Home Blog Page 925

Why Frank Morano Chose Politics Over The Other Side of Midnight

Garrett Searight
-
0
Why Frank Morano Chose Politics Over The Other Side of Midnight

Life can be full of agonizing decisions. 77 WABC host Frank Morano was recently confronted with one of these exact situations: either give up his nationally syndicated radio show — The Other Side of Midnight — or not take a seat on the council of Staten Island, his longtime home.

Morano decided to take the path of public service, leaving his job with Red Apple Audio Networks and 77 WABC behind.

He admitted he was — and still is — torn about the decision.

“It was the most difficult decision that I’ve ever made and in some respects, it was the easiest,” he shared. “It was difficult because I have a great passion for both of these worlds, the world of public service and the worlds of broadcasting. I agonized about whether or not I should step away from a job that I genuinely love and from an audience that I genuinely care for in order to try something that I’ve never tried before, when I could’ve easily been happy doing that job for the rest of my life.

“But on the other hand, it was a very easy decision, because I kind of felt like I’d be ok no matter what. If I ran and lost, I thought, ‘Ok, that’s part of God’s plan, and that’s you know his way of saying that should continue on the radio.’ I ran and won. I had this other great opportunity, so it was in some respects a very challenging decision, but in another respect, it was a no-lose proposition.”

Morano ran as a Republican for a seat on the council of Staten Island in a special election. After winning that special election, he now moves on to a Republican primary, where he needs to win again in order to attempt to win the seat in the general election in November.

The decision was such a challenge for Frank Morano due to his strong feelings about working in the radio industry.

“To me, being involved in the world of radio is like breathing,” Morano said. “I can’t imagine any scenario in which being part of the world of talk radio wouldn’t be of interest to me. It’s been my greatest passion since I was eight years old, and I’d love to find a way to continue doing something regularly on radio. If it can’t be done on a daily basis, maybe on a weekly basis. And if that’s not able to happen, then I would love to substitute for different hosts around the country.”

Despite his passion for the medium, Morano said he felt called to serve his community due to future conversations he might need to have with his young son.

“I have a strong desire to help people. My wife and I have a three-year-old, and so many people that I grew up with in New York City and Staten Island — as soon as they were able — they moved off of Staten Island and moved out of New York City,” said Morano. “And when my son is an adult, I’d like to be able to tell him I did everything that I could in order for him to stay on Staten Island. That’s what I wanna do. I wanna make it a place that’s more livable for him and for all my neighbors.”

So, with his win in the special election, Morano was forced out of his radio show due to concerns about the equal time laws — which require access to equal time for political candidates on media outlets — and his ability to juggle being a full-time councilmember with being a full-time overnight radio host.

He called the situation “really disappointing.”

“I was planning to be back on here the Thursday after the election,” said Morano. “I had booked guests and I planned a lot of content that I was looking forward to. And I knew that once I got sworn in as a council member, it was uncertain whether I’d be able to continue. So I was really looking forward to going out with a bang and planning some really great shows. Not being able to say a proper goodbye to the audience … it was really disappointing.

But I don’t harbor any bitterness towards Red Apple at all. They gave me the opportunity to do this show for the last five years, which has been a dream come true,” he continued. “They let me build such an audience and some remarkable things. That’s the show I’ve always dreamed of doing. I think they were doing what they thought they had to legally.”

In spite of not getting a farewell send-off he had hoped for, The Other Side of Midnight host had a message to send to the radio industry and his regular listeners.

“I’d really like to say thank you,” said Morano. “I’m incredibly grateful for your support, your patronage, your criticism from time to time, your calls, and your patronizing of our advertisers. I am really grateful, because our show was so different in all the stations that carried the show that they were willing to take a chance on a show that was really different from everything else that’s on the radio these days … The other thing I would say is, because my access to email was cut off kind of suddenly, the people who sent me an email and are wondering why I didn’t respond, that’s why. It’s not something they should take personally.”

