And This Year' Marconi Award Winners Are...

The 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards were presented on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, the night before NAB Show New York.⁠

Hosted by nationally syndicated personality Deja Vu (with pre-recorded elements from Matt Cord), the event celebrated excellence in stations, personalities, managers, and podcasts. Xperi was the title sponsor. 

Longtime Hubbard Radio Washington, D.C. leader Joel Oxley received the separate 2026 NAB National Radio Award for his decades of contributions, including building WTOP and Federal News Network.

⁠➤Full List of Winners

📻Stations by market size

• Legendary Station of the Year: WIVK-FM (107.7), Knoxville, TN
• Major Market Station of the Year: WBMX-FM (104.1), Boston
• Large Market Station of the Year: WYXB-FM (105.7), Indianapolis
• Medium Market Station of the Year: WYCT-FM (98.7), Pensacola, FL
• Small Market Station of the Year: KBHP-FM (101.1), Bemidji, MN

🎤Personalities by market size

• Legendary Radio Manager of the Year: Julie Koehn, WLEN-FM (103.9), Adrian, MI
• Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year: The Bob & Sheri Show (WKQC-FM, Beasley Media Group, Charlotte, NC)
• Major Market Personality of the Year: Karson and Kennedy, WBMX-FM, Boston
• Large Market Personality of the Year: Karen Dalessandro, KSLX-FM (100.7), Phoenix
• Medium Market Personality of the Year: Ron Olson and Karen Perrin, WRVR-FM (104.5), Memphis
• Small Market Personality of the Year: Chris Lawrence, WCHS-AM (580), Charleston, WV

Format categories

• AC: KBIG-FM (104.3), Los Angeles
• CHR: KRBE-FM (104.1), Houston
• Classic Hits: WCBS-FM (101.1), New York
• College Radio: WRRC-FM (107.7), Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
• Country: KKBQ-FM (92.9/93Q), Houston
• News/Talk: WSB-AM (750), Atlanta
• Religious: WGTS-FM (91.9), Washington, D.C.
• Rock: WIYY-FM (97.9/98 Rock), Baltimore
• Spanish: KOVE-FM (106.5), Houston
• Sports: WEEI-FM (93.7), Boston (its sixth win in the category)
• Urban: WHQT-FM (105.1), Miami

Other: Best Radio Podcast of the Year: “Purple Daily” (KSTP-AM / SKOR North / Hubbard Broadcasting, St. Paul, MN)

Highlights: Boston’s WBMX stood out by sweeping Major Market Station and Personality of the Year. Houston stations claimed three format awards (CHR, Country, and Spanish Language). Minnesota also performed strongly, with Purple Daily (sports talk focused on the Vikings and other teams) and small-market KBHP both winning. WIVK continued its strong country presence by taking Legendary Station honors.⁠

The awards, established in 1989 and named for Guglielmo Marconi, remain radio’s highest industry recognition for overall excellence across stations, talent, and leadership.

Spotify Launches Memberships For Podcast Creators

Spotify is rolling out Memberships, a new feature that allows podcast creators to sell exclusive content and perks to fans in exchange for recurring payments.

Fans can subscribe to a show’s Membership from its Spotify page and gain immediate access to exclusive content in a few taps. Creators can offer bonus episodes, exclusive audio and video, fewer ads, and early access across multiple tiers and price points. The platform is also adding discovery and retention tools, including targeted promotions, free trials, and analytics on how listeners convert into paying members, with member badges and welcome clips planned for later.

Creators keep 90% of Membership revenue, Spotify said. That is higher than Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, which pays creators 70% of subscription revenue (rising to 85% after a subscriber’s first year). It is roughly in line with Patreon’s standard 10% platform fee, though Patreon charges additional payment-processing and payout fees.

Netflix Reports Slowest Revenue Growth in Three Years

Netflix posted its slowest quarterly revenue growth in three years and said it is working to increase viewing time as it reduces its workforce and replaces senior programming executives.

The company reported third-quarter revenue of $12.9 billion, up 12% from a year earlier. Net income rose about 44% to $3.66 billion. Netflix shares fell about 5% in after-hours trading.

