Tag: "ESPNLA"
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Air Personalities Out at Tyler Media’s Oklahoma City News/Talk and Sports Stations. A number of air personalities at Tyler Media’s Oklahoma City stations have been let go in what appears to be a major money-saving move. News/talk
KOKC-AM/K237GE morning drive host Jack Elliott posted the news on his Facebook page that he and the “entire air staff” have been let go. The station’s website now indicates an all-syndicated lineup. Afternoon host and program director Mac Mullings, PM drive personality Chad Alexander, and sister sports talk KRXO “107.7 The Franchise” morning host Andrew Gilman and afternoon sports talk host Colby Daniels also have been let go. KOKC has replaced the local morning show with “America in the Morning” and Radio America’s “The Dana Show” with Dana Loesch occupies the afternoon drive daypart.
Report: Shannon Burke and Kara Stockton to Host Mornings on WTZA-AM, Atlanta. According to Rodney Ho at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, talk
personalities Shannon Burke and Kara Stockton are joining the new talk station being launched on WTZA-AM/ W271CV, Atlanta on Monday (2/3). Station co-operators Will Regan and Jamie Chapman are leasing the signals from K&Z Broadcasting. Atlanta talk personalities Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson and Mike Brooks are also joining the station’s lineup. Burke and Stockton worked together at Cumulus Media‘s talk WYAY-FM, Atlanta prior to the company selling that signal to Educational Media Foundation. Burke also hosts afternoons at JVC Media‘s WDYZ-AM/W288CJ, Orlando “Florida Man Radio.” He’ll work both shows, hosting the WZTA program from Orlando. Ho’s story also indicates that the station is holding two-week tryouts for the 10:00 am to 1:00 pm daypart and former Phoenix talk host (and Arizona congressman) J.D. Hayworth will give it a go as will radio personality Rich Sullivan.
Theisen Promoted to VP of Sales and Marketing for Leighton Broadcasting. Sales pro Stephanie Theisen is named vice president of sales and marketing for Leighton Broadcasting. She currently serves the company as general sales manager for the company’s St. Cloud, Minnesota market and will continue in that
role through 2020. Leighton operates 26 radio stations in seven markets and also produces events and is an interactive design and marketing company. Leighton Enterprises CEO Bob Leighton says, “The addition of Theisen as VP of sales and marketing will support the structure of our company as we continue to grow and expand. Stephanie has a successful track record in sales, team building, and hiring. We are looking forward to her focus in those areas in markets outside of our corporate headquarters, in 2020 and beyond.” Theisen adds, “In the coming months I will focus on amplifying the impact Leighton Broadcasting has in the communities we serve. Leighton is a robust company with talented employees throughout our locations and divisions. I am thrilled to serve as the VP of sales and marketing for this incredible company.”
‘Grant & Danny’ to Air on WRNL, Richmond. The WJFK-FM, Washington-based “Grant & Danny” Show featuring Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier is now being
simulcast on Entercom’s Richmond, Virginia sports talk outlet WRNL-AM “Sports Radio 910 The Fan” from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm. Paulsen and Rouhier both joined WJFK-FM in 2009 and have been partners on the midday show since 2014. Entercom Virginia SVP and market manager Bennett Zier says, “I’m excited to welcome Grant and Danny to the Capital City. They are a welcomed addition as we continue serving Richmond and the surrounding markets with premier sports content and coverage of local and regional teams.”
TALKERS News Notes. Sports media personality Jorge Sedano’s Los Angeles
radio show on ESPN-owned KSPN “ESPNLA” is moving to a new daypart effective Monday (2/3). Sedano has been hosting the early evening show that’s often pre-empted by Lakers games. He tweets that effective Monday the “Sedano Show” will air from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon PT…..Entercom’s Philadelphia sports talker WIP-FM “SportsRadio 
94WIP” is holding a daylong “Andy Reid Appreciation Day” today (1/30) to celebrate the career and accomplishments of former Eagles and current Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Reid took the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, losing to the New England Patriots 24-21. The station says that today it will “break down Reid’s career through discussions with former NFL players and on-air hosts Ike Reese and Jon Ritchie, both of whom were on Reid’s Super Bowl team.” Program director Spike Eskin says, “It’s finally time to give Andy credit where credit is due. I look forward to celebrating his great career and reminiscing on old Eagles memories with our on-air staff as we root for ‘Big Red’ to win his first Super Bowl.”…..iHeartMedia and OZY Media have entered into a multi-year deal to co-produce and promote a slate of iHeartRadio Original Podcasts, with three shows set to be released this year and distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network. The first co-produced podcast will be “Around the World,” a travel and culture podcast featuring stories of changemakers and renegades from around the world who are doing the unexpected in the face of adversity. The content will originate from OZY’s groundbreaking year-long editorial project that saw them report three stories from every country on earth. The two additional podcasts set to launch this year include a spin-off series from OZY’s “The Thread” and a scripted series.
