Tag: "Jim Philips"
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Tom Bauerle Solo Again in WBEN-AM, Buffalo Afternoons; Report Alleges Internal Strife and More. According to a report in the Buffalo Chronicle, talk show host Tom Bauerle is back to being a solo performer in afternoon drive on
Entercom’s WBEN 930 AM after co-host David Bellavia left the show with no explanation. The piece says a rift between Bauerle and Bellavia is the reason for the change. It also reports speculation that Bellavia is in line to take over the late morning show from Sandy Beach as he is considering retirement. However, what’s far more bizarre is the Chronicle piece accuses Bauerle of “lashing out at members of his audience” and alleges that Bauerle sexually harassed the wife of a caller to the show. David Bellavia is still with WBEN. A station spokesperson tells TALKERS, “We have adjusted his duties to allow him the flexibility to continue with his Medal of Honor duties. We are incredibly proud to continue our relationship with him and will soon be announcing a new venture with him.”
Quote of the Week. There has been a lot of reaction, positive and negative, to Rush Limbaugh receiving the Medal of Freedom at the recent State of the Union Address. The following quote deemed “brilliant” by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison is attributed to Steve Lapa (pictured above), president of South Florida-based Lapcom Communication Corp.: “How ironic is the talk radio world?! The man who was #1 on the ‘No Buy’ list received the #1 civilian honor by the President of the United States. How many agency marketing directors will open their thinking to what great talk radio is about… and the deep influence of great talent?”
iHeartMedia and VSiN Partner with XFL for Sports Betting Audio Content. The new XFL inaugural season begins on Saturday (2/8) and the league has teamed with Vegas Stats & Information Network and iHeartMedia to create audio
BetCasts for two games each week during the 2020 10-week regular season and two-week post-season. The BetCasts will feature VSiN sports betting experts covering XFL games live from VSiN’s studios in Las Vegas through a wagering lens. These digital audio broadcasts, available on the iHeartRadio app, will deliver real-time odds, as well as in-depth analysis of the events behind those changing lines to inform fans during the live action of the games. VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musburger says, “It’s great to see a league like the XFL embrace sports betting as a way to drive fan engagement and interest. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the forward-thinking executives at both the XFL and iHeart to deliver the most credible and actionable sports betting content to football fans around the country on the number one audio platform.”
TALKERS News Notes. Retired Orlando talk radio personality Jim Philips authored
an op ed piece in the Orlando Sentinel that decries the loss of local talent in radio. Pointing to the recent staff cutbacks and radio leaders such as iHeartMedia and Entercom, Philips says he’s a realist who understands the business is changing, but says, “This doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Philips hosted “The Philips Phile” on WTKS-FM “Real Radio 104.1” for 30 years prior to his retirement in 2018…..Lazer Broadcasting and MLB’s San Francisco Giants extend their radio partnership for three‐years – through the 2022 season – for games to air on its newly launched Spanish sports talk KSFN-AM, San Francisco “Unanimo Deportes.” Lazer Broadcasting chief revenue officer Gerardo Martinez says, “The San Francisco Giants are a first-class organization with legions of faithful Latino fans, and we’re excited to be the official home of the SF Gigantes 
in Español. The professional sports journalism that ‘Unanimo Deportes’ brings to sports fans is unmatched.”…..The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces that “Inside Edition” Emmy Award-winning anchor Deborah Norville will host its 2020 Golden Mike Award dinner taking place Wednesday, March 4, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. This annual event is a major fundraiser for the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation to help broadcasters in acute need. As previously announced, this year’s Golden Mike Award honoree will be Dave Lougee, president and chief executive officer of TEGNA Inc. and the Lifetime Achievment Award will be presented to George Beasley, founder and chairman of Beasley Media Group.
