Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (May 12 – 16, 2025)
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (5/12-16) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
1. Trump’s Middle East Trip
2. Big, Beautiful Bill / Medicaid Cuts
3. Birthright Citizenship Case / Universal Injunctions
4. Alien Enemies Act / Deportations / WI Judge Case
5. Tariffs / U.S.-China Trade War
6. Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks
7. Tapper & Thompson’s Biden Book
8. Air Traffic Control Troubles
9. Diddy Trial
10.Menendez Brothers Case
People
1. Donald Trump
2. Mike Johnson
3. Clarence Thomas / Brett Kavanaugh / Amy Coney Barrett
4. Hannah Dugan
5. Xi Jinping
6. Volodymyr Zelensky / Vladimir Putin
7. Joe Biden / David Plouffe
8. Sean Duffy
9. Sean “Diddy” Combs / Cassie Ventura
10.Erik and Lyle Menendez
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
LLC, owner of news/talk KIVA, Albuquerque and hosts the afternoon drive “Rock of Talk” show. The seat is currently held by Democrat Gabe Vasquez. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Aragon ran for congress in the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2021 and previously ran for mayor of Albuquerque. He tells the paper, “I can win this race… We need more privatization of education. I think the approach that’s being taken at the national level is important. We don’t want to do without the money, but we definitely want to do without the bureaucracy.” 
radio.” Nielsen says delineating between total listening (or viewing) and the ad supported universe is vital in today’s burgeoning media landscape where consumer choice grows by the day and marketers are looking at every available opportunity to cut through. In the first quarter of 2025, ad supported audio represented 64% of total listening. This is similar to TV, where 72% of total viewing was spent on ad supported platforms, in Q1 according to Nielsen’s recently launched Ad Supported Gauge report. Looking at ad-supported audio, consumers spent 66% of their daily listening time with radio, 19% with podcasts, 12% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio. Radio accounts for anywhere from 47% of daily ad supported audio time among people 18-34 to 73% among 35+. Meanwhile, podcasts are the inverse, representing 15% of daily audio time for people 35 and older compared with 32% among those 18-34. 
same period in 2024. The company reports that net broadcast revenue was $39.8 million, down 13.6% from Q1 in 2024, and digital media revenue also fell to $10.2 million, a decline of about 4.5%. Salem’s net loss for the quarter was $7.1 million compared to the net loss of $5.1 million it reported in Q1 of 2024.
current events.” Roeper says, “I’m thrilled to be joining my friend Bob Sirott every week so we can exchange views about whatever Chicagoans are talking about, whether it’s the new pope, the prospects for his Cubs and my White Sox, to what’s happening with pop culture or news. Bob was instrumental in launching my TV career back in the day, and I look forward to this new collaboration.” Roeper and Sirott last collaborated on air when Sirott co-anchored “Fox Thing in the Morning” on Fox32 in the 1990s. Roeper won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy for commentary and the duo teamed up for a second Emmy on a half-hour special that aired in 1998.
great results for the country and doing so in an efficient manner. That starts with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. From day one, we have been combing through every FCC contract to eliminate redundancies and wasteful spending. No stone is being left unturned. To date, we have reduced more than $567 million in authorized contract spending, including by ending bloated or unnecessary IT contracts. This is an important step towards ensuring long-term efficiency and maintaining our focus on the FCC’s core responsibilities.”
Fame. Root tells TALKERS that he was a friend of Pete Rose. They both lived in Las Vegas, Rose was a guest on Root’s radio show and that led to Root and Rose starring in a national TV commercial together and becoming fast friends. Root wrote a column in 2020 imploring the president to pardon Rose, but it was this February when Root felt compelled to text the president. Root says that within 15 minutes of his sending that text the president announced he would pardon Rose. Root adds, “This all started with an interview on my radio show. I’m sure Pete is looking down from heaven with a big smile. His final dream was to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s about to come true. All because of a Vegas friendship late in Pete’s life with a guy who just happened to know the President of the United States! Thank you, President Trump.”
expectations: core radio advertising finished at -12.4% excluding digital, and Cable TV advertising was -6.3%. Our cable TV ratings stabilized significantly in the first quarter of 2025 and are performing in line with our 2025 budget. Second quarter core radio advertising pacings have weakened over the past several weeks and are now -8.7%. Our first quarter 2025 digital revenues were down 16.1% driven by expected weakness in streaming and podcasting revenues. Based on our year-to-date performance, we reaffirm our full year guidance of $75 million in Adjusted EBITDA. Our cumulative debt repurchases so far in 2025 are $88.6 million at an average price of 53.9%, resulting in reduced gross debt of $495.9 million, and we currently have approximately $79.8 million of cash on hand. In a challenging marketplace, our focus remains on controlling costs, managing leverage and retaining a strong liquidity position.”
