The KCMO, Kansas City-based “Mundo in the Morning” show hosted by Pete Mundo is now airing on Cumulus Media’s KFRU-AM/K255DJ “NewsTalk 98.9 FM & 1400 AM” in Columbia, Missouri. Earlier this summer, Mundo’s morning show was added to the company’s news/talk KTOP-FM, Topeka, Kansas. KFRU’s local morning show hosted by David Gaines was cancelled last month during the recent round of layoffs at Cumulus Media.
Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group’s weekly blog post focuses on talent read ads on AM/FM radio and in podcasts based on a study from WPP Media and System1 titled, “The Creator Effectiveness Playbook: How to Build Your Brand with Creators.” The study measured creative responses for 1,217 
paid ads among 182,500 TikTok users and connected that to in-market brand lift data. The study covered eight global markets and $71 million of media spend, which generated 23.6 billion impressions. The best practices revealed by the research include: 1) Host-read ads generate greater impact: System1 and WPP Media find creator ads (a.k.a. “host reads”) drive greater brand memory lift, which is the combination of brand awareness and ad recall; 2) Two best practices: Say the name of the advertiser within the first two seconds and ensure strong positive emotion via entertainment; 3) “Say it and show it”: Saying the brand and showing it in the first two seconds of the ad drives the strongest brand recognition; 4) Conduct a “brand early and often” creative audit: Watch/listen to all your ads. Check off if your brand is mentioned in the first two seconds and if there are at least five or more audio track brand mentions in 30-second ads; 5) Use both salesmanship and showmanship: Emotion-based creative that is funny and entertaining builds stronger brands and generates greater business outcomes; and 6) Utilize right brain elements such as characters with vitality, story unfolding, clear sense of place, sounds of the living, dialogue, word play, distinctive accents, and music with discernable melody. See the full blog post here.
The Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group blog looks at the of advertising ROI based on a new study by Les Binet and Will Davis titled, Go Big Or Go Home: How Small Thinking is Killing Advertising and What To Do About It. A number of key points from the study conclude the following: 1) The advertising industry’s maniacal fixation on ROI has resulted in a modest 4% 
increase in ROI since COVID but a worrying 11% erosion in advertising driven profits; 2) ROI is mistaken for business outcomes such as sales growth, profit growth, and customer growth. ROI is none of those things. It is simply a ratio of revenue/profit generated by ad spend; 3) Surprisingly, ROI and revenue/profit growth move in the opposite direction. Low profit growth produces high ROI. Strong profit growth results in lower ROI; and 4) Perception vs. reality: Marketers mistakenly believe ROI trumps budget in driving profit growth. The reality is budget is 9 times more critical than ROI in generating profit.
Ultimately, the lowest ad budget will show the highest ROI, but that’s not a recipe for sales growth. Further, since ad budget is nine times more likely to predict profit growth than ROI, Binet and Davis offer three approaches to thoughtfully setting ad budgets: Ad spend ratios, task-based budgeting, and share of voice analysis. All three can be utilized for a well-reasoned process for developing advertising budgets. See the full blog post here.
Cumulus Media’s KCMO, Kansas City “Talk Radio 95.7 FM” names Kansas City native Miranda Khan host of the new “Miranda’s Right” show airing from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm beginning today 
(9/14). Khan most recently served as anchor at WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach. She’d also hosted shows on Newsmax and America’s News Voice Network. KCMO program director Pete Mundo says, “KCMO Talk Radio is making a strong commitment to Kansas City by continuing to invest in live, local programming. Miranda is a smart, engaging voice who brings years of media experience and deep Kansas City roots, and she knows how to connect with listeners and drive meaningful conversations. Her addition strengthens our commitment to delivering the news, opinions, and discussions that matter most to Kansas Citians every day. We are excited to welcome Miranda home to KC.”
Cumulus Media is bringing Bay Area sports broadcaster Greg Papa back to sports talk KNBR, San Francisco a month after laying him off from the midday show he co-hosted with John Lund. Papa – the radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers – had taken leave from the station to focus on his battle with cancer. 
