Industry News

Lee Harris Joins Red Apple as Company Launches The Worldwide News Network

Red Apple Media is unveiling its new global audio news platform “created to deliver fair, balanced, and real-time reporting to listeners across the United States and around the world.” The new service is called The Worldwide News imgNetwork, and Red Apple has recruited New York radio news legend Lee Harris to serve as vice president of news for WABC Radio and The Worldwide News Network. The company says, “The move positions WABC Radio and Red Apple Audio Networks for a dramatic next chapter, transforming the iconic New York news/talk station’s reach into a 24/7 global audio news presence fueled by streaming technology, smart speakers, mobile platforms, syndication, and digital distribution.” Red Apple owner John imgCatsimatidis says, “Today’s digital technology gives us the power to deliver the truth instantly, not just across America, but across Europe and around the globe. WABC Radio is already heard in all 50 states and in 178 countries through our multi-platform distribution. The Worldwide News Network is the natural next step in building a global destination for fair, balanced, no-nonsense news people can trust.” Lee Harris was the morning news anchor at 1010 WINS in New York for 30 years. Additionally, he has advised broadcasters throughout Europe and Asia, helped launch Moscow’s Kommersant FM as a U.S.-style all-news station, lectured at television and radio outlets across China through the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and served as director of integrated operations and New York bureau chief for cable startup NewsNation. Harris comments, “John Catsimatidis has never thought small, and this venture is no exception. The Worldwide News Network is an ambitious, forward-looking news platform designed for how people consume information today. I am thrilled to join Red Apple Media and WABC Radio at such a transformational moment and help build a news organization with both national strength and international reach.”

Industry News

NAB Says Nomination Window for Marconi Awards is Open

The National Association of Broadcasters announcea that the 2026 Marconi Radio Award nomination window is open through May 31. The winners of the 2026 Marconi Radio imgAwards will be announced during a dinner program on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Edison Ballroom the night before NAB Show New York being held on October 21 – 22. The Marconi Radio Award finalists are selected by an independent body of broadcasters and will be announced in summer 2026. All nominations must be submitted through the NAB member portal. The complete list of entry rules and qualifications can be found here

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Industry News

Beasley Best Community of Caring Initiative Launches

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Beasley Media Group says it is leveraging the power of its Beasley Best Community of Caring initiative to support imglisteners and spark meaningful conversations around mental well-being. Throughout the month, Beasley stations nationwide will deliver on-air PSAs, share informative and relatable online stories, and extend supportive messaging through Quu dashboard displays. Beasley chief communications officer Heidi Raphael says, “Mental health touches everyone in some way. If we can use our platforms – on-air, online, and in the car – to encourage even one person to check in, reach out, or take a moment for themselves, then we’re making a difference – and that’s what Community of Caring is all about.”

Industry News

Cumulus Partners with The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions for Consumer Insights

Cumulus Media says that it is “accelerating its commitment to data-driven sales by partnering with The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions to bring sophisticated market and consumer intelligence to Cumulus stations across a growing number of U.S. markets, providing a level of local clarity that goes far beyond traditional audience metrics.” The company says that The Media Audit provides granular local market data imgon consumer lifestyles, purchasing behavior and cross-platform media usage while TOMA.Solutions adds a powerful layer of competitive insight by measuring “Top-of-Mind Awareness,” revealing which local brands own the first-to-mind position in their categories. Cumulus president of operations Dave Milner says, “Today’s advertisers want more than audience delivery. They want insight, clarity, and a stronger connection between marketing decisions and business results. By integrating specialized resources like The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions into our broader research suite, our teams in these markets provide an even deeper level of local intelligence, helping our clients build more precise and effective campaigns.”

Industry Views

The Power of First-Hand Experience

By Pamela Garber, LMHC
Grand Central Counseling Group
New York

imgTo quote a radio friend, “Some talk show hosts think the news of the day only exists to serve up interesting fodder for their shows.” Many media practitioners, whose jobs encompass letting their audiences know about the pain and suffering of “others,” feel personally exempt from experiencing a connection to the talking points of poverty, ignorance, violence, and injustice that they eagerly collect (and even welcome) as fresh “content” for their platforms. It’s all just “material” to them.

