The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has sent out its 2025 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit letters to a randomly selected 5% of radio and television stations, as part of its annual process. The list of selected stations and the August 8 audit letter are available here.
Despite the FCC’s recent push against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—evidenced by its pressure on companies like Verizon and Paramount to drop DEI policies during merger reviews—some analysts expected the audits to be paused. Attorney David Oxenford expressed surprise in a blog post, noting that the FCC not only continued the audits but expanded their scope.
The 2025 audit letter now seeks information on programs favoring specific races, ethnicities, or genders in hiring and employment evaluations, targeting what the FCC calls “invidious” DEI programs deemed discriminatory. This aligns with the agency’s broader efforts to eliminate such policies across industries.
Oxenford emphasized that stations must take the audits seriously, as past failures to provide required information have led to fines. Responses must be uploaded to the FCC-hosted online public inspection files by September 22, 2025.
NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau are partnering to establish the seventh regional newsroom in the NPR Network, based at Boise State Public Radio in Idaho. The collaboration includes five managing partner stations: KANW (Albuquerque, N.M.), KUNC (Greeley, Colo.), KUNR Public Radio (Reno, Nev.), Nevada Public Radio (Las Vegas), and Wyoming Public Media (Laramie).
A grant from Eric and Wendy Schmidt via the Schmidt Family Foundation will fund a full-time digital editor and an Indigenous affairs reporter.
The bureau, initially launched in 2018 with a nearly $500,000 CPB grant and bolstered by another $500,000 in 2024, aims to deepen coverage of issues like public lands, water, energy, and Indigenous affairs in collaboration with Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and Native Public Media.
“NPR is committed to closer collaboration with Mountain West stations to deliver trusted reporting across this vast region,” said Edith Chapin, NPR SVP, editor-in-chief, and acting CCO. Tom Michael, GM of Boise State Public Radio, emphasized expanding daily news and enterprise reporting, while Michael de Yoanna, the bureau’s managing editor, highlighted the hub’s role in fostering in-depth, investigative journalism.
The NPR Network’s other regional newsrooms cover Texas, California, the Gulf States, the Midwest, New England, and Appalachia/mid-South.
➦In 1877…Thomas Edison wrote to the president of the Telegraph Company in Pittsburgh suggesting that the word "hello" would be a more appropriate greeting than "ahoy" when answering the telephone.
➦In 1935...radio humorist/philosopher Will Rogers and his pilot, Wiley Post, died in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska. Rogers was aged 55.
➦In 1945...Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces the news of his country's unconditional surrender in World War II over a radio broadcast to the Japanese people.
After meeting with the Soviet Union in Potsdam, near Berlin, to determine post-war terms for defeated Germany, the governments of the United States and Great Britain (together with China) issued an ultimatum to the Japanese government in late July 1945. It offered a simple choice: surrender unconditionally to the Allies in World War II, or risk total annihilation. In their carefully worded reply, the Japanese failed to capitulate completely, and on 6 August, the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, another such bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The threat of further nuclear attacks drove Japanese officials on 10 August to accept the terms put forth by the Potsdam Declaration and submit their unconditional surrender.
On the afternoon of 14 August, a Japanese radio broadcaster told the public that Emperor Hirohito would soon make an Imperial Proclamation announcing the defeat. The following day at noon, Hirohito went on the radio himself, blaming Japan’s surrender on the enemies' use of "a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which is incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives." The emperor was not only a political leader in Japan, he was also revered as a near-god, and many Japanese did not fully accept the news of defeat until they heard him speak those unthinkable words.
As sadness and shame engulfed Japan, joy spread around the Western world. In the United States, news of Hirohito's announcement reached airwaves on 14 August (due to the time difference), and that day was declared Victory in Japan – or V-J – Day.
That afternoon, President Harry S. Truman addressed a crowd that had gathered outside the White House, saying "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbour. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would."
That day, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt snapped one of the most famous photos ever published, a shot of a sailor in full uniform kissing a nurse in the middle of New York City's Times Square. The photo, published by Life magazine, became a symbol of the general atmosphere of jubilation in the United States following the end of World War II.
