AM/FM radio remains the dominant force in U.S. audio consumption, with 84% of adults aged 25-64 tuning in weekly, according to the newly released 2026 FMR/Eastlan Ratings National Radio Listening Survey. This reach has held steady for the past five years, demonstrating remarkable resilience amid the rise of digital alternatives.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Study Finds Radio's Reach Of Adults 25-64 Remains Strong
AM/FM radio remains the dominant force in U.S. audio consumption, with 84% of adults aged 25-64 tuning in weekly, according to the newly released 2026 FMR/Eastlan Ratings National Radio Listening Survey. This reach has held steady for the past five years, demonstrating remarkable resilience amid the rise of digital alternatives.
Deloitte's Media & Entertainment Outlook Highlights AI
Deloitte's 2026 Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook, released in early March 2026, warns that the media landscape is becoming dramatically more crowded and competitive as AI-generated content floods social feeds, platforms, and screens—redefining what "quality" means and forcing traditional players to adapt quickly or risk losing ground.
- AI's flood of content — Generative AI dramatically lowers barriers to creation, enabling an explosion of material across formats. This abundance raises the stakes for differentiation, as sheer volume dilutes visibility and challenges traditional notions of premium production value.
- Evolving definitions of quality — With AI tools producing near-professional outputs (including approaching Hollywood-level video), audiences increasingly prioritize relevance, authenticity, engagement, and personalization over pure production polish. "Quality" is becoming more subjective and audience-defined.
- Cross-platform audience intelligence — Success hinges on understanding viewer behavior across fragmented ecosystems (social media, streaming, gaming, short-form video, podcasts/vodcasts). Companies must invest in sophisticated, unified data insights to capture and retain attention effectively.
- Efficiency imperatives — AI isn't just for content generation; it's essential for streamlining operations, reducing costs, and scaling production in a margin-pressured environment.
CNN Deletes Tone-Deaf Story About Teens Arrested At NYC Protest
There's been condsiderable backlash to a CNN story centered on a now-deleted social media post (tweet on X) about two Pennsylvania teenagers arrested in New York City for allegedly throwing homemade bombs (improvised explosive devices, or IEDs) during a protest outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence (Gracie Mansion) on Saturday.
The incident involved Emir Balat, 18 (a high school senior from Langhorne, Bucks County, near Philadelphia), and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19 (from Newtown, also Bucks County).
CNN's original X post framed the story this way: "Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather. But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home. Here's what we know so far."
R.I.P.: Tommy DeCarlo, Longtime Lead Singer For Boston
Tommy DeCarlo, the longtime lead singer of the classic rock band Boston, has died at the age of 60. DeCarlo passed away on Monday, following a battle with brain cancer.
Fox Reports Seven Consecutive Quarters Of Revenue Growth
Fox News Media's advertising revenue continues to surge, with executives at Fox Corp. seeing significant further growth potential in ad pricing and overall company performance.
Good Morning! Time To Check The Pulse for Wednesday, March 11
Radio BroadcastingNielsen's mSurvey Launch Modernizes Diary Measurement: Nielsen Audio's mobile survey (mSurvey) continues to generate buzz as a major step forward for radio audience measurement. Officially launched earlier in March (with rollout starting in the Spring 2026 survey period), mSurvey shifts the traditional paper diary system to a smartphone-friendly digital format. It targets higher engagement, especially among younger, diverse, and harder-to-reach demographics (e.g., Black, young, and renting households initially), while traditional diaries remain for others.
Media Industry
Trust and Audience Shifts in News Media: Pew Research updates show declining confidence in journalists (e.g., only 56% of U.S. adults have some trust in national news orgs, down significantly year-over-year), with younger audiences favoring platforms over brands. This ties into broader trends of "fake news" narratives and platform convenience eroding traditional media.
U-S News
Intensified U.S. Airstrikes on Iran: The Pentagon described this as the "most intense day" of strikes yet against Iranian targets, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighting massive air assaults. The U.S. reportedly struck over 5,000 targets overall in the campaign, destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, and intercepted most Iranian ballistic missiles (down 90% effectiveness claimed). At least 140 U.S. service members have been wounded so far, with ongoing operations emphasizing that Iran is "badly losing."Escalating Tensions and Oil Market Impacts: Iran threatened to block oil exports through key routes like the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation, prompting U.S. warnings of severe consequences. Global oil prices have seen sharp fluctuations—spikes earlier in the week followed by drops amid the uncertainty—directly affecting U.S. gas prices and economy.
Nielsen Claims mSurvey Launches New Era of Radio Measurement
Nielsen Audio launchea its mobile survey (mSurvey) this Spring, introducing a smartphone-based electronic option for respondents to log radio listening as part of the ongoing modernization of its diary-based audience measurement system.
