Radio Revenue Forecasts Remain Optimistic

The radio industry enters 2026 with cautiously optimistic forecasts, marking a potential stabilization or modest recovery after recent declines in traditional broadcast revenue. Industry analysts highlight digital integration as a key driver, helping offset weaknesses in spot advertising while positioning audio as resilient amid broader media fragmentation.

Leading forecasts show varied but generally positive signals for radio overall:

• Borrell Associates projects radio will experience the smallest year-over-year decline among traditional media at just -0.9%. This relative strength stems from successful digital strategies, platform partnerships, and cross-media packaging that combine traditional spots with streaming and online offerings. Streaming audio stands out particularly strongly, with expected growth of 9.2%—outpacing other formats like OTT video—thanks to integrations such as Amazon DSP partnerships that expand reach and inventory for local advertisers.
• BIA Advisory Services anticipates a more direct rebound, forecasting overall radio broadcast revenue growth of 1.83% in 2026. This reverses modest declines seen in 2025. Digital revenue within radio is projected to accelerate even further, at +5.01%, as stations extend into streaming, podcasts, and data-driven audio solutions to capture shares of the broader $182 billion local advertising market.
• S&P Global describes an ongoing bifurcation in the sector: traditional spot ads continue to face pressure, with national spot revenue declining around ~3.5% and local contracting more modestly. However, digital channels—including podcasting, streaming, and connected device integrations—are growing robustly at ~6.5%+. Off-air revenue sources, such as live events and sponsorships, also contribute positively to the mix.

These projections reflect broader trends where radio's future hinges less on legacy spot sales and more on hybrid models that blend over-the-air reach with digital targeting, programmatic buying, and cross-platform campaigns. 

While economic caution persists among small and medium-sized businesses, audio's local relevance, cost-effectiveness, and evolving digital capabilities position it favorably compared to steeper challenges in other traditional media like newspapers or linear TV.

Overall, 2026 appears poised as a transitional year for radio: traditional elements stabilize or modestly improve, while digital and streaming audio accelerate, potentially setting the stage for sustained growth in an increasingly converged media landscape.

TV Ratings: Opening Ceremony Drew 21.4M Viewers

The opening ceremony for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics drew 21.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, marking a strong start with a 34% increase from the 2022 Beijing Games' 15.9 million (or approximately 16 million in some reports).

Preliminary data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics show the Friday event—airing live at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET and re-aired in primetime—averaged more than 3 million streaming viewers on Peacock alone, making it the most-streamed Winter Olympics opening ceremony ever. 

Overall streaming on NBCUniversal platforms reached 700 million minutes through Friday, 2.5 times higher than the comparable period for Beijing 2022.

NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said in a statement: “We are off to a strong start with Friday’s captivating Opening Ceremony highlighted by the historic cities, the scenic mountain areas, and the Parade of Athletes. The Opening Ceremony audience exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait for the next two weeks of competition.”

The ceremony, which ran longer than its planned three hours (closer to 3 hours 40 minutes), celebrated Italian culture, art, music, and expressive hand gestures. It featured performances by Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, actor Pierfrancesco Favino, and “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore.

For context, Beijing's 2022 opener saw 16 million viewers (a 43% drop from PyeongChang 2018's 28.3 million), while the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics ceremony drew 28.6 million (up 60% from Tokyo 2021's 17.9 million).

The broadcast led into an episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” which averaged 2.3 million viewers—its most-watched since Thanksgiving.

Trump Gives Thumbs-Up To Nexstar-Tenga Merger

President Donald Trump endorsed Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion purchase of broadcast rival Tegna on Saturday, an apparent reversal from earlier criticism of the deal.

“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” Trump wrote on social media. “Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar — Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition. ... GET THAT DEAL DONE.”

The acquisition, which Nexstar announced in August and requires regulatory approval, would bring together two companies with significant holdings in local broadcast media. Nexstar oversees more than 200 owned and partner stations in 116 markets nationwide and also runs networks like The CW and NewsNation. Meanwhile, Tegna owns 64 news stations across 51 markets.

Trump criticized the purchase in November, saying: “If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to 'enlarge,' I would not be happy.”

But the companies operate independently of the large broadcast networks such as ABC and NBC. In September, Nexstar, along with the right-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, suspended Jimmy Kimmel's ABC late-night talk show for about a week after Kimmel's comments on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The deal has occurred as the Federal Communications Commission is seeking to reform rules that limit local TV station ownership. Some court decisions have also struck down regulations that limited the number of top TV stations in a single market that one company could own.

Nexstar has sought to portray the deal as consistent with the Trump administration's deregulatory moves.

“The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration offer local broadcasters the opportunity to expand reach, level the playing field, and compete more effectively with the Big Tech and legacy Big Media companies that have unchecked reach and vast financial resources,” Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said when announcing the deal.

