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Big Country 104.9 Launches Yacht Big Country Weekend Format Shake-Up

David Hill
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Big Country 104.9 Launches Yacht Big Country Weekend Format Shake-Up

Big Country 104.9 and 97.9 Albany are charting a different course this weekend. The stations launch a special “Yacht Big Country” format blending country favorites with smooth, sun-soaked sounds.

What We Know: Big Country 104.9 and 97.9 will swap their regular weekend programming for a Yacht Big Country experience. The format weaves in artists like Poco, Kenny Rogers, the Eagles, and Jimmy Buffett. Additionally, the weekend wraps with a special spotlight on Keith Urban’s new Flow State album — a collection of Yacht Rock covers also featuring a new single with Michael McDonald.

What They Said: The stations framed the move as part of a broader industry push. “This is part of our dare to be different initiative that we hope all of radio will re-embrace,” said the Kevin Callahan Executive Director of Operations and Programming. The quote signals an intentional challenge to conventional weekend programming — and an invitation for other stations to follow.

What Remains Unclear: This is a one-time weekend stunt — not a permanent format shift. The Keith Urban Flow State special airs later in the weekend, though an exact timeslot hasn’t been confirmed.

What It Means: Big Country deserves credit for trying something different and shaking things up. That kind of creative courage was once a radio staple — but too many programmers have walked away from it. Urban’s Flow State gives the stunt a timely, culturally relevant hook. Hopefully, other stations are paying attention and willing to follow suit.

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.

2026 Political Advertising to Reach Record $11.6 Billion, AdImpact Forecast Shows

Garrett Searight
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2026 Political Advertising to Reach Record $11.6 Billion, AdImpact Forecast Shows

Political advertising during the 2024 presidential election reached “unprecedented” levels. 2026 is on pace to be the largest election cycle in history.

What We Know: Political advertising is on pace to reach unprecedented levels during the 2026 election cycle. AdImpact has raised its spending forecast to $11.6 billion by Election Day, up from the $10.8 billion projection it issued last fall. The revised estimate would make the cycle the most expensive on record and represents a 4% increase compared to the 2024 presidential election. Analysts point to strong early spending, several record-setting races, and robust pre-booking activity as drivers behind the increase.

What The Numbers Show: Broadcast television remains the largest beneficiary of campaign dollars. AdImpact forecasts $5.6 billion in spending on broadcast TV, while cable TV is expected to receive $1.4 billion and satellite TV $88 million. Meanwhile, Connected TV continues its rapid rise and could attract $2.6 billion. Digital spending has been revised upward to $1.6 billion. Radio is projected to generate $273 million in political ad revenue. Senate races are expected to account for $3.4 billion. That is followed by $2.4 billion for gubernatorial contests and $2 billion for House campaigns.

What Remains Unclear: The political map continues to shift. Competitive races in states like Ohio, Texas, and Maine have boosted spending expectations. However, forecasts have softened in Florida, North Carolina, and New York. It’s also uncertain how additional redistricting developments could alter spending patterns before November.

What It Means: Broadcasters, digital platforms, and radio operators stand to benefit from another historic election cycle. While traditional television remains a core strategy, advertisers increasingly value Connected TV and digital platforms for their targeting capabilities. As a result, media companies across multiple platforms could see significant revenue gains through Election Day.

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.

Former MLB Broadcaster John Sanders Dies At 83

John Mamola
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Former MLB Broadcaster John Sanders Dies At 83

John Sanders, a longtime sports broadcaster with deep ties to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, has died. He passed away Wednesday, one week after celebrating his 83rd birthday.

What We Know: Sanders built a distinguished broadcasting career spanning multiple decades and markets. He began in television in Topeka and Kansas City before arriving at KDKA-TV in 1978 as weekend sports anchor and eventually sports director. Sanders joined the Pittsburgh Pirates’ broadcast booth in 1981, working alongside Lanny Frattare for nine seasons. He later spent 16 seasons calling Cleveland Indians games on SportsChannel Ohio, which eventually rebranded as Fox Sports Net Ohio.

