Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit in New York City. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event June 30-July 2 share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the big apple. The Summit takes place at the SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street. For tickets and hotel room reservations, click here or visit the Summit section at the top of the website.
Armen Williams is the executive director of Westwood One Sports. He currently oversees all aspects of Westwood One’s sports talk content. This includes day-to-day technical operations, brand management, and social media strategy. Williams resume includes more than two decades of experience in programming and content leadership. He has held senior roles at Audacy, Bonneville, and Townsquare Media prior to Westwood One Sports.
Williams has the distinction of attending and speaking at numerous Barrett Media Sports Summit in the past. He is scheduled to be speaking at the event later this month. He sat down with Barrett Media from his office in Dallas, TX.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: What are you looking forward to the most in attending the summit later this month?
Armen Williams: The networking aspect. It has become the premiere event in our industry. To see and be seen, I just love meeting intelligent people within our industry that are successful.
In recent years, we’ve also begun to have individuals that are looking for their next break. You just never know what kind of talent you’re going to meet or the executives you’re going to bump into and be able to shake hands with. I just enjoy the breaking of the bread of it all.
John Mamola: With your experience, what’s something that you feel that both attendees and industry professionals walk away with from the panels at the Barrett Media Audio Summit?
Armen Williams: The creativity. People who think outside the box. There’s a lot of great minds there.
When people are on stage, they’re talking about the different approaches and different way of looking at things. That’s ultimately the best aspects of what you can take away. You have the biggest and brightest minds in what we do in that room. To hear how they view the industry and the future of it is fascinating.
John Mamola: This year will be a different dynamic for you in attending. Now you’re not representing just a station, you’re representing a network. With your position now, what do you hope to leave the Audio Summit this time that might be different from just representing one individual brand previously?
Armen Williams: Having a grasp on talent and technology nationally. Running a national network, it doesn’t matter geographically where I’m at or where others are at. The majority of our on-air staff is completely remote.
I have an approach now where geographical boundaries don’t exist. So, I find it interesting coast to coast what people are thinking. Where they’re at, and kind of what their perspective is.
John Mamola: Now being the head of a national network, this also could be an opportunity to sell your network to brand managers around the country. Are you looking at that as a possible opportunity with the Audio Summit with the people in that room?
Armen Williams: I haven’t thought of it that way. Ryan Maguire is incredible. It’s not exactly my role, but Ryan McGuire’s incredible in that role.
I’ve been a programmer for the majority of my entire professional career. So, being able to hang out and see people that I’ve known for 20-25 years and reconnect with them, it might naturally come up. As well as questions regarding what network they’re carrying, or questions around our network. It’s super advantageous just to be around those people, and it’s a lot of fun.
These are some of the closest friends of my life that’ll be in that room that week.
John Mamola: You’ve been on the stage at the Audio Summit before. What do you hope attendees take away from your experience participating as a speaker at the summit?
Armen Williams: In 2026 we are programming to the new generation. The next generation, and current generation. What does that look like? Navigating ways to continue pushing ourselves and be innovative. Continuing to try and reinvent the wheel. To reinvent how we look and deliver content. Who we are, how we position ourselves.
Those words and line of thinking might be something that we say a lot. But we truly, more than ever, are better for it if we have that type of mindset.
John Mamola: I understand you’ve not attended the Audio Summit in a couple of years. However, from afar. How have you seen this event evolve over time?
Armen Williams: The summit has evolved with the industry and the multi-platform aspect. It continues to bring in minds that are relative to that.
The Audio Summit has evolved into the premiere, if not the only, event that covers our industry from such a broad and unique perspective. This summit has become the one event that you try to attend as a programmer. Plus, a talent as well if it’s applicable.
John Mamola: Are you planning on attending the other two days of this year’s Audio Summit as well? What would someone in your position look for from those two days and watching those panels?
Armen Williams: There’s definitely interest. Anyone on that stage knows what they’re talking about. They’re experienced and good at what we do.
At the end of the day, we’re all the same medium.
Continuing to get a fresh take and perspective on how they approach their day to day on their platform is fascinating. We have individuals on Westwood One Sports that are talent that don’t have a vast sports talk radio background. A couple of them have music backgrounds. Others have entertainment backgrounds.
That’s what you’re listening for when you’re there the other days as well. You’re hearing from people that might not have the same exact sports talk background, but the meat of it is there. So, what can you learn that they’re doing that can help sports talk continue to advance as well.
John Mamola: Entering this Audio Summit, what biggest challenges and opportunities that you believe should be addressed on stage for the industry?
Armen Williams: The opportunities and challenges probably remain the same that they’ve been the last five to eight years since the Audio Summit has been going on. I’m still looking for new ideas in this area of how we come through.
There’s more noise than ever. There’s more platforms. Anybody can become a content creator. So, how do we put our brands in a position to continue to gain listenership digitally, terrestrially.
What does it look like? What are the main platforms? What’s the investment? How do people staff that in 2026?
Who are they looking for? What is the skill set that is most important in 2026 that people hire for?
I think a lot of that would be pretty fascinating as to what’s next and what to prepare for.
John Mamola: As someone who’s attended the Audio Summit previously, how would you advise somebody who’s on the fence of why this is important to attend as an investment in your future?
Armen Williams: I’ve gotten the call in the past for both talent and programmers asking me if it’s worth the investment. If their goal is to meet prominent individuals in the industry and be around really sharp people when it comes to what we do, this is a premiere event to do that. I’ve always encouraged people to attend and to meet as many people as possible.
Write notes. I always find it helpful to look at the agenda beforehand. Star and highlight the topics and round tables that you want to attend. Prioritize those, and then around those build out the rest of your day with people you want to meet.
See if they’re available for five minutes for coffee, or whatever it might be. It’s a no-brainer for somebody trying to grow in the industry. If somebody wants to be doing this for a long time, it’s worth the investment.
Purchase your tickets to the 2026 BSM Summit here, and for more information BarrettMedia.com
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
