Cincinnati Stations Air Free Spots For "The Interview"

12-30-14

On Christmas Day, five stations in Cincinnati (WRRM-FM, WGRR-FM, WOFX-FM, WNNF-FM, and WFTK-FM) started running no-charge commercials for Sony's movie ?The Interview.? Cumulus Cincinnati Market Manager Dave Crowl said, ?We support the decision of Sony to release the movie and as a tribute to the generations of Americans and their families who have fought to preserve our rights, we thought this is the least we could do.? Cumulus employees also wrote and voiced an editorial in support of the movie?s release.

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(AUDIO) Don Bouloukos - The Exit Interview

4-17-14

Come June, Don Bouloukos says he will start chipping away at two new personal goals, losing 30 pounds and improving his golf game. Along with spending much more time with his wife Bouloukos is looking forward to retirement, after 41 years in the radio business that all started in Chicago. In the early 70's Bouloukos was tending bar in the Windy City when he noticed radio people would visit his establishment, always having fun, always throwing around a lot of money. Bouloukos knew he could sell so he knocked on the doors of WFYR, where he was hired as a salesperson.

The station wasn't even on the air yet. The FYR job lead to a sales job at WLS where Bouloukos says it was radio magic. In the decade Bouloukos worked at WLS he would advance all the way to Vice President/General Manager before taking a corporate job with ABC. Throughout his 41 years in radio, Bouloukos has managed many people, many stations and many clusters. You have to be good at managing all in order to make it in the radio business and go out on your own terms and that's exactly what Bouloukos is doing. What's the secret to making that work?

Here's our extended interview with Bouloukos where we ask him all about it. LISTEN HERE

Reach out to Bouloukos if you have any tips on improving his golf game or you'd like to wish him well Don.Bouloukos@cbsradio.com

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D&C Interview Hero From Boston Bombing

4-25-13

It's a picture we've seen so many times on the news. An unidentified man is as white as a ghost, clearly in shock, with horrible looking injuries to his legs. That man turned out to be Jeff Bauman. Bauman, despite the pain he was in at the time, was able to give police a description of a man who turned out to be the bomber. Bauman appeared on the Dennis & Callahan show this morning where he told his incredible story. LISTEN HERE

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(EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW) Radio's AM Champion

4-25-13

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai has turned into a hero for AM Broadcasters. His desire to save the AM band, stemming from his love for AM radio stations, is exactly what AM broadcasters need at such a crucial time. With interference at an all-time high and so many other ways to consume much clearer content, AM radio might simply die without such an important advocate in such an important position. The question is..Is it too late?

Pai told Radio Ink that it's now or never to come up with a plan to clear up that signal. He's hoping to move forward his idea to revitalize the AM band as quickly as possible, however, a short-staffed commission may delay that plan. In the short-term, however, FM translators might be the answer. We asked Pai about the Tell City waiver which has almost become a battle cry for AM broadcasters and might clear the way for more FM translators. Is a blanket power increase for AM's the solution? What about going all digital? Or, is it simply too late to even spend the time trying to save the AM band? Here's our full interview with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai.

As always, we look forward to hearing back from you (below) on this very important topic.

(4/26/2013 6:52:26 AM)
I smell iBiquity!

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D&C Score Interview With Watertown Chief

4-22-13

On Entercom Sports Talker WEEI this morning, Dennis and Callahan interviewed Watertown Police Chief Ed Deveau. Deveau was in the studio with D&C for over 40 minutes, answering questions and taking calls from listeners. The town of Watertown was where the standoff with the second Boston Marathon bomber ended with the apprehension of the suspect in a boat.

Listen HERE and HERE

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CEO Exit Interview

4-6-13

Two months ago, Spencer Brown was named CEO of Dial Global. After sharing the seat with Ken Williams and David Landau, Brown was chosen to lead the turnaround of Dial Global. And, by all indications, the company was making significant progress on turning around. When it became clear to the Dial Global board that Paul Caine was interested in the CEO position, Brown was surprised to learn his services at the company were no longer needed. Friday was Brown's last day. Caine starts today. We spoke to Brown about the details of his departure, the challenges of the network business, and we asked him if the Westwood One merger was a mistake? LISTEN HERE

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(PROGRAMMING) An Interview With J.T. "The Brick"

11-2-2012

J.T. ?The Brick? joined FOX Sports Radio as the afternoon host in June
2001, and later became host of FOX GameTime React. Today, J.T. continues to deliver the latest sports news and information as he catches fans up on the day?s biggest events during his self-titled FOX Sports Radio overnight program. I spoke to J.T. about his career, the industry and his election prediction.

