Radio Programmer Responds To 'Pay For Play' Op-Ed

Gene Simmons

A California-based Program Director has responded to a recent opinion column in the LA Times. The Op-Ed was writtewn by Gene Smoons, a founding member of the band KISS.  Simmon called for U.S. radio stations to pay artists for airplay.  

K.M. Richards has sent a rebuttal in the form of a letter to Editor.  Richards, is program director for the syndicated radio format The Eighties Channel, whose flagship station is KRKE in Albuquerque.  

The letter reads:

"As a radio programmer with more than 50 years of experience, and knowing that guest contributor Gene Simmons is not uninformed, I found his opinions to be incomplete at best (“Radio should be required to pay performers for their music,” Jan. 30).

"The key fact that he failed to be completely open about is that he, and other performing artists who are also songwriters, are already among those who receive a royalty from radio via the music publishing rights companies such as ASCAP and BMI — an arrangement that precedes my personal history in the industry by more than two decades. Simmons receives those royalty payments every time anyone (be it his band or another artist) performs a song on the radio that he at least co-wrote.

K M Richards

"In fact, two of the best-known KISS songs, “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Shout It Out Loud,” show his name as the songwriter, and several more songs by his band also carry his authorship imprint. If that sounds like he is making an argument here for “double dipping,” I cannot disagree with that perception.

"Further, the up-and-coming artists who he purports to be worried about also, in overwhelming proportions, tend to write or co-write their own material and receive the same songwriting credits. And the streaming services that he admits many now use to discover new music are already subject to performance royalties, as he has himself acknowledged.

"Those same alternative platforms have decreased radio listening, resulting in the profit margins for stations being much lower than when I started in the business. Give us yet another mandated fee to pay, and the result will be counter to the intent: More stations will drop music formats in favor of royalty-free spoken-word formats. Is that what he wants?"

Sheriff: Nancy Guthrie Presumed Alive

Investigators in Arizona believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is still alive and "out there" five days after her suspected abduction from her Tucson-area home, despite no suspect or proof of life yet identified.

Authorities, including the Pima County Sheriff's Office and FBI, have ramped up the search with additional personnel, forensic analysts, and digital experts analyzing cell phone, bank, and social media data. They confirmed blood found on the porch steps belongs to Nancy Guthrie via DNA testing and described the scene as "alarming," prompting homicide detectives' early involvement even without a body.

A purported ransom note—sent to media outlets and treated as credible due to specific details like references to an Apple Watch and flood light—demanded millions in cryptocurrency. It set a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline (which passed without further contact) and a second for Monday. 

No direct communication has occurred with the family or authorities, unusual for typical kidnapping cases, FBI Special Agent Heith Janke said.

The family remains hopeful but urgent: Nancy's son Camron Guthrie posted a video Thursday evening pleading for the captor(s) to contact them directly and provide proof of life, stating, "We need you to reach out... so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom." 

Savannah Guthrie released a similar emotional video Wednesday, saying, "We need to know without a doubt that she is alive... Please, reach out to us. We are ready to listen."

Nancy Guthrie, frail and reliant on daily medication that could prove fatal if withheld, was last seen January 31 after family dropped her off post-dinner. Her doorbell camera was disabled and pacemaker app disconnected in predawn hours February 1, when investigators believe the abduction occurred. 

Due to limited mobility, she could not have left voluntarily.

Timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

• Jan. 31 at 5:32 p.m. Guthrie traveled to her family's house for a game night.
• Jan. 31 at 9:48 p.m. Her family dropped her back at home, and the garage door opened.
• Jan. 31 at 9:50 p.m. The garage door closed.
• Feb. 1 at 1:47 a.m. Doorbell camera in front of Guthrie's home disconnected.
• Feb. 1 at 2:12 a.m. Software for the smart home detected a person on the camera, but no video is available.
• Feb. 1 at 2:28 a.m. Guthrie's pacemaker app shows it was disconnected from her phone.
• Feb. 1 at 11:56 a.m. The family checks on her.
• Feb. 1 at 12:03 p.m. Family calls 9-1-1 to report her missing.
• Feb. 1 at 12:15 p.m. Patrol cars arrive.