Puckett Named Sales Manager for Beasley Southwest Florida; Johnson Rises to National Sales Manager. Radio sales pro Ellen Puckett is promoted to sales manager for Beasley Media Group’s Ft. Myers
station group that includes news/talk WJBX, sports talk WWCN “ESPN Southwest Florida,” and four music brands. She’s been with the cluster since September of 2016, most recently as a senior AE. She comments, “As I move into this new phase with Beasley Media Group, I’m delighted to be working with a strong existing sales team. I look forward to using 
my skills in training and development to help our team introduce new products into the marketplace while continuing to grow our existing core business to provide results for our advertisers.” At the same time, Todd Johnston is upped from his account executive position to national sales manager for the cluster. Director of sales Allyson Hillman says, “We are thrilled to be able to promote Todd to his new role. His talent in negotiating and research are guaranteed to help us win in the national arena in the Ft. Myers market!”
WELI-AM, New Haven Adds FM Signal. New Haven, Connecticut news/talk WELI-AM adds FM translator W245DK to its broadcast, giving listeners to the
iHeartMedia station the option to hear it on the 96.9 FM frequency. iHeartMedia Hartford Region president Steve Honeycomb says, “We are thrilled to be able to increase the reach of these heritage programs to listeners in the northern part of Connecticut. With this new signal, listeners will get to experience our unique programming like never before.”
Impeachment Ends in Acquittal, Iowa Caucuses/Presidential Race, Russian ‘Information Warfare,’ Wuhan Coronavirus, Financial Markets Activity/Macy’s Announces Closures, and Kirk Douglas Dies Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/5). The Senate votes to acquit President Donald Trump of the impeachment charges against him; the Iowa caucuses technical woes and the race for the Democratic nomination; FBI Director Chris Wray’s warming that the Russians are engaging in “information warfare” over the 2020 election; the status of the Wuhan coronavirus; activity on the world’s financial markets and Macy’s news it will shutter 125 stores; and actor Kirk Douglas dies at 103 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. At the Cox Media Group stations on Long Island, longtime VP and general manager John Shea is retiring and the company announces that current director of sales Katelin Tinley will assume the VP/GM role. Tinley began her career with CMG as an AE back in 2005. The CMG Long Island operations includes CHR WBLI, classic rock WBAB and its digital media platforms. CMG EVP radio Bill Hendrich says of Shea, “John is the kind of passionate leader that we love at CMG. John loves his team. He loves his stations. And he loves Long Island. We are losing a friend and a great business partner but know that he has worked hard for this day and wish him the absolute best in his retirement.”…..SiriusXM announces that Pearl Jam will perform at Harlem’s world-famous Apollo Theater in a special invitation-only concert for SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners on Thursday, March 26. The special event comes days before the band embarks on the U.S. leg of their Pearl Jam 2020 tour. The concert will take place just hours ahead of the release of the band’s new album Gigaton, that goes on sale at midnight. The concert will air live on the band’s dedicated SiriusXM’s Pearl Jam Radio channel.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Jim Philips to Retire from WTKS, Orlando; Jim Colbert Show to Fill PM Drive Slot. On-air pro Jim Philips has been hosting the afternoon drive show on iHeartMedia’s hot talk WTKS-FM, Orlando “Real Radio 104.1” for more than 30 years. On November
20, he’ll host the final live “Philips Phile” show and on November 21, the station will air a “Phinal Philips Phile” tribute program. During his time as host of the afternoon show, Jim Philips has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Central Florida charities including The Mustard Seed and A Gift for Teaching and has dedicated countless hours to causes including first-amendment issues, adult literacy, mentoring at-risk youth, and 
championing LGBTQ rights. The University of Florida graduate has also received numerous awards and honors including the Debbie Simmons Community Excellence Award lifetime achievement honor and has been recognized as the “Best Radio Personality” more than a dozen times by readers of the Orlando Sentinel, the Watermark and the Orlando Weekly. Philips says, “It has been a great 50-year career and now it is time to move on with the next phase of my life. I can’t thank the Orlando community enough for letting me into their homes, their cars and their offices for all this time.” iHeartMedia division president Linda Byrd announces
“The Jim Colbert Show” will air in PM drive. Led by longtime “Monsters of the Morning” cast member “Dirty” Jim Colbert, the Jim Colbert show will include co-host and news director Deborah Roberts, award-winning stand-up comedian Rauce Padgett, and executive producer and 20-year “Real Radio” veteran Jack Bradshaw. Byrd states, “We are very excited about the Jim Colbert show expanding to five days a week. After 26 years of entertaining morning audiences as part of the ‘Monsters of the Morning’ show on ‘Real Radio,’ Jimmy will now be doing the same in afternoon drive time with his unique comedic take on the world.” Colbert says, “Before I was in radio I was a longtime listener of Jim Philips and the ‘Philips Phile.’ It is an absolute honor to bring my show to the same time slot on ‘Real Radio 104.1.’”
