Cumulus Media’s Westwood One, as the official network audio broadcast partner of the NCAA, is
presenting coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The network will present all of the games through the National Championship on Monday, April 7. The trio of Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, and P.J. Carlesimo will announce all the action for the Final Four and the National Championship.
Cumulus Media is undergoing a corporate mandate to shutter underperforming stations across the country. As reports of dark stations tickle in TALKERS can report that according to the Fulton Sun, Cumulus Media
has ended operations of news/talk KLIK-AM and its translator K278CT. The station ceased broadcasting on March 14. Read the Sun story here. The company also ended operations at sports talk WLZR-AM, Melbourne, Florida and its translator W300DL at 107.9 FM. Last week it was reported that Cumulus ceased operations at KZAC-AM, formerly KSFO-AM.
Cumulus Media names veteran broadcast journalist Gilbert Baez host of news/talk WFNC, Fayetteville, North Carolina’s “Good Morning Fayetteville,” effective March 17. Baez has been a fixture on WRAL-TV, in Raleigh but served as WFNC’s morning news anchor from 2000 through 2001. Cumulus Fayetteville VP
and market manager Tish Boden says, “Team Cumulus Fayetteville is excited to have Gilbert Baez join our team as the new host for ‘Good Morning Fayetteville’ on WFNC News Talk. When you say the name Gilbert Baez in the market it is synonymous with news. I look forward to Gilbert’s success on Good Morning Fayetteville.” WFNC program director Kelvin Culbreth adds, “Gilbert Baez brings a deep desire to report the news and a true sense of devotion to Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and Cumberland County. He’ll bring his wealth of knowledge about our area and his vast cache of connections. We have heard, ‘Everyone knows Gilbert and Gilbert knows everyone.’ He is the perfect host to carry GMF into the future.”
This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog addresses the effectiveness of advertising on AM/FM radio versus ad-supported digital audio using data from Edison Research’s ongoing Share of Ear study. The gist of the post is that equating AM/FM radio reach with ad-supported digital audio
is a mistake. Some of the findings include: 1) In a typical day, ad-supported digital audio reaches less than a third of America while AM/FM radio reaches two-thirds of America. Combined, ad-supported digital audio and AM/FM radio reach 74% of the U.S. daily; 2) Between ad-supported Spotify and AM/FM radio, most people only listen to AM/FM radio; 3) Between ad-supported Pandora and AM/FM radio, most people only listen to AM/FM radio; 4) The U.S. ad-supported audio clock: Podcasts and AM/FM radio represent nearly 90% of tuning minutes; 5) With a towering in-car share of 86%, AM/FM radio is the primary way to reach consumers on the path to purchase; The proportion of AM/FM radio in-car listening has surged, returning to pre-pandemic norms. See the full blog post here.
Cumulus Media’s San Francisco sports talk outlet KNBR is reportedly extending morning sports talk host Brian Murphy’s deal for another four years. SFGate reports that KNBR program director Mike Hohler
announced the news on-air on Tuesday. Murphy is one half of the “Murph and Markus” show. Murphy tells SFGate, “I’ve just really enjoyed my time talking to the Bay Area every morning and talking to my partners – whether it was Paulie Mac or my original partner Tim Liotta or my current partner Markus Boucher. Always enjoyed it, enjoyed the banter with our producers and board ops. I never wanted to leave ever, so it was just going to come down to could we come to an agreement and fortunately we did.” See the SFGate story here.
Cumulus Media and Major League Soccer’s Rhode Island FC are continuing their partnership and announcing that sports talk WPRV, Providence “790 The Score” is expanding its coverage of the club’s season. WPRV will air live-action coverage of all 17 RIFC away games and the first home game.
Broadcasting the matches will be WPRO-FM personalities Nick Giuliano and Tommy Quinlan. In addition, Rhode Island sportswriter and columnist Kevin McNamara will host a new feature to air on the station every Thursday at 6:20 pm throughout the season titled, “Extra Time with Rhode Island FC.” Cumulus RVP and market manager Holly Paras says, “We are thrilled to continue and expand our broadcast partnership with Rhode Island FC. It’s an exciting time for Rhode Island soccer fans, especially with the opening of the new stadium this year. We look forward to a great season.”
