Tag: "Los Angeles"
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
WOR, New York Personality Mark Simone is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Longtime Big Apple
radio star Mark Simone, who hosts the daily 10:00 am – 12:00 noon show on WOR, New York, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Simone, described by Harrison as the “ultimate embodiment of the expression ‘man-about-town’” for his numerous speaking engagements as a toastmaster and emcee has been a radio mainstay for decades in the nation’s number one market having performed on the rosters of such legendary outlets as WABC, WNEW, WMCA and WPIX, prior to joining WOR. For two years, he was the co-host of a three-hour daily comedy show with the legendary Steve Allen on the NBC Radio Network. He co-hosted a two-hour nightly talk show with Tom Snyder on the CBS Radio Network. In addition to discussing local and national politics, Simone is a music and entertainment historian who has hosted over 250 PBS entertainment specials and he has lectured at Hofstra University on the career and cultural legacy of Frank Sinatra. A regular guest on national cable TV, Simone and newspaper columnist Linda Stasi have co-hosted their “What a Week” segments for over 18 years on New York 1 TV, the highly-watched, all-news channel in NYC. Harrison and Simone discuss radio, politics, music, and technology in a fast-paced conversation that will engage both professional practitioners and dedicated fans of today’s cross-platform media environment. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.
Nexstar Names Gliha VP/CFO. In two weeks (8/9), Jefferies LLC managing director Lee Ann Gliha will become Nexstar Media Group’s executive vice president/chief financial officer. She will take over CFO responsibilities from Thomas E. Carter, who was promoted to president/chief operating officer late last year and was Nexstar’s executive vice
president/chief financial officer since 2009. According to Carter, “[Lee Ann is] an accomplished finance leader who understands the rapidly evolving media ecosystem and brings extensive industry relationships to her new role at Nexstar. This background will be invaluable to [our] senior management team, board of directors, and our experienced finance team. [She] will be instrumental in advancing our strategic objectives with the goal of further enhancing shareholder value.” Gliha comments, “Throughout its 25-year history, Nexstar has been at the forefront of every major innovation in local broadcasting, while maintaining the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Nexstar’s corporate and local management teams have built the preeminent local broadcasting and digital media company in the country and consistently delivered impressive financial results for shareholders. I am thrilled to be joining Nexstar – I look forward to growing and evolving the business and driving new value for shareholders.” Prior to working at Jefferies LLC, Gliha was Live Nation’s executive vice president/corporate finance.
Westwood One Sets Affiliate Sales Moves. Boosted to vice president of affiliate sales for 24/7 formats at CUMULUS MEDIA’s
Westwood One is Neal Weiner, while Sue Falco becomes director of affiliate sales for the music & entertainment division. Senior vice president of affiliate sales Stuart Greenblatt comments, “With more than a quarter-century with Westwood One, Neal knows this business inside and out; Sue’s new role brings her full circle back to Westwood One. There are no better people to assume these roles and drive Westwood One’s affiliate sales.” Weiner remarks, “We have fantastic new offerings in the pipeline for helping our affiliates to operate smoothly and efficiently and to sound amazing. I’m honored to assume this role at such an exciting time.” Falco notes, “Westwood One is synonymous with great programming and super-sized talent. I’m thrilled to be back on the team with such a well-respected brand.” Weiner’s 26-year tenure at Westwood One has included working with 24/7 formats; music and entertainment shows; sports; and prep services. He began his radio career at then Westwood-owned KQLZ “Pirate Radio,” Los Angeles. Falco most recently spent ten years as United Stations’ director of affiliate sales. Prior to that, she had a six-year run at Westwood One as part of both the news/talk and country affiliate sales teams.
Audacy Introduces Podsauce. The one-hour Dax Holt and Alesha Reneé-hosted multi-platform podcast discovery show assists podcast partisans find new series; it will begin this Thursday (7/29). Audacy Digital executive vice president/general manager Pam Russo contends, “With over two million active podcasts and nearly 50 million episodes worldwide, finding a podcast to listen to can be overwhelming. That’s where ‘Podsauce’ comes in. Through Alesha and Dax’s passion for this exploding medium, coupled with in-depth conversations with the people behind the content, ‘Podsauce’ will give consumers a taste of [the] top shows – both in our portfolio and beyond – and spotlight the very best in the world of podcasting.” Holt spent 11 years at TMZ where he won two Emmy nominations. He hosts the “Hollywood Raw” podcast. Actress/TV personality Reneé has appeared on “Girl Code,” “Guy Code,” “E! News,” “HotWyred,” “The 5ive,” and “106 and Park.” In addition, she has been the host/spokesperson for McDonald’s “Men of McCafe.” Select sound bites titled the “Podsauce Minute” will be heard on Audacy’s 235 broadcast stations.
