December 7, 2012 - NTS MediaOnline

December 7, 2012
The Year That Was 2012
As the final weeks of the year wind down, we look back at some of the
people and events that made news in the world of News/Talk/Sports
media this past year. The good, the bad and the odd -- it’s all here and it
all made news in 2012!
January: Melanie Morgan returns to mornings at KSFO/San Francisco
… Walter Sabo steps down as COO of Merlin Media … Former KGOKSFO/San Francisco GM Mickey Luckoff ends his quest to find a
station on which to reunite the KGO radio staff in the wake of numerous
recent layoffs at the station under new owners Cumulus Media … Brian
Jennings steps away from day-to-day duties at Alpha Broadcasting
but remains as a “Senior Advisor” to the company … Marc Hochman
steps down as PD at WAXY/Miami but retains his role as executive
producer of The Dan LeBatard Show … Don Martin is named SVP/
Sports Programming for Premiere Networks and FOX Sports Radio
… Neil Larrimore is named PD at KFYI-KGME/Phoenix … Michelle
Jerson exits NJ 101.5 to become a free agent … KTLK/Los Angeles
names SoCal Latino media veteran David Cruz to host afternoons …
Bob Moore is named President of Courtside Entertainment Group …
Clear Channel Radio changes names to become Clear Channel Media
& Entertainment … Dial Global launches Overnight America hosted
by KMOX/St. Louis personality Jon Grayson … CBS Radio debuts
new DC all-newser WNEW-FM/Washington … Jack Landreth joins
KMBZ/Kansas City as Program Director … Rob Williams succeeds the
retiring Tom Baker as VP/GM at Greater Media/Boston.
February: Salem Communications names Phil Boyce to the new role of
VP/Director of Spoken Word Formats … Garrett Lewis is promoted to PD
at KNST/Tucson … Liz Aiello exits as PD of Merlin Media all-newser
WEMP (FM News 101.9)/New York … Dave Ramsey’s Nashville-based
Lampo Group launches El Show de Andres Gutierrez, taking Ramsey’s
message of hope and financial peace to the Hispanic radio community …
The death of singer Whitney Houston becomes a major topic of discussion
on Talk radio nationwide … Salem Radio Network picks up syndication
rights for Lou Dobbs’ daily feature, The Lou Dobbs Financial Report
… WFAN/New York and baseball’s NY Mets sign play-by-play veteran
Josh Lewin to join Howie Rose in the team’s broadcast booth … KFBK/
Sacramento, WOR/New York and WGY/Albany-Schenectady all
celebrate 90 years of broadcast service to their respective cities … KFI/Los
Angeles suspends afternoon duo John and Ken for comments deemed as
“inappropriate” following the death of singer Whitney Houston … Chris
Merrill moves from KMBZ/Kansas City to afternoon drive at KOGO/
San Diego … John Hogan is upped to Chairman/CEO at Clear Channel
Media & Entertainment.
March: Rush Limbaugh tops the news after making Georgetown
University Law School student and political activist Sandra Fluke a
household name by suggesting she was a ‘slut’ following her testimony at
a congressional hearing in which she lobbied to have the Catholic Church
affiliated school’s health care plan cover her birth control costs. The
resulting media firestorm will dominate the media for weeks, and although
Limbaugh ultimately issued an apology for his “insulting word choices”
blowback from advertisers impacts the bottom line for many networks
and stations … Cyber-journalist Andrew Breitbart dies suddenly at age
43 of an apparent heart attack in Los Angeles … Dial Global ends its
distribution deal with CNN Radio, opting for a new agreement with NBC
News to syndicate NBC News Radio … Doc Thompson joins WXYT/
Detroit to host afternoons … WNYM/New York rebrands as AM 970 The
Answer … KDWN/Las Vegas morning host Heidi Harris exits, as former
crosstown KXNT wake-up host Alan Stock is named to succeed her …
WOWO/Ft. Wayne adds an FM simulcast at 92.3 … Jim Ingstad signs
on 101.9 Talk FM in Fargo-Moorehead with former KFAB/Omaha host
Tom Becka on board as PD and afternoon driver … WDAE/Tampa sacks
longtime morning host Dan Sileo for remarks deemed “racially insensitive”
by station management … Jim Graci succeeds Marshall Adams as PD at
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conventional
There’s nothing like it on radio.
