The most discussed stories yesterday (6/8) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The 28th annual edition of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important national gathering – TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter – took place at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication on the Long Island, NY campus of Hofstra University this past Friday (6/5). It was produced in conjunction with Hofstra’s multi-Marconi Award winning campus radio station, WRHU-FM. The vibrant, sold-out gathering presented 65 speakers and 338 registered attendees engaged in the sharing of perspectives, advice, and ideas within the fertile environment of dynamic collegial networking.
The main themes of the conference included an intense focus on the future of radio and talk media in the multi-platform digital world of the second quarter of the 21st century. These included exploration of such existential questions as how to gain profile traction in a noisy world; how to regain the public’s trust in the media; how to meet the challenge of generating revenue in a fractured and challenging economy; what entrepreneurial opportunities exist for individuals and independent companies in this new environment; how to expand programming options; how to recruit new talent; how to attract younger demos; how to deal with the enormous unforgiving power of algorithms in scoring the game; how to effectively control and exploit AI; how to make a living in this business; and so much more.
Speakers and attendees included a cross section of talk media professionals from the words of talent, management, ownership, syndication, journalism, engineering, politics, sports, the law, academia, and music – even pro-wrestling!
TALKERS founder Michael Harrison expressed his deep gratitude to the industry: “We worked day and night for months putting this one together, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Heartfelt thanks to our speakers, attendees, and sponsors, as well as our dear friends and partners at Hofstra University, where it all started for me.”
TALKERS VP / executive editor Kevin Casey states, “We have enough text, photos, and video from this historic media event to keep us busy putting it together and maximizing the intellectual riches for a long time to come. It was a content motherlode!” TALKERS will provide full coverage of TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter over the coming days, weeks and months on its website, newsletter and video channel. Stand by!
The most discussed stories over the weekend (6/6-7) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The editors of TALKERS announce the publication of the 2026 list of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America – known colloquially as the Heavy Hundred. This annual feature is created by the editors of TALKERS with input from industry leaders and ranks, from one to 100, the most important talk radio hosts in America based of several factors including (in alphabetical order): courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, service, talent, and uniqueness. To be considered for inclusion on the Heavy Hundred, talk hosts must be working at the time of publication and have a regularly scheduled professional show on the air at a minimum of one terrestrial station or satellite radio station. TALKERS executive editor Kevin Casey says, “This is one of the most difficult features that TALKERS does each year. There are so many deserving hosts working at stations across America for whom a case could be made for their inclusion on this list. With that said, we are proud of all the hard-working hosts who made this year’s Heavy Hundred and congratulate them on receiving this honor.” See the 2026 Heavy Hundred here.
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (6/1-5) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (6/3) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (6/2) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (6/1) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the weekend (5/30-31) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (5/25-29) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/27) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/26) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the Memorial Day weekend (5/23-25) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (5/18-22) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/20) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
By Jessica Crotty
CEO
C. Crane
Radio has always been about connection, the feeling of belonging to something larger than yourself, of being drawn into a story told by a voice you trust. Perhaps, that’s why you tune in as well. There is little that is more rewarding for us than finding a way to connect you to what you want to hear, whether that’s your favorite jazz station, a particular show, or your former alma mater’s student-run station. It’s why we do what we do, and why we show up for the people who keep those stories alive.
If you’ve ever wondered where the people who make talk radio gather – the hosts, station owners, program directors, engineers, the visionaries behind the scenes and in front of the mic – look no further than TALKERS. TALKERS magazine’s annual conference is one of the industry’s premier meeting grounds, where talk radio and the evolving world of spoken-word media get taken seriously as a craft, a business, and a cultural force. Talk radio: The original influencer.
Michael Harrison has spent decades as one of radio’s most honest champions. He has consistently pushed the industry to think harder, challenge the status quo, and defend the freedom of speech that gives every great story room to breathe.
Crane was part of that world very early on, when we attended our first TALKERS conference in New York. We’ve been back many times since as attendees and sponsors, and Michael and the TALKERS crew have always been genuinely good to us. We make the radios people use to listen to radio, and being welcomed into the room where those stories get made is something we don’t take for granted.
Over the years, those rooms have introduced us to some extraordinary people. Gene Burns was a favorite long before seeing him at TALKERS. C. Crane had advertised with him on KGO, and his gift for drawing you in came through in everything he did. He hosted many shows over his career; “Dining Around with Gene Burns” was a personal favorite, and Gene and his producer Joel Riddell could point you to the best restaurant in almost any city and just nail it. The speech Gene gave on freedom of speech was one of the best I’ve ever heard, a fierce and passionate defense that stayed with you long after it ended. I also remember the head engineer ar WOR (at the time), Thomas Ray, taking the time to walk me through the mechanics of radio towers while I was manning our booth. That kind of generous, unguarded knowledge sharing is something you don’t forget.
We’ll be back in New York again this year for TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter. The landscape continues to change, but what hasn’t changed is the seriousness with which the people in that room take their craft, and their commitment to the stories only radio tells. We’re proud to be part of it. Thank you, TALKERS. Thank you to everyone in that room, past and present, who continues to show up for this event and for radio. We certainly wouldn’t be the company we are without you.