That was a largely overlooked aspect of last Saturday night’s Washington Hilton debacle in which some 2,600 members of the press, media, and political punditry came face-to-face with the sheer terror of not knowing if they were about to be caught in a spray of deadly bullets from an insane perp’s automatic weapon. During those fleeting seconds of horror we witnessed, in excruciatingly real time, a political cross-section of America’s media insiders understandably cowering in the face of such a deadly possibility. A critical mass of the nation’s observers, influencers and content creators, might never again be numb to what had seemingly become a normal occurrence in schools, malls, churches, theaters, and other public places.  Empathy comes from experience…  and experience has a way of transforming the abstract into the concrete.

The WHCD (alleged) shooter “incident” forced several thousand formally attired, champagne-sipping, Saturday evening socialites into becoming terrified participants – actors in a very real-life news story that they had told countless times – looking for a table under which to take cover or a rolling tray behind which to hide.

First-hand life experience reshapes us (or our core beings) more profoundly than any other learning format curriculum. This concept is especially applicable to talk radio – one of humanity’s most personally influential forms of mass communication.

Pamela Garber, LMHC is a practicing therapist based in NYC and South Florida and a longtime guest mental health commentator on radio and television news programs across the nation. She can be contacted by phone at 646-745-6709 or email at Pamelagarber@gmail.com.  Her website is Grandcentralcounselinggroup.com.

Industry News

Merrill Reese Honored with Common Wealth Award

Audacy congratulates Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese on being named a 2026 recipient of the Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service for his outstanding contributions to mass imgcommunications and his lasting impact on sports broadcasting. Audacy’s WIP-FM, Philadelphia serves as flagship station for Eagles broadcasts. Reese was honored on April 24 at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware. Fellow 2026 honorees include astronaut Michael Massimino and actress Jane Seymour. Audacy SVP of sales David Yadgaroff comments, “Merrill Reese is a Philadelphia institution and one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasters in NFL history. His passion, professionalism and unmistakable voice have defined generations of Eagles football on the radio. We’re incredibly proud to have him on our team and see him receive this well-deserved and remarkable achievement.” Each recipient receives a $75,000 prize, funded through a trust established by Ralph Hayes.

Industry News

Cumulus Names Webb PD for KABC and KSFO

Cumulus Media promotes Art Webb to program director for news/talk stations KABC, Los Angeles and KSFO, San Francisco. He has been serving as assistant program director and executive producer for both stations since 2017. He takes over for Luis Segura, who recently imgassumed the operations manager role at the company’s WMAL-FM, Washington. Cumulus regional vice president Larry Blumhagen states, “Art has proven to be exceptionally dedicated and creative in his years as APD for KABC. We are eager to watch him bring those qualities to the role of program director for KABC and KSFO.” Webb comments, “I’m excited to step into this role and build on the strong foundation already in place at both stations. Our focus remains on creating engaging, relevant content that truly connects with California listeners while continuing to elevate the incredible work of our talented teams. With such outstanding rosters in Los Angeles and San Francisco, I’m looking forward to sharing in much success together.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Triton Digital Collaborates with Nielsen Audio. Nielsen and Triton Digital are collaborating to integrate Triton Digital’s Podcast Metrics Demos+ into Nielsen’s cross-media planning tool, Nielsen Media Impact (NMI). Managing director of Nielsen Audio Rich Tunkel says, “Our collaboration with Triton Digital makes it easier for advertisers to evaluate and plan podcasts alongside, and with the same level of precision, comparability and confidence as other media channels, delivering a critical need.”

Seaboard Networks to Distribute Wrestling Show. Seaboard Networks is now distributing “Wrestling with Heart by Stanley Karr” – a one-hour program hosted by wrestling fanatic Stanley Karr. Seaboard’s marketing solutions consultant Bob Stei states, “Wrestling has a fan base of millions of people. This is a good place for them to enjoy banter on their favorite topic.”