Impeachment, Wuhan Coronavirus, Presidential Race, Trump Middle East Peace Plan, Kobe Bryant Death, and Weinstein Trial Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/29). The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump; concerns about a global outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus; the Democrats battling to face Donald Trump in November; reaction to the Trump Administration’s Middle East peace plan; the aftermath of the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant; and the rape trial of former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
WUHAN CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Investigative Reporter Joshua Philipp Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. One of the most knowledgeable journalists covering U.S.-China relations, Joshua Philipp, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Philipp is the senior investigative reporter with the New York City-based international news organization, The Epoch Times – the multi-language, global newspaper launched in 2000 by freedom-seeking Chinese-Americans – that specializes, among its many beats, in fearlessly keeping tabs on China and the Chinese
Communist Party. The podcast was recorded on January 27 and presents an up-to-date account of what is currently known about the still-unnamed “coronavirus” that burst on the scene in the past few weeks emanating from the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has begun to spread and cause illness at an alarming pace putting health officials all around the world on increasingly high alert. The crisis offers tremendous insight into the methodology of the Chinese Communist Party and will, undoubtedly have an impact on the superpower’s activities in world affairs in the coming months. This is a major news/talk media story with serious health, political, and economic implications. To listen to the entire podcast NOW, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. It’s in the immediate aftermath of two related tragedies that morning drive personality Gary Smith is retiring from Neversink Radio’s classic hits, WABT-FM, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
“Pocono 96.7.” On January 7, Smith’s co-host Elisa Chase died suddenly after a brief illness at the age of 38. Then, the day after Chase’ memorial service, her husband died at their home. The station says, “Smith took time off after his colleague’s death and went back on the air with his ‘Gary in the Morning Show’ last week to do a memorial. It turned out it would be his last show.” On its website, the station writes to its listeners, “As you likely have heard, we lost our beloved Elisa in early January. Between this and the sudden death of her husband, our entire organization is in pain over these losses. Gary has taken this quite hard as Elisa was his ‘radio wife.’”…..Colorado Public Radio’s triple A KVOQ-FM, Denver “Indie 102.3” 
hired on-air pro Jason Thomas to host the afternoon drive show, effective February 5. Thomas hosted afternoons at Entercom’s triple A WXRT, Chicago for the past 12 years. “Indie 102.3” program director Willobee Carlin says, “We are thrilled to have Jason join our ‘Indie 102.3’ team. His background and success in the radio world will be incredible assets to both the station and Colorado’s music scene. He has an obsession for music that is truly contagious, and I can’t wait to see how that translates onto our airwaves.” Thomas comments, “The team at ‘Indie 102.3’ has been incredibly welcoming, and it’s been eye-opening to see how committed everyone is to Colorado and its music scene. I can’t think of a station/city combo that’s a better fit for me, and I’m excited to work and learn alongside a team that’s loaded with true music junkies that want to serve and connect with our listeners.”
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Emmis Reports 2nd Fiscal Quarter Financials – Pro Forma Revenue Up 2%. Today, Emmis Communications CEO Jeff Smulyan reports earnings for the company’s second fiscal quarter (ending August 31). Year-over-year figures are not comparable due to the sale of KPWR, Los 
Angeles in August and January’s sale of its Terre Haute, Indiana stations. Net revenue for the period was $41.8 million, and that compares with $46 million a year ago. However, the company reports that pro forma radio revenue for the quarter was up 2%. Emmis’ New York, Austin, and St. Louis clusters gained market share during the quarter. Smulyan says, “There were bright spots this quarter, especially in New York, as our second quarter results were buoyed by record-setting ticket sales for Hot 97’s marquee event, Summer Jam, and ‘Hot 97’ has been the #1 rated station in the 18-34 demo for each of the last three months.”