SiriusXM Reports Q2 Revenue Of $2.16 Billion. That’s an increase of 15% compared to this time last year. SiriusXM’s 2021 Q2 net
income of $433 million is up $190 million versus 2020’s $243 million. The substantial increase included $140 million in insurance recoveries related to its SXM-7 satellite. Chief executive officer Jennifer Witz comments, “We are increasing all of our financial guidance. The quarter was bolstered by record self-pay churn of just 1.5%, and we achieved strong monetization in our advertising business with an increase in ad revenue of 82% from the prior year period and 20% from the second quarter of 2019. We have long been the leader in shaping the future of audio for listeners, and we continue doing so by providing curated and premium content in innovative formats.” Earlier this month, the satcaster announced that a daily Megyn Kelly-hosted show (12:00 noon – 2:00 pm) will begin on September 7. Witz notes, “In addition, video of the best moments from the show will be available in our app to subscribers and a podcast version of the show will be distributed broadly on SiriusXM, Pandora, Stitcher, and other major platforms. Seth Rogen will do his first-ever podcast with us starting in the fall.”
Salem Radio Network Extends Gorka. The multi-year agreement enables Sebastian Gorka to continue his 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm (ET)
Salem Radio Network “America First” program that began in January 2019. Salem senior vice president for spoken-word Phil Boyce states, “Dr. Gorka has proven to be a natural on the radio. His insight into current events, his courageous stands on the issues, and his unique sense of humor have blended together to make this one of the best shows in the Salem lineup.” Gorka adds that, “Despite an incredibly hard 18 months for America, conservative talk radio is stronger than it has ever been. I am so grateful to Salem, my superb team and our amazing listeners for their loyalty and enduring love of country. I am overjoyed at the chance to continue our shared mission to tell the truth and make America even stronger than before.” Gorka grew up in London and learned talk radio listening to radio stations there. A three-time author, he hosts a weekend Newsmax TV show.
RTDNA Announces “The Year Of The Team.” Maintaining this year’s news leadership conference will feature “fresh and focused hands-on training and more intimate/inspirational discussions,” the Radio Television Digital News Association’s “The Year of the Team” retreat will be held in Denver on September 23 – 24. RTDNA executive director Dan Shelley states, “When approaching our annual conference this year, we listened to what our members said they wanted in a post-pandemic world in terms of professional development. We have developed a curriculum that helps them restore, rejuvenate, refresh and find ways to be more productive, more satisfied, and more well-rounded as they practice the craft of journalism. It’s going to be a holistic reset and refresh of everything we do as journalists and everything we are as human beings.” News leaders will reportedly celebrate the “Year of the Team” with representation and resilience. Attendees will be able to participate in interactive and immersive sessions taught by subject matter experts on a variety of topics relevant to representation and resilience – including self-care and inclusive language.
COVID-19, Delta Variant, and Vaccine Denial/Hesitancy Top News/Talk Story for Monday July 26. The rising rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the Delta variant being the dominant strain, and vaccine hesitancy in many parts of the U.S. combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio yesterday (7/26). That was followed closely by the highly contentious January 6 Committee debate between the parties. 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 updated and published every Friday at Talkers.com.See this week’s complete chart here.
TALKERS News Notes. Cleveland-based Danno Wolkoff and his wife Laura Wolkoff have exited Sun Broadcast Group as chief operating officer and vice president/operations, respectively … As first reported by Robert Feder (RobertFeder.com), former standup comedian Patti Vasquez’s “Driving It Home With Patti Vasquez” (5:00 pm – 6:00 pm) will be added to Newsweb Chicago news/talk WCPT’s weekday roster next Monday (8/2). Vasquez formerly did evenings at cross-town Nexstar news/talk WGN … Former eight-year traffic pilot/reporter at (now Audacy-owned) St. Louis news/talk KMOX John Larrabee, 73, passed away earlier this month (7/10) at his Moscow Mills (Missouri) home. His other radio credits include stops in New York City (WXLO) and Hartford (WDRC-AM and WPOP), as well as programming St. Louis’ KSLQ and KADI.
Newsmax To Unveil “Eric Bolling The Balance.” Touting it as a (4:00 pm – 5:00 pm) weekday show “for everyday Americans, covering
the issues that truly matter,” Newsmax will introduce “Eric Bolling The Balance’’ tomorrow (7/28). According to Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, “Viewers know and trust Eric Bolling as one of the most tenacious guys in news. Insiders know he’s a true veteran who is driven to follow the facts and deliver the news.” Before joining Newsmax last month, Bolling hosted a weekly talk show on Sinclair Broadcasting and hosted “The Five,” “Cashin’ In,” and “Fast Money.” He is a former commodities trader and board member of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Round Two of June PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s June 2021 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s June 2021 survey period covered May 27 – June 23. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Washington, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WMAL-FM dips four-tenths for a 3.6 share (6+ weekly AQH share) finish and the #11 rank in the market. Hubbard Radio’s crosstown all-news WTOP also loses four-tenths, finishing the survey with a 7.7 share and falls to the #3 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO, Boston sheds two-tenths for a 3.7 share but remains in the #9 rank while sister all-news WBZ-AM also dips two-tenths for a 5.7 share and again finishes ranked #5 in the market. In Seattle, Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM falls out of the #1 spot after losing seven-tenths and falling to a 5.9 share good for the #3 rank while Sinclair Broadcast Group’s all-news KOMO-AM/FM adds 2.2 shares to climb to the #1 rank on the strength of a 6.5 share finish. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets here.
