Cain Joins The Sports Animal for Afternoons
Cumulus Media’s sports talk WNML, Knoxville “The Sports Animal” brings Eric Cain (right) aboard as co-host of the afternoon drive 
program “Tyler & Cainer,” alongside Tyler Ivens (left) beginning Monday (7/13). Cain fills the spot vacated by Will West who is leaving the program for a digital sales manager position with the company. According to Knox News, Cain has been a regular contributor, producer and host on the station in addition to being host of the “Locked on Vols” podcast and a writer and podcast host for Volquest. See the Knox News story here.
in the early 1960s. WCNC-TV reports that local radio fan Johnny Caudle has launched a Change.org petition to save some of the history. He tells WCNC-TV, “I heard the land was for sale and knowing the radio background industry the way I do, I know that that probably means the towers are going down and the place is going to be bulldozed and redeveloped. So, I started thinking we need to save something.” Caudle says he’s not trying to kill any deal that would see the land developed but just wants “to preserve something.” The story indicates the property has an assessed value of $3.5 million. Urban One has not made a public statement about the future of the property. 
hour-long morning program with Josh Albrecht. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports the program will also air across Audacy’s Wisconsin Sports Radio Network in markets including Greeb Bay-Appleton, Wausau, Madison, and Duluth-Superior. Czaban previously hosted a morning program on iHeartMedia’s then-sports WRNW-FM “97.3 The Game” that iHeartMedia flipped to AC last fall. 
to KSDK-TV, St. Louis, Hoffman Media Group recently took majority ownership of Lee Enterprises, which owns the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. David Hoffman said in a statement to 
largest print and digital news organizations in the United States. With our planned acquisitions, combined with our existing portfolio of 154 newspapers and our expansion into radio, we expect to become the second-largest media company in the United States by year-end.” Audacy president and CEO Kelli Turner reportedly issued a memo to staff revealing the deal (in which the terms were not disclosed) and stated that Audacy will continue to own and operate the stations until the deal closes and that listeners, advertisers, partners and employees should expect “business as usual” during the approval process. 
November to co-host “The Morning Drive with Dan & Cole” alongside Dan Mathews, who continues to host mornings solo. 
Throughout the TALKERS 2026 conference, there was a recurring theme that bears repeating:
will take on the role of digital sales manager for Cumulus Knoxville. He says he will continue to be heard on air as part of the Tennessee football postgame show. He told his listeners, “I want the next chapter in my life to be where I’m no longer the main character, but that I’m able to help other people to be the best version of the main character themselves.” He added, “I’m tired. This is a grind. This [new management position] opens up more time that I can spend with my wife. This opens up a situation where I can step in and grow other people.” 
the lines were cut again on Sunday, May 31 aafter a similar incident on April 19. Wendell tells the paper, “This time they must have used a cutting tool of some kind because it was a clean cut on the wire… I think it’s the same group that doesn’t like what’s going on at the radio station.” He adds, “It’s a federal offense because the station is licensed federally by the FCC,” and notes that “a conviction carried a fine of up to $250,000, up to 10 years in prison, and five years of probation.” 
City. Three area 18-year-olds have been arrested in connection with the slaying. The Kansas City Star notes that Dodds was a Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy and a sports media personality who had worked in Los Angeles at FOX Sports 1 and in Nashville with Blaze Media alongside Jason Whitlock. He had returned to Kansas City three years ago and launched a podcast titled, “Jimspiracy.” 
courage, and unlikely twists that built the United States,” the story “uncovers the human drama behind America’s earliest, most pivotal moments. Listeners will meet settlers fighting to survive, preachers sparking mass revival, revolutionaries defying an empire, and founders struggling to invent a functioning nation.” The special will air on more than 350 affiliates of “The Glenn Beck Weekend Program” during the holiday weekend. It’s also available to talk stations in non-competing markets as early as Friday, July 3, and may be aired multiple times throughout the holiday weekend. 
of Americans listen to AM/FM radio as part of their daily audio consumption. Podcast listening gets 20% with ad-supported streaming getting 16%, and ad-supported satellite radio accounting for 2%. The report also indicates that the news/talk radio format maintained its position as the top format with 10.9% share of total radio listening (P18+), a slight uptick from the 10.8% it captured in Q4 2025. All-news listening also increased, climbing from 2.7% to 2.9%. 
The Radio Television Digital News Association announces the winners of the 2026 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. Regional winners advance to the national competition, with winners announced in August. National winners will be celebrated at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on October 12 at Gotham Hall in New York City. 
chair Patrick Mara, but Fredericks says he thinks it’s important to try to build something for Republicans in deep-blue DC. In a campaign video, Fredericks says Republicans have “‘zero representation, zero respect, zero results’ — and [he] promises to promote an ‘agenda that’s going to make your life better: Get rid of the rats, lower rents.’” 
