New podcast network — same Dennis. Westwood One, America’s largest audio network, and Emmy-winning comedian Dennis Miller are proud to announce that The Dennis Miller Option podcast is now airing exclusively on Westwood One Podcast Network. Fans can look forward to hearing new episodes of The Dennis Miller Option twice a week starting February 12th.
Miller is already heard on Westwood One, as his nationally syndicated 60-second radio feature The Miller Minute airs twice daily on 150 radio stations. The addition of The Dennis Miller Option to Westwood One’s portfolio allows the network to offer marketers advertising in both programs.
“Dennis is a legend, and we couldn’t be happier about representing more of his original, idiosyncratic commentary,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Marketing for CUMULUS MEDIA and President, Westwood One. “We’re ready to offer marketers broadcast and podcast access to this legendary personality.”
Dennis Miller added, “After wandering aimlessly through the Podcast Forest for a while, it’s nice to be back in the fold with the most knowledgeable guides of Westwood One.”
The Dennis Miller Option podcast is a no-holds-barred, uncensored take on current events, politics, pop culture, and anything else that’s on his mind. Joining him on his no-holds-barred, and uncensored podcast is A-list guests from across the political, comedic, and entertainment spectrums, along with his “Guy Friday,” Christian Bladt. New episodes are available every Tuesday and Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,WestwoodOnePodcasts.com, and the Westwood One Podcasts App for iOS orAndroid.
Retired race car driver and former motorsports broadcaster Derek Daly on Thursday filed a defamation lawsuit in Hamilton County seeking at least $25 million from his former employer, WISH-TV Channel 8, and its parent company, Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Media Group Inc.
According to the Indy Business Journal, the lawsuit claims WISH made false statements about Daly on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23 in online and broadcast stories related to racially charged comments former Indianapolis Colts announcer Bob Lamey allegedly made off the air.
And after Daly’s attorney notified WISH’s general manager and news director of the inaccuracies of the story, the lawsuit states, the station “failed and refused to publish a full and fair retraction of the false statements.”
WISH fired the 65-year-old Daly, then its motorsports analyst, in the wake of the Lamey incident.
Bob Lamey
“They slandered my reputation and humiliated me and my family with false information,” Daly said.
WISH, in its news story, reported that more than three decades ago, when Daley was an open-wheel race car driver, he used a racial slur in an interview with radio personality Lamey.
Daly told IBJ this week, that he has never been interviewed by Lamey and was not the source of the racial slur to which Lamey referred.
LJim Voyles, Lamey’s attorney, told IBJ Thursday that he has not been contacted by Daly, his attorney or anyone else regarding the incident involving his client.
In its story last August, WISH claimed Daly confirmed he was the source of Lamey’s story. Daly said that’s false. “How could I confirm an interview that never happened?” Daly said. “I was never even asked by WISH if I was the source of Lamey’s story.”
An Anchorage radio personality has been accused of strangling and injuring a woman he was dating.
According to KTVA-TV 11, Kedrick Johnson, 43, is charged with second-degree, third-degree and fourth-degree domestic-violence assault in the Jan. 28 case.
Johnson co-hosts “The Playhouse Morning Show” on Anchorage’s KFAT 92.9 on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. On Thursday evening KFAT's owner, Ohana Media Group, said Johnson had been placed on administrative leave.
"Ohana Media Group does not condone domestic violence of any kind," company officials said. "We support due process and await the results of the investigation before commenting further on this legal matter."
Johnson was originally held on $1,000 bail, with a requirement for Pretrial Enforcement Division monitoring. Court records show the bail was posted the day after his Jan. 28 arraignment.
Westwood One, the largest audio network in the U.S., has announced that multi-platinum selling superstar Ariana Grande will be taking over two hours of its Zach Sang Showprogram tomorrow, Friday, February 8, 2019. Grande will join show host and friend Zach Sang for a preview of her new album, “Thank U, Next.” This is Grande’s fifth studio album. The previously-released title track debuted at #1 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart in November and became her first #1 hit. The second single off the album, “7 Rings,” which dropped last month, also debuted in the top spot. Grande will introduce her music and share the stories behind each song.
A one-hour “Thank U, Next” special is available to all stations to air the weekend of February 9-10, 2019, any time between 6 am and midnight. The one hour special features Ariana sharing her stories about the new music and it is hosted by Zach Sang.
