Tag: Radio

Industry Views

Radio: Human Reserved

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgBill Gates has a useful term for something radio should be thinking about: “Human Reserved.” In an essay about a turbulent AI era, he sketches an unsettling future, and – for broadcasters – has a consequential warning… and an opportunity.

As artificial intelligence performs more and more work traditionally done by humans, he suggests there will be activities we could turn over to machines and deliberately choose not to, because something important would be lost. AI can write a weather forecast, summarize a police report, transcribe a school-board meeting, generate a commercial, voice a liner, research a sales prospect, and assemble an hour of music.

As content gets cheap, human presence becomes more valuable

Search results are AI summaries. Social posts, photos, voices, and videos may be synthetic. Gates warns of AI-powered fraud, disinformation, and deepfakes. Amid all that uncertainty, imagine hearing: “I’m here at the courthouse, where the jury just returned a verdict…”

Could AI manufacture that sentence? Sure. But I know who’s saying it. That’s an asset radio shouldn’t automate away.

Yes, use AI aggressively behind the scenes. Let it transcribe meetings, research prospects, clean up audio, draft proposals, repurpose interviews, and handle routine administrative work. Automate tasks. Protect relationships. Let AI summarize the school-board meeting. Then have your reporter tell me what it means to my kid. Let AI draft ten commercials. Have someone who understands the advertiser decide which idea might actually make the phone ring.

Why advertisers still need us?

Soon every local business owner will be able to generate logos, videos, emails, websites, social posts, and commercial scripts almost instantly. So, “We’ll make your commercial” becomes a nearly worthless sales proposition. The station’s value needs to migrate from selling spots and making ads to: We know this market. We know how to get people here to notice you. And we help make your advertising work.

AI will create an infinite supply of information. What’s scarce will be trust, judgment, relevance, relationships, and recognizable local humans. So, radio’s AI strategy can be surprisingly simple: Use AI to DO more. Use humans to MEAN more.

Here is Bill Gates’ essay: https://www.gatesnotes.com/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Michael Cohen’s WABC Trump Interview Gets Buzz on YouTube and Social Media

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The 38-minute interview between former Trump Organization attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen and President Donald Trump imggenerated a lot of buzz on YouTube and social media as the complete interview aired on Cohen’s WABC program at 5:00 pm on Sunday (8/23). Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for lying to congress and failing to report millions in income and testified against Trump in congress and in court. You can hear the complete interview here.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: AI Does More with Less. Radio Must, Too

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgThe most important sentence in Sharon Gai’s How to Do More With Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI Economy (Wiley) isn’t about technology at all. It’s about leverage. She writes that the goal is to stop being “the busy bee” and instead become “the beekeeper… someone that controls the ‘bees’ to get what you want.” That’s the wakeup call radio needs right now.

Because while our industry debates whether AI is a threat, the rest of the world has already moved on. Gai describes watching Alibaba engineers generate hundreds of thousands of ad banners in seconds – work that once required “thousands of designers” and weeks of back and forth. That moment, she says, was when she realized “the next era of work had already started.” Radio is still acting like it hasn’t. 

AI won’t replace radio. But it will replace radio people who don’t use it.

Gai is blunt: “Will AI replace workers? Absolutely.” But she adds the part radio needs to hear: it replaces tasks first, not people. The winners are the ones who learn to orchestrate the tools. For radio, that means:

  • Sellers using AI to prebuild spec spots, proposals, and category insights
  • Programmers using AI to audit clutter, analyze rotations, and tighten imaging
  • Production using AI to version spots, clean audio, and accelerate turnaround
  • Managers using AI to summarize meetings, draft memos, and model revenue scenarios

This isn’t theory. It’s survival. 

The OnePerson BillionDollar Company — and The OnePerson Radio Station

Gai cites Sam Altman’s prediction that AI will enable “one-person billion-dollar companies.” Radio should hear a different version: the one-person radio station. Not as a cost cutting fantasy — as a competitive necessity.

A single operator, armed with AI tools, can now:

  • Build a full digital presence
  • Produce daily content
  • Generate sales materials
  • Analyze audience behavior
  • Maintain advertiser relationships

Small market owners — the ones already stretched thin — stand to gain the most. 

The Real Message for Radio

Gai’s book isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about reclaiming agency in an AI-driven economy. Radio needs that mindset more than any legacy medium. Because the question isn’t whether AI will change radio.

It’s whether radio chooses to be the bee… or the beekeeper.

To read 2 sample chapters, free, click here.

