Judge Rules Against Talk Hosts Denied Washington State Capitol Press Access
A trio of conservative media figures – including KVI, Seattle afternoon drive host Ari Hoffman – failed in their bid to get a temporary restraining order that would force the state legislature in Washington to give them access to parts of the Capitol building only accessible to bona fide
journalists. The attorney for Hoffman and co-litigants Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe argued that the “process used to deny them press credentials was vague and arbitrarily applied, violating their due-process rights, and withholding access because of they disagree with the lawmakers’ political views violates their constitutional rights of free speech and free press.” U.S. District Judge David Estudillo denied the TRO, saying, “The three failed to show that they are likely to succeed on their free press or due process claims, and the ‘House has a substantial interest in ensuring the reporters it permits to access the House floor meet the credential standards promulgated so the House may debate and pass laws without interruption or lobbying in that space.’” This story, as reported by KSL-FM, Salt Lake City, says, “The Washington State Capitol Correspondents Association guidelines for granting press passes says the person must be ‘a bona fide journalist’ and there must be a line ‘between professional journalism and political or policy work.’ The association shifted the credentialing process to the Legislature after the three threatened a lawsuit in 2025. The Senate eventually issued the passes, but the House took over the process and denied the pass requests.” The three say they will appeal. See the KSL story here.
Amendment are challenged on every front, the journalists, organizations and individuals we honor today stand as powerful examples of courage, integrity and unwavering commitment to the free flow of information. Their work informs, supports and strengthens our communities, and it definitely protects the core principles that make a free press essential to democracy. We are proud to shine a spotlight on these champions of press freedom and to celebrate their vital contributions.” Honorees include recently retired WGN, Chicago news anchor Steve Bertrand; former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens; and FOX News pentagon reporter Jennifer Griffin. 
out. The power-packed, one-day agenda is being organized and designed to address the field of talk media’s most pressing and existential issues. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “This important conference will illuminate the forward path of the expanding talk media universe, including all aspects of digital communications from AI and podcasting to streaming networks. As has been its tradition, this latest TALKERS conference will approach the onrushing future of the talk business from a radio perspective. This crucial gathering will cover the new undeniable realities of the radio business for those who not only want to survive but thrive as well. It will be about opportunities, networking, and entrepreneurism for individuals in talent, programming, sales, marketing, and management who are serious about staying in the game.”
News/talk, sports talk, all-news, and general talk will be amply covered. There will be over 50 top industry speakers, and registration is limited to insure intimacy. Attendance at the conference is only open to members of the working media and directly associated industries as well as students enrolled in accredited learning institutions. All attendees will be required to register in advance on the phone payable by credit card.
Because attendance will be limited, the conference is again expected to be an early sellout. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $260. However, attendees can take advantage of the early bird fee of $150 available until 5:00 pm ET on Friday, April 3. All registrations are non-refundable. This power-packed, one-day event is being presented in association with Hofstra’s multi-award-winning station, WRHU Radio and the school’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.
during an informal conversation with his longtime friend, music industry publicist Anne Leighton on her YouTube program, “The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview.” Harrison talks about the evolution of radio and its influence on popular culture through more than a half century of 
broadcasting adventures including his present-day role as a member of the classic rock band, Gunhill Road. Harrison states, “Anne is such a unique player in this business – a longtime proponent of music discovery – she has such a respect for the artists and their fans. Her podcast is SO refreshingly grassroots. It was a remarkable, fun experience talking with her about all that cool stuff.” Fans of music and radio history should not miss this. 
“conducting a search for a new director of sales, a dynamic leader who values their connection with the Long Island community. The ideal candidate will be a high-energy seller experienced in developing custom marketing solutions leveraging assets like broadcast media, digital capabilities, and event marketing. Leadership experience, a passion for driving results, and a talent for building strong client relationships are essential.” 
titled, “We’ll Do it Live!” The new podcast debuts this Thursday (3/12) at noon ET for his Concierge and Premium Members and at 7:00 pm ET for everyone else. O’Reilly’s first guest is comic and actor Rob Schneider. O’Reilly says he and Schneider will discuss his time on SNL, the impact of COVID, and what led him to where he is politically today.
reduction and asset-optimization initiatives, it went into refinancing mode in May of 2024, pushing loans that matured in 2026 into 2029. The filing states, “Despite these measures, ongoing industry revenue declines and macroeconomic headwinds continued to constrain liquidity and free cash flow. As a result of these various pressures, in the last quarter of 2025, the Company, with the assistance of its advisors, began to explore various strategic alternatives and potential liquidity-enhancing transactions. After considering the available options, the Debtors and their advisors determined that the best path forward was to implement a comprehensive recapitalization transaction either out-of-court or through the filing of prepackaged chapter 11 cases.” The key provisions of the Plan are: “2029 Secured Claims will be canceled in exchange for 95% of the equity in the reorganized Company” and “Other Funded Debt Claims will be canceled in exchange for 5% of the equity in the reorganized Company.” Additionally, the current Board of Directors will be discharged and it will be up to the new Board whether it keeps any or all of the current organization’s corporate officers. 
