The Minnesota Timberwolves are heading back to 830 WCCO. The team and Audacy announced an exclusive radio and streaming deal starting this season.
What We Know: 830 WCCO becomes the Timberwolves’ flagship radio home beginning with the 2026-27 season. The team previously aired on the station for 12 seasons, from 2011-12 through 2022-23. Now, WCCO will carry every regular season game, with Alan Horton calling the action in his 20th season. Additionally, Horton and studio host Cal Soderquist will anchor 30-minute pre- and post-game shows on-air and online. The team spent the last three seasons with iHeartMedia.
What They Said: Kelly Laferriere, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Chief Strategy Officer: “We couldn’t be more excited to return to WCCO Radio. WCCO’s longstanding connection with fans throughout Minnesota makes it an ideal home for Timberwolves basketball, and we look forward to sharing another exciting season with listeners across the region.”
Debbie Kenyon, Regional President, Audacy: “There’s something special about hearing Minnesota basketball on the station that has been part of this community for generations, and we can’t wait to provide fans a front-row seat to all the energy, excitement and drama of another great Wolves season.”
What Remains Unclear: The announcement doesn’t disclose the length or financial terms of the agreement. Meanwhile, the team renewed its Learfield IMG College deal for affiliates in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. However, the release doesn’t name specific affiliate stations.
What It Means: The move reunites the Wolves with a heritage station following a three-season absence. Moreover, WCCO’s lineup includes Chad Hartman, the team’s radio voice from 1990 to 2006. Additionally, longtime Minnesota basketball reporter Henry Lake adds credibility. Ultimately, Audacy gains year-round Wolves content across its Minneapolis portfolio, while the team gains a statewide platform.
It's #WolvesBack and they're back on WCCO Radio! In a deal just announced, WCCO is thrilled to have Timberwolves back on the air, and streaming on the @Audacy app for the 2026-27 season – it begins Monday, Oct. 5th with a preseason game in Milwaukee.https://t.co/wThTkpmfC3
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A federal judge has refused to toss the FTC’s lawsuit against Ticketmaster. As a result, the case now moves into discovery.
What We Know: Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong denied Ticketmaster’s motion to dismiss on Monday. The FTC first sued Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation in 2025. Specifically, regulators claim the company let brokers dodge purchase limits with hundreds or thousands of fake accounts. Frimpong wrote that the BOTS Act “does not preclude platforms from facing liability.”
What’s at Stake: The ruling means the Better Online Ticket Sales Act can reach platforms, not just individual resellers. Meanwhile, the FTC points to an internal email from a senior executive. In it, the executive admitted the company ignores broker conduct “as a matter of policy.” Additionally, Ticketmaster collected resale fees on its own secondary market.
What Remains Unclear: So far, no court has tested whether the FTC’s allegations hold up at trial. Moreover, Live Nation still faces a pending antitrust appeal and sentencing. Those proceedings could shape how this case unfolds. Furthermore, dozens of state attorneys general want the courts to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
What It Means: For fans, the ruling opens a new path to challenge ticketing abuses at the platform level. In addition, discovery could expose more internal records about broker relationships. For radio and the live music business, the stakes run just as high. After all, concerts, promotions, and ticket giveaways depend on a fair, trusted marketplace.
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Dan Diorio has exited 1470 & 100.3 WMBD after more than four decades with the Peoria news/talk station. His departure ends a 21-year morning partnership with Greg Batton.
What We Know: Diorio joined WMBD more than 40 years ago and spent the past 21 years alongside Batton in morning drive. The station’s website previously identified Diorio as a radio veteran with more than 40 years in the industry and more than 35 years at WMBD. Diorio and Batton had hosted The Greg & Dan Show since 2005. Meanwhile, morning news anchor Julia Bradley has also departed the Midwest Communications-owned Peoria station. Batton remains in morning drive following Diorio’s exit.
What’s At Stake: Diorio’s departure changes the long-running morning lineup at one of Peoria’s established news/talk stations. Additionally, Bradley’s exit leaves the station without one of its familiar morning news voices. The changes could affect the structure and sound of WMBD’s morning programming as the station moves forward.