The Other Side of Midnight originated from 77 WABC in New York. The program — distributed by Red Apple Media — was heard on stations like KMOX in St. Louis, WGN Radio in Chicago, and 830 WCCO in Minneapolis, among dozens of others. It was heard live from 1-5 AM ET.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

96.3 KKLZ’s ‘Mike & Carla Show’ Is Driven By Passion

Charese Fruge
-
0
96.3 KKLZ’s ‘Mike & Carla Show’ Is Driven By Passion

Mike O’Brien and Carla Rea met in the 1980s when Mike was doing mornings on 98.5 KLUC in Las Vegas. Carla was a stand-up comedian, and their paths crossed often since she was often a guest on his show.

When Mike eventually moved to 97.1 The Point in Las Vegas, the two teamed up until he moved to 96.3 KKLZ. He needed a third person for the show and figured Carla would be perfect; as it turned out, she was. The two have been doing mornings together for almost 20 years and have been on KKLZ for 13 years. About five or six years ago, Morty Sampaio was added to the show as Executive Producer.

When describing what each member brings to the show, Mike says it’s not that difficult. “I just try to keep the show moving and on time. Carla is the funny one. She’s brilliant at knowing pop culture, music of all genres, and if I ever say, ‘…never heard of her!’ She is quick to point out, ‘…you know the song, here it is!’”

“Beyond that, I should also point out that not too many stand-up comedians can make the transition to radio, but Carla has done it. I get to the station at about 4:30 -5 am, Carla gets there about 3:30 am. She preps and is ready to rock when we hit the air.”

“I got lucky working with Mike,” Carla adds. “He taught me the fine art of shutting up. After talk radio, I really had to learn to do a different style of radio. He taught me well. Although I still talk a lot!”

“Mike is hilariously funny!” she adds. “And he is probably much more the ‘good guy’ to my ‘bad guy.’ I’m the smarta**. I get away with a lot more than many, because they know me as a comedian and respect Mike. They trust him. And to me, he’s basically like my other big brother. He’s family. We’ve shared a lot of good and bad over the years. You get to know each other really well through life and death. Ohhh – way too serious. But true.”

“The Mike & Carla Show” is driven by passion. “I honestly believe our true passion is entertaining our listeners and letting them think about nothing really serious or important, for the five hours we are on the air,” explains Carla. “Too much real life, and we just want to make people happy for a while. And community involvement, where others don’t seem to go. The smaller organizations that need the help but just don’t get it are what we focus on.”

“It’s funny, we always joke that if Chet (Buchanan from KLUC) or Mercedes (From Mix 94.1) are booked, we’re the next choice to emcee an event,” adds Mike. “But seriously, we are out in the community hosting events like ‘Scale the Strat (Stratosphere),’ the ‘NAMI Walk,’ the ‘Purple Stride’ event and others. When you live here as long as both of us have, you become ingrained in the community, and it’s just a part of what we do.”

When I asked Mike & Carla to tell us what was different about the Vegas market, I had forgotten how long both of them had been here. “That’s a tough question since I have never really worked in another market! LOL!” says Mike. “Came here in 1980, doing nights at KLUC, then left for a year and a half, came back and started doing mornings in 1986.”

“But I get the question, I think the big difference is that there is always something going on. Whether it be concerts, shows, or sporting events, there is always something. I used to love when others would come to this market and think, ‘I am going to RULE this market!’ I would have to say calmly, ‘settle down, buddy!’ For most that come here from even a smaller market, they might do three to four big concerts a year…with Las Vegas, it’s every weekend!”

“In regard to the show, this is our town! Carla was born and raised in Nevada. Grew up in Reno, went to school at UNR. I’ve been here for over 40 years. My daughters grew up here, and now we have grandkids who are here. So, on the air, we really treat it as if we were in any other market, bigger or smaller.”

