AI Doesn’t Clear the Rights
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Media Law, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
Your competitor breaks a story. You can report the facts, but you cannot assume that running its article through AI makes the resulting script yours to use. A rewrite button is not a rights-clearance department.
A September federal appeals court ruling supplies a useful reminder. Ross Intelligence used Westlaw’s editorial summaries of judicial decisions to train a competing AI legal-research service. The Third Circuit rejected its fair use defense: the underlying court opinions were available, but Westlaw’s original summaries carried copyright protection.
The court focused on Ross’s commercial competition, similar purpose, and market harm. Using AI did not make that copying fair. Ross’s tool was not generative AI, however, so the ruling does not decide every dispute involving chatbots or AI-written scripts.
For broadcasters, the distinction is familiar. Nobody owns the fact that the mayor resigned; somebody may own the original language explaining what happened. Fair use can permit borrowing for reporting or commentary, but neither attribution nor changing a few words automatically resolves the copyright question.
Follow the facts, write your account, and evaluate what you borrow. Expect the same consideration when someone uses your material. AI can speed up production. It cannot supply permission you never obtained.
Matthew B. Harrison is a media and intellectual property attorney who advises radio hosts, content creators, and creative entrepreneurs. He has written extensively on fair use, AI law, and the future of digital rights. Reach him at Matthew@HarrisonMediaLaw.com or read more at TALKERS.com.
AudioChuck’s “Crime Junkie” maintains its hold on the #1 slot, with The New York Times’ “The Daily” at #2, followed by NPR’s “NPR News Now” at #3. Notable changes from the August chart include The New York Times’ “The Ezra Klein Show” falling four places to #16 and DailyWire’s “Morning Wire” rising six places to #19. 
U.S. weekly podcast consumers who say it’s the platform they use most often to consume podcasts. Edison says, “Podcast content on YouTube has dramatically changed the entire ecosystem and continues to gain ground as a destination for podcast consumption. Spotify ranks second, with 17% of weekly podcast consumers saying that it is the platform they use most often for podcasts. Apple Podcasts follows at 9%, remaining ahead of many other podcast platforms but accounting for a smaller percentage than in the past.”
candidate will help prepare and deliver engaging news content, report on breaking news events, serve as a board operator for special programming, and produce special projects and programming as assigned. The part-time position fulfills a combination of needs for our station on weekends.” Candidates must submit an audio demonstration of their on-air ability with their resume and be prepared to take a writing test if requested. Please submit resumes and required audio demonstrations to 
year, the Gracie Awards recognize work that does more than capture attention; it informs, entertains and ensures women’s voices and perspectives are seen and heard. The entries we receive reflect the breadth and impact of work reaching audiences across platforms and communities. We look forward to honoring the content that moved audiences in 2026 and continuing the Gracies’ long-standing investment in the people who will shape what comes next.” National winners will be honored at the Gracies Gala on May 25, 2027, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California and local and student winners will be celebrated at the Gracies Luncheon on June 15, 2027, at Cipriani on 42nd Street in New York. 
reinventing the station. He posted to Facebook: “Eighty-six years ago, this station was created right here in Yuma as a local voice for local people. Over time, like many great American institutions, KBLU became part of larger corporate ownership. But now the story changes. KBLU is once again locally owned, locally operated, and locally directed. This is more than a radio station changing hands. This is a comeback story… And we’re proud to announce that ‘The Russ Clark Show’ is back on the air weekdays from 6:00 am to 9:00 am. That matters because local radio should sound like the community it serves. It should know the streets, the businesses, the families, the farmers, the veterans, the first responders, the leaders, and the heartbeat of Yuma.” The station will feature programming from Premiere Networks, including Sean Hannity, “The Clay & Buck Show,” Michael Berry, “Our American Stories,” and more.
from morning drive to the 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm daypart beginning on Monday (10/12). The program also airs on iHeartMedia’s Madison sports talker WTSO “1070 The Game.” The move is happening in part so the hosts and cover evening Green Bay Packers games and not have to turn around and get up before dawn. The station will air “2 Pros and a Cup of Joe” starring LaVar Arrington, Brady Quinn, and Jonas Knox.
