IBC 2026 is the premier global event for the media, entertainment and technology industries, bringing together broadcasters, content creators, technology leaders and innovators from around the world. The four-day conference and exhibition will showcase the latest advances in AI, content production, streaming, sports media, broadcasting, and digital transformation, while providing unparalleled networking and business opportunities for industry professionals.

The 2026 Midwest Regional Broadcasters Clinic will bring together broadcast engineers, technology leaders, and media professionals for two days of educational sessions focused on the latest developments in radio, television, and digital media. The agenda features expert-led presentations on AI, ATSC 3.0, cybersecurity, broadcast infrastructure, transmission systems, regulatory updates, IP content delivery, and emerging technologies, along with hands-on discussions, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall showcasing the latest broadcast products and services. 

The Conclave 45 brings radio broadcasters, owners, programmers, managers, talent, technology providers and industry leaders from across the country together for three days of networking, education and conversation about the future of radio.

Held Sept. 15–17, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Aire Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, the conference features seminars, panels and discussions focused on the issues, technologies, programming strategies and business opportunities shaping today’s radio industry. With a history spanning nearly 50 years, The Conclave continues its tradition of connecting radio professionals with industry experts, new ideas and one another.

Dates: Sept. 15–17, 2026
Location: Crowne Plaza Aire Hotel, 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN
Registration: $199

The GNU Radio Conference (GRCon) is the annual gathering of the GNU Radio community and one of the leading events dedicated to software-defined radio (SDR) and wireless communications. The weeklong conference brings together developers, researchers, engineers, educators, students and industry professionals to explore the latest advances in software radio through technical presentations, tutorials, demonstrations and networking opportunities.

GRCon26, the 16th annual conference, will be hosted by North Carolina State University at the Talley Student Center in Raleigh. The event features practical discussions on the design, implementation and real-world applications of GNU Radio and related wireless technologies. Attendees range from newcomers interested in learning about SDR to experienced developers and experts showcasing cutting-edge research and projects.

The conference runs September 21-24, with an AERPAW wireless research platform field demonstration scheduled for September 25. Participants can also explore exhibits, posters, workshops and opportunities to collaborate with members of the global GNU Radio community.

The 2026 Grassroots Radio Conference will bring community radio advocates from across the country to Pensacola for three days of collaboration, education, and hands-on learning. Hosted by Free Radio Pensacola and WPNX 107.7 FM, the annual gathering will explore the people, technology, and ideas that power community broadcasting.

Sessions will cover community radio and LPFM development, station management, engineering, disaster preparedness, cultural storytelling, production, syndication, and emerging broadcast technologies. The conference is designed for station builders, engineers, programmers, volunteers, organizers, artists, and anyone interested in strengthening local, independent radio.

Early bird registration runs from July 1-31 for $150, with general registration available August 1-September 24 for $195. The full conference schedule, speaker lineup, travel information, and lodging recommendations will be released when registration opens on July 1, 2026.

Contact freeradiopensacola@gmail.com for more information.

GABCON 2026 is Georgia’s premier gathering for radio and television broadcasters, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, educators, students, and media professionals from across the state. Hosted at the Gas South District Conference Center in Duluth, Georgia, the annual event celebrates excellence in broadcasting while offering valuable opportunities for education, networking, and professional growth.

Attendees will gain insights into emerging industry trends, technology, journalism, sales, and regulatory updates through expert-led sessions and discussions. The conference also features networking receptions, awards presentations, and the prestigious GABBY Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in Georgia broadcasting. Whether looking to sharpen skills, connect with peers, or celebrate the accomplishments of the broadcast community, GABCON 2026 offers an engaging and inspiring experience for professionals at every level. 

The 2026 NABOB Black Media Summit & Power of Urban Radio Forum brings together Black media owners, executives, broadcasters, marketers, agencies, creators and innovators to explore the future of media, advertising and audience engagement. Under the theme “Beyond the Broadcast: Winning in the Age of AI, Audiences & Influence,” the event will examine how emerging technology, changing audience behavior and evolving advertising strategies are reshaping the media business.

Programming includes executive conversations, the State of Black Media, a CMO Workshop, networking opportunities and the Power of Urban Radio Forum & Awards Luncheon, recognizing leaders, brands and agencies making an impact in Black media and advertising.

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) will host AccessFest 2026, an all-virtual conference offering journalists affordable access to professional training without the cost of travel or lodging. Taking place October 8–10, 2026, the conference will feature popular sessions from NICAR26 and IRE26 along with new programming focused on accessibility, diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion in newsrooms and news coverage.

Registration is $76 for professional, early-career professional, academic, retiree and associate IRE members, while student members can attend for $26. Attendees must have an active IRE membership through October 31, 2026.

Radio Consulting Services will be a sponsor of the International Broadcasters Idea Bank (IBIB) Fall 2027 Conference in Lexington, KY. October 11 to October 14. Radio Consulting Services Owner/Consultant, Jon Holiday will be attending and sharing a presentation on the company.

The International Broadcasters Idea Bank (IBIB) is a membership organization of commercial radio station owners and managers primarily from the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. It facilitates the sharing of knowledge and best practices among its members to improve station operations and revenue. IBIB hosts conventions twice a year, where members can network, learn from each other, and explore new ideas for programming, operations, and advertising. 

Purpose: To foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among broadcasters to enhance their businesses. 

Conventions: Two annual conventions (Spring and Fall) provide a platform for networking and idea exchange. 

Focus: Sharing successful strategies for programming, operations, and advertising in the context of smaller market radio stations. 

Non-competitive environment: Members can openly share ideas and learn from each other without competitive pressure. 

Global Reach: While focused on smaller markets, the organization has members from multiple countries, including the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

ORLANDO, FL — Central Florida Public Media has named Kayla Kissel its education reporter, covering K-12 schools, colleges and universities across the region.

In the role, Kissel will report on education funding, policy changes and student success, along with issues including enrollment shifts, teacher recruitment and preparing students for the workforce.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Central Florida Public Media. I’ve always connected with public media’s mission of serving the community with transparency, accuracy, independence and inclusion,” Kissel said. “There are almost 2.8 million students enrolled in Florida public schools, and I’m looking forward to helping our audience understand the policy changes that affect them.”

Kissel has previous experience with Central Florida Public Media. She produced her first story for the organization in 2023 through Sounds of Central Florida, a partnership between the station and the University of Central Florida’s Nicholson School of Communication.

She joined the newsroom as an intern for a semester in May 2024 and returned in August 2025 as a producer for One Small Step, a StoryCorps initiative that brings together people with different political beliefs for conversations.

During college, Kissel also interned with WKMG-TV and WUSF and participated in NPR’s Next Generation Radio program, where students work with journalism mentors to produce long-form audio, video and digital stories.

“Kayla already knows this community and this newsroom, which allows her to hit the ground running,” said LaToya Dennis, news director and managing editor at Central Florida Public Media. “Her reporting will help students, families and educators better understand the decisions and developments shaping education across Central Florida.”

Central Florida Public Media operates 90.7 WMFE and 89.5 WMFV and provides public media news and programming to audiences across Central Florida.

Get more media industry news, career moves and job opportunities in the MJR Morning Brief.

CHICAGO, IL — NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV) is adding a new live weeknight sports and entertainment program to its lineup, with veteran Chicago broadcaster Lou Canellis taking center stage.

“Tonight with Lou Canellis,” presented by Toyota, premieres Monday, September 14, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The half-hour program will air Monday through Friday and cover Chicago sports, entertainment, pop culture and local newsmakers.

Canellis, an NBC 5 News sports anchor whose Chicago media career spans more than 40 years, will host conversations about the day’s top stories and welcome current and former athletes, coaches, entertainers and other guests. The show also plans select live remote broadcasts from major sporting, entertainment and cultural events around Chicago.

“Chicago isn’t just my hometown, it’s the only home I’ve ever known,” Canellis said. “I was born here, raised here, went to high school and college here, and spent my entire sports broadcasting career here, so the opportunity to host a show that celebrates the people, stories and experiences that make this city so great is truly a dream come true.”

Former Chicago Bears head coach and NBC 5 Sports Sunday analyst Dave Wannstedt will be a regular contributor. Wannstedt will appear Mondays to recap the Bears’ previous game and Thursdays to preview the team’s upcoming matchup.