Over the past week, Netflix has cut roughly 1,000 jobs, or about 6% of its workforce, and parted ways with its content chief and the head of its film unit, an acknowledgment that its programming has struggled. The company’s stock is down more than 40% over the past year amid investor concerns about growth following its failed bid for Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and HBO Max.

U2 To Perform At Thanksgiving Eve Halftime Show

Netflix has announced that legendary rock band U2 will headline the halftime show during the NFL's first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game. The event will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, featuring a matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on Netflix, as reported by NFL.com.

U2's performance comes as the band celebrates 50 years since forming in Dublin in 1976. The band is no stranger to iconic halftime shows, having delivered a memorable performance during Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. Bleacher Report notes that this performance is expected to be a highlight of the NFL season, with U2 bringing their renowned stage presence to the NFL audience.

Xperi’s DTS AutoStage Portal Expands to 550 Markets

Xperi says its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal now covers 550 markets across 49 states, including 173 previously under-measured small and mid-sized markets, ahead of its appearance at NAB Show New York.

The expansion adds roughly 1 million vehicles to the platform’s coverage, bringing the total to 7.7 million U.S. vehicles. The portal also now includes weekday and weekend station rankings and enhanced, ready-to-share reports for Premium tier users.

“Until now, reliable radio data has mostly been a ‘big-market’ advantage,” said Joe D’Angelo, Xperi senior vice president of commercial strategy and partnerships. “The AutoStage Broadcaster Portal changes that by bringing actionable listening insights to broadcasters who have never had them.”

NFL Streaming Services Seeing Sign-Ups

NFL streaming services that carried at least three games in September generated 6.7 million combined sign-ups, up 11.2 percent from their offseason monthly average, according to new Antenna data.

Paramount+, Peacock, ESPN, and Fox One each aired a minimum of three NFL games during the month. The aggregate September total marked a clear seasonal lift as the 2026-2027 season got underway, reinforcing the league’s role as a major acquisition driver for streaming platforms in the fall.⁠

According to Antenna, ESPN posted the sharpest increase, with sign-ups rising 94.4 percent above its March-August 2026 monthly average. Those figures exclude activations through pay-TV distributors. Fox One followed with a 16.2 percent rise, even though its summer baseline was elevated by World Cup coverage. Peacock was the sole service without a September gain relative to its offseason average; strong summer spikes tied to Love Island USA and its Spanish-language World Cup rights had already inflated the comparison period.⁠

Year-over-year results were more mixed. Between September 2025 and September 2026, only Fox One (up 40.7 percent) and Paramount+ (up 0.3 percent) recorded increases in sign-ups. The 2026 season featured just three weeks of games in September, versus four the prior year, and more premium streaming services carried NFL content overall.⁠

Trump Prefers News Media Moved Out of TWH

President Trump repeatedly pressed former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to remove reporters from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room and restore the indoor pool originally built for Franklin D. Roosevelt, telling her in a late August Oval Office meeting that it would be her “last legacy,” according to The New York Times.

The proposal never advanced while Leavitt was still in the role. Trump had raised the idea with her several times over a period of months, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Leavitt stepped down as press secretary on Aug. 27.

On Sept. 27, Trump posted images on Truth Social showing the current briefing room labeled “Fake News” next to a reimagined gilded swimming pool labeled “FDR Pool.” The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Trump had discussed relocating the press corps multiple times, though some advisers had pushed back or hoped the idea would fade.

Seating Chart of First Two Rows In Press Briefing Room

Trump has long preferred returning the space to the indoor pool Roosevelt added in 1933 for therapy related to polio; Richard Nixon later covered the pool to create room for the media. Credentialed journalists currently work out of a small office connected to the briefing room. While physically moving the press would be a relatively limited step compared with Trump’s broader criticism of news organizations, it would carry symbolic weight. The media’s proximity to the executive branch has long been treated as a practical recognition of the role of a free press.

Trump floated similar ideas during his first term and has not dropped them. Support for the move has grown among some people close to him, with several favoring a relocation to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the street. The shift reflects changes in the staff around him: his core team is smaller than the group that entered the White House, he has grown more frustrated with press coverage, and advisers of increasing influence have encouraged more aggressive steps against journalists. Earlier in the term, most senior aides had argued that keeping the media nearby better served the president.

