FOX News has had its share of struggles with conservative pundits this year. Plenty of voices that used to only praise the network turned on it following the firing of Tucker Carlson. On Wednesday morning though, Tony Katz, a prominent conservative voice in Indiana, was defending one of FOX’s high profile talents.

Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday night to complain that FOX’s Kayleigh McEnany deliberately shared poll numbers that made his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis amongst Republicans look smaller than it actually is.

“Kayleigh McEnany was his press secretary. Kayleigh McEnany was on CNN defending him back in the day,” Katz said Wednesday on WIBC in Indianapolis. “This post is stupid.”

Although he has been a supporter of the former president in the past, Katz said that Trump’s attack on a former staffer that was charged with defending him and his policy is proof that he has no loyalty to anyone but himself.

McEnany served as the White House Press Secretary for the final year of Donald Trump’s term in office. She left the post following the inauguration of Joe Biden in January of 2021. She has been on FOX News since March of that year.

“This is a pathetic move from Trump. Unnecessary,” Katz said. “This is the lashing out of an angry old man who can’t seem to find his pudding cup. And that’s not the way I want to think of him and that’s not the message he wants to move forward! If he wants to get elected, this is ridiculous. I hate the unforced error. I hate it. But he’s so good at it. He can’t figure out how not to do it.”

Sid Rosenberg, WABC Radio’s morning host, emphasized the importance for aspiring broadcasters to remain true to themselves and avoid pretending to be someone they are not. Rosenberg shared this advice while speaking with his former producer Victor Bermudez, who has achieved great success by winning four Emmy Awards for his contributions at Telemundo.

Rosenberg made the remarks during his Tuesday morning show.

“I’ve said this to Marc Malusis at WFAN; his wife once called me and said, ‘Why isn’t Marc having more success at WFAN and I said because he’s trying to be [Mike] Francesa. Don’t be a radio voice; talk like you talk.”

Rosenberg mentioned that throughout his career, he has encountered individuals like Joy Taylor from Fox Sports Radio, who faced tremendous expectations due to her brother, Jason Taylor, being a former NFL player. These individuals had to navigate significant pressure to succeed in the entertainment industry.

“Overnight, she (Taylor) wanted to be the next Barbara Walters,” Rosenberg said. “I just told her to take it easy, slow down and be yourself.”

Rosenberg said he had similar advice for Bermudez, who admittedly struggled to find his identity in the industry due to many factors.

“I’ve had a lot of producers over the years; it’s not easy producing for me, the show ends, and a minute later, I’m asking who’s on tomorrow,” said Rosenberg. “

Bermudez, who served as Rosenberg’s producer at WQAM in Miami, joined Rosenberg with minimal prior on-air experience.

“I had tons of fun working on the Sid Rosenberg Show during my time with you in Miami; I will add that it was life-changing,” said Bermudez. “It changed my life professionally because I came into business trying to be something I was not.”

Like many of my age group, I’ve worked in every medium – print, digital, magazines, radio and TV.

Unlike most, I began on the cutting edge of new media in 1998 (yikes!), and 25 years later, I’ve found myself on the other end of the spectrum, namely AM radio.

Shouldn’t that be in reverse?

Well, it’s not, and that’s the point of this column. I find myself immersed in a medium everyone seems to be writing off, yet somehow, I am as professionally motivated and satisfied as ever.

Before unpacking that, a brief history. After freelancing for various newspapers and niche magazines while in graduate school, I received a big break late in the winter of ‘98 (yikes again!).

While a stringer for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, I met David Albright at the NCAA Frozen Four. Who’s he? I have no idea what he’s up to these days, but back then, he was an early east coast employee of Starwave.

Starwave? You mean Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy? No, I mean Starwave.

You see, back then, the major sports entities – from the major pro leagues to ESPN – outsourced their nascent web operations. Websites like ESPN – it was called ESPN SportsZone back in the day – and the NFL were initially run by one company out of Seattle.

Starwave.

By ’98, someone at the top of the ESPN food chain must have realized what was to come because just before I went to Bristol, CT, they began to move editorial operations eastward. They also began the process of buying the business entirely.

You would think that anyone would jump at the chance to work at the Worldwide Leader, but it turns out, some folks liked the Starbucks coffee better in Seattle than the Dunkin’ in Bristol, Connecticut.

That meant openings in Bristol, and David Albright was my opening.

From our conversation in the hot dog line in the media space at the Garden (The Fleet Center back then?), I ended up with a job and quit graduate school to be an entry level editor ESPN.com. The site was so well regarded in Bristol that they literally put us in a basement (Building #3!), and almost none of the on-air talent would speak to us. I remember Danny O’Neil taping analysts off our TVs onto a run-of-the-mill audio recorder, transcribing the tape and then posting the copy on ESPN.com. That was a large part of his job.

Flash forward a few years, after John Walsh transformed the site, bringing on the likes of Bill Simmons and Hunter Thompson — and the internet became king — ESPN.com got more eyeballs than any ESPN show. Analysts begged for columns and real estate on the site. The culture of acceptance changed right before all of our eyes.

I wasn’t there for long, but I was there as things started to skyrocket.

Flash forward 25 years.

I work in AM radio.

Yes, that AM radio, the one they’re trying to keep out of new cars. The medium your parents and grandparents listened to, and you (me) remember crawling into your parents’ bed on snow days to wait for “S” in the alphabet to know that schools in Swampscott, MA were shut for the day.

FANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google) are where the growth is now, and radio is ANANG (All nostalgia and no growth).

But two things are true. I am totally happy. And I’ve totally changed how I operate.

First, the former. I am off script. I have direct input with booking. I can mix in everything I love – politics, business, sports, movies. Smaller staffs mean less opportunity for social media and public outreach, but it also means more editorial freedom.

That freedom has been positively cathartic, and the shows are awesome.

But as many of you know, terrestrial radio is a tough business right now. Life in AM radio is that much tougher. That’s where the operational shift comes into play.

Whereas just five years ago, I was a TV anchor who refused to even read promos. “I’m a journalist!” (said in a ‘pass the Grey Poupon’ type of voice). Now, I am actively talking with sales all the time, sharing ideas, even bringing people to them. I interact with businesses all the time, and some perfectly align with our values – and have owners who love the show.

Five years ago, I would have needed an exfoliating shower to deal with the grime, whereas now, I embrace it. Because I have to if I want the show to succeed – and keep doing the work I am enjoying so much.

I could never be in sales full time as that type of dialogue needed would probably wear me down over time. But if someone owns a business and says they listen every day, I might say, “Then come on board!”

I cultivate relationships because I truly enjoy people, and I believe audiences are built one listener at a time, and instead of scoffing at taking the next step, I just take it.

Who knows what will happen with a show like mine – succeed in AM, simulcast, syndicate … whatever. But it can still thrive if hosts help the business side. It should never impact the product – I always say I reserve the right to ask and say what I want – but it certainly can help keep the product on the airwaves a lot longer.