Industry News

Salem Media Group Q3 Net Revenue Falls 12.6%

Salem Media Group reveals its operating results for the third quarter of 2025 and reports that netimg revenue was $51.3 million, a decline of 12.6% from the same period in 2024. The company’s broadcast revenue was $40.7 million, down 11.5% from Q3 of 2024, and digital media revenue was $10.5 million, down 3% from the same period a year ago. The company posted a net loss of $2.3 million compared to the net loss of $6.6 million it posted in Q3 of 2024.

Industry News

St. John Upped to DOS for Bonneville Seattle

Bonneville International promotes Crista St. John to director of sales for the Seattle market that includes news/talk KIRO-FM, KIRO-AM “Seattle Sports,” conservative talk KTTH-AM “Seattle Red,” and MyNorthwest.com. St. John, who has been serving as general sales manager,img comments, “I’m honored and excited to take on this new role and continue building on the incredible momentum our teams have created. Bonneville Seattle is home to passionate, talented individuals who care deeply about our brands, our partners, and our community. I look forward to helping us grow even stronger – together.” Bonneville Seattle SVP and market manager Cathy Cangiano states, “Crista has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to relationship-building. Her promotion is a testament to the impact she’s made and the confidence we have in her ability to lead us into the future. Crista was the clear choice for this role, and I’m thrilled to partner with her as we shape the next chapter for Bonneville Seattle. Her vision and energy will be instrumental in our continued growth.”

Industry News

Saga Communications Q3 Net Revenue Falls 1.8%

Saga Communications reports operating results for the third quarter of 2025 and states that net revenue was $28.2 million, a decrease of 1.8% from the same period in 2024. Station operating expense increased $2 million or 8.7% for the quarter to $24.7 million compared to the sameimg period last year. Saga says this was primarily the result of an industry wide settlement with two music licensing organizations (ASCAP and BMI) resulting in a retroactive rate adjustment of approximately $2.1 million covering the period from January 1, 2022, to the quarter ended September 30, 2025. Station operating expense would have decreased $120 thousand or 0.5% for the quarter without this settlement. For the quarter, Saga had an operating loss of $626 thousand compared to operating income of $1.6 million for the same quarter last year and station operating income decreased $2.5 million to $3.5 million. Without the settlement the operating loss would have been operating income of $1.5 million compared to $1.6 million and station operating income would have been $5.6 compared to $6.0 million for the same quarter last year. Saga reports a net loss of $532,000for the quarter compared to net income of $1.3 million for the third quarter last year. Saga says its balance sheet reflects $34.2 million in cash and short-term investments as of November 3, 2025.

Industry News

Amazon Ads and iHeartMedia Expand Partnership

The expansion of the relationship between Amazon Ads and iHeartMedia is something the latter says will “soon extend the scale and reach of broadcast radio to Amazon DSP.” Amazon says DSP is “an omnichannel media solution that simplifies the ad buying experience.” This new dealimg provides advertisers using Amazon DSP access to iHeartMedia’s streaming audio portfolio. The companies add that access to iHeartPodcasts and the scale and reach of its broadcast radio stations will follow in 2026. Meredith Goldman is director, Amazon DSP, Amazon Ads and she imgsays, “Our partnership with iHeart allows Amazon DSP customers to reach relevant audio audiences with simplified campaign management and unique measurement capabilities. Integrations like this enable advertisers to build more comprehensive omnichannel strategies that connect brands with consumers throughout their journey across media.” iHeartMedia chief business officer Liz Coffey adds, “Making iHeart’s premium audio inventory available through Amazon DSP, unlocks scale with deep listener engagement and proven performance. And with accessibility to Broadcast Radio inventory soon to follow, this partnership is another step in making broadcast radio behave like digital media; addressable, measurable, and available programmatically, so marketers of all sizes can buy with greater ease and consistency.”

Industry News

Top Five Unchanged on Podtrac’s October Top Podcasts Chart

NPR’s “NPR News Now” keeps its place at the top of Podtrac’s Top Podcasts chart based onimg U.S. unique monthly audience for October 2025. The New York Times’ “The Daily” is #2, NPR’s “Up First” is #3, followed by the “FOX News Hourly Update” at #4 and “Dateline NBC” at #5. DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” rises two places to #8, while Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” falls five places to #11. See the complete chart here.

