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What if Sports Radio Had Annual Owners’ Meetings Like the NFL?

Dave Greene
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What if Sports Radio Had Annual Owners’ Meetings Like the NFL?

Imagine, for a moment, that the sports radio industry operated like the NFL. Each year, station owners would gather in a high-profile setting—maybe Vegas or Nashville—wearing tailored suits and branded lanyards, clinking glasses over catered lunches while hashing out the future of the business. There’d be press conferences, controversial votes, rules passed (and tabled), and endless speculation. Sure, it’s ridiculous, but play along with me.

The NFL’s annual owners’ meetings are a mechanism for relevance. Team owners and executives tweak the rules to make the sport more entertaining, competitive, and aligned with the modern fan’s expectations. Meanwhile, radio is mostly playing the same game it did 30 years ago, just with fewer players on the field and a shrinking crowd in the stands.

So, what if sports radio had a rules committee? What if the best minds in programming, sales, marketing, and tech got together every year and said, “What needs to change?” And then—here’s the key part—we actually changed it.

For 2025, here are three rule proposals this fictional committee might want to seriously consider:

Rule Proposal #1: Video for All Programming

In a world dominated by TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, video isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s the way people consume content.

If every show, segment, and special guest had a video component, even as simple as a static camera in the studio, hosts would no longer be invisible, and we would have a fighting chance in this new ‘attention economy’.

It’s not about replacing the on-air experience, it’s about extending it. The future of radio is streamed and seen.

Rule Proposal #2: Cut Commercial Breaks—Even If It Hurts

Let’s call this one the ‘Listener Retention Rule’. Commercial breaks are essential as we all need to keep the lights on. But the current ad load on most stations is flat-out brutal. Six, seven, even eight minutes of back-to-back spots is a guaranteed tune-out. Listeners have options now, and every time we overstuff a break, we’re inviting them to take a permanent detour somewhere else.

The proposal isn’t “no commercials.” It’s smarter commercials. Fewer, better, shorter. One of our biggest competitors now is podcasting where there are a few, very short, breaks. Take a lesson from that, but also get more creative and integrate ads into content.

I have never understood why stations do live endorsement ads inside of a break. That is not the most successful way to do those ads. Work them in during the content and hosts need to get GREAT at transitioning from content to an ad seamlessly so it takes the listener a few seconds to realize it just became an ad read.

Rule Proposal #3: Every Station Gets a Dedicated Social Media Staffer

This one might sound like a luxury, but it’s really a necessity. Every radio sports radio station should have a full-time person (not an intern, not a part-time jock) whose job is to translate what happens on air into compelling, shareable content for social media. Every day.

Just like football teams have special teams coaches, sports radio needs digital content pros who can turn a great caller into a viral clip, a sports update into a graphic, or an interview clip into 15 seconds of internet gold.

The goal isn’t necessarily to ‘go viral’. The goal is to be visible. To stay relevant. Social media is today’s street team, it’s how people discover you exist.

Of course this will never happen. Some legacy execs would scoff, budgets would be challenged. But isn’t that the point of an owners’ meeting? To make tough calls? To push the industry forward?

The NFL didn’t stay on top by clinging to old ways. sports radio and radio in general needs a serious game plan. And maybe, just maybe, what we need isn’t another panel or webinar—we need a rules summit.

Perhaps something for JB to work on for the next Barrett Media summit…

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The Best/Worst Thing I’ve Heard/Watched/Read Recently

New Heights, the sports/comedy/pop culture podcast from the Kelce Brothers needs no help with any promotion. With that said, if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend the latest episode with Scott Van Pelt.

SVP is great when he is on ESPN whether he is at the desk or hosting golf programming. But when he is in a setting like a laid-back podcast, he is content gold. I don’t want to ruin any of it for you, but I will say it is one of best episodes of a really good podcast.

You can watch the episode by clicking here and you will laugh almost immediately.

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In Case You Missed It

Earlier this week John Mamola wrote a column, ‘What Sports Radio Can Learn From Jon Gruden‘ and it was right on the money. The column centered around Gruden, but Mamola tied it into local sports radio stations and how they can take a marketing lesson from the content the old coach has been producing lately.

