The most discussed stories over the weekend on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. The Epstein Files
2. The Economy / Interest Rates
3. ICE Raids
4. Gaza Violence
5. Extreme Weather-Flooding
Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr, in a blog post, says the FCC is beginning to address public safety as part of its Build America Agenda. He says, “In three weeks, we will vote to begin a ground-up re-examination of the Emergency Alert Systems (EAS). EAS sends life-saving information using TV and radio outlets, and our Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) distribute the emergency notices we
receive on our mobile phones. With underlying frameworks that are 31 and 13 years old respectively, we think it’s time to explore if structural changes to these systems are needed, with an eye towards making sure we are leveraging the latest technology to save lives. Similarly, we will also vote to initiate a review of our system for collecting real-time data on network outages and restoration during and after major disasters. Since its inception in 2007, our Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) has proven to be a valuable tool for collecting actionable information to help with recovery efforts. While the DIRS reports are valuable, they can be time-consuming to produce, drawing resources away from responding to an ongoing disaster. The Commission will vote on reforms to streamline DIRS to make sure that its benefits outweigh its burdens. We’ll close our August meeting by removing unnecessary regulations and injecting common sense across the Commission’s policies—critical features to streamline the implementation of our Build America Agenda.” See the full blog post here.
Audacy promotes Tatjana Deegan to SVP and market manager for the Austin station group that includes news/talk KJCE-AM and three music brands. Deegan has been serving as vice president of sales for the
cluster and will continue in that role. Audacy regional president Brian Purdy comments, “Over the past few months, Tatjana has seamlessly led the team with the powerful combination of her contagious passion for this business and people-first leadership. Since stepping in as vice president of sales a little over a year ago, she has been a driving force in the market’s success, and we’re confident she’ll bring that same energy and creativity to her expanded role. We’re excited to see how she continues to uplift our Austin brands.”
Townsquare Media names Dan Endom regional market president for its station groups in the Lubbock and
Amarillo markets. Those markets include news/talk KFYO and talk KKAM/K280GU in Lubbock and news/talk KIXZ, Amarillo. Most recently, he served as president of iHeartMedia’s Nashville station group.
GuestBooker.com, one of the talk media industry’s leading public relations firms and the lead sponsor of the 2025 TALKERS Heavy Hundred, is making a limited number of its new 118th Congressional Directory
available free of charge to the first 200 TALKERS readers who respond to the offer. This valuable resource is packed with contact information to reach Members of Congress and their key staffers. To put your name on the list, please click here.
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (7/14-7/18) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
1. The Epstein Controversy / MAGA Rift
2. Congress Passes DOGE Cuts
3. Financial Markets Activity / Trump vs Powell
4. Trump Tariffs
5. ICE Raids
6. Russia Intensifies Ukraine Strikes
7. SCOTUS Education Dept. Ruling
8. FEMA Criticisms / Texas Foods Aftermath
9. Bove Nomination
10.Trump vs Rosie O’Donnell
People
1. Donald Trump
2. Jeffrey Epstein
3. Pam Bondi / Dan Bongino
4. Ghislaine Maxwell
5. Jerome Powell
6. Stephen Miller
7. Vladimir Putin
8. Kristi Noem / David Richardson
9. Emil Bove
10. Rosie O’Donnell
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
Triton Digital releases its U.S. Podcast Ranker for June (June 2 – 29) based on weekly average downloads
and NPR’s most popular podcasts – “NPR News Now” and “Up First” – maintain their first and second-place finishes, respectively. Changes of note from May to June include Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” rising three places to #5, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” rising one spot to #10, and iHeartRadio’s “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton” falling two places to #16. See the complete ranker here.
FOX Sports has canceled the “Breakfast Ball” show on FS1 co-hosted by Craig Carton and Danny Parkins.
Both personalities came to television from radio – Carton from WFAN, New York and 
Parkins from WSCR, Chicago. Industry watchers are speculating whether the two, especially Carton, will return to radio. In the New York Post, sportswriterAndrew Marchand notes that after his prison stint for a fraud conviction, Audacy’s now-chief business officer Chris Oliviero was instrumental in bringing Carton back to WFAN as afternoon drive co-host. Carton did radio and the FS1 show before leaving radio to focus on the early morning TV show.
Edison Research announces it is presenting a webinar to reveal data from its research report, The Podcast
Consumer. Edison says the webinar will cover the current size and habits of the U.S. podcast audience and explore how things have changed over time. The webinar is July 23 at 2:00 pm ET. You can register here.
