Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (July 14 – 18, 2025)
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (7/14-7/18) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
1. The Epstein Controversy / MAGA Rift
2. Congress Passes DOGE Cuts
3. Financial Markets Activity / Trump vs Powell
4. Trump Tariffs
5. ICE Raids
6. Russia Intensifies Ukraine Strikes
7. SCOTUS Education Dept. Ruling
8. FEMA Criticisms / Texas Foods Aftermath
9. Bove Nomination
10.Trump vs Rosie O’Donnell
People
1. Donald Trump
2. Jeffrey Epstein
3. Pam Bondi / Dan Bongino
4. Ghislaine Maxwell
5. Jerome Powell
6. Stephen Miller
7. Vladimir Putin
8. Kristi Noem / David Richardson
9. Emil Bove
10. Rosie O’Donnell
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
marketers, not because it’s ineffective, but because it’s quietly efficient.” He adds, “Low levels of variability and the lack of granular data at the campaign and market levels can cloud the results. Smaller campaign investments can also fly under the radar, making it harder for models to detect Audio’s true impact.” Borelli says Audacy is working with other audio companies and with partners like the RAB and IAB to provide more granular data and to standardize model inputs. “We’re running model audits and retroactive studies to properly demonstrate Audio’s impact including replacing media plan data with ‘as-run’ actuals because as-run data provides significantly more variation, which stimulates the models to more effectively identify radio’s correlation with sales results.” 
“Eric from Dominion saying he was going to make sure President Trump lost the 2020 election.” That was picked up and broadcast by OAN network and further repeated by the Trump campaign and Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. Coomer also sued MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and won a $2.3 million judgement. Courthouse News also reports that Coomer is also suing Salem personality Eric Metaxas who recently filed with the court to settle and is awaiting approval from the court. Interestingly, Corporon – a practicing attorney – is representing Gateway Pundit owner James Hoft who is also being sued by Coomer for defamation. That case is scheduled to go to trial in April of 2026. 
and NPR’s most popular podcasts – “NPR News Now” and “Up First” – maintain their first and second-place finishes, respectively. Changes of note from May to June include Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” rising three places to #5, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” rising one spot to #10, and iHeartRadio’s “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton” falling two places to #16. 
Both personalities came to television from radio – Carton from WFAN, New York and 
Parkins from WSCR, Chicago. Industry watchers are speculating whether the two, especially Carton, will return to radio. In the New York Post, sportswriterAndrew Marchand notes that after his prison stint for a fraud conviction, Audacy’s now-chief business officer Chris Oliviero was instrumental in bringing Carton back to WFAN as afternoon drive co-host. Carton did radio and the FS1 show before leaving radio to focus on the early morning TV show.
Consumer. Edison says the webinar will cover the current size and habits of the U.S. podcast audience and explore how things have changed over time. The webinar is July 23 at 2:00 pm ET. 
operations for the cluster that includes sports talk KILT-AM, sports betting KIKK-AM and four music brands. Logan says, “I’m so excited to be returning to Audacy and Houston! Thanks to Sarah Frazier, Brian Purdy, Tim Roberts, Dave Richards, Jeff Sottolano and Chris Oliviero for once again handing me the keys to these legendary Houston brands. I know Houston is hot, I know it’s where to find the best queso in the world, and I know how to help teams achieve success! We start immediately.”
is a return to WABC. Red Apple owner John Catsimatidis says, “As Red Apple Media continues to enlarge its footprint in radio, we recognized a need for an engineering specialist with insights that will bolster our growth strategy as we identify properties for our expansion. Bert’s experience made him the perfect choice.” Goldman comments, “I’m eager to come home to 77WABC and join Red Apple Media as it enters its next growth phase. John has revived AM talk radio with big-name hosts and created renewed excitement for broadcast radio overall.”
that Teinowitz, former co-host of the “Mac, Jurko and Harry” show with Dan McNeil and John Jukovich on WMVP, Chicago’s, had been ill in recent years, having received a liver transplant and suffering from liver and heart issues. Teinowitz began his radio career as part of the morning show on crosstown competitor WSCR. He also did on-air appearances on WLUP-FM and WGN-AM. 
for WWJ and sports talk WXYT-FM “97.1 The Ticket” since 2018. Audacy Detroit SVP and market manager Debbie Kenyon says, “We are excited to have Chris bring his passion and energy to the morning show. Chris and Jackie are a powerful team, and we’re confident they’ll make an impact every morning while connecting with our listeners.” Fillar comments, “I’m ecstatic to take on this new role alongside Jackie and the entire fantastic morning newsroom at WWJ. It’s an honor to wake up and deliver trusted news to our listeners, and I’m humbled to work with such a great team!”
Hubbard Seattle stations (then owned by Sandusky) and rose through the ranks in promotions, sales, and on-air roles, and was selected for Hubbard’s inaugural NextGen Leadership program. Most recently, Beyer held senior sales leadership positions at CRISTA Media and iHeartMedia Seattle. Beyer says, “I’m incredibly honored to return to where it all began. Hubbard Radio Seattle is home, and I can’t wait to work with this amazing team to serve our listeners, clients, and community.”
-home media company JCDecaux reveals creative best practices for billboard advertising that the AM/FM radio industry can utilize to improve visual ad impact. Some of the key findings include: 1) Quu visual AM/FM radio ads on auto dashboards increase purchase intent by +89%; 2) You’ve got two seconds so brand fast: Visual logos placed at top of the frame deliver 4X higher brand recognition; 3) Beware the cost of dull: Failure to engage emotionally is the cost of creative mediocrity; 4) Be consistent with a brand’s colors, logos, slogans, and fonts that appear in other advertising; 5) Keep it short: The fewer the words, the greater the brand recognition; and 6) Create happiness: Ads that create positive emotions with happiness, surprise, or humor generate much stronger memorability, brand association, store visits, and website visits. 
How obsolete does this sound? “Newsweek magazine.” News, gathered during most-of the week, had to be frozen by week’s-end, on deadline, to roll the presses in time for hard copy to be delivered in Monday’s snail mail. Back then – picture people dressed like “Mad Men” characters – enough subscribers felt informed-enough to deliver Return On Investment for the magazine’s advertisers. Seems antique. Now, news is reported moment-to-moment, on any device. And newsweek.com is there… along with everyone else competing for attention.
There are two broad categories of thought: Task. Creative. When in creative mode, a person innovates, imagines, plans, and solves problems. An idea bank is a bank! Money grows from the results of imagination: new products, new music, new formats, new sales strategies. Business growth depends on new!
Internet adopted under the Biden Administration and network interconnection. FCC chairman Brendan Carr says, “We’re continuing to clean house at the FCC, working to identify and eliminate rules that no longer serve a purpose, have been on our books for decades, and have no place in the current Code of Federal Regulations. Today’s action is just the latest step the FCC is taking to follow the Trump Administration’s effort to usher in prosperity through deregulation. And it’s just one of many, with more on the horizon, so stay tuned.”