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BIA Raises 2026 Local Ad Forecast to $186.1 Billion
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 4:59am CT |
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BIA Advisory Services has raised its 2026 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast to $186.1 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion from its April projection of $184.5 billion, with higher political advertising and continued mobile growth driving the revision. BIA's April forecast had projected $184.5 billion in total local advertising, including approximately $8.4 billion in political spending.
The updated forecast represents approximately 9% growth from 2025. Excluding political advertising, BIA now projects $176.4 billion in local ad revenue, up $300 million from its April estimate and 3.9% over 2025.
"Political spending came in higher than we anticipated in April, with most of the incremental spending flowing into TV OTA and TV OTT," said BIA Vice President of Forecasting and Data Analysis Senan Mele.
BIA now expects local political advertising to reach $9.7 billion in 2026, up $1.3 billion from its April projection. The firm said $1.2 billion of that increase is going to over-the-air television and TV OTT. The April forecast had anticipated about $8.4 billion in political spending across broadcast television, cable, CTV/OTT, radio and direct mail.
Legal Services was another notable change, with BIA raising its forecast for the category to $9.3 billion, 4.6% above its previous projection. Mele said law firms continue to invest heavily in linear and streaming television to reach large audiences and generate leads.
Mobile remains BIA's largest local media category and is projected to reach $45.3 billion in 2026, excluding political advertising, an 8.9% year-over-year increase. BIA defines its mobile category as locally targeted advertising delivered to phones and tablets, including search, display, messaging, video and native social advertising.
Looking ahead, BIA's initial 2027 forecast calls for $186.5 billion in total local advertising, essentially unchanged from 2026. The firm expects roughly $9 billion in underlying nonpolitical growth to nearly offset an $8.6 billion drop in political spending, which is projected to decline to approximately $1.1 billion in the off-cycle year.
Among categories expected to outpace the market in 2027 are real estate, up 9.8%; leisure and recreation, up 5.9%; automotive, up 5.1%; restaurants and food, up 4.4%; and financial services, up 3.7%.
"Political spending has accelerated the market and delivered a strong two-year period for broadcast and streaming video, but the more important story is what happens beneath that surge," said BIA Managing Director Rick Ducey. "Core categories continue to expand their investments across an increasingly diverse media ecosystem."
Scott Masteller to Retire from 97.5 The Fanatic
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 11:04am CT |
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Beasley Media Group has announced that Scott Masteller, Program Director of WPEN-FM (97.5 The Fanatic) in Philadelphia, will retire December 31, concluding a radio career spanning more than 45 years.
Masteller joined The Fanatic more than three years ago and has played a key role in the sports station's programming strategy and on-air lineup. During his tenure, he helped assemble the station's current team of personalities and worked closely with its talent as a programmer and coach.
"Scott has brought tremendous knowledge, thoughtful leadership and a deep commitment to excellence to The Fanatic," said Beasley Media Group Philadelphia Vice President and Market Manager Paul Blake. "Scott was key in The Fanatic's growth, and he helped position the station well for its next chapter."
Beasley Chief Content Officer Justin Chase said Masteller strengthened The Fanatic during an important period in the station's development. Masteller will work with the company to help identify his successor.
A veteran programmer, air personality and radio executive, Masteller has spent much of his career specializing in spoken-word programming, particularly news and sports.
Before joining WPEN, Masteller spent seven years as Program Director of WBAL NewsRadio in Baltimore. While there, he also worked with several major sports properties, constructing and managing radio networks for the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens and Navy football.
Earlier, Masteller spent 13 years with ESPN, including serving as Program Director of ESPN Radio in Dallas-Fort Worth and Senior Director of Content for ESPN Radio at the network's Bristol, CT headquarters. He helped develop on-air talent and contributed to programming initiatives in multiple markets.
Masteller's more than four decades in radio also included stops in Portland, OR; Salt Lake City; and Lexington, KY.
