Wall Street sees more consolidation ahead for the radio industry, but getting deals done may require a different approach. With debt weighing on some companies and investors reluctant to put fresh money into the business, Apollo Global Management partner Aaron Sobel says stock-for-stock mergers are likely to be the industry's best path forward. Speaking at NAB Show New York on Wednesday (Oct. 21), Sobel said the FCC's support for consolidation has created an opportunity for r

Clay Travis has built a media business that reaches audiences across radio, television and digital platforms, and he believes the key to succeeding in today’s fragmented media environment is a willingness to experiment. With consumers facing more entertainment choices than ever, the radio and TV host says broadcasters can’t afford to rely on the same distribution strategies that built their audiences in the past. “You have to be experimental. I’m a data guy, but I’ll try a lo

Radio broadcasters are discovering that podcasting can do more than extend the reach of their existing programming. It can bring in younger audiences who may never tune in to their radio stations, attract advertisers who might not otherwise buy local radio, and create entirely new businesses that no longer depend on driving listeners back to the broadcast signal. For Hubbard Radio, that shift is already well underway. The company’s SKOR North podcast network, built around Min

Podcast advertising spending surged to a new 2026 high in September, with the top 15 advertisers investing a combined $72.1 million, according to Magellan AI estimates. That’s a jump of more than 16% from August’s $61.9 million total, the year’s previous high. The September increase was especially broad-based, with 14 of the 15 biggest advertisers boosting spending month-to-month. The September results mark a notable acceleration after months of relatively consistent spending

Just as Nielsen Scarborough has done for NFL and college football, with the start of the NBA season comes its just-released NBA Fandom Index, ranking the pro basketball markets with the most engaged fan bases, and showing the importance of radio listening along with other fandom metrics, including game attendance, TV viewership, streaming, social media activity, apparel purchases and overall interest level. The results, Nielsen’s report says, show “a powerful narrative of hea

The National Association of Broadcasters has announced the winners of the 2026 Marconi Radio Awards, recognizing stations and on-air personalities across the country. Boston, Houston and other markets scored multiple honors, while Hubbard Radio Washington, DC, President and General Manager Joel Oxley received the NAB National Radio Award for his contributions to broadcasting and local journalism. The awards were presented last night at New York’s Edison Ballroom, on the eve o

Radio’s opportunity in podcasting starts with its talent, according to the final webinar in The Podcast Study 2026 series, which outlines ways broadcasters can use hosts, content and audience engagement to strengthen listener loyalty and create new revenue opportunities. The study, based on 1,205 podcast consumers ages 18-54, finds that 74% listen to local radio weekly or more, including 46% who listen daily. That overlap gives radio broadcasters a substantial audience to rea

Talk radio host Clay Travis is expanding a popular feature that was part of his former Fox Sports Radio program “Outkick the Coverage” into a full-fledged weekly podcast. The new series “Animal Thunderdome” features Travis and co-host “Danny G” Garite as they share viral wildlife stories and hard-to-believe stories of attacks and bizarre escapes, unexpected heroes and the strange moments only nature can create. “America has demanded that the ongoing battle between humans and

Meta is betting that the future of audio listening may be something consumers wear on their faces rather than in their ears. The technology company is putting music, podcasts and artificial intelligence at the center of its expanding smart glasses business, envisioning a world where audio becomes a seamless part of everyday life without requiring headphones or even a smartphone in hand. The strategy reflects a broader shift in how technology companies are thinking about audio

The Supreme Court denies roughly 99% of all petitions asking it review lower court decision, and Cumulus Media is playing those odds in its ongoing legal battle with Nielsen. The radio group is choosing not to challenge Nielsen’s bid for Supreme Court review, at least for now, even as two outside groups are urging the justices to take up the radio ratings antitrust case. Both groups argue that the appeals court ruling against Nielsen could have consequences far beyond broadca