Content Issues At Forefront
Of Talk Radio Seminar

Top Talk Talent Discuss State of the Industry;
Wallace Gets Lifetime Achievement Award
WASHINGTON — A legendary newsman and some of the media industry's brightest new stars joined one of the nation's most influential senators at the ninth annual R&R Talk Radio Seminar here last week, as top names from the news and talk radio industries gathered from Feb. 26-28 to discuss the state of the industry and its challenges in an increasingly jittery environment.

One of the hottest issues facing broadcasters is indecency on the airwaves, and longtime big-media critic Sen. John McCain said he believes media consolidation "exacerbates" the problem. During his exclusive TRS interview on Feb. 27 with ABC World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings, McCain said that while he doesn't believe consolidation in radio necessarily causes more indecent programming, ownership concentration may worsen the problem.

"If a company has 1,200 stations and many of those stations carry the same programming, that is going to exaggerate the problem," he said. McCain said that while setting indecency standards is hard because society's attitudes about obscenity change over time, he believes the issue is an important one. "Sometimes you think maybe politicians are overreacting, but then someone in Arizona will ask me why I'm not doing more," he said.

While McCain provided a view from Congress, White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett gave TRS attendees an exclusive White House briefing and assured them that the Bush Administration "takes seriously the business of Talk Radio."

Bartlett said, "We will continue to do everything we can to make Talk radio accessible to this administration," noting that the White House recently hosted its second radio press day during which high-level White House officials were made available to radio news staff. "We want to reach out to radio," he said.

Drudge Cautions Against 'Bleaching' The News
During his Saturday-morning keynote address, Premiere Radio Networks weekend host and Internet mainstay Matt Drudge advised executives not to let the industry's current sensitivity about content affect their news operations, especially with controversial stories. "Be careful about bleaching out information," he said, "because you may just be left with a shell."

Noting that technologies like wireless Internet are going to increase citizens' access to news and information, he implored radio to face the challenge head on. "You have to make a decision," Drudge said. "Are you going to take this fight or do what others tell you to do?"

Despite the criticism he's heard since posting on his website a story that suggested Democratic front-runner John Kerry once had an extramarital affair, Drudge stood by his reporting. "I had gotten the girl's name and e-mails with her bragging about having an affair with Kerry," he said, explaining what led to his posting of the story. "She had also done some interviews in which she was very flippant and coy. So I put my name on it, like I do everything I write."
Drudge added that the final word on the story may not have been written. "I consider that story still active," he said. "We'll just see where that story goes."

Meanwhile, Drudge criticized Kerry for avoiding Talk radio since denying the allegation on Don Imus' show. "He won't face Talk radio," Drudge said. "He'll face George Stephanopoulos [on TV], but he won't get down here in the gutter."

Wallace: 'A Radio Addict'
CBS News stalwart Mike Wallace -- a mainstay of the network's seminal 60 Minutes program since 1968 -- told TRS attendees that while he's built a career in television, he got his start in radio, and it's the medium that still excites him. "I am a radio addict," said Wallace, who on Saturday was presented with the 2004 News/Talk Lifetime Achievement Award. "When I grew up, all I wanted to be was a radio announcer."

Wallace said that early on he found television "a little frightening" and preferred the "less constrained" nature of radio. "It allowed you to concentrate more on the issue," he said of radio. However, he found his eventual adjustment to TV easy. "It wasn't all that different than radio," Wallace said, "except that it paid better wages." Still, Wallace keeps coming back to Talk radio. "I'm afraid I love it," he said. "It entertains, illuminates and gets you thinking."

Along with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Wallace received from WOOD-AM/Grand Rapids -- where he got his start in radio -- a jacket with the station's logo on the back and Wallace's name on the front.

Why Is Snow Getting Into Talk Radio?
Delivering the Feb. 27 keynote address, Tony Snow -- whose radio show debuted March 1 -- said he's making the jump from the Fox News Channel desk to a radio show now because "Fox finally said I could."

Snow told the packed room that he first got the bug to do radio when he sat in for Rush Limbaugh and that he enjoys the intimate relationship radio listeners feel toward hosts. "If people meet you after seeing you on TV, they say, 'Hello, Mr. Snow.' If they know you from radio, they'll walk up, say, 'Hi, Tony,' and ask you a personal question. There is a connection you make with your listeners."

He's also excited by the freedom radio allows, saying, "It's tough to be creative on TV. On the radio, you're on your own." And no matter which direction he may lean on issues, Snow hopes that his radio show will impact a broad listener base. He said, "Every once in a while, if you're good, both sides will listen and -- on the margins -- you'll be able to affect outcomes."

Top Honors
KFI/Los Angeles was named 2004's News/Talk Station of the Year when winners of this year's R&R News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards were revealed Saturday afternoon, closing out the 2004 Talk Radio Seminar.

WABC/New York personalities needed a truck to haul home their winning trophies, as VP/GM Tim McCarthy was named News/Talk General Manager of the Year and PD Phil Boyce was recognized as Programmer of the Year. Meanwhile, WABC morning duo Curtis and Kuby were voted Local Talk Personalities of the Year, and afternoon host and ABC Radio Networks-syndicated personality Sean Hannity was voted National Talk Host for the second year in a row.

ABC Radio Networks President Traug Keller was named N/T Executive of The Year and proved he was also in the running for "Dad of the Year," as ABC's John McConnell stepped forward to accept the award on his boss' behalf. "Traug had to leave early this morning to return to New York," McConnell told TRS 2004 attendees. "He promised his son he'd be back for his basketball game this afternoon."

Along with exciting special guests and an impressive list of award recipients, the 2004 Talk Radio Seminar featured three days' worth of lively and informative general sessions, including an exclusive look at Arbitron's in-car listening study with data specific to News/Talk/Sports listeners. Look for more information on this and other sessions in upcoming News/Talk/Sports columns.

— Joe Howard
R&R Washington Bureau
jhoward@radioandrecords.com

R&R News/Talk/Sports Editor Al Peterson will offer full coverage of these and other TRS sessions in forthcoming columns.

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