Like a Super Bowl ad break, artificial intelligence will be front and center at NAB Show 2026, as the industry’s flagship convention begins to reveal its lineup and conversations designed for AM/FM operators, including at the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum.
The Forum, newly shifted to Sunday to coincide with the broader broadcast community’s arrival, will open with a panel dedicated to how AI is changing the way radio stations operate in markets 51 and beyond. Lenawee Broadcasting Company and Southeast Michigan Media President Julie Koehn will moderate the discussion, which features Townsquare Media SVP of Digital Products Sun Sachs and media attorney David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP.
After the opening panel, the forum shifts into peer-driven roundtables covering programming development, digital sales, audience growth, and operational strategy tailored to smaller market operators.
The larger Broadcast Management and Monetization Conference, held in NAB Show’s North Hall over the course of the entire event, will also see an AI-centric session led by WTOP’s John Wordock on the evolving roles of video, podcasting, and artificial intelligence. Another dedicated session will present findings from Borrell Associates and the RAB’s 14th annual digital benchmarking report, with Borrell Associates CEO Gordon Borrell, RAB President and CEO Mike Hulvey, and Marketron’s Dustin Wilson.
McVay Media President Mike McVay will also have a panel of his own, “Improving the Listener Experience,” examining how stations can respond to shifting audience expectations with sharper programming strategy and smarter use of data.
NAB Show 2026 runs April 18-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration is open now.
