The final day of Barrett News Media’s Top 20 of 2024 has arrived. A big thank you to JJ Surma Voiceovers for supporting the news/talk radio industry, and this year’s series. For the full results, visit the website. Following us on X or Facebook and signing up for our newsletters here is also recommended. We appreciate the support.
The six categories featured in this year’s series were News/Talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, program directors, radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets are for markets #21 and below. Not included are NPR brands/shows or podcasts. Mainstream news/talk radio outlets and shows are our main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of our radio industry executive panel. Decision makers receive lists and are asked to vote on talent, shows, brands, and leaders. We don’t participate in the voting process, we simply add up and present the results.
3 Things To Be Aware Of
#1 – We try to be thorough with the spelling of names, shows, cities, and the use of photos and logos. However, we’re creating 200+ images to highlight an entire format, so mistakes happen sometimes. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can fix it. Additionally, we ask voters to send in photos and logos in advance to avoid headaches. Once the series is presented, there are no changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#2 – 53 radio stations appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 using a few key factors; quality of shows (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s the best we’ve come up with to showcase the industry’s view of its best.
#3 – Our executive panel included programmers, consultants and corporate executives from radio’s top companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, and Radio One. Our total number of voters this year was forty six (46). Most vote on six categories, but some only vote on national shows and/or program directors. We involve people from different groups and cities in order to provide a balanced view of the format.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing a great job with this year’s graphics. I’d also like to thank all who took part in the voting process. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Major Market Radio Stations in News/Talk radio for 2024.
Additional Notes:
- WTOP won this category for the first time. The Washington DC news outlet finished twenty one (21) points ahead of KFI 640 in Los Angeles. Both stations tied for the most first-place votes in the category with five (5).
- Spots 21-25 belonged to WLS 890, WRKO 680, WCCO, 790 KABC, and 610 WIOD.
- The closest contest saw KTRH in Houston edge KOA in Denver by one (1) point.
- Of the 53 radio stations on the list, twelve (12) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 Reminder:
- Jason Barrett and Garrett Searight will review the Top 20 results on video. Look for it on the Barrett Media YouTube page on Tuesday. The full results from 2024, 2023, 2022 and prior years in both news/talk and sports radio can be accessed here.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.