The Cleveland Cavaliers have named iHeartMedia Cleveland the team’s official, exclusive radio home. For the first time, every game will air exclusively on 19 iHeartMedia stations across Ohio and nearby markets.
What We Know: Newsradio WTAM 1100 AM/106.9 FM and 100.7 WMMS will remain the team’s flagship stations. That extends a long run, since 1100 AM has served as the Cavs’ flagship every season since 1990-91. Meanwhile, the Rock Entertainment Sports Network will carry all 82 regular-season games, preseason games and every playoff game. The network reaches markets including Akron, Canton, Ashland, Chillicothe, Columbus, Dayton, Defiance, Erie, PA., Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Parkersburg, W.Va., Toledo and Youngstown.
What They Said: Chris Kaiser, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of the Cleveland Cavaliers: “We’re delivering the most accessible broadcast we’ve had in years. An enhanced product matches that accessibility, and we are grateful for our partners, iHeartMedia, for helping make this possible.”
Keith Kennedy, Area Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia: “The Cavaliers have one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, and we’re excited to bring every game to fans across Ohio. From Cleveland to communities across the state, iHeart will be there all season long to deliver the action and keep fans connected to the Cavs.”
What Remains Unclear: However, the release does not disclose the length or financial terms of the agreement. It also leaves out a full-time game analyst, a seat Jim Chones held in past seasons. Additionally, it is not clear which games Serena Winters will work alongside Tim Alcorn.
What It Means: Ultimately, the deal gives the Cavs a single statewide network under one broadcast partner. It also keeps the team on 1100 AM, the frequency that first carried Cavs games in 1972. Likewise, the on-air team stays intact, with Alcorn in his eighth season and Mike Snyder in his 35th. For iHeartMedia, the Cavs anchor a Cleveland sports lineup that also includes the Monsters and Charge.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have revealed their broadcast team for the 2026-27 season. Veteran voices Kevin Calabro and Jon “Boog” Sciambi will handle play-by-play duties on DAZN.
What We Know: First, Calabro brings more than four decades of NBA experience, including 21 seasons calling Seattle SuperSonics games. He also served nine seasons as Portland’s TV voice and called three NBA Finals on radio. Meanwhile, Sciambi calls Chicago Cubs games on Marquee Sports Network and handles MLB and Big 12 basketball for ESPN. Previously, he was the voice of the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Jim Petersen, the organization’s celebrated color analyst, returns for his 29th season. Meghan McPeak joins as the new sideline reporter and studio show host for road games.
What’s At Stake: In its announcement, the team said the lineup reflects its commitment to meeting fans where they consume sports. With the first year partnering with DAZN, the organization is elevating their local calls to include several veteran names. Additionally, the organization described the group as a dynamic collection of voices for fans to follow.
What Remains Unclear: However, several details remain unsettled. For example, the team has not revealed the over-the-air channel carrying 15 of its 67 local games. It also has not explained how Calabro and Sciambi will split the schedule. Similarly, the number of TV games radio voice Alan Horton will call is still unknown.
What It Means: Ultimately, the Wolves are pairing their new DAZN deal with proven talent. With new names balancing with proven and familiar ones in Petersen, Horton, as well as Michael Grady returning for his fifth season, the organization is mixing things up ahead of the excitement of a new season. As a result, fans get fresh national voices, returning faces all combined with a new viewing experience with DAZN.
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Mike Kellar is heading back to the radio. The former Q104 Kansas City morning host joins 95.3 The Bull in Rockford as Brand Manager and afternoon host.
What We Know: Kellar starts Monday, October 5, at the Mid-West Family Broadcasting Country station. Previously, he spent seven years at Q104 KBEQ, from 2016 to 2023, including six years in mornings. Before that, he co-hosted mornings and served as Music Director at Zimmer’s “Y107” KTXY in Columbia, MO, from 2011 to 2016. Additionally, his résumé includes on-air stops at KCLQ Lebanon, MO, and in Peru.
What’s at Stake: The Brand Manager chair at The Bull has sat empty since Gordon Mays departed in November 2024. As a result, the station has gone nearly two years without a dedicated programming leader. Now, Kellar takes on two jobs at once, leading the brand while also hosting afternoons.
