Vice President Kamala Harris has denied an opportunity to debate Donald Trump on Fox News, leaving the network and the Republican candidate to hold a town hall event instead.
The network had previously proposed to hold a debate on Wednesday, September 4th. The event would have been held in Pennsylvania with Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum moderating. However, the Harris campaign did not agree to participate, instead focusing on the Tuesday, September 10th event with ABC News for its first debate. The Democratic campaign said it would consider a second debate should Trump appear at the September 10th event that will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis.
The Harris campaign has stated it will participate in three televised debates in the run-up to the 2024 election: two Presidential debates and one Vice Presidential debate. In addition to the September 10th event, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) has agreed to debate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) on CBS News on Tuesday, October 1st.
In a post on Truth Social late Monday evening, Donald Trump shared that instead of debating on September 4th, he’ll participate in a town hall event.
“Rather than the debate on September 4th, I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Details to follow!”
It would not be the first town hall event Sean Hannity has hosted with the former President. The Hannity host featured two similar events with Trump in 2023 — one in June and one in December — in which the Republican nominee met with voters with the Fox News host rather than participate in the Republican Presidential primary debates.
Leigh Diffey has been named as the lead play-by-play announcer for coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series from NBC Sports, starting this weekend from Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Diffey enters the position with deft experience in motorsports commentating, including working as the lead INDYCAR commentator on NBC Sports for more than decade, including all six Indianapolis 500 broadcasts from the entity. Moreover, he has served as the play-by-play announcer for nearly every major motorsports series, some of which include NASCAR, Formula 1 and MotoGP. Diffey steps into the role for Rick Allen, who will continue as the voice of NASCAR Xfinity Series races on NBC Sports and The CW Network for the rest of the season.
Over the last several weeks, Diffey had been serving as the lead track and field play-by-play announcer for competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Despite botching a call where he incorrectly declared Kishane Thompson of Jamaica as the winner of the men’s 100-meter race, he quickly took responsibility for the error via a statement on social media. As the Olympic Games continued, he delivered memorable calls for several other races and earned plaudits from sports fans in the United States and around the world.
Diffey has worked on several NASCAR races throughout his broadcasting career in Australia and the United States. When he joined NBC after a stint with Speed Channel, he hosted a studio show for NASCAR America and broadcast races within the Xfinity Series. In 2017, he returned behind the microphone to call two Cup races at Watkins Glen and Michigan.
“For me, that was kind of like a toe in the water in between then and now,” Diffey said in an interview with Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic. “But I’m really excited to rely on the memories of that, but those great memories also make me super excited about making my return at Daytona.”
Kevin Lee will call the remainder of NBC Sports coverage of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series, continuing his play-by-play career that has lasted over three decades. Outside of this style of commentary, he has also worked as a host and pit reporter on this coverage since 2009 while also covering several INDYCAR races as a play-by-play announcer this season. As for Allen, he will continue calling NASCAR Xfinity Series races airing on USA Network until the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 20, coinciding with when The CW Network becomes the television home of the racing series.
NBC Sports will present coverage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 from Daytona International Speedway starting on Friday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. EST on USA Network with qualifiers for the Xfinity Series, leading into Cup Series qualifying and the Xfinity Series race in the prime time slot. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 takes place in prime time the next day on NBC and Peacock where Diffey will call the action, continuing through the playoffs and season championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10.
So they actually met me into the DNC and we’ll be bringing @SIRIUSXM 127’s live coverage all week – and unlike TV news, we include you- we’ll be taking calls at the end every night this week at 866.997.GRIT pic.twitter.com/vrDGqSMbdg
During the opening night’s festivities, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spoke about a variety of topics. One portion of her speech, however, that went viral included comments she made about Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” the New York representative said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the DNC.
“I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” pic.twitter.com/BU7q9SBrSV
Also included in the opening night festivities was a surprise appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be officially tabbed as the party’s nominee for President later this week.
In her succinct speech, the candidate said “Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation. People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here. United by the shared vision for the future of our country. This November we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people, ‘We are moving forward.'”
VP Kamala Harris makes a surprise appearance on the first night of the DNC.
Some media members joked that the wardrobe choice of Kamala Harris — wearing a light brown pantsuit — was an intentional one that harkened back to one of the “controversies” during Barack Obama’s administration.
