Friday, September 24, 2021
USA Radio Networks CEO Fred Weinberg Passes. Broadcasting executive Fred Weinberg, CEO of USA Radio Networks passed away last night (9/23). Weinberg had a distinguished career as an owner of stations in the Tulsa/Claremore area of Oklahoma, Las Vegas, and other smaller Nevada markets. His company was also the operator of KBDT-AM, Dallas; KXEG, Phoenix; KQSP, Minneapolis; and KNNR-AM, Reno. He acquired USA Radio Networks in 2018. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison states,
“Fred Weinberg was an outstanding example of the special breed of independent radio station owner/operator that has kept this increasingly corporatized industry rooted in its communities and accessible to entrepreneurial business visionaries motivated by their love of the medium. He operated two of our affiliates for “The Michael Harrison Wrap” – KBDT-AM in Dallas, and KQSP in Minneapolis. We are proud to have been associated with this colorful individual and to be carried on his fine stations.”
Janet Bro, USA COO and longtime friend of Weinberg’s said, “Fred was one of the smartest guys in the business. In 1974 Fred’s father, dean of engineering at
Bradley University, fired him from his position of station manager at campus radio station WCBU-FM where we worked. He told him, ‘If you want your own effin radio station, go buy your own effin radio station.’ So he did and never looked back.” Weinberg is survived by his wife,
Charlotte, son
Stephen and daughter
Randi Alarid. A memorial service will be held in Reno on November 6. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Weinberg Family Scholarship
fund at Bradley University in Fred’s name.
Saga Communications Adds Markley, Van Camp & Robbins to Five Talk Stations. The Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated “Markley, Van Camp & Robbins”
show – co-hosted by
Jamie Markley,
David van Camp and
Scott Robbins – is being added to the programming lineup at five news/talk stations owned by
Saga Communications. WHCU-AM, Ithaca; WINA-AM, Charlottesville, Virginia; WNZE-AM, Clarksville, Tennessee; WSVA-AM, Harrisonburg, Virginia; and WTAX-AM, Springfield, Illinois are airing the show as part of their daily lineup. Saga Communications group program director
Scott Chase says, “We’re excited about welcoming ‘Markley, Van Camp & Robbins’ to the Saga family. They have a fresh approach and do a great job covering the important topics while being upbeat, professional, and entertaining.”
Katie Hoyt Promoted to Market President for iHeartMedia Salisbury. Sales and management pro Katie Hoyt is promoted to market president for iHeartMedia’s Salisbury, Maryland station group that includes news/talk WJDY-AM and sports talk
WTGM-AM “FOX Sports 960” and four music brands. Hoyt rises from her most recent position with the Salisbury cluster as SVP of sales. iHeartMedia area president for Pennsylvania
Brit Goldstein says, “Katie has done an incomparable job inspiring and leading the Salisbury sales team. This elevation is much deserved, and I look forward to partnering with Katie and the market team in achieving even greater accomplishments.” Hoyt comments, “I’m excited for what the future has in store for the Salisbury and the Eastern Shore markets. I also want to give kudos to my staff and most importantly my mentors along the way who have helped me get where I am today.”
Podcaster’s Grant Aids in Arrest of Serial Rape Suspect. The efforts of audiochuck network founder and CEO Ashley Flowers have helped arrest a suspect in a series of rapes in Indiana. Flowers, who is also host of the popular “Crime Junkie” podcast, founded the non-profit Season of Justice that provides financial grants to law
enforcement agencies and victims as well as their families to help solve cold cases. One of these grants, provided to Central Indiana Law Enforcement, assisted in the arrest of serial rape suspect
Darrell Goodlow, who was arrested on September 17 in connection with the sexual assaults of at least eight women dating back to August 2020. The grant enabled law enforcement to pursue advanced DNA testing resources for these cases. Flowers says, “I started Season of Justice to help bring some sense of closure to crime victims and their families. I’m beyond appreciative of the passionate and engaged fans that follow our podcasts. Their support of our victim advocacy efforts continues to propel the mission forward.” audiochuck podcasts are represented by
AdLarge Media in the audio ad marketplace.
TALKERS News Notes. Four new programs are added to the Sunday lineup at SiriusXM’s Urban View channel, effective 9/26. “The Qasim Rashid Show,” focusing on racial, economic, and gender justice airs at 10:00 am ET. “The Dr. Robin Show” – hosted
by Dr.
Robin Smith – addresses today’s “most pressing societal challenges through fearless, soulful conversations” and airs at 11:00 am ET. “The
Shelly Bell Show” features the entrepreneur and founder of
Black Girl Venture speaking about entrepreneurship, career growth, all things money, wellness, and pop culture. It airs at 12:00 noon ET. And “Bigger Than Politics with
Shermichael Singleton” addresses issues at the intersection of politics and culture. It airs at 1:00 pm ET…..