What Remains Unclear: The station hasn’t said who guided programming during the long vacancy. Likewise, neither side has shared Kellar’s plans for the lineup or music direction. It’s also unclear what Kellar has been doing since leaving Q104 in 2023.
What It Means: For The Bull, the hire finally closes a lengthy leadership gap. Moreover, pairing programming duties with an airshift gives the station a leader who hears the brand every day. Ultimately, Kellar brings more than a decade of morning-show and music experience to the role.
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Michael Kay returns to the radio booth Tuesday. The YES Network voice will call the Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series for ESPN Radio.
What We Know: Kay hasn’t called a Yankees playoff game in 25 years. The drought began with his 2002 move to YES Network, since national outlets hold exclusive playoff TV rights. Before that, he spent a decade calling Yankees radio from 1992 to 2001 alongside John Sterling. Now, he’ll join Eduardo Pérez and Tim Kurkjian, with the broadcast airing on 880 ESPN in New York.
What They Said: Michael Kay (via The New York Post): “I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love it. It’d be great. Worked it out with YES where I’m still going to do their pre- and post-game show on the field at the stadium. That’s important to me as well, and then just get an opportunity to do [radio]. … I’m really looking forward to it.”
What Remains Unclear: However, the Yankees’ opponent isn’t set yet. Even so, all signs point toward a matchup with the rival Red Sox. Meanwhile, Kay’s radio stint ends with the Wild Card round. If the Yankees advance, he won’t call more games, returning instead to YES pre- and post-game coverage.
What It Means: Ultimately, Tuesday marks Kay’s first Yankees radio call since Sterling died earlier this year at 87. The pair called five World Series together, and the Yankees won four. As a result, the broadcast carries real emotional weight for Kay and longtime listeners. Additionally, it tests his neutral style on a national stage.
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Qobuz now flags AI-generated music on its streaming platform. The new tag lets listeners see exactly what they’re hearing.
What We Know The independent streaming service built its AI detection tool in-house. Additionally, the tag builds on the AI Charter Qobuz published in February, which the company has now updated. Meanwhile, Qobuz editors still handpick its playlists and featured content. That human-first approach keeps AI tracks out of its discovery features.
What’s at Stake Qobuz reports that 60% of streams on AI-identified tracks trip its anti-fraud systems. As a result, those streams don’t count toward royalty payouts for rightsholders. Qobuz has also pulled more than a third of unplayed AI albums from search, covering four million tracks. Still, AI tracks account for just 0.38% of all streams on the platform.
What Remains Unclear Qobuz hasn’t explained how its tool decides a track is AI-generated. Likewise, it’s unclear how the tag handles songs that blend human and AI work. The company also didn’t say whether artists can dispute a tag they believe is wrong. Finally, nobody knows yet whether bigger platforms like Spotify will follow.
What It Means Deputy CEO Georges Fornayput it simply: “Everyone should be able to know what they are listening to.” Although Qobuz is a small player next to Spotify and Apple Music, its move reflects a broader industry trend. That doesn’t mean AI-generated music has no place in streaming. Instead, it simply needs a clear label so listeners can choose for themselves.
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The National Black Radio Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2026 this week in Charlotte. Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Charlemagne Tha God headline a six-member class.
What We Know The NBRHOF honored six inductees across its award categories. Stevie Wonder received the African American Station Owner Award, a nod to his longtime ownership of KJLH in Los Angeles. Shirley Caesar earned the Gospel Radio Personality Award, and Tony Gray took the Lifetime Media Achievement Award. Meanwhile, Skip Dillard (Talented Brothers of Radio), Chaka Khan (Radio Music Career Artist of the Year) and Charlemagne Tha God (Radio Pioneer) round out the class.
What They Said “Hurricane Dave” Smith, the Hall’s chairperson for inductions and nominations, summed up the week simply: “It was amazing to be in the Queen City.” He added that celebrating Black radio’s trailblazers and innovators is always an honor. Founder and President Bernie Hayes, along with national office leaders Uvee Hayes and Marsha Washington George, also thanked Charlotte for hosting.
What Remains Unclear The Class of 2027 is headed to Orlando. However, the organization has not yet announced dates, a venue or nomination details.
