Cumulus Media has entered into a new partnership with Toronto-based media technology company Eon Media as the broadcast group looks to expand its use of artificial intelligence across its audio portfolio and digital platforms.
The companies announced a joint partnership to develop and monetize AI-enabled audio projects. These projects aim to improve content discovery, audience engagement, and data-driven insights. The collaboration marks a strategic step for Cumulus as it modernizes listener interaction. It also creates new revenue opportunities for advertisers and stakeholders.
Under the agreement, Cumulus and Eon Media will build AI-powered platforms to help listeners find and engage with audio content. These platforms will span Cumulus’ ecosystem. The technology will also optimize the company’s 395 U.S. radio stations and digital assets. It will focus on measuring consumer behavior and engagement at a more granular level.
Cumulus’ owned-and-operated stations, shows, and personalities generate hundreds of thousands of hours of original audio each year. This content includes morning shows, talk programming, and other spoken-word formats. The new AI tools are expected to organize and surface the content more effectively. They will benefit both audiences and internal teams handling programming, sales, and strategy.
Eon Media specializes in artificial intelligence built entirely in-house, using its technology to extract detailed metadata from media assets. That includes segmenting content, transcribing audio, identifying topics, recognizing music, and surfacing information such as people mentioned and demographic signals.
Those capabilities are designed to give media companies deeper insight into which content resonates. They also show how audiences engage with it across platforms.
From a listener perspective, the companies say the partnership will shorten the path between interest and discovery. By creating additional digital touchpoints, the AI-enabled platforms aim to help audiences find relevant shows, conversations, and topics faster, while also introducing them to new content aligned with their preferences.
The goal, according to both companies, is to meet listeners where they already consume audio rather than forcing them into a single destination.
Cumulus Media President and CEO Mary G. Berner said the partnership opens the door to new market opportunities while enhancing discoverability across the company’s portfolio.
“We are excited to join forces with Eon Media to create innovative solutions that will provide Cumulus Media with access to new market opportunities and untapped monetization paths. Importantly, this partnership will significantly enhance our ability to drive greater discoverability,” said Berner. “By expanding touchpoints and engagement opportunities, we ensure our listeners and audiences can connect with our content more easily and more often than ever.”
Eon Media Founder and CEO Ashish Agrawal described the collaboration as both innovative and collaborative, highlighting the importance of transparency and data security in AI deployment. He said the partnership is focused on delivering new engagement tools and deeper insights for stations and internal stakeholders, while using AI responsibly and securely.
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DAZN is taking another step toward reshaping how fans interact with live sports, announcing a new partnership with Polymarket that will integrate prediction market data directly into its global streaming platform.
The agreement links one of the world’s largest sports entertainment services with the largest prediction market, signaling a growing intersection between live viewing, data, and interactive fan engagement.
Prediction markets allow users to buy and sell contracts tied to sporting events, cultural moments, and other real-world developments. Through this partnership, DAZN plans to let viewers engage in prediction trading during broadcasts. This feature adds an extra layer of context and conversation around live competition.
DAZN already offers a broad digital ecosystem with live and on-demand sports coverage. It also includes real-time scores, breaking news, and the FanZone feature. FanZone allows fans to interact with one another during events. In select markets, the company has also expanded into wagering through DAZN Bet.
The addition of prediction markets represents another evolution in that strategy, positioning DAZN as a destination that blends content, community, and interactive data.
In the near term, Polymarket data will appear within DAZN’s live broadcasts. This integration will give viewers real-time insight into shifting probabilities as games unfold. Those changes can reflect momentum swings, key plays, or unexpected developments. They offer fans a new way to interpret what they see on screen.
Rather than replacing traditional commentary or analysis, the data is designed to complement the broadcast by presenting a dynamic snapshot of collective expectations.
The partnership also carries regulatory implications, particularly in the United States. DAZN confirmed it intends to apply for the appropriate Commodity Futures Trading Commission licenses. Subject to approval, the company expects to introduce prediction trading to U.S. users in the coming months.
Expansion into additional countries would follow, depending on local regulatory frameworks.
“Every sporting event is a conversation about what happens next. Polymarket turns that conversation into real-time probabilities, shaped by millions of users around the world,” said Polymarket Founder and CEO Shayne Coplan. “Through our first-of-its-kind partnership with DAZN, we’re embedding those insights directly into the viewing experience—from boxing to the Champions League—so fans can track momentum, debate outcomes, and engage with sports in a way that’s never existed before.”
DAZN Group CEO Shay Segev emphasized the company’s focus on deepening fan connection.
“DAZN is laser-focused on bringing fans closer to the sports they love. Through our partnership with Polymarket – the world’s largest prediction market – we will offer another immersive and exciting way for fans to experience sport,” said Segev. “Integrating prediction trading will be an excellent addition to our platform.”
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The 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit presented by Point to Point Marketing announced its first 22 speakers on Monday. Tickets for the show are available here. I promised Monday that we’d have a big announcement later this week, and today, I’m excited to share those details.
Kelli Turner became interim President and CEO of Audacy in January 2025. Two months later, she accepted the role on a permanent basis. Since then, Turner has surrounded herself with a strong corporate team, invested time in strengthening internal and external relationships, and has worked on improving Audacy’s results and reputation.
Under her watch, the company has formed partnerships with iHeartMedia and Townsquare Media. She has supported The Score’s move to the FM dial in Chicago, and WFAN’s decision to rehire Craig Carton and shake up the lineup. The company has also partnered with Next Net to improve AI discoverability, and launched the Audacy Creator Lab, an initiative designed to support podcast creators and deliver advertising opportunities at scale under her watch.
One thing that Kelli hasn’t done a lot of is speak at industry events. I had the pleasure of chatting with her at an Audacy mixer late last year in New York. She was also in attendance for our Barrett Bash, 10-year anniversary party in NYC. Though we’ve only connected a few times, early impressions have been strong. Feedback I’ve received inside the company has been similar. Being more accessible and solution oriented is a great sign for the company.
Which brings me to today’s announcement.
I’m pleased to share that industry folks will have an opportunity to learn more about her vision for Audacy when she joins us on June 30th at the Barrett Media Audio Summit. Kelli will join me for the Keynote Conversation on Tuesday, June 30th. The discussion will take place late in the afternoon just before the awards ceremony. News media is the focus of our agenda that day, but my chat with Kelli will cover ground beyond one specific format. Attendees arriving early for the next day’s sports media show are encouraged to drop by early to listen.
Since September 2024, Kelli has served on the Audacy Board of Directors. She is also on the board of directors for the National Association of Broadcasters. Prior to joining Audacy, Kelli served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Sun Capital Partners, a leading private investment firm. Before joining Sun Capital Partners, she was President and Chief Operating Officer of SESAC Holdings, a leading music licensing and rights management company owned by Blackstone. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.
Broadcasting professionals flying in for the show can reserve discounted hotel rooms here. 23 speakers have been announced for the show and more will be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. Companies interested in sponsorship opportunities can learn more by contacting Stephanie Eads. Her number is 415-312-5553 and her email address is Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com.
It’s going to be a big three-day industry summer event at the SVA Theatre in NYC. I hope to see you there.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries.Sign upfor our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Radio has a revenue problem. It also has a relevance problem.
Relevance is what earns listening. Listening is what earns revenue.
Which is why every station’s programming department needs a new type of CRO. Not a Chief Revenue Officer. A Chief Relevance Officer.
A Relevant Moment Radio Missed
Between January 1–16, user-generated playlists featuring songs from 2016 increased by 790%, driven by the viral “2026 is the new 2016” trend.
At the same time, songs from 2016 jumped 150% on Spotify’s Global Top 50.
This happened during a long holiday weekend—a valuable radio sampling window—most stations didn’t respond.
Instead of adjusting playlists, reframing imaging, or reflecting the moment on air, many stations stayed locked into their normal schedules and posted photos on social. Outside of Candy 95.1, I didn’t see many stations actually responding in real time.
If I were still hiring or looking to upgrade PDs across a group, Candy 95.1 PD Rob Mack would already be on my watch list.
(Sung to the cadence of the “Candy Man”)
Who can take a playlist And sprinkle it with songs? Who can hear the moment And move before it’s gone?
Robby Mack can. Yes, Robby Mack can.
The 2016 is the new 2026 trend was a playlist moment the audience handed to radio programmers. And they watched it pass so they didn’t have to remerge the log or get some new voicetracks.
That is so 2016.
What’s alarming isn’t just that radio missed this moment. It’s how obvious it was. The songs were already in automation. No adds. No files to dub in. And no asking your corporate PD for approval to play songs you already had. Scheduling and context were the only requirements.
This is basic programming.
For years, program directors have insisted that familiarity wins ratings (I’m not sure I agree). But when the clearest, audience-driven, familiar song moment of the last decade arrived, most stations did little more than post old artist meet-and-greet photos.
Instead of making it about the listener, they made it about their backstage passes.
The Hits & Misses Keep On Comin’
The 2016 song whiff wasn’t an anomaly. It’s just this week’s example of missed marketing moments.
When Stranger Things made radio cool again through WSQK The Squawk, the opportunities for radio were obvious. Radio station conversation was everywhere and up and down every aisle at Target. Yet across thousands of stations, there was little to no acknowledgment.
Shoutout to KBFF for at least hitting the mark by playing “Purple Rain” after the show’s finale.
Other missed connections (this is getting Craigslist real fast):
On New Year’s Day, Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day” went largely unplayed or posted.
Last week, Harry Styles confirmed a new album is on the way, but very few pulled out those older Harry and One Direction records.
When the new Bruno Mars song dropped, his catalog should resurface in a meaningful way but most stations settle with resharing the Live Nation tour post. ● The fan-made TikTok for Dr. Peeper was handed to radio fully formed, ready to be interpolated straight into your jingles. (Call Dave Bethell. He can make you one.)
Becker helped IU win the championship last night. That should have been in your Barrett Media article the very next day. (I’m aware)
These are the gaps the Chief Relevance Officer is designed to close. Plus, bonus points for the fun headline options when a new one is hired: C.R.Oh my!
Why Your Stations Need a Chief Relevance Officer
The Chief Relevance Officer exists for one reason: To ensure the station responds to cultural moments while they are happening—not after they’ve passed.
The CRO’s daily focus is simple: What is the audience thinking, feeling, and doing right now—and how should the station respond today?