Yet some conservative voices still oppose the deal.

“The Nexstar deal means dangerous consolidation that will limit competition, harm conservative voices and dramatically increase consumer cable bills,” the right-leaning network Newsmax said in a statement. “President Trump was right in November when he called for smaller networks and for keeping TV ownership caps to limit massive broadcast consolidation.”

ABC’s ‘The View’ Under Federal Investigation

The FCC has launched an investigation into ABC's daytime talk show "The View" for potentially violating federal equal time rules for political candidates.

The probe, first reported by Fox News Digital and confirmed by sources to Reuters and other outlets, was triggered by the show's recent appearance by Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. 

This marked one of the first such political interviews on the program since the FCC issued new guidance in January 2026 emphasizing enforcement of the rule. Under Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, if a broadcast station (like ABC) allows a legally qualified candidate to appear, it must provide equal opportunities — comparable time and placement — to all other candidates for the same office, regardless of party. 

The rule applies to over-the-air broadcast TV but not cable networks.

The FCC's January public notice clarified that exemptions for "bona fide" news programming are not automatic for daytime or late-night talk shows. Interviews motivated by "partisan purposes" or used to advantage one candidate do not qualify for exemption, and networks must offer opposing candidates equal access or seek formal assurance.

ABC's parent company, Disney, reportedly did not file an exemption petition for Talarico's appearance and has not provided comparable airtime to his Republican opponents in the Texas Senate race.

The investigation aligns with a broader FCC crackdown on rarely enforced equal time requirements for broadcast networks, including concerns about shows on ABC, NBC, and CBS. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has previously questioned whether programs like "The View" qualify as neutral news content.

"The View" has long been critical of President Trump and his allies, featuring a panel including former Trump adviser Alyssa Farah Griffin but known for its predominantly anti-Trump commentary. Trump has had a longstanding feud with the show and its moderator, Whoopi Goldberg, including past public exchanges and White House criticisms of hosts like Goldberg and Joy Behar.

The equal time rule has historically seen limited enforcement, but the current FCC push signals stricter scrutiny of perceived political bias in broadcast programming. No formal findings or penalties have been announced yet in the ongoing inquiry.

WaPo CEO Exits

Will Lewis

Washington Post CEO and Publisher Will Lewis has stepped down, the company announced Saturday, just three days after massive layoffs that eliminated about one-third of the newsroom staff — more than 300 journalists — and drew intense backlash.

Jeff D’Onofrio, the newspaper’s chief financial officer, was named acting CEO and publisher effective immediately.

Lewis announced his departure in a brief email to staff, stating that “after two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside.” He cited “difficult decisions” made to ensure the paper’s sustainable future and thanked owner Jeff Bezos for his support, but made no mention of the laid-off journalists or current staff.

The exit follows widespread criticism of the layoffs, which decimated local, international, and sports coverage, including the shutdown of the renowned sports section. Former executive editor Marty Baron described the cuts as one of the “darkest days” in the history of a major news organization.

The timing amplified outrage: Lewis was seen in meetings Wednesday with no hint of leaving and was photographed at a pre-Super Bowl event in San Francisco the next day, even as the sports department was being shuttered. 

He did not join the Zoom call where top editor Matt Murray informed employees of the job losses.

Katie Mettler, a former chair of the Washington Post Guild, reacted sharply: “I’m glad Will Lewis has been fired. I wish it had happened before he fired all my friends.”

In a separate statement, Bezos emphasized the Post’s “essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” noting that readers provide a “road map to success,” without directly addressing the layoffs or Lewis’s departure.

The British-born Lewis was a former top executive at The Wall Street Journal before taking over at The Post in January 2024. His tenure has been rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee.

His initial choice to take over for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the job after ethical questions were raised about both he and Lewis' actions while working in England. They include paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism. The current executive editor, Matt Murray, took over shortly thereafter.

Report: Lewis Pissed-Off Bezos

The Financial Times reported that Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, stepped down amid intense backlash following massive layoffs at the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper.

A Washington Post newsroom source told the FT that senior management was livid upon learning Lewis attended Super Bowl-related festivities in San Francisco around the time the job cuts were announced. The source added, “Bezos lost patience,” describing the optics as the “last straw” for Lewis's controversial tenure.

The layoffs, announced earlier in the week, affected about one-third of the staff—more than 300 journalists—decimating sections like sports (which was effectively eliminated), local news, international coverage, and others, as the paper grappled with years of multimillion-dollar losses.

Lewis, appointed by Bezos in late 2023 to turn around the struggling publication, faced criticism for his absence during the layoff announcement and for not addressing staff or readers directly. Photos of him at a pre-Super Bowl event, juxtaposed with the gutting of the sports desk, fueled outrage among current and former employees.