PPM Analysis: News/Talk. Managing editor Mike Kinosian presents the second of four analyses of the performances of stations based on data from Nielsen Audio’s September PPM survey, today focusing on news/talk. In markets affected by the recent spate of hurricanes, listening to news/talk radio spiked, as is often the case. Across the board Kinosian reports that “slightly more than half of this news/talk sample is up between August 2017 – September 2017 (54%, 6+); 29% of the stations highlighted here are down; and the remaining 17% are flat.” When looking at year-over-year changes, “basically, one of every two stations on our news/talk sample registers an August 2017 – September 2017 increase (51%, 6+), while 42% decline; the remaining 7% are unchanged.” A total of 13 news/talk stations in PPM markets ranked in the top five in their respective markets in the September survey, with four – Cox’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta; CBS’ KMOX, St. Louis; iHeartMedia’s WLW, Cincinnati; and Townsquare Media’s WKXW, Trenton – ranking #1. See Kinosian’s entire report here.
Trump’s Attack on NBC Spurs Rebuke by RTDNA, Letter to FCC’s Pai by Senator. The Twitter attack on NBC’s reporting by President Trump caused the Radio Television Digital News Association to condemn the president’s words. NBC reported that the president requested a “ten-fold” increase in the U.S.’ nuclear arsenal. In denying the report, Trump
questioned whether it was “appropriate” to challenge NBC’s license for spreading “fake news.” The RTDNA responded with a statement from executive director Dan Shelley that reads, in part, “Today’s call by the President of the United States to challenge the licenses of networks is not only dangerous to the 
American people’s right to access responsible journalism, it represents a clear misunderstanding on his part of how much control the federal government can exercise as it relates to networks and cable channels.” Meanwhile, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) fired off a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to “maintain the Federal Communications Commission’s charter as an independent agency and withstand any urges from President Trump to harm the news media and infringe upon the First Amendment…I ask for your commitment to resist the President’s request and call on you to publicly refuse to challenge the license of any broadcaster because the President dislikes its coverage.” He also asks for copies of any correspondence in which the White House has requested action against a broadcaster. Pai’s office has not issued a public response.
‘ESPNLA’ Adds Eric Davis to Afternoon Show. Former NFL star and sports media pro Eric
Davis joins the afternoon drive program on ESPN O&O KSPN, Los Angeles “ESPNLA.” He joins show co-hosts Marcellus Wiley and Kelvin Washington on the newly renamed “Afternoons with Marcellus, Kelvin and Eric” program, effective today (10/12). Davis continues his position with Travis Rodgers and Kirk Morrison as hosts of the pre- and post-game programs surrounding Los Angeles Rams radio broadcasts. Davis also currently works for FS1.
TALKERS News Notes. A leadership change takes place at Entercom’s San Francisco station group as vice president and market manager Steve DiNardo exits after five years with the company. The move comes as Entercom announces that it is divesting of urban AC KBLX, adult contemporary KOIT, and classic rock KUFX ahead of the CBS RADIO merger. After the deal is consummated, Entercom will operate sports talk KGMZ, all-news KCBS-AM/KFRC-FM, hot AC KLLC, rhythmic AC KRBQ, and alternative KITS. Currently, the CBS RADIO market manager is Doug Harvil…..In Cincinnati, iHeartMedia promotes D.J. Hodge to market president for the cluster that includes news/talk WLW, sports talk WCKY, news/talk WKRC and sports WSAI. Chuck Frederick exited that position earlier this year…..AudioHQ and TuneIn announce a deal in which the former will be the exclusive U.S. re-seller of TuneIn’s audio advertising inventory. TuneIn VP/head of global revenue and partnerships Bill Hartman says, “TuneIn’s audience is growing and our inventory continues to scale. We’ve been hyper-focused on content and creative solutions for our brand partners, including live-streaming music festivals, custom podcast series, and an emphasis on exclusive. Plus, we’re now producing a variety of content with our league partners as well as human-hosted, curated radio which are focal points for our selling efforts.”
Harvey Weinstein Scandal, Trump Attacks NBC, Deadly California Wildfires, Trump-North Korea Rhetoric, Iran Nuclear Deal, Boy Scouts to Admit Girls, MLB Playoffs, and NFL Protests Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (10/11). The escalating scandal surrounding movie mogul Harvey Weinstein; President Trump’s attacks on NBC and threatening to revoke its “license”; the wildfires in California’s wine country that have taken the lives of 23 with hundreds more reported missing; Trump’s exchange of war rhetoric with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un; the Iran nuclear deal and President Trump’s inclination not to certify Iran’s compliance with the pact; the Boy Scouts of America’s announcement it will allow girls to join; the Major League Baseball playoffs; and the controversy over NFL national anthem protests were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Delmarva’s Damien Buck Passes at 58. Radio pro Damien Buck died on Monday (10/9) at age
58 after a long illness. He’d been serving as production director at Delmarva Broadcasting’s news/talk WDEL-AM/FM and sister CHR WSTW, Wilmington, Delaware. WDEL states on its website that Buck had been with the company for 30 years. He also operated his own Buck Productions and did voiceover work for The Disney Channel.
