The Sales Talent Lessons Radio Needs From Hispanic Radio
Hispanic radio leaders argue that attracting and retaining sales talent now hinges on storytelling, community ties, and digital integration rather than commissions alone. They frame radio as part of a broader ecosystem, emphasizing purpose, earnings potential, flexibility, and modern tools. Treating salespeople like family and involving them in local events deepens loyalty. Partnerships with universities such as UCF create a pipeline of aspiring talent, ensuring the medium’s future relevance amid Big Tech competition.
Nielsen Data Gives Radio a Foothold With World Cup Fans
Nielsen’s Fan Insights survey reveals that 61% of U.S. soccer fans rely on radio for sports news, outpacing the 46% baseline of the general population. Podcast usage mirrors this trend, with 60% of fans tuning in versus 37% of non‑fans....
Do Opposites Really Attract?
The traditional "Dick, Dork, Dear" formula that once guided morning‑show casts is giving way to fluid, contrast‑driven ensembles. Producers now map personalities to five core archetypes—Everyman, Instigator, Comic, Heart, and Head—regardless of cast size. Contrast between these roles fuels humor,...
DMR/Interactive Elevates Bannon to EVP, Strategy and Growth
DMR/Interactive announced Tony Bannon’s elevation to Executive Vice President of Strategy and Growth. Bannon, who joined the firm in December 2019 as VP of Marketing Strategy, has guided its response to shifting media‑consumption habits during the pandemic. His background spans...
Salem and Cumulus Shake on Larry O’Connor Syndication
Salem Media Group and Cumulus Media are launching Larry O’Connor’s morning show as a national program on May 4, adding it to more than 140 Salem Radio Network affiliates and simulcasting on the Salem News Channel. The show will retain its...
Chachi Loves Adam Taylor & ‘American Afterlife’ In New Podcasts
Benztown released two new episodes of its interview series *Chachi Loves Everybody*. The first episode features APM Music President Adam Taylor, who recounts his eclectic career and discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping production music. The second episode spotlights the creators...
Cumulus Expands Local Market Research for Sales Teams
Cumulus Media announced partnerships with The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions to add consumer lifestyle and brand‑awareness data to its sales toolkit. The new intelligence layer will let account executives frame advertiser conversations around category demand, targeting and competitive positioning instead...
Audacy Taps DAZN, Soros Fund Execs for Board of Directors
Audacy announced the addition of Walker Jacobs, DAZN USA's Global CRO, and Gabriel Brotman of Soros Fund Management to its Board of Directors. Jacobs previously led sports advertising at Amazon Ads and Twitch, while Brotman brings experience from Axel Springer’s...
Magellan AI and iHeart Expand to Broadcast Radio Attribution
Magellan AI has upgraded its standalone Broadcast Radio Attribution product by integrating iHeartMedia’s simulcast data. The new capability maps radio listeners to measurable outcomes such as web visits, form fills, leads, and purchases, allowing advertisers to assess performance across audio...
FCC’s Latest Move Creates Uncertainty for All Broadcasters
The FCC ordered The Walt Disney Company to file fresh license renewals for all its ABC‑owned stations within 30 days, citing an investigation into the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. The directive, issued by Video Division Chief David...
Data Shows Country Streamers Aren’t Leaving AM/FM Behind
A new nuVoodoo analysis presented at the CRS360 webinar shows that country music listeners are not abandoning traditional AM/FM radio for streaming. While 94% of surveyed fans use digital services, 86% still tune in to over‑the‑air broadcasts, and three‑quarters of...
The Angels: A Story of Radio’s Unsung, Daily Lifesavers
Educational Media Foundation (EMF), operator of K‑LOVE and Air1, runs a 24/7 prayer line that handles roughly 800 calls each day, with about three classified as life‑threatening crises. In a recent example, a pastor stayed on the phone with a...
Europe’s Audio Ad Gap Has a Lesson for US Advertisers
A Bauer Media Audio and Elevate Consultancy study of over 1,000 senior agency and advertiser leaders across nine European markets reveals a stark mismatch between belief and spend in audio advertising. While 96% intend to maintain or increase audio budgets...
