Tag: "Kris Kridel"
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Progressive Talker WCPT, Chicago Names Santita Jackson Morning Host. Chicago progressive talk outlet WCPT is filling the morning show daypart with air personality Santita Jackson. The station had an opening because of Bill Press’ decision to end his radio show
and focus on a podcast. The daughter of Rev. Jesse Jackson is the executive producer of his Premiere Networks-syndicated program, “Keep Hope Alive.” She’ll host the 6:00 am to 8:00 am program beginning Monday (6/3). WCPT general manager Mark Pinski says, “Santita has a dynamic, engaging personality and she will connect well with our listeners. With Santita live and local in the morning, followed by Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, Joan Esposito, and Rick Ungar, this is the best Monday-through-Friday progressive lineup in WCPT history.” Santita Jackson has been off local radio for five years. She previously hosted the midday show at Midway Broadcasting’s crosstown urban talk outlet WVON-AM.
Kris Kridel to Retire from WBBM. Chicago media reporter Robert Feder has the story that longtime Chicago
radio news pro Kris Kridel is calling it a career with all-news WBBM-AM/ WCFS-FM and will leave the station on June 7. Just a couple of months ago, Kridel left her full-time role as the afternoon drive news anchor and has been part-time as the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm anchor. Station director of news and programming Ron Gleason told the staff in a memo, “She’s been the consummate journalist, our go-to person for any discussion of ethics and how best to cover stories. We will miss her dearly but are excited she’ll be able to travel and enjoy much more time with her family and friends.”
Reno Talk Host Bill Manders Dies. The details are few but the family of former, longtime KOH, Reno talk
show host Bill Manders reports that he passed away on Monday (5/27). Television station KTVN, Reno says his daughter explained that he’d experienced health issues in recent years and had a kidney transplant in 2014.
Libsyn Podcasts Available on RADIO.COM. The podcast hosting firm Liberated Syndication – Libsyn – signs a deal with Entercom to make its stable of 62,000 active podcasts available on the latter’s RADIO.COM platform. Entercom vice president of business development Corey Podolski says, “As the fastest growing digital audio app in the country, we are laser-focused on providing the content we know our listeners want, wherever and however they want it. Podcast listening on RADIO.COM continues to grow at an accelerating pace. Partnering with Libsyn to make it simple for podcasters to reach millions of listeners on our platform is a win for everyone.” The press release says the Libsyn network reaches more than 111 million monthly unique audience members.”
Cox Media Tulsa Initiates Disaster Relief. In coordination with the American Red Cross of Oklahoma, Cox Media Group Tulsa’s news/talk KRMG-AM/FM and four sister music-formatted stations are raising money for
local disaster relief efforts in the wake of the tornadoes and historic flooding in Green Country (Northeast Oklahoma). Tomorrow (5/30), the stations will join Cox’s KOKI-TV “FOX23” for a live, 13-hour fundraising broadcast from LaFortune Park. CMG Tulsa market VP Cathy Gunther says, “Supporting our community in a time of uncertainty and stress is something that is part of the fabric of our organization. We are honored to be able to do something to help our neighbors and know that our viewers and listeners will respond.”
TALKERS News Notes. In Miami, the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Entercom sports talker WQAM agree to an extension of their broadcast rights deal. In addition to game broadcasts, WQAM will feature weekly player
interviews, a coach’s show featuring head coach Joel Quenneville, a weekly in-season “Panthers Insider” show, in-season “Panthers’ Wednesdays,” and additional ancillary coverage including a one-hour preseason special and a two-hour live NHL Draft broadcast. Entercom South Florida SVP and market manager Keriann Worley says, “As South Florida’s iconic sports station, WQAM is committed to being the go-to home for Miami’s devoted sports fans. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the Florida Panthers and are committed to providing fans with comprehensive coverage of their hometown team.”…..“The Woj Pod,” the podcast from ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, is now officially part of ESPN Podcasts and ESPN will start publishing the podcast beginning July 1. ESPN vice president, digital strategy and marketing within ESPN Audio Tom Ricks says, “ESPN is committed to our podcast business and as an exclamation point on that, we’re thrilled to have the Woj Pod in-house. Based on Woj’s unrivaled reputation, his connections in the league, coupled with ESPN’s ability to present this content in unique ways, we look forward to continuing to serve basketball fans in the podcast space. We plan to use ESPN platforms and our multimedia promotional power to grow the podcast’s audience.”
