Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy is in Israel and did an extensive, exclusive interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ruddy is pictured above being interviewed in the streets of Tel Aviv by senior correspondent John Huddy as he previews the interview. See this clip here.
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 the
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.
Some of New York’s Republicans are up in arms over former New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s performing a skit with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani that promoted adoption of cats. Sliwa – a well-known cat lover and proponent of cart adoption – recorded the skit with
Mamdani that was shown at the Inner Circle, the annual press corps roast. Some Republicans are accusing Sliwa of cozying up to the Democrat mayor who beat him in November. But Sliwa, who is now part of the WOR, New York morning show, tells The New York Times that its hypocritical of Republicans and WABC owner John Catsimatidis to complain, noting that “Mr. Catsimatidis met with Mr. Mamdani last week and that Mr. Trump has met with the mayor in the Oval Office.” See The New York Times story here.
Is a career in broadcast journalism akin to the “priesthood?” Is radio just a “business” or something more? These philosophical questions were two of several addressed this morning (3/26) in an appearance by TALKERS 
founder Michael Harrison on WPRO, Providence’s “The News with Gene Valicenti” discussing the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The two seasoned broadcasters took an analytical look at the past 100 years of broadcast journalism – from Edward R. Murrow to modern times – comparing the role and impact of early day giants such as William S. Paley (CBS), David Sarnoff (NBC), and John W. Kluge (Metromedia) to today’s crop of moguls including the Ellison family’s Larry Ellison (Oracle) and his son David Ellison (Skydance Media) who now control Paramount, CBS, and a variety of other media and technological ventures. To listen to the entire segment, please click here.
The Bangor Daily News reports that Blueberry Broadcasting has fired George Hale from his co-host role on talk WVOM, Bangor after 22 years on the program. The report indicates that management appeared on the program with host Ric Tyler to say that 94-year-old Hale was exiting the
show while Hale was away on vacation in Florida. Blueberry vice president Bruce Biette told the paper it is “time to evolve the station.” Biette added, “Simply put, George has had a magnificent media career. He’s the reason a lot of us chose to get into this business, and we here at Blueberry Broadcasting appreciate everything he’s done for VOM.” The Daily News states, “WVOM is an influential station because it is one of only three in the state that runs a locally produced news talk show and the only one based in the Bangor area. WGAN and WLOB, with shows hosted by conservatives Matt Gagnon and Ray Richardson, respectively, are based in the Portland area.” See the Daily News story here.
Today’s insight from Westwood One’s Audio Active Group is the story of a Joplin, Missouri pest control firm that had zero unaided awareness after
using print and television. The owner was stunned that in a local group of 125 people not one could name his company. Doug Hansen‘s Bug-a-Way Pest Control then embarked on an AM/FM campaign in which a jingle was created for his business and soon his company went from zero unaided awareness to 20%. The campaign helped create future demand for his company as 29% of locals surveyed said they would call his company if they needed pest control. See more about case study here.
In an effort to “Make America Smart Again,” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison appears as a guest on this week’s installment of the groundbreaking education podcast, “Old School, New School, Next School,” hosted by WPHT, Philadelphia talk radio icon Dom Giordano. A former schoolteacher, Giordano is widely recognized as a leading expert on the American education system and is one of talk media’s most outspoken activists on bringing it up to speed.
Giordano and Harrison bemoan the state of America’s level of education and the fact that the nation is consistently falling behind other nations academically. They talk about a variety of topics including school choice and parental rights. To listen to the podcasts in its entirety, please click here.
According to the Chattanooga Free Press, harassment charges previously filed against former WGOW-AM/FM “Talk Radio 102.3” talk
host Brian Joyce have been dismissed. Last August, Joyce was arrested following accusations of harassing a woman with whom he’d previously been in a relationship. As district attorney spokesperson said the alleged victim said she did not want to proceed with the case and that the court also found issues with the credibility of testimony prosecutors wished to use in the case. Joyce exited WGOW in February of 2025. See the Times Free Press story here.