FCC Denies Petitions by Larry Wilson and Paul Stone to Nix Alpha Media Applications for Assignment of Licenses. Minority stake holders Larry Wilson and Paul Stone filed petitions with the FCC to deny the assignment of licenses for the stations that will comprise the new New Alpha, whose pre-packaged Chapter 11 plan has been approved by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In a ruling handed down on July 13, the FCC’s Audio Division, Media Bureau denied both petitions, paving the way for New
Alpha to emerge as scheduled. Wilson argued two points: 1) that the FCC’s assigning the licenses would authorize the restructuring of the company thereby causing him economic injury as a minority stakeholder; and 2) that 
Alpha officers engaged in corporate misconduct by taking actions – including filing the prepackaged bankruptcy plan – without a vote of the board of directors. (Stone’s petition to deny centered around the FCC’s foreign ownership regulations.) In denying Wilson’s petition, the Media Bureau ruled that he (as well as Stone) has failed to show he has standing in the proceeding since his arguments center around his private interests and not the public interest with which the FCC in concerned. It adds that Wilson’s complaint about corporate governance is outside the Commission’s purview and belongs in a state court. You can read the ruling here.
WCNN-AM, Atlanta Unveils New Program Lineup. From a report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution by Rodney Ho, Dickey Broadcasting’s sports talk WCNN-AM “The Fan” has made changes to its program lineup. First, joining the morning drive team of Brian Finneran and John Michaels are three station personalities from other
dayparts. “Hometeam” Brandon Leak, Joe Hamilton, and Hutson Mason are joining the morning show on Monday (7/19) as the show changes names from “The Front Row” to “The Locker Room.” Midday host Buck Belue – currently paired with Mason – will go solo from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The new midday show will air from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and star Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino. The afternoon drive show hosted by Chuck Oliver and Matt Chernoff moves to the 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm daypart and its producers, Brian Hoyt and Carlos Medina, will host a 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm show called “Fun Bag” when Atlanta Braves games are not airing. Owner David Dickey tells the AJC, “We’ve got the deepest bench in town with local, live talent. It’s not about how many people are in the room. It’s about the right chemistry. It’s about the right energy. It’s about having the right diversity of voices to reflect the modern conversation about sports.”
Report: Good Karma Brands Talking with ESPN About New York and LA Radio Stations. According to a piece by Andrew Marchand in the New York Post, WEPN-FM, New York and KSPN-AM, Los Angeles owner ESPN is in “serious talks” with Good
Karma Brands to have the latter operate those two stations as GKB is currently doing with ESPN’s WMVP-AM, Chicago. Marchand writes, “ESPN would make such a move to reduce the head count on Disney’s books, which is nearly 40 people. In New York, it would also alleviate some of the massive cost that ESPN pays to Emmis Communications to lease the 98.7 FM signal. That would effectively put the local business sales and marketing in Good Karma’s hands, while ESPN would retain oversight of the station’s content.” Marchand asserts that ESPN’s interest in radio is taking a back seat to its efforts in the podcast genre.
WGFX Adds ‘The Install with Greg Cosell’ to ‘104.5 The Zone Podcast Network.’ The new podcast platform branded “104.5 The Zone Podcast Network” from Cumulus Media’s WGFX-FM, Nashville announces a new program hosted by NFL analyst Greg Cosell called, “The Install with Greg Cosell.” The podcast is being co-hosted by WGFX-
FM midday personality Buck Reising. The show promises to bring “a different approach and sound to how Cosell covers film, as Cosell and Reising go through NFL film that Cosell has watched, through a Tennessee Titans lens.” The show also covers the rest of the NFL. Cosell, a nephew of legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell, is the co-author of the book, The Games That Changed the Game: The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays (ESPN 2011) with Ron Jaworski and David Plaut. WGFX program director Paul Mason says, “I am thrilled that Greg Cosell is partnering with Buck Reising to host ‘The Install with Greg Cosell’ as the latest piece to the expanding 104.5 The Zone Network. ‘The Install’ along with Cosell’s weekly appearance on the Zone with ‘3HL’ will allow him to take Titans fans to even more places.”
KSCO, Santa Cruz Owner Michael Zwerling is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast, Sort Of. One of the most colorful members of the radio industry’s endangered species list – the independent local radio station owner/operator – Michael Zwerling is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Zwerling (known to his friends, employees and station listeners as “MZ”) has owned the 10,000-watt Central California heritage news/talk flamethrower, KSCO AM 1080 for the past 30 years. He is widely known in the radio industry for his
eccentric personality, tongue-in-cheek humor, prowess in NTR marketing and unwavering commitment to local, community-involved broadcasting. Zwerling, himself, hosts a weekly two-hour, Saturday morning, commercial-free program titled, “The Saturday Special,” in which he tackles a wide variety of issues while taking listener calls and interviewing guests. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison joined MZ as a guest on the show this past Saturday for a half hour segment that candidly addressed political correctness, the First Amendment, the state of media and the future of talk radio. The provocative conversation between Harrison and Zwerling recorded on that broadcast is the basis for this week’s installment of “The Michael Harrison Interview.” So, in a sense, Harrison actually serves as Zwerling’s guest on this week’s podcast. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.
COVID-19 Delta Variant & Vaccines, Trump and the GOP/New Trump Book, January 6 Investigation, Senate Democrats’ Budget, Cuba Protests, Voting Legislation, Western Heat and Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/14). The surge of COVID-19 cases in several U.S. states and the stalling rate of vaccinations; former President Donald Trump’s relationship with the Republican Party and the new Trump book, I Alone Can Fix It; the House panel to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol; the Senate Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget; the protests taking place in Cuba and in Florida’s Cuban community; controversy over the new, stricter voting policies enacted in several states; and the Western heatwave and wildfires were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
TALKERS 2021 Conference Video Posted – Panel Discussion, “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Change.” The 10th video, under the direction of Art Vuolo, from the TALKERS 2021 Conference that took place at Hofstra University on June 11, is posted. This installment features the panel discussion, “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Change.” Moderated by Lee Harris, morning drive anchor, WINS, New York, introduced by Brad Shepard, GM, Pioneer Valley Radio, Springfield, MA, and sponsored by ABC News Radio, the panel featured (in alphabetical order): Juliet Huddy, talk show host, WABC, New York; Dr. Lisa Mozer, talk show host WSIC, Statesville, NC/podcaster, “Teacher Talk”; Dr. Daliah Wachs, talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Lisa Wexler, talk show host, WICC, Bridgeport/probate judge, State of Connecticut; Larry Young, talk show host, WOLB, Baltimore; and Rich Zeoli, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia. The major panels and presentations from TALKERS 2021 will remain posted on Talkers.com for the rest of the year.
Round One of June PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s June 2021 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s June 2021 sweep covered May 27 – June 23. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. In New York City, Audacy’s all-news properties are basically flat with WINS dipping one tenth to a 2.6 share (6+ weekly, AQH share) and WCBS-AM adding one-tenth to finish with a 2.5 share. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles remains ranked #3 even though it loses four-tenths to finish the survey with a 4.4 share. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN-AM slides to the #10 rank after adding one-tenth for a 3.3 share and Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM remains in the #2 rank after adding one-tenth for a 6.0 share finish. Cumulus Media’s WBAP-AM, Dallas tacks on two-tenths for a 3.6 share and climbs from the #12 rank to #9. Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta continues its run as the #1 ranked station even after shedding a half share to finish the survey with an 8.1 share. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways here.
SummitMedia Appoints Rick Parrish President of Omaha Market. Radio executive Rick Parrish is named president of SummitMedia’s Omaha station group that includes sports talk KXSP “AM 590 ESPN,” four music brands and the “Todd ‘n’ Tyler” morning
show franchise. Parrish’s nearly 50 years of radio experience includes serving as market manager for iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, and Cherry Creek. SummitMedia CEO Carl Parmer says, “We are very excited to have Rick lead our amazing team in Omaha. His wealth of experience, passion and competitive nature will serve us well as we move forward.” Parrish adds, “I’m excited to be a part of the leadership of SummitMedia Omaha. SummitMedia has an excellent team in Omaha that is dedicated to entertaining and informing our listeners and achieving outstanding results for our clients. I’m confident that we will continue to grow and receive exceptional results.”
Binnie Media’s SEALs By the Sea Event Raises $145,000 for Veterans. Pictured above are some of the 35 former and present Navy SEALs (including Congressman Dan Crenshaw who is fifth from the right) who took part in Binnie Media’s first annual SEALs By The Sea VIP Luncheon event on July 9. The newest addition to the Swim With a Mission Veteran Festival was held at the Wentworth By The Sea Country Club where more than 150 people showed up in support of Veterans, including generous event sponsors, Binnie Media staff, and the SEALs, their families, and their friends. Through the sale of VIP tickets and a live auction, Binnie Media’s SEALs By The Sea event raised more than $144,500 for the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, as well as Trident Tuition Funds, and Swim With A Mission. Since its inception, Swim With A Mission has raised over $6 million for Veteran organizations.