Following its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, Paramount Global (PSKY.O) announced plans on Wednesday to strengthen its core brands—Nickelodeon, MTV, and BET—while significantly ramping up feature film production.
“We’re not viewing our cable networks as declining assets to offload,” said President Jeff Shell. “We’re focused on redefining those brands.”
Reuters reports Shell, alongside Chairman and CEO David Ellison and the executive team, outlined the company’s strategy for film, TV, streaming, and emerging technologies like AI during a media event on the Paramount Pictures lot.
The event followed the recent completion of the Skydance merger, which brought new leadership to Paramount. Television Media Chair George Cheeks acknowledged the challenges in cable TV but emphasized the potential of Paramount’s iconic franchises in the streaming era. Shell highlighted BET, previously considered for sale, as a key component of the company’s streaming strategy, in contrast to moves by Warner Bros Discovery and Comcast to divest their cable businesses.
“We love these movies. We grew up on them, and we feel they’re underrepresented today,” said co-chair Dana Goldberg. Ellison emphasized transforming Paramount into a hub for top filmmakers, leveraging AI to enhance storytelling. “This technology is evolving faster than Hollywood realizes,” he said, comparing its potential impact to the founding of Pixar by John Lasseter and Steve Jobs.
The FCC has taken steps to facilitate this merger. On August 13, 2025, the agency approved a waiver of its local radio ownership rules, allowing Connoisseur to acquire five Alpha Media FM stations in the Tyler-Longview, Texas market—KOOI, KYKX, KKUS, KOYE, and KTLH—without divestiture.
This waiver was necessary because the transfer exceeded the FCC’s local FM sub-cap limit by one station, a situation triggered by a recent reclassification of KOYE and KTLH as part of the Tyler-Longview market.
The FCC granted the waiver under its “good cause” standard, citing minimal competitive harm and the preservation of stable operations in a market with 18 other licensees and 29 distinct formats. A related application to assign KTLH to a divestiture trust was dismissed as moot.
Jeffrey Warshaw
Financially, the deal involves Connoisseur refinancing and retiring Alpha’s debt, estimated at over $115 million following Alpha’s 2021 Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. The transaction includes a complex stock purchase and exchange agreement where Alpha’s owners, reorganized into a holding entity called “Newco Seller,” contributed 100% of Alpha’s equity to Connoisseur in exchange for a 3.75% minority stake and two warrants for an additional 10% equity at specific valuation thresholds.
Brigade Capital Management is providing financing, with Guggenheim Securities as Alpha’s financial advisor and Wiley Rein as legal counsel.
The merger aligns Connoisseur’s community-focused approach with Alpha’s “live and local” philosophy, while integrating Alpha Digital with Connoisseur’s Ferocious Digital to enhance digital marketing capabilities. No specific details on staff retention or layoffs have been disclosed, though CEO Jeffrey Warshaw expressed enthusiasm about working with Alpha’s team. The deal reflects broader industry trends, as radio groups face financial pressures, with Alpha’s prior bankruptcy and recent layoffs underscoring the challenges.
The ongoing saga between Howard Stern and SiriusXM centers on speculation about the future of The Howard Stern Show as his current five-year, $500 million contract nears its expiration in fall 2025.
Reports from various sources, including The U.S. Sun, claim that SiriusXM may not renew Stern’s contract due to financial disagreements, with insiders suggesting the company views his salary as unsustainable amid a shift toward podcasts and digital content. Some sources speculate that SiriusXM’s offer will not meet Stern’s financial expectations, potentially leading to his exit, though a deal to retain access to his vast production library is likely.
Adding fuel to the rumors, posts on X and media outlets like The Independent and Radar Online have claimed the show is set to be “canceled,” citing Stern’s evolving style, declining audience, and his vocal political stances, particularly his criticism of Trump and Trump voters. However, these claims remain unconfirmed, as neither Stern nor SiriusXM have officially announced the show’s cancellation.