Audacy’s newly launched 2400Sports podcast studio presents the first original podcast in partnership with
Major League Baseball titled, “The Run: 2016 Chicago Cubs.” The documentary podcast, from executive producer
Jody Avirgan, is hosted by comedian and “The Daily Show” correspondent
Roy Wood Jr. and baseball analyst and WSCR “670 The Score” host
Matt Spiegel…..
Audacy’s Cadence13 launches “Tell Me with
Ellen Pompeo,” in which the star of
ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” has “candid
conversations with a wide range of guests – celebrity and otherwise – giving a platform to important voices and shining a light on people and topics important to her and the world-at-large.”…..Public media organization
GBH names
Lee Hill the first executive editor for GBH News. Hill is the executive producer for “The Takeaway,” produced by
WNYC in which he oversees editorial strategy, production, and planning of content across platforms for the daily national news program.
COVID-19 Boosters, Vaccines, Masks, Mandates & Politics Top News/Talk Story for Week of September 20-24. The approval of booster shots for some Americans, the large unvaccinated population, mask & vaccine mandates, and the politics of COVID-19 combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten
TM. At #2 this week was the meeting of the UN General Assembly and President
Joe Biden’s address, tied with the strained U.S.-France relations over the Australian nuclear sub deal. Following at #3 was the state of the U.S. economy and the Biden administration’s $3.5 trillion spending plan. 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.
Audacy Seeks Co-Host for Boston Red Sox Podcast. A podcast co-host is being sought for a yet-to-be-titled Boston Red Sox show that will launch as a result of Audacy’s partnership with Major League Baseball and the launch of Audacy’s third
podcast studio 2400Sports. The co-host will be paired alongside newly hired host
Steven Perrault, who joins Audacy from
Barstool Sports, and will be counted on to provide their unique, engaged, and passionate perspective during each show. The show will break down some of the top storylines, rumors, and subplots happening in and around the team. Additionally, with access to current and former Red Sox personnel, the show will look to reach fans with unparalleled affection and vigor. See more about the position and apply
here.
Alpha Media Portland Seeks Content Director. There’s an excellent opportunity for an experienced content director at Alpha Media Portland. The company is looking for a content director for news/talk 101.1 KXL, sports talk 750 KXTG – “The Game” and talk 970 AM KUFO – “Freedom” and for a corporate executive with involvement of key talk talent and stations. Alpha says, “We’re looking for someone with experience
programming winning news/talk, talk and sports stations that thrive with content and entertainment in the digital world. The ideal candidate must possess an extremely good work ethic, be a self-starter who is highly organized with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and have strong leadership skills. Alpha Media owns or operates 207 radio stations in 44 markets across the United States and is a diverse, multimedia company sharing music, sports and news across a variety of platforms. We believe in creating progressive products, world-class events and building strong relationships in our communities. See more about this position and apply
here.
Pensacola News/Talk Outlet NewsRadio 92.3/ AM1620 WNRP Seeks Program Director. Pensacola, Florida news/talk outlet WNRP “NewsRadio 92.3/AM1620” has an immediate opening for a program director. ADX Communications says, “Enjoy life working in a beach paradise on the pristine Gulf Coast of Florida’s NW panhandle. Lead our award-winning, full-service news/talker “NewsRadio 92.3/ AM1620” WNRP in
Pensacola, Florida to the next level. We have an immediate opening for a forward-thinking program director. We’ve won seven Murrow Awards, nine
Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists awards, and this year we’re nominated for a Marconi. We’re ready to take our experienced talk and news pros to the next level and grow our presence on-air, promotionally and on our social media platforms. News-based talk hosting/producing, creative production and technical trouble shooting are plusses. Must be organized, detail-oriented and with good staff communication skills. Our locally owned, independent owners are committed to live, local news and talk programming, and community-oriented promotions. The ADX Communications group also includes CatCountry98.7, 1330 ESPN Pensacola and Playlist 94.5. 401k/health/dental/vision plans available. Send audio or audio link with resume to
aschiller@newsradio1620.com. EOE.
Tags: Adlarge Media, Ashley Flowers, audiochuck network, Brit Goldstein, charlottesville, Compass Media Networks, Crime Junkie, Dallas, Darrell Goodlow, David van Camp, Dr. Robin Smith, founder, Fred Weinberg, iHeartMedia, Illinois, Ithaca, Jamie Markley, Janet Bro, Katie Hoyt, KBDT-AM, KQSP, Markley Van Camp & Robbins, Michael Harrison, Minneapolis, news/talk radio, Qasim Rashid, Saga Communications, Salisbury-, Scott Chase, Scott Robbins, Season of Justice, Shelly Bell, siriusXM, Springfield, TALKERS, Talkers Magazine, Urban View, USA Radio Networks, WHCU-AM, WINA-AM, WJDY-AM, WTAX
Category: Front Page News, Industry News