Cumulus Media announces that current WMAL-FM, Washington, DC afternoon drive host Vince Coglianese is taking over as host of the Westwood One nationally syndicated 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm program currently hosted by Dan Bongino, who will exit after his March 14 show to become deputy FBI director. The deal includes “The VINCE Show” airing in the early afternoon daypart and the one-hour “VINCE” podcast dropping daily. Silverloch Productions, founded by Dan and Paula Bongino, will produce the VINCE podcast to be distributed by the Cumulus Podcast Network. “The VINCE Show” will launch on Westwood One
with more than 250 affiliate stations. Coglianese comments, “I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this role with Westwood One and Silverloch and can’t thank my WMAL family in Washington enough for the eight incredible years we’ve already spent together. I also want to offer a special thank you to Dan Bongino for selflessly returning to service for his country. His decency and sacrifice are a true testament to his character. Now we take things to the next level. I’m deeply conscious of the history-making legacies of these broadcasts, which is why we will be delivering the ultimate three-hour live radio show and one-hour podcast for the millions of Americans who demand the truth.” Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “Vince’s star has been on the rise, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the unparalleled Westwood One platform to expand his reach even further. Vince’s unparalleled ability to combine realism with sharp political insight makes him the ideal host to captivate audiences across both live radio and podcasting. ‘The VINCE Show’ and ‘VINCE’ podcast will quickly become cornerstones of our industry-leading conservative talk lineup.”
Cumulus Media names Adam Dobbins vice president/market manager for its Des Moines station group that
includes sports talk KBBG-AM “The Champ” and four music brands. He most recently served with Walnut Media in Omaha. As director of sales. Cumulus Media president of operations Bob Walker says, “We are excited to welcome Adam to Cumulus Des Moines as this is a homecoming for him, having grown up in Des Moines and being a fan of our brands. Adam is an accomplished leader that is passionate about connecting local clients to the power of radio and the digital products we offer to help them grow their business.”
Las Vegas-based, nationally syndicated talk host Wayne Allyn Root tells TALKERS that he is a member of
the “Private Economic Council” – a Washington, DC-based organization composed of “influential business leaders, entrepreneurs and economists promoting free market tax policies, advocating for taxpayers, and helping to support and promote President Trump’s economic agenda.” It also includes former Trump senior economic advisor and former member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board Steve Moore, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, and former U.S. congressman and current Liberty University School of Business Dean Dave Brat.
Cumulus Media’s KESP-AM, Modesto-Stockton “Sports Radio 970 AM” is the new Central Valley radio broadcast home of the San Francisco Giants. The station is also the official radio broadcast home for the San Francisco 49ers, the Golden State Warriors, and the San Jose Sharks. Cumulus regional VP and market manager Patty Hixson says, “We are thrilled to have this affiliation with the San Francisco Giants. This is a very special franchise and now we get to share all the baseball action with our Sports Radio AM 970 fans. Go Giants!”
The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog post this week looks at the effects of the changes to Nielsen’s PPM ratings system that has provided significant increases in listening across demographics and time periods. This audience growth is due to Nielsen’s three-minute qualifier modernization which provides a significantly more comprehensive and realistic definition of AM/FM radio’s audience and their listening behavior. The post notes that Nielsen found 23% of PPM listening occasions
were three or four minutes. Under the old five-minute listening qualifier rule, none of this tuning would have received listening credit. Effective with the January 2025 PPM survey, Nielsen is now crediting tuning occasions that are three minutes or greater. What are the results so far? First, drive times and weekends experience the greatest growth. Comparing January 2024 to January 2025 for persons 12+ and 25-54 reveals double-digit growth for all dayparts. Weekends and drives times have the greatest increases. Second, AM/FM radio’s listening profile now skews younger: Every major buying demographic has a higher composition of listening. Persons 65+ is the only demographic where AM/FM radio’s audience composition is reduced. Persons 25-54, AM/FM radio’s most popular buying demographic, experiences the largest increase in audience composition. Persons 18-49 have the next largest growth. And third, format shares remain stable. Versus October 2024, PPM January 2025 format shares are very consistent. An uptick in news/talk AQH composition is most likely more due to a heavier news cycle (major weather stories and a new president) than a PPM methodology enhancement. In local markets, there is more share variation. See the complete blog post here.
