CNN is partnering with Jubilee for a Texas Senate town hall featuring Rep. James Talarico (D-TX). Erin Burnett will moderate the event, which will also include questions from Texas voters.
What We Know: CNN and Jubilee will host CNN & Jubilee Town Hall with James Talarico on Wednesday, October 14 at 8 PM ET. Burnett will lead the town hall, with Talarico answering questions from the CNN anchor and a live audience of Texas voters. The audience will include Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters. The event will air live on CNN and stream for CNN subscribers, while Jubilee will post the town hall on its YouTube channel afterward.
What’s At Stake: The event marks a new creative partnership between CNN and Jubilee focused on political conversations and direct voter engagement. Jubilee is known for conversation-driven formats, including Surrounded, which places one participant against a larger group with opposing views. Its other formats include Middle Ground, which explores whether opposing groups can find common ground.
What Remains Unclear:CNN has also extended the same town hall invitation to Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. It remains unclear whether Paxton will accept the invitation or appear in a separate event.
What It Means: The collaboration gives CNN another way to reach voters as the midterm elections approach. Meanwhile, Jubilee will bring its digital audience and debate-focused format to a traditional television news event.
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Fubo has landed a multi-year distribution deal with four NHL teams. As a result, four regional sports networks will join the streamer before the 2026-27 season.
What We Know: The agreement covers RSNs carrying the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. However, only subscribers in each team’s market will get access. Better yet, the networks will arrive in time for opening night this week. Additionally, they join a lineup that already includes more than 50 RSNs and over 80,000 live events annually.
What They Said: Todd Mathers, executive vice president, content strategy & acquisition, Fubo: “Hockey fans in the Carolinas, Columbus, Minnesota and St. Louis can enjoy coverage of their favorite teams on Fubo this season. The addition of these RSNs to our already robust local sports coverage means Fubo subscribers can continue to enjoy their favorite local teams despite recent shifts in sports rights ownership.”
David Proper, chief media officer, NHL: “We’re excited to bring Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Wild and Blues games to Fubo. Fans in Carolina, Columbus, Minnesota and St. Louis bring incredible passion and excitement to the game every night and this partnership gives them another great option to watch their team all season long.”
What Remains Unclear: Neither side disclosed financial terms or the exact length of the deal. Likewise, the release doesn’t say whether the four RSNs sit in Fubo’s base package or cost extra.
What It Means: For the NHL, the deal gives four clubs another path into local homes. Meanwhile, Fubo strengthens its pitch as a destination for local sports. Much like DAZN with the NBA, Fubo is attempting to build more brand awareness catering to the four major sports leagues domestically. That matters because regional rights continue to shift across the industry. Ultimately, fans in these markets now have one more way to follow their teams.
Fubo, the Home for Local Sports, to Stream Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues RSNs Through New Distribution Agreement With the National Hockey League$FUBOhttps://t.co/Q3K4GU2Jdu
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Cox Media Group has a new operations leader in Jacksonville. Jud Heussler is now Director of Operations for CMG Jacksonville Radio, effective immediately.
What We Know: Heussler will lead programming strategy and daily operations across CMG Jacksonville’s eight stations. Previously, he served as Director of Branding and Programming for 95.1 WAPE and Easy 102.9. He joined CMG in March 2021 after programming Pulse FM in Raleigh. Additionally, he will partner with market leadership and on-air teams to drive audience growth and local content.
What They Said: In an internal announcement, CMG pointed to Heussler’s record in brand leadership, talent development, and team building. The company also highlighted his collaborative approach. Furthermore, leadership framed the promotion as proof that CMG offers real paths for internal growth. Ultimately, the memo asked staff to rally behind him in his expanded role.
What Remains Unclear: The announcement does not say whether Heussler keeps hands-on programming duties at WAPE and Easy 102.9. Likewise, CMG has not named a successor for either station. Additionally, the memo offers no timeline for broader staffing changes across the cluster. For now, the company has shared nothing beyond the promotion itself.
What It Means: CMG chose to promote from within rather than search outside the company. As a result, Heussler’s Top 40 and AC experience now shapes an eight-station cluster. Meanwhile, the move keeps leadership rooted locally as many groups centralize programming. In short, CMG is betting that homegrown talent fuels growth.