One of my biggest pet peeves are stations that just give up. Corporate doesn’t give the station a marketing budget so the station assumes they cannot do any marketing. That’s ridiculous. There are so many ways radio stations can get publicity and marketing for free if someone just puts some effort into it.

Get creative, get resourceful, THINK! You are a media outlet that has an asset a lot of people want, figure out how to use it to your advantage. Go create something fun, do a meet up, get a sponsor to make merchandise – DO SOMETHING!

You can read the full column by clicking here.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Why Now Marks the Right Time for Mike McConnell to Retire From 700 WLW

Garrett Searight
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Why Now Marks the Right Time for Mike McConnell to Retire From 700 WLW

Last week, 700 WLW morning host Mike McConnell revealed he would retire from the iHeartMedia Cincinnati news/talk station.

Today marks his final show with the heritage brand, and he says now is simply the right time to make the decision to step away.

“I’m leaving because I’m gonna turn 70 in May and it’ll be 50 years to the month that I’ve done this for a living,” said McConnell. “So that’s a nice round number.”

McConnell admitted the response from his audience has been overwhelming.

“The final week was really different, just with the number of congratulations and emails you get from people and people who have been listening for 30 years,” he shared. “It’s just interesting, people bringing up times of their life or something on the show that helped them through a tough time. I’m just surprised how many there are. You figure that’s happening out there somewhere, but it’s been a little bit overwhelming.”

Mike McConnell didn’t have a “farewell tour” of sorts. He simply made the announcement last week that he was coming up on his final days hosting the daypart. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t have some prodding from his 700 WLW colleagues to give more advance notice than what he did.

“We tape a Christmas special and Bill Cunningham who I work with wanted to me in the Christmas special to announce I was leaving in April. I said ‘I’m not doing that,'” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t need four months of ‘Why are you leaving?’ and this and that.”

Some radio hosts announce their retirements, and then you hear them on a smaller market station, hosting a podcast, or doing fill-in work at their old stomping grounds. Mike McConnell feels confident that won’t be him.

“I think (Friday) is it. People have said if there’s something I wanna comment on, feel free to call the show … I don’t really see that happening. And if people ask if I’m gonna fill in, I say no, because you really have to — the way I do it — you have to be into it all the way. I’m not gonna do that. I like being on top of the news and all that, but I’m not gonna prep to the point where I’m ready to do a talk show. So I’m not feeling it.”

Former FOX Sports and Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman has been tabbed to replace Mike McConnell in morning drive on 700 WLW. McConnell said he believes his replacement is as set up for success as one can be.

“It’s fantastic that he wants to do it,” McConnell said of Brennaman. “It’s great that he’s been in town. I mentioned to him today, because when I went to Chicago, I realized it’s a lot easier to live the market than learn it when you get there. You get there and there are well know people you know nothing about and you try to find out as much about their background as you can.

“But he spent so much time in Cincinnati. He knows the roads, he knows the government, he knows the people. So it makes it easier for him than it would be for somebody coming from out of town. He’s got the foundation to do well, and Lord knows he’s done enough quality broadcasting in his life. I think I’ll do a fantastic job.”

When asked if there was anything he wanted to accomplish or avoid in his final show, Mike McConnell had a quick answer.

“Yeah, I want to avoid choking up,” he said with a hearty laugh. “I wanna make a point to thank the audience and probably thank some sponsors. I thought about that, that’s not something people do. I have one sponsor I think that’s been with me since the late ’80s. So you can give them a give them a thank you, too, because they’re important. But I’m hoping to keep it short and to have a group of people in the room to make some noise and keep it from getting too emotional. Keep it positive, keep it up, keep it fun.” 

He joked that he will staff the room with “clowns” to make the situation easier, after getting emotional making his original announcement.

“I announced it last week right before I went on the air. I knew what I was gonna say but as soon as I started talking, it got emotional and I kind of cut it short. It wasn’t the greatest retirement speech of all time, it was probably only a minute and a half. I just wanted to take a break and collect myself.”

Mike McConnell shared that he plan to travel more in retirement, hoping to spend some time visiting Australia and New Zealand, which he couldn’t do while helming a morning show. He’ll also hope to spend more time at his place in Canada in the summer.

Overall, he couldn’t have spoken higher of his colleagues and time at 700 WLW.

