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How News/Talk Radio Hosts Could Play a Role in Resurrecting Local Journalism

Peter Thiele
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How News/Talk Radio Hosts Could Play a Role in Resurrecting Local Journalism

Local journalism has become an almost extinct species, and this is not good for our nation, states, cities, towns, and hamlets. I will be giving you an idea of why we are at this point and what can be done and how radio could have a place in protecting our Republic.

In retrospect, the movement 50 years ago touting journalism as a way to change our society for the better became a hotbed of “activist journalism.” There were people drawn to that career, seeking to change society.

This movement was inspired partially by frustrations over the Vietnam War. Woodward and Bernstein’s book — All the President’s Men — was a call to action for those seeking to expose the powerful. Two journalists for The Washington Post followed the botched robbery of the Democratic National Committee’s offices at The Watergate Complex. The reporting led to the resignation of President Nixon. It was obviously great work. But, with all successful things, there were consequences.

The journalism departments at universities across the USA were the place to be. Many of the students were not as interested in the truth as they were focused on advocacy. When the goal of a story is to confirm a preconceived conclusion, it ceases to be journalism.

If you are a talk radio host, you have preconceived ideas and biases. That is a good thing because you are paid for your opinions. Journalists are not. The job is to find the truth. Anyone can see any White House briefing since January 20th. The questions are tough and pointed, which is a good thing.

In the Biden administration, you rarely saw journalists push back at White House briefings. Judge this how you will. I, personally, think that so-called practitioners of the fourth estate were generally very happy with the policies of the Biden administration. These journalists allowed themselves to be used by Democratic leaders and the administration on the mental sharpness of President Biden. Even though Joe Biden was a blunder machine, few journalists questioned it. Why? It is because the fourth estate became complicit in Biden’s obvious mental decline.

There was also another issue that our national media ignored. The Democratic standard bearer’s sometimes erratic behavior led to speculation that she was three wines into the day before 10 every morning. I have a friend who is with one of the traditional big three networks. I asked about Vice President Harris and her rumored reputation as a wine mom. This friend told me that those are not rumors and that the Veep’s drinking was an open secret in D.C.

I personally want to know if potential leaders of the free world are sober. Not that I expect the President to be a non-drinker, but I want to know that the candidates are not hitting the bottle early in the day. Of all that I have read, Lyndon Johnson was the last President who really liked to have a drink while serving as our President.

Harris frequently would start laughing over something innocuous. These seemingly frequent events were never questioned by the media. No one asked the Vice President if she had been drinking. I think that is a fair question. Why wasn’t she asked about her drinking? Logically, you would have to surmise that the media thought that it would destroy her campaign. Yet, on social media, this topic was frequently discussed with videos that served as evidence. Were the videos manipulated? I am sure that some were, but others were not. By the way, if social media is discussing a story and journalists are ignoring the obvious truth, it sullies the entire profession of journalism.

In the past 20 years, newspapers have slashed their news staffs. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and even Fox have cut their news staff. Local TV and radio have cut their ability for investigative journalism. This is terrible for our country.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by the highly regarded Newhouse School at Syracuse University, only 3.4% of Journalists identify as Republican, 36% as Democrats, and 51% as independents. If the leadership of any newsroom is dominated by supporters of one particular party, what stories are being greenlit?

Now, there is hope. There are independent journalists across this nation covering the stories that will not be explored. These platforms are usually one human band enterprises. Obviously, Bari Weiss and Matt Taibbi are doing terrific work on the national front. I know of blogs across this country that are covering local and state issues.

Because of the challenges of a small base of interest in local issues, these sites are rare to amplify abuses of power successfully. As a result, we have local TV stations frightened to lose any billing and are unwilling to address hot topic controversies. That is why all the local stories on your TV station are soft news focusing on a child finding her long lost iguana.

As a talk radio host, I have had the honor to commit journalism. There was a high-profile political leader who pulled strings to change school policy after his daughter and friends were caught with booze two days before graduation. The mayor’s daughter was able to walk for her diploma even though it was an automatic one-week suspension from all school activities. The buddies of the daughter were unable to participate in the graduation ceremony.

