Monday at NAB Show 2026 delivers wall-to-wall sessions for radio broadcasters. From a fireside chat with one of broadcasting’s most innovative voices to the latest on the First Amendment from an FCC firebrand, here are the sessions worth building your day around.
NAB Show Opening Session
10:00 – 11:00a | N141: Main Stage
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt and Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Collin Jones officially open the 2026 show with a session that doubles as a celebration of broadcast storytelling. The NAB Spirit of Broadcasting Award goes to CBS’s Survivor on the occasion of its 50th season. The session then shifts to a conversation with mega-producer Jesse Collins in conversation with Carolyn Giardina.
The First Amendment and Press Freedom in Today’s Media Landscape
11:30a – 12:30p | N254LMR
With government scrutiny of news media intensifying across the political spectrum, this session tackles the hardest questions in broadcast journalism right now. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez moderates a panel of legal scholars, journalists, and policy leaders to examine where First Amendment protections stand.
Beyond Search: How Broadcasters Can Win or Lose in AI-Powered Search
1:30 – 2:30p | N259LMR
As AI-driven search reshapes how audiences and advertisers discover local media, this session zeroes in on an urgent competitive threat: whether the major LLMs even know your stations exist. RAB SVP of Digital Services Dave Casper moderates, with speakers Kelli Frieler of Vibrant Impact, Point Curve CEO Michael Gursha, and Salem Surround SVP/GM Jon Latzer offering practical steps for ensuring stations and local advertisers show up — and get recommended — in AI chat environments increasingly displacing traditional search.
The Value and Power of Mentorship in Advancing Women Leaders
2:45 – 3:15p | TV and Radio HQ Theater
MIW Founder Erica Farber sits down with 2026 MIW Trailblazer Award recipient Ruth Presslaff for a candid conversation about mentorship, leadership, and the decades of work behind building a culture where women in radio have access to real support and real opportunity. The session concludes with the formal presentation of the Trailblazer Award to Presslaff, recognizing her legacy at Presslaff Interactive Revenue and her lasting role in moving the industry forward.
Improving the Listener Experience
2:45 – 3:45p | N259LMR
McVay Media President and Radio Ink columnist Mike McVay returns to the NAB stage to moderate a session on one of radio’s most enduring imperatives: keeping audiences engaged. Edison Research/SSRS Research Director Laura Ivey joins the panel to explore how audience data and programming strategy can sharpen content and build cross-platform loyalty at a moment when listener expectations are moving faster than ever.
Election 2026: Capturing Radio’s Political Ad Opportunity in the Midterms
3:30 – 4:00p | TV and Radio HQ Theater
With $11 billion in political ad spend generated in the 2024 cycle and radio capturing minimal share, RAB President/CEO Mike Hulvey and Silver Oak Political President Steve Passwaiter — who addressed the same challenge at NAB 2025 — return with updated strategies for meaningful revenue in 2026 and beyond.
Zach Sang Fireside Chat with Radio Ink
3:15 – 4:15p | W312
Running alongside the main NAB schedule, this Radio Ink fireside chat at the Broadcast Education Association’s annual conference features Zach Sang in conversation with Radio Ink Editor-in-Chief Cameron Coats. From his start as a 14-year-old with a bedroom radio show to a decade-long Westwood One run, an Amazon Music partnership, and a return to terrestrial radio with The Zach Sang Show, Sang brings a career’s worth of lessons in building an audience across every platform. Anyone holding a NAB Show pass can attend.
For full NAB Show 2026 coverage live from Las Vegas, follow Radio Ink’s daily headlines and @radioinkmagazine on Instagram.