Nielsen, using its own data as well as data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear Study, publishes its Audio Today 2026 report. Some of the key findings include: 1) that radio reaches 93% of all U.S. adults monthly, outperforming smartphones (89%), TV (84%), and PCs (76%). Its reach
is nearly universal among Hispanic (94%) and Black (93%) consumers; 2) AM/FM radio commands more than 80% of all ad-supported audio time in vehicles. Nearly three-quarters of out-of-home radio use during peak drive times occurs in the car, placing brands closest to the point of purchase; 3) however, a significant “perception gap” exists; while marketers often rank radio low for effectiveness, Nielsen data reveals it delivers the highest ROI of any platform trailing only social media; and 4) radio and podcasts combined account for more than 80% of all daily ad-supported audio time, while streaming music accounts for only 15%. See the report here.
Last night (3/16), the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards Live at SXSW were presented at t ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. The show
was hosted by comedian Ego Nwodim and streamed live exclusively on VEEPS. The event also broadcasted on select iHeartMedia radio stations at 11:00 pm local time and was available live on the iHeartRadio app. Among the numerous awards bestowed based on category, Jonathan Goldstein presented the Audible Audio Pioneer Icon Award to “Fresh Air” host Terry Gross, who accepted her award via video message. She recounted her beginnings as a volunteer at her college radio station and gaining her skills by “broadcasting in front of nearly no audience.” See all the winners and more here.
As reported by Courthouse News, former Salem Media talk host Dennis Prager is suing Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as well as Barlow Respiratory Hospital, which specializes in weaning patients off of ventilators, and Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center for medical malpractice and elder abuse, accusing them of failing to properly treat his severe spinal injury and causing “costly complications.” Prager suffered a severe spinal cord injury falling in the shower. In his civil complaint, filed
in Los Angeles Superior Court, he says he “still had some feeling and ability to move his toes” but was “otherwise unable to move his limbs and/or breathe on his own” when he was admitted to Cedars-Sinai. Prager accuses the staff at Cedar Sinai of failing to routinely turn him over and as a result he developed stage four pressure ulcers. The suit charges that the other two facilities “failed to take steps to adequately treat the pressure wounds. He claims his wife Susan begged Rancho Los Amigos staff to perform ostomy surgery so that Prager would not be in constant danger of sepsis, but Rancho Los Amigos refused.” The suit adds, “Thus, Prager did not heal, and he continued to be exposed on a daily basis to fecal bacteria pouring into his very deep open wounds.” The suit says his medical costs have exceeded $5 million over the last 13 months, a bill that “continues to grow at a staggering pace with each and every day.” See the Courthouse News report here.
Radio and television news pro John Hultman has died at the age of 89. Hultman’s first major market job was in Detroit at WWJ-TV and radio in Detroit. He moved to WBBM-AM in 1968, just months before the station would get the orders from corporate to flip to all-news. He would move up to news director in 1972 though remained on the air. He gave up news director duties in 1982 and in 1984 he was partnered on-air with Felicia Middlebrooks. He remained with WBBM to his retirement in 2020. See the CBS News story here.
On Tuesday (3/17) at 12:00 noon ET, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez will host a webinar featuring panel conversations with communications and technology policy experts who lived through the creation and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. That year, Gomez served as a legal advisor in the FCC’s Common
Carrier Bureau, helping implement the Act. In the webinar titled “30th Anniversary of the 96 Act: What Did We Learn?” panelists will explore how lessons from the past 30 years can drive innovation and competition for consumers today. Topics will include artificial intelligence, media, competition, convergence, access, and cybersecurity. The three separate panels will include Panel 1 looking at “The Legislative Process That Led to the Act; Panel 2 will address “FCC Implementation of the Act”; and Panel 3 will focus on “Today’s Challenges.” Interested parties can join online via the FCC Events Webpage or visit https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2026/03/30th-anniversary-96-act-webinar-what-did-we-learn. No registration required.
Edison Research presented the results of its ongoing study The Infinite Dial 2026 in a webinar yesterday (3/12). Vice president of Edison Research at SSRS Megan Lazovick revealed the data that Edison says “provides critical insights into digital media behaviors, and, debuting this
year, generative AI adoption among American consumers.” Some of the key findings include that online audio consumption has hit an all-time high: 1) 81% of Americans age 12+ (233 million) listened to online audio in the last month, and 76% (219 million) listened in the last week; 2) Americans age 55+ are driving the most recent increases. Monthly online audio listening among this group jumped from 52% in 2024 to 70% in 2026, a gain of nearly 20 percentage points in just two years; 3) 80% of Americans age 12+ (230 million) have ever listened to or watched a podcast, an all-time high; and 4) 58% of Americans age 12+ (167 million) have consumed a podcast in the last month, also an all-time high. See more about the study here.