Reporting its operating results for the fourth quarter of 2024 and for the full year of 2024, it says net revenue for Q4 was $218.5 million, a decrease of 1.2% from the same period in 2023. For the full year of 2024, net revenue was $827 million, a decrease of 2.1% from the full year of 2023. The company posts a net loss of $283.3 million for 2024 “compared to net loss of $117.9 million, reflecting a 2024 pre-tax non-cash
impairment charge of $224.5 million compared to a pre-tax non-cash impairment of $65.3 million in 2023, both primarily reflecting FCC-related charges.” Cumulus president and CEO Mary G. Berner states, “Since the pandemic’s onset, the radio industry has experienced tough economic and secular headwinds. In the face of those, we outperformed our peers through the end of 2023 on key metrics including cost takeouts, EBITDA 
margin recovery, free cash flow generation, net leverage, and liquidity. 2024 brought additional challenges, including accelerated national headwinds as well as an industry-wide slowdown in local radio advertising. In response, we doubled down on investing in growth areas, particularly in our digital marketing services business, which is pacing up 30% in Q1. Additionally, we continued evolving our broadcast go-to-market strategies, including with new offerings that are successfully attracting large new broadcast clients, and we drove additional cost efficiencies with 2024 actions that will result in $43 million of annualized fixed cost savings, of which $15 million benefited 2024 with the balance in 2025. Though the industry environment remains challenging for now, our 2024 refinancing efforts provided us with the time needed to both execute our day-to-day blocking and tackling and, in parallel, continue to reimagine the ways in which we can get the most out of our key assets to create new revenue streams and build additional long-term value.”
President Donald Trump announces that Cumulus Media | Westwood One nationally syndicated talk host Dan Bongino will become the deputy director of the FBI. Prior to his career as a talk media personality, Bongino served as a police officer in New York City and as a Secret Service agent. The Wall Street Journal notes that Bongino becoming the deputy director is the first instance in 117 years that the post will be filled
by a political appointee instead of a career agent. The role of the deputy director is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the bureau’s law enforcement. The Journal also reports that new FBI director Kash Patel had “offered Republican senators private assurances that he would name a special agent with bureau experience” in order to provide “operational expertise and experience.” The FBI Agents Association has made no public statement so far. Cumulus Media issued the following statement: “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dan Bongino on his decision to take on the role of deputy director of the FBI. Dan has entertained and informed tens of millions of listeners every day and we are grateful for our successful partnership. We look forward to welcoming Dan back in the future. We truly value our audience, advertisers, and affiliates and remain dedicated to bringing them the next exciting chapter for this programming soon. Dan’s last show will be Friday, March 14.”
Cumulus Media Inc. will host a conference call on Thursday, February 27 at 8:30 am ET to discuss its fourth quarter and full-year 2024 operating results. The company will issues a press release containing a summary of these results prior to the call.
Chattanooga talk radio host Brian Joyce exits Cumulus Media’s news/talk WGOW-FM, Chattanooga after
12 years with the station. A report in The Chattanoogan says that Joyce, who hosted the late morning “Brian Joyce Unfiltered” program, “parted ways” with the station last week. Joyce joined WGOW in 2012 and became part of the morning drive show in 2018, alongside Jim Reynolds and Kevin West. In 2023, Cumulus retooled the morning show bringing Jed Mescon aboard to co-host with Reynolds and Joyce moved to the late morning slot. Read the Chattanoogan story here.
