It's Monday! Here's The Pulse for Aug 10

Radio Broadcasting

Cumulus Woes: Atlanta-based Cumulus Media laid off on-air staff at 99X on Friday amid major financial challenges facing the radio company.

Cumulus' Bad Move: Cumulus Media has fired legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa from KNBR after his three-month hospital stay for leukemia treatment, drawing widespread outrage. In a statement responding to the backlash, the company that owns the station said it could not comment on the specifics of his departure. 

Vulture Looms: Heath Freeman, president of Alden Global Capital, is poised to become one of the largest stakeholders in a reorganized Cumulus Media after its Chapter 11 restructuring, holding a 31.86% voting interest through Next Gen Radio Enterprises LLC.

Media Industry

Travis Launching: Clay Travis is launching a new sports media website expected to debut before the college football season begins Aug. 29.

The Left Raises Cash: Progressive candidates are winning Democratic primaries across the U.S. by leveraging a growing left-wing media ecosystem of websites, podcasts, YouTube shows and livestreams that lets them build national profiles, raise money and mobilize grassroots support

Reporter Off Hook: Ex-Fox News investigative reporter Catherine Herridge no longer faces an $800-a-day contempt fine after a federal judge reversed course Friday, ruling she does not have to keep paying while she seeks review by the Supreme Court. 

U-S News

Iran Makes Demands: Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz ​but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats, before the strategic waterway is reopened.

BeBe A No-No: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his rejection of Donald Trump's latest Gaza ​plan in televised remarks to his right-wing government on Sunday, even as Israel's military has effectively halted attacks in the territory under pressure from ‌the U.S. President.

Economy Danger: Mitchell Brown, a Republican pollster, has noticed something new in the focus groups he runs with voters in battleground states: “They know exactly, to the dollar, the amount of their power bill,” he said. The same, he says, happens with health costs, or the price of beef. To Brown, it is a sign that views of the economy pose a clear danger for his party in this year’s midterms

Atlanta Radio: Cumulus Fires Q99.7 Staffers

Morning Crew

Atlanta-based Cumulus Media laid off on-air staff at 99X on Friday amid major financial challenges facing the radio company.

The cuts were first reported via a social media post Friday night by Steve Barnes, a key “Morning X” host from the station’s 1990s heyday as a Gen X hub for alternative acts including Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt. Barnes, who returned to lead mornings for the station’s late-2022 revival, titled the post “The End.”

“Thanks to all the listeners that made history bringing back a historic brand for an unprecedented second run,” he wrote. “It’s never been done before like this.” He added: “It’s a brutal business and everyone knew that when they came back.”

Brian Philips, Cumulus chief content officer who helped launch 99X in 1992, had rehired several 1990s-era talents including Barnes, Leslie Fram, Steve Craig, Will Pendarvis, Matt Jones, Christopher “Crash” Clark and Jill Nelson. The status of midday host and program director Craig, weekend host Jones and afternoon host Pendarvis remained unclear.

Beleaguered Cumulus Responds To Greg Papa Backlash

Greg Papa

Cumulus Media has fired legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa from KNBR after his three-month hospital stay for leukemia treatment, drawing widespread outrage. In a statement responding to the backlash, the company that owns the station said it could not comment on the specifics of his departure. 

It added that “our respect and gratitude for everything Greg has given to KNBR, its listeners and its team runs deep” and that it is “exploring ways we can bring his voice back to the station.” 

Cumulus praised Papa as “one of the defining voices of Bay Area sports radio,” noting that “his knowledge, passion and connection with his listeners helped shape KNBR into what it is today, and his contributions to the station will not be forgotten.”

Papa, 63, the longtime radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers and co-host of the weekday midday “Papa & Silver” show since 2019, was let go Wednesday along with co-host Greg Silver. The show will be replaced by longtime Bay Area host John Lund, who is returning to KNBR after being fired from the station in November 2024.

Cumulus Media's Week From Hell

Cumulus Media endured a tumultuous week of widespread layoffs in early August 2026, cutting on-air talent, programmers, sales staff, and podcast network roles across multiple markets nationwide while the company awaits final FCC approval to emerge from its Chapter 11 restructuring. 

The reductions, described as a broader organizational realignment amid ongoing financial pressures and debt reduction efforts, hit stations from San Francisco to Detroit, Little Rock, Mobile, Columbia (SC), Shreveport, Albuquerque, Peoria, and elsewhere. 

They included the ouster of key podcast leaders (such as SVP of Marketing and Podcasting Carolyn Chauncey and VP of Podcast Operations Jay Soderberg), though Cumulus denied reports that it had eliminated the entire Cumulus Podcast Network team and affirmed the network remains operational. 

More Cumulus Trouble Ahead As Predator 'Vulture' Looms

Heath Freeman, president of Alden Global Capital, is poised to become one of the largest stakeholders in a reorganized Cumulus Media after its Chapter 11 restructuring, holding a 31.86% voting interest through Next Gen Radio Enterprises LLC.

The stake is detailed in Transfer of Control Amendments filed with the FCC last month and remains pending regulatory approval. 

