David Samson is taking aim at radio and the state of the industry again. The former MLB executive says almost no one makes a full living in the medium just through a role on terrestrial radio.
What We Know: Samson shared his views during an appearance on the JRSportsBrief podcast. Notably, the comments follow his remarks on Nothing Personal with David Samson late last month. In that episode, he argued baseball no longer needs to be on the radio. Those comments provided wide spread discussion online where many broadcasters across the industry pushed back sharply. In this follow up interview, Samson attempted to clarify his remarks about baseball teams and radio, but also took aim at radio talent and the companies running these entities.
What They Said: (All quotes via JRSportsBrief):
David Samson doesn’t believe 99% of people need a second source of income to make a living in radio: “Think about people who have radio shows. How many of them are really making a living? It’s like looking at podcasts. It’s the top 1% of 1% where you can make a living. Like being a professional athlete. It’s the top 1% of 1%. The others are Sunday afternoon pickup games, which is super cool and fun. Or a semi-pro league. Amazing. But everyone then goes to their other job, their other source of income. In order to make a living on radio, you’re going to need another source of income. It can’t just be from terrestrial radio, and I say that about just about anything.”
David Samson says all media companies still can’t balance their revenue models: “All the media companies are making cuts. Look at Netflix, Disney. These are major content creators who have not yet found the perfect balance of expense versus revenue. Because profitability is what they need and what they seek and what the market requires. All of these radio companies, if they’re just AM/FM radio companies, they’re bankrupt. They had to adjust.”
What Remains Unclear: However, Samson offered no data to support his “1% of 1%” estimate. Meanwhile, BIA projects local radio will still earn $12.2 billion in 2026, which is up 1.5% from 2025.
What It Means: Samson’s message stays consistent: terrestrial radio alone cannot sustain most talent. Still, many broadcasters view audio as a growing, multi-platform business with terrestrial radio as the central distribution. Ultimately, his comments will likely keep that debate alive.
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