I ran this by the station’s General Manager, realizing that there would be blowback. The boss asked me if the station would be sued. My answer was that someone could sue you over anything. We ran the story. The publicity-seeking mayor hid and eventually lost re-election. I saw him a few months later and greeted him. The mayor told me that his daughter was punished at home. My response was that the school’s policy was bent for one person. That was unfair and an abuse of his position.

News/talk radio hosts often commit journalism. Be an authentic truth-seeker. Ask the tough questions. You may be the only person who is unafraid to take on abuse. If you are given a story that seems credible, try proving it false. If you cannot find an untruth, confirm the validity of the story. Find independent hard evidence. Call people who may know something about the story.

If you ask the right questions, you may be able to create a lane of service and notoriety in your community.

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.

Why the Timing Was Right for Tara Palmeri to Begin Her Own Digital Media Empire

Garrett Searight
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Why the Timing Was Right for Tara Palmeri to Begin Her Own Digital Media Empire

Last week, Tara Palmeri launched her podcast — The Tara Palmeri Show — with a bang, featuring a debate between Democratic advocates James Carville and David Hogg.

It was the latest expansion into the digital media space for the former ABC News, Politico, Puck, and New York Post — among others — reporter. She previously launched a successful Substack account, as well as a YouTube channel that now features nearly 18,000 subscribers.

Despite her past work history, including working for some of the largest legacy media brands today, Palmeri decided to strike out on her. It would be easy to ask why she’d leave the comfort of those outlets to fend for herself.

She believes there’s an easier answer.

“Legacy media breaks a lot of news that’s really important, but they’ve also dropped the ball on a bunch of really big stories and it’s made the audience wary to go towards the institution,” Palmeri said. “It doesn’t help, either, that the Trump administration spent years trashing the media as fake news … I think people in general we’re just thinking they didn’t trust institutions anymore.

“They wanted individual voices. They wanted journalists or commentators that saw their worldview, understood what it was like to be them and wrote in a voice. And they no longer wanted to hear a voice of God from the corporate media sitting at a desk with perfect lighting, perfect hair, and perfectly scripted like a play telling them what the world was like. Suddenly, during COVID, they’re watching it on their screen and it’s not pretty. It’s authentic. It’s real. Sometimes, I try to explain people like ‘Why would you want to be on YouTube or Instagram when you used to be on ABC News in front of the White House?’

“And it’s like, if you were gonna watch an interview with someone that you admire, if it was an actor, sports figure, or athlete, how would you wanna watch them? Would you wanna watch them in their living room, comfortable though kind of a low-grade camera, maybe not too much hair, and make up, just in their element? Would you trust them more when you heard what they said? Or would you want to see them sitting across from Mary Hart with perfect hair and make up, and a setting that’s super controlled?”

She added that that “rawness” of a digital media endeavor is appealing to today’s news consumer, which motivated her to start her efforts.

“I think that people are really demanding that and the connection to the person who’s creating it. If there’s one thing we saw during COVID, it is that people really wanted to connect with the people on their screens because they couldn’t see anyone else. People still want that,” Palmeri said. “They want. They want that feeling of it’s a FaceTime video, they want that feeling that the zoom hasn’t stopped … People are ok with watching and listening to people who are on the other side of the world but can have conversations that they could never have before.

“It’s a great time, too,” she continued. “Not just a fun time but an important time to break the rules a little bit because the rules have already been broken. But now it’s time to break them and maybe remake them or decide what worked and what didn’t.” 

The Red Letter, the Substack column written by Palmeri, was created in conjunction with her YouTube channel after she signed a partnership deal with the digital video platform late last year. Tara Palmeri noted that while she initially thought she would spend all of her focus on YouTube, she couldn’t get away from her writing past. Previously working at outlets like the Washington Examiner and writing the ever-popular Playbook for Politico, she said it was a natural fit to find an avenue to share her written thoughts.

