Radio Broadcasting News Summary: Week of October 19–23

The week featured industry research on radio’s overlap with podcasting and its digital impact, major personnel transitions and format changes, the NAB Show New York and Marconi Awards, ownership policy debate, and several notable deaths in radio and country music. Spotify also reported strong Q3 results.

📻Audience and Advertising Research

🗼New Podcast Study 2026 data (from Strategic Solutions Research/Point-to-Point Marketing, surveying ~1,205 podcast consumers ages 18–54) showed substantial radio-podcast overlap. About 74% of respondents listen to local radio weekly or more (46% daily). Among podcast Superfans, 79% listen to local radio weekly; among Prime Prospects, the figure is 82%. Hosts drive loyalty (81% of those with a favorite podcast cite the host as a major or sole reason), and daily radio listeners respond strongly to host interaction and host-read ads. The research positions radio as already reaching many of podcasting’s most valuable listeners and highlights opportunities to re-engage lapsed radio users via familiar talent on podcast platforms.⁠

🗼A Katz Radio Group study (“From the Airwaves to Action”) analyzed a summer 2026 experiential-brand radio campaign. Using Katz Analytics (powered by Magellan AI), it linked 15- and 30-second spots across 82 airings to more than 16,000 radio-attributed website sessions from nearly 10,000 unique visitors, plus an estimated 1,410 product views, more than 100 checkouts, and over 260 modeled purchases. The findings underscore radio’s ability to drive measurable digital engagement beyond awareness.⁠

📻Programming and Station Moves

🗼In Atlanta:  Audacy’s Star 94 (WSTR) launched The Bret Mega Show (Bret Mega and Anna “AB” Bohlmann) in morning drive (6–10 a.m. ET). The pair relocated from St. Louis amid Audacy’s sale of Y98; the show continues on stations in Kansas City and Wichita. Brand Manager JR Ammons praised their high-energy, authentic style as a new chapter for the station.⁠

🗼In Philadelphia: Audacy flipped Hot AC “The New 96.5” (WTDY-FM) to Country as “US 96.5” (its 24th Country station). The launch featured Morgan Wallen & Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” It goes commercial-free until Oct. 24, with weekday programming starting Oct. 26 (including Katie & Company, Coop, and national shows). It creates direct competition with Beasley’s longtime Country 92.5 XTU (WXTU). New call letters WCUS are pending.⁠

🗼Manning Media’s acquisition of three stations from Verstandig Broadcasting (Rock 92.1 WBHB, Country 101.5 WAYZ, and Hot AC 100.9 WIKG/translator) in the Hagerstown/Waynesboro area was highlighted in industry digests this week (deal valued around $700,000; pending FCC approval). It expands Manning’s existing cluster in the market.⁠

📻Personnel Transitions

🗼Boston: WBUR CEO Margaret Low announced she will step down at the end of June 2027 after nearly seven years (she joined in January 2020). The NPR veteran (who rose to SVP for News) will join the board the following fall. She led the station through pandemic challenges, staff reductions, federal funding cuts, ratings growth, and expansions such as the WBUR Festival. A search for her successor is underway.⁠

🗼Boston:  rock DJ Carter Alan is retiring after 47 years (WBCN music director/DJ for 19 years, then WZLX midday host and APD since 1998). His final midday show on iHeart’s 100.7 WZLX is Dec. 18; Chris Tyler takes over. He is credited with early U.S. airplay for U2 and launching the Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble.

🗼Roanoke:  WSLQ “Q99” morning co-host Dave (David) Paige will sign off Dec. 11 after nearly 30 years at the station (35-year career). He co-hosted the “Dick & Dave” show with Dick Daniels; the pair’s Miracle Day raised over $3 million for the Children’s Miracle Network. He plans more time with family, painting, and travel.⁠

🕇In Memoriam

• Dan “The Duke” Davis, longtime ESPN Radio host and original update voice (joined at the network’s 1992 launch; retired 2011), died Oct. 21 at 84. He was also known for calling Doug Flutie’s famous 1984 Hail Mary.⁠
• Matt Hanlon, veteran radio executive (Citadel Midwest Division President overseeing dozens of stations; later roles at Entercom/Audacy, Townsquare, and Saga), died Oct. 20 at 63 of a heart attack. He helped expand Bill Simonson’s The Huge Show into a statewide Michigan sports network.⁠
• Rod (John Anthony) Calarco, former WCBS-FM GM and longtime CBS Radio executive (28 years), died Oct. 12 at 79 of a heart attack. He led WCBS-FM to No. 1 and held other industry roles.⁠
• Country Music Hall of Famer John Anderson (hits including “Swingin’,” “Seminole Wind,” and “Straight Tequila Night”) died Oct. 21 at 71. He had attended a Hall of Fame event days earlier.⁠
• Panama Hoston (“Panama”), longtime Reno Media Group personality (morning co-host of “Panama and Mike” on Classic Hits KODS “The River”; Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame), died Oct. 18 at 66 from liver failure complications.⁠
• Noah Adams, longtime NPR All Things Considered host (about 18 years across stints), died Oct. 16 at 84 at his home in Ohio. He was known for thoughtful storytelling through major events and everyday American stories.⁠