My God. I knew Kamala Harris was going to make a surprise appearance – I never would’ve guessed she’d trigger all the right people by wearing a tan suit.
2016 Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke passionately on a variety of issues, including attacks from her opponent and now Harris opponent Donald Trump.
She said it was “no surprise, is it, that (Trump) is lying about Kamala’s record. He’s mocking her name and her laugh.”
She continued by noting “But we have him on the run now. So no matter what the polls say, we can’t let up. We can’t get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us.”
Democrats are chanting "lock him up" during a Hillary Clinton speech. Need a moment to process this. pic.twitter.com/ur0NuYzAOW
One of the biggest criticisms of the Democratic National Convention Monday evening was how behind schedule the speaker schedule got. President Joe Biden saw his speech air much later than originally expected.
This convention is SO LATE.
You guys I’m old and I have toddlers! Who wants to stay up this late?!
They actually took the sitting 81-yr-old POTUS who they know has said publicly he can’t do events past 8p and let him stew in the green room for hours and hours at the convention that was supposed to be his so a bunch of D-listers could play star. Honestly this is just mean.
The sitting President did not reach the main stage until after 11 PM ET. Some observers argued it was an intentional ploy by the party to push Biden out of primetime on the East Coast. However, Biden’s speech began after a four-minute ovation from those assembled at the Democratic National Convention. He then opined on the work his administration has done during his remarks.
“Because of you – and I’m not exaggerating – because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden said. “When I say we, I mean Kamala and me.”
Salem Radio Network U.S. Senate correspondent Bob Agnew has joined the network’s White House correspondent Greg Clugston in Chicago for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Agnew has featured extensive coverage of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during his time covering the United States Senate. Meanwhile, Clugston has covered Harris for the past four years during his time at the White House for the radio network.
“Bob Agnew’s up-close-and-personal knowledge of Kamala Harris from covering her in the Senate brings a rich depth to his coverage of her ascendancy to the 2024 Democrats nominee for President,” said Salem Radio Network Vice President of News & Talk Programming Tom Tradup.
“Our tag-team of Agnew and SRN News White House correspondent Greg Clugston already is delivering DNC 2024 coverage that’s second to none in radio news.”
During the Democratic National Convention, Salem Radio Network will provide live feeds of the acceptance speeches of Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz on Wednesday evening and Kamala Harris on Thursday.
Kira K is taking over afternoons at Cumulus AC WRRM (Warm 98.5)/Cincinnati. She begins on September 3, arriving from Cumulus Country WCTO (Cat Country 96)/Allentown, PA, where she co-hosted mornings.
Kira previously served as an on-air host for Audacy/Entercom in Las Vegas. As well as a sales assistant and producer for Lotus Broadcasting, Las Vegas. Additionally, Kira is an alumnus of Camp Broadcast, where aspiring broadcasters can interview celebrities and learn from industry professionals.
Josh Wolff, Program Director, Warm 98.5/WRRM-FM, said: “It’s always terrific when we can promote from within Cumulus. Kira’s drive, talent, and engagement of listeners on multiple platforms will be a wonderful addition. We’re delighted to have her join the team.
Kira K added, “I am incredibly excited and grateful to join WRRM Cincinnati. Warm 98.5’s established team and I share a dedication and love for creating a connection with the audience, from content to being out in the community. I’m ready to create, have fun, meet Cincinnati, and see what this new chapter has in store.”
Lotus Communications has announced the launch ofFOX Sports 104.7 FM and 890 AM, effective Monday, September 2, 2024. The stations will air the full FOX Sports Radio lineup with the exception of 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. PT where local show The Rob, Anybody, and Dawn Show (known as RAD RADIO) will air.
“Lotus is ecstatic to deliver a game-changing experience to Northern California listeners by combining the market’s most iconic morning show, Rob, Anybody & Dawn, with the powerhouse lineup of FOX Sports Radio,” said Kurt Bagelmann, General Manager of KSAC-AM and KSAC-X1. “This dynamic one-two punch, now available for the first time on both AM and FM, is poised to redefine the sports radio landscape in Sacramento.”
