In a vital effort to address the disproportionate rates of maternal mortality among Black women, the Black Information Network (BIN) has initiated a public awareness campaign titled “Saving Black Moms: A Maternal Health Crisis.” This media initiative aims to cast a spotlight on the critical issues surrounding Black maternal health and to foster meaningful change.

The campaign unfolds against a backdrop of stark statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reveal that Black mothers experience significantly higher mortality rates related to childbirth compared to their peers. In 2023, the mortality rate for Black women stood at 50.3 per 100,000 live births, markedly higher than the rates for White, Hispanic, and Asian women, which were 14.5, 12.4, and 10.7 respectively. These figures span across all ages, educational levels, and socio-economic backgrounds, with contributing factors including disparities in healthcare access, insurance coverage, and quality of pre-natal and post-partum care.

BIN’s campaign, “Saving Black Moms,” will be rolled out in two phases, starting with a series of news reports during Black Maternal Health Week in Washington, DC, beginning the week of April 14. This will be followed by an hour-long special program on April 23, which will delve into the various challenges and issues related to Black maternal health. The first phase will culminate with a Mother’s Day feature on May 11, setting the stage for the second phase, which launches on June 2.

The second phase will see the introduction of a dedicated microsite, continuous social media efforts, public service announcements, and ongoing news reports and features through the end of September. These efforts aim to amplify the voices of maternal health professionals, advocates, survivors, and community leaders committed to improving the outcomes for Black mothers.

Tony Coles, President of BIN, emphasized the network’s commitment to advocacy and partnership in tackling these disparities. “As a network dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices, it is crucial that we focus on the alarming disparities Black women face around childbirth,” Coles stated. “This campaign is not just about raising awareness, but also about sparking action and fostering partnerships that can bring about real change.”

Thana Hickman, CEO of Viola’s House and a member of the BIN Local Roundtable, shared her perspective on the campaign’s importance: “Being part of this movement to educate and enact change is a privilege. Our community’s involvement is crucial to addressing and reducing the disparities in Black maternal health. Together, we can safeguard and enhance the well-being of Black mothers and their babies.”

#RolandMartinUnfiltered is a daily show broadcast from Washington, DC,
that focuses on news, politics, culture, entertainment, social justice, sports

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This week on The Gospel News with Nina Taylor: Israel Houghton asks, ” How do they celebrate Easter in other countries?” The Top 10 Gospel Songs: Congratulations to Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, and Marcus Cole, “Change Your Mind ” is No. 1.

The post The Weekly Gospel News With Nina Taylor appeared first on The Bill Gay Show.

In a move to enhance its marketing and client relations, Bridge Ratings has appointed Andy Denemark as its new point person for StreamStats. Denemark, a veteran network radio executive, will focus on increasing the visibility and usage of StreamStats, a pioneering data service that offers broadcasters detailed insights into music streaming consumption.

StreamStats provides tailored data across various markets, highlighting streaming activities by primary listeners of specific radio stations and across different music genres and formats. Since its inception in 2002, the service has attracted nearly 100 radio stations across nine different formats.

Reflecting on his new role, Denemark expressed his enthusiasm about the data’s potential impact on the industry. “When I first learned about StreamStats, I was blown away by how forward-thinking the data was. Now in 2025, it has become an essential part of any programmer’s toolbox, and I’m excited about introducing the research to new companies and clients,” said Denemark.

Dave Van Dyke, President and CEO of Bridge Ratings, praised Denemark’s extensive experience and deep understanding of the national distribution of media programs. “I’ve known Andy for a long time, and I respect his knowledge and experience. Our recent conversations about StreamStats tell me that he understands the data and the need for it in the current marketplace, so we are both excited about our new working relationship,” Van Dyke remarked.

Denemark has developed, produced, promoted, and distributed some of the most iconic brands in network radio. His career includes roles at major organizations such as NBC Radio, The Source, Westwood One, and United Stations, where he served as EVP/Programming for over two decades.

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Nuvoodoo Research: Lee Jacobs & Carolyn Gilbert

The radio business came to mind last week while watching the CBS 60 Minutes segment on Banana Ball last week. Depending on where you live and the media you consume, it’s completely possible you’re unaware of Banana Ball, yet the games sell out major league baseball stadiums and NFL football stadiums when the league tours the country.

Banana Ball is the creation of onetime wannabe major leaguer Jesse Cole. He cites P.T. Barnum and Walt Disney as idols. Like them, he is a showman. The type of thinking beneath his zany redesign of baseball used to be commonplace inside radio stations: strive for predictable unpredictability; build community; pay keen attention to entertainment value.