Tim Dukes Joins Collective Heads as Partner
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 2:04pm CT |
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Collective Heads has named veteran radio programmer and media executive Tim Dukes as its newest partner, adding more than four decades of programming and senior management experience to the multi-platform consulting and marketing group. Dukes most recently served as President of Hope Media Group from 2024 until stepping down this summer. His tenure with the organization included serving as Chief Operating Officer following the 2022 merger that created Hope Media Group.
Before moving into executive management, Dukes spent 24 years on-air and in programming roles at several major radio brands, including WLUP (The Loop) in Chicago, WKLS (96rock) in Atlanta, KGB and KIOZ in San Diego, WEBN in Cincinnati, WFLZ (The Power Pig) in Tampa and Y107 in Nashville.
Dukes moved from radio programming into nonprofit management in 2011, becoming COO of a faith-based organization in Dallas. In 2015, he returned to broadcasting as General Manager of Contemporary Christian WayFM when it launched in Dallas-Fort Worth. He later added oversight of stations in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana.
He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Way Media in 2020 and added interim CEO responsibilities the following year. Following the merger that formed Hope Media Group, Dukes became COO in 2022 and was elevated to President in 2024.
"My first day of retirement drove me crazy," Dukes said. "That's when Tim Richards called and asked if I wanted to join a circus. I said, I can juggle. Will that help?"
Collective Heads Ringleader Tim Richards said Dukes brings experience spanning programming, marketing, fundraising, sales and senior leadership to the organization. "He's well-respected, has a brilliant mind and a skill set that spans programming, marketing, fundraising, sales and senior leadership," Richards said.
Dukes also serves on the boards of Christian Music Broadcasters and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.
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America's Morning News to Launch September 21
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 3:09pm CT |
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A new nationally syndicated morning news program, "America's Morning News," will launch Monday, September 21, providing stations with a replacement option following the conclusion of "America in the Morning." The weekday program, produced by AccuMinute and distributed by Talk Media Network, will feature an hour of news, business, sports, entertainment and other information. A weekend edition is also planned.
The launch comes immediately after "America in the Morning" ends its run on September 18. Jeff McKay, Executive Producer of "America in the Morning," will move to "America's Morning News" in the same role.
Veteran broadcaster Rich Johnson will host the new program. Johnson brings three decades of experience as a broadcast anchor and correspondent.
"Stations shouldn't have to replace a decades-long show on a few weeks' notice," said Talk Media Network founder Josh Leng. "We are providing a smooth transition, with a strong brand for both mornings and weekend airplay."
"America's Morning News" will feed Monday through Friday at 5am ET via Talk Media Network's satellite system, allowing stations to automate playback or time-shift the program. An FTP download will also be available, and the show will be offered on a barter basis.
"Mornings are built on habits," said AccuMinute co-founder Gary Lee. "Our goal is to make America's Morning News part of that daily routine."
In addition to the broadcast hour, the companies plan to develop "America's Morning News" as a multi-platform information brand, with opportunities for additional audience engagement, local integration and monetization.
Audacy Study Finds New Rules for Podcast Advertising
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 2:48pm CT |
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Audacy has released a new "State of Audio" report that challenges some traditional assumptions about podcast advertising, finding that audience trust, host expertise and engagement can be more important to advertisers than the sheer size of a show's audience.
"The New Rules of Podcast Advertising" finds that mid-sized podcasts can outperform celebrity-driven shows on advertising efficiency. Advertisers using mid-sized shows see a 22% lower cost per acquisition than those using celebrity shows, according to Podscribe data cited in the report.
Audacy says the results reflect a shift from simply buying reach to seeking influence. Its 2026 Power of Influencers study found podcast listeners are 27% more likely to be influenced by topic experts than by well-known celebrities. The report says smaller and mid-sized shows can develop particularly loyal communities in which host recommendations carry greater weight.
Podcasting's audience is also becoming younger. The report says 64% of Gen Z listeners now consume podcasts monthly, while Gen Z and Gen Alpha are projected to account for 40% of podcast listeners by 2029. Gen Z is also forecast to overtake Millennials as podcasting's largest generation by the end of 2026.