“I always feel funny when people start talking about other markets they’ve worked in. I’ve only been in Vegas, too,” adds Carla. “But I do know that most people who come to Las Vegas have a very different, and often a wrong, view of the city. It might be a big city, but it’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone. And in radio – still – it’s all about relationships. And we have a great relationship with our community.”

“As far as how much we share on the show, probably way too much,” insists Mike. “There are lines we won’t cross, but for the most part, we throw it all out there. I mean over the years, those who have listened over the course of almost four decades know my story, my history and my life. Same thing with Carla, however, having worked together as long as we have, we also know where the line is. A very important element when doing a morning show with someone.”

I asked the pair if anything had ever happened on the show that turned things upside down. “When I had to tell Mike what NWA stood for,” explains Carla. “And then tell listeners, who also had no idea, but their kids loved them, and so did they. But I had to do it very carefully, on a piece of paper, and in code. Funny moment, but Mike asked when we were live, so – IMPROVISE! (Awkward) And of course, the occasional food poisoning.”

So what’s missing in the industry? “Oh boy, that is a totally different subject!” says Mike. “For me, when I started, yes, I am going to be that guy! ‘In my day,’ I just realized that there are more elements to radio than, say, a few years ago.”

“Podcasting, social media, video…it’s all become a part of our industry in some way, shape or form. I sometimes think a lot of us forget the magic that we can create in that studio. That’s where it all begins. I have this saying when I run into other ‘radio’ people: ‘Are you on the radio, or DOING radio?’ There’s a huge difference, and if they don’t get it, then it tells me that they’re just ‘on’ the radio. To fix it, encourage those who have the talent to spend time in the studio, make it happen, create the illusion that got all of us into radio in the first place.”

“People. Talent is missing,” says Carla. “I don’t mean there is a lack of it. I mean, radio needs to cultivate it, like it once did. I always say, there is no free entertainment out there anymore except radio! How did we let that get away from us? Radio is magical! And it’s so accessible. Talk about it! Show it off!”

Follow Mike & Carla on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kklz963/, Instagram: @KKLZ963 and X: @KKLZ963

Photo Courtesy Mike & Carla

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox. 

3 Tips for News/Talk Radio Hosts to Spark the Creative Juices and Tell Better Stories

Peter Thiele
-
0
3 Tips for News/Talk Radio Hosts to Spark the Creative Juices and Tell Better Stories

Being predictable is the bane of any form of entertainment, including news/talk radio. One of the key aspects of communication is a personal connection to the topic. Frequently, this aspect is missing from a bunch of the monologues that I hear.

Let’s say there is a crime epidemic in your community. There was an especially egregious story that was made for a discussion on your radio show. Your better half had a very similar experience, and it is something that was quite dramatic for the romantic partner. You prefer not to say that the wife had a scenario that mirrored this news story.

How do you handle it?

Well, you will need to change the basic facts. If you think that this is unacceptable to you, could you pass a basic lie detector test on the air? You are a performer. Your show is entertainment. For your listeners to lean into the conversation, you must make this personal to you. This is a huge part of setting up a topic.

The three pillars of a good talk show topic are the opinion, the news story, and a personal connection to it. I get it and fully agree: You don’t want to turn your show into a confessional for everything going on in your home. But if you cannot explain your personal connection, the topic will be a sanitized academic discussion of something in the news. There is no connection that will make your audience care about the story.

I will also let you know that every time you open your microphone, you are putting on a show. There are opinions that some hosts change, realizing that it will infuriate the boss, an advertiser, or a listener.

I recently spent time on the phone with a host who is struggling with how to be critical of President Trump. The host is performing and unwilling to be honest in his opinions of Trump. If you are hosting a show, you frequently find yourself in this predicament.

So, this is where a story can be used as a tool for creating a topic. This host is worried about criticizing President Trump on an issue. The host could tell a story about a friend, acquaintance, or family member who thinks that President Trump’s policy on trade is wrong. You tell the story, and that helps build a phone topic.

