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Talk Radio News Service Staff:

Ellen Ratner, Network Bureau Chief

Ellen Ratner is the White House Correspondent and Bureau Chief for The Talk Radio News Service, covering the White House and providing exclusive reports to talk radio stations from the Congress and government agencies. In addition, she is a credentialed reporter at the United Nations in New York where Talk Radio News Service has a bureau. Ms. Ratner is a news analyst on The Fox News Channel where she is currently seen on “The Strategy Room” and is heard on over 400 radio stations across the United States. She was the only talk show host granted two interviews with President Bill Clinton.

Ms. Ratner is the political editor and Washington bureau chief for Talkers Magazine, the “bible” of the talk media industry. In her capacity as political editor of Talkers Magazine, she helped to develop the concept of “radio rows” with the first large one held at the White House in 1993. In addition, she has trained many groups in use of radio, television and Internet media. Her latest book, Ready, Set, Talk! A Guide to Getting Your Message Heard by Millions on Talk Radio, Talk Television, and Talk Internet, was published in July 2006.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Ratner graduated from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. She earned a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University.

From 1971 to 1986, Ms. Ratner worked in the mental health field. Ratner was the Director of the Psychiatric Day Treatment Program at South Shore Mental Center in Quincy, Massachusetts. In 1984, Ms. Ratner joined the Addiction Recovery Corporation (ARC) as a Consultant on Program Development. From 1986 to 1990, Ms. Ratner served as Vice-President of Research, Development, and Service at the ARC and as Director of its Research Foundation. In addition she also developed a customer service program for nine treatment centers owned by Addiction Recovery Corporation. She served as principal investigator for a research study, determining treatment outcome factors in alcoholism and chemical dependency treatment. Working with Professor Regina Herzlinger, Ms. Ratner wrote a case study of Addiction Recovery Corporation for students at Harvard Business School.

Ms. Ratner is also the author of The Other Side of the Family: A Book for Recovery from Abuse, Incest and Neglect published by Health Communications in 1990. In February 1997, Ms. Ratner published “101 Ways to Get Your Progressive Ideas on Talk Radio,” published by National Press Books and Talkers Magazine. She was executive producer of “Voices from Mississippi” which won the New York Festival’s radio award for the talk radio interview/special category in 2006.

With Cholene Espinoza, Ms. Ratner has been developing a post-Katrina community center and public swimming pool in Pass Christian-DeLisle, Mississippi. The Marsha Barbour Center pool is the first part of the project and will open in 2009. It is the first public swimming pool in a thirty mile radius built since segregation ended. Ms. Ratner was a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow from 1998-2001. From the talk media industry she has received the Judy Jarvis Award as Woman of the Year and was recently honored with the Henry Gruenwald Public Service Award from Lighthouse International for her community service work. Ms. Ratner also serves as the chair of the marketing committee for Lighthouse International in New York City. In the past she has served on the Board of Trustees of Goddard College.

Lovisa Frost, European Bureau Chief

Lovisa Frost, a native of Sweden, first joined the Talk Radio News Service in the spring of 2000. After spending three years in the United States, she returned to Sweden.

In the summer of 2005, Lovisa found her way back to Washington and now serves as an Executive Producer and Correspondent covering the White House and Capitol Hill. She is also the Intern Coordinator for the Talk Radio News Service.

Lovisa graduated from University of Maryland - College Park, with a degree in French and minor in International Journalism. She also spent three years at the University of Skövde, Sweden, studying language, economics, and communications.

Tala Dowlatshahi, United Nations Bureau Chief

Tala Dowlatshahi is a New York based producer, reporter and filmmaker. Since 2002, Dowlatshahi has served as a U.S. Representative of Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans Frontieres) — the Paris-based media watchdog organization. She has worked for Amnesty International in London and various UN agencies in New York and Geneva. Ms. Dowlatshahi has chronicled stories in Afghanistan, Colombia, Eritrea, Eastern Europe, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Tanzania, Turkey and Uganda. She has also been featured on CNN International, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, Reuters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and in various humanitarian news programs. She is an associate member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Interactive EMMYs, New York Women in Film and Television and the Overseas Press Club of America. She holds a B.A. in mass communications from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.A. in international politics from New York University.