Libsyn Drops the Velvet Rope on Video Podcasting
Libsyn has lifted its video‑podcasting restrictions, allowing every creator on its platform to publish, distribute, and monetize video episodes without a waitlist or tier limits. Users can now push video content to major outlets such as Spotify and YouTube from...
Omnicom and iHeartMedia Put Numbers on Audio’s Ad Gap
Omnicom Media and iHeartMedia released a study of 3,500 U.S. adults that quantifies the advertising shortfall in audio, which commands roughly one‑third of daily media consumption. The research found audio ads generate a 22‑point lift in unaided recall and significant...
Jeremy Scott Trades ‘ATC’ For ‘Morning Edition’ In Pittsburgh
Jeremy Scott is transitioning from hosting NPR’s All Things Considered to the Morning Edition slot at Pittsburgh’s 90.5 WESA. The move leaves the All Things Considered host chair vacant, prompting a search for a new local anchor. Station executives praised Scott’s...
Southern Utah’s Redrock Media Makes Mathis Its Next Sales Lead
Redrock Media announced that former Utah Broadcasters Association board member Terry Mathis will serve as its new Director of Sales. Mathis will oversee revenue generation for the company’s five‑station St. George cluster and its digital marketing arm, Redrock Connect, succeeding...
Nielsen Adds Podcast Planning Data Through Triton Digital
Nielsen announced a partnership with Triton Digital to embed Triton’s Podcast Metrics Demos+ into its Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) cross‑media planning tool. The integration streams Triton’s download‑level podcast data across every show, network and subnetwork, giving advertisers a unified view...
Rich Shertenlieb Returning to Boston Sports Radio
Audacy’s WEEI has hired veteran sportscaster Rich Shertenlieb as co‑host of a new weekday afternoon show with Ken Laird and former Patriots star Ted Johnson. The move follows Shertenlieb’s dismissal from iHeartMedia’s 100.7 WZLX, where his program was cancelled amid company‑wide...
Townsquare and Columbus’ NABCO Ignite Digital Ad Partnership
Townsquare Media’s Ignite division announced a digital‑advertising partnership with North American Broadcasting Company (NABCO) in Columbus, Ohio, marking its latest addition to the Ignite Media Partnerships program launched in 2024. The deal grants NABCO white‑label access to Townsquare’s proprietary programmatic...
Cumulus’ Bob Walker Releases AI Media Planning Guide for Radio
Cumulus Media Operations President Bob Walker released an AI media‑planning guide aimed at local advertisers and radio sales teams. The playbook outlines five best‑practice prompts for large language models such as ChatGPT, emphasizing precise questioning, source verification, and platform awareness....
Tilt the Clock: Control Your Time, Control Your Sales
The article argues that a salesperson’s success hinges on maximizing "time spent selling" rather than mastering new pitches. It recommends structuring the day around "money hours"—typically mid‑morning to late afternoon—while pushing administrative tasks to the periphery. By time‑blocking, delegating low‑value...
Engage Listeners Throughout the Commercial
Jeffrey Hedquist argues that modern radio commercials must fight audience distraction by weaving constant audio variation throughout the spot. He advises creators to manipulate pace, tone, volume, accents, and effects, treating a single voice like a multi‑character storyteller. Adding layered...
Beasley Detroit Partners With Forgotten Harvest In Hunger Fight
Beasley Media Group Detroit has partnered with nonprofit Forgotten Harvest to combat food insecurity in the Metro Detroit area. The collaboration will leverage Beasley’s radio stations—WRIF, WCSX, WDMK, and WMGC—to raise awareness and drive donations for the organization, which rescues...
Tampa Bay Rowdies Land First-Ever Radio Deal With Beasley
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have secured their first-ever radio broadcast partnership for the 2026 season with Florida Alumni Radio 1100 (WJBR‑AM) and Beasley Media Group, extending coverage to 92.1 and 103.1 FM in South Florida. The deal adds a dedicated audio...