RL: You've obviously struck a nerve in the sports radio talk-show
business. What do you attribute your success to?

JT: My work ethic has been the key to any success I've had throughout my
career. I came from a sales background, and understood quickly that I
had to learn the business side of sports talk radio as I was
developing my on- air style. I enjoyed working long hours while
interacting with sports fans throughout the country, and always
understood that the audience had to be treated with respect if they
were going to stick around. My father will always remain my mentor and
he taught me at an early age that you need to outwork your competition
each day.

RL: I say the host makes the show, not the callers. You agree?

JT: Any good host controls the content and pace of their show, but good
callers and opinions can enhance sports talk radio. Hosting a national
show, I enjoy hearing the opinions of listeners in every market,
especially when they have a solid opinion or suggestion about what's
happening in their area in regard to a team or particular player.
Sometimes an educated fan who is a season ticket holder and lives and
dies with their local team or players may know a lot about a topic and
can benefit the show. I pride myself on giving strong opinions during
my show each night, and understand when to back up a solid caller who
makes a good point.

RL: How would you assess the state of radio these days?

JT: I'm excited about the state of radio as we?re slowly coming out of
this economic downturn. Sports radio continues to grow at an
accelerated pace and listeners continue to flock to this format. I'm
excited about iHeartRadio, satellite radio and other formats which
give listeners many choices for entertainment, and allows them to stay
connected 24/7. FOX Sports Radio and my show are available on all of
these. Working for Clear Channel/Premiere since 2001 has been an
honor, and it's exciting to see what lies ahead in the near future.
I'm always excited about sports because it's the ultimate reality show
and something exciting happens every few hours.

RL: If you didn't do sports-talk radio, what would you do?

JT: If I wasn't in radio, I would be in sales. To be successful in sales
you have to work extremely long, hard hours while building
relationships with valued customers. I would want to be in a career
where I could achieve my goals while having an unlimited upside. I'm
always thankful I decided to get into this business and have had
tremendous management and friends around to help achieve many of my
goals. I'm excited about what this industry has in store, and I'm
confident my best work is still to come.

RL: Who's going to win the election? Romney or Obama.

JT: I'm a political junkie, and can?t wait for election day. Living
in Las Vegas, I have seen the worst of the political ads. I think it?s
going to be a very close election and it?s hard to say who will win -
I didn't think the San Francisco Giants would make the playoffs six
months ago, let alone win the World Series.

Rich Lieberman is a veteran SF Bay Area news blogger covering radio and TV since 2001.His media blog, "415 Media" (http://www.richliebermanreport.blogspot.com) is the #1-read industry sheet in SF.

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Smerconish to Interview Bogle at Forecast

10-3-2012

Investments and capital, stocks and bonds, mutual funds and hedge funds -- any executive knows how important it is to understand and be able to discuss and debate the key concepts of finance. And at Radio Ink's Forecast 2013, you'll have the opportunity to deepen your understanding and learn from a legend in the world of finance: Vanguard Group founder and Bogle Financial Markets Research Center President John C. Bogle (pictured).

Radio Ink Publisher B. Eric Rhoads said, "John Bogle has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential individuals in the investment industry, and we are very pleased to have him join us at Forecast this year."

Bogle created Vanguard, the world's largest mutual fund organization, in 1974 and was its chairman and CEO until 1996 and its senior chairman until 2000. In 1975, he created the 500 Index Fund -- the first index mutual fund and still Vanguard's largest. During his long and distinguished career Bogle has shared his insights in best-selling books including Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor and John Bogle on Investing: The First 50 Years; his latest book, Clash of the Cultures, was released in August 2012.