Veteran Chicago sports personality and 104.3 The Score host Laurence Holmes will host Friday editions of the program. Members of the NBC 5 News team will also make regular appearances.

Recurring features will include “Opening Drive,” a fast-paced rundown of leading topics; “Extra Points,” featuring Canellis answering viewer questions submitted through social media; “Who Ya Got?” with analysis of upcoming matchups; and “By the Numbers,” focusing on statistics behind the headlines.

The show will also incorporate breaking news coverage, flashbacks to memorable moments in Chicago history and viewer trivia.

“Lou has built a special connection with Chicago audiences through his authenticity, passion, and deep love for this city,” said Kevin Cross, President and General Manager of NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “Whether it’s sports, entertainment, culture, or the people who shape our community, Lou brings a perspective that resonates deeply with Chicago viewers.”

In addition to its NBC 5 broadcast, “Tonight with Lou Canellis” will stream through the NBC 5 Chicago News channel, NBCChicago.com and the NBC Chicago mobile app. The station’s streaming channel is also distributed through platforms including Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo Play, Freevee, TCLtv+ and Local Now.

The launch comes as NBC 5 makes additional changes to its weekday schedule. Beginning September 14, “NBC 5 News at 11am” expands to one hour, airing from 11 a.m. to noon, while “Chicago Today” moves to a 30-minute format from noon to 12:30 p.m.

The premiere of “Tonight with Lou Canellis” will be followed at 7 p.m. CT by NBC’s live coverage of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

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WASHINGTON, DC — NPR is bringing back its annual “El Tiny” Tiny Desk Concert takeover for Hispanic Heritage Month, with 10 performances showcasing Latin artists across genres, generations and countries.

The 2026 “El Tiny” series begins September 15 and runs through October 15. Produced by Alt.Latino co-hosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, the series will feature artists representing music ranging from cumbia, jazz and Tejano to norteño, ska, indie and Latin rock.

2026 “El Tiny” Lineup

• Mon Laferte — Chile | Latin Alternative / Pop
• Los Mirlos — Peru | Cumbia
• Yendry — Dominican Republic | Pop
• Alex Ferreira — Dominican Republic | Pop
• Melissa Aldana and Gonzalo Rubalcaba — Cuba | Jazz
• Panteón Rococó — Mexico | Ska / Rock
• Tim Bernardes — Brazil | Indie
• Los Texmaniacs — United States | Tejano
• Draco Rosa — Puerto Rico | Latin Rock / Alternative
• Los Tigres del Norte — Mexico | Norteño

The special Tiny Desk series grew out of NPR’s Alt.Latino, which focuses on Latin and Hispanic music and culture. Sayre and Contreras are again bringing that perspective to the Tiny Desk stage for this year’s monthlong celebration.

“Since 2021, NPR's El Tiny concert series has brought the best of Latin music to new audiences, reminding us of music's remarkable ability to connect us across borders, generations and cultures,” Contreras said. “This year's lineup continues to reaffirm that Latin music is the world's music and is something worth celebrating.”

“El Tiny” was launched in 2021 as a Hispanic Heritage Month extension of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. The 2026 edition continues the format’s emphasis on presenting established and emerging Latin artists in the intimate performance setting associated with Tiny Desk.

The concerts will roll out throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs September 15 through October 15.

Get more media industry news, jobs and insights each weekday in the MJR Morning Brief.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Cumulus Media’s KCMO Talk Radio 95.7 FM has added Kansas City native and veteran broadcaster Miranda Khan to its weekday lineup with a new live and local afternoon program, “Miranda’s Right.”

The show launches Monday, September 14, and will air weekdays from 4-7 p.m. Khan’s addition expands KCMO’s locally produced programming and gives the station another local voice during afternoon drive.

Khan returns to Kansas City following a broadcasting career that has included both local and national television. She previously worked as a news anchor at WPTV NewsChannel 5 in West Palm Beach, FL, and as a television host for Newsmax TV. Most recently, she served as lead host and executive producer of “Special Report” on America’s News Voice Network.

Khan earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Kansas.

“KCMO Talk Radio is making a strong commitment to Kansas City by continuing to invest in live, local programming,” said Pete Mundo, KCMO Program Director and morning host. “Miranda is a smart, engaging voice who brings years of media experience and deep Kansas City roots, and she knows how to connect with listeners and drive meaningful conversations.”

Mundo said Khan’s addition strengthens the station’s focus on delivering news, opinions and discussions centered on issues important to Kansas City listeners.

“Coming back to Kansas City and joining Pete Mundo and this incredible KCMO lineup is truly an honor,” Khan said. “After a career that’s taken me around the country, it feels pretty special to come home to the community that shaped me.”

With the addition of “Miranda’s Right,” KCMO’s weekday schedule is:

• 6-10 a.m. — Mundo in the Morning
• 10-11 a.m. — Kevin Kietzman Uncanceled
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. — Vince Coglianese
• 2-4 p.m. — Guy Benson
• 4-7 p.m. — Miranda’s Right
• 7-8 p.m. — Mark Levin
• 8-10 p.m. — America at Night with McGraw Milhaven
• 10 p.m.-midnight — The Ramsey Show

KCMO Talk Radio 95.7 FM is part of Cumulus Media’s Kansas City operation.

Get more radio, television and media industry news in the MJR Morning Brief.

AMSTERDAM — IBC has announced the winners of its 2026 Innovation Awards, recognizing collaborative projects advancing media creation, distribution, accessibility and the convergence of broadcast and broadband technologies.

The awards were presented Sunday, September 13, at RAI Amsterdam during IBC2026. Winners were selected across four categories: Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere and Social Impact.

“Our 2026 IBC Innovation Awards winners share a common thread in breaking down previously insurmountable geographical, language, and organisational barriers to open media workflows,” said Fergal Ringrose, Chair of the Innovation Awards Jury. “Each winner realises a transformational environment for collaborative, cloud-native, software-first digital ecosystems.”

Content Creation

The Media eXchange Layer (MXL) received the Content Creation award. The open-source initiative was established by the European Broadcasting Union in collaboration with the North American Broadcasters Association, is hosted by the Linux Foundation and has been deployed by CBC/Radio-Canada.

MXL is designed to support more open and interoperable media production workflows, with contributions from a broad group of industry technology partners.

Content Distribution

Reuters won the Content Distribution category for its “Capacity that follows the live news story” project.

The news organization replaced fixed-capacity infrastructure with a Global Shared Memory ecosystem powered by TVU Networks' MediaMesh. The system enables event-driven, API-orchestrated news distribution and includes integrations involving InSync, Kinetiq, Sony, Elecard and TAG Video Systems.

Content Everywhere

The Implementation of DTV+ in Brazil earned the Content Everywhere award.

Led by Globo, DTV+ combines free-to-air television with digital capabilities including personalization and audience measurement. The project integrates broadcast and broadband technology and was developed through collaboration among government, broadcasters and industry participants.

Social Impact

The Social Impact award went to “Closing the sign language gap,” a project led by G&L Systemhaus with Signapse, Norsk/id3as and Akamai.

The companies developed a broadcast-grade, AI-powered sign language solution designed for both live and on-demand streaming, using artificial intelligence to expand accessibility for audiences who rely on sign language.

OBS Receives International Honour for Excellence

IBC also presented its International Honour for Excellence to Olympic Broadcasting Services.

OBS was recognized for decades of innovation in Olympic sports production, including work in ultra-high-definition video, immersive audio, remote production, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and new approaches to sports storytelling.

Best Technical Paper

The Best Technical Paper award went to Emma Maier, Jodie Pearton, Anna Stewart, Arina Mnatsakanyan and Jonathan Freeman of i2 media research.

Their paper, “Measuring and reducing interaction barriers in internet-delivered TV systems through age-informed human factors design,” examines ways to make internet-delivered television easier for older viewers. The research identifies interface barriers and explores an optional age-informed overlay designed to make everyday viewing tasks easier to navigate independently.

Accelerator Project of the Year

IBC also presented its Accelerator Project of the Year 2025 award to “AI Agent Assistants for Live Production.”