“It’s been a great place to work. It’s been a great job. You have a job where you go to work every day, no one tells you what to do for decades at a time. They trusted what you’re doing and you go do it and you go home. And, overwhelmingly, you tend to win. What’s more rewarding than that?” 

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

102.1 Milwaukee’s Michelle Rutkowski Understands How to Create a Winning Culture

Charese Fruge
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102.1 Milwaukee’s Michelle Rutkowski Understands How to Create a Winning Culture

Michelle Rutkowski is the VP of Programming and Operations for Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s four-station cluster. “It’s not lost on me just how brief my career history is for someone who’s been lucky enough to do this for over two decades!” she says. “I started as an intern in 2002 at Q101 in Chicago and worked my way up to promotions assistant, part-time on-air personality, and even produced the morning show for our sister station, The Loop (RIP), for a hot minute.”

“I came to Milwaukee to do nights full time at WLUM, then worked my way up to middays, then Music Director, then Program Director, then Operations Manager, and now VP Programming & Ops for the cluster. Once I get in somewhere, they can’t get rid of me, like gum on a shoe.”

Rutkowski is passionate about many things, but dogs are her favorite. “I love dogs. Any dogs. All dogs,” she says. “In addition to working with, training, and obsessing over my own two, I’ve fostered thirteen pups to better homes through MCP Rescue and Outreach. My current schedule makes it tough to foster as often as I would like, but I still help out with fundraising efforts and volunteer all the time!”

To balance her personal and professional life, Rutkowski says it’s all about effective time management. “It is so important!” She says. “Which is unfortunate because I suck at it! But I recently moved to afternoons from middays, and it’s been a game changer. I get most of my day to bounce dumb stuff off my staff and scroll for ideas. I’m a night owl, so I definitely feel I’m more creative and articulate in the afternoons than in the mornings.”

“And as for juggling so many tasks, I think because we are so small, I function (dysfunction?) with the mindset that we don’t have time to be passive-aggressive; we have to be aggressive-aggressive. If something isn’t working, we fix it, change it, or delete it and move on. As much as I love being a goofball with my staff, I am direct and blunt when something needs to be addressed so we can move on to the next thing.”

As for what Rutkowski loves most about the business, it all comes down to the basics. “Passion! I get giddy watching an itty-bitty band become a biggy big band,” she explains. “I freak out hearing a killer break from someone who’s just starting on the air. I am inspired by the creativity and laughter I am surrounded by every single day.”

Rutkowski’s biggest accomplishments over the years include the station’s “Big Snow Show,” an annual Christmas show that has been running for 18 years. They only stopped for the year of the pandemic. “It’s gotten harder and harder to get quality bands as stations stop doing individual shows in favor of larger, corporate ones, or they have gone away altogether,” she admits. “But we’ve made some real magic happen the last few years.”

“My biggest accomplishment, though, is shaping the culture within our building. Over the years, I started to get really bummed out by the misogyny, the homophobia, the ego & lack of respect for coworkers I saw in our industry. But today, I have a staff that treats each other and the world around them with kindness and respect and is inclusive of everyone. There is no ego here. My number one consideration when looking at someone for a position is whether or not they are a fit for that culture.”

Despite the usual revenue and automation/engineering issues, etc., nothing has been quite as challenging for Rutkowski over the years as dealing with the loss of one of her longtime friends and personalities. 102.1 FM’s APD and afternoon host Ian McCain (Justin Cooper) passed away in August at the age of 54 after a brief illness. (BMM 8/14/24)

“To see my staff go through such heartbreak, while my own heart was shattered, is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do personally and professionally,” she says. “There’s the personal loss (I’ve almost texted Ian dumb memes countless times), and then there’s the professional loss (‘Oh, I’ll ask Ian to look into that.’) It felt like my right hand had been hacked off.”

“But this amazing group of people was the best during those awful weeks following Ian’s passing. They stepped up to put in extra work and comforted each other when it got hard. And, as we were literally in the middle of an automation system migration at the time, it got REALLY hard. We are all still reeling, but we don’t shy away from talking about him; we still make jokes at his expense, just as we would have if he were still here with us.