What They Said: Legendary Steelers voice and Pitt Panthers play-by-play man, Bill Hillgrove on Sanders passing (via KDKA): “Total respect for John, pro’s pro, good guy. Enjoyed being around him, I’d seen him most recently at Pitt games but I haven’t seen him for a couple of years. It’s just said, it’s all too soon, what a guy!”

What Remains Unclear: The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. It is also unclear whether Sanders had any immediate survivors or funeral arrangements.

What It Means: Sanders leaves behind a legacy built across multiple cities and generations of fans. His career arc — from Kansas markets to Pittsburgh to Cleveland — reflects a commitment to craft that few broadcasters sustain. The Indians chose not to renew his contract after 2006, yet his impact on two major markets endured. For fans who grew up listening to his voice, his death marks the loss of a familiar and trusted presence.

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.

K-Love Acquires WZBA Baltimore, Ending 26-Year Classic Rock Bay Brand

David Hill
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K-Love Acquires WZBA Baltimore, Ending 26-Year Classic Rock Bay Brand

K-Love Inc. is set to acquire WZBA Westminster/Baltimore, a major market milestone for the Christian AC brand. The deal with Shamrock Communications has not yet been filed with the FCC.

What We Know: Staff at Classic Rock “100.7 The Bay” learned of the sale on Thursday. Rumors had circulated for months, particularly after Shamrock’s Milwaukee Radio Alliance sold most of its cluster to K-Love last summer. Following this deal, Shamrock retains only its Scranton/Wilkes-Barre cluster and a potential Las Vegas move-in signal.

What’s At Stake: Baltimore loses its only dedicated Classic Rock outlet after 26 years of The Bay brand. Hearst’s “98 Rock” WIYY and iHeartMedia’s “102.7 Jack-FM” WQSR stand to gain listeners directly. Meanwhile, K-Love enters a market where Christian AC “95.1 Bright-FM” WRBS-FM currently holds a 5.4 share — more than double WZBA’s April 2026 rating of 2.1.

What Remains Unclear: The FCC filing timeline has not been announced. Additionally, the fate of two WZBA translators — 100.1 W261CD Baltimore and 107.5 W298CG Bel Air — is still undetermined. No format launch date for K-Love in Baltimore has been confirmed.

What It Means: This deal fills a significant gap in K-Love’s national footprint. With Baltimore secured, St. Louis and Orlando remain the only top-30 markets without a K-Love signal. The WZBA signal struggles in Baltimore’s northeast suburbs, creating some redundancy with K-Love’s existing 107.3 WLVW Washington D.C. station to the south. However, the inherited Bel Air translator — 107.5 W298CG — should help bridge that northern coverage gap more efficiently.

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.

French Open Finals Draw Lower Viewership Than Last Year’s Debut On TNT Sports

John Mamola
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French Open Finals Draw Lower Viewership Than Last Year’s Debut On TNT Sports

TNT Sports drew 1.3 million viewers for the men’s French Open final. That’s a 25% decline from last year and the lowest men’s final audience in at least 20 years.

What We Know: Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli to claim his first Grand Slam title. Meanwhile, top stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were both absent from the final. The women’s final drew 826,000 viewers, down 44% from last year’s Coco Gauff-Aryna Sabalenka match. TNT holds a 10-year, $650 million deal with Roland-Garros signed in 2025, making it the network’s longest rights agreement.

What The Numbers Show:

YearNetworkFinalAverage Viewership
2023NBCMen’s Final1.56 Million
2024NBCMen’s Final1.62 Million
2025TNT SportsMen’s Final1.8 Million
2026TNT SportsMen’s Final1.3 Million
2023NBCWomen’s Final1.04 Million
2024NBCWomen’s Final756,000
2025TNT SportsWomen’s Final1.5 Million
2026TNT SportsWomen’s Final826,000

What Remains Unclear: How TNT Sports could adjust next year. Especially if the approach doesn’t include an American in either final in back-to-back years.

What It Means: Finals ratings without marquee names consistently underperform, so context matters here. Stars matter to viewership. TNT’s first-week coverage — when top players were still competing — was actually up 25% year-over-year. The network averaged 387,000 viewers across all windows, down just 1% from its debut French Open. For a property in just its second year, the overall picture still does remain more encouraging than not.