Now, Papa will rejoin Lund daily from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm for “Lunch with Papa” – part of Lund’s 10:00 am to 2:00 pm show. Additionally, Papa will present “Niners Updates With Greg Papa” twice weekly that will air during KNBR’s morning drive and afternoon drive shows. Cumulus regional VP Larry Blumhagen says, “Greg Papa is a Bay Area icon in sports broadcasting. His name and voice are synonymous with sports in this market. That connection is even stronger when speaking about the San Francisco 49ers. We are excited to have Greg back on air sharing his insights about all things Niners, and more!” Papa comments, “I’m thrilled to be back on ‘The Sports Leader’ and even more thrilled to be working with my good friend John Lund again. Let’s do this!”
Cumulus has not released an official announcement yet but several outlets – including Editor and Publisher – are reporting that the Commission signed off on the license transfers from the old Cumulus to the new Cumulus yesterday (8/19). Interestingly, Cumulus CEO Mary G. Berner sent a memo to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on August 14 in which she reaffirmed “Cumulus 
Media’s longstanding commitment to operating its broadcast radio stations in a manner that serves the public interest, advances localism, supports public safety and responds to the needs and interests of the communities it is privileged to serve.” Additionally, Berner addressed the company’s newsrooms and wrote: “Preserving our coverage of newsworthy events, and their impact on our local communities, is exceedingly important to Cumulus Media. The stronger financial foundation that our financial reorganization will afford us is intended to preserve and strengthen, not diminish, our ability to serve local audiences. Consistent with that objective, we commit to maintaining our existing newsroom staffing levels for a minimum of two years following approval of the requested applications.”
The latest blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group reveals data from MRI-Simmons, Edison’s Share of Ear study, and Nielsen that shows advertising on AM/FM radio elevates the media plan. Key takeaways from the post include: 1) 
Reach is the primary media driver of growth. Always aim to get more customers from all segments of the market. It’s the main way brands grow; 2) AM/FM radio is America’s number one mass reach media among persons 25-54 and, surprisingly, among 18-34s; 3) AM/FM radio generates significant incremental reach to social media platforms and YouTube; 4) Digital audio only reaches a third of Americans daily. Adding AM/FM radio causes reach to soar to 72% of the U.S.; and 5) AM/FM radio makes your TV better. The younger the demo, the greater the incremental reach. The addition of AM/FM radio lifts TV reach by +32% among 25-54s and +65% among 18-34s. See the full blog post here.
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One is launching a syndicated radio show starring Dan Bongino that will debut next Monday (8/24). The program is called “The Bongino Report PM with Dan Bongino and Shawn Farash” that will air live 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET. 
Bongino returned to the Cumulus fold doing his podcast that’s sold by the Cumulus Podcast Network after leaving his assistant director position with the FBI. The new show will feature Shawn Farash hosting the first hour and Bongino hosting hours two and three. Bongino comments, “I’m excited to partner with Shawn to bring listeners a daily program focused on the stories that matter most. Our goal is simple: deliver honest analysis and keep our
audience informed and engaged. Radio remains one of the most powerful ways to connect directly with people, and I’m excited to be back on Westwood One!” Farash adds, “This is an incredible opportunity for me to connect with listeners across the country every day. Working alongside Dan and the team at Westwood One allows us to bring a fresh, energetic approach to afternoons while staying focused on the stories our audience cares about most.”
Cumulus Media – which is still awaiting approval from the FCC as it works to exit Chapter 11 reorganization – reports its operating results for the second quarter of 2026 and reveals net revenue of $167.9 million, a decline of 9.7% from the same period in 2025. The company reports a net loss of $9.2 million, down from the 
$12.8 million net loss it reported for the same period in 2025. Breaking down the company’s revenue by segment, broadcast spot revenue was $81.5 million, down 10.6% from a year ago; network revenue was $21.4 million, a decline of 21.5% compared to 2025; and digital revenue was $38.7 million, basically flat compared to Q2 of 2025. Cumulus Media CEO Mary G. Berner comments, “We are pleased to report our second quarter earnings. With our plan of reorganization confirmed by the court and the FCC approval process well underway, we are positioned to emerge from Chapter 11 with a stronger balance sheet to capitalize on future market opportunities.”