Holland Cooke is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry Views

The Algorithm Knows What You Did But It Doesn’t Know Why

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer

 

imgA viewer watches the same political clip three times. The platform sees a powerful signal: this person stopped, stayed, and came back. What it cannot reliably know is whether the viewer loved the argument, hated it, was factchecking it, or was showing it to someone else in disbelief. The algorithm knows a viewer watched. It does not necessarily know why. That is why YouTube looks beyond viewing itself to other signals of appeal, engagement, and satisfaction.

That distinction matters to broadcasters because digital analytics can look much more intelligent than they really are. An algorithm can measure behavior with extraordinary precision, but behavior is not motive. PPM taught radio a version of the same lesson. Nielsen’s meter can passively detect exposure to encoded audio, but the resulting audience measurement cannot tell a programmer why someone listened or why audience levels changed.

Livestreaming creates the opposite problem. Instead of too little explanation, the host suddenly gets too much of it. The chat is moving. People are demanding another topic, praising a guest, attacking a caller, or announcing that the segment is dying.

That feedback is valuable, but the people typing are not necessarily representative of the people listening. Radio hosts should already understand this because callers have never represented the entire audience. They represent the portion motivated enough to pick up the telephone. Livestream chat is the same phenomenon at digital speed.

The danger comes when these two imperfect signals reinforce each other. The dashboard says engagement jumped. The chat says, “More of this.” A host can easily conclude that the audience has spoken when what actually happened is that a particularly active portion of the audience became particularly visible.

Good broadcasters have always listened to the audience without surrendering the show to it. Digital tools make that listening faster and more detailed, but they do not eliminate the need for judgment.

The algorithm knows what people did. The chat tells you what some people said. The programmer still has to decide what either one means.

For the larger discussion of ratings, PPM, algorithms and digital distribution, read The Algorithm Is Listening here: https://talkers.com/category/industry-views/

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.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Radio’s New Fall Season

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

 

imgAs TV is touting its coming attractions, take a step back. We – inside the box – live-and-breathe radio.

Listeners have their hands full just living and breathing. Their day is time-crunched and financially-challenged, and we want to be its soundtrack. But listening is free, unlike umpteen other purchase decisions they agonize. So what’s high-stakes to us is low-stakes to them.

We only matter if we matter, and we’ve never had so much audio competition.

  • This month, as the school year begins in so many places, the listeners local retailers want as customers revert to “normal.” Their tempo changes, and builds to a holiday season climax. Do they know who you are and how you can help?
  • Off-air promotion (remember that?) merely says give-us-a-try. When they do, does what they hear deliver? Even with scant (or no) off-air promotion, much of what you can do to become more habit-forming costs nothing. As consultants do, I’m talking about “the fundamentals,” the blocking-and-tackling stuff. For starters, think: recognition and relevance.

Who are you?

  • Are call letters or station nickname delivered frequently? PPM myth: call letters matter less. Baloney. Awareness drives use. Ditto your dial position(s) and how to listen via smartphone, smart speaker, and streams. Name-and-address.
  • As your listeners cume 3 stations this week, help ’em remember yours more than the other 2 (not to mention streams and satellite radio and podcasts). And are you selling — or merely reciting — call letters, dial position, and slogans? This is often an issue with veteran talent, creatures of habit.

“Who cares?”

Or as my WTOP successor Jim Farley (RIP) asked: “W.G.A.S.?” He hung a sign in the newsroom there, meaning “Who Gives A Shit?”

  • Are topics relatable and useful? Enable listeners with helpful information, and they’ll keep coming back.
  • Do you say “you” and “your,” a lot? It’s a litmus test for relevance.
  • Do you keep setting the stage as audience tunes in? Someone JUST got in the car.
  • Are you teasing the next quarter hour? And what you’ll offer same-time-tomorrow?
  • Even with apps in the dashboard, weather and traffic are super-local and can be super-impactful.
  • Is your on-air imaging about the station? Or about listeners’ lives? “Because ONE traffic jam can jam-up your whole day…”

There’s more from radio’s right-now To-Do list at HollandCooke.com

Holland Cooke is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry Views

The Algorithm is Listening

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

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By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer

Radio once measured the audience… now digital platforms use the audience to decide what happens next

Radio programmers have always watched the audience. The difference for programmers today is that the audience can now watch back, respond instantly, influence the show, and determine whether the next person ever receives it.

