A new report released by Audacy looks to convey just how passionate sports-talk radio listeners are. Titled 2026 State of Audio: Sports Fandom, the report explores the evolution of the sports fan’s attention.
Its bottom line: In a packed sports calendar year like 2026, sports fans are craving places for discussion beyond a three-hour game, and they consistently seem to be seeking out audio.
The report cites several studies as sources, including the “State of Sports Media” from Crowd React Media, Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” and Nielsen-Scarborough’s USA+ study.
Audacy operates some of the highest-profile sports-talk radio outlets in the U.S., including New York’s WFAN (AM/FM), Chicago’s WSCR(AM) and its newly added Chicago 104.3 FM signal, Philadelphia’s WIP(FM) and Washington, D.C.’s WJFK(FM).
In fact, eight of the top 10 most sports-obsessed markets are Audacy markets, according to a Nielsen-Scarborough study from 2025 cited in the report. In order of “avid fan index,” those markets are Kansas City, Buffalo, Atlanta, Austin, Des Moines/Ames, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Columbus and Denver.
Based on Nielsen Scarborough’s “avidity” index, the Audacy report plots the locations of the eight of the 10 most sports-obsessed markets.
“These are the markets where fandom shows up everywhere,” Audacy said in the report. You can read its entire findings here.
The report coincides with a massive year in the sports calendar, which includes the World Cup, Winter Olympics and World Baseball Classic, not to mention coverage of the four major U.S. sports.
Study findings
As sports viewing scatters across multiple platforms, the most devoted fans are concentrating their daily habits on audio, Audacy said.
“Audacy now ranks #1 in sports talk reach across radio and TV, surpassing ESPN and FS1,” the company said in a release, citing the Nielsen-Scarborough study.
Comparing brands across sports talk, from Audacy’s report.
Passionate fans engage long after the final whistle. During the offseason, 72% of fans monitor trades and deals, according to the Crowd React Media study. Diehard fans are also 1.4 times more likely to tune into pre- and post-game shows on radio than TV, according to a Vision Insights study from this past August through October.
Podcasts, naturally, have played a significant role. According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear from Q3 2025, the share of listening to podcasts for sports content has increased by 71% in the last five years.
Approximately 79% of fans said that sports make them feel part of a community. The study cited fans who mute national broadcasts to capture their own city’s emotion and history via local radio.
Gen-Z fans are just as passionate, Audacy said, but consume content differently. They are more likely to watch clips or analysis on Twitch and participate in daily fantasy leagues or sports betting, according to the Vision Insights study.
That’s where Audacy said sports radio has been ahead of the curve.
“Long before video podcasts became a headline, sports radio shows were already streaming live on YouTube, Twitch and social platforms,” the report said.
It may not be a drastic surprise that NFL fandom is the highest among audio listeners. According to the study, 81% of avid NFL fans are sports talk radio listeners.
Audacy said the passion transfers digitally, too.
“Sports audio drives measurable results beyond traditional categories, with web traffic lifts on air days vs. off-air days: +105% for financial services, +42% home improvement, +22% grocery, +10% automotive,” the report said.
Organizers expect approximately 6,000 visitors this year, following last year’s attendance of roughly 5,800 people representing 52 countries. The show’s core mission is to serve as a relationship-building hub for Christian media professionals.
Some of the most successful movies, TV shows and other Christian media projects have debuted at the convention, organizers told Radio World.
“If you have a program or product for the faith audience, the NRB Convention is the place to start,” organizers said.
Radio World readers will recognize both session presenters and exhibitors, and we asked the organization to give us a feel of what attendees with radio-related interests might expect next week in the Music City.
Regulatory and behind the mic
Exhibitors at the 2025 NRB International Media Convention, which took place last year in Grapevine, Texas.
There will be approximately 230 exhibits across the 55,000-square foot space at the Gaylord Opryland. The convention will feature several sessions focused on the radio industry, from getting the most out of your station’s faith-based programming, to understanding the current tenor of the FCC’s regulatory shifts.
On Wednesday, Juan Galdamez, senior director of broadcast strategy at Xperi, will discuss radio’s position in connected cars in “Current Technology Trends for Broadcasters.”
Attorneys David Oxenford and Joseph Chautin will lead a session regarding the FCC’s recent regulatory changes and their implications for broadcasters in “FCC Regulatory Reset.”
In a session titled “Why Listen,” Chuck Finney of Finney Media will present findings from a study his company conducted last year on what makes Christian radio listeners tune in and out of programming.
Other sessions include a Thursday workshop by Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media on the role and importance of local radio, and a presentation by Matt Harper of Connecticut’s 104.9 WIHS(FM) on community outreach through working with local houses of worship.
The NRB radio advisory council will hold a standing committee meeting on Thursday that is open to radio professionals.
Suppliers and networks
Exhibitors at the 2025 NRB International Media Convention.
Among exhibitors that will be familiar to Radio World readers are names such as Aiir, American Amplifier Technologies, Avid, B&H, Broadcasters General Store, BSW, Christian FM Media Group, Encompass Digital Media, LinkUp Communications, Live365, RCS, Rohde & Schwarz and SCMS. (Here’s the full list.)
Broadcast networks such as iHeartMedia, American Family Association, CSN Radio, Faith Radio and K-Love/Air1 will also have booths inside the Gaylord Opryland.
