2024 was a pivotal year for the news/talk radio industry. With a contentious, oftentimes wildly unpredictable election cycle behind us, the industry saw many ups — like expanded roles for local hosts — and downs, including the end of the venerable New York all-news brand WCBS 880 as Audacy struck a deal to lease the signal for ESPN New York.
Here are Barrett Media’s top 5 news radio stories of 2024.
#5 – Season of Change for Salem Radio Network
Salem Radio Network saw several major changes in 2024. After making a run for the Republican nomination for President, Larry Elder returned to the national stage with Salem, replacing Brandon Tatum in the network’s lineup in the 6-9 PM ET timeslot.
The final two months of the year added additional changes and challenges for the network. After Donald Trump won the election, Sebastian Gorka elected to return to politics, leaving the Salem Radio Network lineup. Gorka — who helmed the 3-6 PM ET window — joined the second Trump administration as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Counterterrorism.
In his place, the network moved morning host Hugh Hewitt — who often hosts his show from California — to the afternoon drive slot. Salem then elevated local host Chris Stigall from his morning show at AM 990 The Answer in Philadelphia to the national stage to replace Hewitt in mornings.
Finally, the network has placed Carl Jackson in middays to host The Dennis Prager Show on an interim basis as the longtime conservative radio host and PragerU founder recovers from a November fall that has left him hospitalized in Los Angeles. Many conservative media figures have noted that it will be a long road to recovery for the radio host.
#4 – Uri Berliner Criticizes, Then Resigns from NPR
Uri Berliner spent 25 years at NPR as a Senior Business Editor. That ended in April after he harshly criticized his longtime home.
“It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding,” Berliner wrote in an op-ed for The Free Press. “In recent years, however, that has changed. Today, those who listen to NPR or read its coverage online find something different: the distilled worldview of a very small segment of the U.S. population … An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.”
The sentiments from Berliner subsequently went viral, with conservative media members pouncing on the fresh red meat. Many argued that comments were proof that NPR was guilty of liberal propaganda and should be defunded. The criticism left others at the network scrambling to defend itself, with executives like Edith Chapin and Katherine Maher lambasting Berliner’s statements.
Ultimately, Berliner resigned his position from NPR a day after being suspended by the network for five days without pay for disparaging the outlet. In his resignation letter, Uri Berliner cited Maher as the reason for his exit. “I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay,” he wrote.
#3 – Layoffs by Alpha, Audacy, Cumulus, and iHeart Make Major Dents in Stations Including KFI-AM 640
2024 could easily be labeled as a year of cuts by major radio companies such as Alpha Media, Audacy, Cumuls, and iHeartMedia.
iHeart significantly impacted its news/talk stations after the 2024 election concluded. In New York, 710 WOR morning hosts Len Berman and Michael Riedel exited, as did 740 KTRH morning co-host Shara Fryer in Houston. WGY host Doug Goudie signed off in Albany, NY along with WFLA Orlando host and anchor Alan Spector, and 600 KCOL morning host Jimmy Lake. Program Directors were let go too including Newsradio WFLA Tampa Program Director John Mamola, and WSPD Program Director Scott Sands.
Additionally, nationally syndicated host Joe Pags was let go from his flagship station 1200 WOAI in San Antonio after inking a contract extension with the company earlier in the year. His national show, distributed by Compass Media Networks, continues.
But no station in the iHeartMedia cuts was as affected the way KFI-AM 640 in Los Angeles was. Longtime Program Director Robin Bertolucci departed the station of her own volition before widespread cuts rocked the powerful news/talk brand.
Mere days after she and her husband — iHeartMedia Executive Vice President of Sports Don Martin — announced their departure, iHeartMedia began slashing news reporters, anchors, editors, and producers at the venerable station. News Director Chris Little, who had been at the station since 1991 and held the title since 2000 was let go. He originally stated at least 13 of the 25 members of the station’s news team were let go. Later figures indicated that the number reached as high as 20 of the 25 news staffers were ultimately laid off by iHeartMedia.
iHeartMedia wasn’t alone in its layoff decisions, however. Alpha Media’s cuts mostly centered on its small market news/talk stations. Audacy, meanwhile, made cuts to respected outlets KDKA in Pittsburgh, WBBM in Chicago, and WTIC 1080 in Hartford after the company filed for bankruptcy in January.
Additionally, Cumulus made cuts to stations like WBAP in Dallas, Newsradio 1440 in Montgomery, and WLS-AM 890 in Chicago, among others.
#2 – Westwood One, The Daily Wire Announce End of National Syndication for Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Michael Knowles
In a story first reported by Barrett Media, Westwood One and The Daily Wire could not come to an agreement to continue a partnership to place shows from Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Michael Knowles into national syndication.
Each one-hour show, which was derived from Daily Wire podcasts hosted by the three hosts, was offered to stations in afternoon drive or on a time-delayed basis.
The Daily Wire — the conservative digital media entity co-founded by Shapiro and CEO Jeremy Boreing — has yet to announce any new plans to continue to offer the shows to a terrestrial radio audience in the wake of its relationship with Westwood One ending.
The departure of the shows from the national lineup has led many stations—especially those owned by Cumulus Media—to scramble to fill the hours in their daily lineup. Westwood One continues to offer Fox News Radio’s The Guy Benson Show in the 3-6 PM ET timeslot, where the shows from Shapiro, Knowles, and Walsh previously were heard.
