Salem and Joe Piscopo Agree to Three-Year Extension
Salem Media announces it is extending WNYM, New York “AM 970 The Answer” morning drive host Joe Piscopo for another two years, through the end of 2028. Piscopo – who broke out during his time as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” in the early 1980s – joined
WNYM in 2014. Salem Media New York general manager Laura Sheaffer says, “Joe Piscopo remains one of the most dynamic talents in New York radio. His authenticity and connection with our listeners are extraordinary and extending his presence on ‘AM 970 The Answer’ was an easy decision. Joe continues to raise the bar every single morning.” Piscopo comments, “Our audience relies on us for honesty, respect, and straight talk about the issues that matter, and that trust means the world to me. And let’s be honest – only in New York do you wake up at 3:00 am and call it show business! I’m honored, grateful, and excited to keep sharing these mornings with such an amazing audience.”
Chicago sports radio hosts Chris Bleck & Adam Abdalla airing from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET. Jim Rome remains in the 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET daypart, followed by “BetMGM Tonight” with Brad Evans and Pat Boyle from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm ET. Finally, “Westwood One Sports Night” will be hosted by Lynnell Willingham and Josh Graham airing from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am ET. SVP of sports | content & audience Bruce Gilbert states, “With our partners at Audacy, we’ve assembled a group of diverse and passionate sports voices committed to covering the biggest sports stories with opinions, expert analysis, and fan interaction. This lineup will highlight the biggest stories and provide timely information that is fresh, fun, and fan focused.”
call the final two games of the regular season and the playoffs. Papa has been off the air this fall as he battles leukemia. While Papa still must go through chemotherapy and receive a bone marrow transplant, his doctors have cleared him to return to the booth to broadcast games.
Chicago area were encouraged to submit an entry for a chance to win a $10,000 media campaign and feature on WBBM-AM’s “Made in Chicago” news segment. Based on the originality, persuasiveness and creativity of their submission, Kikwetu Coffee Company takes home the Grand Prize that includes a media package consisting of a 1 minute 30 second “Made in Chicago” news feature and web article, plus the production and 60 runs of a custom 30-second commercial scheduled to air in February. Runners-up were Presto Real Estate Services and Palmer Florist Inc. and they are being awarded a media campaign valued at $2,500.
announcement via a post on X, saying: “I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January. I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.” President Trump commented on Bongino’s departure saying, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.” Now, the speculation begins as most industry watchers expect Bongino to return to the conservative talk media ecosystem, where will he resume his media career?
independent one because commissioners can be removed by the president. Numerous news organizations pointed out that the mission statement on the FCC’s website described it as an independent agency – until yesterday afternoon when the website was apparently updated to reflect Carr’s testimony. Numerous news outlets also pointed to Carr himself describing the agency as independent as recently as April of 2021. When questioned about the FCC regulating content, Carr said that he believes political satire is protected speech but he added that broadcast television and radio stations are held to a “public interest” standard that the FCC is required by law to enforce.
Jennings, CNN political commentator and longtime conservative strategist, who expands his current SRN program to 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET. Salem Media SVP of content Phil Boyce comments, “This is an important moment for Salem. Salem has earned the trust of conservative audiences for decades, and we don’t take that lightly. Scott Jennings and Alex Marlow each bring a distinct voice, a rare 
ability to engage audiences, and real seriousness to the conversation. Together, they will carry the Salem legacy forward.” Meanwhile, “The Charlie Kirk Show” will continue as a podcast on Salem Podcast Network, and Salem Media will maintain its relationship with Turning Point USA. Executive producer Andrew Kolvet will continue as co-host of the podcast show. He says, “Salem has been so gracious through this process and even encouraged us to continue broadcasting the show on the Salem Radio Network. While ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ team is excited to continue the live show and podcast in other venues, ultimately we agreed that Alex and Scott were the perfect hosts to take over on the radio portion. Both are great friends and extremely talented broadcasters. We are also grateful that Salem Media Reps will continue to represent and sell the time inside the show. While some of the details around how we want to distribute the show will change, our friendship and trust in Salem does not.”