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Harry Smith is returning to NBC News as a contributor two years after leaving the network. The veteran journalist will produce “Common Good” feature stories across NBC News platforms.
What We Know: Smith will contribute “Common Good” feature stories for Today, NBC Nightly News, and NBC News NOW. He’ll make his first official assignment Monday evening at NBC News’ Common Ground event, where he’ll speak with violinist and Music Kitchen founder Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Smith previously spent 12 years at NBC News before leaving in March 2024 and returning to his alma mater, Central College in Iowa, as a professor. People first reported the news, and Smith’s comments were to the publication.
What They Said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do what I have done for so long: tell America’s story. I have long believed that there is more that unites us than divides us. It’s in our bones. It’s part of America’s DNA … I’ve had just this unbelievable array of phenomenal experiences since coming to NBC, and so I’m really full of nothing but gratitude.” -Harry Smith
What Remains Unclear: NBC News hasn’t detailed how frequently Smith’s “Common Good” stories will appear or how the network will distribute the features across its television and streaming platforms. His new role also doesn’t appear to include a return to a regular anchor position.
What It Means: Smith’s return brings a familiar NBC News correspondent back into the network’s programming mix. During his first stint, he reported stories, occasionally anchored NBC Nightly News, and contributed to Today through the “Sundays with Harry” segment.
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93.7 The Fan afternoon host Andrew Fillipponi says he will miss this week’s shows. He is stepping away to handle a personal matter and focus on his health.
What We Know: Fillipponi co-hosts The PM Team with Poni & Mueller weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on the Pittsburgh Audacy station. He first arrived in Pittsburgh more than 15 years ago and has been manning afternoon drive since 2018. Fillipponi announced his time away on social media Monday morning. Fillipponi and station management have not responded for comment from Barrett Media. Meanwhile, producer Donny Chedrick and Mueller will fill in as a tandem this week in Fillipponi’s absence.
What They Said: Andrew Fillipponi (via X): Life Update: I won’t be on the air this week. I have some serious stuff going on in my personal life right now. And I need to address that. While also taking care of my mental and physical health. I hope you all understand. Chris & Donny will be awesome. I’ll talk to you soon! Go Steelers!
What Remains Unclear: Fillipponi has not shared details about the personal matter. As a result, it remains unclear whether his time away could stretch past this week.
What It Means: Fillipponi is the face of a station that won the Marconi Award for large-market station of the year in 2025. Therefore, his absence leaves a noticeable gap in Pittsburgh’s afternoon drive. Especially during a week following a Pittsburgh Steelers win and the Penguins beginning their NHL season. Still, Mueller and Chedrick know the show well, which should keep things steady. Ultimately, Fillipponi’s openness about his health reflects the candid approach his listeners have come to expect.
Life Update: I won’t be on the air this week. I have some serious stuff going on in my personal life right now. And I need to address that. While also taking care of my mental and physical health. I hope you all understand. Chris & Donny will be awesome. I’ll talk to you soon! Go…
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Adobe is now an official creative, marketing and AI partner of the NHL. The deal arrives just as the League prepares to open its 2026-27 regular season.
What We Know: Specifically, the NHL and its 32 Clubs gain access to Adobe CX Enterprise solutions. For starters, Adobe GenStudio will use AI to produce on-brand content across NHL.com, the app and social media. Additionally, Adobe Experience Platform and Journey Optimizer will tailor content to individual fans across app, web, email and in-arena. The League also plans to customize content for individual markets and languages.
What They Said: David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President of Innovation and Growth Strategy: “The NHL’s greatest strength has always been the passion our fans bring to the game. As the ways people follow sports continue to evolve, our focus is on creating experiences that feel as dynamic and compelling as the game itself. Adobe will help us unlock new ways to tell the stories of our Players, Clubs and moments that define hockey, while giving fans more opportunities to be a part of it. This partnership reflects our commitment in continuing to evolve how fans connect with the game they love.”
Lara Balazs, CMO and EVP of global marketing, Adobe: “The National Hockey League has built an extraordinary connection with its fans, and Adobe is helping them take that relationship to the next level by using AI to deepen personalization and empower everyone to create. With Adobe’s enterprise solutions, the League will be able to scale relevant, engaging content across every channel where fans spend their time, fueling operational efficiencies and unlocking individual creativity.”
