U.S. radio’s week of Sept. 28–Oct. 2 mixed regulatory cleanup, cluster sales, sports rights, format flips, and a fight over what a public station is allowed to say on the air. The next five business days open with a ratings cycle, a new Seattle lineup, and a public-radio research briefing.
➤Week In Review (Sept. 28–Oct. 2)
🗼Regulation: The FCC Media Bureau on Oct. 1 deleted the annual Form 395-B employment-report rule, matching a May 2025 Fifth Circuit ruling that the agency lacks authority to require race, ethnicity, and gender workforce data. EEO audits are unchanged; stations picked in the Aug. 21 audit still owe responses by Oct. 20. The same week the bureau updated FM allotments in Whitehall, Mich., and Selmer, Tenn. At its Sept. 30 open meeting the commission focused on spectrum and environmental rules and, in related action dated Oct. 1, repealed the national television multiple-ownership rule — a TV item, but one radio groups are watching for ownership policy.
🗼Public Radio and Naming Rules: Birmingham’s WBHM said an Alabama law requiring state and local entities to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” covers its staff because the station is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The law took effect Oct. 1. Departing general manager Will Dahlberg wrote that UAB treated on-air language as official communication and that noncompliance could bring discipline or strain the station’s university support. He said the mandate conflicts with NPR and AP style and threatens editorial independence. The law has no stated penalty.
🗼Deals: Pamal Broadcasting agreed to buy Ed Levine’s Galaxy Media and its 10 Syracuse and Utica stations, pending FCC approval. Pamal took day-to-day control under an LMA on Oct. 1. Levine had said in August he would retire at year’s end.
🗼Regulation: The FCC Media Bureau on Oct. 1 deleted the annual Form 395-B employment-report rule, matching a May 2025 Fifth Circuit ruling that the agency lacks authority to require race, ethnicity, and gender workforce data. EEO audits are unchanged; stations picked in the Aug. 21 audit still owe responses by Oct. 20. The same week the bureau updated FM allotments in Whitehall, Mich., and Selmer, Tenn. At its Sept. 30 open meeting the commission focused on spectrum and environmental rules and, in related action dated Oct. 1, repealed the national television multiple-ownership rule — a TV item, but one radio groups are watching for ownership policy.
🗼Public Radio and Naming Rules: Birmingham’s WBHM said an Alabama law requiring state and local entities to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” covers its staff because the station is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The law took effect Oct. 1. Departing general manager Will Dahlberg wrote that UAB treated on-air language as official communication and that noncompliance could bring discipline or strain the station’s university support. He said the mandate conflicts with NPR and AP style and threatens editorial independence. The law has no stated penalty.
🗼Deals: Pamal Broadcasting agreed to buy Ed Levine’s Galaxy Media and its 10 Syracuse and Utica stations, pending FCC approval. Pamal took day-to-day control under an LMA on Oct. 1. Levine had said in August he would retire at year’s end.
Salt Air Broadcasting filed a $1.75 million purchase of Cape Cod Broadcasting’s WQRC, WKPE-FM, and WOCN-FM.
Civic Media filed a $1.1 million buy of four NRG Media stations in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa.
Cumulus filed a $1,000 sale of silent KPUR-AM Amarillo to ELB Broadcasting.
Connoisseur Media agreed to sell classic rock WQCM Greencastle, Pa./Hagerstown, Md., to Family Life Ministries, expecting a year-end close, and will keep its other three stations in the market.
Smaller filings included Rio Broadcasting’s $150,000 King City/Soledad deal, Bulldog Media’s $414,000 purchase of Fox Sports Eugene’s KORE, and Prestige Media’s $50,000 buy of WSAR Fall River.
🗼Spanish-Language and Christian Radio: Spanish Broadcasting System posted a permanent CFO search while its prepackaged Chapter 11 plan is at the FCC, including a request to let foreign ownership rise well above 25%. Christian broadcasters pressed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act at NRB’s Capitol Hill Media Summit on Sept. 30. Speaker Mike Johnson received the First Freedoms Award; FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said the commission wants an environment in which local and religious stations can thrive. The bill is still in the Senate.
