CNN dropped a bombshell report earlier this week by revealing audio recordings that former President Donald Trump admitted he failed to declassify documents he shared with unauthorized people. Michael Smerconish said the network was playing the situation close to the vest.
While beginning his SiriusXM show earlier this week, Smerconish — who is a CNN contributor and weekend host — said the network wouldn’t share with him the details of what the tapes contained while asking him to appear that evening.
“I got a text or an email — I forget which — yesterday in the late afternoon, and it was from a CNN producer with whom I have a good relationship; a guy that I have a lot of respect for,” Smerconish shared. “And he said, ‘Are you available to come on later tonight and talk about a breaking news story?’ And I said I’m not and then he said, ‘Are you sure? Maybe we could do a pre-tape?’
“And I said, ‘Well, can you tell me what it is? Because it sounds pretty big if you’re trying to cajole me into a pre-tape’. And he said that he couldn’t. That he thought that it might break after about 8:00 PM. Indeed, Anderson Cooper last night at 8:00 PM was the one to break CNN’s possession of this recording that was referenced in the Trump indictment pertaining to him waving classified information.”
He then — like many other news radio hosts — wondered just how the network came into possession of the tape.
“So CNN was the first to have it and then other news outlets are able to obtain it as well. It’s kind of interesting that we don’t know the origin of the tape and we don’t know the identity of the individuals who are on the tape save one who is identified in some of the news accounts as being a Trump staffer.”
Norm Hitzges is already unreturned. He isn’t returning to the Dallas airwaves, but his voice will be heard.
On Wednesday, he announced that he is launching a new podcast in September. The show isn’t sports focused. It is called Just Wondering… and will feature his commentary on a variety of subjects.
Friday was Hitzges’s final day on 96.7 & 1310 The Ticket. It closed out a 48-year sports radio career in the Metroplex.
His relationship with The Ticket remains strong. There was much fanfare in his send-off. There are also plans for him to return to the station for special events including his annual Norm-athon fundraiser for the Austin Street Center.
Hitzges plans to post new episodes of Just Wondering every weekday. The first show is due out on September 4.
The recent reporting surrounding Hunter Biden and the charges he is facing have led to many questions from conservative commentators. Howie Carr is less preoccupied with the legal ramifications and more concerned about the media’s reaction.
During his Morning Minute, Carr questioned how several different outlets were in lockstep with the way they framed their coverage surrounding Biden and his relationship with his father, President Joe Biden.
“My dog Roscoe is a theater enthusiast. Sometimes he’ll be watching a musical. When the cast breaks out into spontaneous song, Roscoe will turn to me and say, ‘Mr. Carr, how do all the characters magically know the choreography?’ He’s one insightful pup,” Carr said, sarcastically.
“I find myself asking the same thing when I hear the seagulls in the media. I predicted the Hunter Biden delinquency narrative would evolve into a song and dance of fatherhood and family, but Roscoe might be on to something.”
Carr then showcased clips from recent airings of PBS NewsHour and The View, where analysts on both shows claimed that President Biden would look at the situation through the lens of a father before he would as a President.
Carr questioned the motives of the media as a whole, wondering “How do they all know the choreography?”
When news broke last week that ESPN was canceling its morning show, Keyshawn, JWill and Max, featuring Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Max Kellerman, it was hardly a surprise to Dan Le Batard. Even so, the realization of the platform’s ostensible nadir – at least for the time being – is somewhat of a disappointment to him especially when comparing the audio vertical to other areas of the company.
“To see what ESPN Radio has become in the last 15 years – as a dinosaur has died in front of us unable to keep up with changing times, changing platforms [and] changing audiences, I was made sad in a way that made me want to reminisce about what sports radio used to be, and no one wanted to do it with me,” Le Batard said. “No one was nostalgic or interested in the roots that berthed a cruddy morning show that didn’t have chemistry.”
Le Batard and his colleagues on the show seemingly agreed on the assertion that ESPN has been unable to develop quality audio talent, instead relying on the affluence and reputation of The Walt Disney Company to buy its way to the top.
The company’s audio division was a point of emphasis during early rounds of layoffs, with the company cutting various longtime staffers tasked with leading the future strategy. Last week, ESPN promoted Amanda Gifford as responsible for managing audio and radio properties for the company, in addition to expanded oversight in television. While Gifford has a vast amount of experience and expertise in the audio space, Le Batard believes the network has a lackluster track record of hiring qualified people to fulfill these executive roles.
ESPN Radio is perceived by a preponderance of the industry to be in an ignominious state as it revamps its radio lineup and continues to pour money into studio programming and live sports rights. Le Batard wishes the company had placed more priority on radio, but has moved on to work with Meadowlark Media and have creative control of his property.
“To have this entity punt on both forms of that future – both ESPN Radio, which they could have kept alive just by pouring resources into it by virtue of the name; or everything that they’re doing in podcasts, they could be growing because Disney is a monster,” Le Batard expressed. “If they invest in those places, they will obviously birth a bunch of things that are great content and that have a lot of following.”
