Industry News

Graham Returns to Hot Talk 99.5 Morning Show

Radio personality Leanne Graham (left) returns to Dick Broadcasting Company’s WRNN, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina’s “Hot Talk 99.5” as part of the morning slow alongside host Joe Cats (right) and producer DJ Slide (center). Graham stepped away from the station in 2021. Stationimg PD and operations manager Charlie Steele says, “We’re excited to have Leanne back in the family. Her energy and personality will be a great addition to the show, and I’m excited to hear where Joe, Leanne, and DJ Slide take the show next.” Graham comments, “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. But seriously, the path of least resistance has a funny way of surprising you. Never in a million years did I imagine my ‘restart button’ would lead me back on air – but I know it’s because it brought me home to my long-lost family at WRNN. I feel like the prodigal daughter finally finding her way back.”

Industry News

iHeartMedia Promotes Licata to CEO of Multiplatform Group

Ann Marie Licata rises to CEO of the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group, the largest of the company’s three operating segments. Licata was previously president of markets group & sales operations. The company’s other two operating segments will continue to be led by Conal Byrne, CEO of the Digital Audio Group, and Mark Gray, CEO of the Audio and Media Services Group. The Multiplatform Group includes the iHeartMedia imgMarkets Group, including the radio stations, the iHeart live events and sponsorships; the radio networks businesses, including Premiere and TTWN; the Enterprise Business Development Group; and data targeting and attribution products for broadcast radio. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman states, “We couldn’t be more pleased that Ann Marie will be leading the growth and innovation efforts for our company’s largest segment. In addition to helping businesses and brands grow effectively and efficiently, the Multiplatform Group has been an important engine to develop our own important new businesses – including podcasting and the iHeartRadio digital service – as well as our iconic live music events and awards shows. We look forward to the additional growth that will come as we move broadcast radio into the digital buying world through our data services and programmatic platforms.” The company also announced that Bernie Weiss will be promoted to president of the Markets Group. Weiss will oversee the operations of the company’s 160 markets. Weiss was previously COO of the iHeartMedia Markets Group.

Industry News

Triton Digital Partners with NBC Sports for Hosting and More

Triton Digital says NBC Sports has selected it to power key components of its podcast and digital audio infrastructure. Through a suite of Triton technologies, NBC Sports will leverage advanced hosting, monetization, audience measurement, and audience insights tools to support and scale its growing podcast and digital audio portfolio. Triton president and CEOimg John Rosso states, “We’re really excited to work with NBC Sports and support their continued growth in podcasting. Premium media companies are investing heavily in digital audio, and they need infrastructure they can trust to scale audiences and monetize effectively. Our goal is to make that easier – bringing together hosting, measurement, and monetization in one place so teams can focus on creating great content.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (March 30-April 3)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (3/30-4/3) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

  1. U.S.-Israel-Iran War / Trump’s National Address
  2. Gas Prices / Financial Markets Activity
  3. Bondi Exits AG Post
  4. DHS Funding / ICE Troops at Airports
  5. Birthright Citizenship Case
  6. White House Ballroom Construction Paused
  7. Trump’s National Voter List Order / SAVE America Act
  8. U.S.-Cuba Policy
  9. CPAC 2026 / “No Kings” Protests
  10. Lindsey Graham at Disney / Artemis II Launch

People

  1. Donald Trump
  2. Pete Hegseth / Marco Rubio
  3. Pam Bondi
  4. Benjamin Netanyahu
  5. Kristy Noem / Corey Lewandowski / Byron Noem
  6. John Thune
  7. Chuck Schumer
  8. John Roberts / John Sauer
  9. Mike Johnson
  10. Lindsey Graham

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry News

Cumulus Names Wirthlin to Lead Salt Lake City Cluster

Cumulus Media appoints Joyce Wirthlin vice president/market manager for its Salt Lake City station group that includes news/talk KKAT-AM and four music brands plus its digital marketing services for local advertisers. Wirthlin most recently served as market president for iHeartMedia’s Salt Lake City operations. Cumulus Media president of operations Daveimg Milner comments, “Joyce is an experienced market leader with deep relationships across Salt Lake City, enabling her to bring sharp local insight and credibility to every client partnership. She excels at delivering integrated marketing solutions, helping clients leverage our multi-platform strategies that maximize the combined power of audio and digital to drive results. Joyce will be a tremendous asset to our Salt Lake City team and a growth catalyst for our clients.”

Industry News

Mateo to Host Sunday Show on WABC

Red Apple Media unveils a new weekend program on WABC, New York hosted by former NYC mayoral candidate, co-founder and spokesman for United Bodegas of America, and chairman of the New York Stateimg Federation of Taxi Drivers, Fernando Mateo. The new show, “No Excuses with Fernando Mateo” airs Sundays and 6:00 pm. Station owner John Catsimatidis says, “There are 65 million Hispanics in the U.S. and New York City is home to nearly three million of this fast growing population… With Mateo as part of our on-air lineup, we can super serve the needs and interests of the Hispanic community.”

