Radio remains the most trusted and widely used mass medium in the U.S., according to data compiled by the World Radio Alliance (WRA), underscoring its continued strength in a fragmented media landscape. The WRA reports that 79% of U.S. adults age 18 and older consider radio to be very trustworthy or trustworthy, ranking it ahead of newspapers (77%), television (68%), magazines (68%) and social media (28%). The findings highlight radio’s position as a leading source of credibi

Cross-platform digital advertising revenue is expected to anchor local media strategies in 2026 as subscription growth levels off, according to the Local Media Consortium’s annual  Local Media Industry Insights Survey . The findings show that 72% of publishers reported digital revenue was either up or flat in 2025, and 85% anticipate similar performance in 2026. At the same time, publishers reported mounting pressure on subscription growth, with a 383% year-over-year increase

Stingray’s CEO is no longer describing TuneIn as simply an acquisition. He is calling it “a perfect marriage.” And on the company’s fiscal third-quarter earnings call Wednesday, Eric Boyko was clearly in the honeymoon portion of the transaction after the $175 million buyout  of the streaming platform closed in December. He said the deal is already exceeding internal expectations — both on revenue synergies and on the strategic positioning it gives Stingray in advertising and

Comedian and writer Wyatt Cenac has been tapped as the host of the 6th Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio, otherwise known as The Ambies. “Podcasting has become one of the most exciting places for ideas and storytelling,” he says in the announcement. “I’m looking forward to honoring the creators, keeping the energy up, and helping make the night feel as vibey and engaging as the podcasts themselves.” Cenac created, hosted, and executive produced his own late-night show for

The new year bounce back returned in January, as creators debuted 14,712 new podcasts last month. The podcast search engine and database Listen Notes says that is 1,500 more than it rolled out in November as the year-end holiday season typically delays show launches to the new year. The January list of new shows is, however, much shorter than what debuted a year earlier when Listen Notes reported 20,407 shows launched. But there is no shortage of new content to consume. More

Audacy Sports has just released  “State of Audio: Sports Fandom,”  a research-driven guide exploring the shift in sports attention when it comes to media, and what it means for audio — especially during a year with wall-to-wall sports, from international events such as soccer’s FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics to college basketball and football and all four professional sports leagues. Among the takeaways from Audacy’s report: diehard fans are 1.4 times more likely to tune

A query to ChatGPT about whether radio is a good place to advertise comes back with an answer that will put a smile on a sales manager’s face. “Radio can be a killer place to advertise when it’s used for the right job and bought smartly,” the widely-used AI platform responds. ChatGPT says radio is especially strong for local awareness, retail traffic, service categories, and as a reinforcement to a brand’s campaign on digital. “Unlike many digital ads, radio isn’t skipped, bl

iHeartMedia talk KFI Los Angeles (640) is reshuffling its weekday lineup, highlighted by John Kobylt’s return to afternoon drive and the launch of a new midday show pairing Chris Merrill and Michael Monks. Effective Feb. 17, Kobylt moves into the 3-6pm slot — a daypart he dominated for years as half of the former “John & Ken Show.” The move returns one of the station’s most recognizable voices to afternoon drive. Tim Conway Jr. will slide into evenings from 6-10pm, reviving h

Podcast advertising closed out 2025 with a “significant boost” in activity as spending rose by a third (32%) in the fourth quarter versus a year earlier, according to Magellan AI’s Q4 Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report. The firm says momentum accelerated in the final month of the year, pushing overall Q4 spending 17% higher than in Q3 and capping a year marked by steady demand and tightening inventory. October and November both posted solid gains, but December delivered the

“Candace,” the daily podcast hosted by far-right commentator Candace Owens, posted the fastest year-over-year subscriber growth among conservative podcasts in the fourth quarter, according to a new analysis from TheRighting. The show’s Castbox subscriber base more than doubled year over year, jumping 101% to 70,708 subscribers by Dec. 31, 2025, up from 33,657 a year earlier. That gain of 37,051 subscribers made “Candace” the ninth-most subscribed right-leaning podcast on the