Bogle has been recognized for his industry influence again and again: He was named one of Fortune's "Four Giants of the 20th Century" in the investment industry in 1999 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Institutional Investor in 2004 -- the same year Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most powerful and influential people.

At Forecast 2013, John C. Bogle will be interviewed onstage by talk host Michael Smerconish, noted for his incisive and insightful take on money, politics, and current events. Smerconish's show is syndicated nationally by Dial Global, and he's also a best-selling author and a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Read more about Forecast HERE
See the agenda HERE
Register HERE

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Ramsey Interview

9-29-2012

RI: Twenty years, you've been on the radio. Can you believe it?

Dave Ramsey: It's wild. It's hard to think about, but it's actually happening.

RI: What were you thinking when you realized, "Oh, my gosh. It's been 20 years"?

Dave Ramsey: A couple of things come to mind. One is, yes, it has flown by. A lot of times, things do. You look up and your kids are grown and those kinds of things. The other thing is, when I look back on this, it was harder than I thought it was going to be. We've worked really hard.

RI: The radio job, specifically, you mean?

Dave Ramsey: The whole radio business; syndicating the show, learning the business, and getting better on the air. All business is about...you got to get in there and go win.

RI: Specifically about your radio career, Dave: Do you remember something that sticks out most in your mind that got you thinking "I nailed this. It's going to work. We are going to pick up stations. We are going to get rolling,"? Was there a specific time or station or affiliate that you really knew it was starting to kick in

Dave Ramsey: I think there are several different milestones as you go along. Certainly, when we got to 50 stations the first time... we looked at that and thought, "Wow. Maybe this is going to work." Then, when you get to 100, you think, "This is going to work. Somebody is going to pay us for this." Then every time you hit another one of those milestones, 200 stations, 300 stations, 400 stations, then start creeping up on and then break through 500. Each one of those times you do that, you go, "This is probably going to work out."

RI: How have you kept it going, and the listeners engaged, and the show evolving over 20 years. Obviously, I am guessing you have to keep changing so that you are fresh. What is it about you that you keep growing this and being a success at it?

Dave Ramsey: You know, the advice we give really hasn't changed. I am hopefully a little bit better about listening and getting into the situation and giving quality advice and leaning into it. I think I am better at that and I think that's kept it fresh. We have become a little more comfortable on the air dealing with someone that's emotional, whether they are angry, or they're sad, or there's been a tragedy, or something like that. Each time you do that, it just creates compelling radio.

RI: How important is the radio show and has the radio show become how you've grown the rest of your business?

Dave Ramsey: Initially, when we first started, it was everything. Most of our leads for anything we did came out of radio. Now we have entire divisions to our company that don't even know I have a radio show. We've got a high school curriculum in 15,000 high schools. Most of those high school students aren't even aware I have a radio show. I get into a lot of situations like that these days. We are less dependent upon radio than we used to be, across the company. It's still, certainly, one of my first loves.

RI: I was just going to ask that. How much do you love getting on the air every day and talking to people?

Dave Ramsey: I really do enjoy it. It is part of the rythym of my life after 20 years. When I take a week vacation with my family, when I get back I am ready to be back. I am ready to get back on the air. I miss it. We come on the air at one o'clock Central Time, wherever I am, when it comes around one o'clock, my brain just starts running on radio.

RI: You are all about pampering the affiliates. Talk about how you do that and how important that is to what you do for the show.

Dave Ramsey: As the largest independently syndicated show, that is not owned by coroporate America in any way out there, we didn't have a choice. We had to do something that set us aside. Not only did we have to get on the air and be excellent, not only do we have bring ratings, not only do we have to bring revenues to local stations, we figured out we had to build strong, endearing, and enduring relationships with our affiliates. There is not any question that we are the king of that. We are integrated into every area of an affiliate that we can get into. It is all just to help them, because we figured out if we help the person that works there personally, if we help the person that operates the station operate the station better, if we help the sales team make sales...we just want to be the company that is known for really jaw-dropping service, and we've been able to pull that off.

RI: What else do you want to accomplish as a successful business person? What goals have you set?

