Reporting its operating result for the second quarter of 2026, Saga Communications says net revenue for the period was $26.4 
million, a decline of 6.5% from the same period in 2025. Saga’s net income for the quarter was $960,000. In the report, Saga said it sold 24 towers and other assets that brought it $10.7 million. Saga Communications reports $27.8 million in cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2026.
Canadian talk radio host Bill Carroll, who spent six years as a talk host at iHeartMedia’s KFI, Los Angeles, is returning to the station he worked at earlier in his career. He’s been hosting “The Morning 
Rush” program on Bell Media’s CFRA, Ottawa for the past 10 years. Now, he’ll also do a one-hour, Toronto-focused show from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on CFRB “Newstalk 1010.” Last fall, Bell Media and iHeartMedia announced a long-term extension of their partnership that created the iHeartMedia Canada digital platform. That relationship has brought content, including more than 360 licensed Canadian radio stations across 170 markets, hundreds of thousands of podcasts, playlists, and on demand content to Canada.
Pictured above is WHO, Des Moines afternoon drive host Simon Conway (center) with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (left) and Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn (right) at a local restaurant where Scalise was speaking in support of Nunn. Later in the day, Conway interviewed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the WHO studios. Conway tells TALKERS, “WHO Radio is still a huge attraction for these senior members of House Leadership and indeed the Trump Administration. It’s an honor to chat with them.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (8/12) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Zimmer Communications files a request with the FCC to waive the ownership cap for its acquisition of four radio stations from Mid-West Family Broadcasting that includes sports talk KOSP, Springfield, Missouri “102.1 The Won” and three music brands. 
Zimmer argues in its filing that relief from the ownership cap would not adversely affect competition in the Springfield, Missouri market and notes that if approved, its revenue share in the market would be 33.6% (up from its current 8.5%), while SummitMedia’s revenue share is currently 34.8%. Zimmer goes on to add that in terms of audience share, Zimmer would have 21.3% of the market’s audience compared to iHeartMedia’s 22.3%. Additionally, Zimmer points out that, if approved, 18 different owners would control stations in the Springfield market.
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
You post five clips from yesterday’s program. Four do fine. The fifth, an argument with a caller, explodes. It gets more views, more comments, more shares and more click time than anything else you posted.
So tomorrow you post another argument.
That one performs too. Before long, you are clipping more confrontations because confrontation travels. Then maybe the show itself begins to change. You stay on the angry topic a little longer. You take the provocative call you might once have dumped. You learn what gets rewarded.
Nobody at YouTube, Facebook or TikTok called and told you to make an angrier show. The algorithm did not order you to do anything. It simply showed you what produced a reaction, and you reacted to the reward.
Radio people have seen versions of this forever. The phones light up, so we stay with the topic. A feature appears to perform well in PPM, so it gets another quarter hour. Ratings rise, so management asks for more of whatever seems to be working.
Digital distribution makes that feedback faster, more visible and harder to ignore. It also adds another wrinkle: the platform may use strong engagement to give the next clip more distribution. The reward is not just a good number on a report. It may be a bigger audience tomorrow.
That makes analytics tremendously useful. They can show what attracts attention, what holds audience and what helps people discover your program. But a measurement tool can become a programming influence if you start chasing every spike.
A good host learns from the audience without becoming a hostage to it. A good programmer knows what works without assuming that whatever gets the biggest reaction is automatically the best show.
Use the algorithm to distribute your work. Learn from what it tells you. Make money wherever the audience finds you.
Just don’t appoint it the role of program director.
For the larger discussion of ratings, PPM and digital distribution, read The Algorithm Is Listening at TALKERS.com here.
Matthew B. Harrison, associate publisher of TALKERS, 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.
Salem Media reveals that “Christian Outdoors Podcast” – hosted by outdoor writer, author and speaker Pete Rogers – joins the company’s LifeAudio Christian podcast network. Salem notes that “Christian Outdoors Podcast” was “created to give outdoor enthusiasts a platform to talk openly about their faith – something 
Rogers found largely absent in mainstream outdoor media.” Tommy Lynch serves as director of content acquisition for LifeAudio and he says, “LifeAudio is thrilled to welcome Christian Outdoors to the network – it’s a whole new niche for us, opening the door to hunting, fishing, and outdoor content rooted in faith. It’s the kind of authentic conversation that resonates in trucks, on job sites, and around campfires, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.” Rogers comments, “‘Christian Outdoors’ is excited and humbled to be the newest member of the LifeAudio Network. Joining this respected team will enable us to continue to reach folks and share our passion for the outdoors and Jesus in one place. Being part of LifeAudio will enable us to reach more believers with the good news of Jesus.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (8/11) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
It’s second quarter earnings season and iHeartMedia reveals that its Q2 consolidated revenue was $977 million, an increase of 4.7% over the same period a year ago. The company posts a net loss of $82.4 million, down 1.3% from the $83.5 million is posted in Q2 of 2025. iHeartMedia reports financial data by segments and its Multiplatform Group (which includes broadcast radio and network radio) saw revenue fall 2% to $536 million. Broadcast radio revenue for the quarter was $397.6 million, up 0.5% from Q2 of 2025, and network revenue was $103.7 million, down 3.8%. The 
company’s Digital Audio Group revenue was $364 million, up 12% over Q2 of 2025, with the podcast segment rising 21% on revenue of $162 million. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman comments, “We’re pleased with our second quarter results, generating Adjusted EBITDA of $152 million, slightly above the midpoint of our previously provided guidance range. Our consolidated revenue was $977 million, up 4.7% compared to the prior year quarter and above our guidance. Our podcast revenue momentum continues, up 20.7% compared to prior year, and in addition to helping propel our growth as the #1 podcast publisher, our broadcast radio assets have also allowed us to develop and drive the new video podcast marketplace – an incremental growth opportunity for us, including on streaming video services including Netflix and Disney+ and Hulu, which we announced today. And our work in building our digital assets continues to pay off; this is the sixth consecutive quarter in which the Digital Audio Group Adjusted EBITDA is larger than the Multiplatform Group Adjusted EBITDA.”