The project demonstrated an AI Assistant Director capable of orchestrating multiple production agents through voice commands and natural-language instructions, with the goal of simplifying complex control-room workflows.

It also developed an open, vendor-agnostic framework for AI agents in live production while keeping editorial decision-making under human control.

ITN, BBC and Channel 4 championed the project, with CUEZ, Amira Labs, Highfield AI, Monks, CuePilot, Shure, EVS, Moments Lab and Google Cloud participating.

IBC2026 brings together broadcasters, content owners, technology providers and other media professionals for its four-day conference and trade show in Amsterdam.

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NEW YORK, NY — Mission Media has launched a new proprietary Quality Score designed to give advertisers and agencies a more standardized way to evaluate podcast inventory across its Content Hub.

The Mission Media Quality Score analyzes multiple signals over time to classify podcast inventory as Premium, Long-Tail or Unverified. The company said the methodology is intended to provide buyers with greater transparency and confidence when evaluating shows for advertising campaigns.

Factors used in calculating the score include total audience size and downloads, available ad inventory, requested ad impressions, Apple listener ratings, listener reviews, and the recency of a show's publishing and content.

Mission Media also subjects shows to an ongoing invalid traffic, or IVT, verification process designed to confirm that inventory is legitimate and reaching actual listeners.

“For too long, terms like ‘premium’ and ‘long tail’ have been defined by perception, scale or who owns the inventory,” Mission Media CEO David Krulewich said. He said the new scoring system is designed to apply a consistent mathematical methodology rather than limiting premium designations to inventory owned by large media companies.

The Quality Score expands Mission Media's existing Content Hub, which the company says provides advertisers and agencies with information about podcast inventory, audiences, pricing, contextual relevance and campaign performance.

According to Mission Media, the platform currently covers more than 500,000 podcast feeds, 400 audience segments and 600 content categories.

Alex Ham, Mission Media's Director of Ad Operations and Applied AI, said the system combines inventory verification with signals indicating whether a podcast is active and generating meaningful audience engagement.

“We verify the inventory and evaluate the signals that tell us whether a show is active, legitimate and demonstrating meaningful audience engagement,” Ham said.

B&H Photo SVP of Global Media and Transformation David Feman said having a quality score that combines multiple signals with inventory verification could give advertisers a clearer way to evaluate podcasting as part of their media investments.

The Mission Media Quality Score is available now within the company's Content Hub. To learn more, reach out to contact@missionmedia.ai.

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CINCINNATI, OH — Cumulus Media has named longtime Cincinnati radio personality Mollie Watson as afternoon drive host and account executive for AC station Warm 98 (WRRM-FM).

Watson will be heard weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on Warm 98 while also taking on responsibilities as an account executive for Cumulus Cincinnati.

The move keeps Watson on the Cincinnati airwaves following a 16-year run at Q102 (WKRQ-FM), where she most recently hosted middays.

A Cincinnati native and graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Watson began her career at Q102 in 2011 as a reporter and promotions coordinator before moving into an on-air role.

“Throughout her career, Mollie has built strong relationships with listeners and advertisers alike, making her a tremendous addition to our team both on-air and in sales,” said Trey Dolle, Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Cincinnati.

Dolle said Watson's experience and enthusiasm are already making an impact across the organization.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Warm 98 family,” Watson said. “I’m so thankful for this opportunity and it’s been a thrill to be behind the mic. Love spending my afternoons with Cincinnati!”

Watson's appointment gives Warm 98 an established local personality for afternoon drive while adding her experience and community relationships to the station's sales operation.

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SEATTLE, WA — Audacy’s 100.7 The Wolf (KKWF-FM) has announced the lineup for its 14th annual Hometown Holiday concert, set for December 3 at the accesso ShoWare Center.

The Seattle country station’s holiday event, presented by Pinky’s Plumbing, will feature Gavin Adcock, Chase Matthew, Rodney Atkins, Wyatt Flores, Vincent Mason and Flatland Cavalry.

“We’re excited to bring our listeners together for another unforgettable Hometown Holiday,” said Drew Bland, Brand Manager for 100.7 The Wolf. “It’s the ultimate holiday party, and we can’t wait to pack the accesso ShoWare Center with some of the best talent in country music today.”

The event will be hosted by 100.7 The Wolf personalities Ellen Tailor, Aaron Crawford and Captain Ron Koons, who can be heard weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m. PT.

Listeners will have an opportunity to purchase tickets during a station presale September 17 from 10 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. PT, or while supplies last. The presale link and code will be available to listeners who download the Audacy app and follow 100.7 The Wolf or follow the station through its social media channels.

General ticket sales begin September 18 at 10 a.m. PT.

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PHILADELPHIA, PA — A new blinded study of more than 1,000 U.S. fiction audiobook listeners found that artificial intelligence narration can compete closely with human narration in some areas, with most listeners who heard AI-generated voices unable to correctly identify them as AI.

The research, conducted by Edison Research at SSRS and commissioned by Spoken, The AI Audiobook Company, compared reactions to excerpts from the same science-fiction thriller produced using either traditional human narration or Spoken AI Multi-Cast narration.

The May 2026 study included 1,005 U.S. adults 18 and older who had listened to a fiction audiobook. Participants were randomly assigned to hear either a professional human actor or Spoken AI narration and were not told beforehand that the research involved AI. The human group included 502 respondents, while 503 heard the AI version.

Among the study's key findings:

• Human narration performed better for exposition. Listeners gave the human narrator higher marks for narration quality, overall preference, likelihood to listen and engagement during narrator exposition.
• AI performed particularly well in multi-character scenes. Spoken AI received higher scores in several measures involving different characters, genders and accents.
• Purchase intent was nearly identical. Forty-nine percent of listeners who heard human narration said they were likely to purchase the audiobook or use an Audible credit, compared with 46% of those who heard Spoken AI narration.
• Most listeners who heard AI did not recognize it as AI. Only 39% of the Spoken AI group identified that they had heard AI narration, meaning 61% incorrectly believed the narration was human. Meanwhile, 35% of listeners who heard human narration incorrectly thought they had heard AI.
• Exposure improved attitudes toward AI narration. Among those who heard Spoken AI, 31% initially said they were likely to listen to an AI-narrated audiobook. After hearing the samples and being told they were AI, that figure increased to 41%.

The research also suggests audiobook consumers may care more about the overall listening experience than how the narration is produced. Quality and immersion ranked ahead of factors such as lower prices or having an AI voice resemble a celebrity.

Multi-voice productions were especially attractive to frequent audiobook consumers. Among frequent listeners, 81% said they were interested in hearing distinct voices for individual characters, while 51% said they were "very interested."

The researchers cautioned against applying the findings too broadly. The experiment involved a single audiobook title in one genre, and the report said additional research across the audiobook industry would be beneficial.

The findings arrive as publishers, audiobook producers, authors and professional voice talent weigh how rapidly improving AI-generated speech could fit into audiobook production. The study suggests the distinction between human and synthetic narration may become less important to some consumers when the finished product delivers the voices, immersion and performance they expect.

Read the full report: AI vs. Human Audiobook Narration: A Blinded Survey of 1,000 Listeners

As AI reshapes audio production, Media Jobs Report tracks the research, technology, and workforce changes affecting the people who create the content audiences hear every day. Subscribe to the MJR Morning Brief to stay updated.

NEW YORK, NY — Audacy is expanding its regional sports programming with the launch of “Inside the North,” a new weekly show focused exclusively on the NFL’s NFC North.

The one-hour program will cover the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, combining analysis from longtime Midwest sports journalist David Haugh with perspectives from former players and coaches connected to each franchise.

Haugh, co-host of “Haugh and Payton” on Chicago’s 104.3 The Score, will host the program alongside former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt, former Packers kicker Mason Crosby, former Lions offensive lineman T.J. Lang and former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway.

“Inside the North” debuts Sunday, September 13, and will air across four Audacy stations serving NFC North markets:

• 104.3 The Score (WSCR) in Chicago — 8-9 a.m. CT
• 97.1 The Ticket (WXYT) in Detroit — 8-9 a.m. ET
• 105.7 The Fan (WSSP) in Milwaukee — 8-9 a.m. CT
• 830 WCCO (WCCO) in Minneapolis — 10-11 a.m. CT

Audacy is also extending the program beyond traditional radio. Video episodes will be released on YouTube each Friday evening, allowing viewers to watch the show ahead of the weekend's games.