That is the practical meaning of an algorithm for a broadcaster. It is not a mysterious robot hiding inside the black box of an enigmatic social platform. It is a set of instructions used to make decisions. On YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify, Twitch, and other services, those instructions help determine which content gets shown, to whom, in what order, and under what circumstances.

Radio has used simpler forms of algorithmic thinking for decades. A music clock is a set of instructions. So is a rule prohibiting two songs by the same artist within a specified period. Or two female vocals in a row. A programmer who schedules news at the top of the hour, traffic twice an hour, and the strongest feature before a commercial break has created a decision system.

Digital algorithms do something more consequential. They do not merely organize the program. They organize the audience around each individual piece of content.

From diaries to PPM

The traditional radio diary asked selected listeners to record what they heard and when they heard it. Nielsen defines the diary as a measurement method in which respondents manually record their listening habits. Those reported habits are then used to estimate listening across a larger market.

The system was necessarily crude. A diary could show that someone reported listening to a station during morning drive. It could not reliably establish whether that person loved the program, ignored it, hated it, stayed because the station was playing in a waiting room, or simply remembered the call letters incorrectly.

Still, the diary produced an enormously valuable number. Ratings influenced advertising rates, station formats, talent contracts, syndication opportunities, and management decisions. The ratings service measured the audience, but the station still controlled the programming and the transmitter.

The Portable People Meter changed the speed and granularity of that feedback. PPM panelists carry a small device that detects inaudible identification codes embedded in participating broadcasts. Instead of relying entirely on a listener’s memory and written entry, the meter passively detects exposure to encoded audio.

That gave programmers something closer to immediate feedback. They could study audience movement within smaller portions of a show, identify apparent tune-out points, compare features, evaluate commercial breaks, and make changes much more quickly.

PPM therefore became the bridge between traditional ratings and algorithmic distribution. The diary remembered the audience. PPM observed the audience more closely. Both still produced information for human beings to interpret.

A programmer could see a decline and decide to shorten a segment. The meter did not shorten it. A consultant could conclude that a feature hurt retention. The PPM system did not prevent tomorrow’s listeners from hearing it.

The algorithm closes that gap.

(more…)

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Trust is the New Currency

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Holland Cooke

It is now the ultimate competitive advantage, and for broadcasters it’s a survival strategy. In The Five-Year Century: Bold Leadership and Accelerated Outcomes in the Age of AI, Mihir Shukla and Nancy Hauge explain how—as artificial intelligence accelerates change and demographics reshape the audience—trust becomes the only durable asset radio and television can bank on.

The book describes a 2026 world where the “twin engines” of growth—population and productivity—have stalled. Birth rates are plunging, workforces are shrinking, and productivity has flatlined across most industries. Meanwhile, AI is compressing decades of innovation into months. This collision creates what the authors call “The Five-Year Century,” in which the pace of change overwhelms institutions built for slower times—broadcasting, for instance.

Radio and television were built on industrial-era assumptions: mass audiences, standardized programming, rigid schedules, and hierarchical decision-making. Those assumptions worked when the audience was broad, predictable, and captive. On February 9, 1964, the Beatles tripled Ed Sullivan’s ratings. Back to the future…

AI is rewriting the rules of content creation, distribution, and consumption. Personalized news feeds, customized ad loads, and algorithmic programming are expectations. Younger audiences don’t wait for a newscast; they expect a feed. They don’t tune in; they scroll. They don’t accept one-size-fits-all; they demand one-size-fits-me.

In this environment, trust becomes the new currency because it’s the one thing AI cannot manufacture.

Broadcasting’s advantage has always been credibility. When a storm hits, people still turn to local radio. When a shelter-in-place alert hits their phone, they still switch on local TV. That instinct is powerful, but it’s not permanent. Trust must be earned continuously, especially as AI-generated misinformation floods the ecosystem.

The book’s chapter on the “Trust Economy” makes a critical point: trust accelerates outcomes. High-trust organizations move faster, innovate more boldly, and adapt more effectively. For broadcasters, trust accelerates audience loyalty, advertiser confidence, and community relevance. But trust now requires new behaviors.

It requires transparency about how AI is used in newsrooms. It requires clarity about what is human judgment and what is machine assistance. It requires authenticity as AI-generated talent becomes increasingly commonplace—and increasingly convincing.

Trust requires broadcasters to lean into what humans do best: context, empathy, moral reasoning, and community connection. The book reminds us that “work worthy of human potential” is work that machines cannot replicate. For broadcasters, that means storytelling, accountability journalism, and the human presence that makes local media local.