and Fayetteville. Dunn says, “After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. Beasley Media Group has been more than just a workplace – it’s been my extended family. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent over 30 years doing what I love, with people I deeply respect and admire. It’s been an absolute privilege to work with late company founder George Beasley, Caroline, Brian and Bruce over the years.” CEO Caroline Beasley comments, “Kent’s contributions to Beasley Media Group – and to the radio industry at large – have been nothing short of exceptional. His strategic insight, collaborative spirit, and passion for radio have guided teams and inspired generations of broadcasters. We are deeply grateful for his decades of service and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
and networks revenue – decreased $20.5 million, or 4.2%, primarily resulting from a decrease in broadcast advertising in connection with continued uncertain market conditions. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman says, “We are pleased with our Q1 results given the uncertain environment in which we are operating now, and we think these results demonstrate the resilience and relevance of our products and the tremendous growth opportunity we have with our podcast business in particular.” Company president, COO and CFO Rich Bressler adds, “In the first quarter, we generated Adjusted EBITDA of $105 million, flat to prior year, consistent with our previously provided guidance, and our consolidated revenues for the quarter were up 1% compared to the prior-year quarter, above our guidance of down low-single digits, driven by the Digital Audio Group revenues and Adjusted EBITDA growth of 16% and 28% respectively.”
The book includes access to the Get Clear Career Assessment — a tool to help teens discover their top talents, passions and mission. Coleman says, “Every student has incredible potential, but they often don’t know where to start. This book is about helping them discover their unique strengths and passions — so they can step forward with a clear vision and the confidence to pursue the work they’re meant to do.” Coleman is a three-time bestselling author and a co-host of “The Ramsey Show.” He also hosts “Front Row Seat,” part of The Ramsey Network, that debuted in January and has accrued more than 50 million views. The show “dives deep into the untold truths behind success through unfiltered conversations with top achievers.”
The station says, “As the June 1 increases loom, state leaders and advocates will discuss the impact on consumers and what can be done. With public outrage mounting over stalled grid upgrades and steep bills, a panel of experts and top officials will explore the reason behind the hikes and the possible solutions that can be implemented to prevent such steep hikes in the future.”
successful there, will have a general election campaign to run in the fall for the next term. Morano issued a statement over the weekend regarding his status. He said, “When I was elected, I had expected to continue hosting my radio show until the swearing-in. However, due to concerns about equal-time rules for the upcoming election and uncertainty around what outside work I’ll be allowed to do once I take office, the decision was made that I would no longer host ‘The Other Side of Midnight’ and would step away from the Red Apple Audio Network for now. This wasn’t a decision I made lightly—or one I made at all, frankly—but I completely understand the reasoning behind it. I’m incredibly grateful to the station’s ownership and management for the opportunity to do a show I loved, with a team I respected, for an audience I adored… I do hope to be back on the radio in some form soon. But for now, I’m off the air. 
some changes in our lifestyle, our geography and our living standards to protect our safety and sanity that include an international move. That simply makes this job no longer feasible.” Reflecting on his career, Grayson remembers getting into the business. “As a kid I was always steered away from potential careers that depended on personal talent alone, since my mom was convinced that people who made their living that way were somehow possessed of a magic that us regular folks don’t have. But the day I first heard talk radio – a day I remember very clearly – I fell in love. I had no choice in the matter. From calling in to talk shows as a college student to beating down the doors of my local station to hire me, this business always held a kind of allure I found irresistible.” During his career, he worked in Tampa, Nashville, and St. Louis, where he worked at KTRS and KMOX. At KMOX he hosted the syndicated “Overnight America” program. 
company “did not keep secure including social security numbers, financial account details, and health insurance data.” But the thrust of her complaint is that iHeartMedia delayed notifying users. iHeartMedia didn’t conclude its investigation until last month and began the notification process on April 30. 
is owned by Alexander Medecovich. According to a story in the Rockland News, Medecovich endured a personal family tragedy and preceded his eventual exit from the radio business. Currently, WRCR is simulcasting WABC, New York’s content.