Sales and management pro Cody Welling is returning to Cumulus Media as regional vice president and market manager for the Flint/Saginaw, Michigan market. Welling was most recently station manager and director of sales for Tegna’s sports talk WBNS-FM, Columbus and the Ohio News Network. Previously, he
managed Cumulus’ Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana stations. Welling takes over for the retiring Chris Monk. Cumulus president of operations Bob Walker says, “We are thankful to Chris for the strong foundation he has built for our clusters in Flint and Saginaw and wish him all the best in his retirement. As we look to the future, we are excited to welcome Cody back to Cumulus to take our powerful brands to the next level. Cody is a passionate broadcaster who is dedicated to helping local businesses connect with our audiences and fully leverage the opportunities our traditional and digital assets provide.”
Cumulus Media promotes KCMO-AM, Kansas City morning host and program director Pete Mundo to vice president of news/talk for the company, in which he’ll provide content counsel for Cumulus’ 43 news/talk-formatted radio brands. Mundo assumes this role from Bill Hess, who continues as operations manager and program director for the company’s WMAL-AM/FM, Washington, DC. Mundo will continue his roles in Kansas
City. Cumulus Media chief content officer Brian Philips states, “Pete has risen to stardom quickly with his on-air performance and innovative program architecture in Kansas City. Pete is among our most dynamic leaders, in ANY format. It also matters that Pete is Bill Hess’ hand-chosen successor, as Bill returns to oversight of our news/talk flagship WMAL, in the nation’s capital. Bill has served with distinction in this corporate role, and Cumulus news/talk is positioned for continued success under Pete’s leadership.” Mundo comments. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join the content leadership team at Cumulus and am grateful for the confidence that the company has shown in me. Learning from Bill Hess in recent years has been a terrific way to make the transition seamless. The news/talk format is changing rapidly but remains dominant in the audio industry. The format has exceptional upside during this transitional political period, as people continue to seek news and information about their cities, states, and country. I am eager to work with my fellow news/talk programmers across the nation to make our brands stronger.”
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One announces that the nationally syndicated “America at Night with Rich Valdés” moves to a new live time slot, now airing from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight ET from its previous 10:00
pm to 1:00 am slot. Additionally, the company says the show adds 25 new affiliate stations, including WMAL-AM/FM, Washington; KSEV-AM, Houston; and KKAT-AM, Salt Lake City. Valdés comments, “Thank you, Jesus! I’m super excited to be on all of these new stations in great cities, and welcome all of our new listeners to join our live late-night national town hall conversation and encourage them to call in on Open Phone across America.”
Cumulus Media Inc. appoints of Steven M. Galbraith to its Board of Directors. Board chairman Andrew W. Hobson states, “We are thrilled to welcome Steve to our board. As a longtime shareholder in the Company, Steve has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Company’s success. His impressive investment
management background and expertise complement the diverse strengths and wide-ranging capabilities of our existing board, and we are excited to leverage his vision and insights to drive growth and capitalize on new opportunities.” Galbraith is currently a managing member of Kindred Capital Advisors LLC, and is among the largest shareholders of Cumulus through his personal holdings and those held through Kindred.
Talk radio host Chris Krok has exited Cumulus Media’s WBAP, Dallas-Fort Worth where he’s been the evening host for the past 13 years. Prior to that, Krok hosted the afternoon show at sister KLIF-AM. He also
did editorials on WFAA-TV, Dallas for six years. Krok shared the following message via his social media: “It’s been an amazing 15-year run at the biggest news/talk station in America’s 4th largest market. We’ve gotten to know each other so well, and I can’t wait to share the airwaves again, doing what God made me to do – tell stories, react to life, and have fun together.” Krok tells TALKERS that he has a nice home studio where he fills in on network and local shows. He says he’s available for fill-in work and is ready to talk about his next opportunity. Reach him at: kroktalk@protonmail.com.
