The Audience Has an Audience
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Media Law, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
“Everybody’s a dreamer / And everybody’s a star.”
Ray Davies, “Celluloid Heroes,” 1972
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.
It sounds obvious until you think about what it means. These companies are not merely advertising to viewers, listeners, and readers. They are advertising to viewers, listeners, and readers who also make things: podcasts, videos, livestreams, newsletters, books, music, and shows. The consumer audience now contains an enormous population of producers.
My father, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison, has a phrase for this: “The audience has an audience.” In a July interview about the modern media landscape, he put it even more plainly: “Everybody has a show.” That does not mean everybody has a large show, a profitable show, or even a particularly good show. It means that access to the means of publishing and broadcasting, once scarce and expensive, has become ordinary.
That change created an entire business layer around the aspiring and semi-professional media producer. StreamYard and Riverside sell production capability. Podbean sells hosting, distribution, and monetization tools. Sprizzy sells YouTube promotion. Beyond them are editing platforms, newsletter companies, self-publishing services, PR firms, audience-development businesses and companies willing to help almost anyone build, package and promote a media product.
The money moving around this ecosystem is no longer trivial. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that U.S. creator-economy advertising grew from $29.5 billion in 2024 and projected it to reach about $43.9 billion in 2026. In its September 2026 advertising outlook update, IAB reported that 54% of buyers said they were increasing their focus on creator and influencer advertising and partnerships.
For traditional broadcasters, that should change how we think about the people on the other side of the microphone. The butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker may still be members of the audience, but now the butcher has a cooking channel, the baker has a podcast, and the candlestick maker has an Etsy store, a newsletter and 14,000 followers. They may be competitors for attention, but they can also be customers, advertisers, guests, sources, affiliates, and future talent.
This does not erase the distinction between professional media and someone experimenting in a spare bedroom. Scale still matters. Skill matters. Editorial judgment matters. Broadcasters also operate under legal and regulatory obligations that do not simply transfer to someone uploading a video from a phone. But the old wall separating “the media” from “the audience” has become remarkably porous.
That may be the bigger lesson behind all those advertisements. Companies that once would have bought trade advertising to reach broadcasters, publishers or recording professionals can now advertise on consumer platforms and find millions of people with, as Michael puts it, “a toe in showbiz.” The consumer venue has become a trade venue because a meaningful portion of the consumers are also in the trade.
So where exactly is the line between our audience, our competition and our customers? Increasingly, there isn’t a very clean one. When the audience has an audience, the media business is no longer just about reaching consumers. It is about reaching people who are themselves trying to reach somebody else.
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@HarrisonMediaLaw.com or read more at TALKERS.com.
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.
THANKS to all who offered feedback about my most recent column. 
WABC Radio brought together broadcasting legends, entertainers, civic leaders and political figures Friday night at Cipriani 42nd Street for its 9/11 & Freedom 250 Gala, commemorating 25 years since the September 11 attacks while also recognizing America’s 250th anniversary.
while playing venues such as the Bitter End and TV shows like “Midnight Special,” the band has gained a multi-generational fan base over the past six years due in large part to exposure on talk radio. Talk show hosts have been attracted to Gunhill Road’s engaging themes, sharp lyrics, and provocative YouTube videos that tackle the hottest issues of the day. These include the rise of idiocy, scourge of scammers, threat of censorship, dangers of AI, noise of politics, cruelty to animals, aging, and more. Since 2020, more than 1,500 talk shows, stations, and networks have aired Gunhill Road songs in whole or part, extracted segments for bumpers, and interviewed a member about its provocative messaging.
When in doubt, I recall smart quotes from people in our business who are successful, well paid, kind, and future oriented. I have always focused on what’s next rather than what’s been. These observations drive good results:
wide range of disciplines, from News Programs, Documentaries, and Talk Programs to On-Air Talent, Craft, and Entertainment. Specialized category groups spotlight groundbreaking work in Digital, Podcast, and Audio Book content, while Programming Formats and Promotion/Open & ID recognize the creative standards and imaging innovation driving radio forward.” New York Festivals EVP Rose Anderson says, “Here’s to Radio – the original social media. Awards do more than keep score: they honor creative excellence, mastery of craft, they can change your life, and they offer an opportunity to take your place in industry history!” 
broadcast families, and awards $10,000 to each recipient for college tuition. BFoA president Tim McCarthy states, “This initiative reflects the BFOA’s growing commitment to strengthening the future of the radio and television industries by investing directly in the next generation of broadcasters. We could not be happier with our first two recipients, both of whom received glowing recommendations from their professors. Nathaniel and Inoa exemplify the caliber of communications students we want to attract to broadcast radio and television.”