Providence Radio Icon Jimmy Gray Dead at 72. Providence market radio personality Jimmy Gray, a.k.a. James Hargraves, died on Monday (10/9) at a nursing home at the age of 72. During his long career, Gray worked at WOR-AM, WPRO-FM, WHJJ-AM, WEBE-FM, and WCTK.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Rock icon Nikki Sixx announces he’s leaving his syndicated radio shows at the end of December in order to focus on new projects. The Premiere Networks-syndicated “Sixx Sense” nightly show, along with “The Side Show Countdown” and “The Side Show
Classic” will end December 31. Sixx has been working with Premiere on the syndicated programming since 2010. He’s stepping down to work on new projects that include his blossoming photography career, TV endeavors and the Broadway adaptation of his best-selling memoir, The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life of a Shattered Rockstar. Premiere president Julie Talbott states, “When we first partnered with Nikki in 2010, we set out to create a unique program from the perspective of true rock star, and that’s exactly what we did. We’re proud of the work we did together to make ‘Sixx Sense’ one of the most widely syndicated rock radio programs in the country, while establishing the ultimate platforms for rock music fans, as well as new and established artists. It’s been a pleasure working with Nikki, and we wish him all the best.”…..Last month it was announced that Chris Randolph would be joining Cumulus Media’s country WFMS, Indianapolis to host the midday show. Now, Blaine Thompson’s Indiana Radio Watch 
breaks the news that he will not take over that position after all, due to family reasons. Thompson reports that sister WNNF afternoon host Amanda Orlando will cover the midday show in the interim. Randolph had most recently been morning host at Alpha Media’s hot AC WXMA, Louisville…..At Cumulus Media’s country KUBL, Salt Lake City, “K-Bull 93,” program director Travis Moon is now hosting the afternoon drive show, moving Matt Ramone to the midday shift…..Pop superstar Ed Sheeran is seen here holding up a t-shirt he customized at iHeartMedia’s CHR WRVW, Nashville “107.5 The River.” Program director Jonathan Shuford tells TALKERS/RadioInfo that the station is auctioning off the t-shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
Westwood One Official Radio Partner for American Music Awards. Radio syndicator Westwood One announces American Music Awards programming as part of its deal as official national radio partner for the awards ceremony. The 2017 American Music Awards will broadcast 
live from LA’s Microsoft Theater on Sunday, November 19 from 8:00 pm to – 11:00 pm ET on ABC-TV. As part of Westwood One Backstage, more than 25 local stations and national programs will take part during rehearsals and event night for the awards show. Other programming will include: 30-second branded highlights, airing November 6 through November 19 that include format specific versions for hot AC, AC and CHR stations hosted by WPLJ, New York’s Jayde Donovan. Urban and urban AC versions are hosted by WNBM, New York’s La Loca. A two-hour nomination special will air the weekend of November 11. The Westwood One Backstage Radio Row Remote takes place on Friday and Saturday (11/17-18).
Monday, September 12, 2016
KSPN, Los Angeles Revamps Programming; Live and Local Lineup Launches September 21. Rumors about these changes have been leaking for a week or so but now ESPN reports the official changes for O&O KSPN “ESPNLA 710AM.” These alterations to the current schedule also line up in more traditional dayparts. First, the 
5:00 am to 7:00 am “Kelvin & Travis” show is gone and the all new “Mornings with Keyshawn, Jorge and LZ” airs in the 6:00 am to 9:00 am slot with Keyshawn Johnson, Jorge Sedano and LZ Granderson. While it appears that Travis Rodgers is off the station, Kelvin Washington moves to afternoons – 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm – with incumbent Marcellus Wiley (Wiley went solo after partner Max Kellerman joined the company’s ESPN2 for the “First Take” show). The current “Thompson & Trudell” program expands by an hour, airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. “Mason & Ireland (12:00 noon to 3:00 pm) and “ESPNLA Rewind” (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm) remain in their current positions. The 9:00 pm to 6:00 am block will feature ESPN Radio Network programming. Station VP/GM Scott McCarthy comments, “With an extremely powerful all live-and-local lineup, we are ensuring that ESPNLA continues to be the destination station for Los Angeles-area sports fans. Fans want context and analysis after our L.A. teams play, and our local focus – especially in morning drive – will super-serve them with the best in L.A. sports talk.”
