WFDF, Detroit Begins Simulcast on HD Signal
Detroit news/talk outlet WFDF-AM adds an FM HD signal to its broadcast via Audacy’s WOMC-HD2 at 104.3 FM. The Adell Media-owned station recently flipped from urban talk (with a very brief stint as sports talk in between) to conservative news/talk and now positions itself as “910 AM Superstation –
Detroit’s News/Talk Radio Station.” The station features local host Justin Barclay in morning drive with Premiere Networks syndicated shows including “The Glenn Beck Program,” “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show,” “The Sean Hannity Show,” “The Jesse Kelly Show,” Key Networks’ “The Bill O’Reilly Show” and Red Apple Media’s “The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano.” The station is promoting itself with a heavy media schedule on iHeartMedia’s adult contemporary WNIC-FM, Detroit voiced by Sean Hannity. Adell Media CEO Kevin Adell says, “910 AM Superstation is living up to its name. The audience growth we’ve seen since launching our conservative news/talk lineup in September has been exponential, and we’re looking forward to reaching even more listeners on 104.3 HD2.”
the top sports morning shows in America and has won numerous national industry awards including a Marconi Award. Toucher was a foundational member of the launch of the station in August 2009. Prior to joining the ‘98.5 Sports Hub’ team, he worked at the former legendary rock station, WBCN.” Toucher comments, “I am thrilled to be able to work with my Beasley family over the coming years. I will continue my record of immense competence and brilliance.” Station PD Rick Radzik adds, “Fred has been entertaining ‘Sports Hub’ listeners each morning since 2009 with his compelling viewpoints and opinions on a wide range of topics. We are very pleased that he will continue on with us for years to come.” There’s no mention of morning drive co-host and Toucher’s longtime partner Rich Shertenlieb in the press release and the Boston Globe’s Chad Finn writes about the possibility Shertenlieb will exit the station soon. 
-anchor 2024 election coverage and host “The Bret Baier Podcast” on FOX News Audio. President and executive editor Jay Wallace says, “We are thrilled to have Bret continue leading our political coverage as we head into the 2024 election season and beyond.” Baier has been the anchor of “Special Report” on FOX News Channel since January 2009, when he took over for the legendary Brit Hume who created and launched “Special Report” in 1998.
multiple Tennessee Association of Broadcasters awards as well as a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. Starnes Media Group CEO Dalton Glasscock says, “For Ben Deeter this is a job and passion, not a side hustle. Ben is the only local conservative morning show host in Memphis bringing you the news every day. Ben Deeter is giving you the news to keep your families safe, holding our leaders accountable, and bringing humor and good stories to match. KWAM, with Ben Deeter, leading the charge is the only place to go for news you can count on.”
have embraced YouTube as the number one podcast platform, especially with podcast discovery. Cumulus Media EVP, marketing and president, 
deal to provide a one-minute news update hosted by one of the network’s anchors to over 15,000 taxis across the country, including in New York City. In a January 21 letter to Mamdani and Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Midori Valdivia, Hoylman-Sigal stated the cabs should not carry Newsmax because of its “politically charged content.” The letter went further, stating Newsmax “is not a credible news source for New Yorkers. I urge you to summarily suspend the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission’s partnership with Curb… and demand that Curb cease its collaboration with Newsmax as a condition of licensure given the platform’s history of misinformation and disingenuous reporting.” Newsmax says, “This is a pure act of censorship targeting a news organization reaching over 50 million Americans regularly. Newsmax plays it straight and that drives the far left crazy.” 
listening to the 10k flamethrower, with a history dating back to 1947, that blankets the Santa Cruz / Monterey / Salinas market and most of the Central California coast. Since acquiring the station, Zwerling has operated it hands-on as a conservative-leaning news-talker featuring a carefully crafted balance between local programming with a parade of hometown personalities (including local superstar Dave Michaels) and a menu of leading syndicated talent. It was one of the original affiliates of Rush Limbaugh and carried the iconic show until his passing in 2021. Zwerling tells 
TALKERS, “Back then I was 39 years old and never dreamed I’d last this long as a real broadcaster.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison – a longtime fan of KSCO – stated, “Congratulations to Michael Zwerling and all the folks at one of America’s most colorful radio stations, for keeping the spirit of independent local broadcasting alive through the many obstacles and changes that have proven challenging for the practitioners of this wonderful industry. They are champions of a major slice of grassroots Americana represented by the modern era of talk radio.” Today, KSCO maintains its powerful presence in the world-famous market at 1080 AM with the addition of three FM translator signals at 104.1, 95.7, and 107.9. The station still broadcasts from a historic art deco building located on the beach in Santa Cruz and continues to surprise its listeners with unexpected twists and turns in what Harrison describes as “one of radio’s longest running reality shows.”