Dave Ramsey: I think the next huge goal that's in front of me, that we just starting nibbling around the edges of, is how to over the next 20 years, the next 15-20 years, transition this brand. Because, I am not going to make it. No one is. We're not going to make it out of this thing alive. We have to figure out a way that the people we've been able to help continue to get served. What that looks like in radio, what that looks like in speaking, what that looks like in books, video, and teaching, and all those kinds of things, means we are going to have to bring some other faces onto the scense gradually, and really high quality things into the marketplace so that brand transition and, literally, company succession takes place gradually over the next 15 to 20 years.

RI: Will you try to make sure the radio portion of the business stays alive? I know you've got a Spanish language edition of what your business is about. What is your long-term business plan for that?

Dave Ramsey: Well, we don't have that figured out, truthfully. The only way that radio will make sense is if someone can come along that can grow into, gradually being very, very talented on the air. There are so many shows that tried to do replacements shows, the next generation tries to get on the air after the first generation was a hit, and they just don't pull it off. We are not going to do that. We are going to do it in a way that hands it to someone that it works, or we will have a different strategy that won't involve radio. We are not going to do it unless it's excellent and it wins.

RI: Last week, you spoke in Dallas, to, as usual, a standing-room-only crowd. What did you want to try to get across to the radio audience?

Dave Ramsey: We were walking through the five key priciples of any organization that wins. The values, the things that matter to them. That was a successful day. We enjoyed that. I had a blast. I think the people in the room had a blast. We certainly got good reviews on that. But the whole idea that you just can't do everything transactionally, that relational people are the ones that win in any organization over the long haul. You can get away with ignoring relationships and ignoring integrity, and breaking all the rules, all in the name of a transaction. But, eventually, that crap comes home to roost.

RI: Talk about that Friday show. What can we expect to hear from the anniversary show?

Dave Ramsey: We are excited about this Friday show. Blake Thompson and Lara Johnson, our producer and associate producer have worked for several months on this show. We've got a ton of celebrities of different kinds from the political world, the television world, the radio world, the Country music world, and whatever else, are going to visit with us; some of them in person, some of them over the air. And we've gotten several callers lined up that heard some of the first shows that have been with us for 20 years. They will be able to share some of their stories and how their life has changed and been impacted by the information that we put out on the show. It's going to be a great day. We have a huge tent out here for the whole thing. We've got the food trucks, live music and bands are going to be here. It's a circus kind of an atomosphere. Out team is really excited.

RI: That's great. I understand they're streaming it live as well. That will be a lot of fun to watch.

 Dave Ramsey: Yeah, we are video streaming it. Our whole camera crew is doing a full production. That's going to be awesome.

RI: Do you have another 20 years in you?

Dave Ramsey: Oh definitely. I am not out of energy. I still love what I'm doing. As long as God gives me energy to do it and I am still having fun, we'll keep doing it. It is just hard to not get energy when people are being helped.

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The Exit Interview. Mark Thompson of Mark and Brian

6-14-2012

The official announcement is coming today, even though everyone on the planet knows that Mark Thompson of Mark and Brian at KLOS Los Angeles is leaving after 25 years. Thompson has seen a lot over those two-and-a-half decades including a boatload of ownership changes. He was a 16 year old kid working the graveyard radio shift when he knew he wanted to be just like those big booming AM radio talkers he heard on tape in Chicago and New York. Thompson reached his goal landing in L.A. in 1987 and with co-host Brian Phelps they never looked back. At age 56, Thompson is ready to move on and do other things including making movies and Podcasting. Last night we caught up with Mark at his North Carolina home where he's been doing the program from for the majority of the past three years.

Listen to our interview HERE
Congratulate Brian for 25 years of great radio at KLOS HERE

Thompson had great things to say about former KLOS GM Bob Moore. He said Moore gave the corporate setting a mom and pop feel which made the station a great place to work. Moore told Radio Ink last night, that was a simple task. "Having great talent is a blessing and embracing that talent is your number one priority. I was very lucky to come into a Station with the Mark and Brian Radio Show. All I did was what every smart General Manager in the World would do, I made it a fun environment and we enjoyed the rewards of that environment. Radio is the closest thing to "High School with money" and that's the way we lived it."