PPM Analysis: MLB Flagships. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a look at the performances of stations that serve as flagships for Major League Baseball based on data from Nielsen Audio’s August 2016 PPM survey. In this report you’ll find charts listing: stations by format and (6+) AHQ share; ratings fluctuations from July 2016 to August 2016; ratings fluctuations from August 2015 to August 2016; and how stations ranked in their respective markets. See it all here.
Cumulus Media Files with SEC to Ask Shareholders for Reverse Stock Split. This move is an effort to get Cumulus stock above the $1 threshold on the NASDAQ so it doesn’t get delisted. If shareholders agree, it would set the company on course to try to get far fewer shares of class A, B, and C stock trading at a higher price. Under the 1 for 8 split, shareholders would get one share for every eight they own. If the Reverse Stock Split is effected it would mean the number of authorized shares of Class A Common Stock goes from 750,000,000 to 93,750,000, of Class B Common Stock from 600,000,000 to 75,000,000 and of Class C Common Stock from 644,871 to 80,609. The shareholders with the most stock in Cumulus include Crestview Radio Investors holding 30.2% of Class A stock; Lew Dickey, Jr. with 11.2%; and Greywolf Event Driven Master Fund with 5.5%. Lew Dickey owns 100% of the Class C stock.
Genuine Austin Radio to Buy Sports Duo KTXX-FM/KLGO-AM ‘The Horn.’ The sports talk duo branded “The Horn” – KTXX-FM and KLGO-AM in Austin – is being sold to Bob Cole-led Genuine Austin Radio, LLC for an undisclosed sum. Genuine has been operating the stations under an LMA and will continue to do so until the sale closes. The seller is Total Austin Sports Radio, LLC. The stations are the home of the University of Texas Longhorns sports as well as other local and regional sports franchises. Broker on the transaction is DEFcom Advisors, LLC which represents the seller.
WYSL, Rochester Personality and New York State Assemblyman Bill Nojay Dead at 59. The cause of death was an apparent suicide for Republican New York State Assemblyman, attorney, and radio talk show host Bill Nojay. According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Nojay apparently took his own life at his family’s cemetery plots in the Rochester area on Friday (9/9), the same day he was to appear in federal court to answer to fraud charges related to a trust fund he managed in his capacity as an attorney. He was also running for re-election for his assembly seat. Nojay hosted the 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm daily talk program on Radio Livingston-owned WYSL, Rochester/W221CL “Newspower 1040.”
The Presidential Race/Clinton Health Concerns, 9/11 Anniversary, North Korea Nuke Test, Samsung Note 7 Troubles, Friday’s Dow Dip, NFL Season Opens, and MLB Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The activities of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, especially Clinton’s abrupt exit from 9/11 ceremonies and news of her pneumonia diagnosis; the anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001; North Korea’s announcement of a successful nuclear weapon test; Samsung’s recall of the popular Galaxy Note 7 and reports of fires caused by exploding batteries; The Dow drops almost 400 points on Friday over concerns about interest rate hikes; the 2016 NFL season opens and Major League Baseball action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Odds & Sods. A deal between CBS Sports Radio and Westwood One has the latter serving as the exclusive ad sales rep for the new “Jim Rome’s Daily Jungle” podcast that launched back in August on the iTunes and Play.It platforms. WW1 is selling endorsements, live reads, pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll advertisements…..The
nationally syndicated “Joe Pags Show” announces a number of recently added affiliates to the WOAI, San Antonio-based program. Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo reports that his roster now numbers 66 stations across the country, including: KUIK, Portland; WAVL, Latrobe, Pennsylvania; WHBY, Appleton, Wisconsin; WAAM, Ann Arbor, Michigan; WJNT, Jackson, Mississippi; WATT, Cadillac, Michigan; WMKT, Charlevoix, Michigan; WHIR, Danville, Kentucky.
On the Road Again. With coverage of Campaign 2016 in full gear, the Salem Radio Network talk hosts – including Mike Gallagher, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Prager – are hitting the road “to rally conservative voters in battleground states like Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania.” Pictured here on the Great America PAC bus en route to a rally in Orlando, Florida today (9/12) are (from l-r): Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Prager, Hewitt, and actor Jon Voight.