Ask more than 5 million listeners.
daveramsey.com/arc
LIVE Weekdays 2–5pm/ET | 24/7 Refeeds Available | For Syndication, Call 877.410.3283 | daveramsey.com
December 7, 2012
Page 2
Cumulus Media Networks adds new affiliates including Genesis
Communications’ Florida outlets WMGG/Tampa, WAMT/Orlando
and WIXC/Titusville (The Savage Nation); WDAY/Fargo (Geraldo);
KSET/Beaumont-Port Arthur (The Mike Huckabee Show); and WATN/
Watertwon, NY (The Phil Valentine Show) … A new San Diego-based
venture, The Expert Network -- a multimedia brand platform solution for
those wanting to transform their message into a movement -- has launched.
Experts from all walks of life will have the opportunity to host a weekly
radio show in major markets across the country, complete with marketing
guidance from co-founder Scotty Saks, and direct input from award
winning talent coaching specialist and ERN co-founder Cliff Dumas
and his business partner, veteran radio consultant Randy Lane. ERN
will utilize SpotMedia’s new Synchronicity platform for their program
distribution. Learn more about the new venture HERE … Author Eric
Papp, who is also President of Results-Based Seminars, hosts A Daily
Dose Of Motiviation, a new free daily one-minute feature offered through
Eclectic Media Productions … The 2012 edition of Christmas On The
Radio is available now from American Sunrise Radio for airing over the
holidays. Find out more and check availability at ChristmasOnTheRadio.com.
WTOP/Washington has a full time opening for a Traffic Reporter/
Producer with 3-5 years experience and local knowledge of the DC
market. You’ll need to be able to deliver effective traffic info on-air,
online and in social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter,
email and text alerts, smart phone apps and all new viable forms of
digital media. Get more details on requirements and apply online
HERE … Got a gig open? Looking for your next challenge? Email
details and your contact info HERE and we’ll post it free of charge as
a service to the Talk media industry.
The New York Jets and ESPN Radio O&O’s ESPN 98.7 and 1050 AM
ESPN Deportes have inked a new multi-year renewal to keep all Jets’
pre-game, play-by-play and post-game programming on both stations for
the foreseeable future … Veteran marketing strategist Gary Milne joins
Momentum Marketing as Senior Director of Business Development
and Client Strategy. He’ll work directly with Momentum President and
Founder Shawn Smith to help the company’s local, regional and national
clients build their business and marketing strategies.
Stitcher, the on-demand mobile news, entertainment, Sports and Talk service,
has named the winners of the company’s first annual Stitcher Awards honoring
leaders in on-demand radio and podcasts. Over 160,000 votes were cast for
the winners in 20 categories including comedy, politics, sports, entertainment
and lifestyle. View a full list of this year’s winning shows HERE…
Get BREAKING NEWS alerts by following us on TWITTER, or
“friend” us on FACEBOOK. Find one-click links to both HERE.
“Woof” If You Love Santa
Fresh off his “Kevin In A Kennel” promotion, to raise funds for the local
Humane Society, KIDO/Boise morning host Kevin Miller donned a
beard and Santa suit for yet another fundraiser to help out his four-legged
listeners at the local Canyon County Animal Shelter.
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Do you know a broadcaster who desperately needs help?
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you may never need, but we will always be there
for someone you may know.
www.broadcastersfoundation.org
212-373-8250
December 7, 2012
Page 3
KDKA/Pittsburgh … Tod Castleberry is named PD at WAXY (790 The
Ticket)/Miami … KOMO/Seattle taps market veteran Paul Duckworth as
PD for the Fisher all-newser … Michael Damsky exits as VP/GM at WLS/
Chicago … Tom Peace leaves WLAC/Nashville as a result of budget cuts.
