Reflecting on the 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit in New York City

We did something special in New York City last week. Our Super Bowl, WrestleMania or Catalina Wine Mixer attracted over 500 media professionals over the span of three days. Many had influence across the world of management, programming, hosting, representation, tech, advertising, measurement, syndication, digital, TV and podcasting. I want to thank every speaker, sponsor and attendee who made time to join us for a memorable 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit. Video from all sessions will be added to the Barrett Media YouTube channel this week. Subscribe to the channel so you’re notified once the sessions are uploaded.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Moneyball, I’m Billy Beane after he’s been offered the largest contract to an executive in professional sports. Peter Brand has to remind me that we’ve hit a homerun and didn’t even realize it. I’ll spend days thinking about the mic flags being left at home, a screwup in the program or a rushed question on a panel that it’s difficult to absorb the moment and appreciate it. That said, I was very happy with this year’s show. After our Barrett Bash last year, I knew that we had to reimagine our approach to live events. This year’s strategy was much better. Seeing the mixture of accomplished people in the room made it unique and one of our best events yet. I may be biased but I don’t see another event out there that delivers what this one does.

I say this often, we want to celebrate, educate and challenge the media business. To do that, honest conversations with business leaders must take place. I will never go on stage looking to attack or embarrass anyone but I’m also not going to avoid real issues. As I tell many in advance, I control the questions, you control the answers. If everyone is open, honest, and willing to share insight, the room gets smarter. That helps professionals gain a deeper understanding of what they must do to be more valuable and successful.

What Stood Out

• The SVA Theatre was a great venue with an intimate feel. Stephanie Eads knocked it out of the park with this year’s setup and sponsor activations. The show was also in a private building, which was important, especially following last year’s tragedy with Charlie Kirk. The green room setting was also great. Dylan Barrett and Mike Palumbo were on point with our backstage interviews.

• Point to Point Marketing stepped up as our presenting sponsor. Their creative posters and social images around the event to promote a 20K Audience Development Campaign giveaway were a hit. The winner is being revealed today on PTPMarketing.com. Matt Fishman was the lucky winner of Collette‘s trip giveaway to either Italy, Ireland or Iceland.

• Kelli Turner did a nice job in her industry debut. She was open, honest, and didn’t sidestep any question. I don’t go into interviews letting guests know every single thing I have planned. There needs to be natural reaction along with a few prepared topics. She was comfortable, engaging, and understood the challenges facing Audacy and the audio industry. Her honesty about the St. Louis sale and needing to be open to all possibilities as a CEO was smart. People can agree or disagree with her outlook but I appreciated it. She even interacted with folks in the hallway prior to the session. Audacy leadership has avoided these conversations in prior years. This was a great sign.

• If individual stocks were available, I’d buy tons of Josh Pate. He’s already successful but his business acumen is outstanding. He even took time to talk with aspiring broadcasters and share his number. Josh is going to do even bigger things moving forward. Attendees also saw why Boomer, Gio and Carton, Paul Finebaum, Funk Flex and Angela Yee, Jim Kerr, Scott Shannon, and Broadway Bill Lee, Sid, Larry, Erick and Simone, Joon, D.A., Jake and BT, and Murphy, Sam and Jodi are not only exceptional performers, but also well versed in business. Funk Flex‘s truth bomb on the real issues with the radio industry had everyone’s undivided attention. Boomer Esiason‘s advice on attaching yourself to revenue struck a chord. Frank Kramer‘s “Don’t put music into your morning show, put your morning show into your music” stood out. So did Buck Sexton‘s point on Rush Limbaugh’s shoes being so big they needed Clay and Buck to fill both. As usual, Stephen A. Smith captured the room, creating 3-4 headlines during our 40-minute conversation.

• A special shout out Andre Yancey of 94.7 The Block. I said it on stage, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I wasn’t aware that Damizza was more comfortable reacting than hosting so when he shared that on stage, I knew we had to call an audible. The last thing I wanted was for him and everyone involved to have a bad experience. Andre stepped in to lead the group and absolutely crushed it. That entire session was spectacular. His knowledge of the format, the people involved, and his command of the session allowed it to shine. It was a great reminder of the importance of staying ready. Every participant in that session was awesome.

• The Premiere Networks Awards ceremonies for all three days were special. A big thank you to Julie Talbott, Peter Trippi, and Hosea Belcher for seeing the vision and continuing to support it. Chad Lopez, Phil Boyce and Mark Simone represented an outstanding class at our news show. Paul Finebaum, Chris Oliviero and Eric Spitz were exceptional at our sports shows. And the introduction of the Mike McVay and Scott Shannon Awards and acceptance of both honors from Yonni Rude and Kevin Rolston made for a perfect ending.

