Raise One For The Final 'Letter'
The final edition of ALL ACCESS Editor-in-Chief PERRY MICHAEL SIMON's "THE LETTER" column promotes the idea of letting radio talent have the freedom to try new things while also serving as SIMON's farewell (for now).
"Radio management," SIMON writes, "has always leaned on the idea that sticking to formulas and doing things the way they've always been done is the way to success, but the hosts who have transcended the medium did things their own way. Greatness doesn't come from shutting up and playing the music, or sticking to political party talking points. Big personalities doing different and entertaining things, playing around with the very medium itself, turning convention on its ear: There aren't a lot of people doing that anymore. Radio is a lot of 'more of the same' and precious little 'I've never heard that before.'"
Check out the column one more time by clicking here.
Changes
ALL ACCESS has confirmed that CORUS ENTERTAINMENT is reorganizing its audio operations, with some layoffs involved, as it promotes VP/FM Radio Programming RONNIE STANTON to VP/Audio overseeing radio and the CURIOUSCAST PODCAST NETWORK, replacing the recently retired BRAD PHILLIPS..
A CORUS spokesperson told ALL ACCESS, "We can confirm we’ve made a number of changes in our audio business as part of leadership turnover and continued enterprise efficiency reviews. We are continuously working to improve workflows and invest into roles that better position us for the future."
One prominent name ALL ACCESS hears has exited in the shuffle is VANCOUVER-based National Dir. of Talk Radio LARRY GIFFORD. CORUS declined comment when asked about GIFFORD and other individuals leaving the company.
STANTON has served two stints with CORUS, most recently rejoining the company in 2020 as National Dir./Music.
KEVIN SLATEN is coming back for his sixth go-round at ZOBRIST MEDIA Sports KFNS-A (590 THE FAN)/ST. LOUIS, reports the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH's DAN CAESAR. SLATEN will be hosting noon-2p (CT) weekdays starting MONDAY (8/14), with current midday co-host NATE LUCAS as co-host and producer; LUCAS and his current co-host BOB RAMSEY hosting 2-3p.
SLATEN will continue to host his conservative political podcast "THE KING'S COURT" while keeping the radio show sports-oriented. Besides THE FAN, SLATEN has hosted at KQQZ-A (twice, most recently helming a political show working for the late and controversial BOB ROMANIK), KSLG-A (TEAM 1380), KXFN-A (1380 TALKSTL.COM), and WGNU-A (CBS SPORTS RADIO 920).
Steele
PREMIERE NETWORKS' "THE BACKSTORY WITH PATTY STEELE" podcast has been added to the ELVIS DURAN PODCAST NETWORK. The show debuted with PREMIERE on JULY 31st (NET NEWS 7/25) and is now grouped with DURAN's network.
“I have always hoped, and believed, that one day PATTY and I would be working beside each other again,” said DURAN. “That now comes true with her podcast. I have no doubt people will fall in love with her, and these great stories.”
“I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of ELVIS' network!” said STEELE. “We've been through so much together in business and in life. To have an opportunity to do what I love, and share it through his fabulous new endeavor, is the ultimate!”
Nigut
Former ABC affiliate WSB-TV/ATLANTA political reporter and GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING "POLITICAL REWIND" host BILL NIGUT has joined the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION to co-host the paper's "POLITICALLY GEORGIA" podcast with GREG BLUESTEIN, PATRICIA MURPHY, and TIA MITCHELL as the show expands to five days a week at 10a (ET) this FALL on ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS News-Talk WABE/ATLANTA.
"We're thrilled to welcome BILL to the AJC," said AJC President and Publisher ANDREW MORSE. "His insight and experience will help make POLITICALLY GEORGIA a must-listen for anyone interested in this pivotal election. We're proud to partner with WABE as we share a ... more »
Cargile (Photo: LinkedIn)
BLUEWIND MEDICAL CFO CHARLES F. "CHUCK" CARGILE has joined LIBSYN as Chief Financial Officer. CARGILE has served as CFO at TATTOOED CHEF, SUNWORKS, and NEWPORT CORPORATION.
"We are thrilled to welcome CHUCK to the Libsyn team as our new Chief Financial Officer," said Interim CEO/Chief Product Officer JOHN W. GIBBONS. "CHUCK's extensive, global financial leadership experience and proven track record of growing companies, accessing capital markets, and creating value for shareholders will undoubtedly make him an invaluable addition in bolstering LIBSYN's financial strategy for our next chapter of growth -- as we continue to innovate and lead in the dynamic podcasting and advertising industries."
WONDERY and AT WILL MEDIA are debuting a new podcast on "the most deliciously disastrous flops in recent history." TIKTOK personality MISHA BROWN hosts "THE BIG FLOP," discussing fiascos like CRYSTAL PEPSI, QUIBI, and the expensive BROADWAY flop "SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK" with guest comedians.