Industry News

Erick Erickson Joins AJC as Opinion Contributor

Nationally syndicated talk radio host Erick Erickson has begun writing opinion pieces for Theimg Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  The Compass Media Networks host is heard in Atlanta on Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM. His first piece was printed in September in the wake of the slaying of Charlie Kirk. His latest column is titled, “Democrats are hungry, Republicans complacent and all politics is national,” and you can read that here.

Industry News

Audacy SVP/Sports Lee Davis to Retire

Audacy’s SVP of sports monetization Lee Davis is retiring. The former WFAN, New York VP andimg general manager has been in his current role since 2023. Audacy notes that Davis “rejoined Audacy in 2018 to lead the reboot of Audacy’s TWIN platform.” Audacy chief revenue officer Bob Philips says, “Lee has been a valued colleague and leader whose experience, dedication, and steady guidance have made a lasting impact on Audacy (as well as the companies he has worked at throughout his career). His contributions and presence will be greatly missed.”

Industry News

Fisher House Foundation Offers Veterans Day Edition of Together in Mission: The Fisher House Journey

Fisher House Foundation is announcing a Veterans Day edition of “Together in Mission: The Fisher House Journey” is available to stations free of charge. The radio special is available to news/talk stations in varying lengths as well as a 30-minute public affairs show suitable for all radio formats in the U.S. and around the world. The three-hour, one-hour, 25-minute and 30-minute radio specials are hosted by longtime radio personality Larry O’Connor and featuresimg stories of America’s heroes, the families who serve by their side, and how Fisher House plays a role in their journey. This program is appropriate for the entire Veterans Day Weekend and is a fitting, patriotic, and inspirational holiday programming alternative for all formats. Listeners will hear their emotional stories fighting for our freedoms, how they sustained their injuries, and the welcoming homes Fisher House provides for them and their loved ones while they endure their painful and painstaking recoveries. This year’s program features a special focus on the incredibly inspiring victories our wounded warriors enjoy on the field of competitive, adaptive sports. Fisher House supports the Wounded Warrior Games and the lnvictus Games as a vital part of the physical, emotional, and mental healing process for our wounded veterans. Listeners will hear about the riveting war stories detailing the injuries these heroes sustained, the ensuing medical and therapeutic healing process, right through the triumph on the field of international sports, as these brave veterans continue their dedication of service, representing America in international competition. For more information on this radio special, available cash and barter free, contact Larry O’Connor at 562.665.9537 or loconnor@fisherhouse.org.

Industry News

Urban One Third Quarter 2025 Net Revenue Falls 16%

Urban One releases its operating results for the third quarter of 2025 and reports net revenue of approximately $92.7 million, a decrease of 16% from the same period in 2024. The company says operating income was approximately $2.5 million during the quarter, compared to an operating loss of approximately $26.2 million during the same period in 2024. Urban One is also reporting a net loss of approximately $2.8 compared to net loss of approximately $31.8 million inimg the same period a year ago. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III says, “Third quarter results came in slightly softer than expected across the board. Core radio, excluding political, finished down 8.1%, and our Radio segment is currently pacing down 30.2% all-in and 6.4% ex-political for the fourth quarter of 2025. Revenues at our Reach Media and Digital segments were down 40.0% and 30.0% respectively, which was on the lower end of expectations. Cable TV advertising was down 5.4% and affiliate revenue was down 9.1% driven by continuing subscriber churn. In light of the soft overall market conditions, we are reducing our full year guidance from $60 million of Adjusted EBITDA to $56 to $58 million. Our focus remains on controlling costs, managing debt, leverage and liquidity. During the third quarter of 2025, we repurchased $4.5 million of our 2028 Notes at an average price of approximately 52.0% of par, reducing our outstanding debt balance to $487.8 million.”

Industry News

Legendary Sports Talker Bob Trumpy Dies at 80

Sports media pioneer Bob Trumpy – who got his start in sports talk radio at WCKY-AM,img Cincinnati – died on Sunday at age 80. As reported by John Kiesewetter at WVXU.org reports on Trumpy’s passing and his career. Trumpy pitched the idea of a sports talk program to then-general manager of WLW-AM, Cincinnati Charles Murdock but was shot down. He turned to WCKY-AM and launched the show there. Three years later, WLW-AM hired him away from WCKY. Trumpy, who played for the hometown Cincinnati Bengals from 1968-1977, would move on to national television with NBC Sports that culminated with him receiving the Pete Rozelle Award for lifetime achievement in NFL broadcasting. Read the full WVXU story here.

