Houston Sports Talker Shuffles Lineup
iHeartMedia’s KBME, Houston “SportsTalk 790” moves two of its programs to new dayparts. Beginning Monday (8/24), Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal move to mornings in the 6:00 am to 10:00 am slot and Dan Mathews transitions to the 10:00 am to 
2:00 pm daypart. iHeartMedia region program director Bryan Erickson says, “We’re excited to have Matt and Ross bringing their unique blend of energy, insight and humor to mornings. They’ve built a strong connection with Houston sports fans, and we’re confident they’ll be a great way to start the day. We’re equally excited for Dan Mathews to take over middays, where his deep sports knowledge and strong local perspective will continue to serve listeners throughout the day.”
categories based on average weekly downloads in the following order: Comedy (44.5%), News (25.7%), and Society & Culture (21.2%) and reports that the genres with the largest quarter-over-quarter reach growth are: News (+8.4%), True Crime (+1.8%), Sports (+1.1%), and Comedy (+2.1%). Triton says its data reveals podcasts that grew from Q1 to Q2 of this year on its ranker include: “The Ramsey Show” (up 14 places to #16); “The Shawn Ryan Show” (up 32 spots to #22); “The Dan Bongino Show” (up 16 places to #50); and “The Tucker Carlson Show” (up 10 spots to #9).
Dallas, San Francisco, and Milwaukee. Former Audacy Buffalo general manager Tim Wenger posted his thoughts about Beach’s passing and wrote: “When I was asked about programming WBEN ‘back in the day’ and what I would do first, I quickly said I would go to Milwaukee and bring Sandy Beach back to Buffalo and talk radio, where he belongs. I got the job, I got Sandy, and I never looked back. Sandy quickly became an institution on WBEN and a co-worker so many cherished and loved off the microphone and respected for his unrivaled wit, intelligence, logic and even sometimes caustic sense of humor on the air. The most-asked question I get when I encounter WBEN listeners is, hands-down, ‘How is Sandy Beach?’ Susan and I had the privilege of continuing our close friendship with Sandy and I can assure you that his humor, personality and wit was with him until his brief illness took hold.”
Ballroom in New York City. NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “NAB is honored to recognize Joel Oxley for his extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the radio industry. For more than three decades at WTOP and Federal News Network, and over 15 years at Hubbard Radio, Joel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to local journalism, innovation and public service. Under his leadership, WTOP has become one of the nation’s premier news operations, setting the standard for excellence in local broadcasting while serving the Washington, DC community with trusted journalism. His integrity, vision and dedication have left an enduring mark on our industry, making him a most deserving recipient of this year’s National Radio Award.”
Media’s longstanding commitment to operating its broadcast radio stations in a manner that serves the public interest, advances localism, supports public safety and responds to the needs and interests of the communities it is privileged to serve.” Additionally, Berner addressed the company’s newsrooms and wrote: “Preserving our coverage of newsworthy events, and their impact on our local communities, is exceedingly important to Cumulus Media. The stronger financial foundation that our financial reorganization will afford us is intended to preserve and strengthen, not diminish, our ability to serve local audiences. Consistent with that objective, we commit to maintaining our existing newsroom staffing levels for a minimum of two years following approval of the requested applications.”
growth include: SiriusXM’s “Megyn Kelly Show” – up 115% among weekly U.S. consumers 13+; Cumulus Podcast Network’s “Shawn Ryan Show” up 107%; “The Tucker Carlson Show” – up +13%; Premiere Networks’ “Glenn Beck Program – up 11%; and Premiere’s “Sean Hannity Show” – up +5%. Edison says its data indicates Cumulus Podcast Networks’ “Dan Bongino Show” lost the most audience – down 62% – but notes that Bongino’s leave from the business to serve as Deputy Director of the FBI is likely a factor. Elsewhere, podcasts shedding audience include The Daily Wire’s “Ben Shapiro Show” – down 19%; and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “Mark Levin Show” – down 16%. 
with MSG Networks to simulcast the morning and afternoon drive shows on WEPN/WHSQ “ESPN New York” on the cable network. Good Karma says, “Beginning Sept. 8, ESPN New York’s morning show featuring Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg, as well as its afternoon show with Don La Greca, Alan Hahn and Peter Rosenberg, will both be simulcast by MSG Networks.”
