The most discussed stories over the weekend (7/25-26) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
News/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis news director John Herrick reveals that he’s been let go by the Urban One station after three years as news director. He posted to Facebook: “I am proud of the work we accomplished and the stories we were able to tell on behalf of our listeners. I especially appreciate the trust and support of the people who welcomed us into their lives through our 
reporting. While this chapter has come to an end, I remain committed to the values that have guided my career: serving the public, pursuing the truth, and treating people with fairness and respect. I want to thank my colleagues, mentors, friends, and family – especially my wife and sons – for their support throughout this journey. I look forward to what comes next and the opportunity to continue contributing meaningful work. I will still be broadcasting games, and I will continue to be a member of the Indiana University Radio Network.” This comes on the heels of the spring firing of late morning talk host Rob Kendall and the subsequent exit of late morning co-host Casey Daniels, who left of her own volition.
Edison Research spotlights the world of Business podcasts – shows focusing on personal finance, corporate management and finance, entrepreneurship, and wealth management – consumed in the U.S. and writes that based on data from the first quarter of 
2026 for its Edison Podcast Metrics, Business is the seventh most popular podcast genre among weekly U.S. consumers 13+, surpassing Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, and Music, among others. Edison ranks the top 10 Business podcasts and NPR’s “Planet Money” is #1, followed by the Ramsey Network’s “The Ramsey Show” at #2. When ranking shows of all podcast genres, “The Ramsey Show” ranks #41 in the U.S. based on Edison’s Q2 2026 Top 50 Podcasts chart.
Salem Radio Network is presenting comprehensive coverage of ceremonies honoring the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, July 28 at the U.S. Capitol and at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, as well as on Wednesday from the State Capitol in Columbia, South Carolina. SRN News says White 
House correspondent Willie Nelson will be on-site at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday during the hours Senator Graham’s body will be lying in state and will provide interviews with lawmakers and citizens on the scene who come to pay their respects to Senator Graham. Additionally, on Wednesday SRN nationally syndicated talk host Mike Gallagher will be on-site in Columbia where Senator Graham’s life will be honored, prior to his private burial later that afternoon in Graham’s hometown of Central, South Carolina.
PodcastOne Brings Billy Corgan Aboard. PodcastOne acquires the exclusive sales and distribution rights to the Billy Corgan-hosted entertainment interview podcast, “The Magnificent Others.” Corgan Launched the podcast in 2025 and has published 76 episodes interviewing stars including Courtney Love, Gene Simmons, Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, Dave Davies, Tom Morello, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Barry Williams, Sharon Osbourne, and more.
SiriusXM Fires Up WWE Radio. SiriusXM and WWE are launching the WWE Radio channel on the satellite service. This new channel will provide play-by-play audio coverage of all of WWE’s biggest Premium Live Events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series. In addition to these live event broadcasts, the channel will feature select audio simulcasts of WWE’s weekly flagship television programming.
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (7/20-24) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
People
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
Today marks the 36th anniversary of the launch of the broadcast industry trade journal, TALKERS. The first issue of TALKERS rolled off the presses as a tabloid-style newspaper on Monday, July 23, 1990.
The publication was the brainchild of Michael Harrison, who had already made his mark as a radio broadcasting pioneer (often referred to as “the father of AOR radio”) and trade magazine editor (Radio & Records, Billboard) when he conceived a periodical 
devoted to chronicling the development and growth of what he envisioned as “the coming talk radio phenomenon of the nineties.” The publication went on to publish as a newspaper on newsprint evolving into a glossy magazine and eventually an online publication fully devoted to serving the needs of talk radio and eventually a variety of spoken word platforms that have collectively become known as talk media. TALKERS also contributed to the growth of the field by producing 28 national conventions / conferences in New York and two in Los Angeles, more than 50 groundbreaking radio rows, dozens of talk show host tours of international hot spots, and thousands of hours of spoken word syndicated and online programming. Throughout its colorful history, TALKERS always maintained a neutral position regarding politics except for, as Harrison puts it, “unwavering support of the First Amendment.”