Core Responsibilities
Track real-time cultural moments across music, media, and audience behavior
Translate those moments into immediate on-air action
Adjust playlists on the fly
Align on-air programming with digital and social output, all in unison
Give talent context, framing, and permission to respond in the moment
Reduce the delay between idea and execution
The goal is fewer moments where everyone says, “We should’ve done something with that.”
What This Role Is Not
The Chief Relevance Officer is not:
Necessarily even from radio or working in radio
A rebranded Program Director
A social media manager
A research position
Another layer of meetings
An email from an SVP, EVP, or someone whose name starts with “P” telling everyone what to do
Job Description: Chief Relevance Officer
Title: Chief Relevance Officer (CRO) Department: Programming Reports To: The Audience / Head of Content / Program Director / Operations Manager
Qualifications
Strong programming instincts
Deep cultural and viral fluency
Clear understanding of how audiences move between platforms
Comfortable making fast decisions without waiting for consensus or Phil’s Barrett Media articles
Ability to collaborate across departments without slowing execution
Confidence to break routine when relevance demands it
Relevant (obvie)
Why This Role Can’t Sit in Sales (A Note for GMs)
Some stations would instinctively place the Chief Relevance Officer under sales. CRO reports to CRO.
That would be a mistake.
The new CRO’s responsibility is not to ask, “Can we monetize this?” It’s to ask, “Is this happening right now—and are we responding?”
If the role sits in sales, relevance gets evaluated on if it helps a station hit budget. Marketing moments get slowed down by sponsorship logic and approval chains. By the time a moment is “sellable,” it’s often already gone.
Sales will absolutely benefit from this role.
When relevance leads, ratings and revenue follow.
(P.S. That line, when dropped in an interview, has gotten me a lot of gigs. You’re welcome to use it.™ Phil-Osophy)
Stations often lose for what they don’t do, as opposed to what they do do (Yes, I said “do do.” The irony is not lost on me.)
The Choice in Front of You and Your Company
Magic and topicality doesn’t wait. It doesn’t care when you do your music meetings. It has no regard for how things have always been done.
Stations can either:
React after the moment has passed and reinforce the perception that we’re legacy (aka old)
Or
Respond while it’s happening and actually do what you say every time you claim to be “live and local” in a press release.
Hire yours today or become irrelevant.
-Phil Becker
CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer)
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries.Sign upfor our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
For the first time in a decade, the city of San Francisco will play host to the Super Bowl. Albeit the game itself will be played in nearby Santa Clara, about 40 miles away from where Candlestick Park once stood. Every year, the Super Bowl is the most-viewed television event in the United States. It touches on sports, culture, music, and advertising, where audiences around the country have an interest in something revolving around the game.
For sports radio stations, the week prior to the Super Bowl presents another opportunity to host shows from radio row. It is a massive content creator’s dream. Filled with outlets from around the world bringing the vibes of the big game to their local home market or social feed. The opportunity to have the Super Bowl in your own backyard is a unique experience. An experience that 95.7 The Game Brand Manager Matt Nahigian understands does not happen often.
“The initial reaction to the Super Bowl returning was this is an incredible opportunity for us to capture the biggest event in sports and bring it to our audience,” said Nahigian.
It has been nine years since Nahigian entered the doors at the San Francisco-based Audacy brand. The Super Bowl next month will be his first as brand manager where the spectacle lands in his home market. Nahigian is a veteran of the work it takes to execute a week of programming from radio row. However, this experience is different.
Instead of concentrating solely on the programming of the day, there is a balance of working with community partners as well. That includes plotting and executing a showcase of everything that makes the Bay Area a destination to visit.
“Our relationship with the Bay Area Host Committee has been incredible. We started the relationship a year and a half ago. Not only to start the process with the Super Bowl, but also the NBA All-Star Game,” explained Nahigian. “The city is looking at this as an opportunity to display how it’s one of the coolest areas in the country.”
Radio Row Evolution
Nahigian has led 95.7 The Game’s efforts in working with the Host Committee in finding ways to partner with events surrounding the Super Bowl. Every year, the Super Bowl draws millions of fans for concerts, parties, and the NFL Experience. This allows partners to provide access to those events as part of the partnership.
For the audience, the Super Bowl experience has morphed over generations, and that evolution includes radio row. A decade ago, it would have been stunning to see anything other than a local radio station broadcasting from radio row at the Super Bowl. Today, radio row, often dubbed media row, consists of a mix of traditional, digital, and television outlets. All looking to grab the audience’s attention with “Big Game Coverage.”
For Nahigian, the value he places on being live from radio row has waned over the years. However, he has been excited by the recent surge of celebrity involvement during Super Bowl week.
“It used to be that there were hundreds of stations there. Every celebrity or athlete would walk through. After COVID-19 in 2021, it kind of went the other way. However, now it’s coming back,” says Nahigian. “It’s really good to see that radio row is going back to being the epicenter of coverage for the Super Bowl.”
Any market chosen to host the Super Bowl should consider itself lucky. For sports radio stations, however, there is always a decision to be made about attending radio row. Nahigian noted the many factors that play into that decision, but since 2020 his mindset on attending has changed.