“The truth is that I’m a writer,” Palmeri admitted. “And I found myself being drawn to and wanting to write. That’s what I have been doing my whole life, so it’s kinda hard to not go back to what you’ve been good at … I’ve been in newsletters for my whole life so it just kind of makes sense. Plus, you can put the content that you’re making on YouTube in the newsletters.”

With podcasting and YouTube now essentially being ubiquitous, Palmeri found the ability to harness both platforms for dual content roles an advantage, inching closer to 1 million YouTube views as the podcast launched in earnest last week.

She added that deciding which content should live on which platform hasn’t been a challenge.

“I think when you have an interview, it always makes more sense to put it as a YouTube video or podcast, because people want to hear the voice of the person you’re interviewing,” she said. “It’s more dynamic. When I do an investigation that doesn’t necessarily have people on the record, I usually put it on The Red Letter, on my Substack newsletter, because it makes more sense. It’s a more traditional new story, but I do write it in my own voice now, which isn’t what I didn’t do before.

“I kind of almost write it as an old school columnist used to write, always in the first person — kind of overexplaining, in some ways, my reporting process — because I do think that there’s a lack of trust in media. Probably, there would be some more trust, if we can explain how we do our jobs a little bit … It’s bringing people through the process, which is what you’re saying on YouTube with like big stars like Johnny Harris and Cleo Abram. I think that builds a lot of credibility with the audience, so I do that on my Substack.”

As far as the biggest challenge she’s faced since she launch her digital efforts, Tara Palmeri admitted there have been some changes to her process.

“I think managing people, honestly, and managing business,” she said of her biggest hurdles thus far. “I used to be a content creator. I was a journalist, I look for stories. And I look for scoops instead of talking to my producer, my editor, my thumbnail person, and this and that. Instead of spending time talking to the team and getting them ready for the day, I would be on the phone with a source.

“And that’s not to say that I’m still not talking to my sources and reporting. I also spend a lot of time booking, too, to make sure the show is coming along with strong newsmakers. So I guess what I used to do — which was mostly booking and gathering information — I’m now also running a business and managing people. That’s a lot.” 

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.

How Impactful is Voice of America on the Global Radio Stage?

Dr. Ed Cohen
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How Impactful is Voice of America on the Global Radio Stage?

A few weeks back, this column covered a Pew Research Center study gauging public support for the federal subsidy for public broadcasting. I didn’t take a side on that issue but examined the “guts” of the survey and how a top-notch survey organization like Pew could end up, in my opinion, using a misleading question. I was also incredulous that 42% of the sample claimed not to have heard of National Public Radio. In that same spirit, let’s review the federal agency that oversees the Voice of America.

During the first 100 days of the Trump administration, the funding removal for the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) — which oversees the Voice of America along with Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Network, Radio and TV Marti (under the Office of Cuba Broadcasting) and the Open Technology Fund — was a hot topic.

The agency’s most recent estimates claim to have an unduplicated weekly reach (that’s “cume” to you and me) of 427 million people aged 15+ around the world. USAGM rightfully argues that the number is understated because, as they note, they have not been allowed to measure Mandarin and Cantonese listening in China since fiscal year 2018. Within China, USAGM cannot measure its Uyghur service in the Xinjiang province, as well as their Tibet service.

Also, as a student in Dr. Tim Rich’s Politics of North Korea class at WKU this semester, I understand USAGM’s inability to measure listening in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (which is neither democratic nor run for the vast majority of the people living there). If North Koreans get to listen to anything, it’s probably the greatest hits of Kim Jong Un (“Pyongyang’s number one station because we don’t allow any others!”).

Before we delve into the stats, let’s start by stating that surveying anything in Third World countries (or the newer term “Global South” if you prefer) is not easy. While some studies we see in North America are flawed, imagine trying to measure radio listening in Laos, Malawi, or Niger. There are vendors out there that can do it, but methodologies may vary based on the sampling and the costs involved.

I did my best to determine how USAGM asks their questions, and it wasn’t easy. I was able to glimpse a survey instrument at one point, and it used aided recall, in other words, something equivalent to “Did you listen to… in the past week?” or an equivalent question.