Audacy is giving Houston sports talk outlet KILT-AM “Sports Talk 610” an FM simulcast by dropping the classic hits format on KKHH “The Spot,” effective August 13. The station is being rebranded “95.7 The Fan.” Audacy chief business officer Chris Oliviero says, “Houston boasts some of the most passionate sports fans in the 
country, and they deserve both the content and distribution that matches their energy. Between our incredibly entertaining and informative lineup of local hosts and our exclusive partnership with the Texans, we are the ultimate destination for Houston sports fans. Launching ‘95.7 The Fan’ as our tenth FM sports station in the top 10 U.S. markets is a proud milestone and solidifies Audacy’s leadership in local sports audio. We can’t wait to bring this unbeatable coverage to even more fans so they can join the conversation and stay connected to the teams they love.”
Last Friday (7/17), Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy addressed the attendees at The FAMiLY Leader’s Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines. Among the topics Ruddy spoke about included the FCC’s move to abandon the 39% ownership cap for television stations. Ruddy warned that FCC chairman Brendan Carr’s plan “is 
dangerous and would allow two or three corporations to dominate local television news, reducing competition, independent journalism, and threatening religious broadcasters.” He noted that conservative organizations including CPAC, the National Religious Broadcasters, and the Zionist Organization of America oppose lifting these ownership limits. Ruddy also took the opportunity to address how broadcasters view the American people, saying, “Polling consistently shows Americans are far more center-right than portrayed by the legacy media. There is a growing disconnect between public opinion and media narratives.” See more about Ruddy’s speech at Newsmax here.
Triton Digital publishes its U.S. Podcast Ranker (based on weekly average downloads for participating networks) for June 2026 and 
Audioboom’s “Stuff You Should Know” keeps its #1 position. Podcasts connected to the news/talk media industry include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” falls one spot to #5; iHeart Audience Network’s “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” rises two places to #15; and Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” tumbles eight places to #20. See the complete ranker here.
Norma Garbo – the renowned New York City-based vocal coach who has mentored some of the biggest stars in show business from Taylor Swift to Tommy James – is this week’s guest on the TALKERS MEDIA video podcast, “Up Close Far Out with Michael Harrison.”
Throughout her remarkable, decades-spanning career, in addition to coaching, she has performed onstage or recorded in the studio alongside music icons such as Billy Joel, Jimmy Cliff, Patty Austin, Gloria Gaynor, Melba Moore, Laura Branigan, Eddie Kendricks, Valerie Simpson, Luther Vandross, and more.
She is also a pioneer in the development of voice feminization for transgender clients.
Garbo discusses vocal techniques and advice for both singers and media talkers to improve their audio presence, describing the human body as a “musical instrument.” You can learn more about Norma Garbo at the websites vocalcoachgarbo.com and feminizingthevoice.com.
Salem Media’s streaming platform SalemNOW enters into a content distribution agreement with Kappa Studios in which SalemNOW will distribute a curated collection of Kappa Studios content, expanding 
its growing library of films, documentaries, specials, and original programming. SalemNOW general manager Rob Ellis comments, “We’re excited to partner with Kappa Studios and bring their outstanding programming to SalemNOW. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to offering audiences exceptional faith-based and conservative content that informs, inspires, and entertains while continuing to grow the SalemNOW platform.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/22) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
TALKERS founder Michael Harrison is this week’s guest on the National Press Club’s official podcast, Update-1, in which he tackles the topic “Predicting the Future of Media Following the Shutdown of CBS News Radio.” Interviewed by noted American University media professor Gemma Puglisi, Harrison addresses such issues as changes in the tenets of journalism and the general shrinkage of radio news. Along the way, he offers his insights into a variety of media and societal topics including the impact of clickbait and what he describes as “the daily dance of affirmation” resulting 
from the trend toward news platforms “targeting” audiences for purely marketing purposes. Harrison defends AI from critics who claim the technology lacks “heart” and that audiences will swing back to the “authenticity” being destroyed by AI slop. Harrison makes the case that what counts is the humanity behind the operation of AI which is “only a tool.” He says, “Blaming AI for shallow content is like attributing shoddy novels to the invention of the word processor.” Harrison boldly predicts that AI and modern technology will hasten the “death of Hollywood” as we know it among other insights into the future of news, entertainment, and communications. Don’t miss this! To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.