I especially want to thank Mike Gallagher for flying in to surprise Phil Boyce. Oliviero’s WFAN letter, Finebaum’s remarks about his family’s New York ties, and Spitz’s words about his family were memorable. So were Yonni’s words about Mike McVay. Kevin’s impression of Scott Shannon was hilarious, and Scott’s final word on Rolston delivering the worst acceptance speech he’d ever heard was a perfect final touch.

• Shane Profitt sounded great at the Magellan AI After Party. He even spent time with attendees afterwards too. A big thank you to Rafaella Braun and the Triple Tigers team for bringing Shane to NYC.

• It was great seeing Rich Tunkel of Nielsen in the room for all three days. Having Xperi’s Juan Galdamez and Joe D’Angelo present was also excellent. Rich and Juan were both on stage too and each provided valuable takeaways. Rob Miller did an outstanding job guiding the State of Audio Measurement panel which included John Rosso and Cameron Hendrix. Media folks love data, and want to trust and support the groups they’re in business with. When both sides know each other and spend time together, it makes a difference.

• If we gave out an award for best passion it’d go to Keith Dakin with Anna Zap and Sid Rosenberg battling to pull it away. All had great energy on stage. I also thought Christine Travglini, Hank Fuerst, John Sylvester, Ryan Spoon, James Kurdziel, Mark Adams, Jon Zellner, Jeff Sottolano, and Greg Strassell dropped pearls of wisdom on stage. The laughs from Jimmy Failla and Adam Carolla were incredible. The panel conversation between Buzz Knight, Fred Jacobs and Mike McVay was both candid and thought provoking.

• It was cool to see Susan Larkin and her teams at RCS, MediaMonitors, and MediaBase in the room learning and networking. Special thanks to Alissa Pollack for delaying a vacation to support the show.

• A big shout out to agent to the stars Heather Cohen. Not only does she consistently support the Summit, but she encourages her clients to attend too. We love you Heather!

Needs Improvement

• My energy for day three did not meet my standard. No excuses, I need to be better. My opening monologue was solid and the Final 40 was good but my ins and outs were not crisp.

• I contemplated adding an all-female panel prior to the show. Looking back, I should’ve done it. We had some outstanding ladies involved but should have featured more. That will be a focus for the next one.

• Focusing on specific formats was a good idea. The creative that supported the sessions kicked ass. But with only one day of content it was hard to go deeper into each format. Unfortunately, we can’t do a 10-day Summit. Providing more depth for key formats is something we have to figure out moving forward.

• Getting people to the venue for the start of the show is always tough. Keeping them in the room for all panels can also be a challenge. Many want to network and see friends not just learn. I just wish more folks saw Joel Raab, Tim Roberts, Andie Summers and Hawkeye. That was a damn good session. The room got busier halfway through but they missed some great insights early on. Tim’s story of how an early bond with Garth Brooks paid off thirty years later was especially great. Make sure to re-watch it later. All involved offered smart insights.

• We had a few staff communication issues cause confusion. I serve as both host and executive producer, which is hard. Once a show starts, I trust our team of 8-9 to execute. Andy, Dylan and Stephanie did a great job of leading but others have to be more proactive, less reactive.

What You Missed

• We promoted 96 speakers in advance. Lee Abrams had a last minute conflict but Lee Harris, Mike Gallagher and Andre Yancey joined the mix to boost the total to 98. The collection of star power across various roles was impressive. Here’s a snapshot below.

Talent: Stephen A. Smith, Adam Carolla, Buck Sexton, Jimmy Failla, Mike Gallagher, Lee Harris, Erick Erickson, Sid Rosenberg, Mark Simone, Larry O’Connor, Ryan Gorman, Pete Mundo, Chris Krok, Boomer Esiason, Craig Carton, Gregg Giannotti, Paul Finebaum, Josh Pate, Kevin Clark, Brandon Tierney, Damon Amendolara, Joon Lee, Jake Asman, Chad Millman, Murphy, Sam and Jodi, Frank Kramer, Jim Kerr, Scott Shannon, Broadway Bill Lee, Sean Copeland, Anna Zap, Andie Summers, Mark ‘Hawkeye’ Louis, Angela Yee, Funk Flex, and Kevin Rolston.

Executives: Kelli Turner, Jeff Smulyan, Mike Foss, Ryan Spoon, Pete Gianesini, Jon Zellner, Jeff Sottolano, Chris Oliviero, Chad Lopez, Keith Dakin, Greg Strassell, Phil Boyce, Chris Berry, John Sylvester, Hank Fuerst, Chris Berry, and Christine Travglini.