Geoff Holtzman, Deputy Washington Bureau Chief/News Director

Geoff is an avid consumer of news and politics. Prior to joining the Talk Radio News Service in 2009, he worked for NewsTalk 630 WMAL in Washington, DC, producing the station’s mid-morning program.

During his time with TRNS, Geoff has reported on important issues ranging from healthcare reform to AIDS funding. In addition, he is an occasional contributor to The Daily Caller.

Geoff is a 2006 graduate of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. You can follow Geoff on Twitter and on YouTube.

Justin Duckham, Washington Correspondent

Justin Duckham joined the Talk Radio News Service in 2008 and has provided coverage of Congress, the Pentagon and the White House.

Before making the jump to politics, Justin was a music journalist in California.

Justin was a member of UC Merced’s founding class and graduated with a degree in History and minors in American Studies and Philosophy.

Benny Martinez, Capitol Hill Correspondent

Benny Martinez is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for the Talk Radio News Service. Prior to joining TRNS, Benny worked as a one-man band for Albuquerque’s PBS station, KNME-TV. He is a native of New Mexico and graduated with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish from the University of New Mexico.

Marc Bernier, National Affairs Correspondent

Twenty-eight year radio and television veteran, Marc Bernier, is often heard to say talking to people is the greatest job he’s ever had. He is the host of The Marc Bernier Show, which airs weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on WNDB-AM 1150 Daytona Beach, Florida and 10 a.m. - 12 Noon on WFHG-FM/92.7/AM980 in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee.

“We get the newsmakers other shows can’t get, because we treat them fairly. We deal with matters that affect people’s lives”, says Bernier.

Now in his thirteenth year at WNDB, the show has been frequented by guests nationwide. From the top leaders on Capitol Hill, to current and former White House officials, the opinion makers of the country know Marc Bernier will ask the questions that need to be asked.

The length of Bernier’s reign at WNDB combined with his witty personality and list of guest appearances have landed him on Talkers Magazine’s top 100 most important talkshow hosts the last seven years. “I’m honored that Talkers would recognize the hard work that goes into our show each day”, says Bernier.

When not discussing political and social issues, Marc prides himself on his local focus which deals with city, county, and state-wide issues. “Dealing with an area like central Florida, it is imperative that residents have a place where they can air their feelings on local happenings”, he adds. “I’m happy to host a forum for that”.

In October 1999, Marc began a five-day-a-week, two-hour local program on WFHG in Bristol, Tennessee. Marc’s wife Melodye is from the Bristol area, and with frequent visits to the region over the years an arrangement was made for Marc’s new Tennessee/Virginia show to originate from Florida. Subjects and guests for this special show are all and about the Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky area. Marc makes frequent appearances and live broadcasts from the Tri-Cities area.

Beginning on WFHG 980 AM, the Bernier Show was added to WFHG FM 92.7 in June of 2001.

Raised in Rhode Island, Marc has hosted morning radio shows in New England before moving to Florida in 1990 to serve as executive producer for Steve Crowley’s “American Scene”. From there, he conducted his own national coast-to-coast radio show, “The American Forum”, before finally making his way to Daytona Beach and WNDB.

In addition to his extensive radio background, Bernier has hosted cable TV shows in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Florida.

The Marc Bernier Show has originated from Washington, D.C. on fourteen occasions and was the only radio show to broadcast continuously from Presidency III in November of 1995 in Orlando, Florida and Florida Victory 2000 in 1999.

Marc is a frequent contributor to Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

Blanquita Cullum, International Affairs Correspondent

Blanquita Cullum, a twenty-two year veteran of radio and television, began her national syndication of the BQ View in April of 1994.

BQ is the current President of The National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts and was named by Talkers Magazine as one of the Top 100 Broadcasters and by USA Today as one of the 25 most influential talk show hosts in the nation.

A single head of household, Hispanic woman, she is unique in her ability to express a ‘common sense’ conservative point-of-view. She was awarded the 1996 Corporate Achievement Award by Vista Magazine for paving the way for Hispanics in broadcasting. Blanquita has also served in the Bush administration as a White House liason and was a member of The Virginia Commission for the Arts under the appointment of Governor George Allen.