Video is becoming an increasingly important part of that ecosystem without replacing audio. Edison Research data cited by Audacy finds 57% of Americans both watch and listen to podcasts, compared with 21% who listen but do not report watching and 2% who watch but do not report listening.
The report also examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in podcast production. Audiences are more receptive to AI when it is used behind the scenes for tasks such as research, transcription, production and targeting, but acceptance falls when AI replaces the human host or affects the personal connection between hosts and listeners.
Audacy says 56% of podcast consumers agree AI is a helpful tool for back-end podcast production, while 62% consider AI at least somewhat of a threat to podcast credibility.
The report concludes that the podcast advertising playbook is evolving from an emphasis on maximum reach toward trust, expertise and community, with advertisers increasingly looking at the strength of the relationship between creators and their audiences.
Download the report here.
Beasley Deploys Futuri AI Platform Companywide
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 11:24am CT |
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Beasley Media Group has deployed Futuri's TopLine Enterprise AI revenue intelligence platform across all of its markets under a multiyear agreement aimed at enhancing the company's sales process and providing local advertisers with more data-driven marketing strategies.
The companywide rollout gives Beasley sellers access to AI agents supporting prospecting, account research, outreach, meeting preparation, proposal development and campaign performance reporting. Sellers will continue to review and approve AI-generated research, recommendations and communications before they reach clients.
TopLine Enterprise combines Beasley's sales, audience, campaign and market intelligence with commercially available business and advertising data. The platform can then develop market-specific research and recommendations incorporating Beasley's radio, streaming, digital, event and creative offerings.
"Technology is most valuable when it helps our employees deliver greater value to our customers," said Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley. She said the system will allow sellers to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time building client relationships and developing marketing strategies.
The platform's AI agents can identify prospects, prioritize sales opportunities, research accounts, draft outreach and develop needs-analysis questions. Other capabilities include identifying potential co-op advertising funds, creating audio and visual spec spots, developing marketing plans and providing campaign reporting and measurement insights.
With appropriate notice and client consent where legally required, TopLine Enterprise can also record and transcribe meetings and prepare follow-up communications.
"We didn't buy a tool, we rebuilt the sales process around one," said Beasley Chief Business Officer Kevin LeGrett, who led in-market training during the companywide rollout this summer. "The AI does the preparation; our people own the relationship and the recommendation."
The agreement extends an eight-year relationship between Beasley and Futuri that also includes TopicPulse and Futuri POST.
Futuri CEO and founder Daniel Anstandig said Beasley's deployment differs from companies experimenting with individual AI applications by putting every seller and market on a single system covering the sales process from prospecting through campaign results.
Futuri launched TopLine Enterprise in June following a beta program with a major U.S. media company. The platform is designed to integrate an organization's own data, workflows and sales methodology with AI throughout the revenue cycle.
Study: ROI Focus Can Undercut Advertising Growth
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 2:20pm CT |
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An advertising industry's increasing focus on return on investment may actually be working against sales and profit growth, according to research examined in a new Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog post.
Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group, examines findings from a new study by marketing effectiveness expert Les Binet and Will Davis, "Go Big Or Go Home: How Small Thinking is Killing Advertising and What To Do About It." The research finds that since COVID, advertising ROI has increased 4% while profit generated by advertising has fallen 11%.
Bouvard says one of the central problems is that marketers frequently treat ROI as a measure of business growth. The report argues that ROI is instead an efficiency ratio measuring revenue or profit generated relative to advertising spending, while sales, profit and customer growth are measures of effectiveness.
The distinction can produce counterintuitive results. The analysis shows that campaigns generating lower ROI can produce substantially greater total sales because more money is invested. As advertising spending increases, total sales and profits can rise even as the resulting ROI declines.
Research from the Institute for the Practitioners of Advertising Effectiveness Databank cited in the report found advertising budget to be a much stronger predictor of profit than ROI. According to the analysis, 89% of the variation in profit is attributable to advertising budget and 11% to ROI, making budget roughly nine times more important.