rights, including the Second Amendment, educate and inform Americans about firearms rights and legislation, and raise awareness of the issues impacting gun owners.” Further details regarding AAR content distribution and original programming will be announced as projects develop. Walters says, “I’m honored and thrilled to partner Armed American Radio and CCW Broadcast Media, LLC together with C3 Entertainment, Inc. These are historic times for our constitutional rights. We are excited to unite the important current events of the day together with history in an enlightening, entertaining, and educational format that will remind all Americans not only WHY we are the greatest nation the world has ever seen but HOW we got here and WHAT must be done going forward to preserve our uniquely American way of life!”
media buying workflow.” The press release explains: “Unlike traditional automation, which follows predefined workflows, agentic media buying enables AI agents to evaluate campaign objectives, identify opportunities and execute approved media buying decisions dynamically within clearly defined business rules. Human expertise remains central to strategy, governance and oversight, while AI improves the speed, efficiency and adaptability of campaign execution.” The companies say they plan to implement the technology for broadcast audio in the near future.
stations and Hillsdale College’s WRFH, Hillsdale, Michigan came in at #5 and Hofstra University’s WRHU, Hempstead, New York was ranked #15. Both stations have historically been closely aligned with the talk radio industry. Both stations are led by professional broadcasters. WRHF’s general manager is Scot
Bertram and WRHU’s general manager is John T. Mullen, both longtime commercial broadcasting pros who moved into academia. It should also be noted that The Bold Gold Media Foundation – launched by Bold Gold Media owner Vince Benedetto – has been a benefactor of WRHF, Hillsdale for a number of years. 
on September 10 (produced by Spero Pictures and directed by award-winning filmmaker Matthew Thayer) that explores the religious question: Does God still speak through prophets today? The film includes one of the final recorded interviews with Charlie Kirk that was filmed just weeks before his death. In the interview, Kirk reflects on the role of biblical prophecy and spiritual discernment. You can watch the official trailer at SalemNOW.com.
censorship and control against Disney’s ABC stations, using the threat of broadcast license revocations to punish a company for speech this administration doesn’t like. I have long called on companies to push back against this kind of government intimidation, and I’m glad Disney has shown courage and stepped up. This should be a welcome sign for every broadcaster who has felt the weight of this overreaching government pressure in silence.
contracts. The two were part of a round of layoffs at the station last month. The two posted to X: “‘Beyond the Bench’ will not be airing for the time being. We are currently being pursued in a legal matter by our past employer, and as a result, we need to step away temporarily while that situation is addressed. We sincerely appreciate everyone who has supported the show and hope to be back soon. In addition, we will provide updates as we are able and will let everyone know when we have more information. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.”
broadcasters Jim Dunaway, Ryan Brown and Lance Taylor and will officially join “Sport & State” on August 24. “The Next Round” president and general manager Bo O’Neal states, “‘The Next Round’ has proven that a great live sports show doesn’t have to be confined by a radio signal or a geographic market. What Jim, Ryan and Lance have built is pretty remarkable. They’ve created independent, personality-driven sports content with an audience that reaches well beyond Alabama. What Clay is building with Sport & State aligns perfectly with who we are and feels like the natural next step for us. We’re not changing what The Next Round is. We’re giving it a much bigger stage. It’s an incredible opportunity for the guys, our team, our advertising partners and everyone who has played a part in making ‘The Next Round’ successful.”
ABC warned that the FCC’s scrutiny of “The View” could reach talk radio. Now the eight ABC-owned television station licensees have taken the agency to court. But the immediate lawsuit is not asking a judge to decide whether “The View” qualifies as news.
Outkick says this new show debut coincides with OutKick integrating as the official sports brand of FOX News Digital on August 24. FOX News Digital editorial executive vice president Tommy Firth says, “This is a pivotal moment for OutKick as the integration with FOX News Digital will expand its reach and influence throughout sports media. Craig Carton’s distinctive voice will resonate with our audience and seamlessly meets this moment for OutKick.” Carton says, “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining OutKick. I’ve always been a fan and appreciate their authenticity and willingness to speak their minds. It’s something I’ve done throughout my career and will do during this next chapter of hosting ‘The Craig Carton Show.’”
campaign, Elci stated that he intends to not discuss campaign issues or his campaign during his program. But incumbent Senator Martha Marx’s campaign is demanding equal time under FCC rules. Marx tells CT Mirror that if Elci wants to stay on the air, then the station has to give her a four-hour show. The other issue is that if Elci stays on the air, it could be considered an in-kind campaign contribution by the station and that could violate Connecticut campaign laws. For his part, Elci tells CT Mirror the station’s lawyers are seeking clarification for elections enforcement officials. He adds, “Big picture is I wouldn’t want to put my station in jeopardy,” he said.