Monday Memo: Social Media That Clicks
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
If you’re on-air, it’s an important part of your job. Here’s what I see and hear working:
- Daily Presence. Not just for-the-sake-of-posting, but to engage. Ask questions that spark conversation, reply to comments, repost listeners’ content (very flattering – they’ll repost you).
- Share behind-the-scenes moments from the studio – inviting, insightful – not silly or self-amused. Watch how the cast of “This Morning with Gordon Deal” executes “When the Mic is Off.”
- Tell stories. And at today’s blurry, attention-starved tempo, “word economy” is more imperative than ever. Make your point, without long setups, rambling, needless repetition or inside jokes… then get out. Like on-air breaks, every post has a purpose: entertain, inform, or connect. And a beginning, middle and end.
- Stay in Your Lane. If the station doesn’t do politics, don’t do politics in social media. If the station is upbeat, you stay upbeat.
- Done right, short video is powerful. Think: appetizer. 10- to 20-second clips can tease show content, or react to trending topics.
- Consistency beats perfection. To differentiate you from soulless robotic new-tech audio competitors, raw beats polished, authentic beats staged, frequent beats flawless.
- Close the loop on-air. Reward engagement with shout-outs. Superfans drive ratings.
As with on-air work:
- Ask yourself: Why does this matter to listeners? How can I make this relatable? How can I make this interactive?
- Avoid taking “lazy radio” habits online: reading long articles, bits with no payoff, inside jokes.
Execute with intention and heart, and you’ll stand out in a world full of noise.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
TALKERS magazine, the leading trade publication serving America’s professional broadcast talk radio and associated digital communities since 1990, is pleased to participate as the presenting sponsor of the forthcoming Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference for the second consecutive year.
and content for iHeart’s My Cultura podcast network. The first show from the collaboration will debut early 2026 featuring MLB’s 2025 Comeback Player of the Year and Rimas talent Ronald Acuña Jr. My Cultura Podcast Network head Leo Gomez states, “Sports aren’t just something the Latino community watches, it’s something we live. Sports are part of the culture, heritage and legacy that is woven into who we are. Partnering with Rimas Sports on amazing audio content curated by Bad Bunny and his team will allow us to bring sports and pop-culture icons like Ronald to listeners everywhere and share richer stories about how Latinos experience, elevate and redefine sports every day.”
deal to provide a one-minute news update hosted by one of the network’s anchors to over 15,000 taxis across the country, including in New York City. In a January 21 letter to Mamdani and Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Midori Valdivia, Hoylman-Sigal stated the cabs should not carry Newsmax because of its “politically charged content.” The letter went further, stating Newsmax “is not a credible news source for New Yorkers. I urge you to summarily suspend the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission’s partnership with Curb… and demand that Curb cease its collaboration with Newsmax as a condition of licensure given the platform’s history of misinformation and disingenuous reporting.” Newsmax says, “This is a pure act of censorship targeting a news organization reaching over 50 million Americans regularly. Newsmax plays it straight and that drives the far left crazy.” 
Linear broadcast media have never been more challenged. Internet video now commands far more viewing time than over-the-air TV. And their own networks are hijacking viewers! Your local NBC station tells you to watch Peacock. ABC points you to Disney+. CBS pushes Paramount+. Affiliates are effectively forced to promote their own competition.
FAN Sports Network. Audacy Portland SVP and market manager Ryan Cooley states, “We’re extremely excited to partner with the Portland Timbers as we continue delivering the best local sports content and growing the FAN Sports Network. Together, we’re committed to delivering high-quality coverage and meaningful access for fans, so The Fan becoming the radio home of the Portland Timbers was a natural fit. We look forward to working closely with the club to enhance the matchday and season-long experience.”
is a fearless communicator with unmatched credibility. His experience, intelligence, and no-nonsense delivery make him a strong addition to our primetime lineup. Scott doesn’t just react to the news — he shapes the conversation and arms listeners with insight they can use.” Jennings comments, “I’m thrilled to join the lineup at Seattle Red! My mission is to debunk liberal narratives, bring forward blockbuster news-making conversations, and give the audience a daily dose of common sense. Can’t wait to be part of this terrific station!”
The plague of pessimism about the future of radio is fueled internally by radio employees. Doomsayers are logically found in the sales department. All day, salespeople meet with buyers. A buyer’s job is to negotiate a lower price by arguing radio’s negatives. The wall of negativity thrives within the work environment of a seller. Tough. But there is little or no reason for pessimism.
For years, “protect your name and likeness” sounded like lawyer advice in search of a problem. Abstract. Defensive. Easy to ignore. That worked when misuse required effort, intent, and a human decision-maker willing to cross a line.
Notice how often you see one in TV commercials, even when the product has nothing to do with pets? I see spots for a local building supply outlet, in which the owner’s dog ambles through every shot, then plops down – seeming to smile – among employees in the closing shot.
