TALKERS News Notes
iHeartMedia Sets Q3 Results Report Date. iHeartMedia will present its financial results for the third quarter of 2026 on Monday November 9 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.
WWO and Silverloch Announce Election Day Coverage. Westwood One and Silverloch are presenting special Election Day programming for Tuesday, November 3, featuring Dan Bongino, Vince Coglianese, Hayley Caronia, and Shawn Farash. The day’s programming ends with a special Election Night edition of “The Dan Bongino Show,” streaming live on Rumble starting at 8:00 pm ET.
downloads for participating shows. iHeart Audience Network’s “Stuff You Should Know” is #1, followed by Audioboom’s “Pod Save America” at #2 and iHeart Audience Network’s “My Favorite Murder” at #3. Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” remains ranked #4. Other talk radio-related podcasts of note include “Armstrong & Getty On Demand slipping one spot to #12, “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show falling three paces to #19, and Salem Podcast Networks’ “The Charlie Kirk Show” sliding two spots to #21. 
blend of breaking news, insightful commentary, and sharp analysis of the issues driving the national conversation.” The one-hour program is delivered Monday-Friday at 5:00 am ET. Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “What’s better than Dan Bongino in the morning and afternoon? Twice a day with Dan Bongino coverage! On the heels of launching ‘The Bongino Report FM,’ we’re thrilled to now offer listeners Dan Bongino in the morning with The Bongino Report AM.” Westwood One says this program will be “comprised of edits from his podcast and other fresh content.”
growth include: SiriusXM’s “Megyn Kelly Show” – up 115% among weekly U.S. consumers 13+; Cumulus Podcast Network’s “Shawn Ryan Show” up 107%; “The Tucker Carlson Show” – up +13%; Premiere Networks’ “Glenn Beck Program – up 11%; and Premiere’s “Sean Hannity Show” – up +5%. Edison says its data indicates Cumulus Podcast Networks’ “Dan Bongino Show” lost the most audience – down 62% – but notes that Bongino’s leave from the business to serve as Deputy Director of the FBI is likely a factor. Elsewhere, podcasts shedding audience include The Daily Wire’s “Ben Shapiro Show” – down 19%; and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “Mark Levin Show” – down 16%. 
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.”
downloads for participating networks – and “The Joe Rogan Experience” is #1, followed by audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” at #2 and The New York Times’ “The Daily” at #3. Other podcasts of interest to TALKERS readers include: “The Tucker Carlson Podcast” at #19, “The Ramsey Show” at #30, “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #34, “The Megyn Kelly Show” at #43, and “The Dan Bongino Show” at #66. Triton also notes in this quarterly report that the top podcast categories by reach remain Comedy (43.6%), News (23.7%), and Society & Culture (21.2%). 
has climbed up Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Ranker, finishing at #3 for the February 2026 period. Audioboom’s “Pod Save America” displaced iHeart Audience Network’s “Stuff You Should Know” for the #1 spot. Elsewhere, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” fell two places to #6 as did iHeart Audience Network’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” which landed at #12. 
participating networks. In order from #1 to #5 are NPR’s “NPR News Now,” The New York Times’ “The Daily,” “Up First from NPR,” NBC Universal’s “Dateline NBC,” and FOX Audio Networks’ “FOX News Hourly Update.” Other talk radio-related shows of note include DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #7 and Silverloch’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #9. 
Media | Westwood One says, “The relaunch marks Bongino’s most extensive digital commitment to date, designed to meet increasing audience demand for long-form and in-depth content. The two-hour format strengthens the show’s position as a major voice in independent media, offering a highly engaging, daily destination for listeners seeking headline analysis, guest interviews, cultural commentary, and special ‘Bongino Army’ segments.” Bongino comments, “I’m excited to get back behind the mic and reconnect directly with the audience. This show has always been about cutting through the noise and talking honestly about what matters. We’re coming back bigger, bolder, and always unfiltered — exactly how people want it.” Westwood One and Cumulus Podcast Network president Collin Jones adds, “Dan Bongino is back! Few voices in talk media command the loyalty and firepower that Dan brings. His audience? Formidable. His influence? Undeniable. This promises to be an incredible journey as Dan drives the national conversation daily on the most important issues at hand, with authority that has been hard-fought and well-earned. Westwood One is beyond proud to help power the next chapter of ‘The Dan Bongino Show.’”
announcement via a post on X, saying: “I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January. I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.” President Trump commented on Bongino’s departure saying, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.” Now, the speculation begins as most industry watchers expect Bongino to return to the conservative talk media ecosystem, where will he resume his media career?
