Tag: "Megyn Kelly"
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.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Pending Business: Future Sales. Sales pro Steve Lapa, president of Lapcom Communications Corp, writes in today’s column about the numerous types of content that today’s account executives are being asked to sell – traditional on-air, streaming, podcasts, live events, and more. He says, “As you present multiple distribution platforms to your advertisers, the goal is to show the impact your talent makes with the audience. Sometimes you are positioned to sell the total distribution and sometimes specialists step in. Maybe you also sell podcasts that are re-purposed radio shows or maybe you sell original content podcasts (now commanding high audio CPM). No matter what your sales role, stay focused on what makes your value proposition different and better than your competitor.” Read his column here.
Megyn Kelly to Host Live Midday Talk Show on SiriusXM. The new 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm talk show starring former FOX News Channel and NBC News journalist Megyn Kelly will debut on SiriusXM on September 7. Kelly and the satellite radio company signed an exclusive agreement for her show to air on its Triumph channel. After exiting NBC News in 2018, Kelly launched her own podcast via her Devil May Care Media company. SiriusXM says, “Megyn Kelly is one of the most respected, accomplished journalists in the news industry. A world-class broadcaster with millions of dedicated fans, her current successful podcast has a large and passionate audience in the U.S. as well as internationally, where Kelly is one of the world’s most recognized news stars. Fans will now be able to listen to Kelly on SiriusXM – the only place to hear her live and engage with her directly. Her singular voice joins an array of talent that bolsters
SiriusXM’s commitment to offering the broadest range of political and news programming in all of audio.” Beginning August 16, SiriusXM’s Triumph channel will air best-of shows from Kelly before the program’s live premiere on September 7. Kelly comments, “I’m thrilled to be taking our program to the next level by broadcasting it live for SiriusXM’s massive audience. My team and I have been grateful to see our show, in less than a year, become one of the most successful podcasts in America – proving that there is a thirst for open, honest and more meaningful conversations about current events. I can’t think of a better partner to help us expand that reach even further than a blue-chip brand like SiriusXM, which has always been a leader in predicting market trends and is perfectly positioned for the evolving manner in which Americans consume their news.” As part of the multi-platform agreement, SiriusXM subscribers will gain access to video of the show, which will be available on the SXM App and social platforms. In addition, following its premiere on the Triumph channel, “The Megyn Kelly Show” will be made available as a podcast to Kelly’s listeners on the SXM App, Pandora, Stitcher, and all other major podcast platforms. Red Seat Ventures, which previously handled production and distribution of “The Megyn Kelly Show” podcast, will continue to produce Kelly’s new SiriusXM program.
TALKERS 2021 Conference Video Posted – “Luncheon Addresses.” The fifth video, under the direction of Art Vuolo, from the TALKERS 2021 Conference that took place at Hofstra University on June 11, is posted. This relatively brief installment features welcoming remarks from Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and a special address by Lawrence Jones, enterprise reporter, “Fox & Friends” on the Fox News Channel. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison provides the introductions. TALKERS will be posting a new video from TALKERS 2021 each business day until all 10 are archived and available for on-demand viewing.
TALKERS News Notes. Today (7/6), Atlanta morning personality Frank Ski led a town hall discussion about the increase in crime in the region. Ski hosts the morning drive show on Cox Media Group’s urban contemporary WALR-FM “KISS 104.1.” The program featured panelists including: Atlanta police chief Rodney Bryant, Gwinnett County sheriff Keybo Taylor, Fulton County sheriff Pat Labat, and DeKalb County sheriff Melody Maddox to get answers to questions such as What are the police doing to stop crime? And What are
city officials doing to support police? Ski and panelists also took phone calls from listeners…..The USA Radio Networks nationally syndicated “Dan Sileo Show” is being added to the program lineup at JVC Media’s “Florida Man Radio” heard on WDYZ-AM/W288CJ in Orlando and WZLB-FM, Fort Walton Beach…..The “U.S. Phenomenon” program hosted by Mario Magana is being added to the program schedule at news/talk KVI, Seattle airing at 10:00 pm. Station program director Rick Van Cise says, “We are excited to welcome Mario and U.S. Phenomenon to KVI’s weekend lineup! It is a natural segue from Arts Bell’s popular “Somewhere in Time,” now giving KVI’s Saturday night listeners five hours of entertaining exploration into all things weird and unexplained.”