Techsurvey: Radio’s Core Aging Out Of Demo; Digital Gap Closing
Jacobs Media’s Techsurvey 2026, based on nearly 31,000 P1 radio listeners, shows the average audience has aged to 58.4 years, with one‑third now 65 or older. Digital consumption has surged, accounting for 44% of weekly listening time versus 54% on...
SFM Accuses Warshaw of Withholding Key Docs in Audacy Suit
Soros Fund Management (SFM) has asked a court to compel Jeff Warshaw to produce communications it says he withheld in a discovery fight over an alleged oral agreement for a chief executive role or a 5% profit share from SFM’s...
Cashing In: How Radio’s Best Sellers Navigate a Skeptical Market
Radio Ink’s May 2026 issue reveals that top radio salespeople are confronting a more guarded buying environment. Economic tightening and the rise of low‑cost digital platforms have shifted client objections from price to proof of effectiveness. Sellers now counter platform fatigue...
What’s Bigger Than Your Show?
The article outlines five practical guidelines for radio and podcast hosts who want to embed cause‑driven content into their shows. It advises concentrating on a single charitable cause, centering narratives around one individual’s experience, and leveraging vulnerability to spark trust....
Layfield Leaves Cumulus Indianapolis For iHeartMedia Louisville
Christopher Layfield is leaving his role as Senior Vice President of Programming at Cumulus Indianapolis to become Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia in Louisville. In his new position, he will steer content strategy and audience engagement across nine iHeartMedia...
Gregg Bonham Goes Whole Hog On Programming WRZK
Gregg Bonham has been promoted from Assistant Program Director to Program Director of 95.9 The Hog (WRZK) in Tennessee’s Tri‑Cities market. He succeeds Scott Highland, who is moving to oversee HVB’s ESPN sports stations. Bonham’s year‑long tenure included music testing, social‑media strategy,...
Dan Bongino Returns to Top Three in March Podcasts Ranker
The Dan Bongino Show surged to #3 on Triton Digital’s March 2026 US Podcast Ranker, trailing only iHeart’s *Stuff You Should Know* and Audioboom’s *Pod Save America*. The ranking reflects an average of 3.6 million weekly downloads for Cumulus Podcast Network, largely...
The Sports Audience TV Can’t Match Is on the Radio, Study Shows
A Vision Insights Decoder study of U.S. sports fans (August‑October 2025) shows sports radio listeners are twice as likely to back brands that sponsor their favorite teams, and they rate radio sponsors as more memorable than TV sponsors among 18‑34...
Hurley Brings Regional Playbook to iHeart Philadelphia
Jeff Hurley has been appointed senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia, taking charge of the market’s six‑station cluster that includes Power 99, WDAS, and Fox Sports The Gambler. He previously served as EVP of programming across Upstate New York,...
BFOA Breakfast Sends NAB Show 2026 Out on a High Note
The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) closed NAB Show 2026 with its annual Leadership Class Breakfast, honoring eight broadcasters and underscoring the foundation’s charitable impact. Over the past decade the foundation has distributed more than $15 million in aid, with grant...
Atlanta’s V-103 Adds Amiker and Ski in Programming Spree
Audacy Atlanta’s V‑103 announced a weekday programming overhaul, adding four‑time Emmy winner Francesca Amiker to The Big Tigger Morning Show, bringing over 16 years of broadcast experience from E! News and WXIA‑TV. Veteran host Frank Ski returns as a weekend contributor...
Benztown + McVay Turn Bestselling Novel Into Narrative Podcast
Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks has turned Pedro Hoffmeister’s bestselling Pacific Northwest disaster novel *American Afterlife* into a six‑episode narrative podcast. The series, starring Scarlett Estevez as Cielo, launched on Apple Podcasts and Spotify in partnership with William Stuart and...