What Remains Unclear: However, the fan-facing creative tools remain a future possibility. Down the line, Adobe Express could let fans build content using Firefly AI and NHL-themed templates. Still, neither company has shared a launch date for those features. Likewise, neither side disclosed financial terms or the deal’s length.
What It Means: Ultimately, the deal targets the NHL’s global growth push. The League counts more than 200 million fans across 147 countries. As a result, centralized personalization could replace market-by-market experiments that are hard to scale. Moreover, the effort spans marquee events like the Stanley Cup Playoffs and NHL Global Series.
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AdImpact expects radio to generate $273 million in political advertising during the 2026 midterm cycle. The medium has already captured $166 million, putting radio on pace for another major election-year haul.
What We Know: AdImpact reports that radio has collected $166 million in political advertising during the 2026 cycle. That figure represents a more than 33% increase from the previous month. Meanwhile, AdImpact forecasts $273 million in total radio spending for the cycle. Therefore, advertisers would need to spend another $107 million in just over one month to reach that projection.
What The Numbers Show: Overall political advertising spending has reached $7.6 billion during the 2026 cycle, according to AdImpact. Broadcast TV remains the largest recipient, collecting $3.9 billion so far. Additionally, AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in total spending for the cycle. If that forecast holds, spending would surpass the 2024 presidential election cycle.
What Remains Unclear: Radio’s ability to reach the $273 million projection will depend heavily on spending during the final weeks before Election Day. However, AdImpact notes that October typically represents the busiest month for political ad spending. That could provide radio with a significant opportunity to close the remaining gap.
What It Means: Radio has already secured a larger share of political advertising than it had one month earlier. Still, the industry faces a $107 million gap to AdImpact’s forecast. As campaigns enter the busiest portion of the election cycle, radio could see its largest wave of political spending arrive in October.
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Zach Sang is adding another terrestrial affiliate. Cox Media Group CHR 95.1 WAPE Jacksonville launches “Zach Sang Show” tonight.
What We Know: The show will air late nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Meanwhile, WAPE follows 99.7 NOW San Francisco, which recently brought Sang back to broadcast radio. Previously, Sang hosted nights for Westwood One from 2012 through the end of 2021. After that, he moved to Amazon Music, first on Amp and later with a multi-platform show.
What They Said: Sang said he “grew up believing in the magic of radio.” He also called WAPE “an incredible station with a real history in Jacksonville.” Meanwhile, Director of Branding & Programming Jud Heussler said the station is built around “personality, energy and a real connection with Jacksonville listeners.” Moreover, he noted Sang’s “interviews feel authentic, his love of music comes through in every conversation.”
What Remains Unclear: However, neither side disclosed who handles distribution for the show’s new radio run. Likewise, it’s unclear whether more Cox Media Group stations will follow. Additionally, no details emerged about local Jacksonville elements. Finally, the broader affiliate rollout timeline remains unknown.
What It Means: Ultimately, two affiliates in quick succession signal real demand for Sang on the airwaves. Furthermore, CHR nights gain a proven interviewer with deep artist access. Sang also brings a digital audience built across YouTube, podcasts and social media. Simply put, radio remains a place where great talent comes home.
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Bleacher Report and WWE have reached a new multi-year content partnership. The deal gives B/R global highlight rights across WWE’s entire programming slate.
What We Know: The agreement covers Raw, SmackDown, NXT and Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania. Highlights will run across Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, B/R Wrestling and their social platforms. In addition, B/R content teams will have a ringside presence at select WWE PLEs. There, they will capture original storytelling and behind-the-scenes moments.
What They Said: Bennett Spector, General Manager, Bleacher Report: “WWE fans don’t just watch. They are highly engaged, analyze every detail and debate the sport all week long. That’s exactly the kind of passionate fandom B/R and House of Highlights were built for. This partnership gives us the opportunity to bring fans closer to the biggest moments happening today while also tapping into the incredible history and personalities that have made WWE part of sports culture for generations.”
Alex Varga, EVP, WWE: “Bleacher Report has long been at the intersection of sports and culture. Our partnership with B/R reinforces WWE’s commitment to bringing our content to a global audience.”