As Cumulus Media continues its culling of local personalities at its stations across the country, the majority of those being let go served at music outlets. But there have been talk hosts also getting pink-
slipped including KFRU, Columbia, Missouri talk hosts David Gaines and Simon Rose. Gaines posted to Facebook: “As of this week, I’m no longer with Columbia’s heritage radio station KFRU. Corporate downsizing, the elimination of Cumulus Media positions nationwide, hit our market this week. That’s the nature of this business. Despite this setback, I’m writing this with a sense of gratitude. These past 18 years have been such a wonderful stretch of my career. I’ve worked with so many talented and creative people. Been a part of countless wonderful events. Interviewed multiple local and state leaders, and interesting guests from all walks of life.” Rose’s wife Jenna posted to Facebook: “Simon Rose has come to the end of a legendary run in local radio. He weathered plenty of rounds of belt-tightening over the years, but this time was the one he didn’t survive. The hardest part for him isn’t the ending itself – it’s that he didn’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye to the listeners on either station. He wants them to know how much being part of their lives has meant to him. They have been with him since before we were married and took daily interest in him and our growing family. Thank you for that.”
Cumulus Media’s San Francisco sports talk outlet KNBR has laid off its midday team of “Papa & Silver” – Greg Papa and Greg Silver – and replaces them with former midday personality John 
Lund. This change doesn’t come without controversy though as some Bay Area media outlets and KNBR fans are criticizing the company for firing Papa, who’s been battling cancer for the past year. Papa recently returned home after a 78-day stay in the hospital following a bone marrow transfusion. He’s been off the air with Silver hosting solo for much of the past year. Lund was Papa’s partner on the midday show prior to his departure from the station in 2024.
As Buffalo Bills football returns to Cumulus Media’s 97 Rock/WGRF-FM, the station is bringing back two of Western New York’s most respected and recognizable sports voices. Veteran broadcasters Paul Peck and Kevin Sylvester will join the station’s Bills coverage team, delivering in-depth analysis, insight, and entertainment as part of an expanded pregame lineup this season. Peck and Sylvester will host the first two hours of 97 Rock’s game day coverage, beginning four hours before kickoff each week. They will be followed by NFL Draft and Buffalo Bills analyst Chris Trapasso and former Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse, giving fans a full four hours of comprehensive pregame coverage leading into every Bills game. Joe Russo, program director, 97 Rock, tells TALKERS, “Together, Paul and Kevin bring decades of experience covering the teams, players, and moments that have defined Buffalo sports. Their deep local roots, combined with their passion for entertaining fans, make them the perfect team to help launch a new era of Bills coverage on 97 Rock. We are so excited to welcome them to our team.”
Cumulus Media has requested and received an extension of its exclusive rights period from a Bankruptcy Court judge. The company is in Chapter 11 
reorganization and is waiting for the Federal Communications Commission to finish its regulatory approval process. The court is extending the company’s filing deadline for its Chapter 11 plan to October 30.
Cumulus and Memphis Tigers Renew. Cumulus Media Memphis renews its agreement with Univerity of Memphis’ Tiger Sports Properties (the locally based team of Learfield) in which WKIM-FM “News Talk 98.9 The Roar of Memphis” will continue to serve as the exclusive radio home for University of Memphis Tiger football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball, along with football and men’s basketball coaches’ shows.
Williams Named Interim Communications Contact for Beasley. With Heidi Raphael leaving Beasley Media Group to lead the New York State Broadcasters Association after August 14, Jennifer Williams will serve as interim communications contact on behalf of Caroline Beasley and the company until the end of the year.