The series will be available AUGUST 21st on the subscription service WONDERY+ and on other platforms AUGUST 28th.
Available On Wondery+ Today
The podcast about unusual sports stories from around the world, announced last OCTOBER by MEADOWLARK MEDIA, CAMPSIDE, and WONDERY (NET NEWS 10/11/22), has arrived with the debut of "SPORTS EXPLAINS THE WORLD."
The show, hosted by SAM DINGMAN ("THE RUMOR"), is debuting on the subscription service WONDERY+ TODAY and will be available on other podcast platforms on AUGUST 23rd.
Debuts Today
ERIC ANDRE is hosting a new podcast interviewing fellow comedians about their failures on and off stage. "BOMBING WITH ERIC ANDRE" debuts TODAY (8/9) with MICHELLE BUTEAU as the first guest.
The show is being produced with iHEARTMEDIA and WILL FERRELL's BIG MONEY PLAYERS NETWORK. New episodes will be posted on WEDNESDAYS.
Debuts Today
Last NOVEMBER's murder of four UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO students has spawned a true crime podcast from iHEARTPODCASTS and KT STUDIOS.
"THE IDAHO MASSACRE," originally announced as "THE MOSCOW MASSACRE" in MAY (NET NEWS 5/4), debuts TODAY (8/9) and delves into the story of the murders and the arrest of criminology student BRYAN KOHBERGER. New episodes will be released on WEDNESDAYS.
Public relations executive ED ZITRON has launched a new podcast on which he will interview, in his words, "interesting people in tech, business, entertainment, sports, and any other area I see fit."
"15 MINUTES IN HELL" debuts TODAY (7/9) with NBC NEWS Senior Reporter BEN COLLINS, who covers disinformation and Internet issues, as the first guest. ZITRON, well known for his acerbic TWITTER posts, heads the EZPR tech public relations firm. The podcast will be available on all platforms but can be accessed now by manually adding this link to podcast players.
Q2 Results
SALEM MEDIA GROUP is yet another radio company reporting lower revenue for second quarter, with total revenue decreasing 4.2% year-over-year to $65.8 million, leading to net income dropping from a gain of $9.1 million to a loss of $7.1 million (-26 cents/share). EBITDA decreased from a gain of $14.5 million to a loss of $600,000, and Adjusted EBITDA fell 77.2% to $2.7 million.
Broadcast division revenue dipped 5.3% to $49.7 million (same station down 5.8%), with station operating income off 43.5% to $6.2 million. Digital Media division revenue increased 0.5% to $10.9 million, while operating income fell 27.5% to $1.8 million. The Publishing division saw a 3.5% revenue decrease to $5.2 million while operating loss widened from $6,000 to $800,000.
Defendants
CUMULUS MEDIA, through subsidiary SUSQUEHANNA RADIO, is suing former Sports KTCK-A-F (THE TICKET)/DALLAS midday "THE HANG ZONE" hosts DAN MCDOWELL and JAKE KEMP, alleging that the hosts violated their noncompete agreements by starting a podcast after their contracts expired and they left the station.
D MAGAZINE reports that KEMP and MCDOWELL launched "THE DUMB ZONE" podcast after leaving THE TICKET in JULY (NET NEWS 7/19). The suit alleges that the hosts created the podcast while still employed by the station, and is looking for a temporary injunction preventing the hosts from podcasting.
Debuts Tomorrow
The life of HOLLYWOOD mogul LEW WASSERMAN is examined on a new podcast from AUDACY. The four-episode "GLITTER AND MIGHT," debuting TOMORROW (8/9), is hosted by author and film critic SHAWN LEVY.
LEVY said, “LEW WASSERMAN is a titan of Hollywood's past whose innovations are still with us today,” he says. “If you binge a TV series at home, line up at the multiplex for a megahit, or see a connection between HOLLYWOOD and WASHINGTON, you're in a world that WASSERMAN helped conceive and build. I'm delighted to partner with AUDACY to bring his story to light.”
“SHAWN LEVY does a great job portraying HOLLYWOOD history in this fascinating portrait of the larger-than-life LEW WASSERMAN and the world that revolved around him,” said AUDACY EVP/Podcasts JENAN WEISS-BERMAN. “Given WASSERMAN’s pivotal role in past entertainment industry labor strikes, ‘GLITTER AND MIGHT’ serves as both a biographical narrative and one that is incredibly timely and resonant in the historic moment the industry is living through today.”
SPOTIFY's THE RINGER PODCAST NETWORK is debuting a new podcast on HOLLYWOOD's treatment of the VIETNAM WAR.
"DO WE GET TO WIN THIS TIME?" is hosted by BRIAN RAFTERY and is bowing with an episode looking at early movies about the war, from JOHN WAYNE's "THE GREEN BERETS" to the documentary "HEARTS AND MINDS." The eight-episode series will be fed on THE RINGER's "THE BIG PICTURE" feed.
