Pictured above: The “Programming News/Talk” panel at TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter. Appearing l-r: Greg Stocker, brand manager, WPHT, Philadelphia, PA; Ralph Renzi, CEO, Newsmax Radio; Lisa Polizzi, brand manager, WBEN, Buffalo, NY; Michael Czarnecki, program director, WFEA, Manchester, NH; Allan Lamberti, program director, WICC, Bridgeport, CT; and Phil Boyce, senior VP, Salem Radio Network / Salem News Channel / Salem Podcast Network. 
Pictured at left: Moderator, Jeff Katz, host, WRVA, Richmond, VA.
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 worlds of talent, management, ownership, syndication, journalism, engineering, politics, sports, the law, academia, and music – even pro-wrestling!
Beginning next week, TALKERS will provide in-depth photo, video, and story coverage of the historic event. Stand by!