This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One AudioActive Group blog presents data from Cumulus Media’s 2025 Audioscape report that examines the latest podcast consumer trends from Edison Research’s Podcast
Metrics and “Share of Ear” Report, MRI-Simmons, Screen Engine/ASI, Podscribe, and Magellan AI. Four of the key findings from this are: 1) Podcast ad campaigns are too light: No brand is coming close to “saturating” podcast audiences; Brands should allocate 5% of digital budgets to podcasting; 2) After five years with a median age of 33 to 34, podcast audiences finally age to 36, reflecting broader appeal with older audiences; 3) Screen Engine/ASI: Podcast audiences offer CTV advertisers significant incremental reach; and 4) Podcasts tighten their grip on audio audiences: Among podcast listeners, 35% of all audio time spent now goes to podcasts. Read the full blog post here.
According to a report from SFGate.com’s Alex Simon, Cumulus Media’s Bay Area sports talk outlet KNBR has parted ways with a number of staffers in a wide-ranging, budget-related downsizing. Afternoon
personality Tom Tolbert – who co-hosted the “Tolbert & Copes” show with Adam Copeland – and midday personality John Lund – co-host of “Papa and Lund” are both out. Additionally, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the company also cut producer Danny Dunn, executive Lee Hammer, morning show producer Erik Engle and digital team members Jake Hutchinson, Danny Emerman, Austin Scott and Maureen Mahoney.
According to a report from WHTM-TV, WSBA, York, Pennsylvania morning host Gary Sutton was let go from
the Cumulus Media news/talk station on November 7. Sutton began working full time at the station in 1997. He tells WHTM that he does not plan on retiring. “Tomorrow is the first time in 52 years that I don’t have to work, but I hope that doesn’t last long because I am not retiring. God is in control, and I know there are new opportunities ahead and a new chapter in my life.” Sutton says he and producer Mark McKenzie were dismissed due to budget cuts.
The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group looks at data from a study the company commissioned by MARU/Matchbox analyzing the auto aftermarket category. Some of the key findings from the study include: 1) The segment has recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Annual spend,
number of retailers shopped, retailers shopped most often, brand perceptions, and advertising recall have recovered; 2) Brand equity and shopping patterns for the top two performers (AutoZone and O’Reilly Auto Parts) are stable to up. The second-tier players are slightly off; 3) AM/FM radio and podcasts are the ideal platforms to advertise auto aftermarket. TV underperforms with category usage and brand equity: Heavy AM/FM radio and podcast listeners visit more retailers in the category, make more shopping trips, and spend far more than the average. Two key consumer segments, do-it-yourselfers and ultra-heavy shoppers are more likely to be heavy AM/FM radio listeners. TV viewers are weak category users. See the blog post here.
Cumulus Media names Darren White program director for its Albuquerque news/talk outlet KKOB-AM/FM and sister sports talk station KNML-AM “610AM/95.9FM The Sports Animal.” White previously served with the station from 2019 through 2021 as host of the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm show and a weekend program. White has also served the Albuquerque community as public safety director for the Albuquerque Police and Fire
Departments, sheriff of Bernalillo County, head of public safety for the State of New Mexico under Governor Gary Johnson. Cumulus Albuquerque vice president and market manager Jeff Berry states, “I am SO excited for Darren’s return to Cumulus Albuquerque as program director. His passion for radio and vision for the future are contagious. We are fortunate to have someone with his background re-join our industry in a leadership position. Welcome home, Darren!” White comments, “I am honored to accept the position of program director for News Radio KKOB and KNML the Sports Animal, and I am humbled by the confidence Cumulus Media has placed in me for this exciting new challenge. Having been a part of Cumulus for over a decade, I have seen firsthand the incredible dedication and talent of the teams at both stations. With a proven history of delivering provocative, engaging, and informative radio that is second to none, I look forward to building on that legacy by attracting new listeners and continuing to bring dynamic programming to our loyal radio family.”
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One announces that “The Benny Show” – hosted by award-winning creator, streamer, and podcaster Benny Johnson – joins the Cumulus Podcast Network. WWO says that Johnson
has amassed “a combined 12 million subscribers across platforms. ‘The Benny Show’ has become a go-to platform for the next generation of news consumers and creators alike. The program features commentary and exclusive interviews with special guests including presidential candidates, world leaders, cultural icons and Hollywood actors.” Under Westwood One’s leadership, the Cumulus Podcast Network distributes, markets, and monetizes “The Benny Show” exclusively with this new partnership. WWO president Collin R. Jones says, “As the Cumulus Podcast Network further expands into video, ‘The Benny Show’ is a natural addition to our portfolio of personality-driven talk shows. Benny is well known on YouTube as a strong and independent voice in conservative talk. He challenges mainstream opinions with cutting-edge insight and straightforward questions, capturing both listeners and partners with his streamlined, frank approach.”
