Twin Cities: WCCO's Steve Simpson Unveils Retirement

Steve Simpson, a longtime staple of WCCO Radio’s morning show, signs off for the final time Thursday after nearly a dozen years at the heritage Twin Cities station.

The 62-year-old news anchor and editor, known for his dry humor, deep knowledge of the news, and steady presence during breaking stories and severe weather, announced his retirement in April. He cited being “worn out” and a desire to pursue other interests after a broadcasting career spanning more than 40 years.

Listeners have flooded the station with messages of appreciation in recent days, a response Simpson described as humbling. “I’ve always been fascinated by the connection, the intimacy and camaraderie you get from radio,” he said in a recent interview. “But you can still forget that people are sometimes listening to every word you say.”

Simpson joined WCCO in October 2014 after more than two decades at WIBC in Indianapolis. He quickly became a key part of the morning team alongside host Vineeta Sawkar, delivering news at the top of the hour while contributing commentary and asides that listeners grew to love.

Good Morning! Here's Your Pulse Briefing For July 2

Radio Broadcasting

On Demand Grows: Edison Research’s Share of Ear® data continues to show a sustained 12-year shift in U.S. audio consumption from linear broadcasts to on-demand platforms, with on-demand audio now accounting for 56% of all listening time in 2026.

WCCO Retirement: Steve Simpson, a longtime staple of WCCO Radio’s morning show, signs off for the final time Thursday after nearly a dozen years at the heritage Twin Cities station.

Market Jump: Keith Kennedy, longtime morning host at iHeartMedia’s 98.1 WKDD in Akron, Ohio, is leaving the station’s morning show after 16 years to take over mornings at Classic Hits “Majic 105.7” WMJI in Cleveland.

Media Industry

Right Time For Primetime: FOX News Channel (FNC) ended the week of June 22nd with 2.6 million weekday primetime viewers and 233,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo, surpassing ABC (2.4 million viewers), NBC (2.4 million viewers) and CBS (2 million viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel.

WNT Scores 2Q Win: ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir” won the 2nd quarter of 2026, standing as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.200 million), Adults 25-54 (1.010 million) and Adults 18-49 (753,000), based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research.

Audience Growth: NBC touted June as its fifth straight month of year-over-year audience growth across total viewers and key advertising demographics. The network also said “Nightly News” posted its largest June audience in six years and recorded multiple daily demo victories over ABC during the month.

U-S News

On The Road Again:AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, July 5. This year’s domestic travel forecast surpasses last year’s record of 71.8 million travelers, but the increase is smaller than recent year-over-year gains.

Trump's Media Haul: President Trump's 2025 financial disclosures reveal $80 million in settlement income from lawsuits against major media and tech companies.

Come Fly With Me: President Trump on Wednesday took his maiden flight on his long-awaited new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 luxury jet that was given to the U.S. by the Qatari government.

Time Spent With Audio: On-Demand Widens Lead

Edison Research’s Share of Ear® data continues to show a sustained 12-year shift in U.S. audio consumption from linear broadcasts to on-demand platforms, with on-demand audio now accounting for 56% of all listening time in 2026.

The latest Share of Ear® report documents on-demand sources — primarily streaming music services and podcasts — pulling clearly ahead of traditional linear audio such as AM/FM radio and satellite radio. 

The crossover occurred in 2023, when the two categories tied after eight years of steady gains by on-demand platforms. On-demand has continued to widen its lead, reaching 56% of total audio time in 2026.The trend has been remarkably consistent. In 2020, three years before the tie, linear audio held a 12-percentage-point advantage over on-demand. That same 12-point margin now favors on-demand, but in the opposite direction. Edison Research notes this steady, predictable migration as one of the clearest megatrends tracked since Share of Ear® began.

When the study launched, linear audio (AM/FM and satellite radio) dominated American listening habits by a wide margin. 

Over the following years, listeners gradually moved time to more flexible, user-controlled options. The data illustrate a fundamental change in how people discover, select, and consume audio content, moving from scheduled programming to personalized, on-demand experiences.