The opening session features music from Michael W. Smith and Nicole C. Mullen, with remarks by H.B. Charles Jr., pastor-teacher at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla.
On Thursday evening, Feb. 19, NRB will host an event with the White House to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, featuring speakers from the White House’s Task Force 250.
AM radio and local ownership
NRB President Troy A. Miller at the 2025 NRB International Media Convention opening session.
NRB included its legislative and regulatory priorities on protecting local and faith-based broadcasters as one of its core NRB Show messages. That includes through the organization’s advocation of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
“NRB is pursuing multiple legislative pathways to move the AM bill forward, including surface transportation reauthorization, the FY 2027 appropriations process and potential end-of-year legislative packages,” the organization said.
The organization is also opposed to “harmful ownership consolidation,” saying that it opposes changes to local and national television ownership rules. NRB believes further consolidation would reduce faith-based programming and viewpoint diversity.
It also continues to oppose new music performance royalties, fees or taxes on local radio and supports the Local Radio Freedom Act in both chambers.
Over the years, I have owned and used many radios to tune into international shortwave radio broadcasts, including the iconic Panasonic RF-2200 from the 1980s. But few have impressed me as much as the KiwiSDR 2.
Made by KiwiSDR NZ in New Zealand, the KiwiSDR 2 is a software-defined radio with its own computer, packed into a small metal box. It connects to the user’s home network via an ethernet cable, sets up through a few easy steps and is controlled directly using a web-based interface.
This interface can be experienced for free, with access to KiwiSDRs around the globe. It provides the user with a clickable graphic display of live radio signals across the spectrum.
The interface also allows the user to select stations by direct keyboard entry, by band or by moving their mouse across the display and clicking on whatever feed strikes their fancy.
The KiwiSDR interface supports a range of tuning formats as well, from AM and single sideband (SSB) to DRM and various RF-based data formats.
Let me put it this way: If a crystal radio is the 1903 Wright Flyer of broadcast listening, the KiwiSDR 2 is the USS Enterprise.
A reborn receiver
KiwiSDR NZ was formed in 2023 to relaunch the KiwiSDR, a version of this radio that was built on a PC plug-in board.
The KiwiSDR 1 was introduced in 2016, manufactured and marketed by SeeedStudio (yes, there are three letter Es in its name) in Shenzhen.
“Supply shortages during COVID stopped production in 2021,” said Peter Munn, CEO of KiwiSDR NZ and ham radio callsign ZL2P.
“We decided to relaunch a newer design called the KiwiSDR 2 using our own New Zealand-based company with manufacturing by Triode in Auckland.”
A software-defined radio with its own computer, packed into a small metal box.
In terms of capabilities, the KiwiSDR 2 receives signals in the shortwave radio band (3–30 MHz) plus VLF/LF/MW and the AM broadcast band, covering from 10 kHz to 30 MHz in total.
An external antenna is required to operate. Options range from traditional wire antennas to magnetic loops and active probes.
The KiwiSDR 2 comes with a connectable GPS antenna, so that users who wish to share their unit on the KiwiSDR tuning site can show their locations. When connected in this way, up to four users can connect simultaneously, each one tuning and listening independently to a different frequency over the entire frequency range.
“All signal processing occurs locally within the Kiwi hardware and the browser of the connected user, including what we call extensions for decoding modes typically encountered on shortwave,” Munn told Radio World.
“An example of this is the Digital Radio Mondiale decoder now that some shortwave broadcasters support this mode. For ham radio operators, there are decoders for the modes FT8, WSPR, CW, FSK and SSTV. For commercial users FAX, ALE 2G, NAVTEX, DSC, Selcall and HFDL.”
KiwiSDR-accessible receivers in the eastern United States.
As well, said John Seamons, KiwiSDR 2 designer/developer and ham radio callsign(s) ZL4VO/KF6VO, some users have used external downconverters to bring VHF/UHF signals to the Kiwi, effectively using it as a 30 MHz wide intermediate frequency (IF) receiver.
“The Kiwi software supports these configurations such that VHF/UHF frequencies are shown on the display.”
Worth noting: Unlike other SDRs, the KiwiSDR 2 is a self-contained device controlled entirely from a web browser. “This means no attachment to a PC and the associated software/driver installation with the inevitable grief that results,” said David Bray, KiwiSDR NZ’s logistics manager and ham radio callsign ZL2BA.
“The KiwiSDR 2 is also internet-enabled, meaning connections can occur not only from a web browser on the same local network as the Kiwi but from a web browser located anywhere in the world.”
The Kiwi’s reverse proxy allows internet access even when using broadband connections that disallow incoming connections, e.g. Starlink, 4/5G mobile networks, and some ISPs.
“In this way, it is truly plug-and-play from a networking perspective, which has been very important to our customer base,” Bray said.
“You simply visit my.kiwisdr.com after hardware setup to see the URL link required to access your Kiwi from the internet and local network.”
Helping monitor coverage
So it’s a consummate listening device for enthusiasts and the foundation for a global listening community able to share access to their radios worldwide.
But the KiwiSDR 2 also would be profoundly useful for any broadcaster wanting to monitor their coverage and signal quality remotely, and in real time.
All they have to do is to install KiwiSDR 2s and antennas in strategic locations and connect them to the web. Then coverage checks are a matter of logging onto the KiwiSDR tuning website and clicking on their remote receivers.
Receiving slow-scan ham radio video signals.
TWR, formerly Trans World Radio, is one such KiwiSDR user. The global Christian media outlet broadcasts on its own medium and shortwave transmitters from several locations worldwide, and is carried by partner ministries in many countries using medium-wave and local FM radio networks.
“TWR uses KiwiSDR monitor receivers on all continents,” said TWR Broadcast Engineer Dave Pedersen. “They are located in both reception areas and at TWR transmitter sites. Some sites are publicly available and visible on the KiwiSDR maps.”
According to Pedersen, most of TWR’s KiwiSDRs have standardized on the W6LVP loop antenna, with the rest using other active loop antennas.
“KiwiSDRs are used on both MW [AM] and SW depending on the broadcasts to be monitored,” he said.
“The TWR receivers are typically housed in a rack-mount custom enclosure with a linear power supply to lower the noise floor. We use the included Kiwiclient and Kiwirecorder utilities to sample data at preset times. The retrieved samples are stored for later analysis as many samples are made at different times of the day or night. Data analysis is performed by proprietary software developed by TWR.”
Based on the KiwiSDR’s remote monitoring performance to date, investing in these radios has been an excellent choice.
“The KiwiSDRs are working well for TWR,” said Pedersen. “Most propagation analysis was already well understood, but much has been learned about east-west MW [AM] propagation in tropical regions.
“Monitoring has confirmed that signal strength is not as much of an issue as the global noise floor rising from EMI caused by switch-mode power supplies and unshielded data cables. Signal-to-noise ratio has degraded significantly worldwide due to unmanaged RF spectrum pollution.”
His conclusion: “TWR will continue to use and expand the network as monitoring needs change. The KiwiSDR receiver continues to be the best technical solution for TWR use due to remote access and control, and the ability to process multiple data gathering sessions simultaneously.”
The listening experience
According to KiwiSDR NZ, more than 875 KiwiSDR users have made their receivers accessible to the public using the company’s online map.
One of these users is the Maritime Radio Historical Society. It is a nonprofit society that is keeping Morse Code alive by operating MRHS stations KPH, KFS and K6KPH in continuous wave (CW) Morse Code each Saturday.
The 22-meter shortwave band as displayed on the waterfall of an SDR in New Zealand, via the OpenWebRX platform.
The transmission site for all MRHS stations is the original 1914 Marconi site in Bolinas, Calif. The receive site at Point Reyes, Calif., was chosen by Dr. Harold Beverage for RCA and built in 1930.
Bill Ruck is a broadcast engineer and MRHS member. “Our Point Reyes location is a pretty wonderful high-frequency receive site because it is on a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean,” he said.
“We have a number of KiwiSDRs installed here that the public can access online, and they’re amazing, with all the features you’d ever want. The only problem that we have to deal with is too much gain, because the KiwiSDRs do not have a front-end passband filter. So you have to be very careful about your dynamic range in order to maximize reception without overloading the analog-to-digital converter.”
Try it now
I found the KiwiSDR 2 a joy to work with. Its clickable interface is simple enough for beginners to poke around and have fun with, while supporting sufficient functions to keep an expert engaged and intrigued for hours.
I run mine using a low-cost MLA-30 active loop antenna in my attic (find them on Amazon), and the performance is exceptional.
And when I need to make sense of an incoming signal too weak for my system to make sense of in suburbia? I use the KiwiSDR radio map to click on a nearby user who is in the country with a far better antenna than mine to bring that signal in.
Are there downsides to the KiwiSDR 2? A couple.
First, because the radio relies on the internet for tuning, you cannot count on it when the web is down. The KiwiSDR 2 also does not include built-in Wi-Fi.
Is either of these a deal breaker? For me, no. The web is rarely down where I live. Should that happen, I have standalone radios like the excellent Sangean ATS-909X2 to tune into AM, FM and shortwave. (My venerable RF-2200 failed after 39 years of faithful service.)
I also have an Ethernet connection in my second-floor Radio Room where my antenna connections are located. So meeting this KiwiSDR 2 requirement is no problem for me. (Note: Many wireless routers have Ethernet ports.)
The KiwiSDR 2 is an exceptional wideband radio receiver, one that belongs in any serious radio listening post. The best part: You can try it out for free on the web as soon as you finish reading this. In other words, right now.
Sonos is an audio tech company that makes an ecosystem of wireless speakers, home theater systems, headphones, architectural components and other home audio products.
Audacy broadcast stations have been available on Sonos devices since 2020. Now Audacy becomes the U.S. sales and distribution representative for Sonos Radio’s streaming inventory. Sonos Radio will join the Audacy Digital Audience Network, and its stations will be distributed on the Audacy platform.
Audacy said it has been working to create alliances with “high-performing brands that deepen listener engagement and expand advertiser opportunities.” It pointed to recent distribution collaborations with iHeartMedia and TuneIn, a sports content deal with Jomboy Media and a sports marketing agreement with MOGL.
“Adding Sonos Radio to this roster reinforces Audacy’s commitment to building a robust ecosystem of premium audio experiences across platforms, audiences and content formats,” according to the announcement, which was made by Audacy President of Digital Sales Michael Biemolt and Sonos Radio Director, Product Management Jack Rutledge.
Listeners will be able to find Sonos Radio stations on the Audacy app and web, with Sonos Radio featured alongside Audacy’s owned-and-operated brands,” they said in their joint announcement. Audacy will also distribute Sonos Radio stations across platforms including Google Home, Alexa and Apple Music.