Blanquita is a frequent political commentator, panelist and guest host on programs such as CNN & Company, CNBC’s Equal Time, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, Montel Williams, C-Span, CBS Nightly News and America’s Voice.

Cholene Espinoza, Military Correspondent

Cholene Espinoza was the second woman to fly the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. She logged over 200 hours of combat time and was awarded the Air Medal and Aerial Achievement Medal for her service.

She is a military correspondent for Talk Radio News Service and was an embedded journalist with the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion during the Iraq War. She has also reported from Syria, Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, Jordan, and Kuwait. She won a National Press Woman’s award and was a finalist for the New York Festivals Radio Award for her coverage of the war in 2003.

Espinoza graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1987. She was selected to be a jet instructor pilot in 1988. She trained pilots from all over the world, including the United States, the Middle East, and South America.

She is a Captain for United Airlines on the Airbus 320 and 319. She is also rated to fly the Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777 and Gulfstream V. She is a consultant to Medley Global Advisors; a director of CornerPost Software, LLC, a company that protects children from potentially harmful internet content; and a board member of Fast Ditch Inc., a company that specializes in innovative solutions for water conservation. She is a certified mediator and teaches conflict resolution to labor organizations.

Her awards include Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction in 2004, White House Fellowship Northeast Regional Finalist in 2004, New Mexico’s Trailblazer Award in 2000, United Airlines Community Service Award in 1997, Lance P. Sijan U.S. Air Force Leadership Award in 1991, Squadron Officer of the Year in 1990, and Squadron Athlete of the Year in 1989.

Espinoza is from Espanola, New Mexico, and currently lives in New York City with her partner, Ellen Ratner.

Michael Harrison, New York Bureau Chief

Michael Harrison, who serves as a special media correspondent for Talk Radio News Service, is editor and publisher of TALKERS magazine, the leading trade publication in the talk radio and television industries. He founded the magazine in 1990 and today manages its many divisions which include the monthly publication, its website, its annual convention (the New Media Seminar), its regional conferences and its annual Directory of Talk Radio.

In his role as president of TALKERS magazine’s parent company, Focus Communication, Inc., Mr. Harrison serves as director of the firm’s broadcast and publishing operations including the nationally syndicated radio program “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups”, which is heard on more than 50 stations across the United States including WOR, New York and KRLA, Los Angeles.

Focus Communications also owns the Washington DC-based news bureau - the Talk Radio News Service - that provides reports to more than 500 radio stations (and television networks) around the globe.

Mr. Harrison is widely recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on radio and public opinion as it is expressed in the media and is regularly quoted in the press and seen on national television. During the past year alone, he has been interviewed on the NBC Nightly News, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, C-SPAN, and PBS and has been written about in The New York Times, Newsday, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and PEOPLE magazine. He appears as a regular featured contributor on a number of nationally syndicated radio shows including the popular Talk Radio Countdown Show which he founded in 1992.

A graduate of Hofstra University, Michael Harrison’s background in broadcasting and trade journalism is extensive. In a career dating back to 1967, he has served as program director of such stations as WLIR-FM, Long Island; KPRI-FM, San Diego; KMET-FM, Los Angeles; and WZLX-FM, Boston.

He has performed as an air personality on such stations as WNEW-FM, New York; WCBS-FM, New York, WPIX-FM, New York; WMCA, New York; WTIC, Hartford, WBT, Charlotte, and many others. He owned WSPR in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Harrison was the first managing editor of the trade publication Radio & Records in addition to having been editorial/research consultant and radio editorial columnist for Billboard magazine.

Victoria Jones, Managing Editor/White House Correspondent

Victoria Jones is the White House correspondent of the Washington DC based Talk Radio News Service, where her insight and analysis are made available to over 400 news talk radio stations around the country and internationally.

Victoria is a contributor to CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and the BBC. She is the former TV editor for the leading publication of the talk media industry, and has hosted a news talk show on MSNBC.

Victoria Jones has hosted The Victoria Jones Show for 16 years. One of the most respected broadcasters in the industry, she has carved out a unique niche - a provocative mix of the hottest news topics, personality, opinion, entertainment and intrigue. In 2002 Victoria was named as one of the “Most Important Talk Show Hosts in America” by Talkers Magazine. She has won a place on the list seven times. She has also been named one of the “20 most requested guests” by Talkers Magazine.

