Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins says management is taking an aggressive look at expenses heading into 2027 as the company navigates continued weakness in the advertising marketplace, particularly in radio and national digital. “We’re hyper-focused on cost reductions heading into next year, and we’ve identified $20 million — at least $20 million — of annualized savings thus far that we’re working on and will put into effect,” Liggins told investors during the company’s third-quar

Podcast advertising lost some momentum during the summer, but a September spending rebound and a surge in first-time advertisers suggest the industry is heading into the holiday quarter on stronger footing. Magellan AI's Q3 Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report finds spending increased 18% year-over-year, even as it slipped 1% from Q2. The report also shows more brands testing podcast advertising, while the industry's biggest advertisers are spending more. The 18% annual incre

Garth Brooks is entering the radio ownership business, with his Sevens Network, LLC agreeing to acquire adult alternative “Lightning 100” WRLT-FM (100.1) Nashville from Tuned In Broadcasting. The $3 million transaction is subject to Federal Communications Commission approval. Brooks plans to use the frequency to launch “FM-100,” a country station that will bring together artists from across the format’s history, from established legends to emerging talent. The station also pl

Anywhere there’s adverting, there’s sonic branding, defined as a brand’s audible identity across all channels and touchpoints, often with a short series of notes over a few seconds. Some sonic branding, such as for State Farm or Old Spice, has evolved from decades-old jingles while others, like McDonald’s “Ba da ba ba ba” or Netflix’s “Tudum,” have become synonymous with their brands. While there are plenty of heavy radio advertisers using sonic branding – such as Lowe’s, Aut

Digital audio is proving to be a bright spot in the programmatic advertising business. The Trade Desk, one of the world’s largest independent advertising buying platforms, says audio outperformed every other advertising channel during the third quarter, delivering substantially stronger year-over-year growth even as the company’s overall revenue remained essentially flat. “Audio represented around 7% of the business and posted much stronger year-over-year growth than any othe

iHeartMedia is betting that a major shift in how advertisers buy radio will deliver a significant revenue boost in 2027. With its AudioGraph programmatic platform now rolling out, the company expects to generate approximately $100 million in incremental broadcast radio revenue next year, opening the door to advertising budgets that have historically been directed toward digital media. The projection is part of a broader programmatic expansion that iHeartMedia expects will dou

Citing several advertising effectiveness studies, a new guide to ad success shares the keys to revenue and profit growth. “Advertising rarely works through heavy persuasion or manipulation,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard says in Westwood One’s blog. “Decades of consumer data show it works as a ‘weak force.’ Advertising is a gentle nudge that builds brand awareness and reinforces existing habits, rather than a brute force c

Podcast listening gained momentum in October, with most publishers and networks measured by Podtrac reporting increases in both audience and downloads as the industry moved deeper into the fall. iHeartMedia strengthened its position atop the U.S. rankings, while several publishers posted double-digit growth and “Crime Junkie” extended its run as America’s most-listened-to podcast. Month-over-month growth was positive for most participants in both its U.S. and Global Multi-Cha

Americans’ confidence in local news organizations continues to exceed their trust in national news outlets, with both categories recording gains over the past year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The survey, conducted Sept. 14-20 among 5,193 U.S. adults, found that 75% of Americans have at least some trust in information from local news organizations vs. 62% who expressed similar confidence in national news organizations. Trust in local news increased five per

The progressive podcast “I’ve Had It” is facing backlash and the loss of advertisers after a clip of hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan caught fire online. The clip shows the hosts laughing at a social media post joking about the murder of conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk, prompting several brands to distance themselves from the show. At least nine companies have withdrawn their advertising support, according to Business Insider, including Chewy,