Programming: Drew Anderssen, Ken Charles, Ben Mevorach, Dave Tepper, Ann Thomas, Mitch Rosen, Justin Craig, Armen Williams, Justin Craig, Scott Shapiro, Matt Moscona, Kraig Riley, Rod Lakin, Paul Mason, Eric Spitz, Mark Chernoff, Rob Miller, Tim Roberts, Skip Dillard, Devin Steel, Damion ‘Damizza’ Young, Chris Lloyd, James Kurdziel, Justin Johnson, Mark Adams, Andre Yancey, and Steve Salhany.

Management: Mary Sandberg Boyle, Dan Seeman, Natalie Marsh, Michael Spacciapolli, and Lee Davis.

Consultants/Tech/Measurement: Mike McVay, Fred Jacobs, Buzz Knight, Joel Raab, Jim Ryan, Sharon Dastur, Daniel Anstandig, Rich Tunkel, John Rosso, Cameron Hendrix, and Juan Galdamez.

In addition, our attendees list was strong too. If you were at the SVA Theatre for all three days, you’d have seen the following people.

Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott, Skyview Networks CEO and Owner Steve Jones, RCS CEO Susan Larkin, BFOA Chairman Scott Herman, SiriusXM SVP of Sports Jared Fox, SiriusXM VP/GM of Talk Dave Gorab, Cumulus Media SVP of Sports Bruce Gilbert, Radio One VP of Programming Colby Colb, Gamut VP of Podcasting John Goforth, VSiN EVP of Programming Steve Cohen, MediaBase/iHeartMedia Executive Vice President Global Music Marketing Alissa Pollack, Director of Corporate Operations at Zimmer Communications, Trevor Morgan, Superadio President Eric Faison, RadioCraft VP of Entertainment Scott Meyers, and Talk Media Network CEO Josh Leng. Programmers Eric Wellman, Cynthia Smith, Ryan Hurley, Robby Bridges, Jason Dixon, Matt Fishman, Blake Taylor, Allan Lamberti, and Cat Thomas, and Market Managers Andrea Kahrer, Marsha Landess were also there.

On the talent side, Ian Eagle and Kenny Albert were in the room. So were Curtis Sliwa, Andrew Wilkow, Shelly Wade, Greg Beharrell, Race Taylor, Corinna Delgado, Carol Miller, Jusnik, Maggie Gray, Chris Carlin, Freddie Coleman, Jeremy Conn, McGraw Milhaven, Rich Valdes, Mary Walters, Jonathan ‘T-Bone’ Smith, Virginia Sinicki, Jared Stillman, Jared Smith, Skywalker, Trevor Marden and TJ Taormina. Agents Heather Cohen, Josh Levy, Kraig Kitchin, John McConnell and Stephanie Cassidy were also in attendance. So were label pros and promoters Raffaella Braun, Erik Olesen, Jerry Lembo, Ray Mariner, and members of Universal Music and NC Management.

Final Thoughts

Many praised our content, production, posters, marquee display and event programs. That meant a lot. We try to tackle key issues and make a strong impression visually. I want those who didn’t attend to see what they missed and regret not coming. Shows like this should be a must for anyone working in the media industry.

To those who didn’t come, you are missing out. This business is rapidly changing. Jobs that exist today won’t in the near future. The more you know and the deeper your connections are, the better your chances of success. You can’t talk about a lack of education, income, and limited chances to build relationships and then not make time to attend. Benjamin Franklin once said, an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. If you value your career, you have to invest in it. Companies will not do it for you.

Moving forward, I want to bring more Advertising professionals, Record Label pros and Market Managers/Presidents into the room. The information and connections formed at this show are worth it. Hopefully next year folks in those roles are more involved.

I have no idea where or when next year’s show will take place but whenever that is, I want Bob Pittman, Dan Patrick, Megyn Kelly and/or Charlamagne tha God to join us. All are gifted speakers with exceptional business knowledge and success. Their insights would be valued. If Joe Rogan and Dave Portnoy want to join in too, I’m happy to make room 🙂

The amount of feedback I received to return to New York was surprising. I’m not sure if we will do that but there are positives to doing so. I just don’t want the show to become predictable or repetitive. It’s why I don’t ask some folks to speak each year. Changing it up is needed. Suggestions on where to host it can be emailed to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

Our biggest decision for 2027 is deciding if we stick with a 3-day, 3-areas of the industry approach or splitting up to two 2-day shows featuring sports/news and two days of music. We could also build a 4-day super show with sports/news and two-days of music. If we split them up, we’d operate in two cities. If not, we’d be in one spot. I’d likely add a special guest host for the music show if we went that route. Regardless of where, when and how we do it, I’d like to avoid being close to a holiday.

Thanks again to all who attended, supported, spoke at and enjoyed the 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit. 36 partners supported this year’s show. We couldn’t have pulled this off without every single one of them. It was a blast uniting and educating the industry and God willing, we’ll run it back in 2027.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.