“After COVID, I felt as though we didn’t need to be there [radio row],” says Nahigian. “But going forward, this will be a great opportunity to jump back on. To bring the passion and everything that comes with the Super Bowl to your city. My mind has changed a little bit on ‘should we be there’ if it wasn’t in our city compared to a few years ago.”
A Team Effort
A major reason for that shift is the quality of the guest list available to 95.7 The Game’s programs. Radio row is not only a unique setting to broadcast from, but the level of access to celebrities is a rarity for many stations. Sports figures of past and present to movies and everything in between. Stations that attend gain content opportunities that drive ratings, revenue, and reach like never before.
Admittedly, Nahigian is a workhorse. His plan for the week is to be present on site at every broadcast. Directing talent, securing guests, and ensuring sponsor mentions are properly balanced.
“People would say I’m too hands-on, and I totally agree. But I’m hands-on because I love it. It’s important that I’m involved to make the shows as good as they can be,” explained Nahigian. “If I’m not involved the entire time, what the hell am I doing? This is why I got in the business. Is it a lot of work? Sure, but who cares.”
Nahigian called the radio row experience “a circus.” It is a massive room with hundreds of media outlets chasing exclusive content opportunities to bring back to their home markets. The preparation of lining up guest appearances begins in the later months of the calendar year. He explained that securing guests is a team effort, with the goal of finding personalities who resonate with the 95.7 The Game listener.
“I’ve gotten incredible support from other Audacy stations. Especially 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. They are incredibly involved in the guest booking for what our Audacy stations are going to do,” says Nahigian.
He detailed how brand managers from multiple Audacy stations across the country share communication on potential radio row guests. There is a constant flow of phone calls and emails, all aimed at maximizing opportunities with top-name guests.
“The communication between the sports stations is amazing,” said Nahigian. “That’s one of the great parts of being in a company that has stations like 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, 670 The Score in Chicago, and 94 WIP in Philadelphia, among others. We all work together, and it makes it easier for everybody.”
Setting The Example
Nahigian is approaching 95.7 The Game’s programming strategy as a rough draft for the World Cup, which arrives later this year. While radio row will account for the majority of the coverage, the brand’s growing digital platforms will be fully engaged in producing content from across the entire experience.
He noted that this is especially important for generating additional revenue. While the on-air product remains the top priority, finding creative opportunities to sell alongside it matters just as much.
“This is the most important part of my job. How do we monetize this to the max, but not water down the content? Bottom line is, you must have a sales staff, VP of sales, and market manager that you can tell we’re at our max. Then get creative after that,” explained Nahigian. “It’s not about limiting things. My job is to come up with creative angles for clients.”
With Nahigian’s mindset evolving on the importance of being present on radio row, this year’s opportunity is vital. The stronger the results, the more likely the content strategy can carry into future Super Bowls. It is a balance every programmer faces, ensuring the content resonates with the audience while maximizing revenue in the home market of the Super Bowl.
The countdown to launch grows closer each day. After months of planning, meetings with partners, and support from his Audacy team, Matt Nahigian is ready to lead his group and welcome the nation to the Bay Area for Super Bowl XL.
“It’s awesome for the city. Plus, it’s a great opportunity not only for us, but for everyone to grab the spotlight and show the country who we are,” says Nahigian. “There’s nothing better than being around and trying to help that week become the best week we’ve had at 95.7 The Game in a long time.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries.Sign upfor our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
What is journalism anymore? That’s a question that has been asked repeatedly over the past few weeks, and it still lacks a clear, singular answer. Historically, journalism has been about gathering facts to present a story. No lean. No editorializing. Just provide the information and allow the audience to decide.
That definition has been challenged again following Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones’ postgame interaction with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen two weeks ago. Rather than asking a question, Jones offered a message of positivity. Since then, debate over professionalism and journalistic standards has remained at an all-time high.
That’s why Charles Barkley’s appearance Tuesday on The Dan Le Batard Show was so compelling. No one would confuse the Basketball Hall of Famer with a journalist. Some would even argue he struggles as a fair commentator, given his frequent criticism of today’s NBA. Instead of breaking down basketball, Barkley delivered an unfiltered rant on the state of journalism. While Barkley’s tone was unsurprising, Le Batard’s silence in defense of the profession he built his career on was.
In typical Le Batard Show fashion, Barkley walked the line between serious and humorous. Barkley criticized those who took issue with Jones’ moment, referring to them as “punk-ass reporters” and “clowns.”
I have deep respect for Le Batard and what he has created with Meadowlark Media. He stood his ground at ESPN Radio, challenged the conventions of syndicated programming, and successfully built an empire outside traditional media structures.
I first became familiar with Le Batard through his writing and Miami sports coverage during his long tenure at The Miami Herald. Though primarily a columnist for more than 25 years, his work consistently blended fact, context, and perspective in ways that encouraged readers to think for themselves. Journalism.
Meadowlark Media prides itself on being a home for storytellers willing to ask uncomfortable questions. Between Le Batard, Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote, and The Athletic’s Pablo Torre, the company is often viewed as having one of the strongest journalist lineups in modern sports media.
Which raises an obvious question: when a guest attacks the foundation of industry that built your platform, why not engage in the debate?
Jones’ exchange with Coen wasn’t controversial because of tone. It was controversial because it wasn’t a question at all, in a setting specifically designed to limit and prioritize questioning. Were her comments empathetic? Absolutely. But empathy does not belong in place of inquiry during a postgame media session.
This is an awesome post-game exchange between a reporter and Jaguars HC Liam Coen: pic.twitter.com/FwE8aRFaaR
That isn’t journalism. Journalism is about asking questions, gathering facts, and presenting information for public consumption. Jones acted from a place of kindness during a disappointing moment, and that intent is understandable.
Still, the moment warranted criticism. Any journalist committed to professional standards would say the same. A media availability is a workplace environment, not a living room. Standards exist for a reason, and that moment failed to meet them.
Of course Barkley dismissed the critics so harshly — but it was more confusing to see Le Batard let it pass without challenge.
“Jacksonville had a great year. They won four games last year. And we got so many punks on television and on radio now,” explained Barkley. “I started looking and it was a big story brewing. Is this woman serious? She’s supposed to be a journalist. Have we got to the point now where you just have to be an idiot or fool or jackass to be on television or [a] podcast or something now?”
Le Batard has lived in those locker rooms. He’s sat through countless postgame scrums in both winning and losing moments. He has openly criticized how journalism has slipped in recent years.
So after decades in the profession, why was there no defense of it on his own program with someone bashing the standards of it?
Instead, the moment was laughed off, followed by a question that redirected the conversation toward Barkley’s ESPN colleagues.
For someone as skilled in debate and interviewing as Le Batard, the exchange felt flat. It was a missed opportunity on a platform filled with voices who still identify as journalists to defend the role itself.
Journalism requires objectivity. Questions cannot be rooted in personal feelings or emotional interpretation. That standard has not changed. What Jones did in that moment violated it. That reality does not diminish her career, but it does matter.
Context matters. Role clarity matters more. Many who defended Jones leaned on descriptions like sweet, positive, and kind, framing the criticism as an attack on “America’s grandmother.” Would the reaction have been the same if the reporter were a man? Would the defense have sounded the same?
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 20, 2026
That’s why Le Batard’s silence stood out. Even if it wasn’t the biggest opportunity to challenge a guest, it was still a moment to defend the profession. It didn’t need yelling and shouting, but it did need debate. Yes, headlines may be driven by fools and provocateurs, but this criticism was never about attention. It was about responsibility.
What is journalism anymore? That question will continue to be debated as legacy media gives way to new platforms, from government press rooms to high school football sidelines.
Journalism doesn’t need to be cold or cruel. It does, however, need clarity, boundaries, and purpose. Most of all, it needs people willing to defend what it is — and what it isn’t — when those lines blur in real time.
Moments like this are when veterans of the craft should speak up, not laugh it off or redirect the conversation. Silence, especially from those who built careers inside the profession, quietly reshapes the rules for everyone watching.
New media will evolve. Platforms will change. Personalities will grow louder. But journalism, at its core, remains about accountability through questioning, not comfort through commentary.
Lose that, and the job becomes something else entirely.
And if we can’t agree on that anymore, then perhaps the most honest answer is this: journalism hasn’t disappeared — but too many people have stopped standing up for it when it matters most.
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Tony Dokoupil was supposed to rescue the third-place CBS Evening News. Instead, his rocky debut has critics wondering whether CBS has finally lost the race for good.
From awkward on-air moments to what insiders deride as a “state TV” vibe, Dokoupil’s rollout has been the opposite of smooth. Industry critics quickly labeled the launch “inauspicious,” while staffers quietly complained of confusion, whiplash, and a newsroom suddenly unsure of what it stands for.
His counterparts at NBC and ABC have big ratings leads and seem to have clear direction and momentum. Not so at CBS.
Detractors like Variety’s Daniel D’Addario described Dokoupil’s debut as “inauspicious,” and media critic Jeff Jarvis wrote that Dokoupil’s launch was “a nail in the coffin” of CBS’s journalistic reputation.
Ratings dipped almost immediately, maintaining CBS’s long-standing basement status and raising uncomfortable questions about whether the Tiffany Network knows what kind of news it wants to deliver with the controversial Bari Weiss running the operation.
But Tony Dokoupil, the former CBS Mornings anchor, with admittedly not a lot of name recognition, can be folksier, looser and just plain funny, especially compared to his rather stiff rivals at ABC and NBC. He sometimes breathes fresh air into what’s traditionally been a highly produced, buttoned-up thirty minutes on all the networks.
Take a recent broadcast from Pittsburgh. He was seen laughing during an interview with a dog robot, and when he ended the show signing off from a steel plant, where he wore a hardhat, he turned his back to the camera and yukked it up with the workers. You won’t see the more regal David Muir doing that at ABC.
Tony Dokoupil himself has criticized the mainstream media as untrustworthy. But the real sticking point is what some call his softer interview style – especially with such political figures as Pete Hegseth, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Donald Trump. He did ask them relatively aggressive questions. However, Trump demanded CBS air all thirteen minutes of his recent interview or he would be sued. They aired it. But CBS countered that it planned to run it regardless of what the president said.
Others say the problem isn’t Tony Dokoupil himself, but Weiss, who was hired from the Free Press to move CBS’s coverage to the political center. Critics say she’s making it more MAGA-friendly and caused the opening night flubs by rewriting Dokoupil’s script minutes before airtime.