The FBI offers a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery or arrests. One person was arrested for a separate fake "impostor" ransom demand sent to family. Janke urged captors: "You still have time to do the right thing before this becomes a much worse scenario for you."

Radio's Challenge? Deciding The Primary Benefit

A new industry survey reveals that radio's greatest challenge is not shrinking audiences, but rather its struggle to effectively convey its true value to advertisers and listeners.

Ahead of Sunday's New England Patriots-Seattle Seahawks game, DMR/Interactive polled radio executives with a hypothetical: If the industry spent $10 million on a single ad during the big game, what should the message be?

The top proposed tagline — one that many respondents said could jolt even skeptics — claims: more people will wake up and listen to radio the next day than will watch the championship game itself.

The survey exposes a paradox: Radio reaches more people weekly than any other medium, including major digital platforms, yet it battles outdated perceptions in a fragmented media landscape.

Andrew Curran, President and CEO of DMR/Interactive, attributes this to radio's very ubiquity — it's free, local, always accessible, and ever-present in cars, workplaces, and homes — making its massive, consistent impact easy to overlook.

Responses clustered around three key messaging angles:

• Free & Everywhere (38%) - Radio's unmatched accessibility across devices and environments
• Fun & Companionship (32%) - The emotional connection and human presence of local radio personalities
• Advertisers & Reach (30%) - Radio's unrivaled weekly reach and marketing effectiveness

The survey also identified a message that would resonate with P1s and current advertisers and prompt skeptics to verify the claim. "Tomorrow, more people will get up and listen to the radio than are watching the game tonight."

Many executives blended these themes, underscoring radio's power at the intersection of broad reach, local relevance, and emotional connection.

Ultimately, the findings indicate radio's real hurdle is reclaiming mindshare amid digital distractions — not defending its existence, but reminding everyone it's still a daily habit for millions during commutes, workdays, and routines.

NYC Radio: No Rush At WFAN Name Permanent Overnight Host

WFAN's program schedule revamp, sparked by Craig Carton's return to afternoons on January 5, remains unfinished: the station still lacks a permanent overnight host, drawing significant listener attention and questions.

Audacy New York market president and chief business officer Chris Oliviero told Newsday that the reaction to this gap has been surprisingly strong, even more than to Carton's high-profile comeback."

So it's funny," Oliviero said. "I think I hurt Craig's feelings when I said recently that we got more reaction for not naming an overnight host than for him. I said it tongue in cheek, obviously. But what I wanted to communicate was people are so passionate about this radio station, the fact that we did not announce a permanent overnight host got a lot of attention... We got a ton of questions on it. Which I love because, again, it's a metric of passion. People care about all 24 hours in the day."

Chris Oliviero

Oliviero emphasized WFAN's firm commitment to staying live and local during overnights, no syndicated filler, and promised a permanent host will be named eventually.

"If you put FAN on now at 3 o'clock in the morning, you're going to have a live local overnight host," he said. "What we haven't done is declared a permanent full-time host. So you're hearing a few various people those shifts after Tommy Lugauer's shift ends... But the commitment to live and local overnights is there. We will see if and when—and it's a question of when, it's not a question of if—we feel we have found the right person to do that permanently."

Currently, fill-ins including Al Cintron, Gordon Damer, and Pete Hoffman rotate through the post-midnight/2 a.m. (depending on games) slot following Lugauer's "After Hours" show.

The overnight slot carries unique demands: fewer commercial breaks, no 20/20 sports updates (phased out last year except for mornings), and long stretches of talk between caller interactions. This setup has historically served as a proving ground, helping talents like Steve Somers, Joe Benigno, Tony Paige, Jody McDonald, John Jastremski, and Sal Licata sharpen their skills before moving to better shifts.