station general manager John Gallagher states. Bringing Amy Jacobson back to the station fills a huge void for our audience. She has been relentless in her quest for the truth, and she gets answers that our listeners need to hear. Jeanne Ives (right) is one of the most politically connected people in the state of Illinois. She brings a wealth of knowledge regarding so many issues that affect everyone within our listening area. I am looking forward to the in-depth conversation and new perspective this team will offer.” Ives says, “I am thankful and excited to be a part of the Salem family. Information is power and Amy and I want to bring the ‘Real Story’ on policy along with informed commentary from years of experience knowing the players and politicians to our listeners. We want listeners to be informed, so they can hold the politicians accountable.” Amy Jacobson adds, “I am thrilled to be returning home to ‘AM 560 The Answer.’ Jeanne and I will be part of the strongest conservative lineup in Chicago radio! As many of you know, life takes some unexpected turns, but when you love what you do, the signal always finds its way back.”
end-to-end, cloud-native operating system designed specifically for radio… powered by a suite of proprietary AI technologies that master, schedule, produce, and deliver each station directly to a Super Hi-Fi playout device at the transmitter.” Warshaw says, “Our mission is to have the best live and local radio experience in every market across America and Super Hi-Fi’s unique capabilities will allow us to do that in ways the industry just didn’t have before. We’re excited to work with them to drive forward and deliver the most compelling radio products in the industry.”
For years, “protect your name and likeness” sounded like lawyer advice in search of a problem. Abstract. Defensive. Easy to ignore. That worked when misuse required effort, intent, and a human decision-maker willing to cross a line.
with the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor designated contributions to local news. Bertrand has been a trusted voice on WGN Radio for four decades, anchoring news since 1992 and earning the confidence of generations of Chicago listeners. Over his career, he covered many of the most significant local and national events of the past 40 years while mentoring colleagues and helping define the standard for excellence in local radio journalism. His retirement in 2025 marks the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to informing the public and strengthening the role of local news.” 
gathering – will take place February 19-21 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
audience engagement – a considerable value add for Cumulus Media and its stakeholders and an important next step in the development of advanced capabilities for the audio sector.” Cumulus adds that Eon Media is an award-winning technology company for media that harnesses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence that is fully built in-house to extract metadata from media assets, including segments, stories, categories, audio transcription, music recognition, people mentioned, demographics, and much more. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “We are excited to join forces with Eon Media to create innovative solutions that will provide Cumulus Media with access to new market opportunities and untapped monetization paths. Importantly, this partnership will significantly enhance our ability to drive greater discoverability. By expanding touchpoints and engagement opportunities, we ensure our listeners and audiences can connect with our content more easily and more often than ever.”
Podcast” joins SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel for same-day distribution of Carolla’s daily show, Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:00 am – 9:00 am ET. PodcastOne co-founder Kit Gray states, “PodcastOne is thrilled to extend our relationship with Adam and his ‘The Adam Carolla Show.’ Adam has paved the way for podcasters around the globe and his podcast is continuously growing with audiences and with advertisers. We’re proud to be working alongside one of the greatest in the business as he sets the tone for success in the genre.”
commercially unreasonable rate for its Nationwide Report may cause it to have to do away with the Nationwide Report altogether. This testimony accompanied Nielsen’s request for a stay pending appeal as it appeals to the Second Circuit. This is the latest in action in Cumulus’ suit alleging that 
Nielsen is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals and charge inflated prices. Judge Vargas denied the stay pending appeal but did grant an administrative stay will be in effect only until January 16, 2026, to allow Nielsen time to file a motion for a stay in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Tunkel’s testimony states that the order would cause Nielsen “significant irreparable harm if required to comply with the Court’s ruling during the pendency of Nielsen’s appeal… As a result, Nielsen would not be able to apply that policy in any of the at least ten negotiations with clients that Nielsen expects to have in 2026. If Nielsen is unable to apply the Network Policy, then it will be hindered in its ability to ensure that it can recover the costs of collecting the local radio-ratings data that make up the Nationwide report and spread those costs appropriately across the customers that use the products generated from those joint costs. If Nielsen cannot recover these costs, then it may have to retire the Nationwide report, similar to when Nielsen retired its other national data product, RADAR. If it does not retire the Nationwide report, it may have to pass a higher share of the costs of collecting local data on to other customers, including local radio stations, hurting Nielsen’s negotiating position with respect to those customers, as well as those customers themselves.”