FOX Sports 104.7 FM and 890 AM’s weekday lineup will feature Two Pros and a Cup of Joe, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Doug Gottlieb Show, Covino & Rich, The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard & Rob Parker, The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon and The Ben Maller Show.
The station will also broadcast FOX Sports Radio around the clock on weekends.
Former WTOP Program Director Jim Farley has died after undergoing surgery to repair an aneurysm.
Farley led the Washington D.C. all-news station from 1996 until his retirement in 2013. During his tenure, he oversaw the brand’s move from it’s previous 1500 AM signal to 103.5 FM.
In addition to his time at WTOP, Jim Farley also worked at 1010 WINS, first at the copy desk before rising to news editor. He then joined NBC News Radio, where he ascended to the role of Vice President of Radio News. Additionally, he worked at ABC News Radio, where he ultimately served as Managing Editor and General Manager of News from 1988 until he joined WTOP.
In an internal memo from WTOP Senior Vice President and General Manager Joel Oxley, the executive shared that Farley’s tenure at the station was “legendary.”
“As PD of WTOP from 1996 until he retired in 2013 Jim took us to new heights. Most importantly, Jim was an absolutely fantastic person,” wrote Oxley. “Time and time and time again he would make me laugh when I went into his office. He was truly one of a kind. I miss him already. Jim was living the good life with his wife, Jo, in Florida. Condo President, working with charities and still posting about radio on a regular basis. I’ve passed our condolences along to Jo and his family.”
WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller also paid respect to WTOP’s legendary program director. “All of us who worked for Jim Farley know what a great broadcast journalist he was, and as Joel said, what a fantastic person he was. Jim was an industry leader and top-notch newsroom leader. He always let his team take the helm with breaking news because he trained us all so well and trusted us to do the right thing.”
“For those of you who didn’t get the chance to meet Jim, he was a force of nature,” added WTOP reporter Kate Ryan. “He loved radio and radio people. He loved the process of putting good stuff on the air and crowing about it when we hit a home run. Everybody needs a hype man, and Jim was our Flavor Flav. He didn’t *wear* a clock, but he sure tweaked the WTOP clock to get the most out of every minute. When I’m pressing an interviewee, and I can tell they’re unhappy that I’m not just swallowing their content hook, line, and sinker, I always tell them “Look, I come from a newsroom where the mantra is, ‘If your mother says she loves you, check her story.’”
Many former colleagues also paid tribute to Farley on social media, and shared their sympathies for his family.
So sad to hear Jim Farley has died. I literally owe my career @WTOP to Jim. For years radio bosses told me I didn't "have a voice for radio." When I was working part-time at WTOP he told me he wanted to hire me full-time, but wanted to pay to send me to a voice coach…. pic.twitter.com/QbARpI2Tsz
1 of THE most incredible benefits of being a journalist is learning, being taught by those we interview & others we engage with along this journey. One of those people was my former boss here @WTOP Jim Farley. He taught me a ton! I just learned he's passed away R.I.P & THANKS JIM pic.twitter.com/cNPeutPHB9
“Get it first-but first get it right”. It was a mantra that Jim drilled into the journalists who crossed his path at WTOP. He taught us to be good broadcasters as well as good reporters. I worked for him for 16 years and will never forget his mentoring. RIP Jim.
Jim Farley was a radio GIANT. “Get it right then get it first.” “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center.” He built WTOP as a Fezziwig in an industry of Scrooges. I’d like to think he’s tuning a dial in the sky, floating across the airwaves, still battling Burl Ives for ratings on snow days.
Forever in my heart. Like he did with so many, Jim Farley believed in me. I wrote my sportscasts hoping he would laugh. I love @WTOP . It was my mom's link to the world battling @mssociety .Jim made WTOP and everyone he touched better. Thank you Jim. And this picture says it… pic.twitter.com/2LbSn7tZLx
Conspiracy theories are bound to abound when an outspoken conservative is let go by ESPN. That’s been the game for close to a decade and it will be the game going forward so long as Outkick exists. What else would that site have to cover if it gave up its most reliable ghost?