To access the “Thank U, Next” one-hour special featuring Ariana Grande, please contact Neal Bird, (310) 840-4207 or nbird@westwoodone.com.
Two of the biggest names in broadcast news and country music will join the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s 2019 Golden Mike Award gala to honor Perry A. Sook, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Craig Melvin
Craig Melvin, news anchor of NBC News’ “TODAY” and MSNBC anchor, will host the evening, which will include a performance by superstar duo Sugarland. The 2019 Golden Mike Award Dinner and Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 6 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The annual event is a major fundraiser for the Broadcasters Foundation of America, the only charity devoted exclusively to helping broadcasters in acute need.
Melvin is recognized for his reporting on topical issues. He’s covered a wide range of news events, including several Republican and Democratic National Conventions, two presidential inaugurations, tragic mass shootings in cities across America, the death of Muhammed Ali, the EgyptAir MS804 crash, the Oklahoma tornado, and police-involved shootings and subsequent protests in Baltimore and Ferguson. He contributed to NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Melvin has received two Emmy Awards and was named “Best Anchor” by the South Carolina Broadcaster’s Association.
Sugarland
Grammy Award-winning duo Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush recently released their first Sugarland album in nearly six years with Bigger. Released through a joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville, Bigger includes the hit single “Babe” featuring Taylor Swift. Since their inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, earned seven No. 1 singles, and achieved multi-platinum and gold success with hits like “All I Want to Do,” “Stay,” “Stuck Like Glue,” “Settlin’,” and more. Their critical and mainstream appeal have been magnified with industry accolades – five consecutive CMA Awards, five ACM Awards and GRAMMY® Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Country Song for “Stay.” Sugarland’s performance is provided courtesy of BMI® (Broadcast Music, Inc.®).
Peter Sook
Perry Sook has over 38 years of professional experience in the broadcasting industry, covering all facets of the business. He founded Nexstar in 1996 with one local television station in Scranton, PA and began building the foundation of what is today one of the world’s leading local diversified media companies, with 174 stations reaching 100 markets and annual revenue in excess of $2.4 billion. The Nexstar team is comprised of more than 9,000 talented people across the United States united by a common vision, commitment to localism and a passion for professional excellence in local broadcasting and public service. As one of the nation’s leading providers of local news, entertainment, sports, lifestyle and network programming, Nexstar produces and distributes over 203,000 hours of local content per year across its television and digital platforms.
The Broadcasters Foundation of America’s Golden Mike Award gala attracts a who’s who of broadcast media executives and celebrities. Previous recipients include Emily Barr, David Barrett, Michael Bloomberg, Bob Pittman, Gordon Smith, Jeff Smulyan, and more. For information, or to reserve a seat or table, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.
The Broadcasters Foundation has distributed millions of dollars in aid to broadcasters who have lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease or unforeseen tragedy. Personal donations can be made to the Foundation’s Guardian Fund. Corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative, and bequests can be made through the Legacy Society. For more information, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, call 212-373-8250.
➦In 1922...Warren G. Harding became the first President to have a radio installed in the White House. He also held the first of his Radio Conferences.
➦In 1924...America got a little bit smaller on the night of February 8. Or at least it felt that way. From a banquet hall at the Congress Hotel in Chicago one man could be heard simultaneously in New York, Jacksonville, Denver, San Francisco, and even Havana, Cuba. This was the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast and it was accomplished less than a decade after the first coast-to-coast telephone call was placed in 1915. The future of broadcasting had arrived.
General John J. Carty, a vice president at Bell Telephone Company, spoke from Chicago, addressing by name the various telephone managers in each city where he was being heard. Only about 10% of Americans had a radio set in 1924, but "millions" of others also heard the broadcast, all tuning in with the new radio sets which were quickly becoming quite a coveted new piece of tech for American homes.
➦In 1929...KOY-AM, Phoenix, Arizona, began broadcasting. KOY was the first radio station in the state of Arizona, signing on in 1921 as Amateur Radio station 6BBH on 360 meters (833 kHz). Earl Neilsen was the holder of the 6BBH callsign (there were no country prefixes for hams prior to 1928). At that time, broadcasting by ham radio operators was legal.