Regardless of your political viewpoint, wading through government websites to find information gives you a greater respect for Elon Musk and DOGE (even if you may have had no respect for that group in the first place). The government speaks an entirely different language. The words are in English, but aren’t words that the rest of us typically use or in the same order. It reminded me of reading a list of papers presented at an academic conference many years ago. The words were English, but none of them made any sense.

If you don’t know what aided recall is, imagine if the Nielsen diary service had a list of stations and asked if you listened to any of them in the past week. Would you take a bet on having higher cumes than you have now? Yes indeed.

In 2019, a retired USAGM analyst published a piece on the University of Southern California Center for Public Diplomacy website entitled “The USAGM Audience Increase: Less Startling Than Meets the Eye,” which questioned a large bump in the reported audience size from 2017 to 2018. Kim Elliott suggested that a change in methodology caused the big bump and since that time, USAGM has shown more year-over-year growth. The accusation that a methodological change can move estimates is no different than the change from the “five-minute rule” to the “three-minute rule” in PPM. Listening estimates went up.

The purpose here is not to indict USAGM’s audience estimates as much as it is to encourage you to always ask questions. Even the best research has flaws but that doesn’t mean you can’t trust it or make decisions based on the results. The point is, when an organization like USAGM says they have a weekly cume of over 400 million people 15+ without counting China, you may want to become a Missouri native and say “Show me.”  If you understand how the sausage was made, you can sit down and enjoy the meal or toss it in the trash.

At this point, I’d usually write “Let’s meet again next week”, but if you’re planning to attend the BSM Summit in Chicago later this week, let’s meet in person. While I’m not on the agenda, I’ll be in attendance and look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. If you want to talk about research and ratings — truly one of the top cocktail party topics — we can do that, but arguing about the NHL playoffs will also work. Hope to see some of you later this week.

For the rest of you, let’s meet again next week.

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.

FanDuel Sports Network Doubles Subscriber Base In Eight Weeks

BSM Staff
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FanDuel Sports Network Doubles Subscriber Base In Eight Weeks

FanDuel Sports Network has announced significant growth and expansion in its streaming audience to an estimated doubling of their subscriber base, fueled by live game coverage, improved user experience, and strategic partnerships. The network cited several drivers of its momentum, including full regional TV reach across all 30 of its team partners, enhanced product functionality, fan-friendly subscription offerings, and integrations with platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and FanDuel.

Since the start of the 2025 MLB season, FanDuel Sports Network’s streaming platform has averaged 250,000 unique daily users and nearly 1 million unique monthly users. In just eight weeks, the network has doubled its paid subscriber base to nearly 650,000 and is on pace to reach 1 million direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscribers by the end of the year.

“We’re progressing on our mission to reinvent the local sports media landscape by delivering a new standard for teams and their hometown fans, while also elevating the visibility of our team partners,” said David Preschlack, CEO of Main Street Sports Group. “Through our industry-leading multiplatform distribution, unmatched local rights aggregation and scalable live production capabilities, we’re creating a more dynamic, accessible, and modern ecosystem for hometown sports, and we’re just getting started.”

Furthermore, average watch time per game has climbed to 92.5 minutes, marking a 9% year-over-year increase and indicating deeper engagement from viewers. In April alone, FanDuel Sports Network racked up more than 820 million streaming minutes, a 79% jump compared to the same period last year.

In addition to higher engagement, the network is reaching a younger, more digitally native audience. On average, streaming viewers are 12 years younger than those watching on traditional cable, with many identifying as “cord-nevers” — according to a release.

“It’s exciting to see that our partnerships and unique offerings are resonating so well with passionate hometown fans and driving strong viewership and engagement across our growing subscriber base,” said Michael Schneider, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of DTC at Main Street Sports Group.

Additionally, collaborations with Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and widespread traditional cable and satellite distribution with expansive TV Everywhere capabilities have helped accelerate growth.

Schneider added, “Our ability to move fast and own the full subscriber journey gives us unmatched efficiency in acquiring DTC subscribers and harnessing viewership data to better understand and acquire more of these younger, local sports fans at scale.”