Cumulus Media Announces Two New Podcasts from the Rich Eisen Podcast Network. Actor O’Shea
Jackson, Jr. is hosting the new weekly podcast “No-Contest Wrestling” with co-host TJ Jefferson the show combines Jackson’s and Jefferson’s unique takes on sports entertainment by interviewing the biggest stars, going behind the scenes with untold stories from the world of wrestling. The second show is “The Jim Jackson Show,” hosted by two-time All-American and 14-year NBA veteran Jim Jackson. In this show, Jackson covers basketball from the college game to the highest levels of the NBA. Eisen says, “I’ve been in a constant search for new, fresh, thought-provoking, and entertaining voices to add to our growing podcast business, and I’m thrilled to add both O’Shea Jackson, Jr. and Jim Jackson to the roster.”
VSiN Partners with Interstate 15 Agency. VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, announces a strategic partnership with sports and entertainment marketing agency Interstate 15. Following the network being acquired in 2021, VSiN was bought back by Musburger Media and says it is now “poised to further enhance its brand and broaden its reach.” VSiN president and chief business officer Brian Musburger says, “We’re excited to leverage this partnership to enhance VSiN’s brand and further accelerate our growth. With Jason Gastwirth’s vast understanding of entertainment strategy and his relationships in Las Vegas, Jamie Fritz’s connections to sports legends and Greg Cannon’s track record creating, launching and building brands, Interstate 15’s proven expertise will help VSiN tap into the cache and star power that make Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world.”
WGRT, Port Huron, Michigan Signs with Virtual News Center. Port Huron Family Radio, Inc. station will use daily newscasts anchored by JP bZett. Station GM Marty Dorn says, “We are thrilled to partner with Virtual News Center to bring timely and reliable news updates to our radio station listeners.”
For the last 10 years, Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study has been an authoritative examination of time spent with audio in America. The Cumulus Media / Westwood One analysis of the just-released Q2 2024 data focuses on “what advertisers care about” – ad-supported audio. Here are some of the findings as presented in a special report by Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group®:
• Since consumer interest in Pandora Radio hit an all-time high in 2008, its audience and profile have significantly collapsed, according to Google Search trends.
• A brand-new Advertiser Perceptions study conducted in August 2024 reveals marketers and media agencies need to “take the me out of media” as they wildly overestimate Spotify and Pandora audiences and dramatically understate AM/FM radio’s shares.
• AM/FM radio represents the dominant ad-supported audio platform with a 69% overall share and a massive 86% in-car share.
• Podcast audiences soar. At a 19% share of ad-supported audio, podcasts now represent one out of every five minutes of U.S. ad-supported audio.
• Among registered voters, AM/FM radio leads in ad-supported audience share (69%), followed by podcasts (19%).
Edison surveys 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent with all forms of audio. For more details, click here for the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® analysis of the just released Q2 2024 data.