been an instrumental voice on OutKick, across FOX News Media, and for women across this country. I am thrilled that she will be part of our new expansion and provide a unique and fresh perspective on everything from culture trends to current affairs and continue to be a leading voice for young conservative women.” Gaines comments, “I started this journey of simply saying men shouldn’t play in women’s sports and OutKick and FOX News Media have supported me from day one. They provided me a platform to bring national attention to the transgender issue in sports and ignite change that will forever protect women living out their dreams in athletics. I’m beyond excited to launch my new show that will cover a variety of topics and highlight the stories of women who are fighting alongside with me.”
1972. The company was headed by Dr. Jerrel Jones, who passed recently. His daughter, current owner and president Mary Ellen Jones, says, “My parents built The Milwaukee Courier and WNOV to give Milwaukee’s Black community a voice when few existed. Passing that responsibility forward was not taken lightly. Civic Media is committed to honoring that legacy while investing in the future of trusted media.” The company says that Dr. Robert “Biko” Baker will join as operations manager for both the radio station and newspaper. Civic Media CEO Sage Weil comments, “Acquiring The Milwaukee Courier and WNOV is both an opportunity and a responsibility. These are trusted institutions with deep roots in Milwaukee, and our role is to steward that legacy while investing in their future – modernizing operations, expanding digital reach, and ensuring they continue to serve the community with integrity. We’re proud to have Dr. Robert ‘Biko’ Baker lead this work.”
and #2 in most past surveys – are gone from the ranker entirely. With that change, iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” is the new #1, with Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #2. Other changes for talk radio-related podcasts include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show” rising five places to #4, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” climbing two places to #10, and iHeartRadio’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” moving up seven places to #11. 
UW-Green Bay’s men’s basketball team – says he will step away from his radio program in order to focus on his coaching duties. During his post-game press conference yesterday, Gottlieb said of his radio show, “As of now, we’re going to take a break from it. I’ve got to have a life. I’ve got to be there for these kids. I’ve got to really dig in because we’re building something cool here.” 
controller. Coury has been overseeing the company’s treasury operations, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and traffic functions. Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley says, “John’s leadership, strategic insight, and strong financial acumen have been instrumental in strengthening our company’s financial foundation. His dedication and expertise will continue to play an important role in advancing Beasley’s fiscal efficiency and long-term growth.”
president of news/talk for Cumulus Media for nine years. Cumulus Media chief content officer Brian Philips states, “Bill is an esteemed leader, teacher and journalist. He possesses intellect, a gift for talent development and strict high standards. It has been our good fortune to work in the trenches with Bill during the overheated recent news cycle. Bill will always be our trusted advisor. We wish Bill great things in retirement and thank him for his uncountable accomplishments with Cumulus Media and our high-performing news/talk stations – particularly for his work programming our news/talk flagship, WMAL. His legacy is forever secure.” Hess comments, “I am grateful for these 48 years in the business I love, programming both music and spoken-word stations, and working with the most exciting and entertaining teams in radio. Concluding with the past 15 years at WMAL and Cumulus Media has been a true highlight.”
Murder,” “Joe and Jada,” “Dear Chelsea” with Chelsea Handler and “This Is Important” with “Workaholics” stars Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Blake Anderson. iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman states, “Audio podcasting has been the fastest-growing medium over the past 20 years, and now we’re thrilled to expand that experience with an exciting new category – video podcasts. Netflix has a leading video-first service, and this partnership perfectly complements our strong audio foundation. Working with Netflix – an important leader in entertainment – gives fans one more way to connect with the personalities they love and opens the door to new audiences, including viewers discovering these shows for the first time.”
the multiyear deal, the Newsmax channel will continue to be available in YouTube TV’s Base Package. Newsmax SVP of distribution Andy Biggers says, “This agreement keeps Newsmax, the fastest growing cable network in the U.S., on YouTube TV, the fastest growing pay TV platform in the U.S., for years to come. YouTube TV have been great partners, and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”
rate increases. Cumulus argued, “Nielsen, a monopolist engaging in anticompetitive behavior, holds all of the power during contract negotiations, resulting in an unequal bargaining dynamic that is ripe for retaliation. For example, Nielsen can and has raised its rates significantly during negotiations. 