Industry News

Bongino Soars in Triton Digital’s February Podcast Ranker

Former FBI Assistant Director Dan Bongino returned to the podcast universe after a year with the Trump Administration and his daily podcastimg has climbed up Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Ranker, finishing at #3 for the February 2026 period. Audioboom’s “Pod Save America” displaced iHeart Audience Network’s “Stuff You Should Know” for the #1 spot. Elsewhere, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” fell two places to #6 as did iHeart Audience Network’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” which landed at #12. See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

Cumulus Says 2025 Annual Report Filing Late Due to Bankruptcy Proceedings

Cumulus Media files a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealing that it is unable to files its annual 10-K with the Commission due to its status in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.img Specifically, since the company must get permission from the court to retain PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the company and its subsidiaries to complete the 10-K, it must wait to clear the objection hurdle expected to be complete by April 8. Cumulus notes that the ultimate timing of its filing of its Annual Report is dependent upon entry of the order.

Industry News

Connoisseur Media to Acquire Five Nebraska Signals from NRG Media; Will Sell Four Topeka Stations to MSC Radio Group

Connoisseur Media is both a buyer and a seller in news today. First, the company announces it is acquiring five radio signals in Nebraska from NRG Media. Those include news/talk KLIN-AM, Lincoln and its FM translator K257GN-FX and four music stations – three in Lincoln and one licensed to Milford, Nebraska.  Connoisseur says the transaction isimg pending regulatory approval by the FCC and is expected to close in summer of this year. Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw states, “We are over the moon to be able to add these phenomenal properties and team to our company. This marriage will allow us to even better serve the community and our clients.” NRG Media CEO Mary Quass adds, “The Lincoln stations have been a very important part of our story, and we are pleased to pass them to Jeff and his team. Jeff is a broadcaster who shares our commitment to great local service, quality programming, and deep community connections!” At the same time, Connoisseur is entering into a deal with MSC Radio Group to sell its Topeka cluster that includes news/talk WIBW-AM and three music brands. About this sale, Jeff Warshaw says, “We’re incredibly proud of the impact these stations have had in Topeka and the connections they’ve built with listeners. As we continue to refine our portfolio, this agreement allows us to focus our resources on key growth markets while ensuring these stations are well-positioned for the future with KNZA. We’re confident they will continue their legacy of serving the community with a strong emphasis on local engagement, news, and partnerships.”

Industry News

Debbie Kenyon to Lead Central U.S. Markets for Audacy

Audacy promotes Debbie Kenyon to regional president for its Central U.S. markets. Kenyon currently manages the company’s Detroit stations, and her new responsibilities will include Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Madison. She’ll oversee such heritageimg signals as WSCR-AM/FM “The Score” and news/talk WCCO-AM. Audacy president and CEO Kelli Turner comments, “Debbie Kenyon has been a pillar of our business for over a quarter century, and her elevation to regional president for our Central region is a testament to her ability to drive innovation and deliver consistent performance. Her appointment supports our commitment to empower our teams and build on our unmatched presence in local markets and communities while fully leveraging our scale and reach.” Kenyon joins Jeff Federman, Mark Hannon, Claudia Menegus and chief business officer Chris Oliviero in regional president roles overseeing key Audacy markets.

Industry News

Adam Star Named Program Director for Beasley Augusta

Beasley Media Group announces that programmer Adam Star rejoins the company as program director for its Augusta, Georgia radio clusterimg that includes news/talk WGAC and four music brands. He previously served as operations manager for Beasley’s Fort Myers stations prior to the sale of the properties to Fort Myers Broadcasting and Sun Broadcasting. Vice president of operations AJ Lurie states, “Adam has a great instinct for what connects with audiences and how to position our brands for growth. We’re looking forward to the energy and perspective he brings as he partners with the team in Augusta.”

Industry News

Salem Media Talk Host Chris Stigall to Run for Congress

Talk host Chris Stigall – who’s heard on Salem Radio Network and Salem News Channel in morning drive (6:00 am to 9:00 am ET) – announces in a social media video that will run for congress in theimg Missouri 6th congressional district. Stigall is a Missouri native who graduated from Northwest Missouri State University and who says five generations of his family have called the 6th district home. He says, “After prayer, believe me, a lot of prayer, and careful consideration with my family, on this 250th anniversary of our great country this year, I’ve decided it’s time to join in the fight.” Stigall says he’s leaving Salem Media to run after U.S. Rep. Sam Graves announced he’s not running for reelection. See TV5 in Kansas City’s coverage and Stigall’s video here.