His departure was announced via email to staff, where he called it “the right time for me to step aside” after two years of transformation efforts, and he praised Bezos as an ideal owner. The Post's chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was named interim replacement.

The episode highlights ongoing tensions at the Post over cost-cutting, strategic direction, and leadership perception under Bezos's ownership.

Broadcast Ownership Hearing Set for Tuesday

The Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), will hold a hearing titled “We Interrupt This Program: Media Ownership in the Digital Age” on Tuesday, at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The session will examine the FCC’s broadcast media ownership rules—especially the national cap limiting a single broadcaster to reaching no more than 39% of U.S. television households—in light of shifting media consumption toward streaming and social media.

The hearing features witnesses including Chris Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, who supports retaining current ownership caps, and Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), who advocates for eliminating or relaxing the rules to help local broadcasters compete.

Ted Cruz

Cruz emphasized the need to assess whether the rules remain legally sound, are outdated, or require updates to foster competition and guard against corporate censorship targeting conservatives. “The media market is changing rapidly, leading many to wonder if broadcast media ownership rules should reflect this new reality,” he stated.

The review occurs amid the FCC’s ongoing 2022 Quadrennial Review of ownership regulations, where Chair Brendan Carr has signaled openness to modifications to bolster local broadcasters, though no final decision has been made. Recent major deals, such as those involving Nexstar, would necessitate rule changes to proceed.

The original purpose of these rules—to promote competition and viewpoint diversity by restricting consolidation—faces scrutiny as video viewing shifts online. Some experts note the 39% national cap is statutory and can only be altered by Congress, not FCC regulation alone. Critics warn that easing restrictions could reduce conservative voices on broadcast TV.

Study: Attention Span Is Trainable, Not Fixed

The latest research into human attention spans shows a consensus among key studies that our ability to sustain focus on a single task or screen has declined significantly over the past two decades, largely due to digital environments, frequent interruptions, notifications, and multitasking.

The most influential and frequently cited ongoing work comes from Professor Gloria Mark (University of California, Irvine), a leading researcher in human-computer interaction and attention. Her longitudinal studies, tracking real-world behavior since around 2003, measure how long people stay focused on a screen or task before switching:

• In 2003/2004: Average ~2.5 minutes (150 seconds).
• By 2012: Dropped to ~75 seconds.
• In recent years (roughly 2018–2025, with data replicated in the past five years) Stabilized around 40–47 seconds.
• Her most recent references (including in a January 2026 National Geographic article and her book Attention Span) put the figure at roughly 40 seconds on average for screen-based attention before switching. 

She notes this has held relatively steady in the last 5–6 years but remains far shorter than earlier baselines. Mark links shorter spans to higher stress, elevated heart rates, and reduced wellbeing from constant context-switching.

Other recent insights include: A 2025 review on "brain rot" (a term for cognitive overload from excessive short-form digital content) associates heavy social media and rapid information intake with reduced attention span, memory, and problem-solving, especially in adolescents and young adults.

A 2025 study on social media's impact (published in Psychology) finds a negative correlation between excessive use and sustained attention/working memory in young adults.

Broader surveys (e.g., Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 2025) show Americans largely blame stress/anxiety (43%), lack of sleep (39%), and digital devices (35%) for perceived shorter focus.
Some 2025 pieces (e.g., in education contexts like LSU or TeacherToolkit) discuss evolving rather than purely declining attention in younger people, with brain development extending into the 30s and adaptation to rapid, relevant content.

The famous "8-second attention span" (shorter than a goldfish's 9 seconds) still circulates widely in 2025–2026 media and marketing stats, tracing back to a 2015 Microsoft report (itself based on unverified sources). Many experts now call this figure a myth or oversimplification—it's not from rigorous peer-reviewed longitudinal science and confuses quick task-switching in digital contexts with overall attentional capacity.

Critics argue attention isn't vanishing but fragmenting or becoming more selective in information-rich environments. Some 2024–2025 analyses (e.g., Nature Communications discussions) suggest people adapt by processing short bursts efficiently, especially if content is engaging.

Overall, while not everyone agrees on exact numbers or universality, empirical data from observational studies (especially Mark's) supports that digital-era interruptions have meaningfully shortened typical on-task focus time compared to 20 years ago. 

The good news: Researchers like Mark emphasize recoverability through strategies such as scheduled breaks, reducing notifications, single-tasking, and mindfulness—attention is trainable, not fixed.

R.I.P.: Brad Arnold, Lead Singer For 3 Doors Down

Brad Arnold

Brad Arnold, the lead singer, founding member, and primary songwriter of the rock band 3 Doors Down, has died at age 47 after a courageous battle with stage 4 kidney cancer.

The Mississippi-based band announced the news on social media on Saturday. Arnold passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his wife Jennifer and loved ones.