I have heard hosts say this lie: “I only speak about things that I am interested in.” That line of thinking is guaranteed to destroy ratings and revenue. Let’s say that host is really interested in collecting Beanie Babies. Should they discuss it? I may want to hear someone discussing the intricacies of tax policy breaks into 20 minutes on their love of Beanie Babies and that they are struggling on whether to sell two Princess The Bear Beanie Babies. You see Princess the Bear is worth a cool half million dollars.

With that said: how do you flesh out your creativity? There are several ways…

Take a Creative Writing Class

This is an important way to improve your art. These classes are available in your community. You can find the classes at your friendly neighborhood library, a community college, a local writing club, or a community course.

This is a great way to learn the art of hosting a show.

If you meet successful fiction authors, ask them about where they get characters. If the writer is being honest, each character has a connection to someone in their life. It could be a family member or a friend. The character could have been inspired by the lady standing in front of the writer at Walmart. The creators of South Park have openly stated that several of the main characters on the show were based on real people.

Take an Improv Class

Early in my radio career, I took improv classes from Stevie Ray’s Comedy Cabaret. I learned much about how to put myself in different situations. Thinking this through, I remember more in this class than in 4 years of college.

Your community has a class like this. It will give you tools. Many talk show hosts come from disciplines that are not built on creativity.

If you came to radio after a political career or journalism, being creative is essential for your long-term success in this industry.

Try Stand Up Comedy

At your local comedy club, there are open-stage nights. They allow almost anyone on stage for five minutes to try to generate laughs. It is tougher than you think. This exercise will improve your ability to tell a joke. You will learn that the story is based on timing more than even the content.

Write your own material. The picture of you on your station’s website was probably taken a decade ago. Use a fake name and get up there and try to get a laugh. Don’t tell anyone that you are doing this. But, watch Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, or Shane Gillis tell a story. Use their basic template.

Hosting a talk radio show is a very difficult thing. You are hosting 15-20 hours a week with no writers, likely no producer, and with few resources other than your gumption. Your audience believes that they know you. But they only know what you reveal on the air. The more personal connections, the more likely that you will grow your following.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

The Ben Shapiro Show to Expand Length of Daily Show

BNM Staff
-
0
The Ben Shapiro Show to Expand Length of Daily Show

The Daily Wire has announced that The Ben Shapiro Show is set to expand the length of its daily show beginning on Monday.

The Ben Shapiro Show will now include an additional 30 minutes of commentary and political analysis each day.

Previously, the show has routinely lasted between 45-60 minutes of daily content. Now, the program from The Daily Wire is set to expand to roughly 90 minute episodes.

The expansion comes as Shapiro eclipsed more than 30 million followers between social media platforms and podcast/digital video hubs like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

The daily podcast from Ben Shapiro routinely finishes as one of the top conservative political shows in the genre, and one of the most-listened to podcasts — regardless of format — in the nation. Shapiro has been named one of the 40 most influential people in podcasting by The Hollywood Reporter in recent years.

Shapiro’s daily podcast expansion comes after The Daily Wire’s relationship with Westwood One to syndicate its content to local radio stations came to a close at the end of 2024. Previously, shows from Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Michael Knowles were distributed as one-hour shows for stations beginning at 3 PM ET.

In recent months, Ben Shapiro has denied claims that The Daily Wire was on less than stellar footing after the departure of some executives and seeing co-CEO Jeremy Boreing stepping down from that position.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Akbar Gbajabiamila Not Returning To ‘Good Morning Football’ on NFL Network

BSM Staff
-
0
Akbar Gbajabiamila Not Returning To ‘Good Morning Football’ on NFL Network

According to a report from Deadline, former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila will not be returning to the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. The former defensive end worked just one season on the daily NFL morning show, with his last appearance on the program this past Valentine’s Day.