In 1922, the station received its broadcast license, under the Neilsen Radio & Sporting Goods Company business name, with the callsign KFCB. While the KFCB call letters were sequentially assigned, the station adopted the slogan "Kind Friends Come Back" to match the callsign.
A Phoenix teenager and radio enthusiast named Barry Goldwater was one of the new station's first employees.
When the AM broadcast band was opened in 1923 by the Department of Commerce, KFCB moved around the dial, as did many stations at the time. It was on 1260, 1230, 1310, and 1390 before moving to its long-time home of 550 kHz in 1941. KFCB became KOY on February 8, 1929. Today the station is owned by iHeaertMedia and is airing a talk format.
➦In 1960...Congress started hearings on radio 'payola'. The Congressional Payola Investigations occurred in 1959, after the U-S Senate began investigating the payola scandal. Among those thought to have been involved were DJ Alan Freed and television personality and host Dick Clark.
The term Congressional Payola Investigations refers to investigations by the House Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight into payola, the practice of record promoters paying DJs or radio programmers to play their labels' songs. Payola can refer to monetary rewards or other types of reimbursement, and is a tool record labels use to promote certain artists. Other forms of payola include making arrangements to purchase certain amounts of advertising in exchange for staying on a station's playlist, forcing bands to play station-sponsored concerts for little or no money in order to stay in a station's good graces, and paying for stations to hold "meet the band" contests, in exchange for air time for one of the label's newer, lesser-known bands.
Alan Freed, who was uncooperative in committee hearings, was fired as a result. Dick Clark also testified before the committee, but survived, partially due to the fact that he had divested himself of ownership interest in all of his music-industry holdings.
After the initial investigation, radio DJs were stripped of the authority to make programming decisions, and payola became a misdemeanor offense. Programming decisions became the responsibility of station program directors. .
➦In 1985...Radio announcer and actor Marvin Miller died at age 71 after a heart attack.
Marvin Miller - 1958
For the Mutual Broadcasting System, he narrated a daily 15-minute radio show entitled The Story Behind the Story, which offered historical vignettes. He also served as announcer on several Old Time Radio shows of the 1940s and 1950s, including The Jo Stafford Show and the long-running mystery series The Whistler.
In 1945–47, he was the announcer for Songs by Sinatra.
In 1952, Miller had a one-man program, Armchair Adventures, on CBS. He did "all voices and narration" in the 15-minute dramatic anthology. He also recorded 260 episodes of a program described in a 1950 trade publication as "Marvin Miller: Famous radio voice in series of five minute vignettes about famous people." The program was syndicated via electrical transcription by The Cardinal Company.
He also won Grammy Awards in 1965 and 1966 for his recordings of Dr. Seuss stories:
➦In 1994...Hastings, Clayton & Tucker, a Nevada-based entertainment firm that owns the promotional and marketing rights to Barry Manilow's name, filed suit in Orange County Superior Court against Utah-based Bonneville International Corp., which owned KBIG, asking for an estimated $28 million in damages. The station used Manilow's name in promos for its "No Manilow" music policy. The legal action was dropped a few days later after KBIG agreed to withdraw the promotional spot.
➦In 1996...the "Telecommunications Act of 1996" de-regulated Radio ownership.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first significant overhaul of telecommunications law in more than sixty years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. The Act, signed by President Bill Clinton (using an electronic pen), represented a major change in American telecommunication law, since it was the first time that the Internet was included in broadcasting and spectrum allotment.
One of the most controversial titles was Title 3 ("Cable Services"), which allowed for media cross-ownership. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the goal of the law was to "let anyone enter any communications business -- to let any communications business compete in any market against any other."
The legislation's primary goal was deregulation of the converging broadcasting and telecommunications markets. However, the law's regulatory policies have been questioned, including the effects of dualistic re-regulation of the communications market.
Previously, the Communications Act of 1934 (“1934 Act”) was the statutory framework for U.S. communications policy, covering telecommunications and broadcasting. The 1934 Act created the FCC, the agency formed to implement and administer the economic regulation of the interstate activities of the telephone monopolies and the licensing of spectrum used for broadcast and other purposes. The Act left most regulation of intrastate telephone services to the states.
