Round Four of November PPM Ratings Released. The fourth of four rounds of November 2019 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford.  Nielsen’s November 2019 survey period covered October 10 – November 6.  Some 6+ ratings gains of note for spoken-word stations during the November survey include: In Raleigh, Capitol Broadcasting’s sports talk WCMC-FM “99.9 The Fan” adds another two-tenths to its recent full-share increase to land at a 3.1 share and the #14 rank in the market; Emmis Communications’ flagship news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis “Indy’s Mobile News 93.1” rises six-tenths to a 6.4 share good for the #5 rank; and Cumulus Media’s WWTN-FM, Nashville adds six-tenths to its recent 6+ uptick for a 4.8 share and the #11 rank in the market.  See all the 6+ numbers from subscribing stations here.  Meanwhile, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his “Takeaways” from these markets here.

Dave Ramsey Launches ‘Borrowed Future’ Podcast Examining the Student Loan Crisis. This new podcast series from Ramsey Solutions is hosted by George Kamel in which bestselling author of Debt Free Degree – Anthony O’Neal – joins him to “explore the lies we believe about college, the soaring cost of tuition, and the predatory nature of the student loan industry.  Listeners will learn how to pay for college without going into debt and find out if college is even the right choice for them.”  Guests on season one of the eight-part “Borrowed Future” podcast include: Mark Cuban, Mike Rowe, Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey, Dr. Meg Meeker, Seth Frotman, and Ramsey Network personalities Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, and Chris Hogan.  Apple Podcasts Review says, “This is the first honest approach to the student loan crisis that you will hear.  Not just a commentary or criticism, but real-world solutions to the #1 personal finance challenge in America.”

Key Networks Launches ‘O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition.’ A new, morning drive program featuring Bill O’Reilly is being offered in national syndication by Key Networks.  “The O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition” is a two-minute feature and companion to Key Networks’ 15-minute daily radio program, “The O’Reilly Update,” currently airing on more than 180 stations.   The three-minute program – two minutes of content with two embedded 30-second network spots – officially debuts in January.  Key Networks chief revenue officer Dennis Green says, “‘The O’Reilly Update’ has been a great success in a short amount of time.  We have heard from stations that asked for an opportunity to have O’Reilly’s content available for morning drive and Key Networks delivers with ‘The O’Reilly Update – Morning Edition.’  The best way to start your day is analysis from the best commentator in the business.  I can’t think of a better way to start 2020 than to bring this expansion of ‘The O’Reilly Update’ to the market.”

WABC, New York Morning Show Co-host Sid Rosenberg Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast.   One of the most colorful radio talk show hosts in America, “Heavy Hundred” member Sid Rosenberg, is this week’s guest on the PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.”  Rosenberg is co-host with Bernard McGuirk of “The Bernie & Sid Show” – soon to mark its fourth anniversary in mornings on WABC, New York.  In addition to the daily news/talk show, Rosenberg hosts a weekend sports/talk show on WABC, tapping into his years of experience in that genre.  Harrison and Rosenberg discuss politics, sports, pop culture, and the state of radio as well as the inspirational progress the talk show host continues to make in his winning struggle with addiction issues.  According to Harrison, “Sid is one of the most authentic voices in American media today and living proof that a human being can overcome their demons.  We’re both a couple of Brooklyn boys who speak the Kings English (Kings County, that is).  The section of this podcast that depicts Rosenberg’s New York City street-level view of ‘local’ billionaires Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg is worth the price of admission alone – must-listening for talk show broadcasters around the country.”  To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column of the TALKERS email newsletter and on every page of Talkers.com.

Crossover Media to Lead Sales Efforts for Bleav Podcast Network. Cross-platform ad sales firm Crossover Media Group Sales is leading the advertising sales for Bleav Podcast Network’s 150-plus podcasts.  The Bleav Podcast Network focuses on sports team content, “uniquely providing team fanbases with former players as hosts in football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.”  In addition to team shows, Bleav creates local and national podcasts with topic experts in multiple categories such as golf, tennis, fitness, gymnastics, family, action sports, racing, film, esports, law, music, self-help, and more.  Bleav says that based on the highly exclusive local and national content experience, its advertisers see a very high awareness, retention, and response rates based on the show host’s live read endorsements.  Crossover Media managing partner Sue Freund says, “We’re excited to be working with Bleav.  This is an ideal partnership as both Crossover Media and Bleav are rapidly growing companies within the podcast market.  Bleav is introducing new podcasts daily to the marketplace and we’re looking forward to giving advertisers the opportunity to partner with their network of fantastic hosts and content.”

Logan Upped to OM at Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach. Programming pro Bruce Logan is promoted to operations manager for Hubbard Radio’s West Palm Beach station group.  Logan has been serving as program director for country WIRK-FM and adult contemporary WEAT “Sunny 107.9.”  In this new role, he’ll add oversight for news/talk WFTL, sports talk WMEN-AM “FOX Sports 640,” hot AC WRMF, and urban contemporary WMBX “X102.3.”  Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach SVP/market manager Elizabeth Hamma says, “We have an exceptional cluster of stations in West Palm Beach and I’m pleased to have an exceptional leader in the OM role.  Bruce has made an immediate impact on our cluster in the short time he has been with us.  I look forward to putting his talent to work on all of our brands.”