Industry observers warn the arrangement could pave the way for significant job cuts at the major radio group, consistent with Alden’s history of deep staff reductions at newspapers it has acquired.

What To Expect From 'Most-Feared' Owner In Journalism

Alden Global Capital’s media strategy centers on acquiring distressed newspaper companies at low cost, aggressively cutting expenses (especially newsroom staff), monetizing real estate and other assets, and extracting high short-term profits with minimal reinvestment in journalism. 

The New York-based hedge fund, founded in 2007 by Randall D. Smith as a distressed-debt investor and led by managing director/president Heath Freeman, entered the media business around 2010. It gained control of MediaNews Group (later operated as Digital First Media or MNG Enterprises) out of bankruptcy and built a large portfolio. With the full acquisition of Tribune Publishing in 2021, Alden became the second-largest U.S. newspaper owner by circulation (behind Gannett), controlling more than 200 papers including the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Boston Herald, New York Daily News, Orange County Register, San Jose Mercury News, and many others.

Core Playbook

Alden’s approach is consistently described across reporting as a form of “distress investing” or “strip-mining”:

Let's Not Forget: The Cumulus Beef With Nielsen

The latest: A federal appeals court in July 2026 upheld a preliminary injunction against Nielsen that bars the ratings giant from forcing radio broadcasters to purchase local market data as a condition of buying its exclusive national “Nationwide” radio ratings product.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a decision from the Southern District of New York in a lawsuit filed by Cumulus Media in October 2025. Cumulus accused Nielsen of illegal monopolization and unlawful tying under antitrust law. Nielsen is the sole provider of national radio ratings data. 

According to the complaint, the company required broadcasters seeking access to the Nationwide product to also buy local ratings data across all markets. Cumulus contended this practice artificially raised costs for radio stations, blocked potential competitors such as Eastlan from gaining traction in local markets, and overall harmed the radio industry.

Clay Travis Soon Launching New Sports Media Website

Clay Travis is launching a new sports media website expected to debut before the college football season begins Aug. 29, Front Office Sports has learned.

The site will operate separately from OutKick, the platform Travis founded in 2011 and sold to Fox in 2021. His syndicated talk radio program, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, is expected to serve as a cornerstone. The show airs in the former Rush Limbaugh noon-to-3 p.m. ET slot, reaches more than 550 stations, and already produces three hours of daily video for digital platforms and YouTube.

Jonathan Hutton and Chad Withrow’s Hutton & Withrow radio show/podcast is also expected to join the new venture. The Nashville duo left OutKick in May with their Hot Mic program and recently teased a major announcement during SEC media days. “We will be a part of a media platform that will be massive,” Hutton said.

No official name has been announced. Travis filed a trademark application in April for “Sport & State,” describing a website offering “news, information, and commentary in the fields of sports and politics.” The application remains pending.

Left-Wing Media Is Powering Progressive Candidates

Progressive candidates are winning Democratic primaries across the U.S. by leveraging a growing left-wing media ecosystem of websites, podcasts, YouTube shows and livestreams that lets them build national profiles, raise money and mobilize grassroots support while bypassing traditional Democratic establishment gatekeepers.

On Tuesday, progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Haley Stevens, the party establishment’s preferred candidate, in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. Despite being massively outspent on television ads by tens of millions of dollars from pro-Israel and other outside groups, El-Sayed prevailed in a swing state that Republican President Donald Trump carried in 2024. 

A former state health official and rising star in left-wing media, he advanced views long underrepresented in Washington, including support for universal healthcare, abolishing ICE and cutting military aid to Israel. Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democratic socialist, similarly prevailed in a recent congressional primary against a more moderate rival. Appearances on programs such as “The Majority Report with Sam Seder” and “Breaking Points” were key to his breakthrough. 

College Sports Bill Delayed Until September

The Protect College Sports Act failed to reach a Senate vote during an all-night pre-recess session that ended early Saturday, though Majority Leader John Thune scheduled it for consideration next month after the chamber returns from summer break.

The bipartisan measure aims to place guardrails on the escalating spending spree in college sports as the industry adapts to a model allowing teams to pay players. 

“College sports is something that needs to be fixed. They have a good solution,” said Thune, R-S.D. “We got it teed up for next month.”

Investigative Reporter Off the Hook for Daily Fine

Judge Cooper, Catherne Herridge

Ex-Fox News investigative reporter Catherine Herridge no longer faces an $800-a-day contempt fine after a federal judge reversed course Friday, ruling she does not have to keep paying while she seeks review by the Supreme Court. 

She will also be reimbursed the $14,400 she has already paid over the past two weeks.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the pause on the daily sanction, giving Herridge breathing room as she prepares to ask the nation’s highest court later this month to take up her First Amendment fight over confidential sources. The fine had been imposed for her refusal to identify those sources.

ESPN Believed Behind Lifting Of Caitlin Clark Suspension

The WNBA quickly rescinded Caitlin Clark’s eighth technical foul of the 2026 season hours after it was assessed during Indiana’s 90-86 win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday, allowing the Fever star to avoid an automatic one-game suspension and play in Tuesday’s high-profile home matchup against the New York Liberty. 