I think it’s tinfoil-hat-level conspiratorial to think that ESPN bosses were out to get Sam Ponder because of her political views (not as tinfoil-hat-level of thinking this is part of some effort to silence any pro-Florida State voices, though). I also think that it’s naive to think that her Twitter presence and social crusade didn’t play a role in deciding that her salary fit perfectly into the desired amount that ESPN needed to cut from its budget.
What happened to the ability to look at an issue and say “oh, I don’t care about this at all”? The issue of trans kids being allowed to compete in girls sports is a strange one to me. I think most people with really strong opinions on the issue are performing for whatever audience they have or want and the fact that people with no dog in this fight have made their opinion a part of their personality is a product of living online. Should it be tolerated by an employer? Honestly, I do not care if it is or isn’t.
For the sake of argument and this column, let’s assume that Ponder’s outspoken opposition to trans kids competing in girls sports was a problem for Disney. The problem isn’t her position. Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee both have said the same thing in recent weeks. Dan Orlovsky did too and then pretended he didn’t.
The language I am going to use in this column may not always be kind. My goal is not to dump on Ponder or anyone in her situation. I want to explain how bluntly I believe the people that made this decision were looking at the facts in front of them.
The problem is Sam Ponder is outspoken and in a position that’s just not that important to the network. Not everyone can get away with the same thing. That’s been true since offices and employment were invented.
It’s also been true at ESPN for a long time. Stephen A. Smith called it out when Sage Steele claimed there were different rules for her than there were for everyone else when the former SportsCenter anchor faced backlash for questioning Barack Obama’s Black identity and Disney’s Covid-19 vaccine policy on Jay Cutler’s podcast in 2021.
Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee represent something really important to ESPN. They are part of one of the network’s signature products, College GameDay. McAfee is a key cog in the new “stars only” identity of the network. The rules are different for them.
It’s the Barry Bonds approach. If you deliver more, you get treated better. You get a benefit of the doubt that may feel unfair to your colleagues that aren’t as fortunate, but “fair” is a sliding scale and a word with no set meaning.
No matter how fervently anyone may agree with Ponder, there’s no argument. The idea that the rules are different based on performance or star power makes sense. Stephen A. Smith couldn’t be Stephen A. Smith if he were not allowed to express opinions that make some people uncomfortable.
The flip side of that is that anchors don’t get to have opinions. Well, maybe they do, but expressing those opinions is a little more risky. Only Mina Kimes or Kirk Herbstreit can be Mina Kimes or Kirk Herbstreit. Not only is telling you what they think a part of their job descriptions, but they have proven that there is an audience that will seek out their opinions wherever they are. If you’re ESPN, you’re willing to tolerate whatever discomfort talent like that may cause because you want their audience coming to you to get something no one else can deliver.
Unfortunately for Sam Ponder, the network has decided she isn’t worth whatever headaches come with her. There’s a long list of people that ESPN can pay a lot less money to introduce a pre-recorded segment and then say “what do you think, Randy Moss?”.
Even though I do not think Sam Ponder or anyone else that isn’t the parent of a trans kid cares as much about this issue as they claim to, I still wish her well and hope she finds a new gig soon. I think she’s talented and she is entitled to her own opinions no matter what I or anyone else thinks of them.
This is the media, and Sam Ponder is no different than any other entertainer. Perception and star power not only matter, but are linked and together determine your value to employers.
The following column has been created for Barrett Media by Seth Resler. To learn more about Seth and his company, Community Marketing Revolution, go here.
There are two types of companies in the media space: Those that will survive, and those that won’t. But how can you tell one from the other?
There have been layoffs in the radio industry in recent years, which have led many to conclude that there is a problem in the industry. But there is no radio industry problem.
It’s tempting to look at the demise of newspapers over the last decade and conclude that there is a newspaper problem. But there is no newspaper problem.
You could be forgiven for watching television studios struggle to make the transition from cable subscriptions to streaming and concluding that there is a television industry problem. But there is no TV industry problem.
It’s easy to look at the way that movies have struggled to sell tickets since the strikes and conclude that there is a Hollywood problem. But there is no Hollywood problem.
These are not different challenges faced by separate industries; they are all facets of a single enormous issue: A media industry problem.
In a landscape of dwindling financial returns, encroaching tech giants and an increasingly fragmented digital market, only radical reinvention can help ensure survival and success.
