Open a Mall
By Walter Sabo Sabo Media CEO NEW YORK — The forbidden topic about the future of AM talk radio is infomercials. Infomercials, rather than the subtleties of topic selection, harm AM talk cume more...
View Article“There’s Never Been a Better Time to Buy a Car”
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — That has gotta be THE – repeat, THE – most worn-out auto copy cliché. In-one-ear-and-out-the-other. A dealer who advertises 52 weeks on one of my...
View ArticleBat-Signal from Talk Radio
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — This past weekend, wistful Baby Boomers lit-up Social Media with RIPs for Adam West, 88, star of TV’s campy 1960s “Batman.” Meanwhile, here...
View ArticleThree Little Words
By Renee Kohanski, MD TALKERS Contributor NORWICH, CT — Each year the TALKERS conference promises to be the most relevant ever. Each year the conference fulfills this promise. The convention is...
View ArticleWeekends: Hit! Or Miss?
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — At many talk stations, Saturday and Sunday are the most profitable days of the week. At smart stations, shows are “appointment listening” that...
View ArticleFive Pointers on How to Engage Listeners in 10 Seconds
By Kreskin Mentalist NEW YORK — When appearing on radio, TV or the stage, I have to engage the audience in seconds. It’s similar to the challenge of attracting a listener when they turn on the key to...
View ArticleRadio’s Biggest Star: Baseball
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Do the math. For 6 months when habitual listening dips as listeners vacation and otherwise alter their lives, baseball brings: long-TSL tune-in...
View ArticleThe Tyranny of the Target Audience
By Bill McMahon The Authentic Personality CEO EAGLE, Idaho — I cringe every time I hear a well-meaning PD or GM instruct a personality to focus everything they create and present on “our target...
View ArticleEcho Chamber: Mad About Maddow
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Seen the flames? Seen the numbers? MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow scored the biggest ratings in the history of her show as she displayed a copy of Donald...
View ArticleTalk Radio Can Learn from Trump
By Phil Valentine Westwood One Talk Show Host NASHVILLE — Love him or hate him, we in talk radio can learn a great deal from Donald Trump. Since he blasted onto the political scene, he’s been a...
View ArticlePodcasting for Professional Broadcasters
By Mike Carruthers PerfectYourPodcast.com CEO LOS ANGELES — Podcasting is now a real thing. In fact it is now a small industry. Consequently, this may be the perfect time for radio professionals to...
View ArticleLessons from Rebuilding a Struggling Radio News Station
By Bill McMahon The Authentic Personality CEO EAGLE, Idaho – Competition, ownership and on-air personnel changes, misguided attempts to attract a younger audience and location on the AM band combined...
View ArticleAircheck D.I.Y.
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Because AM/FM radio now has so many non-local new-media competitors, the host/listener bond is a precious asset, especially if competing stations...
View ArticleMake it Part of the Show!
By Mark Wainwright WSYR Talk Show Host SYRACUSE — Holland Cooke’s recent commentary on TALKERS TV about local endorsement spots reinforced my long-standing belief in local radio, and it gives me an...
View ArticleUber Earful
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Taxis are to take-me-somewhere as radio is to inform-me/entertain-me. Internet-based innovation is disrupting every legacy industry. Ask an...
View ArticleRadio’s Social and Digital Dilemma
By Bryan Crabtree WAFS/WGKA Talk Show Host ATLANTA — Radio was the original social media. We owned the dialogue. Now we own just some of it. Let’s stop complaining about the challenges and dominate...
View ArticleTalk Radio’s Dream Come True?
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant NEW YORK — After nearly two years of campaign noise, many Americans were eager “for it to end.” But November 8 was a beginning. And with the manners our parents...
View ArticleWhat Are You Going to Do on Wednesday?
By Waltr Sabo Sabo Media CEO NEW YORK — “Talk radio” is whatever you want it to be. Talk is the only viable, free-form format. Is your current programming delivering the growth and demos you like?...
View ArticleSocial Media: Like Your Friends
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant BLOCK ISLAND — Social media tools can be extremely valuable to broadcasters who don’t just use them to…broadcast. At the recent NAB/RAB Radio Show in Nashville,...
View ArticleThe Local Media Company of the Future
By Holland Cooke Media Consultant NASHVILLE — Each year, there’s one session at the NAB/RAB Radio Show I reckon that – alone – was worth the trip. Researcher Gordon Borrell nailed it this year with...
View Article