Longtime KMJ, Fresno Personality Craig Hansen to Retire. Station program director Blake Taylor reports that Craig Hansen – a fixture on the KMJ, Fresno airwaves for 42 years – is retiring from the Cumulus Media news/talk station in
December. Taylor says, “It is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of KMJ’s Craig Hansen at year’s end. For those who don’t know, Craig is a virtual encyclopedia of KMJ’s long history and import to Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley. Craig’s first day at KMJ was November 24, 1976. As far as we can tell, Craig’s 42-year tenure is probably the second-longest in KMJ’s 96-year history – second only to Jerry Higgenbotham’s run from 1949 to 1994. Mr. Hansen has held a number of on-air positions over the decades but is probably best known for his years as our go-to guy on Saturdays hosting news, ‘Autoshop Talk,’ ‘Real Talk,’ and of course ‘Radio Tradio!’ Craig’s final show at KMJ will be Saturday, December 22. After that, he and his better half will be driving his Corvette out of the mayhem of California and moving out of state to retire in peace.”
Cumulus to Launch Local Ad Guarantee. The company says that it is “doubling down on the industry-leading ROI guarantee of its Westwood One division” and “will launch an innovative program leveraging the proven effectiveness and reach of broadcast radio, combined with the precise targeting capabilities of its digital
products.” Cumulus Media radio station group EVPs Dave Milner and Bob Walker announce the company will support local advertisers’ number one objective: attracting more customers. Cumulus says it will guarantee participating local advertisers a minimum number of Engaged Potential Customers (EPCs): listeners who have contacted the business as a result of the coordinated program. Should the program not deliver the guaranteed results, the business will receive free advertising. Milner says, “Marketers took notice of our commitment to results when we debuted the Westwood One ROI Guarantee and challenged us to deliver something similar to our local advertisers. After touting the benefits of a combined radio and digital campaign, we’re now putting our money where our mouth is in our local markets with the EPC Guarantee.” Walker adds, “Using radio’s exceptional 10:1 ROI, and a proven 19% lift when messages are coordinated between media platforms, we are delivering a hyper-efficient brand building and customer generation program all in one. We’ve known all along that we can be an advertiser’s one-stop shop for results; now we guarantee it.” The EPC Guarantee will launch in 65 Cumulus markets later this month, in the home and professional services categories, and will be available in all 90 Cumulus markets in 2019.
Entercom Names Sarah Harris VP of Social Impact. This is a new position at Entercom that Sarah Harris will begin on January 2. She comes to Entercom from Emmis Communications where she was a senior vice president. While there, she
founded and led “Incite,” a cause and social marketing division within Emmis. Previously, Harris served as director of community outreach for Emmis. She holds an MA in Philanthropic Studies and an MPA in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University and recently completed University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Education in Social Impact Strategy. In her new role with Entercom, Harris will oversee all aspects of the company’s community engagement initiatives, including its recently launched corporate social responsibility platform, Entercom Cares, as well as Entercom’s government business practice. Entercom EVP and general counsel Andrew Sutor states, “Sarah is a pioneer in cause and social impact marketing and wholeheartedly believes in the power of media to create positive impact. With her significant experience and expertise in creating and managing social impact programs and campaigns, Sarah will be a terrific addition to our team.”