“The NFC North features some of the most passionate fanbases and intense rivalries in all of football,” said Mitch Rosen, Sports Format Vice President at Audacy. He said the combination of Haugh and the four former NFL figures will give listeners additional context and insider perspective each week.

The talent lineup brings experience from every team in the division. Wannstedt coached the Bears for six seasons, Crosby became the Packers’ all-time leading scorer, Lang played for both Green Bay and Detroit during his NFL career, and Greenway spent all 11 seasons of his career with Minnesota.

The multi-market format gives Audacy a single regional sports program that can serve audiences in four major football markets while also creating content for its digital and video platforms.

Listeners outside the four broadcast markets will be able to stream “Inside the North” through Audacy’s digital platforms.

From new shows and lineup changes to the people moving behind the mic, stay connected to what’s happening across radio and sports media with the Media Jobs Report Morning Brief.

Instead of assuming you know who I am — or why I do this work — I wanted to introduce myself properly. 

Not as a highlight reel. Just as context.

In this video, I share 10 things you may not know about me — the experiences that shaped the way I think about leadership, resilience, radio, mental health, and story.

 Here’s the list: 

1. Life on the road in a 5th wheel RV with my golden retriever, Kismet 

2. Growing up in the BOSS Radio era at KHJ Los Angeles 

3. Helping build and operate five family-owned radio stations in California (including KLLY-FM)

 4. Two decades in FCC compliance consulting, working with thousands of stations 

5. A cardiac health wake-up call that changed my direction 

6. Losing two brothers and both of my parents — and learning resilience the hard way 

7. Going back to school to earn a master’s degree in psychology

 8. Becoming a confidential sounding board for broadcasters navigating pressure and burnout 

9. Creating practical mental health and leadership tools like Apple A Day, Licensed2BBadass, and Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure 

10. Writing novels — including Dead Air: The Day the Music Died — because story reaches places instruction can’t

When you step back and look at it all, it might seem like separate paths. It isn’t. It’s one courtyard. Different doors. Same center. If you’ve recently connected with me, I’m genuinely glad you did. Now I’m curious — how can I help you?

Most sellers lose long before their competition ever shows up. Not because we lack skill, but because we block our own progress. We play keep away with ourselves. We build invisible walls between effort and outcome. It is when we do everything around the work that drives success, instead of doing the work. When we make calls optional, delay follow-ups, overthink strategy, or hide behind “being busy.” The result? We are playing keep away with success. We toss it just out of our own reach. And then we wonder why it eludes us.  
 
Broadcast sellers face this daily. The industry’s challenges are real. We have fragmented media options, shrinking attention spans, and algorithmic competition. But the biggest threat isn’t digital disruption. It is self-sabotage. The seller who avoids the uncomfortable work, who resists daily discipline, who hides from the phone, or who talks about selling instead of doing the selling, is running press coverage defense against their own potential.  
 
Abraham Lincoln said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Every skipped call, delayed proposal, and missed appointment adds up. Each act of hesitation pushes opportunity further out of reach. Success isn’t hiding. It is waiting for discipline to catch up. Sellers don’t lose because the market is unfair. We lose because we keep avoiding the work that creates wins. Every moment spent waiting is ground surrendered. The path forward is simple. Stop postponing progress. Do the next thing now. Success moves toward those who move first. It doesn’t arrive for those who wait the longest.  
 
Here is the modern media seller’s paradox. We are in the most measurable, data-rich, and audience-proven business in modern history. Nielsen shows Radio continues to reach over 80% of U.S. adults weekly. That is more than any streaming service or social media platform. Local broadcast TV delivers trust, recall, and audience reach that digital channels can’t match. Yet some sellers walk around like we are apologizing for it. Instead of leaning into our dominance, we downplay it. We are distracted by the next shiny new platform promising “hyper-local targeting.” Knowing full well that these platforms struggle to deliver local scale. We already have what most media can’t buy. We have both trust and attention. But we keep that success at arm’s length because it requires something uncomfortable, which is conviction.  
 
Conviction isn’t arrogance. It is confidence grounded in fact. But you can’t project it if you don’t believe it. And you can’t believe it if you are not doing the daily work that builds proof. When we stop showing up prepared, stop prospecting with purpose, and stop believing in the value of our own medium, we have effectively benched ourselves. We are playing keep away with the very success our stations are built to create.  
 
Think about retreating to the comfort of our own excuses. We all have reasons. “The market is soft.” “Budgets are tight.” “People aren’t listening like they used to.” “People are binge-watching everything.” But excuses are comfort food for mediocrity. They fill you up but leave you weak. Every excuse builds distance between you and winning. It is how we keep playing keep away with success. 
 
As football coach Nick Saban said, “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.” That is not just about sports. This is about mindset. In sales, high achievers spend their mornings attacking the market, not analyzing it. We know success hides behind uncomfortable effort. We don’t wait for leads. We make them. We don’t hope the phone rings. We make the call.  
 
Excuses feel good because they protect the ego. If it is the market’s fault, we are off the hook. Once you start protecting your excuses instead of your effort, you have chosen comfort over growth. And that is the fastest way to keep success out of reach. This is fear dressed up in a brand-new costume. Every form of self-sabotage, like hesitation, perfectionism, and over-preparation, is fear wearing a different outfit. There is fear of rejection, fear of failure and fear of looking foolish. In The Habit to Break, Yesterday, I wrote that procrastination is the polite form of fear. It feels harmless. It even feels productive. But it is not. Every moment spent preparing instead of performing is another second of success slipping away.  
 
Broadcast sellers have a secret advantage that is easy to forget. We have to remember that we do not sell inventory. We sell proof. Every campaign has a story behind it. Every market has businesses that grew on the back of broadcast reach. Yet too often, we undersell that truth. We have the stories of restaurants that opened to full parking lots after a local morning show campaign. There are the stories of the car dealers who doubled their test drives after thirty days on TV. And there are retailers who beat their e-commerce rivals with simple, consistent schedules. But when we forget to use those stories, we are not only missing a tool. We are playing keep away with credibility.  
 
We have glamorized activity over achievement. Sellers update CRMs, shuffle papers, color-code lists, and say they’re “getting organized.” But organization isn’t selling. Busy is not productive. Movement is not momentum. Many sellers are “working hard in the wrong direction.” We grind every day, but not on the activities that produce results. We think effort equals progress when it is alignment that is the most important trait. 
 
Bill Walsh said, “The score takes care of itself.” The same is true in broadcast sales. Calls, appointments, and follow-ups are the plays that score points. Everything else is just pregame stretching. If you want the win, you have to get on the field. Talent opens doors. Habits keep them open. The most dangerous myth in sales is that talent will save you. It won’t. It never has. The people who win are not always the most gifted. They are the most disciplined 
 
Sellers often have charisma. We are good with people. We can tell stories and hold attention. But charisma without consistency collapses under pressure. A natural talker who doesn’t follow up will always lose to a quiet pro who does. A smooth presenter who misses deadlines will always be outperformed by a consistent grinder. Talent can be an accelerant, but only if the engine is already running. 
 
Basketball coach John Wooden said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” In our business, the little things are habits. Habits like returning calls the same day, sending recaps within 24 hours, and scheduling follow-ups before you leave the meeting. None of these takes talent. They take intention. Every time you skip one, you are playing keep away with momentum. 
 
Stop outsourcing responsibility. In every broadcast sales office, there is someone waiting for management to fix their problems. We want better leads, better rates, better copy, or better everything. We forget that sales has always been a self-employed profession. It doesn’t matter who signs your paycheck. The best sellers don’t wait for leadership to change the game. We change our approach. We don’t need motivation because we already have accountability. We measure our effort as fiercely as our results. Success isn’t luck. It is ownership. If you are waiting for your corporate leadership to improve morale, or creative to fix the copy, or traffic to move faster, you have already forfeited the game. You can’t win when you hand your power to someone else. 
 