Former overnight host Chris McMonigle, now co-hosting "The Carton Show" in afternoons, described the relief of escaping the grueling hours: "It’s going to be a heck of a lot easier to find sleep now. I was pretty much a zombie."

News Corps Growth Fuels Revenue Increase

News Corp reported higher revenue in its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025, driven by growth across its Dow Jones, HarperCollins book publishing, and digital real-estate services divisions, slightly beating Wall Street expectations.

The company posted total revenue of $2.36 billion, up 6% (or 5.5% in some reports) from the prior year, with segment EBITDA rising 9% to $521 million. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 40 cents, surpassing analysts' consensus estimate of 37 cents.

CEO Robert Thomson highlighted a positive outlook, stating the company sees “favorable signs for the second half of our fiscal year.”

Key divisional gains included:

• Dow Jones (publisher of The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, and Barron’s): Revenue rose 8% to $648 million, with segment earnings up 10% to $191 million. Advertising revenue increased 10%, led by 12% growth in digital ads. Digital-only WSJ subscriptions grew to 4.29 million from 4.22 million the prior quarter, while total subscriptions (including print) averaged 4.68 million, up from 4.61 million.
• HarperCollins Publishers: Revenue increased 6% to $633 million, boosted by top titles such as “Wicked: The Official Visual Companion” by Gregory Maguire and “How to Test Negative for Stupid” by Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.).
• Digital real-estate services: Revenue climbed 8% to $511 million, with segment earnings up 11% to $206 million.

Net income from continuing operations declined 21% to $242 million (or 34 cents per share from 40 cents), largely due to the absence of prior-year gains from an asset sale. Net income attributable to stockholders fell 10% to $193 million.

The results reflect continued strength in digital subscriptions, advertising recovery at Dow Jones, and resilience in real-estate and book publishing amid broader media industry challenges.

Good Morning! Let's Check The Pulse for Friday, Feb 6

Radio Broadcasting

The U.S. radio broadcasting industry is showing signs of resilience:  Amid broader media challenges, with a focus on digital integration, audience measurement improvements, and regulatory debates. The sector is projected to experience a modest decline of just 0.9% in overall ad revenue, while streaming audio surges ahead with 9.2% growth, highlighting radio's pivot to hybrid models. Public radio, despite federal funding cuts of $500 million in 2025, has largely avoided station closures, with audience ratings rebounding due to increased commuting and listener contributions—Morning Edition, for instance, added over a million listeners in spring 2025. 

One-Year Update on Nielsen's 3-Minute Qualifier: Nielsen implemented its 3-minute qualifier (3MQ) for Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings in January 2025, reducing the quarter-hour listening threshold from five minutes to three. A full-year review (January-December 2025 vs. 2024) shows substantial gains: average audiences rose 14% across all demographics, daily cume expanded, and time spent listening increased by 12%. This modernization captured 23% more listening occasions (three to four minutes) that were previously uncredited, leading to higher ad impressions and improved stability for stations. Nielsen executives expressed satisfaction, noting it provides a more realistic view of radio consumption, with benefits across formats, dayparts, and demographics—ranging from 13-15% audience lifts. Spring 2025 results alone showed a 19% AM/FM audience increase, validating the change's impact on inventory value and advertiser appeal.

SiriusXM's Subscriber Demand for On-Demand Content:  SiriusXM reported a surprise uptick in self-pay subscribers in Q4 2025, adding 110,000 net users—its first quarterly gain after three periods of losses—fueled by demand for exclusive on-demand content, including sports, podcasts, and shows from high-profile hosts. This reversed analyst expectations of a 30,000-subscriber drop, boosted by features like "Continuous Service" auto-renewals and "Companion Subscriptions" for family sharing. Podcast ad revenue jumped 41% for the full year, with programmatic demand up 92% in Q4, reflecting strong appetite for on-demand audio amid a portfolio reaching 170 million monthly listeners. However, annual self-pay subscribers declined by 301,000 overall in 2025, ending at 31.3 million paid users, with churn improving slightly to 1.5%. The company emphasized refocusing on core in-car audiences and expanding its ad network, positioning on-demand as a key growth driver in a competitive landscape.

