Happy TGIF: The Pulse For May 8 Starts Your Day

Radio Broadcasting

Revenue Drop: Saga Communications, reported first quarter 2026 net revenue declined 5.6% to $22.9 million, down from $24.2 million in the same period a year ago.

Seattle's Newest Morning Show: 100.7 The Wolf (KKWF-FM), an Audacy station in Seattle, has launched “Ellen & Aaron,” featuring Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford, in morning drive.

R.I.P.: Pat Caputo, longtime Detroit sports columnist and radio personality, died Thursday at age 67 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Media Industry

Record Revenue: Nexstar Media Group Thursday posted record net revenue of $1.396 billion in the first quarter, a 13.1% increase from the same period a year ago, the company announced. Net income surged 64.9% year-over-year to $160 million, while advertising revenue climbed 19.1% to $548 million, highlighting robust demand across the company’s television stations, digital platforms, and national advertising sales.

CBS Maintains Edge: Nielsen ratings showed CBS maintaining its edge among the Big Three broadcast networks in primetime viewership, though overall audiences remained challenged amid competition from cable, streaming, and sports programming. CBS averaged the highest primetime audiences bolstered by strong scripted series such as Tracker (8.174 million viewers for recent episodes) and Marshals.

Finding News On-Line: More Americans are turning to online-only sources for local news, which have more than doubled in popularity since 2018, even as traditional outlets like local TV and newspapers see declining use. As of 2025, 42% of U.S. adults say they get local news at least sometimes from online-only sources (not included in other categories), up sharply from just 15% in 2018.Traditional sources remain common but are losing ground

U-S News

Ceasefire Threatened: U.S. and Iranian forces clashed in the Gulf, and the UAE came under renewed attack, endangering a month-old ceasefire and ‌shaking hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The flare-up in fighting came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran to its proposal to end the conflict. Trump said on Thursday three U.S. Navy destroyers were attacked as they moved through the strait.

Pump Pain: Oil prices climbed on Friday after the U-S said it had struck Iranian military sites in retaliation for Iran firing on U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the exchange, President Trump insisted the cease-fire remained intact. But he also issued a stark warning to Tehran, urging it to accept the American peace agreement quickly.

Alligator Alcatraz Update: The Trump administration has discussed the potential closure of a South Florida immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" just one year after the much-touted facility opened, Border czar Tom Homan characterized the talks as part of the ongoing review of detention facility contracts, as well as the expansion and reduction of certain centers nationwide.

Nexstar Media Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth

Nexstar Media Group Thursday posted record net revenue of $1.396 billion in the first quarter, a 13.1% increase from the same period a year ago, the company announced.

Net income surged 64.9% year-over-year to $160 million, while advertising revenue climbed 19.1% to $548 million, highlighting robust demand across the company’s television stations, digital platforms, and national advertising sales.

The strong performance marks Nexstar’s best-ever first-quarter top-line result and reflects continued momentum in core broadcasting operations as the company benefits from a recovering advertising market and its diversified media portfolio.

Nexstar’s Q1 results underscore improving industry conditions for local television groups, with advertising revenue growth outpacing overall revenue gains. The 19.1% jump in ad sales points to higher political spending, strong automotive and retail categories, and increased digital advertising on the company’s websites and apps.

News Corp Reports Higher Revenue, Beats Expectations

News Corp posted a 9% rise in revenue to nearly $2.2 billion for its fiscal third quarter ended March 31, beating analyst forecasts and driven by growth at Dow Jones, HarperCollins Publishers, and its digital real-estate services businesses.

The media company also reported an 18% increase in segment EBITDA to $343 million, a 13% rise in net income from continuing operations to $121 million, and adjusted earnings per share of 21 cents — topping the 19 cents expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Earnings per share from continuing operations rose to 16 cents from 14 cents a year earlier.

Chief Executive Robert Thomson said the company remains on track for another year of record profitability.

Saga Reports 5.6 Percent Drop in Net Revenue

Saga Communications, Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Summary, ending ended March 31, 2026. Saga reported first quarter 2026 net revenue declined 5.6% to $22.9 million, down from $24.2 million in the same period a year ago.

Financial Highlights (vs. Q1 2025)

• Net revenue: $22.9 million, down 5.6% ($1.3 million).
• Digital revenue: $4.4 million, up 25.2%.
• Station operating expenses: $22.0 million (essentially flat).
• Station operating income (non-GAAP): $0.9 million, down 62%.
• Net loss: $2.4 million ($0.38 per share), vs. $1.6 million loss ($0.25 per share) last year.

