Data taken from multiple sources during this past year – including Nielsen, Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” report and MRI-Simmons – makes a strong case for AM/FM radio when it comes to significantly improving the reach of any media plan, according to an analysis in Westwood One’s blog. “Given that reach is the most significant media sales driver, smart media planners need to identify strategies to grow campaign reach,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Ins

Talks are underway between Cumulus Media and Nielsen over a new deal for Westwood One’s access to national radio ratings, even as their courtroom battle continues. Nielsen discloses in its latest court filing that Cumulus has countered its offer for standalone Nationwide ratings. At the same time, Nielsen is urging a federal appeals court to reject Cumulus’ emergency bid to clear the way for enforcement of an injunction against the ratings company. In a filing with the U.S. C

Veteran radio executive Dan Mason is chronicling more than four decades in broadcasting with the release of his new memoir, “Fearless: The Life and Times of a Media Maverick.” The book takes readers behind the scenes of Mason’s career and the changing radio industry, with stories about working alongside some of the most recognizable figures in radio and media. Mason examines the challenges of leading through an industry transformed by new technology, changing consumer tastes

Dan Bongino first returned to podcasting, and now he is heading back to the radio. Bongino, who rekindled his media relationship with Cumulus earlier this year after leaving as post as FBI Deputy Director, will host a new three-hour weekday radio program alongside Shawn Farash. The series titled “The Bongino Report PM” will be distributed by Cumulus-owned Westwood One beginning next week. “I’m excited to partner with Shawn to bring listeners a daily program focused on the sto

For all the attention paid to programmatic advertising as a way to monetize podcasts, one longtime audio executive says the economics remain pretty simple: unless a show is among podcasting’s biggest, programmatic alone isn’t going to pay the bills. “No one is making money off pure programmatic advertising on podcasts unless you are in the top, top tier of listenership,” says Helen Parker, Managing Director and Co-Founder of podcast agency Strange Magic. Speaking on the “PodB

Artificial intelligence is changing how consumers search, research and shop, giving local advertisers another digital channel to consider as they build marketing strategies. Jenny Sutton, Head of Digital Marketing Solutions at Audacy, says the rapid adoption of tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews and Claude is creating a new path for consumers to discover businesses. In an Audacy Insights article, She argues that marketers should add artificial intelligence optimizat

Cumulus Media has filed an emergency motion in federal appeals court asking a New York court to clear up a procedural question that has temporarily blocked it from trying to enforce a procedural victory it scored last month against Nielsen in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit over national ratings. In a motion filed last week, Cumulus is asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to explicitly declare that its stay of a preliminary injunction against Nielsen ended July 13, when a

According to the rankings of Nielsen’s most listened-to radio formats for 2026-to-date, adult contemporary continues to dominate in both the closely-watched persons 18-34 and 25-54 demographics, while it still finishes second among persons 6+ behind news/talk. The trends, based on Inside Radio’s analysis of average-quarter-hour share data in PPM markets, covering Monday-Sunday 6am-midnight, show AC with an 8.0 share for 18-34 – 1.3 points ahead of CHR, and 1.4 ahead of countr

MediaCo posted second-quarter revenue growth of 9% as digital sales continued to drive the company’s top-line performance, while higher expenses contributed to declines in Adjusted EBITDA and a wider net loss. Net revenue rose to $34 million for the quarter ended June 30, up from $31.2 million a year earlier. Net loss increased 17% to $8.6 million from $7.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell 38% to $942,000 from $1.5 million in Q2 2025. For the first half of 2026, MediaCo reported

Public radio’s overall audience may be on the upswing, but a closer look at the numbers shows the gains are not being distributed evenly across the various formats embraced by noncommercial stations. New analysis from the Radio Research Consortium finds a broadly positive picture in PPM markets, as stations are generally performing better than they were before Nielsen introduced its three-minute listening qualifier in January 2025. News/Talk is performing better among persons