Radio Programmer Responds to Gene Simmons' 'Pay for Play' Op-Ed: Gene Simmons, KISS co-founder, published an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times on January 30, 2026, advocating for the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) to require AM/FM radio to pay performers royalties for airplay, calling the current loophole "criminal" and worse than slavery-era treatment. He highlighted radio's $14 billion in annual ad revenue while artists like Elvis or Taylor Swift receive nothing for broadcasts (unlike songwriters), drawing from his December 2025 Senate testimony. In response, radio programmer and industry commentator Mike McVay (of McVay Media) critiqued Simmons' stance during a February 2026 webinar on Nielsen changes, arguing that mandating payments could cripple smaller stations already facing ad declines, and that airplay provides invaluable promotion—potentially harming emerging artists more than helping.

Media Industry

Broadcast Ownership and Regulation:  The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz, announced a February 10, 2026, hearing titled "We Interrupt This Program: Media Ownership in the Digital Age." It will examine FCC broadcast ownership rules, including the 39% national TV household reach cap, in light of streaming and social media dominance. Discussions may address whether rules need updates for competition and diversity, or if statutory changes via Congress are required. Concerns include potential impacts on local voices and conservative media representation.

Layoffs and Media Business Pressures:  The Washington Post announced layoffs of more than 300 journalists in early February 2026, affecting local, international, and sports coverage and reducing the workforce by about 30%. This reflects ongoing challenges in legacy media amid digital shifts and cost pressures.

Advertising and Super Bowl Trends:  Media executives noted declining celebrity pay for 2026 Super Bowl ads, with VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk calling it "good" due to AI's growing role in creative production. Broader ad trends highlight AI integration and creator marketing events like the ANA Creator Marketing Conference (Feb 23-25).

U-S News

Nuclear Talks Commence in Oman Amid Heightened Tensions:  U.S. and Iranian delegations began negotiations in Muscat, Oman, centered on Iran's nuclear program, following weeks of brinkmanship including U.S. warnings for citizens to leave Iran, a military buildup (with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group in the region), and Iran's nationwide protests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as exploratory in a "certain format," with the U.S. pushing to prevent Iran from reconstituting nuclear capabilities while criticizing the regime. Analysts view this as a critical effort to avert potential conflict, though skepticism remains high due to "maximalist demands" and recent incidents like Iran intercepting tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Search for Nancy Guthrie (Mother of NBC's Savannah Guthrie) Enters Sixth Day: Investigators released a detailed timeline of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie's disappearance from her Tucson-area home on January 31, 2026, including evidence of foul play (blood on the porch matching hers, missing front door camera), and an apparent abduction. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos held a press conference emphasizing belief she is alive despite no suspects identified yet; she lacks critical medication. The FBI announced a $50,000 reward and addressed a ransom note (with deadlines passed or upcoming), plus an arrest tied to an "imposter ransom demand." Family pleas continue, drawing widespread attention due to the celebrity connection and the case's emotional stakes, featured prominently on CNN, Fox News, and PBS.

One Year Later: Nielsen's 3-Minute Qualifier

Nielsen's shift to the 3-minute qualifier (3MQ) in PPM radio measurement delivered significant audience gains in 2025, revealing larger audiences, reviving undervalued dayparts, and boosting inventory value for sellers and advertisers.

In a full-year analysis presented this week by Nielsen Senior Director Jon Miller during a February 2026 RAB webinar, average quarter-hour (AQH) audience rose 14% in 2025 compared to 2024 across PPM markets. Gains were consistent across demographics, ranging from 13% to 15% by age and ethnicity groups.