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.

Stampede Social Unveils New DM Automation for Podcaster Host-Read Ad Attributions

John Mamola
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Stampede Social Unveils New DM Automation for Podcaster Host-Read Ad Attributions

Stampede Social has unveiled three new tools built for podcast hosts and networks. The Meta-approved platform is bringing automation and advertiser attribution to the podcast space.

What We Know: Stampede Social’s new features connect directly to any podcast RSS feed. The first tool, a “Set-It-and-Forget-It” campaign, lets hosts assign a permanent keyword to their feed. Fans who comment or DM that keyword instantly receive the latest episode. The second feature allows hosts to assign unique keywords to individual catalog episodes, driving listeners directly to specific content. The third, and first of its kind, is a host-read Ad Attribution. When a host reads a mid-roll ad, they give listeners a keyword to DM. Stampede fires back an instant DM with the sponsor’s destination link and promo code, and tracks every single click. Sponsors will gain data whether the ad worked and start seeing real attribution data tied to air date and episode.

What They Said: Jeff Dwoskin, Co-founder of Stampede Social: “Your next thousand listeners are already commenting. We built these features so a host can set up once and run forever, and so sponsors finally get click data instead of promo code guesses.”

What Remains Unclear: Stampede Social has not disclosed pricing for these podcast-specific tools. It’s also unknown how many podcast networks are currently using the platform. Additionally, how advertisers will integrate this attribution data into broader campaign reporting remains to be seen. The platform tracks keyword-triggered clicks but hasn’t addressed third-party analytics compatibility.

What It Means: Podcast advertising has long struggled with reliable attribution. Stampede Social’s keyword-driven DM system gives sponsors real click data tied to specific air dates and episodes. That directly addresses a persistent industry pain point. If it scales, this approach could pressure other platforms to offer similar trackable solutions for host-reads.

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.

Isiah Thomas Demands More Honesty, Truth From Former NBA Players As Analysts On Network Television

John Mamola
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Isiah Thomas Demands More Honesty, Truth From Former NBA Players As Analysts On Network Television

Basketball hall of famer Isiah Thomas has strong opinions about how networks use former players as analysts. The NBA legend wants more truth-telling — and less mythology — on the airwaves.

What We Know: Thomas, an NBA TV analyst, made several appearances on NBC Sports’ coverage of the NBA this season. However, during his appearance on Run It Back, he directed sharp criticism at how networks deploy former players. Specifically, he challenged NBC to be more selective about who it brings on to discuss the game. His comments targeted what he views as a culture of dishonesty in sports media.

What They Said: (all quotes via Run It Back)

Isiah Thomas on networks adding more former NBA players as analysts: “Only if they’re going to be one hundred percent honest, and not promote this BS. Tell the truth about the game. Truthfully, honestly, and factually to the fans so they can continue to learn, grow our game. The way our game is being talked about in some ways, it’s very mythical. It aint real. We’re still call his [Michael Jordan] game the flu game, and they know he didn’t have the flu. Yet they promote it.”

Isiah Thomas hopes for a more honest approach to analysts on networks: “I’m down for honesty and telling the truth about what we’re seeing. If NBC is going to bring back people to talk about the game. Bring the folks who are going to be honest and tell the truth. Not this BS.”

What Remains Unclear: NBC has not responded to the criticisms by Thomas. Additionally, it is unknown which specific analysts or commentators his remarks were aimed at. However, Thomas is known to have a long standing negative relationship with Michael Jordan, who joined NBC Sports for this past season.

What It Means: Thomas’ comments reflect a growing discourse between those of the old guard and the current style of play in the NBA. However, his history with Jordan in particular was likely what sparked these comments. Jordan’s inclusion on NBC Sports drew much criticism for the lack of topicality and more evergreen approach to the content. NBC used Jordan’s presence nearly front and center in announcing and promoting their return to coverage of the NBA. We will see if Thomas makes any return to NBC moving forward.

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.

Approaching The Summit: Phil Boyce, Salem Media

Garrett Searight
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Approaching The Summit: Phil Boyce, Salem Media

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.   

