Key Networks Launches Audio Ad Sales Division. Two radio sales executives join Key Networks as the division of Sun & Fun Media begins providing audio advertising sales to producers and service/program providers.  Jim Higgins joins Key Networks as president and chief operating officer and Rich Baum comes aboard as executive vice president, advertising sales.  Higgins, previously president and COO at United Stations Radio Networks will be based in New York City and Baum, formerly EVP of sales at USRN, will be based in Chicago. Rob Koblasz, Sun & Fun and Key Networks CEO, says, “We are excited to now be a full-service network company for our existing as well as new clients, with the addition of advertising sales capabilities and an experienced and knowledgeable senior executive team.  Our goal when we started Key Networks was to be best-in-class, from the talent we represent, the producers we work with and the professionals on our team.  Both Jim and Rich fit that description perfectly. Their contacts in the ad sales and marketing world run deep and they are highly respected in the industry.  We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Jim and Rich to help build Key Networks into a successful full-service network audio company.”

FCC Approves Tribune-Nexstar Deal; Fate of WGN-AM Up in the Air. The Federal Communications Commission approved Nexstar Media’s acquisition of Tribune Media, a deal that will create the largest television station company in the country.  After closing, Nexstar will own almost 200 stations in 115 markets – plus a lone radio station: WGN-AM, Chicago.  Nexstar is a television company and it has not specifically addressed what it will or will not do with WGN-AM.  It wouldn’t be unique for a TV operator to also dabble in radio – Sinclair Broadcast Group operates four radio stations in addition to its large television holdings.  It’s certainly possible Nexstar continues to operate WGN-AM.  However, recent deals for heritage signals in the top markets – think WABC, New York and the several FM stations in New York and Los Angeles – indicate that the value of stations like these is on a steady decline and Nexstar may be better off selling WGN-AM before its value declines even more.

FOCUS ON HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE: Dr. Daliah Wachs Is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast.  There are many aspects of health and health care in the news from vaping, vaccines, flesh-eating bacteria, opioid abuse, and the high cost of prescription medicine to political debate over which way to go regarding the entire American health care system.  Should we maintain the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and simply build upon it as Joe Biden suggests?  Should we go to single payer universal health care and Medicare for all as promoted by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders?  Or should we go in a completely different direction with a new plan that has yet to be designed by President Trump and the Republicans?  Nationally syndicated Genesis Communications Network (GCN) radio talk show host Daliah Wachs, M.D. is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.”  Wachs, a member of the TALKERS “Heavy Hundred,” is widely respected for her medical credentials and general political neutrality.  She and Harrison address today’s hot health issues and more from a non-political perspective.  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 on every page of Talkers.com.

Saudi Oil Attack, Kavanaugh Allegations/NYTimes Criticism, 2020 Presidential Race, Another Vaping-Related Death, and ‘SNL’ Fires Comic Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/16). The attack on a Saudi oil facility, accusations Iran is responsible, and President Trump’s military threats against Iran; the allegation of sexual harassment against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the related criticism of The New York Times; the Democrats hoping to challenge President Trump in 2020; the dangers of vaping after another person succumbs to respiratory ailments; and the firing of Shane Gillis from “SNL” after bigoted comments came to light were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

SAVE THE DATE:  TALKERS and The Epoch Times to Co-Present a “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations” in NYC on October 1. A 90-minute panel discussion will take place on Tuesday morning October 1, 2019 titled, “Talk Media Forum on US-China Relations.”  The event will take place on the 70th anniversary of the Proclamation of the People’s Republic of China by the Chinese Communist Party.  The event will center around a panel discussion that will include radio talk show hosts Hugh Hewitt of Salem Radio Network, John Batchelor of Cumulus/Westwood One, and one more to be announced, as well as a group of experts on the present state of China and its increasingly strained relationship with the United States including Nan Su of NTDTV, Joshua Philipp of The Epoch Times and Dr. Dana Cheng of The Epoch Times.  The conversation will 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.  TALKERS founder Michael Harrison will serve as moderator. Harrison states, “The Chinese Communist Party is determined to ultimately exercise worldwide control over economic, communications, intelligence and governmental activities in the 21^st century.  There is no way the US can hide its head in the sand over this dire threat to American interests.  It is imperative that news/talk media hosts be as informed as possible about the subject of US-Chinese relations.  One key aspect to this situation is the growing urgency of the Communist-resistance movement by the Chinese people themselves, not only in mainland China but throughout the world – especially the growing population of Chinese immigrants presently living in the United States.  We are delighted to join forces with our friends at The Epoch Times in presenting this forum on October 1.   The Epoch Times is an amazing worldwide news organization provocatively positioned on the leading edge of this dramatic resistance and few media platforms are as plugged into the facts of this situation as they are.”  Harrison adds, “John Batchelor and Hugh Hewitt are consummate talk media ‘heavyweights’ and will make wonderful panelists for this extremely significant forum bringing a high level of intelligence about policy and history to the table – exactly what we would expect at an event of this magnitude.  Nan Su, Joshua Philipp, and Dr. Dana Cheng are among the most informed reporters in the world about what is actually taking place in China and Chinese society around the globe outside the highly-censored and controlled propaganda of the official Chinese state media.”  The discussion will be video-streamed worldwide and available for future on-demand viewing.  This special event will take place at the ultra-modern Helen Mills Theater in the colorful Chelsea district of Manhattan.  Doors will open at 8:30 am with the program beginning at 9:00 am.  Morning beverages and snacks will be served.  Admission to this special event is free but only open to members of the working media and all attendees must be pre-registered.  Seating is extremely limited.  To register, please call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.  Save the date, register early and stay tuned for more speakers and information!

Tags: audio advertising sales, Chicago, Dr. Daliah Wachs, FCC, Jim Higgins, Key Networks, news/talk radio, PodcastOne, Rich Baum, Rob Koblasz, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Sun & Fun Media, Talkers Magazine, The Michael Harrison Interview, Tribune Media, United Stations Radio Networks, WGN-AM

Category: Front Page News, Industry News