Daily cume increased about 7% at the station level, while time spent listening grew, and zero-quarter-hour instances declined as more short listening events received credit.

The change—reducing the quarter-hour listening requirement from five minutes to three—better captured modern listening habits, especially shorter sessions common among younger users and competitors' platforms. "It modernized the way we credit radio listening and PPM," Miller said, adding benefits like more ad impressions, higher average audiences, greater daily cume for stability, and expanded advertiser choices across dayparts and formats.

Afternoon drive posted the largest gain in the key 25-54 demographic at 15%, but weekends showed notable increases as radio's away-from-home strength emerged, helping revive a traditionally undervalued daypart.

Format highlights included:

• Adult Contemporary, Hot AC, CHR, and Classic Hits leading in daily audience and reach.
• Spanish-language (Mexican Regional, Spanish Contemporary), Sports, and News formats topping time spent listening.
• Contemporary Christian as the fastest-growing format in 25-54 PPM markets, with shares up over 30% in three years.
• Alternative showing resurgence after declines, with double-digit gains in 25-54.The holiday period (year-end book) also grew 14% year-over-year.

Looking ahead, Miller cautioned that 2026 growth would likely moderate to historical norms without major events, as the 3MQ impact is now baseline rather than incremental.

Nielsen also updated its mSurvey initiative for diary markets in 2026. The mobile app will let respondents log listening in real time, choose digital incentives, and get immediate rewards instead of mailed payments. It targets younger households first to boost participation, with final production readiness analysis underway and announcements expected soon.

SiriusXM Posts Surprise Subscriber Growth For On Demand Conent

SiriusXM's shares surged more than 11% in early trading Thursday after the audio entertainment company reported a surprise gain in self-pay subscribers for the fourth quarter of 2025, reversing recent losses and highlighting the strength of its exclusive content strategy.

The Manhattan-based provider added approximately 110,000 self-pay subscribers in the quarter ended December 31, 2025, its first increase in this key segment after three straight quarters of declines. This beat analyst expectations from Visible Alpha, which had forecasted a loss of around 30,000 subscribers.

The rebound was fueled by strong demand for exclusive programming, including sports rights and popular hosts, as well as new initiatives like the "Continuous Service" feature (which prevents subscription lapses during vehicle changes) and an earlier-than-planned rollout of "Companion Subscriptions" (allowing full-price members to add free extra accounts for family or additional vehicles).  The latter contributed roughly 80,000 incremental self-pay adds.

Recent high-profile moves bolstered the lineup: 

• In December 2025, radio icon Howard Stern renewed his contract for three more years, and the company launched a new channel featuring journalist Megyn Kelly.

Revenue for the quarter reached $2.19 billion, slightly topping analyst estimates of $2.17 billion (compiled by LSEG) and remaining essentially flat year-over-year.

SiriusXM ended 2025 with about 33 million total paid subscribers (including 31.3 million self-pay), though the full year saw a net loss of 301,000 self-pay subscribers overall. Monthly churn improved modestly to 1.5% from 1.6% in 2024.

The company continues to benefit from partnerships with automakers that provide free trial subscriptions for in-car access, alongside a diversified distribution model via mobile apps, connected devices, and satellite radio.

For 2026, SiriusXM guided to revenue of approximately $8.5 billion—largely in line with analyst expectations of $8.55 billion—with a focus on stability, cost efficiencies, and continued free cash flow growth (targeting around $1.35 billion).

The results underscore SiriusXM's reliance on premium, exclusive content to differentiate itself in a competitive audio market dominated by streaming services. Investors appeared to prioritize the subscriber momentum and cash flow outlook over mixed elements like a reported EPS miss in some metrics.