This long-term pattern underscores broader shifts in media behavior driven by smartphone adoption, unlimited data plans, and the proliferation of streaming services. Edison Research continues to monitor the trend as on-demand platforms maintain their forward momentum.

72.2M Americans Expected to Travel

AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, July 5. This year’s domestic travel forecast surpasses last year’s record of 71.8 million travelers, but the increase is smaller than recent year-over-year gains. The number of travelers driving and flying to their destinations is relatively flat compared to last year, while travel by other modes is the category seeing the biggest increase.

“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.”

TV Ratings: FNC Surpasses ABC, NBC, and CBS in Weekday Primetime

FOX News Channel (FNC) ended the week of June 22nd with 2.6 million weekday primetime viewers and 233,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo, surpassing ABC (2.4 million viewers), NBC (2.4 million viewers) and CBS (2 million viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel. 

In Monday – Sunday primetime, FNC nabbed over 2.2 million viewers, leading ABC (2.1 million viewers) and CBS (2.1 million viewers). In Monday – Sunday total day, FNC notched more than 1.4 million viewers, making it the only cable news channel to record week-to week-growth among total day viewers.

FNC’s The Five continued to command the week, claiming 3.3 million viewers and 296,000 in the 25-54 demo. In the 6 PM/ET hour, Special Report with Bret Baier garnered nearly 2.5 million viewers and 237,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 7 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle saw more than 2.2 million viewers and 197,000 in the 25-54 demo. During the 8 PM/ET hour, Jesse Watters Primetime clinched 2.9 million viewers and 243,000 in the 25-54 demo. In the 9 PM/ET hour, Hannity delivered almost 2.4 million viewers and 225,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 11PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher secured over 1.3 million viewers and 140,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weeknights, 10 PM/ET) edged out the competition, averaging nearly 2.6 million primetime viewers and 254,000 in the 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! outperformed NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.4 million viewers), NBC’s The Late Show with Seth Meyers (673,000 viewers and 126,000 in the 25-54 demo), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.4 million viewers and 219,000 in the 25-54 demo), and CBS’ Comics Unleashed hour one (798,000 viewers and 127,000 in the 25-54 demo) and hour two (570,000 viewers and 101,000 in the 25-54 demo).

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

FNC’s daytime programs maintained a strong lead over the broadcast competition. America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9AM-11AM/ET; 1.7 million viewers), The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11AM-12PM/ET; 1.6 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1.6 million viewers), America Reports (weekdays, 1PM-3PM/ET; 1.5 million viewers), The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3-4PM/ET; 1.6 million viewers) and The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4-5PM/ET; 1.9 million viewers) all outranked NBC’s Today with Jenna & Sheinelle (1.5 million viewers) and ABC’s GMA3 (1.4 million viewers).

TV Ratings: ABC's WNT Wins All Key Demos During 2Q

Second Quarter

ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir” won the 2nd quarter of 2026, standing as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.200 million), Adults 25-54 (1.010 million) and Adults 18-49 (753,000), based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” took the top spot in all key target demos for the 7th straight year during the 2nd quarter. Overall, “World News Tonight” has won the last 37 quarters in Total Viewers and the last 26 quarters in Adults 25-54 — since 2Q17 and 1Q20, respectively.
• “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.347 million, 923,000 and 655,000, respectively) during 2Q26 in Total Viewers (+29%/+1.853 million), Adults 25-54 (+9%/+87,000) and Adults 18-49 (+15%/+98,000).
• “World News Tonight” increased its lead over the NBC program versus the previous quarter (1Q26) in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+6% -1.853 million vs. 1.745 million), Adults 25-54 (+74% – 87,000 vs. 50,000) and Adults 18-49 (+46% – 98,000 vs. 67,000), delivering its largest Total Viewer quarter lead over “NBC Nightly News” in 31 years — since 2Q95.
• “World News Tonight” turned in increases versus the year-ago quarter (2Q25) in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+8%/+573,000 -8.200 million vs. 7.627 million), Adults 25-54 (+2%/+16,000 – 1.010 million vs. 994,000) and Adults 18-49 (+6%/+43,000 – 753,000 vs. 710,000), drawing its largest overall 2nd-Quarter audience in 6 years — since 2Q20.
• “World News Tonight” (8.200 million, 1.010 million and 753,000, respectively) outperformed “CBS Evening News” (3.900 million, 535,000 and 364,000) in Total Viewers (+4.300 million), Adults 25-54 (+475,000) and Adults 18-49 (+389,000), posting its largest Total Viewer lead over the CBS program during a 2nd quarter in at least 34 years — since September 1991; the Nielsen electronic database started in September 1991.

