Podcasting has regained the audience it lost a year ago and the industry's next growth opportunity is turning those listeners into regular users. That is one of the central conclusions in Crowd React Media's newly released "State of Media 2026" report, which finds podcast weekly reach rebounded to 57% of U.S. adults after slipping to 50% in 2025. The recovery returns podcasting to the same level measured in 2024, making it one of just four media categories to regain audience

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that President Trump has the authority to fire congressionally-approved appointees to several government agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission. The 6-3 ruling along ideological lines clears the way for Trump to push Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, out of her seat. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the idea that Congress would need to approve a firing is “incompatible with our constituti

The nation's Black public radio stations are joining forces under a new national alliance aimed at improving financial sustainability, expanding audience reach and increasing collaboration at a time of growing uncertainty for public media. The newly launched Black Public Radio Network (BPRN) brings together 15 public radio stations from across the country, including 12 licensed to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, along with WBGO New York, “The Drop” KUVO-HD2/K284

Mercury Podcast Network founder and CEO Liam Heffernan believes podcasting's biggest monetization opportunity isn't chasing millions of downloads. It's building communities around smaller, highly engaged audiences. Speaking on the "PodBiz" podcast, Heffernan argues the industry has become overly focused on audience size while overlooking what ultimately makes podcasts valuable to advertisers and sustainable for creators. "Building a community around your downloads is where th