2020 Presidential Politics, Trump-Bolton Messages, Severe Weather, New Abortion Laws, Immigration Policy/Border Wall, and U.S.-China Trade Relations Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/28). The Democrats vying to challenge President Trump in 2020; the different messages on Iran and North Korea being sent by Trump and national security adviser John Bolton; the large number of tornadoes and storms slamming the Midwest; the several states that have adopted new, strict anti-abortion laws and the threat to Roe v Wade; the immigration crisis at the Southern border and the status of the wall project; and U.S.-China relations as both nations slap tariffs on the other’s exports 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. Urban radio pro Miss Monique is named program director for iHeartMedia’s hip hop WXBT “100.1 The Beat” and urban adult contemporary WXBT-HD2/W288CX “Throwback 105.5” in Columbia, South Carolina. She was most recently with the company’s hip hop WZHT, Montgomery “HOT 105.7.” She says, “I am excited, humbled, and thankful for this awesome opportunity to program these iHeartMedia stations. I look forward to helping the stations grow and exploring Columbia as my new home.”…..Toledo radio personality Gary Shores announces that he’s leaving his role as morning host at Cumulus Media’s country WKKO “K100” to focus on his health. Shores has been battling Pulmonary Fibrosis for the past three years and he tells his listeners that the disease is making it hard for him to do his job because of the breathing difficulties it creates. The morning program will continue with Lyn Casye and Cliff Smithers hosting.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Atlanta’s ‘92.9 The Game’ Ousts Midday Hosts Rick Kamla and John Michaels. First reported by Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Rodney Ho, the midday team of Rick Kamla and John Michaels – together on the air since 2016 – has been let go by Entercom sports talker WZGC-FM, Atlanta “92.9 The Game.” Kamla was part of 
the station’s morning show when WZGC launched as a sports talk station in 2012, but later moved to middays. He was joined by Michaels in 2016. Michaels confirmed his exit via Twitter saying they were given a number of reasons why they were being let go, including “not connecting with the audience.” WZGC has made no public comments about the changes, including its plans for the 10:00 am to 2:00 pm slot.
Kridel Reduces Air Time at WBBM, Chicago. As reported by Chicago media writer Robert
Feder, news anchor Kris Kridel is scaling back her time on the air at Entercom’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago to part-time status. The 34-year station veteran will now be heard from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. She had been on the air for six straight hours. Feder reports that Lisa Fielding will be on the 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm program with co-anchor Keith Johnson most weekdays.
Monday Memo: The Boys Are Back. Consultant Holland Cooke delivers this week’s Monday Memo from the heart of Red Sox Nation with advice about the return of baseball to radio’s airwaves: “Mathematically, baseball may be affiliates’ best friend for the next several months, when play-by-play invites new cume, and tune-in to fringe hours; and is full of suspense and commercial inventory that sells without numbers.” In this week’s Monday Memo, Cooke – ALREADY wearing his Red Sox jersey – offers three tips for boosting awareness and recycling and impressing advertisers. Read it here.
Westwood One Promotes Stuart Greenblatt to SVP. Serving in his 20th year with Westwood One, Stuart Greenblatt is promoted to senior vice president, affiliate sales. In
his previous VP, affiliate sales post, he was in charge of station services for the network’s talk show properties. In his new role, Greenblatt will oversee the distribution and marketing of all Westwood One programs and affiliate services for radio stations around the country, as well as supervise the national affiliate sales team and manage station client relationships. Greenblatt says, “After working in affiliate sales for almost 20 years, I am honored to be leading the affiliate sales team here at Westwood One, truly the best in the business. I look forward to working together with our station partners and our outstanding sales team to grow and promote our first-rate programming across the board.”
Nielsen’s National Media Impact Added to Westwood One’s Audio Insights Platform. This deal between Nielsen and Westwood One allows the latter to license the national version of Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) powered by Nielsen’s Total Media Fusion. NMI is a
cross-platform media planning and optimization solution that helps clients understand total campaign reach, frequency, and duplication using advanced audience segments. It will enable Westwood One to demonstrate the value that its unique audiences bring to an advertiser’s media plan and illustrate radio’s substantial incremental reach. Cumulus Media 
EVP of marketing and Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes says, “With Nielsen Media Impact, we can show our advertising partners the effect on overall campaign reach and frequency when money is moved between media. Advertisers will be able to access this tool through the groundbreaking Westwood One ROI Guarantee audio insights platform. It’s a new dimension in making media investments work smarter for marketers using radio, podcasting, and streaming to drive ROI. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the power of adding audio to a media plan, giving agencies and brands the information they need to understand the true value of our medium in driving sales.” Nielsen says that in 2018, it enhanced NMI to include national radio. Nielsen’s national radio data within Nielsen Media Impact allows buyers and sellers to understand the value of radio as a medium at the national level, as well as the incremental reach achieved by including national radio in the media mix. With the national version of Nielsen Media Impact clients can plan and optimize media allocation and compare total radio, radio formats, and radio owner groups with other national media (including TV, digital, print, cinema and digital place-based media) in advanced audience segments.