Having been in the Alt format for most of her career, Rutkowski has been through some pretty crazy things. “Look. I worked at the flagship station for Mancow in the early aughts; I’ve… seen some things,” she says. “I’ve watched people chug milk ‘til they puke, drink beer out of strangers’ butt cracks, and at one point, had an entire bar chant ‘Show us Your Meat Curtains!’ at me, all in the name of free t-shirts. That level of madness thickened my skin and set me up for decades of waayyyyy tamer craziness.”

As for what’s missing from the business right now, “Forward-thinking!!!,” she insists. “It feels like so many aren’t looking at the path ahead of them because they are defeated by the path behind them. They’ve given up on radio. I’ve heard several executives say things like, ‘No one listens to the radio anymore.’ Well, shit. How does THAT attitude lead to change? It doesn’t. Radio has lost its ability to believe in itself.”

“If you don’t believe in the future of radio, get out of the way! Let the next generation reinvent and reshape the landscape that others no longer see as viable. They’ll prove that it is. I learn something new from our Gen Z staff every single day, who, yes, do actually listen to the radio.”

“Let them be the ones to tell us what would make them use/like radio more. Innovate! Try new things just to see what sticks, and then build on the stuff that does. Don’t program from a place of fear. Test boundaries. Challenge conventional practices. That’s how we move forward. Not by doing what we’ve always done.”

As for shaking things up a bit, Rutkowski has big plans for the near future. “Camp FM102/1 at Summerfest is our next big event, happening the end of June through the first weekend of July,” she says.

“We’ve taken a selection of Alternative bands playing Summerfest (nine days, 11 stages, it really is amazing) and put on showcases with acoustic lounges, Q+As, etc., at a really cool spot just down the street. We cap it so it’s small, intimate, and really connects with the audience. Can’t wait to unveil this year’s lineup!”

Follow Michelle Rutkowski on Instagram @ismichelleok, @fm1021, @b933fm, @froggymke, @fonz

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Ratings Roundup: Fox News Ends 1st Quarter Up 46% in Primetime

Garrett Searight
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Ratings Roundup: Fox News Ends 1st Quarter Up 46% in Primetime

The Lead

The first quarter of 2025 has concluded, and it was a fruitful one for Fox News, as the cable network finished the first three months of the year as the highest-rated quarter in cable news history.

The network led both the total day and primetime categories in the cable news space. In primetime, Fox News averaged just over 3 million viewers. That represents a year-over-year increase of 46% in the window. The growth was even greater in the Adults 25-54 demographic, as the network averaged 380,000 viewers, up 63%.

MSNBC averaged just over 1 million viewers throughout the quarter in primetime. CNN, meanwhile, averaged 558,000 viewers in the same window. Both were down, with MSNBC dropping by 18% overall and CNN dropping by 6% compared to 2024.

In the total day category, Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers, which is a 48% increase year-over-year. MSNBC averaged 593,000 for the quarter, down 27%, while CNN finished with an average audience of 428,000 total viewers, down 8%.

During the first quarter, Fox News held the top five spots in the cable news ratings for individual shows. The Five — which became the first show in cable news history to finish as the highest-rated program outside of primetime to earn the top spot for 14 consecutive quarters — averaged 4.6 million viewers during the first three months of 2025.

It was followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (4.1 million), Hannity (3.5 million), Special Report with Bret Baier (3.5 million), and The Ingraham Angle (3.4 million).

Elsewhere, NewsNation saw triple-digit increases in the primetime window, as it grew 292% in total viewers from the same time period last year. It also saw a 200% increase in the Adults 25-54 demographic. Compared to the previous quarter, NewsNation’s audience in primetime were up 17% in the total audience, while growing by 25% in the key demographic.

Sunday Shows Ratings Grow Despite Nightly News Drop Off

There is an interesting trend in the Sunday political affairs show space: the ratings are up compared to earlier this year, while the nightly network news realm has seen a downturn in recent weeks and months.

Earlier this year, ABC News was averaging more than 8 million viewers during ABC World News Tonight, while NBC Nightly News (nearly 7 million) and the CBS Evening News (more than 5 million) each had rather robust audiences.

Those figures have dipped in recent weeks, with ABC News failing to capture an average weekly audience of 8 million since the week of February 24th. NBC News has seen its audience slightly diminish in recent weeks since Lester Holt announced he would depart the anchor chair. CBS News has seen its audience steadily decline, failing to eclipse 4.1 million viewers for three straight weeks, on average.

