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Long-time WTMJ conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes recently announced he was retiring from radio. The 62-year old has hosted mid-mornings on WTMJ for 23 years and has been one of the most listened-to talk show hosts in the Midwest. Over the years Sykes established himself as one of the most credible conservative hosts in the Milwaukee and surrounding areas, and as a result he has a lot of sway with listeners and elected officials. We spoke to Sykes about the Presidential election and the impact it will have on talk radio once all the votes have been counted. He believes Donald Trump will lose big in November, and the Trump phenomenon will lead to a day of reckoning for conservative talkers.

We've all seen the viral videos by now. Kids watching their parents completely passed out, near death after overdosing on heroin. The NAB recently launched a national campaign to get broadcasters more involved in addressing the heroin and prescription drug abuse that’s impacting communities across America. Later this month, WBTN-AM in Bennington, Vermont is launching a four-part series called Grip of Addiction.

Speaking before the Kansas Association of Broadcasters this week, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said the Commission's decision to retain the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule was a "profound mistake."

The ratings firm told clients about a new product called Control Panel Reports for stations that subscribe to PD Advantage and the Analysis Tool. Nielsen says the reports were created in response to clients who asked for greater insight into panelist behavior, and panel change.

The three panels are called: "Victory in the Hallways: Creating a Positive Work Culture," "Embracing the Data to Predict Hits," and "Coaching the Coaches: Top Talent Tell How to Motivate them Best." The Country Radio Seminar will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Friday, Feb. 24 at the Omni Nashville in Nashville.

Tribune Executive Larry Wert has been elected Interim Chairman of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The position has been vacant since 1995 when Arthur Nielsen stepped down after leading the museum board since 1984. Wert will also serve as Chairman of the Museum's seven-member Executive Committee that is expected to see some changes. He'll serve until the end of 2017.

It didn't take former Philadelphia sports talker Josh Innes long to throw some verbal jabs at a few people from his new home in Houston. Innes replaced long-time SportsTalk 790 KBME host Charlie Pallilo and said this about him...

Anyone looking to better understand the importance of the $1 trillion African-American consumer market, and the best way to connect with African-American consumers, might want to attend the 16th Annual Power of Urban Radio Forum in Washington, D.C. being held Thursday.

It would be fair to say that the station’s 15th Annual Food Drive was a success. The food (1,400,000 pounds, to be exact) was raised over a 12-hour event, and will go to 10 pantries in the Decatur/Macon County area.

Eric Mastel has taken what we are told was a struggling cluster for Cumulus and turned it into one of the company's top performers. You cannot do that without getting people to follow you into battle.