The report also points to the importance of balancing brand-building and performance marketing. Research cited from WARC found that a 50/50 mix of brand and performance marketing produced 27% greater revenue growth after one month than an all-performance strategy. That advantage increased to 40% over periods of up to six months and 50% over the longer term.
Another key indicator is "share of voice," which compares a brand's advertising spending with total advertising spending in its category. The research finds that when a company's share of voice exceeds its market share, sales tend to grow. When the two are roughly equal, sales tend to remain stable, while a share of voice below market share tends to be associated with declining sales.
Binet and Davis recommend three approaches for determining advertising budgets: advertising spend ratios, task-based budgeting and share-of-voice analysis. The authors suggest the methods can be used together to develop a more informed advertising spending strategy.
Read the complete Audio Active Group blog post here.
Mission Media Launches Podcast Quality Score
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 2:54pm CT |
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Mission Media has launched the Mission Media Quality Score, a new methodology within its proprietary Content Hub designed to help advertisers and agencies evaluate and curate podcast inventory.
The Quality Score evaluates podcasts using a range of factors measured over time, including total audience size, downloads, available advertising inventory, requested ad impressions, Apple listener ratings, listener reviews and the recency of published content.
Each show also undergoes Mission Media's ongoing invalid traffic verification process to confirm that the podcast is legitimate and reaching actual listeners. The combined measurements are used to classify inventory as Premium, Long-Tail or Unverified.
"For too long, terms like 'premium' and 'long tail' have been defined by perception, scale or who owns the inventory," said Mission Media CEO David Krulewich. "What's been missing is an objective measure of how audiences actually engage and how publishers protect those trusted relationships through finite ad allotments."
Krulewich said the scoring system is intended to identify quality programming regardless of publisher size, giving buyers a consistent way to compare podcasts across the broader marketplace.
The Quality Score expands Mission Media Content Hub's existing tools for evaluating podcast inventory, audiences, pricing, contextual relevance and campaign performance. The platform provides access to more than 500,000 podcast feeds, 400 audience segments and 600 content categories.
"We verify the inventory and evaluate the signals that tell us whether a show is active, legitimate and demonstrating meaningful audience engagement," said Alex Ham, Director of Ad Operations and Applied AI at Mission Media. He said combining those measurements into a consistent score should provide advertisers with greater confidence in the impressions they purchase.
David Feman, SVP of Global Media and Transformation at B&H Photo, said combining multiple quality signals with inventory verification provides advertisers with a clearer way to evaluate podcasting and make investment decisions.
The Mission Media Quality Score is available now through the company's Content Hub.
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Magellan AI, Barometer Expand Podcast Partnership
| RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 14, 2026 | 6:06pm CT |
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Magellan AI and Barometer have expanded their partnership to cover programmatic podcast advertising, with Magellan AI becoming Barometer's exclusive measurement provider for programmatic campaigns. The companies have worked together for several years on direct podcast campaigns. Under the expanded relationship, Barometer will provide pre-bid contextual targeting and post-bid brand suitability verification, while Magellan AI will measure campaign performance and attribution.
Barometer analyzes podcast content at the episode level to determine whether programming meets an advertiser's brand safety and suitability standards. Magellan AI then measures activity following ad exposure, including website visits and downstream conversions through pixel-based attribution.
The companies said combining those capabilities will give advertisers a unified workflow for evaluating brand suitability and measuring results across programmatic campaigns involving premium podcast publishers.
"Suitability decisions are media decisions, and media decisions get judged on outcomes," said Magellan AI CEO and Co-Founder Cameron Hendrix. "Barometer has the deepest read on what a podcast is about, and we have the deepest read on what it delivers. Buyers scaling into programmatic shouldn't have to give up either one."
The partnership comes as programmatic audio advertising continues to expand. According to The Trade Desk's second-quarter 2026 earnings call, programmatic audio was its fastest-growing channel for four consecutive quarters, recording double-digit year-over-year spending growth and outpacing connected TV, display and mobile.
