Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Jason Wilberding Named President of Sales for Key Networks. Media sales pro Jason Wilberding is joining Key Networks as president of sales. The company says that in this newly created role, Wilberding will oversee Key Networks’ ad sales team and work directly with Key Networks clients, including Bloomberg
Radio, to create new sales opportunities and revenue streams for the company. Nashville-based Wilberding will report directly to Key Networks’ CEO
Rob Koblasz, and to COO
Dennis Green. Wilberding most recently served as SVP, West Coast sales for
iHeartMedia. During his career he’s also served as national advertising director for the
Tribune Company’s L.A. Times Media Group, VP/director of sales for Interep, and was VP/director of sales for
Spanish Broadcasting System. Koblasz says, “Jason Wilberding brings a wealth of talent, industry knowledge and deep agency relationships to Key Networks and our client partners. This is a huge step forward for Key Networks, and we are excited to welcome him to our executive leadership team.” Wilberding says, “What attracted me most to Key Networks is the company’s entrepreneurial approach and start-up mindset, paired with the opportunity to work with prestige brand partners like Bloomberg Radio. I’m excited to work with Key Networks’ all-star team of media sales professionals, who are empowered to make quick decisions in this rapidly changing media environment. And away we go!”
Salem Moves John Gallagher to Chicago Cluster. Radio management pro John Gallagher is moving from Salem Media Group’s Little Rock cluster to the Chicago operations where he will take on the general manager position, effective January 1. Salem SVP Jeff Reisman says, “John joined Salem Media Group in
June of this year as our GM in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was in the process of relocating from Illinois when he learned of this opportunity. His track record as a radio management pro and talented leader speaks for itself. His experience specific to the Chicago market makes this an even more obvious choice. He will continue to assist with oversight of Little Rock in the short-term during this transition.” In Chicago, Gallagher has served as VP at
Nexstar Media (WGN-AM), VP and market manager with
Hubbard Radio, and regional VP for
Cumulus Media (WLS-AM).” Gallagher comments, “I’m honored to take on the role of general manager in Chicago, my family’s home for nearly 20 years. The Salem culture is unique to our industry and our mission-first philosophy sets us apart from other broadcasters. I’m eager to get started, meet the exceptional Chicago team, and serve both our audience and advertisers.”
Audacy: Gen Alpha Are Voice Natives. The company reports that its study of parents of Gen Alpha – those born between 2010 and 2025 – reveals that this is the first generation to be voice natives because of their parents’ use of smart speakers and other voice technology. Whereas Gen Z grew up as touch screen natives, Gen Alpha “has been using ‘devices’ right from the time they were born. Every aspect of their lives –
rest, education, play or entertainment involves tech. That’s why Gen Alpha is one of the most comfortable around responsive technology.”
Audacy manager of research and insights
Deepika P Das says 90% of Gen Alpha parents report their children “are very attentive when they listen to content on smart speakers”; and 79% of those parents say “their kids are more comfortable giving voice commands to smart speaker technology than they themselves would ever be.” The report concludes, “The key takeaway for brands and marketers here is to know that audio is an important pathway to parents and family time. Parents are highly engaged with audio when they’re doing joint activities with their kids, such as when they’re on their way to school or activities, or when they’re at home doing homework or relaxing, while listening to the smart speaker together. Audio enables authentic connections between brands and families with Gen Alpha kids, giving brands access to the key moments when families are discovering new information, having joint experiences, and when kids are gently influencing (or outright begging) for products that influence their purchase decisions!” See more
here.