What Remains Unclear: WMBD hasn’t indicated whether it plans to add another co-host alongside Batton. The station also hasn’t publicly detailed the circumstances surrounding either departure. Additionally, Diorio and Bradley haven’t publicly addressed their exits.
What It Means: Batton now carries the morning show following more than two decades of working with Diorio. For now, WMBD’s next steps remain unclear as the station determines how it will structure its morning programming. Diorio was still hosting WMBD’s Saturday Showcase programming earlier this month, underscoring how recently his role changed.
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KXnO is putting a local voice back in Des Moines afternoons. Former Lazer 103.3 host Mike Wickett takes over the 2-5 p.m. weekday slot effective immediately.
What We Know: The move comes three months after iHeartMedia layoffs ended KXnO’s local programming. Before Wickett’s arrival, Sean Roberts and Lucas Strain held the 2-5 p.m. slot with Off The Bench. Both were part of the recent layoffs by the company. Wickett, meanwhile, is a familiar Des Moines voice. He co-hosted Lazer 103.3 mornings from 2021 until March. More recently, Wickett has been manning weekend programming on Westwood One Sports.
What They Said: Mike Wickett (via Facebook): “NEW SHOW ALERT!! I’M BAAAAACK! Starting TUESDAY, I’m back LIVE on air every weekday from 2-5p talking sports in Des Moines on KXNO! And yes, I’m still doing my national shows on Westwood One! Special thanks to Gregg Henson, Tony Travatto & Ryan Maguire!”
What Remains Unclear: Wickett’s post did not mention any additional talent joining the program. It’s also unclear whether KXnO plans to restore more local programming.
What It Means: For KXnO, the hire returns a live local voice to afternoon drive. That matters in a market where listeners pushed back hard on iHeart’s 2020 and more recent 2026 layoffs. Moreover, Wickett brings built-in familiarity after five years on Des Moines mornings. Ultimately, the move suggests iHeart still sees value in local content at its Iowa flagship.
NEW SHOW ALERT!!
I'M BAAAAACK!!!
Starting TUESDAY, I'm back LIVE on air every weekday from 2-5p talking sports in Des Moines on KXNO!!
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Today marks a new beginning. The Major League Baseball playoffs officially begin. The second season will likely be filled with memories, personalities, and moments that generations of fans will relive forever. It was the alternative band Semisonic that coined the lyric, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” With baseball turning the page to October, the sport once again said goodbye to some of its greatest voices on radio as they enter their own personal second season.
Baseball on the radio has always gone together like chilled lemonade on a hot summer day. The voices become friends. Their sound becomes our soundtrack. With every pitch comes a new chapter in a story where legends tell the tale. This weekend, baseball and fans around the country showed their appreciation for the love of the game delivered through the radio.
Far too often, the power of radio gets overlooked. Research continues to show a decline in usage of the medium as society shifts toward an on-demand content economy. But just like television, baseball on the radio continues to buck the trends of technology.
It’s appointment listening, where fans continue to flock. Whether they’re on the go, in the car, or listening through an app. It’s where friends come together to catch up on the day, talk about the team, and revel in the hometown voices that represent the club whose colors they share.
Need proof? This past weekend, baseball on the radio said goodbye to two more voices of local baseball lore.
Fitting Tributes
Howie Rose received a magnificent sendoff during his final home-game call, with fans around the country celebrating his career. The New York Mets provided some moments of glory during his more than four decades with the club in various capacities. But his tone, empathy, and ability to connect with Mets fans elevated him beyond being merely regionally beloved. He became nationally respected.
Howie Rose’s full, emotional sign-off as he bid farewell to end his final broadcast🥹 pic.twitter.com/oZmSMuXU8C
Sunday, the Seattle Mariners said thank you to Rick Rizzs after 41 seasons with the ballclub. The longest-tenured broadcaster in franchise history was given a moment to reflect on his career as he listened to messages from longtime listeners. The messages spoke of hope, loss, coping, laughter, celebration, and connection. In a region that doesn’t receive a ton of national notoriety, the celebration of Rizzs’ career became one of the most memorable moments of the final day of the regular season.