Randi P’Pool Joins Aptivada as Chief Marketing Officer. Leaving her role with Alpha Media as vice president of marketing is Randi P’Pool, who joins Aptivada, a provider of
promotions contesting and audience engagement tools as chief marketing officer. In her role with Alpha Media (which, along with iHeartMedia and Bonneville,is a client of Aptivada) P’Pool led national promotions, corporate partnerships, digital contesting, company communications and PR, events and cross-platform brand marketing. In her new role, she’ll join Aptivada’s leadership team focusing on the strategic evolution and growth of Aptivada. P’Pool says, “Not only does Aptivada offer the optimum digital marketing platform but it also provides extremely innovative solutions to generate new digital revenue for broadcasters. The opportunity to support, foster and endorse a company as innovative and remarkable as Aptivada is the utmost honor and privilege for me!”
TALKERS News Notes. As long as the court schedule doesn’t change, former WFAN, New
York morning drive personality Craig Carton will learn his fate on April 5 at his sentencing on conspiracy and fraud charges. According to sentencing guidelines, Carton could get as much as 45 years in prison, although it’s likely he’ll serve far less than that. Two of his convicted co-conspirators have already been sentenced. Michael Wright is serving a sentence of almost two years and Joseph Meli is doing six and-a-half years. The three were involved in a Ponzi scheme that took money from investors in a VIP concert ticket re-sale business. Prosecutors convinced jurors Carton spent some of the money paying off gambling debts and for personal expenses…..The Buffalo News reports that Entercom has sold its radio tower on Grand Island – one that carries the signal for CHR WKSE-FM “Kiss 98.5” to Vertical Bridge for almost $1.5 million. WKSE’s signal will continue to emanate from the tower under a leaseback deal…..Condolences to the family and friends of Dave Sandler – a former longtime traffic reporter for Hearst’s WBAL-AM, Baltimore – who passed away last Thursday evening at age 58 after a long illness. Sandler was known as “Detour Dave Sandler” to WBAL and rock WIYY-FM. He exited WBAL in 2017 after 31 years there.
Mosques Massacre Aftermath, Trump’s Weekend Tweetstorm, College Admissions Scandal, Boeing’s 737 Woes, Trump-Russia Investigation Status, 2020 Democratic Hopefuls/Kirsten Gillibrand Announces, Midwest Flooding, NBA Action, and NCAA Tournament Seeding Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The aftermath of the mosques attacks in New Zealand that left 50 people dead; President Trump’s weekend tweets that took aim at General Motors and a UAW boss, the late Senator John McCain, and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”; the blowback from the college admissions cheating scandal; Boeing’s challenges with the 737 Max planes in the wake of the second crash in five months; the status of the investigation into possible Trump campaign connections with Russian agents; the Democrats hoping to challenge President Trump in 2020, including the entrance of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; the devastating floods in Nebraska and Iowa; NBA hoops action; and the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Hexagon 2019: Romp in the Swamp. Nationally syndicated late-night talk show host Jim Bohannon (left) poses for a photo with former NBC anchor Jackie Nedell (right) on the set of the satirical musical comedy review, “Hexagon 2019: Romp in the Swamp,” in Washington on Friday (3/15).
Music Radio News and Career Moves. At Des Moines alternative rock KDXA “ALT 106.3,” Alex Mac is named assistant program director, adding the duties to his roles as afternoon drive personality and music director. iHeartMedia Des Moines SVP of programming
Greg Chance says, “Alex has a bright programming future and has displayed all the characteristics of a great programmer. We are excited to see him further develop his career.” Prior to joining the iHeartMedia Des Moines market in October 2017, Mac served as evening host and promotions assistant for WRXL-FM, Richmond…..Entercom radio personality Ken Hicks is being recognized by the Georgia State Senate for his career in radio and community service. Hicks hosts the morning show at WUSY-FM, Chattanooga “U.S. 101” that serves a large portion of Northwest Georgia. Entercom Chattanooga SVP and market manager Nichole Hartman says, “In his nearly 35 years with ‘U.S. 101,’ Ken has raised millions of dollars for charities, assisted in relief efforts for dozens of disasters, and has served and continues to serve the Chattanooga and North Georgia community with his whole heart. Ken epitomizes the distinct group of people deserving of this honor and I am proud that he is a part of our team.”…..In the Palm Springs market, Tommy Carrera, a.k.a. Tommy C, exits his PD roles with Alpha Media. He’d been programming both country KDES “98.5 The Bull” and classic hits KDGL “106.9 The Eagle.”