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One will provide exclusive play-by-play coverage of the National Football League’s entire primetime regular season as well as every postseason game, marking the 38th consecutive season that the syndicator is the exclusive network radio partner of the NFL. This will be the 52nd time that the network will broadcast the Super Bowl to a national audience. Westwood One Sports will provide play-by-play coverage of the NFL’s 2024 national regular season primetime games including Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, and Sunday Night Football plus Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Christmas Day, NFL International Games, and the entire postseason, culminating on Sunday, February 9 with Super Bowl LIX, live from New Orleans. It all begins tonight at NFL Kickoff when the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens. On Friday, September 6, Westwood One will cover the first ever NFL Game to be played in São Paulo, Brazil. The weekly Sunday night schedule begins September 8, when the Detroit Lions host the New York Giants. Monday Night Football starts September 9 when the Jets play the San Francisco 49ers. Thursday Night Football debuts September 12 when the Buffalo Bills meet the Miami Dolphins. Coverage kicks off at 7:30 pm each night. Kevin Harlan and Kurt Warner will again be the lead broadcast crew, calling the Kickoff Game, Monday Night Football and Super Bowl LIX for the network. This will be Harlan’s 15th full season behind the Westwood One microphone and Warner’s 11th season as an analyst for the network. Ryan Radtke and Mike Golic will be the primary announcers for Sunday Night Football, while Ian Eagle returns as the main play-by-play voice for Thursday Night Football. Kevin Kugler will broadcast select Thursday night games as well. Analysts for Thursday Night Football this season will include Devin McCourty, Ron Rivera, and Ross Tucker. Tom McCarthy, John Sadak, JP Shadrick, and Jason Benetti will also serve as play-by-play announcers. Other game analysts this season will include James Lofton as well as Mike Mayock, Ryan Harris, Ryan Leaf, and Derek Rackley. Rich Eisen returns to anchor the pregame and halftime shows for Monday Night Football. Scott Graham will again host the remaining games in the national radio package. In addition to live game coverage, Westwood One Sports will also offer the weekly features NFL Insider, NFL Preview, and NFL Fantasy Forecast.
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One today announced that The Dan Bongino Show podcast will offer a special two-hour edition today (8/26) the first day of hearings for the House Republicans’ independent investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump led by Reps. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Eli Crane (R-AZ). Mills and Crane will be joined by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Chip Roy (R-TX), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in this independent investigation. Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, will be one of three to testify at the forum, along with Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL officer, and Ben Shaffer, a Washington regional SWAT operator. Bongino will record the special edition of his podcast from The Heritage Foundation, also the site for the forum. The Dan Bongino Show podcast saw a surge in growth in July 2024 as listeners turned to Bongino for his expertise and insight as a former United States Secret Service agent following the assassination attempt against Trump just prior to the RNC.
Cumulus Media has appointed Zach Lyons as co-host for afternoon sports radio show, “Blaine and Zach,” on its Nashville outlet WGFX-FM (104.5 The Zone). Lyons joins co-host, Blaine Bishop, former Tennessee Titans safety and a four-time Pro Bowler. Bishop retired following the 2002 season capping an outstanding 10-year NFL playing career, featuring nine seasons with the Titans franchise. In addition to the weekday show, Lyons will join Brent Dougherty, Lucas Panzica, and Kevin Dyson as co-host of the station’s Titans postgame show, “Titan Talk Back.” Lyons is best known for co-founding broadwaysportsmedia.com and for hosting the popular sports podcast, “Football and Other F Words,” which will join the podcast lineup on the 104.5 The Zone Podcast Network.
The most recent blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group reveals data from research indicating that heavy AM/FM listeners and heavy podcast listeners “spend significantly more on home improvement than heavy TV viewers.” Other takeaways from the research include: 1) Audio is an ideal
media platform to tout home improvement e-commerce as heavy AM/FM radio and podcast listeners are more likely to shop online; 2) AM/FM radio generates significant incremental reach for home improvement TV campaigns: Recent TV campaigns for The Home Depot saw significant lift in reach with the addition of AM/FM radio, especially among younger demos; 3) AM/FM radio generates three times the sales lift of TV in a historic Nielsen TV and AM/FM radio sales effect study for a home improvement retailer; and 4) Home improvement media plans are overweight on linear TV and underweight on audio: The optimized plan should consist of 45% AM/FM radio, 30% linear TV, and 24% podcasts. See the blog post here.
Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP-AM/FM, Dallas and talk host Casey Bartholomew agree to a new
contract. Bartholomew tells TALKERS, “After two successful years where my show increased the numbers of the previous, political show by as much as 350%, I have re-signed with News Talk 820 and 93.3 WBAP in Dallas, TX. So, I’ll be holding down the 9a-11a slot for at least another 2 years.”