In response to the rumors, Stern made an unscheduled return to SiriusXM on August 6, 2025, during his summer hiatus, hosting a surprise broadcast with Metallica’s Lars Ulrich to announce a new “Maximum Metallica” channel. SiriusXM also aired a promotional ad leaning into the cancellation rumors, teasing that Stern would address the speculation on September 2, 2025.
The move suggests both Stern and SiriusXM are engaging with the narrative strategically, possibly to drum up interest or manage contract negotiations publicly.
Stern, now 71, has been with SiriusXM since 2006, following a high-profile move from terrestrial radio to escape FCC censorship. His show, once drawing 20 million listeners in terrestrial syndication, reportedly had 2.7 million subscribers in 2020, though some claim numbers have dropped significantly.
SiriusXM’s broader challenges, including stagnant subscriber growth (around 30 million) and a 2% drop in ad revenue, may pressure the company to cut costs, with Stern’s $100 million annual deal a prime target.
Salem Media Group reported a $17.6 million net loss for Q2 ending June 30, compared to a $2.3 million net income in the same period last year, driven by lower revenues and a $25.2 million impairment charge on broadcast licenses.
Total net revenue decreased 10.7% to $54.1 million from $60.6 million, with broadcast revenue falling to $42.1 million from $47.1 million, digital media revenue dropping to $10.6 million from $11.9 million, and publishing revenue slightly down to $1.5 million from $1.6 million.
Operating expenses rose to $76.5 million from $54.9 million, primarily due to the impairment charge, $0.4 million in restructuring costs from selling Contemporary Christian Music stations, and increased publishing costs. Excluding the impairment, operating expenses were slightly lower than last year.
The company recorded gains from asset sales, including an $11.2 million pre-tax gain from selling its remaining seven CCM stations for $80 million on April 4. The proceeds repaid a $72 million secured promissory note from late 2024.
According to Magellan AI’s Q2 2025 Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report, the top 10 podcast advertisers spent a combined $128 million from April to June 2025, marking a 20% increase from the $110 million spent in Q1 2025.
This surge contributed to a 28% year-over-year growth in podcast advertising, outpacing the 17% growth seen in Q1. The report highlights a robust recovery in ad spending as economic concerns eased, with each month in the quarter showing stronger performance than the last.
BetterHelp led as the top spender with $16.4 million, followed by Amazon at $15.9 million and Toyota at $14.4 million. Unilever debuted in the top 10, spending $10.2 million to rank ninth. Financial services was the leading ad category, with $104.3 million spent (up 56% from 2024), followed by business services and software ($77.3 million) and consumer services and software ($70.7 million). Other high-growth sectors included insurance (+54%), gambling (+26%), automotive (+24%), and food (+20%).
The report notes 1,196 new brands entered podcast advertising, with an average spend of $42,600, favoring sports, news, and comedy genres. Mid-roll ads dominated at 56% of placements, while ad loads dropped 11.6% year-over-year, reducing listener ad exposure by about 39 seconds per episode. Top 500 podcasts averaged $318,000 in monthly ad revenue, up 6% from Q1, with True Crime shows carrying the highest ad load at 12.06%.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) reported a 74% drop in fiscal year 2025 profit, with net income falling to $37.4 million from $144.3 million in fiscal 2024, largely due to the end of Billy Joel’s decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden, which concluded on July 25, 2024.
The residency, featuring monthly performances since January 2014, was a significant revenue driver, and its absence contributed to a 17% decline in fourth-quarter entertainment revenue to $118.7 million. Total company revenue for the year dipped 2% to $947.2 million, with fewer concerts at the Garden and reduced Knicks and Rangers games also impacting event-related revenues, which fell $21.6 million, and food, beverage, and merchandise sales, down $8.3 million. Despite hosting over 975 events across its venues, the Garden’s utilization rate was only 65%.
