TALKERS News Notes
iHeartMedia Launches “True Crime Tonight.” iHeartMedia announces the premiere of “True Crime Tonight” in collaboration with KT Studios. “True Crime Tonight” will initially launch on more than 20 broadcast radio stations across the country Sunday through Thursday evenings live at 10:00 pm local time beginning June 1. The two-hour show is being led by Stephanie Lydecker, founder and CEO of KT Studios; Courtney McKenna Armstrong, producer and voice of KT Studios’ podcasts; and Baudi Moovan, crime analyst and star of Netflix’s “Don’t F*** with Cats.”
Edison Unveils Infinite Dial UK. At The Podcast Show in London, Edison Research released its finding about UK digital media consumption via it’s the Infinite Dial UK 2025. The study looked at tech ownership, social media usage, online audio, and podcast listening in the UK.
Podcast One Acquires New Shows. PodcastOne announces it broadens its programming slate by adding several new and acquired podcasts to its network. Acquisitions include “Love Murder,” “The Broadside” and “Intrusive Thoughts” by Adam Rippon, with new podcasts “Yestergays” with Justin Sylvester and Blakely Thornton and “A Lot of You Have Been Asking” from comedian Hayden Cohen.
driving brand preference is ‘mental availability’: how well known a brand is, and how easily it comes to mind. Brands with low mental availability tend to struggle, rejected in favor of more familiar rivals. Or not considered in the first place. Brands with high mental availability don’t have to push so hard to sell, so tend to have higher market shares and better margins.” The authors also advise, “Always aim to get more customers from all segments of the market. It’s the main way brands grow.” The blog post concludes that AM/FM radio makes your media plan better by increasing reach. One example is illustrated as follows: Edison’s “Share of Ear” study of ad-supported audio reveals the combined persons 18+ daily reach of Pandora and Spotify is only 12% of Americans. Adding podcasts causes reach to surge to 29%. The introduction of AM/FM radio lifts daily reach to 74%. 
change. Both organizations share a vision of advancing equity, social justice and civic engagement for future generations.” BIN president Tony Coles adds, “This powerful collaboration will deliver important, unbiased information to our audiences, promote civic engagement, and foster inclusive dialogue. In today’s news environment, our responsibility is to ensure the stories, commitment and goals of civic and community leaders are heard by our listeners and carried forward by future generations.” BIN will advance the mission of the Obama Presidential Center in the runup to opening in 2026 by sharing and distributing stories focused on President Obama’s legacy, community-driven initiatives on the South Side of Chicago and engaging in national conversations around equity, democracy and change.
Dozens of brand-new audio hardware and software companies have been launched during the past 20 years. These start-ups are usually funded by venture capital money. VC money is not invested to return a profit, it’s poured in to – pour it in. Their money is “different” than the cashflow that fuels your business. Start-up money buys time to profit.
The Storm,” “Girl, How’d You Get That Gig?” hosted by Amy Gutierrez and Celeste Gehring, and Rod Brooks’ “Quality Hang with Rod Brooks & Friends” debut on Friday (5/23). Jeremiah Crowe says, “After launching Bay Area Sports Collective in early March, it became apparent there were other hosts who wanted to join our team. We are proud to expand our growing podcast network with additional hosts the local Bay Area sports fans know and trust. The future looks bright for the collective and our fans.”
NPR’s “NPR News Now” and “Up First” remain in the #1 and #2 positions, respectively. Other radio-related podcasts of note include Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” steady at #6, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” falling five places to #8 and iHeartRadio’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” dipping one place to #14. 
In a ruling that should catch the attention of every talk host and media creator dabbling in AI, a Georgia court has dismissed “Armed American Radio” syndicated host Mark Walters’ defamation lawsuit against OpenAI. The case revolved around a disturbing but increasingly common glitch: a chatbot “hallucinating” canonically false but believable information.
“Brad vs. Everyone” is joining iHeartPodcasts. Polumbo’s podcast featured him covering “the most interesting and entertaining stories in politics and on the internet from a center-right, independent perspective.” He comments, “I’m thrilled to launch this partnership with Premiere Networks and iHeartPodcasts, and to work with their fantastic team to bring ‘Brad vs. Everyone’ to new audiences. It’s an honor to join a network with incredible talent and massive reach, and I look forward to the podcast reaching new heights!”
TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison introduced the term in the 1990s, inviting us to think-beyond the real-time audio we were sending up those towers. What he described seemed conceptual, even futuristic, back then, when we were still logging-onto AOL via dial-up (screech).
1940s, when broadcast dominated mass communications in the U.S. Since then, the media marketplace has changed drastically – from widespread deployment of cable and satellite television networks to the rise of social media, podcasts, and streaming. Local broadcasters compete directly with Big Tech, streaming services, and social media platforms in the marketplace of consumer content. Yet, unlike their competitors such as YouTube and Facebook, broadcasters are limited by the ownership rules in how many households and consumers they can reach. This is an inherent disadvantage.” The letter adds, “By eliminating the national television cap, local TV duopoly restrictions, and local radio ownership caps, broadcasters can better achieve the scale and efficiencies necessary to compete – and to attract vital investment – in a fragmented and rapidly evolving information market.” 
floated debilitating rate regulation schemes that target national network broadcasters for their newsrooms’ editorial decisions, harassed private companies for their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and threatened tech companies that respond to consumer demands for content moderation and fact-checking. Separately, they have attempted to shutter Voice of America and sought retribution against lawful residents that protest Administration policies.” She cited two occasions where presidents – FDR in 1939, and John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s – asked their FCC Chairs to shut down media outlets critical of their policies and those FCC Chairmen boldly refused. 
distributed over 30 podcasts with Bloomberg Media that offer critical news alongside compelling storytelling across the world of business and finance. We are thrilled to continue our partnership to develop, distribute and monetize this impressive lineup and grow our audience worldwide. With an impressive lineup of upcoming shows in the pipeline, our renewed partnership will continue to leverage iHeart’s massive audience reach to expand upon Bloomberg’s community of listeners and provide them with engaging content across the current economic landscape.”
same period in 2024. The company reports that net broadcast revenue was $39.8 million, down 13.6% from Q1 in 2024, and digital media revenue also fell to $10.2 million, a decline of about 4.5%. Salem’s net loss for the quarter was $7.1 million compared to the net loss of $5.1 million it reported in Q1 of 2024.
Right now, dozens of well-suited, over-priced, unpleasant lawyers are fighting in Hollywood over the title credit their client should receive on a movie, TV show, or book cover. Placement within the credit roll at the end of a show is a battleground of egos and legalities. Part of the process of securing proper credit is governed by multiple union rules negotiated by multiple unions and corporate dictates of corporate masters. (You don’t get to be CEO of Paramount by being a nice guy.)
successful there, will have a general election campaign to run in the fall for the next term. Morano issued a statement over the weekend regarding his status. He said, “When I was elected, I had expected to continue hosting my radio show until the swearing-in. However, due to concerns about equal-time rules for the upcoming election and uncertainty around what outside work I’ll be allowed to do once I take office, the decision was made that I would no longer host ‘The Other Side of Midnight’ and would step away from the Red Apple Audio Network for now. This wasn’t a decision I made lightly—or one I made at all, frankly—but I completely understand the reasoning behind it. I’m incredibly grateful to the station’s ownership and management for the opportunity to do a show I loved, with a team I respected, for an audience I adored… I do hope to be back on the radio in some form soon. But for now, I’m off the air. 
Music radio’s competitors were vinyl, then tape, then CDs – before smartphone streaming and satellite radio offered more portability and variety. And before consolidation, broadcasters were under less of the revenue pressure that now commercializes many stations beyond listeners’ tolerance. 
decreased 2.2% for the quarter to $22 million compared to the same period last year. Saga reports a net loss of $1.6 million for the quarter consistent with the same period last year. Looking ahead, the company says revenue pacing for the second quarter remains uncertain but is improving as the quarter progresses. For the second quarter Saga is currently pacing down mid-single digits. April was down high-single digits. May improved to being down low-single digits and June is approximately flat with the same period last year.