Garrett Searight: It was recently announced that you’ll be honored with our Gold Standard in Programming Award. What was your reaction when you got that news?

Phil Boyce: It has been a wild ride in the last 18 months. And I am so proud of every member of the team here at SRN/SNC/SPN. An award like this is a recognition of what we have been through and survived. But it is not an individual award. It is one for this entire team. This is for all the hosts, producers, video folks, sellers, and team members who worked hard to overcome these obstacles and come out shining.

GS: How important is it for folks — especially the news/talk genre — to gather to discuss ideas and issues?

PB: For those of us who love the spoken word formats, it is crucial that we get together to support each other and learn from others who have been there before. We have our own unique perspective. But sharing a common goal and vision for getting better is crucial, and is made better by this gathering. I want to thank Barrett Media for putting this on, and creating a forum for discussion and growth.

GS: What are the most important things you hope to learn and hear about at the Summit?

PB: I want to hear what others are doing to get through one of the toughest times I can recall in this format.

GS: What are the things you hope to share during your panel and speaking with other attendees?

PB: I just want to encourage everybody in this format of the importance of what we do, and the honor we share in doing it.

GS: When you look at the radio industry as a whole, where do you see the biggest opportunities going forward?

PB: I think radio will always be with us. But there will be more opportunities to share our views with the audience through podcasting, OTT television, and social media. Listeners can’t get enough, but there will be new ways where they can get it.

GS: Anything else you’d like to share?

PB: Cherish the 1st Amendment, which gives us the right and the freedom to create great talk radio. If anybody ever tries to take that away, stand together and fight to keep it. America would not survive without it.

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.

Spotify Puts Human Curators Front And Center On New Music Friday

David Hill
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Spotify Puts Human Curators Front And Center On New Music Friday

What We Know: Spotify has introduced editor-led video recommendations inside its New Music Friday playlist for U.S. listeners, beginning today. The short-form videos appear alongside song picks as users scroll through the playlist on the Spotify mobile app. The feature is available to both free and Premium users. The update merges functionality from The Drop Weekly — a separate editor-driven discovery experience launched in September 2025 — into New Music Friday’s existing format.

What They Said: “New Music Friday has always been about helping fans discover the best new music each week,” said John Stein, Spotify’s Head of North America Editorial. “By bringing our editors directly into the experience, we’re giving listeners a closer connection to the people behind the playlist and more context around the artists and songs shaping culture right now.”

What Remains Unclear

It has not been announced whether the feature will expand beyond the U.S. No timeline has been shared for a broader rollout.

What It Means: Spotify has spent years being defined by its algorithm. Now it’s putting faces on the playlist. Folding editor-led video into New Music Friday suggests the company is actively working to reframe how listeners think about discovery — and distance itself from the “robot playlist” reputation. Since The Drop Weekly launched last fall, editor-driven content has produced more than double the engagement in saves and likes. The message is deliberate: there are real people behind these picks, and Spotify wants you to know it.

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.

CBS News Names Trevor Phillips as Senior Global Affairs Correspondent

Garrett Searight
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0
CBS News Names Trevor Phillips as Senior Global Affairs Correspondent

CBS News has inked a deal with British media star Trevor Phillips. He’ll serve as a Senior Global Affairs Correspondent for the network.

What We Know: Phillips has most recently served as the host of Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. That program is viewed as one of the flagship shows on the British television network. Phillips was knighted in 2022 for his work in the equality and human rights spaces. In addition to his time at Sky News, he’s also worked for The Sun, The Sunday Times, and The Daily Mail, among others.

What They Said: “Trevor Phillips cuts through the noise. His decades-long career is a masterclass in seeing beyond groupthink and pursuing the truth. Trevor’s deep knowledge of geopolitics and history will be an incredible asset at CBS News, where he’ll quickly become an indispensable voice for audiences across all platforms.” -CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss

What Remains Unclear: When Phillips’ official start date will be. It is also unclear which bureau he’ll be based out of for CBS News.

What It Means: Phillips is a British media star. His appointment to the staff at CBS News should be viewed as a victory for the network. Enticing someone from a prominent role in British media to join CBS News shows the power the brand still commands globally.

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.

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