of project is indicative of the kind of promotional power a good talk show host can have with a quality product like Valentine’s movie. Valentine says he’s thrilled with the first weekend’s showing in Nashville. “We thought we may have something but we had no idea the response would be this strong. I’m speechless.” Valentine and distributor Rocky Mountain Pictures are weighing their next move in distributing the movie across the country over the next couple of weeks. Check out the trailer here.
Valerie Geller Consults PBS Documentary. The president of Geller Media International, Valerie Geller – a leading talk radio consultant – participated as an advisor to the PBS documentary film “Daisy Bates – First Lady of Little Rock” airing nationally on PBS-TV stations tomorrow night (2/2) and in New York City on February 5. The Independent Documentary Series production tells the story of Daisy Bates, a complex, unconventional, and largely forgotten heroine of the civil rights movement who led the charge to desegregate the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. In addition to being an informative slice of history, the film is a conversation starter bringing up a number of compelling and controversial questions. The “Little Rock Nine” faced unimaginable verbal abuse and threats to their very lives. Was it ethical for Bates’s NAACP to put children on the front lines of the desegregation battle — even if they volunteered to be there or chose to be there? Geller tells TALKERS, “One of the joys of consulting work is the opportunity to help other people achieve their dreams. I’m honored to have had the chance to work with documentary producer Sharon La Cruise on her film.
Dave Vieser Exits WCHU-AM/FM, Ithaca Morning Show. Management at the Saga Communications news/talk station tells CNYRadio.com that Dave Vieser left his APD and morning co-host role for personal reasons. The move leaves program director/news director Geoff Dunn as solo host of the morning drive show but the station states on its website, “We are currently working on a transition plan for a new host of the program. We will miss Dave, and wish him well.”
Florida GOP Primary, Syria Violence, Occupy DC, and Taliban-Pakistan Link Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/31). Mitt Romney’s victory over Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary, the ongoing violence in Syria, the Occupy DC movement that is clashing with authorities and the suspected link between the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s government were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
