Audio advertising can create a direct, personal connection with consumers, but marketers need more than reach to make that connection work. According to new insights from iHeartMedia, the strongest audio ads combine authentic voices, clear messaging, thoughtful production and a straightforward call to action. The company argues that effective audio creative should sound more like a conversation than a commercial. Because listeners use their imaginations to create scenes from

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily put a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on hold that had limited broadcasters’ lowest unit ad rate charge requirements to legally qualified candidates. The decision, issued Sept. 4, restores the FCC’s broader interpretation of the political advertising rate provision for now, as the Republican congressional committees pursue further Supreme Court review. The Supreme Court granted an emergency application from the National Republican

Adult contemporary remains radio’s top format, based on Inside Radio’s analysis of average-quarter-hour share data in PPM markets, covering Monday-Sunday 6am-midnight, including shares from Nielsen’s just-released August 2026 survey (covering July 23-August 19). As has been the case all this year, AC has maintained a significant lead in both the persons 18-34 and 25-54 demographics. For August, it’s 1.5 share points ahead of second-ranked country in the former demo (7.9-6.4),

After years of encouraging students to pick up a microphone, NPR is turning to the other end of the age spectrum for its newest podcast talent search. The public radio organization has launched the “Senior Podcast Challenge,” inviting the roughly 60 million Americans age 65 and older to create their own podcasts and compete for a chance to have their work heard on NPR. The move brings NPR’s podcast competition model to the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population and co

U.S. retail sales during the November-December holiday season are expected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time, according to a 2026 holiday forecast from Bain & Company. The consultancy projects holiday sales will increase 4.5% from a year earlier, exceeding the 3.5% growth recorded during the 2025 season. The forecast also cautions that the gains may not translate into equivalent increases in consumer purchasing power. More than half of the expected nominal sales growt

Political eyes are on the Supreme Court today as the general election window requiring broadcasters to offer candidates their lowest unit rates has opened, while the justices consider an emergency request that could determine who qualifies for the discount. The National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee are asking the high court to temporarily restore an FCC policy that extended lowest unit charge eligibility to candidate-party co

For iHeartMedia CHR “Z100” WHTZ New York, everything’s been coming up “Rosas” since 2021, when Crystal Rosas joined the station for PM drive, given two tough acts to follow: Elvis Duran in mornings and Ryan Seacrest middays. With a 1.5 million weekly cume in persons 6+ Mon.-Fri. 3-7pm during Nielsen’s spring 2026 wave (April-June three-month average), Rosas — who also hosts the nationally syndicated “The New Hitlist” nightly on more than 150 iHeartRadio stations — leads Insid

Radio stations across the U.S. are turning the Labor Day holiday weekend into an opportunity for specialty programming, with ’80s music, A-to-Z marathons, live recordings and deeper library cuts among the most common themes. With Labor Day falling Monday, Sept. 7, stations are using the final long weekend of summer to offer programming that goes beyond their regular rotations. The approaches vary by format, but the emphasis is largely on music-intensive features designed to g

After years of encouraging students to pick up a microphone, NPR is turning to the other end of the age spectrum for its newest podcast talent search. The public radio organization has launched the “Senior Podcast Challenge,” inviting the roughly 60 million Americans age 65 and older to create their own podcasts and compete for a chance to have their work heard on NPR. The move brings NPR’s podcast competition model to the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population and co

Premiere Networks is celebrating the 25th anniversary of “The Sean Hannity Show” in national syndication this month, with the news/talk program airing on more than 700 stations and reaching 99% of the U.S. Hannity’s syndicated run launched in September 2001, just before the Sept. 11 attacks. Since then, “The Sean Hannity Show” has built a national audience through Hannity’s commentary on news, politics and issues shaping the country. Premiere says Hannity remains the most-lis