TALKERS News Notes
WYPR Announces Local Programming. Baltimore Public Media announces an update. To WYPR’s daily programming schedule that programming director Maxie Jackson says “aligns with Baltimore Public Media’s mission to connect, inform, and enrich the voices and communities of Baltimore and the world.” This includes news director Mat Bush hosting the live “WYPR News Roundup” every Friday at 2:00 pm as well as the addition of staffers including executive producer Amy Walters, senior producer Malarie Pinkard-Pierre, producer Elizabeth Nonemaker, and senior podcast producer Mark Gunnery. Jackson adds, “This growth would not be possible without our members, who have stepped up in a major way since the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We’re seeing historic levels of engagement in our fundraising drives and translating that investment into action and expanded options for our audiences.”
WRFH Wins College Station of the Year from MAB. Hillsdale College’s radio station WRFH-FM, Hillsdale “Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM” is named 2026 College Audio Station of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters during its 2026 College Audio Awards. This is the fourth consecutive year and fifth time since 2019 WRFH has won the honor.
Missouri 6th congressional district. Stigall is a Missouri native who graduated from Northwest Missouri State University and who says five generations of his family have called the 6th district home. He says, “After prayer, believe me, a lot of prayer, and careful consideration with my family, on this 250th anniversary of our great country this year, I’ve decided it’s time to join in the fight.” Stigall says he’s leaving Salem Media to run after U.S. Rep. Sam Graves announced he’s not running for reelection. 
Good News/Bad News: Fender‑benders, slip‑and‑falls, and other “injuries caused by the negligent, careless, or reckless actions of others” will always happen. That’s the good news…for personal injury attorneys. Their bad news is that supply WAY-exceeds demand, and their advertising reflects it.
Mamdani that was shown at the Inner Circle, the annual press corps roast. Some Republicans are accusing Sliwa of cozying up to the Democrat mayor who beat him in November. But Sliwa, who is now part of the WOR, New York morning show, tells The New York Times that its hypocritical of Republicans and WABC owner John Catsimatidis to complain, noting that “Mr. Catsimatidis met with Mr. Mamdani last week and that Mr. Trump has met with the mayor in the Oval Office.” 
directly within Roku’s Live TV guide, allowing viewers to discover as they browse and begin watching instantly. Salem News Channel VP and general manager Cary Pahigian says, “This is a significant expansion of Salem News Channel’s reach, which already increased viewership by over 178% this year. Being part of The Roku Channel opens the door for entirely new audiences to discover the unique news and opinion that SNC provides.” This news comes two weeks after Salem announced Salem News Channel is joining Amazon Prime Video’s free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channel. 
documentary, breaking news, entertainment, and music, submitted by global networks, production companies, and independent storytellers.” Submissions of note include programs from Alabama Media Group, Bloomberg, CBS News, ESPN, NPR, and SiriusXM. Award-winning entries will be announced during the New York Festivals 2026 Storytellers Gala virtual event on May 21. The virtual event will include featured global audio and video highlights, award winners’ acceptance speeches from around the world, and up-close and personal spotlights featuring some of radio and television’s most respected storytellers. 
the industry that I love. I will treasure the friendships and relationships I have built over the years. To those who have taken a chance on me, thank you. To those I have had the privilege to work with over the years, thank you. Working in radio has been a tremendous ride and I have enjoyed every minute of it.” Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw says, “Zoe’s career in this industry speaks for itself. We appreciate the experience and insight she shared with our team. I personally thank her for her time with Connoisseur Media and wish her a very happy and well-deserved retirement.”
Salem Media is adding “That KEVIN Show” starring Kevin McCullough to three of its owed-and-operated stations. A combination of the Monday-Friday show and the live Saturday edition are joining the program schedule at KDXE, Little Rock; KSLR, San Antonio; and KNTH, Houston. The program is now heard on 419 affiliate stations. 