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/16) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Senate Passes DOGE Cuts
2. The Epstein Case / MAGA Rift
3. Financial Markets Activity / Trump vs Powell
4. ICE Raids
5. Russia Intensifies Ukraine Strikes
Audacy welcomes Bruce Logan to the Houston station group as vice president of programming and
operations for the cluster that includes sports talk KILT-AM, sports betting KIKK-AM and four music brands. Logan says, “I’m so excited to be returning to Audacy and Houston! Thanks to Sarah Frazier, Brian Purdy, Tim Roberts, Dave Richards, Jeff Sottolano and Chris Oliviero for once again handing me the keys to these legendary Houston brands. I know Houston is hot, I know it’s where to find the best queso in the world, and I know how to help teams achieve success! We start immediately.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/15) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Epstein Case Controversies
2. Russian Strikes on Ukraine / Trump Threatens Sanctions
3. Inflation Ticks Up / Trump vs Powell
4. ICE Raids
5. Trump Tariffs
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/14) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. SCOTUS Education Dept. Ruling
2. Epstein Case Controversies
3. Trump Reverses Course on Ukraine
4. EU and Mexico Tariffs
5. The Economy / Inflation
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
How obsolete does this sound? “Newsweek magazine.” News, gathered during most-of the week, had to be frozen by week’s-end, on deadline, to roll the presses in time for hard copy to be delivered in Monday’s snail mail. Back then – picture people dressed like “Mad Men” characters – enough subscribers felt informed-enough to deliver Return On Investment for the magazine’s advertisers. Seems antique. Now, news is reported moment-to-moment, on any device. And newsweek.com is there… along with everyone else competing for attention.
Also quaint: that “clock radio” on the nightstand, which accomplished two-of-many functions now on smartphones. And the “transistor radios” heard all along the beach this time of year in the 1960s? In Providence, the capital city here in The Ocean State, an AM 630 signal superior to its AM 1290 Top 40 competitor led WPRO to brand itself as “The Station That Reaches the Beaches.” Now, there are smart speakers on those beach blankets. I live at the beach and hear them playing Pandora and Spotify.
Good news, but…
Radio is still the #1 in-car audio; increasingly ported there via smartphone app, if stations have explained theirs well. And there’s plenty of other audio on those phones, and on the smart speakers that brought radio back in-home… unless we ask Alexa to instead “play hotel poolside music” or ask her for the weather or some other heretofore radio content.
Repetition builds habit, and to best explain that we’re there too, you should audit the user’s experience consuming your stream. Does “Just say ‘Alexa, play 102.3 WXXX’” or “Hey Siri, play KXXX on TuneIn” get you there? Does the smartphone app instantly play your on-air programming, or are multiple clicks required?
More important than Where and How to listen: Why?
Radio’s real-time nature is still its superpower, and if your station has earned a news reputation, listeners will find you – however they listen – when the fit hits the shan. And between bombshells, diligent stations whose real-time audio seems helpful and relevant and uniquely local will be habit-forming and keep ‘em comin’ back for more. Adding push notifications, breaking news alerts, and other direct engagement can bridge the gap, prompting more live listening.
Beyond that “linear” delivery, our on-demand culture favors predictable utility. Smart stations repurpose their best moments into snackable content: a daily local news roundup, your morning show’s funniest bit, or the weather and event calendar for the weekend; all sponsorable. ICYMI, my recent TALKERS column: Feature The Moments That Matter.
Your over-the-air signal is still the beating heart of your operation. Your call letters are a family surname, these new platforms are siblings. They’re extensions, not threats; extra doors into your house. Make sure they’re open wide, easy to find, and lead to something welcoming. Ideally something they can’t hear anywhere else.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a media consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
The most discussed stories over the weekend on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Epstein “Client List” Mystery
2. Death at California ICE Raid
3. Trump’s Tariffs / Financial Markets Activity
4. Fed Renovations Criticism
5. Trump vs Rosie O’Donnell
Last month, Connoisseur Media CEO Jeffrey Warshaw filed suit in Superior Court in Connecticut against Soros Fund Management and the company’s Michael Del Nin for breach of contract, unfair trade practices and more. Warshaw alleges that he had a deal with Soros Fund Management’s Michael Del Nin in 2022 and began working together “to try to acquire Cox Radio, with Del Nin agreeing that Warshaw would manage the
business as CEO upon successful acquisition.” While both parties were doing due diligence on the CMG deal, Warshaw learned that an Audacy majority stake holder was willing to sell its stake in the company. Warshaw says he steered SFM and Del Nin to the deal that made SFM a majority stake holder of the new Audacy in early 2024. Warshaw alleges he was promised he’d be the next CEO of Audacy or that he would get 5% of SFM’s profits from the Audacy acquisition. After that though, Warshaw says Del Nin balked and denied there was ever an agreement, calling any such claims “fabricated.” Now, Soros and Del Nin filed both a Motion to Dismiss saying the “Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Mr. Del Nin under Connecticut’s long-arm statute”; and a Motion to Revise that asks Warshaw to revise his complaint with specific details about his contracts – written or verbal – that he claims were breached, and more. In the Motion to Revise, Soros and Del Nin imply that Warshaw doesn’t have the contractual proof necessary to support his claim.