First Half of 2021 in Review. Media consultant and TALKERS columnist Holland Cooke devoted the Independence Day weekend installment of his RT America TV program, “The Big Picture” to looking back at the most-talked-about stories of the first half of 2021 in addition to looking ahead at what might be in store for the nation going forward. He was joined by TALKERS founder Michael Harrison who took an optimistic position in his prognostication. To see the show, please click here.
COVID-19, Fourth of July Holiday, Spike in U.S. Gun Violence, U.S. Exits Afghanistan, The Economy/Inflation, Trump Org Legal Battle, Florida Condo Demolition, and Threat of Tropical Storm Elsa Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. and concerns about the spread of the Delta variant; observation of the Fourth of July holiday; the spike in gun-related violence in America’s big cities and the more than 150 people killed over the holiday weekend; analysis of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after almost 20 years; the economy’s recovery from the pandemic and the inflation being felt by consumers; the Manhattan DA’s prosecution of the Trump Organization; the demolition of the remainder of the Surfside Condo in Florida; and the threat of Tropical Storm Elsa turning into a hurricane were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Friday, June 23, 2017
WCBS-AM to Celebrate ‘A Night of New York Stories.’ All-news WCBS-AM, New York “Newsradio 880AM” is presenting an event at the PlayStation Theater in Times Square titled, “Celebrating 50 Years of News: A Night of New York Stories,” on August 8. It will be hosted by the station’s Wayne Cabot and Alex Silverman and will celebrate the station’s 50th anniversary by bringing together some of New York’s most notable names in news, politics, sports and entertainment. The evening will close with a special interview and song performance by legendary singer Tony Bennett. CBS RADIO New York SVP and market manager Marc Rayfield says, “‘Newsradio 880’ is a trusted New York City news outlet with a rich history and legacy of delivering up-to-the-minute news. We are proud to be a part of the fabric of New York and will continue to tell the stories of the people, places and happenings from all around this great city. This special night is a chance to gather with listeners, station personalities and prominent figures to celebrate what the station has meant for the past 50 years and will continue to mean well into the future.” Additional station personalities taking part include: Craig Allen, Joe Connolly, Pat Farnack, Brad Heller, Tom Kaminski, Paul Murnane, Steve Scott and Michael Wallace. Among the special guests sharing their New York stories on stage will be Jeff Fager and Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes), former New York Giants co-captain George Martin, “Late Show with David Letterman” bandleader Paul Shaffer, and former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
Capitol Broadcasting Renews ‘The Sports Shop with Reese & Kmac.’ WDNC, Raleigh-Durham “The Buzz” extends its deal with morning drive personalities Erroll Reese and Kevin McClendon for the duo to continue to host “The Sports Shop with Reese & Kmac” for another year. Reese and Kmac call their show “urban sports radio” and the station says it is one of the few sports radio morning shows in the country co-hosted by two African-Americans. Capitol Broadcasting sports radio operations manager/program director Dennis Glasgow comments, “We’re very pleased to give a local voice to all our morning sports radio listeners in Raleigh-Durham, but it’s clear that this diverse show we’ve assembled is giving the listener something different, entertaining and just plain fun every day with Reese and Kmac on Buzz Sports Radio.”
TALKERS News Notes. The host of the radio legal feature “Looking at the Law” is signing off after 42 years of hosting duties. Neil Chayet announces he’s retiring from producing the feature that he and WBZ, Boston have been creating and syndicating across the country. He comments, “While there is an endless supply of court cases and material to continue ‘Looking at the Law’ for years to come, I feel that 42 years is the right number for me and it leaves more time to continue the other passions I’ve worked on tirelessly over the years.” WBZ director of news & programming Peter Casey adds, “You can hear an audible chuckle coming from cars all over New England as they listen to Neil on WBZ.”…..Midroll Media announces three new staffing additions. Amy Fitzgibbons joins Midroll as vice president of marketing. Laura Mayer is the new executive producer, and David Murray becomes vice president of finance and strategy. Fitzgibbons was most recently VP of marketing at PhotoShelter. Mayer was in the podcast production department at Panoply, and
Murray moves to Midroll from parent company E.W. Scripps where he was finance business partner…..Program host Kevin McCullough announces that the “Saturday SuperCast Radio Night LIVE!” is now airing on Salem Media Group’s KPXQ, Phoenix starting this weekend…..The NHL’s Boston Bruins and CBS RADIO Boston ink a multi-year extension for sports WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” to continue serving as the flagship radio station for play-by-play. The Bruins have been with CBS Boston since they started airing on all-news
WBZ-AM for the 1995-96 season…..Radio Vermont Group owner Ken Squier confirms to Vermont alternative weekly Seven Days
that his stations are for sale. Squier says he is looking to sell to an operator who will continue his family’s tradition of local programming. Radio Vermont was launched by Squier’s father Lloyd with WDEV-AM, Waterbury (currently news/talk/sports) in 1931. The company also operates classic hits WCVT, Stowe “101 The One” and country WLVB, Morrisville…..Westwood One nationally syndicated talk show host Mark Levin publishes his fifth book – this one titled, Rediscovering Americanism and the Tyranny of Progressivism (Threshold Editions 2017). He tells the Washington Examiner, “My new book covers a lot of territory — philosophy, history, economics, law, culture, etc. And I look deeply into what is meant by Americanism, republicanism, individualism, capitalism. What do we mean by natural law, unalienable rights, liberty, and property rights? From where do these principles come? Why are they important?”