FOX Business Network Secures Seventh Straight Quarterly Win

FOX Business Network (FBN) secured its seventh straight quarterly win over CNBC in business day and total day during 2Q 2026. According to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel, FBN delivered double digit year-over-year growth in business day and market hours compared to 2Q 2025. 

Additionally, Varney & Co. and Kudlow ranked as the top two business programs for the 17th straight quarter. During a quarter defined by high-profile IPOs, including the much-anticipated SpaceX IPO, FBN continued to outperform CNBC while delivering its fourth highest-rated quarter ever in business day with total viewers.

During business day, FBN delivered 242,000 viewers, securing its seventh straight quarterly win over CNBC and a 12% increase from 2Q 2025. Across market hours, the network posted year-over-year double digit growth with total viewers, securing 240,000 viewers and a 16% increase from 2Q 2025. In total day, the network nabbed 146,000 viewers, marking the ninth consecutive quarter outpacing CNBC.

FBN’s three-hour market opener Varney & Co. (9AM-12PM/ET) posted an 11% advantage over CNBC’s Squawk on the Street delivering 298,000 viewers and marking the program’s 17th consecutive quarterly win. Additionally, the program secured a 13% year-over-year increase in total viewers. Larry Kudlow’s eponymous Kudlow (4 PM/ET; 280,000 viewers) delivered its 19th straight quarterly win with total viewers over Closing Bell with a whopping 40% lead.

Cleveland Radio: WMJI Snags Keith Kennedy For Morning Drive

Keith Kennedy

Keith Kennedy, longtime morning host at iHeartMedia’s 98.1 WKDD in Akron, Ohio, is leaving the station’s morning show after 16 years to take over mornings at Classic Hits “Majic 105.7” WMJI in Cleveland.

Kennedy announced the move on air Tuesday morning, June 30. His final morning broadcast on WKDD will be Thursday, July 2.  He begins his new role at WMJI on Monday, July 6.

The shift keeps Kennedy within the iHeartMedia family and moves him “up the road” to the larger Cleveland market, about 40 miles north of Akron. He will continue contributing to WKDD in afternoons while adding morning duties in Cleveland.

As Regional Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s North Ohio cluster (covering Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and Youngstown), Kennedy has been a key figure in the company’s operations. He joined WKDD in December 1998 and has hosted mornings there for the past 16 years, building a loyal local audience with a mix of music, local engagement, and personality-driven content on the Hot AC station.

Trump Has Netted $80M from Media Lawsuits

President Trump's 2025 financial disclosures reveal $80 million in settlement income from lawsuits against major media and tech companies.

The annual report, released as part of mandatory presidential financial filings, shows the income stems from legal settlements tied to suits against ABC, CBS, Meta, YouTube, and other firms.

The disclosures detail how the settlements contributed significantly to Trump's reported earnings for the year. Specific breakdowns list payments linked to defamation and other claims against the named companies, though exact terms of individual agreements were not itemized in the public summary.

Omaha Radio: Sports KXSP To Revive Iconic WOW Call Letters

Walnut Media has acquired Sports KXSP-AM (590) in Omaha and will relaunch the station as AM 590 WOW (Woodmen of the World) on July 6, restoring the market’s legendary call letters while expanding its sports radio presence.