Boston Radio: WBUR's Margaret Low To Step Down In June

Margaret Low, chief executive of public radio station WBUR, said Tuesday she will leave the role in June after nearly seven years leading the organization through staff cuts, revenue declines and the loss of federal funding.

Low, 67, told employees Tuesday morning that this will be her last “big job.” She plans to join WBUR’s board of directors next fall and will continue serving on several journalism boards. The station has hired a search firm to find her successor.

Under Low, WBUR expanded fundraising and developed its events business, including the launch of the annual WBUR Festival last year. The station ranks as Boston’s top radio outlet, according to Nielsen ratings.

Margaret Low

“We have faced down so many gigantic challenges. WBUR is soaring,” Low said in an interview. “I would not walk out the door unless I felt the confidence that I do in this place and the people that work here, the purpose in what we do, and my belief that Boston is an extraordinary town, and that they value what we do and what we make.”

Low joined WBUR in January 2020 after running the events business at The Atlantic and previously overseeing NPR’s news operations in Washington. Her arrival coincided with the start of the pandemic, which accelerated declines in terrestrial radio listening as commuting patterns changed and audiences shifted to podcasts and on-demand audio. Underwriting revenue also fell as large technology companies reduced spending on traditional media.

iHM CEO Warns of Podcast Talent Deal "Exuberance"

Bob Pittman

iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman took a pointed swipe at the podcast industry’s latest talent-spending spree Tuesday, warning that rivals are writing checks they may never earn back.

Speaking at Media Trends Live in New York City, Pittman made clear that iHeartMedia—home to roughly 800 podcasts—has no interest in joining the bidding wars. Asked about SiriusXM’s new four-year deal with “Giggly Squad” and the broader rush to lock up big-name shows, he stressed that his company sticks to a simple rule: only do deals that actually make money.

“We’ve had extraordinary discipline … we only want to do a deal where we can make money, and if the deal is throwing away crazy money, we don’t believe in it,” Pittman said. He brushed off the current wave of lavish contracts as classic industry “exuberance”—the kind of overheated spending that “always happens in every business.” Deals that don’t pencil out for iHeartMedia, he argued, simply become loss leaders for whoever wins them. Thanks to the company’s scale, he said, iHeart is better positioned than most to judge which bets are worth taking.

Louisville Radio: WHAS' Terry Meiner Named Louisvillian of the Year

Terry Meiners

Longtime Louisville radio host Terry Meiners has been named Louisvillian of the Year by the American Advertising Federation – Louisville as he marks five decades on the air.

Meiners, who began his career in Louisville in 1976 and joined WHAS Radio in 1986, has hosted the station’s afternoon drive-time show Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. for 40 years. He is one of the few remaining hosts of a live afternoon radio program in the country and has said iHeartMedia, owner of 840 WHAS, has given him the freedom to continue as long as he chooses.

The award, in its 76th year and the longest-running recognition of its kind in Kentucky, honors leaders whose contributions extend beyond professional success to strengthen civic life and celebrate Louisville’s creative legacy. AAF-Louisville Board Chair Monica Bischoff called Meiners “a giant in the Louisville media scene for decades” whose voice and impact have shaped the community in many ways.

Good Morning! The Pulse Has Your Briefing For Wednesday, Oct 21

Radio Broadcasting

The Winners: The 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards were presented on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, the night before NAB Show New York. MORE

Expansion: Xperi says its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal now covers 550 markets across 49 states, including 173 previously under-measured small and mid-sized markets, ahead of its appearance at NAB Show New York. MORE

Boston Radio:  Margaret Low, chief executive of public radio station WBUR, said Tuesday she will leave the role in June after nearly seven years leading the organization through staff cuts, revenue declines and the loss of federal funding. MORE

Roanoke Radio: WSLQ's Dave Paige Ready to Sign-Off

Veteran radio personality David Page will retire from WSLQ-Q99 on Friday, December 11, 2026, ending nearly 30 years on the Roanoke station and a 35-year broadcasting career.

