ASU Student Removed from Radio Station Manager Post for Tweet About Jacob Blake Case. After almost a month of press about the case of Arizona State University radio station manager Rae’Lee Klein’s tweet about the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Klein has been removed from her position. The Arizona Republic reports that Klein was asked to resign her position and refused. Finally, yesterday (9/17) the school removed her from the station manager job citing the school’s policy that any student employment at the school is temporary and can be terminated without cause or advanced notice. The tweet that started the controversy was Klein’s sharing of a New York Post article that referenced sexual assault allegations against Blake with her comment, “Always more to the story, folks. Please read this article to get background of Jacob Blake’s warrant. You’ll be quite disgusted.” Klein tells the paper she’s been informed that the school’s social media policy “broadly discourage[s] sharing personal opinions online” and Klein says she believes she’s “being disproportionately targeted while other students are given a pass.”

Donald Trump Appears on FOX Sports Radio’s ‘Outkick the Coverage’ with Clay Travis. The appearance of President Trump on a news/talk radio show is not all that unusual, but he’s now made two appearances in as many months on Clay Travis’ FOX Sports Radio syndicated show “Outkick the Coverage,” his latest being yesterday (9/17). During his Thursday appearance, he spoke with Travis about his administration’s involvement in getting the Big 10 to restart its season next month. Trump said he found that Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren was open to the idea and he credited White House staffer Tim Pataki for laying the groundwork for the conference’s reversal of its previous decision not to play this year.

Health Care, Vaccines and Masks Top News/Talk Stories for Week of September 14-18. The trio of health care, vaccines, and masks combined to make up the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the presidential race and mail-in voting security. Coming in at #3 was COVID-19 statistics and projections, followed by the Western U.S. wildfires, Hurricane Sally, and climate change tied at #4. The Talkers Ten^TM 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. See this week’s complete chart here.

Entercom’s 4^th Annual ‘I’m Listening’ Mental Health Awareness Program Airs Next Wednesday. On September 23 at 6:00 pm local time, Entercom will present the fourth annual “I’m Listening” live national program that brings together artists, athletes, and medical specialists to raise awareness and end the stigma of talking about mental health. It will air across more than 230 Entercom stations and RADIO.COM livestream. Co-hosted by KISW, Seattle morning host BJ Shea and international lecturer, therapist, educator and CHANNEL Q on-air host Dr. Chris Donaghue, the show will highlight shared mental health stories and experiences while also acting as a resource for those simply looking to connect, heal, and share. Listeners are encouraged to call in for advice or to share a story. The program will feature the participation of a bevy of musical artists and medical experts. Entercom chief programming officer Pat Paxton says, “Conversations have the power to save lives and in this time of heightened unrest, human connection and sharing experiences have never been more powerful. Like millions of others, my family has been impacted by mental health issues and the effects it has on families and friends. ‘I’m Listening’ is part of our year-round mental health initiative that is integral to not only who we are as a company, but who we are as people. We’re committed to continuing to leverage our national platform to engage in these crucial and healing conversations.”

Music Radio News and Career Moves. There’s a piece in the Arizona Daily Star about the success of Tucson Radio LLC’s oldies KDRI-AM/K269FV, Tucson just a year after a trio of Tucson broadcasters – Bobby Rich, Jim Arnold, and Fletcher McCusker – bought the signals and created “The Drive” targeting the 45-plus demo with music from the 50s through the 80s and total local content. Rich says, “I knew there was a need for this kind of programming. Nobody wanted this audience. It’s always been that way for decades, amazingly. But it just seems so obvious that there are so many of us that are 55 and over, and that’s why I chose 45 and up as a target audience to provide something they just can’t get.”…..Entercom tweaks the format of WSTR-FM, Atlanta “Star 94,” moving from hot AC to rhythmic AC. Entercom Atlanta SVP and market manager Rick Caffey says, “The ‘New Star 94’ will bring the rhythm of Atlanta to life and capture the vibe of the metro area. In these difficult times, radio serves as a platform to both entertain and inform. We look forward to growing the well-established ‘Star’ brand into a place for our audience to feel good through top hits from their favorite artists.”…..In Fort Myers, Sun Broadcasting flips alternative WXNX “93X” from alternative rock to country as “Trump Country 93.7.” The station will compete with the market’s three other country outlets: WIKX “Kix Country,” WWGR “Gator Country,” and WCKT “Cat Country 107.1.”

Tags: Arizona State University, BJ Shea, Clay Travis, Donald Trump, Entercom, Fox Sports Radio, I'm Listening, Jacob Black, KISW, mental health, New York Post, news/talk radio, Outkick the Coverage, Rae'lee Klein, sexual assault, station manager, Talkers Magazine

Category: Front Page News, Industry News