As of this morning, we are exactly 91 days away from kicking off the 2023 BNM Summit in Nashville. Our two-day news media conference is taking place at Vanderbilt University on September 13-14, 2023. We’ll have a lot of smart, successful people in the room from a large number of companies. Tickets are on-sale now. You can purchase yours by clicking here.

Having run five sports conferences, I’ve learned that radio folks too often become slaves to their daily routines. They think being out of a building for a few days is going to create unfixable issues, which would’ve been avoided had they not traveled.

First, that’s nonsense. If you’re a strong leader, you surround yourself with a good, motivated team that’s capable of executing without you watching over them.

Secondly, your quest for knowledge should never end. The greats stay great by learning new information, building and strengthening relationships, and seeking ways to improve. When a few hundred people who do what you do are gathering to share ideas and opinions, and celebrate difference makers in the business you work in, you make time to be in the room.

Sometimes your company supports your professional education by footing the bill. Other times, you have to invest in yourself and your career. You only get better by being around others who are excellent. You also never know how a meeting today can open a door to something life changing tomorrow. Since there aren’t many of these opportunities, when they arise, it’s up to you to take advantage of them.

With that in mind, we’ve already revealed sixteen speakers for our conference, and I’m thrilled to add four more names to the list.

First, it’s a pleasure to welcome WIBC Program Director David Wood to the lineup. David is based in Indianapolis where he oversees both WIBC and 93.5/107.5 The Fan. His stations consistently excel thanks to a talented air staff, which includes Tony Katz, Hammer & Nigel, and Kendall & Casey. Prior to taking the reigns in Indianapolis for Radio-One and Emmis, David held the title of Director of Programming for Susquehanna Radio Indianapolis and Capitol Broadcasting in Baltimore and Raleigh. I’m looking forward to having him take part in one of our programming panels at the show.

Next up is WBEN Program Director and Audacy Buffalo Operations Manager Tim Wenger. Tim has been a steady force in Western New York, leading WBEN to years of market success, while also providing oversight of WGR SportsRadio 550 and ESPN 1520. He is active and passionate about all aspects of news, talk and sports radio, and married to WBEN morning news anchor Susan Rose. I’m excited to have him join us at the Summit and share his expertise during one of our programming conversations.

We shift away from the programmers to two gentlemen who certainly understand the world of programming but now have larger responsibilities with their respective companies.

Tim Clarke serves as Audacy’s Senior Vice President of Digital Audio Content. He is responsible for all audio content across Audacy’s digital platforms, including the Audacy app, Audacy.com, and Audacy’s station websites. He also collaborates with the company’s podcast studio leadership and local teams and talent to further enhance and grow Audacy’s local podcast content and audience. Prior to joining Audacy, Clarke served as the VP of Content and Audience for Cox Media Group. The Nashville based executive has a lot to offer on the digital space, and I look forward to welcoming his insights at the show.

Just a few hours north of Tennessee in Indiana is where you’ll find James Derby. James is the Chief Strategy Officer for Federated Media and Federated Digital Solutions, which operates brands in Fort Wayne and South Bend. Charged with overseeing strategic planning and implementation of chosen digital, programming and corporate projects for the company, James works closely with all of the company’s stations and digital shows including Marconi Award winning news talker, 92.3 FM/1190am/107.5 FM WOWO in Fort Wayne. A former PD of KXL in Portland, James is well versed in today’s news/talk radio and digital climate, and I’m eager to have him share his wisdom with all in attendance.

We have a lot more still to announce and are hard at work finalizing speakers and partners. If your company, brand or business would like to sponsor the event, please email Stephanie Eads at [email protected]. On that note, a big thank you to JJ Surma Voiceovers and Core Image Studio for securing our Badge and Green Room sponsorships.

As I’ve stated before, I want people to leave this Summit with ideas, actionable information, and a feeling that they learned a ton, while gaining face time with trusted and respected professionals. If we do that, it makes the trip worthwhile. I view this as a two-day Master Class on the News/Talk media business. Whether you’ve been in the game for 10 minutes or 10 years, you’ll learn something new at this show.

But none of this works and stands a chance of continuing if folks in the format don’t support it. For three years, I’ve been asked ‘will you do for News/Talk what you’ve done for sports/talk? We need it!’ Well, that time has arrived.

I’m investing resources and months of time building this because I love the media business, know how to excel in it, have access to information and talented people, and believe that our industry doesn’t come together enough. I see executives, salespeople, market managers, agents and affiliate reps at shows, but rarely are rooms full of programmers, talent, producers, imagers, researchers, and social media and digital professionals. The News/Talk format is massive yet there are folks running some of America’s elite News/Talk brands who rarely cross paths, and are known only know by name, email address or a social media profile. I’d like to change that. We have a real opportunity to move this format forward, and I hope you’ll help me do that in Nashville this September.

Once again, to secure you tickets, click here.