By all means, assign AI the routine tasks: editing, logging, transcription, versioning, and production. Then reinvest the human time you save in the relationship between a station and its community. In The Five-Year Century, trust isn’t just a virtue. It’s a conspicuous differentiator. It’s the currency that will determine which broadcasters thrive and which fade into the noise of an algorithmic world. As our industry suffers workforce cutbacks, we risk downsizing trust.

To read two sample chapters and watch a short video interview with the authors, click here.

Holland Cooke is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry News

Kings County Conservative Party Honors Dominic Carter with American Heritage Award

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Robert Pearl

imgVeteran journalist, author, political commentator, and 77WABC Radio personality Dominic Carter was honored with the American Heritage Award at the Kings County Conservative Party’s Annual American Heritage Reception on July 23 at the Knights of Baron DeKalb in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The event celebrated Carter’s more than four decades in broadcast journalism, recognizing his distinguished career as a radio host, television commentator, author, and one of New York’s most respected media voices.

Hosted by Kings County Conservative Party and Chairwomanimg Frances Vella Marrone, the reception brought together elected officials, candidates, community leaders, and supporters to recognize Carter’s professional achievements while celebrating the values of perseverance, public service, and the American Dream.

Presenting the award, Vella Marrone praised Carter’s remarkable journey from a difficult childhood in a Bronx housing project to becoming a nationally recognized broadcaster.

“Where you begin in life does not determine where you can go,” she said, describing Carter as someone whose life story reflects the opportunities made possible through determination, personal responsibility, and hard work. She also commended his willingness to openly share his experiences through his journalism and bestselling memoir, “No Momma’s Boy”, inspiring listeners and readers far beyond New York City.

Accepting the honor, Carter explained that he had undergone surgery less than 24 hours earlier but was determined to attend.

“I was not going to miss this event,” he told the audience. “The Conservative Party has saved my life.” Carter reflected on his upbringing in public housing and his political evolution, saying he came to embrace the values of work, family, accountability, and opportunity. “I was a lifelong Democrat… but the Democrat Party left me. I didn’t leave them,” he said, noting he proudly shares those beliefs on the air and during speaking engagements nationwide.

One of the evening’s heartfelt moments came when Carter invited his son, Dominic Jr., and wife, Marilyn, to the stage. Sharing that doctors once believed his son would never graduate from high school because of epilepsy and a learning disability, Carter proudly announced that Dominic Jr. earned two college degrees.

“Never let anybody define who you are,” Carter said, drawing sustained applause.

Vella Marrone thanked supporters and volunteers for strengthening the Kings County Conservative Party and encouraged continued grassroots involvement.

“We’re going to keep fighting and fighting,” she said, urging attendees to remain engaged in preserving liberty and opportunity through civic participation.

Additional remarks were delivered by Conservative Party State Chairman Gerard Kassar, Assembly Minority Leader Edward Ra, Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, and other elected officials, all of whom praised Carter’s broadcasting career and contributions to journalism. The evening concluded with a standing ovation, featuring book signings, and photographs as guests celebrated Carter’s enduring impact on New York media and public discourse.

Robert Pearl is a Brooklyn-based journalist who writes about New York City media, politics, and culture.  He can be emailed at pearlknows@yahoo.com.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: AI Can’t Fake Real

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgIn Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology (2026, Wiley Books) Dara Simkin and Tane Hunter describe a 2026 media landscape where people face information overload, shrinking attention spans, negativity fatigue, algorithmic manipulation, and constant distraction.

The irony is that radio may win the future not by becoming more like technology, but by becoming more human. In an age of artificial everything, that’s the sustainable competitive advantage local radio has. And the more crowded the media landscape becomes, the more valuable radio’s unique strengths become.

Consider what today’s digital platforms do best. They personalize content as algorithms learn what users like and deliver more of it. Streaming services can build custom playlists. Social media feeds are tailored to individual interests. AI can generate content instantly.

What those platforms cannot do is belong to a community. Spotify doesn’t know why I-95 is jammed. TikTok doesn’t care that the town council just approved a controversial zoning change. An AI-generated playlist can’t tell listeners where to find shelter during a storm or why Friday night’s high school football game matters. Local radio can. And as media becomes increasingly global, local content becomes increasingly scarce. And scarcity creates value.

Citing research, the book points to another opportunity: Digital platforms are optimized to trigger emotion, especially outrage and conflict – the 1990s talk radio caricature on steroids. The result is a public that often feels overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious.