Furthermore, Gbajabiamila is just the latest exit from the morning show on the NFL Network, as Peter Schrager exited the program in March to take an insider role with ESPN. Since both Schrager and Gbajabiamila’s exit, the program has been using a rotation of guest hosts to work alongside Kyle Brandt and Jamie Erdahl.

Nevertheless, he will still co-host broadcasts of American Ninja Warrior according to the report in Deadline.

Gbajabiamila joined Good Morning Football in the fall of last year as the program moved its home location from New York City to Los Angeles. This new setup allowed Gbajabiamila to be in studio with Erdahl, while both Brandt and Schrager joined the program remotely from their New York home studio. In addition, while he has been on the call of American Ninja Warrior since 2013, he also worked on The Talk on CBS, which ended this past December.

As for who the NFL Network will facilitate in the full-time role as co-hosts on the popular morning program, the network has not released any plans yet. However, according to several reports, talks between ESPN and the NFL have re-surfaced regarding a possible acquisition of NFL Media, which would include the NFL Network as well as other properties.

Looking ahead, the NFL may opt out of its current agreement with Disney following the 2028–2029 season. Therefore, making an agreement for NFL Media now would benefit ESPN with more NFL content for its already vast host of live 24/7 channels, and benefit the league by finding a suitor to take hold of some assets which have not performed as well as originally thought.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox. 

Casey Atkins Out At Country 95.7 Fayetteville NC

BMM Staff
-
0
Casey Atkins Out At Country 95.7 Fayetteville NC

Casey Atkins has emerged as another Beasley Media Group job cut as he exits as AP/PM Driver at Country 95.7 Fayetteville, NC.

On his social media, Atkins wrote, “Sadly, my time with Beasley Media Group has come to an end. I loved my job, and were it up to me, I’d have done it forever. But life doesn’t always operate around what we want, nor should it.”

“In a time where support means absolutely everything in this business, the Fayetteville Beasley team never failed to show up for me. No matter where the future takes me, the friendships and memories I’ve made here are something I will cherish for the rest of my days.

Atkins is looking for this next opportunity, saying, “If you know of a place that’s hiring and is willing to look the other way when a few dozen company pens go missing, throw me a line!”

He can be reached by email here.       

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Throwback Brands To Award Morning Show Boot Camp Experience

BMM Staff
-
0
Throwback Brands To Award Morning Show Boot Camp Experience

Throwback Brands, in collaboration with its syndication partner, Skyview Networks, has officially announced the introduction of the “Throwback Brands Boot Camp Experience.”

This initiative offers a scholarship to one participant to attend the Morning Show Boot Camp in Austin, TX.

In partnership with event host Don Anthony, an industry professional, student, or content creator will attend the upcoming event for the first time.

Tony Lorino, CEO and Founder of Throwback Brands and host of Throwback Nation Radio, said, “Our industry is unique in that so much of what we learn comes from networking with others. Chris Cruise, Joe Cortese, and I all had that opportunity to network, learn and grow early on in our careers, and we’re excited to give this opportunity to someone else who wants to do the same.”

“Morning Show Boot Camp is an incredible event that brings together radio talents, programmers and industry experts each year,” said Ed Moloney, Director, Affiliate Syndication of Skyview Networks. “By giving a lucky participant the opportunity to attend the event for the first time and be surrounded by the top personalities in radio, Throwback Brands is further driving the connections across the industry.”

The winner will be announced publicly on Friday, June 27th, at 5 pm (CT). It is important to note that only individuals who have not previously attended the Morning Show Boot Camp are eligible for selection. For more information, please visit www.throwbackscholarship.com.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

The Erick Erickson Show Continues Affiliate Visits with Stop at WEEB

BNM Staff
-
0
The Erick Erickson Show Continues Affiliate Visits with Stop at WEEB

The Erick Erickson Show has made it a priority to make visits to affiliate stations and local listeners in 2025. The tour continued with a stop at WEEB in Southern Pines, North Carolina, last week.

The stop was a sentimental one for the nationally syndicated radio host. WEEB was the first station outside of Georgia to carry The Erick Erickson Show.

