WCCO Brings “The Henry Lake Show” Back
Reversing course after the reduction if force that saw several hundred Audacy employees lose their jobs last Thursday, the company’s news/talk WCCO, Minneapolis is bringing evening host Henry Lake and co-host Chris Tubbs back. BringMetheNews reports that the show returned to the air on Friday. Lake opened
Friday’s show saying, “Has the last 36 hours been a little bit awkward? Not gonna sit here and lie. I am thankful. I am happy to be here. Happy to be speaking with you. Happy to be doing a show to all of you on this iconic radio station.” Lake added, “We know that there were some national layoffs yesterday, and I want to note that because we know that industries all over the country are going through some rough times – and radio is not immune to that. I’ve got colleagues in other markets that unfortunately lost their jobs, and for a short time yesterday, it looked like me and Chris were in that same situation. I feel gratitude. I’m thankful that we’ve got good leadership here at WCCO, and the higher-ups appreciate me and Chris.”
Observation, as a heavy CNBC viewer: Artificial Intelligence is to 2025 what Dot Com was to the late 1990s, game-changer… and shiny object.
Woodbury, vice president of marketing at iHeartMedia Los Angeles; Sarah Spain, host of iHeart Women’s Sports “Good Game” podcast; and Jessica Marventano, executive vice present of government affairs. The 30-minute special aired on iHeartRadio stations nationwide on March 8 and 9. The interviews were conducted by Debra Mark from KFI, Los Angeles; Nathalie Rodriguez and Erica Rodriguez from WIOD, Miami and Kathy Walker from KOA, Denver.
platform to ensure that California, the nation, and the world hear the stories of those impacted in Altadena. People have short attention spans, and many will forget the fire and its aftermath in the coming weeks and months. We intend to keep the focus on the families in Altadena and amplify their voices.” Farr adds, “Eaton was more than a fire. It was the destruction of a Black stronghold where 80% of residents were homeowners. These families weren’t just living here; they were building generational wealth. That’s why this show matters – because rebuilding Altadena isn’t just about homes, it’s about justice.” In the days following the fire, Farr co-produced KBLA’s three-hour live remote broadcast from the impact zone, ensuring survivors’ voices were heard.
pm to 10:00 pm ET with 37,895,000 viewers across the 15 networks that televised the address. This year’s audience was up over 13% compared with the 32.2 million viewers that watched President Biden’s State of the Union address in 2024. Breaking down Tuesday’s audience by age, 5.7% of viewers were aged 18-34; 20.5% of viewers were aged 35-54; and 70.7% of viewers were aged 55 and older. 
21.67% of stations had women in the general manager position, a decline of half a point from last year, but a large increase from 2004 when 14.9% of stations had a female GM. MIW says the best management opportunities for women in radio continues to be in sales management as 35.67% of stations had a woman sales manager in 2024, up more than a full percentage point from 2023. When it comes to programming, MIW says the greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of program directors/brand managers. Women currently program 12.38% of stations, a slight gain from 11.50% in 2023. MIW board president Sheila Kirby comments, “While we are encouraged by the progress in sales management and programming, the overall numbers show that there is still significant work to be done. Leadership opportunities for women in radio must continue to grow, and our mission at MIW remains steadfast – empowering, mentoring, and advocating for more women to rise into key decision-making roles across the industry.”
secretary is resigning from her positions with the company, effective on or around April 1. She is taking another position outside of the company. Fasbender will remain in her current position through April 1. iHeartMedia notes that Fasbender’s exit “is not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”
people spend by far the most amount of their time at home, the at-home environment offers a variety of listening devices including smart speakers, internet-connected TVs, and computers, in addition to mobile phones… And we know from our qualitative research that podcast listeners can listen while they multitask at home.” After listening at home, listening at work contributes 16% to the overall daily listening time to podcasts, while in-car listening captures 11% of daily listening time. Edison adds, “We can theorize that because people often take short drives during the day including quick trips to the store, or school, or on errands, that those short trips might not be conducive to becoming fully engaged with a podcast.” Finally, 6% of listening happens in various other locations, such as gyms, grocery stores, or while walking.
Zeitgeist” podcast at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas on Monday, March 10 at 8:00 pm ET. Presenters for the 2025 iHeartPodcast Awards will include Annaleigh Ashford and Melissa Moore, Cam Jordan, Chelsea Handler, Dennis Quaid, Ed Helms, Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgiraff, Joe Manganiello, Kyle MacLachlan, Sarah Spain, Sophia Bush and more. 