Barometer's pre-bid targeting and post-bid monitoring capabilities are currently available across major demand-side platforms including The Trade Desk, AdsWizz and Basis, with additional integrations in development.
"Advertisers ask us two questions: how can we scale but ensure the placements are suitable for our brand, and how do we measure the impact of the campaign?" said Barometer CEO and Co-Founder Tamara Zubatiy. She said the expanded partnership allows clients to address both questions without combining separate solutions themselves.
Senate Sets Sept. 17 Hearing for FCC Nominee
| RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 11, 2026 | 4:25pm CT |
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The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a nomination hearing September 17 for Danielle Thumann Severs, President Donald Trump's nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Communications Commission. The hearing is scheduled for 10:30am ET in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Trump formally submitted Severs' nomination to the Senate on August 7 for a five-year term dating from July 1, 2024. She was nominated for the seat previously held by Republican Nathan Simington, and the nomination was referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.
Severs currently serves as Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, advising him on matters before the Wireline Competition Bureau, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. She previously served as a legal advisor in Carr's office from 2021 to 2023 and returned to the FCC in August 2024 following work in the private sector on government relations for a telecommunications infrastructure provider.
Before joining the FCC, Severs practiced communications law in Washington, DC. She earned her law degree from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
If confirmed by the Senate, Severs would give the FCC three Republican commissioners. The agency currently has Chairman Carr and Commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gomez.
Following the hearing, senators can submit additional written questions before the Commerce Committee considers whether to advance the nomination to the full Senate.
The hearing comes one day after the committee is scheduled to hold a markup that includes the JAWBONE Act, legislation addressing federal government interactions with social media companies, AI platforms and broadcasters.
WGTS Names Chobotar Chief Administrative Officer
| RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 11, 2026 | 1:23pm CT |
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WGTS 91.9 in Washington, DC, has named Todd Chobotar as its next Chief Administrative Officer, effective October 26. He succeeds Kelly Carvalho, who left the Chief Administrative Officer position in May to pursue another opportunity. Chobotar will join the leadership team of Atlantic Gateway Communications, parent company of WGTS 91.9, WGBZ 88.3, AllWorship, When We Pray, WGTS Classics and Simple Truths for Life.
He most recently served as a consultant and later CEO of The Meaning Company, a ghostwriting firm serving executives and other clients in entertainment, sports, finance, medicine and philanthropy. Previously, Chobotar led AdventHealth Press, the publishing and communications arm of AdventHealth.
"I'm honored to join Atlantic Gateway Communications and the award-winning team at WGTS," said Chobotar. "This is an organization with a strong sense of purpose, a deep commitment to its listeners, and a remarkable ability to make a positive difference across the greater Washington, D.C., community."
AGC/WGTS President and CEO Kevin Krueger said Chobotar's background in media and publishing will help the organization develop future initiatives and expand its reach. "His combination of leadership and creativity will help lead and grow our team and develop strategy for future initiatives that reach more people around Washington, D.C., and beyond," Krueger said.
Audacy Launches NFC North Weekly Sports Show
| RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 11, 2026 | 10:20am CT |
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Audacy has launched "Inside the North," a new weekly one-hour sports show devoted to the NFL's NFC North and its four teams: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
The program will be hosted by 104.3 The Score morning co-host David Haugh and feature a panel of former NFL players and coaches representing each team. The lineup includes former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt, former Packers kicker Mason Crosby, former Lions offensive lineman T.J. Lang and former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway.
"Inside the North" debuts Sunday, September 13, and will air across Audacy sports stations in all four NFC North markets. The show will air from 8-9am CT on WSCR-FM (104.3 The Score) in Chicago, 8-9am ET on WXYT-FM (97.1 The Ticket) in Detroit, 8-9am CT on WSSP-FM (105.7 The Fan) in Milwaukee and 10-11am CT on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.
Video episodes will also be released each Friday evening on YouTube ahead of the weekend's games.