Cool NewsRadio Morning Drive Opportunity. Delaware’s NewsRadio 1450 and 1410 (WILM-AM and WDOV-AM) in Wilmington, Delaware is looking for a morning host to take them to the next level on their spoken-word stations. The right candidate will have a contagious personality with 3 years or more experience doing spoken-word formats. You’ll live the target listener lifestyle and have a successful track record in growing ratings and revenue as an “ambassador in our community.” You’ll be known on a first-name basis with their local business owners, politicians and non-profits. You’ll engage listeners on important subjects, on-air, with a sense of responsibility to inform and entertain. And, you’ll love meeting listeners at station promotions and non-profit or civic events. If this sounds like you, you will love iHeartMedia in Delaware. They work hard and play harder, all the while being so close to beaches, bays, big cities and breathtaking getaways. If you are a sports fanatic, you will love living on the I-95 corridor surrounded by three major markets with easy access to dozens of college and professional sports teams. They offer a modest salary with exceptional opportunities to supplement your pay, a good health and benefit package, excellent facilities with a support team ready to help you win! If this sounds like your next step, send your “zipped” package (MP3, resume and cover letter) to: skyphillips@iheartmedia.com. iHeartMedia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!
Friday, July 29, 2016
Beasley Broadcast Group Q2 Net Revenue Up 2.8%. The net revenue of $27.8 million represents a year-over-year increase of 2.8% for the second quarter of 2016. For the first six months of the year, net revenue was $55.2 million, a year-over-year increase of 7.3%. In a statement, Beasley Broadcast Group says the Q2 figure 
“primarily reflects higher revenue from its Tampa-St. Petersburg and Charlotte market clusters. Station Operating Income declined 2.8% during the second quarter of 2016 because of “a $1 million, or 5.3%, increase in station operating expenses at the Tampa-St. Petersburg and Charlotte market clusters, partially as a result of higher bonuses earned, cash promotions, event/concert expenses and third party costs associated with digital services, which more than offset the increase in 2016 second quarter revenue.” Interim CEO and chief operating officer Caroline Beasley
states, “During the second quarter, Beasley’s clusters again outperformed the markets that report to Miller Kaplan on a combined revenue basis and we expect this trend to continue in 2016. In particular, we saw very strong results at our Tampa-Saint Petersburg cluster though our Augusta, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Ft. Myers-Naples and Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville clusters also outperformed their respective markets on a revenue basis.” Referencing the just-announced acquisition of Greater Media’s radio stations, Beasley says the deal will “significantly broaden our local radio broadcasting and digital platform, footprint and revenue base by adding stations that are geographically complementary to our existing operating base while presenting the opportunity for synergies with the company’s existing operations. Specifically, the transaction is expected to increase our broadcast portfolio by approximately 40% and more than double our revenue and audience reach, giving us market leading stations, great brands and an opportunity to engage with brand new markets.”
CBS RADIO Dips 1% During Second Quarter. The breakout of the performance of CBS RADIO’s stations doesn’t get real specific – the company lumps the division into the Local Broadcasting category with its O&O TV stations – but simply notes that revenue was off 1% for the quarter, as was the CBS Television Stations segment. As a whole, CBS Corp. is reporting revenue for the second quarter of 2016 increased 2% to $3.29 billion from $3.22 billion for the same prior-year period.
‘ESPNLA 710AM’ and Time Warner Announce Simulcast Deal. A five-hour block of sports talk radio from ESPN O&O KSPN, Los Angeles “ESPNLA 710AM” will be simulcast on Time Warner Cable SportsNet. The two 
parties are announcing a multi-year programming agreement to simulcast the “Thompson & Trudell” and “Mason & Ireland” shows beginning Wednesday, August 3. The “Thompson & Trudell show” is co-hosted by Mychal Thompson and Mike Trudell, and airs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The “Mason & Ireland” show is co-hosted by Steve Mason and John Ireland and airs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. ESPNLA VP and general manager Scott McCarthy comments, “We are thrilled to work with Time Warner Cable SportsNet to increase the shows’ exposure, allowing Los Angeles sports fans to see another side of our fantastic personalities. The synergy of our Lakers broadcast relationships makes this a natural fit and will provide fans compelling content on a daily basis.”
Cox Promotes Rohr to Ohio Market Vice President. Taking over for the retiring Julia Wallace as Cox Media Group Ohio market vice president is Rob Rohr. He rises from his previous post as senior vice president
and general manager of CMG Ohio. CMG EVP Mike Joseph says, “Selecting Rob for this role was an easy decision. He is a proven leader with experience on the sales and content side of our business. We also believe in promoting talent from within the company, so I’m proud to announce this move.” In his previous role Rohr led the team responsible for producing and distributing news and information for WHIO-TV, the Dayton Daily News, country WHKO “K99.1” and news/talk WHIO-AM/FM, as well as the Springfield News-Sun and the Journal-News.