Traditional radio advertising continued to decline, partially offset by strong digital growth. Political revenue was negligible in both periods.

Seattle Radio: 100.7 The Wolf Launches New Morning Show

Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford

100.7 The Wolf (KKWF-FM), an Audacy station in Seattle, has launched “Ellen & Aaron,” featuring Ellen Tailor and Aaron Crawford, in morning drive. The duo can be heard weekday mornings from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT.

“We are excited to bring Ellen back home and welcome Aaron to mornings on 100.7 The Wolf,” said Drew Bland, Brand Manager, 100.7 The Wolf. “With Ellen’s established rapport and Aaron’s local stage presence, this show is a celebration of everything our community loves. Our listeners are in for a ride as we set a new chapter in Northwest mornings.”

Court Rules In Favor Of Fox News vs. Smartmatic

A New York appeals court ruled Thursday morning in favor of FOX News, allowing the network to pursue additional discovery on how federal criminal proceedings against Smartmatic and its executives have affected the company’s business.

The decision enables FOX News to examine the impact of a superseding indictment that named Smartmatic as a defendant, particularly regarding allegations tied to the company’s activities in Los Angeles County.

Primetime TV Ratings: Nielsen Reports Modest Network Results

Nielsen ratings for the week of April 20-26, 2026, showed CBS maintaining its edge among the Big Three broadcast networks in primetime viewership, though overall audiences remained challenged amid competition from cable, streaming, and sports programming.

CBS averaged the highest primetime audiences among ABC, NBC, and CBS, with network-wide figures around 3.8 million viewers in key dayparts, bolstered by strong scripted series such as Tracker (8.174 million viewers for recent episodes) and Marshals. ABC followed closely in some metrics but posted softer overall numbers, while NBC trailed slightly in weekday comparisons.

iHM, MapQuest Bringing Streaming to Navigation Platform

iHeartMedia and MapQuest have announced a new partnership that integrates iHeartRadio’s live audio streaming directly into MapQuest.com, marking the first time the navigation site has offered audio content.

Users visiting MapQuest.com will now see a prominent “Live Radio” button in the top-right corner of the map interface. This allows drivers and travelers to stream live iHeartRadio stations seamlessly while receiving real-time directions, combining navigation with entertainment in one platform.

The integration targets MapQuest’s tens of millions of monthly users, giving them easy access to iHeart’s extensive lineup of broadcast radio stations, podcasts, and other audio content without switching apps. A mobile app version of the feature is planned for a future phase.

R.I.P.: Pat Caputo, Longtime Detroit Sports, Radio Personality

Pat Caputo, longtime Detroit sports columnist and radio personality, died Thursday at age 67 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Caputo’s family announced his death in a statement posted to his X account on May 7.“Today May 7th we lost Pat to cancer,” the post read. “Pat was surrounded by his family. Thank you for all your support.”

Known for his gruff, blunt style and deep knowledge of Michigan sports, Caputo was a fixture in Detroit media for more than four decades through columns in the Oakland Press, radio shows on 97.1 The Ticket, and television appearances. 

Radio History: May 8

Arthur Q Bryan

➦In 1899...Arthur Quirk Bryan born (Died from a heart attack at age 60 – November 18, 1959). He is best remembered for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr. Gamble on the radio comedy Fibber McGee and Molly and for creating the voice of the Warner Brothers cartoon character Elmer Fudd.

DeeBax · The Grouch Club (2/21/1940)

In the late 1920s, Bryan was an announcer at WOR radio in New York City. Contemporary radio listings in a daily newspaper indicate that he was still at WOR as late as September 13, 1931. In October 1931, he began working as an announcer at WCAU in Philadelphia, and in 1933 he moved to Philadelphia's WIP.  By 1934, he was heard on WHN in New York. In 1938–1939, he was a regular on The Grouch Club on the CBS Pacific network and was featured in some short-subject films made by the group.

Bryan's work in animation did not go unnoticed by radio producers. Although his first forays into that medium were accompanied by instructions that he use the Fudd voice, Bryan soon came to the attention of Don Quinn and Phil Leslie, the production and writing team responsible for Fibber McGee and Molly and their supporting characters, two of whom spun off into their own radio hits, The Great Gildersleeve and Beulah. The Gildersleeve character, played by Harold Peary, became series broadcasting's first successful spin-off hit; that plus the onset of World War II (which cost Fibber McGee & Molly their Mayor La Trivia, when Gale Gordon went into the Coast Guard in early 1942, and "The Old Timer" Bill Thompson was drafted almost a year later) nabbed nearly every other remaining male voice.

