“The Score” Welcomes Jarrett Payton to Mornings
Audacy’s Chicago sports talker WSCR, “104.3 The Score” confirms what was reported on Monday (8/24) that former WGN-TV sports anchor Jarrett Payton is joining David Haugh as co-host of the station’s new morning drive show, “Haugh and Payton.” Audacy says, “Son of the late NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago 
Bear Walter Payton, Payton brings extensive broadcasting experience alongside a background in business, public speaking, and philanthropy through the Jarrett Payton Foundation.” Payton says, “I’m truly excited and deeply honored to join the team at ‘The Score.’ I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone there and connecting with the loyal listeners who make this station what it is. This place has always felt like family to me. My dad graced these airwaves back in the ’90s, and the thought of being part of that same legacy means everything. Grateful beyond words for this opportunity. Let’s get to work.” The change comes after Audacy dismissed longtime morning host Mike Mulligan and midday co-host Marshall Harris. The midday show continues with incumbent personalities Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote hosting the “Rahimi & Grote Show.”
thought my time at KNX would be the capper of my on-air career — that I’d retire from there, as so many other great broadcast journalists had. But it was not to be. I got caught in the churn of staff reductions in June 2025. I stayed busy over the next year. I focused on Archer’s Line and co-hosted podcasts with Jack Messenger and my KNX colleague Charles Feldman. I started a voiceover business and anchored for Remote News Service, providing local newscasts for small- and medium-market stations across the country. I applied for as many radio jobs as I could. But given the state of an industry that was letting far more people go than it was taking on, I didn’t have a lot of hope. But life, like Loki, loves messing with your plans. I awoke one morning to a message about an opportunity — and I grabbed it. I have accepted an anchor/reporter position at 95.5 WSB Atlanta. I’ll be working with my old KNX boss, Ken Charles, beginning next month. 
that a final Trafalgar Group poll – released early this morning – shows South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff in a virtual dead heat with Senator Graham with 47.9% support and U.S. Rep. Norman at 47.8%, with 4.4% undecided. Gallagher’s guests will include Norman and Trafalgar Group founder Robert Cahaly. SRN says Graham was invited “multiple times to appear on ‘The Mike Gallagher Show’ in recent days but neither she nor her staff responded to those invitations.”
regained compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and that the matter is now closed. Beasley continues, “As previously disclosed in the company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2026, the company received written notice from Nasdaq on April 13, 2026 indicating that the company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires companies listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market to maintain a minimum of $2,500,000 in stockholders’ equity.” The company’s common stock continues to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “BBGI.”
into the radio business. He first went on the air on WGSM, Long Island but is best known for his weekend talk show on WPLJ, New York. He was friendly with singer Harry Chapin with whom he founded World Hunger Year that later became WhyHunger and led to a series of Hungerthon broadcasts. Ayres left the priesthood in 1979 and married his wife Jeannine. 
“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.
generated a lot of buzz on YouTube and social media as the complete interview aired on Cohen’s WABC program at 5:00 pm on Sunday (8/23). Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for lying to congress and failing to report millions in income and testified against Trump in congress and in court. 
since 2008, originally with Brian Hanley and most recently with David Haugh. Harris became a full-time co-host of the midday show with Leila Rahimi in 2024. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that former WGN-TV sports anchor Jarrett Payton – the son of Bears legend Walter Payton – will be announced as the new morning drive co-host sometime today. It appears Rahimi and Mark Grote will continue as hosts of the midday show. Audacy has not publicly commented on the changes but it’s reasonable to assume that there was a fiscal component to the moves. 
The most important sentence in Sharon Gai’s How to Do More With Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI Economy (Wiley) isn’t about technology at all. It’s about leverage. She writes that the goal is to stop being “the busy bee” and instead become “the beekeeper… someone that controls the ‘bees’ to get what you want.” That’s the wakeup call radio needs right now.
Oxley retires at year’s end. Moore says, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to build on the extraordinary legacy Joel Oxley has created here in Washington. WTOP, Federal News Network and 2060 Digital are exceptional brands with deep connections to the communities they serve throughout the National Capital Region. I’m energized by the opportunity to work with the talented teams here to build on those strengths and help these businesses continue to evolve and grow. I’m also enormously excited to join Ginny [Hubbard] and the Hubbard leadership team, whose commitment to impartial, trusted journalism, strong local brands and long-term thinking really resonated with me throughout this process.” 
business around sports, expanding our capabilities and relationships while staying deeply connected to the local markets we serve. The business we’ve built gives brands a unique and customizable point of entry into the sports ecosystem, bringing together audiences, content, partnerships, talent and experiences around the teams, sports and moments that matter to them. At the same time, our expertise allows us to create value for sports partners in increasingly broad ways. That’s what Good Karma Sports represents, and there is tremendous opportunity ahead for our league, team, publisher, and advertising partners.”