Nielsen Names DeTraglia to Executive Post. Nielsen is appointing Julie DeTraglia head of content and strategic insights. In this role, she’ll lead strategy for Nielsen’s editorial marketing content, which includes social media, insights articles, client communications, events, sales enablement tools and podcasts. Nielsen head of global marketing Sacha Weinberg states, “Julie has a rare talent for transforming data into clear, actionable strategy. She doesn’t just look at where the market has been – she identifies the signals that tell us where it’s going next. Her ability to synthesize deep historical insights with current market dynamics will be a gamechanger for how we deliver value to our clients in a constantly evolving landscape.” DeTraglia most recently served as vice president of ads measurement at Netflix.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: The 2026 Win-Win Audio Alliance

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgStations I work with are confronting a generational revenue issue: Local direct retail business owners who are Baby Boomers are retiring. And their heirs are moving the radio dollars that built their parents’ businesses to search engine optimization and elsewhere-digital. The narrative we present them: “Radio is ‘a reach engine’” for the digital content people their age personally favor. In this mode, the station feels less like “your father’s Oldsmobile;” and more present tense. Many of these next-generation businesspeople are avid podcast listeners, and that presents an opportunity.

If you still have a stack of TALKERS issues going back 36 years to when it was a newsprint trade delivered by snail mail – you will find my reports from the very first podcasting conventions. I wrote then that the energy in those rooms felt like radio conventions felt before consolidation thinned our herd. As AM/FM programming was settling into predictable grooves – music “safe lists” and talk radio’s political caricature – enthused podcasters were gleefully coloring outside the lines. Many podcast topics were too narrowcast for broadcast radio, whose superpower will always be relevant, helpful local content. Yet podcasters were already building listener communities, and finding related advertisers, on what we then called “the World Wide Web.”

Back to the future: Among takeaways from last week’s NAB Show: Podcasters are no longer the Rodney Dangerfields of audio. 2026 Edison Research pegged the turning point: Time Spent Listening to podcasts has surpassed TSL to spoken word radio. Podcasting is now mainstream media, available on smartphones and smart speakers, which outnumber many households’ radio receivers.

Meanwhile, radio’s own podcast efforts have been – putting it charitably – underoptimized.

  • Too many talk stations simply post hourlong airchecks. No highlights. No hooks. Magic moments – the caller who lit up the board, the guest who surprised you, the host who finally said the thing everyone else tiptoed around – are buried inside a 48minute block like a prize in a cereal box. And listeners won’t dig. Research also tells us that podcast listeners’ attention span is less-forgiving than radio listeners.
  • Without stopping the music on FM, some smart DJs are also podcasting about their personal passions. Ditto the radio talkers who podcast hobby topics and other things off topic to their on-air show. But for many radio personalities, being told to – effectively – do a second show for the station’s podcast repertoire? It’s just one more thing dumped on them as cutbacks continue.

Here’s the opportunity: Radio has what podcasters want, and podcasters have what radio needs.

  • Radio = credibility. Anyone with a USB mic can podcast. But stations have earned trust. While many podcasters toil in obscurity, radio can promote them to its habitual listeners. Where better to find audio consumers? People tune-in without being nudged by an algorithm. And even as touchscreen dashboards now hide AM/FM among umpteen audio alternatives, broadcast radio is still #1 in-car.
  • Podcasters excel where radio rarely ventures: narrowcast depth. They cover high affinity topics that don’t justify live airtime but can absolutely attract targeted advertisers. These would-be influencers build communities. They create evergreen content. They understand digital promotion instinctively.

Put these two together and you get a synergy that moves the needle for broadcasters and podcasters… and advertisers.

For all these reasons – and because consolidation, automation, and syndication have clobbered radio’s farm team – stations and podcasters should seek each other out. 1 + 1 can = 3… or more, with coordinated, scalable workflow. Here’s the schematic.

