Good Morning! It's Tuesday, April 7..The Pulse Has Your Briefing

Radio Broadcasting

WMAL Has New PD:   Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Luis Segura as Operations Manager for NewsTalk 105.9 WMAL-FM in Washington, D.C., effective May 4th. Segura was previously Program Director for Cumulus San Francisco’s KSFO 810 AM (News/Talk) and Program Director for Cumulus Los Angeles’ KABC 790 AM (News/Talk). Prior to joining Cumulus Media in 2013, he was an Executive Producer for CBS Radio in Chicago for more than 15 years.

Nielsen Audio has launched mSurvey:  The mobile digital diary that began rolling mSurvey lets respondents log seven days of radio listening on a smartphone in real time or shortly after, using e‑screeners, address‑based sampling and digital incentives (Venmo/PayPal/gift cards) to boost response and data quality. Nielsen positions the tool to complement, not immediately replace, paper diaries; initial industry reports indicate mSurvey will comprise roughly 10% of diary samples at the start, expanding as testing continues.

Media Consumption stalls: Global media consumption barely grew in 2025, but radio remained the world’s No. 2 media silo behind television, and PQ Media projects a 2.4% rebound in total consumer time spent with media in 2026, the firm said in its Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast 2026–2030.

Media News

Nexstar–Tegna Court hearing today:  A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking integration after completion of the $6.2B Nexstar–Tegna deal; the court set further briefing and an in‑person preliminary‑injunction hearing Tuesday. The pause is driving new scrutiny of FCC sign‑off and broader local broadcast consolidation concerns. 

Major newsroom layoffs, union actions, and asset sales: March/early‑April roundups show continuing cost cuts and labor tensions: CBS News cut ~6% of staff and plans to shutter CBS News Radio; ProPublica’s union overwhelmingly authorized a strike (AI‑use and job‑security provisions a core issue); and Yahoo sold Engadget to Static Media.

Colbert Replacement: CBS has announced that "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen" will move into its 11:35 p.m. slot after "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" concludes on May 21. The comedy talk show, which premiered in syndication in 2006, is hosted by Byron Allen and features a rotating panel of comedians performing their material. It currently airs on CBS immediately after "The Late Show." Starting May 22, CBS will air back-to-back, half-hour episodes of "Comics Unleashed" Monday through Friday, the network said.

U.S. News

Risky, multiday mission to rescue detailed: Two American airmen whose fighter jet was shot down, stranding them in Iranian territory, involved more than 150 aircraft, a close-range gunfight and a complex CIA-led deception campaign, according to President Donald Trump and administration officials. The operation to rescue the plane's wounded backseat officer from a cliff crevice in Iran, where he'd been hiding for nearly 48 hours, involved 155 aircraft and hundreds of personnel, Trump told reporters at a WH briefing.

NASA Artemis passing close to the Moon pic.twitter.com/jLvGoW1IR9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 7, 2026

Artemis II crew flies begins journey back home to Earth: The four crew members of Artemis II set a distance record for humanity on Monday, April 6 as they flew beyond the lunar surface while over 250,000 miles from Earth. The astronauts are not only the first humans to venture near the moon since NASA's final Apollo era mission in 1972: Just around 2 p.m. ET, the crew surpassed a record distance of 248,655 miles in space, set in 1970 during the infamous Apollo 13 mission, according to NASA. The historic launch of Artemis II drew an audience of over 18 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Michigan powers to 2nd national title:  High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title Monday, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. To no one’s surprise, UConn fought to the finish.

Trump Threatens to Jail Journalist Over Alleged Leak

President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to prosecute a journalist who reported that U.S. forces rescued an airman downed by Iran and were searching for a second, saying the reporter must identify an anonymous source or “go to jail.”

Trump did not name the journalist or news outlet; a White House official told TheWrap an investigation is underway and the administration is seeking to compel the outlet to reveal the source on national security grounds.

Speaking at a press briefing, Trump said “God was watching” the Easter weekend operation that rescued the second airman under a CIA deception campaign, and blamed an alleged leaker for disclosing to an unnamed outlet that a second pilot was missing after the first rescue. “We didn’t talk about the first one for an hour, then somebody leaked something,” he said, adding investigators are “looking very hard” to find the leaker.

Trump said the unauthorized disclosure alerted Iran that a U.S. pilot was missing and “fighting for his life,” called the leaker “a sick person,” and warned the journalist who published the report would face jail if they refused to cooperate.