As part of Radio World’s latest ebook about trends in codecs, we asked a sampling of industry engineers and users for their perspectives on the evolution of codec designs and applications, from remote broadcasts to sophisticated distribution applications.
Some opted to focus on specifics of their favorite codec brands, others spoke more generally, but all gave insight into the many ways these solutions are serving radio today. Their comments are below, and you can read much more on this topic in the ebook itself.
“A trend that continues and is not a fad is the integration of transport codecs within the broadcast infrastructure via hardware or software that includes associated data, control and timing signals,” said Roz Clark, executive director of radio engineering at Cox Media Group.
“The traditional infrastructure of a broadcast facility continues to evolve, and the ability to add process-intensive capabilities such as PPM, audio processing and other functions to devices that once were designed for a single purpose is moving forward.”
A key requirement of this, Clark said, is to transport all associated signals — not just audio — on time, securely and reliably.
“Interoperability between the various systems and vendors is key to long-term success and to allow incremental upgrades within the broadcast plant to take advantage of capabilities and efficiencies.”
He said this topic is being addressed in the IEEE-BTSC Aggregated Content Delivery Link standard work currently underway. “The ACDL standard will formalize these requirements and others to ensure interoperability and an international standard to reference.”
How do today’s codecs avoid problems with dropped packets?
Roz Clark
“The use of multiple disparate network connections that can use the connections simultaneously to deliver the content is an important feature,” Clark said.
“Ensuring the last-mile connections on each end of the circuit uses different physical delivery is important. Network connections that only use physical media that are delivered over a cable or fiber fall victim to backhoe fade, while last-mile connections that are over-the-air such as 4G or satellite can fail for other reasons.”
By mixing these types at a location, risk can be minimized, and service is likely to survive complete outages.
At Cox, he said: “The use of IPL technology from GatesAir in links between studios and transmitters has opened up opportunities for us to enhance our operational resiliency. This technology takes the traditional point-to-point dedicated nature of an STL to a scenario where it becomes a multipoint-to-multipoint network of content distribution.”
That opens the possibility of flexibly feeding a tower site from alternate locations on demand as part of a BCP program. “If properly configured, the alternate site can maintain normal operations for the station for internal customers, as well as external customers including streaming audio, metadata etc.”
“It is no longer so necessary for a user to physically touch the box to make adjustments. You plug in power, network and maybe some local I/O in the field, browse in and go.”
The “box,” he noted, can be anywhere.
“All of the tech you need is built in, including AoIP and the latest public network protocols. Several popular brands have multiple codecs in one box, all accessed via a network for connection, control and audio — doing more with less, faster, better, cheaper, a better ROI for the expense of the device.”
Ed Bukont
Given that more functions in the air chain are now in software, how has this affected workflows?
“Air chains are generally static except for EAS and backup situations,” Bukont replied.
“By and large, software has made this harder for the installer but easier on the user. A faceless box can have multiple network ports, allowing secure connections to multiple sites while being controlled securely on a management port.
“Software, and how it integrates at different levels of the OSI model, can allow multiple users and vendors to interact on a common platform from the console, through processing, program delay, EAS, watermarking, STL, all the way into the transmitter, while maintaining a diverse set of reliable paths that may be divergent between content and control.”
Bukont said codecs and a variety of IP connection technologies are making it possible to merge studios while keeping a local presence that was not practical for many even 10 years ago.
“I am less concerned with minute improvements in audio quality that may be masked by background noise of an event. The real advances are in accommodating a diversity of paths via various technologies to create reliable connections with an acceptable fail-over.”
Links to data centers
Lamar Smith, VP and director of corporate engineering at Beasley Media Group, notes that the expansion in use of codecs in radio feels exponential.
“With the COVID pandemic we scrambled to get as many codec units as possible, from any flavor possible, to allow our staff to remotely work from home,” he said.
“They all served their purpose during that time, but surprisingly, they have continued to be a vital part of what we do daily.”
He said some have changed their purpose a little, but the remote connectivity has continued to be a vital part to all the company’s operations.
“We are finding the current trend being the use for STL replacements in place of our historical traditional 950 MHz gear and as a way of linking our studies to our data centers, transmitter sites and remote staff contributing to our programming.”
Smith said radio’s familiar tower industry faces a crisis. “It has become too expensive as a way to distribute our content. The delivery of audio to a transmitter site via ISP is a way of limiting the needs on towers for STL antennas.”
Lamar Smith
He said the use of data centers to distribute content to transmitter sites plays into this. “We may have a data center on the East Coast but feed content to transmitter sites on the West Coast.”
The need to create more and more multi-channel audio paths means software-based devices must be able to handle a number of paths versus an individual piece of hardware for each codec path.
“While the hardware handling a single audio codec path is still needed, with all the downsizing we have been going through, the data centers have demanded that we have server-based solutions that can handle a lot of traffic in a small footprint,” Smith said.
“That traffic is everything from the traditional algorithms — linear or ACC — as well as using SIP technology to accomplish the needs.”
Given advances in audio coding, DSP and wireless IP over recent decades, what improvements can still be made in the quality of audio delivered by codecs?
“Reliability and robustness are critical to the operation of our codec systems, and these areas need to be the focus of the manufacturers,” he replied.
“While we have seen massive improvements in reliability from our ISPs, inherent issues of the public internet cause short temporary interruptions as well as jitter and latency.”