Bryan was first hired for the new Great Gildersleeve series, to play the part of Cousin Octavia's secretary/assistant, Lucius Llewellyn (using the Elmer Fudd voice), and later one of Gildersleeve's cronies, Floyd Munson, the barber. His work on the series (in Bryan's natural voice) so impressed Quinn and Leslie, that Bryan was added to the cast of their main show, Fibber McGee and Molly, in 1943.

In the early 1940s, Bryan played Waymond Wadcliffe on the Al Pearce & His Gang program on CBS. Bryan starred as Major Hoople (from June 22, 1942 to April 26, 1943) in The Charlotte Greenwood Show. and played Lt. Levinson on radio's Richard Diamond, Private Detective (from September 6, 1950 to June 29, 1951). In the mid-1940s, he had the role of Duke on Forever Ernest.

➦In 1915...John Archer was born in small town Nebraska.  He is best remembered as the radio voice of Lamont Cranston, The Shadow, for a year in the 1940’s.  Later in life, as a resident of Greater Seattle he was a founding member of REPS, the Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound.  He died of lung cancer Dec. 3 1999 at age 84.

➦In 1940...Eric Hilliard "Rick" Nelson born (Died – December 31, 1985).  He starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957 he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist.

As one of the top "teen idols" of the 1950s his fame led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and its predecessors, between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in 1958, which was the first #1 song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional Top 10 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987.

Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949 playing himself in the radio sitcom series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single, debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the #1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs.

He, his fiancee & 5 others were killed in a plane crash Dec 31, 1985 enroute to a New Year’s Eve performance in Dallas.  Nelson was 45.

➦In 1959...NBC Radio aired the final broadcast of “One Man’s Family” after being on the air 27 years. The Carleton E. Morse creation had completed 3,256 episodes since its beginnings in San Francisco back in 1932.

➦In 1962…Beatles manager Brian Epstein had a chance meeting with engineer Ted Huntly at a London record store. After Epstein related his discouragement about the Decca label rejecting the band, Huntly suggested he send a demo recording of the Beatles to EMI and, in particular, to one of their producers, George Martin.

➦In 1968...George Dewey Hay died at age 72 (Born -November 9, 1895).  He was the founder of the original Grand Ole Opry radio program on WSM-AM in Nashville, Tennessee, from which the country music stage show of the same name evolved.

L-A Radio: 97.1 The Fan Unveils Debut Weekday Lineup

Top: Derek Fisher, Cody Decker, Alex Curry

Row 2: Brock Vereen, Doug McKain and Bill Reiter

97.1 The Fan, the first-ever FM all-sports station in Los Angeles and an Audacy station, announces its debut weekday programming, beginning May 18 at 6:00 a.m. PT.

➤6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PT: "Derek & Decker” with Derek Fisher and Cody Decker 
Start your day with “Derek & Decker,” 97.1 The Fan’s high-octane morning show. Five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher and former MLB player Cody Decker bring big personality and big-league insight, mixing dynamic energy with championship perspective.

➤10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT: "Brock & Alex” with Brock Vereen and Alex Curry
“Brock & Alex” is where sports meet Hollywood. NFL veteran Brock Vereen and host Alex Curry bring energy, access, and perspective to the biggest stories in sports. This is LA sports through the lens of its stars.

➤2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT: "D-Mac & Reiter” with Doug McKain and Bill Reiter
“D-Mac & Reiter” own drive time on 97.1 The Fan. Doug McKain and Bill Reiter bring insight, opinions, and fan interaction to the biggest stories of the day. If it matters tonight, they’re breaking it down before the game starts.

Radio, TV Losing Ground As News Sources

More Americans are turning to online-only sources for local news, which have more than doubled in popularity since 2018, even as traditional outlets like local TV and newspapers see declining use.

As of 2025, 42% of U.S. adults say they get local news at least sometimes from online-only sources (not included in other categories), up sharply from just 15% in 2018.Traditional sources remain common but are losing ground:

• 65% get news from local TV stations at least sometimes, down slightly from 70% in 2018.
• 36% get news from local daily newspapers, down from 43% in 2018.

At the same time, digital and civic alternatives are growing:52% now use online forums or discussion groups for local news, up from 38% in 2018.