Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Talk Show Host Michael Berry is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. KTRH, Houston/independently syndicated radio talk show host
Michael Berry is this week’s guest on the award-winning
PodcastOne series, “The
Michael Harrison Interview.” Berry is heard live
twice daily on
Houston’s talk radio powerhouse KTRH. The first show airs between 8:00 am and 11:00 am and then he comes back between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. But, wait, that’s not all. An additional 25 formidable stations carry one or the other or both of these shows on an independent network that has grown out of his recognition as a break-out talent with a growing following of fans. This network stretches from upstate New York to Portland to Louisiana to Pensacola to Baton Rouge, Nashville, New Orleans, New Mexico and Alabama, with eight stations in
Texas. Berry, the son of a maintenance worker for a chemical plant, is an attorney with two law degrees and an interesting history in politics. He began his often-controversial talk radio career in 2005 while still Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Houston. He’s married to the former Secretary of State of Texas, who is from India (and also a lawyer). They are parents of two adopted sons from Ethiopia – now teenagers.
TALKERS research places him at number 15 on its most-listened-to radio talk show hosts list with a weekly audience of some 5 million people. He’s also ranked number 9 on the 2021
TALKERS Heavy Hundred list of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America. Harrison and Berry engage in a fascinating conversation about a number of topics including the impact of the COVID era on the psyche of American workers, the application of the phrase “politics makes strange bedfellows” to today’s news/talk discussion, the differences between live radio and podcasting, Berry’s evolution from “yeller” to storyteller, and the syndrome of conservative talk show hosts often being unjustly accused of being proponents of racism and hate. Don’t miss this! To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click
here.
New Morning Programming for WFLA, Tampa. Effective January 4, iHeartMedia’s Tampa Bay news/talk WFLA begins new morning drive programming. “AM Tampa Bay with Jack Harris” will air from 5:00 am to 7:00 am and the new “Ryan Gorman Show” will air from 7:00 am to 10:00 am. “The Ryan Gorman Show” stars Ryan Gorman
alongside co-host
Aaron Jacobson and producers
Katie Butchino and
James Burlander and will “feature the biggest news stories and trending topics from the local Tampa Bay community. Every morning will be filled with the latest headlines, news, weather and
traffic updates, plus discussions and interviews with local and national dignitaries presented as the talk of Tampa Bay.” Gorman says, “I’m excited to make the move to mornings and follow Jack Harris, a Tampa Bay and talk radio legend, and bring something unique and different to talk radio. We’re going to cover the biggest stories of the day and have fun doing it. Plus, we’ll feature guests who have the inside scoop on what’s happening in Tampa Bay and across the country and how it will impact you. I’d like to thank the incredible leadership team at iHeartMedia Tampa for the opportunity to host a morning show in my hometown.” Gorman has been host of “PM Tampa Bay” on the station since March 2018. He will continue to host “iHeartRadio Communities,” a show focusing on important national topics that runs on iHeartRadio stations across America and often anchors coverage of national breaking news events.
Audacy Puts All-News KNX on the FM Band. Southern California all-news KNX-AM is getting an FM simulcast partner as Audacy announces the launch of “KNX News 97.1 FM” in Los Angeles as it ends the CHR format on KNOU-FM. Audacy regional president
Jeff Federman says, “For over 100 years, KNX has been the station Southern California has depended on for breaking news, important events and life changing moments. With spoken-word audio consumption at an all-time high, this move allows us to significantly upgrade the existing KNX brand and create a news destination for a new generation. KNX is a powerful and trusted brand in this market, and we look forward to delivering the same award-winning content on crystal-clear FM radio.” The company adds that the launch “underscores Audacy’s commitment to its local news brands, reflective via a multiplatform transformation announced earlier this year. The station will launch with a two-minute tribute to some of the station’s biggest headlines over the last 100 years, while previewing the next chapter of its history.”
Round Four of November PPMs Released. The fourth of four rounds of ratings information from
Nielsen Audio’s November PPM survey 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 2021 sweep covered October 14 – November 10. Today,
TALKERS magazine managing editor
Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh,
iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM adds a full share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) to finish the survey with a 7.3 share and remains ranked #4 while
Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF rises seven-tenths for a 2.9 share and finishes ranked #12.
Emmis Communications’ Indianapolis news/talk WIBC-FM climbs to the #2 rank after adding six-tenths for a 7.8 share. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN takes over the #1 rank after adding a full share to finish with a 10.3 share while
Good Karma Brands’ crosstown news/talk WTMJ falls to #2 after shedding 2.2 shares for a 7.6 share finish.
Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM, Jacksonville dips two-tenths for an 8.0 share finish and falls to the #3 rank in the market. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first three groups)
here.
Mike Bendixen Exits ‘Newstalk 1010’ Toronto. Downsizing at Bell Media’s news/talk
CFRB, Toronto “Newstalk 1010” affects the programming department as station program director and company national format director news & talk programming
Mike Bendixen exits. Bendixen had been programming the station since 2019 and had been with the company since 1998. You can reach out to him at
bendixen.mike@gmail.com.
COVID-19 Omicron Variant, Biden-Putin Call/Russian Military Buildup, U.S. Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics, January 6 Investigation, ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy, and Nunes to Leave Congress for Trump Media Outlet Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/6). The Omicron coronavirus variant and vaccine mandates; President Joe Biden’s scheduled call with Vladimir Putin and Russia’s military buildup at the Ukraine border; China reacts to Biden’s plan for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing; the investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol and former Mike Pence staffer Marc Short’s cooperation with the House committee; the Biden administration continues the Trump era “Remain in Mexico” policy for migrants; and California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes will leave the House to join Donald Trump’s new media company were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
FOX News Media Has Radio Reporter Position Open. This Washington, DC-based position is for an experienced full-time reporter. FOX News Media says, “You will cover
a wide range of political, government, and Congressional stories for FOX News Audio (FOX News Headlines 24/7 and FOX News Terrestrial Radio). You possess strong journalism skills and thrive in a fast pace, deadline driven environment. Most importantly, you have great editorial judgement and the ability to break important news stories.” Learn more and apply
here.
Tags: Aaron Jacobson, all news, AM Tampa Bay, Audacy, Bell Media, CFRB, Cox Media Group, Curtis Media Group, Emmis Communications, Good Karma Brands, Houston, independently syndicated, Jack Harris, Jacksonville, James Burlander, Jeff Federman, Katie Butchino, KNX, KNX News 97.1, KTRH, Michael Berry, Mike Bendixen, Mike Kinosian, Milwaukee, Morning Drive, news/talk radio, Newstalk 1010, Nielsen Audio, PM Tampa Bay, PodcastOne, PPM, Raleigh, Ratings Takeaways, Ryan Gorman, Southern California, Talkers Magazine, Tampa, The Michael Harrison Interview, Toronto, WFLA, WIBC-FM, WISN, WOKV-FM, WPTF, WTKK-FM, WTMJ
Category: Front Page News, Industry News