The use of multiple ISPs to overcome these issues has proven to be effective, he said.
“But it’s my opinion that this is an area where we should and will see improvements as manufacturers continue to adapt to the needs of the industry and push for quality audio at near-real time delivery while overcoming public internet obstacles.”
Smith said that in one market, Beasley recently needed to move quickly out of a building that housed its offices and studios because the building was being sold.
“We quickly implemented a data center implementation that allowed the studios and offices to move within 60 days. Using ISP codecs as a way of linking the audio between temporary studios and to the transmitter sites was critical and made the move viable.
“While we have used the GatesAir IPlinks for years now, we have started implementing stream-splicing on our links that feed the transmitter sites across the public internet. We have done this using dual ISP connections such as a fiber provider and Starlink, for example,” he said.
“Sometimes getting dual ‘good’ ISP connections at the transmitter site is difficult, so we have even found success in implementing on the same provider with enough latency on the second path to overcome the failures of the provider. While this adds to the delay of audio going from ‘live’ to ‘on-air,’ we’ve all moved on from expecting real-time audio on the air years ago.”
Diverse connections
Randy Williams is chief engineer of media and technology company Learfield, which specializes in college athletics. Learfield deploys numerous Comrex codecs.
“The use of CrossLock or some type of SD-WAN technology within the codec allows two or more diverse IP connections to be installed,” he said.
“The codec unit will monitor the incoming connections and ‘switch/bounce’ to the IP source that has the best reliability and lowest amount of packet loss. This ensures connectivity without sacrificing missing audio bits or downtime.” (By default, the IP codecs aggregate all data connections, but Redundant Transmission mode can be selected.)
He said the codecs do well at avoiding dropped packets.
“By using CrossLock, the codec is placed into a VPN connection where it is managing two different network IP connections, similar to SD-WAN. While a connection is established and running, Comrex employs several error protection and concealment techniques and Automatic Repeat Request, which instructs the codec software to send redundant data, allowing the codecs to reconstruct or resend lost packets. These features are running simultaneously in live streams to reduce audio loss.”
David Tukesbrey
Learfield also has begun a systematic migration to a Wheatstone AoIP platform. “There are processing, compression and level adjustments inside the WheatNet blades or software applications. This is drastically reducing the amount of physical audio cabling that would traverse our building and also is replacing external hardware devices that used to perform the same or similar processes.”
He said Learfield’s Comrex IP rack codecs offer various algorithms for broadcast audio connections with AES digital audio inputs and outputs.
Also useful is the multi-stream feature available in Comrex codecs.
“By configuring a primary ‘main’ unit in multi-stream mode as the ‘encoder’ unit, as many as 10 other codecs can connect to the ‘encoder,’ providing the same quality audio and relay closures. Learfield has made up to 25 different codec connections in multi-stream mode if only using AAC-Mono as the common algorithm profile.”
Williams is looking forward to a recently introduced product called FieldLink. “Once it is proven in larger Division 1 football and NFL stadiums it will be a game-changer for Learfield. It is a dynamic WiFi Access Point codec that allows roaming field reports to connect via smartphone application and deliver high-quality, full-duplex audio to the producer in the press box or studio. This would eliminate the wireless microphone and IFB systems in use during large-scale sporting event productions.”
When it comes to doing remote broadcasts, field users tend to focus on the practical aspects.
David Tukesbrey is sports director at Hub City Radio, a group of FM, AM and HD multicast stations in Aberdeen, S.D. He uses Tieline gear in his play-by-play work.
After audio quality, he said, “The most important thing for being user-friendly is a tad bigger screen, so I can get connected to the station. I also like that fact that the codec is versatile in terms of size and weight. It doesn’t take up a lot of space on game day on the desk or table that I use.”
For Tukesbrey, a codec fills many needs.
“I do all my coaches interviews on it, with an SD card for storage, and it’s so versatile. I’ve worked at radio stations where audio quality isn’t prioritized. When I’m calling play-by-play or listening on the radio to a game, I want to hear and feel like I’m there. The codec provides that. And you click a few buttons and you’re connected. Getting connected via Ethernet is simple, and even via Wi-Fi is easy.”
“As more broadcasters move to using the internet for audio delivery, it is critical to consider codecs that can effectively handle multiple IP paths, using diverse NICs, and integrate stream-splicing,” he said. “This will minimize glitching and occasional dropouts that are inevitable on shared services, especially on wireless/cellular and satellite internet connections.
Jeremy Preece
“It is also helpful to choose a unit that can provide detailed stream performance and alarm reporting via SNMP, etc., as unrecovered packet losses and similar problems can affect listener experience while going unnoticed on standard audio monitoring hardware.”
Audio codecs have been available as software for some time, he noted, so the technology is well tested in that format.
“Using software codecs can greatly simplify distribution from a studio to multiple tower sites and your station’s website and mobile apps. Codecs can also run in the cloud, reducing on-prem hardware and reducing failure points.”
Preece said hardware codecs still have a place, but software models should not be overlooked if redundancy and scalability is a consideration.
Given advances in audio coding, DSP and wireless IP over recent decades, what improvements can still be made in the quality of audio delivered by codecs?
“While it is possible to deliver decent audio at lower bitrates than ever before, broadcasters should budget for the bandwidth to use the highest bitrates possible,” he continued.