In the 1970s and 1980s, a combination of technological change, court decisions, and changes in U.S. policy permitted competitive entry into some telecommunications and broadcast markets. In this context, the 1996 Telecommunications Act was designed to allow fewer, but larger corporations, to operate more media enterprises within a sector (such as Clear Channel's dominance in radio), and to expand across media sectors (through relaxation of cross-ownership rules), thus enabling massive and historic consolidation of media in the United States. These changes amounted to a near-total rollback of New Deal market regulation.
➦In 2000...WGN-Chicago morning radio personality Bob Collins died after his private plane and a student pilot's plane collided upon approach to the runway at the Waukegan Regional Airport in Waukegan, Illinois.
The student pilot, Sharon Hock, was directly below him, and they were unaware of each other's presence until the collision. Collins attempted to steer his plane to a safe landing, but it crashed and burned atop a nearby hospital, killing him and a passenger and injuring five people on the ground. The student pilot also crashed three blocks away and died.
The official report indicated that the control tower personnel were unable to observe or communicate the perilous situation until it was too late. Many of Bob Collins' friends and co-workers worked in Bob's memory to have radar and other safety tools installed at the Waukegan Regional Airport to prevent further tragedies.
WGN held a memorial radio show, much of which was captured for a CD that was sold to benefit his favorite charities, the WGN Radio Neediest Kids Fund and the Salvation Army
➦Click Here for more Historical Events that happened on Ferb 8.
CNN's decision to feature former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a Feb 12th town hall is drawing considerable backlash on social media, mostly from the left.
According to The Hill, many of the critics argue that CNN should not provide an hour of prime-time to Schultz, who is thinking about running for president as an independent but has yet to officially enter the presidential race.
Schultz's flirtation with the race angered Democrats, who worry he could cost the party's candidate support in swing states and help President Trump win re-election.
Schultz, 65, began publicly mulling a presidential run as a self-described "centrist independent" last month.
The former executive will take questions from voters "representing civic and educational organizations" at the Feb. 12 event in Houston, per a CNN announcement on Wednesday.
The backlash following the Town Hall announcement has been swift, with many arguing Schultz has little chance to win if he did declare and therefore shouldn't be granted a national stage.
The company's CEO, Daniel Ek, is investing heavily in podcast production and making a play for radio listening while invoking concerns about excessive "screen time."
On Wednesday he announced two acquisitions, Gimlet and Anchor, and said the company has other deals in the works. All in, Spotify plans to spend $400 to $500 million on the "emerging podcast marketplace" this year, according to the company's guidance to investors.
Acccording to CNNBusiness, the idea is to expand Spotify's current offerings -- betting that this will help retain existing subscribers and spur new subscribers to sign up.
Ek, portraying video as a trillion dollar market and audio as a $100 billion market, said "I always come back to the same question: Are our eyes really worth 10 times more than our ears? I firmly believe this is not the case."
"With the world focused on trying to reduce screen time, it opens up a massive audio opportunity," Ek said in a blog post on Wednesday.
Apple dominates the podcast industry, but Spotify has established itself as an important platform for podcasters.
Ek was clear about his plans for further podcast-related acquisitions this year.
"We're very much focused on being in audio," he said on CNBC. "Video is a huge space, it's got the attention of everyone right now. But we think audio, being almost two hours of consumption per day, is a massive opportunity that no one's really paying attention to."
Radio executives agree, but they've been hobbled by the digital revolution. The two biggest radio companies in the United States, iHeartMedia and Cumulus, have both been in bankruptcy proceedings in the past year.
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed on-air personality Corey Dylan as on-air sidekick to WKHX Kicks 101.5 FM Atlanta’s morning radio host, Cadillac Jack.
The dynamic on-air duo joins forces on the new “Caddy & Corey” morning show, which debuts today on Kicks 101.5 and airs weekdays from 5am-10am.
Dylan was most recently heard as On-Air Guest Host on TV’s TMZ and HSN, and prior to that, was Morning Drive Host for WMTX-FM and WFLA-AM in Tampa, FL.
Sean Shannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Atlanta, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Corey to the Kicks 101.5 family. She brings energy, passion and an ability to communicate everywhere our listeners are.”
Brian Thomas, Kicks 101.5 Program Director and Vice President, Programming, CUMULUS MEDIA, added: “I feel so fortunate for Corey to join Cadillac Jack in mornings. Her multi-media experience will create one of the best country shows in radio."