‘The Dana Show’ Adds New Affiliate Stations. The Radio America nationally syndicated talk program, “The Dana Show,” starring Dana Loesch announces the
addition of new affiliate stations to its roster, including: KIVA, Albuquerque; KJJR, Whitefish, Montana; KNFT, Bayard, New Mexico; KRSN, Los Alamos, New Mexico; KWOR, Worland, Wyoming; KODI, Cody, Wyoming; KIML, Gillette, Wyoming; WNIX, Greenville, Mississippi; and WULK-FM, Crawfordville, Georgia. “The Dana Show” is now heard on almost 250 stations nationwide. Dana Loesch is a regular contributor to FOX News and has been invited to provide election analysis on FOX, CNN, and ABC and has also appeared on HBO. She is the author of three books.
iHeartMedia to Broadcast ‘Global Citizen Live’ Event. The September 25 multi-continent event Global Citizen Live will be broadcast by iHeartMedia as the company is serving as the exclusive U.S. audio partner. Global Citizen Live will consist of performances from six continents with the goal being to “defend the planet and defeat poverty.” It will feature music artists, activists and world leaders taking the stage at
iconic locations across the globe all in an effort to inspire global action and shine a light on issues ranging from equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations, hunger, education and climate change. To help support this historic worldwide event iHeart will launch Global Citizen Radio later this month which will offer the latest news and information surrounding the event leading up to Global Citizen Live. iHeartMedia president of Entertainment Enterprises John Sykes says, “By bringing together the world’s most powerful leaders, music artists, cultural influencers, and the general public, Global Citizen has recreated the ‘Live Aid’ of this generation and is once again proving that music can encourage citizen action in the movement to fight extreme poverty. iHeart is proud of our deep relationship with Global Citizen and the progress they have made in the last decade addressing some of the toughest global issues of our time.” iHeartMedia’s six New York radio stations, including news/talk WOR, will again support this year’s Global Citizen Festival, the free ticketed festival that takes place on the Great Lawn of New York’s Central Park on September 25.
‘ESPN Chicago’ Personality David Kaplan to Lead ‘Walk As One’ Charity Event. Chicago sports media personality David Kaplan – host at Good Karma Brand’s WMVP “ESPN 1000” will lead the second annual “Walk as One” charity walk scheduled for
Thursday, September 23, 2021. The event benefits Bernie’s Book Bank, which sources, processes and distributes free, quality children’s books to under-served children ages birth to sixth grade throughout the Chicagoland area. Kaplan will walk with Bernie’s Book Bank CEO Darrin Utynek for 24 miles hitting various stops along the way, including Guaranteed Rate Field, the United Center, and other stadiums across Chicago, to raise awareness and donations. In 2020, the event raised over $95,000 with around 350 donors, and this year, the goal is to raise over $300,000. ESPN Chicago market manager Mike Thomas says, “What Kap and Darrin Utynek were able to do last year, during a pandemic, to help Chicago’s under-served children was amazing. We are thrilled to partner with Bernie’s Book Bank again this year to make this fundraiser even bigger and to help more children. The new route to go to all the stadiums is really awesome.”
TALKERS News Notes. This fall’s college football broadcast schedule from Compass Media Networks is released. Compass kicks off this season’s slate of games on
Saturday, August 28 at 12:30 pm ET with the Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Illinois Fighting Illini. The schedule features top-ranked schools from the Power Five Conferences: ACC, BIG TEN, BIG 12, SEC and PAC-12. Compass general manager of sports Michelle Salvatore says, “After a year of uncertainty and challenges, it’s great to see a return to normalcy. College football is a beloved pastime, and we are honored to continue our commitment to offering full productions of one of the greatest sports. Our schedule of games features the best action in NCAA football available. Once again, our team of talent, producers, and engineers at Compass Media Networks is ready to bring the best of college football straight to our listeners.”…..Today 
(7/14) at 3:00 pm ET, Nielsen is hosting a webinar to present the results from its Nielsen Audio Consumer Sentiment survey, conducted in June to provide an understanding of how people feel about COVID restrictions and the economy in their local markets. Nielsen’s Audio Consumer Sentiment Survey is an ongoing consumer study series addressing current American consumer sentiment around COVID-19 and media usage. The study includes insights about activities consumers engage in, including health, schooling, employment, and transportation. Additionally, the study includes new data about vaccines and people’s purchasing habits. You can register for the webinar here…..The RAB is presenting its next “Radio Sales Essentials” workshop focusing on
how to develop relationships and provide solutions which guides clients to the next right step on July 27. RAB says, “A change in business requires a change in approach. This course is ideal for new and experienced sellers to learn, develop, and strengthen their skills-set to ensure an individual seller’s success and station’s long-term revenue growth.” Register for the workshop here…..Beasley Media Group signs with vCreative to use its suite of software products. As a result, all Beasley stations will use vPPO for commercial production; vPromotions for promotions, contesting and event management; and vTrade to manage their trade inventory. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley comments, “Our business has grown more complex as we have grown into new and innovative areas for our audiences and our advertising customers. vCreative’s solutions are essential to bridge the gap between what we promise and what we deliver, providing us with a best-in-class platform that enables our teams to have more time to do what they do best: create.”
