ESPN Announces Launch of ‘30 for 30 Podcast’ Series

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Mar 15th 2017, 13:04, by TALKERS ESPN Announces Launch of '30 for 30 Podcast' Series.  Based on the storytelling formula of ESPN's popular "30 for 30" film documentaries, ESPN Films and ESPN Audio are collaborating to debut a podcast series – "30 for 30 Podcasts" – this June.  ESPN says the series will tell original, high-quality sports stories in the likeness of the acclaimed "30 for 30" documentaries, but made exclusively for audio.  Two of the topics that will be featured in the first season of "30 for 30 Podcasts" will be: "Dan and Dave Revisited," the true story of the massive 1990s marketing campaign around the world's two best decathletes, and "On the Ice," the story of how a group of amateur Brits became the first all-women's team to make it to the North Pole.  ESPN Films and Original Content vice president and executive producer Libby Geist comments, "ESPN Films is continuing to push boundaries in the storytelling space and we're excited to further evolve the 30 for 30 brand.  These audio documentaries will break new ground for ESPN while also bringing our signature long-form archival-based approach to the podcasting arena." Radio Talent Institute Scheduled for University of Tennessee May 15-24.  This next Radio Talent Institute is being presented by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, University of Tennessee Knoxville, and the National Radio Talent System.   are proud to announce the inaugural TAB Radio Talent Institute.  The Institute is a 10-day immersion in radio and it involves discovering, coaching and preparing talented broadcasting students with more than 30 broadcast professionals leading all the sessions in their area of expertise in on-air music radio, news and sports, as well as digital/social media, production, promotion, sales, engineering, programming, management and all things radio.  Students from all over the state and region apply to be accepted and will become certified Radio Marketing Professionals by the Radio Advertising Bureau.  National Radio Talent System founder and president Dan Vallie states, "We are very excited to be partnering with the University of Tennessee and working with Sam Swan and the College of Communication and Information, and with Benny Smith, at their award winning college radio station, WUTK."  The TAB Radio Talent Institute is accepting applications from students now.  They should apply at http://tab.nationalradiotalentsystem.com/. The deadline to apply is March 31. TALKERS magazine Publishes the 2017 Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. On Monday, March 13, we published the fifth annual TALKERS Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk – formally known as the 100 Most Important Sports Talk Radio Hosts in America. This annual list is compiled and ranked by the editors of TALKERS magazine – with input from industry leaders. As with our publication's "sister list," the 100 Most Important Talk Radio Hosts in America, the criteria are a number of hard factors – including ratings and revenue – as well as such soft factors as talent, recognition, impact, service and more. Executive editor Kevin Casey states, "This annual ranking of the most important sports talk radio hosts is one of the most difficult – but enjoyable – projects we undertake at TALKERS. The reason for that is the partially subjective nature of the criteria combined with the enormous number of talented and successful sports talk hosts working in America. Paring that pool of talent down to 100 is no easy task!" Casey also notes that TALKERS will be publishing the 2017 Heavy Hundred of News/Talk Radio in April. See the 2017 Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk here. CBS News Radio's Peter King Honored with Legacy Award.  Radio news pro Peter King is being honored by the Florida Associated Press with the Florida Associated Press Broadcasters' LEGACY AWARD.  The organization cites King's distinguished career and his service as a role model and his involvement with the AP Broadcasters' college workshop and more for this award.  He will be honored at the awards ceremony in Orlando in April. KCMO-AM Talk Host Tom Becka Does TEDx Talk on Fake News.  Longtime talk radio personality Tom Becka (left) recently did a TEDx Talk on "Real News vs Fake News" that you can see here.  Becka hosts the 9:00 am to 11:00 am show on Cumulus Media's KCMO-AM, Kansas City and does a regular commentary on KPTM-TV, Omaha's 9:00 pm newscast. Trump's Obama Wiretapping Accusations, North Korea Threats/Tillerson Asia Trip, GOP Health Care Plan, Trump's Tax Returns, Dutch Elections, Snoop Dogg Video, Marines Nude Photos Scandal, Northeast Blizzard, and March Madness Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (3/14). The accusation by President Donald Trump that President Barack Obama ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped during the 2016 election; North Korea's nuclear missile program and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to Asia; the Trump Administration's and the GOP's plans to replace ObamaCare with their own health care plan; the rise of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders and today's elections in the Netherlands; controversy over the latest Snoop Dogg video in which he shoots a clown dressed as President Trump; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller testifies before a senate subcommittee on the nude photos scandal; the blizzard that hit much of the Northeast on Tuesday; and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. PodcastOne Executive Chairman Norm Pattiz Guests on Harrison Podcast. The executive chairman of PodcastOne and noted industry pioneer, Norm Pattiz joins TALKERS founder Michael Harrison for an in-depth conversation about the general state of radio, podcasting and audio media on this week's installment of the award-winning series, "Up Close and Far Out." The compelling dialogue was recorded this past Friday, inspired by the Thursday release (3/9) of the annual Edison Research/Triton Digital 2017 Infinite Dial Study. Pattiz sums up his impression of the study as follows, "I was very encouraged relative to the audio medium as a whole by the information that came from the study. There's good news in it for almost everybody that's in the audio space." Pattiz and Harrison cover a lot of ground touching upon advertising trends, the evolution of audience measurement metrics, in-car listening habits and much more in this conversation that is a must-listen for radio and audio media professionals. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the "Up Close and Far Out" player box located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com. KXNT, Las Vegas Host Alan Stock Leads Listener Trip to Israel. Las Vegas talk show host Alan Stock (pictured at center) recently led a group of listeners on trip to Israel.  Stock tells TALKERS, "It was a mix of seeing Jewish and Christian holy sites, as well as exploring the geo-political nature of the country.  The trip lasted eight days and everyone loved it – in fact, I'm already getting requests for a second go-around."

