Radio News Weekly: Sept. 14–18, 2026

🗼On Capitol Hill: The House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act on a voice vote Tuesday and sent H.R. 979 to the Senate, where it was placed on the calendar. Broadcasters and the NAB framed it as a public-safety win. The Senate companion already has a large bipartisan cosponsor list; the fight now is floor time before the midterm recess. 

🗼Public safety: FEMA and the FCC set the first nationwide EAS test since October 2023 for Nov. 17 at 2:20 p.m. ET (backup Dec. 3). This year’s test covers EAS only, not Wireless Emergency Alerts. Stations must file ETRS Form One by Oct. 30. 

🗼Ratings fight:  The Second Circuit paused a district-court order that would have forced Nielsen to sell its Nationwide product to Cumulus on court-set terms, with a $50,000-a-day fine attached. Briefing runs through late October. 

🗼Revenue: BIA lifted its 2026 local-ad outlook again, to $186.1 billion, on midterm political spending. Over-the-air radio is projected at $9.79 billion (+1.6%); digital radio at $2.41 billion (+0.8%). Regional buyers kept picking up clusters as national groups sold. 

🗼Acquisitions: MARC Media expanded in Tampa and Gainesville-Ocala; Civic Media added Iowa. Nielsen also issued August 2026 ratings on Friday. 

🗼Programming and People: Westwood One ended America in the Morning after 42 years on Sept. 18 and will replace it Monday with a morning edition of Dan Bongino’s Bongino Report. Bill Mick retired from iHeart’s WMMB Melbourne. Abbi Hess was named GM of Joy 99 and Joy Worship in Western Michigan. 

🗼More News: Country Radio Broadcasters set its 2026–27 board...DejaVu will host the NAB Marconi Awards on Oct. 20 in New York...Ideastream Public Media and PBS Western Reserve agreed to merge, covering more than 4 million people in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania...ESPN Radio’s return to Buffalo, and the Sacramento Kings leaving KHTK after 32 years...SiriusXM’s SXM-11 satellite entered service.

➤What to watch next week (Sept. 21–25)

• Monday: Westwood One launches the morning Bongino Report in the America in the Morning slot.
• Thursday, Sept. 24, 11:59 p.m. ET: FCC FY 2026 regulatory fees are due via CORES. Late payments trigger an automatic 25% penalty, interest, and possible red-light status. Hardship waivers and installment requests are due the same day.
• Watch whether leadership tees up the AM-in-cars bill before the pre-election recess. Odds still favor a lame-duck fight.
• CRS early-bird registration opens Sept. 22
• Radio Hall of Fame induction is Oct. 8 in Chicago; Marconi Awards are Oct. 20.