COVID-19 Delta Variant and Vaccines, Cuba Protests, Voter Legislation, Senate Democrats’ $3.5 Trillion Budget, Haiti Assassination Investigation, and Airline Industry Woes Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/13). The rise in COVID-19 cases in several states and concerns about the falling rate of vaccinations; the protests against Cuba’s government taking place in Florida; the battle over new, strict voter legislation in numerous states; the $3.5 trillion spending bill from Senate Democrats; the investigation into Americans allegedly involved in the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise; and the large number of cancelled and delayed flights affecting U.S. travel were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Monday, July 12, 2021
TALKERS 2021 Conference Video Posted – Panel Discussion, “What Radio Must Do to Survive and Thrive.” The eighth video, under the direction of Art Vuolo, from the TALKERS 2021 Conference that took place at Hofstra University on June 11, is posted. This installment features the panel discussion, “What Radio Must Do to Survive and Thrive.” Moderated by TALKERS founder Michael Harrison, introduced by Dr. Ira Nash, senior VP/executive director, Northwell Heath Physician Partners, and sponsored by The Ramsey Show, the panel featured (in alphabetical order): Bruce Avery, GM, WRHU Radio, Hofstra University; Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; Gary Krantz, CEO, Krantz Media Group; Chris Oliviero, senior VP/market manager, Audacy, New York; Walter Sterling, talk show host, Sterling on Sunday; and Julie Talbott, president, Premiere Networks. TALKERS will be posting a new video from TALKERS 2021 each business day until all 10 are archived and available for on-demand viewing.
Monday Memo: But what IF…? Consultant Holland Cooke reckons that “there’s too much argument and too little assessment for political talk radio to remain habit-forming.” He says that as radio programmers and performers we have a specific goal: to repeat occasions-of-listening, same-time-tomorrow (what the ratings people call “horizontal recycling”). If today sounds like yesterday, would they feel they’re missing something by not coming back tomorrow. Calling it “a grim Groundhog Day,” his column this week suggests a simple pivot. You can read it here.
Pending Business: Old Habits. Sales pro Steve Lapa asks if your sales department’s old habits are preventing it from working efficiently? “My marketing work requires working with sellers and managers in 50 to 60 markets annually. No matter what market size, when a proposed schedule is finally delivered, nine out of 10 times we see CPP presented, not CPM as specifically outlined, requested, maybe ignored. Too much work to change that overused template? The selling and buying dialogue is brought to a cold standstill as we correct schedule parameters two, maybe three times before a submission is possible. Momentum swings from positive to frustrated, because that’s the way we’ve always submitted: CPP not CPM. What you’re transmitting to the advertiser is, ‘I’m not listening, and my habits are in control.’” Read more here.
Radio Hall of Fame 2021 Nominees Announced. The nominees for the Radio Hall of Fame class of 2021 have been announced. Twenty-four people and shows in six categories have been selected by the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee, with input from the radio industry and listeners. A panel of 600 industry professionals will
begin voting today in four of six categories – Longstanding Local/Regional (20 years or more), Active Local/Regional (10 years or more), Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more), and Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more). On July 26, listeners nationwide will vote on the other two categories, Music Format On-Air Personality and Spoken Word On-Air Personality. The winners in those categories will be determined by the public and the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The outcome of the listener vote will count as one vote among the committee votes. Listeners may vote once beginning Monday, July 26 at: www.radiovote.com. 2021 Radio Hall of Fame inductees will be announced Monday, August 16, and honored in-person at the 2021 Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at Chicago’s Wintrust Grand Banking Hall. The nominees are:
Longstanding Local/Regional (20 years or more)
John & Ken – KFI-AM, Los Angeles
Melvin Lindsey -Washington “The Quiet Storm”
Matt Siegel – WXKS-FM, Boston
Brother Wease – WAIO-FM, Rochester
Active Local/Regional (10 years or more)
Laurie De Young – WPOC-FM, Baltimore
Mercedes Martinez – KMXB-FM, Las Vegas
Elliot Segal – WWDC-FM, Washington
Bob Stroud – WDRV-FM, Chicago
Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more)
Dr. Bobby Jones – “The Bobby Jones Radio Show”
Dan Patrick – “The Dan Patrick Show”
“Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” – NPR
Suzyn Waldman – New York Yankees Network
Active Network/Syndication (10 years or more)
Bob & Sheri – “The Bob & Sheri Show”