On Monday at SXSW in Austin, the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards will be
presented at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre at 8:00 pm ET. Actress, comedian and host of the “Thanks Dad” podcast, Ego Nwodim, will emcee this year’s iHeartPodcast Awards, actor and comedian Will Ferrell will open the show and Holly Frey, host of “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” will be the winners correspondent. The full list of the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards categories and nominees can be found here.
TALKERS publisher and iconic radio programmer/personality Michael Harrison talks about his colorful 59-year career in radio including his early days as a pioneer in the progressive rock genre and founder of the “Album Oriented Rock” (AOR) format in the early 1970s through his present-day involvement in spoken word media. All this and more was recorded (3/5)
during an informal conversation with his longtime friend, music industry publicist Anne Leighton on her YouTube program, “The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview.” Harrison talks about the evolution of radio and its influence on popular culture through more than a half century of 
broadcasting adventures including his present-day role as a member of the classic rock band, Gunhill Road. Harrison states, “Anne is such a unique player in this business – a longtime proponent of music discovery – she has such a respect for the artists and their fans. Her podcast is SO refreshingly grassroots. It was a remarkable, fun experience talking with her about all that cool stuff.” Fans of music and radio history should not miss this. To view this installment of the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview in its entirety, please click HERE.
The RTDNA Foundation will recognize 12 individuals and organizations at tomorrow’s 2026 First Amendment Awards being presented at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. RTDNA Foundation president Tara Puckey says, “At a time when the rights guaranteed by the First
Amendment are challenged on every front, the journalists, organizations and individuals we honor today stand as powerful examples of courage, integrity and unwavering commitment to the free flow of information. Their work informs, supports and strengthens our communities, and it definitely protects the core principles that make a free press essential to democracy. We are proud to shine a spotlight on these champions of press freedom and to celebrate their vital contributions.” Honorees include recently retired WGN, Chicago news anchor Steve Bertrand; former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens; and FOX News pentagon reporter Jennifer Griffin. See more here.
For the second time this week, a talk radio host has apologized for a social media post. WABC, New York morning personality Sid Rosenberg apologized yesterday (3/4) for the post in which he referred to New York
Mayor Zohran Mamdani an “America hating, Jew hating, Radical Islam cockroach running our once beautiful city.” He also addressed President Trump, asking him to “stop complimenting the mayor.” Rosenberg removed the post and stated, “To the mayor, and anyone else that I offended with my tweet on Saturday, I send out a heartfelt apology,”
CBS News reports Mamdani’s reaction: “Muslims in this city for almost as long as we have been in this city have had to deal with those with power and platform dehumanizing us. And to be called animals, insects, to be called a jihadist mayor, to be called a cockroach, this language is both painfully familiar to me as a Muslim New Yorker, but also as someone who was born in East Africa. It is difficult to hear, but there is a reminder that the silence that often greets this kind of bigotry, this kind of Islamophobia is what allows it to fester, the temptation to treat it as politics as usual… I am not ashamed of who I am. I am not ashamed of my faith. I am not ashamed of being the first Muslim mayor in the history of our city. And there’s no amount of racism that will change that I lead or the commitment that I hold to each and every New Yorker in this city.” See the CBS News story here.
TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison reveals and openly discusses his perspective as an immigrant in this country disclosing his irrevocable inability to ever return to his land of origin. In a brief 2 1/2-minute video commentary described by TALKERS editors as “experimental,” Harrison is presented as a thoughtful figure who candidly talks about the natives in this “peculiar” new world. He admits to making adjustments to blend in and get along. As an old, seasoned man humbly seated on a bench just across chilly New York Harbor from Ellis Island, Harrison captures a profoundly original view of 21st century America seen though his eyes as an outsider attempting to assimilate into a new culture. He ultimately examines the evolving state of his humanity. Check it out here.