Audacy has entered into a deal with SiriusXM to bring 42 of its sports talk, all-news and news/talk stations from 29 markets to the satellite radio platform. The first group of stations to be available on SiriusXM are 23 sports talk outlets, including WFAN, New York; WSCR, Chicago; WIP, Philadelphia and more. All-news and news/talk stations – including WINS, New York; WBBM, Chicago;
and KCBS, San Francisco – will become available “later this year.” Audacy CEO and president Kelli Turner states, “Audacy’s sports brands are deeply connected to the cities, teams and fan communities they serve, and being able to extend our reach nationally through SiriusXM is a natural fit. We look forward to working together with 
SiriusXM to bring our outstanding talent and content to sports fans and news and talk listeners wherever they are, providing our audiences with more ways to stay connected to the conversations that matter most to them.” SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein adds, “We also recognize the unique role local personalities play in connecting fans with their teams every day. By adding Audacy’s extensive lineup of sports stations, we’re making those trusted hometown voices available to fans wherever they are across North America. Together, we’re delivering an even more complete audio experience – bringing live games, premier national sports talk, and hometown conversations together in one place.”
Red Apple Audio Networks’ Worldwide News Network announces entry into its first European market as it begins a distribution partnership with BLR, a Germany leading radio news and content syndicator based in Garching near Munich. Worldwide News Network’s top- and bottom-of-the-hour newscasts and special reports are now available to German broadcasters. Red Apple
CEO John Catsimatidis states, “Audiences around the globe deserve the facts about what is going on in our world and that is why we created the Worldwide News Network. We’re delighted to partner with BLR and look forward to working with them as we continue to expand our reach into more European markets and around the world.” Worldwide News Network SVP of news and programming Lee Harris comments, “Expanding beyond the U.S. is an important milestone for Worldwide News Network. We’re excited to partner with BLR to bring an authentic American perspective on world events. This is the first step in building an international network of partners who value trusted, high-quality radio journalism.”
Cumulus and Memphis Tigers Renew. Cumulus Media Memphis renews its agreement with Univerity of Memphis’ Tiger Sports Properties (the locally based team of Learfield) in which WKIM-FM “News Talk 98.9 The Roar of Memphis” will continue to serve as the exclusive radio home for University of Memphis Tiger football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball, along with football and men’s basketball coaches’ shows.
Williams Named Interim Communications Contact for Beasley. With Heidi Raphael leaving Beasley Media Group to lead the New York State Broadcasters Association after August 14, Jennifer Williams will serve as interim communications contact on behalf of Caroline Beasley and the company until the end of the year.
Hidden Brain and PRX Ink Distribution Deal. Social sciences program “Hidden Brain” moves from distributor NPR to PRX beginning October 1, 2026. Host Shankar Vedantam says, “I’m delighted that ‘Hidden Brain’ will join PRX and its portfolio of innovative and beloved radio programs. We’re excited to continue to work with the many stations that carry ‘Hidden Brain,’ and to collaborate with PRX on new ways to serve our broadcast listeners and the public media community.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/21) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
Last week, Cumulus Media announced its new deal with Xperi to use its DTS AutoStage service to get “near–census-level insights into in-car radio consumption.” DTS AutoStage is reporting in-car AM/FM radio audiences in more than 300 local U.S. markets from 6 million vehicles and Cumulus Media | Westwood One says in what is a first for the radio industry, the new data includes overnight ratings in all 300 markets. So, what does this mean?