Top Editor: Bezos Remains Committed To WaPo Amid Layoffs

The Washington Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, blocked the newspaper's own media desk from publishing a pre-written story about the historic layoffs that affected hundreds of staffers this week, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The decision to spike the article came despite internal lobbying from media desk reporters to allow coverage of the sweeping cuts, which represent one of the most significant staff reductions in the Post's modern history.

The layoffs, announced by Murray during a company-wide Zoom call on Wednesday impacted approximately one-third of the entire workforce—hundreds of employees overall, including more than 300 in the roughly 800-person newsroom. Entire sections were eliminated or drastically reduced, including the sports desk (shuttered in its current form, with some staff reassigned to features), the books section, several foreign bureaus, and parts of local (metro) coverage. 

The flagship daily podcast Post Reports was suspended, and editing roles were significantly cut across the board.

Murray described the moves as a painful but necessary "strategic reset" to adapt to financial pressures, evolving reader habits, new technologies like AI, and ongoing losses, aiming to position the Post for long-term sustainability and growth. He emphasized in staff communications and subsequent interviews that owner Jeff Bezos remains supportive of efforts to make the institution "bigger, relevant, and thriving."

The cuts drew sharp internal criticism and external backlash, with some current and former staff describing the day as among the darkest in the paper's history and likening the atmosphere to a "bloodbath" or "shock to the system." Morale had already been low amid rumors of impending reductions, and the layoffs compounded feelings of instability.

In a notable twist, the media desk—tasked with covering the news media industry, including developments at rival and peer organizations—prepared a story on the Post's own layoffs but was prevented from running it under Murray's direction. This move has raised questions about internal transparency and self-coverage at the paper during a moment of major upheaval.

The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos since 2013, has faced repeated financial challenges in recent years, including subscriber fluctuations and broader industry headwinds. These latest reductions follow earlier rounds of cost-cutting and come as the outlet seeks to refocus resources, particularly on core areas like politics and national security.

NYTimes Rejects DHS Ad Highlighting ICE Arrests

The New York Times has rejected a full-page advertisement proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that would have highlighted ICE arrests from Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, according to DHS. No specific reason was provided for the denial, and the newspaper has not yet supplied formal justification despite requests.

The proposed ad featured 30 mugshots of individuals arrested during the operation, focusing on those with prior convictions for crimes including domestic violence, rape, and homicide. It stated in all capital letters: “These are some of the 10,000 criminals ICE law enforcement has risked their lives to arrest in Minnesota.” 

It accused sanctuary cities like Minneapolis of protecting criminals rather than cooperating with ICE, and ended with the tagline: “ICE saves innocent lives.”DHS, via emails reviewed by The Daily Wire dated January 26, reported that the Times informed a media placement service it was “not able to accept the ad in its current form.” 

A follow-up request for an official letterhead explanation was denied, with the Times indicating that feedback is typically provided via email. The newspaper receives a high volume of ad submissions and usually takes one to two business days to review them fully. As of this report, no detailed explanation has been given, and The Daily Wire's outreach to the Times for comment was not detailed in available information.

Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin criticized the decision sharply, telling The Daily Wire: “The media’s blackout is undeniable: they refuse to report on the vital work ICE is doing to remove dangerous public safety threats—murderers, rapists, gang members, and child predators—from Minneapolis streets and communities nationwide.” She added that the Times' refusal to run “a straightforward ad showing the violent criminals” that ICE officers risk their lives to deport represents “deliberate suppression of public safety information” that “should outrage every American” and “betrays the public trust and endangers lives.”

The Times has previously accepted controversial full-page ads, including one from an 80-year-old man urging Donald Trump to resign and another from Walmart heiress Christy Walton supporting anti-Trump “No Kings” protests, as well as a satirical ad from The Onion criticizing Congress and the Trump administration.

R.I.P.: LaMonte McLemore, Founder of The 5th Dmension

LaMonte McLemore (1936-2026)

LaMonte McLemore, the founder and a key vocalist of the Grammy-winning pop-soul group The 5th Dimension, has died at age 90.

