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Young Atlanta Checks Out The HUB JC: As a PD I’m always interested in the future of Talk radio. In
its current form and demographics, Talk radio has a long bright
Pardon the cliché, but I like people who think outside the box.
future ahead of it. But while most people think of Generation X
That’s why, when I heard about an experimental “reality radio”
as 20-something slackers, the fact is that this year the first of the
show at Salem’s WGKA/Atlanta, I wanted to learn more about
Gen-Xers are now over 40. By 2010, if you’re a traditional 35-
the Saturday and Sunday night talk show from PD Jeff Carter
54 Talk station, half of your audience is going to be from Gen X,
and HUB host and “facilitator” Joel Aaron.
and they consume media much differently than the format’s core
Here’s the set-up: Six regular people in an
baby boom listeners today do. So just re-broadcasting typical
Atlanta bar - mostly single - talk together
boomer talk on FM is not, in my opinion, what will attract the
on a variety of subjects and topics and also
demo to the format.
compete for bragging rights as the voice of
AP: What’s the essence of the program?
their generation. The hook: each week they
JA: It’s issues-oriented talk geared toward the Gen X crowd.
can get voted off the air, American Idol-
We’ve discussed everything from embryonic stem-cell research,
style, by listeners who decide who stays
immigration and terrorism, to what attracts men and women
and who goes. Billed as “America’s first
sexually. It’s open-source, community-driven Talk radio. We’re
competition talk show,” The HUB targets
going for that Wikipedia crowd where anyone can come in
smart, young professionals with a show that JOEL AARON
and edit the topic. I consider myself to be the host/facilitator.
talks about cultural issues, trends, global and
I’m not an omniscient, all-knowing host; I’m a facilitator of a
local events, relationships, religion and more. I recently chatted
community of people on the panel. My job is to engage them on
with Carter and Aaron to find out what they’ve learned this
the issues in a way that encourages both panelists, listeners and
past year from their experiment at reaching out to the audience
callers to be themselves.
demos that represent Talk radio’s future.
AP: But conventional wisdom says younger demos - especially
young men - aren’t interested in issues talk.
AP: What was the genesis of the program?
JA: It’s not that they’re not interested, it’s that they look at the
JA: I was on the board of directors for a local group called
world and the news differently than baby boomers do. Talk radio
Single Focus Atlanta that facilitated conversations at bars and
has traditionally given Generation X listeners cotton candy,
restaurants all around Atlanta for about seven or eight years.
I was leading culture and life discussion groups for young (continued on page 3)
professionals, mostly single, in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Jeff came
to a few of them, and over the course of time we began to think, “I think the biggest reason young males
‘I wonder if this would work on the radio?’ After a couple of don’t listen to Talk radio is that, for the
months of planning and testing the idea, we went on the air with
the program last October.
most part, they don’t find much they’re
AP: Jeff, what was your interest in developing this show? interested in listening to.” - Jeff Carter
©2007 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airch ec k™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. To s u bs c r i be v i s i t www.ntsaircheck.com
July 13, 2007 News • Talk • Sports Weekly Page 2
Among those speaking up in favor of combining the two
Airchecklets satcasters were the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Crutchfield
Max Cacas joins WFED/Washington and its website, Feder- Corp., Free State Foundation, Frank Sinatra Enterprises,
alNewsRadio.com, as a reporter ... Broadcasting & Cable pub- Honda, Ed Meese and Jim Gatt of the Heritage Foundation,
lisher Larry Dunn, CBS-TV President/CEO Thomas Kane Loral Space & Communications, the Progress and Freedom
and ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent George Foundation and musician and syndicated radio personality
Stephanopoulos have all been named to the board of direc- Steven Van Zandt ... Meanwhile, the National Association of
tors of The Broadcasters Foundation of America, a non- Broadcasters has filed a Petition To Deny with the FCC, saying
profit group whose mission is to improve the quality of life the agency “should reject the proposed merger-to-monopoly of
and personal dignity of radio and TV professionals who find XM and Sirius Satellite Radio.”
themselves in acute need ... Jerry Mason is named OM/PD
at Three Eagles Communications’ Worthington, MN cluster Gig Alerts
including heritage News/Talker KWOA ... Former Cumulus Denver Educational Broadcasting, Inc. seeks a President CEO
exec Rick Andrews was named OM for Gap Broadcasting/ to oversee the operations and activities of pubcaster KUVO/
Amarillo’s five-station cluster, which includes News/Talk Denver. Five years of public broadcasting experienceis required.
KIXZ ... Former WTMJ/Milwaukee host Ken Herrera is re- Email yourresume to michael.marez@eprimeplus.com... If
portedly beinglet out of his non-compete with Journal Broad- you’ve got 2-3 years to commit to living in the Cayman Islands,
casting and expected to segue to crosstown Clear Channel dms Broadcasting is seeking a GM for their island radio proper-
News/Talk WISN. ties. Email resume and cover letter to applications@dms.com.ky
... Pamal Broadcasting is seeking applications for future pro-
Network/Syndication Aircheck gramming positions with the company. Email resume to
KDWN/Las Vegas adds Talk Radio Network’s new Phil programmingjobs@pamal.com ... Clear Channel Radio is
Hendrie Show to air 10pm-1am weeknights ... FOX Sports seeking a GSM for the company’s 11-station Washington, DC/
Radio moves in the Gateway City from KFNS/St. Louis Baltimore Total Traffic Network. Send your resume and direct all
to newly launched crosstown sports outlet WESL (“FOX questions tohartleyadkins@clearchannel.com.
Sports Radio 1490”). Premiere Radio Networks’ Jim Rome
Show now also airs on WESL ... FOX Sports Radio host JT “We Know All About You, Ms. Miller”
“The Brick” will join the Oakland Raiders’ pre-season TV
broadcast team beginning August 11 and also return as host
of The Raiders Report for the upcoming NFL season ... Talk
Shows USA-distributed The Money Pit adds KWED/San
Antonio, KONP/Port Angeles, WA, and WOGO/Chippewa
Falls, WI ... Westwood One inks with KLAC/Los Angeles
as the network’s official Super Bowl radio station for SoCal.
KLAC will air WW One’s NFL Preview along with an NFL
doubleheader every Sunday, the Thanksgiving day NFL
Syndicated talker Stephanie Miller recentlywelcomed former
tripleheader, the NFL Playoffs and the Pro Bowl
CIA Intelligence officer Larry Johnson into herstudio during a
Satcaster News visit to the Jones Radio Networks-distributedprogram Tryingto
A list of new supporters for a proposed merger between Sirius keep their secrets safe are (l-r) Stephanie MillerShow voice“god”
and XM was touted heavily by both companies this week. Jim Ward, Miller, Johnson and Executive Producer Chris Lavoie.
©2007 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airch ec k™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. S e n d n e ws to news@NTSaircheck.com
July 13, 2007 News • Talk • Sports Weekly Page 3