“For primary audio paths, choose a codec that can use modern algorithms — AAC+ etc., never MP3 — and whenever possible use 192k or higher. Even better, use microMPX, which provides exceptional audio quality, with stereo pilot and RDS, at bitrates comfortably as low as 384k.
“If your link budget allows, consider going linear/uncompressed to maximize quality. For emergency or cellular modem backups, that’s a good place to sacrifice quality for reliability and cost-efficiency.” And when he’s in the market for a codec, Preece bases the purchasing decision on the project goal.
“A platform for a multi-booster FM+HD SFN system will involve a lot more complexity than a basic IP-STL,” he noted.
“The first step is to accurately identify your needs: Are you sending analog L/R audio, AES, AES192 or MPX? What about metadata, E2X or other IP data services? Consider IP redundancy: Do you need a second or third built-in NIC or will one suffice?
“If HD Radio content is in play, give careful consideration to the delivery method and where the HD equipment is placed. In some cases, sending I2E or E2X from the studio to a tower site may be more cumbersome than simply encoding three or four AES audio streams with a separate IP link for PAD. If you’re not sure what the best solution is, reach out to a sales rep or dealer and ask them to walk you through options. There may be five ways to do it, but only one that is truly the best for your scenario.”
Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.
Read more expert comments about codec designs in the free ebook.
With major U.S. events like the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, America 250 and the 2028 Olympics becoming ever more important for broadcasters, the Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance (WMSA) has been highlighting the need for spectrum to operate wireless microphones. This spectrum is particularly critical for high-profile events that include global broadcasts, multiple live performances, in-game/in-event announcements, and more, the group said.
The push to raise awareness about the importance of spectrum for the production of major events comes at a time when the Federal Communications Commission is planning to auction off more C-Band spectrum and the U.S. Congress has authorized spectrum sales.
WMSA was formed last year in an effort to raise awareness with the FCC, Congress, the White House and NTIA about how critical wireless microphones are to live performance, broadcast and cultural events, the association said. Comprised of a coalition of manufacturers, audio engineers and broadcast professionals, WMSA’s mission is to preserve and protect spectrum for professional wireless use so events like these can proceed with uninterrupted audio quality.
For example, the events surrounding the Super Bowl create a major demand on radio frequency spectrum for wireless microphones. It is the most amount of wireless deployed for a single sporting event and these requirements continue to increase.
For such events, WMSA noted that producers require:
Massive scale: Hundreds of wireless channels are needed for talent, crew, referees and sideline personnel.
Frequency coordination: Game Day Coordinators allocate spectrum, prioritizing operations, venue, teams and broadcasters.
Interference mitigation: Professional audio engineers use techniques like multiplexing, directional antennas, and meticulous frequency planning to help prevent signal clashes.
Equipment: High-end wireless systems, specialized software and robust distribution gear are essential.
Across all platforms, use of wireless microphones supports content creation sectors valued at approximately two trillion dollars in economic value globally and poised to pass three trillion dollars by 2025, according to A. Guttman.
WMSA believes that spectrum is under threat as the remaining spectrum accessible to wireless microphones in the 470–608 MHz band – which is shared with broadcasters, white space devices, public safety operations, etc. – is insufficient.
For example, spectrum scans taken in various U.S. cities after 2017, following the incentive auction and loss of access to the 600 MHz band, show limited or no available TV channels for wireless microphones.
This has necessitated an increasing reliance on Special Temporary Authority (STA) grants by the FCC to access spectrum typically not allowed for wireless mics in order to support medium and large-sized events. However, STAs are ad hoc, unpredictable, burdensome on staff and, according to the WMSA, simply not a viable long-term solution to this continuing and growing need.
Data from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games revealed that 89 percent of all audio links used were within the 470–694 MHz range.
WMSA has recently met with the FCC and other organizations in Washington, D.C., to work on solutions for this to help preserve existing spectrum and get access to new spectrum for wireless microphones. WMSA is encouraged by the progress of those meetings.
The current focus on spectrum for commercial 6G use is on bands above 2.5 GHz and not on the TV-UHF band used by wireless mics. However, WMSA continues to remain vigilant that the focus does not shift to the TV-UHF frequency range.
WMSA said it has successfully engaged with relevant U.S. Federal agencies to secure access to additional spectrum.
Once an audio commercial is imported into NextKast’s main server, the station traffic manager matches the order to the audio for scheduling and playout.
NextKast has launched NextTraffic, a built-in traffic and billing system for its automation platform NextKast OnAir.
“NextTraffic is fully integrated into the NextKast OnAir platform and serves as a complete alternative to third-party traffic systems for broadcasters seeking an all-in-one solution,” the software company said in its announcement.
For stations using an external traffic system, it said, NextKast OnAir continues to supports third-party traffic integration.
“Unlike traditional traffic solutions that require separate software, exports and manual reconciliation, NextTraffic is fully integrated into NextKast OnAir, automating the entire advertising workflow from client order to proof-of-play and invoicing.”
It said this creates a single streamlined system that eliminates third-party traffic software.
The system uses a patent-pending Traffic Tag System that embeds a unique tag into each commercial. The tag contains scheduling data such as advertiser, campaign details, dates, rates and frequency. The company says this allows ads to be automatically scheduled, verified and logged without spreadsheets, manual logs or reconciliation.
“Using the embedded traffic tag, a single ad can be sent to one or multiple stations and automatically schedule itself based on its campaign parameters.”