Industry News

Grace Blazer Promoted to SVP of Programming in Miami

iHeartMedia promotes Grace Blazer to SVP of programming for its Miami market stations. iHeartMedia Miami EVP of programming Marc Chase says, “Grace is a powerhouse of programming excellence. Her ability to elevate brands, inspire teams and drive meaningfulimg results has made her an invaluable leader within iHeartMedia.” Blazer has been with iHeartMedia since 2013 and serves as national news, talk, and sports brand coordinator, news director for the Florida News Network, program director for Miami’s WIOD and WINZ, and program director for Tampa’s WFLA. Market president Shari Gonzalez adds, “At iHeartMedia Miami, we’re fortunate to have exceptional programming leadership, and Grace is a shining example of that excellence. With 12 years of unwavering passion, strategic vision and meaningful impact across our organization, Grace has consistently raised the bar. We’re thrilled to recognize her achievements and promote her to lead our dynamic cluster into the future.” Blazer comments, “I’m incredibly proud and excited to step into my new role at iHeartMedia Miami. iHeartMedia is a powerhouse of creativity and bold ideas, and I’m energized by the opportunity to help shape our Miami brands growth and collaborate with some of the most extraordinary programmers in the industry.”

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Costs Are Criminal. And You’re on the Case.

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

The number of Americans asking Google for help with debt is way up. Delinquencies are surging. Credit scores are falling at the fastest pace since the Great Recession. Consumerimg Confidence is down. Costco is mobbed.

Gasoline, eggs, now coffee. What DOESN’T cost more? Seen beef prices? Hamburger Helper sales are up double-digits year-over-year.

A client station asked me for something to pitch to a local credit union. So, I called-in “The Deal Detective.” He’s a frugal flatfoot, the lieutenant of low prices, a savings sleuth with a barcode scanner. He reads receipts like rap sheets. And he’s a stack of 60-second features.

Special for TALKERS readers: Help yourself, here.

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They’re FREE, no paperwork, no national spot. Sell a local sponsorship and keep the money. It’s your license to bill. OK to use as stream cover-up spots, or on your station website (help yourself to the graphic). NOT “available wherever you get your podcasts.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Civic Media Host Jane Matenear Announces Retirement

Wisconsin radio personality current host of “Matenaer On Air” on several of Civic Media’s news/talk stations, Jane Matenaer, announces her retirement after 44 years in the business. She says, “When I started my radio career, my goal was to be a ‘cool, nighttime rock chick.’img Tragically, I was none of those things. Fortunately, I had the support of those who believed I had potential and encouraged me to follow a slightly different path — to morning radio. And while I never envisioned eventually moving from music to talk radio, the transition has been the most rewarding experience of my life, and these last three years at Civic Media have been the proudest of my 40-plus year career.” Prior to joining Civic Media, Matenaer served with Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee in the newsroom and in morning drive. She adds, “As I head toward retirement, I want to take this moment to thank my current and former colleagues and mentors. You are among the most talented, dedicated and hilarious people on the planet. Thank you to Civic Media, for believing in a 60-something woman to host her own show and for your commitment to community-based radio and to a healthy democracy.”

Industry News

Radio Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2025

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The Radio Hall of Fame inducted its 2025 10-member class of honorees last night (10/30) in Chicago that included Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott who is pictured above at left with fellow inductee and FOX Sports Radio star Colin Cowherd at right, as well as radio industry programmer and consultant Mike McVay (pictured below with RHoF co-chairs Dennis Green at left and Kraig Kitchin at right). 2021 Radio Hall of Fame Inductee Kim Komando served as emcee for the event.

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Industry News

Gould Named SVP of Sales for iHeartMedia San Francisco

iHeartMedia San Francisco names Annalee Gould SVP of sales for the station group that includes sports talk KNEW-AM and KKSF-AM BIN Black Information Network, plus five musicimg brands. Gould comes to iHeartMedia from Metamorphosis.Digital where she was chief revenue officer and VP of sales. iHeartMedia division president Kris Foley says, “Annalee’s ability to build trust, navigate change, and deliver creative, cross-platform results makes her the ideal leader for our San Francisco sales team. Her experience and relationships in the Bay Area will be instrumental as we continue to grow our presence and impact.” She comments, “Audio is one of the most powerful and evolving channels in media today and nowhere embodies creativity and innovation quite like the Bay Area. I’m excited to join iHeartMedia and work with a team that understands how meaningful human-generated content continues to drive trusted marketing. In a time when that connection feels increasingly rare, radio and podcasts remain deeply human, built on authentic voices, real stories, and companionship.”