What Remains Unclear: Neither company disclosed financial terms or the exact length of the multi-year deal. Likewise, the release did not name which PLEs will feature B/R’s ringside crews. It also remains unclear whether the relationship will extend beyond highlights and event coverage.
What It Means: For Bleacher Report, WWE joins a portfolio that includes the NFL, NCAA, MLB, NHL and NBA. Moreover, the deal reflects the company’s push into properties that drive year-round fan conversation. For WWE, it means another global platform for its biggest moments and Superstars. Coverage begins rolling out ahead of Money in the Bank on Saturday, October 10.
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Sports radio was founded in a different era than today. Major League Baseball was still America’s pastime. The NBA was difficult to find on over-the-air television. College football was still for amateurs, and running backs were considered the most important position in the NFL. Today, the landscape is much different, and sports radio must chase audiences everywhere to compete with content creators serving an on-demand audience.
Interest in sports has also changed. Baseball is no longer the most important or most-viewed sport in the country. The NFL rules the land and continues to expand its international audience. Meanwhile, the WNBA just had its best year of viewership on ESPN in the league’s 30-year history. Yet sports radio still has been slow to adapt to the surging interest in women’s sports. But why?
This season, ESPN recorded its most-viewed WNBA season in network history. Across 29 games, the network averaged 1.37 million viewers per game. That’s a 17% increase from the previous year. It’s also a higher average audience than the network’s NHL coverage. While the 1.37 million viewers per game didn’t eclipse the network’s averages for the NBA (1.9 million) and MLB (1.8 million), the gap is narrower than ever before.
The WNBA also secured the largest national media rights package in league history. The new 11-year media deal is worth $3.1 billion, an average annual value of roughly $281 million. That’s a massive leap from the previous deal’s annual average of $44 million.
Sixty-five percent of the league’s regular-season games aired on national platforms. That’s more than MLB, the NHL and the NBA. The league also plays during the summer, when it doesn’t have to compete with the NFL, NHL or NBA for attention.
Yet when you scan the landscape of sports radio stations across the country, where’s the attention? Should there be more? Or is this sports radio’s biggest missed opportunity?
Trust The Data
There’s an audience watching, and that audience continues to grow. There’s also a demographic searching for more content surrounding the sport. So, why shouldn’t sports radio chase those listeners?
Sports radio stations around the country continue to struggle with thinking outside the box. Yes, the NFL is king, and stations can build content around football throughout the year. But is that approach growing the audience? Are you expanding your reach by continuing to follow the same programming model you have for the past decade plus?
Typically, when you silo your audience and content, you also silo your growth potential. That’s why opportunities to venture outside the comfort zone should be the norm, not the outlier. There’s never been a better opportunity to do that than with women’s sports.
ESPN is seen as the worldwide leader for a reason. The network has consistently looked beyond traditional programming models to expand its audience. It moved away from Sunday Night Baseball and its 36-year history while introducing Women’s Sports Sundays. What happened?
Younger demographics. More female viewers for advertisers. And a healthy audience that came with it, along with a much lower cost of entry for WNBA and NWSL broadcast rights. The initiative has been successful enough that ESPN is expanding its slate deep into November, adding competitions ranging from college volleyball to women’s professional boxing.
ESPN recognized the opportunity, embraced the challenge, and the results are paying off. Why couldn’t sports radio talent around the country do the same?
Add To The Toolbox
Sports radio talent don’t need to abandon the sports that built its audience. The NFL, NBA, MLB and college sports will continue to be the foundation of the format. However, the sports viewing audience is telling the industry there is room for more.
Women’s sports are no longer a niche conversation. Ratings, media rights, attendance, social engagement and growing investment all provide evidence that interest exists and continues to grow. Sports radio should be paying attention to that signal.
The opportunity isn’t simply to talk about women’s sports because it’s the right thing to do. It’s to talk about it because there is an audience interested in hearing the conversation. That should be enough reason for sports radio to experiment, give its talent room to engage with the topic and see where the audience takes it.
Sports radio has spent decades telling listeners what’s worth talking about. In today’s fragmented media environment, perhaps it’s time to listen to what the audience is telling sports radio is worth talking about.
And right now, the audience is making one thing pretty clear: Women’s sports deserve a bigger seat at the sports radio table.
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