It is the exact opposite, however, for NBC’s Meet the Press, CBS’ Face the Nation, and ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Each of those programs has seen its ratings grow in recent weeks.

For instance, Face the Nation — anchored by Margaret Brennan — saw its second-highest average audience of the year during the Sunday, March 30th episode. The CBS News program featured a total audience of 3.3 million viewers.

Meet the Press, meanwhile, saw its fourth-largest audience of the year on the same date, averaging 2.5 million viewers.

This Week with George Stephanopoulos saw a slight dip in the ratings during the first two weeks of March, dropping below 2.5 million viewers. However, the final week of the month saw the show return to 2.6 million for the day.

On Sunday, March 30th, Face the Nation earned the top spot in the Adults 25-54 demographic, finishing with 421,000 viewers. Meet the Press was not far behind with 409,000 viewers, while the Stephanopoulos-led program earned 394,000 viewers from the demo for ABC News.

Fox Business Tops CNBC in Business Day, Market Hours, and Total Day for First Time Since 2022

The first quarter of 2025 was an encouraging one for Fox Business Network, as it bested CNBC in the business day, market hours, and total day ratings all at the same time for the first time since 2022.

Previously, CNBC had won the total day window over Fox Business, but the network reached 141,000 total viewers in the category during the first three months of 2025. CNBC, meanwhile, averaged 127,000 total viewers in that sector. However, CNBC had the higher audience in the Adults 25-54 demographic, beating Fox Business 34,000 to 13,000.

During market hours, Fox Business had an audience of 210,000 total viewers, just beating CNBC’s 204,000 audience. Again, CNBC had the larger total in the key demographic, 53,000 to 11,000.

During the business day sector (Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM-5:00 PM), Fox News averaged 221,000 total viewers, compared to 200,000 for CNBC.

Fox Business was led by Kudlow, which finished as the top program in the business news realm for the 13th consecutive quarter. That program, helmed by Larry Kudlow, averaged 326,000 total viewers during its 4 PM ET window. Additionally, the market opening show, Stuart Varney’s Varney & Co., averaged 269,000 total viewers, beating CNBC’s Squawk on the Street for the 12th consecutive quarter.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Why Radio Hosts Need to Master This Skill to Go From Good to Great

Pete Mundo
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Why Radio Hosts Need to Master This Skill to Go From Good to Great

Teasing is important in radio. Oh, I’m sure you’ve never heard this before. Like ever.

I know you have. You know you have. But here’s a 2025 twist: Teasing is more important than ever in radio. And with each passing day, week, month and year, its importance grows.

That’s because the competition for listeners and viewers grows by the day. Every day, there are new podcasts, YouTube shows, TV shows, and radio programs being launched to compete for your audience’s attention. Every day, your listener can pull up Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok to consume content that is similar to yours. The algorithm on these apps will feed them more of the same content to keep them locked onto their platform.

So, what are you doing to combat that?

Obviously, creating great content is imperative. That’s stating the obvious. But how are you keeping them for 3-5 minutes through a break? What are you saying and teasing that will prevent them from moving to another platform? Forget moving to another radio station, they could easily pick up their phone and have thousands of competitors right at their fingertips.

In theory, it’s an economic model: Supply is constantly increasing in entertainment, but if demand isn’t keeping up, then you need to do everything in your power to retain and try to grow your slice of the pie.

A fantastic tease is your best bet to keep your audience engaged in your show. Now, some hosts have such strong branding and/or market equity that they can get by without it. However, that’s few and far between. And even if you have it, getting complacent in this media landscape is not the answer. It’s a recipe for failure.

In Talk radio, it’s imperative to not just think about teasing from the standpoint of your upcoming topic, although that’s a good start. Think about a tease related to your angle on the topic. 

News/Talk example: Instead of, “We’ll talk about President Trump’s tariffs coming up next!” How about, “We’ll talk about the sector of the economy that could hurt you the most from President Trump’s tariffs coming up next!”

A Sports Talk example: Instead of, “We’ll talk about the NFL Draft coming up next!” How about, “We’ll tell you the player that (LOCAL TEAM) should look at as the steal of the NFL Draft coming up next!”

The same goes for guests. It’s no longer enough to tease the name of the upcoming guest, unless it’s an absolute rock star, i.e. President Trump. If I really want to get the thoughts of a person, I can go find their social media feeds on my own time. What is something you will ask the guest that can be part of your incredible tease?

