Two-Thirds of US Podcast Fans Would Sour on an AI Host Swap
From AI-voiced radio shifts to cloned podcast hosts, the audio industry keeps questioning how far synthetic voices can go before audiences push back. That line is closer than many expected, with listeners recoiling at the idea of an AI stand-in for a favorite host.
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CRS 2027 To Honor Dolly Parton With Humanitarian Award
Childhood literacy, wildfire relief, and medical research are among the causes behind Dolly Parton's selection for the 2027 Artist Humanitarian Award. Country Radio Broadcasters will present the honor posthumously at Country Radio Seminar in Nashville.
NAB Opens Entries For 41st Annual Crystal Radio Awards
Another year of radio community service is up for accolades. NAB has now opened entries for the 41st annual Crystal Radio Awards, with 50 finalists and 10 winners to be chosen and then honored in Washington, DC, during the NAB State Leadership Conference.
Broadcasters, Sage Urge FCC To Keep Software EAS Voluntary
Software could soon replace the EAS box at radio stations, but broadcasters want the FCC to move carefully. The NAB, state broadcasters associations, and Sage Alerting Systems each asked the Commission to keep software EAS voluntary and to phase in changes.
USAGM Agrees To Six Changes After Inspector General Review
A federal watchdog has weighed in on the cuts that silenced Voice of America and its sister networks last year, finding the agency overseeing them skipped key planning steps. The State Department's inspector general also outlines six fixes, all of which USAGM has agreed to pursue.
FCC Deletes Employment Report Rule After Fifth Circuit Ruling
Annual employment reports are now gone from the FCC's rulebook. The Media Bureau ordered the removal of the requirement that stations report workforce race, ethnicity, and gender data, bringing federal regulations in line with a Fifth Circuit decision that nullified the rule.
OUT MONDAY: From Albany to Ely, Fighting Radio’s Good Fight
Fear is doing more to shrink ad budgets than any competitor ever could. So who's pushing back? In October, Radio Ink features the people who keep showing up: the 2026 Radio Wayne finalists, a new leader for New York, and a one-man shop informing rural Nevada.
Our Print Magazine: Radio Ink
The Best Managers In Radio
The Memo: Setting the Record Straight, 25 Years Later
Townsquare Ignite Adds Lakes Media Network As Digital Partner
Lakes Media Network's sellers in Southern Virginia and Northern North Carolina now have access to Townsquare Ignite's digital advertising platform. The six-station operator is the latest broadcaster to join Townsquare's growing Media Partnerships division.
Leading Small Market Radio Is Anything but a Small Job
Outsiders hear "small market radio" and picture fewer listeners, fewer dollars, maybe a stop on the way to somewhere bigger. The people actually running those markets know the stakes are hardly minuscule, because you can't fake local in a small town.
Beasley Turns To Equity Market For $5M Of Debt Relief
An outside investor is about to put fresh capital into Beasley Media Group, and the money already has a destination. A single institutional buyer is purchasing stock and warrants, with proceeds slated to pay down a revolving credit line and retire part of debt due in 2028.
Salisbury Set For Saginaw PD Role with MacDonald Broadcasting
The Program Director behind Alpha Media's AI Ashley experiment in the Pacific Northwest is heading to Mid-Michigan. Dylan Salisbury is moving to MacDonald Broadcasting Saginaw, taking PD stripes for the three-station cluster and mornings for 98 KCQ (WKCQ).
Lotus Seattle Reworks KNWN as Pohjola Takes Programming Post
A leadership change at Seattle's only full-time news station comes with a new look for its newsroom. Lotus Seattle has elevated Jeff Pohjola to Director of News and Programming at All-News Northwest Newsradio (KNWN), while several members of its news and programming staff take on new roles.
John Goforth Named President of Hubbard’s Gamut Network
John Goforth, who has run Hubbard Media That Connects' Gamut Podcast Network since joining the company in 2024, has been elevated to President. Hubbard says the new title places Gamut alongside its other media and entertainment companies.
NHL Season Coverage Begins On SiriusXM
Live play-by-play for all 32 NHL teams is back on satellite radio as the new season begins. SiriusXM is backing every game with NHL Network Radio's daily analysis, a weekday morning show, and team-specific channels in its app, now in the channel's 22nd year.
Compass Picks Up National Sales for ‘TJ Show’ and ‘LiveLine’
A year after launching as a syndicator, Radiocraft has found an ad sales home for its two biggest shows. Compass Media Networks will represent TJ Taormina's morning program and Mason Kelter's nightly Top 40 request show to advertisers starting at the top of 2027.
iHeart, Audacy, NPR Among 2026 Signal Awards Finalists
Radio companies are well represented among podcasting's finalists for the fifth annual Signal Awards. iHeartMedia, Audacy, NPR, and a string of public radio stations from New Hampshire to West Texas are competing for honors to be announced in October.
