Several studies are giving podcasts high marks for advertising effectiveness, according to Audacy’s latest Insights blog. The research highlights the medium’s ability to deliver measurable results for brands while reinforcing the value of podcast advertising. According to a 2026 Audacy survey of 1,000 adults 18+, 75% of listeners rate ads read or endorsed by podcast hosts as most authentic vs. 54% for social media influencers. Additionally, 55% of listeners say their stronges

The Fourth Circuit is giving the Federal Communications Commission more time to resolve its political advertising rate fight, declining to force a decision by Friday but keeping the threat of court intervention alive after Oct. 1. In a 2-1 order issued Friday, the appeals court said it will defer action on a request from Democratic candidates Sherrod Brown, Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper and Kristen McDonald Rivet to force the FCC to rule on their challenge to its expanded lowest uni

NFL Opening Sunday produced significant audience gains for local radio stations carrying live game coverage, with listening increasing before kickoff and continuing after games ended, according to connected-car data analyzed by Xperi’s DTS AutoStage. Xperi says its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal analyzed real-time connected-car data from flagship radio stations carrying live broadcasts for 12 NFL teams during Opening Sunday on Sept. 13. Across the 12 markets, flagship stati

There was little movement at the top of Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Ranker in August, with iHeart Audience Network maintaining a commanding lead among sales networks and the same three shows holding onto the top three positions on the podcast chart. Triton reports the iHeart Audience Network ranked first with 65.9 million average weekly downloads, up nearly 2% from 64.7 million in June. Audioboom remained second with 14.9 million average weekly downloads, while Cumulus Podc

The 2026 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is approaching, with radio executives, personalities and industry veterans set to gather in Chicago Oct. 8 to celebrate this year’s class of inductees and Legends. The ceremony will be held at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, and tickets remain on sale through the Radio Hall of Fame. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Museum of Broadcast Communications, which is home to the Radio Hall of Fame. Purchase Radio Hall

Marketers may think they know what young radio listeners want, but new iHeartMedia research suggests some of their assumptions about Gen Z are badly out of sync with what the generation is actually listening to. Asked which radio formats they expect teens to listen to, 54% of marketers named hip-hop/R&B, making it easily their top choice. CHR (Pop/Top 40) followed at 40%, alternative at 27%, while country and R&B/throwbacks were each named by 26%. Actual listening looks consi

A Friday deadline is now at the center of the political advertising rate fight, with four Democratic candidates making a final push for a federal appeals court to force the Federal Communications Commission to decide their challenge to its expanded lowest unit charge policy by today (Sept. 18). Sherrod Brown, Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper and Kristen McDonald Rivet are asking the Fourth Circuit to reject the FCC’s argument that it needs more time — including a newly opened public-co

LG Electronics is expanding its partnership with iHeartMedia through a national sponsorship of the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival, bringing its free, ad-supported LG Radio+ audio streaming service to the two-night event Sept. 18-19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. LG Radio+ will be featured at the iHeartRadio House of Music, a free mixed-reality experience outside the arena that will be open to the public from 4pm to 1pm PT both days. The activation will include interactive r

Podcast listeners may be especially receptive to audio-led advertising — and that advantage appears to follow them even when they leave the podcast feed. New research from Consumable and Edison Research unveiled Wednesday at the IAB Podcast Upfront finds monthly podcast consumers outperformed the broader population across every ad-response metric measured. They were more likely to like the advertising and say it held their attention, while the tested brand recorded a larger i

Audacy’s WFAN-AM/FM (660/101.9) New York, which became America’s first all-sports radio station in 1987, tops Inside Radio’s TOP 10 ranking of sports-formatted stations in PPM markets, based on weekly cume delivery of persons 6+ during Nielsen’s Q2 2026 wave (April-to-June three-month average). WFAN, a former NAB Marconi Award winner of Sports Station of the Year and Legendary Station of the Year, comes closest to the million-cume mark at 953,400. The flagship of the Yankees,