Press freedom and civil liberties advocates pushed back. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the threat raises “serious press freedom concerns” because journalists’ ability to protect sources is central to newsgathering and public-interest reporting.

National Press Club president Mark Schoeff condemned Trump’s comments as “a direct threat to the First Amendment,” warning that calls to jail reporters who refuse to reveal confidential sources risk chilling constitutionally protected reporting and undermining press freedom.

DC Radio: Luis Segura Promoted At WMAL

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Luis Segura as Operations Manager for NewsTalk 105.9 WMAL-FM in Washington, D.C., effective May 4th.

Segura was previously Program Director for Cumulus San Francisco’s KSFO 810 AM (News/Talk) and Program Director for Cumulus Los Angeles’ KABC 790 AM (News/Talk). Prior to joining Cumulus Media in 2013, he was an Executive Producer for CBS Radio in Chicago for more than 15 years.

Luis Segura

Brian Philips, Chief Content Officer, Cumulus Media, said: “Among our strong field of Cumulus programmers, Luis leapt from the pack as the person possessing the energy and imagination to lead WMAL. Luis visualizes the multi-dimensional future of this big brand. The immense benefit of keeping Luis “In house” is that he will continue to offer expert counsel to our revitalized operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as needed.”

Jeff Boden, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Washington, D.C., said: “We're excited to have a programmer of Luis' caliber to take WMAL forward. As an added bonus, he's spent more than a decade with Cumulus, and I am sure he will hit the ground running.”

Luis Segura said: “I'm incredibly excited to work with the legendary staff of Cumulus' flagship News/Talk. WMAL is packed with national names like Larry O'Connor and Chris Plante, and I can't wait to join the team.”

📻For more information or to stream WMAL, visit: https://www.wmal.com/.

TODAY Welcomes Back Savannah Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie returned to NBC’s “Today” desk Monday for the first time in more than two months since her mother went missing, keeping the broadcast largely businesslike.

At the top of the show she said, “Here we go, ready or not,” and after headlines added, “we are so glad that you started our week with us and it’s good to be home.” Co‑host Craig Melvin welcomed her back and she exchanged a high‑five with him at the end of the first segment.

Authorities say Guthrie’s 84‑year‑old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was taken from her Arizona home and has been missing since Feb. 1 despite an extensive search involving thousands of federal and local officers and volunteers. Savannah Guthrie has said the experience has changed her and made it hard to move forward without knowing what happened.

NBC’s coverage has followed the case closely, but the disappearance was not mentioned during Guthrie’s first hour back; interviews with White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez and military analyst Steve Warren made no reference to her absence. Hoda Kotb, who filled in for Guthrie much of the past two months and conducted her first post‑disappearance interview, was not on set Monday.

“Today” has seen a ratings lift in recent months, averaging 3.1 million viewers for the first quarter of the year—up nearly 9%—surpassing ABC’s “Good Morning America,” which averaged about 2.93 million, while “CBS Mornings” fell to 1.76 million, according to Nielsen. NBC’s totals were also aided by February’s Super Bowl and Winter Olympics.

In an Easter video from her New York church, Guthrie spoke of “moments of deep disappointment with God” and feelings of abandonment, and said she wasn’t sure before returning whether she would feel she still belonged on a show she described as “a place of joy and lightness,” but that she could not stay away because the program is her family.

Nielsen mSurvey Aims To Modernize The Paper Diary Method

Nielsen Audio has launched mSurvey, a mobile digital diary that began rolling into regular diary measurement in Spring 2026, with a hard rollout now underway.

mSurvey lets respondents log seven days of radio listening on a smartphone in real time or shortly after, using e‑screeners, address‑based sampling and digital incentives (Venmo/PayPal/gift cards) to boost response and data quality. Nielsen positions the tool to complement — not immediately replace — paper diaries; initial industry reports indicate mSurvey will comprise roughly 10% of diary samples at the start, expanding as testing continues.

The system was developed and phased in during 2023–2024 to modernize the paper diary method, improve representation of younger and hard‑to‑reach demographics, speed collection and reduce data errors. It is part of a broader set of changes including new eScreener protocols and digital incentives.

Industry observers caution that methodology shifts may change measured listening levels versus paper diaries; the Media Rating Council’s prior actions on diary accreditation in some markets add context to ongoing scrutiny. Broadcasters, agencies and advertisers should expect gradual changes in sample composition and reported audiences as mSurvey adoption grows.