Jessica Crotty is the CEO of C. Crane, a major manufacturer and distributor of radios and radio-oriented devices. She can be reached via email at jcrotty@ccrane.com. Meet her at TALKERS 2026 on June 5 at Hofstra University.
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/19) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/18) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the weekend (5/16-17) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (5/11-15) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
For years, Harrison Legal Group has informed media creators about the legal risks of using copyrighted clips, songs, images, and broadcasts without permission. The issue became central enough to inspire my book, Playing the Clip: The Definitive Digital Media Creator’s Guide to Fair Use (TALKERS Books, 2026). The premise was straightforward: modern media runs on borrowed material, but borrowing comes with legal exposure.
Now the fight is shifting toward something more personal.
The voice itself.
Not the recording. Not necessarily the script. The identity embedded in the sound.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as AI voice systems improve to the point where listeners can recognize a performer even when the company insists it used a “different actor” or synthetic generation. The Scarlett Johansson dispute with OpenAI may become the defining example. Johansson alleged that OpenAI created a voice assistant that sounded “eerily similar” to her after she declined the company’s request to license her actual voice. OpenAI denied intentionally imitating her and stated the voice belonged to another actress but still paused what they branded the “Sky” voice after backlash intensified.
The case matters because it exposes a legal gray area many creators misunderstand.
A voice is generally not protected by copyright law in the same way a song recording is. But a recognizable voice may still trigger claims involving the right of publicity, false endorsement, unfair competition, or misappropriation of identity. In other words, the legal risk is often not “you copied audio.” The risk is “you exploited identity.”
That distinction matters for broadcasters, podcasters, advertisers, and AI companies experimenting with synthetic hosts, cloned announcers, or celebrity-style narration.
If listeners reasonably believe a celebrity endorsed, participated in, or authorized the content, the legal exposure changes dramatically.
Read more….
Another recent example involves Dua Lipa and Samsung. According to reports, Lipa alleges Samsung used her image on television packaging without authorization, creating the impression she endorsed the product. Samsung reportedly claims the image came from a third-party provider that assured the company all rights were cleared.
That defense may sound familiar to media professionals.
“We got it from somebody else.”
Legally, that is often not enough.
A broadcaster cannot avoid defamation liability merely because a guest made the statement. A publisher cannot automatically avoid infringement exposure because a freelancer supplied the material. And a company may not avoid publicity-rights claims simply because a vendor promised the paperwork existed.
The underlying legal theme is the same: delegation is not immunity.
The AI layer complicates things further because modern systems do not necessarily reproduce exact copies. Instead, they generate approximations that may still evoke a specific person strongly enough to create marketplace confusion.
Courts have dealt with similar issues before. Bette Midler and Tom Waits both successfully sued over soundalike performances used in advertising after declining to participate themselves. The principle is not new. AI simply makes imitation faster, cheaper, and easier to distribute.
That should concern media creators who assume these disputes only affect billion-dollar tech companies.
They do not.
A local station, podcast producer, YouTube creator, or advertiser can now generate celebrity-adjacent voices in seconds. The barrier to entry collapsed. The liability did not.
The safest question is no longer merely “Do we own the audio?”
It is: “Whose identity does this remind people of?”
That answer may determine whether the next lawsuit is really about technology at all.
Or simply old-fashioned commercial exploitation wearing futuristic clothing.
Get your copy of “Play the Clip: The Definitive Digital Media Creator’s Guide to Fair Use” by filling out the request form at HarrisonMediaLaw.com.
Matthew B. Harrison is a media and intellectual property attorney who advises radio hosts, content creators, and creative entrepreneurs. He has written extensively on fair use, AI law, and the future of digital rights. Reach him at Matthew@HarrisonLegalGroup.com or read more at TALKERS.com.
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/13) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/12) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/11) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the weekend (5/9-10) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
One of the most popular panel discussions of the annual TALKERS conference – “The Big Picture” – will again be featured at the forthcoming 28th installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important national gathering. Moderated by TALKERS publisher/founder Michael Harrison (pictured here) and featuring a remarkable, diverse lineup of industry luminaries, the session tackles the major issues – social, political, 
technological, and financial – facing the talk media business in the current environment of rapid change. Described as the fastest-moving 40 minutes in the broadcasting conference arena, this year’s panelists will include (in alphabetical order): Steve Jones, president, CEO & chairman, Skyview Networks; Chad Lopez, president, WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Networks; Frank Morano, member, New York City Council / former host, WABC, New York; Chris Olivero, Chief Business Officer, Audacy; Tavis Smiley, owner/host, KBLA, Los Angeles; and Rich Valdés, host, “This Is America with Rich Valdés.” The session will take place between 2:20 pm and 3:00 pm at TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter on Friday, June 5 on the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island. Harrison states, “This rapid-fire session of heavyweights ties it all together in terms of trying to make sense of the uncertainties we presently face in the talk media business.” For more information about TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter, please click here.
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (5/4-8) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/6) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/5) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (5/4) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the weekend (5/2-3) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (4/27-5/1) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (4/29) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (4/28) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories yesterday (4/27) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
The most discussed stories over the weekend (4/25-26) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research: