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How Sports Radio Can Get off the Bench as AI Transforms the Live Game Experience

John Mamola
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How Sports Radio Can Get off the Bench as AI Transforms the Live Game Experience

The viewing experience for sports fans is on the cusp of changing forever. Not because of a new play-by-play hire or former athlete in the booth, but because of the continued adaptation of artificial intelligence into the broadcast experience. NBA commissioner Adam Silver spent his All-Star Saturday press conference heralding the excitement about what adaptations could be coming to a sports telecast near you.

The options are seemingly limitless: games in any language, muting commentary, alternative commentary such as alt-casts, social media interactions, and more. The leagues are attempting to make the broadcast model more inclusive than the networks that pay to carry the games themselves. This presents a massive opportunity for sports radio.

Far too often, sports radio has lagged behind trends in how sports fans seek content in the digital landscape. However, if the NBA and other leagues are becoming more welcoming to additional partners or ideas for unique in-game content, the time is now for sports radio to plan its own alt-cast.

Depending on the market, the debate about what defines success for sports radio differs. In totality, it is a combination of ratings share, revenue, and digital reach and engagement. Some markets value one metric more than others, while some no longer consider traditional ratings share to hold significant value in 2026.

The other two metrics still apply heavily to every market: how to grow the audience on the digital frontier while applying sponsorship dollars to the effort. For decades, sports fans have sought content on their own timeline, and sports radio has adapted. However, in most cases, it has played from behind, lagging behind the rise of sports podcasts and their expansion into video distribution.

How sports radio adapts to AI is the next challenge facing the format. While some broadcast companies ensure a guaranteed human approach, others have attempted to apply AI models to what consumers have always trusted. Like anything in radio, the process has involved trial and error, with lessons to be learned.

When Adam Silver said the viewing experience could change forever, with limitless ways to watch NBA games, my sports radio antennas went up. If NBA fans will soon choose who they listen to during a broadcast, why shouldn’t sports radio hosts be ready to meet that demand?

Or will this be another opportunity that sports radio lets go to the voice of a local podcaster?

If what the research says is true — that sports radio hosts rank among the most trusted voices for consumers — why not lean completely into that notion? For example, if AI is going to allow me as an NBA viewer to watch the game while choosing who I want to hear commentate on it, why isn’t my sports radio host an option?

This past College Football Playoff National Championship game offered options where I could listen to the Indiana radio network or the Miami Hurricanes radio network while watching the game on ESPN Unlimited.

What’s to say that, with advancing technology, ESPN or the University of Indiana couldn’t reach an agreement with 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan that would allow me to access a second screen featuring Kevin Bowen, Jeff Rickard, and James Boyd providing a watch-along cast?

You could also turn it around and ask why the same couldn’t apply for Hurricanes fans with Joe Rose or Hochman, Crowder and Solana.

Am I wrong to think the NBA would be open to more content hubs providing real-time coverage of its product? Is it unreasonable to believe that a major professional sports league would welcome partnered radio broadcasters to add a localized feel that fans could select as a go-to option on their television broadcasts?

With AI, nothing seems impossible, and leagues are starting to take notice. Sports radio brands should as well.

We have already seen how the rise of alt-casts has provided more options for viewers to watch and enjoy games. Why wouldn’t networks and leagues work with local partners in their markets to create a more affordable way to expand their content distribution models?

If WWE can lean into the streaming watch-along community and showcase those reactions in montages, why wouldn’t professional sports take the next step? In the race to create content, leagues constantly search for innovative ways to engage with their fan bases anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

Rather than relying primarily on sports betting advertising revenue for survival, sports radio should prioritize being live during games. That strategy may represent its last clear opportunity to disrupt. It could prove critical before AI begins to challenge the trusted voice of the local host.

The blueprint is available. Next time you’re watching your local team, do a quick search on YouTube, Twitch, or Rumble. The watch-along demo reel is there, now it’s on sports radio to enhance and own it.

Instead of waiting to see how AI reshapes the sidelines, sports radio should sprint toward it. The next great competitive advantage will not be who hires the splashiest former athlete or who wins the next ratings book. It will be who embeds themselves into the live game experience in a way that feels indispensable.

If fans are being handed the remote — and soon the algorithm — to decide how they experience a game, sports radio faces a choice. It can remain a reactionary medium, recapping what already happened. Or it can become a selectable layer of the broadcast itself.

The technology is arriving whether radio participates or not. The leagues are exploring it. The networks are evaluating it. The fans are expecting it.

So the real question isn’t whether AI will change sports broadcasting.

It’s whether sports radio will be bold enough to change with it.

Because in a world where viewers can choose any voice, in any language, with any tone, the most valuable currency won’t be signal strength — it will be trust.

And if sports radio truly believes its hosts are the most trusted voices in the market, then the time has come to prove it. Not after the game, not the next morning, but live, in the moment, as part of the experience itself.

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.

Why John Corabi’s ‘New Day’ Is a Milestone Moment and One of Rock’s Best Records

Terrie Carr
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Why John Corabi’s ‘New Day’ Is a Milestone Moment and One of Rock’s Best Records

It’s interesting to watch artists navigate the complicated music business landscape decade after decade. I’m especially inspired by those who are not only still surviving but elevating their craft to new levels. Talent has no timetable. One of those talented rockers that comes to mind is singer John Corabi.

John may be best remembered by his time in Mötley Crüe, where he bravely took over for front man Vince Neil in 1994. He released a self-titled album with the band that is now looked upon as a solid piece of music. John’s soulful vocals and strong songwriting comes through on on the compilation which includes the single Hooligan’s Holiday.

Before Mötley Mania, John was the front man of The Scream. In 1997, he formed the highly underrated band Union with Bruce Kulick of Kiss. John Corabi joined the supergroup The Dead Daisies in 2015 and has made music with countless artists as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

John’s vocals are reminiscent of Paul Rodgers, Steve Marriott, and Rod Stewart. You could say his solid pipes allowed him to provide a great delivery of a song. He is also one of rock music’s nicest guys.

His forthcoming album and first-ever full solo album, New Day, is out April 24 on Frontiers Records. When it arrived in my inbox and he was on my Carr Stereo Podcast interview schedule, I was excited to catch up with this talented guy who had been on my radio show at WDHA since the early ’90s with his various projects.

I gave the stream of the album a listen, and it blew me away. Twelve tracks, including one cover of Sly and The Family Stone’s Everyday People. John teamed up with his old friend, mega-writer and producer Marti Frederiksen, along with a killer band of musicians. This ensemble included Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke, Richard Fortus from Guns N’ Roses, and Winger keyboardist Paul Taylor.

He also brought an arsenal of quality songs to present to the world. Recently, I caught up with John for an interview on my Carr Stereo podcast to discuss his New Day ahead.

*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*

Terrie Carr – This new record that you have coming out on April 24 is your debut solo album. I actually did a little head scratch too, because I’m like, John’s not done a solo record yet?

John Corabi – I kind of have, but my first one was the unplugged record. There was really no drum or no keyboards. It was just me and a few friends with acoustic guitars, acoustic bass. If we needed rhythm, we just used tambourine.

TC– This is you and your friends and you’ve got this amazing group of people.

JC– Yes, first real full band, new material kind of record thing.

TC– Let’s start by talking about the title track New Day. The title track is just what we need these days. It’s so positive and makes me feel good. I listened to it the first time it dropped in my inbox, and I was like, Oh my God. This is such a positive, organically about the music kind of song.

It is an earworm, and I was sending it to friends telling them you’ve got to hear this new one from John Corabi.

JC– I had the riff for a minute, and I played it for Marti (Frederiksen). That’s one of those songs that took a minute to put together because it was like, “let’s do this!” Then we’d go away from it, listen to it again.

We finally found the music, and a great title. I sat down and started writing the lyrics. Honestly, I really can’t stand the way people are with each other nowadays. People are not nice, they are very critical. Everybody walks around staring at their phone. Staring at their computers just grumpy, caught up in all the BS that’s going on.

Go outside, dude, put your feet in the grass, enjoy life. I’m sure you can think of somebody off the top of your head. We all have one. There’s a friend or somebody that we know who just walks around mopey-faced thinking that the world is unfair and just did them wrong.

Honestly, it’s more about fixing yourself and looking at the glass half full and not half empty. I don’t know where the song or the lyrics came from. As I was writing it, I’m like, ok, this is really cool. It does have a positive message, but that wasn’t my intention. It just kind of happened that way. Yesterday’s gone. You cannot change it. Today is the day to rearrange it.

TC– You’re working with these incredible people. Including a guy whose name comes up when I’m talking to artists, and that’s Marti Frederiksen. He is like Mr. Music. He’s a great player, producer, and writer.

JC– I’ve known Marti since The Scream days. Marti was in a band called Outlaw Blood that opened a few shows for The Scream. My manager at the time, John Greenberg, knew him. Little known fact- the movie Almost Famous…..that was Marti singing and he did a lot of the writing for Stillwater (the fictitious band).

TC– Yeah, he was the Jeff Bebe character singing voice.

JC– Yup! He’s so easy to work with. I truly depend on Marti because he knows what’s going on up here in my head. He knows what I want to do. With this record, my biggest concern when I got offered this record deal- everybody starts looking for what box to put it in.

I hate when you do a song and it’s like Is it hard rock or is it Americana? Is it country or is it classic rock? Is it alt rock? What is it? Why can’t there just be one big box that says music?

I told Marty that I don’t like labels and boxes. Marti said let’s not think about it. Let’s sit down and just make the best record we can.

TC– People want to hear songs. You’ve always been a very song-driven artist with every project that you were involved with. Even the Motley record is a record that years later, people started to go a different guy, yes. But this record’s actually a freaking great record.

JC– It was swimming uphill right from the beginning on Motley.

TC– But it got recognized afterwards. Looking back at the Motley Crue record from 1994, people say that record is really solid.

JC– That’s all you can ask for. I was just saying to my wife that even more than the money, god forbid, let me knock on wood. If anything would ever happen to Paul McCartney, people are gonna go the guy was consistent. He was always consistent- he started great and he ended great.

That’s what it’s about for me. There’s some weird little desire of mine in my head for people. Whenever my time comes, they look at The Scream, Motley Crue, Union, or the solo stuff I’ve done. The Dead Daisies stuff I’ve done. Look at the whole body of work and say it was consistent. John was consistent. That’s all I can really ask for.

John’s forthcoming release, New Day, is more than consistent. It’s one of the best records I’ve heard in a while. John is hitting the road with his amazing backing band as a headliner and supporting his Philadelphia brother Tom Keifer (they are calling it the “Cheesesteak Tour”!).

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.

What the Cumulus-Nielsen Battle Says About Power in Radio Ratings

Dr. Ed Cohen
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What the Cumulus-Nielsen Battle Says About Power in Radio Ratings

Let’s go back to 1942, when even I wasn’t born yet. The classic movie “Casablanca” was released, starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa. An oft-quoted line came from Claude Rains, playing the role of Captain Renault, stating, “I’m shocked, shocked, to find that gambling is going on in here” in Rick’s club. Almost immediately, a croupier hands Captain Renault some money and says, “Your winnings, sir,” to which he replies, “Oh, thank you very much.” When I read Nielsen’s counterclaim against Cumulus in their ongoing court battle, this scene from “Casablanca” came to mind.

And if you’ve never seen the movie, it’s wonderful (I’ll avoid the continued overuse of “iconic”). Reading the available material filed by Nielsen (so much is redacted, it looks like letters from prison), you can understand the key points being made by the company’s attorneys.

Nielsen states that Cumulus has been a client since 1997. True enough, but the implication (never stated) is that Cumulus has been a continuous client. Sticking with the “Casablanca” theme, let’s channel Sam (Dooley Wilson) singing “You must remember this” — that Cumulus put out an RFP (request for proposals) in 2008 for an alternative service to Arbitron. Specifically, Cumulus management at the time wanted an electronic system for the many smaller markets where the company owned stations.

Yes, Sam, I do remember this clearly, as I was the main author of Arbitron’s response. The company felt a necessity to respond, even though we understood the key reason for Cumulus’ RFP was to find an alternative to Arbitron. Guess what? We didn’t win the RFP.

Cumulus ended up with a diary service from Nielsen. That lasted a couple of years, but few other companies signed up. By the start of 2011, Nielsen was out of the radio ratings business until the company bought Arbitron. The point being that while Cumulus has worked with Nielsen and Arbitron since 1997, there was a two-year hiatus. So this isn’t the first time Cumulus has tried to escape from Nielsen’s clutches.

Let’s get on to the fun part — naming and shaming — specifically the one and only Pierre Bouvard. When I was working with automotive OEMs and others in that space long before DTS AutoStage came along, I’d want people to meet Pierre, Arbitron’s most public face. I always said that in the radio business, he was like Adele, Prince, or Madonna, needing only one name. If you said “Pierre,” everyone knew who you were talking about, with no need to add Bouvard. And everyone liked Pierre as well.

Nielsen’s lawyers have portrayed him as a villain, alleging that he passed along some of Nielsen’s “crown jewels” (their words) to the Germans — oops, I’m sorry, stuck in “Casablanca” mode. I meant to type Eastlan. Admittedly, we’re dealing with lawyers here, but I’d ask a gemologist to check those “crown jewels,” as they may be cubic zirconia these days.

If you’ve ever read a Nielsen contract, or any similar contract, you know there are clear provisions about sharing copyrighted data. In case you don’t know, all Nielsen audience estimates are copyrighted, and the contract specifies acceptable uses of the data under your license from Nielsen. Pretty standard.

The problem is industry practice. If you ask me to believe that no one in the radio industry has ever shared Nielsen or Arbitron data with someone who was not licensed to see it, well, I have a couple of bridges you may be interested in purchasing. And much like Captain Renault, I’m shocked, shocked, that someone would share copyrighted Nielsen Audio data (“Here’s your P25-54 ranker, sir”). That doesn’t make it right, but it’s a typical practice. The better question might be whether Nielsen is “cherry picking” by going after Pierre’s alleged misdeed when this practice has gone on for decades.

There is one line that cannot be crossed. If a non-subscriber uses the data for sales, that company will be in serious trouble. The Nielsen lawyers cited the case of Arbitron Inc. v. Saga Communications, Inc., et al., which concerned unauthorized use of ratings data. Without getting into details, that case was settled with Saga subscribing to Arbitron data in some PPM metros for a period.

Nielsen alleges that the purpose of Pierre’s alleged data sharing with Eastlan was to give that company an idea of what their estimates should look like versus what Eastlan currently produces. That makes sense to a point. But when it comes to Nielsen Audio estimates these days (PPM and diary), the company’s theme song could be House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” because it’s tougher than ever to find consistency. To my mind, some of that is the state of 2026 radio listening, but much of the blame falls on Nielsen methodology. Building a system to align future Eastlan estimates to Nielsen would be very hard to do.

This accusation displays Nielsen’s monopoly market power, which is what Cumulus initially alleged. Agencies expect something resembling consistency in data so that a buy made for a future date will deliver the audience that was expected. Back in my Birch days in the early ’90s, the complaint was that Birch data was different from Arbitron data, so switching was a problem. What’s happening today is the same, demonstrating Nielsen’s market power. If it doesn’t look like Nielsen Audio data, it’s not acceptable as currency.

As the Cumulus-Nielsen saga rolls on, the biggest winners will be the lawyers and their firms. Thinking back to the days of Fly-Ins and industry studies versus today’s court cases, I’ll paraphrase Rick’s famous line to Ilsa: “We’ll always have Columbia.” Here’s looking at you, Nielsen!

Let’s meet again next week.

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.

Why a CBS Evening News Producer Calling Out the Direction of the Network is Great For Bari Weiss

Garrett Searight
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Why a CBS Evening News Producer Calling Out the Direction of the Network is Great For Bari Weiss

The reaction inside CBS Evening News to Bari Weiss’ leadership tells a story that’s easy to misread if you’re not careful. Bari Weiss stepped into a legacy newsroom knowing that any meaningful shift would create friction. That friction has now arrived, loudly and publicly, and it should encourage her more than alarm her.

Change rarely arrives quietly in newsrooms, especially ones built on decades of habit. When routines get disrupted, the people most comfortable with the old way tend to speak first and speak the loudest. That dynamic is playing out now at CBS Evening News, where internal criticism has spilled into public view. It’s uncomfortable, it’s messy, and it’s also a familiar sign that something fundamental is moving.

Last week’s departure of Alicia Hastey is a clear example. Hastey said she disagreed with the direction CBS News has taken under Weiss. That statement was framed by some as an indictment of leadership. Look at it another way, and it reads as confirmation that leadership is actually leading. Cultural shifts don’t announce themselves with applause. They announce themselves when people who were comfortable decide they no longer want to stay.

For an executive tasked with changing culture, exits like that aren’t failures. They’re evidence. They show that expectations are being reset and that previous assumptions no longer apply. If everyone is happy during a transformation, it usually means nothing significant is happening. Disruption, by definition, displaces someone.

It’s important to draw a clear line here. None of this should be mistaken as an endorsement of how CBS News is currently operating. That isn’t my call to make, and it’s not the point of this discussion. Performance, editorial judgment, and long-term strategy deserve their own evaluation. What matters in this moment is whether Weiss is accomplishing what she set out to do internally. By that measure, the reaction suggests she is.

Newsrooms are ecosystems built on trust, predictability, and shared norms. When leadership challenges those norms, even with good intentions, resistance is inevitable. Some of that resistance is thoughtful and valuable. Some of it is reflexive and emotional. The loudest voices are often the latter, because change threatens identity as much as workflow.

Public pushback from staffers is also a signal to everyone else watching. It tells remaining employees that the status quo is no longer guaranteed. It forces decisions. Stay and adapt, or leave and preserve what you preferred. That clarity can be painful, but it’s also efficient. Organizations stagnate when no one is forced to choose.

There’s also a broader industry lesson here. Media companies talk endlessly about reinvention while quietly hoping no one notices the process. That approach doesn’t work anymore. Reinvention is visible, disruptive, and controversial by nature. Bari Weiss isn’t discovering that reality; she’s experiencing it in real time.

Critics will argue that losing experienced people weakens the product. Sometimes that’s true. Other times, it creates space for new voices and different approaches. Both outcomes are possible, and neither can be judged fully in the early stages. What can be judged is intent and momentum. Right now, the momentum points toward change actually happening.

Leadership isn’t validated by universal approval. It’s validated when decisions alter behavior. The reaction inside CBS Evening News shows altered behavior, altered expectations, and altered comfort levels. That’s not something to fear if your goal is transformation.

If Bari Weiss set out to challenge the existing culture, the response from departing staffers suggests she’s already landed a few punches. Whether the strategy succeeds long-term remains to be seen. For now, the noise itself is the signal.

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.

Super Bowl Ads Prove Classic Rock Still Sells

Mike Stern
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Super Bowl Ads Prove Classic Rock Still Sells

Unbelievably, there was a time when the Super Bowl halftime show was not a gigantic source of controversy. In fact, there was a string of years when halftime was the purview of Classic Rock. Between 2001 and 2011, headliners included Aerosmith, U2, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and The Who.

Let’s be real. Those days are over, and I am not here to pine for them to come back.

That doesn’t mean, however, Classic Rock is no longer present in the biggest television event of the year. In fact, the staying power of the music was evident throughout the broadcast.

It started with the Green Day pre-game show. Not a traditional core Classic Rock artist, but among the top thirty most-played acts in the format last year. They looked great and sounded amazing. A nice start for Classic Rock on the big day.

During the team introductions, the Patriots came out to Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” and the Seahawks’ soundtrack was Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box.” Both songs ranked in the Top 100 most-played last year. Then the broadcast moved on to Ozzy’s “Crazy Train,” which the Patriots have been using in-stadium for years. More great presence for Classic Rock.

Then came the commercials. Fred Jacobs recently covered some of this in his blog. According to his research, forty percent of the spots in the Super Bowl prominently featured music. Of those, half featured a Classic Rock or Classic/Adult Hits title. That’s a great ratio, once again proving the general appeal of the music.

But how did those spots do? Remember, lots of Super Bowl spots air once and are never heard from again. Here’s a look at some winners and losers and, in some cases, a thought about how the song is being rotated at radio stations.

Winners:

Budweiser “American Icons” featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”: This seems to be the biggest winner of the night. It was ranked number one by voters in a USA Today poll and still had people talking the next day. Grade A+

Pepsi Zero “You Deserve Pepsi” featuring Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”: This got a lot of attention because of Pepsi stealing Coke’s polar bear. It ranked number three on USA Today, but unfortunately the song is not a staple of station playlists. Maybe following the spot’s success, it should be. Grade B-

Michelob Ultra “The Ultra Instructor” featuring Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”: Hard to beat Kurt Russell making a guest appearance, and Michelob Ultra is a big enough advertiser that this spot will likely have more life after the Big Game than many. USA Today ranked it as the fifth-best spot of the game. Grade A-

Unsure:

State Farm “Stop Living on a Prayer” featuring Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”: This spot, more than some others, gave strong prominence to the Bon Jovi song and even included a guest appearance from the man himself. I thought it was clever and attention-getting, plus State Farm will likely run it to death for the foreseeable future. That said, USA Today ranked it the thirteenth-best spot, which is good but not as strong as I thought. Grade B — I guess.

Losers:

Svedka “Shake Your Bars Off” featuring Rick James’ “Super Freak”: This spot has been getting panned all around for its use of AI. The response has been so bad, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Svedka pull it completely going forward, cutting down exposure of the iconic Rick James hit. Grade F

Xfinity “Jurassic Park” featuring Rupert Holmes’ “The Piña Colada Song”: This is another one that received strong votes, ranking sixth in the USA Today poll. However, it sure seems like that has more to do with the premise — fixing Jurassic Park’s Wi-Fi — than the music. Even though it scored high, I doubt it’s because of Rupert Holmes. Grade C-

A few others worth noting:

• The latest trailer for Supergirl features Blondie’s “Call Me.” Considering that will be running for a few months until the release, it might be worth checking what rotation you have the song in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydqvWEeJpdk

• A spot for Absolut Tabasco features Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Either I was getting a snack at the wrong time, or this didn’t air. If it starts getting heavy rotation post-Super Bowl, it might be time to look at how much you are spinning this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FBVEfTIGVg

Overall, it’s encouraging to see the amount of Classic Rock still being chosen by marketers when they make decisions for what best represents their product. That said, Green Day and Alice in Chains were in the broadcast, there were two different advertisements featuring the Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit appeared in a Bud Light spot, and House of Pain’s “Jump Around” was featured in a Volkswagen ad.

You can see the 1990s starting to make their mark. Much like the musical analysis I did for each format at the end of last year, those artists’ days as nostalgia for a generation are coming, and we’re going to need to deal with 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.

U-93 Tabs Tommy Bickham as New Morning Host

BMM Staff
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U-93 Tabs Tommy Bickham as New Morning Host

U-93 in South Bend has named Tommy Bickham its new morning drive host for the Sound Management CHR station.

Bickham joins the station after previously working as a host and producer at a local TV station in Champaign, Illinois. He previously spent time working in radio for Saga Communications, Alpha Media, and for Federated Media in South Bend.

“My wife, our dog Grouper, and I are so excited to call Michiana home,” said Bickham. “South Bend is a special place, and we already feel welcomed here. I’m so happy to be a part of the U-93 family, and I can’t wait to spend mornings with listeners and become part of this community.”

“With a wealth of terrific candidates applying for mornings here; Tommy was a stand-out from the beginning,” said U-93 Program Director Lori Bennett. “Not only for his incredible sense of humor and authenticity, but a true desire to serve and engage our audience in new and innovative ways. Can’t wait to reintroduce him to the Mishawaka area and watch him go!”

Bickham takes over mornings on U-93 after Tim Bayless prepares to exit the daypart following an 11-year stint with the station. He will depart the outlet later this month and relocate to Florida. The two will helm mornings together until Bayless’ exit on February 25th.

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.

Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges Surrounding Minnesota Church Protest

BNM Staff
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Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges Surrounding Minnesota Church Protest

Don Lemon pleaded not guilty Friday to federal civil rights charges tied to a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Don Lemon did not address reporters while exiting the courthouse after entering his plea. Several protesters gathered outside, chanting phrases directed at the U.S. attorney general and in support of the press.

The charges stem from a January protest at Cities Church, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor. Prosecutors allege that protesters disrupted a worship service by chanting inside the church. Lemon has said he attended the event to document it for his livestream program and was not part of the protest.

Attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge she plans to raise First Amendment arguments. Lowell also asked for Lemon’s phone to be returned after it was taken during his arrest in Los Angeles. Prosecutors said the phone is being held by the Department of Homeland Security under a sealed search warrant and cannot be returned until the search is complete.

Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong was also scheduled to be arraigned Friday. Armstrong was shown in an altered image shared on White House social media that inaccurately depicted her reaction during her arrest. The image circulated after the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Two additional defendants are scheduled for arraignment next week, including journalist Georgia Fort. Nine people have been charged in the case.

All defendants are charged under the FACE Act. The law bars interference or intimidation by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction against people exercising religious freedom at a place of worship. Convictions can carry penalties of up to one year in prison and fines up to $10,000.

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.

iHeartMedia Tampa Bay Moving Sports Radio WDAE To 95.7 FM In Switch With Rumba

BSM Staff
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iHeartMedia Tampa Bay Moving Sports Radio WDAE To 95.7 FM In Switch With Rumba

iHeartMedia Tampa Bay will expand its sports and Spanish-language offerings later this month, shifting formats and strengthening signals in a move designed to deepen its reach across one of the country’s most competitive local audio markets.

Beginning Monday, February 23, the company will launch a significantly enhanced FM presence for 95.7 WDAE, branded as Tampa Bay’s Sports Radio, while relocating its Spanish-language format to 95.3 FM and 102.9 FM under the new Rumba 95.3 & 102.9 identity.

The expansion gives 95.7 WDAE a 100,000-watt FM signal to complement its longtime home on 620 AM, where the station has operated since 1999, positioning the brand for broader in-car and at-work listening while reinforcing its status as a heritage sports outlet in the region.

The station serves as the flagship radio home of the Tampa Bay Rays and carries Florida Gators football and basketball, in addition to extensive coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and USF Bulls, creating a year-round sports portfolio that mirrors the region’s championship résumé and collegiate passion.

“Expanding WDAE’s heritage brand strengthens our long-standing broadcast and marketing partnerships with the Tampa Bay Rays, Buccaneers, Lightning, Florida Gators and USF Bulls,” said Russell Robertson, market president for iHeartMedia Tampa Bay. He added that the move reflects the company’s commitment to serving listeners across multiple platforms at a time when distribution and accessibility matter as much as content.

Weekday programming will also change as the station is dropping The Herd w/Colin Cowherd from 12-3 p.m. after adding the programming in the daypart in November of 2024. The new lineup will include The Pat & Aaron Show from 6-9 a.m., followed by The Dan Patrick Show, The Nick Wize Show will air from 12-2 p.m. with The Drive with Tom Krasniqi shifting to 2-6 p.m.

At the same time, iHeartMedia will transition its Spanish-language format from 95.7 FM to 95.3 FM and 102.9 FM, rebranding the stations as Rumba 95.3 & 102.9 and focusing on contemporary Latin hits spanning reggaetón, urban pop, bachata and salsa.

P.J. Gonzalez, senior vice president of programming for iHeartLatino, said the rebrand maintains continuity for Spanish-speaking listeners while sharpening the station’s identity in a growing demographic segment.

With The Enrique Santos Show in morning drive and local hosts Sarykarmen Rivera and Flip Rios anchoring middays and afternoons, Rumba aims to deliver high-energy entertainment tailored to Tampa Bay’s Latino community.

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.

States Driving U.S. Online Casino Gaming

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States Driving U.S. Online Casino Gaming

Online casino gaming in the United States is expanding quickly, but the story is not national. A small cluster of states is responsible for most revenue and tax growth, and that concentration is driven by legislation, not a uniform wave of consumer demand. For media and broadcasting executives, knowing which states matter is increasingly central to forecasting advertising budgets, sponsorship demand, and affiliate revenue connected to gambling.

Online Casino Gaming vs Online Sports Betting

Online casino gaming refers to digital versions of slots, blackjack, roulette, and similar table or live dealer games delivered via websites or mobile apps. It differs from online sports betting, which is built around wagering on real-world sporting events and typically follows a different pattern of seasonality, margin, and risk management.

In practice, online casino products are always on, with high-frequency play and a broad catalog of games. Sports betting is more calendar-driven, spiking around the NFL, March Madness, and other tentpole events.

A Seven-State Map

Despite national marketing, real-money online casino play is legal in only seven states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, Delaware, West Virginia, and Rhode Island. Nevada remains an outlier, permitting online poker but not full iCasino.

A national iGaming revenue rollup across these seven states reported combined online casino revenue of about $835.6 million in November 2025, up from roughly $714.4 million in November 2024 (CDC Gaming, U.S. iGaming Revenue Report, November 2025).

Why New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan Lead

Within this seven-state group, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are the clear heavyweights. All three combine large or dense populations, established land-based casino brands, and competitive licensing structures that support multiple skins per property.

Industry analysis frequently points to New Jersey surpassing $2 billion in annual iGaming revenue, with Pennsylvania and Michigan operating at a similar scale. In particular, performance trends around Online Casino in PA are often used as a practical benchmark for how operators balance always-on spend across local television, regional sports networks, and digital audio, because the market is large enough to matter but regulated tightly enough to produce stable planning assumptions.

For media companies, these three states are where online casino operators have both the regulatory permission and the economic incentive to run sustained, high-value campaigns across broadcast, sports media, and digital audio. These markets also matter because online casino advertising tends to be less event-dependent than sportsbook advertising. In iCasino states, operators can run always-on acquisition and retention campaigns that support inventory beyond live sports, including news, entertainment, podcasts, and off-season schedules.

Connecticut, West Virginia, Delaware, and Rhode Island’s Contribution

The remaining four iCasino states are smaller in population but still meaningful in revenue and market design.

Connecticut operates a tightly controlled model tied to the state’s tribal operators and lottery. That limits the number of brands but can support strong per-capita monetization. Delaware and Rhode Island use lottery-led structures, including Rhode Island’s single-operator model where Bally’s holds exclusive iCasino rights. West Virginia, while demographically small, is more open, with multiple online casino brands tethered to existing casinos.

For broadcasters and digital publishers, these states will not match New Jersey or Pennsylvania in absolute spend, but they can deliver incremental revenue and targeted regional campaigns that matter for local television, radio clusters, and digital outlets.

Regulation, Tax, and Market Structure: Why Growth Is Uneven

The uneven growth of online casino gaming is less a function of consumer appetite and more about which legislatures authorize iGaming and how they structure it. Tax policy, licensing design, and political comfort with expansion determine whether a state opens its market and how attractive that market is to operators.

Tax rates on iGaming gross gaming revenue vary widely across the seven legal states, but most sit in a band designed to generate meaningful public revenue while still leaving room for operator marketing budgets. Where rates climb too high or licensing is limited, operators may respond with more controlled spending and fewer long-term media commitments.

Regulation also shapes how operators can advertise. States with tighter responsible gambling rules, bonus restrictions, and content guidelines require more careful media planning. At the same time, stable frameworks can encourage larger, multi-year sponsorships once operators trust that rules will not change abruptly.

Why iCasino Growth Matters More Than Headline Sports Betting

Numbers

In states where both online sports betting and online casino gaming are legal, iGaming revenue often outpaces sports betting revenue. Casino margins are typically stronger and less volatile than sports betting, whose hold can swing sharply with results and promotional cycles.

For media organizations, that means the most durable gambling-related revenue opportunities are often anchored in iCasino markets rather than sports-betting-only states. Sports still provides the most obvious environment for sportsbook advertising, but online casinos support year-round demand and can fill inventory in non-sports programming and digital audio where live-odds integrations are less central.

States on Deck for Potential Expansion

Several large states that already generate substantial sports betting handle are being watched as potential iCasino markets.

New York lawmakers have introduced multiple bills, including proposals such as S2614 and a broader S8185 framework, that would authorize online casinos, live dealer games, and other iGaming verticals, though none have yet passed. Illinois has also seen renewed legislative pushes for online casino and poker, with analysts projecting significant upside if legalization advances. Industry coverage often cites additional candidates such as Indiana and Maryland as potential next-wave adopters.

For media and advertising stakeholders, the takeaway is that the seven-state map is not static. But expansion is likely to be incremental and tied to state budget pressures, tax policy debates, and evolving views on responsible gambling.

What Media and Broadcasters Should Watch in 2026 and Beyond

For U.S.-based media and broadcasting professionals, a few indicators matter most:

  • Legislative calendars and budget debates, where iCasino bills often surface
  • Regulatory tightening around payments, bonuses, and player protections, which can reshape creative and channel mix
  • Shifts in operator economics and profitability expectations, which influence sustained marketing spend in high-return states

In short, the media impact of online casino gaming will remain concentrated in the same states where regulation and operator economics align. Executives who treat iGaming as a national opportunity risk overestimating the addressable market for high-value campaigns.

The Future of iGaming in the U.S.

Online casino growth in the U.S. is being driven by a compact group of states that chose early, and deliberately, to regulate and tax iGaming. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan sit at the center of that story, with Connecticut, Delaware, West Virginia, and Rhode Island adding depth to a concentrated revenue base.

For broadcast, sports, and digital audio professionals, the right approach is to build strategy state by state, not on a generalized assumption of national demand. Until new bills pass in large sports-betting-only states, the biggest growth in online casino-related media spend will continue to flow from the same limited group of jurisdictions that already define the iGaming map.

PodcastOne Sees 25% Revenue Growth in 2025 Powered By Q4 Record

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PodcastOne Sees 25% Revenue Growth in 2025 Powered By Q4 Record

PodcastOne entered 2026 with momentum, reporting strong fourth-quarter results that highlight its diverse revenue streams.

Revenue for the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2025, climbed 25% year-over-year to a record $15.9 million, while earnings surged 516% to $2.8 million, marking another quarterly high for the podcast network.

Ad sales continue to be a major driver. A three-year agreement with Amazon-owned Art19 includes a $15 million minimum revenue guarantee, and company leaders now expect the partnership to generate more than $20 million annually.

“We’re pleased with PodcastOne’s continued performance this quarter, driven by strong subscriber growth, strategic partnerships, and the continued success of our flagship shows,” President Kit Gray said.

With three quarters complete in its fiscal year, the company is now pacing for record annual results. Revenue stands at $46 million so far, 21% ahead of last year, while earnings have reached $4.5 million, a 421% increase.

Based on current trends, full-year guidance has been raised to $58 million to $60 million in revenue and $5 million to $6 million in earnings.

Additionally, PodcastOne says it has added 25 new shows to its stable so far this year. Three of those shows — Varnamtown, Vigilante, and The Opportunist — have been optioned as TV shows.

“The acquisition of ‘Varnamtown’ by Paramount underscores the value of our content and the strength of our network, while our ongoing investments in technology and distribution position us well for future growth,” Gray added. “We remain focused on delivering compelling programming and creating meaningful opportunities for our talent and audience alike.”

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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