NPR to Be Honored at Inaugural iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. When the first-ever iHeartRadio Podcast Awards take place at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles on January 18, NPR will be the recipient of the iHeartRadio Podcast Pioneer Award. NPR is being honored as a “driving, innovative force in the creation of the podcasting
industry” and the award “will pay tribute to the renowned non-profit multimedia organization’s groundbreaking contributions to podcasting’s expanding role in today’s popular culture.” The press release notes that NPR launched its first digital-only podcasting predecessor, “All Songs Considered,” in April 2000 and it officially debuted NPR Podcasts in August 2005 with a full slate of 174 programs, including 17 original podcasts. In less than a year, NPR reached 13 million downloads for all of its podcast programming and reached more than 80 million downloads by February 2007. NPR SVP for programming and audience development Anya Grundmann says, “We are honored to receive the Podcast Pioneer Award. Podcasts have been a major source of innovation for NPR. They have given our reporters the chance to flex their storytelling muscles, pursue creative ideas, and longer stories, and play with form in ways not always possible on a daily show. They have also helped us connect with listeners in new ways and helped us evolve our sound.”
Adam Clanton Back on the Air in Houston. The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron reports that Houston sports talk personality Adam Clanton – who had been with
iHeartMedia’s KBME until being fired last May – joins Entercom’s crosstown KILT-AM to host a regular Tuesday evening program with co-host (and KPRC-TV sports anchor) Adam Wexler as well as to handle fill-in and weekend air shifts. Clanton tells Barron, “It’s nice to be out of radio purgatory and with a group of true professionals who have welcomed me (back) with open arms. 610 has been amazing to me, and sometimes life really does come full circle. I’m excited going forward.”
WPGG, Atlantic City’s Harry Hurley Named to Insider NJ’s Top 100 Power List.
Atlantic City morning drive personality Harry Hurley was again named to Insider NJ’s “Top 100 Power List” – landing at #42 this year. The publication says of Hurley, “The conservative talk radio show host loves politics and outshines most hosts with his uncanny ability to break news himself – not just opine about what other reporters write about first. He remains very influential in South Jersey politics and is at the top of his game.”
Florida Recounts, Trump-Russia Investigation Status, Whitaker Appointment Challenge, Dow Drops 600 Points, California Wildfires, Michelle Obama Book Tour, Crenshaw ‘SNL’ Appearance, Stan Lee Dies, and NFL Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/12). The partisan fighting over the election recounts in Florida; the status of the Robert Mueller-led investigation into possible connections between Trump campaign operatives and Russian agents; legal questions about the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General; the Dow dips 600 points; the deadly California wildfires that have claimed 42 lives; former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book tour for Becoming; Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” a week after Pete Davidson’s joke about the war veteran’s missing eye; Marvel comics founder Stan Lee dies at 95; and the weekend’s NFL action 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. Another “Breeze” is blowing, this time in Detroit as Entercom flips CHR WDZH to adult contemporary as “987 The Breeze.” This comes on the heels of two recent flips to adult contemporary “Breezes” from iHeartMedia – KBEB, Sacramento and WISX, Philadelphia. Entercom Detroit SVP and market manager Debbie Kenyon states, “We are excited to launch ‘987 The Breeze’ and to fill this void in the Motor City’s music scene. We know the station will become a must-listen to make your work day breeze by.”…..Beasley Media Group – after cutting ties with morning personality Bigg Boy, moves afternoon personalities Gello and Joanna to AM drive as “The GELLO Show” and adds former AM drive co-host Shay-Shay to middays. The station is on the search for an afternoon drive personality…..Urban One adds the WNOW, Indianapolis-based “Joe & Alex” show – Joe Piesz and Alex Clark – to the morning drive daypart on its Houston CHR KROI. KROI program director Charese Fruge comments, “Joe and Alex are the perfect combination of caring and crazy, the comedy and quirkiness they bring to mornings is infections and is sure to be a treat for listeners in Houston.”…..iHeartCountry and Premiere Networks is offering unparalleled, multi-platform coverage of “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards” tomorrow (11/14). In addition to programming leading up to the awards show, The Bobby Bones Show’s Amy Brown will provide iHeartCountry mainstream stations with live updates from the red carpet leading up to show time. Premiere Networks will also provide a live radio simulcast of the CMA Awards show co-hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Howard Stern Tops Forbes’ Highest-Paid Radio Hosts List. It’s not surprising that SiriusXM superstar Howard Stern is sitting atop Forbes’ annual highest-paid radio star list. The piece by Hayley Cuccinello 
reports Stern’s income from June of 2016 to June of this year at about $90 million, easily making him the top dog. Premiere Networks’ superstar Rush Limbaugh placed second with Forbes estimating his salary at $84 million. KIIS-FM, Los Angeles and fellow Premiere Networks star Ryan Seacrest lands in third place with a reported $58 million earned during the period. Premiere Networks and FOX News Channel star Sean Hannity places fifth with a reported $36 million annual paycheck. See the Forbes piece here.