Media Federation and its streaming network Festiva TV syndication partnership. The deal will make Valdés’ late-night show exclusively in Spanish to Roku’s 90 million+ subscribed households. Valdés’ English-language show continues to be available via iHeartRadio, and Valdés says he is “completely open to English syndication opportunities across terrestrial radio, cable television, and streaming platforms like Rumble—building on my ongoing work in those spaces.”
gathering – will take place February 19-21 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
Providence market outlet for Audacy’s sports talk WEEI-FM, Boston for more than two decades. Audacy closed the WVEI offices in 2023. Ocean State Media president and CEO Pam Johnston says they are spending $4.9 million on the new FM. “From an operational and financial standpoint, we are going to be financing the cost of this frequency, which will allow us to eventually sell all the frequencies that we currently have. And so over time we believe that this transaction actually is going to pay for itself.” She says making it easier for listeners is important, “One signal reaching much farther than our current series of five different signals, a greater experience where you don’t have to change the channel as you move your way through Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.”
iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” was #1, followed by Audacy’s “48 Hours” at #2 and Salem Media Group’s “Charlie Kirk Show” at #3. Other talk radio-related shows include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” at #10, iHeartRadio’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” at #11, and “Armstrong & Getty on Demand” at #14. 
audience engagement – a considerable value add for Cumulus Media and its stakeholders and an important next step in the development of advanced capabilities for the audio sector.” Cumulus adds that Eon Media is an award-winning technology company for media that harnesses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence that is fully built in-house to extract metadata from media assets, including segments, stories, categories, audio transcription, music recognition, people mentioned, demographics, and much more. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “We are excited to join forces with Eon Media to create innovative solutions that will provide Cumulus Media with access to new market opportunities and untapped monetization paths. Importantly, this partnership will significantly enhance our ability to drive greater discoverability. By expanding touchpoints and engagement opportunities, we ensure our listeners and audiences can connect with our content more easily and more often than ever.”
Often, when visiting client stations, I ride shotgun on a sales call, and it’s always a masterclass. Retailers have a canny, insightful feel for their customers (our listeners). And accompanying these reps, I feel like I’m “Dancing With The Stars.”
commercially unreasonable rate for its Nationwide Report may cause it to have to do away with the Nationwide Report altogether. This testimony accompanied Nielsen’s request for a stay pending appeal as it appeals to the Second Circuit. This is the latest in action in Cumulus’ suit alleging that 
Nielsen is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals and charge inflated prices. Judge Vargas denied the stay pending appeal but did grant an administrative stay will be in effect only until January 16, 2026, to allow Nielsen time to file a motion for a stay in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Tunkel’s testimony states that the order would cause Nielsen “significant irreparable harm if required to comply with the Court’s ruling during the pendency of Nielsen’s appeal… As a result, Nielsen would not be able to apply that policy in any of the at least ten negotiations with clients that Nielsen expects to have in 2026. If Nielsen is unable to apply the Network Policy, then it will be hindered in its ability to ensure that it can recover the costs of collecting the local radio-ratings data that make up the Nationwide report and spread those costs appropriately across the customers that use the products generated from those joint costs. If Nielsen cannot recover these costs, then it may have to retire the Nationwide report, similar to when Nielsen retired its other national data product, RADAR. If it does not retire the Nationwide report, it may have to pass a higher share of the costs of collecting local data on to other customers, including local radio stations, hurting Nielsen’s negotiating position with respect to those customers, as well as those customers themselves.”
through March 25. Allen will also host a post-game show, adding to the station’s 2026 Brewers coverage, which also includes Tommy Wortz’s “Lead Off Show.” Audacy Wisconsin SVP and market manager Jason Bjorson says, “If you’re going to be the number one sports radio station in Milwaukee, then you have to have the best coverage of the Brewers. Tim Allen is the definitive voice of the franchise’s fanbase, and his presence solidifies our commitment to local listeners.” Allen states, “I’m very appreciative to have my post-game show back on ‘The Fan’ in Milwaukee and now on the Wisconsin Sports Radio Network. We started this post-game show on ‘The Fan’ 21 years ago, and to have it continue with them is a pretty special feeling.”
Media | Westwood One says, “The relaunch marks Bongino’s most extensive digital commitment to date, designed to meet increasing audience demand for long-form and in-depth content. The two-hour format strengthens the show’s position as a major voice in independent media, offering a highly engaging, daily destination for listeners seeking headline analysis, guest interviews, cultural commentary, and special ‘Bongino Army’ segments.” Bongino comments, “I’m excited to get back behind the mic and reconnect directly with the audience. This show has always been about cutting through the noise and talking honestly about what matters. We’re coming back bigger, bolder, and always unfiltered — exactly how people want it.” Westwood One and Cumulus Podcast Network president Collin Jones adds, “Dan Bongino is back! Few voices in talk media command the loyalty and firepower that Dan brings. His audience? Formidable. His influence? Undeniable. This promises to be an incredible journey as Dan drives the national conversation daily on the most important issues at hand, with authority that has been hard-fought and well-earned. Westwood One is beyond proud to help power the next chapter of ‘The Dan Bongino Show.’”
Evidence that your correspondent is a nerd: my airplane read for my CES back-N-forth was Successful AI Product Creation: A 9-Step Framework by Shub Agarwal (Wiley). If you haven’t got time for all 307 pages, here’s what I gleaned, pertinent to radio:
Talk show hosts are not motivated or driven like disk jockeys or salespeople. Most general managers have never managed talk show hosts. Few program directors have managed talk show hosts. My career has been blessed with daily exchanges with the best talk show hosts in history. Here are some suggestions I would like to share on how to have a superior relationship with talk stars.
Judge Kenneth M. Karas concluded Townsquare failed to establish monetary damages on most of the contracts and ordered Townsquare a partial award of about $115,000 but ruled in favor of Regency on most of the deals. Townsquare requested reconsideration, and in 2023 Judge Karas concluded that he had overlooked evidence on 10 advertising contracts. After holding a bench trial last June, Karas on December 12, 2025, ordered Regency “to pay $114,936 that remained unsatisfied from his 2022 partial decision for Townsquare; $694,328 on the contracts he reconsidered, and $344,833 in interest, for a total of $1,154,097.”