However, MSGE saw bright spots, notably with the Christmas Spectacular, which generated a record $172 million from 1.1 million tickets. The company anticipates growth in fiscal 2026, with plans for a new major residency, increased concert bookings, and an expanded Christmas Spectacular run of 211 shows. MSGE’s stock fell over 10% following the earnings release on August 13, 2025, reflecting investor concerns, though analysts like JPMorgan remain optimistic about future growth, raising the stock price target to $43 from $39.
98.5 The Sports Hub host Michael Felger has addressed his absence from Monday’s Felger and Mazz show, revealing a dramatic incident that led to his hospitalization.
“I was airlifted off Nantucket after a bike accident,” Felger shared, surprising co-host Tony Massarotti and guest Michael Holley. “It was intense for 12 to 18 hours, but thankfully less serious than it seemed.”
The Boston Globe reports Felger fell off his bike Saturday night on Nantucket, likely hitting his neck on the handlebars. “It happened so fast,” he said. “I buckled, hit the handlebars, and bam!”
Initially dismissing the soreness, he visited Nantucket Cottage Hospital the next day at his daughter’s urging. Scans revealed air pockets in his neck, prompting an urgent helicopter transfer to Massachusetts General Hospital for advanced care.
“They found air where it shouldn’t be,” Felger recounted. “I thought I’d get a clean X-ray and leave, but they said, ‘We need to move you fast.’”
While he feared potential neck or throat surgery, tests ultimately showed no significant damage, and surgery wasn’t needed.
After receiving listener emails about missing yesterday’s show, Mike Felger shared that he had been in a bike accident on Nantucket and was flown to MGH by helicopter. Felger said all is good and he now realizes that family and health are number one. @bostonradio@MikeMutnanskypic.twitter.com/ySJ9LNW0DA
Felger expressed gratitude to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Boston MedFlight, and Mass. General staff. Reflecting on the incident, he called himself “a big dummy” for losing balance while cycling in the dark. “It was all on me,” he admitted.
Dan Bernstein, a well-known Chicago sports radio personality, is launching a new daily podcast called Dan Bernstein Unfiltered under the 312 Sports banner, part of the Gamut Podcast Network.
The show premieres on August 25, 2025, and will be available on major audio platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, as well as 312sports.com.
Bernstein, who spent three decades on Chicago’s airwaves, most notably with 670 The Score until his firing in March 2025 due to a social media incident, aims to deliver candid, unfiltered commentary on Chicago sports, including the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks, along with broader sports headlines.
The podcast will feature Bernstein alongside his longtime executive producer, Matt Abbatacola, and promises sharp takes, honest perspectives, and a tone resonating with Chicago’s passionate fan base. The debut episode will reflect on Bernstein’s time away from broadcasting, offering insights into his personal and professional journey.
Additionally, Bernstein and Abbatacola will co-host Forward Progress: A Chicago Bears Podcast, launching August 26, 2025, as part of the 312 Sports Podcast Network, which aims to provide personality-driven, Chicago-centric sports coverage.
Sports talker Mike Missanelli intended to conclude his second tenure at 97.5 The Fanatic in February 2026 when his contract expired, but Beasley Media Group, the station’s parent company, had other plans.
On Friday, Beasley abruptly parted ways with Missanelli, aligning the move with their quarterly earnings report released Tuesday, which revealed a 12.3% revenue drop and a decline in operating income from $5.4 million to $2.9 million, attributed to a weakening traditional audio advertising market.
The decision caught Missanelli off guard.
Mike Missanelli
After his Friday show, management informed him it was his last, ending a stint that began less than a year ago following a 15-year run at the station. “It was a shock,” Missanelli told The Inquirer.
“We were gearing up for a new midday show for football season, but these budget cuts reflect the state of radio.”
He added, “I wish I could’ve left with more dignity.”
Details of the planned midday show remain unclear. Missanelli’s recent co-host, Bill Colarulo, has since moved to a new afternoon slot with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ricky Bottalico. Ray Dunne is temporarily hosting the midday show as The Fanatic searches for Missanelli’s replacement.