Broadcasters Are Ready to Own the America 250 Moment
Broadcasters are mobilizing for the United States' 250th anniversary, unveiling tailored content strategies at the NAB Show. Salem Media introduced its USA framework—User‑generated, Specific, Authentic—to drive local storytelling, while Sinclair rolled out a USAA‑sponsored live podcast and NBCUniversal launched a...
Borrell Addresses 74% Problem Facing Radio’s Digital Sales Teams
Gordon Borrell of Borrell Associates warned that 74% of radio’s existing advertisers still aren’t purchasing digital inventory, even as digital revenue reached $2.3 billion in 2025, representing 24.4% of total ad sales. The 14th Annual Digital Benchmarking Report shows top‑performing market...
Rocca & Bargatze Back Broadcast’s Power During NAB Awards
At the NAB Show 2026, veteran journalist Mo Rocca received the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation Insight Award while comedian Nate Bargatze was honored with the NAB Television Chairman’s Award. Both appeared on a Main‑Stage fireside chat, using the platform to champion...
Gomez Panel At NAB Insists Carr’s Broadcast Threats Won’t Hold
At the NAB Show 2026, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez led a panel of First Amendment lawyers who challenged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s public threats to revoke broadcast licenses over news coverage. Panelists argued that Carr’s reliance on the antiquated news‑distortion...
Honoring the Past; Guiding the Future
The radio industry is undergoing rapid consolidation and digital disruption, prompting many stations to appoint leaders from outside traditional broadcasting. While these newcomers bring financial discipline and tech expertise, the article stresses that true success requires immersion in the station’s...
NAB Show Monday Bookended By Grit and Radio’s Future
At NAB Show 2026 the Alliance for Women in Media hosted a breakfast panel featuring Graham Media Group CEO Catherine Badalamente, Amazon’s Jordan Chatfield and NewsBalancer President Lee Harris. The trio highlighted AI as the primary lever for local‑news differentiation,...
I Saw It On The Radio
Quu released its 2026 In‑Vehicle Visuals report, showing that visual elements are becoming integral to radio in cars. The study found 68% of new‑model vehicles feature multiple screens, 74% support HD Radio, and built‑in streaming apps appear in 53% of...
What To See at NAB: Your Tuesday Show Guide
Tuesday at NAB Show 2026 kicked off with the industry’s signature awards ceremony, honoring figures such as CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Mo Rocca, comedian Nate Bargatze, Hearst Television’s Mike Rosellini and Sinclair’s Harvey Arnold. The morning continued with a hard‑hitting session on a broadcaster‑built...
MediaCo Names Castro SVP & Controller, De La Cruz SF GM
MediaCo announced two senior appointments to fuel its growth. Roberto Castro was named Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller, bringing three decades of media‑finance expertise after a 24‑year tenure at Spanish Broadcasting System and roles at DIRECTV Latin America. Christian De La Cruz was...
Cox Media Group Tampa Welcomes Back Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller is rejoining Cox Media Group Tampa as Director of Sales after a seven‑year stint in California, most recently serving as senior vice president at Audacy Sacramento. Miller previously led sales for CMG Tampa’s 102.5 The Bone and 107.3 The Eagle from 2010...
It’s Knight Time In Jacksonville As CMG Picks Branding Leader
Cox Media Group Jacksonville’s Hot 106‑5 has promoted Shawn Knight to Assistant Director of Branding and Programming. Knight, a veteran with more than 30 years in radio, will oversee branding, promotional campaigns, and on‑air duties, hosting afternoons on Hot 106‑5 and middays...
Help Shape CRS: 2027 Agenda Committee Apps Now Open
Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has opened applications for the Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2027 Agenda Committee, inviting volunteers from across the country‑radio sector. The committee, chaired by Brittani Johnson with Krista Hayes and Kevin Callahan as vice chairs, will design...
Slay Stays In Nashville’s Zone With Cumulus Continuation
Ron Slay, ESPN and SEC Network analyst and former UT player, has signed a multi‑year contract to stay on Cumulus Media Nashville’s 104.5 The Zone afternoon show “3HL.” The program, now in its sixth year, streams on radio, TV and...