The week featured major ownership and financial shifts, programming continuity, research affirming radio’s reach, industry honors, leadership changes, and several notable passings, alongside announcements of upcoming events.
Station and Ownership Developments
🗼In Indianapolis, Jason Hammer signed a multi-year contract extension with Urban One’s 93 WIBC, continuing as co-host of the Hammer & Nigel afternoon show (3–7 p.m.) with Nigel Laskowski. The program has been part of the news/talk station’s lineup since 2017. Hammer expressed satisfaction with the deal, arranged with management and agent Heather Cohen; terms were not disclosed.
🗼In Abilene, Texas, Ken Witt’s Lone Star (Lonestar) Broadcasting Group is acquiring two FMs from Community Broadcast Partners for $425,000: Country “95.1 The Wolf” KABW (Baird) and Farm/Classic Country “Q Country 96.1” KORQ (Winters). The deal expands Lone Star into the Abilene market, following an earlier purchase of stations in Stephenville.
🗼Civic Media, the Wisconsin-based group, is acquiring 13 stations (plus translators) in southeast Iowa and west-central Illinois from the Pritchard family’s Pritchard Broadcasting, Titan Broadcasting, and Galesburg Broadcasting. Markets include Burlington, Iowa (e.g., KGRS “Mix 107.3,” KBUR news/talk) and Galesburg, Illinois (e.g., WGIL news/talk). The price was not disclosed; the deal is pending FCC approval. CEO Sage Weil emphasized continuing local community connections.
🗼In Indianapolis, Jason Hammer signed a multi-year contract extension with Urban One’s 93 WIBC, continuing as co-host of the Hammer & Nigel afternoon show (3–7 p.m.) with Nigel Laskowski. The program has been part of the news/talk station’s lineup since 2017. Hammer expressed satisfaction with the deal, arranged with management and agent Heather Cohen; terms were not disclosed.
🗼In Abilene, Texas, Ken Witt’s Lone Star (Lonestar) Broadcasting Group is acquiring two FMs from Community Broadcast Partners for $425,000: Country “95.1 The Wolf” KABW (Baird) and Farm/Classic Country “Q Country 96.1” KORQ (Winters). The deal expands Lone Star into the Abilene market, following an earlier purchase of stations in Stephenville.
🗼Civic Media, the Wisconsin-based group, is acquiring 13 stations (plus translators) in southeast Iowa and west-central Illinois from the Pritchard family’s Pritchard Broadcasting, Titan Broadcasting, and Galesburg Broadcasting. Markets include Burlington, Iowa (e.g., KGRS “Mix 107.3,” KBUR news/talk) and Galesburg, Illinois (e.g., WGIL news/talk). The price was not disclosed; the deal is pending FCC approval. CEO Sage Weil emphasized continuing local community connections.
Corporate and Industry Moves
🗼Cumulus Media completed its prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring and emerged as a privately owned company on October 16. It eliminated roughly $550–600 million in debt in exchange for equity and $50 million in new convertible notes for former lenders. Existing management (led by CEO Mary Berner) remains, a new board has been appointed, and a $100 million asset-based revolving credit facility was secured. Operations continued without disruption. Public shareholders received no recovery.
🗼Separately, Cumulus promoted Kathy “KB” Brown to VP/Urban Formats, effective immediately. Based in Charleston, SC, she will oversee programming for the company’s approximately 40 Urban stations (Mainstream, AC, Classic Hip-Hop, and Gospel) while continuing as PD and on-air talent for WWWZ “Z93 JAMZ” and WMGL “Magic 107.3.” She previously held roles at iHeartMedia, Radio One, and others.
🗼At the NAB, Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan is exiting at year-end after more than 14 years. Starting January 1, 2027, Government Relations and Legal teams will consolidate under Shawn Donilon (promoted to Chief Advocacy Officer). The move aims to better coordinate advocacy across Congress, the Administration, and the FCC. Kaplan was credited with key wins, including a Supreme Court ownership decision and lower streaming rates.
🗼New York Public Radio announced that President and CEO Christy Tanner is stepping down after about eight months. A temporary Office of the CEO will lead in the interim: predecessor LaFontaine Oliver (interim acting president), Jenna Weiss-Berman, and Gary Knell. No specific reason was given; a search for a permanent successor will follow.
Research and Advertising Insights
🗼Nielsen’s “Everyone. Everywhere.” report highlighted radio’s scale: it reaches 92% of U.S. adults monthly (more than 242 million people), ahead of TV-connected devices (90%), smartphones (87%), and live/time-shifted TV (85%). Reach is strong among Black adults (92%), Hispanic adults (93%), and 18–34s (87%). Radio dominates in-car ad-supported audio (over 80%) and, with podcasts, accounts for most ad-supported audio time. Global benchmarks show a $2 ROI (second only to social), despite lower perceived effectiveness among some marketers.
🗼An Audacy study (with YouGov and MRI-Simmons) underscored radio’s value for political advertising targeting commuting voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. Among commuting likely voters, 59% cite the economy/cost of living as the top issue (73% among commuting homeowners with children). AM/FM captures 82% of ad-supported audio during weekday commute hours. Case studies from 2022 showed radio adding hundreds of thousands of incremental voters beyond TV/CTV.