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| Rich Tunkel |
- eScreener: A digital tool for collecting household demographics and contacts, which eased recruitment of hard-to-reach, digitally inclined groups and created a more balanced sample from the start.
- Digital incentives: Added alongside mailed cash/checks, with redeemable rewards at major retailers and payment platforms. These appealed strongly to younger listeners, achieving a 94% redemption rate in initial rollout.
- Targeted reselects: Re-inviting past-participant households with 18-34 members, yielding a 14-point increase in 18-34 sample proportionality in one season; the program continues for sustained youth representation.
- 100% address-based sampling (fall 2024): Replaced phone-based recruiting—which skewed older (55+)—with physical addresses for more accurate reflection of local market demographics.
Study: Sports Fans Fed Up with Fragmented Viewing Options
A new study reveals that sports fans are increasingly frustrated by the fragmentation of viewing options across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, making it difficult to simply find and watch their favorite games.
Analyst: YouTube Is World’s Biggest Media Company
YouTube has been crowned the world's largest media company by revenue in 2025, according to influential research firm MoffettNathanson.
Local Radio Networks Acquires Radio Workflow
Steve Swick, Chief Executive Officer of Local Radio Networks, said, “Uniting with Radio Workflow brings together unprecedented cost saving opportunities, as well as the best 24/7 music programming across the radio dial for Small and Medium Market station owners and operators, allowing them to focus on growing their business up and down the Main Streets of their local communities. Broadcasters no longer have to concentrate their personnel on programming and operations; instead, they gain both in a single, integrated solution designed by leaders in Middle-Market Radio, who understand the unique demands of Small and Medium Market radio owners.”
LRN’s rapid expansion to 875-plus affiliated stations has been driven by its ability to deliver nineteen highly researched 24/7 music formats with maximum localization of content and control features that owners and operator’s demand. Radio Workflow’s technology solution transforms broadcasting’s back-end office into a modern, cloud-based platform that simplifies traffic, billing, creative, and production. The merger unites both company’s strengths — programming and automation, content, and technology — under one roof, giving radio broadcasters a single, one-stop solution to drive growth and efficiency not offered by any competitor.
Broadcasters Foundation Hosts Celebrity-Filled Gala
Broadcasting’s biggest personalities mixed with television stars and media celebrities last evening as the Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) transformed The Plaza in New York City into a who’s who of the industry at its annual gala, drawing nearly 300 leaders from radio and television for a night that celebrated broadcasting excellence while raising funds for colleagues in need.
FOX 5’s Natasha Verma hosted the evening’s program as industry leaders, on-air talent, and media executives gathered in support of the Broadcasters Foundation’s charitable mission.
Proceeds from the gala support the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s work providing financial assistance to broadcasters and their families facing acute hardship due to illness, accident, or natural disaster.
Pictured above (L to R): BFOA President Tim McCarthy, Stephen A. Smith, Judge Judy Sheindlin; Mark Lazarus; BFOA Chair Scott Herman; and Ernest A. Liebre (Photo Credit: Ricardi Media)
Radio History: March 11
➦In 1903... Lawrence Welk born in Strasburg, ND (Died May 17, 1992). He was a musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the TV program The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known to his large audience of radio, television, and live-performance fans (and critics) as "champagne music"
During the 1920s, he performed with various bands before forming an orchestra. He led big bands in North Dakota and eastern South Dakota, including the Hotsy Totsy Boys and the Honolulu Fruit Gum Orchestra. His band was also the station band for the popular radio programming WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota.
When he settled in for 10 years at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, his dance remotes developed a national radio following. In 1951 Welk began weekly appearances on KTLA Los Angeles, which led to an ABC television show beginning in 1955. His show was near the top of the ratings throughout the 1950’s and ’60s.
His big hit was the 1961 million-seller, Calcutta.
➦In 1925..President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration was broadcast live on 21 radio stations across the United States. This event marked a significant milestone in radio broadcasting history as one of the earliest instances of a presidential inauguration being transmitted to a wide audience in real time. It demonstrated radio’s growing capability to connect the nation, paving the way for future political broadcasts, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous "Fireside Chats" starting in 1933.
➦In 1969...After several failed auditions for Motown Records, Berry Gordy Jr. signed The Jackson Five to a contract. Gordy sent them to Hollywood in July, hiring Suzanne de Passe to become their mentor.
Starting in August, the Jackson Five performed as the opening act for the Supremes, whose lead singer Diana Ross was planning to leave for a solo career at the end of the year. The group then recorded their first single "I Want You Back", written by the Corporation which consisted of Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Alphonzo Mizell with Gordy as a fourth partner. In October, their first single for Motown was released and the group promoted it while performing at the Hollywood Palace with Ross hosting. In December, the brothers made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and their debut album 'Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5' was released that same month.
➦In 2009...WXRK 92.3 FM NYC changed to Top40.
