Listeners want information, and are looking for context, usefulness, connection, and (dare we?) a reason to smile. Stations willing to do more than simply amplify the argument du jour become indispensable. Winners deliver local information, from trusted voices, a genuine connection that answers the listener’s constant question: “What’s in this for me?”

Click here to read a free sample chapter of “Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

JFMN Releases Network Listening Report

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Talk media entrepreneur John Fredericks – owner of the John Fredericks Media Network that’s comprised of more than a dozen signals in five states – reports that its combined monthly audience for June 2026 across radio, television, streaming, digital, and social media platforms achieved a 2.7-million-person audience reach. JFMN says the achievement reflects its expansion as an independent multimedia platform. John Fredericks states, “We built this network from the ground up without corporate owners, private imgequity, or Wall Street investors. We answer to one group: our audience. This milestone proves there’s tremendous demand for independent voices delivering news, politics, sports, and commentary people can trust. Truth and clarity are making a comeback.” Company CEO Anne Fredericks adds, “We strive to cover what matters most in people’s daily lives: their country, their community, and their sports teams. News, talk, and sports are simply different expressions of the same mission: giving people truthful information, honest perspective, and a voice. What makes the John Fredericks Media Network different is our independence. No newsroom hierarchy, no C-Suites, no suits and no boardrooms.”

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Radio’s 2027 Talent Strategy: Destination by Design

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgIf your station is outside the top 50 markets, you already know the pressure points. A mature workforce stretched thin. Fewer applicants for on air and production roles – specifically the younger creators who don’t see radio as their first creative outlet. And a competitive landscape where streaming, satellite, and podcasts divert attention with the gravitational pull of a black hole.

But radio can absolutely attract these next-gen creators. We just can’t do it with yesterday’s playbook. In “Future Work World,” Barry Winkless argues that organizations must intentionally design themselves to “excite, entice, and engage” the next generation of talent. He’s talking about the future of work broadly – but his framework fits independent local radio like a blueprint. Especially in medium and small markets, where stations are fighting a two-front war: defending local relevance while competing with global audio giants. Accordingly…

  1. Redesign roles for the “Work Salad” generation.

One of the book’s core ideas is the rise of “work salads” – workers who blend skills, platforms, and creative identities rather than fitting neatly into a single job description. That’s today’s creator economy in a nutshell. For radio, this means offering roles like host+podcaster+social storyteller; or news voice+explainer video creator+local events personality. Younger creators don’t want an airshift. They want a mix – a portfolio of creative outputs. Stations that offer that mix will win talent that would otherwise bypass radio entirely.

  1. Make your station a Designed Destination.

Winkless’ “Destination Designer” mindset recommends environments where people want to be, because the place itself inspires them. For radio, this means a workplace that feels flexible, fluid, and creatively alive. You don’t need a big market budget to create a big market feel. You need intentionality and a willingness to break from “how we’ve always done it.” Turn a legacy operation into a future ready talent magnet.

  1. Use AI the way creators already do.

In one of the book’s fictional “jumps,” Winkless introduces the “cowerka,” an AI assistant that handles tasks, anticipates needs, and frees humans to focus on what only humans can do. AI can help prep shows, suggesting ways to localize trends and topics. Nextgen creators already use AI as a collaborator. Stations that embrace this reality will feel familiar – and attractive – to them.

  1. Sell the one thing no competitor can match: Local Reach

Streaming platforms offer scale. Podcasts offer intimacy. Satellite offers variety. Only radio offers local presence at scale.

Creators want audiences – podcasters hunger for what radio has: cume. Broadcast radio can give them something TikTok can’t: instant legitimacy in a real community. As I have explained here previously, we position client stations as reach engines: Instead of asking creators to serve radio, radio serves creators.

  1. Tell a Better Story About Who You’re Becoming

Winkless’ “Next Level Storytelling” chapter cautions that your recruitment story can’t be: “We need someone to do afternoons.” Instead: “We’re building the next chapter of local media, and we want creators who want to shape it.”

Creators don’t join job descriptions. They join stories.

The Bottom Line

Local radio doesn’t need to out tech the tech giants. It needs to out human them. By redesigning roles, modernizing culture, embracing AI, and positioning radio as a creator platform – not just a broadcast outlet – stations can attract the next generation of talent that will keep them relevant, resilient, and indispensable.