"The NFC North features some of the most passionate fanbases and intense rivalries in all of football," said Audacy Sports Format Vice President Mitch Rosen. "By combining David Haugh's signature hosting with the firsthand perspective of four iconic division figures, 'Inside the North' delivers unmatched context and insider access to these markets every single week."
Haugh currently co-hosts "Haugh and Payton" on The Score and has spent decades covering Midwest sports. Wannstedt coached the Bears for six seasons, Crosby is the Packers' all-time leading scorer, Lang played for both Green Bay and Detroit during his NFL career, and Greenway spent his entire 11-year career with Minnesota.
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Former HOT 97 Host Buc Wild Dies at 47
| RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 11, 2026 | 1:31pm CT |
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Timothy "Buc Wild" Joseph, the former HOT 97 New York personality best known as co-host of the "Star & Buc Wild" radio show, has died at age 47. His longtime friend and former co-host Star announced Joseph's death during a YouTube livestream on Wednesday. Star said Joseph died Sunday at the Pink Houses apartment complex in Brooklyn.
A cause of death has not been confirmed. During the livestream, Star mentioned fentanyl as a possible cause but emphasized that he did not have confirmation. "Timothy Joseph, aka Buc Wild, was loved," Star said. "He had a support system."
Joseph gained recognition as part of "Star & Buc Wild," where his chemistry with Star helped make the program a memorable part of New York hip-hop radio. Star described their decades-long relationship as "very unique" and recalled helping Joseph, who had dyslexia, improve his reading skills while the pair worked at HOT 97.
One of their recurring features, "Buc Wild's Lottery Numbers," grew out of those efforts. Star said the segment was intended to help Joseph become more confident and comfortable on the air.
Star also thanked former HOT 97 colleagues Tracy Claudy and Judy Ellis for their support of Joseph over the years and said he remained in contact with Joseph's family and friends.
"He was a likable guy," Star said, as he reflected on their years together both on and off the air.
MaxxKonnect Launches FCC Password Generator
| RADIO ONLINE | Friday, September 11, 2026 | 1:34pm CT |
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MaxxKonnect has launched a free web-based password generator designed to help radio and television broadcasters meet new FCC cybersecurity requirements for certain broadcast equipment. The requirements were adopted as part of FCC 26-38 and added to Section 11.35(d) of the Commission's Emergency Alert System rules. They apply to EAS equipment, studio-transmitter link equipment and remotely managed equipment that routes, processes or inserts content into a station's programming.
Under the rule, broadcasters must replace default passwords before covered equipment is used to broadcast, use passwords of at least 15 characters that do not contain dictionary words and avoid reusing those passwords for other accounts, equipment, applications or services. Passwords must also be changed when there is reason to believe they have been compromised.
MaxxKonnect said its generator creates random 15-character passwords and screens the results to exclude dictionary words as well as common one- and two-letter words. Password generation takes place locally in the user's browser, and the company says passwords are not stored, logged or transmitted.
"Stations are going to need a lot of new passwords in a short window, for equipment that in some cases has never had its default credentials changed," said MaxxKonnect Vice President of Engineering Mike Hutchens. "We built this so engineers, owners, whomever needs to - can generate compliant passwords quickly without having to think through the requirements every time."
The password provisions are only one part of the FCC's new cybersecurity requirements. The rules also require covered broadcasters to promptly install security patches and security-related software and firmware updates and use a firewall or comparable network-segmentation method to restrict remote management access.
MaxxKonnect said its engineers are also available to help stations identify equipment covered by the rules, locate default or reused passwords, review firmware and update status and assess firewall and network-segmentation configurations.
The password generator is available free without an account at fccpassword.com.
NAB Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 With Broadcasters
| RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 3:12pm CT |
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The National Association of Broadcasters is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a new episode of its "AirTime" podcast examining the role local broadcasters played during the attacks and their continuing responsibility during emergencies.
The episode features longtime NBC4 Washington news anchor Jim Handly, who was reporting from downtown Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001. With cell phones and other communications unavailable, Handly recalled that broadcasters relied on two-way radios and over-the-air radio to follow developments and keep the public informed.
