Management stays, the public shareholders are out, and the funded debt is gone. Cumulus Media has completed its Chapter 11 restructuring and emerged as a privately owned company after clearing its last remaining regulatory hurdles following FCC approval.

“The Future Starts Here: A Visionary Closing Conversation” puts the leaders of Hearst Television, Audacy, Gray Media, and Townsquare Media in one conversation you won't find anywhere but Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR's Forecast 2027 on November 12 in New York.

(William Pollack) AI is often portrayed as a threat to American workers. But in one struggling industry, local media, it may be part of the solution. I don't pretend to understand every aspect of AI; I can only discuss what it means for the business I know best: independently owned media.

(Deborah Parenti) They come in all shapes and sizes. Their disciplines and personalities vary wildly, but the best of them share a few defining traits: tenacity, a genuine love for people, and a sharp knack for problem-solving. They also possess a remarkably thick skin.

Podcast audiences have a message for anyone selling audio. Too many ads wear thin, but a trusted host's voice still gets through. New research on ad fatigue offers radio sellers a blueprint for capping clutter, pricing talent reads higher, and building revenue streams beyond the traditional spot.

Large-scale in-car data is radio's newest measurement contender, and Nielsen is questioning whether it can stand alone. The ratings company says head-unit data cannot identify listeners or capture older vehicles, with reach and listening share as backdrop.

(Randy Lane) Great books flow effortlessly, without speed bumps that pull your attention away from the story. That might be an awkward sentence, unnecessary word, confusing transition, or a detail that makes you stop and reread a passage

McVay Media is helping a former executive turn his story of success, struggle, and faith into audio. Myron Mullins' new book and podcast, Regret Free, speak to high-achieving men rediscovering purpose, with production and coaching support from McVay.

Two Pac-12 basketball championship games will share one day, and one national audio broadcaster, in Las Vegas. Compass Media Networks will carry both as part of a multi-year national audio deal that also adds the conference's football championship, with coverage kicking off this December.

Radio-backed scripted storytelling is competing on podcasting's awards stage. A six-episode disaster drama from Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks is a Signal Awards finalist for its voice acting, and fans now have a say in a separate award decided by public vote.