There’s more on podcasting in my daily TALKERS updates from last week’s NAB Show. If you missed any, they’re archived 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

Industry News

Marketing Execs Launch Bubbler; Announce Partnership with iHeartPodcasts

Marketing pros Gayle Troberman, former CMO for iHeartMedia and David Alberts, former chief creative officer for Grey London are launching Bubbler Media Group, a “conversation company designed to break the marketing cycle of safe thinking and predictable playbooks.” The company’s press release says Bubbler “is a marketing company designed for marketers by marketers built to spark and scale human conversations as a catalyst for ideas and growth. Through imgprovocative podcasts, unexpected live experiences, and new research, tools and planning solutions, Bubbler is designed to get brands into the conversation in fresh ways.” As part of its launch, Bubbler announces a partnership with iHeartMedia to develop and distribute a slate of original business and marketing podcasts, with more than 10 original podcasts slated for this year. President of iHeartPodcasts Will Pearson says, “The iHeartPodcast Network has always been focused on the new genres and audiences we can reach through this incredible medium – and the ‘business-to-business’ space is a perfect example of that. Creating a slate in podcasting for marketing executives to have meaningful, deep conversations with each other about the world of business and advertising will have immense value for our listeners and brand partners alike.”

Industry Views

NAB Show: Hot Digital Trends: What to Know About Video, Podcasts, AI

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgMy notes from a real useful session with Amazon’s Andy Slater, Audacy’s Michael Biemolt, and YouTube’s Neha Taleja, moderated by WTOP’S John Wardock.

Video trends: 

  • Internet Advertising Bureau: Digital video revenue is strong, +25.4% year-over-year.
  • “It’s an accelerant” to podcasting. “Multi-modal engagement finds your audience where they are.”
  • Adding video to audio work builds trust. When they see the-face-behind-the-voice, they know you more.
  • “You’ve likely created the bulk of the content.” Adding video, “you’re repurposing.”
  • Low cost of entry. “You have an iPhone, buy a tripod.”
  • 233 million Americans have at least one smart TV, another distribution channel.
  • To be smart TV-friendly: solid lighting, quality mic, upgrade camera, catchy graphics/colors, make-up.
  • What makes someone click? Thumbnails!
  • NOT doing video is “a lost opportunity.”

Podcasts:

  • Podcast Time Spent Listening recently eclipsed Spoken Word radio TSL.
  • 58% of Americans are monthly podcast consumers.
  • “Audio + Video = podcasting in 2026.”
  • Service used most for consumption: YouTube 39% — Spotify 20% — Apple Podcasts 11%
  • “YouTube [#2 search tool, second only to owner Google] is a podcast discovery engine.”
  • IAB: 2025 podcast revenue: $2.9 billion.
  • “If you’re a radio station, you’re already in the audio business.”
  • Cannibalizing radio listening? No. “Your audience wants to spend time with your talent. Make it more convenient.”
  • “Podcasting was in ‘the training mode.’ Now it’s ready to run a marathon.”

AI trends:

  • Check out new YouTube AI tools! Among features: A/B testing thumbnails.
  • See also: OpusClip, Headliner, Descript, VivIQ, Riverside.
  • AI apps can translate work to other languages.
  • “Use it to save manhours. You have a very smart [virtual] intern.”

During Q+A, I asked: “You’ve given us some real useful ‘Do’s.’ What are the ‘Don’t’s?”

  • “Nonauthentic content”
  • “Anything forced, unnatural”
  • “Not listening. Losing connection with your audience.”
  • “Be careful with sports betting content, which dates quickly, short shelf life.”

If you missed any of this week’s NAB Show updates, click here.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Study: Honda Drivers Use AM/FM for Ad-Supported Listening

Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group reveals that according to Edison Research Share of Ear data, Honda automobile drives listen predominantly to AM/FM radio when listening to ad-supported audio (83%). Ad-supported podcasts come in second at 8%. The report goes on to say, “U.S.img government studies report most commutes are a solo affair. In the car, Honda drivers cannot be reached by social media, online video, or any digital platform while commuting to work. What are the audio habits of Honda drivers in all locations (home, work, vehicle, and some other place)? Edison examined audience shares among Honda drivers to ad-supported audio platforms at home, in the car, at work, and some other place. In all locations, Honda drivers devote 62% of all their ad-supported audio time spent to AM/FM radio.” See more about the study here.

Industry News

Radio HoF Announces 2026 Nominees

The Museum of Broadcast Communications unveils Radio Hall of Fame 2026 nominees. The 24 nominees were chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, with input from theimg radio industry and listeners. Voting for inductees begins Friday (4/24) and runs through May 8.  The top six vote recipients will gain induction as part of the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame Induction class. The additional inductees that will make up the induction class will be selected by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. Spoken-word nominees include: Boomer Esiason, Joey Reynolds, John & Ken, and Larry Elder. See all the nominees here.