News/Talk Example: “We’ll talk to Congressman Bob Smith about why he thinks the tariffs could actually add money to your pocket coming up next!”

Sports/Talk Example: “NFL Draft Insider Bob Smith will share why he thinks (LOCAL TEAM) is destined to move up/down in the draft coming up next!”

You know how to tease your own show better than I do, but this is something to consider as we ask listeners to sit through long breaks that can be, admittedly, cluttered at times. How are we making sure that it’s worth their time?

And the final bit of advice: If you tease it, you better damn well pay it off!

105.7 The Fan Host Ed Norris Returns to ‘Big Bad Morning Show’ With Update On Cancer Diagnosis

BSM Staff
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105.7 The Fan Host Ed Norris Returns to ‘Big Bad Morning Show’ With Update On Cancer Diagnosis

Baltimore’s 105.7 The Fan welcomed back co-host Ed Norris to The Big Bad Morning Show on Thursday morning, sharing an announcement about his cancer diagnosis following surgery in Sarasota, FL. Norris, who had been absent from the station for the past few weeks, made the announcement at the start of the show alongside his co-hosts, Rob Long and Jeremy Conn.

“I do have some good news if I can read this on the air,” Norris said during the first segment of the morning program. “I got this voicemail. Hi, Mr. Norris, this is actually Linda from the cancer center. I’m one of the P.A.s that works with Dr. Perez. Just wanted to call you and let you know all good news from your pathology from surgery. All the margins are clear and the lymph nodes are negative, which means all the cancer is out.”

The news was met with celebration from his co-hosts, who expressed their excitement and relief on-air.

Norris joined the show remotely from Sarasota, FL, where he has been recovering while also getting the chance to enjoy the early parts of the Orioles’ season, as well as that of his favorite team, the New York Mets. He has been with the Audacy radio brand since 2008, following an extensive career in law enforcement. Previously, he served as Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Police Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, and Deputy Commissioner of Operations with the New York Police Department from 1980 to 2000.

Beyond his broadcasting and law enforcement career, Norris is also an accomplished author. He wrote Way Down in the Hole: The Meteoric Rise, Tragic Fall, and Ultimate Redemption of America’s Most Promising Cop and even played the role of Detective Ed Norris on HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Wire.

While sharing his good news, Norris also joked about the limitations he currently faces during his recovery.

“I can’t do anything. It’s weird because my incisions are right dead center of my back, where your back muscle flex,” Norris explained. “Every movement you make puts stress on those. So, I can’t lift, I can’t run. I can’t do very much, no repetitive motion. So, you kind of just sit around till they take these stitches out next week.”

Following his return, the show quickly shifted back into covering the latest in Baltimore sports, catching Norris up on everything he had missed. At the same time, his co-hosts reflected on how refreshing it was to finally share some good news regarding their colleague.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Norris admitted. “I was just so happy because they make you wait. They could probably do this in an hour, but they make you wait like two weeks.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Newsmax Rings Opening Bell at New York Stock Exchange

BNM Staff
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Newsmax Rings Opening Bell at New York Stock Exchange

Newsmax executives and talent were on hand at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday after the company saw a wildly successful initial public offering earlier this week.

Company founder and CEO Chris Ruddy was joined by Newsmax hosts like Greg Kelly, Rob Schmitt, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty, and Greta Van Susteren, as well as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as it rang the opening bell Thursday morning.

The ringing of the bell comes after Newsmax stock — trading under the NMAX symbol — hit the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. The stock opened at $10 per share before rising to as high as $279.99 per share on Wednesday. The performance turned Ruddy into an overnight billionaire, as he controls more than 80% of voting shares in the cable news channel.

Before ringing the bell to open Thursday’s trading, Ruddy addressed the crowd.

“I’ve always said in my life that life is a pilgrimage,” said Ruddy. “We go from the beginning until the end, and then we go to God. But it’s the journey along the way and the people you meet on the pilgrimage that make it so interesting and exciting. And I think the people on our pilgrimage believe that we have a special mission, which is to give the American people, this special country, the information they need to make great decisions that will affect the world, shape the future, and improve our freedoms. Not just for us, but for people all over the world.

