iHeart’s Bob Pittman: Radio Provides Connection and Trust In An AI-Obsessed World.

Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, joined MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle for her “Keynote Conversation” Tuesday night to discuss the evolving landscape of news consumption, emphasizing the shift from traditional media to social media and podcasts.

Pittman revealed to Ruhle that iHeartMedia is releasing a new research report titled “The Human Consumer,” the third in the company’s series of in-depth consumer studies. The upcoming study explores public sentiment toward AI, social media, and traditional media – and the findings, Pittman said, underscore radio’s distinct advantage in a fractured media landscape.

“The majority of people say they get their news from social,” Pittman noted, “and the majority of people say they don’t trust it. When you look at radio versus social, it’s about three times the amount of trust with radio. Why? Because radio is real humans. There is no internet. You can’t hack it.”

That trust factor, Pittman added, is reinforced by the emotional bond between listeners and their favorite personalities. While social media may connect people superficially, radio continues to provide companionship and authenticity.

The new iHeart study also delves into how Americans perceive artificial intelligence. Pittman said 70% of respondents report using AI, but an overwhelming 90% still prefer media created by humans.

“And by the way, I'm pretty sophisticated. I don't believe anything... Now, when something pops up on social, I have no idea if that’s real or created by AI,” Pittman admitted. “The good news about radio is it’s guaranteed human.”

Pittman also emphasized that authenticity, not artificial polish, is what keeps audiences engaged and trusting. Radio hosts, he said, thrive not because they deliver headlines but because they share real moments of life: family stories, daily experiences, and relatable conversations.

“Listen to Elvis Duran tomorrow morning. Listen to Ryan Seacrest. Listen to what they're talking about... they're talking about stuff that ordinary humans talk about,” Pittman said.

Despite a fast-changing media environment, Pittman pointed to one enduring metric: reach. “On MSNBC, you might reach 8% of America every month,” he said. “We reach 90% of America every month across all of our different radio stations.”

For Pittman, that reach, built on trust, humanity, and companionship, is what gives radio staying power in an era of algorithm-driven uncertainty.

“People may use AI, but they still want human content,” he said. “That’s what radio delivers every single day.”

Pittman was a guest on “Keynote Conversation” prior to Audiocon2025 in New York City, where the theme is, “The Human Consumer In The Age Of AI And Algorithms.” This year’s panel features powerhouse voices including Jon Bon Jovi, Tracy-Ann (Goodwin) Lim (CMO, JPMorgan Chase), Haley Paas (SVP, Verizon), Beth Ann Kaminkow (CEO, Dentsu North America), and Joel Lunenfeld (CEO, Publicis Media Exchange).

View the full interview HERE.