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Industry News

Mike McVay to Receive MIW Honor

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc announces that McVay Media president Mike McVay is the recipient of the 3rd Annual MIW Erica Farber Impact Award that recognizes individuals “who drive meaningful change by actively engaging with impactful organizations and generously imgcontributing their time, expertise, and resources. Honorees are true champions of service, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to fostering growth and progress within the industry.” McVay was presented with the award by Erica Farber on April 20, at the MIW Lipstick & Lobster Dinner at Maggiano’s. MIW board president Sheila Kirby states, “Mike McVay has been a consistent and powerful advocate for both the radio industry and the advancement of women within it. His willingness to share his time, expertise, and influence has made a lasting impact on MIW and the broader community we serve. Mike doesn’t just support the mission, he actively helps move it forward, and that kind of leadership is exactly what the Erica Farber Impact Award represents.”

Industry News

Bob Kevoian Dies at 75

“The Bob & Tom Show” co-founder Bob Kevoian died on Friday at the age of 75 after a three-year battle with cancer. With partner Tom imgGriswold, the two launched The Bob & Tom Show in 1983 and the WFBQ, Indianapolis-based program took off, going into syndicated in 1995. The program, still led by Griswold, is heard on some 100 affiliate stations. Kevoian retired from the show in 2015. Kevoian went public with his cancer diagnosis in 2023 and launched “The Bob & Cancer Show” podcast with his wife Becky and Whit Grayson.

Industry Views

Talk Radio Mile Markers

By Pamela Garber, LMHC
Grand Central Counseling Group
New York

imgIn a piece I recently wrote for TALKERS I encouraged talk show hosts and producers to book more guests from the mental health profession to provide much-needed relief from the alarming level of anxiety afflicting American society. Since then, the non-stop news cycle, replete with the media pushing people’s buttons to keep them sucked in, has me further convinced this need would benefit the medium as well as the public. Win-win.

People today are negatively impacted by fear, pressure, disgust and confusion. Pressure to keep up with runaway technology. Fear of crushing financial responsibilities and institutional betrayal. Anger over ever-lurking danger from scams, identity theft, and violent assault on the street. Confusion over rapidly changing values, diminishment of ethics, and contentious relationships.

The result: talk radio listeners (as well as potential ones) are drowning in anxiety.

Where does the tumult of an increasingly noisy and uncertain world reach a daily crescendo?  On news/talk radio, of course. That unto itself is not a bad thing. The airing of news and views in the public marketplace of ideas is both therapeutic and a healthy exercise of our First Amendment rights. It is also grimly entertaining.

However, as both a therapist in practice for over two decades and a guest on many talk show interviews, I strongly believe that people need an occasional “spoonful” of relief to “help the medicine go down.” It’s not that I’m advocating sugar coating the content. But even just acknowledging the problems real people are facing from a human perspective can alleviate pain.

Mile markers to the rescue

My experience as a running enthusiast evokes a talk radio reference to the “mile markers” that dot the paths of long-distance races.

It was at mile 18 in the New York Marathon when I first yearned for a mile marker. Mile markers are those coveted little stations along the running races where everyone who extends their arm to offer runners a cup of water or Gatorade is Florence Nightingale to each participant who grabs the “reward.”

A little mile marker has such a big impact on going the distance in races (and in life). Life is hilly, sometimes suddenly downhill, with sprints and injuries, struggling to keep pace, and pretending to be slow. Mile markers in real life give us a boost.  That occasional mental health expert popping up every now and then as a news/talk radio element can put things in context, offer solutions, and stop the spread of those deadly words: “I can’t listen to this anymore; It make me too anxious.”

Check out this talk radio hit, “Close My Ears,” by Gunhill Road by clicking here.

Pamela Garber, LMHC is a practicing therapist based in NYC and South Florida and a longtime guest mental health commentator on radio and television news programs across the nation. She can be contacted by phone at 646-745-6709 or email at Pamelagarber@gmail.com.  Her website is Grandcentralcounselinggroup.com.