Benkiel Named Market Manager for Alpha Media’s Moberly-Macon, Missouri Stations. Sales and management pro Mark Benkiel is named the market manager for Alpha Media’s Moberly-Macon, Missouri
station group that includes country KRES, news/talk KWIX-AM/FM, Christian contemporary KTCM, and oldies KIRK. Benkiel most recently was general sales manager for Cumulus Media’s Macon, Georgia station group. Alpha Media EVP Midwest region George Pelletier says, “Mark brings a terrific level of enthusiasm and experience to the Alpha Moberly team. He understands community broadcasting and will be a great addition to the Alpha pack.”
Presidential Race and Party Conventions Top News/Talk Story of the Week. The activities of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions were the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the DNC server hack issue. Following at #3 was the Black Lives Matter movement and at #4 was the ISIS terror threats and the deadly attack on the church in France. 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 chart here.
NextRadio Blog: The Reasons People Love Radio. There’s a new blog series from NextRadio called “For the Love of Radio,” using its own data and information from Edison Research, aimed at advertisers and broadcasters that explains the reasons people love radio. The first blog is focused on data from a study the company conducted with Edison Research. The survey examined 2,094 online respondents and NextRadio says the data pointed to three key roles radio plays in the consumer marketplace today: radio portability, radio’s role in the community, and its fostering of musical connections. Read the blog post here.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Doug McIntyre Returns to WABC, New York. A change to the afternoon drive programming is made at Cumulus Media’s WABC, New York as KABC, Los Angeles morning drive personality Doug McIntyre begins hosting “Right Now with Doug McIntyre” on the station Wednesday, March 4. Cumulus says the new, hour-long talk show will be “focused on the most important stories and personalities in New York. As a native New Yorker, McIntyre brings with him a deep understanding of the Tri-State area’s most pressing issues and how they relate to the national headlines of the day.” McIntyre has appeared on WABC in the past. He
created the “Red Eye Radio” show in 2000, first as a one-time post-election recap and then as a local overnight show in Los Angeles, expanding to become a nationally syndicated program in early 2010 with WABC as one of its flagship stations. McIntyre also previously hosted “Talking the News” on WABC in 2009, a weekday morning show that aired before “Imus in the Morning.” McIntyre will continue as host of “McIntyre in the Morning” on KABC “TalkRadio 790.” McIntyre says, “This is a real homecoming for me and I am genuinely thrilled to be returning to 77 WABC. There is no more dynamic and insane city on the planet than New 
York. The Tri-State area is like a nation unto itself, with its own politics, its own culture and its own sense of humor and I look forward to highlighting the city’s unique stories again.” Prompting this programming change at WABC is Rita Cosby’s decision to end her work hosting “The Ride Home with Rita Cosby.” Citing her “various TV commitments and international speaking engagements” that require her to spend more time away from her daily show, Cosby is stepping down from the daily show but will continue to be heard on WABC hosting her new weekend talk show that will debut on March 8. WABC program director Craig Schwalb says she will “continue to secure exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names making headlines in current events, politics and entertainment.”
PPM Analysis: All-News. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents an analysis of the performances of all-news-formatted radio stations based on data from the January 2015 Nielsen Audio PPM survey. Kinosian writes, “Historically horrible winter weather conditions and the cessation of all-Christmas music are most likely contributing factors to the truly stunning January 2015 performance of all-news outlets…Although not coming anywhere close to possessing the massive volume of talk outlets, the feat all-news stations accomplished in the most recent sweep is nonetheless exceptionally impressive: Not one news station on the panel of properties we tracked regressed (6+) from Holiday 2014 to January 2015. Read the entire report here.
Marathon-Man Madison. While understandably “exhausted,” SiriusXM‘s Joe Madison achieved his goal of a 52-hour broadcast during which he raised more than $150,000 for the construction of the Smithsonian‘s National Museum of African-American History and Culture. “When you do something for the right reasons – and you have the support of others – you really can do anything,” Madison states. “I hope our SiriusXM broadcast helps cast a spotlight on the need to raise funds for the much needed [museum to be built on the National Mall in Washington, DC].” The Guinness World Record Organization is reviewing the broadcast as a new record. Madison began the marathon this past Wednesday (2/25) at 6:00 am (ET) and continued un-interrupted until Friday (2/27) at 10:00 am (ET).