Advisory Board. The NYFestivals says Melén’s addition to the board will “further enhance the NYF Radio Awards, strengthening its commitment to celebrating innovation and excellence in the dynamic realm of audio storytelling.” Radio Awards EVP and executive director Rose Anderson adds, “Charlotte Melén’s pioneering work in immersive audio storytelling, especially the use of binaural and ambisonic microphones on location, has redefined the possibilities of the medium. Her team combines the highest production standards with a filmic sensibility to the delight of creators, brands, and listeners.”
with more than 250 affiliate stations. Coglianese comments, “I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this role with Westwood One and Silverloch and can’t thank my WMAL family in Washington enough for the eight incredible years we’ve already spent together. I also want to offer a special thank you to Dan Bongino for selflessly returning to service for his country. His decency and sacrifice are a true testament to his character. Now we take things to the next level. I’m deeply conscious of the history-making legacies of these broadcasts, which is why we will be delivering the ultimate three-hour live radio show and one-hour podcast for the millions of Americans who demand the truth.” Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “Vince’s star has been on the rise, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the unparalleled Westwood One platform to expand his reach even further. Vince’s unparalleled ability to combine realism with sharp political insight makes him the ideal host to captivate audiences across both live radio and podcasting. ‘The VINCE Show’ and ‘VINCE’ podcast will quickly become cornerstones of our industry-leading conservative talk lineup.”
Apple Media’s 77WABC Radio beginning this week (3/9). Red Apple says “The Anthony Cumia Show” will air Sundays from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET. Cumia says, “I am beyond thrilled to join 77WABC. They are the only ones doing great radio, and I’m looking forward to having a blast and connecting with my fans. I’m grateful to John [Catsimatidis] and Chad [Lopez] for offering me this opportunity. We’re going to have a great time!” Lopez says, “Anthony has a strong and loyal following who have missed him on New York radio. Anthony brings another element of entertainment to our weekend programming, which is about having fun.”
heard on WERE, Cleveland; WOLB, Baltimore; WDBZ, Cincinnati; and KDEE-FM Sacramento. The “Tavis Smiley” program is now heard in 40 markets across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Tavis Smiley says, “The show’s expansion into four additional high-profile markets underscores our ongoing commitment to enhancing the show’s innovative and unapologetically progressive programming. Following November’s election, the demand for our programming is growing exponentially. We will continue to deliver enlightening and empowering content aimed at African Americans and other people of color.”
includes sports talk KBBG-AM “The Champ” and four music brands. He most recently served with Walnut Media in Omaha. As director of sales. Cumulus Media president of operations Bob Walker says, “We are excited to welcome Adam to Cumulus Des Moines as this is a homecoming for him, having grown up in Des Moines and being a fan of our brands. Adam is an accomplished leader that is passionate about connecting local clients to the power of radio and the digital products we offer to help them grow their business.”
the “Private Economic Council” – a Washington, DC-based organization composed of “influential business leaders, entrepreneurs and economists promoting free market tax policies, advocating for taxpayers, and helping to support and promote President Trump’s economic agenda.” It also includes former Trump senior economic advisor and former member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board Steve Moore, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, and former U.S. congressman and current Liberty University School of Business Dean Dave Brat.
Now, is submitting IPO offering materials with the SEC and is seeking a public offering with a planned listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NMAX” later this year. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy states, “This achievement reflects the strong results Newsmax has demonstrated and testifies to the trust and support the company maintains with investors, viewers and friends. We’d also like to thank Digital Offering LLC, for their expertise, hard work and their positive commitment to supporting us throughout this process. We are excited to be one step closer to our upcoming IPO which will provide us a tremendous opportunity for growth. A public offering will allow tens of thousands of Americans to directly partner with us and join our news revolution. We look forward to delivering long-term value to all of our shareholders.”
were three or four minutes. Under the old five-minute listening qualifier rule, none of this tuning would have received listening credit. Effective with the January 2025 PPM survey, Nielsen is now crediting tuning occasions that are three minutes or greater. What are the results so far? First, drive times and weekends experience the greatest growth. Comparing January 2024 to January 2025 for persons 12+ and 25-54 reveals double-digit growth for all dayparts. Weekends and drives times have the greatest increases. Second, AM/FM radio’s listening profile now skews younger: Every major buying demographic has a higher composition of listening. Persons 65+ is the only demographic where AM/FM radio’s audience composition is reduced. Persons 25-54, AM/FM radio’s most popular buying demographic, experiences the largest increase in audience composition. Persons 18-49 have the next largest growth. And third, format shares remain stable. Versus October 2024, PPM January 2025 format shares are very consistent. An uptick in news/talk AQH composition is most likely more due to a heavier news cycle (major weather stories and a new president) than a PPM methodology enhancement. In local markets, there is more share variation. 
