NYC Radio: WFAN to Launch on SiriusXM Sept. 1

WFAN and 41 other Audacy sports, news and talk stations will become available on SiriusXM starting Sept. 1 under a new partnership between the companies.

The deal, announced Tuesday, brings 42 Audacy stations from 29 markets to the satellite radio service, which has about 30 million subscribers. WFAN’s popular shows featuring hosts such as Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason will be carried on SiriusXM, the current home of former WFAN personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo. New York’s all-news station 1010 WINS will also be available.

Twenty-three Audacy sports stations, including WFAN, will launch on SiriusXM on Sept. 1. The remaining 19 news and talk stations will join later this year.

Karl Ravech Expected to Be Laid Off by ESPN After 32 Years

ESPN is expected to let go of longtime lead play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech as part of a new round of layoffs, sources briefed on the move told The Athletic.

The cuts began Monday with the dismissal of NFL analyst Ryan Clark and are expected to affect both on-air talent and behind-the-scenes staff, with the most significant reductions anticipated at NFL Network. ESPN declined to comment.

Ravech, 61, had not yet been informed as of Tuesday morning.  ESPN planned to notify affected employees later in the day. 

He called Monday night’s Phillies-Dodgers game in Philadelphia.  A fixture at the network since joining in 1993, Ravech has served as the primary voice for ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage, hosted “Baseball Tonight,” called college basketball, and anchored “SportsCenter” for decades. 

He is the highest-profile on-air personality reportedly impacted by the current layoffs.

The latest job reductions come as ESPN integrates NFL Network following its purchase from the NFL in late January. The deal gave the league a 10 percent stake in ESPN. Over the past six months, the company has worked to align operations between its Bristol and New York facilities and NFL Network’s Los Angeles base.

ESPN’s parent company, Disney, is also expected to conduct its own round of layoffs in the coming period.

Earlier story...

                                         

ESPN has severed ties with longtime NFL analyst Ryan Clark as part of a broader wave of layoffs affecting its Bristol, Connecticut headquarters and NFL Network, multiple sources briefed on the moves told The Athletic.

The cuts were expected to take place Tuesday. Clark appeared on ESPN’s “NFL Live” as recently as Monday, just one day before the reported departure.

The layoffs represent the latest round of cost-cutting and restructuring at ESPN and its parent company Disney, which has been trimming staff across its sports media operations amid shifting industry economics and declining linear television revenue. Clark, a former NFL safety turned prominent on-air personality, had been a regular contributor across ESPN’s NFL programming, including studio shows and analysis segments.

Details on the total number of positions affected were not immediately available, but the moves impact both on-air talent and behind-the-scenes roles at the network’s Bristol campus and NFL Network.

Clark’s exit marks another notable departure from ESPN’s NFL coverage roster in recent years as the network continues to adjust its talent lineup and production strategy.

Federal Judge Halts $81B PSKY, WBD Merger

A federal judge in California issued a temporary restraining order Monday blocking Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery from closing their $81 billion merger, delivering the deal's first major regulatory setback.

The 14-day order gives the court time to consider a preliminary injunction requested by California and 11 other states, which are challenging the combination on antitrust grounds. If the preliminary injunction is granted after a hearing scheduled for Aug. 3, the companies would be barred from closing while the lawsuit proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín ruled that the studios’ combined market share in theatrical movies creates a presumption that the merger would likely violate antitrust laws. She warned that allowing the deal to close during litigation would make it “difficult, if not impossible” to unwind due to operational consolidation, sharing of sensitive information, and potential employee changes.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta hailed the decision as “a critical first win” in the states’ effort to stop the megamerger. “We have a full tank of gas, the law on our side, and look forward to continuing to make our case,” Bonta said.

DTS AutoStage In-Car Measurement Expands to Over 300+ Markets

Xperi's DTS AutoStage has rolled out its in-car AM/FM radio audience measurement service to more than 300 U.S. markets, drawing data from approximately 6 million connected vehicles and delivering overnight ratings for the first time in every market.

The expansion, described as AM/FM radio's "big data" moment in a new Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active blog, provides audience samples five to 10 times larger than traditional radio ratings. Broadcasters now gain access to daily listening trends refreshed every 24 hours.

The service offers key advantages over existing methods: in-car listening always involves people present (unlike TV data that can capture empty-room viewing), produces stable audience trends across markets of all sizes, and does not rely on listener recall or wearable devices.

Saga Promotes Paul O'Malley To SVP/Revenue Development

Paul O’Malley has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Revenue Development at Saga Communications, the company has announced. 

In the new corporate role, he will oversee and drive the company’s digital revenue strategy.O’Malley, who joined Saga eight years ago as President and General Manager of its Charleston, S.C., media properties, will work closely with market managers, media advisors, and customers to strengthen consultative selling and remove barriers to execution and success.

Happy Tuesday! Here's The Pulse For July 21

Radio Broadcasting

Expending Measurement: Xperi's DTS AutoStage has rolled out its in-car AM/FM radio audience measurement service to more than 300 U.S. markets, drawing data from approximately 6 million connected vehicles and delivering overnight ratings for the first time in every market.

Saga Promotion: Paul O’Malley has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Revenue Development at Saga Communications, the company has announced. 

Kelly's New Gig: iHeartMedia has named veteran country radio personality Kelly Ford as Music Director and afternoon drive host for Country 98.7 WMZQ in Washington, D.C., and Country 93.1 WPOC in Baltimore, effective immediately.

Orlando Lands Jessica: Cox Media Group’s bilingual adult contemporary station Hits 96.5 (WOEX) has named longtime local air personality Jessica Reyes as its new weekday morning host. 