He passed away on Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas, surrounded by his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore, and family. His death was due to natural causes following a stroke he suffered several years earlier, his representatives confirmed.

McLemore was instrumental in the group's success during the late 1960s and early 1970s, helping blend pop, soul, and psychedelic elements into crossover hits that defined an era. The 5th Dimension earned two Record of the Year Grammy Awards—for "Up, Up and Away" in 1968 and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" in 1970—and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

Born in 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri, McLemore served in the U.S. Navy as an aerial photographer before briefly pursuing professional baseball. 

After moving to Southern California, he shifted to music, founding The 5th Dimension in Los Angeles with Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, and Ron Townson. The group became a staple on major TV variety shows, toured internationally—including a 1973 U.S. State Department cultural tour behind the Iron Curtain—and left a lasting mark on popular music.

According to USAToday, Former bandmates remembered him fondly. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. said, "All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor."

Florence LaRue added: "Proverbs 17:22 states that 'A joyful heart is good medicine…' Well, Lamonte really knew my prescription! His cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times. We were more like brother and sister than singing partners. I didn't realize the depth of my love for Lamonte until he was no longer here. His absence has shown me the magnitude of what he meant to me and that love will stay in my heart forever."

Radio History: Feb 6

➦In 1911...Ronald Wilson Reagan was born (died June 5, 2004). He was our 40th president from 1981 to 1989. Prior to his presidency, he was a Hollywood actor and union leader before serving as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

Reagan was raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois. He graduated from Eureka College in 1932, Reagan drove to Iowa, where he held jobs as a radio announcer at several stations.

He moved to WHO radio in Des Moines as an announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games. His specialty was creating play-by-play accounts of games using only basic descriptions that the station received by wire as the games were in progress. While traveling with the Cubs in California in 1937, Reagan took a screen test that led to a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers studios

➦In 1925…WMCA NYC signed-on on 428.6 meters wavelength (700 kHz) with a power of 500 watts. The station was the 13th radio station to begin operations in New York City and was owned by broadcasting pioneer Donald Flamm. The station's original studios and antenna were atop the Hotel McAlpin, located on Herald Square and from which WMCA's call letters derive. In 1928 it moved to the 570 kHz frequency, sharing time for the next three years with municipally-owned WNYC.

On April 19, 1932, the Federal Radio Commission approved WMCA's application to broadcast full-time on 570 kHz.

Through its early decades WMCA had a varied programming history, playing music, hosting dramas, and broadcasting New York Giants baseball games. In 1943, it was acquired by the Straus family when Edward J. Noble acquired the Blue Network and its owned-and-operated stations from NBC, including WJZ (now WABC) in New York; the Blue Network would later be renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

In 1945, host Barry Gray began dropping music and adding talk with celebrities and later call-in listeners; he is thus sometimes considered "The Father of Talk Radio", and his show lasted on WMCA through several decades and format changes.

WMCA began playing hit music in the late 1950s with a Top 40 format. Among its disc jockey staff were future legends Scott Muni, Frankie Crocker, Harry Harrison and Murray "the K" Kaufman.

TV Ratings: The Five Delivers 4M+ Viewers

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the week of January 26 averaging 3 million weekday primetime viewers and 295,000 A25-54, leading NBC in total viewers (2.9 million viewers) and CBS across the board (2.2 million viewers and 281,000 A25-54), according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. 

Throughout Monday - Sunday total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC averaged 1.7 million viewers and 160,000 in the 25-54 demo and in primetime saw 2.6 million viewers and 245,000 in the 25-54 demo, recording the network’s highest rated week since September 2025. For the week, FNC held 55% share of cable news viewers in primetime and drew 90 of the top 100 telecasts in all of cable news.