Your RIGHT NOW opportunity: As fill-in voices cover for vacationing full-timers, you can preview 2027 talent options. To help them smooth-out any rough edges – and assess how well they take direction – here are 12 Tips for the guest-hosts who are not career broadcasters and don’t share our second-nature performance routines.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

LABF Produces America’s 250th Anniversary Content

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation is releasing a new series of pre‑produced radio and television spots as part of its “Before It Was History, It Was Broadcast” initiative supporting America’s 250th Anniversary. LABF says the new :30 spots feature archival audio and visuals drawn from the Library of American Broadcasting Special Collection at the University of Maryland. Each piece highlights the essential role radio and television stations have played in documenting the nation’s most defining moments as they unfolded. Topics covered range from children’s programming and game shows to “I Love Lucy” and historic moments of national consequence. LABF co-chairs Deborah Parenti and Dave “Chachi” Denes say, “Broadcasters have always been the trusted link between historic events and the communities they serve. These spots celebrate the journalists, storytellers, and stations that have brought defining moments into America’s homes. They also showcase the incredible depth of the library’s archival treasures.”

Industry News

Today is BFoA Giving Day

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Today (6/25) is the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s annual Giving Day, an effort to raise critical funds that support the organization’s mission of providing financial assistance to broadcast professionals facing severe hardship due to debilitating imgillness or disaster. The BFOA has distributed more than $20 million in aid to radio and television professionals over the past 15 years, representing over 200 broadcast companies across 45 states and U.S. territories. BFOA says, “On Giving Day, we encourage everyone in broadcasting to come together and support our broadcast community. Every contribution helps ensure that the Broadcasters Foundation can continue to provide a helping hand to broadcasters in need when tragedy strikes.” You can make a donation here.

Industry News

NYC City Councilor and Former WABC Host Calls on FCC to Protect Baseball Broadcasts

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

New York City council member Frank Morano (R-Staten Island) and council member Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) are introducing a resolution calling on congress to review Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption and on the Federal Communications Commission to explore approaches that promote imgthe availability of professional sports programming on free, over-the-air broadcast television. The resolution comes amid growing frustration among baseball fans over the increasing number of games being placed behind streaming paywalls and spread across multiple subscription services. Morano, who previously served as host of the late-night program on WABC, New York, states, “Baseball is America’s pastime, but in New York it’s also our pastime. For generations, families could turn on the television or radio and follow their hometown team. Today, fans are often expected to juggle multiple subscriptions and streaming platforms just to watch a season’s worth of games. That’s bad for consumers, bad for working families, bad for seniors, and ultimately bad for the future of the game itself.”

Industry News TALKERS 2026

TALKERS 2026 – Hailed as a Stunning Industry Revival

By TALKERS | by TALKERS
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TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (l) and Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis (r) pictured above in ‘Keynote One-on-One” conversation at TALKERS 2026.

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!

Industry News

Audacy: Audio Delivers for Small Business

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

An insight from Audacy chief marketing officer Jenny Nelson makes the case that a strong audio campaign – combined with digital marketing – combine to help local businesses build a strong brand, establish trust, and optimize SEO & AEO with high conversions. Nelson notes that “radio, streaming audio, and imgpodcasts reach consumers throughout their daily routines, creating repeated exposure and strong recall. Audio also commands our attention in ways many formats can’t.” Additionally, radio personalities do something other formats can’t: “When our favorite hosts vouch for a brand, it feels personal. And that built-in influence doesn’t just capture attention — it sparks action.” 74% of radio listeners polled say they have purchased a brand after hearing an ad from their radio host. Finally, Nelson says the intersection of audio and digital marketing is where consumers are reached. “Audio builds awareness, attention, and trust. Digital marketing captures intent and drives action lower in the funnel. Together they drive measurable results with double digital increases in performance.” See the full story here.

Industry News

Widmann Named EVP at RAB

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

RAB appoints Sabina Widmann executive vice president in which she’ll oversee member engagement and success with a focus on broadcaster initiatives, enhancing member services and expanding overall offerings as RAB continues aligning its resources to support the evolving needs of the radio industry. RAB president and CEO imgMike Hulvey says, “Sabina’s leadership experience, industry knowledge and understanding of broadcasters and the local communities which they serve make her an outstanding addition to the RAB team. Her passion for helping media organizations grow and evolve will further strengthen the support, education and resources RAB provides to its members.” Widmann comments, “I’m excited to join RAB during such an important time for the industry. Radio and audio continue to play a vital role for our communities and advertisers. I look forward to working with RAB’s members and team to help provide meaningful resources, education and support that help broadcasters navigate continued change and growth.”