Rose and Rizzs are just the latest names to join the sport’s growing list of legendary broadcasters who have recently stepped away from the game. John Sterling, Bob Uecker, Greg Schulte, and Mike Shannon, to name a few.
But the show goes on while other sports and teams contemplate removing the option of radio completely. Audacy stated earlier this year that 2.4 million fans tuned in to local team’s Opening Day play-by-play coverage across broadcast and streaming. Additionally, 36% of MLB fans pair the radio call of the game with live television.
When national broadcasters take away local voices on television, radio remains the consistent local presence. When the playoffs begin, radio remains the consistent local presence.
Why?
Because the authentic sound that baseball on the radio provides captures something television can’t fully create. Instead of showing the picture, radio allows the broadcaster to paint it for the listener.
The Bond Of Hometown Calls
Rose, Rizzs, and their current and former contemporaries all understood that notion. Storytelling at its highest level. A runway to be authentic. A connection that continues more than a century after the first pitch was heard on the radio.
We talk a lot about how radio needs to tell its story better. We discuss changing the narrative from “radio is dying” to “radio continues thriving.” Far too often, radio fails to attribute its own success story to the very people who consume it.
Was there a greater example of the power of radio than when baseball said thank you to Howie Rose and Rick Rizzs?
Baseball on the radio may be the greatest example of the power of the medium, a demonstration that continues to be showcased year after year. It doesn’t need a screen, a highlight package, or a viral moment to validate its importance. It needs a voice, a game, and a listener willing to lean in and become part of the story.
For more than a century, baseball broadcasters have turned pitches into pictures, innings into memories, and games into moments that live far beyond the final out. The voices may change, but the connection remains.
Howie Rose and Rick Rizzs aren’t simply reminders of what baseball on the radio once was. They are proof of what it still is.
As another postseason begins and another generation of broadcasters takes the microphone, the greatest story radio can tell isn’t that it survived another season. It’s that baseball continues to give the medium another opportunity to demonstrate why it has always mattered.
Play ball. Welcome to the second season.
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Chicago is the center of attention. However, I’m not talking about baseball, even though both of their teams are in the playoffs this week. We’ll see if they are still playing when the radio industry arrives in the Windy City next week. After all, next week the Class of 2026 is inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.
A Class Full of Radio Legends
Chicago grew up with Fred Winston on WLS, in the same way LA remembers Charlie Van Dyke and Shotgun Tom Kelly. I love to see legendary disc jockeys get this recognition. Likewise, no one can deny Rickey Smiley’s contributions to radio. The same goes for Dennis Green’s role in syndication and as Kraig Kitchin’s partner leading the Hall of Fame inductions.
Also in this year’s class are legendary NFL star Boomer Esiason and Helen Little. I had the pleasure of working with Helen at Clear Channel. Similarly, I worked in the same building as Boomer for 15 years with CBS and Audacy. I will not forget my first day at CBS New York in April 2010, when Boomer graciously welcomed me to the company. Over the years, he played a role in many on-air bits with Karen Carson’s morning show at WNEW. All the while, he was broadcasting Monday Night Football and 19 Super Bowls on Westwood One and CBS-TV’s NFL Today. He truly transitioned from a football star to a radio and media personality.
Bob Pittman’s Pittsburgh Beginnings
Finally, radio’s leading executive is being honored with induction this year. I worked for Bob Pittman as a teenage disc jockey in Pittsburgh. At the time, he was not much older and was programming his first station. In the ’70s, Pittsburgh was a top 10 market, and the radio dial was alive. For instance, Jeff Christie, who later became Rush Limbaugh, was on ABC-owned KQV. Meanwhile, upstart 13Q, featuring Jackson Armstrong, was taking over the Top 40 space. Bob’s WPEZ (now WWSW) was the first hit music station on the FM dial in the Steel City. In short, he jumped in the deep end of the pool, and he knew how to swim.
The WPEZ launch marketing campaign consisted of large bus boards. But Bob made sure ours got noticed. Equal in size to the call letters and frequency was the slogan “FLICK YOUR DIAL.” In fact, Bob made sure the “L” and the “I” in the word flick sat very close together. As a result, it was easy to read something else. It worked so well that the bus company was flooded with complaints. Eventually, the company added a piece of colored tape to shorten the bottom of the “L.” Mission accomplished.
Lessons From a Marketing Mind
Bob taught me to screw with the competition. For example, 13Q once held a big free concert in the park. We were there with flyers thanking people for coming, with our call letters and frequency prominently displayed. Additionally, contest rules needed to be available to the public. So, he always sent one of us to 13Q the day a new contest hit the air. It was fun to watch the office staff scramble to come up with the required rules.
I will always remember the Saturday shift when Bob had me create a Bigfoot scare. It was our local version of War of the Worlds. It even got some police departments involved. Listeners delighted in calling to say they were the latest to see the “Bigfoot Monster” heading toward the city.
He was the program director who had jock meetings at his apartment and preached talking in “listener speak.” I recall the day he chastised a talent for talking about a “sibling rivalry” on the air. After all, those were not the words one of our young listeners would use. Later, when the station started to become a success, the programming staff was offered salary increases. Instead, Bob asked that his raise go into the promotion and marketing budget. He did not care about replacing his ugly yellow Dodge Dart — he was only in it to win it.
Why Pittman Belongs in the Hall
Bob left Pittsburgh for Chicago, then moved on to New York for WNBC. Later, he turned a job at Time Warner Cable into MTV, and the rest is history. Whether his career took him to Six Flags, Century 21, AOL or iHeart, his marketing mind was always at work. Take the early days of email, for example. Nearly every bus in New York proclaimed AOL was so easy, no wonder it’s #1. Sell your strongest attributes.
Bob Pittman takes a lot of criticism for downsizing the staff at iHeart. However, I believe he’s done amazing work with the debt he inherited, without selling some of their biggest assets. Moreover, their radio stations continue to perform at a high level. And yes, he spends money marketing them. Simply put, radio is a much better business with Bob Pittman in it. That’s why he deserves induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Bob and all in the Class of 2026.
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Major League Baseball’s postseason has officially arrived. For 30 teams playing 162 games each, the tournament begins today. Which teams will be the one to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy? As much as the sport of football has commanded the country’s attention, there is nothing quite like the rush of postseason baseball. That energy continues to fuel MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac year after year as he prepares to wrap up his 18th season on baseball’s flagship network.
“The ups and downs of this season have made it so unpredictable,” said Plesac. “I’ve never seen a season where expectations for some good teams were so high that they never performed. Yet, there are some teams you couldn’t predict and don’t want to play right now. But this is the time of year when it’s fun.”
Plesac is an MLB Network original. He joined the network when it first launched in 2009 following several seasons working locally in Chicago, covering the Cubs for Comcast SportsNet. A son of Gary, Indiana, Plesac’s Midwestern roots drove him to take a chance on becoming a face of a national network. Despite the challenges that came with the position.
Aside from moving from the Midwest to New Jersey, the role required more study, knowledge and depth in his analysis than he had faced before.
“This was a giant take-on because there’s over 700 players on 30 teams. I wasn’t just concerned with the Cubs and who they were playing anymore,” explained Plesac. “I can’t know everything about every team and every player. But I have to know enough to know what I’m talking about.”
From Local To National
During his 18-year MLB career, playing for six major league clubs, Plesac never once envisioned himself entering sports media as his second act. When he played the game, he had the opportunity to interact with plenty of different media personalities. During that time, he never had an issue with a single media member.
The pivot proved difficult at first for Plesac. After being hired by the Cubs, he was often encouraged to bring more of his personality behind the camera to the forefront. Over time, he built enough of a connection with the local audience to grab the attention of MLB Network executives, who brought him in to audition in the winter of 2008.
“The biggest adjustment I had coming to MLB Network was coming here on a national level and getting comfortable being myself,” said Plesac. “On a national level, you have to play it down the middle. Although we all have a favorite team, it’s about the information and analysis of every team. People tune in because they want to know my knowledge of the game, but also to find a balance with entertainment.”
The goal for Plesac this postseason, and every season, is to be the teacher. Bring the baseball fan closer to the game by providing a nugget of information from a perspective few have. Plesac admits his style may not be liked by everyone, but he is fine with the result. That’s why he doesn’t shy away from conversation and engagement with the MLB Network fan base.
In fact, he encourages it. Plesac regularly posts his Top 25 list of starting pitchers in Major League Baseball online, which generates the most engagement. While he doesn’t respond to many replies, Plesac enjoys the amount of feedback he receives.
It’s the community that surrounds baseball that resonates with Plesac the most. It’s a game that generations played throughout their youth. A game they grew to love and celebrate every autumn as a new champion is crowned.
“When you get a chance to be on the field for so many different events on a national level, not every day is the greatest day ever. Just like a player, there are the dog days in July and August. But when the postseason starts, I have to pinch myself,” said Plesac. “There are moments when I realize what I do on MLB Network is hard to do anywhere else. We get a little spoiled from time to time.”
A Hometown Call
As much as Plesac is thankful for his national stage, he’s enjoyed reconnecting with his local roots over the last two seasons. When Chicago White Sox analyst Steve Stone wanted to pare down his work schedule, the South Side called Plesac and inquired about his services.
“There’s nothing like being at the field. That’s my home. When I’m at the ballpark, that’s where I feel the most comfortable,” said Plesac. “The simplest way I can explain this is. I love baseball. I don’t necessarily love television. When you’re doing games, you get to do a little bit of both.”
"This team could contend for an AL Wild Card spot." 👀
Plesac grew up as a White Sox fan in nearby Gary, Indiana. He recalled going to games at Comiskey Park to see Greg Walker, Ron Kittle and his favorite player, Harold Baines. Over the last two seasons, Plesac has called roughly 20 games a season as a fill-in game analyst. The opportunity allowing him to relive his childhood.
“I was surprised how that little boy in me started coming back out calling White Sox games,” explained Plesac. “I found myself emotionally invested in it and realized it’s OK to let people know I grew up a White Sox fan. It’s OK to feel bad about a tough loss. Even though I told myself not to be emotionally involved. Damn it, I’m emotionally involved.”
The 20-game slate that Plesac occupies balances well with his duties at MLB Network. As much fun as the opportunity with the White Sox has been, a return to working local broadcasts full time isn’t in the cards.
“It would be hard for me to leave MLB Network,” said Plesac. “It’s a great place to work. They treat people well. I’ve been here since the beginning. I got a great job here. But I get the best of both worlds with 20 White Sox games as well.”
Balanced Approach
As the postseason begins later today, what looms beyond it will be a much bigger story to tackle for Plesac and MLB Network. With the current collective bargaining agreement ending Dec. 1, many speculate that Major League Baseball will experience a work stoppage of some sort.
Admittedly, Plesac says he’s not looking forward to covering something he feels would hurt the current state of the game itself. He recalled that, as a player, he didn’t pay much attention to the labor talks between the union and the league. Instead, Plesac always leaned on the player representatives for their insights and experience in those discussions.
Be that as it may, he expects some sort of lockout will indeed happen and hopes for a resolution with no games missed.
“The game is a great place right now,” says Plesac. “We’ve had conversations about our availability this winter. I typically have January off the last six years. This year, I won’t. So, I’m planning to be on a few days a week without knowing exactly what we’ll be talking about as of yet.”
When it comes to his analysis, Plesac admits labor law is not his expertise but says he will enter the conversations with an open mind. As a former player, he acknowledges that he is in an uncomfortable spot because he personally benefited from these types of discussions during his playing career.
“I’m respectful of the players’ side because I played, but I’m also respectful of baseball and the owners,” said Plesac. “Things aren’t the same today compared to when I retired. To be honest, I haven’t given it much thought because I’m solely focused on the postseason. I’ll worry about December when we get to it.”