Media | Westwood One says, “The relaunch marks Bongino’s most extensive digital commitment to date, designed to meet increasing audience demand for long-form and in-depth content. The two-hour format strengthens the show’s position as a major voice in independent media, offering a highly engaging, daily destination for listeners seeking headline analysis, guest interviews, cultural commentary, and special ‘Bongino Army’ segments.” Bongino comments, “I’m excited to get back behind the mic and reconnect directly with the audience. This show has always been about cutting through the noise and talking honestly about what matters. We’re coming back bigger, bolder, and always unfiltered — exactly how people want it.” Westwood One and Cumulus Podcast Network president Collin Jones adds, “Dan Bongino is back! Few voices in talk media command the loyalty and firepower that Dan brings. His audience? Formidable. His influence? Undeniable. This promises to be an incredible journey as Dan drives the national conversation daily on the most important issues at hand, with authority that has been hard-fought and well-earned. Westwood One is beyond proud to help power the next chapter of ‘The Dan Bongino Show.’”
We sell advertisers the attention we earn, and earning it has never been tougher. When we design client stations’ billboards, we’re not “writing a 60” or “a 30,” or even “a 10.” It’s a one-second spot. At a glance, someone driving needs to understand what the station delivers, and why to listen.
Every media creator knows this moment. You are building a segment, you find the clip that makes the point land, and then the hesitation kicks in. Can I use this? Or am I about to invite a problem that distracts from the work itself?
Advice columns blanketing sites like LinkedIn, the Skimm, and Forbes 2.0 – aimed at recent graduates – encourage their readers to seek and bond with an at-work mentor. After years of skimming “5 bullet” articles, I have reached the tipping point and I’m not going to take it anymore: Seeking a mentor as a career strategy is horrible advice. Just horrible.
iHeartMedia’s studios in South Florida and airing in the 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm slot being vacated by Doug Gottlieb. iHeartMedia says, “Designed as a live radio extension of his popular podcast ‘Stugotz and Company,’ the show will bring together his regular crew along with a rotating cast of guest co-hosts, blending old friends and new voices.” Additionally, the Stugotz Podcast Network will launch with iHeartPodcasts, featuring “Stugotz and Company” and “God Bless Football,” plus more content to be launched later. Weiner says, “There was a ton of interest and a lot of great conversations, but it became obvious to me rather quickly that iHeart and FOX Sports Radio were going to be the landing spot. I miss doing live radio, and I was looking for a partner to grow my two existing podcasts and help us build out a network. To be able to partner with the biggest and best digital company on the planet – and host a daily, two-hour live radio show with two Hall of Famers, Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd, as lead-ins – is a place, quite frankly, I never imagined arriving at, and an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.”
news/talk WGBF-AM, Evansville, Indiana at the end of the broadcast day on December 31. The company clearly isn’t getting the returns it wants on the operation of the station. The story indicates that the signal is up for sale but it’s unclear if there is any interest in the station that was launched in 1923 by the Finke Furniture company. The calls stand for G.B. Finke. 
rate increases. Cumulus argued, “Nielsen, a monopolist engaging in anticompetitive behavior, holds all of the power during contract negotiations, resulting in an unequal bargaining dynamic that is ripe for retaliation. For example, Nielsen can and has raised its rates significantly during negotiations. 
If identifying information is revealed to Nielsen’s businesspeople, Nielsen can retaliate with additional rate increases, resulting in manifest injustice to these third parties actively involved or who will be involved in negotiations with Nielsen.” After denying Cumulus’ request on December 4, Cumulus filed a supplemental brief and on December 15 Judge Jeannette Vargas agreed with Cumulus, writing, “Cumulus has established that sufficient countervailing factors – in particular, the privacy interests of these non-party declarants, the lack of bearing these narrowly tailored redactions have on the merits of this action, and the non-party declarants’ susceptibility to economic retaliation – outweigh the strong presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents.” 
Annual Digital Sales Mentorship Program. Candidates now have until December 29 to apply. MIW says, “This year-long program is a career-accelerating opportunity designed to strengthen the next generation of women leaders in digital radio sales. One outstanding female seller or manager will be selected to receive personalized, hands-on mentorship from a top industry expert; an opportunity that can reshape a career trajectory.”