Headlines

Between layoffs, lawsuits, and anxiety about the future, this summer's radio headlines have leaned heavy, so we went looking to balance the ledger. Radio Ink is on the hunt for good news, wins, and comebacks that remind us why radio is the best industry in America.

Radio's top sellers, managers, and support staff will get their moment in Manhattan this fall as the Radio Wayne Awards return to open NAB Show New York. Radio Ink and the NAB are teaming up again for the ceremony, with submissions opening on Monday.

Power is the throughline of Radio Ink's always-anticipated July issue as we crown the 40 Most Powerful People in Radio for 2026, celebrate the nation's semiquincentennial, and have a must-read conversation with one of broadcasting's most respected newsmen.

(Randy Lane) Disney has a performance policy that most guests have never heard of, but every Imagineer understands. It's called Low Ride Out. When a ride consistently ranks at the bottom of attendance rankings, Disney doesn't launch a marketing campaign to save it.

Happy Friday! This week’s Blast From The Past features Grace Agostino in the studios of Harrisburg, PA's Hot 92. Send your Blast From The Past to Editor-in-Chief Cameron Coats for your chance to be featured.

For the second consecutive year, Audacy's Mix 106.5 (WWMX) in Baltimore has partnered with Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) to host Kramer and Jess' "All Paws Home," a 10-hour animal adoption marathon on July 11. 

Audacy's surprise sale of its entire St. Louis cluster finally has a dollar figure attached. A new FCC filing puts a number on what Hoffmann Media Group is paying for the six-station cluster anchored by KMOX, more than two weeks after the deal was first announced.

(Curtis LeGeyt) Recently, America celebrated its 250th birthday. Local radio stations are telling America’s story in every corner of the country. It also presents an opportunity for policymakers to strengthen local broadcasting so stations can continue serving their communities for generations to come.

Podcasts have carved out a growing share of Americans' daily audio habits, but new Nielsen data confirms listening, not watching, remains the format's true foundation, with the large majority of monthly podcast consumers still choosing audio over video.

(Josh Brown) Nearly every modern media interaction begins with a transaction. Give us your money. Give us your information. Give us permission to track your activity. Give us your attention in exchange for access. Even things that are “free” are not free. But not radio.