Reclaim your advantage. Start by controlling your time. Structure each day around revenue activities. Control your language. Speak with precision, purpose, and confidence. Add in your belief in what you sell. That is: believe in your medium, your product, and your ability to deliver. Time, words, and belief are the levers that move results. When we misuse or neglect them, we push success just out of reach.  
 
Time management in this industry is brutal. Calls get postponed. Internal meetings interrupt workflow. But the truth is, the phone does not dial itself. No one’s calendar ever magically clears. You must protect your selling hours like prime-time inventory, because that is exactly what it is. Maintain control of your vocabulary. Choose your words wisely as they work to frame your value. A seller who says “I sell commercials” sounds replaceable. One who says “I help businesses increase store traffic and market share” sounds indispensable. 

There is a hidden cost to playing keep away with success. You are not only delaying results. You are damaging your reputation and your medium. Buyers remember hesitation. They remember inconsistency. They remember the seller who disappears between pitches. In an era where everyone has options, reliability becomes currency. You build that through follow-through. As Forbes has reported, professionals who consistently deliver on time are rated 40% more effective by peers and clients.  
 
The same holds in broadcast sales. When clients know they can count on you, rate objections disappear. Trust replaces tension. But when you are inconsistent and do things like cancel, reschedule, or forget, you teach clients how to treat you. They learn that your word is soft. And therefore they act accordingly. Skip the drama and use the data available to you. The easiest way to reclaim belief is through the data readily available to all of us. Radio reaches more than 213 million weekly listeners according to Nielsen Audio in 2025. Local broadcast TV maintains the highest advertising trust scores in the Edelman Trust Barometer. Meanwhile, many digital platforms are grappling with fraud, bots, and brand safety concerns.  
 
The story writes itself. But too many sellers let the agencies tell it for them. And, of course, they tell it wrong. The modern broadcast seller has to be the voice of clarity. The voice that says, “We don’t need to pretend to be digital. We already are what digital pretends to be. We are trusted, scalable, and local.” When you can articulate that truth with confidence and evidence, success stops running from you. It moves toward you. It creates more momentum.  
 
The key to progress is starting before you are ready and learning while you move. That movement will create momentum. Your momentum builds confidence. Confidence fuels energy. Energy attracts opportunity. That is the flywheel of sales. And every time you hesitate, you break the cycle. You can’t fix what you won’t face. Accountability is the mirror that stops the game of keep away. It forces honesty. Did I do what I said I would do? Did I follow through? Did I protect my selling time or waste it on distractions? The best teams track both activity and intent. We don’t just count the calls. We analyze the effort. We measure how many calls led to conversations, and how many conversations turned into proposals. We study conversion ratios not to punish ourselves or our teams, but to learn what is effective. Because data, when used correctly, isn’t judgment. It is a road map and a direction. Accountability works because it strips away the story and leaves only the facts. It makes it impossible to hide from yourself. 
 
Belief is not built in a meeting. It is built in motion. The more you act, the more proof you collect. Each small win reinforces the next effort. You start to trust yourself again. That is the true prize of consistent effort. The seller who doubts their medium need only look at the scoreboard. Radio and Television remain two of the most trusted advertising sources in America. That is not nostalgia. It is neuroscience. Humans trust what they hear and see repeatedly in familiar local contexts. It is why local campaigns continue to outperform targeted ads on recall and purchase intent. But you can’t sell that truth if you don’t believe it yourself. 
 
Broadcast media is not dying. It is evolving. The only question is whether you will evolve with it or keep dribbling the ball instead of shooting. Opportunities are everywhere. Thousands of local businesses need help cutting through the clutter. Millions of listeners and viewers tune in every day. The stage is wide open. But you can’t score from the sidelines. 
 
It’s time to take the shot. Make the call. Send the proposal. Ask for the meeting. Success isn’t hiding. It is waiting for you to stop getting in your own way. As John Wooden said, “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Broadcast Radio and Television have the audience, and the trust of that audience which believes in its credibility. The only question is whether the seller has the discipline to stop playing keep away with success and start taking ownership of it. Because success isn’t lost. It is waiting right where you left it. 
 
My new book, Culture Beats Strategy: 40 Marketplace Lessons for Sellers, is now available on Amazon. If you like what you have read, please consider ordering a copy or two. You can always send one to a friend. Order a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVKBYX32.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the day that changed everything in so many ways. For radio people, like you and me, it was a time that clearly displayed how important radio was to people. We were a sounding board, a friend, a punching bag, an escape, and a resource to listeners 24/7. We were a primary part of the listener’s day, consistently there for them, giving them a sense of normalcy that they truly needed.

On that day, in our minds, our listeners quickly moved from being theoretically out there somewhere to actual people right beside you. So, while we were in a state of disbelief from the horror around us, our relationship with the listener became more real than ever! It’s this listener reality that we need to take with us into the studio every day. Listeners connect with this type of authenticity. They are not often consciously aware of it, but it is a powerful force.

9/11 was a horrible time, but out of the ashes came a unity among people like I have never seen. It seemed we all unified quickly around the essentials of life, and the nonessentials became mostly irrelevant. Perhaps we can find a way to recreate this unity through the good that we do to overcome the bad?

Brian Wright

Wright Media Group

Why Fear Is Running the Show

By Kelly Orchard

Fear is the quietest program director in the building. It does not sit in the morning meeting. It just edits the decisions before anyone says them out loud.

A market manager fears losing advertisers, so the format stays put until the ratings have already fallen. An on-air personality fears the next comment, so the break gets smaller and safer until the audience leaves with it. An owner fears the digital shift, so the station keeps doing what it knows until relevance is the thing that moved.

That is not a character flaw. In radio, fear often runs the show because the stakes feel immediate. Ratings. Revenue. The next book. The next round of cuts. The brain treats a format pitch the way it treats a threat. Fight, flight, or freeze. Then the same fear gets rehearsed until it feels like strategy.

I know that voice. I was 42, deep in radio, consulting and leading, when congestive heart failure stopped the plan I thought I was on. Fear said the career was over. Fear was wrong. What changed the future was not a new title. It was treating fear as a signal, not a stop sign.

Mike McVay tells a version of the same lesson from the other side of the glass. At 24 he was program director at KTNQ in Los Angeles, coaching Charlie Tuna, Jack Armstrong, The Real Don Steele, Machine Gun Kelly, and Nancy Plum. He did not pretend he had their miles. He asked each of them about the show, what they liked, what they did not, and how they wanted to be coached. He later caught himself saying he had worked for some of the best talent he knew. Working for the talent was how the station moved.

If fear is running your building this week, do not start with a speech. Start with the script.

1. Name the top fear in the room. Lost billing. A bad break. Being replaced. Irrelevance. Write the real one, not the polite one.

2. Write the worst case, then write what you would actually do if it happened. Most of the time it is survivable. That is the point.

3. Flip the line. “What if I fail?” becomes “What if this works?” “We will be outdated” becomes “We already know how to evolve. That is the job.”

4. Take one small action before the fear gets another meeting. One honest coaching question. One format conversation. One note to a seller who has been playing it safe.

Fear will keep whispering. You decide how much airtime it gets.

From Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, Chapter 1.

If this landed, Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure goes further into fear, resilience, leadership, and change in radio. Buy it on Amazon, or get it free on Kindle:

Learn more here

I’m Kelly Orchard — author, psychotherapist, and second-generation radio veteran. I work with broadcasters on leadership, culture, fear, and resilience, and I write the books and conversations that live in The Courtyard.

Join The Courtyard: 

1.    Know Exactly Who You’re Talking To: Define the station’s core target and use a strict “Does It Fit?” screen for every piece of content.

2.    Build the Show Around the Three Keys to Victory: Balance Great Songs, Survival Information, and Interesting Material, Entertainment & Fun. None should consistently overpower the others.

3.    Make the Station Brand Impossible to Forget: Remember that radio is a battle for memory. Brand the station frequently and consistently, including important features, weather, information and entertainment elements. The source recommends 50+ station logo drops per hour.

4.    Make the Listener, Not Your Show, The Star: Avoid “I AM THE SHOW” behavior. Don’t upstage partners or listeners, and don’t rush to deliver a bit simply because you have it. Build the relationship with the audience first.