Page, co-host of the long-running “Dick & Dave” morning show with Dick Daniels, has been a fixture for listeners across the Roanoke and Lynchburg regions. Beyond the airwaves, the pair led major community efforts, most notably “Dick and Dave’s Miracle Day,” which has raised more than $3 million for the Children’s Miracle Network. Their work has earned repeated top honors in reader-voted contests from The Roanoker Magazine, Lynchburg’s City Magazine, and Lynchburg Living. Page also anchored coverage of major events, including the September 11, 2001, attacks and the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.

“Everybody loves Dave. Dave has been an anchor for Q99, our company, and our listeners for nearly 30 years,” said Brett Sharp, Vice President and General Manager of Wheeler Media Solutions. “He is always so full of positivity and has absolutely helped to make our company a better place to work. His dedication to our community, his quick wit, and his partnership with Dick Daniels have helped shape Q99 into what it is today. We will miss him in the hallways and especially on the airwaves, but we are hopeful to have Dave do some Q99 cameos and fill-ins from time to time. We wish Dave nothing but a happy retirement and lots of sleeping in.”

TV Ratings: NLCS Games Averaged 7.5M Viewers

The Milwaukee Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to win their first National League pennant, as the series averaged 7.5 million viewers — the highest for any League Championship Series since 2015.

The four-game NLCS averaged 7,533,000 viewers across Fox and FS1, up 77% from the 2025 American League Championship Series through Game 4, according to Nielsen Media Research. The clincher on FS1 alone averaged 6,135,000 viewers — the most-watched LCS Game 4 since 2018 and a 107% increase from last year’s ALCS Game 4.

Audience interest peaked at 7,322,000 viewers between 11 and 11:08 p.m. ET during the decisive game.

The ratings mark a significant jump from recent postseason series and underscore strong national interest in Milwaukee’s historic run to the World Series.

The Game Ends. The Conversation Doesn't.

Sports fans keep talking long after the final whistle — debating calls, tracking injuries, and arguing about their teams the next day. A lot of that conversation now happens on radio, podcasts, and with hosts they trust.

That was the main point at an Audacy panel during Advertising Week New York, where Michael Biemolt joined J.P. Flaim and Cakes Auville of The Sports Junkies. Live games are limited and expensive for advertisers, Biemolt said. Fans actually spend more time with the surrounding content: daily shows, podcasts, fantasy and betting talk, and debates that stretch one game into a full week of conversation.

“Sports fans want more than just the in-game analysis,” Flaim said. “The conversation goes way beyond the final whistle.”

The Sports Junkies have built that kind of relationship for 30 years. Listeners who moved away years ago still tune in regularly. At the conference, the hosts even met a New York listener who’s followed the show daily for years — and had dinner with him the night before.

Auville recalled early advice from their program director: “You guys are basically a content company.” Fans can listen live or catch up later as a podcast, so the content travels with them.

The panel also pointed to authentic brand partnerships that lean on that trust. When Surfside was still growing in the D.C. area, the hosts talked about it naturally, including at parties. Listeners started trying it and sharing photos and stories on social media from across the country. “A listener in San Diego: ‘I had to check it out because you guys are talking about it,’” Flaim said.

They also argued for going beyond scripted host-reads. Auville, a poker player, approached MGM National Harbor about working together. Nearly 10 years later, he still hosts the monthly Cakes Classic poker tournament there, which helps drive business on slower nights. It’s built around something he genuinely enjoys.

Sports fans are more than a stereotype, the panel noted. They’re people with careers, families, and other interests. Sports audio can also reach more affluent listeners and decision-makers, opening doors for categories like financial services, insurance, and automotive.

In the end, the hosts said fandom isn’t just a few hours on the schedule. It’s an ongoing relationship built through trusted voices and conversations that continue long after the game ends.

Audio Improves Canadian Commutes, SiriusXM Study Finds

A majority of Canadian car commuters (73%) report that their time on the road would be worse without audio, according to SiriusXM’s second annual Canadian Commute study.

The survey of more than 1,200 English- and French-speaking drivers, conducted by the Angus Reid Group in early September, underscores the significant role of audio in the commuting experience, particularly among younger listeners and in Montreal.