KBME, Houston’s Greg Koch to Leave Station to Focus on Health. Former NFL offensive lineman and midday sports talk host Greg Koch told his listeners on Monday (12/2) that he’s leaving his role with KBME and the end of this week to focus on his health.  Koch – who co-hosts the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon show with fellow former NFL player N.D. Kalu – was diagnosed a year ago with Parkinson’s disease, but says he realizes he’s been feeling the effects of the disease for more than 10 years.  The iHeartMedia sports talk station has issued no statement about its plans for the program after this week.  Read the Houston Chronicle account here.

BFoA Commences Year-End Giving Appeal. The Broadcasters Foundation of America is launches its annual year-end appeal today (12/3) in conjunction with the national charitable giving event, Giving Tuesday.  The BFoA’s drive asks for tax-deductible personal donations to the Guardian Fund and corporate contributions to the Angel Initiative.  The Broadcasters Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity, and the only organization dedicated exclusively to providing aid to broadcasters and their families whose lives have been upended by tragic illness, accident, or catastrophe.   The Broadcasters Foundation will award more than $1.3 Million in aid this year. Monthly grants have increased over 75% since 2015, and more than 500 emergency grants have been awarded since 2017. Over the past 19 years, the Broadcasters Foundation has distributed over $11 million to broadcasters in need.  Donations can be made by visiting www.broadcastersfoundation.org/donate.  BFoA chairman Dan Mason says, “These funds make a huge difference in the lives of broadcasters and their families.  Our grant recipients are hard-working broadcasters who have experienced unthinkable tragedy and desperately need and deserve our support.”

Impeachment Proceedings/Republican Report, NATO Summit, 2020 Presidential Race, China Bans U.S. Military from Hong Kong, U.S.-France Tariffs, Jeffrey Epstein Case, and ‘AGT’ Controversy Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/2). The impeachment proceedings against President Trump and the Republican-authored report attempting to refute the Democrats’ case against the president; the controversial start to the NATO summit as President Trump calls comments by France’s Emmanuel Macron about the U.S.’ reliability “very insulting”; the Democrats vying to challenge President Trump in 2020; China enacts a ban on U.S. military ship stopovers in Hong Kong because of the U.S.’ pro-democracy act; Trump ramps up tariffs on French goods; the Jeffrey Epstein case returns to the news cycle after BBC interview with Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre; and the controversy over the exit of judges from “America’s Got Talent” due to allegations of a hostile workplace were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Four Major Radio Talk Show Hosts Set to Participate in Second “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations.”  Four major radio talk show hosts will participate in the forthcoming second “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations” set for Washington, DC on Tuesday December 10.  They include (in alphabetical order): John Fredericks of the John Fredericks Radio Network; Sebastian Gorka of the Salem Radio Network; Larry O’ Conner of WMAL-AM/FM, Washington, DC; and Doug Stephan of Stephan Multimedia and the nationally syndicated “DJV Show.”   For full details, please see the story below.

TALKERS and The Epoch Times to Co-Present a Second “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations” – Set for in Washington, DC on Tuesday, December 10. In response to the positive feedback being received about the recent “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations” co-presented by TALKERS and The Epoch Times in New York City this past October 1 (see video here), a second installment of the event has been set for Tuesday, December 10 in Washington, DC. According to TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, who will again moderate the discussion, “The numerous pressing issues that exist under the umbrella of US-China relations promise to be a major component of talk media conversation for years to come and it is important that the talk media industry stay on top of these complex concerns free of the spin and propaganda constantly manufactured by the Communist regime in Beijing.” Our colleagues at The Epoch Times are firmly situated on the leading edge of the Chinese resistance to the Communist grasp on their homeland and serve the culture’s diaspora in the United States and around the world with bold, truthful reporting of the facts.” The Epoch Times was formed in 2000 by Chinese Americans and is now published in multiple languages around the world. The conversation at the Washington, DC forum will again focus on the US-China trade war, the Hong Kong protests, China’s human rights abuses, Huawei and the worldwide battle for 5G dominance, the North Korea nuclear threat, China’s ongoing intellectual property theft, China’s military buildup, and the long term goals and methods of the Chinese Communist Party, plus more. The 90-minute event will feature a panel of three experts on the state of US-Chinese relations including Nan Su of NTDTV, Joshua Philipp of The Epoch Times and Dr. Dana Cheng of The Epoch Times, plus four leading talk radio hosts John Fredericks of the John Fredericks Radio Network; Sebastian Gorka of the Salem Radio Network; Larry O’ Conner of WMAL-AM/FM, Washington, DC; and Doug Stephan of Stephan Multimedia and the nationally syndicated “DJV Show.” The event will take place on Tuesday, December 10 between 9:00 am and 10:30 am at the National Press Club and is free of charge for TALKERS readers. Seating, however, is limited so reservations are necessary. Breakfast snacks and refreshments will be served. To make reservations, please call Barbara Kurland at TALKERS, 413-565-5413.

Tags: Anthony O'Neal, Bill O'Reilly, Bleav Podcast Network, Bruce Logan, Capitol Broadcasting, Crossover Media Group Sales, Cumulus Media, Dave Ramsey, Debt Free Degree, Dennis green, Elizabeth Hamma, Emmis Communications, FOX Sports 640, George Kamel, Greg Koch, Houston, Hubbard Radio, iHeartMedia, Indianapolis, KBME, Key Networks, Mark Cuban, Mike Kinosian, Mike Rowe, N.D. Kalu, Nashville, news/talk radio, Nielsen Audio, NOvember 2019, Parkinson's disease, PPM, Raleigh, Ramsey Solutions, ratings, Seth Godin, Sue Freund, survey, Talkers Magazine, The O'Reilly Update, WCMC-FM, West Palm Beach, WFTL, WIBC-FM, WMEN-AM, WWTN-FM

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