Industry News

SiriusXM Reports Net Revenue of $2.16 Billion

SiriusXM reports its operating results for the third quarter of 2025 and says net revenue was $2.16 billion, down 1% from the same period in 2024. The company also reveals it posted net income of $297 million, compared to a net loss of $2.96 billion in the third quarter of 2024 (that included a $3.36 billion noncash goodwill impairment related to the Liberty Media transaction). CEO Jennifer Witz states, “This was a quarter of meaningful progress for SiriusXM. We’reimg enhancing the subscriber experience through new content, deeper personalization, and continued innovation across every stage of the customer journey, driving greater engagement and value for our listeners. At the same time, we’re scaling our digital advertising business and strengthening our leadership in podcasting. Across each of these areas, we’re leveraging our unique assets to deliver sustainable profitability and long-term value for our shareholders — a strategy that is already delivering as we raise our full year guidance.” During the quarter the satcaster expanded and developed its roster of high-profile voices. It extended its agreement with Andy Cohen and celebrated the 10th anniversary of his flagship channel, Radio Andy. Stephen A. Smith also debuted on the platform, launching new political and sports programs and renewed its agreement with Megyn Kelly, expanding the partnership to include the upcoming Megyn Kelly Channel.

Industry News

Ross Kaminsky Moves to AM Drive at KOA, Denver

Denver talk radio host Ross Kaminsky reveals changes coming to iHeartMedia’s news/talk KOA-AM/K231BQ effective November 10. Kaminsky will move from his late morning daypart toimg morning drive (6:00 am to 9:00 am). Sister KHOW talk host Michael Brown will take over the 9:00 am to 12:00 noon slot on KOA. Kaminsky says in a social media post, “This will be the first time in decades (or maybe ever, I really don’t know) that KOA has a talk show in ‘morning drive.’ We’ll keep bringing you plenty of news but now we’re doing it in a show that also talks about the news (and lots of other things…the show won’t be very different from my current show.) Psyched to be embarking on this project with @JeanaGondek who I always have so much fun bantering with. The show will be fun, informative, and entertaining…at least that’s the goal!” Kaminsky says the “Colorado’s Morning News” program featuring Gondek will air from 5:00 am to 6:00 am.

Industry News

KFAB, Omaha Talk Host Gary Sadlemyer Announces Retirement from Full-Time Gig

iHeartMedia Omaha announces that longtime “NewsRadio 1110 KFAB” personality Gary Sadlemyer is retiring from full-time radio and his daily morning show on December 12. Sadlemyer, who began with the station in 1976, has anchored “KFAB’s Morning News” for moreimg than three decades. During his career, he hosted the first live, daily talk show in KFAB’s 100-year history and served several years as the station’s program director. He was also the voice of Nebraska Cornhusker football from 1980-1995. He says, “Time sure flies when you’re havin’ fun. Since I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, I had a passion for radio. It’s just like anything else, kids who dream about being a doctor or whatever; mine was radio.” KFAB says that Sadlemyer’s on-air partners for the past quarter-century – Jim Rose and Lucy Chapman – will remain as part of the station’s morning drive commitment to providing news, weather, traffic, sports and compelling conversations about the issues important to the community. The station says that KFAB listeners will still hear plenty of Gary Sadlemyer on the station as he’ll still work to provide personalized content for station advertisers, and pop in to hang out or be a fill-in host on the morning show from time to time.

Industry News

Mike Gallagher Broadcasts from Jerusalem

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Pictured above is Salem Radio Network talk host Mike Gallagher on the set today at Jewish News Syndicate in Jerusalem as he broadcasts his program. Upon the news of President Trump’s peace deal between Israel and Hamas, Gallagher announced he would travel to Israel to report to his listeners from the Holy Land. Gallagher’s in-studio guests on today’s program included Yael Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Industry News

iHeartMedia Joins NBCUniversal as Olympics Audio Partner

NBCUniversal announces that iHeartMedia is serving as its exclusive audio partner for the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games taking place from February 6 to February 22. As part of the partnership, iHeartRadio will provide 24/7 play-by-play audio channels ofimg NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Games. It will also produce a new Winter Games season of “Two Guys, Five Rings” hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, produce Olympic-specific episodes of some of its podcasts, and promote tune-in for NBCU’s coverage. iHeartMedia president of business development and strategic partnerships Michael Biondo says, “We’re eager to build upon our relationship with NBCUniversal and once again deliver premium audio coverage of the Olympic Games, this time focusing on the awe-inspiring athletes and incredible stories set to come from the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. As the leading destination for sports audio, we’re excited to deepen the connection between audiences and the athletes they love.”