Jim Philips Agrees to One More Year with WTKS-FM, Orlando. Tweeting that he got “an offer I could
not refuse,” WTKS-FM, Orlando “Real Radio 104.1” afternoon drive host Jim Philips says he’ll postpone his retirement from the station for at least another year. Earlier this year, Philips announced he would step away from his “Philips Phile” radio show in January of 2018. Now, he says he’ll continue hosting the show on the iHeartMedia-owned station Mondays through Thursdays.
iHeartRadio Integrated in Google Home. The iHeartRadio app is now integrated with Google’s new assistant-enabled hardware: Google Home Mini, Google Home Max, and Google Pixel Buds. iHeartMedia says that these integrations enable iHeartRadio users to use voice commands to request live radio stations and control playback. At the same time, iHeartRadio is also now integrated with Android Wear 2.0, allowing Android smartwatch wearers to use iHeartRadio as well.
‘Today’s Homeowner’ Adds 100 New Affiliate Stations. Nationally syndicated home improvement radio show “Today’s Homeowner,” with host Danny Lipford (left) and co-host Joe Truini (right), reports
exploding popularity for the weekly two-hour program in the form of 100 new affiliate stations in the past 90 days. The program is now heard on 240 stations across the country. Today’s Homeowner Media president Danny Lipford states, “We’re hearing from a steady flow of industry professionals who are listening to our demos and wanting to learn more, including former affiliates of my recently departed friend, Glenn Haege, of ‘The Handyman Show.’ As soon as they hear how we approach home improvement radio, they immediately want to be a part of it and understand what my loyal audience has known from the beginning – that ‘Today’s Homeowner’ stands for quality, dynamic radio that is fun and delivers practical information they can use in their homes right now.” In addition to the longform show, Today’s Homeowner Media is seeing weekly growth for the brand’s 90-second vignettes, titled, “Tips for Today’s Homeowner.” The ‘Tips,’ perfect for both music and talk formats, currently air on 142 stations.
TALKERS News Notes. At Chicago’s WSCR “670 The Score,” Pingree Grove, Illinois native Stephen Johnson is named the station’s “2017 Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert.” He’s joining Joe Ostrowski’s “Fantasy Football Today” show that airs on the station on Sunday mornings from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. WSCR program director Mitch Rosen comments, “We are thrilled for Stephen to join the team and jump right in with advice and advantages for our listeners each week. Each year, it is a pleasure to meet some of our most-dedicated listeners through this annual promotion.” “The Score” held open auditions for Chicago’s next fantasy football expert at six local venues. The top 10 candidates from all on-site applicants were invited to the station for a formal interview. A panel of expert judges interviewed the top four finalists and selected the Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert during a finale event on September 27…..The NHL’s New Jersey Devils announce that former goaltender and fan favorite Glenn “Chico” Resch is joining the team to serve as a radio analyst and ambassador for the 2017‐2018 season. Resch will partner with veteran play‐by‐play voice Matt Loughlin for Devils coverage on WFAN‐FM/AM, New York and The One Jersey Network via WFAN.com…..Blaine Thompson of Indiana Radio Watch reports that the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is renaming its circle drive Bob Chase Way in honor of the first Fort Wayne Komets voice. The hockey club’s games have been mostly heard on Federated Media-owned news/talk WOWO, Fort Wayne. Chase, who passed away at age 91 last Thanksgiving, handled play-by-play for the Komets for an astonishing 63 years…..CBS RADIO’s WIP, Philadelphia “SportsRadio 94WIP” is doing a promotion that gives seven local high school football matchups the chance to have their Thanksgiving Day football game broadcast live on WIP. The winner of “Turkey Bowl Live” will have WIP midday hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie doing play-by-play of the game with Howard Eskin as the sideline reporter. Fan voting has begun and ends October 31.