DOJ Sought Phone Records of Reporter's Relatives

The Trump administration subpoenaed phone records belonging to relatives of New York Times journalists earlier this month as part of an effort to identify the reporters’ confidential sources, according to a letter the Times filed with a federal judge that was unsealed Monday.

The phone-record subpoenas were issued starting July 10 — the same day FBI agents personally served grand jury subpoenas on three Times reporters at their homes. Those reporters — Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton and Eric Schmitt — had contributed to articles published July 8 and 9 detailing security concerns about a jet gifted by the Qatari government that was being used as Air Force One. The government also attempted but ultimately did not serve subpoenas on two other Times reporters, Tyler Pager and Adam Goldman.

The records sought included phone numbers used by the mother of one journalist — a mental-health professional with confidential client relationships — as well as numbers belonging to two journalists’ spouses, one of whom serves as general counsel of a major law firm. Some of the subpoenas reached back to Jan. 1 and were issued without advance notice to the Times, the letter said.

Times lawyers filed the letter Saturday as part of an amended motion to quash the grand jury subpoenas on the reporters and the separate subpoenas to their phone providers. They called the requests “an abuse of the grand jury process” and “continued bad-faith attacks on the journalists” that violated Justice Department regulations.

World Cup 2026 Delivers Record-Breaking Viewership

The 2026 FIFA World Cup produced historic Nielsen ratings in the United States, shattering previous records for both English- and Spanish-language broadcasts across multiple rounds and drawing massive combined audiences.

The standout performance came in the Round of 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium on July 6. Fox’s English-language telecast averaged 37.225 million viewers, with a peak of 41.03 million — the largest non-NFL sports audience ever on a single U.S. network and the most-watched soccer game in American television history.

Combined viewership across Fox, Telemundo, and Peacock for that U.S. match reached 42 million, setting an all-time record for any soccer telecast in the U.S. The Mexico vs. England quarterfinal later drew an even larger combined audience of 44.8 million viewers.

⚽English-language highlights on Fox

• Semifinals: Averaged more than 15 million viewers per match, the highest in U.S. history.
• Quarterfinals: Averaged 15.64 million viewers, a 150% increase from 2022.
• Group stage: Averaged 5.05 million viewers per match.

⚽Spanish-language highlights on Telemundo and Peacock Final (Spain vs. Argentina on July 19): 

• Preliminary data showed 22.6 million viewers across both platforms, a 150% jump from the 2022 final’s 9 million.
• Semifinals: Telemundo averaged 10.6 million viewers, the highest ever for Spanish-language soccer coverage in the U.S.
• Quarterfinals: Averaged 10.4 million viewers across Telemundo and Peacock, up 154% from 2022.
• Group stage: Telemundo and Peacock captured 48% of the total U.S. World Cup audience, meaning nearly half of all American soccer viewers watched in Spanish.

Orlando Radio: Jessica Reyes Joins Hits 96.5

Cox Media Group’s bilingual adult contemporary station Hits 96.5 (WOEX) has named longtime local air personality Jessica Reyes as its new weekday morning host. 

Reyes made her on-air debut on the station Sunday, July 20.

Reyes brings extensive experience in both English- and Spanish-language radio in the Orlando market. She has previously hosted on Norsan Group’s Spanish Tropical “Kaliente 103.1” (WFYY), the former Spanish Tropical “Mega 98.1” (WNUE), and the former CHR “101.9 Amp Radio” (WQMP).

In addition to her radio work, Reyes has maintained a strong local presence since 2017 as the on-air spokesperson for Toyota of Orlando.

The hire marks a strategic addition for Hits 96.5, which targets bilingual listeners with a mix of current hits and adult contemporary favorites. Reyes’ background in both languages and her established community recognition are expected to strengthen the station’s connection with Central Florida’s diverse audience during morning drive time.

Boomers, Gen Xers Spots Outperform For Product Discovery

New data shows radio and TV commercials are outperforming the national average for new product discovery among Baby Boomers and Gen X, giving broadcasters a strong foundation to grow revenue by layering digital advertising to better reach Millennials and Gen Z.

According to YouGov Profiles data collected from June 2025 to June 2026, 41% of Baby Boomers+ say they discover new products through TV or radio commercials — second only to recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues (50%). Gen X follows closely at 35%, well above the 31% average across all U.S. adults.

These audiences also deliver significant spending power. 

YouTube’s Creative Ecosystem Contributed $60B To U.S. GDP

YouTube’s creative ecosystem generated more than $60 billion for the U.S. economy and supported over 540,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2025, according to a recently released study.

The report, prepared by Oxford Economics for YouTube and published on July 16, highlights the platform’s widespread economic influence across every state in the country.

All 50 states now have at least 10 YouTube channels with more than 1 million monthly views. Among small- and medium-sized businesses using the platform, 76% said YouTube helped them grow their customer base by reaching new audiences. Additionally, 77% of creators reported that their media and entertainment careers began on YouTube.

R.I.P.: Sylvia Bugg, PBS Chief Programming Executive

Sylvia Bugg

PBS CEO Paula Kerger announced Sunday that Sylvia Bugg, the network’s Chief Programming Executive and General Manager for General Audience Programming, died unexpectedly this past weekend. She was 55. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened to share that Sylvia Bugg … passed away unexpectedly this weekend,” Kerger said in a statement. “Over decades in public media, including her leadership at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and three chapters of service here at PBS, Sylvia shaped the programming that defines our service to the American people."

Kerger highlighted Bugg’s role in bringing landmark films in history, science, and the arts to audiences, as well as guiding PBS’s America @ 250 programming slate. She described Bugg as a strong advocate for education and for ensuring public media reflects a broad range of voices and perspectives.

Bugg held multiple advanced degrees, including a recent doctorate. Kerger said the PBS community and public media colleagues are devastated by the loss. “Our thoughts are with Sylvia’s family, friends and colleagues across public media,” she added.