Industry Views

The Case for Radio “Trading” Shows

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Charles Heller
Host
“Swap Shop Radio”
“Liberty Watch Radio”
KVOI – AM 1030, Tucson

imgAdam Smith‘s “invisible hand” is a metaphor he used to describe how individuals pursuing their own self-interest in competitive markets can unintentionally produce socially beneficial outcomes – such as efficient allocation of resources and increased wealth. Smith uses the phrase in The Theory of Moral Sentiments in 1759 and more famously in The Wealth of Nations in1776.

Radio’s ability to connect to a phone line to air has evolved since its inception in World War II. Barry Gray is widely credited for being an establishing influence for the talk show format (although it is difficult to truly identify “firsts” in radio). As the story goes, initially a disc jockey, Gray was working for New York City radio station WOR in 1945 when bandleader Woody Herman called in while Gray was talking about him. Gray shared his end of the call with the audience, and the spontaneous live narrative was a hit with both his listeners and station managers. This led to the invention of the “delay” unit and contributed to the practice of connecting live listeners to the air.

Since the 1950s, programs all across the country began to arise that offered people the ability to buy and sell their own goods over the radio, starting first in rural markets. One of the longest running of them started in 1950 on WLIL in Tennessee and runs daily from 9:00 to 10:30 am. I have heard programs like it in my travels across the country from Sycamore, IL to Baltimore, MD, which have a Sunday morning trading program. Today, most markets have one form or another of those shows, either on a daily basis in smaller markets, or in some cases, covering large market areas. I heard one in Bentonville, AR station that took calls from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas while I was listening.

These programs enhance people’s ability to live their lives more easily, by offering a format for buying, selling, and trading goods in the free market. Those programs also use the influence of radio to form all important communities of interest that are part of the glue that keeps a free republic together, as the great Tucson Broadcaster John C. Scott said, “over this back yard fence.”

This month marks the start of my 28th year of broadcasting “The Swap Shop” on AM 1030 KVOI. In 27 years, the program has only missed two weeks of broadcast. It has become what the great Dave Sitton of ESPN and FOX used to call “appointment radio” for a lot of folks in the Tucson market. I have listeners in Maine that call in for non-rusted auto parts, and a loyal listener in Traverse City, MI and a submarine hunter in the Navy in Norfolk, VA.

I call Swap Shop, “The unregulated free market, governed only by common courtesy and common sense, where you are free to buy, sell or trade anything lawful and moral.” All of these shows do a lot more for people besides the enabling of the free market. My favorites have been a lady who called in when her parakeet got out, and a fellow who called 45 minutes later from his garage sale where the parakeet flew in. They both just happened to be listeners. Another favorite was an older lady whose husky had gotten out during a thunderstorm. She called in tears. The animal control officer who had the dog in her truck heard it and called her, returning her dog.

My point is that as broadcasters, we are all stewards of that “unseen hand” of the free market, either by enabling the free trade in goods between private parties or enabling our advertisers to become known and trusted by their communities. If you run a Swap Shop type program, or know of one in other markets, I’d like to hear from you. Let’s develop an informal network of us around the country.

Charles Heller hosts “Swap Shop Radio” and “Liberty Watch Radio” 0n AM 1030 KVOI, Tucson.  He can be reached via email at charles@libertywatchradio.com.

Industry Views TALKERS 2026

A Thank You to TALKERS and the Voices Behind the Mic

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Jessica Crotty
CEO
C. Crane

imgRadio 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.

Industry News

Radio License Holders May Face 5% Hike in Fees

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Radio license holders may see regulatory fees rise after several years of decreases. The proposed 2026 FCC annual regulatory fees for imgcommercial radio stations are set to increase by approximately 5% with proposed fees ranging from $395 for small-market Class D AM stations to as much as $25,000 for major market FM stations. The fees are based on population served and station class. For the smallest operators there is a silver lining as stations with a total regulatory fee liability of $1,000 or less for the year may be exempt.

Industry News

Merrill Reese Honored with Common Wealth Award

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Audacy congratulates Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese on being named a 2026 recipient of the Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service for his outstanding contributions to mass imgcommunications and his lasting impact on sports broadcasting. Audacy’s WIP-FM, Philadelphia serves as flagship station for Eagles broadcasts. Reese was honored on April 24 at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware. Fellow 2026 honorees include astronaut Michael Massimino and actress Jane Seymour. Audacy SVP of sales David Yadgaroff comments, “Merrill Reese is a Philadelphia institution and one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasters in NFL history. His passion, professionalism and unmistakable voice have defined generations of Eagles football on the radio. We’re incredibly proud to have him on our team and see him receive this well-deserved and remarkable achievement.” Each recipient receives a $75,000 prize, funded through a trust established by Ralph Hayes.