Radio’s Pubic Service and Humanitarian Efforts Continue in Aftermath of Natural Disasters and Deadly Violence. With the recent hurricanes affecting the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the deadly earthquake that hit Mexico City and the horrific shooting in Las Vegas, radio stations across the country are flexing their humanitarian muscles to help those in need. The following are just some of the actions broadcasters are taking. Cumulus Media Washington, DC’s radio stations are hosting a Vegas Victims’ Blood Drive on
Wednesday (10/11) at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. News/talk WMAL-AM/FM program director Bill Hess states, “The injured – including some from our area – face a lengthy recovery, and this is one thing we can come together and do to help in our own individual way. We invite our friends and listeners to roll up their sleeves and join us Wednesday in this effort.”…..Earlier this week 
(10/3), iHeartMedia’s Nashville-based Bobby Bones show broadcast an entire show dedicated to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting with live, in-studio performances from country music stars. The theme of the show was “Love > Hate” and saw Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, Chris Janson, and LoCash perform on the show. As a fundraiser, Bones announced that all #PimpinJoy and limited-edition “Love > Hate” apparel will benefit the Las Vegas Victims Fund…..The four Entercom San Francisco radio stations – rhythmic oldies KRBQ, adult contemporary KOIT, rock KFOX, and sports talk KGME – are partnering with the Latino Community Foundation to raise funds for those impacted by the recent earthquakes in Mexico City and surrounding areas. The fundraising effort is a three-week campaign in which 100% of proceeds will go directly to local charities in areas of greatest
need…..Beasley Media Group’s Community of Caring Initiative is helping those not local to the Las Vegas area donate to victims and their families. Beasley says Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo and Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak have set up a GoFundMe page that will “provide relief and financial support to the victims and families.” The current goal is set at $1,000,000…..Alpha Media Portland’s triple A KINK is changing its name to “101.9 PINK” for the month of October to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout October, the station is giving a Hydro Flask to each person who donates $25 or more, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society…..iHeartMedia Philadelphia is hosting the annual “Bid for Breast Cancer,” a fundraiser to benefit the American Association for Cancer Research, the world’s first and largest cancer research organization, headquartered in Philadelphia. The fundraiser will include an auction in which listeners can place bids on items such as a signed guitar from Green Day, a Coach bag signed by Selena Gomez and boxing gloves signed by Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
TALKERS Podcasting News. The new podcast from FiveThirtyEight titled “The Lab” has debuted. The weekly NBA podcast is hosted by general editor and senior sportswriter Neil Paine, senior sportswriter Kyle Wagner, and senior sportswriter Chris Herring. Each episode tackles the trends in the league from an analytics angle, seeking to answer such questions as: Are there enough possessions to go around for Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder? Why are pull-up threes now all the rage in the league? What makes Gregg Popovich such a good coach?…..According to a
report by sports media news and opinion site Awful Announcing, Barstool Sports is close to a deal with ESPN to create a video version of its “Pardon My Take” podcast and air it as a weekly, late-night show on ESPN2. AA says, “It’s believed the television show would not affect the podcast, which would continue on as normal. It’s unclear what night and how long the episodes would be, but we’re told it would definitely air on ESPN2 and at a late night/early morning hour.” As AA points out, if this happens, it would be a very interesting turnaround for the two sides since ESPN issued a cease and desist to Barstool for “Pardon My Take,” alleging that the podcast’s name infringed on trademarks for “Pardon the Interruption” and “First Take.” Barstool didn’t cave and the podcast has garnered a loyal audience. “Pardon My Take” stars PFTCommenter and Dan “Big Cat” Katz.