During his visit to the city roughly two hours due east of Charlotte, Erickson met with more than 100 listeners for a meet and greet session, which included a Q&A with the Compass Media Networks host. Meetings were also held with local advertisers.

“Radio is a far more intimate medium than any other form of media,” said Erickson. “People get to know you based on voice inflection. Getting into the markets and being in person with our listeners builds the audience connection and is important to me. It’s equally important that I do it without being a burden to the affiliates and working in collaboration with them.”

Erickson hosted his show live in front of the station’s audience. The program airs live from 12-3 PM ET. During his visits to individual markets, Erickson and his team are picking up the travel expenses themselves to reduce the burden on affiliates.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

MusiCares Distrubites $10 Million To LA Fire Relief Efforts

BMM Staff
-
0
MusiCares Distrubites $10 Million To LA Fire Relief Efforts

The 2025 GRAMMY Awards paid homage to Los Angeles by raising significant funds for individuals impacted by the catastrophic wildfires that struck earlier this year.

During the GRAMMY telecast held in February in Los Angeles, audiences contributed nearly $10 million towards the Los Angeles Fire Relief efforts. These funds are now aiding not only music industry professionals but also the wider community in the L.A. area affected by the fires.

MusiCares has allocated $6,125,000 in support of over 3,100 music professionals throughout Los Angeles. In addition, the organization has committed $3,969,005 to three community-based organizations—California Community Foundation, Direct Relief, and Pasadena Community Foundation—to help address the wider community impact beyond the music sector.

During the recent GRAMMY weekend, viewers of the GRAMMY telecast contributed $10 million, while MusiCares and the Recording Academy garnered an additional $16 million through the MusiCares Fire Relief campaign and the annual Persons of the Year gala.

Of the total raised, MusiCares has earmarked $6 million for long-term fire relief initiatives, with the remaining $10 million from the Persons of the Year gala allocated to support MusiCares’ ongoing mission throughout the year.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Dan Le Batard Addresses Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner Stepping Back From Program

BSM Staff
-
0
Dan Le Batard Addresses Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner Stepping Back From Program

Dan Le Batard addressed the ongoing changes with Meadowlark Media for the first time earlier today on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. This comes over a week after the sudden announcement of John Skipper leaving Meadowlark Media as CEO, as well as Barrett Media’s report of Jon “Stugotz” Weiner deciding to step back from his role on the program.

Initially, Le Batard was in the middle of discussing Pablo Torre’s sourced report diving into the relationship between Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. However, he soon pivoted to address consumers who could be concerned about the future of the company and the show.

“Pablo Torre’s podcast is a place, as media shakes and crumbles, is a safe space for independent microphone conversation,” said Le Batard. “For those of you who are worried about the future of our show because, ‘hey, why is Stugotz stepping back?’ Well, I would like all my friends to have giant businesses, and Stugotz would like God Bless Football to be a giant business. He’s going to make it a giant business.”

Moreover, Barrett Media reported on May 2 that sources with knowledge of the situation indicated Weiner is taking his podcasts with him as well, including God Bless Football, and is in the midst of negotiating a deal under which he would make a certain number of appearances on The Dan Le Batard Show for the remainder of the year.

In addition, Le Batard also spoke about Torre and his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out.

“Pablo is going to make Pablo Torre Finds Out a giant business,” noted Le Batard. “David Sampson has already made Nothing Personal a giant business. That’s why we left (ESPN) and did what we did, so that we can have people take up their brands and be independent.”

Furthermore, DraftKings previously signed a three-year contract with Meadowlark Media to serve as the presenting sponsor of programming. Le Batard stated on a March edition of his show that the deal was ending in “a few months” and did not provide further details surrounding the situation. Outside of Le Batard’s show, the company is also involved in other podcasting ventures and records shows from studios in Miami and New York City.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

1...924925926...2,896Page 925 of 2,896