registered cruise passengers, business owners will pitch their ventures live to a panel of judges for a shot at life-changing promotional prizes. Urban One CEO & president Alfred C. Liggins III says, “My mother, Cathy Hughes, started Urban One as a small business, so supporting entrepreneurs and founders is in our foundational DNA. By partnering with the National Urban League on ONE Voyage Experience, we are doubling down on our steadfast, lifelong commitment to small businesses, Black entrepreneurship, and unstoppable economic empowerment.”
analyst was just diagnosed less than two weeks ago. Detillier had prepared the following: “Last week, I was rushed to the hospital for stomach pain. After several CAT scans and tests, doctors broke the unbelievable news: I have metastatic pancreatic cancer. Stage 4. Incurable. While it’s an incredibly emotional time, I want to thank everyone – the listeners, the whole team at WWL radio and Audacy, New Orleans, and all those who put up with me over the years – from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to let me live my passion: The game of football. Hosting SportsTalk with Bobby J, Deuce, Hoss, Steve, and the whole crew – working for WWL has been the honor of a lifetime.” WWL brand manager Diane Newman comments, “Mike Detillier captured the heart of our community with his honesty, buoyant personality, and his rich and deep fact-loaded analysis. He became a reflection of this region’s pure passion for football better than just about anybody. Mike is dedicated and has a true love of the game at every level – high school, college, and NFL. And he’s navigated his role with the utmost respect and admiration for players and coaches, and you see that respect in return. His connection to them is as authentic as his accent. And, when we made that decision to put our two Cajuns together to host ‘SportsTalk,’ you could almost hear something click. When you turn the dial and put on Bobby Hebert & Mike Detillier – you’ve tuned into unbridled magic. “
On the TV side, FOX News Channel’s “FOX & Friends” is broadcasting live from several locations and will feature interviews with guests about their experiences 25 years ago. FOX News Radio will also offer breaking news coverage of the NYC memorial ceremony on Friday, featuring reporting from Ground Zero. “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” “FOX Across America with Jimmy Failla” and “The Guy Benson Show” will interview guests and newsmakers impacted by the attacks. On YouTube, “The Brian Kilmeade Show” will provide access to some of Kilmeade’s most notable 9/11 interviews, and FNR affiliates will be offered an anniversary special from Kilmeade that reflects on how America has evolved since then.
biggest college football matchups of the 2026 season.” The tour will make 10 campus stops across the country, beginning Saturday, September 5, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when Clemson takes on LSU. Additional stops throughout the season include College Station, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; State College, Pa.; Gainesville, Fla.; Austin, Texas; Oxford, Miss.; and a return to Baton Rouge, with additional tour locations and matchups to be announced. At each stop, ESPN Radio hosts Jonathan Zaslow and Amber Wilson will broadcast live for at least two hours leading up to kickoff. 
Smith and afternoon host Angelette Aviles. Numerous reports, including from the blog DCRTV, indicate that several employees in the news department have been let go, as well. The talk shows are being replaced by Premiere Networks’ “The Glenn Beck Show” from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. “The Sports Lounge” is now airing in the 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm slot, followed by the “WBAL News Now” from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. 
presidents of the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition to talk about awareness, early detection and getting men and their families to start talking about prostate health. Chidester says, “One of the reasons we created the ‘Morning Update Roundtable’ is to give important issues the time and attention they deserve. Prostate cancer is something that affects so many New Hampshire families, but it’s still a conversation many men are reluctant to have. If this discussion encourages even one listener to talk with his doctor, ask about a PSA test, or start a conversation with someone he loves, then we’ve done something worthwhile. I’m incredibly grateful to Kathy and Peter for being so open with our listeners and for the work the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition is doing across our state.”
TALKERS, “Last week, I announced I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was going to wait until my treatment was finished, but I told my audience I needed them in this fight. I also told them I’m using my reach to educate, inspire and pray for them. We can turn the good of an audience inward on those who are suffering. I have a treatment plan, and I’m positive and motivated. I have helped many on the airwaves with cancer, now I face that fight.”
blend of breaking news, insightful commentary, and sharp analysis of the issues driving the national conversation.” The one-hour program is delivered Monday-Friday at 5:00 am ET. Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “What’s better than Dan Bongino in the morning and afternoon? Twice a day with Dan Bongino coverage! On the heels of launching ‘The Bongino Report FM,’ we’re thrilled to now offer listeners Dan Bongino in the morning with The Bongino Report AM.” Westwood One says this program will be “comprised of edits from his podcast and other fresh content.”
“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.
into the radio business. He first went on the air on WGSM, Long Island but is best known for his weekend talk show on WPLJ, New York. He was friendly with singer Harry Chapin with whom he founded World Hunger Year that later became WhyHunger and led to a series of Hungerthon broadcasts. Ayres left the priesthood in 1979 and married his wife Jeannine.