The daily demands of a radio station have always been there to overwhelm being able to consider the bigger picture. Scheduling music and talent, keeping up with promotions, satisfying client requests, reporting up through the chain of command, putting out fires, etc. These things leave little time to think about gathering and maintaining an audience so that advertisers can build their businesses. Yet that’s job #1 (actually, protecting the license is job #1, but that’s for another day).

We are wise to remind ourselves that commercial radio is the advertising sales business. In a sense the entire business is a bunch of buskers in the town square trying to gather an audience. But we’re not passing a hat at the end of the performance – we’re urging those who enjoyed the free performance to patronize the local businesses who are paying for our supper. Sometimes we do the show right there at their place of business hoping that people will come by to enjoy the show in person. It’s all about entertaining an audience and Banana Ball holds back nothing in that pursuit.

Banana Ball’s creator studies those who attend games to see when they start looking at their phones or if they head to the exits before the game is over. He then looks for ways to change the rules for the boring parts of baseball. If a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out. Watch the video to see what happens at ball four (of course there are no “walks” in Banana Ball).

Listeners loved when radio had a phony commercial spiked into a break some of the time (some folks listened more attentively to commercials in hopes of catching one of the phony ones). We’ve shown data about how many listeners appreciate when stations broadcast live from around town. Great radio contests were designed to give away a desirable prize in a highly entertaining manner – the showbiz was designed into the promotion. These things take more effort, but they make stations more memorable, they draw more attention from the audience, and they do a better job for clients.

These days it’s likely that you’ll need to reach outside the programming staff to get things done, but everyone in the station is in the advertising sales business … and that’s what this is all about. If you and your staff are having fun, it’s more likely you’ll figure out how to ensure that your audience is having fun. In 2025 it seems that instead of Moneyball, the sports world metaphor we’re looking to is Banana Ball.

If a last-minute music test would help tune up your station or a tightly targeted digital marketing campaign would support your participation in a collective contest, NuVoodoo would love to help. An email to tellmemore@nuvoodoo.com will get quick attention from the right member of our team. Additionally, NuVoodoo marketing guru Mike O’Connor is publishing important insights from our latest general marketing study every week at nuvoodoo.com/articles.

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It’s PPM time again happening Tuesday at 5PM(EST): Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Ft.Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

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The digital advertising industry in the U.S. achieved a significant milestone in 2024, as total internet advertising revenues surged to a record-breaking $258.6 billion, according to a new report from IAB. This marks a substantial 14.9% increase from the previous year, driven by innovative advertising technologies and a robust political and sporting calendar.

2024 saw impressive growth across all quarters, with the highest increase in the first quarter at 15.7%. The growth was consistent throughout the year, despite global economic uncertainties and the ongoing challenges of evolving consumer privacy regulations. The latter half of the year maintained a steady pace, contributing 54% to the total annual revenue, underscoring the sector’s resilience and the strategic shift towards year-round advertising efforts.

Podcast advertising stood out with a remarkable 26.4% growth, fueled by an evolving media consumption landscape where on-demand audio content has become more integral to daily routines. This medium has proven especially effective for political advertisers in an election year, demonstrating the unique ability of podcasts to engage with niche audiences.

Digital video advertising emerged as the fastest-growing segment, with a 19.2% year-over-year increase to $62.1 billion. This format now accounts for 24.0% of the total ad revenue, reflecting the shift towards more dynamic and engaging advertising mediums. Meanwhile, search advertising continued to dominate, reaching $102.9 billion and growing by 15.9% from the previous year.

Programmatic advertising also saw notable gains, reaching $134.8 billion in revenue, up 18.0% year-over-year. This growth highlights the increasing reliance on automated and data-driven ad placements that optimize real-time bidding and targeting.

Social media platforms rebounded strongly from a slower 2023, with advertising revenues jumping 36.7% to $88.8 billion. The resurgence was aided by the presidential election and the Olympics, which traditionally boost advertising expenditures.

Commerce media, particularly through retail media networks, also saw significant growth. Advertising revenues in this sector climbed 23.0% to $53.7 billion, driven by advertisers leveraging first-party data to navigate the changing landscape of consumer privacy and targeted advertising.

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Triton Digital has unveiled its latest U.S. Podcast Ranker for the period spanning March 3 to March 30. The ranker showcases familiar names atop the charts along with several promising newcomers making their debut.