Industry News

KFGO’s Don Haney and MPR’s Gunderson Retiring

Two of the Fargo-Moorhead market’s longest-serving news pros are retiring. KFGO, Fargo’simg Don Haney and Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Gunderson will leave their respective employers over the next 10 days. Both news pro spoke with Forum Communications’ The Forum about their careers. Haney covered news in Fargo for nearly 50 years. He joined WDAY in 1982, then imgmoved to KFGO in 1995. Seventy-two year old Haney has been working part time with KFGO since last spring. Gunderson, who joined MPR in 1987, say he got into journalism because he enjoyed writing so much. About his radio work he says, “I liked the idea of taking voices and sounds and putting them together in something interesting. It’s like a craft, where you take this raw material, interviews, and facts, and you try to make it into something meaningful.” See the Forum’s story here.

Industry News

Richmond to Lead Bonneville Sacramento

Bonneville names Jim Richmond SVP and market manager for its Sacramento station group that includes sports talk KHTK-AM, “Sactown Sports” and three music brands. Richmond has been serving as director of sales for the company’s Seattle operations since September of 2020.img Bonneville president and COO Tanya Vea says, “I’m thrilled for Jim to take on this leadership role in Sacramento. This market has a great lineup of stations, a strong digital sales business, and wonderful employees. Jim has shown himself to be an excellent leader, and his background is the perfect fit. I’m confident that he will build on the strengths of the market, developing the business and the culture at Bonneville Sacramento.” Richmond comments, “I’m honored to join the Sacramento team. These stations have a meaningful connection to the community, and I look forward to supporting our people, growing our digital presence, and serving listeners wherever they are across every platform with purpose and innovation.”

Industry News

Marshall Promoted at Quu

Quu Inc – provider of technology to deploy of visual content for radio – promotes Joe Marshallimg to vice president of technical success. In this expanded role, Marshall will lead Quu’s technical support and implementation efforts, helping stations seamlessly integrate the company’s patented Visual Radio technology that enable broadcasters to display real-time music, content, and advertiser text and images wherever audiences listen.

Industry News

Nielsen: AM/FM Grabs 64% of Ad-Supported Audio Listeners

Based on research from Nielsen and Edison Research, Nielsen’s The Record: Q3 U.S. Audio Listening Trends report concludes that “daily audio consumption in the U.S. in Q3 2025 averaged 3 hours and 53 minutes of daily listening across both ad-supported and ad-freeimg platforms like radio, podcasts, streaming music services and satellite radio, with ad-supported audio representing 64% of total listening.” Breaking that down further, the study reveals that within the ad-supported audio universe, imgconsumers spent 62% of their daily time with radio, 20% with podcasts, 15% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio. Among 18-34 year-olds radio accounted for 43% of daily ad-supported audio time, where podcasts accounted for 31%. And adults 35+ spent 69% of daily ad-supported audio time listening to radio and only 16% listening to podcasts. Looking at listening based on radio formats (Nielsen PPM Cross-Market AQH Share. Q3 2025. Mon-Sun 6a-Mid), news/talk garnered a 10.6 share for Persons 18+ and a 12.0 share for Persons 35+, and a 6.1 share in the 25-54 demo. See the complete report here.

Industry News

iHeartMedia Announces Q3 Report

iHeartMedia, Inc will issue financial results for the third quarter of 2025 on Monday, November 10 and will conduct a conference call at 4:30 pm ET following the release of its earnings announcement, to discuss its financial results and business outlook.