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.

Newsmax Surpasses 20 Million Social Media Followers

BNM Staff
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Newsmax Surpasses 20 Million Social Media Followers

Newsmax has announced it has eclipsed the 20 million follower plateau on social media, with millions of followers on platforms like Facebook, X, YouTube, and Truth Social, among others.

Facebook is the leading platform for the company, as it features more than 5 million followers on the Mark Zuckerberg-founded platform. During the first quarter of the year, the company saw 27.4 million social interactions on the platform, which is a 123% increase compared to the same time last year.

Truth Social — the platform founded by President Donald Trump — is also a large platform for Newsmax, as it features 4.1 million followers.

On X, Newsmax has 3.4 million followers. The cable network features 2.4 million followers on YouTube and over 2 million on Instagram. An additional 1.3 million followers are subscribed to the outlet’s channel on Rumble.

Other platforms with large followings include TikTok (169,000), Threads (390,000), and the conservative blogging platform Gettr, with 1.1 million followers.

“Newsmax is one of the most powerful news brands in America because we have an ‘all for all’ approach – we provide great content on all major media platforms for all people,” said CEO and founder Chris Ruddy. “Our success on social media is just another indication of the great content and news we’re providing the public.” 

“Reaching 20 million social media followers with the best per-follower engagement in TV news, Newsmax isn’t just growing — it’s surging ahead as a rising force,” added Senior Director for Social Media Corey Clayton. “This milestone proves that our social audience is energized around the Newsmax brand.”

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.

Adri Stuhr Exits 97.7 WKKW Morgantown, WV

BMM Staff
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Adri Stuhr Exits 97.7 WKKW Morgantown, WV

Adri Stuhr is out as midday and evening host at Country 97.9 WKKW Morgantown, WV. Her position was eliminated after 5 ½ years with the station.

Stuhr is also known for her ten years with iHeartMedia San Diego, where he was evening host at Hot AC Star 94.1. Other career stops include Hot AC Magic 104.9 in Las Cruces, NM and AC My 95.7 and Country Kat 98.9 in Duluth, MN.

Reach out with opportunities or job tips here. 

Photo Facebook

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.

Mike Tirico Discusses Nut Allergy Reaction at Kentucky Derby

BSM Staff
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As NBC Sports was covering the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, the company needed to make a sudden pivot when host Mike Tirico stepped away from the coverage after feeling under the weather. It was later revealed that Tirico had a nut allergy and was experiencing an allergic reaction, and he did not end up returning to the broadcast. Ahmed Fareed, a host and reporter for NBC Sports, ended up filling in for Tirico on the coverage and communicated what was taking place to the audience.

Tirico joined Today on Monday morning where he divulged that he was feeling okay and expressed sadness that he has become part of the program. Within the segment, he articulated that while filling in on the program last week, he pointed out that he has a nut allergy and was safeguarding against consuming anything with nuts during cooking segments. On top of that, he averred that he mentions the allergy on a regular basis but proceeded to articulate how some people on television usually engage in “snack grazing” to prevent eating big meals before taking the air. Tirico has hosted NBC Sports coverage of the Kentucky Derby for the last nine years.

“I ate something that had a nut in it and had a nut allergy, causes your throat and your nose and all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell, and it affects your breathing a little bit,” Tirico said. “So [I] wasn’t feeling well, couldn’t go on with the show, took an EpiPen shot, got treated by EMTs, felt better as about 8-9:00 came along, but it takes a while for it to get out of your system. And thank goodness Ahmed Fareed, who’s great, was there and filled in. More than ably, the show went on without us.”

Tirico spoke about how May is National Food Allergy Awareness Month and how over 30 million Americans have food allergies themselves. Furthermore, he encouraged those with food allergies to read labels, something he does regularly and acknowledges that they sometimes say, “Made in a factory where nuts are present,” something that can potentially risk cross-contamination.