The John Fredericks Media Network welcomes Taft College head baseball coach and health/physical education professor Vince Maiocco as a regular contributor to the network’s signature sports program,
“Godzilla Wins,” that airs Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:00 am ET. John Fredericks says, “Coach Vince is a tremendous asset to our weekend sports broadcast. He has built an enormous fan base in a short period of time. His insight and knowledge of professional and college sports is enlightening and uncanny. Most importantly, Vince is a dedicated mentor and teacher whose keen analysis engages and informs our listeners as well as our younger contributors, whose careers in broadcasting we are dedicated to growing.” JFMN programming is heard on 23 radio stations, plus via multiple streaming platforms including YouTube Live, Rumble Live, X-Live, GETTR Live, and JFMN.TV.
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (7/7-7/11) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
1. Deadly Texas Floods / Warning System Scrutiny
2. Epstein “Client List” Mystery
3. SCOTUS Mass Firings Ruling / IRS Churches Ruling
4. Judge Blocks Birthright Citizenship Order
5. ICE Raids / Masked Agents Controversy
6. Russia Bombs Kyiv / Trump-Putin Tensions
7. Trump Tariffs
8. Musk’s “America Party”
9. Netanyahu-Trump Visit
10.Iran Nuclear Capabilities
People
1. Donald Trump
2. Jeffrey Epstein
3. Pam Bondi
4. Stephen Miller
5. Karoline Leavitt
6. Vladimir Putin
7. Elon Musk
8. Benjamin Netanyahu
9. Greg Abbott
10.Jerome Powell
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/9) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Trump Tariffs
2. Texas Floods Aftermath
3. ICE Raids / Masked Agents Controversy
4. Russia-Ukraine War
5. Bedford Confirmed as FAA Administrator
Audacy sports talk KILT-AM, Houston “SportsRadio 610” raised $27,240 during its inaugural “Reggie and Ron Radiothon” benefiting the Houston Food Bank. All proceeds go toward the Houston Food Bank’s mission to eliminate food insecurity in southeast Texas and ensure Texans have access to nutritious food to fuel a healthy life. Pictured above are (from l-r): “In the Loop” producer Figgy Fig, Ron Hughley, Houston Food Bank’s chief development officer Julie Voss, Reggie Adetula, and “The Drive” producer Tyler Milner.
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/8) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. SCOTUS Mass Firings Ruling
2. Trump-Putin Tensions
3. Texas Floods Aftermath
4. Trump Suggests Feds Run DC
5. IRS Churches Ruling
NPR’s “NPR News Now” stays at #1 on Podtrac’s June 2025 Top Podcasts chart based on U.S. unique
monthly audience. In fact, the top eight spots are the same as the May ranker, including FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” holding on to the #5 spot. One move of note is Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” jumping 12 places to the #19 rank. See Podtrac’s rank of the top 20 U.S. podcasts here.
The most discussed stories yesterday (7/7) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Deadly Texas Floods Aftermath
2. Trump Announces More Tariffs
3. Netanyahu Visits Trump
4. Musk’s “America Party”
5. Epstein “Client List” Controversy
The most discussed stories over the weekend on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Deadly Texas Floods
2. Big, Beautiful Bill Passes
3. Musk’s “America Party”
4. Netanyahu to Meet with Trump
5. DOJ: No Epstein Client List
Hearst news/talk WBAL, Baltimore parts company with afternoon drive talk host Torrey Snow after five
years in that role. Snow doesn’t say much about his departure other than to post to his X account, “It’s been real, WBAL! On to the next great adventure! Thank you all for being part of a wonderful chapter of my life!” WBAL’s website doesn’t reveal what the station plans to air in the PM drive daypart.