CBS Sports has announced that three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt has joined the network on The NFL Today. Watt will serve as an NFL studio analyst across the network’s various platforms beginning with the start of the National Football League season.
“We are thrilled to welcome J.J. to the CBS Sports family and add one of the greatest defensive players of all time to our team,” David Berson, president of CBS Sports said in a statement. “As he steps off the field after a Hall of Fame career, J.J. brings deep passion, unique insights and opinions from today’s NFL. We think fans will love what J.J. brings to our coverage.”
Watt was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft and recently concluded a storied NFL career. In 2017, Watt was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, highlighting his commitment to setting a positive example for football fans around the world. On the field, he was a five-time NFL First-Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, along with the winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times. Additionally, Watt is the only player in the history of the game with multiple seasons of at least 20 sacks.
“I love the game too much to be away from it entirely,” Watt said in a statement. “I’m very excited to be joining CBS Sports to contribute across all their NFL shows and platforms, including working alongside and learning from JB, Coach, Boomer, Phil and Nate this fall. Hopefully fans will enjoy insights and knowledge I’ve gained over my 12 years in the NFL and if we’re lucky, we’ll share a few laughs along the way as well.”
Watt was reportedly in talks with various broadcast networks before making the decision to join CBS Sports. Awful Announcing reported last month that NBC Sports was in talks to acquire Watt for its Big Ten Conference coverage and potentially have a role on Sunday Night Football. Now, Watt will be joining CBS Sports and its NFL studio crew bringing fans his unparalleled insight and expertise of the game on a weekly basis.
Nielsen Media Research recently unveiled its annual Audio Today report centering around the usage of audio-based platforms by American consumers, including streaming, podcasts and both broadcast and satellite radio. The study affirmed that radio reaches a larger share of the American population than any other media platform, including 91% of adults 18 or older. When narrowing down the demographic to adults ages 18-34, radio reaches 85% of the population, a figure 5% higher than live and time-shifted television. Year-over-year, the monthly reach of radio declined by approximately 2% both for adults 18 and older and adults ages 18-34. Nonetheless, radio still proves dominant over other devices able to access media, including tablets and smartphones.
While the impact of radio is undeniable, the precipitous rise of podcasts has been taking place over the course of several years and further saturating the content marketplace. Podcast listeners typically consume their programming during rush hours; that is, the early morning and the late afternoon and evening. American consumers spend an average of one to four hours consuming podcasts on a weekly basis, although consumers listening to podcasts for 5-7 hours per day increased from 12 to 15% annually.
As it pertains to podcast genres, comedy and news remained the top genres despite declines in listenership. Moreover, sports podcasts experienced a 10% decrease in listenership, one of the more pronounced decreases over the last year. Society and culture-based podcasts received the largest positive gain, with total listeners augmenting by 12%.
All-sports formatted radio stations, however, jumped in terms of monthly reach (000), moving from 10th to eighth among the top 20 AM/FM radio formats. The rise in cume is consistent with the reasoning behind increased advertising spending and investment into quality content.
The median age of sports radio listeners moved from 51 to 52, consistent with the existing audience. Moreover, the percentage of listeners employed either on a full-time or part-time basis remained at 69%, along with the average household size of 2.9 persons.
Audio-based services, specifically those rooted in terrestrial radio, reach more listeners than any other platform. According to the study, ad-supported audio on radio reaches 91% of the U.S. population, nearly two times the number of listeners on streaming music services. The figure is down 2% year over year, but still strong compared to others comparable. Ninety-three percent of adults in the U.S. population between the ages of 35 and 49 are exposed to these advertisements on a monthly basis, and 92% age 50 or older. Analyzing the reach of audio in marketing campaigns, the study attained similar figures – 91% of adults over the age of 18; and 92% of adults age 50 or older.
Radio also dominates other platforms when it comes to the time spent listening, responsible for 38% of daily listening time among all audio sources. By refining the measurement to ad-supported audio sources – essentially eliminating owned music and paid audio streaming services without advertisements – radio is responsible for 68% of daily audio consumption.
Streaming is also on the rise, with 20% of listeners tuning into their favorite stations through digital streams. The number is up by 5% year over year and has steadily increased since the first quarter of 2022, quantifiable evidence of the conspicuous effect of technological innovation and development on the industry.
As has historically been the case, larger shares of listening take place when consumers are out of their homes, primarily in the car. The study concluded that 68% of listeners consume radio in the car outside of the home during a full week, with more car-based radio listening taking place on the weekends than the weekdays. Additionally, nearly three-quarters of AM radio listening takes place in the car, justifying the reasoning of keeping the platform accessible to drivers as a standard feature of vehicles. Ford had plans to eliminate AM radio from its new car models, but quickly reversed course after government leaders voiced concerns about the dissemination of notifications via the emergency alert system.