WIBX has been cancelled by corporate. As a result, my last day with Townsquare Media was today, although I was told I could apply for other positions that might be available with the company outside the market. Based on what I’ve seen happening throughout the radio industry nationwide, I knew a day like this could eventually come, although I certainly didn’t expect it to happen today. I’m extremely thankful for the nearly 13 years I’ve spent at the Marcy studios, and especially grateful for the people I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years. These are some of the most talented people in the industry, and many of them have become very close friends.” WIBX has not announced its longterm plans for the morning drive program.
race. Elci said he intended to not talk about his candidacy or issues relevant to the race but Marx says her request for equal time is in line with FCC regulations and that Elci has to either leave the air until after election day or she gets four hours of airtime to comply with the law. Elci tells CT Insider he’s not involved in the negotiations, “If it were up to me, it would be done a different way. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the final deal is and I guess it’s still a work in progress. Look, I don’t want to come off the air. That’s the last thing I want, and, you know, it’s killing me that I haven’t worked this week. I feel like I’ve let my listeners down. I feel like I let a lot of people down when it comes to this, and I’m getting pulled in a lot of directions for this.” WJJF-FM Saturday morning host Rocky is filling in for Elci. 
with a shared commitment to Christian ministry and faithful stewardship. As a private company, Salem will continue operating its radio, digital, streaming, podcasting, television and publishing platforms while working with WaterStone to pursue new opportunities for investment and growth.” Salem CEO David Santrella adds, “This is an exciting day for Salem and the beginning of an important new chapter for our company. Salem enters this partnership with strong momentum, an extraordinary portfolio of talent and brands, and more ways than ever to reach audiences across the country. With WaterStone alongside us, we are positioned to invest for the future while remaining firmly committed to the mission that has guided this company from the very beginning.”
income testified against Trump in congress and in court. But Cohen says he’s spoken with Trump several times over the past year and the president agreed to do the interview. WABC says, “The coming-together of these two political heavyweights comes at a particularly intriguing time. Cohen and Trump have been publicly at odds for years, making this unexpected sit-down impossible to ignore. Whatever the answer, Cohen interviewing Trump is sure to generate attention and plenty of questions about what happened to one of the most complicated relationships in modern politics.”
held by Chris Salcedo, who is leaving the station after a 14-year stint. KSEV says, “Radio host Craig Collins will bring his youth and experience from major talk stations including WGN Radio in Chicago and 93 WIBC in Indianapolis, as well as national guest-hosting work for ‘The Dana Show’ and ‘The Chad Benson Show.’ Award-winning Houston investigative journalist Wayne Dolcefino will join Collins as a regular contributor.” 
2:00 pm daypart. iHeartMedia region program director Bryan Erickson says, “We’re excited to have Matt and Ross bringing their unique blend of energy, insight and humor to mornings. They’ve built a strong connection with Houston sports fans, and we’re confident they’ll be a great way to start the day. We’re equally excited for Dan Mathews to take over middays, where his deep sports knowledge and strong local perspective will continue to serve listeners throughout the day.”
categories based on average weekly downloads in the following order: Comedy (44.5%), News (25.7%), and Society & Culture (21.2%) and reports that the genres with the largest quarter-over-quarter reach growth are: News (+8.4%), True Crime (+1.8%), Sports (+1.1%), and Comedy (+2.1%). Triton says its data reveals podcasts that grew from Q1 to Q2 of this year on its ranker include: “The Ramsey Show” (up 14 places to #16); “The Shawn Ryan Show” (up 32 spots to #22); “The Dan Bongino Show” (up 16 places to #50); and “The Tucker Carlson Show” (up 10 spots to #9).
Dallas, San Francisco, and Milwaukee. Former Audacy Buffalo general manager Tim Wenger posted his thoughts about Beach’s passing and wrote: “When I was asked about programming WBEN ‘back in the day’ and what I would do first, I quickly said I would go to Milwaukee and bring Sandy Beach back to Buffalo and talk radio, where he belongs. I got the job, I got Sandy, and I never looked back. Sandy quickly became an institution on WBEN and a co-worker so many cherished and loved off the microphone and respected for his unrivaled wit, intelligence, logic and even sometimes caustic sense of humor on the air. The most-asked question I get when I encounter WBEN listeners is, hands-down, ‘How is Sandy Beach?’ Susan and I had the privilege of continuing our close friendship with Sandy and I can assure you that his humor, personality and wit was with him until his brief illness took hold.”
Ballroom in New York City. NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “NAB is honored to recognize Joel Oxley for his extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the radio industry. For more than three decades at WTOP and Federal News Network, and over 15 years at Hubbard Radio, Joel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to local journalism, innovation and public service. Under his leadership, WTOP has become one of the nation’s premier news operations, setting the standard for excellence in local broadcasting while serving the Washington, DC community with trusted journalism. His integrity, vision and dedication have left an enduring mark on our industry, making him a most deserving recipient of this year’s National Radio Award.”