Small businesses often underestimate their greatest competitive edge. It’s not price. It’s not selection.
with Jon Marks (right) from 2013 to 2015. Beasley Philadelphia VP and market manager Paul Blake says, “Sean is back, and we’re better for it. He and Jon have proven chemistry and a shared competitive drive that fits this brand perfectly. Our fans expect passion and strong takes. That’s exactly what they’ll get every weekday at 10 am.” Brace comments, “‘97.5 The Fanatic’ is where this all began for me. So, to come back and join Jon Marks & Ray Dunne five days a week is something I’m incredibly proud of. Really looking forward to delivering the best four hours of sports radio in the city every day from 10 to 2.”
audience looking for real-time news and opinion.” Salem News VP and general manager Cary Pahigian adds, “Expanding Salem News Channel onto Prime Video allows us to bring our programming to one of the largest streaming audiences in the world. As more viewers shift to streaming platforms for news and commentary, we are focused on ensuring Salem’s voices and perspectives are available wherever audiences are watching.”
participating networks. In order from #1 to #5 are NPR’s “NPR News Now,” The New York Times’ “The Daily,” “Up First from NPR,” NBC Universal’s “Dateline NBC,” and FOX Audio Networks’ “FOX News Hourly Update.” Other talk radio-related shows of note include DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #7 and Silverloch’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #9. 
and 25–54 with double-digit shares of 13.9 and 13.1, respectively. The show is hosted by DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Charlamagne Tha God and plays an important role in urban youth culture. iHeartMedia EVP of programming Thea Mitchem states, “The Breakfast Club continues to set the standard for what a truly multiplatform powerhouse looks like. These record‑setting ratings are a direct reflection of the team’s talent, consistency, and cultural impact. DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, and our exceptional production and digital teams deliver a show that resonates deeply with audiences across every platform. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful to the listeners of New York who make ‘The Breakfast Club’ a defining force in media.”
Networks has a sterling reputation in our industry with a tremendous product line and management team. I cannot wait to get started and superserve our clients.” Additional moves include Laura Peyer being promoted to SVP of advertising sales; Anthony Severino being upped to VP of sales planning; Michael Weiss rising to VP of advertising sales; and Laura Schaefer named as director of advertising sales & manager of sales planning. Compass president of advertising sales & marketing Paul Gregery states, “It is truly my very good fortune to work with such a talented, hardworking, and passionate group of people. We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie to our wonderful company and equally thrilled to honor her colleagues with their promotions.”
breathe talk radio? We’re looking for a program director to lead our talk radio stations to the next level.
macroeconomic and industry-wide pressures we have faced have remained unrelenting. Against that backdrop, it became clear that Cumulus’s remaining debt burden limited our ability to fully realize the company’s potential, and this agreement represents a major step forward. The prepackaged process is intended to address the company’s debt efficiently with no disruption to our operations, our people, and our strategies. On emergence, a stronger financial foundation will better position Cumulus to continue investing in premium content, enriched audience experiences, advertiser performance enhancements, and the ongoing growth of our digital marketing offerings.” Cumulus has filed a proposed Plan of Reorganization that incorporates the terms of the RSA and is subject to approval by the Court. The requisite majority of debtholders committed to vote in favor of the Plan, which calls for the cancellation of 100% of the company’s existing funded indebtedness in exchange for 100% of the company’s reorganized equity and $50 million of new convertible notes, as well as the amendment and restatement of the company’s asset-based revolving credit facility to provide continued liquidity. Cumulus expects that the Court will hold a hearing to consider the approval of the Plan within 60 days of the filing date and that the company will emerge from bankruptcy following receipt of required regulatory approvals from the Federal Communications Commission.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani an “America hating, Jew hating, Radical Islam cockroach running our once beautiful city.” He also addressed President Trump, asking him to “stop complimenting the mayor.” Rosenberg removed the post and stated, “To the mayor, and anyone else that I offended with my tweet on Saturday, I send out a heartfelt apology,”
Unless you live in Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) or American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, your clocks will change when we “Spring Forward” on Sunday 3/8.
Talk radio has a long incredibly successful run of shows about sex.
among adults has surged from just 6% of audio listening in 2015 to 23% in 2025. The two factors responsible for his are new people listening to podcasts (reach) and existing podcast consumers listening more (frequency). Das says that additional listening is replacing other behaviors. “Nearly four in 10 podcast listeners say the time they spend with podcasts is replacing time spent scrolling social media. Another 34% say it’s replacing time spent listening to streaming music.” Das cites data indicating that “U.S. adults spend an average of 103 minutes per day listening to podcasts, outpacing TikTok (77 minutes), Facebook (69 minutes), and Instagram (65 minutes); and “Podcast listening surpassed streaming music in 2023, and now commands an 11 point share advantage in daily digital ad-supported audio listening.” 
Leader of Minnesota. We will be greeted as liberators. Death to fraud investigations!” Via social media, O’Donnell posted: “I want to take a moment to offer my sincerest apologies for a post I made about Minnesota’s Governor that, quite frankly, I am deeply ashamed of. It was irresponsible and completely inappropriate and I have since taken it down. It served only to deepen divisions at a time when unity and basic human decency are most needed. My primary responsibility as a broadcaster, a father, and a person is to always comport myself professionally, appropriately, and compassionately, and I failed to do that. Again, I am truly, deeply, unequivocally sorry.”