The event is remarkable by itself but when one considers that over 200 talk radio hosts from around the world converge on Manhattan to celebrate the trade each year at the Talkers Magazine "New Media Seminar", it can be best described as the "Academy Awards" of talk radio. Michael Harrison, founder of Talkers, has put together something beyond just colleagues and industry insiders paying homage in a high-profile gala event though. Talk radio personalities with audiences as small as a few thousand to a few million come to the NMS and learn more about our trade in this one weekend each year than we will for the other 363 days combined.


Experts, giants and legends of talk radio are invited to speak to the talk radio hosts during the afternoons and hand to us the best advertising ideas, the technological break throughs we should be paying attention to, ways to engage the light-speed evolution of talk radio and how to keep up with it and prepare our audiences for the changes. Most importantly, the goal is to give you, the audience, a better product.

Michael Harrison is truly a visionary and will be safely regarded as one of the most important people in talk radio for the twenty-first century. His friend and political editor is Ellen Ratner who also works with Talkers along with her staff at Talk Radio News Service and provide an incredible product for the attendees of the NMS.


This year, the highest awards went to Bob Grant of WOR fame, recipient of the WABC Lifetime Achievement Award and Laura Ingraham who received the Judy Jarvis Award for outstanding contribution to talk radio by a woman.

Leaving New York for my four hour trek up 95N (now I get it MH), I started to think about the irony of all those people who are paid to be heard every day and instead, sat and listened. What is more impressive is the passion the organizers of this annual event have for our American 1st Amendment, the Freedom of Speech. Still even more impressive is the comradery shown by all and I left feeling as though I was just adopted into a great family.  From Sean Hannity to whatshisface's producer from Tennessee, people there were working to achieve a win-win for us all.

In the end, the winners are any audience of talk radio which has a host that attends the most important event of our industry; the New Media Seminar in New York City.

Congratulations Michael and Ellen for yet another wildly successful event and on behalf of all Talkers; Thank you!