Recommended steps for stakeholders: 1) contact your local Nielsen rep for the rollout schedule and market‑specific impact notes; 2) request bridge or parallel analyses comparing paper‑only and mSurvey‑augmented books; and 3) avoid making major booking or revenue decisions based on a single early mSurvey‑influenced book.

Audio Measurement Advances Increase Brand's Marketing Value

Audio is becoming a priority channel for marketers as innovations in measurement, content production, and AI deliver clearer performance visibility, flexible activation and stronger attribution — allowing audio to combine scalability with accountability.

Measurement advances are the most immediate driver: improved audience qualification, impression-based reporting and cross-platform measurement now give brands actionable metrics on reach, frequency and attributable results across AM/FM, streaming and podcasts. These methodologies enable marketers to move from directional indicators to campaign-level evidence and to optimize media-mix planning.

According to an RAB blog article, new platforms and tools are accelerating that shift. Nielsen’s Media Impact planning data and its Audio Brand Effect database let advertisers benchmark campaigns against years of verified audio norms and pressure-test strategies before launch. Coleman Insights’ Validate (launched 2024) links broadcast radio exposure to real website conversions via on-site conversion tags and a proprietary algorithm, producing true campaign-level attribution.

Automotive remains a stronghold for radio: Edison Research reports AM/FM captures an 85% share of in‑car ad‑supported listening. Xperi DTS AutoStage now delivers near‑real‑time daily in‑car audience measurement from 6 million vehicles across 250 U.S. markets, with time‑spent metrics available today and attribution and retail visitation tracking coming in 2026.

Publishers and networks are using these data-driven capabilities to demonstrate ROI and shorten time-to-response. Cox Media Group’s measured campaigns, for example, showed significant shares of advertiser website visitors had been exposed to radio ads via Validate.

As measurement, production and AI tools continue to mature, audio is being planned and evaluated with the same data rigor applied to other major channels — while preserving radio’s trust, reach and emotional connection.

Portland OR Radio: Audacy Partners With Thorns and Fire

Audacy will become the official radio home of the Portland Fire and Portland Thorns, bringing both teams’ games to radio for the first time as part of a new partnership with the two organizations.

910 ESPN Portland (KMTT-AM) will serve as the flagship for the Portland Fire, kicking off the regular season on May 9 against the Chicago Sky. Select games will also simulcast on 105.1 The Fan (KRSK-FM). During the season, radio broadcasts will include pre- and postgame shows and live on-site coverage.

All Portland Thorns games will air on KNKR-2 (KNRK-HD2) with ten select games airing on 910 ESPN Portland. Coverage started March 13 with the match against the Washington Spirit, led by play-by-play voice Lily Crane and former University of Portland All-American goalkeeper Angela Harrison. Crane will call all games this season with a rotating cast of local soccer icons as color analysts. Fans can also stream all live games on the Audacy app within the Portland area.

“We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Portland Fire and the Portland Thorns to the FAN Sports Network. Our city has long been a leader in supporting women’s sports, and we’re especially excited to welcome the Fire back to Portland after over two decades,” said Ryan Cooley, Senior Vice President of Sales, Audacy Portland. “Serving as the radio home for both teams is an important step in continuing to elevate women’s sports and ensuring fans across the region can follow these athletes, their stories and their success.”

“We are committed to delivering an unparalleled listening experience for our fans of both the Thorns and Fire,” said Michael Whitehead, Sports Managing Director, RAJ. “Audacy Portland shares our passion for this extraordinary community. This partnership reinforces our commitment to bringing fans closer to the team and making games more accessible than ever.”

Listeners can tune in to Audacy Portland stations and connect with them via the social platforms below.

• 105.1 The Fan (KRSK-FM): Instagram, Facebook, and X
• 910 ESPN Portland (KMTT-AM)
• KNKR-2 (KNRK-HD2)

Audacy Sports is the leader in sports audio, reaching more sports listeners than its eight closest competitors combined. As the #1 destination for live sports talk and sports streaming, Audacy delivers an unrivaled portfolio that includes 40 owned-and-operated stations, 160 digital sports channels, and a premier podcast network featuring over 600 titles.