Meanwhile, over at ABC, David Muir sits firmly on top of the heap, and looks almost bored doing it. He is the most-watched evening news anchor, leading World News Tonight in total viewers for years. He’s won major journalism awards, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Some viewers think he’s trustworthy, magnetic, and calming – and even dish about his good looks. He projects smoothness, and an ability to command the chair, even if he never seems to take a breath of air. Whether you like him or not, Muir plays the part on television as if he were born for it.
Conservative critics have argued that Muir has shown left-leaning bias. When he moderated the September 2024 presidential debate, he was accused of fact-checking Trump more frequently than Kamala Harris. Trump cried foul as loudly as he could.
“Narcissistic” is another adjective used to describe Muir. While covering the Los Angeles forest fires, social media went wild when the cameras showed that he had clipped the back of his jacket in several places to make it tighter in the front. In lightning speed, mockery about appearance over substance bellowed across the media landscape.
But get this: The criticism doesn’t seem to matter. ABC wears the crown. He has more than eight million nightly viewers, and they keep watching. When it comes to ratings, Muir scores.
NBC, by contrast, is sweating – and sprinting.
Tom Llamas, installed at NBC Nightly News a few months before Dukoupil, has brought intensity, ambition, and a caffeine-fueled urgency to a broadcast long defined by Lester Holt’s calm authority. Inside 30 Rock, Llamas has earned a reputation as both overly demanding and a strong leader.
In his first full month anchoring, the network saw slight dips in overall viewership compared to Lester Holt’s final weeks, and remained millions behind ABC’s World News Tonight in total audience numbers.
But he’s done what no one really thought he could. He bested ABC in the key young advertising demo (the only number that really matters) several times, including recently when he beat ABC for the week. And when he started in June, it was the only evening newscast to grow year-over-year.
That’s a good omen for someone who has to carry the mantle of the legendary Holt. NBC isn’t winning yet – but it’s clearly trying. And in a shrinking evening news environment, hard work matters.
But the show under Llamas is packed with eye-catching videos of minor or meaningless local stories. The other night these included kids stranded on a bus, a foreign avalanche and an iguana falling out of a Florida tree, a kind of paint-by-numbers populism. The other night Llamas led off with winter storms, a staple of local news.
Trump isn’t a fan of Llamas either. When he was an ABC correspondent during the 2016 campaign, candidate Trump insulted him during a contentious exchange leading to cries of bias by conservatives.
So here’s where we stand. ABC projects power. NBC projects hunger. CBS projects, for now, confusion.
In a media world where trust is vaporizing and audiences are dwindling by the minute, perception matters as much as performance. Right now, David Muir is the unmovable king, Tom Llamas the challenger sharpening his knives, and Tony Dokoupil the anchor caught in a network identity crisis he didn’t create, but now owns.
Maybe CBS’ perceived turn to the right will garner a different audience, or maybe it will backfire. It’s a bold move to bring on a young turk who isn’t afraid to shake things up both in his demeanor and his choice of guests. And that makes many uncomfortable, and others hopeful for what they believe should be a more balanced broadcast.
The nightly news wars are no longer about who gets to the scene of a national tragedy providing exclusive coverage. It’s about staying alive. And at CBS, time isn’t on its side.
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The entertainment industry welcomed a groundbreaking announcement this past weekend when plans emerged to bring a smaller version of the famous Sphere Las Vegas to the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, also known as the DMV. Many observers were not only surprised that the announcement came over a holiday weekend, but also shocked by the proposed location of the new “East Coast Sphere.”
“The DMV of all places?” many social media users asked in unison. Their concerns may be legitimate.
Location, accessibility, cost. All underlying questions of whether the DMV area can consistently draw the required audience for such a massive spectacle. This fueled debate, despite the venue’s groundbreaking live event experience.
“Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities,” said James Dolan, Executive Chairman of Sphere Entertainment, in a press release. “The State of Maryland and Prince George’s County recognize the potential for a Sphere at National Harbor to elevate and advance immersive experiences across the area,” he added.
Initial Feeback
The proposed Maryland-based Sphere would measure roughly one-third the size of the Las Vegas venue, featuring 6,000 seats compared to Vegas’s nearly 20,000. The venue is expected to be built using both public and private funding totaling $200 million and would become “one of the largest economic development projects in Prince George’s County history,” according to the release.
Upon completion, the new Sphere is projected to “bring in greater than $1 billion annually” to the local economy.
Still, one question remains: Will the new Sphere actually work?
“This state has more concerning matters right now. I’m not a fan of the citizens footing the bill,” Baltimore-based Jimmy’s Famous Seafood owner John Minadakis says. “There are many amazing entertainment venues in the state, including the newly refurbished CFG Bank Arena and the beautiful Merriweather Post Pavilion. If people want to see the Sphere, people will get on a plane and fly to Las Vegas.”
Many residents appear to agree, particularly across social media platforms.
Among the biggest concerns is the economic impact on an already heavily taxed Maryland population. Average monthly electricity bills are exceeding $270, roughly 22% above the national average. Energy costs have risen so sharply that Governor Moore recently signed an executive order aimed at reducing them.
Optics Matter
For many in the region, saying the optics are poor for the newly announced Sphere may be an understatement.