The Five delivered over 4 million viewers and drew 335,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking its highest rated week in total viewers since September 2025 and securing a 63% share of cable news viewers for the hour. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier averaged 3 million viewers and 272,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CBS Evening News for the month of January in key markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington DC, Las Vegas, and more. The Ingraham Angle at 7PM/ET saw 2.7 million viewers and 251,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. Jesse Watters Primetime commanded 3.3 million viewers and 285,000 in the 25-54 demo at 8 PM/ET. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity averaged 2.7 million viewers and 248,000 in the 25-54 demo, while FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher averaged 1.6 million viewers at 11PM/ET.

FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged over 3 million viewers and delivered 352,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to lead all late-night competition in total viewers and the 25-54 demo. It also continued to outpace the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million viewers; 279,000 A25-54), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2 million viewers; 296,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.1 million viewers; 204,000 A25-54).

FNC continued to see its daytime programs outperform the broadcast competition. America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9AM-11AM/ET; 2.1 million viewers), The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11AM-12PM/ET; 2.2 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2.2 million viewers) The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3PM/ET; 1.9 million viewers) and The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2.3 million viewers) all led CBS Mornings (1.8 million viewers) and ABC’s GMA 3 (1.8 million viewers).

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

On Saturday: Kayleigh McEnany's Saturday In America (Saturdays, 10AM-12PM/ET) was the highest rated show of the weekend with total viewers delivering over 2 million viewers and 144,000 in the A25-54 demo. FOX News Live anchored by Aishah Hasnie (Saturdays, 12 - 2PM/ET) delivered 1.7 million viewers and 134,000 in the A 25-54. FOX Report with Jon Scott (Saturday, 3-5PM/ET) drew 1.3 million viewers while The Big Weekend Show (Saturdays/Sundays, 5-8 PM/ET) averaged nearly 1.6 million viewers.

On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the day with nearly 2 million viewers and delivered 140,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Jacqui Heinrich delivered 1.7 million viewers and 126,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Big Weekend Show (Saturdays/Sundays, 5-8PM/ET) was the highest rated show of the day in the A25-54 demo averaging 144,000 viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 1-26-26 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

The TV ratings for the broadcast evening newscasts (ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir, NBC's Nightly News, and CBS's Evening News) for the week of January 26, 2026 (covering January 26–30, based on available Nielsen Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel data) show ABC maintaining a strong lead.

• ABC World News Tonight averaged 9.244 million total viewers, 1.182 million adults 25-54, and 877,000 adults 18-49. It ranked No. 1 across all broadcast and cable newscasts in these categories. Highlights included Monday's edition drawing 9.804 million viewers (the most-watched network news telecast in over three years at that point), with strong performances Tuesday (9.6 million), Wednesday (9.2 million), and Thursday (9.1 million).
• NBC Nightly News averaged 7.150 million total viewers, 1.040 million adults 25-54, and 703,000 adults 18-49. This placed it second overall, trailing ABC by about 2.094 million total viewers.
• CBS Evening News averaged 4.538 million total viewers, 623,000 adults 25-54, and 479,000 adults 18-49. It remained in third place, significantly behind ABC (by 4.706 million total viewers) and NBC.

ABC outperformed NBC by +29% in total viewers (+2.094 million), +14% in adults 25-54 (+142,000), and +25% in adults 18-49 (+174,000). Compared to CBS, ABC's leads were even larger: +104% in total viewers (+4.706 million), +90% in adults 25-54 (+559,000), and +83% in adults 18-49 (+398,000).

This aligns with ABC's ongoing dominance in the evening news slot during the 2025-26 season, often leading by wide margins in total viewers while the race in the key 25-54 demographic has been more competitive at times earlier in the year (e.g., NBC briefly edging ahead in early January weeks). 

CBS continued to trail notably, consistent with reports of challenges under its current format and anchor changes. Ratings can fluctuate based on news events, preemptions, or seasonal factors, but this week reflected a solid win for World News Tonight.