Kim Komando – “The Kim Komando Show”
Sid Mark – “Sounds of Sinatra”
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo – SiriusXM
Music Format On-Air Personality
Russ Parr – “The Russ Parr Show”
Javier Romero – WAMR-FM, Miami
Alex Sensation – Spanish Broadcasting System
Steven Van Zandt – “Little Steven’s Underground Garage”
Spoken Word On-Air Personality
Alex Bennett
Larry Elder – “The Larry Elder Show,” Salem Radio Network
Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison – WMMR, Philadelphia
Sally Jessy Raphael
TALKERS News Notes. Longtime “Better Lawns & Gardens” host Tom MacCubbin is retiring from the Florida radio show at the end of this month after 33 years. The show
that he hosts along with his wife Joan is heard on more than 20 affiliates, including: WFLF-AM, Orlando, WSKY-FM, Gainesville, WNDB-AM/FM, Daytona Beach, WHNZ-AM, Tampa. The new host of the program will be Teresa Watkins, a veteran gardening show radio broadcaster, horticulturist, 
and UF/IFAS Master Gardener for more than two decades. Jim Poling is director of operations for Florida News Network and he says, “‘Better Lawns & Gardens’ is a heritage name in Florida gardening and the show will continue with Teresa at the helm. The show name will continue and the basic premise of serving Florida gardeners will continue but that’s where the similarity will end. It will be Teresa’s show. We hate to lose a legend like Tom MacCubbin, but with Teresa, the program won’t miss a beat.”…..Beasley Media Group has expanded the signals for its sports talk “ESPN Southwest Florida” emanating from WBCN-AM, Fort Myers. The station is now also heard on WRXK-HD2 (96.1 FM), as well as translators W282BY at 104.3 FM and W251AL at 98.1 FM…..The Society of Broadcast Engineers announces the results of its sixth annual compensation survey to determine salary levels and benefits among broadcast and media technology engineers. The SBE says the survey provides a wealth of useful information, and it adds to the baseline being developed for subsequent surveys to establish compensation trends. SBE president Wayne Pecena says, “The SBE Compensation Survey garners interest from SBE members and non-members. We provide this information as a service not only to our members, but the industry. We appreciate the support of those who participated in providing data.” The complete results of the survey are available at no charge to SBE members as a benefit of membership. The survey is available here…..Pictured below is Salem Radio News’ Lori Tradup interviewing U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) at the CPAC 2021 conference in Dallas this weekend. Gaetz called Donald Trump “our best candidate for president in 2024. I do not believe there’s even a close second.” Other talk radio show hosts addressing the attendees at the three-day conference included: Todd Starnes, Jason Rantz, and Glenn Beck.
COVID-19 Hot Spots, Extreme Heat and Wildfires in the Western U.S., Trump CPAC Speech, Inflation, the Economy and Employee Shortages, Branson Goes into Space, Cuban Protests, and South China Sea Tensions Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Rising rates of COVID-19 cases in hot spots in Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Nevada; the extreme heat affecting much of the Western U.S. and the outbreak of wildfires; former President Donald Trump’s Sunday speech at CPAC in which he reiterated his claims of a stolen election; inflation’s effect on consumer prices; the soaring U.S. economy and employers’ difficulties hiring enough staff; billionaire Richard Branson makes history as first private individual to launch a space vehicle; the protests in Cuba over the communist country’s shortage of food; and U.S.-China tensions over China’s domination of the South China Sea were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research fromTALKERS magazine.
Friday, July 9, 2021
NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS magazine, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Heating Up,” looks back at this past week of July 5-9, 2021. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS magazine; Dr. Daliah Wachs, talk show host, Genesis Communications Network/Physician; Steve Weisman, professor of law, Bentley University, Boston/founder, scamicide.com; Joyce Kaufman, talk show host, WFTL, Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Palm Beaches; Joe Madison, talk show host, SiriusXM Satellite Radio “Urban View” channel; Mark Simone, talk show host, WOR, New York; and Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company. The show airs each week on its flagship, WONK-FM, Washington, DC, Friday evenings at 6:00 pm ET. It also airs throughout the weekend on WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; KQSP, Minneapolis; KBKW, Aberdeen, WA; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; the iHeart Podcast Network; Pioneer Valley Radio, Springfield, MA; Podcast Radio, UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS magazine topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.