“We still haven’t even rebuilt the bridge yet,” one Maryland-based X user posted, referencing the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. An event that saw a massive container ship strike a support column, killing six people.
What was initially projected as a 2028 rebuild has since been delayed until at least 2030. Additionally, the estimated cost has nearly tripled from roughly $1.7 billion to “between $4.3 billion and 5.2 billion.”
National Harbor, the planned site of the immersive Sphere attraction, currently lacks direct public transportation access. As a result, the proposed “East Coast Sphere” appears to have sparked celebration among some, while creating resentment among others. A sentiment reflected in Governor Moore’s X feed.
Others, however, disagree and welcome the idea of state-of-the-art entertainment arriving at National Harbor. A site that already draws millions of tourists each year.
Who Will Play?
One of the biggest unanswered questions remains: What type of artists will the DMV Sphere attract?
Sphere Las Vegas has already hosted successful residencies featuring The Backstreet Boys, Phish, and U2, drawing fans from around the world.
“For concerts [at the new Sphere], we expect the same residency model [as the Las Vegas sphere],” said Wall Street entertainment analyst Brandon Ross. “The biggest barrier for artists will be the high upfront costs when there are a third of the seats. This could work out through longer residencies. More importantly, we expect the upfront content costs to come down significantly over time thanks to generative AI.”
Therein lies the challenge. Due to the Sphere’s immersive 360-degree screen and complex visual production, many touring artists may struggle to afford those costs. Especially with a reduced seating capacity.
As Ross noted, the venue may need to rely heavily on artists capable of sustaining multi-week residencies. This along with theater-style immersive productions similar to Sphere Las Vegas’s Wizard of Oz experience. Fans have also expressed concern that with just 6,000 seats. Ticket prices could climb sharply as artists and operators attempt to recoup production expenses.
There is little debate that Sphere Las Vegas succeeds largely because it sits in Las Vegas. The city itself serves as a destination, offering endless entertainment options, dining, nightlife, and gaming.
The DMV, however, is not Las Vegas.
That reality may also be part of Sphere Entertainment Group’s strategy. The company appears to be targeting fans who prefer a less chaotic experience while still seeking premium entertainment. In turn, the Maryland Sphere would need to become a destination for visitors beyond the immediate region.
Whether the venue can attract artists compelling enough to justify travel remains uncertain. Just as important, the long-term question looms: Will audiences return once the initial “wow” factor fades?
Time will tell.
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With 20-plus years in the industry and a long family history in media, it was only a shock to Chris Plante that he made it behind the mic and in front of the camera.
“I had never set out to be on the radio. I had never set out to be on television. And now I’m both on television and radio,” Newsmax host Chris Plante said to Barrett.
But his TV days are coming to a close. “Now that I’ve been doing [both TV and radio] for a little more than two and a half years at Newsmax, I ask myself frequently, why radio and television? I’m working from 5 AM to 7 PM five days a week. That’s a lot,” Plante reasoned.
“It’s at a bare minimum of a 14-hour workday, five days a week, and I’m asking myself, ‘Why radio and television?’”
He rhetorically answered, “The truth is, I’m kind of looking forward to getting back to radio only. And it’s not because I don’t like Newsmax. It’s because I don’t like my schedule anymore. It’s just too much of a workday and too much of a workweek.”
He is going back to his radio roots, and Plante believes the beauty of radio “is that it’s all you.” No hair and makeup, or “people to turn you into something you’re not. Radio is all you. It’s 100 percent you. Nothing but you.”
He went on to say, “Television, it’s you and 30 other people creating a product that goes out over the airwaves.”
While Plante is leaving the TV world, you will still be able to find him on social media, and of course, radio. “In the 21st century, digital media is so ubiquitous and a part of absolutely everything, not just in media, but in everyone’s daily lives and everybody’s personal life.”
Plante added, “[Social media’s] outreach to your audience is a much more direct outreach than you can have, certainly on television, because people interact personally with social media in ways that they could never interact with television or television shows or television personalities.”
While social media might be considered an accessory to TV, Plante sees it as “almost an expansion of what you’re already doing, because radio is very personal and it’s very interpersonal. And the interaction you have with the audience is very human and very three-dimensional.”
Jokingly, he opined, “Nobody calls in to the Wolf Blitzer show saying, ‘Hey, you just got that wrong’ … Nobody calls into CNN and gets on the air and says, ‘Here’s what you got wrong.’ And it might help CNN if they started doing that, actually.”
A third-generation news hawk, it is ubiquitously known that Plante grew up in a CBS household, as the step-son of longtime CBS News correspondent Bill Plante. He says this upbringing made him “raised with certain beliefs as to what journalism is supposed to be.” Plante added that the “ideal of journalism” he was raised with is “hard to find these days.”
“I believe in good journalism,” Plante affirmed. “Real journalism is important to the proper function not only of our constitutional republic, but also the proper function of our culture and our society.”
“I think that a good deal of what is wrong in our culture and our society and our politics today has gone south because of a corrupted news media, which does not play the role that the fourth estate is supposed to play in order to guarantee the proper function of our republic: holding feet to the fire of our elected officials and doing so in an even-handed and fair way,” Plante surmised. “I think every American recognizes that the American media has fallen down on the job.”
Pressing him on why he believes journalism died, Plante said, “I could do a semester on this.” One major example he often points to is “Watergate.”