Baseball across South Florida. WQAM will broadcast all regular season Marlins games, delivering live play-by-play coverage along with pregame and postgame programming to listeners throughout the region. The broadcasts will also be available through the Audacy app, expanding access for fans across digital and streaming platforms.
to continue to operate its business as it makes its way through the Chapter 11 process that could be finalized in May if the pre-packaged bankruptcy plan continues to go smoothly. Attorneys for Cumulus reported to the court that the company now has the backing of 83% of its lenders for the reorganization plan that would put control of the company in the hands of the secured creditors. Once complete, the reorganization will have eliminated some $592 million of the company’s debt. 
founder Michael Harrison on WPRO, Providence’s “The News with Gene Valicenti” discussing the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The two seasoned broadcasters took an analytical look at the past 100 years of broadcast journalism – from Edward R. Murrow to modern times – comparing the role and impact of early day giants such as William S. Paley (CBS), David Sarnoff (NBC), and John W. Kluge (Metromedia) to today’s crop of moguls including the Ellison family’s Larry Ellison (Oracle) and his son David Ellison (Skydance Media) who now control Paramount, CBS, and a variety of other media and technological ventures. 
include sports talk WXNT-AM. Cumulus Media president of operations Dave Milner comments, “We are thrilled to promote Darlene to Regional Vice President for Central Indiana, where she will oversee Indianapolis, Kokomo, and Muncie. Since joining Cumulus Media, Darlene has proven to be a strong leader who builds positive, high-performing cultures. Her ability to inspire teams and drive consistent, impactful results makes her exceptionally well-suited to lead this expanded region.”
The Florida Association of Broadcasters will honor Beasley Broadcast Group CEO Caroline Beasley as a 2026 inductee into the Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame on June 18 at The Breakers Palm Beach. The Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose careers have left a lasting mark on Florida’s radio and television industry. Inductees are selected based on a distinguished professional career directly tied to Florida and at least 25 years of service to broadcasting. 
-FM, licensed to Volga. The transaction is pending regulatory approval by the FCC and is expected to close in early summer of this year. Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw states, “The Brookings market did not fit into the long-term vision we set out for Connoisseur. As we pursued a potential sale, we looked for local quality operators to purchase these stations and found that the best operators in the market already worked for us! This is not the first time we have encouraged some of our local management to break into ownership so that they could continue to serve the communities we are so committed to. We are incredibly happy that Cami and her group stepped up to the challenge.”
show while Hale was away on vacation in Florida. Blueberry vice president Bruce Biette told the paper it is “time to evolve the station.” Biette added, “Simply put, George has had a magnificent media career. He’s the reason a lot of us chose to get into this business, and we here at Blueberry Broadcasting appreciate everything he’s done for VOM.” The Daily News states, “WVOM is an influential station because it is one of only three in the state that runs a locally produced news talk show and the only one based in the Bangor area. WGAN and WLOB, with shows hosted by conservatives Matt Gagnon and Ray Richardson, respectively, are based in the Portland area.” 
who were excluded from the recently canceled March 24 KABC-TV | University of Southern California gubernatorial debate. Smiley says he’ll speak with Xavier Becerra, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, and Antonio Villaraigosa separately in four 15-minute segments about the race, their campaigns, and their plans for California’s future. He adds, “It’s no coincidence that the four gubernatorial candidates who were excluded from a debate hosted by ABC7 and USC – canceled due to public outcry – are now appearing on KBLA Talk 1580, a Los Angeles-based, Black-owned, progressive radio station, to discuss their campaigns and the race for California’s top office.”
two FM translators it acquired last fall from Milwaukee Radio Alliance. Civic Media plans to continue to air the classic hits format with local news on the signals. Civic Media operates progressive news/talk WAUK in the market.
latest addition to Gamut’s growing 312 Sports network, a Chicago-focused lineup anchored by “Dan Bernstein Unfiltered” and featuring shows such as “Forward Progress: A Chicago Bears Podcast” and “Organizations Win Championships,” a Chicago Bulls podcast. Gamut Podcast Network head John Goforth comments, “This isn’t just another recap show. Chicago fans don’t think about their teams in a vacuum, and we’re not going to talk about them that way either. ‘Off the Ivy’ is about what it all means – what a win says, what a loss exposes, and where this team is actually headed. If you care about the Cubs, this is the conversation you want to be part of.”