🗼Programming and Talent: Hubbard flipped brokered-talk KKNW (1150) Seattle to classic country “Bull Classics,” simulcasting KPNW-HD2 and flanking new-country “98.9 The Bull.”...Audacy’s Scott Spezzano will leave mornings at variety hits WBZA Rochester on Dec. 18, the 50th anniversary of his start in radio; co-host Sandy Waters stays...Rufus Resources’ “No Bull Radio” surrendered its licenses and is moving online...Red Apple Audio Networks will syndicate Michael Cohen’s Sunday show When You Know, You Know starting Nov. 1...NPR’s World Cafe, produced at WXPN, began a month of 35th-anniversary programming.
🗼Spanish-Language and Christian Radio: Spanish Broadcasting System posted a permanent CFO search while its prepackaged Chapter 11 plan is at the FCC, including a request to let foreign ownership rise well above 25%. Christian broadcasters pressed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act at NRB’s Capitol Hill Media Summit on Sept. 30. Speaker Mike Johnson received the First Freedoms Award; FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said the commission wants an environment in which local and religious stations can thrive. The bill is still in the Senate.
🗼Programming and Talent: Hubbard flipped brokered-talk KKNW (1150) Seattle to classic country “Bull Classics,” simulcasting KPNW-HD2 and flanking new-country “98.9 The Bull.”...Audacy’s Scott Spezzano will leave mornings at variety hits WBZA Rochester on Dec. 18, the 50th anniversary of his start in radio; co-host Sandy Waters stays...Rufus Resources’ “No Bull Radio” surrendered its licenses and is moving online...Red Apple Audio Networks will syndicate Michael Cohen’s Sunday show When You Know, You Know starting Nov. 1...NPR’s World Cafe, produced at WXPN, began a month of 35th-anniversary programming.
🗼Sports: ESPN Radio set a full 2026 MLB postseason schedule through the World Series, its 29th season of national baseball coverage, with Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Eduardo Pérez, Jessica Mendoza, and Buster Olney back for a fourth World Series. The Division Series opened Oct. 3...The Minnesota Timberwolves named Audacy’s WCCO their exclusive radio and streaming flagship, with Alan Horton returning for a 20th season.
🗼Ratings, Awards, and Research: Nielsen closed its August 2026 diary releases on Oct. 1. iHeartMedia, Audacy, NPR, and several public stations are 2026 Signal Awards finalists; listener voting runs through Oct. 15, with winners on Oct. 20...A Pew-Knight study released Sept. 28 found 73% of adults call press freedom extremely or very important, while 53% would accept some limits to stop inaccurate reporting. A related May fact sheet still ranked radio second among local-news sources.
🗼International Broadcasting: A State Department inspector general review found the U.S. Agency for Global Media skipped key planning steps in last year’s Voice of America cuts. USAGM agreed to six fixes, including a statutory-minimum plan and a new strategic plan, and has told Congress it intends to expand some language services.
🗼World College Radio Day ran Oct. 2 under the theme “HOPE – Always in the Air,” with Andy Grammer as ambassador and more than 700 student stations expected to take part.
➤Look Ahead (Oct. 5–9)
🔎September PPM releases begin Monday, Oct. 5, the first fall read for the largest markets...The same day, Lotus Seattle’s new weekday schedules take effect at Northwest Newsradio KNWN and talk KVI: Jeff Pohjola becomes KNWN director of news and programming, Bloomberg and The Ramsey Show join middays, and The Ari Hoffman Show moves to KVI mornings...Jacobs Media holds a free public-radio Techsurvey webinar Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. ET...The FCC marks the 2026 Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility on Thursday, Oct. 8, at headquarters. Signal Awards fan voting continues through the week...Quarterly issues/programs lists are due Oct. 10, just after this window; EEO audit responses are due Oct. 20.
🔎September PPM releases begin Monday, Oct. 5, the first fall read for the largest markets...The same day, Lotus Seattle’s new weekday schedules take effect at Northwest Newsradio KNWN and talk KVI: Jeff Pohjola becomes KNWN director of news and programming, Bloomberg and The Ramsey Show join middays, and The Ari Hoffman Show moves to KVI mornings...Jacobs Media holds a free public-radio Techsurvey webinar Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. ET...The FCC marks the 2026 Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility on Thursday, Oct. 8, at headquarters. Signal Awards fan voting continues through the week...Quarterly issues/programs lists are due Oct. 10, just after this window; EEO audit responses are due Oct. 20.