Hidden Brain and PRX Ink Distribution Deal. Social sciences program “Hidden Brain” moves from distributor NPR to PRX beginning October 1, 2026. Host Shankar Vedantam says, “I’m delighted that ‘Hidden Brain’ will join PRX and its portfolio of innovative and beloved radio programs. We’re excited to continue to work with the many stations that carry ‘Hidden Brain,’ and to collaborate with PRX on new ways to serve our broadcast listeners and the public media community.”
Last week, Cumulus Media announced its new deal with Xperi to use its DTS AutoStage service to get “near–census-level insights into in-car radio consumption.” DTS AutoStage is reporting in-car AM/FM radio audiences in more than 300 local U.S. markets from 6 million vehicles and Cumulus Media | Westwood One says in what is a first for the radio industry, the new data includes overnight ratings in all 300 markets. So, what does this mean?
The key takeaways include: 1) AM/FM radio’s “big data” moment has arrived with massive sample sizes that grow each month: TV has long had cable set top data and smart TV data to generate large samples of tuning data. It’s now radio’s turn! Just like cable set top data, there are no demographics but all markets have large samples. Overall, sample sizes are 5-10X bigger than current ratings samples; 2) Overnight ratings in over 300 markets: In an industry first, every market now has audience shares from yesterday. See your station’s daily audience trends refreshed each day; 3) All listening occurs with humans present: 25% of TV viewing occurs to an empty room but AM/FM radio listening in traveling vehicles always has humans present!; 4) Large samples mean stable listening trends: In all sized markets and for all sized stations, daily share trends are stable and consistent; and 5) AM/FM radio now has modern, cutting edge, timely measurement, which does not rely on a consumer’s memory or require a consumer to do something (like wear a gizmo). See the Audio Active Group blog post here.
During the spring, the NFL’s Buffalo Bills announced they would, through a deal with Good Karma Brands, take production and distribution of Bill radio play-by-play in house after years of 
Audacy’s sports talk WGR-AM, Buffalo serving as the flagship station. Now, the team announces that it has 23 stations signed up as affiliates, including Good Karma-operated WHSQ-AM, New York City (formerly WCBS-AM at 880 kHz) and WESP-FM, West Palm Beach “ESPN West Palm” – both stations operated by Good Karma. In the Buffalo market, games will be heard on Cumulus Media’s rock WGRF-FM.
Cumulus Media announces that it is the first commercial licensee to sign up for Xperi’s AutoStage Broadcaster Portal Premium, the radio audience intelligence platform that Xperi says “delivers near–census-level insights into in-car radio consumption, where the majority of radio listening occurs, providing unprecedented visibility into actual, nearly-real-time listener behavior.” Cumulus says that 
for advertisers, “the platform supports more informed media planning through observed audience behavior, large next-day samples, and market-level consumption trends, enabling more precise audience- and market-level planning and better alignment between campaigns and listening trends.” Cumulus Media president of operations Bob Walker says, “We’re proud to be the first broadcaster to deploy AutoStage Broadcaster Portal Premium as part of our broader effort to bring new sources of audience insight to radio. The platform gives us access to a level of audience intelligence that hasn’t previously been available, creating new opportunities for content creators, sales teams, and advertisers alike. The AutoStage heat maps are a particularly compelling example, visually illustrating where listening is concentrated, on an aggregated basis, relative to advertiser locations. By giving advertisers a richer understanding of audience distribution and listening trends, the platform helps them plan more effective campaigns, optimize audience-level planning, and maximize the impact of their radio investments.”