Cumulus Media Promotes Dave Milner and Bob Walker to President of Operations. Executives Dave Milner and Bob Walker have both been promoted to the newly
created positions president, Cumulus operations. Both Milner and Walker 
report directly to Cumulus Media president and chief executive officer Mary G. Berner. Both previously served the company as EVP, operations. Mary Berner says in a statement, “This elevation is a well-deserved recognition of their respective contributions to the company’s success. Over the past several years, not only has the scope of both Bob’s and Dave’s direct responsibilities grown beyond their market portfolios, they also play a significant and vital role in the operations of the company overall. Moreover, in addition to being terrific executives, they are terrific colleagues as well.”
Courtney Cox Named Co-Host of WEEI, Boston’s ‘Greg Hill Show.’ WEEI’s Alex Reimer writes a piece on the station’s website in which he talks with Courtney Cox, the new co-host of the “Greg Hill Show” heard in mornings on Audacy’s sports talk WEEI-FM, Boston. She comes to the station after spending the past five years with regional
sports cable outlet NESN in which she hosted programs across the network’s platforms and covered three Super Bowls, one World Series and one Stanley Cup Final. Cox sat in for a couple of audition shows and Remier 
asks her about the move from TV to radio and why she felt good about her auditions. “I felt like I was able to be more myself and show my personality. I’m still getting used to that – not being so buttoned up. It’s hard to train your brain to kind of relax a little bit when you’re told to hold your personality back a bunch for seven years, and then it’s a free-for-all in a two-hour live slot. But that feeling of, ‘I can be myself; I can talk sports; I can also talk about other things that really interest me.’ I can talk about things going on in the community; I can talk about Bravo and the ‘Real Housewives,’ and these guys will find it funny and not, ‘Ugh, here’s a female who likes sports, but reality TV.’ I think there’s so much more overlap with pop culture and sports than people notice.”
Triton Digital Releases May 2021 Streaming Rankings. The monthly Webcast Metrics Global Ranker and the regional U.S., LATAM, and EMEA Streaming Rankers from Triton Digital have been released for May 2021. Triton says its rankers “provide insight
into the top-performing streaming audio stations and networks around the world for the month of May.” Triton’s Global ranker is inclusive of publishers that subscribe to Triton’s enhanced measurement service, Webcast Metrics, which requires publishers to meet a broader set of technical and operational requirements which are subject to a third-party audit. The results of the U.S. streaming ranker (6:00 am to 8:00 pm M-F) puts the top 20 services in order based on Average Active Sessions (Total Listening Hours divided by the hours in the period). At the #1 rank is iHeartRadio with almost 393,000 Average Active Sessions. Rounding out the top five are: NPR Member Stations (100,560), Audacy (86,904), Cumulus Streaming Network (60,220), and EMF (35,696). See the complete report here.
Posting of Video Content from TALKERS 2021 Conference to Resume Next Week. TALKERS magazine has been posting videos, under the direction of Art Vuolo, from the recent TALKERS 2021 Conference that took place at Hofstra University on Long Island on June 11. So far, we’ve posted on-demand video of the first seven sessions. We’ll continue making new sessions available next week. Have an enjoyable weekend!
TALKERS News Notes. The Tampa operations of Beasley Media Group are launching the first episode of their new podcast, “Experience Tampa Bay in 10 Minutes or Less.”
The podcast, is hosted by “MJ Morning Show and Geno Knight” personality Roxanne Wilder and is designed to help locals and visitors discover Tampa Bay in 10 minutes or less. Beasley says, “Each episode is a journey across Tampa Bay, describing all that this city has to offer led by the biggest tastemakers in Tampa Bay. From the biggest to the smallest community events, hottest places to eat and local hidden gems, the podcast will make sure listeners know what is going on in the area in one easy-to-digest weekly podcast episode.”…..iHeartMedia launches a new true-crime podcast, “Murder in Illinois,” hosted by writer and producer Lauren Bright, best known for co-hosting, narrating, and producing true-crime podcast hits like “Happy Face,” “Murder in Oregon,” and “The Murders at White House Farm: The Podcast.” This true-crime podcast investigates Christopher Vaughn, a man convicted in 2007 for the murder of his wife and three children and shares never heard before details about his conviction/trial and case. In addition, “Murder in Illinois” features exclusive interviews with the family of Christopher Vaughn, including his parents, siblings, and extended family members…..SiriusXM is covering Major League Baseball’s 2021 All-Star Week, delivering comprehensive coverage to listeners around the country and featuring live broadcasts of the 91st All-Star Game Presented by Mastercard, the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, the MLB Draft, plus other special programming live from Denver, Colorado.
COVID-19 Delta Variant, Vaccines and Politics Top News/Talk Story for Week of July 5-9. The highly contagious and now dominant COVID-19 Delta variant, the slowing rate of vaccinations, and the politics surrounding the pandemic combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the GOP and Trumpism tied with the formation of the House January 6 Committee. Following at #3 was Donald Trump’s announcement he’s suing Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s YouTube for violating his First Amendment rights tied with the issue of Internet security. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