One potential candidate is Jon Marks, formerly of 94.1 WIP, who recently left PHLY and previously worked at The Fanatic from 2005 to 2016 alongside Missanelli and Anthony Gargano. Program director Scott Masteller noted receiving over 100 applications for the role.Beasley’s financial struggles were evident in their “challenging” Q2 2025 results, with a narrowed net operating loss of $0.2 million compared to $0.3 million the prior year.
CEO Caroline Beasley described the quarter as yielding “mixed results.” The company also cut ties with other veterans, including New Jersey program directors Debbie Mazella (Magic 98.3 FM) and Terri Carr (WDHA, 30 years), and Boston executive Jack McCartney.
Boston sports hosts have also voiced frustration over unpaid bonuses tied to spring ratings.Beasley reported $30 million in expense reductions over the past year and hinted at further cuts as they shift toward a digital-first model.
Chief financial officer Lauren Burrows Coleman stated, “We’ll continue optimizing our cost structure moving forward.” While Missanelli will be paid through his contract’s end, the immediate financial impact of these layoffs remains unclear.
One of the most talked about podcasts this year “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” launched in 2022, has seen a surge in popularity over the past year, fueled by the release of Mel Robbins’ best-selling book The Let Them Theory in December 2024.
According to Edison Podcast Metrics, the show skyrocketed from 121st in Q2 2024 to 11th among weekly U.S. podcast listeners aged 13+ in the latest update.
The podcast particularly resonates with key advertiser demographics, indexing at 242 for women with household incomes above $75,000 (ranking 6th overall) and at 221 for women with college or graduate degrees.
Edison Podcast Metrics provides detailed audience insights for producers, networks, and advertisers, covering the 550 largest shows with specific profiles and introducing modeled profiles for smaller shows next month. These rankings draw from over 80,000 interviews with U.S. podcast listeners, offering a unique dataset unmatched in the industry.
Wyoming newspaper executives Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore have announced they have agreed to purchase eight local newspapers, ensuring their continued operation after their out-of-state corporate owner, News Media Corporation, abruptly closed them last week.
Marie Hamilton, reporter and managing editor for the Platte County Record-Times and Guernsey Gazette, expressed relief, saying, “There were a lot of tears, but good tears,” reflecting the staff’s emotional response to the news.
The announcement follows News Media Corporation’s sudden closure of its publications in Niobrara, Goshen, Platte, Sublette, Lincoln, and Uinta counties six days ago.
The purchase agreement includes rehiring all staff and resuming publication of all titles immediately, according to Robb Hicks.
“We are honored to assume stewardship of these legacy community newspapers,” Hicks stated on the newspapers’ Facebook pages. “Our priority is ensuring these counties have a credible, enduring source of local journalism.”
Mortimore credited former owner JJ Tompkins, noting, “It would have been easier for him to yield to creditors, but he worked with us to preserve these newspapers and ensure every employee was paid and retained.”
Hamilton praised Mortimore, a Torrington native, saying, “Wyoming problems need Wyoming solutions from Wyoming people.”
Mortimore will remain group publisher, while the Hicks, who have owned the Buffalo Bulletin since 1996, bring multigenerational ties to Wyoming newspapers spanning seven decades.
The closures, announced last Wednesday, affected eight Wyoming newspapers with 30 employees among two dozen publications across five states. Mortimore, who managed News Media Corporation’s Wyoming and Nebraska papers, called the shutdown a “shock.”
Hamilton emphasized, “All of our papers were profitable.”
Susan Stamberg, a pioneering figure in broadcast journalism and one of NPR’s “founding mothers,” will retire on September 1, 2025, after a remarkable career spanning over five decades.
Stamberg began her tenure at NPR in 1971, shaping the network from its early days. She made history as the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program, co-hosting NPR’s All Things Considered from 1972 to 1986. She later hosted Weekend Edition Sunday from 1987 to 1989 and, most recently, served as a special correspondent focusing on cultural issues for Morning Edition and Weekend Edition Saturday.