For now, though, Plesac isn’t looking too far ahead. The questions surrounding the next collective bargaining agreement can wait. December will bring its own set of challenges, but October offers something much more familiar: the opportunity to talk about the game he has spent his life playing, studying and loving.
After 18 seasons with MLB Network, Plesac has found a second act that never took him too far from his first love. Whether he’s breaking down a pitching matchup on a national broadcast, calling a White Sox game from the South Side or debating his latest Top 25 list with fans online, the mission remains the same.
Teach the game. Celebrate the moments. And when the postseason arrives, allow himself to be that kid from Gary, Indiana, once again.
Because for Plesac, baseball was never just a career. It was home. And nearly two decades into his second act, he still gets to come home every October.
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Rob Kendall spent nearly a decade behind the microphone at 93 WIBC in Indianapolis. He helped build one of the station’s signature midday programs before his run came to an end earlier this year. The exit followed a failed attempt to reach a contract extension, and it left Kendall facing a question that many radio hosts have wrestled with in recent years: what comes next when the format you know best no longer wants you?
For Kendall, the answer arrived faster than most. Rather than wait around for another terrestrial opportunity, he turned to YouTube, Facebook, and podcast platforms to keep the conversation going. In doing so, he built an audience that tunes in regularly.
His new venture, The Rob Kendall Show, has become a case study in how a radio host can pivot to digital media without losing the audience that made him a local fixture in the first place.
The transition wasn’t instantaneous, but it also wasn’t accidental. Kendall says the seeds of his departure were planted during an unusually quiet stretch when the station placed him on the sidelines.
“What I realized is I was having important conversations, especially about politics in Indiana, that no one was having,” Kendall said of his time waiting to find out about his future with WIBC. “Those conversations were just disappearing … Nobody else in Indianapolis media was having them, and I said, we cannot — especially during the heart of the legislative session, with the General Assembly — let these conversations go away.”
Building the Studio from Scratch
Once Kendall recognized the gap he could fill, he moved quickly. He leaned on a longtime business partner, Jason Dozier, with whom he’d previously owned both a radio station and sports streaming company. Together, the two mapped out what a digital-first version of the show could look like. They then started building almost immediately after Kendall’s exit became official. That speed mattered, since momentum from press coverage of his departure had already put his name in front of a hungry audience.
“I’ve worked for many years and owned businesses with a guy named Jason Dozier,” Kendall said. “We owned a radio station together for years, we owned a sports streaming company for years called Audio Sports Online, and Jason has great vision for how to make things, especially in the technical sphere, work. So I reached out to him and said, here’s what I’m looking at doing. Within 2 to 3 weeks, we pretty much had down how we wanted it to look, and how we wanted it to sound.”
Getting the physical setup right took a little longer than nailing down the concept. Kendall and Dozier first rented studio space from friends in Indianapolis before securing a permanent home for the show. Thst process unfolded over a couple of months in early 2026.
“We initially ended up renting space in Fountain Square,” Kendall said. “We had some friends that owned a podcast studio that allowed us in the short term to rent space from them. And then during that time we found a space for ourselves in Indianapolis that allowed us to construct the studio and put it together. We were in that rented space for about 2 months, and then it took us about 2 weeks or so to actually construct our own studio. So by mid-May we were totally in our own place, on our own, doing the show exactly how we wanted to do it.”
A Head Start Most Podcasters Never Get
Because Kendall’s WIBC exit generated so much attention, his show launched with a curious, built-in audience that most new podcasts spend years trying to earn. Outlets across Indianapolis covered the uncertainty around his future. That curiosity translated directly into early viewers once The Rob Kendall Show went live.
“WIBC did me a huge favor taking so long to actually fire me, because it garnered all sorts of publicity,” Kendall said. “‘Where is Rob Kendall going to go? What’s he going to do?’ So we started with a really strong base that most podcasts would never start with. We were doing thousands of people right out of the gate, and most podcasts never start with that.”