Local Radio Is on Alert

Local Radio Is on Alert Mar 14th 2017, 13:31, by TALKERS By Paul Rotella NJBA President/CEO   MONROE TWP, N.J. — The Blizzard of March 2017 is only a few hours away.  Soon, snow will begin to cover the Garden State. Predictions range from 6-24 plus inches, with the hidden treachery of an icy, wintery mix perhaps suppressing snow totals, but proving to be deceivingly dangerous. High winds, wet snow, sleet and ice, will surely give rise to downed power lines and cell phone disruptions,   But don't worry New Jersey: Your local radio broadcaster is on-the-air! Right now, New Jersey's  dedicated broadcasters, always  eager to serve,  are  already manning their posts, anticipating the storm and its aftermath, and ready to once again go into the breach, serving their audiences by historically providing them with the only source for important and perhaps life saving information they will need to prepare and make ready for the blizzard, and more importantly, to help the communities they serve get back to normal once the skies clear. When severe weather threatens all forms of communication and information services, only radio, real radio, is always there, helping our audiences cope with the hazardous weather, providing valuable information, and helping them stay safe.  It's radio's finest hour! And as the president of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, I could not be prouder of the wonderful work our broadcasters will be doing tonight, throughout the storm, and long thereafter. Wind-toppled trees and power lines render the internet useless.  Pure-play music services will be silenced. Cell phone service and access to all of the countless apps we enjoy will be challenged. The lights will be out, and many will be in the dark for days; cold and quiet, save for the solace that only broadcast radio can provide. No other industry is as publicly spirited! A trusted friend and companion, New Jersey's broadcasters never let you down. Management, talent, engineers, support staff, traffic personnel and producers will be on the job for you.  Many will not get any sleep; many will have hunkered down at their stations for hours before the storm in preparation to report on it, often without the creature comforts we take for granted, so as to avoid any disruption of service to their audiences. They know that their loyal audiences are relying on them; to keep them informed, to give them comfort, and to keep them company.  No matter what, broadcast radio is always there. It is a mission broadcasters relish. So, as we brace for the winter storm named Stella this cold March night, let's remember to make a concerted effort to show our appreciation for the craft we cherish; for the duty we have been entrusted with; for the privilege we have to serve in this industry, and remind our audiences and our leaders that we need to keep our vibrant broadcast community strong. We need to stop senseless regulations and legislation like the toxic Performance Tax.  And we need to activate the FM chip in all smartphones right away.  And, the NJBA supports an FM-based Emergency Alert System (EAS) for emergency messaging, Amber Alerts and public warnings. Because, only radio is always working, especially in times of emergency. Once and for all, I envision that this storm will compel  the public to insist that this life-saving feature be activated on all smart phones. It is a matter of public safety and national security. So, let's turn it on! Stay safe New Jersey—and broadcasters—into the storm you go—God speed! Paul Rotella is president/CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association.  He can be emailed at: protella@njba.com.