Westwood One’s Audio Active Group blog presents data about the sports talk genre as it experiences an apparent growth spurt. Based on ratings data from Nielen, the blog states, “Revenue shares and station counts are up. Nielsen reports the sports AM/FM radio format is number one in streaming shares among 18-34s and 25-54s. Ranking third of twenty-four AM/FM radio formats in household income, the sports AM/FM radio
audience over indexes for a slew of major purchase categories.” Some of the key findings in the study include: 1) The number of sports-formatted AM/FM radio stations has grown +14% over the last decade, while revenue shares increased +38%; 2) According to Nielsen, the sports format ranks an astonishing number one in streaming shares among 25-54s and 18-34s, while in-car listening is the dominant location of listening among over-the-air sports AM/FM radio listeners; 3) Advertising on sports AM/FM radio is more effective than TV sports because the AM/FM radio audience is far more attentive and sports engaged; and 4) Ranked third in income of twenty-four AM/FM radio formats, the sports format has seen household incomes grow 17% since 2020. See the full blog post here.
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
TALKERS magazine, the leading trade publication serving America’s professional broadcast talk radio and associated digital communities since 1990, is pleased to participate as the presenting sponsor of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference for the second consecutive year. The conference is currently underway in New York.
IBS NYC 2026 – America’s preeminent annual college radio and media gathering began last night (2/19) and continues today and tomorrow (2/20-21) at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The non-profit, volunteer-driven, IBS has been diligently serving student broadcasters since 1940, and its services are needed today more than ever.
Campus broadcasting continues to take on growing importance as the
radio industry (and its related fields) seeks to connect with and develop a next generation of professional practitioners as well as engaged audiences. TALKERS is honored to again provide financial support, encouragement, experience, and advice to the dedicated organizers of this very special event.
We highly recommend that radio and media professionals attend this dynamic gathering because the grass roots future of the field oozes out of its content-rich meeting rooms, exhibition areas, and hallways. It provides fertile ground at which to network with almost a thousand wide-eyed up and coming stars in both talent and management – the next generation of professional industry movers and shakers. From the high school, college, and university perspective, the fact that it continues to be a must-attend conference for dedicated students of communication and professional media hopefuls remains a self-evident truth. Here, in the early stages of the second quarter of the 21st century, everybody’s in show biz and everybody’s a star. To quote Ray Davies, “There are stars in every city, in every house and on every street.”
The skills of modern communication are a vocational necessity well beyond entering a career in radio, TV or podcasting. The abilities to produce a podcast, YouTube video, social media campaign, cogent press release, or “talk show” constitute a minimal level of modern age literacy needed in almost all fields of endeavor going forward.
Since its launch nearly four decades ago, TALKERS magazine has been a potent presence at the intersection of media creation, education, and accountability. That’s why our support of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference isn’t just symbolic – it’s practical.
The next generation of broadcasters, podcasters, digital hosts, producers, and media entrepreneurs is already building the future of this industry. IBS has been helping them do that – consistently, seriously, and without shortcuts – for decades.
Campus stations are often where experimentation happens first:
IBS recognizes that reality and treats student media creators with the same seriousness the industry demands at the professional level. This aligns directly with our TALKERS mission: supporting informed, responsible, creative media across emerging platforms.
We’re not simply sponsoring a conference. We’re investing in the people who will define the next era of media.
For more information on the 2026 IBS conference, please click HERE.
Matthew B. Harrison is a media and intellectual property attorney who advises radio hosts, content creators, and creative entrepreneurs. He has written extensively on fair use, AI law, and the future of digital rights. Reach him at Matthew@HarrisonLegalGroup.com or read more at TALKERS.com.
Asa Andrew, M.D. Is this week’s guest on the TALKERS MEDIA YouTube Channel podcast “Up Close Far Out.” Program host Michael Harrison engages “Doctor Asa” in a conversation spanning hot topics from health care and personal motivation to multi-platform branding and the idiosyncratic world of professional wrestling. Asa Andrew is often referred to as “America’s Health Coach.” He’s a syndicated radio and television talk show personality specializing in leading edge health and medical information. Beyond that, he is a dynamic communicator, motivational philosopher, author, columnist, podcaster, documentary producer, and colorful figure in the world of professional wrestling where he serves as medical director and ringside physician for the TNA. TALKERS magazine currently ranks Doctor Asa number 31 on its prestigious annual Heavy Hundred list of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America. Don’t miss this! See the complete interview here.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Every radio conference agenda and much of what’s-up in the trade press and chat groups is about exploiting Artificial Intelligence. Often these conversations land in one of two places: fear (“Will this replace us?”) or fascination (“Look what it can do!”). Both miss the point.