What It Means This class shows just how wide Black radio’s reach runs. It spans a station owner, gospel royalty, a funk icon and one of today’s most influential morning voices. Ultimately, the Hall of Fame keeps making the case that these voices didn’t just play the culture — they built it.
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Channel 94.1 Omaha has a new morning show. Tino Cochino Radio is making the jump from Lincoln.
What We Know: SummitMedia’s CHR Channel 94.1 KQCH Omaha added Yea Networks’ Tino Cochino Radio for mornings. Cochino previously hosted nights on Connoisseur Media’s CHR 106.3 KFRX in nearby Lincoln since 2020. In turn, 106.3 KFRX picks up “XYZ with Erik Zachary” for evenings. Meanwhile, West succeeds former APD Sadie Gray in afternoons while still hosting middays at Country 101.3 KFDI Wichita.
What They Said: “We’re so excited to make the market size jump!” Cochino said of the move. He also thanked Randy and AJ “for making this happen.” Beyond that, he pointed to the joy of the daypart: “There’s something special about getting to start the day with people, make them laugh and hopefully make the morning suck a little less.” Finally, he added, “We’re ready to have some fun and connect with Omaha. Welcome to the familia!”
What Remains Unclear: The move ends the “Jenn & Degan” morning show, which launched at the start of 2025. That pairing followed the exits of Big Party and Molly Cavanaugh. However, SummitMedia has not shared future plans for Jenn or Jeff Degan. Notably, Degan had worked at Channel 94.1 since 2004, including a run on the “Big Party Morning Show.”
What It Means: Ultimately, Channel 94.1 is betting on a proven personality with deep regional roots. Cochino already built a loyal following in nearby Lincoln. Consequently, he arrives in Omaha with built-in name recognition across the region. Meanwhile, Omaha listeners get a fresh, high-energy way to start their day.
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Somebody asked me the other day, “What are you watching?” It’s a common question nowadays, but I had to stop and think about my answer. Not because I couldn’t think of anything to watch on television, but because everything I watch now lives on a streaming service.
If I’m watching a series, I’m watching Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Hulu or Paramount+. When I ask somebody else what they’re watching, I get the same answer. “Have you seen Reacher?” “Are you watching Ted Lasso?” It is rare now that somebody tells me I absolutely must watch a new show on ABC, CBS or NBC.
That got me thinking about television. More specifically, what the shift says about sports media. While traditional television continues to lose ground to streaming, there is one part of the television business that still knows how to gather an enormous audience and make people watch at the same time.
Sports. More specifically, football. Look at Nielsen’s numbers for the week of September 14–20.
Dive Into The Data
FOX NFL Sunday led all linear television programming with 27.2 million viewers. NBC’s Sunday Night Football averaged 24.3 million. CBS’ NFL single-header drew 19.3 million. Thursday Night Football on Prime Video drew 18.6 million. Monday Night Football on ABC averaged 14.4 million, and Saturday Night College Football on ABC added another 10.9 million.
Nine of Nielsen’s top 10 programs for that week were football-related. At this point, Nielsen might as well put a football on the ratings chart and leave the other nine spots blank.
🚨2026 NFL Season Viewership🚨
🏈Week 2 avg. 20.4 million viewers — ranks as most-watched Week 2 on record
🏈19.9 million avg. viewers per game through Week 2 — 3rd-highest avg. through Week 2 on record
Now look at the other side of the television business.
Nielsen’s streaming Top 10 is a completely different world. The current list includes Reacher on Prime Video, The Big Bang Theory on HBO Max, Beauty in Black on Netflix, and Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Also, The Whisper Man on Netflix, Lioness on Paramount+, Outer Banks on Netflix, Bluey on Disney+ and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+.
Notice what is not on that list? ABC. CBS. NBC. FOX.
That’s not because people stopped watching television. They stopped watching it the way we used to.
Sports Are Different
Nielsen reported that streaming accounted for 49% of all television usage in August 2026, with YouTube alone representing 14.2%. Eighty-three percent of American adults use streaming services, while only 36% subscribe to cable or satellite television. Fifty-five percent said they stream without having a cable or satellite subscription.
Here is where sports is different.