At its core, the problem is simple: There is too much content competing for a finite amount of attention.
We’ve known for years that the internet would have a profound impact on the media business. But we failed to understand the key change that the internet would unleash on the industry. Most of us — maybe all of us — assumed that the internet was fundamentally about a change in the way content is delivered. Just as we migrated from delivering audio from AM to FM spectrums, we must now migrate from FM to streaming. Similarly, just as television stations went from delivering their content from the airwaves to fiver-optic cable, they would now need to deliver it through streaming services.
We assumed that all we had to do is figure out how to deliver content digitally and everything would work out just fine. So most media companies leaped headfirst into digital distribution without a fully-realized plan for revenue generation. Newspapers published their articles online; radio companies started streaming; and television studios built OTT apps.
But it hasn’t worked.
Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution
And to the surprise of many, it’s not just traditional media companies that have failed. Even digital-first companies like BuzzFeed, Vice, and Gawker, which were launched with digital distribution at their core and none of the baggage of legacy media outlets, ultimately collapsed.
That’s because we all got it wrong. Yes, the internet certainly gave rise to digital distribution, but that’s not the Big Change.
No, the Big Change is this: While it was once prohibitively expensive and very difficult to create and deliver content to a mass audience, now anybody with a smartphone can do it. We’re all content creators now. The media industry’s barrier to entry has been obliterated.
There are two types of companies in the media industry space. Let’s call the first, ‘Mo Money’. When more people create more content, these companies make more profits. They include Alphabet (with Google and YouTube), Meta (with Facebook and Instagram), Apple (which builds hardware designed for the creation and consumption of content), TikTok, and others. These are Tech companies, and their business models depend upon an abundance of content.
Let’s call the second group of companies in the media space ‘Mo Problems’. These companies suffer when there are more people creating more content. That’s because it creates more competition for their core products. These companies include Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery, along with every other radio, television, and print media company. Digital-first media companies, such as BuzzFeed, also fall into this category. These companies all have business models that depend on a scarcity of content.
It does not matter whether your company has a business model that involves selling tickets to its content, inserting ads next to its content, or asking consumers for donations to support its content. All of these business models assume a world where content is scarce.
We no longer live in a world where content is scarce.
Companies with a business model that relies on this false assumption have three options:
First, they can continue to rely on the same flawed revenue model. Their revenues will continue to dwindle, regardless of whether they distribute their content through new digital channels. Inevitably, they will go out of business.
Second, they can switch to a revenue model is built around an abundance of content. This means that they must transform from a media company to a tech company. Few, if any, media companies have the resources and expertise to make this transition, but some will try.
The third option is to create a new revenue model that is based around a scarce commodity — a commodity that isn’t content. But what scarce commodity could local media outlets successfully build their businesses around?
I’ll give you a hint: The answer can be found in a new documentary called Join or Die. The film is based on the work of Dr. Robert Putnam, a Harvard professor of Public Policy and the author of a book called Bowling Alone.
You can watch the trailer for the film here:
Paragon has arranged for special at-home screenings of Join or Die for public media broadcasters, along with a virtual panel discussion about how public media might apply these concepts.
While the event has been designed with public media broadcasters in mind, there will be a lot that commercial broadcasters can learn from the discussion, so I won’t tell anybody if you want to sneak in.
We’re calling the event Beyond the Broadcast,” and you can get all the details here.
I hope you’ll join me for this conversation, as we explore ideas for a new revenue model for media companies–one that enables them to not just survive, but to thrive.
Last week’s demise of WCBS Newsradio 880 affected me emotionally, as it has many in our business. We share our shock and sorrow and reflect on our place in the industry.
The first thing I thought of when I heard the news last week was two years ago when legendary KGO, the Newstalk powerhouse of San Francisco, slipped and flipped. As a West Coast guy who nourished my career listening to Dunbar & Wygant, Jim Eason, Ronn Owens, and all of their talented cohorts, the death of KGO was a gut punch to me just as the news about WCBS is to many of you right now. I’m sorry to tell you, the depression will never leave altogether.