Corey Dylan noted: “I’ve really been waiting for my dream job and want to thank Market Manager, Sean Shannon, OM Louie Diaz, PD Brian Thomas and EVP Mike McVay for this exciting opportunity. I’m really looking forward to working with Cadillac Jack, who will celebrate 25 years on Kicks this month.”
Twitter Inc. reported record quarterly revenue and its first full year of profitability Thursday, signs the company’s efforts to promote healthy discourse on the platform appear to be paying off, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The company also for the first time disclosed its number of daily users: 126 million, a figure Twitter said was up 1.6% from the previous quarter.
The figure makes it easier to compare Twitter with its social-media peers Facebook Inc. and Snap Inc., which have 1.52 billion and 186 million daily users, respectively. Twitter said it measures its number of daily users differently than other companies, because it counts only users who can view ads.
Revenue rose 24% to $908.8 million in the fourth quarter, typically the heaviest spending period for advertisers, up from $731.6 million a year earlier. Those results topped analysts’ projections of $867 million, according to FactSet.
Even so, Twitter’s stock slid 5.4% before the bell as investors homed in on the company’s declining numbers of monthly users and its revenue forecast for the current quarter.
Twitter said its number of monthly users, the metric it has released for years, fell 1.5% to 321 million from three months ago. Twitter has struggled for years with little to no momentum in building up its user base.
The Conclave, which celebrates 44 years of educating radio broadcasters this year, has released its agenda for the 44th Conclave Summer Learning Conference, #CONCLAVE44, which will be held on June 19th -21st, 2019, at its new location, Delta Hotels Minneapolis Northeast.
#CONCLAVE44 is specifically designed to help broadcasters grow their careers and stations by providing access to high-level executives from companies across the radio stratosphere in a relaxed and intimate environment. The agenda for #CONCLAVE44 will focus heavily on ratings-generating fundamentals and effective practices, plus strategic ways to operate in the voice-first device, social media, and podcasting spaces.
#CONCLAVE44 will feature events back this year by popular demand, including the signature keynote session, “Ask Me ‘Almost’ Anything,” where radio’s respected leaders will take questions on radio’s opportunities and growth, and the fourth annual Conclave Speed Mentoring Brunch. New to Conclave in 2019 will be a conversation among radio’s thought leaders on the industry’s future and how radio companies, stations and professionals can redefine competitive strategies for the long-term health of their brands.
The Conclave Chair Lori Lewis said: The Conclave Summer Learning Conference is all about access -- access to the excellent industry minds we wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to interact with and learn from. It’s also important to showcase today’s managers, programmers, and talent creating unique ways to ensure radio remains in the hearts - and in this mobile world - the hands of the fans.”
According to The Hollylwood Reporter, Comcast, Charter and Verizon quarterly subscriber figures are coming in slightly better than Wall Street had expected. But in an ominous sign for AT&T's push to become an entertainment powerhouse — it spent $85 billion to acquire TimeWarner in 2018, after all — satellite television provider DirecTV has come up short, with even its supposedly high-growth skinny bundle streamer, DirecTV Now, losing subs.
Launched with fanfare in late 2016, the streaming service with up to 125 channels of live TV grew its subscribers to 1.86 million as of Sept. 30, but in the fourth quarter recorded its first subscriber drop ever. Analysts were stunned by the loss of 267,000 streaming users (on top of a loss of 403,000 at the traditional DirecTV satellite service) reported Jan. 30, given that the consensus forecast was for a 19,000-sub drop after AT&T management had late in the year forecast a decline, citing the need to end promotions that attracted low-end customers.
"In the wake of a price increase in July, the growth of their DirecTV Now subscriber base slowed sharply. In the fourth quarter, it collapsed," says MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. "Nobody expected this."
AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson explained on a Jan. 30 conference call that "there was a customer segment at the low end, very promotional pricing, who are not engaging on the product." Excluding these 500,000 users who paid only $10 a month, he said the "remaining customer base is growing." AT&T said eliminating these low-end customers boosted average revenue per streaming user in the fourth quarter by $10 from the third.
But "the concern is the magnitude of video unit losses," says Cowen & Co. analyst Colby Synesael. AT&T did manage to add 12,000 users to its IPTV service U-verse, but its total U.S. pay TV subscriber loss in the fourth quarter was a whopping 658,000, and more pain is on the horizon.