President Donald Trump is nominating Danielle Thumann Severs for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission. She has served two stints at the FCC focusing on matters before the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Public Safety and Homeland 
Security Bureau, as well as the agency’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr states, “I want to congratulate Danielle on her nomination to serve as a Commissioner on the FCC. Danielle is a dedicated public servant and has worked with skill and distinction on some of the most important matters before the agency. Danielle has delivered policy wins across the FCC’s economic agenda – from bridging the digital divide and protecting consumers to advancing public safety. With the advice and consent of the Senate, Danielle would make a terrific Commissioner.”
Las Vegas-based, nationally syndicated talk media personality Wayne Allyn Root is interviewing President Donald J. Trump for the 17th time since Trump was first elected in 2016 – something that Root tells TALKERS, “Has to be a record.” Root says the interview – scheduled for next week – leaves nothing off the table. Moreover, Root tells TALKERS that he is proud to be an ally of the president’s “in his defense of the Jews and Israel and a defender against antisemitism.” See the promo for the interview here.
St. Louis sports talk personality and producer Ken “Iggy” Strode, along with show personalities Tim McKernan, Doug Vaughn, and 
Jackson Berquette have been hosting the “After The Morning After” live at 11:00 am on Hubbard Media’s KPNT-HD2 and streaming on YouTube since April. Iggy tells TALKERS that after getting laid off in the fall of 2024, he wasn’t sure he wanted to get back into radio but decided to give it a go when Hubbard proposed the new show and he’s glad he did. He says, “It has been so much fun, and the download numbers are outstanding.” The show follows “The Morning After” that airs from 7:00 am to 10:00 am.
There are no changes at the top of Podtrac’s July 2026 Top Podcasts ranker (based on U.S. unique monthly audience); audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” remains #1, followed by The New 
York Times’ “The Daily” at #2, and NPR’s “NPR News Now” at #3. Movers in the top 20 include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show,” which climbs three places to #12; The New York Times’ “The Ezra Klein Show,” which rises six places to #17; and Los Angeles-based comedian Tim Dillon’s eponymous show, which jumps five spots to #19. See the chart here.
The most discussed stories yesterday (8/10) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Beasley Broadcast Group announces it is postponing the reporting of its financial results for the second quarter of 2026 to “allow 
additional time to finalize the tax accounting treatment relating to the refinancing and debt restructuring that the Company completed during Q2 2026.” Beasley notes that it will announce the new release date and the time and date of its conference call that it expects will happen before this Friday (8/14).
FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez is not backing away from her criticism of the Commission’s recent vote to eliminate the television ownership cap. On Friday (8/7), she stated: “The FCC’s decision to eliminate the 39 percent national audience reach cap is unlawful on its face. Congress set this cap in federal law, and only 
Congress can change it. I am not alone in that conclusion. Republicans with deep firsthand knowledge of this issue agree. Former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly has been unequivocal that the FCC lacks authority to change the cap. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who negotiated the 39 percent compromise, has stressed that Congress wrote the cap into law specifically to keep the FCC from changing it. And Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz has said he is skeptical a change can be made absent an act of Congress.”
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
A 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.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
As 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.
Who are you?
“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?”
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
Hubbard Media’s all-news WTOP, Washington says it is reimagining its “Top News Podcast,” transforming it “into a dynamic, on-demand extension of WTOP’s award-winning on-air 
news product.” WTOP says the “Top News Podcast” will deliver 12-14 episodes each weekday between 6:00 am and 7:00 pm. WTOP will also produce a video version of the podcast for digital platforms. Head of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “This new podcast represents a natural evolution of the WTOP brand. It meets news consumers where they are – on more platforms than ever before – allowing us to grow our audience and develop new revenue streams.”