NOTE: An original version of this story expressed that sports radio more than doubled its monthly reach in the last year. Nielsen Media Research contacted Barrett Sports Media and expressed that there was an error in the 2022 Audio Today report, mistakenly listing the cume as 8,827 rather than 18,827 (000).
CNBC Senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche has announced she’ll depart the cable outlet.
In a tweet, Tausche shared that “It’s time for a new adventure. As a wide-eyed cub reporter, I never could have imagined the experiences these years would bring and all the pinch-me moments I’d encounter. I’m so grateful for it all.”
Some personal news: After nearly 13 years at @CNBC, it’s time for a new adventure. As a wide-eyed cub reporter, I never could have imagined the experiences these years would bring and all the pinch-me moments I’d encounter. I’m so grateful for it all. (1/)
The 36-year-old joined CNBC in 2011 as a general assignment reporter for CNBC’s business programming. She later rose to co-anchor of Squawk Alley from 2014 through 2017 before shifting to her current role. She was also a contributor to MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, and Today, among others.
She did not share what her future plans were, only noting that “For now, I’m going to take some downtime – with no deadlines looming – for the first time in too long.”
Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg appear to be serious about fighting one another in a cage match, and Armstrong & Getty’s Jack Armstrong is a staunch supporter.
“If this happens, Dana White — the promoter of all the big UFC fights, says this will be the most watched fight in world history. And I would assume that’d be true,” Armstrong said to begin Armstrong & Getty Wednesday. “We were talking the other day. The Bobby Riggs/Billie Jean King Battle of the Sexes match is still the most-watched tennis match of all time. I think this would be bigger than Connor McGregor versus anybody.”
“According to a human on a website, Elon Musk’s dad is worried his son will get his ass kicked in a cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg,” Joe Getty replied. “The humiliation would be total.”
“There’s an age difference, which Zuckerberg’s got the advantage, but Elon’s like 40 pounds heavier,” Armstrong argued. “51-year-old me doesn’t wanna fight 39-year-old me, though. Elon is 190 while Zuckerberg is 150 (pounds). I didn’t know Elon was training with an actual fight trainer. Two of the richest men in the world are going to fight each other in a cage. What’s weird about that?”
Joe Getty concluded that this type of fight was common in Ancient Rome, just before the powerful civilization crumbled.
Armstrong joked that the fight needed an “undercard” with Warren Buffet fighting Bill Gates as a potential draw.
Armstrong’s comments came after he joked that if you were hearing about the potential cage fight for the first time, “It’s like hearing Ronald McDonald stabbed Colonel Sanders”.
Notre Dame has always been proudly independent in the world of college football. That has worked well for the Fighting Irish for a long time, but now that the Big Ten and the SEC have signed massive rights deals with their respective TV partners, there is some re-evaluation happening in South Bend.
The school’s current TV contract with NBC is set to expire at the end of the 2024 season. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sportsreports that it is looking for a substantial raise on its next deal.
Currently, NBC pays about $22 million per year to carry Notre Dame’s home football games. The school also receives about $11 million per year as a member of the ACC for all other sports.
Notre Dame wants its annual media rights revenue to be closer to $75 million per year. With the ACC’s TV rights locked in at ESPN through 2036, the only way to achieve that quickly is for the school to significantly raise the asking price for football, its single most valuable property.
That would not bring Notre Dame in line with Big Ten schools. That conference’s new media rights deal will pay the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, and USC nearly $90 million per year. The goal is to significantly close the gap though.
Notre Dame will have a new athletic director in 2024. Pete Bevacqua left NBC earlier this month. He will spend a year working as a special assistant to the school’s president before taking over for Jack Swarbrick, who is set to retire.
Bringing a former TV in to negotiate the next media rights deal is a smart move by a school looking to get more money out of TV partners. Bringing in a former executive from the network that has the first right of refusal may be even smarter.
Coast to Coast AM, the overnight syndicated program hosted by George Noory, is returning to syndication in Canada after a deal was struck with Orbyt Media.
Noory’s program had been unavailable to Canadian stations for the past three years, but the new deal with the Toronto-based company allows groups north of the border to sign up to carry the program.
“It’s great to be back on CKLW – The Big 8,” Noory said. “What’s even cooler is that this was the first radio station I applied to work at when I was 21 years old living in Detroit. I’m looking forward to working with the team at Orbyt Media to expand Coast to Coast AM across Canada.”
The show — which explores all topics related to the paranormal, extraterrestrial, and time travel, is currently heard on 640 stations in the United States.
“We’re proud to have Coast to Coast AM back in our lineup of best-in-class programming,” said Orbyt Media Senior Specialist of Affiliates and Content Jennifer Morrison. “This show has a fan base like none other and is sure to light up listeners’ overnights.”
Noory celebrated his 20th anniversary hosting the overnight program earlier this year.