Some fans and observers believe ESPN influence played a role in the rapid reversal, citing the network’s interest in protecting viewership for the Tuesday game, which was expected to draw strong ratings with Clark available. 

More Taylor Swift Songs Removed From Trump Posts

Taylor Swift songs have been removed from social media videos posted by President Donald Trump’s campaign and the White House, which used two of the singer’s tracks over the past week.

Reuters reports the Trump campaign featured the songs on its TikTok page. One video played on her lyrics with the caption “Red (Donald Trump’s Version). Red (Taylor Swift Wrote A Whole Album About Republicans). Donald Trump. Everything Has Changed (At Our Southern Border). Donald Trump. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (The Biden Harris Administration). Donald Trump. The Last Time (An Autopen Runs The Country).” In June, the campaign posted another video using Swift’s “Toy Story 5” song “I Knew It, I Knew You,” captioned “Nobody loves our country & the American People more than @President Donald J Trump.” 

Staffers Not Allowed To Speak To Howard Stern

Howard Stern’s staffers allegedly operated under strict, unusual rules in what sources describe as a “cultish” workplace at SiriusXM, where speaking to the radio host at company events could cost employees their jobs.

People were explicitly warned before any company parties not to approach or speak to Stern, with the added caution that individuals had actually been fired for doing so, an insider claimed to the US Sun. 

Americans Are Moving: But Not Necessarily In The Same Direction

Older generations are relocating to the South while Gen Z migrates to major cities with colleges, entry-level jobs and apartments, according to U-Haul’s latest migration trends report.

The report, released July 29, examined 52 weeks of one-way customer moves from July 2025 through June 2026 and organized results by generation, noting that life stage strongly influences destinations.

Philly Radio: Auction Winner Calls An Inning Of Phillies Game

Broadcasters Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke  and Kalb

A 73-year-old retiree paid $22,000 for one inning behind the Philadelphia Phillies radio microphone Wednesday night and delivered a smooth, experienced call that surprised the regular announcers.

Lewis Kalb of Medford Lakes, N.J., won the team’s annual Phillies Phanatic Auction and handled play-by-play when the Washington Nationals came to bat in the top of the third at Citizens Bank Park. 

The longtime Phillies fan and substitute teacher had called more than 3,000 recreational and school-league games over three decades and treated the opportunity as a professional assignment rather than a novelty.

Radio History: Aug 10

Ted Husing

➦In 1962...Edward Britt "Ted" Husing died from complications of a brain tumor at age 60 (Born - November 27, 1901).  He was an early radio sportscaster and was among the first to lay the groundwork for the structure and pace of modern sports reporting.

At age 16, he joined the National Guard and in World War I was assigned to stand watch over New York's harbor. Following the war, he floated between jobs such as carnival barker and payroll clerk.

After he won an audition over 500 other applicants for announcer at New York City radio station WHN, Husing found his life's calling. He was schooled under the tutelage of pioneer broadcaster Major J. Andrew White. There he covered breaking news stories and political conventions and assisted White during football commentaries.

By 1926, Husing was working at WJZ, which made him "its specialist in announcing dance programs." A newspaper article reported that Husing was selected for the job "out of 610 applications for the position of announcer at station WJZ."

As an announcer, his use of descriptive language combined with a commanding voice made his broadcasts must-listen events. By 1927, he was voted seventh most popular announcer in a national poll. Following a pay dispute, he moved to Boston, where he broadcast Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) baseball games.

Later in 1927, he returned to New York and helped his mentor, J. Andrew White, start the new CBS chain. After cigar mogul William S. Paley bought the cash-strapped network in 1928, Ted Husing rose to new heights of glory and fame.

At CBS, Husing took on a wide variety of events. In 1929, he was named studio director of WABC (the CBS flagship station) in addition to continuing his work as an announcer for the network.

He was the original voice of the popular March of Time program and an announcer for shows such as George Burns and Gracie Allen. Above everything, his work on sports gave Husing the greatest prominence. He covered events as diverse as boxing, horse racing, track and field, regattas, seven World Series, tennis, golf, four Olympic Games, Indianapolis 500 motor racing, and especially college football.

In addition to his sports preeminence, Husing also did news/special events coverage for the CBS Radio Network. In the 1930s, he gave early tutelage to a budding CBS Radio announcer, Mel Allen, who, like Husing, would become a legendary sportscaster.

In 1946, Husing moved from CBS to WHN (later WMGM) to pursue a career as a disk jockey. Husing's popular music show the Ted Husing Bandstand ran from 1946 to 1954. He continued to busy himself with sports assignments, including boxing on CBS and DuMont television, one year (1950) as the radio voice of New York Giants football, and as host of DuMont's Boxing From Eastern Parkway from May 1952 to March 1953. Perhaps he was best known as the voice of Army football from 1947 to 1953. By that time, Husing's yearly salary was close to half a million dollars.

In the spring of 1954, an operation to treat a malignant brain tumor left him blind and forced him to retire.   In 1963, Husing became the second inductee of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.  In 1984, Husing was part of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame’s inaugural class which included sportscasting legends Red Barber, Don Dunphy, Graham McNamee and Bill Stern.