Since coming to the United States from the United Kingdom, Victoria quickly worked her way to the highest ranks of the industry by landing on-air positions at some of the country’s most prestigious stations: WWRC Washington DC, WXYT Detroit, WRKO Boston and WLAC Nashville.

After a successful run in syndication, she returned to Washington DC, where her show was most recently heard on WMAL. Her provocative and outspoken style, combined with razor wit and nimble versatility, have garnered her industry awards, including the Associated Press Award for Best Radio Talk Show.

Carole Marks, Senior Correspondent

Ms. Marks, is a dynamic, sixty-something, CEO/grandmother who runs a media empire from her Mystic, Connecticut headquarters that spreads a message of inter-generational harmony on national radio, as well as the Internet and in print. Her non-stop assault on negative senior stereotypes and ignorance about upper demographic issues also includes continuous speaking engagements before civic groups, professional associations, and industry conventions all across the country. She is one of America’s most active champions of that rapidly growing segment of the population whom she refers to as “seasoned citizens.”

As CEO of Focus Communications, Inc., Ms. Marks oversees the operation of a rapidly growing nationally syndicated daily radio program titled “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups.” The one-hour show, heard on more than 50 stations across America, including New York City’s legendary WOR, presents a roundtable format in which all aspects of being over 50 years old are discussed. The show presents a cast of regular co-hosts including top broadcast professionals such as TALKERS magazine editor, Michael Harrison; well-known WFAN, New York and FOX Sports Channel host Richard Neer; and prominent attorney Steven J.J. Weisman in conversations with celebrities, experts and newsmakers from all walks of life. The ever-informative Ms. Marks presides over the discussions as the program’s featured commentator adding her insights and opinions to the spirited dialogue.

Recent guests on “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups” include John McEnroe, Jill Clayburgh, Donna Mills, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Billy Joel, Suzanne Sommers, Doris Roberts, Melanie Mayron, Maria Muldour, and Janet Leigh in addition to doctors, professors, government officials and a wide variety of authors.

Topics include Ms. Marks’ favorites — the rising cost of prescription drugs, the future of Social Security and Medicare, problems facing the “sandwich generation” who must take care of young adult children on one side and elderly parents on the other, planning retirement during difficult economic times, how to get the most out of a vacation, the best ways to choose a nursing home, safe and effective ways to diet and exercise, understanding leading edge technology, and countless other subjects that encompass arts and entertainment, politics, science, money, romance and more.

In addition to being a social and political influence in the upper demographic arena, Carole Marks has significantly increased her company’s connections to world of broadcasting in general. Two years ago, Focus Communications acquired TALKERS magazine, the leading trade publication in the fields of talk radio and talk television. That expansion included the magazine’s annual convention, the New Media Seminar, which draws top broadcasters to New York each year to hear industry and political leaders address issues of concern to mass communications. President George W. Bush served as keynote speaker at Ms. Marks’ event in 2000.

Jack Rice, International Correspondent

Jack Rice is a journalist and former CIA Officer. Jack represents the next generation of journalists who embrace new media from video, audio, print and other forms of electronic media. And his expertise clearly sets him apart.

While Jack is the host of WCCO Radio in Minneapolis, he has appeared on MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Fox News Channel, C-SPAN, CBS, NPR, and just about everywhere else. His goal has always been and will continue to be to go where the stories are happening and to provide the most in-depth reporting available. For some years now, Talkers Magazine has named him in the “Heavy Hundred” as one of those most influential broadcasters in the industry.

Jack has reported and broadcast programs from around the world including Kosovo, Israel, Palestine, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, England, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Sudan and the United Nations. However, he has also reported from the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the areas most impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Jack is thrilled to partner with Talk Radio News, taking their listeners to the four corners of the world to get the breaking stories first hand.

Webb Hubbell, Opinion Page Contributor

Webb held high-level positions in the federal, state, and local government, including U.S. Associate Attorney General, Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Mayor of Little Rock Arkansas. Currently, he is one of an elite number of Certified Risk Managers in the country. He helps organizations analyze legal, business, and political challenges and recommend and implement valuable solutions.