In “Between You and AI” (Wiley) author Andrea Iorio cautions that when everyone has access to the same machine intelligence, advantage shifts to what remains scarce. That’s not just-more information. It’s better judgment, trust, empathy, and local savvy… the very things radio has always done best.
Haven’t got time to read all 254 pages? Here’s a short version, as it applies to our work:
AI is not radio’s replacement. It’s radio’s stress test. Stations that pass will be the ones that let machines handle the work so humans can handle the meaning.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Legal Group, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
TALKERS magazine, the leading trade publication serving America’s professional broadcast talk radio and associated digital communities since 1990, is pleased to participate as the presenting sponsor of the forthcoming Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference for the second consecutive year.
IBS NYC 2026 – America’s preeminent annual college radio and media gathering – will take place February 19-21 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The non-profit, volunteer-driven, IBS has been diligently serving student broadcasters since 1940, and its services are needed today more than ever.
Campus broadcasting continues to take on growing importance as the radio industry (and its related fields) seeks to connect with and develop a next generation of professional practitioners as well as engaged audiences. TALKERS is honored to again provide financial support, encouragement, experience, and advice to the dedicated organizers of this very special event.
We highly recommend that radio and media professionals attend this dynamic gathering because the grass roots future of the field oozes out of its content-rich meeting rooms, exhibition areas, and hallways. It provides fertile ground at which to network with almost a thousand wide-eyed up and coming stars in both talent and management – the next generation of professional industry movers and shakers. From the high school, college, and university perspective, the fact that it continues to be a must-attend conference for dedicated students of communication and professional media hopefuls remains a self-evident truth. Here, in the early stages of the second quarter of the 21st century, everybody’s in show biz and everybody’s a star. To quote Ray Davies, “There are stars in every city, in every house and on every street.”
The skills of modern communication are a vocational necessity well beyond entering a career in radio, TV or podcasting. The abilities to produce a podcast, YouTube video, social media campaign, cogent press release, or “talk show” constitute a minimal level of modern age literacy needed in almost all fields of endeavor going forward.
Since its launch nearly four decades ago, TALKERS magazine has been a potent presence at the intersection of media creation, education, and accountability. That’s why our support of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference isn’t just symbolic – it’s practical.
The next generation of broadcasters, podcasters, digital hosts, producers, and media entrepreneurs is already building the future of this industry. IBS has been helping them do that – consistently, seriously, and without shortcuts – for decades.
Campus stations are often where experimentation happens first:
IBS recognizes that reality and treats student media creators with the same seriousness the industry demands at the professional level. This aligns directly with our TALKERS mission: supporting informed, responsible, creative media across emerging platforms.
We’re not simply sponsoring a conference. We’re investing in the people who will define the next era of media.
For more information on the 2026 IBS conference, please click HERE.
Matthew B. Harrison is a media and intellectual property attorney who advises radio hosts, content creators, and creative entrepreneurs. He has written extensively on fair use, AI law, and the future of digital rights. Reach him at Matthew@HarrisonLegalGroup.com or read more at TALKERS.com.
WIBC-FM, Indianapolis late morning personality Rob Kendall has been off of the “Casey and Kendall” show – co-hosted with Casey Daniels – since January 15. Kendall tells the Indianapolis Star he thinks it’s a
contract dispute Urban One management but he’s not exactly sure why. Kendall’s contract expired in October and his attorney Jay Kanzler says the problem is not about money. He tells the Star, “It’s not like he walked in there and demanded more money. People are scratching their heads.” Kendall began speaking with management prior to his October contract date asking “to discuss new marketing ideas and flexibility in his role in a challenging radio industry.” When those efforts failed, he hired Kanzler who reached out to management. But, Kendall and Kanzler say neither of them have heard back from the company. Read the Indy Star piece here.