The key takeaways include: 1) AM/FM radio’s “big data” moment has arrived with massive sample sizes that grow each month: TV has long had cable set top data and smart TV data to generate large samples of tuning data. It’s now radio’s turn! Just like cable set top data, there are no demographics but all markets have large samples. Overall, sample sizes are 5-10X bigger than current ratings samples; 2) Overnight ratings in over 300 markets: In an industry first, every market now has audience shares from yesterday. See your station’s daily audience trends refreshed each day; 3) All listening occurs with humans present: 25% of TV viewing occurs to an empty room but AM/FM radio listening in traveling vehicles always has humans present!; 4) Large samples mean stable listening trends: In all sized markets and for all sized stations, daily share trends are stable and consistent; and 5) AM/FM radio now has modern, cutting edge, timely measurement, which does not rely on a consumer’s memory or require a consumer to do something (like wear a gizmo). See the Audio Active Group blog post here.
KDKA-AM/FM, Pittsburgh afternoon drive talk host Colin Dunlap was recently suggesting to his listeners that staying indoors to avoid the smoky conditions was fine if you have health conditions, but otherwise do what you like. Patch.com reports that Dunlap said, “If you’re A-OK with things and you feel like, well, you know we’re all gonna die someday anyway, what’s one day of walking
around getting a little smoke in my lungs, then go out and live your life. I find the pandemonium about some smoky conditions in Western Pennsylvania for like 26 hours to be over the top – especially when you consider this: some of our grandparents lived like this every day here and smoked a pack a day on top of it.” The communications director for Allegheny County executive Sara Innamorato, Abigail Gardner, testily responded to Dunlap suggesting he go smoke a pack on a bridge – and then jump.” Gardner later apologized for her “lapse in judgement.” See the Patch.com story here.
Sports talk host Marty Tirrell spent a little less than two years in prison after being convicted of mail fraud in December of 2019 in connection with a tickets scheme. He convinced investors he was an insider who could get VIP tickets at discount, would sell them for a profit and share the profits with them. However, since those
tickets were nonexistent, he had to find more investors to pay off the earlier debts. He served time from 2021 to 2023. That case involved eight investors and about $1.5 million. This latest conviction involved four investors and a little more than $1.5 million. Prosecutors say he diverted most of the funds to pay off earlier investors and used the rest for gambling and personal expenses. Tirrell will be sentenced at a later date and could get up to 20 years on each count. During his days on the air in Iowa, Tirrell hosted shows at KXNO, KXLQ, and KBGG in Des Moines, as well as KJJC, Osceola, Iowa. See the Casino.org story here.
The 28th annual installment of the TALKERS conference, TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter, has drawn more than 30,000 views thus far on the TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel. This year’s installment of longest running and most important talk media industry gathering was held on Friday, June 5 at Hofstra University on Long Island, drawing a crowd of 338 registrants and more than 65 speakers. TALKERS VP / executive editor Kevin Casey comments, “The world-class Hofstra video team at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication really came through for us in documenting a power-packed day of panel discussions, one-on-one presentations, and keynote addresses making the event’s valuable content available to a wide broadcast industry audience across the nation as well as internationally. We couldn’t be more pleased.” To view the events of that special day captured on video, please click here.
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/20) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
On this evening’s edition (7/20) of FOX News Channel’s “Hannity,” Sean Hannity will conduct the first exclusive interview with
Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), sister of late Senator Lindsey Graham. FNC says, “During the interview Senator Graham will reflect on her brother’s legacy, the shared values that shaped their family and upbringing and her decision to carry on his public service representing the people of South Carolina following his passing.”
Salem Media announces that longtime company executive Jon Latzer is retiring from the company and his role as leader of its Salem Surround digital marketing agency. Salem Media chief digital officer Jamie Cohen says, “Jon has been a tremendous leader and trusted partner throughout his time at Salem. He has
helped shape Salem Surround into the business it is today through his commitment to our people, our clients, and our local markets. We’re incredibly grateful for everything he’s contributed and wish him the very best in his retirement.” The company says that Christian Kligora, senior director of multimedia sales, will assume interim leadership of Salem Surround’s revenue organization. Additionally, Salem says that William Cosey and Jonathan Greer will continue leading Salem Surround’s operations, fulfillment, and client execution, ensuring continuity for customers, vendors, sales teams, and internal stakeholders.