Industry News

Salem Media Adds Roku to FAST Partners

Salem Media reveals a deal with The Roku Channel that will see its Salem News Channel available on Roku’s ad-supported streaming channel. Salem notes that while Salem News Channel has long been available through a dedicated Roku app, this new distribution places the network imgdirectly within Roku’s Live TV guide, allowing viewers to discover as they browse and begin watching instantly. Salem News Channel VP and general manager Cary Pahigian says, “This is a significant expansion of Salem News Channel’s reach, which already increased viewership by over 178% this year. Being part of The Roku Channel opens the door for entirely new audiences to discover the unique news and opinion that SNC provides.” This news comes two weeks after Salem announced Salem News Channel is joining Amazon Prime Video’s free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channel.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (March 23-27)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (3/23-27) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

  1. U.S.-Israel-Iran War / Conflicting Reports of Talks
  2. TSA-ICE-Air Travel Woes / DHS Funding Stalemate
  3. LaGuardia Investigation
  4. Oil Prices / Financial Markets Activity
  5. Mullin Confirmed to DHS Post
  6. Social Media Addiction Verdict
  7. SAVE America Act / SCOTUS Hears Mail-In Balloting Case
  8. Dem Flips FLA State Seat
  9. CPAC 2026
  10. Robert Muller Dies

People

  1. Donald Trump
  2. Pete Hegseth
  3. Jared Kushner / Steve Witkoff
  4. Benjamin Netanyahu
  5. Markwayne Mullin
  6. John Thune / Katie Britt
  7. Chuck Schumer
  8. Mark Zuckerberg / Sundar Pichai
  9. Emily Gregory
  10. Robert Muller

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry News

Bankruptcy Court Allows Cumulus to Use Cash Collateral to Continue Operations

At the most recent hearing in United States Bankruptcy Court in Houston, Judge Alfredo Pérez agreed that Cumulus Media may use cash collateralimg to continue to operate its business as it makes its way through the Chapter 11 process that could be finalized in May if the pre-packaged bankruptcy plan continues to go smoothly. Attorneys for Cumulus reported to the court that the company now has the backing of 83% of its lenders for the reorganization plan that would put control of the company in the hands of the secured creditors. Once complete, the reorganization will have eliminated some $592 million of the company’s debt.

Industry News

Park Promoted to Regional VP for Cumulus

Cumulus Media promotes Darlene Park to regional vice president, Cumulus Central Indiana. In this role, Park adds oversight two more Indiana music outlets to the Indianapolis stations she is overseeing thatimg include sports talk WXNT-AM. Cumulus Media president of operations Dave Milner comments, “We are thrilled to promote Darlene to Regional Vice President for Central Indiana, where she will oversee Indianapolis, Kokomo, and Muncie. Since joining Cumulus Media, Darlene has proven to be a strong leader who builds positive, high-performing cultures. Her ability to inspire teams and drive consistent, impactful results makes her exceptionally well-suited to lead this expanded region.”

Industry News

Caroline Beasley to Be Honored by the Florida Association of Broadcasters

imgThe Florida Association of Broadcasters will honor Beasley Broadcast Group CEO Caroline Beasley as a 2026 inductee into the Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame on June 18 at The Breakers Palm Beach. The Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose careers have left a lasting mark on Florida’s radio and television industry. Inductees are selected based on a distinguished professional career directly tied to Florida and at least 25 years of service to broadcasting.

Industry News

Connoisseur Media Agrees to Sell South Dakota Stations

Connoisseur Media agrees to sell its five South Dakota radio stations to Brookings Radio, LLC, locally owned and operated by Cami Powers, her husband Derrick Powers, and Chad Hogie.  Brookings Radio, LLC will acquire KBRK-AM and KBRK-FM licensed to Brookings, KDBX-FM licensed to Clear Lake, and farm news formatted KJJQ-AM and KKQQimg-FM, licensed to Volga.  The transaction is pending regulatory approval by the FCC and is expected to close in early summer of this year. Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw states, “The Brookings market did not fit into the long-term vision we set out for Connoisseur. As we pursued a potential sale, we looked for local quality operators to purchase these stations and found that the best operators in the market already worked for us! This is not the first time we have encouraged some of our local management to break into ownership so that they could continue to serve the communities we are so committed to. We are incredibly happy that Cami and her group stepped up to the challenge.”

Industry News

Tavis Smiley to Interview Excluded California Gubernatorial Candidates

Today (3/25) at 10:00 am PT, KBLA, Los Angeles-based, nationally syndicated talk radio host Tavis Smiley will interview the four candidatesimg who were excluded from the recently canceled March 24 KABC-TV | University of Southern California gubernatorial debate. Smiley says he’ll speak with Xavier Becerra, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, and Antonio Villaraigosa separately in four 15-minute segments about the race, their campaigns, and their plans for California’s future. He adds, “It’s no coincidence that the four gubernatorial candidates who were excluded from a debate hosted by ABC7 and USC – canceled due to public outcry – are now appearing on KBLA Talk 1580, a Los Angeles-based, Black-owned, progressive radio station, to discuss their campaigns and the race for California’s top office.”