The approaching midterm elections are beginning to reshape the podcast charts, with Triton Digital reporting that News was the fastest-growing major podcast genre during the second quarter as personality-driven political shows made some of the biggest moves. At the same time, Comedy widened its lead as podcasting’s biggest category, and creators arriving with established social media audiences are increasingly making their presence known. Triton’s Q2 U.S. Podcast Ranker shows

Sports fans have more ways than ever to follow their teams, with games available through traditional television, streaming services, subscription apps and social media. But the expansion of viewing options hasn’t diminished the appeal of live audio play-by-play, according to a new Audacy Insights blog post, which says a major reason is the connection between fans and the hometown announcers who call their teams’ games. “Fans aren’t necessarily listening because they can’t wat

For the most successful AM drive shows on adult contemporary radio, there are three clear keys to success — the three L’s — live, local, and longevity. That’s the key takeaway from Inside Radio’s TOP 10 AC morning shows, based on persons 6+ weekly cume delivery Mon-Fri 6-10am during Nielsen’s spring 2026 wave (April-June three-month average). Topping the list with a cume north of 900,000 is iHeartMedia “106.7 Lite FM” WLTW New York’s Cubby Bryant and Christine Nagy, both 30-y

There is an old adage that it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese, and in the case of audio it might be time to heat up the fondue pot. Audio spent years playing catch-up with digital media when it came to proving what happened after someone heard an ad. Radio’s massive reach has never been difficult for broadcasters to demonstrate. Showing advertisers what happened after someone heard an ad — using the same attribution and measurement systems available to other media — h

If the future of media planning and buying is artificial intelligence, then it has already arrived. Butler/Till, an independent media agency, has completed the first agentic streaming audio and podcast ad campaign with iHeartMedia. It is believed to be the first time premium streaming audio inventory has been purchased through an AI-powered agentic media buying workflow. "Every major transformation in media begins with a first and we're proud to partner with iHeart on this in

iHeartMedia says new consumer research challenges the perception that Gen Z is abandoning broadcast radio in favor of personalized, on-demand audio. The study, conducted through Critical Mass Media, examines how younger listeners use audio and finds that radio continues to play a significant role in music discovery, social connection, and shared cultural experiences. According to Nielsen data cited by iHeartMedia, broadcast radio reaches 90% of teenagers 13-19 monthly vs. 75%

Nielsen has lost its bid to persuade the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to reconsider its ruling in the closely watched antitrust fight with Cumulus Media, potentially clearing a major procedural hurdle as the two companies negotiate over Westwood One’s continued access to national radio ratings. In a one-page order, the Second Circuit denied Nielsen’s petition seeking either a rehearing by the three-judge panel that decided the appeal or, alternatively, a rehea

Amazon DSP is working with the U.S. radio industry to bring broadcast radio into the same omnichannel advertising and measurement environment as streaming audio, podcasts, connected TV, display and mobile, with broader integration targeted for 2027. Larry Linietsky, Global Head of Audio at Amazon DSP, said during a webinar Wednesday that the company is working with iHeartMedia initially to build the infrastructure needed to connect broadcast-radio exposure with downstream con

The 4As has created two executive positions as part of an organizational restructuring aimed at changing how it develops products, serves members and manages innovation, the organization says in a news release. The U.S. advertising industry trade association representing more than 600 agencies has appointed Brad Mehl as Executive Vice President of Product and Missy Mans as Executive Vice President of Integration, Program Management and Innovation, or IPMI. The new positions a

Podcasting is getting a bigger stage at South by Southwest next year as SXSW makes the medium one of the core pillars of its annual Austin event with the launch of a dedicated Podcast Festival. The new SXSW Podcast Festival will run March 17-20 during SXSW 2027 and will be open to all badge holders. Organizers say it will bring podcast talent, platforms, brands, marketers and other members of the industry together in a dedicated home for the first time. The change elevates po