If I’m watching Reacher, I can watch it tonight. Or tomorrow night or next weekend. If you’re watching the same show and you’re two episodes behind, I’m certainly not going to tell you what happens. That would be a great way to lose a friend.
Sports does not give us that luxury.
If the Cowboys are playing Sunday at 1 p.m., I want to know what happens Sunday at 1 p.m. I don’t want somebody texting me the final score, or watch the highlights first. I don’t want to hear about it Monday morning while somebody says, “You should have seen what happened.”
That is the difference between watching something and having to watch something.
Sports still creates appointment television. Appointment television is becoming more valuable because so much of the rest of television has become completely on-demand. We don’t have to agree on what we are watching anymore. You can watch Reacher. I can watch Ted Lasso. Somebody else can watch an old episode of The Big Bang Theory. Another person can spend six hours watching a documentary about something none of us has ever heard of.
Everybody is watching television. Nobody is watching the same television. Sports still brings us together.
When your football team plays, millions of people see the same touchdown, interception, and the same fourth-down decision. On the flip side, the same referee who just ruined somebody’s afternoon as well.
That is a powerful thing in a fragmented media world.
Not What But Where
I have been doing this for 30 years. I remember when asking somebody, “What are you watching?” meant something different. You knew what was on Monday night, and Thursday night. You knew when your favorite show came on, and if you missed it, you hoped you remembered to set the VCR.
Now the question is usually, “Where is it?” Netflix? Prime? Max? Apple? Hulu? Peacock?
Traditional television has not disappeared. The audience has not disappeared. What has disappeared is the idea that everybody is going to watch the same entertainment simply because a network tells us when it’s on.
Sports is different. Sports does not need to tell us what time to watch. We already know.
Judging by 27.2 million viewers for FOX NFL Sunday, 24.3 million for Sunday Night Football and 19.3 million for the CBS NFL game, a whole lot of America still wants to be in front of the television when it happens.
The rest of television may have become “watch it whenever you want.” Sports is still “watch it now, or have the outcome spoiled.”
For television, that may be the most valuable difference of all.
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The latest data from Edison Research should make every programmer, general manager, and sales leader stop and think. Among the 13-34 demographic, the phone is now the primary audio device in the car. AM/FM radio has slipped to second place.
The numbers tell the story. In 2015, 66% of that demographic called AM/FM radio their primary in-car device. By 2026, that figure had dwindled to 43%. Meanwhile, the share calling their phone their primary device jumped from 19% to 46%. That’s a 23-point drop for AM/FM and a 27-point jump for mobile in 11 years. The lines have crossed, and they aren’t crossing back.
So, what does that mean for AM/FM radio today? On one hand, it means nothing. Many stations aren’t targeting the 13-34 demographic anyway. But that thinking is shortsighted. You should always be prospecting for new clients, right? That rule isn’t just for the sales department.
Focus on the 34, Not the 13
It’s abundantly clear we’ve reached a crossover point. However, don’t focus on the “13” portion of that demographic. Focus on the “34.”
For many stations, those listeners are on the cusp of landing in your target demo. Think of it as a pipeline. The habits they’re forming now will follow them into the audience you sell today. If they’ve already handed the dashboard to their phones, you’re already behind the 8-ball. That isn’t going to magically change anytime soon. You need to have a plan to attract those listeners to your content, whether it’s terrestrial or digital.
So, what can you do to attract them?
Two Schools of Thought on the App
I think there are two approaches, and both work. The first is simple: have a bomb-ass app. People in the industry love to rag on iHeartMedia, and sometimes that’s justified. However, the iHeartRadio app is awesome. From a design, functionality, user interface, and ease-of-use perspective, it’s a fantastic product.
The opposite end of the spectrum works, too. If you can’t build a bomb-ass app, make it as simple as possible. I never like to slip into “back in my day” mode. Still, the first mobile app at one station I worked for was amazingly simple. The screen showed the logo, a gigantic play button, and individual stop and mute buttons in the bottom left corner. That was it. There was no talkback button, no podcast tab, and no nonsense. Download the app, click play, and boom, you have the station.
Either way, the goal stays the same: remove friction between a listener and your content. You can market either product. You can make the case for why both work. But you can also go a step further.