Industry Views

NAB Show: Competing on the Omnimedia Landscape

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

img“We are competing in an attention economy,” and Magid COO Jaime Spencer reckons that “the playing field is massive.”

For decades, Magid has been known as a TV news research and consulting firm. But its newest Omnimedia work widens the lens – and radio should be paying close attention. Because the consumers Magid describes aren’t “viewers” or “listeners.” They’re attention grazers, moving across platforms, devices, and dayparts without ever thinking in “TV” or “radio” terms. And that shift changes our game.

Magid’s core point lands hard: We no longer operate in a content economy. We operate in an attention economy. Radio isn’t competingimg with the station across town anymore. It’s competing with 50,000 news brands, nearly half a million podcasts, and an infinite scroll of feeds that never sleep.

And here’s the kicker: the audience doesn’t distinguish platforms – only relevance. They follow whatever captures attention in the moment. If your brand can’t travel across social, smart speakers, mobile, and on air with a consistent voice and value, you could be invisible to the modern consumer.

Spencer also flags a new disruptor: AI as a news gateway. “17% of people now discover news first on AI platforms – higher than push alerts and newsletters. Considering that platform didn’t exist two years ago, that’s a big number.” That’s also a flashing red light for radio. If AI becomes the first stop for facts, radio must become the first stop for context, clarity, and humanity – the things AI can’t localize, empathize with, or improvise.

“Consumers are overwhelmed.” They’re juggling nearly six streaming services and still feel behind. That’s an opening. Radio’s superpower has always been curation – a trusted voice cutting through the noise. In an Omnimedia world, that skill becomes a premium product.

Finally, Magid’s emotional driver research reinforces what great programmers already know: passion beats function. Utility alone (i.e., “Breaking News”) won’t hold audience. Emotional gravity will. “Consumers are looking for comfort and affirmation.” Per Magid’s Trust Index research: Public media outlets like NPR perform strongly, while polarizing figures such as Glenn Beck, Rachel Maddow, and Sean Hannity also rank in the top quartile, skewed by affirmation of audience beliefs.

The bottom line? The Omnimedia consumer is already here. Radio wins by being the most human, most local, most emotionally resonant voice in a chaotic media diet – not by being “radio,” but by being essential wherever the audience happens to be.

See Jaime Spencer’s deck here.

If you missed yesterday’s NAB Show update, click here. And if you are here in ‘Vegas this week, look for me. Maybe we can grab a cuppa cawfee. If you aren’t here, look for my NAB Show update here tomorrow.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

BIA Revises Local Ad Forecast; Political Key to Broadcast’s Success

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

BIA Advisory Services revises its 2026 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast that it first released in Q4 2025 and is now projecting total local ad revenue to reach $184.5 billion, reflecting approximately 8.1% year-over-year growth compared with 2025. Among the reasons for the increase is a stronger-than-expected performance in mobile political ad spend.  BIAimg says, “Political advertising will drive key spending this year. BIA projects approximately $8.4 billion in local political spending, creating substantial revenue opportunities across broadcast television, linear cable, CTV/OTT, radio, and direct mail. While some legacy formats, including print, continue to face long-term declines, others are evolving. Across the market, advertisers are increasingly adopting full-funnel strategies, combining high-reach media such as cable, broadcast, and OOH with data-driven digital channels to drive both awareness and measurable outcomes. Radio also remains a stable local medium, with additional opportunities emerging through digital audio, including streaming and podcasts.”

Industry News

Westwood One: Radio Reaches 64% of Registered Voters

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

A blog post by the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group using data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear study says “AM/FM radio is an alternative to YouTube and CTV that can generate strong voter reach and impact during election seasons.” Using the recent Q4 2025 Share of Ear study, the post says data reveals how politicalimg agencies can use AM/FM radio in their upcoming media plans. Some key points include:1) AM/FM radio has a 64% share of ad-supported audio among registered voters; 2) AM/FM radio has substantial shares (62% to 65%) among Independents, Republicans, and Democrats: 3) Marketers and media agencies significantly underestimate AM/FM radio listening shares and dramatically overestimate Spotify and Pandora audiences; and 4) Digital audio only reaches a third of Americans. With AM/FM radio, reach soars to 73%. See the blog post here.