That early traction has since grown into consistent, largely organic momentum across YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and iHeart, according to Kendall. He credits the show’s willingness to dig into Indiana politics without pulling punches for sustaining that growth.
“The fact is, when it comes to talking local, and especially when it comes to holding politicians accountable — like really digging into who these guys are, what they’re doing, how they’re voting, how it’s affecting people — nobody’s ever going to do that like we did,” Kendall said. “So people have found the show, and the almost wholly organic growth has been awesome.”
Advice for Others
Looking ahead, Kendall hopes to eventually bring the show back to terrestrial radio in Central Indiana. The program is already syndicated in Northwest Indiana on WJOB. For now, though, he’s focused on strengthening the digital product before adding new distribution.
For anyone considering a similar leap away from traditional radio, Kendall’s advice starts with a willingness to take a risk on yourself, even when the safer path feels more comfortable.
“You’ve got to be prepared to bet on yourself,” Kendall said. “One of the mistakes that I made was not betting on myself 2 or 3 years ago, because I’d be way further along. Look, it’s a hustle, right? We sell our own ads, we create our own content, and there’s not a big staff.
“The other thing, too, is you’ve got to give people something they can’t get anywhere else. The podcast sphere is so crowded that you’ve got to give people something that makes you stand out, to go listen to you every single day.”
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U2 showed up at Mount Temple last week, the Dublin school where the band got its start. They didn’t reinvent anything. They pulled out one of the oldest tricks in the music business: the underplay.
This is a band that’s spent most of its career trying to make stadium shows feel personal. This time, they went back to the schoolyard. The students and staff in that room got something no seat upgrade will ever buy you — the story of the day U2 came back to where it all started.
The idea behind an underplay is simple. You put an act in a room way smaller than the one it could fill. Sure, you leave thousands of seats on the table. But the story from that night travels a lot further than the people who got in.
And I’d bet plenty of you reading this have been to one. Maybe a bunch of them. You remember the room, who got in and what it felt like to be there.
A Small Room, a Big Story
The Rolling Stones figured this out back in 1977. They played two secret shows at Toronto’s El Mocambo, a club that held about 300 people, under the name “The Cockroaches.” Picture walking in expecting a regular night out and there’s the Stones onstage. Nearly 50 years later, people are still talking about it.
Guns N’ Roses pulled the same move in 2016. After years apart, Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan could’ve kicked off the reunion under arena lights. Instead, they played the Troubadour in West Hollywood, a 500-capacity room, and announced it the same day. Fans scrambled for tickets. A whole lot more followed the story from outside the club.
That was a hell of a way to tell the world the band was back.
And it’s not just a classic rock thing. In 2019, Billie Eilish played the Troubadour shortly before announcing an arena tour. Her agent, Tom Windish, told Pollstar that people outside were saying, “She’ll never do this again.” Whether they were right didn’t really matter. Just the possibility made the night feel like a one-time deal.
That’s the appeal. You’re close, you got a little lucky and you saw it before everybody else heard about it. The people who got in walk out with a story. Everybody else wants to know what they missed.
Hell, there are whole music cruises built around this — seeing artists in a smaller setting and spending a few days in their orbit. Different kind of event, sure. But it’s the same itch. People want to get closer to the music and the people who make it.
Radio Knows How to Do This, Too
Stations still put on secret shows, intimate performances and private listener events. Smith & Myers are a great example. That’s Shinedown’s Brent Smith and Zach Myers performing as a duo, and they’re willing to bring those songs into a smaller, more personal room. Radio stations have presented their acoustic shows, and listeners get something completely different from a full Shinedown concert. Country radio does it on the regular, bringing artists into station lounges and small rooms where listeners can get up close.
Of course, it’s harder to pull off than it used to be. Label promotion staffs have shrunk, and a lot of that work has moved online. Getting an artist to swing by the station or play a small club the same day as a bigger show can be a tough sell. I get that. But when record companies, managers and radio stations stop even entertaining the idea? That’s a miss in my book.