The iHeart Audience Network has once again secured the top position on the Top Sales Networks Report, boasting 71.2 million average weekly downloads and 20.2 million average weekly users. Close on its heels is NPR, maintaining its second-place standing with 27.8 million downloads and 7.2 million users. Audacy Podcast Network remains in third with 16.2 million downloads and 6.1 million users.

NPR’s podcasts continue to dominate the individual rankings with “NPR News Now” and “Up First” clinching the top two spots respectively, both in downloads and listener count. The third spot is held by “VINCE” from Cumulus Podcast Network, marking a consistent choice among the audience for its engaging content.

The month of March also saw several new entries in the podcasting scene. Noteworthy debuts include “Trump’s Terms” by NPR and “This is Gavin Newsom” from iHeart Audience Network, alongside “Fantasy Baseball Today” by Audacy Podcast Network. These newcomers have shown promising initial metrics in both downloads and listeners.

Additional debuts focused on downloads included “Blink | Jake Haendel’s Story” by Audioboom and “Sold a Story” by American Public Media Group. For listener metrics, new podcasts such as “On Fire with Jeff Probst: The Official Survivor Podcast” by Audacy and “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” by Lemonada Media have made their marks.

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The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), a proud division of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., in collaboration with Nielsen, has released a powerful new report titled “Reaching the Culture: Investing with Audio to Win with Black Consumers.” This data-rich report provides critical insights into how Black consumers engage with audio media—and why brands must prioritize investment in Black-owned media platforms to authentically connect with this influential audience.

With Black consumers wielding nearly $2.1 trillion in buying power and representing over 48 million Americans, this report highlights the unmatched cultural impact of Black radio, audio hosts, and content creators. Despite the proliferation of digital media, nearly 90% of Black consumers continue to rely on radio as a trusted source for entertainment, information, and community connection.

“This report confirms what we’ve always known—Black media is not niche, it’s necessary,” said Jim Winston, President of NABOB. “Black-owned radio and audio platforms have long been the heartbeat of our communities, shaping culture, driving trends, and building trust. With this report, we’re not just sharing data—we’re issuing a call to action for advertisers and brands to invest in the voices that move the culture forward.”

The post Reaching The Culture: Investing With Audio To Win Black Consumers.” appeared first on The Bill Gay Show.

Consultant Harry Lyles, Lyles Media

America is changing right before our eyes every single day. If you have and hold a radio license, you have an expectation and dedication to the black community. You can believe what you hear and see, and it is the job of radio to talk about what’s going on in real time. Real time, meaning grab the moment each and every day and talk about what’s happening.

A relevant newscast or talk breaks doesn’t mean or cause tune out to your format. If you are up to date every day and giving the locals what they want, they will be back tomorrow. Always remember, listeners are smart, and they know if your station is connected and serious about serving them. If you leave out relevant content, they know that also.

In radio today, the job more so is to be connected and concentrate on news that directly affects them. We must be open, concise and clear and explain in layman’s terms how the story local or national is related to them. In short, we must stop pretending and take the current day of news more serious than ever.

In short, locals are interested in stories that are of interest and in today’s world the political climate is a must to talk about. You can’t avoid talking or sprinkling in the political topics that are happening in real time. American is a bit pissed off on a lot of levels and the local town halls prove it.

Don’t think you can stay with the status quo and survive. Keep up with the changing times and ask yourself if you are a solid representative of information that the locals need to know, must know and should know. It’s your job, so get it done and don’t be invisible or look the other way. Hold yourself responsible for the current day information that must be heard and not ignored. Remember, what the late Rep. John Lewis said.

The post In These Changing Times Of News & Talk Breaks   appeared first on The Bill Gay Show.

Our Atlanta friend Morris Baxter in Piedmont Park with friends. Morning is known for Jazz with Morris in the Morning – weekdays from 6:00 AM until 10:00 AM featuring a mix of Contemporary and Progressive Jazz to move your morning.  Morris Baxter gives you your Morning Morris Motivation at 45 minutes past the hour. It’s the best morning team on public radio – Morning Jazz, weekdays from 7:00 AM until 10:00 AM, right here on Jazz 91.9 WCLK – The Jazz of the City and, on CAU – TV Comcast Atlanta 23.

Morris Baxter is also the author of the book: The Morris Code – 21 Ways Something Good Is Going To Happen To You Today, a collection of 21 stories, quotes, and affirmations that are centered around ‘Morris Motivations’ which can be heard weekdays on Atlanta’s Jazz Station, 91.9 WCLK during Morning Jazz.

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