“It’s a momentous time for me personally, but also I think for all of you. And I hope for the country,” he concluded.

On Newsmax Thursday morning, the network broadcast the bell-ringing live.

“It’s huge,” host Carl Higbie said while speaking live on the network with correspondent Christian Thompson on Thursday morning. “It’s like a second bite at the apple here on Thursday. The stock was incredibly successful. It’s been something to be a part of this since we first went on air in 2014. I was here on the single show they had. It means a lot to be here and see where it’s come today.”

Talent from the network took to social media to share behind-the-scenes perspectives of the company ringing the opening bell.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

CRS 2026 Looking For Agenda Committee Members

BMM Staff
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CRS 2026 Looking For Agenda Committee Members

The Country Radio Seminar is accepting applications for the 2026 CRS Agenda Committee.

Interested professionals must submit their applications by April 15. Committee members must commit to attending in-person planning meetings in Nashville from July 21 to 23 and must be present during CRS 2026.

BMG/BBR Music Group’s Shelly Hargis will Chair the committee again this year, with Krista Hayes-Pruitt as Co-Vice Chair. Kevin Callahan of Pamal Broadcasting will also join as co-vice chair.

Shelly Hargis

Selected members will play a pivotal role in crafting sessions aligning with the changing dynamics of Country radio, streaming, and the music industry.

Committee members will receive complimentary registration for the seminar but will be responsible for their travel and lodging expenses.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Mike Neville And Megan Reider Gain MD Stripes In Omaha

BMM Staff
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Mike Neville And Megan Reider Gain MD Stripes In Omaha

NRG Media has named two new Music Directors at its Omaha cluster.

Mike Neville, PM Driver at Adult Hits 101.9 The Keg, and morning co-host Megan Rieder at Hot AC Sweet 98.5 have both been to MD.

Operations Manager Steve King said, “This is an exciting moment for NRG Media Omaha. Both Mike and Megan came to me and raised their hands to do more with the direction of their radio stations. Because they are extremely dialed into their formats, passionate about the music, and came in with a strategy, this was an easy decision.”

Neville said, “101.9 The Keg has been my radio home for the last decade. I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to continue building on our past success and take this station to its full potential with all our amazing on-air talent and unique playlist.”

“I’m super stoked to be taking on this new role as MD of Sweet 98.5,” said Rieder. “As an Omaha native, this is a station I’ve listened to since I was a kid, and doing the morning show alongside my partner-in-crime, Spicoli has been a total ‘pinch-me’ moment. This has been a career-long goal, and to say I’m grateful to be given this opportunity is an understatement. We love connecting with our listeners every morning, and this is just another way I’ll be able to do that: by bringing them the music they love. Let’s gooooo!”

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Local Radio Advertising Revenue to Surpass $12 Billion in 2025, RAB and BIA Advisory Services Data Shows

BNM Staff
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Local Radio Advertising Revenue to Surpass $12 Billion in 2025, RAB and BIA Advisory Services Data Shows

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and BIA Advisory Services have revealed a new report that shows just how much the radio industry can expect in advertising revenue in 2025.

According to the projections, local radio advertising revenue will hit $12.3 billion in 2025, covering both on-air and digital aspects of the business. Previously the two entities had forecasted that more than $2 billion in ad revenue would be spent with local radio on digital advertising alone.

“Local radio is undergoing a significant transformation,” said BIA Advisory Services Vice President of Insights and Analysis Celine Matthiessen. “The fusion of digital innovation with traditional broadcasting capabilities enables radio to uphold its crucial role in local market communications while creating new value propositions for advertisers.”

“Our continued partnership with BIA allows RAB membership insights into opportunity across local advertising categories,” said RAB CEO Mike Hulvey. “Broadcast radio and its digital assets can deliver the services that local businesses want and need to increase their sales revenue.”

Some local advertisers expected to see an increase in radio marketing in 2025 include quick-service restaurants, investment and retirement service providers, supermarkets, commercial banking, and hospitals, the report suggested.

Meanwhile, sectors like real estate development, full-service restaurants/bars, and mattress and sleep centers are expected to grow their digital radio advertising during the calendar year.

A webinar to discuss the latest projections from BIA Advisory Services will be hosted by the RAB on Wednesday, April 16th at 1 PM ET for RAB members.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

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