TV Nets Suspend Pool Coverage After White Bans CNN, MS Now and Politico
In the aftermath of the Trump administration’s banning CNN, MS Now and Politico reporters from covering the administration from The White House, television pool members FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News issued the following statement: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.” All other pool coverage will continue as normal, including Congress, VIPs, and selected events in Washington and around the country. Additionally, CNN MS Now and Politico announced a suit challenging their ban, saying, “This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes. Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
President Donald J. Trump in solidarity with CNN, which had its hard pass revoked over the weekend by the White House.
All this month, I am outlining revenue-producing strategies and tactics, proven by advertisers’ results (which pay us all). If you missed our first two installments, here are “
KFMW-FM and KOKZ-FM in Cedar, plus KPTY-AM, and FM translators K263BZ, and K297BS in Waterloo. Civic Media is based in Wisconsin and operates stations there as well as in Minnesota and Michigan. Cedar Basin Media says, “Cedar Basin Media is a radio group built on a simple premise: communities deserve stations that are actually of and for them – good information, real conversation, and people on the air who live here, too.” 
Park,” delivered more than 70 free prostate screenings, directly addressing a critical community health gap for men facing financial barriers or a lack of insurance. WRVA morning host Rich Herrera says, “I am deeply grateful to everyone behind the scenes who worked tirelessly to bring this initiative together. Being rooted in the communities we serve is at the heart of what we do. Local radio has the power to save lives, and through this event, we helped a listener discover a cancer he didn’t know he had.”
iHeartMedia, where ‘Bill Mick LIVE’ became a longtime fixture on Space Coast morning radio.” Prior to his radio career, Mick spent 17 years in law enforcement in his native West Virginia, including roles in patrol, SWAT and as a detective. Mick says, “When I started in radio, I was new to Brevard, but talking with local leaders, newsmakers and our listeners quickly taught me about this community and made it home for me and my family. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who gave me the opportunity to build a career here, and especially to the dedicated audience that has been with me for more than 25 years. The Space Coast is home, and I can’t say thank you enough.”
Cutbacks at Connoisseur Media in Connecticut have canceled Paul Pacelli’s local afternoon drive show on news/talk WICC, Bridgeport, where the station has added “Markley, van Camp and Robbins” in the daypart. The respected talk radio pro is available for his next adventure, including fill-in work from his Comrex-ready home studio. Reach out to 
iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” in the #1 position, followed by Audioboom’s “Pod Save America” at #2 and iHeartRadio’s “My Favorite Murder” at #3. Noteworthy changes from the July ranker include “Armstrong & Getty on Demand” rising five places to #11 and Salem Media Group’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” falling six places to #19. 
include: 1) Commercial stations produce news at a notably higher rate than non-commercial stations (65.7% versus 62.6%), though the commercial figure fell nearly 10 points from last year while non-commercial stations edged up slightly; 2) Locally owned stations are now nearly 40% more likely to air news than non-locally owned stations; 3) The typical (median) amount of weekday local news rose to 50 minutes, up 10 minutes from last year, though average minutes swung sharply depending on market size – major markets saw an enormous drop in average weekday minutes, which researchers attribute to unusual data the prior year rather than a real decline, while large and medium markets saw increases.
carrying “America in the Morning,” the timing is intentional. That program concludes September 18. ‘America’s Morning News’ begins the following Monday. A weekend edition is also planned. Current “America in the Morning” producer Jeff McKay is joining “America’s Morning News” in the same capacity. The program is anchored by Rich Johnson. Talk Media Network founder Josh Leng states, “Stations shouldn’t have to replace a decades-long show on a few weeks’ notice, said Talk Media Network founder Josh Leng. “We are providing a smooth transition, with a strong brand for both mornings and weekend airplay.
My father recently called my attention to something hiding in plain sight. He was watching YouTube and noticed ads for StreamYard, Riverside, Sprizzy and other companies selling tools and services to people who want to produce, distribute, or promote their own media. “They are advertising on consumer venues!” he told me. That was the part that caught his attention.
fundraising with federal candidates and to candidate-party coordinated advertisements. Democratic candidates Sherrod Brown, Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper and Kristen McDonald Rivet are arguing that the Media Bureau’s guidance is incorrect because Congress only intended the discounted rates to benefit candidates and their candidate committees.
increase in ROI since COVID but a worrying 11% erosion in advertising driven profits; 2) ROI is mistaken for business outcomes such as sales growth, profit growth, and customer growth. ROI is none of those things. It is simply a ratio of revenue/profit generated by ad spend; 3) Surprisingly, ROI and revenue/profit growth move in the opposite direction. Low profit growth produces high ROI. Strong profit growth results in lower ROI; and 4) Perception vs. reality: Marketers mistakenly believe ROI trumps budget in driving profit growth. The reality is budget is 9 times more critical than ROI in generating profit.
Markey was a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Retired WGN news anchor Steve Bertrand – who was a regular on the “Kathy and Judy Show” – appeared on WGN’s morning show with Bob Sirott to break the news. O’ Malley addressed Markey’s passing in a post on the WGN website: “Over the years, Judy and I talked on the air several times about our support for medical aid in dying, a highly personal choice but one we felt should be available for those who chose it – and she did. With her family at her side, she peacefully ended her life at a MAID (medical aid in dying) facility in Switzerland.” Of Markey’s success on the radio, WGN notes how it all began: “On a hunch, on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon in 1989, WGN’s program director Lorna Gladstone decided to team Markey and O’Malley. No one could have anticipated they would be, as media critic Rob Feder aptly put it ‘lightning in a bottle.’ For the next two decades ‘The Girlfriends,’ as they came to be known, attracted a fiercely loyal following (of women and men) and dominated the midday ratings,” Feder wrote. “Their authentic chemistry transcended radio. No topic was off limits or too personal. Annual fan conventions and station-sponsored trips drew thousands.” 
Gen Z now consumes podcasts monthly, positioning the generation to become podcasting’s largest audience; 4) 57% of Americans both watch and listen to podcasts, underscoring the rise of the creator ecosystem across audio and video; 5) And while listeners embrace AI for behind-the-scenes production, they remain wary of AI replacing the human voice and connection at the heart of podcasting. Audacy says the takeaway from this report is that podcast advertising is shifting from buying reach to buying influence – with trust, expertise and community becoming the real currency. 
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc announces that Tracy Walker, general sales manager at Connoisseur Media’s Saginaw, Michigan station group that includes news/talk WSGW-AM/FM, is the 2026 mentee selected for the Speak Up! Mentorship Program. MIW says that the program was developed in partnership with Media Staffing Network and the late Laurie Kahn. It’s a year-long mentorship created for a woman working in any department within a small to medium radio market.