Trump-Russia Investigation Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 19-23. The special counsel investigation into possible ties between Trump campaign operatives and Russian agents was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 was testimony by former Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson and others about Russia’s attempts to hack the U.S. presidential election. Coming in at #3 was the unveiling of the GOP health care plan, followed by the Georgia congressional race won by Karen Handel 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.
Mike Carruthers to Present Another in Series of Free Online Podcasting Workshops on Wednesday, June 28 at 1:00 pm ET. Following the success of his recent podcasting webinar presented in conjunction with TALKERS magazine, noted broadcaster Mike Carruthers of Perfect Your Podcast will be presenting another free online podcasting workshop titled, “The 3 Essential Ingredients for a Successful Podcast.” The workshop is designed to give instruction and guidance to broadcasters interested in expanding their programming and brand into the podcasting realm focusing on the steps necessary to gain traction in
terms of increased listenership and revenue generating potential. Carruthers is well known in radio for the many years of success he enjoyed as producer and host of the syndicated, short-form series, “Something You Should Know,” – now a long-form, lucrative hit on the iTunes chart as a podcast. Carruthers tells TALKERS, “It is amazing how many people WANT to start a podcast – but never quite pull the trigger. There are a lot of reasons why, but mostly it boils down to a lack of confidence, fear of having too much to learn, not knowing where to begin, and concern about the amount of time it can consume. This workshop will greatly help to alleviate these issues.” The free online workshop will take place this coming Wednesday, June 28 at 1:00 pm ET. Space is limited, so those interested in participating should register now. For more information and to register, please click here.
Music Radio News and Career Moves. Punk legend and KLOS, Los Angeles disc jockey Steve Jones is receiving a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame. Cumulus Media notes that the host of KLOS’ “Jonesy’s Jukebox” program and guitarist for the Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop is recognized on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” He’s also the only radio personality to be
honored with a star for the Walk of Fame Class of 2018…..Cumulus Media’s Detroit hot AC WDVD signs morning personality Blaine Fowler to a long-term contract extension. “The Blaine Fowler Morning Show” has been heard on the station since 2003. Cumulus Detroit director of FM programming Robby Bridges says, “Blaine and Lauren [Crocker] both are special talents and I’m thrilled they’ll make their magic on Detroit’s 96-3 WDVD for a long time to come.”…..Adams Radio Group announces some personnel changes in the
Salisbury-Ocean City, Maryland market. Active rock WZBH “93.5 The Beach” program director Johnny Maze assumes the afternoon drive slot on the station, exiting his PM gig at sister classic rocker WGBG “BIG 98.5.” Joining WZBH from the company’s Las Cruces, New Mexico operations is Carolina, who is named music director and midday personality. She takes over for Leah Rantz, who recently joined Saga’s alternative WLZX, Springfield, Massachusetts.
PPM Analysis: Adult Hits. Managing editor Mike Kinosian turns to music formats for the third of his four-part series looking at the performances of radio stations based on data from the May 2017 PPM survey from Nielsen Audio, today looking at adult hits. In analyzing 6+ performances comparing May 2016 to May 2017, he writes, “One of every two adult hits stations on this sample improve (50%) year-to-year; 40% decline; and 10% are flat.” WQSR, Baltimore; WARH, St. Louis; and KJAQ, Seattle all rise more than a full share, year-over-year. KBPA, Austin is the only adult hits station in a PPM market to rank #1 in the May survey. See the rest of the data here.