The latest BNM Summit is set to take place early next month in New York City. Salem Radio Network host Mike Gallagher is relishing the opportunity to both speak and attend the event.
Gallagher has spent more than 40 years in the talk radio space. Despite that longevity, he’s still interested to learn as much as he can at the upcoming event.
“I’m a student of the business,” said Gallagher. “I really do study the industry and have tried to learn everything I can to be the best talk show host I can possibly be.
“I’m always doing my best to keep up with every new platform,” Gallagher continued about what he hopes to learn more about in New York. “Every new methodology we use to deliver our content. Ultimately, though, content is king. That is as true today as it’s ever been, and I am afraid that sometimes our business or industry forgets that. We get so enamored with which digital platform we should be on or what does something look like or how is it digitized, and we forget you still have to connect with your audience. You still have to demonstrate the trust factor that, hopefully, you’ve built with your audience.”
Gallagher noted that he enjoys the expansions that have come in news media, whether it be radio, TV, or digital aspects like podcasting and social media. He added that the low barrier of entry can be seen as a negative, but it makes everyone currently in the space perform at the top of their game.
“Longevity counts. It’s a lot of flashes in the pan right now. I like the way our business has sort of expanded so that it’s not limited to a select few people anymore. Anybody with a laptop and a microphone can do a show, but you gotta be good at it,” the Salem Radio Network host said. “I’m proud of my track record, and I’ll stack mine up against anybody’s any day of the week.
“So, I’m intrigued at this conference in New York about sort of marrying that message of what good content needs to be along with these new platforms that are popping up all over the place and how the new digital era is upon us. Look, it’s a brave new world, and I’m still having the time of my life. Looking at all of these new platforms is part of how we deliver our message to the audience.”
Mike Gallagher has spoken at other conferences in the past. But this will be his first time at the BNM Summit. The event takes place in his old stomping grounds of New York, where he previously worked at 77 WABC. He added that he’s looking forward to the opportunity to fellowship with other broadcasters and have the chance to share some of the knowledge he’s collected in his career.
“It’s fun for me to be able to showcase the fruit of 40-plus years of labor I put into talk radio,” he said. “So to get to be with industry peers is a real joy. Because you get to share war stories and talk about where the industry was and where it is headed. We get to talk about the ever-changing media landscape. I’m a radio guy initially, but now I better be a podcast. And now, I need to be adept at social media. I need to embrace digital, and I have. Our company has done everything we can to make that pivot.
“It’s fun. It’s a nice getaway,” Mike Gallagher admitted. “Unlike a normal conference, where we’re just talking politics or I’m delivering a speech, this is a chance to engage in real-time with colleagues and professionals who love doing what I do as much as I do. I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the 2025 BNM Summit are on sale now. More information about speakers at the Summit is available here.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