My second reaction to the WCBS news last week was to consider the imminent fate of my former colleagues and others still working at KNX, Los Angeles. Like its New York sister, KNX has served a huge local and regional community with the decades of dedication, dignity, and highly deserved reputation of its Tiffany Network origin. I’m hopeful that KNX won’t be the next all-news giant to fall. The fact that there’s no other all-news station in L.A. and, unlike WCBS, KNX has an FM signal to complement its traditional spot at 1070AM, should give KNX a longer glide path.
Forgive me for the KGO and KNX digressions. As I said earlier, a reflection of our place in the industry is what comes from the fall of a giant such as WCBS.
But while we mourn its passing we need to consider some hard realities:
Longtime residents of New York have lost a comfortable daily habit handed down through generations. They still have 1010 WINS of course, which has been beating WCBS in the ratings for some time now, though not to the necessity of 880’s extinction. Regardless, it won’t be the same for New Yorkers. And yet, New Yorkers have much bigger lives than just their radio habits. We need listeners far more than they need us.
WCBS and WINS are both owned by Audacy and located at the same street address, a weird and not uncommon result of deregulation – the conjunction of competitors that we were told to consider as “synergy”, a corporate PR word, humanly irreconcilable.
When CBS put KNX in the same big room with KFWB on Wilshire Blvd in L.A. people on both sides of the wall liked each other personally but nobody ever bought into “synergy”. We ‘howdied’ at the coffee pot and then went back to our separate sides of the floor, our desks and studios, determined to kick some intra-company ass.
Radio people are taught to compete not to share their work.
Nostalgia is a nice place to visit but you can’t live there. We can mourn the passing of WCBS and long for the good old days, but we can’t bring them back. We can only examine our current sense of value and relevance.
Let’s try to get in step.
It might be too late for the remaining giants of the news/talk radio industry. Their iconic call signs and the decades of dedication that made them the 24/7 beating heart of American information have been watered down by time, technology, societal changes, regulatory ignorance, and too many clueless ownership groups. These are complexities people working in newsrooms neither need nor care to understand.
But we do need to make personal plans, to chart our lives.
First of all, stop wallowing and start thinking. Radio today has nothing to do with its glorious past. It has nothing to do with your personal path and memories. These are not the good old days, they are what they are, new mornings in uncharted waters.
Radio people need to understand that all-news radio is now a dwindling part of the information landscape. Don’t blame me, it just is.
We have to stop touting the research numbers of how many Americans use radio daily. We have to stop defending and deluding ourselves with arguments that not only don’t impress listeners and advertisers, hell, we who work inside radio stations every day don’t believe them, either. Yes, we have listeners. How many? How old are they? What is the rising average age of declining users?
Most of all, mark this sentence: Who listens to us, why or why not? We need to get back to spending money on professional research. Explain to the bean counters this isn’t like ordering soft drinks for the studio refrigerator. Ask them how much money they justify for corporate junkets and investor perks.
None of the statistical voodoo arguments hold water for those of us who direct the programming, create, and deliver the product. We hear the PR buzz but we can sense the consequential truth. We can’t even find people in our own lives who listen to radio as they used to.
If news and talk radio are to survive and flourish everybody from the mahogany row office execs down to programmers, news staff, established talent, and wet-behind-the-ears new-kid weekend talkers must learn to become part of the new media world. We can’t keep doing things old-school while pretending social media and podcasting are upstart wannabes and that we are their aspiration. We can’t continue to rerack portions of broadcasts, post them on a website, and call them podcasts. We can’t promote “listen live” and “on demand” as if they’re the same thing. We need to take off the blinders and get back in the game.
Today’s consumers of audio information and entertainment no longer hold personal allegiances to sources. They’re in search of specific content and don’t mind pushing buttons. They select audio sources by voice command. Radio can be part of their repertoire if we’ll just learn how. We need to play catch up with the culture we always believed we led.
As an industry, we’re a bunch of old folks sitting on the porch watching the parade pass by without even bothering to wave to us. We sit and rock, silently wishing we could join them though the only things stopping us are our wistful memories, and foolish pride.
It’s too late to revive WCBS. Hell, it may be too late to save Audacy. But the only way to save radio as an industry is to evolve. We have to get over ourselves.
Or, we can just moan about the good old days while our employers shut off the lights.
Then we can rock on the porch, secure in the knowledge that we served our time well back in the day.