📻Industry Events and Awards

🗼NAB Show New York (Oct. 21–22 at the Javits Center) drew roughly 6,700 attendees (57% first-timers; from 72 countries), with 250 exhibitors/sponsors and 101 educational sessions focused on AI, streaming, live sports, the creator economy, and podcasting strategies.⁠

🗼The 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards were presented Oct. 20 at New York’s Edison Ballroom. Highlights include Legendary Station of the Year (WIVK-FM, Knoxville), Major Market Station and Personality (WBMX-FM and Karson & Kennedy, Boston), Best Radio Podcast (“Purple Daily,” SKOR North/KSTP), and the NAB National Radio Award to Joel Oxley (Hubbard Radio Washington, D.C.). Other winners spanned formats and market sizes (e.g., Country: KKBQ-FM Houston; Sports: WEEI-FM Boston; Classic Hits: WCBS-FM New York).⁠

Other Headlines

• NYC radio personality Funkmaster Flex (Hot 97) was involved in an altercation in the Delta Lounge at Madison Square Garden during the Knicks’ season opener (Oct. 20). Former Hot 97 colleague TT Torrez alleged he shoved her; Flex denied being punched and accused music executive Shadow Stokes (Torrez’s husband) of baiting him for a lawsuit (including throwing a drink). Conflicting accounts circulated widely.⁠
• Spotify’s Q3 2026 results showed 306 million Premium subscribers (+9% year-over-year; +6 million in the quarter) and 788 million monthly active users (+11%). Revenue reached about €5 billion (+16%). The company expects 316 million Premium subscribers by year-end.⁠
• The MusicFirst Coalition and Future of Music Coalition urged the FCC to retain local radio ownership caps (and FM subcaps) as part of the ongoing 2022 Quadrennial Review. They argued that further deregulation would reduce diversity and localism, and that radio’s lack of a performance royalty for over-the-air play gives it a cost advantage over digital competitors. This contrasts with NAB and some broadcasters’ push to lift the limits.⁠

📻Upcoming industry gatherings include:

• Country Radio Seminar (Nashville, March 17–19, 2027).
• Radiodays Europe (Palma, March 14–16, 2027; program details emerging).
• Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC, Las Vegas, April 1–2, 2027, preceding NAB Show; registration open).
• NAB Show Las Vegas (typically early-to-mid April; next major U.S. gathering after New York).
• AES Show Nashville (Oct. 30–Nov. 1, 2026).

Radio History: Oct 25

➦In 1937...The soap opera "Stella Dallas" made its debut on WEAF in New York City.

It aired until December 23, 1955. The New York Times described the title character as "the beautiful daughter of an impoverished farmhand who had married above her station in life."

She was played for the entire run of the series by Anne Elstner (1902–1982). Her husband Stephen Dallas was portrayed by various actors.  The series was created and produced by the husband and wife team of Frank and Anne Hummert, based on the 1923 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty. The 15-minute drama began on October 25, 1937, as a local show on WEAF in New York City, in the wake of the successful movie version starring Barbara Stanwyck, and it was picked up by the NBC Radio network beginning June 6, 1938, running weekday afternoons.

➦In 1948...WDIA Memphis originally went on the air June 7, 1947. The owners, John Pepper and Bert Ferguson, were both white, and the format was a mix of country and western and light pop, as well as "homemaker shows", network shows and block programming that included soap operas and classical music. The original frequency was 730 kHz, eventually move to 1070 AM. The station did not do well until Ferguson learned about "targeted programming" and realized there was one audience in Memphis no other radio station served. Half of the listeners who could hear WDIA's signal were Black-American, and WDIA hired the first black disk jockey in the South.

➦In 1959...Chicago-based announcer & host Bob Murphy (not to be confused with sportscaster Bob Murphy) died at age 42.  He was best known nationally for his announcing & substitute hosting on Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club on ABC Radio.

➦In 1984...The summer ratings book…

Gomez Urges Broadcasters To Be More Aggressive With FCC

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez on Friday urged the broadcast industry to take a far more aggressive stance in confronting the Trump administration’s actions against major U.S. networks and stations.

Gomez, the Federal Communications Commission’s sole Democratic member, specifically called on the National Association of Broadcasters to push back against the administration’s multipronged efforts to challenge broadcasters. She highlighted a series of recent moves, including a warning from FCC Chair Brendan Carr that networks could violate their regulatory obligations by airing “entirely fake polls” ahead of the November 3 election.