8.4% excluding the $6.9 million impact from discontinuing the DailyWire and Dan Bongino relationships. The company posted a net loss of $20.4 million compared to net loss of $10.3 million in Q3 2024. Cumulus breaks down its revenue by segment and reports that its broadcast radio spot revenue declined 13.1% to $83.7 million, while network revenue fell 26.5% to $31.2 million. Total broadcast revenue was 
$114.9 million, a decrease of 17.2% from the same period in 2024. Cumulus president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “In an advertising environment that remained challenging for legacy media, we continued to outperform. We once again gained market share in total broadcast spot as well as in digital, where our market share gains reflected the strong growth of our digital marketing services business, which was up 34% in the quarter. Additionally, we remained highly focused on re-engineering the business, reducing annualized fixed costs by $7 million and accelerating our efforts to implement a wide array of AI initiatives to drive efficiencies and enhance growth. These results underscore our disciplined focus on optimizing performance in areas that we can control. While we do not expect the current headwinds to abate in the near-term, we remain confident in our ability to position the company for long-term success through strong execution and by maximizing value from the company’s underlying assets.”
is being distributed in the same daypart – 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET – as Dan Bongino’s show prior to the latter’s giving up his media role to take on the deputy director at the FBI. Trump addressed the issue of Greenland and Vice President J.D. Vance’s trip there this week, saying, “We have to have that land because it’s not possible to properly defend a large section of this Earth – not just the United States – without it.” The president also addressed the Signal group chat matter, telling Coglianese that it was possibly an innocent error made by a lower-level staffer for national security advisor Mike Waltz. He noted that it did not impact the success of the attack, but that they would determine how the error happened so it would not happen in the future.
“Up First” at #2. Remaining at #3 is Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show.” Moves of note in February include iHeartRadio’s “The Daily Show: Ears Edition” rising five places to #20; Audacy’s “We Can Do Hard Things” falling six places to #25; and iHeartRadio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” dropping eight places to #37. The Triton Digital U.S. Podcast Ranker is based on weekly average downloads. 
respectively. Other podcasts of note include Cumulus Podcasts Network’s “Shawn Ryan Show” at #5 and Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #6. DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” rises three spots to the #10 rank in February and The New York Times’ “Ezra Klein Show” debuts on the chart at #15. 
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.”
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.”
First” at #2, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #3 and iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” at #4. Changes of note during the January period include: Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show” rises three spots to the #5 rank; Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” dips two places to the #8 rank; iHeartRadio’s “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” rises one place to #14; and iHeartRadio’s “Armstrong & Getty On Demand” shoots up five places to the #18 rank. 
Times’ “The Daily,” followed by NPR’s “NPR News Now” at #2 and NPR’s “Up First” at #3. Some moves of note include Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” sliding from #4 to #5, The DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” dipping two spots to #11, and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show” rising to one spot to #12. 
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.
The New York Times’ “The Daily” remains #1, followed by NPR’s “NPR News Now” at #2 and “Up First” at #3, with NBC News’ “Dateline NBC” at #4. Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” leaps four spots to the #5 rank and the DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” jumps two spots to the #6 rank, while FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” falls two places to #8. 
NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” jumps two spots to #2, bumping audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” to #4. NPR’s “Up First” remains in the #3 position. Other radio-related podcasts of note include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” rising one spot to #6, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” slipping two places to #17, and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Mark Levin Show” falling three spots to #27. 
First” are #2 and #3, respectively, with NBC News’ “Dateline NBC” at #4. Other talk radio-related podcasts of note include The Daily Wire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” rising two spots to #7, iHeartPodcasts’ “Stuff You Should Know” up two places to #9, and Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” up one spot to #11. 
New York Times’ “The Daily” at #2 and NPR’s “Up First” at #3. News/talk radio-related podcasts finishing in the top 20 include DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show,” down one place to #9, Dan Bongino’s “The Dan Bongino Show” steady at #11, and FOX Audio Network’s “The FOX News Hourly Update” up one place to #15.