Once received, the ad determines where and when it should air, without manual input. {layback is logged and audited automatically.
According to NextKast, this approach is especially beneficial for independent operators running multiple stations or regional networks.
The report takes heart from the trend line for digital. Its findings are against a backdrop of revenue totals that are much smaller than 10 or 20 years ago.
The report finds that radio’s digital advertising reached a record in 2025 of $2.3 billion. It also states that digital sales accounted for 24.4% of total revenue nationwide.
That would put overall revenue of the U.S. commercial radio industry last year at $9.4 billion.
For context, in 2005 the radio industry’s revenue was $21.5 billion, according to Radio World’s reporting of RAB data at the time. In 2016, the year RAB said digital ad revenue first surpassed $1 billion, radio’s total that year was about $17.4 billion. (Those were not Borrell-based numbers but give a sense of how the radio revenue picture has shrunk.)
“Borrell forecasts digital revenue will grow slightly faster this year — 9.5% versus 7.8% in 2025 — reaching $2.5 billion,” RAB states in the new release.
“The average station generated $511,873 in digital revenue in 2025, and the average market cluster made $2,263,431.”
RAB President/CEO Mike Hulvey was quoted saying, “Advertisers are recognizing the digital services and products that exist as part of broadcast radio’s marketing toolbox and are taking advantage of it.”
According to RAB, the report finds that “strong and sustained digital growth has largely offset declines in core radio advertising. Since 2022, digital revenue has grown at a compound annual rate of 8.3%, while core radio advertising has declined 2.2%.”
It quoted Borrell Associates CEO Gordon Borrell pointing out that three-fourths of radio buyers are not yet taking advantage of radio’s digital products.
Marketron CEO Jimshade Chaudhari said, “Digital is now the primary driver of revenue stability and growth in radio.”
Another finding: Local advertisers value radio’s “branding power and return on investment,” but many view it as difficult to measure.
“As a result, budgets are flowing toward media that combine radio’s branding with accountability, particularly streaming audio, streaming video and digitally measurable campaigns,” RAB stated.
The report also found rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools in radio sales organizations but said many managers express concern that AI-driven media recommendations may not favor radio “unless stations strengthen their digital positioning and measurement capabilities.”
The report, which is available to RAB members, is based on ad revenue data from approximately 3,800 radio stations; surveys of advertisers, agencies and radio managers; and market-level digital revenue estimates in 513 U.S. markets.
While radio license holders should make every effort to keep their contact information registered with the FCC up to date, they are not under threat of a $1,000-per-day penalty for failing to do so.
That is according to a public notice the commission issued Friday. The confusion stems from a robocall mitigation database proceeding it released the day prior.
In that proceeding, the commission announced that it had received approval to require every holder of an FCC Registration Number (FRN) to update their contact information within 10 business days of a change or face a $1,000-per-day fine.
This announcement alarmed broadcasters, as all corporate and individual owners of station licenses in the FCC’s LMS database are tied to FRNs.
The panic led to a surge in traffic on Friday that overwhelmed the FCC’s website as licensees rushed to verify their information, according to Scott Flick of Pillsbury’s Comm Law Center, who has been following the FRN-related developments.
Some licensees even interpreted the notice to mean that if they didn’t log in to update their FRN within 10 days of the FCC’s notice, regardless of whether or not any underlying change occurred to their contact information, they would face the forfeiture.
The FCC’s late Friday public notice walked back this interpretation. The commission clarified that the new, steeper base forfeitures — $10,000 for false information and $1,000 per day for failure to update — apply only to RMD filers, such as voice service providers.
“The robocall mitigation database report and order did not address or change any forfeiture amounts that may be associated with failures to update the CORES information by non-RMD filers,” the update read.
Flick called the update a “win.”
No bouncing emails
But despite the relief, the underlying requirement is still in effect. All entities with an FRN — including radio stations — must update their CORES contact information within 10 business days of any change, such as a change in address, email or contact person.
John Broomall of Christian Community Broadcasters told us that, while he always advises for his clients to keep contact information up to date, this is the first time he can recall such a focus on it from the commission.
But for Broomall, it’s a necessary practice.
“When a consultant such as myself emails clients to ‘keep their info current,’ and the emails bounce, that is a conundrum,” he surmised.
While broadcasters are safe from the new “robocall” penalties, maintaining accurate FRN data remains a regulatory necessity. As Flick noted, if these penalties can be levied against telecom providers for data lapses, it creates a potential pathway for broadcaster fines in the future.
Discussion topics include AI, legal/regulatory, programming, sales, time management, video streaming and the evolving media landscape.
An opening reception on the evening of March 31 features a special guest, sportscaster Marty Brennaman. Conference sessions the next day run until 4 p.m.
Sponsors include Quu, the Radio Advertising Bureau, the Radio Vendor Alliance and Marketron. A dozen exhibitors also are listed.
KBA CEO/President Chris Winkle said in the announcement, “With the ever-evolving media landscape, it’s crucial that radio broadcasters gain knowledge and practical information that they can apply to their stations.”
Registration is free for active IBA, KBA and OAB member stations. Others pay $199.
From the Radio World People News page: The National Association of Broadcasters has named Joey Martin as senior vice president of sales strategy and enablement for global connections and events, or GCE.
“In this role, Martin will oversee sales and revenue generation for NAB Show and NAB Show New York, reporting to Karen Chupka, executive vice president, GCE,” the organization said.