🗼Jacobs Media’s Public Radio Techsurvey 2026 (over 17,000 core listeners from 49 stations) found highly engaged audiences—44% feel a strong connection to their station, and 72% increased support amid the political climate—but noted an aging base (average age about 66.5). Listening is shifting toward digital (54% broadcast vs. 43% digital).
🗼Nielsen’s “Everyone. Everywhere.” report highlighted radio’s scale: it reaches 92% of U.S. adults monthly (more than 242 million people), ahead of TV-connected devices (90%), smartphones (87%), and live/time-shifted TV (85%). Reach is strong among Black adults (92%), Hispanic adults (93%), and 18–34s (87%). Radio dominates in-car ad-supported audio (over 80%) and, with podcasts, accounts for most ad-supported audio time. Global benchmarks show a $2 ROI (second only to social), despite lower perceived effectiveness among some marketers.
🗼An Audacy study (with YouGov and MRI-Simmons) underscored radio’s value for political advertising targeting commuting voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. Among commuting likely voters, 59% cite the economy/cost of living as the top issue (73% among commuting homeowners with children). AM/FM captures 82% of ad-supported audio during weekday commute hours. Case studies from 2022 showed radio adding hundreds of thousands of incremental voters beyond TV/CTV.
🗼Jacobs Media’s Public Radio Techsurvey 2026 (over 17,000 core listeners from 49 stations) found highly engaged audiences—44% feel a strong connection to their station, and 72% increased support amid the political climate—but noted an aging base (average age about 66.5). Listening is shifting toward digital (54% broadcast vs. 43% digital).
Programming and Partnerships
🗼Spotify renewed its multi-year licensing deal with Joe Rogan for The Joe Rogan Experience. Reports put the value around $250 million (similar to the prior agreement). New episodes will continue on Spotify and other platforms. The show remains Spotify’s most-followed podcast (about 18 million followers) and ranked No. 1 across major platforms in 2025.
🗼The Country Music Association announced its 2026 Broadcast Awards winners, revealed via surprise calls from artist Zach Top. Notable winners include SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown with Buzz Brainard (Weekly National Personality), Silverfish Media’s Big D & Bubba (Daily National Personality), KSCS Dallas (Major Market Station), WQDR Raleigh (Large Market Station), and others across personality and station categories by market size. Winners will be honored before the 60th CMA Awards on November 18.
🗼Spotify renewed its multi-year licensing deal with Joe Rogan for The Joe Rogan Experience. Reports put the value around $250 million (similar to the prior agreement). New episodes will continue on Spotify and other platforms. The show remains Spotify’s most-followed podcast (about 18 million followers) and ranked No. 1 across major platforms in 2025.
🗼The Country Music Association announced its 2026 Broadcast Awards winners, revealed via surprise calls from artist Zach Top. Notable winners include SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown with Buzz Brainard (Weekly National Personality), Silverfish Media’s Big D & Bubba (Daily National Personality), KSCS Dallas (Major Market Station), WQDR Raleigh (Large Market Station), and others across personality and station categories by market size. Winners will be honored before the 60th CMA Awards on November 18.
🕇Passings
- Jimmy Carter, a longtime Nashville-based entertainment reporter and broadcaster (WSMV-TV, WSM radio, Crook & Chase, and others), died October 13 at age 73. He covered Music Row, awards, and red carpets for decades and interviewed numerous country and film stars.
- Kim Leslie (Brosche), a Nashville radio personality, music director, label executive, and CMA/CRB staffer who helped create awards including the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year and the CRB’s Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award, died October 9 at age 64 from Lewy body dementia. She worked at stations including WSM-FM, WKDF, and WJXA, plus Asylum Records and Sirius.
- Mike Horn, founder of Cable Radio Network (later CRN Digital Talk Radio) and a former Los Angeles air personality, died at 74 after a long illness. He pioneered distributing commercial radio programming via cable systems starting in 1983 and later focused on talk, providing platforms for hosts including Ed McMahon, Robert Conrad, and Barry Farber. His daughter Jennifer Horn continues with CRN and hosts in Los Angeles.
Music Industry Note
🗼Universal Music Group faced a rough week with additional executive layoffs as part of its ongoing ~$270 million (€250 million) cost-savings program (announced in 2024). Departures included Tunji Balogun (Def Jam), Ben Mortimer (Polydor UK), Nicole Wyskoarko and Sam Riback (Interscope Geffen A&M), and others, plus cuts at MCA Nashville and in Canada. The program is expected to conclude in 2027.
Upcoming Radio Events
- NAB Marconi Radio Awards: October 20, 2026, at the Edison Ballroom in New York City (reception 6 p.m., dinner/show 7 p.m.). Hosted by Deja Vu; honors stations, personalities, podcasts, and leaders. Joel Oxley (Hubbard Radio Washington, DC) receives the NAB National Radio Award. Followed by NAB Show New York (October 21–22 at the Javits Center).
- Forecast 2027: November 12, 2026, at the Harvard Club in New York City. A closed-door leadership conference focused on the business of radio and television, with sessions on policy, AI, revenue, and leadership awards (limited seating).
- Other near-term items from industry calendars include the CBI National Student Media Convention (through October 17 in Philadelphia) and various state broadcaster events.