As advertisers push for more automation, attribution, and AI-driven targeting, radio seller and buyers say the future of broadcast radio depends on making traditional audio inventory behave more like digital media while still leaning into what executives argue remains radio’s biggest competitive advantage—its rusted human connection. Speaking during an Adweek panel last week at the Possible conference last week in Miami, iHeartMedia Chief Business Officer Lisa Coffey said the

Despite a new war in the Middle East and the impact of rising inflation on consumers, marketer remained bullish in March. Guideline reports total U.S. ad spending rose 2.8% from a year earlier, producing three consecutive months of expansion for the market during the first quarter. Chief Insights and Analytics Officer Sean Wright said on a recent Guideline podcast that 2026 has had a solid start. “First quarter looks decent, and I think second quarter will probably chug away,

A new report from WARC says marketers are rapidly moving away from traditional advertising measurement methods as artificial intelligence and outcome-based analytics reshape how campaigns are planned, optimized and evaluated. The report, The Future of Measurement 2026 (free account required), identifies three major trends expected to influence the advertising and media industries over the next year: the growing use of outcomes-based measurement, the expanding role of artifici

Federal appeals court judges sharply questioned both sides Thursday in the high-stakes antitrust fight between Cumulus Media and Nielsen repeatedly. During oral arguments in New York, the judges pressed attorneys on whether the courts should be policing pricing negotiations between private companies. They also questioned whether Cumulus had shown the kind of immediate harm necessary to justify a preliminary injunction. The hearing before the Second Circuit focused on Nielsen’

ABC News has released several true crime podcasts under its “20/20” banner. Now those podcasts, as well as audio from the long-running television series and an after-show podcast will be available to listeners in a single stream. ABC News is launching the “20/20 True Crime” channel on TuneIn, which will bring all the content from the iconic news magazine together in one place. “True crime is consistently a top-performing content genre, and we expect it will be a big hit with

Radio continues to hold a meaningful place in Americans’ daily news habits and remains closely tied to the country’s most trusted news category, even as podcasts and creator-driven media reshape how younger audiences consume information, according to a new study from the Media Insight Project. The study finds radio remains a steady part of the media mix, with about a quarter of Americans saying they get news from radio at least once a day. The report also found Republicans ar

A new survey suggests that most streaming viewers in the U.S. are tuning out advertisements entirely, even as ad-supported streaming tiers continue to expand across major platforms. According to a March 2026 survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by All About Cookies, “less than one-quarter of viewers (24%) actually pay attention to streaming ads, while most multitask or disengage.” The findings come as streaming services increasingly rely on advertising to support lower-cost

The New York Times reports its digital advertising revenues increased 31.6% year-over-year during the first quarter to $93 million. “This performance exceeded our expectations and was the result of a clear strategy, capable execution, strong marketer demand and high engagement across the portfolio,” CEO Meredith Kopit Levien told investors on an earnings call. The Times doesn’t release podcast-specific results. But Kopit Levien said it has benefited by expanding its business

Ahead of key hearing set for federal appeals court, Cumulus Media and Nielsen have weighed in on whether the radio group’s pending Chapter 11 case involving should pause their closely watched ratings antitrust fight. The Second Circuit itself raised the issue last month, after acknowledging that Cumulus filed for bankruptcy protection. It directed both sides to explain whether the automatic bankruptcy stay applies to the appeal. Their response is clear. Both companies agree t

Any ill will that concertgoers may have for Live Nation Entertainment — especially following the guilty verdict in the monopoly-based lawsuit of the world’s ⁠largest concert promoter and parent company of Ticketmaster — may be short-lived judging from the continued strong state of the live show business in 2026, based on the company’s first-quarter earnings and the tours set to rock arenas this summer. According to data from LSEG as reported by Reuters, Live Nation posted a t