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Dave Williams - The Merlin Exit Interview

Dave Williams was one of about 50 employees hired when Randy Michaels and Walter Sabo were putting together their news team in Chicago. The new project was to be a "conversational" talk format geared toward females. The goal was to attract younger listeners, to take them from music formats that were not listening to the spoken work on AM. That original plan has since morphed into more of a traditional news outlet as hardly anything has gone according to plan for Merlin in Chicago. And when the plan changed, news veteran Dave Williams was pink slipped. We caught up with Williams last night about what happened.

Williams says he's doing fine but is still at a loss to explain why he had to break his lease and leave Chicago. "These days companies don't give you a reason because that might give you something to bite into legally. I was told, ?We?re moving in a different direction,? period.  I am a total loss to understand why I was released from Merlin Media but what really hurts is that I have to tell my family and my radio friends the truth: I don?t know why I was fired. The people who know and love me will believe that but everybody else has every reason to suspect there is something unsaid. Who doesn?t know why he was fired? I don?t. And I say that with no animosity, just pure and frustrating bafflement."
Williams says he had never been involved in a startup like Merlin before and it was very exciting. "Merlin hired fifty people for Chicago in the course of a month or two. For the first couple of week we met each day in meeting rooms of fancy Chicago hotels because the radio station didn?t yet have a place to put us all. We sat around several large tables like a bloated sitcom writers? room and made it all up from start to finish. We had a lot of direction, of course, but Randy Michaels, Walter Sabo and Andy Friedman led the cheering squad. They gave us a compass heading and let us chatter to our hearts? content. When we had hammered out a basic format approach we were sent into the fray, two at a time to do five minutes newscasts. My partner, JoAnn Genette, and I went first. When we returned from our silly little five minute newscast a huge cheer when up through the room. And every time another duo returned from their first taste of fresh Chicago air we all cheered as if they had conquered the world. It was wonderful."

"Imagine this: you have fifty colleagues ranging in age from 20 to 60 and nobody, not one, has an ego problem. Impossible, right? When Andy Friedman first phoned me last June he promised that he would never hire any divas, nobody with high maintenance problems. He kept his word. We had major market talent and kids straight out of college. Within just the first few days we all felt like a family. We all learned, we all taught. I know...that looks ridiculous even as I reread it myself but it?s true. Maybe I?m a hopeless Pollyanna but that?s how it seemed to me. I miss them all."
Looking back Williams admits the original plan put on the table was not a good one. "No disrespect intended toward Mr. Michaels and Mr. Sabo but I think that?s condescending. I just turned 60 and none of the women in my life have ever been so shallow as to only care about makeup, children and shopping for shoes. I?m oversimplifying but that?s the route we took at first."

Williams began his radio career as a kid in the early sixties with his first transistor radio. "I can still smell the clean leather case that held it and I can still hear the tiny voices of the disc jockeys of Northern California. I loved the music but the disc jockeys were magicians to me. You could hear the same song a thousand times but it was presented in a thousand different ways. They made bad songs exciting. I got my first radio job just two weeks after I graduated high school. They paid me $400 a month to read meters and clean recording heads.

A few months later I talked somebody into paying me quite a bit less to be on the air. I did eighteen hours between 6 a.m. Saturday until noon Sunday. I threw a sleeping bag on the production room floor. Didn?t sleep much and couldn?t have cared less. They had to kick me out of the place."