5.    Set Up Everything, Every Time: Never assume listeners heard the previous break. Because listening and recall are much lower than we tend to assume, reset the stage and properly set up recurring topics and bits.

6.    Do Less, But Make It Better: Don’t smother great content with too much content. Get to the best part, deliver it well, and take the exit when you have the best exit line.

7.    Protect the Basics: Never sacrifice weather, time, news, traffic, survival information or great songs: just to keep a bit going. The longer the bit, the bigger the payoff needs to be.

8.    Create a Two-Way Relationship With Listeners: Make the audience part of the show. Use short-burst interaction regularly, with the goal of becoming a true two-way communication center rather than simply a source of contests and games.

9.    Program the Entire Day, Not Just Your Show: The personality show should be a station cheerleader—promoting the station’s position, music benefits and other personalities. The goal is to build cume and encourage listeners to continue listening throughout the day.

10.    Build Consistency Through Discipline and Coaching: Create a 15-minute show map, prepare vertical and horizontal teases, establish a consistent break structure, track what works, and build a new “show” every 20 minutes. Consistency comes before brilliance.

Brian Wright

Wright Media Group

Radio stations that consistently dominate the top positions in their markets get there in different ways. At Wright Media Group, however, we’ve found that long-term success rarely comes from trying hundreds of tactics. It comes from identifying the handful of strategies that matter most and executing them relentlessly.

1. Make the Listener the Center of Everything: Focus every decision, break, promotion, and feature on the listener, not yourself. Great radio isn’t about what you want to say; it’s about what your audience wants to hear. Think of yourself as the moon, not the sun. Reflect your audience.

2. Talk to One Person: Speak to one individual, never a crowd. Eliminate group-speak such as “you guys,” “everyone,” or “all of you.” Radio is an intimate medium. Personalities who ignore this principle and succeed are winning despite it, not because of it.

3. Become Audibly Interactive: Create regular, short-burst interaction with listeners. Make interaction a natural part of your show about every fifteen minutes, using a variety of creative approaches. Yes, it can be done.

4. Let Social Media Support Radio: Use social media to strengthen your on-air product, never replace it. If your radio station becomes indispensable, your digital platforms will flourish. If your radio product weakens, social media won’t rescue it.

5. Master Appointment Listening: Become an expert at creating compelling, time-specific reasons to listen later. Generic teases like “More great music coming up” accomplish very little. Give listeners a specific reason to come back.

6. Own the Vital Information: Consistently deliver what listeners need right now: time, temperature, weather, traffic, local events, and other essential information. These service elements remain among radio’s greatest strengths. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

7. Pursue One Achievable Goal: Teach every personality that their mission is simple: persuade one listener to tune in three more times this week—and remember doing it. Repeat that thousands of times across your audience, and ratings begin to move.

8. Super-Serve Your Target Listener: Identify the songs your hyper-target audience loves most and play them more often than feels comfortable. Don’t worry about burning out your most loyal listeners. You already have them. Focus on winning the ones you don’t.

9. Fight the Negative Byproducts of Repetition: Repetition is the silent enemy of every air personality. The things you say most often are often delivered with the least enthusiasm. Coach talent to recognize this and continually refresh their delivery.

10. Coach Every Week: No exceptions. Radio is one of the least-coached industries in entertainment. Consistent coaching produces consistent growth. If coaching isn’t your strength, find someone who can do it well. Your talent deserves it.

11. Build Top-of-Mind Awareness: Identify your station more than fifty times an hour through a variety of creative executions. Ratings depend heavily on top-of-mind recall, whether your market uses PPM, Nielsen Diary, or Eastlan. Never underestimate the power of your brand name.

12. Brand Everything: Every contest, feature, benchmark, service element, promotion, and piece of content should reinforce your station’s identity. Present your brand with confidence and enthusiasm. Always assume someone has just discovered your station. ESPN puts its brand everywhere, despite already being the world’s most recognized sports brand.

13. Encourage Your Team Daily: People perform best when they know they’re valued. Celebrate progress, recognize effort, and affirm your staff every day. Positive cultures consistently outperform negative ones.

14. Market Where Your Audience Lives: Use simple, bold, highly readable billboards that communicate one memorable message. Since much of your audience experiences radio in the car, outdoor advertising remains an effective way to reinforce your brand. Whenever possible, own a location through repeated visibility.

Brian Wright

Wright Media Group

By Jon Holiday Owner/Consultant, Radio Consulting Services

Recently I attended a Savannah Bananas game and witnessed a masterclass in pure entertainment. The yellow-jersey chaos wasn’t just a lesson in sports marketing; it was a reminder of a foundational principle of media. The Bananas stripped the boring parts out of a legacy product and let the “show” take over.

That focus on audience energy triggered a sense of déjà vu. I was fortunate enough to learn how to put the “show” into radio from my mentor, Harry Nelson, who absorbed those principles firsthand from Les Garland, one of the greatest promotional minds in media history.

The Savannah Bananas are doing on a baseball diamond what the masters taught us to do on the airwaves. The venue changes, but the showmanship doesn’t.

The Lineage of Audio Theater

Les Garland and Harry Nelson understood that a media brand is never just a utility or background entertainment. It’s a stage. Garland treated promotions not simply as prize giveaways, but as interactive events.

While programming in San Francisco, he created the legendary “Close Encounters” promotion, announcing the station would broadcast dead air so extraterrestrials could use the frequency. Later, he took that showmanship global by co-creating the iconic “I Want My MTV” campaign. Harry was right there with Garland, learning how great promotions generated energy, urgency and participation. He passed that philosophy along to me: true fandom is built when personalities become more than announcers and passive listeners become part of the experience.

Somewhere along the way, radio contesting lost some of that philosophy. There was a time when contests were designed to entertain the entire audience. Games like Secret Sound and song scrambles gave listeners a reason to play along, even if they never entered. Today, much contesting has been reduced to keywords and text-to-win promotions that may generate entries but offer little entertainment for everyone else. Great contesting should be part of the show, not just a way to give away a prize.

Infusing Showbiz Today Without the Old-School Hype

Showmanship doesn’t mean resurrecting the loud, artificial clichés of the past. Today’s audiences can spot manufactured hype instantly. The execution has changed, but the principle hasn’t. Let listeners see the human, behind-the-scenes side of what you’re doing and become part of the process.

The Bananas don’t stop the game for the entertainment; the entertainment is the game. Radio promotions should work the same way, becoming part of the product rather than something bolted onto it. And while great promotions once lived almost entirely through the speaker, today’s best ideas should create visual, shareable moments that move naturally from the studio microphone to a listener’s social feed.

Showmanship isn’t dead, and it isn’t an antique. Whether it’s happening on a baseball diamond or coming through a speaker, the principle Harry taught me remains unchanged:

Don’t just deliver a product. Give them a show!

Sharpen your sound and your strategy. We help you focus on what drives audience growth and increases ratings. If you want stronger stations that perform at a higher level, let’s talk. 303-690-9093 jon@radioconsultingservices.com radioconsultingservices.com

The more I listen to radio, the more Paula Cole’s ‘Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?’ pops into my head, but I change Cowboys to AIR-CHECKS. Where have all the air-checks gone?? WHERE?? Hello….are they there any more…anything…anybody?? I feel that we are in a world of hurt right now with talent doing a shift and not a show…because of the lack of air-checks.

When I got my first gig in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, I heard horror stories of the old PD that would throw the cassette back at you and ask "Why the hell are you in broadcasting?!" But, we had weekly air-checks. Then my next gig…weekly air-checks…and it goes on and on, always weekly air-checks! Then I finally became a PD…and I said to myself that I’m going to do something different with the air-check…as traditional was to pull audio from the logger, listen, make notes, and then talk to the talent about what was good and what maybe could use some work. I took the approach of the talent pulling the audio and sending it to me, then we BOTH listen to the audio on our own time, make notes and then chat about what we heard. It was a game changer. Instead of the talent being scared of being torn apart in an air-check - it got them involved…got them listening to their show…got them wanting to be better. Then, I left them with the rule of 3 – 3 things that they did great and 3 things that we can work on. Notice I said, “WE”? If you are giving an air-check you are working with them, helping them, supporting them, helping the show in any way they need and being their biggest cheerleader! 

