When “Sharing” Becomes Stealing: TALKERS’ 90-Second Lesson in Fair Use
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Media Law, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
Ninety seconds. That’s all it took. One of the interviews on the TALKERS Media Channel – shot, edited, and published by us – appeared elsewhere online, chopped into jumpy cuts, overlaid with AI-generated video game clips, and slapped with a clickbait title. The credit? A link. The essence of the interview? Repurposed for someone else’s traffic.
TALKERS owns the copyright. Taking 90 seconds of continuous audio and re-editing it is infringement.
Could they argue fair use? Maybe, but the factors cut against them:
- Purpose: Clickbait, not commentary or parody.
- Nature: Original journalism leans protective.
- Amount: Ninety seconds may be the “heart” of the work.
- Market Effect: If reposts draw views, ad revenue, or SEO, that’s harm.
And here’s the key point: posting free content doesn’t erase its market value. Free journalism still generates reputation, sponsorships, and ad dollars. Courts consistently reject the idea that “free” means “up for grabs.”
Enforcement options exist. A DMCA notice can clear a repost quickly. Repeat offenders risk bans. On-screen branding makes copying obvious, and licenses can set terms like “share with credit, no remix.”
But here’s the hard truth: a takedown won’t stop the AI problem. Once a clip circulates, it’s scraped into datasets training text-to-video and voice models. Deleting the repost doesn’t erase cached or mirrored copies. Think of it like pouring a glass of water into the ocean – you can’t get it back. And to make matters worse, enforcement doesn’t stop at U.S. borders. Different countries have different copyright rules, making “justice” slow, uneven, and rarely satisfying.
That TALKERS interview may now live inside billions of fragments teaching machines how people speak. You can win the takedown battle and still lose the training war. Courts are only starting to address whether scraping is infringement. For now, once it’s ingested, it’s permanent.
Creators face a constant tension: content must spread to grow, but unchecked sharing erodes control. The challenge in 2025 is drawing that line before your work becomes someone else’s “content.”
The law is still on your side – but vigilance matters. Use takedowns when necessary. Brand so the source is clear. Define sharing terms up front. And remember: free doesn’t mean worthless.
The real question isn’t just “Is it fair use?” It’s “Who controls the story?”
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
their careers who have demonstrated exceptional promise, drive, and passion for broadcasting. Honorees are selected based on their strong work ethic, eagerness to learn, and willingness to go above and beyond their daily responsibilities to create outstanding content that informs, entertains, and inspires their audiences. GAB President Randy Gravley states, “By recognizing these incredible young professionals, we’re not just celebrating their accomplishments today, we’re investing in the future of broadcasting. The Rising Stars program highlights the innovation, creativity, and passion that will drive our industry forward.”
his remarkable contributions to the radio industry over the past four decades. Mike’s deep expertise, creative vision and unwavering commitment to excellence have shaped countless careers, inspired new generations of broadcasters and driven innovation in every corner of the audio industry. His ability to nurture talent and create programming that resonates with audiences makes him a most deserving recipient of this year’s National Radio Award.” McVay is president of McVay Media and recently served as EVP of content and programming for Cumulus Media and the Westwood One radio network. NAB says the celebrated media strategist, programmer, talent coach and industry leader will receive this prestigious accolade during the NAB Marconi Radio Awards at the 2025 NAB Show New York.
ministry – has died at age 89. Dobson launched a radio program titled, “Focus on the Family” and, after leaving Focus on the Family to his successor Jim Daly in 2010, Dobson founded Family Talk and a new radio program. He later founded the James Dobson Family Institute and the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal defense firm.