Birmingham, Alabama headquarters. SummitMedia CEO Carl Parmer states, “Joe brings a wealth of experience and a new perspective to the SummitMedia team. He’s a dynamic, high-energy leader who, I know, will guide our results-oriented teams to new levels of success.” Parmer adds that he expects Bell to bring innovation across platforms, strengthening the company’s competitiveness and longterm growth across media platforms. Bell comments, “Success lies in leading with vision, inspiring a high-performing team and unlocking new revenue opportunities across our traditional and digital platforms. Summit has built a team of great people — with great products and great markets — that equal great opportunities.” 
York director of marketing and promotions Emily Magelof says, “David’s creativity, vision, and dedication have been instrumental in driving our brands. We are excited for him to continue elevating our promotional efforts, ensuring even greater success in the future.” Montague comments, “I am truly honored for this accomplishment and excited for the future. I want to thank my support system at iHeartMedia, friends and family for their continued confidence and believing in me.”
During my tenure at NBC, once a month the division heads would meet at the behest of the CEO to report on their progress and trends in their sector. As the executive vice president of the FM division, I took a seat in that formidable group and tried to keep my remarks as brief as possible. What could I possibly say that would be more damn important than the words of the president of NBC News or the NBC Television network? In addition to NBC’s CEO, the CEO of owner RCA would often join the fun.
solution that brings both sides together for progress and unity. Patterson and Flippin battle the political, social, and economic differences, ultimately landing on common sense and the truth in every situation.” Red Apple owner John Catsimatidis says, “I have known David for many years. He is a common-sense politician, with the ability to make insightful observations about national and local politics. David represents the Democratic perspective with a level-head and a focus on finding the common ground that unites us and moves us forward. Our listeners already know David. His entrée as a regularly scheduled co-host of ‘Left vs. Right’ will be a welcome addition to our listeners.” Patterson says, “I am thrilled to be a part of the permanent WABC Radio lineup and to represent the left side of things. As Americans, we have more in common than we might realize. With common sense, we can come together as Americans and New Yorkers and solve our problems. I’m looking forward to working with James and helping to bring New Yorkers together.”
Day the Music Died, that involves pirates hijacking 100 radio stations in five major U.S. cities and follows one company’s story over the course of 24 hours. Orchard was raised in a radio family that owned and operated stations in the 1980s and 1990s. Her family later launched a consulting business that conducted mock FCC inspections and she says the idea for her novel was born from those experiences. 
Coleman has been a fixture in Richmond sports talk for more than 30 years on numerous stations in the market. He began his working life as a stockbroker but caught the sports talk bug in the 1990s. He says, “Everybody to a person said to me, ‘Don’t quit your day job. You can’t do a sports talk show in Richmond, Virginia, five days a week. It ain’t gonna work…’ It worked. It worked.” He laments that the business isn’t what it was back in the day, “There’s not the same camaraderie. It’s not the same fun that it used to be.” But he adds, “It’s still fun; I still like doing the show. But it’s just time for me to go.” 
will air on SiriusXM’s Stars channel from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein comments, “Page Six has been a powerhouse for all celebrity news for nearly half a century, and by teaming up with our in-house experts here at SiriusXM, this new show is sure to be the ultimate destination for pop culture fans. With the launch of ‘Page Six Radio,’ we are transforming the publication’s stories to a dynamic new format that will expand its reach and resonate with SiriusXM listeners who turn to the platform for all the latest entertainment news.”
streamed live on Rumble, and soon on both YouTube and X. Root tells TALKERS, “I’m thrilled to announce I’m now part of ‘Untamed Nation’ two hours a day. This gives my fans a daily choice – they can listen to my talk show on the radio, or they can watch both hours streamed as a podcast. Untamed is quite a unique platform. Untamed cuts through the noise and brings the truth to light. We are bold, empowering, and disruptive. No filters, no fear. Just raw untamed truth. It’s the perfect platform for ‘the loudest MAGA mouth in the world.’”