But I feel this is gone…and why? Is it time? Money? People? All of the above? Probably. But we need to get back to helping the talent. Not “Keep doing what you’re doing” or “You’re great, it’s great”. If they are cracking the mic and only doing a back sell and front sell…PLAY IMAGING! In today’s world, talent has to relate, love the music, and leave the listener with something…anything!! Make them feel involved, like this is their station and you are their best friend, playing their favorite music! 

And if you are talent reading this – start listening to your show more…record it and go for a drive while you listen and get a feel for how you talked about the music, did a contest, bit or request show. You will learn a ton from listening to yourself. Did you connect with the listener, make them feel special or put a smile on their face? 

A friend of mine in California was the PD for Ryan Seacrest when he first got to STAR in LA, and she told me that he took his show home on tape EVERYDAY!! He knew that he wasn’t the best talent, but knew if he outworked everyone, he would make it…and look at him now. 

At the end of the day air-checks are still super important. PD’s – do them! Take the time to listen and build something special with your talent - and if you are talent and want a super safe, show building air-check – get in contact with us! I am always available – I love helping talent, find their strengths and make them shine.

So where have all the air-checks gone…hopefully not far.

Jonny Jazzno - Production House hq & creator of Tailgate Radio

Every August 28, Radio Commercials Day recognizes something that most listeners hear every day without giving it much thought: the radio commercial.

The date traces back to August 28, 1922, when New York radio station WEAF aired what is widely recognized as the first paid radio commercial. The Queensboro Corporation paid for a broadcast promoting its apartment properties in Jackson Heights, Queens.

It may seem routine today, but at the time, selling airtime was a revolutionary idea.

From Experiment to Business Model

Radio was still a young medium in 1922. Stations were popping up across the country, families were buying receivers, and broadcasters were trying to figure out how this exciting new technology could become a sustainable business.

Paid advertising helped provide the answer.

The WEAF broadcast demonstrated that businesses could pay a radio station to reach an audience of potential customers. That concept eventually helped create the commercial broadcasting model that would fuel radio's enormous growth.

Within a few years, advertisers weren't simply buying announcements. They were sponsoring programs, personalities, music, dramas, comedy shows and entire blocks of programming.

The relationship between radio, advertisers and audiences had begun.

The Radio Commercial Became an Art Form

As radio matured, so did its commercials.

Simple announcements evolved into jingles, comedy bits, character voices, testimonials, contests, endorsements and carefully produced 30- and 60-second spots.

Some jingles became almost as recognizable as the songs stations played.

Radio also developed an advantage that remains powerful today: theater of the mind.

A television commercial can show you a restaurant. A great radio commercial can make you smell the burger, hear it sizzling on the grill and imagine taking the first bite, all through sound.

That creative freedom has produced generations of memorable advertising.

Local Radio Made Advertising Accessible

Radio advertising wasn't only important to national brands.

It became one of the most effective ways for local businesses to introduce themselves to their communities.

Car dealers, furniture stores, restaurants, banks, attorneys, grocery stores, concerts and countless other businesses built their brands through local radio.

In many markets, the voices delivering those commercials were already trusted personalities.

That connection created something difficult for other advertising platforms to duplicate: a familiar local personality talking directly to listeners about a business in their own community.

From Live Reads to Digital Audio

More than a century after that first paid broadcast, radio advertising looks considerably different.

Traditional recorded spots and live personality endorsements remain part of the business, but they're now joined by streaming audio commercials, podcasts, branded content, sponsorships, digital campaigns and targeted advertising.

Technology has also made it possible to deliver different commercials to different listeners based on geography, demographics and other targeting criteria.

But the basic idea hasn't changed much since 1922:

A business has a message, a broadcaster has an audience, and audio connects the two.

Here's to the People Behind the Commercials

Radio Commercials Day is also a good excuse to recognize everyone who makes those 30 or 60 seconds happen.

There are account executives who land the client, copywriters who find the hook, producers who create the sound, voice talent who bring the words to life, traffic departments that make sure the spot airs correctly, engineers who keep everything running and on-air personalities who can turn a live read into a personal recommendation.

And then there are those legendary local commercials that somehow ran for 20 years with the same jingle.

You probably just heard one in your head.

More than 100 years after that pioneering commercial aired, advertising remains a fundamental part of commercial radio, and the challenge remains the same as it was in the beginning:

Get someone's attention, tell a compelling story and give them a reason to act.

Listen to Some of Radio's Best Commercials

Want to hear what great radio advertising sounds like?

Celebrate Radio Commercials Day by exploring some of the best radio commercials and audio campaigns recognized by the Radio Mercury Awards.

The Radio Mercury Awards have celebrated excellence in radio and audio advertising for decades, honoring creative work that demonstrates just how powerful storytelling through sound can be.

From clever writing and memorable performances to commercials that make you laugh, think or immediately recognize a brand, the archive is a great reminder of what can happen when talented people have a microphone, an idea and a few seconds to capture your attention.

Visit the Radio Mercury Awards Audio Library to listen to some of radio advertising's award-winning creative work.

Happy Radio Commercials Day!

Jerry Butler - Media Jobs Report

1.    News is a recall vehicle. The objective isn't merely to deliver accurate information, but to create a recognizable news experience that contributes to top-of-mind awareness with your audience.

2.    “Right-style” news matters. Contemporary listeners respond better to a conversational, telling style than traditional institutional news language. That doesn't diminish credibility; it makes the information more accessible and relevant.

3.    Story selection is critical. The story budget should reflect what matters most to your target Life-Group, rather than simply following the conventional hierarchy of traditional newscasts. 

4.    “What's in it for me?” should be the universal filter. Every story should answer the listener's implicit question: Why should I care about this? This transforms an specific economic story into a personal understanding in your listener’s real-life experience.

5.    Consensus appeal should guide content. News should inform without unnecessarily polarizing the audience. The goal is to maximize the number of listeners who feel the information is relevant to their lives.

6.    The delivery should feel confident, not merely reported. The phrase “delivering information he/she knows as opposed to telling them what they have been told” captures an important distinction. The news person should sound like a knowledgeable person explaining something to another person, not someone reading a script.

7.    Pacing creates engagement. Even excellent information can become forgettable when delivered with traditional, highly structured pacing. Forward motion, conversational phrasing and purposeful emphasis can make the information more compelling. 

8.    The ultimate benchmark should be cognitive identity. Your station(s) should be able to determine whether listeners recognize and remember its news presentation as distinctly from you. That's where news moves from being a commodity to becoming a station franchise.

Brian Wright

Wright Media Group

Most sellers think their pipeline is an asset. In reality, most pipelines are a liability. They look full, but they are heavy. They consume time, attention, and emotional energy without producing results. Most pipelines do not fail because sellers lack opportunity. They fail because sellers refuse to look at reality. A pipeline is supposed to be a living system. It should breathe. It should move. It should change shape as buyers make decisions. When it does not, it becomes something else entirely. It becomes a storage unit for hope. That is when sellers start mining mud. They dig and dig, convinced value is buried somewhere beneath the surface. What they are really doing is exhausting themselves.

Every seller has felt this. You open your pipeline and see names that have been there for months. Sometimes they have been there even longer. The notes say things like circled back, waiting on timing, budget next quarter, or still interested. Those phrases sound harmless. They are not. They are warning signs. They tell you alignment is weak, urgency is missing, or courage has left the room. Yet many sellers keep those accounts alive because letting go feels like failure. But is not failure it is freedom. It start with discipline and ends with breathing room.

Research supports this more than sellers like to admit. Salesforce has reported for years that the average seller closes less than thirty percent of what they forecast. The Harvard Business Review has found that nearly half of all deals in pipelines end in no decision at all. Fifty percent of all sales calls end in no action, at all. No decision is not a loss caused by price or competition. It is a loss caused by inertia. Inertia thrives in dirty pipelines.

The best sellers do not carry heavy pipelines. We carry clean ones. Our lists are shorter. Our conversations are sharper and more pointed. Our calendars are calmer and more organized. This is not because we have fewer prospects. It is because we audit relentlessly. We refuse to confuse activity with progress. We know that a deal that does not move is not neutral. It is stealing time from something that could.