6:00 am to 9:00 am slot. DelGiorno comments, “I love every listener and city equally, but I’d place Poughkeepsie in the memorable class alongside Nashville (my first affiliate), Detroit (my 50th), and now Poughkeepsie (100th). I’ll always remember this moment! I’m thrilled to be on the Hudson River, serving this great audience, and I look forward to seeing where the river leads me in the months and years ahead.”
his program’s 20th anniversary with a live broadcast on SiriusXM (Channel 380), Big Sports TV, and the BOXTOROW YouTube channel. The event is tomorrow (8/20) in Raleigh at North Hills Main District and will feature appearances by legendary college football coach Bill Hayes, Raleigh sports talk host Adam Gold, Raleigh Mayor Pro Tempore Corey Branch and Durham Mayor Leo Williams.
As TV touts its perennial New Fall Season, our DVR is already set to “record series” so we can pick-up where the “Matlock” sequel left-us-hanging; and for a third season of quirky “Elsbeth” (a closet reboot, the female “Columbo”). And where I live – where everyone seems to know everyone – we are salivating for “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
Murrow Awards for Television, Radio and Digital news operations at the network, large market and small market levels. Radio Network winners include ABC News, NPR and Canada’s CBC. Radio station winners include: KMOX, St. Louis; WSB, Atlanta; WTOP, Washington; and WWNC, Asheville. The presentation of the awards will take place on October 13 at Gotham Hall in New York City. 
anchor of the agriculture report. McCary also taught high school locally and served as a substitute teach until his retirement in 2018. KMJ says, “McCary’s background as an English teacher gave him a solid foundation as a reporter. KMJ staff could turn to him for his historical knowledge, a valuable asset and vital to a newsroom. His command of the English language was equally impressive and he often corrected bemused coworkers and hosts for any grammatical infractions.” 
The problem with technocrats is they believe computer programs and machines solve all problems. A technocrat in charge of a business will it kill it, for sure. For example, once a movie theatre is automated, not requiring a pesky projectionist or even a snack counter attendant, you and I would still not buy a ticket – unless the theater was showing an actual MOVIE!
The program is hosted by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Premiere Networks-syndicated radio personality and podcaster Ben Ferguson who break down the most important news stories of the week and what they mean for Americans. “Verdict with Ted Cruz was first launched as a podcast in January 2020. Premiere Networks expanded the podcast into a weekly one-hour radio program for talk radio stations, which debuted on 100 stations in April 2025.
Imagine SiriusXM acquires the complete Howard Stern archive – every show, interview, and on-air moment. Months later, it debuts “Howard Stern: The AI Sessions,” a series of new segments created with artificial intelligence trained on that archive. The programming is labeled AI-generated, yet the voice, timing, and style sound like Stern himself.
role in the decision-making journey, often sparking the craving before any digital ad or social scroll can. In fact, the survey shows a measurable lift in intent: consumers targeted by radio campaigns were 4% and 7% more likely to visit, reinforcing radio’s power to drive foot traffic.” Further, the study shows that “89% reported making last-minute meal decisions while in the car—right in radio’s sweet spot. Additionally, 84% believe it’s smart for fast food restaurants to use radio advertising to inform customers about menu items and deals. And notably, 82% admitted that simply hearing ads about food can make them feel hungry, highlighting radio’s unique ability to trigger cravings and drive immediate action.” 
for the quarter to $22.2 million compared to the same period last year. For the quarter, operating income was $1.4 million compared to $2.1 million for the same quarter last year and station operating income decreased 6.4% to $6.0 million. Saga reports net income of $1.1 million for the quarter compared to the net income of $2.5 million it reported in the second quarter of 2024.