Nashville Radio: Cumulus “Country Concert” To Start CMA Fest Week

Cumulus Media announces that its Nashville Country stations 103.3 Country/WKDF-FM and 95.5 WSM-FM have joined forces to present a can’t-miss Country music-filled rooftop celebration. “Country Kickoff Concert” will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and will kick off this year’s CMA Fest in an incomparable way, with a powerhouse lineup of live Country music performances at Skydeck on Broadway, the largest rooftop venue in Music City.

The concert lineup is stacked with some of the most exciting names in today’s Country scene, including hometown standout Chase Matthew, chart-topping favorite Dustin Lynch, fast-rising newcomer Vincent Mason, and breakout vocalist Alexandra Kay.

With the lights of Broadway as the backdrop, Skydeck will transform into one of the hottest stages in the city, bringing fans an up-close look at artists who are shaping the new wave of Country music. Whether you’re showing up for your longtime favorites or discovering new ones, this night promises big energy and unforgettable performances.

Travis Daily, Vice President of Country, Cumulus Media, and Operations Manager, WKDF-FM and WSM-FM, said: "In the town where all of Country music is made, you have to elevate everything you do and that includes a very special show this year on a rooftop. I would charge your phone before you hit Skydeck on Broadway. This year’s Country Kickoff will be full of moments that are certain to get you likes on your IG!"

“After seeing the incredible energy the crowd brought last year, and feeling the buzz already building in Nashville ahead of CMA Fest, we couldn’t be more excited to roll out an all-new lineup,” said Jennipher Miller, Marketing & Promotions Director, WKDF-FM and WSM-FM. “Our goal is to give our listeners the kind of performances that remind them why they fell in love with Country music in the first place. And if we can help them discover a new favorite artist along the way, that’s the magic of Music City.”

Doors to Skydeck on Broadway open at 6:00 p.m. CT on June 2 and tickets are on sale Friday, April 10th at 8:00am CT. To buy tickets or for more information, visit www.1033country.com or www.955wsm.com.

Radio Remains Second Most Consumed Media Source

Global media consumption barely grew in 2025, but radio remained the world’s No. 2 media silo behind television, and PQ Media projects a 2.4% rebound in total consumer time spent with media in 2026, the firm said in its Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast 2026–2030.

PQ Media found overall usage rose just 0.3% in 2025 to an average 57.65 hours per week, a sharp slowdown from 2.1% growth in 2024. The deceleration was driven largely by the absence of major international sporting events and fewer federal elections in top markets; geopolitical tensions (Russia–Ukraine, Israel–Hamas, tariff disputes) helped sustain digital consumption, boosting online video, audio and podcasts.

Digital media’s share of total consumption climbed to 42.6% in 2025 (from 31.4% in 2020), and in 11 of the top 20 markets — including the U.S. — digital now accounts for more than half of media usage. Ad-supported media represented 52.7% of time spent globally in 2025, down from 55.5% in 2020.

Television remained the most-consumed platform at 27.74 hours per week; radio ranked second globally, ahead of video games, newspapers, film/home video and books. Among digital channels, mobile video posted the fastest growth (13.8%), while OTT video was the most-consumed digital channel at 9.50 hours per week.

PQ Media said AI has had only a minor effect on consumption so far, with AI-powered search sometimes shortening — not lengthening — time spent online. PQ Media CEO Patrick Quinn added that consumers reverted to familiar media habits amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, using media as a form of catharsis.

Steve Kroft Hated Working On '60-Minutes'

Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft told Bill O’Reilly on the “We’ll Do It Live!” podcast that he “hated” his time on the CBS newsmagazine, calling the job relentless, competitive and emotionally intense.

Kroft said the work consumed him “24 hours a day” — travel, interrupted sleep, nonstop beepers, days spent writing scripts and attending screenings — before repeating the cycle. He praised the show’s leadership for valuing “good stories” and said the program’s exposure made reporting “exhilarating,” even after dangerous assignments that left reporters “excited about the fact that you’re alive.”

Kroft also described how contentious it was to join the 60 Minutes newsroom. After he was chosen in 1989, colleagues who wanted the slot reacted with jealousy, turning the workplace into what he called “a snake pit” and leaving him with enemies.

Kroft retired from CBS in 2019 at age 73 after 30 seasons as the show’s longest-tenured correspondent. His career highlights include interviewing Hillary Clinton during Bill Clinton’s presidency, producing a report on insider trading that helped prompt congressional reform, and interviewing President Barack Obama 11 times.