A pipeline audit is not negative thinking. It is clear thinking. It is the act of stepping back and asking simple, uncomfortable questions. Is this buyer aligned with our business and our audience? Do they want to solve this problem now? Have they taken a real step forward? Are there actionable steps outlined? If that answer is no, keeping the opportunity alive is not optimism. It is avoidance. We avoid the uncomfortable act of stripping a dead opportunity from our pipeline.

Peter Drucker said, “The most dangerous thing in management is doing the right things inefficiently.” In sales, the danger is doing the wrong things efficiently. Following up endlessly with people who are not going to decide is one of the most efficient ways to stay stuck in a rut. Those sellers who audit their pipelines with relentless precision stop rewarding indecision with attention. We focus on those who have intention of buying from us, not the ones who are stringing us along because they like to play the game or they like the attention.  

There is also a psychological cost to a bloated pipeline. Every open opportunity creates a mental tab. The brain keeps track of it whether you want it to or not. Behavioral science has shown that open loops increase stress and reduce focus. Sellers feel this when we dread pipeline reviews or avoid looking at the CRM altogether. The problem is not the system. It is what lives inside it. And we put it there. We have only ourselves to blame.  

When sellers audit every ninety to one hundred twenty days, something important happens. We reclaim mental space. We stop carrying conversations that are going nowhere. That clarity shows up everywhere else. Prospecting improves. Follow up gets better, cleaner, and more efficient. Our confidence rises. Not because we magically got better overnight. It is because we stopped lying to ourselves. We confronted the truth about what lives in our pipeline.

One of the reasons audits matter so much is that buyers have changed. Buyers are more cautious. They delay decisions. They gather information without commitment. The want action without risk. Most are polite even when they have no intention of moving forward. This makes it easier than ever for sellers to misread interest as intent. A pipeline audit forces sellers to separate the two. We must confront the reality of the situation. And we need to admit when a potential customer has no intention of doing business with us.

Interest sounds like curiosity. Intent sounds like action. Intent shows up as scheduled next steps, internal conversations, shared risk, and deadlines that matter. Interest shows up as nice conversations that never turn into decisions. Audits expose which one you are dealing with. Zig Ziglar said. “You do not build a business. You build people, and then people build the business.” Pipelines are built the same way. They reflect the behavior of the seller. A seller who avoids hard questions builds a soft pipeline. A seller who asks direct questions builds a strong one. Audits reveal that truth quickly.

There is also a time discipline at play. Time is the only asset sellers cannot get back. Every hour spent chasing a stalled deal is an hour not spent starting a new conversation. Most sellers do not have pipeline problems. They have allocation problems. Audits correct that by forcing better choices. Gong.io has published data showing that top performers disqualify earlier and more often than average sellers. That should not surprise anyone. Disqualification is not rejection. It is selection. It says, this is not a fit right now, and that is okay. Sellers who fear disqualification end up negotiating with ghosts. Sellers who embrace it build momentum.

Momentum is fragile. It only survives when something moves. When deals sit too long, momentum fades. And it fades quietly. It makes no noise and stays in the dark. Sellers stop leading and start waiting. Our language softens. Follow ups get further and further apart. And because of this drift, our confidence erodes. Hope replaces clear direction. This is how good sellers drift into average behavior.  

Pipeline audits will stop that slide. They force truth back into the process. They remind sellers what progress should look like. They reset expectations for our buyers and for ourselves. What happens next are results. Movement returns. Our standards rise. Customer decisions follow. Another overlooked benefit of auditing is pricing integrity. Stalled deals wear sellers down. As time passes, both customer energy and our energy fade. Because of this our desire for closure grows. And that is when discounts creep in. Not because the price was wrong, but because our patience ran out.  

Clean pipelines remove that pressure. When we are not emotionally tied to one outcome, we negotiate from strength. We explain value instead of defending price. Buyers feel that confidence immediately. Confidence signals choice. Choice protects pricing and keeps authority where it belongs. Warren Buffett said, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.” Pipelines reward the same behavior. Saying no to weak opportunities creates room for strong ones. Saying no protects time. Time protection is revenue protection.

Pipeline audits create better coaching conversations. Instead of asking how much is sitting in the pipeline, managers can ask what moved and why. We can focus on the drivers of our business. We should be asking, “Who did you call on? How much did you ask for?” And “What did you close?” These are the focal points and the drivers of our business. That single shift changes the entire discussion. It forces sellers to explain progress, not just inventory. It moves attention away from volume and toward velocity. Velocity shows intent, commitment, and urgency. Size only shows hope. When we focus on movement, our results become far more predictable over time.

Audits reveal patterns we often miss. When deals keep dying at the same stage, the issue is rarely bad luck. It points to a skill gap. Discovery may be too shallow. Urgency may not be established early or at all. The seller may be presenting before earning the right. Without audits, these mistakes repeat and because of that they compound. With audits, patterns surface fast. Once visible, they can be corrected. That is how we can improve execution instead of blaming buyers, timing, the market, or your boss.

There is a reason elite athletes review film. They do not trust memory or emotion. They study what really happened. A pipeline audit serves the same purpose for sales professionals. It shows where execution slipped and where decisions stalled. Skipping that review does not protect confidence. It weakens it. Confidence grows from understanding, not avoidance. When we see the truth of our actions, we gain control. Control leads to correction. Correction leads to better outcomes next time.

Many sellers resist audits because they feel like loss. In reality, audits are recovery. You recover time. You recover focus. You recover belief. The sunk cost fallacy is a cognitive bias in which a person continues investing time, money, or effort into something solely because they have already invested resources in it. Even if and especially when future evidence shows it no longer makes sense to continue. The sunk cost fallacy tricks sellers into thinking past effort justifies future waste. It does not. Past effort is gone. The only thing that matters is the future effort.

Another truth most sellers avoid is that buyers rarely wake up undecided. They either want to act or they do not. When sellers allow buyers to linger without consequence, they teach them that delay is acceptable. Audits restore healthy tension. They force clarity. They either advance the conversation or end it. This does not mean being rude or aggressive. It means being honest. It means saying, help me understand where this stands, because I do not want to waste your time or mine. Buyers respect that more than endless check ins. Clarity builds trust. Ambiguity destroys it.

There is also a calendar truth here. Sellers who do not audit end up reactive. Their calendars fill with follow ups that feel urgent but produce nothing. Sellers who audit create space for prospecting, learning, and strategic thinking. That space compounds over time. Intentional calendar management and pipeline audits are inseparable. One protects time. The other protects focus. Together, they protect performance. Sellers who ignore either will eventually feel overwhelmed, even when they are talented. Talent without discipline always loses.

The strongest sellers treat pipeline audits as non-negotiable. They schedule them like meetings with their most important client, because that is exactly what they are. They do not rush them or squeeze them in. They ask hard questions and answer them honestly. No excuses. No stories. That honesty sharpens judgment and tightens execution. It removes false hope and restores focus. Over time, that discipline becomes an edge most competitors never develop.

None of this happens by accident. It comes from discipline and regular review. Sellers who refuse to tolerate confusion move faster and decide better. Those who allow clutter stall themselves. Clarity is not a personality trait. It is a practice. And pipelines are where that practice shows up first. Every ninety to one hundred twenty days, stop and look at your pipeline as if you inherited it from someone else. What would you keep? What would you question? What would you cut? What would you restart with better questions? That exercise alone will change your behavior.

The market does not reward hope. It rewards discipline. It rewards sellers who are willing to release what is not working to create space for what will. Holding onto weak opportunities only delays progress. Pipeline audits are not optional for professionals. They are part of the job. They protect time, sharpen focus, and force honest decisions. Sellers who audit regularly move faster, close cleaner, and stay in control of their outcomes. Clean pipelines close faster. Focused calendars create momentum. Honest audits restore confidence. This is not theory. It is observable reality. The only question is whether you are willing to practice it. Put it on the calendar. Protect it, honor it, and stop mining mud. Your future pipeline depends on it.

My new book, Culture Beats Strategy: 40 Marketplace Lessons for Sellers, is now available on Amazon. If you like what you have read, please consider ordering a copy or two. You can always send one to a friend. Order a copy here: https://bit.ly/CultureBeatsStrategy