Las Vegas Concert Massacre/Gun Debate Top News/Talk Story for Week of October 2-6. The mass shooting that killed 59 and wounded hundreds at a concert festival in Las Vegas and the resulting debate over gun control issues was the most talked about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 was the reportedly strained relationship between President Trump and Secretay of State Rex Tillerson. Coming in at #3 was North Korea’s threats of war against the U.S., followed by the special counsel’s investigation into former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s relationships with Russian agents at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Holland Cooke Is this Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Media consultant Holland Cooke is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.” Cooke was recently named the successor to Thom Hartmann as host of the RT America program, “The Big Picture,” set to debut this Friday, October 6 as a half-hour weekend show. Harrison and Cooke engage in a spirited and illuminating discussion about the latest trends in radio, television and internet talk broadcasting dipping into the experience gathered in their long careers and speculating on things yet to come in media and popular culture. And guess what? They even talk about the impact of Donald Trump on talk radio. This podcast is not to be missed by today’s spoken work media practitioners as well as newcomers looking to break into the business. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com.
More Music Radio News and Career Moves. At Hubbard Radio’s St. Louis adult hits WARH “106.5 The Arch,” morning drive personality Spencer Graves inks a multi-year deal to continue hosting the “Spencer’s Neighborhood” program. Graves arrived at the station two years ago from WSTW, Wilmington, Delaware. He currently works on air with co
-hosts Cassiday Proctor and Brandon “Brando” Luttman. Program director Scott Roddy comments, “‘Spencer’s Neighborhood’ has enjoyed impressive growth in the two years it has been on ‘106.5 The Arch.’ Spencer’s dedication to our community across the bi-state region and his ‘on-air’ neighborhood – including co-hosts Cassiday and Brando – is unmatched. I’m thrilled to have a topical, interactive, genuine, fresh and fun personality like Spencer leading the on-air ‘Arch Allies.’”…..Radio pro Patrick Knight is named music director at Bonneville’s country KYGO, Denver. Knight produces the morning drive program. Program director John E. Kage comments, “I arrived at KYGO one year ago and Patrick quickly showed himself to be a multi-tool player that I could depend on. In addition to producing the KYGO morning show and handling a part of our imaging, he proved to be a valuable asset in the music. He understands the country lifestyle, the timing of records as it pertains to the audience, the history of artists, and having helped me with interviews and backstage events he also has earned the respect of the labels for his professionalism.”…..Morning duo Jeff Pope and Marla Davies exit Alpha Media’s hot AC simulcast KEZR, Gilroy/KBAY, San Jose. Pope made the announcement via Facebook, writing: “Dear San Jose: Thank you for an AWESOME 3 1/2 years! Earlier today, Marla Davies and I were let go from ‘Mix 106.’ From the time I arrived from Southern California, you treated me with love and kindness – even when my L.A. Kings came back from that 3-0 hole against your Sharks?? Thank you for letting us be a part of your mornings, and now I’m REALLY glad I didn’t buy a house!”…..Southern Wisconsin’s Big Radio announces it is flipping a trio of signals to a 90s music format. Two translators – W255CZ, Janesville at 98.9 and W222AU, Beloit at 92.3 – fed by WBEL-AM will make the switch on Monday (10/9) and will collectively be branded “The Beat 92.3 and 98.9 FM.” Big Radio says the core artists will include: Alanis Morissette, Backstreet Boys, Sugar Ray, No Doubt, TLC, Boys II Men, Gin Blossoms, and Nirvana. On-air talent will consist of Micki Morgret in mornings, Paul Michaels in middays, Liz Rudolph hosting afternoons, and Wayne “Grizzly” Adams handling nights…..Entercom’s alternative KNDD, Seattle “107.7 The End” announces the lineup for its December 5 “Deck the Hall Ball ’17” at the Key Arena. It includes: The Killers, The Lumineers, Odesza, Joywave, Portugal. The Man, J. Roddy Walston and the Business, and J Grgry.