“Woodward and Bernstein became the stuff of Hollywood movies,” the Newsmax host said. “In journalism schools, they’re teaching not that you should be providing straight journalism for the betterment of mankind, but that you should be advancing a political agenda.”
Plante claims that instead of viewing Watergate as two journalists doing their job, the famed incident is viewed as “the two guys at the Post brought down Richard Nixon. And that’s not their job to bring down Richard Nixon, it’s their job to report the news.”
He later added, “Out of the Watergate era, a school of thought emerged in journalism schools and in newsrooms across the country that you’re supposed to be an activist, and not a straight journalist. Activism is not journalism, and journalism is not activism. And ne’er the twain shall meet.”
The longtime radio host is hoping for a future where the journalistic values he grew up with flourish. “There are pockets of journalism that still exist, but they’re getting hard to find.” He added, “Thank God for Al Gore and his amazing internet, because it has democratized the dissemination of information, analysis, and reporting.”
He pointed to Nick Sortor as an example of great journalism. “[He] went to Minneapolis and found the Somali daycare centers where there are no kids and no daycare going on. And yet they’re taking in millions and millions of taxpayer dollars. In fact, billions of taxpayer dollars every year.”
Plante went on to say, “Nick Sortor broke news that George Stephanopoulos didn’t break, that the New York Times didn’t break. So if you’re looking for journalism, it’s out there, but it’s going to be that man there and that woman there and this website there. But it’s not likely to be The New York Times or ABC News.”
Plante’s advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps is blunt. “I tell them to get a degree in business and go into business, and don’t go into journalism. That’s what I tell college-age people.”
Despite all the doom and gloom in the industry, Plante believes, “There are still some of us around [who want to tell the truth], but you have to find an outlet. It may be online, it may be on television. Wherever it may be, there are outlets where the people there still want to tell the truth.”
He lastly noted, “Journalism is supposed to be about the truth, revealing the truth, and holding people accountable. And I’ve always found that to be very easy. The trick is to find the place where they’ll pay you to tell the truth, and you can build a career telling the truth.”
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If you’re not chronically online, you might not know about the Dr. Pepper jingle, its origins, or why a billion-dollar company used a song created by a TikToker in its latest ad campaign.
Dr. Pepper is a beloved brand. Cult-like following. So much so that one content creator — named Romeo — created her own jingle for the brand.
It was simple, and the entire video — including the introduction — lasted 11 seconds.
“Dr. Pepper, baby. It’s good and nice. Doo doo doo.”
Despite its simplicity, the “theme song”, as Romeo called it, quickly went viral. It has more than 4 million likes on TikTok and has garnered more than 35 million views.
During the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night, Dr. Pepper launched a new campaign featuring the song. It’s only 15 seconds, but went subsequently viral in its own right.
The moment got me thinking about what lessons this could serve news/talk radio professionals, or any media figure for that matter.
I think there are two important lessons to be gleaned from this.
Never Pass Up Goodwill
Dr. Pepper is a billion-dollar brand. That matters, because it destroys the convenient excuse that only smaller companies need to chase momentum. When a brand with that kind of scale sees a viral TikTok moment, recognizes the positivity surrounding it, and turns that goodwill into a full-fledged advertising campaign, it sends a clear message. No one is too big to benefit from being liked.
Goodwill is currency. In news and talk radio, it may be the most undervalued asset in the building. Any chance you get to be viewed favorably by your audience, you should take it. That doesn’t mean forcing yourself into every conversation or stapling your logo onto anything trending. It does mean understanding when the public is already smiling in your direction and leaning into it.
Dr. Pepper didn’t create the moment. They didn’t script it or manufacture it. They recognized it, respected it, and amplified it. That distinction matters. Listeners can tell when you’re hijacking a trend versus when you’re participating in one. The former feels desperate. The latter feels smart.
Radio professionals often overthink this part. They wait for perfect alignment or worry about whether a moment is “on brand.” Meanwhile, the window for positivity quietly closes. Any opportunity to tie your show, station, or personality to something people already enjoy is worth serious consideration. If you can be part of the conversation instead of reacting to it later, you should pounce. Never let a promotional opportunity go to waste when the audience is already doing half the work for you.
You Don’t Have to Rush It, Though
The original TikTok that sparked Dr. Pepper’s campaign went viral nearly a month before the first commercial aired. Predictably, the criticism followed. People online wondered why the brand didn’t move faster or strike while the iron was hot. That critique misunderstands what actually happened next.
When the ad debuted during the National Championship Game, it went viral again. Millions of viewers already knew the jingle and the backstory. Familiarity turned into anticipation, and anticipation turned into another moment. That doesn’t happen when you rush something out just to say you were there.
Dr. Pepper didn’t half-ass the attempt or try to stretch 15 minutes of fame into 16. They took their time, invested properly, and executed with confidence. The result was not a trailing reaction, but a second wave of attention that felt earned.
This is a critical lesson for news and talk radio. Speed matters, but timing matters more. Chasing every trend at the tail end often makes you sound late and out of touch. Creating something thoughtful that extends the life of a moment is far more valuable.
Starting a new conversation, or restarting an existing one, beats rushing to be first and forgotten. When you do it right, you’re not riding the wave. You’re creating another one.
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