Monday Memo: AI Can’t Fake Real
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
In Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology (2026, Wiley Books) Dara Simkin and Tane Hunter describe a 2026 media landscape where people face information overload, shrinking attention spans, negativity fatigue, algorithmic manipulation, and constant distraction.
The irony is that radio may win the future not by becoming more like technology, but by becoming more human. In an age of artificial everything, that’s the sustainable competitive advantage local radio has. And the more crowded the media landscape becomes, the more valuable radio’s unique strengths become.
Consider what today’s digital platforms do best. They personalize content as algorithms learn what users like and deliver more of it. Streaming services can build custom playlists. Social media feeds are tailored to individual interests. AI can generate content instantly.
What those platforms cannot do is belong to a community. Spotify doesn’t know why I-95 is jammed. TikTok doesn’t care that the town council just approved a controversial zoning change. An AI-generated playlist can’t tell listeners where to find shelter during a storm or why Friday night’s high school football game matters. Local radio can. And as media becomes increasingly global, local content becomes increasingly scarce. And scarcity creates value.
Citing research, the book points to another opportunity: Digital platforms are optimized to trigger emotion, especially outrage and conflict – the 1990s talk radio caricature on steroids. The result is a public that often feels overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious.
Listeners want information, and are looking for context, usefulness, connection, and (dare we?) a reason to smile. Stations willing to do more than simply amplify the argument du jour become indispensable. Winners deliver local information, from trusted voices, a genuine connection that answers the listener’s constant question: “What’s in this for me?”
Click here to read a free sample chapter of “Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology.”
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
Director of Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation (MGH Voice Center). Dr. Zeitels says, “The Broadcasters Foundation has done amazing work over many years. I am impressed with their transparency and their commitment to providing aid to broadcast industry individuals in dire need. I am pleased that VHI will partner with the Foundation to help educate broadcasters throughout the US about voice problems they may be experiencing.” Through the efforts of Dr. Zeitels, Julie Andrews (the iconic actress who lost her singing voice) joined VHI at its incorporation as its Honorary Chairwoman. Dr. Zeitels is her current physician and surgeon. Since then, legendary vocalists Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Roger Daltrey of The Who, Lionel Richie, and Keith Urban as well as broadcasters such as Joe Buck and Dick Vitale have provided invaluable support to the VHI to forward its mission. 
Does anyone care anymore?
Jacksonville. Both stations will air the full slate of FOX Sports Radio programs. These format flips spell the end of the “Accion Radio Network” airing Spanish-language news/talk and information. iHeartMedia North Florida area president Paul Rogers says, “We remain fully committed to providing the best quality entertainment and information to the Hispanic residents on the First Coast and will continue to explore ways we can increase our impact there. The opportunity to return the FOX Sports brand to its original home on AM 930 in Jacksonville was simply too good to pass up. Its appeal cuts across and unites every segment of our community.”
It may seem impossible, but you need to stay in your lane.
The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s August PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s August 2023 sweep covered July 20 – August 16. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, Red Apple Media news/talk WABC-AM/WLIR-FM dips one-tenth to finish the survey with a 3.1 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but rises to the #10 rank. At Audacy’s crosstown all-news WINS-AM/FM, the station is flat at a 4.9 share but falls to the #7 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia news/talk KFI adds six-tenths for a 4.8 share finish that lifts it to the #3 rank, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news KNX-FM rises one-tenth for a 2.9 share good for the #12 rank. Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP, Dallas rises four-tenths to a 4.3 share that lifts it from the #9 to the #4 rank, and Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta tacks on one-tenth to finish the survey with a 6.6 share and remains ranked #3. 