“Not only ask questions, but if you’re hosting people for dinners, let them know if there are anything made with nuts,” Tirico said. “Restaurants are great about it now, folks, so ask, inquire, be curious and be courteous to those who have nut allergies or other food allergies. There are many, obviously, around the country.”

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.

Connoisseur Media to Purchase Alpha Media

BNM Staff
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Connoisseur Media to Purchase Alpha Media

Connoisseur Media — the media company led by CEO Jeff Warshaw — has announced intentions to purchase Alpha Media.

When the deal is completed, Connoisseur Media will consist of 218 radio stations in 47 markets, covering roughly 20% of all United States radio markets. Currently, Connoisseur Media operates 11 stations in New Haven, Connecticut; Nassau-Suffolk, New York; and metro Fairfield County, Connecticut. Alpha Media, meanwhile, operates in markets like San Antonio, Portland, Salt Lake City, and San Jose, among dozens of others.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alpha Media into the Connoisseur family. In getting to know the Alpha team, it has become clear that we share many of the same values — a passion for serving our local communities, a deep commitment to our clients, supporting our colleagues and fostering a culture of integrity, creativity and achievement,” Warshaw said in a statement.

“This transaction underscores our commitment to the irreplaceable role local broadcasters play in providing news, information and entertainment that truly resonates,” he continued. “Together, we will build an industry-leading platform of broadcast and digital. I could not be more excited to get started.”

Alpha Media will assume the Connoisseur Media name. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Until the deal is officially enacted, Connoisseur and Alpha have entered into a Local Marketing Agreement for the Warshaw-led entity to assume operations of Alpha Media stations.

According to a statement from Connoisseur Media, financing for the transaction is being provided by Brigade Capital Management. The financial terms of the purchase agreement were not immediately made available.

The deal for Alpha Media to be purchased by Connoisseur Media comes after the company went through widespread job cuts last year in an effort to reduce costs. Dozens of staffers across a wide variety of markets saw their jobs eliminated as Alpha Media shrank its labor force. It also changed the formats of some AM radio signals to feature the Podcast Radio US format.

It is not the first time Connoisseur Media has considered purchasing another radio group. Jeff Warshaw previously attempted to purchase Cumulus Media in 2022. The offer from Warshaw at the time would have paid Cumulus Media stockholders between $15 and $17 per share. That deal was rejected, however, with Cumulus CEO Mary Berner stating that the offer undervalued the company. As of this publication, Cumulus Media shares are currently trading at 19 cents per share.

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.

DJ Neko Named PD/PM Driver At 92.5 Maxima Tampa

BMM Staff
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DJ Neko Named PD/PM Driver At 92.5 Maxima Tampa

DJ Neko has been named Program Director and Afternoon Host at 92.5 Maxima Tampa, effective immediately.

DJ Neko said, “Coming back to 92.5 Maxima feels like coming home. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead a station that’s such a vital part of Tampa’s heartbeat. This city means so much to me, and I’m excited for the journey ahead—honoring the past, embracing the present, and building something even greater for the future.”

It is a return to Maxima for Neko, who was with the station from 2010 to 2018 during CBS ownership. His background includes iHeartMedia, Univision, SBS, and El Zol in Tampa.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Neko back to Maxima,” said Rick Thomas, Operations Manager of Beasley Media Group Tampa. “His energy, passion for the brand, and deep connection to the community make him the perfect choice to lead the station into its next chapter. There’s no doubt he’ll bring big things to the Bay!”

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.

Aircheck: Scott Shannon 1300 WMAK Nashville

Jeff Lynn
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Aircheck: Scott Shannon 1300 WMAK Nashville

When you think of Scott Shannon comes to mind? The Z100 worst-to-first transformation, Pirate Radio Los Angeles, maybe WCBS-FM. All good.

However, in 1972, Shannon was honing his craft at 1300 WMAK in Nashville. Shannon hosted evenings and eventually rose to Program Director.

When Shannon left WMAK, it was for a promo position with Casablanca Records. The radio story could have ended right there. Instead, Shannon returned to radio at WPGC in Washington, DC, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here’s Scott Shannon, 1972 WMAK, Nashville.

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.

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