GolfTalk Live Celebrates 13th Anniversary
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The award-winning GolfTalk Live radio show, a national award-winner for 10 years of its existence, celebrates its 13th anniversary on the air today. Three of those years it was voted No. 1 Golf Radio Show in America by the International Network of Golf.
GolfTalk Live debuted in March of 2006 on WNTP, Philadelphia’s Newstalk 990-AM, a 50,000-watt station that previously was dedicated primarily to newstalk programing. The launch was a bold step, in that the format differed from most sports radio shows at that time, which depended on call-in programing.
From its inception, GolfTalk Live was a 52-week, 100-percent interview-driven show, unique in the world of golf radio at that time. Show host Tony Leodora was dedicated to providing golfers with all the latest golf destination information, instruction, interesting golf stories and news from around professional and amateur golf, including interviews with people from all facets of the golf world.
In addition to WNTP, the show’s flagship station, GolfTalk Live began syndication in 2012 with WOND 1400-AM in South Jersey, the only station that gives high-season weekend traffic reports at the Jersey Shore. In 2018 syndication took a big step forward when GolfTalk Live announced the addition its first FM radio station. WNPV 1440-AM and 98.5-FM joined the list of syndicated stations featuring the GolfTalk Live radio show. The Lansdale (Pa.) based station airs in Bucks County, Montgomery County and the Lehigh Valley. WNPV is a family-owned talk radio station that has been serving the community for 59 years.
Also, in 2014, a significant expansion took place through internet broadcasting. GolfTalk Live joined with the fast-growing Golf Director Network, which now hosts all of the shows. Through the network, www.thegolfdirector.com, GolfTalk Live now reaches across the United States and to 145 foreign countries.
“The growth of the show has been phenomenal and we owe it to the great people with whom we work, the interesting personalities we interview and the spectacular venues we visit,” said Leodora, who has logged many miles in order to broadcast the show.
“In the beginning, we thought this would be a show generated from the radio studio each week,” he admitted. “We did the first show from the studio and immediately got a call from a golf course that asked if we could do the show from their location the next week. Since then we have done the show on location every week for the last 13 years, except for one week when we were limited by a huge snowstorm and the annual Producer’s Revenge show that his hosted by our producers at the WNTP studio.”
Over the years, GolfTalk Live has broadcast from locations in 19 different states, plus Puerto Rico. The show also broadcasted from seven foreign countries – Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Scotland.
Regular annual highlights of GolfTalk Live include extended coverage from the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the weekly summer shows from the many golf courses at the Jersey Shore and the annual package known as the Myrtle Beach Report, which includes 13 weeks of reviews of many courses, plus shows at the start and the end of the world’s largest golf tournament – The Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship.
Sponsorship of GolfTalk Live has been an interesting mix of golf and non-golf companies. Presenting Sponsor Norris Sales Company is joined by returning sponsors Westover GC, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, Inside Jewelers, Kutztown Auto, Turnpike Chevrolet, Black Cat Cigars, Destination Montco Golf, Mainland GC, Bella Vista GC, Morgan Hill GC, Antigua, Raven’s Claw GC, Play-a-Round Golf, Sheraton Atlantic City, eRose Web and Club Champion.
“It’s hard to believe the network of great people and sponsors that has developed from this show,” said Leodora. “And it’s even harder to believe that 13 years have passed so quickly. I guess time flies when you are having fun … and we are having more and more fun on the show, as we now begin our 14th season.”
GolfTalk Live also can be heard any time following each show on its official website, www.golftalklive.net.
For more information about the GolfTalk Live radio show, contact TL Golf Services at 610-279-9220 or go to the website at www.golftalklive.net.