Awards. The winners will be presented on October 21 at The Edison Ballroom, the evening before NAB Show New York. Finalists for Legendary Station of the Year include news/talk WABC, New York. Finalists for News/Talk Station of the Year are: KFI-AM, Los Angeles; WABC-AM, New York; WBAL-AM, Baltimore; WBBM-AM, Chicago; and WENG-AM, Englewood, Florida. 
says, “While the advertising backdrop for legacy media remains challenging, in the quarter we continued to outperform our radio peers, gaining market share across all broadcast spot revenue channels. We also significantly outperformed in digital, delivering double the growth rate of our radio peers, driven by the 38% year-over-year increase in our digital marketing services business. Additionally, we executed $5 million of annualized cost reductions, bringing total annualized cost reductions to $175 million over the last 5 years. These results underscore our disciplined focus on optimizing performance and investing in growth opportunities despite capital constraints. Looking ahead, while we do not expect near-term relief from market headwinds, we are confident in our ability to position the business for long-term success through strong execution and by capitalizing on the Company’s valuable underlying assets.”
a partnership between NewsTalkSTL and Newsmax. NewsTalkSTL says this will be Chris Arps’s second visit to Israel in the past month. His previous trip, which took place during Iranian airstrikes, was a sightseeing tour. This time, he returns as part of a diplomatic delegation organized by Newsmax in coordination with the Israeli government. Tim Jones says, “Traveling to Israel, especially during this consequential time, will be a life changing trip. Experiencing the Holy Land, visiting with top Israeli officials, all while literally walking in the footsteps of Jesus, will be an incredible experience for all of us in NewsTalkSTL nation.” NewsTalkSTL president of programming Jeff Allen says, “It should be an incredible week of content from Tim and Chris. They won’t just be sharing their impressions; they’ll have stories you can only get by being there on the ground.”
president and CEO John Rosso says, “Sharon has been instrumental in our continued success at Triton Digital, and her promotion to chief revenue officer is a reflection of her exceptional leadership, strategic thinking and proven ability to drive results. Her track record in scaling audio technology platforms and her deep understanding of the evolving digital landscape will be invaluable as we accelerate our global growth and deepen partnerships with audio publishers and advertisers.”
Stevens anchored weekday mornings on SportsGrid. VSiN EVP Steve Cohen says, “Ben is a terrific addition to the most trusted brand in sports betting information at a time when sports fans across the country look to us for information that helps them make informed college football wagering decisions. A seasoned on-air sports betting talent that can speak across all major sports, ‘Big 10 Ben’ has deep expertise in college football that our viewers and listeners will enjoy.”
reporting a net loss of $48.8 million in the same quarter a year ago. Townsquare reports revenue in segments and the broadcast advertising segment saw net revenue of $48.7 million, a decrease of 9.2% from the same quarter in 2024. The company’s digital advertising segment’s net revenue was $42.5 million, an increase of 2.4% over Q2 of 2024.
of its broadcast partnership with the University of Tennessee Volunteers. As part of the new deal, former Tennessee Volunteer Ramon Foster, current co-host of “Ramon & Will” in morning drive on the station, will join the Vol Football Gameday Broadcast Team alongside Mike Keith.
change; it’s the launch of a dynamic new digital platform delivering hard-hitting conservative news, thought provoking opinions, and exclusive investigative reports headlined by Jason Rantz. ‘Seattle Red’ will be the definitive home for conservative content, expanding our reach, sharpening our brand, and doubling down on our mission to challenge the status quo.” It adds, “At the heart of ‘Seattle Red’ is Jason Rantz, whose live and local content brings a distinctly Seattle perspective to issues that matter most.” KTTH program director Jason Antebi says, “Our new identity as Seattle Red introduces a thriving community and home for conservatives in the Pacific Northwest. We’re building a media platform that amplifies bold voices, breaks real news, and isn’t afraid to challenge the narrative.”
“creative quality is the number one sales driver” and this is often a surprise to advertisers and media agencies who think media tactics (targeting, reach, etc.) drive the most sales. It’s for good reason that everyone wants high brand awareness. A major study from TikTok reveals the greater a brand’s awareness, the greater the purchase conversion. Brands with high aided awareness have 2.86x greater conversion rates compared to low awareness brands. But not all categories operate similarly, Podscribe says that purchase conversion varies widely by advertising category and advises that it’s important to understand the purchase conversion benchmarks for your product category.