Billionaire media mogul John Malone is cobbling together a team to bid for the Fox-owned regional sports networks being sold by Disney — and his roster will be going head-to-head against Major League Baseball, The NYPost reports.
Malone’s Liberty Media, which in addition to big stakes in cable giant Charter and SiriusXM owns the Atlanta Braves — is matching the Braves with owners of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Twins, sources said.
Malone is expected to woo other teams as well in the consolidated offer, a move that is at loggerheads with an MLB bid announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred in November.
The Liberty mogul’s strategy, according to sources, includes a promise to team owners that he will continue to sell games to local broadcasters, where cable television is chiefly how fans follow their favorite teams.
Manfred, by contrast, wants to secure central control of media rights so the league can package games and sell them to different streaming and terrestrial networks, much as the NFL does.
John Malone
“MLB is more an adversary with the cable companies than a friend,” said a source close to the process.
Other owners who could potentially join Malone’s consolidated bid include Ken Kendrick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Mark Attanasio of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jimmy and Dee Haslam of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, sources said.
“It’s almost like [Malone is] enlisting owners of certain teams whose games are televised by Fox RSNs,” a close follower of the auction said. “You might even be able to look at the owners of the NBA, MLB and NHL teams in Fox RSN markets and guess who else could come on board.”
Malone’s belated interest in the RSNs, which Disney must sell in order to gain regulatory approval of its $71 billion deal for Fox’s entertainment assets, is seen to be opportunistic.
Charter already co-owns Spectrum SportsNet LA with the Los Angeles Dodgers — an arrangement that gives the cable company exclusive local broadcast rights to Dodger games.
Allison Seymour and Marc Clarke are joining WHUR 96.3 FM as the new hosts of afternoons on the flagship heritage station of the Howard University Radio Network. “Afternoons with Allison Seymour & Marc Clarke” is set to debut Tuesday, February 12 at 3p.m.
The husband and wife duo is no stranger to the Washington, D.C. market. Seymour is seen weekdays on “FOX 5 Morning News” and Clarke has been a fixture on local radio for more than a decade, including at WHUR. “Afternoons with Allison Seymour and Marc Clarke” will be a mixture of music and topical conversations, sprinkled with celebrity and local interviews; buzz worthy News; pop culture; and lots of giveaways.
“We know the commute home in the DMV can be hectic between the traffic and just trying to juggle the work life balance. Our goal is to make afternoons a smoother transition for the DMV with a fun, yet real and engaging show, each and everyday,” said Seymour.
Seymour is a native Washingtonian and this is a perfect chance for her fans to get a double dose of their homegrown favorite. Seymour will continue to anchor Fox 5 Morning News daily and then join her husband in the afternoons on WHUR. “I am so thankful to the management team at Fox 5 for allowing me to pursue this opportunity.
New York Public Radio announced Wednesday that digital media executive Andrew Golis has been named Chief Content Officer of WNYC.
In this role, Golis will lead all content efforts—from editorial strategy and program development to the continued integration of digital and radio—across WNYC News, WNYC Radio, and WNYC Studios.
Andrew Golis
He will be responsible for setting a strategy and vision for how WNYC can more powerfully tell stories across platforms, positioning WNYC News as a model of how public radio newsrooms can help reinvigorate struggling local news ecosystems across the country. He will also be responsible for leading WNYC Studios, the organization’s podcasting and national program distribution arm, crafting and driving an editorial vision that continues to innovate on audio storytelling and amplify underrepresented voices.
“At this moment when local news is threatened, the financial model for journalism is turbulent and the podcasting space is more crowded than ever, we need a content leader who can build on our strong legacy of trusted journalism, conversation and storytelling while also charting a visionary path forward—and Andrew is the right person to lead the charge,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio. “He has worked at the forefront of digital media with deep experience working across content platforms, but also brings fluency with traditional media and podcasting. As we grow our digital portfolio and aspire to serve more audiences, I am thrilled to welcome Andrew to WNYC.”
“With its reporting on our city and the communities in and around it, WNYC taught me and millions of others what it means to be a New Yorker,” said Golis. “And it’s taught our entire industry how smart and beautiful audio storytelling on the air or on your podcast app can be. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from and support this extraordinary team of journalists.”
Golis joins New York Public Radio from Vox, where he is General Manager of Vox and the Vice President of Network Development for Vox’s parent company, Vox Media.