April: Former R&R Publisher/CEO and radio industry veteran Erica
Farber is named President/CEO at the RAB, succeeding Jeff Haley
who moves to the same role at Marketron … Tom Leykis returns to
daily hosting via his own online venture branded as The New Normal
… Cumulus Media Networks debuts The Mike Huckabee Show which
launches on some 180+ affiliates nationwide … Pioneering CBS News
reporter Mike Wallace dies at age 93 … Dan Sileo resurfaces in afternoon
drive at WQAM/Miami … 28-year KNBR/San Francisco host Ralph
Barbieri exits the Cumulus Media Sports/Talker … Heidi Harris moves
into mornings at KRLA/Los Angeles … Steve Trevelise takes over
7-11pm at New Jersey 101.5 … Scott Hennen buys back AM 1100 The
Flag (WZFG/Dilworth, MN) and brings his daily talk show back to the
Fargo airwaves … The legendary Dick Clark dies at age 82 … KQTH/
Tucson morning man Jon Justice returns to his show following successful
open heart surgery … Cumulus Media flips WYAY/Atlanta to all-news
and hires former KDKA/Pittsburgh PD Marshall Adams to program it.
May: Dave Milner is named CC/Sacramento President/Market Manager,
succeeding Jeff Holden … Mark Austin Thomas is named PD at FM
News 101.9/New York … Mark Davis exits at WBAP/Dallas after 18
years. He’s succeeded by Ben Ferguson in the station’s 9-11am slot …
Former KMOX/St. Louis host John Carney lands in the 9pm-midnight
slot at crosstown KTRS … Former KGO/San Francisco host Gil Gross
returns to the Bay Area airwaves on crosstown KKSF … WOND/
Linwoood, NJ host April Kauffman is found dead in her home, an
apparent crime victim … A bust of Rush Limbaugh is unveiled at the
Hall of Famous Missourians honoring the “Show Me” state native under
the dome of the Missouri State Capitol Building … Facebook launches
an IPO, however the stock’s price falls steadily in the days after its debut,
disappointing many investors … Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers
confirms she’ll undergo surgery for a tumor located near her bladder …
Mark Davis returns to the Dallas airwaves via Salem’s 660 AM The
Answer (KSKY) where he takes up residence from 7-10am … Nick Gnau
is name President/Market Manager for Clear Channel/Detroit … Triton
Digital names network radio veteran John Rosso as President/Market
Development.
June: WSB/Atlanta and Dial Global syndicated host Neal Boortz
announces his retirement at the end of this year. He’ll be replaced by
one time GOP contender and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain,
who previously hosted a regular talk show on WSB … Former WCCO/
Minneapolis personality Dark Star is found dead in his home at age 66
… WBAP/Dallas celebrates nine decades of service to DFW … Radio
America host G. Gordon Liddy announces his pending retirement. The
network names Peter Schiff to succeed him in the 10am-noon slot …
Steve Holbrook exits Cox Media Group’s Orlando cluster … Premiere
Networks renews its deal to syndicate talker Glenn Beck for another
five years … The long awaited opening of the Museum of Broadcast
Communications takes place in Chicago … Longtime WNIR/Akron host
Howie Chizek dies suddenly while on a flight to Florida. He was 65 … CBS
announces plans to launch CBS Sports Radio, a 24/7 network that will
debut in January 2013. Meanwhile, the company debuts a new FM Sports/
Talker in Tampa, 98.7 The Fan … John Hinnen is named VP/News for
Rogers Media Television and Radio … Jack Silver exits at KABC and
KLOS/Los Angeles … Radio covers wildfires raging across Colorado,
while heavy rain and flooding lead the news along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Read Part Two of our annual year-end Talk media news review in next
Friday’s edition NTS MediaOnline Weekly.
Al Peterson
858.486.7559
al@ntsmediaonline.com
Brooke Trissel
512.218.8228
brooke@ntsmediaonline.com
©2012 NTS MediaOnline™ — All rights reserved. To subscribe visit www.ntsmediaonline.com