Radio History: April 7

➦In 1897...Walter Winchell born (Died at age 74 from cancer – February 20, 1972). He was a newspaper and radio gossip commentator.

Walter Winchell

Winchell found embarrassing stories about famous people by exploiting his exceptionally wide circle of contacts, and trading gossip, sometimes in return for his silence. His uniquely outspoken style made him both feared and admired, and his column was syndicated worldwide. In the 1930s, he attacked the appeasers of Nazism, and later aligned with Joseph McCarthy in his campaign against communists. He damaged the reputations of Charles Lindbergh and Josephine Baker as well as other individuals who had earned his enmity.

However, the McCarthy connection in time made him deeply unfashionable, his talents did not adapt well for television, and his career ended in humiliation.

He made his radio debut over WABC in New York, a CBS affiliate, on May 12, 1930. The show, entitled Saks on Broadway, was a 15-minute feature that provided business news about Broadway. He switched to WJZ (later renamed WABC) and the NBC Blue (later ABC Radio) in 1932 for the Jergens Journal.

He coined the intro: “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea.”  Later his star would brighten for a new generation when he narrated the TV series The Untouchables.

➦In 1908...Percy Faith was born (Died at age 67 – February 9, 1976),  He was a Canadian bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listening" or "mood music" format. Faith became a staple of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s.

Faith was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He was the oldest of eight children. His parents, Abraham Faith and Minnie, née Rottenberg, were Jewish. He played violin and piano as a child, and played in theatres and at Massey Hall. After his hands were badly burned in a fire, he turned to conducting, and his live orchestras used the new medium of radio broadcasting.

Beginning with defunct stations CKNC and CKCL, Faith was a staple of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's live-music broadcasting from 1933 to 1940, when he resettled in Chicago. In the early 1940s, Faith was orchestra leader for the Carnation Contented program on NBC. From 1948-1949 he also served as the orchestra leader on the CBS radio network program The Coca-Cola Hour (also called The Pause That Refreshes). The orchestral accordionist John Serry Sr. collaborated with Faith in these broadcasts.

In 1945, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He made many recordings for Voice of America. After working briefly for Decca Records, he worked for Mitch Miller at Columbia Records, where he turned out dozens of albums and provided arrangements for many of the pop singers of the 1950s, including Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis for Mathis's 1958 Christmas album titled Merry Christmas, and Guy Mitchell for whom Faith wrote Mitchell's number-one single, "My Heart Cries for You".

His most famous and remembered recordings are "Delicado" (1952), "The Song from Moulin Rouge" (1953) and "Theme from A Summer Place" (1960), which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961.

➦In 1927...Herbert E. Ives and Frank Gray of Bell Telephone Laboratories gave the first dramatic demonstration of mechanical television. The live picture and voice of then Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover were transmitted over telephone lines from Washington, D.C. to New York. The reflected-light television system included both small and large viewing screens. The small receiver had a two-inch-wide by 2.5-inch-high screen. The large receiver had a screen 24 inches wide by 30 inches high. Both sets were capable of reproducing reasonably accurate, monochromatic moving images. Along with the pictures, the sets also received synchronized sound.

The system transmitted images over two paths: first, a copper wire link from Washington to New York City, then a radio link from Whippany, New Jersey. Comparing the two transmission methods, viewers noted no difference in quality.

In 1928, WRGB (then W2XB) was started as the world's first television station. It broadcast from the General Electric facility in Schenectady, NY. It was popularly known as "WGY Television".

➦In 1956…64 years ago today, the first regularly-scheduled, nationally-broadcast rock ‘n’ roll radio show premiered on the CBS Radio Network.

The reputation of disc jockey Alan Freed may have been sullied somewhat by the payola scandal that ran rampant through the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s, but if there’s one thing that’s never been in question, it’s that the man appreciated the merits of rock ‘n’ roll and was one of the genre’s major proponents as it was taking off around America in the ‘50s.

To borrow a concept from Danny and the Juniors, the creation of Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party was a sure sign that rock ‘n’ roll was here to stay – as the magazine Downbeat wrote at the time, “the fan mail we get from all around the country is…a true barometer for the new and exciting beat that has swept the country”. Episodes of the show were recorded for airing on the American Forces Network so that US soldiers stationed overseas could enjoy the latest tunes, and those episodes are the only ones that have survived.

➦In 1967...San Francisco DJ Tom Donahue went on the air at KMPX 106.9 FM for the first time playing what was referred to as progressive rock.