If identifying information is revealed to Nielsen’s businesspeople, Nielsen can retaliate with additional rate increases, resulting in manifest injustice to these third parties actively involved or who will be involved in negotiations with Nielsen.” After denying Cumulus’ request on December 4, Cumulus filed a supplemental brief and on December 15 Judge Jeannette Vargas agreed with Cumulus, writing, “Cumulus has established that sufficient countervailing factors – in particular, the privacy interests of these non-party declarants, the lack of bearing these narrowly tailored redactions have on the merits of this action, and the non-party declarants’ susceptibility to economic retaliation – outweigh the strong presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents.” 
Mason says, “Ramon is the perfect embodiment of what The Zone stands for – local sports passion, credibility, and connection. His instincts, stories, and relatability make our mornings stronger and our sports brand more authentic.” Foster comments, “I am thrilled to announce the extension of my media career with ‘104.5 The Zone’ for the foreseeable future. Engaging in lively discussions about sports, life, and pop culture with our passionate listeners each morning has been instrumental in my seamless transition from the NFL. The Zone’s impressive reach in Nashville, its surrounding areas, and nationwide through digital platforms is truly unparalleled. I eagerly anticipate continuing to grow alongside our fans, the station, and Nashville and surrounding cities for many years to come. I appreciate everyone who’s supported me, my wife and kids, Zone Family, and our listening audience I run into often while out in the community. Thank you again!”
Trump’s historic Executive Order on artificial intelligence promotes America’s leadership in AI and advances our nation’s economic and national security interests. It does so by targeting excessive state regulations that would not only hold America back but insert ideological bias into AI models. President Trump’s decisive action also ensures a policy framework that protects children, prevents online censorship, respects copyrights, and safeguards communities. The FCC welcomes President’s Trump’s direction that the agency initiate a proceeding to determine whether to adopt a Federal reporting and disclosure standard for AI models that preempts conflicting State laws.”
Lien Senior Secured Notes due 2031. The company reports that it “received from Eligible Holders valid and unwithdrawn tenders and related Consents, as reported by its exchange agent, representing approximately $476.02 million in aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes, or approximately 97.580% of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes outstanding.” This move allows Urban One to kick the can down the road another three years in exchange for paying debt holders a higher rate of return.
transitioned by Audacy and Cumulus Media from Infinity Sports Network to Westwood One Sports at the end of December. That move was announced in October with the companies saying that beginning December 29, Westwood One will assume programming and distribution for the majority of the lineup of syndicated sports programming and Audacy will continue to produce BetMGM Network programs. Gelb says, “It’s sad to see CBS Sports Radio/Infinity Sports Network closing its doors as we once knew it, but grateful for the memories and excited to see what the next chapter in my sports talk journey brings.”
manager for the cluster that includes news/talk KMAJ-AM “The Big Talker,” sports talk KTOP-AM and four music brands. Lee announced her exit via social media saying, “After 11 years and 11 months, my position with Cumulus was eliminated. Reaching almost 12 years with a single employer is a remarkable feat in media. If you’ve listened, commented on social, came to an event, played a contest, or even waved at me while I was driving that huge van, thank you for engaging. The state of radio today can be hard to love. What’s next for me? TBD.”
At the very first CES in 1967, audio cassettes were disrupting 8-track tapes. Back to the future: Artificial Intelligence now threatens to disrupt almost everything.
across the state of Wisconsin and based at WAUK, Waukesha, is doing her last program today (12/12). Matenaer, who works with co-host Greg Bach, recently announced her retirement after 44 years in the business. Prior to joining Civic Media three years ago, she served with Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee in the newsroom and in morning drive.