"The first seven years of my career took me from KOBO, Yuba City, California to KROY, Sacramento, where I worked with my boyhood idols. I was a top-40 deejay and life held nothing more to tempt me. At the age of 21 I become program director of KRTH, Los Angeles ? all automated oldies at the time, an RKO station. That took me to RKO?s WHBQ, Memphis as jock and PD, back to Sacramento as jock and PD at KNDE and eventually into the news room at KCRA, Sacramento, where I was turned into a talk show host and news reporter/anchor. Spent the next 20 years doing morning news at KFBK. Then KABC, KFWB and KNX. A couple of bumps in the road later I wound up in Chicago, three months ago."
The big question is what's next for the well-liked Williams who dropped evverything and moved across the coutnry to be part of the new Merlin. He says the radio industry is throwing hundreds of people out of the business every week. "I?ve got another good ten years or more left in me but I?m not sure the industry I love cares anymore. I?m thinking it might be time to go back to school and learn a new trade; not sure what that might be. In the meantime, I?m still open to radio offers because that?s what I know and love. I wanted to finish my career in Chicago because I fell head-over-heels in love with the place and its people. But since I can?t afford to stay I?m going home to be with my family for the holidays. That?s a pure blessing. Beyond that I?m thinking it might be nice to find a small town station in a beautiful place like Oregon or Washington or my native Northern California, somebody who will give me a reasonable salary and four or five hours on the air to do the stuff I do well: talk, play songs, take phone calls; screw some things up." 
And about his being released by Merlin, Williams says "I?m still shocked. I should sum it up by borrowing a famous phrase: ?It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.? Every day brought us hours of exhilarating challenge punctuated by moments of sheer terror. I think that?s a pretty good definition of living life fully.

Check out Dave's website HERE
Reach out to Dave via e-mail HERE

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Smerconish "Special Interview" To Open Forecast

Forecast 2012 keynote, Dial Global-syndicated radio host, and best-selling author Michael Smerconish says he's  "looking forward to participating at Forecast," where he'll be conducting a live interview with a high-profile, controversial special guest newsmaker. Forecast is set for December 6 at the Harvard Club in New York. Smerconish says "Given this individual's past battles with Wall Street, I can't wait to ask him about Occupy Wall Street, among other pressing matters." 

Radio Ink VP/General Manager Deborah Parenti believes this presentation will be compelling, but may stir some strong reaction. "The interview format he has chosen for the opening keynote is one in which he is exceptionally gifted, and, as with his radio show, Michael has not shied from injecting some controversy into his interview choice," Parenti says. "This could be one of the most provocative presentations ever at Forecast."

The award-winning Smerconish's impressive resume speaks for itself: He was the first radio host to interview President Obama from the White House, was named Local Personality of the Year by R&R, and made Philadelphia magazine's list of the most powerful citizens. His best-selling books have advanced meaningful discussion in our post-9/11 world, and his contributions to MSNBC and many respected periodicals have brought his message to readers and viewers across the country.

Forecast is Radio Ink's eagerly anticipated annual radio industry financial conference -- the only one of its kind. Radio owners, CEOs, CFOs, group executives, managers and Wall Street analysts gather to discuss the state of the radio industry and predictions for the coming year. Participants hear about current and upcoming trends and opportunities, and meet the trendsetters of tomorrow. There are only 200 seats available, so early registration is encouraged.

Each year after the conference, Radio Ink invites the 40 Most Powerful People in Radio to pick up their plaques and join us for cocktails in their honor. The 2011 40 Most Powerful featured more new faces than any time in the list's history, and Forecast attendees will get the exclusive opportunity to mingle with both new entrants and the perennials in New York's elegant Harvard Club. Only registered conference attendees are guaranteed invitations to the after-party. Attendance is limited to 200.

Don't miss your chance to gather with, and learn from, the best in radio at Forecast 2012. Get your tickets today!

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Joyner To Interview President Today at 8:50.

The two-part interview is scheduled to air at 8:50 a.m. EST and at 9:06 a.m. EST. A press release from Joyner's Reach Media says "during the interview, President Obama will outline a plan to create jobs rebuilding roads, bridges and schools. Obama also plans to discuss his strategy on getting his policies passed despite the Republican opposition, and his battle for re-election over the next 17 months." Although many would argue there really hasn't been opposition to the President's plan being that for the most part he did have a democratically controlled Congress. Not to mention much of the President's agenda has gotten through, yet the economy is still sputtering.

The interview will be re-broadcast Monday, Sept. 5th.

(8/30/2011 6:14:05 AM)
Politics divide people. News informs people...how about keeping political comments out of the news you bring us? The comment "Although many would argue there really hasn't been opposition to the President's plan being that for the most part he did have a democratically controlled Congress." reeks of political commentary. How about remaining factual, because remember, not everyone sees things the same way.

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