Industry News

Schellhas to Lead iHeartMedia Cincinnati

iHeartMedia names Stefan Schellhas market president for its Cincinnati operations that includes news/talk WLW-AM, news/talk WKRC-AM, and sports talk stations WCKY and WSAI. iHeartMedia division president Dave Carwile states, “We’re thrilled to welcome Stefan Schellhas as the new market president for iHeartMedia Cincinnati. Stefan brings not only a strategic vision and proven leadership, but also a deep-rooted understanding of the Cincinnati market. Having spent years building relationships and driving results across the region, he knows the pulse of the city and what resonates with our listeners and advertising partners. His passion for the community, combined with his commitment to innovation and team development, makes him the ideal leader to guide our Cincinnati brands into the future.” Schellhas was most recently with Sinclair as VP/GM of its Cincinnati stations. Shellhas says, “My career started with an internship at 700 WLW, so returning truly feels like coming full circle. While consumer media habits—driven by technology—have evolved exponentially, what hasn’t changed is that ‘content is king,’ and iHeart continues to lead the way in the audio space. I’m honored to work alongside such a passionate team here in Cincinnati, and together we’ll continue to serve our advertisers and the Greater Cincinnati community.”

Industry News

KTSA, San Antonio Holds Annual Thanksgiving Fundraiser

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Connoisseur Media’s news/talk KTSA-AM, San Antonio raised $165,601 during its 18th Annual KTSA Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner Radiothon. The funds support the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, considered the largest Thanksgiving event in the United States and founded by San Antonio restaurateur Raul Jimenez 46 years ago. The annual event has grown over the years and now feeds more than 25,000 people in downtown San Antonio each Thanksgiving Day. KTSA says the event provides a warm holiday meal – and a sense of family – to elderly residents, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and anyone in need of community and care. Pictured above are station morning drive personalities Trey Ware (center) and Sean Rima (second from right). Ware says, “It’s such an honor to lead the KTSA Radiothon for the Jimenez Thanksgiving Meal. I love giving back to the community that has given so much to my family for 70 years.”

Industry News

Media Rating Council Revokes Accreditation for Seven Nielsen Diary Markets

As part of its ongoing work to provide accreditation to various ratings organizations, the Media Rating Council released its most recent accreditation decisions and among them is theimg revocation of accreditation for Nielsen Audio Diary markets as reported in the RMR and TAPSCAN Web including Bryan College Station, Texas; Hudson Valley; Killeen-Temple, Texas; Odessa- Midland, Texas; Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester, New Hampshire; Reno; and Trenton. At the same time, the MRC has approved accreditations for all of Nielsen’s 28 PPM markets.

Industry News

Cumulus Sues Nielsen Alleging Ratings Monopoly

Cumulus Media is suing Nielsen in federal court in New York alleging that the company is illegally leveraging its dominance over national and local radio audience data to stifle rivals andimg charge inflated prices, according to a report by Reuters. At the heart of the complaint is the charge that Nielsen is providing access to the national broadcast radio ratings only if the client spends a lot of extra money on imgthe separate local ratings. Cumulus argues that Nielsen’s policy forces them to buy ratings in U.S. markets where it doesn’t operate stations in order to have the complete national ratings data. Nielsen has stated that Cumulus’ suit is “entirely without merit” and “we will respond accordingly.” The complaint also says Nielsen is “degrading product quality, raising prices without justification and blocking competitors from gaining footholds in the industry.” See the Reuters story here.

Industry News

Joe Rogan Remains Atop Edison’s U.S. Q3 Podcast Ranker

Edison Research releases its Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. ranker based on reach for Q3 2025 among weekly podcast consumers ages 13+ based on total audience reach from Edisonimg Podcast Metrics. “The Joe Rogan Experience” again claims the #1 spot, followed by audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” at #2, and The New York Times’ “The Daily” at #3. Other shows with news/talk radio and cable ties include: “The Charlie Kirk Show” rising 32 places to #17 following his slaying (new episodes are still being produced); “The Tucker Carlson Show” ranked #18; SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show” followed at #19; and Ramsey Network’s “The Ramsey Show” ranked #29.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: USA Facts

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer retired with enough do-re-mi to indulge two passions. He bought the NBA Los Angeles Clippers (for a record $2 billion). And he built USAFacts: “a not-for-profit resource rooted in publicly available data, free from spin or politics.” From its mission statement:

— “Find the numbers: We tap into hundreds of databases at the federal, state, and local level. If it’s tracked, we’ll find it. If it’s not, we’ll tell you that, too.”
— “Put them in context: A stat without context is no better than an opinion. We analyze trends over time so you can see the whole story.”
— “Bring them to life: We turn the numbers into insights you can actually use. No jargon, no spin. Just charts, graphics, and data.”

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With so much of talk radio and cable news and social media pandering with affirmation, actual actionable information can differentiate your show or podcast from others that merely entertain outrage. Well-worth a bookmark in your show prep routine.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a media consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke