Industry News

Legendary Radio Personality Jim Ladd Dies at 75

Rock radio personality Jim Ladd died on Saturday (12/16) at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack. Ladd, who was a prominent figure in rock radio in the 1970s and 1980s hosting shows at KLOS-FM and KMET-FM in Los Angeles, had been hosting a regular show on SiriusXM’s Deep Tracks channel for the past 11 years. Ladd was a pioneer in talk on FM with his nationally syndicated “Innerview” program consisting of hour-long conversations with rock artists about their music and more. Read his LA Times obituary here.

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Audacy Buffalo raises $117,000 for the SPCA Serving Erie County during its SPCA Radiothon, held on December 13 and hosted by news/talk WBEN-AM and country WLKK-FM. Audacy Buffalo SVP and market manager Tim Wenger says, “We’re thrilled to have been able to spearhead the radiothon effort for the SPCA in 2023 and excited we exceeded the goal and expectations for the event. The money raised is a testament to our listeners’ commitment to community and will go a long way toward helping the SPCA meet a growing need.”

ARC Software, Inc announces that RADIO.CLOUD enters into an agreement establishing ARC as its primary affiliate research and maintenance platform. RADIO.CLOUD account director Andrew Scaglione says, “Switching to ARC is a no brainer. Speaking from experience using both ARC and other systems in the past, it’s hands down the best CRM for the radio industry with reliable contact information and a seamless digital contract process. It’s going to play a key role in our future growth across the North American radio landscape.”

SiriusXM announces it is presenting 46 games this college football postseason. SiriusXM will carry live play-by-play of every Division I FBS bowl game – including the College Football Playoff Semifinals and National Championship – as well as the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Championship game and other postseason All-Star games. SiriusXM will carry Westwood One’s broadcast of the FCS Football Championship on January 7.  

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The Weather Channel Radio Network and Skyview Networks announce the renewal and expansion of their audio network partnership. Starting January 1, 2024, The Weather Channel Radio Network will expand its existing sales partnership Skyview Networks to include short-form terrestrial radio inventory and podcasting inventory.

SiriusXM signs multiple active NFL players to host a new, entirely player-helmed show on its SiriusXM NFL Radio channel. Miami Dolphins running back Alec Ingold, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Allen Robinson and veteran tight end Colin Thompson serve as rotating hosts of “The Players’ Point,” which airs Tuesdays from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET. The program teams two of the players up each week to host their own show, conduct interviews and drive the weekly conversation from an active player’s perspective. Robinson, Ingold and Thompson are former participants in the NFL’s Broadcasting and Media Workshop, a program created by the league and run with the help of several veteran media executives and broadcasters, including those from SiriusXM, to help players develop careers in media.

KUT and KUTX Public Media deputy general manager Sylvia Ponce-Carson announces she’ll retire on December 31 after 22 years of service to the station and more than three decades in public media. The organization says, “When she arrived in January 2002, KUT was a hybrid news and music station, carrying a mix of NPR, BBC and other programs, as well as locally hosted music. She strengthened the station’s revenue model – both underwriting and membership, helping the station grow at a rate beyond similar-sized operations.”

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Andrew Wilkow Raises $166,000 for Veterans

Salem Media Group announces that talk personality Andrew Wilkow raised $166,568 for a variety of veterans-related charities with his annual “Close Air Support” fundraiser via the combined resources ofim his Salem News Channel TV show and SiriusXM radio show.  Wilkow says, “The charities our team works with are low to no overhead organizations where every dollar donated goes directly to the cause of veterans from suicide prevention, to getting homeless veterans off the streets, to providing PTSD therapy dogs. What also makes this year unique is the added support from The Salem News Channel. Many of the charities made appearances on both Salem News Channel and SiriusXM Patriot.”

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SiriusXM announces that Morgan Ortagus, former State Department spokeswoman under the Trump administration, will host a Sunday news and foreign policy program that will air from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm ET on the SiriusXM Patriot channel beginning this week (12/10). SiriusXM says, “Every Sunday on her new program, Ortagus will utilize her nearly two-decades of foreign policy expertise to help listeners better understand the key issues around the world, with a heavy focus on Israel and the Middle East.”

“The World,” public radio’s longest-running daily global news program, announces that correspondent Carolyn Beeler becomes co-host of the program beginning January 16. Beeler joins longtime host Marco Werman at the helm of the show produced by Boston-based GBH and PRX.

iHeartPodcasts and Diversion Audio debut “The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told,” a new podcast hosted by true crime writer Mary Kay McBrayer. Each week, Mary Kay will walk the audience through the most riveting true crime stories ever told. iHeartPodcasts says, “The true crime genre too often takes gleeful fascination in crimes against women. Diversion has identified stories in which women are not the victim, but instead are our protagonists. These women can be the perpetrators, such as the murderers or scammers, but may also be the heroes of the story, such as the lawyer, detective, scientist, or family of the victim who never stopped fighting for answers.”

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Paramount’s CBS Audio Network and Skyview Networks announce a multi-year renewal of their distribution and network audio sales partnership. Skyview president and CEO Steve Jones comments, “I’m excited that CBS and Skyview are actively exploring additional news and entertainment content for audio consumers. By working closely together, we will increase revenue, enhance listener engagement, and expand our dominant position within the audio space.”

SiriusXM announces that electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian offer SiriusXM’s service in new and existing Rivian R1T and R1S models in the U.S. in 2024. Upon launch next year, all new and existing Rivian owners will be able to opt in and activate a three-month SiriusXM trial subscription directly on their vehicle’s center display.

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As reported by Erich Richter in the New York Post, ESPN and SiriusXM sports media personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo admits to losing somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 in a five-leg parlay on NFL football last weekend. Russo and fellow ESPN personalities Molly Qerim, Marcus Spears, and Stephen A. Smith on “First Take” on November 29. Read the Post piece here.

SiriusXM and Major League Baseball announce today a five-year extension of their broadcasting agreement. SiriusXM has teamed up with MLB to deliver games to fans around the country since 2005 and will continue to air live play-by-play of every regular season and postseason MLB game, as well as select spring training and Spanish-language game broadcasts, through the 2028 season. SiriusXM will also continue to produce the exclusive MLB Network Radio channel.

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Talkers Books, the book publishing arm of TALKERS, celebrates the first anniversary of the release of one of its most successful titles, From Immigrant to Public Intellectual: An American Story (Talkersim Books, 2022) by Dr. Murray Sabrin. The book has been an Amazon bestseller and a popular vehicle sparking conversations on political news/talk shows across America. Its author, Murray Sabrin, Ph.D. is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of NJ. Dr. Sabrin – a prolific author – is considered a “public intellectual” for writing essays about the economy in scholarly and popular publications as well as being a prolific guest and “go-to” resource on hundreds of radio and TV talk shows and podcasts. According to publisher Michael Harrison, who wrote the book’s provocative foreword, “From Immigrant to Public Intellectual is a truly American story about an immigrant child’s rise from humble beginnings to forge a stellar career as an educator, author, candidate, and media influencer. Murray Sabrin explains libertarianism in plain language using his own life story set against a half-century of changing times. Talk show hosts have been tapping into this articulate scholar’s knowledge and views for more than three decades since his impressive third-party showing as the Libertarian candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1997.” To learn more about Dr. Murray Sabrin please visit murraysabrin.com and murraysabrin.substack.com.

SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly will host a special live edition of her program on December 6 at 10:15 pm ET immediately following the “NewsNation” Republican Primary Debate. SiriusXM’s Triumph channel will also carry the debate live.

New York-based software firm Aiir Inc announces the addition of five news staffers. They include Paul Carlin and Phil Ray who join the customer support team in the UK. Phil Hannon joins Aiir’s team in North America, as does Chase Daniels, who has been serving as Bold Gold Media’s director of programming. Additionally, Alex Watson assumes the newly created position of customer experience specialist.

Edison Research’s Top 10 Findings of 2023 will be unveiled in a 30-minute webinar on December 13 at 2:00 pm ET. Edison says the list-worthy findings on audio, podcasts, radio, exit polls and more from its custom research and syndicated datasets will be presented by many of the researchers who worked on the studies.

