Innholdsfortegnelse for December 8, 2025 i Radio Ink Magazine

It’s time to welcome in 2026. This past year laid bare the reality we now face: broadcasters are called to adapt in real time to competition that’s not just fierce, but fundamentally different. Throughout 2025, we watched our rivals race further ahead, using their money, influence, and lack of regulation to reach global audiences instantly while we navigated an increasingly nuanced game of licensing, politics, and traditional infrastructure. Yet despite the sleepless nights and hard decisions, broadcasters have remained the trusted bridge between communities and the world, still committed to authentic voices, responsible journalism, and reliable information when so much around us feels untethered. The challenge before us is immense: how do we preserve our core strengths and values when the rules of engagement, revenue, and competition were rewritten repeatedly…

1. THEY START THE DAY WITH SMART PREP, NOT INBOX CHAOS Before 9 a.m., top billers in 2026 will have: A prioritized call list generated with help from AI, based on close dates, spend potential, and last contact A one-page snapshot for each key account: category trends, local competition, recent news, and 2–3 fresh ideas They’ll walk into that first call sounding like a strategist, not a rep begging for “quarter-end dollars” 2. THEY WALK INTO MEETINGS WITH BETTER QUESTIONS Average reps show up with a deck. Top billers arrive with questions that prompt the client to pause and reflect. Ahead of the meeting, the AI-enhanced seller will test their own curiosity: “What would keep a [category] owner in [market] up at night right now?” “What results would make this…

I asked a group of radio professionals under the age of 30 to, anonymously, give me an honest look at how they see this business — where it’s headed, what it’s getting right, and what’s driving them nuts. I’ll be honest: I braced myself for cynicism. What I got instead was a mix of frustration, hope, and a kind of “loyal impatience.” These are people who still believe in radio, but they’re not sure radio believes in them. They don’t want to abandon it. They want to help rebuild it. Editor’s Note: None of this year’s 30 and Under Superstars were surveyed for this special report. “I think we do have a lot of passionate, experienced people who care about the medium, but when they are being spread thin, innovation…

Sometimes I worry that radio people have forgotten that they are in the communication business, the storytelling business, the brand-building business. It’s all about words. Today we are going to speak about big things. We are not going to speak about small things. We do not have time for that. A society grows great when old people plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. Trees that live long do not grow quickly. It requires patience to grow a tree that will endure. The root word of patience is the Latin verb “pati.” It means “to suffer” or “to endure.” The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today. A person with a purpose is a person on a mission. A person…

A whirlwind few days in New York City in November brought together the broadcast industry’s past, present, and future. The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation honored legends at its Giants of Broadcasting ceremony, while the Alliance for Women in Media celebrated trailblazers at the Gracies Leadership Awards. Between the accolades, there were plenty of opportunities to toast the season and reconnect, proving that even in a digital age, this business still runs on handshakes, hugs, and a well-timed open bar.…

I was first introduced to Dave “Chachi” Denes through his podcast, Chachi Loves Everybody, about five years ago. Between the stories told by an impressive roster of guests from every corner of radio, I was struck by his infectious optimism. In an industry that has squared up against predictions of doom and gloom since the TV’s first glow, Chachi radiates a kind of joy that feels almost rebellious. That optimism isn’t naive — it’s strategic. It’s what allowed him to see opportunity in a catastrophic layoff, to turn a lunch at Bob’s Big Boy into a global audio powerhouse, and to champion AI technology while fiercely defending the irreplaceable value of human connection. As the newly elected Co-Chair of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and a mentor to the…

We hear the chatter all the time: how do we attract more young people to radio? As listeners, and as employees? Do you want to bring more young people into your cluster? To your stations? To your universe? Try shifting your focus. Instead of getting caught up in the narratives of others for radio, go to the center. Young people want to be in the center of the action. Old guard thinking says radio is limited, but that’s only true if that’s our mindset. So instead of talking “radio,” let’s get more active in glamming up our studios and presenting them on social media consistently, with our brightest personalities and younger guests. Give younger people an active role in visual presentations. Social media doesn’t limit us, it removes our limits.…

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