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rules in favor of Cumulus Media in this latest aspect of the company’s anti-trust suit against Nielsen. The ruling keeps the preliminary injunction preventing Nielsen from forcing national radio audience clients from having to buy local market data as well in effect while the case returns to district court. The appellate court held that constructive tying – where pricing effectively conditions the purchase of one product on another – can violate the Sherman 
Act. The ruling affirmed the district court’s findings regarding coercion, anticompetitive effects, irreparable harm, and the tailored injunction, and held that Cumulus’ current bankruptcy did not require a stay of the appeal. In 2024, Nielsen instituted a policy requiring national broadcasters to purchase its local data in every market where they operate in order to access the full national
report. This policy forced Cumulus’ Westwood One to choose between buying all local data from the firm or losing access to the essential national data product. Cumulus is suing Nielsen United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that the Nielsen’s policy constitutes an unlawful tying arrangement. The district court found that Nielsen used its monopoly power in the national data market to coerce customers into buying local data products, resulting in anticompetitive effects in local markets by excluding competitors.
Today’s blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at the 12-year trend of podcast advertising. The post notes that in advance of the first IAB Podcast Upfront in 2015, Cumulus commissioned Advertiser Perceptions to study agency and brand sentiment on podcast advertising. The most recent, conducted last month with 300 marketers and media 
agencies, reveals advertiser/agency podcasting discussion and spending intention has hit a 12-year high. Some of the key takeaways include: 1) Nine out of 10 marketers and media agencies say they have discussed podcast advertising for potential investment; 2) Podcast advertising consideration surges to a 12-year high: 75% of brands and agencies say they are likely to consider advertising in podcasts; 3) Podcast spending intention jumps to 74%, a 12-year record; 4) 76% of agencies and advertisers currently advertise in podcasts, a 5X increase since the first IAB podcast upfront in 2015; and 5) “Arnie Semsky’s 5% solution”: It is time for brands to get serious and allocate 5% of digital budgets to podcasting. See the full blog post here.
Cumulus Media promotes John Lewis to regional vice president in which he’ll oversee the company’s stations in Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola, Florida (including news/talk WCOA-AM/FM) in 
addition to his current role overseeing the Huntsville and Chattanooga operations. Lewis comments, “I’m honored and excited to work with the Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach teams. Having spent a couple of years early in my career with Cumulus Pensacola, it’s especially meaningful to return. With outstanding teams, great brands, and a strong track record of success, I look forward to building on that momentum and helping both markets reach their full potential.”
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.
Cumulus Media promotes Mobile market manager Don Boyd to regional vice president overseeing the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans, and Columbus-Starkville, Mississippi markets. He’ll 
continue to lead the Mobile market. Cumulus operations president Bob Walker comments, “We are excited to expand Don’s role in the region. He is an accomplished leader that helps markets focus on how to help clients grow their business with unique partnerships with our brands and our digital solutions. We are eager to see the impact he will have on the broader region.” Boyd’s new oversight will include sports talkers KKND-AM, New Orleans “The Ticket 106.7” and WXQW-AM, Mobile “Jox Mobile.”
Cumulus Media is selling two radio signals to Family Life Ministries. Going to the religious broadcaster is sports talk WLLF-FM – a class A FM licensed to Mercer, Pennsylvania – and CHR WWKL-FM – a class B FM licensed to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Cumulus Media appoints Mike Fabian vice president / market manager for its Boise operations that includes news/talk KBOI-
AM/FM and sports talk KTIK-FM “953FM The Ticket,” plus three music brands. Fabian most recently served with Townsquare Media in Arizona. Fabian states, “I am honored to join the Boise team and look forward to becoming part of both the organization and this remarkable community. Throughout my career, I have always believed that great teams and strong relationships are the foundation of success. I am excited to work alongside this talented group, serve the Boise community, and help build on the strong tradition these stations have established.”
Cumulus Media promotes Jay Davis to regional vice president in which he’ll add oversight of the company’s six-station Colorado 
Springs market that includes news/talk KVOR to his duties and he’ll continue to lead the Oklahoma City operations. Cumulus president of operations Bob Walker states, “Jay is an accomplished leader and the perfect partner for the team in Colorado Springs. We are eager to see the impact he and the team will continue to have in that community for our listeners and clients.”