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“The Patriot” is coming to Houston. TALKERS magazine sources indicate that a new conservative news/talk station with a strong, market-wide signal will debut in Houston on or shortly after January 1, 2024. It will feature new, local morning and afternoon drive shows and an array of syndicated personalities including Rob CarsonTodd Starnes, Rich ValdesChris Plante, and Wendy Bell. Confirmation to come. In the meantime, for more information contact: Steve@Lapcomventures.com

Jordan Schlansky rises from Conan O’Brien’s associate producer (with “various duties”) to his co-host – with the launch of “The Conan and Jordan Show” on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio channel. SXM says, “Conan and Jordan will explore their strange relationship and get to know each other even better during their radio series. In the debut episode, the pair delved into Jordan’s favorite band, Rush, and his pronunciation of Socrates, among other topics. Plus, they spoke with several callers live on air.”

In conjunction with today’s national Giving Tuesday, the Broadcasters Foundation of America is asking radio and television professionals to consider a tax-deductible donation that will help their colleagues in need. The BFoA, a 501c3 charity, provides financial assistance to people in radio or television who are in need due to a debilitating disease, accident, or disaster. BFoA president Tim McCarthy comments, “Giving Tuesday is a perfect day to think of our colleagues who have fallen on challenging times. Every week we receive more requests for aid, and we cannot turn our backs on our hard-working colleagues who life has dealt a difficult hand, leaving them in need of our help.” Find out more about how to give here.

Audacy Dallas raised over $88,000 for the My Possibilities charity that serves adults with disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Autism, Asperger’s, Prader-Willi, head injuries and more, as part of 105.3 The Fan’s 13th annual Piece-A-Thon. On November 22, midday show “K&C Masterpiece” co-hosts Kevin Hageland, Cory Mageors, and Mike Bacsik took over the station’s airwaves from 5:30 am to 7:00 pm and welcomed special guests that included Dallas Cowboys EVP and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones, Dallas Stars Foundation president Marty Turco, former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland, and more.

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SiriusXM Q3 Revenue Flat

The third quarter 2023 revenue for SiriusXM was $2.27 billion, basically flat from the same period in 2022. The satellite and internet broadcaster reports net income of $363 million for the quarter. SiriusXMim noted that it lost about 96,000 self-pay subscribers during the quarter and states that its current total subscribers stands at 34 million. SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz says, “We are very excited to unveil SiriusXM’s next-generation platform on November 8th, a key component of our long-term vision for the company’s consumer offerings. Our content portfolio continues to differentiate us in the audio marketplace with exclusive access to live sports, talk, music and one-of-a-kind content.”

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SXM’s Mad Dog Won’t Retire; Will Do Stern-Engineered Stunt

After saying he would retire immediately if the Arizona Diamondbacks won their two final games againstim the Philadelphia Phillies to make the World Series – which they did – SiriusXM sports talk personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo said on Wednesday’s “Howard Stern Show” that the retirement statement was a “throwaway line” and he would not retire. Stern then urged him to accept “punishment” in the form of a stunt: Russo would wear a Diamondbacks-themed bikini and walk down the street in Manhattan carrying a sign saying, “I am a liar and a dope.”

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FOX News and SiriusXM Renew Content Deal

SiriusXM and FOX News Media announce they have signed a new, longterm agreement for SiriusXM toim continue carrying FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network and FOX News Headlines 24/7 exclusively across SiriusXM’s platforms. Additionally, FOX News On-Demand Audio will remain available on the SiriusXM app. FOX News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace says, “We value our relationship with SiriusXM and are pleased to extend our broadcast agreement, ensuring their audience continued access to their favorite FOX News personalities and powerful primetime lineup.”

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PodcastOne releases preliminary financial data for the company’s Q2 fiscal 2024 period ended September 30, 2023 estimating revenue for the period will be more than $10.5 million, an increase of 24%.

Cumulus Media will host a conference call on Friday (10/27) at 8:30 am ET to discuss its third quarter 2023 operating results. The company will issue a press release containing a summary of these results before the call at approximately 8:00 am ET.

SiriusXM launches its coverage of the 2023-24 NBA season tonight with the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by the Phoenix Suns visiting the Golden State Warriors on the SiriusXM NBA Radio channel.

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SiriusXM announces that Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will host the premiere episode of the 19th season of his exclusive weekly SiriusXM show, “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K,” today (10/19) at 6:00 pm ET with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, whose team faces the Phillies in game three of the NLCS this evening. Also on the program will be NBC broadcaster Maria Taylor.

Audacy announces the launch of the third season of “Gone South,” the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning original investigative franchise. In “Gone South, Season 3: The Sign Cutter,” Audacy and Emmy- and Peabody Award-nominated producer and journalist Jed Lipinski team up to unravel the story behind the 2018 killings of four sex workers in the border town of Laredo, Texas. Those murders triggered a manhunt for a serial killer that would lead to a shocking standoff with a man once tasked with protecting the town.

AdLarge announces that Headspace Studios joins its podcast portfolio, expanding content focused on mental health, wellness and mindfulness. Headspace’s podcast collection includes “Dear Headspace,” “Radio Headspace,” and “Sunday Scaries.”

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iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Podcast Network announce the “Big Money Players Circle” in which Ferrell has hand selected the freshest and funniest social sensations to join the network and be showcased across iHeartMedia’s multi-platform ecosystem. The Big Money Players Circle will be announced during the first-ever “The Big Money Players Comedy Hour Presented by Straight Talk Wireless,” which will broadcast across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide tonight (10/5) at 7:00 pm local time.

Stingray Radio’s “Sports 1440 Edmonton” adds several FOX Sports Radio programs to its weekday and weekend lineup. The station is now airing “Two Pros and a Cup of Joe with LaVar Arrington, Brady Quinn & Jonas Knox,” “The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon,” and “The Ben Maller Show.” It is also featuring FOX Sports Radio around the clock on weekends.

SiriusXM and New England College announce that GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will take part in a town hall event with Patriot channel host David Webb. The program is being recorded at the school near Concord, New Hampshire tomorrow (10/6) and will premiere on Monday (10/9) 9:00 am ET with replays throughout the week.

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“You Better You Bet” Adds Two Distribution Platforms

Audacy announces a series of content distribution partnerships to bolster the reach of BetQL Network’s sports betting show, “You Better You Bet,” hosted by Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley. The company partners with Stadium, an interactive sports network, to bring “You Better You Bet” to audiencesim nationwide via Stadium’s portfolio, WatchStadium.com/Live and Stadium affiliates YouTubeTV, The Roku Channel, FuboTV, Amazon, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi and more. Audacy also agrees to a deal with SiriusXM to air “You Better You Bet” on the satellite radio platform. BetQL Network VP Mitch Rosen says, “We’re thrilled to announce these strategic agreements with Stadium and SiriusXM, which will significantly expand the reach of ‘You Better You Bet,’ solidifying its position as the #1 sports betting podcast in the U.S.”

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Damon Amendolara to Host Mornings on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Channel

SiriusXM brings sports talk personality Damon Amendolara, a.k.a. D.A., to the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel to host the morning drive program “The D.A. Show with Babchik,” alongside longtime SiriusXMim personality Mike Babchik. Amendolara has been hosting a program on CBS Sports Radio since 2017. SiriusXM VP of sports programming Eric Spitz states, “D.A. is one of the brightest stars in sports radio today. He delivers a terrific blend of informative and thoughtful sports talk with creative, entertaining humor, which is what our listeners are looking for as they start their day. He and Babs will make a dynamic team as they lead off our programming each morning.”

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Liberty Media Proposes SiriusXM Merger

Numerous news outlets are reporting the proposal by Liberty Media to merge its business with an 83% stake in SiriusXM – Liberty SiriusXM Group (LSXM) – with the satellite radio company that become aim publicly traded company controlled by the conglomerate. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei says, “SiriusXM minority shareholders will also benefit from enhanced trading dynamics, including increased liquidity and likelihood of future index inclusion.” A merger between the two would result in SiriusXM minority investors owning about 16% of the new company, with Liberty Media controlling the rest. SiriusXM says it is evaluating the offer. Read the CNBC story here.