The 5,000-watt station will debut a full-service sports format featuring ESPN programming, local sports talk, and expanded coverage of University of Nebraska athletics. It will serve as the new Omaha flagship for Husker football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, and Sports Nightly starting this fall, with an enhanced signal reaching fans across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Following FCC approval, Walnut Media will return the historic WOW call letters — first assigned in 1926 — to the 590 AM frequency during the station’s 100th anniversary year.

Radio History: July 2

➦In 1916...Radio personality Barry Gray born Bernard Yaroslaw (Died  – December 21, 1996). He is considered "The Father of Talk Radio".

Barry Gray

Initially a disc jockey (a role he portrayed in the 1949 short subject Spin That Splatter), Gray was working for New York's WMCA radio station in 1945 when he, bored one evening with simply spinning music, decided to put the telephone receiver up to his microphone and share his conversation with the listening audience. The caller that evening just happened to be bandleader Woody Herman, one of the most popular celebrities of the day. This spontaneous live interview was such a hit with both his listeners as well as station bosses, that the talk radio format resulted. Gray subsequently began doing listener call-ins as well.

Rival station WOR also saw the attraction of the talk format, and Gray worked an overnight shift there from 1945 to 1948 or 1949.  He also broadcast for WMGM from the Copacabana night club in the late 1940s.  In addition during 1947 he hosted the New York-based show Scout About Town for the Mutual Broadcasting System.

Gray also pioneered in early television, first as the host of The Barry Gray Show on New York's WOR-TV when Channel 9 went on the air in 1949, then more visibly as host of the first Goodson and Todman game show Winner Take All, replacing Bud Collyer in 1951.

In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine selected Barry Gray as the 8th greatest radio talk show host of all time.  Beginning in 1950 he ran for 39 straight years late-night on WMCA, then moved to WOR until his death Dec. 21 1996 at age 80.

St. Louis Radio: How Audacy Stations Add To Hoffman Plans

Hoffmann Media Group, a subsidiary of the family-owned Hoffmann Family of Companies (HF Companies), has entered U.S. broadcast radio by agreeing to acquire Audacy’s entire six-station cluster in St. Louis — including the iconic News/Talk station KMOX — as the first step in a broader multi-platform media expansion strategy.

The deal, Monday, and subject to FCC approval, gives the company a full-market presence with strong local news/talk, music, and sports programming. It aligns with founder and chairman David Hoffmann’s vision of building one of the nation’s largest media organizations by combining print, digital, and broadcast assets for trusted local journalism and community connection.

Key Details of the St. Louis Acquisition

• The portfolio includes:KMOX (1120 AM / 104.1 FM) — the longtime “Trusted Voice of St. Louis” and flagship for St. Louis Cardinals baseball.
• KFTK-FM (97.1) — News/Talk.
• Music outlets: KYKY (Y98, Hot AC), KEZK (102.5, Adult Contemporary), WFUN (96.3 R&B), and WHHL (Hot 98.7, Hip-Hop/R&B).

Watchdog Urging FCC To Deny Disney TV Licenses

Media Research Center President David Bozell has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to deny the early renewal of broadcast licenses for ABC's eight owned television stations, citing partisan bias, electioneering, misinformation, and failure to serve the public interest.

The petition, filed Monday, targets ABC Owned Stations properties in major markets including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It argues that the Disney-owned network abuses its access to public airwaves by operating like a "partisan cable network" rather than fulfilling broadcaster obligations.

David Bozell

Bozell stated: “We finally have an FCC willing to hold Disney and ABC accountable. Broadcast licenses are a privilege, not an entitlement. In exchange for free use of the public airwaves, broadcasters agree to serve the public interest. If ABC wants to operate like a partisan cable network, it should give up the benefits reserved for broadcast licensees.”

The filing accuses ABC of favoring Democrats, insufficient coverage of key issues, excusing political violence, and spreading misinformation, particularly in news and entertainment programming. Bozell, speaking on behalf of petitioners, emphasized that ABC has First Amendment rights but no automatic right to public spectrum.