The “Pareto Principle” is a rule-of-thumb that roughly 80% of revenue comes from about 20% of customers, in many industries. Including radio, where so-called “First Preference” or “P1” listeners – those who listen to your station most – contribute most of your Time Spent Listening.
engagement, and performance – the Index reveals where NFL fandom is strongest, how the most passionate fans express that fandom, and what it means for brands trying to reach them.” Audacy says the data show avid sports fans gravitate to radio shows and podcasts: 82% of avid NFL fans listen to sports podcasts; 81% listen to sports talk radio; 81% listen to sports play-by-play – spending more time with those programs than they do with TV highlights, social media, and live game TV. Audacy says that for advertisers, NFL super fans are a gold mine as those exposed to radio ads show Awareness at 56%, Consideration at 49%, Purchase at 51%, and Loyalty at 41%. 
Lotus Communications Corp’s Seattle operations is seeking an account executive. In the Seattle market Lotus operates all-news KNWN-AM/FM, talk KVI and country KPLZ in addition to its digital marketing solutions. 
new deal for the Salem Radio Network to serve as the new home for his daily 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm ET program. Additionally, the two-hour weekend version of “The Voice of Reason” currently distributed through the Salem Radio Network, expands to three hours. Hooser comments, “We are excited for the new opportunities working closely with Salem Radio on the program as we continue to grow, becoming one of the fastest-growing independent talk radio shows in the nation!”
chatbot providers to clearly disclose that users are interacting with artificial intelligence, give users access to their own chat logs, establish data security requirements, restrict the use of chatbot conversations for advertising and behavioral profiling, require affirmative consent before adult users’ conversations are used for AI training, and establish stronger protections for minors. Morano says, “Every transformative technology has had growing pains. Radio changed politics and mass communication. The telephone changed the meaning of distance. Cinema and television changed entertainment, advertising and culture. Society eventually developed rules, norms and expectations around all of them.
or Go Home: How Small Thinking is Killing Advertising and What to Do About It. Both publications point to a number of conclusions that advertisers should be aware of: 1) Advertisers have two jobs: Convert existing demand by reaching the five percent who are in the market and create future demand via brand building focused on the 95% of consumers who are not in the market; 2) “Big media ads” (AM/FM radio, TV, and outdoor), are more effective at creating future demand because they create a greater sense of quality, popularity, and trust for brands; 3) Ads from “big media” (AM/FM radio, TV, and outdoor) stick in minds more than digital or social media ads. Over 85% of online ads don’t reach the 2.5 second Attention-Memory Threshold, according to Amplified Intelligence’s Karen Nelson-Field; 4) Don’t be afraid of “waste.” It’s the part of advertising that works. 
2026. LAUNCH was created to develop and advance women pursuing careers in broadcast engineering, audio production and technical operations. The year-long mentorship pairs a rising professional with an experienced industry leader for one-on-one guidance, professional development and deeper exposure to the technologies and operations powering today’s broadcast and audio industry. MIW Board President Sheila Kirby said, “As technology continues to transform every part of the broadcast business, we need more women building, operating and leading the systems that will take our industry forward. Expanding LAUNCH to include women working with our technology partners and vendors allows us to reach talented professionals across a much broader part of the broadcast ecosystem. This program is about giving women access to the mentorship, technical knowledge and relationships that can help turn career potential into long-term leadership.”
Suzanne Scott says, “Karoline’s firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape. We look forward to her providing our audience with authentic and sharp insight across all FOX News Media platforms.” Leavitt’s experience includes running as the Republican candidate for congress in her home state of New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022, serving as communications director for then-House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and during the first Trump Administration serving as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary.