Industry News

Bankruptcy Court Approves Cumulus’ Plan of Reorganization

The next step for Cumulus Media in its Chapter 11 reorganization is the Federal Communications Commission after the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas yesterday (4/15) approved itsimg previously disclosed Plan of Reorganization. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “When we initiated this prepackaged restructuring in March, we did so with a clear objective: to right-size our balance sheet to support long-term success. The court’s prompt approval of our plan keeps us firmly on track to eliminate approximately $600 million in debt and positions us to emerge with a significantly stronger financial foundation. We look forward to completing the restructuring and emerging as a well-capitalized company, better equipped to compete in the evolving audio landscape.”

Industry News

Philadelphia to Be Prominent in Beasley’s America’s 250th Initiative

Beasley Media Group announces that in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, its Community of Caring Initiative will roll out across on-air, digital, and in-car platforms, leading up to the historic milestone with Philadelphia playing a key role as the birthplace of American independence. The company says that as part of the initiative, stations will air public service announcements multiple times daily, ringing to lifeimg the defining moments of 1776 – from the leadership of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to the actions of the Continental Congress and George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. These messages will be complemented by live and recorded interviews throughout 2026, featuring special guests sharing stories and perspectives tied to America’s founding and evolution. Beasley chief communications officer Heidi Raphael adds, “At this pivotal time in our nation’s history, Philadelphia holds an especially unique and powerful place in telling America’s story. Through our Community of Caring Initiative, we’re proud to share that story across our platforms – connecting our audiences to the past while celebrating what lies ahead.”

Industry News

FARM Announces New Weekend Show

Farm and Ranch Media announces the addition of a weekend version of their popular weekday talk show, “Agriculture of America” that will launch on May 1. FARM VP of national ag content and host of the program Jesse Allen says, “There continues to be no shortage of news andimg information for farmers and ranchers and we are looking to double down on our efforts to bring that information to them through our radio affiliate partners. I am honored that we are able to grow the AOA footprint and expand to include a weekend offering that will continue to tell the story of agriculture, one conversation at a time.” Agriculture of America” debuted in 2018 by the team at FARM in conjunction with National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Adams featuring interviews and conversations with agricultural leaders, members of congress, market analysts, newsmakers and more and has grown into a nationally syndicated radio show heard on over 70 affiliate radio stations and SiriusXM Rural Radio 147 every weekday.

Industry News

Forgy Returns to Saga from Medical Leave

Yesterday (4/15), Saga Communications announced that CEO imgChristopher S. Forgy had fully resumed his regular duties following a medical leave that began on February 13. The company adds that during his intermittent recovery from open heart surgery, Forgy remained available for consultation, led the company’s fourth-quarter and year-end 2025 call on March 12, 2026, and the executive team, headed by COO Wayne Leland and CFO Samuel D. Bush, maintained operational continuity.

Industry News

Seaboard to Distribute “Killer Carl” Show

Seaboard Networks announces it is completing a deal to distribute the syndicated political interview talk show, “The Killer Carl Program.” Theimg show is hosted by Carl “Killer Carl” Brown and has been on the air for almost a decade and is part of the John Frederick Radio Network. Seaboard marketing solutions consultant Bob Stei says, “We welcome all shows that affiliates will desire. Carl seems to put his own views and thoughts first, and they are not based on just ideology. That is refreshing.” The program currently airs on stations throughout America including WJFM, Richmond; WJFV, Norfolk; WBRG, Lynchburg; and WLMB, Atlanta.

Industry News

Cumulus Speeding Toward Chapter 11 Exit

Yesterday (4/13) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston the Modified Joint Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Cumulus Media Inc. and Its Debtor Affiliates was filed. While the proposed order has yet to be approved by the judge, it is expected to be approved soon and clears theimg way for the reorganization to move to the next step – approval from the Federal Communications Commission. When fully consummated, the plan will have eliminated $592 million of debt for Cumulus and puts control of the company into the hands of secured creditors. A new board of directors will be elected and although current executive management may remain in their positions, it is entirely up to the new board of directors to determine the company’s officers.