Born Susan Levitt on September 7, 1938, in Newark, New Jersey, Stamberg graduated from Barnard College in 1959. Her career at NPR included thousands of interviews with notable figures like Rosa Parks, Billy Crystal, Luciano Pavarotti, and Milton Friedman. Known for her conversational, engaging style, she brought warmth and curiosity to her reporting, earning praise as “the closest thing to an enlightened humanist on the radio” from novelist E.L. Doctorow.
Susan Stamberg
Her contributions earned her inductions into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame (1994), the National Radio Hall of Fame (1996), and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. She also received prestigious awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Armstrong, and duPont Awards.Stamberg’s influence extended beyond news.
She championed diverse voices, notably advocating for NPR to feature the Car Talk brothers, reflecting her belief in stories that capture America’s spirit. Her annual Thanksgiving segment sharing “Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish Recipe” (featuring cranberries, sour cream, and horseradish) became a beloved NPR tradition, once even rapped about by Coolio in 2010.
She also authored books like Every Night at Five: Susan Stamberg’s All Things Considered Book (1982) and Talk: NPR’s Susan Stamberg Considers All Things, and co-edited The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road (1992).
➦In 1909...Edward Joseph "Ed" Herlihy born (Died at age 89 – January 30, 1999). He was an newsreel narrator for Universal-International. He was also a long-time radio and television announcer for NBC, hosting The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour in the 1940s and 1950, and was briefly interim announcer on The Tonight Show in 1962. He was also the voice of Kraft Foods radio and TV commercials from the 1940s through the early 1980s. When he died in 1999, his obituary in The New York Times said he was "A Voice of Cheer and Cheese".
Educated at Boston College, graduating in 1932, he gained his first radio job in his home town, at Boston's WLOE. When he was hired by NBC in 1935, he decamped for New York, along with his friend, fellow Boston announcer Frank Gallop, who was hired by CBS. He was the announcer for many radio shows from the 1930s, to the 1950s, among them: America's Town Meeting, The Big Show, The Falcon, Mr. District Attorney, and Just Plain Bill. He became the host of The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour on radio in 1948, remaining its announcer when the show went to television. He continued his success in the new medium: his early television credits included Sid Caesar's hit Your Show of Shows and soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children. He was also the host of Recollections At 30, which was a special NBC Radio series created for the network's 30th birthday.
For Universal Newsreels in the 1940s, Herlihy narrated editions describing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Allies' early setbacks against the Axis powers, the turning of the tide of WWII, the death of President Roosevelt, the execution of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the detonation of the first atomic bombs. In the next decade, during the Cold War, he narrated the very first American newsreel on the launch of Sputnik.
➦In 1932...Philips makes 1 millionth radio
'Ma Perkins' Cast
➦In 1933... Crossley Broadcasting’s WLW in Cincinnati premiered the daytime drama “Ma Perkins.”
Starting December 4, 1933, Ma Perkins was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. Between 1942 and 1949, the show was heard simultaneously on both networks.
The series was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert with scripts by Robert Hardy Andrews, Orvin Tovrov and others. Ma Perkins began August 14, 1933, on WLW in Cincinnati. On December 4 of that year, it graduated to the NBC Red network. On NBC and CBS the series ran for a total of 7,065 episodes.
"America’s mother of the air" was portrayed by actress Virginia Payne, who began the role at the age of 23 and never missed a performance during the program's 27-year run. Kindly, trusting widow Ma Perkins had a big heart and a great love of humanity. She always offered her homespun philosophy to troubled souls in need of advice.
➦In 1942...“The Show Without a Name” hosted by Garry Moore started airing on NBC. It was an effort to crack the morning show dominance of Arthur Godfrey (CBS) and “Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club” (ABC). A prize of $500 was offered to name the show and someone came up with the title, “Everything Goes”.
➦In 1945...radio brought the news of Japan’s surrender ending World War II.
The BIA Advisory Services' Revised 2025 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast projects total local advertising revenue at $169 billion, reflecting a 2.4% year-over-year (YoY) decline compared to 2024.