Arnold revealed his diagnosis of clear cell renal carcinoma (a form of kidney cancer) that had metastasized to his lung in May 2025. He shared the news openly in a video to fans, expressing faith and no fear, though the band canceled their summer tour that year to focus on his health.

Known for his powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics, Arnold co-founded 3 Doors Down in 1996 in Escatawpa, Mississippi. He originally started as the drummer before shifting to lead vocals. The band skyrocketed to fame in the early 2000s with multi-platinum hits like "Kryptonite," "Here Without You," "When I'm Gone," and "Be Like That," defining post-grunge and alternative rock radio for a generation.

Their self-titled debut album in 2000 and follow-ups earned Grammy nominations and sold millions worldwide, with Arnold's songwriting often drawing from personal themes of resilience, loss, and hope.

Bandmates and tributes described him as a devoted husband, kind, humorous, and generous—someone whose music created lasting connections and moments of joy. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by fans and the music community.

Radio History: Feb 9

➦In 1902...radio actor Chester H. Lauck was born in Allene Arkansas.  With fellow Arkansan Norris Goff he would create one of radio’s alltime favorite programs, “Lum & Abner,” hillbilly proprietors of the “Jot ‘Em Down Store” in Pine Ridge Arkansas. 

Their idea was a switch on Amos ‘n’ Andy. He died Feb. 21 1980, 12 days after his 78th birthday.

➦In 1934...FCC granted 500kw license to WLW for W8XO.

Powel Crosley studio of radio station WLW

On March 22, 1922, the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation began broadcasting with the call sign WLW and 50 watts of power. Crosley was a fanatic about the new broadcasting technology, and continually increased his station's capability. The power went up to 500 watts in September 1922, 1000 watts in May 1924, and in January 1925 WLW was the first broadcasting station at the 5000 watt level. On October 4, 1928, the station increased its power to 50 kilowatts.  Again it was the first station at this power level, which still is the maximum power currently allowed for any AM station in the United States.

At 50 kilowatts, WLW was heard easily over a wide area, from New York to Florida. But Powel Crosley still wasn't satisfied. In 1933 he obtained a construction permit from the Federal Radio Commission for a 500 kilowatt superstation, and he spent some $500,000 ($9.02 million in 2014) building the transmitter and antenna.

Cooling Pond

It was the first large amplifier used in the United States for public domestic radio broadcasting and was in operation between 1934 and 1939. It was an experimental amplifier and was driven by the radio station's regular 50 kW transmitter. It operated in class C with high-level plate modulation. The amplifier required a dedicated 33 kV electrical substation and a large pond complete with fountains for cooling. It operated with a power input of about 750 kW (plus another 400 kW of audio for the modulator) and its output was 500 kW.

In January 1934 WLW began broadcasting at the 500 kilowatt level late at night under the experimental callsign W8XO.   In April 1934 the station was authorized to operate at 500 kilowatts during regular hours under the WLW call letters. On May 2, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a ceremonial button that officially launched WLW's 500-kilowatt signal.

As the first station in the world to broadcast at this strength, WLW received repeated complaints from around the United States and Canada that it was overpowering other stations as far away as Toronto. In December 1934 WLW cut back to 50 kilowatts at night to mitigate the interference, and began construction of three 50 ft. tower antennas to be used to reduce signal strength towards Canada.

With these three antennas in place, full-time broadcasting at 500 kilowatts resumed in early 1935. However, WLW was continuing to operate under special temporary authority that had to be renewed every six months, and each renewal brought complaints about interference and undue domination of the market by such a high-power station.

The FCC was having second thoughts about permitting extremely wide-area broadcasting versus more locally oriented stations, and in 1938, the US Senate adopted the "Wheeler" resolution, expressing it to be the sense of that body that more stations with power in excess of 50 kilowatts are against the public interest.

As a result, in 1939 the 500-kilowatt broadcast authorization was not renewed, bringing an end to the era of the AM radio superstation. Because of the impending war and the possible need for national broadcasting in an emergency, the W8XO experimental license for 500 kilowatts remained in effect until December 29, 1942. In 1962 the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation again applied for a permit to operate at 750 kilowatts, but the FCC denied the application.

📻For more, visit Jim Hawkins WLW Transmitter Page: Click Here.

➦In 1958...the CBS Radio Network first aired “Frontier Gentleman” starring John Dehner.  The classy western production came too late in the OTR era to achieve the success it deserved, and it was pulled from the schedule that November.

➦In 1964...ABC's American Bandstand  moved from Philadelphia to the ABC Television Center in Los Angeles (now known as The Prospect Studios), which coincidentally was the same weekend that WFIL-TV moved from 46th and Market to their then-new facility on City Line Avenue as well as the day before the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

➦In 1964...The Beatles made the first of three record-breaking appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. The audience viewing the Fab Four on CBS TV was estimated at 73,700,000 (34 percent of the American population).

Ed Sullivan and the Beatles