The Case for an App-First Station
The first time I heard about 95.7 That Station in Raleigh, I thought the idea was genius. Launched in 2018, the station makes no bones about being an “app-based station.”
Its terrestrial signal stinks. When you’re in that situation, you have to do something different to compete. So they did. They put all of the focus on the app rather than the radio signal, and the accolades followed. Instead of treating the app as a side project, they treated it as the product. That mindset shift matters more than any single feature.
I’m not saying that approach works for every company, brand, signal size, or market. I am saying that chasing the content listeners want on an app is never a bad idea.
Think Like a 13-34-Year-Old
Finally, put yourself in the shoes of that demographic. They haven’t grown up the way you likely did. What do they value? What do they want?
Trust me, remembering a frequency number is far harder for that group than knowing which app handles which task. Keep that in mind when you’re branding your station and building your digital distribution. Kids today call over-the-air TV with plenty of ad breaks “vacation TV”, because that’s the only time they experience it. As wild as that sounds, it’s true.
Ultimately, the crossover has arrived. And the Edison Research data proves what we already knew. Younger audiences put much more emphasis on their phones. You can argue that the industry misplayed that push that’s been steadily growing for years. But there’s also time to rectify that, too.
Radio has always won by meeting listeners where they are. Right now, more of them are on their phones. You need to be, too.
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I just got back from a short vacation, and like any lifelong radio guy, I spent a fair amount of my time listening to the radio in the car. I tuned in to local stations, regional operators, and mega-cluster stations across multiple markets. What stood out was not the music. It was the vast difference in how stations treated their human presence.
On several large company stations, I heard syndicated morning shows, syndicated nights, and a completely dark, talentless midday shift. Not even a voice track. Meanwhile, smaller regional stations owned by companies most people have never heard of at least made the effort to put a voice on the air during the day — a companion for listeners while they work.
This is not about throwing stones at corporate radio. It is about recognizing a massive operational opportunity. Research consistently shows that the number-one driver for workday listening is companionship. Midday listeners are working solo, running errands, or driving between job sites, and a friendly human voice makes them feel connected. When we strip air talent out of a daypart, we abandon companionship, which is the very thing that makes our format warm, fun, and unpredictable.
Balancing Curation with Creation
Yes, music curation is vital. We should absolutely champion records we believe in, introduce our audience to breakthrough artists, and support the country stars who show up for our format. Curation gets listeners to the station, but it is only half of the equation.
Countless research projects and listener surveys tell us the exact same thing: what truly drives deep brand loyalty and emotional connection is the content we create, not just what we curate.
So what if we balanced our operational focus? What if we spent just as much time developing our on-air personalities, telling great local stories around the music, and creating original show and social content as we do tweaking playlist rotations?
Bringing the A&R Mindset to Show Content
Record labels invest heavily in artist and repertoire development to discover, nurture, and polish music talent. They surround artists with coaching, arrangement guidance, and creative support to help them build a distinct voice.
Radio leadership needs to bring that exact same A&R discipline to our original content. Program directors and group executives cannot treat talent like board operators or widgets and expect breakthrough shows.
When we act as creative partners, spending quality time with talent, developing character arcs, and refining shows, we elevate the entire station. We turn routine shifts into engaging local content that listeners talk about.
Building Owned Intellectual Property
A great playlist is essential, but it works best when paired with content that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Nobody else owns your show’s original benchmark features, localism, authentic community relationships, or FUN factor.
When leadership shifts its operational focus from managing a playlist to operating a local content studio, the entire business model gains strength. Original content represents proprietary intellectual property that elevates the value of the music played around it.
For a CEO or market manager, that owned content creates lasting enterprise value. For air talent, it transforms a show into a portfolio of original work that listeners actively seek out across streaming apps, podcasts, and social channels.
Making Radio Fun Again
Radio at its best is fun, conversational, and deeply connected to its hometown. When a host shares a great story behind a song, offers true midday companionship, or brings a local moment to life, the entire broadcast feels alive.
So, what if we continue to curate but also give original content the development time it deserves? When we champion great records, invest in our talent with an A&R mindset, and bring real personality back to every daypart, we build a radio experience that no automated playlist can ever touch. Who knows? Instead of complaining about market cume and TSL dwindling away, we may see them go the other way.
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