followed by The New York Times’ “The Daily” at #2, NPR’s “Up First” at #3, NBC News’ Dateline NBC at #4, and FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” at #5. Other radio-centric podcasts of note include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show” rising two spots to #6, and Silverloch’s “VINCE” falling 11 places to #18. 
investment. Other notes from the first quarter include: Revenue from new business accounted for 18% of net revenue; Local revenue, including digital packages sold locally, accounted for 71% of net revenue; Digital revenue was comparable to the first quarter of 2024 but increased 6% year-over-year to $10.8 million, on a same-station basis; Digital revenue accounted for 22% of net revenue; and Digital segment operating margin was 18%. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley says, “Our first quarter results 
reflect the strength of our ongoing transformation and the resilience of our core strategy. While revenue was impacted by persistent macroeconomic headwinds, we mitigated this through disciplined cost management, operational streamlining, and continued momentum in our digital business, resulting in an Operating Loss of $2.0 million and year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth. Digital revenue now represents over 20% of total revenue, and the meaningful expansion in digital segment operating income underscores the scalability of our platform and the impact of our strategic investments. As we look ahead, we remain focused on unlocking margin expansion, accelerating our digital evolution, and driving long-term value for our stockholders through thoughtful execution and innovation. We are particularly encouraged by the continued growth in our high-margin digital offerings and the early success of new digital and content initiatives. With a more agile operating structure, a differentiated content portfolio, and deepened advertiser engagement, we believe Beasley is well-positioned to navigate short-term market challenges while building a more durable and diversified revenue base.”
Fan.” Former University of Kentucky standout and Indiana Miss Basketball Bria Goss will provide the game analysis, and long-time broadcaster John Nolan will deliver the play-by-play on the Old National Bank Radio Network. Radio One sports format captain Jeff Rickard says, “Basketball is such an integral part of the Indiana community, and the Fever are certainly a big part of that story. For ‘107.5 The Fan’ to be able to share in telling the story of this exciting chapter in Indiana’s pro basketball history is a wonderful opportunity. We’re thrilled we can bring Fever fans a little closer to the action.”
“It won’t work on FM.” Country. Country was predicted to be a failing format for the FM band. At the dawn of FM proliferation in the 1970s, the future of the band was viewed with fear and skepticism. Why wouldn’t country music work on the FM band? The conventional chatter said that “country needs to be on AM because truckers drive long distances and AM signals cover long distances. FM does not.”
When a blogger found “no biography, or further information about the woman who is supposedly presenting this show,” it forced Australian Radio Network to 
Global, the parent company of CBS, have begun charging what’s known as ‘reverse’ retransmission fees to broadcasters. The networks demand a share of broadcasters’ revenue for the right to use their content. This practice was once unheard of, but some networks now regularly require more than 100% of broadcasters’ retransmission fees as ‘reverse’ fees, leaving broadcasters to sustain themselves solely on whatever ad sales they can make with their limited inventory (also capped by the networks, and often amounts to only a few minutes of airtime per hour). This funnels more and more money out of local markets and local journalism and into the hands of mega media corporations, who threaten broadcasters with content blackouts if they don’t get sky-high payouts.” They go on to argue that the “problem gets even worse with providers like YouTube TV and Hulu Live. Under their affiliate agreements with the networks, local affiliates can’t even negotiate for online providers to carry the content. The networks do it for them and pay the affiliates whatever they deem reasonable (sometimes, nothing). This gives the networks total control over streaming distribution while robbing local stations of revenue and autonomy in the rapidly growing online video space. What was once a mechanism to support hometown news is now a corporate racket. Instead of investing in local reporters, meteorologists, and producers, local broadcasters’ funds are siphoned to bloated national newsrooms that churn out anti-Trump propaganda and woke talking points. Meanwhile, higher cable bills pass the cost to everyday Americans.” 
YouTube that will stream live from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am ET, beginning this Friday (5/9). The show is being produced by Joshua Chaires and will be available on Spreaker and iHeartRadio beginning this month. Richardson says his goal is to eventually make the show available to terrestrial radio stations all over the country via XDS feed.