For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

WGR, Buffalo Morning Host Howard Simon Pares Back Work Schedule. As reported in the Buffalo News, WGR-AM morning drive sports talk personality Howard Simon is cutting his work schedule back from five to three mornings per week. Simon – who’s

co-hosted the morning show with Jeremy White for the past 18 years – tells the paper there are a couple reasons for the change: “He turned 60 in June, has been in sports radio for 30 years and the job isn’t as easy as many listeners believe it is to talk about sports for four hours daily.” Simon adds, “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. It has been difficult to live up to the demands of the job. It’s a lot of work, a lot of preparation.” The News reports that WGR personality Joe DiBiase is expected to co-host with White on Wednesday and Thursday, with Simon on the air on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. As far as his future plans, Simon says he and the station will address the situation after the football season.

Brian Kelly Exits Audacy St. Louis. According to a report from KSDK-TV, St. Louis, the

staff cuts taking place across the country at Audacy-owned radio stations have hit the company’s St. Louis cluster and among those let go is Brian Kelly, a reporter and weekend host of “Total Information AM” for news/talk KMOX-AM. The report notes that Kelly first served with KMOX from 1997 to 2002. He returned to the station in 2009.

Michael Harrison Performs Lead Vocals on New Gunhill Road Single Titled “Idiots.” The brand-new track “Idiots” by venerable pop musical ensemble Gunhill Road features TALKERS founder Michael Harrison as lead vocalist. The song, which is specifically designed for talk radio airplay, is a sharp-tongued follow up to the group’s internet hit in 2021 titled, “I Know You’re Real,” in which Harrison also performed lead vocals. Whereas, “I Know You’re Real” was a sweet tribute to animal welfare, “Idiots” is a scathing commentary on the dangers posed to American

democracy by ignorance, frivolousness, greed, dishonesty, violence and bad character. According to Harrison, who co-wrote the catchy tune in collaboration with all of the quartet’s members, the song is political but not partisan. It describes both the Democratic and Republican Parties as “merchants of division” while also hurling verbal jabs at negative cultural excesses such as narcissism, hyper-consumerism, and social media addiction. Harrison says, “Some people might be offended by this song – especially the stupid ones…. which, to one degree or another, includes us all.” He adds, “Based upon my years of experience tracking American public opinion, I think the growth of systemic idiocy within our culture poses a frightening threat to American democracy.” GUNHILL ROAD has been writing and recording a wide variety of songs contained in four albums since the late-sixties, including the 1973 top 40 hit single, “Back When My Hair Was Short.” The group’s colorful history was the subject of a 2017 feature film documentary titled, “Every 40 Years.” Formed in Mount Vernon, New York by Steve Goldrich and Glenn Leopold and named after an iconic street in the Bronx, GUNHILL ROAD has evolved for more than a half century and continues to be musically active, much to the delight of its dedicated fan base. Harrison’s history with GUNHILL ROAD goes back to his days as the morning host on legendary album rocker WNEW-FM in New York when he championed the group as a main item on his daily musical menu. An FM progressive rock radio favorite in the early 70s, GUNHILL ROAD has developed into a modern musical organization with an eclectic internet following – continually writing and recording new music while exploring a wide variety of genres. The group’s songs address such compelling themes as relationships, aging, politics, animal welfare, and personal loss. The current players in GUNHILL ROAD include co-founder Steve Goldrich (piano, vocals, writing); longtime member Paul Reisch (guitar, vocals, writing); veteran Broadway instrumentalist Brian Koonin (guitar, vocals, writing); and radio icon Harrison (vocals, writing). Backup horns, strings, percussion and assorted instruments are provided by some of the nation’s leading studio musicians and concert performers. “Idiots” is an advance single from the group’s forthcoming fifth album that’s scheduled to drop in the late fall. Harrison says, “It is an honor to actually be a member of this historic group after having played them on the radio in my early career.” Harrison is going on tour to promote the song and is available for talk media interviews in which he discusses the danger of widespread idiocy. To arrange a booking, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413. To hear “Idiots” and view the accompanying video produced by Matthew B. Harrison, click here.

FOX News Digital Leads News Brands in July Tally of Multiplatform Minutes and Views. According to data from Comscore’s July 2022 ratings, FOX News Digital wrapped the month as the top-performing news organization in the competitive set in

multiplatform minutes and views. FOX News Digital says it closed out the month reaching over 2.8 billion total multiplatform minutes (topping CNN’s 2.2 billion total platform minutes), 1.4 billion total multiplatform views (beating CNN’s 1.25 billion total platform views) but was far behind CNN’s 113 million multiplatform unique visitors with its 81 million multiplatform unique visitors. FOX News Digital also says it topped The NewYorkTimes.com with multiplatform unique visitors for the first time since January 2022.

Diversion Audio Partners with Gemini XIII for Talk and Fiction Podcasts. This partnership between podcast creator Diversion Audio and Gemini XIII brings new shows in the talk and fiction genres to podcast platforms. New programs being readied for this fall include: “The Shows We Watched,” hosted by TV/film critic and author James King and lifestyle influencer Emily Johnston; “War Queens,” featuring “Game of Thrones” and “Fast & Furious” actress Nathalie Emmanuel; “The Ali Rogin Show,” hosted by the PBS “NewsHour” correspondent and author; and the romantic fiction podcast, “The Royals of Malibu” based on the popular romance book series, The Royals by Erin Watt.

FBI Raid/Documents Investigation, Primaries/2024 Presidential Race, Migrant Busing, Russia-Ukraine War, The Economy, Extreme Weather, and Tony Fauci to Leave NIAID Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/22). The aftermath of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago and documents investigation; the primary races for the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees for the 2024 presidential race; the immigration troubles at the U.S.-Mexico border and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s busing migrants to Washington, DC; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the assassination of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Alexander Dugin, the “spiritual guide” to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the inflation making food and consumer goods expensive and activity on the world’s financial markets; the drought affecting much of the U.S., Europe & China and the flooding in Texas; and Dr. Tony Fauci’s December exit from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Local Sales Manager Opportunity in Phoenix. “The Pulse of Arizona” 1100 KFNX is

searching for a high-powered LSM with proven local direct sales capability. If you love the news/talk format and can sell its strengths to local advertisers, we want to hear from you. You’ll have five of the nation’s top 100 talk shows from the TALKERS Heavy Hundred, CBS News, U-Arizona sports and a big signal. Salary, aggressive commission and fully paid health insurance are included. Reply to Bill Brady, owner/president, KFNX Radio, 4527 N 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ85016, billbrady@1100kfnx.com, 602-248-1446.

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