"We had a responsibility. We had to be a voice of calm," Handly said. "We had to get information as we were getting it out to people."
The podcast also features David Paine, president and co-founder of 9/11 Day, which encourages Americans to commemorate the anniversary through acts of service.
"Local radio stations can be a critical partner in supporting what we're trying to do for 9/11 Day," Paine said, adding that the initiative asks Americans to pledge to perform a good deed on September 11.
NAB said local broadcasters continue to play a role in providing communities with timely information during crises while also sharing stories intended to support remembrance and community connection.
The association has also compiled examples of local broadcasters' reporting from September 11, 2001, along with coverage of annual commemorations since the attacks. The full "AirTime" episode is available through NAB and podcast platforms.
Read the full NAB blog post here.
Magellan AI: Host-Read Podcast Ads Lift Response
| RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 4:25pm CT |
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Magellan AI has released its Q2 2026 Podcast Measurement Benchmark Report, finding a median 2.23% response rate among podcast advertising campaigns measured during the first six months of the year. The report analyzed campaigns running from January 1 through June 30.
The company defines response rate as the percentage of unique reached listeners exposed to an ad who subsequently visit an advertiser's website. The 2.23% benchmark uses a 30-day lookback window.
Host-read advertising produced a substantially higher response rate than produced spots. Host-read ads recorded a median response rate of 3.22%, compared with 2.09% for produced ads, a 54% difference.
The study also found that podcast response continued to build well beyond the initial exposure. About 41% of site visits occurred within seven days, increasing to nearly 76% within 30 days. Magellan AI said responses nearly doubled between the seven- and 30-day measurement windows.
Among listeners who reached an advertiser's website, the median lead conversion rate was 4.65%, while the median purchase conversion rate was 3.98%. Lead conversions included actions such as sign-ups, inquiries and registrations, while purchase conversions represented completed transactions.
Video was also associated with stronger results. Podcasts with video posted a 2.05% median response rate versus 1.88% for RSS-only podcasts. For lead conversion, video podcasts recorded a 4.50% median rate compared with 2.57% for RSS-only shows, a 75% difference.
Podcast promotions generated a median new-listener conversion rate of 1.69%, with 55.5% of converted listeners returning to hear more than one episode. The report also found that nearly six in 10 new-listener conversions occurred during the first seven days following exposure.
Magellan AI noted that the new report uses medians rather than the weighted averages used in its Q1 report and covers six months instead of a single quarter. Because of those methodology and reporting-period differences, the company cautioned that the two reports are not directly comparable.
Katz: Radio Serves as Lifeline During Emergencies
| RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 2:50pm CT |
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Radio's ability to deliver immediate, local information makes it an important communications resource during hurricanes and other emergencies, according to a new Katz Radio Group Sound Answers blog post examining the medium's role during severe weather.
Katz notes that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and typically reaches its peak around September 10. During hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, winter storms and power outages, local stations can quickly interrupt regular programming to provide information specific to affected communities.
That information can include weather warnings, evacuation routes and shelter locations, road closures and flooding reports, school and business closures, power outage updates and instructions from emergency management officials.
The blog argues that radio has an advantage during rapidly changing conditions because listeners can receive updates while driving, evacuating, checking on family members or waiting for electrical service to be restored without having to watch a screen.
Katz also points to a role for advertisers and sponsors during emergencies. In addition to supporting the programming, staffing and infrastructure needed to keep information on the air, businesses can use their messages to provide details about emergency hours, fuel and supply availability, services, donation drives and assistance for affected residents.
The company suggests stations can pair emergency-related coverage with appropriate local sponsors, including hospitals, utilities, grocery stores, home-improvement companies, banks and insurance agencies. Katz says such sponsorships are most effective when focused on providing useful and timely information to the community.
"National forecasts can tell people that a hurricane is approaching," the blog said. "Local radio can explain what that hurricane means for a particular community."
Read the full Katz Radio Insights blog here.
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