Triton Digital: In 2023 Programmatic Buying Will Dominate. One of a number of predictions for 2023 from executives at Triton Digital comes from Triton’s global head of revenue Stephanie Donovan. She says, “The growth in programmatic buying of audio inventory has grown substantially – in the last five years we have seen it surge over 500%, in terms of Triton Digital’s gross revenue, due to the efficiency by which
buyers can reach a targeted audience at scale. Advertisers have signaled with their media budgets their preference for programmatic buying, but if inventory is not available in a programmatic exchange, publishers will miss out on revenue opportunities. Over the next year, we expect audio to continue to be of high interest to buyers; thus, ad spend via programmatic exchanges will continue to show significant growth as brands aim to reach an engaged, mobile audience.” Donovan goes on to say, “2023 will be another banner year for podcast advertising in terms of both volume and publisher CPM rates. Programmatic podcast advertising, projected to grow 30% year-over-year according to the
Podcasting Global Market Report 2022, will once again lead all other audio channels. We’ll see dynamic ad insertion (DAI) continue to steal the spotlight from baked-in ads, building upon 2022 momentum. Couple the flexibility to precisely message intended audiences with potential revenue growth opportunities, and we can expect programmatic to remain at the forefront for advertisers and publishers in 2023.”
Larry Elder Considering 2024 Presidential Run. The Washington Examiner reports that former Salem Radio Network talk show host and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder says he’s considering a run for president in 2024. Elder made the comment during an appearance on KTTV-TV, Los
Angeles “FOX 11” debating
Gloria Allred. Elder said his potential run for president is “a strong possibility.” He intimated that former President
Donald Trump’s base is shrinking, saying of the Republican nomination, “It’s not going to be a coronation.” Elder got a taste for the political arena when he was the top Republican vote getter in the recall election of California Governor
Gavin Newsom in September of 2021. The
Examiner piece notes that “Elder said he is not trying to displace anyone in particular on the Republican side but rather talk about issues that are not getting any attention. ‘I want to tackle this nonsensical notion that America remains systemically racist,’ said Elder, who is black. ‘And, we need to address the 800-pound elephant in the room, namely the large number of children who enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.’”
TALKERS News Notes. Three new members join the New York Public Radio Board of Trustees. At the December board meeting, new members were elected: Anna Quindlen, New York Times bestselling author and journalist; Diego Ibargüen, senior counsel at Hearst Corporation; and Anita Laremont, partner at the law firm Fried Frank and former NYC planning commission chair…..Chris Harrison – former host of TV’s “ The Bachelor” – launches a new podcast titled, “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever…With Chris Harrison” on January 9 via iHeartPodcasts. This marks Harrison’s first podcast and is part of the slate of shows he will executive produce alongside his fiancé Lauren Zima and their Next Chapter Productions for iHeartPodcasts. The press release says of the new show, “Fans can expect to hear Chris open up like never before. Using his unparalleled expertise, he will dig into all things relationships every week. Fans will no longer just be going along for the ride, they’ll be up close and personal with Chris as he navigates through dating, marriage, love, loss, and more. For the first time ever, Chris will discuss everything, and there’s no telling what he will have to say.”
Criminal Referral of Trump, The Economy, Musk & Twitter, Border Security, Arizona Elections, Christmas Freeze, Russia-Ukraine War, Epic Games Settlement Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/19). The January 6 Committee issues criminal referrals to the Department of Justice for former President Donald Trump and others; the falling Dow and concerns about a recession in 2023; Elon Musk’s Twitter poll about his CEO status; Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rules Title 42 can continue to keep migrants out of the U.S.; Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake continues to push election fraud allegations; the threat of frigid Christmas weather for much of the U.S.; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and Fortnight creator Epic Games pays half billion dollar fine for “unfair” microtransactions among top news/talk stories yesterday (12/19).
Tags: Audacy, audio inventory, Bloomberg Radio, Chicago, Cumulus Media, Deepika P Das, Dennis green, dynamic ad insertion, Gavin Newsom, Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Gloria Allred, Hubbard Radio, iHeartMedia, Jason Wilberding, Jeff Reisman, John Gallagher, Key Networks, Larry Elder, Little Rock, Millennials, news/talk radio, Nexstar Media, podcast advertising, president of sales, programmatic buying, programmatic exchanges, Rob Koblasz, run for president, Salem Media Group, Spanish Broadcasting System, Stephanie Donovan, Talkers Magazine, Tribune Company, Triton Digital, WGN-AM, WLS-AM
Category: Front Page News, Industry News