Cumulus Media’s San Francisco sports talk outlet KNBR has laid off its midday team of “Papa & Silver” – Greg Papa and Greg Silver – and replaces them with former midday personality John 
Lund. This change doesn’t come without controversy though as some Bay Area media outlets and KNBR fans are criticizing the company for firing Papa, who’s been battling cancer for the past year. Papa recently returned home after a 78-day stay in the hospital following a bone marrow transfusion. He’s been off the air with Silver hosting solo for much of the past year. Lund was Papa’s partner on the midday show prior to his departure from the station in 2024.
Galaxy Media Partners founder Ed Levine announces that he is retiring after a broadcasting career that’s spanned nearly five decades. The company says information about the plan of succession and Levine’s effective date of retirement will be revealed in the coming weeks. Levine founded Galaxy Media 
Partners in 1990 with a single radio station operating out of a diner in Utica, New York. Over the next 36 years, he built the company into a 15-station broadcasting firm operating in Central and Upstate New York. Levine says, “It’s been a wonderful ride over the past 36 years. It’s hard to believe I was 33 when I started the company, and now I’m 70. Where did the time go? As the years have passed, my priorities have changed. A year ago, I was blessed with a beautiful grandson, and my daughter and son-in-law live just minutes from us in Charlotte, North Carolina. Spending more time with my family has become increasingly important, and I know this is the right time to begin a new chapter.”
Sports media personality Tom “Goz” Goslowski will host a new football program titled, “Bills Gameday With Goz,” this fall on 
Cumulus Media’s WSKO-AM, Syracuse “The Score 1260,” where he previously hosted the morning drive program. Station program director Rick Roberts says, “We’re excited to welcome Goz back to ‘The Score 1260.’ His football expertise, broadcasting experience, and Central New York roots make him a perfect fit for our lineup and for Bills fans throughout the region.”
Clay Travis to Launch New Media Venture. After selling his Outkick platform to Fox Corporation earlier this year, Front Office Sports is reporting that Clay Travis is working on launching a new sports and politics media platform. The publication says that Travis has filed a trademark application for the name, “Sports & State.” See the Front Office Sports story here.
KBNW, Spokane to Carry Vandals Sports. KBNW, Spokane has aligned with Learfield’s Idaho Vandals Sports Properties to carry Idaho Vandals football and men’s basketball for the next two seasons. KBNW market manager Roger Nelson says, “We are excited to partner with Idaho Vandals Sports Properties to bring Idaho football and basketball game broadcasts to the Spokane/Coeur d’ Alene market. The Vandals have a rich history in football and men’s basketball and have long been a leader in the Big Sky Conference. Approximately 16% of the University of Idaho’s alumni base reside in the Spokane/Coeur d’ Alene metro and we look forward to developing a strong partnership with the Vandals and their fans.”
Rob Parker to Receive Innovator Award. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) announces that in conjunction with the induction of its 2026 Hall of Game class, it is recognizing FOX Sports Radio personality Rob Parker with the second annual JL Wilkinson “Innovator” Award during ceremonies on Saturday, September 26 at the Gem Theater in Kansas City.
The most discussed stories over the weekend (8/8-9) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
By Walter Sabo
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Host, The Other Side of Midnight
WABC, New York / Red Apple Audio Networks
The Radio Hall of Fame has just announced their “Legends” inductees, and it includes B. Mitchell Reed. YES!
One of the minor injustices of radio is the curious legacies of Tom Donahue and B. Mitchell Reed relative to the creation of free-form progressive rock radio. They were best friends with parallel careers. Both were top-of-their-game “screaming” Top 40 DJs. Tom in San Francisco, Mitch in LA and NYC. Top earnings, ratings, and both around 40 when they went to the Monterey Pop Festival. There they learned that their teens were changing fast. Harder rock, anger about Vietnam, and drugs. They knew their style of radio was out of synch with the moment.
Every day on his way to work in LA, Mitch drove past the Pasadena Presbyterian church and noticed a radio antenna on the grounds.
The tower was pumping out an FM signal that covered Los Angeles, broadcasting from the basement of the church. Underground. Mitch talked to the preacher he met along the way. And he bought time on the station at night and experimented with playing hard rock and a new form of presentation. His friend Donohue sent tapes from San Francisco, and the two of them created “free form” radio (also referred to as “underground” radio) from the basement of the church. The frequency became KPPC-FM.
Note: both of them created free-form radio at risk to their careers and income while over the age of 40. Tom continued as a progressive rock jock in San Francisco, and Mitch became an icon in Los Angeles as an album rock jock on KLOS and KMET. Oddly, Tom gets more of the image and credit, but they were very much partners.
Walter Sabo has been a C-Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General, and many other leading media outlets. His company, HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers. His nightly show “The Other Side of Midnight” is heard on WABC, New York and the Red Apple Audio Network 1:00 am – 5:00 am. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm – 1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at sabowalter@gmail.com. He can be phoned at 646-678-1110.