KSPN, Los Angeles Debuts Live and Local Show with Kelvin Washington and Travis Rodgers. The new program featuring radio and TV pro Kelvin Washington and sports talk radio’s Travis Rodgers will air live on ESPN O&O KSPN, Los Angeles “ESPNLA 710” from 5:00 am to 7:00 am. The show will continue until 9:00 am via ESPNLA.com and the ESPN Radio app. KSPN begins airing ESPN Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd at 7:00 am. Rodgers also hosts “Travis Rodgers Now” on Yahoo! Sports Radio and will continue in that role.
iHeartMedia: Study Shows Consumers Want AM/FM Radio in Cars in Traditional Format. From a press release by iHeartMedia comes news that, according to a research study conducted by Ipsos (a leading global independent market research company) AM/FM radio remains the overwhelmingly preferred audio entertainment option in the car. Further, “while consumers use new streaming services, virtually all consumers – 99% — are comfortable with the current AM/FM in-car radio operation. And 91% of consumers say they prefer physical AM/FM radio buttons and controls built into the car dashboard, rather than AM/FM being an app that appears in the car’s electronic interface (with only 9% saying they would want it changed into a dashboard app).” Other news from the study includes the finding that “while AM/FM radio remains paramount in the car, consumers use their in-car CD player three-and-a-half times as much as they use any digital music service.” Additionally, the report indicates that “AM/FM radio still dominates in-car listening as the top platform used, with 84% of consumers using it in the car, followed by CD players at 64% — but radio still maintains a huge leadership position over the next closest service choice, SiriusXM – which had 22%. Pandora was 18%; iHeartRadio was 8%; HD radio 7%; and Spotify was 7%.” The study, conducted by Ipsos for iHeartMedia in January 2015, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1036 adults 18-plus.
KGMZ, Oakland A’s Extend Partnership. The deal between KGMZ “The Game” and MLB‘s Oakland Athletics keeps the AL West team’s broadcasts on the Entercom-owned flagship at least through the 2018 season. Market manager Steve DiNardo comments that “The Game” has, “grown as a brand – experiencing consistent ratings and revenue growth during our partnership with the A’s. We are delighted to continue serving as the destination for Oakland A’s radio broadcasts for the next four seasons.” Oakland A’s vice president of broadcasting & communications Ken Pries remarks, “It has been an amazing partnership so far. We look forward to many more seasons of A’s baseball on 95.7 FM and all of the affiliates across the A’s Radio Network.” The A’s primary broadcast team will again consist of Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo, who are in their
20th year and 10th year, respectively, calling the team’s games. Joining them occasionally will be former MLB catcher Ray Fosse, entering his 30th consecutive season on A’s radio. KGMZ will broadcast all 162 regular-season A’s games and some spring training contests. The A’s and “The Game” first partnered in 2011.
Cumulus Sends The Vibe to Memphis. Score yet another transition to classic hip-hop as Cumulus Media Memphis jettisons talk on WKIM in favor of “98.9 – The Vibe.” Cumulus senior vice president of programming Mike McVay comments “The Vibe” is “designed to capture the spirit and complexity of Memphis. This city has birthed many music types of which this format is one more. ‘The Vibe’ is classic hip hop.” In addition to hosting mid-days on co-owned rocker WXMX “The Max,” Danni Bruns is programming “The Vibe” and she remarks, “Memphis has always been at the forefront of music. Now we have a new ‘Vibe’ – this is our party station.” Late last year, Flinn Broadcasting flipped Memphis alternative outlet WIVG to “throwback hip-hop” as “Bumpin’ 96.” The logo for Memphis’ “Vibe” mirrors that of Indianapolis sibling WRWM, although the latter is using “The Beat” rather than “The Vibe” as its handle. Naughty By Nature‘s “Hip-Hop Hooray” kicked off Friday’s (2/27) noontime launch of Memphis’ “Vibe.” Among persons 6+ in the latest (January 2015) Nielsen Audio PPM ratings report for Memphis, WKIM registers a 1.4, ironically tying it at #19 with WIVG. The 1.4 for WKIM is the station’s best (6+) performance in more than two years – it hit 1.8 in November 2012.
Odds & Sods. Nationally syndicated talk host Laura Ingraham is being tapped to serve as the national chairman for the PAC Citizens for the Republic. The political action committee was originally founded by Ronald
Reagan in 1977. A press statement says the PAC’s goal is to lead a “revitalized effort to advocate conservative principles and shine a light on government corruption.”…..Former WKRC, Cincinnati radio host Blake Seylhouwer was found guilty of two counts of negligent assault after an altercation outside his home during which he fired a rifle into the driveway and caused debris to spray up, injuring his wife. Seylhouwer is an area businessman who brokered time from the station for a weekend show…..A grand jury in Hackensack, New Jersey has indicted Alan “Dr. Al” Lupinacci on charges of practicing medicine and conducting surgery without a license. Lupinacci has brokered time from WMCA, New York for his “Learn to Be Healthy” program. His medical license had been suspended in 1995 after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct with female patients.