Study: Podcaster Listeners Are Engaged Radio Listeners First

Radio stations already reach many of podcasting’s most engaged listeners, according to findings from The Podcast Study 2026 presented in the series’ final webinar on Tuesday, October 20.⁠

Strategic Solutions Research and Point-To-Point Marketing hosted the free session, “What Radio Can Learn from The Podcast Study,” drawing on a national survey of 1,205 U.S. podcast consumers ages 18–54. The webinar examined what the research reveals for radio leaders about talent, advertising, audience development, and the overlap between radio and podcast audiences.⁠

Edison Research Is Out With Top 50 Podcast List

Edison Research at SSRS announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. from Edison Podcast Metrics™ based on reach for the third quarter of 2026 among weekly podcast consumers ages 13+.

The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, and The Daily top the list, as they did in Q2 2026. The full list of Top 50 podcasts is below.

1. The Joe Rogan Experience
2. Crime Junkie
3. The Daily
4. Call Her Daddy
5. Smartless
6. New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce (+1 rank position since Q2 2026)
7. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (+1 rank position since Q2 2026)
8. Dateline NBC (-2 rank positions since Q2 2026)
9. Rotten Mango (+4 rank position since Q2 2026)
10. The Breakfast Club (+1 rank position since Q2 2026)

Fox News Unveils Extensive Midterm Coverage Plans

• Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum to Co-Anchor “FOX News Democracy 26” November 3rd
• FOX News Channel to Unveil Enhanced Augmented Reality and Data-Driven Graphics
• FOX News App Debuts AI-Powered Election Chatbot, Interactive Maps
• Ruthless to Bring Its Signature Insider Take FOX Nation and FOX News Digital

FOX News Media will provide special multiplatform coverage of the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3rd and throughout the surrounding days. Beginning at 6 PM/ET, FOX News Channel (FNC) will kick off November 3rd’s election night coverage with FOX News Democracy 26, co-anchored by Bret Baier, chief political anchor and executive editor of Special Report, and Martha MacCallum, anchor and executive editor of The Story.

Atlanta Radio: The Mega Morning Show Launches On Star 94

Star 94 launched “The Bret Mega Show” this week, its ninth morning-show lineup since early 2008. Audacy vice president of programming JR Ammons, who oversees stations in Houston, Atlanta and other markets, made the change by dropping hosts Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott earlier this year, shortly after assuming oversight of the station. The previous duo had been on Star for less than a year after 25 years at the now-defunct Christian station Fish 104.7.

Many Afffiliates Annoyed with ABC's Plans for Super Bowl

ABC affiliates are angered by Disney’s plan to air this year’s Super Bowl on Disney+, ESPN2, NFL Network and ESPNU in addition to ABC and ESPN, a move that could reduce related ad revenue by up to 35%, according to a station group CEO speaking anonymously.

Disney holds the rights under its 2021 NFL deal; ABC last broadcast the game in 2006.

The Super Bowl is a major revenue driver for ABC affiliates. While Disney owns some stations, most belong to groups such as Sinclair, Nexstar and Tegna. Roughly 3% of a typical local affiliate’s annual advertising revenue comes from the game when it airs on the station, a figure that can be substantially higher for large-market owned-and-operated outlets, which have generated about $10 million in Super Bowl advertising revenue, according to people familiar with the matter.

Manning Media Expands With Acquisition of Three Stations

Manning Media expands regional radio footprint with $700,000 acquisition of three VerStandig stations

Manning Media has purchased three additional radio stations from VerStandig Media for $700,000, bringing its total to eight stations across the Frederick, Hagerstown, Martinsburg, and Chambersburg, Pa., markets and strengthening its presence in the Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia region.

The newly acquired stations are 101.5 WAYZ, 92.1 BOB Rocks, and 100.9 NEXT. Combined with Manning’s existing holdings—Key 103, 106.9 The Eagle, Fred fm, 106.3 WARK, and 93.5 MAX Country—the expanded group now reaches an estimated 281,800 people.

Comscore Launches Monthly Ad Exposure Report

August Ad Exposure

Streaming now reaches nearly half of US adults with ads, yet accounts for only 22% of television ad exposure—barely half the share of broadcast.

Comscore’s new monthly Score Report, launched this week, quantifies that gap for the first time by tracking the percentage of total TV Ad Exposure Time across platforms rather than relying on traditional viewership figures. The inaugural August edition shows broadcast platforms still commanding 43.2% of ad exposure time, cable 34.5%, and streaming just 22.3%.

Ronn Owens Daughter Gets Jail For False Pregnancy Scam

Former KGO Talker Ronn Owens and Daughter

Laura Owens, daughter of Bay Area radio legend Ronn Owens, was sentenced Friday to 30 days in jail and up to seven years of supervised probation for four felony convictions related to false claims that she became pregnant with twins by two men, including former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard.

The Mercury News reports Maricopa County Judge Jeffrey Rueter imposed the sentence in Arizona after a hearing in which prosecutors sought prison time. Owens, 36, pleaded guilty in August to perjury, identity theft of an ultrasound, and two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices. She originally faced 14 felony counts; the plea carried a possible sentence of up to 12.5 years.