I’d love to see more of it. It doesn’t have to be U2, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Put an artist who’s breaking locally into a bar, a record store or the station lounge. Let your talent be part of the night and tell the story afterward. That’s something radio does better than anybody — making a music moment feel like it belongs to the community.
What Happens After the Show?
It’s tempting to judge the night by how many people came through the door. But what happens after they leave? Did they tell their friends? Did the artist want to come back? Did listeners feel like your station got them closer to the music?
These days, you can watch a concert from a dozen angles before the encore’s even over. That makes it tougher to create a moment people feel like they had to be there for. The Stones pulled it off at El Mocambo. Guns N’ Roses did it at the Troubadour. And U2 just did it at the school where it all began.
Sometimes the best way to make a show feel huge is to shrink the room.
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CNN has spent years searching for a primetime identity, and the 2026 Election might finally hand it one. The network announced Monday that it’s partnering with Jubilee for a town hall with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico next month. That’s the right instinct. In fact, CNN should chase as many debates and town halls as it can between now and Election Day.
Yes, the ratings have improved in 2026. However, that progress comes with an asterisk. Some would argue the numbers only rose because they couldn’t sink any lower. Still, a rebound is a rebound, and the network shouldn’t waste it.
The question now is how to turn a modest recovery into real momentum. Live, high-stakes political events offer the clearest path. Moreover, the calendar is on CNN’s side.
More Viewers, Bigger Stakes
The math is simple. A high-profile debate or town hall draws more viewers than a typical night of Anderson Cooper 360 or Erin Burnett OutFront. No offense to either show. Both programs have loyal audiences, but neither can match the pull of a marquee political event.
Consider the alternative. A standard hour of cable news competes with streaming, podcasts and social feeds. A live event competes with almost nothing, because viewers can’t get it anywhere else in real time.
Furthermore, event television changes viewer behavior. People plan around a debate. They clear their evenings, tell friends, and check the clock. Regular primetime programming rarely earns that kind of urgency. Therefore, every special becomes a chance to reach people who wouldn’t normally stop on CNN.
Events Make News
Additionally, these specials generate headlines. When a moderator presses a candidate live, that candidate often says something newsworthy. Clips spread across social media within minutes. Meanwhile, newspapers, websites and rival networks credit CNN when they quote the exchange.
That exposure is important for a couple of reasons Every viral moment introduces the brand to a fresh set of news consumers. Some of those viewers will sample the network’s regular programming afterward.
Consequently, one strong town hall can pay dividends long after the credits roll.
The Jubilee partnership deserves credit here, too. Jubilee’s format tends to attract younger audiences, and that’s a demographic CNN badly needs. Notably, the collaboration shows the network is willing to try something different rather than repeat the same formula.
Furthermore, in many cases, the 2026 midterm elections can be foreshadowing and an introduction to the 2028 presidential race. Anyone with half a pulse is going to want to be a major player in that election cycle, and CNN can be the network that introduces the next generation of contenders by showcasing debates and town halls now.
Topical Wins
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this strategy fits the moment. CNN is at its best when it covers what everyone’s talking about. Right now, everyone’s talking about the midterms. Voters will spend the next five weeks weighing control of Congress, and those stakes will dominate the conversation.
As a result, CNN has a built-in advantage. Debates and town halls put the network at the center of that conversation rather than on its edge. Likewise, they let CNN showcase what it does well: moderating, fact-checking and pressing candidates for real answers.
Also, midterm cycles reward the outlets that show up early and often. Voters remember who gave them a platform to hear candidates unfiltered.
Of course, execution matters. A poorly run event can backfire quickly. Even so, the risk is worth taking. Should this be antithetical to CNN’s mission? Yes. But, for better or worse, we’re in an attention economy, and CNN needs as much attention as possible.
The Bottom Line
CNN doesn’t need a complete reinvention. It needs to lean into what it already does best. Live political events deliver audience, headlines and relevance all at once.
Consequently, the network should say yes to every reasonable debate and town hall opportunity between now and November.
Anything less would waste a golden chance to turn a rebound into a resurgence.
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