This is a 1.5% reduction from BIA's earlier estimate of $171.4 billion. Key points include:
Non-Political Revenue: Excluding political advertising, the forecast is $168.2 billion, a 3.7% YoY increase, though still lower than the prior $171 billion projection.
Economic Pressures: The downward revision is attributed to economic challenges like weak consumer sentiment, tariffs (assuming a 10% baseline), high interest rates, and tight credit conditions impacting local ad budgets.
Digital vs. Traditional Media: Digital media is expected to dominate, accounting for 53.7% of total ad spend ($90.4 billion), up by $855 million from prior estimates. Traditional media, including broadcast, will contribute 46.3% ($77.8 billion), down $3.5 billion from earlier forecasts, reflecting a shift to performance-driven digital channels.
Growth in Specific Channels: Excluding political ads, Connected TV (CTV)/Over-the-Top (OTT) is projected to grow by 29.3%, PC/laptop advertising by 12.1%, mobile by 9.4%, TV digital by 3.7%, and Out-of-Home (OOH) and direct mail each by 1.6%.
Vertical Performance: Fastest-growing ad categories YoY include Real Estate (+10.4%), Restaurants and Food (+7.8%), and Finance and Insurance (+4.0%). Declines are expected in Media (-2.2%), Healthcare (-0.5%), and General Services (-0.3%).
Broadcast Challenges: The forecast highlights a shift from traditional broadcasting to streaming, with CTV/OTT capturing 73.6% of TV viewing, pushing broadcasters to adopt digital strategies to maintain audience and ad inventory relevance. However, traditional broadcast revenue, including radio, faces declines, with radio OTA and digital revenue projected to drop 4.9% (including political) or 0.8% (excluding political).
BIA Advisory Services estimates local radio ad revenue (OTA and digital combined) to reach $12.3 billion in 2025, a slight decline from earlier projections of $12.9 billion. This includes:
Over-the-Air (OTA) Radio: Projected at $10 billion, with a nominal decline of 0.4% to 6% year-over-year (YoY) depending on political ad inclusion. Excluding political ads, the decline is more modest at 0.8%.
Digital Radio: Expected to generate $2.3 billion to $2.9 billion, with a slight growth of 0.1% to 4.2% YoY, driven by sectors like real estate development (+15.8%), restaurants (+8.6%), and mattress/sleep centers (+7.2%).
MAGNA Forecast: Broadcast radio is projected to decline by 3.2% in 2025, mirroring its 2024 drop, slightly worse than the previously anticipated 2.7% decline.
A new Nielsen report, Audio Today 2025: The Power of Radio Among Black Consumers, highlights AM/FM radio’s unmatched dominance as the leading audio platform for Black Americans in 2025. Key findings include:
Reach: Radio reaches 92% of Black Americans monthly, the highest among major media platforms, compared to YouTube Music at 31%. For Black adults aged 25-54, the reach is 94-95%, and for teens, it’s 87%.
Listening Share: Radio accounts for 73% of daily ad-supported audio listening among Black adults, 14% higher than the general market average. Urban formats (Urban Adult Contemporary and Urban Contemporary) capture 50.2% of Black radio listening, with Urban AC at 5.5% and Urban Contemporary at 2.8% of total radio listening share.
Listening Habits: Black listeners spend about 13 hours and 32 minutes weekly on radio, with peak listening from 3-7 PM during commutes. Out-of-home listening, especially in cars, dominates at 86% of ad-supported audio consumption.
Advertising Impact: Black consumers are twice as likely to try products advertised on local radio, per the 2024 Nielsen Attitude on Ads study. Investments in Black-owned stations have grown, with campaigns achieving in one week the reach previously delivered in a month.
Cultural Relevance: Radio remains a trusted medium for entertainment, news, and community connection, with 55% of Black Millennials identifying as trendsetters responding to local radio endorsements. Black-owned media connects with 48 million Black Americans, representing $2.1 trillion in buying power.
Demographic Insights: Black radio listeners are economically influential, with 60% of adults 18-49 and 71% of women 25-54 having some college education, and 35% of listeners aged 25-54 in households earning $75,000+.
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