Among audio listeners aged 18–34, 50% indicated that audio improves their mood, while 32% reported looking forward to their drive because of content they intended to listen to. In Montreal, 85% of respondents said their time in the vehicle would be worse without audio, and 31% identified it as the most valued aspect of their commute.

Many drivers also reported deteriorating conditions on the road: 37% of Canadians stated that their commuting experience has worsened over the past year. Toronto drivers face particularly challenging conditions, with 27% reporting commutes of more than one hour and 48% describing their journeys as stressful. In Vancouver, 46% of drivers characterized their commute as stressful, although only 11% drive for an hour or more.

“Canadians cannot always control the traffic, distance, or delays associated with being on the road, but they can influence how they spend that time,” said Susan Simpson, Senior Director, Brand, Marketing and Communications, SiriusXM Canada. “This year’s study demonstrates the important role audio can play in the commuting experience and how it can help make time behind the wheel feel more enjoyable, meaningful, and personal.”

Audacy Launches New Season of “Unsolved Mysteries” Podcast

Audacy announced the return of “Unsolved Mysteries,” the weekly podcast from the creators and producers of the Emmy-nominated, long-running hit television series and popular Netflix streaming series. The podcast is now expanding to video, presenting all-new unsolved cases from the vast Unsolved Mysteries database and extending the franchise’s legacy of gripping, character-driven storytelling to the YouTube audience. 

The “Unsolved Mysteries” podcast is produced by Unsolved Media, Inc. in partnership with Audacy. It's hosted by Jordan Murphy, who has over two decades of experience across network television and film. Audacy will handle sales and distribution for the series. 

The new season of “Unsolved Mysteries” will launch on Thursday, October 29, in video on YouTube and everywhere podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly on Thursdays. In addition, updates to cases previously profiled on the “Unsolved Mysteries” podcasts and vintage television series will be released on select Tuesdays throughout the season. Follow the show here. 

R.I.P.: Panama Hoston, Longtime Northern Nevada Personality

(1960-2026)

Longtime Northern Nevada radio personality Panama Hoston, known to listeners simply as “Panama,” died Sunday evening, Oct. 18, at Renown Medical Center from complications of liver failure. He was 66.

Hoston had been a fixture of Reno Media Group stations for more than two decades, hosting shows on 103.7 The River (KODS) and 1270 AM The Buzz. He joined the company in 2002 and began on-air work in 2003. In 2014, he teamed with Mike Leach to create the “Panama and Mike” morning show, which became the top-rated morning program in the market.

A Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame inductee, Hoston was remembered for his high-energy style and deep community involvement. He partnered for years with the late philanthropist Evelyn Mount on the station’s annual food drives, helping provide meals for families across Northern Nevada. He also served on the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame’s board of directors and regularly supported local charities, fundraisers, and community events.⁠

“Panama went about everything at 100 miles per hour and always gave it his all, until he had nothing left,” said longtime co-host Mike Leach. “He was the kind of person they talk about when they say ‘they broke the mold after they made him.’ He will be dearly missed.”

Radio History: Oct 21

➥In 1908...The first two-sided vinyl record was offered for sale.

The first sound recordings at the end of the 19th century were made on cylinder records, which had a single round surface capable of holding approximately two minutes of sound. Early shellac disc records records only had recordings on one side of the disc, with a similar capacity (both media could hold between three and four minutes by 1910). Double-sided recordings, with one selection on each side, were introduced in Europe by Columbia Records, and by 1910 most record labels had adopted the format in both Europe and the United States; the ability to effectively double the amount of sound on the disc was one major factor in its rising to dominance over the cylinder record which was obsolete by 1912.

There were no record charts until the 1930s, and radio stations (by and large) did not play recorded music until the 1950s (when top 40 radio overtook full-service network radio). In this time, A-sides and B-sides existed, but neither side was considered more important; the "side" did not convey anything about the content of the record.

➦In 1915...First transmission of speech across the Atlantic Ocean was made by radiotelephone, Arlington, Va., to Paris.

➦In 1969...Radio personality Roby Yonge aired the infamous “Paul is Dead” show at 77 WABC, NYC.