#1 – Audacy Shutters WCBS 880
In one of the biggest news radio stories in history, Audacy made the shocking decision in August to end operations of WCBS 880, striking a deal with Good Karma Brands to lease the signal as that company’s station ESPN New York moved to the AM band for its primary distribution source.
In the process, WCBS 880 ended after nearly 60 years of the all-news format on the signal. The announcement was made on Monday, August 12th, with the final day of the station being marked for Sunday, August 25th.
During those final two weeks, the station offered specials commemorating the illustrious history of the station, showcasing pivotal moments from The Big Apple during its long run as a trusted news source.
The station signed off with a commentary from longtime anchor Wayne Cabot. During his farewell address, Cabot shared a story of how a Christmas gift from his father — a clock radio that projected the time onto a nearby surface — piqued his interested in radio, ultimately leading him to WCBS 880.
Cabot concluded his message by thanking Audacy leaders for allowing him and the station to have a farewell period instead of simply pulling the plug on the signal that so many had come to know and love.
“Chris Olivero, Ben Mevorach, Ivan Lee, our bosses, pushed for and got the authority to let us have our goodbyes, to have a last show. That’s something very rare,” Cabot admitted. “I thank them for that. I thank my dad for driving me into New York City in 1978. Parents, you never know what impact these random acts of love and attention may have on your children.
“I’m Wayne Cabot and for the final time, this is WCBS New York,” he concluded. And with that, the final chapter of the nearly 60-year history of WCBS 880 as a New York all-news station was finished.
The all-news format remains in New York as 1010 WINS — which can now be heard on 92.3 FM, as well — continues to provide New Yorks with up to the second news, information, weather, and sports coverage.
Honorable Mention:
Local Hosts Find National Spots as Erick Erickson, Michael DelGiorno, Michael Berry, and Tony Katz Expand
2024 saw several local hosts move to the national stage as Michael DelGiorno and Michael Berry were added to the national lineups at Premiere Networks from their iHeartMedia home bases of Nashville and Houston, respectively. Meanwhile, 93 WIBC host Tony Katz signed a deal for national syndication with Key Networks to take his midday show — Tony Katz Today — national.
Additionally, 2024 was a year of expansion for Erick Erickson, as his show with Compass Media Networks saw increased distribution around the nation, as it added several new stations in the 12-3 PM ET timeslot. Cox Media Group especially got behind its Atlanta based program, putting it on two of its key news/talk brands in Jacksonville and Tulsa.
1080 KRLD Shifts From All-News to News/Talk
1080 KRLD in Dallas shifted its focus away from its all-news format to feature a more news/talk style of presentation with the addition of Joe Kelley, Chad Benson, and Will Cain to the station’s daily lineup.
Kelley joined the station for mornings, shifting Mike Rogers to middays in the process. The station added a local version of The Chad Benson Show to its lineup before announcing the addition of The Will Cain Show in evenings.
The Audacy Dallas station continues to air afternoon news, as well as The Ramsey Show and Our American Stories to round out its daily offerings.
1130 WISN Host Jay Weber Creates International Firestorm Over Guz Walz Comments
1130 WISN morning host Jay Weber saw international criticism for comments he made on social media over Gus Walz, the special needs son of Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz.
After the younger Walz was seen crying during his father’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, Weber called the 17-year-old a “blubbering bitch boy” on social media before deleting the post. He later said he was unaware that the teenager had special needs.
“In an X fever, I broke one of my own long-standing rules when I saw the video. I’ve said ‘the kids are off limits’ for decades, then fell into myself,” he admitted. “No excuses. Good reminder.”
His comments went viral, with many attacking the Milwaukee news/talk radio host and hundreds calling for his firing.
Weber was subsequently absent from his program for more two weeks with the station mum on details. Guest hosts insisted Weber was simply on a scheduled vacation in the early days of his absence. He later returned to the daypart without much fanfare after the firestorm died down.
77 WABC Fires Rudy Giuliani
Few in the news media have been as ardent supporters of Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” and “rigged” than Rudy Giuliani. And despite insistence from 77 WABC owner John Castimatidis to stop making such claims, Giuliani didn’t, leading to his firing earlier this year.
Castimatidis — who has continually shared his support for Giuliani as a person since the firing — maintains the decision was one made strictly from a business perspective, stating that he couldn’t allow the former New York Mayor and attorney for Trump to endagner the station by making claims that could lead to lawsuits similar to those launched against outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN by voting machine companies.
It is safe to say Giuliani disagreed with Castmiatidis.
“What John Catsimatidis has done is disgraceful,” Giuliani said during his America’s Mayor Live video show after the firing. “With the pretense that he was building some kind of a First Amendment station, he blew a hole in the First Amendment that’s so big you can’t even find it. You can’t tell somebody not to talk about the 2020 presidential election and tell me that you have respect for free speech.”
Radio Hall of Famer Joe Madison Dies at 74
In February, Radio Hall of Famer Joe Madison died at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer. Affectionately known as The Black Eagle, Madison had announced a leave of absence from his SiriusXM show in December 2023 to battle prostate cancer. He had previously beaten the disease in 2009 before announcing it had returned in 2023.
Joe Madison spent 15 years at SiriusXM’s Urban View and was also heard on local stations in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. before his ascent to the national stage with SiriusXM.
Madison set a Guinness World Record for the longest on-air broadcast, as he hosted for 52 hours from February 25-27th, 2015. During the broadcast, he raised over $250,000 for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
For his many accomplishments in the news/talk radio industry, Madison was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2019.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