Martin is former VP of sales at NTP Events. Prior to that he was vice president of business development at ASIS International.
Chupka highlighted his expertise in sales strategy, account management and partner engagement.
Eric Trabb, SVP and chief customer success officer, now becomes senior VP of strategic partnerships and alliances, responsible for helping the spring show develop new partnerships and growth opportunities, a spokeswoman said.
“Eric will drive expansion into adjacent markets, attracting new audiences and customers while building new alliances with next-generation technology companies. As the business of video production and consumption is seeing record growth, this shift gives us the focus needed to continue to expand the NAB Show for all its stakeholders.”
Anna Gomez at the FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. on July 22. Credit: Valerie Plesch/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
The State of the Net Conference annually focuses on internet-related policy. But for FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the potential rapid consolidation of media ownership was a topic too important to ignore.
In her speech, Gomez acknowledged the financial realities that affect broadcasters today, almost 30 years to the date of the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
But she argued that easing or removing ownership limits for broadcasters should not be considered as the only solution, and in fact, she believes it would end up exacerbating some of the same problems proponents claim it solves.
Most of the commissioner’s comments were geared toward the local TV ownership rules, but the FCC is currently reviewing all of its local ownership rules — including for radio, as we have covered. The National Association of Broadcasters, and other radio groups, support a total removal or easing of current caps, believing that such reform is needed to merely keep radio afloat against big tech.
Gomez argued that ownership concentration ends up hurting consumers the most.
“If the FCC continues down its current path, it risks repeating the same mistake that hollowed out local newspapers, only this time in broadcast television,” she warned.
Blurred lines
Speaking at the event today, the lone Democratic commissioner explained that because the lines once separating communications markets no longer exist, preserving local journalism is more important than ever.
“Even when people get their news through social media, search engines or streaming platforms, much of the original reporting still comes from local journalists,” Gomez said.
Using the newspaper industry as an example, she said there is clear evidence of what happens when local journalism weakens.
“Newspapers were not eliminated because people stopped caring about the news,” Gomez said. “They were hollowed out through consolidation, cost cutting and the loss of advertising revenue to digital platforms, as ownership decisions were increasingly made far from the communities they affected.”
Gomez worked at the FCC three decades ago when Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996. She said that back then, even with the easing of limits the act allowed, part of its implementation was ensuring that no single voice, company or interest could dominate what communities see, hear and rely on for information.
She acknowledged that broadcasters today are dealing with declining revenues from advertising, digital platform competition and changing consumer habits.
But when consolidation becomes the default solution, Gomez said, it often accelerates “the very decline it is supposed to address.”
“Fewer owners does not just mean fewer balance sheets,” Gomez explained. “It means fewer independent editorial decisions and fewer local perspectives.”
Gomez cited a recent email she received from a viewer stating that a single corporate owner controls or operates most of the major broadcast TV affiliates in their local market. While it might appear that viewers in that market have more options, many of those stations share reporters, crews, anchors and often the same stories, she explained.
She also pointed to a recent poll revealing that nearly three out of four likely voters oppose large broadcast corporations buying or merging with local TV stations.
The FCC itself, Gomez said, has used its power to pressure coverage in ways that are favorable to President Trump’s administration, including a recent public notice sent to ensure “equal time” for late-night TV programming. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr later clarified the notice was not geared toward talk-radio shows.
“These billion-dollar media companies have significant business before the FCC. They need regulatory approval for transactions, and they are actively seeking to reduce regulatory guardrails so they can grow even larger,” she said.
“That reality leaves local stations trapped in the middle, as corporate owners weigh regulatory risk against editorial independence and impose their will and their values on communities they may never meaningfully engage with.”
Gomez reminded the audience that Congress established a national TV ownership cap to prevent excessive concentration that threatens competition, localism and viewpoint diversity.
“It is not a suggestion,” she explained. “It is the law.”
She noted that one of the clearest examples of the agency ignoring this is its openness to transactions that would further entrench national dominance, including a potential merger between two major broadcast groups in Tegna and Nexstar that she argued would violate Congress’s restriction.
“The FCC’s responsibility is not to manage consolidation, but to steward a media ecosystem that serves consumers and communities in the real world,” Gomez concluded. “If we keep that focus, we can meet this moment without sacrificing the voices that make our democracy work.”
Inrush Broadcast Services has announced that Andy Gunn has joined the firm as its director of project management and process engineering.
He follows Rob Bertrand, fellow alum of WAMU(FM) in Washington, D.C., who joined Inrush as its CEO last year.
Gunn spent six years as director of broadcast engineering at WAMU, where he helped build and maintain its technical systems.
In this newly created role, Inrush said Gunn will strengthen the company’s ability to deliver broadcast technology projects by bolstering the processes of its managed services and support operations.
His initial focus will be process engineering for Inrush’s managed services, including its phone-based InrushVoice, as well as its network operations center.
“Andy brings a unique combination of deep engineering credibility and an operational mindset to build repeatable processes,” Shaun Dolan, Inrush’s SVP of emerging technologies, said in a release.
Administrators Say They Will Not Include Local-Area Parks On a regular Saturday-morning Zoom meeting of hams a few months ago, a participant in Los Angeles asked the group, “Why can’t I activate one of my local parks and have it count in POTA?” Some of those in attendance echoed the sentiment. Based on that question, […]
Mary Texanna Loomis and one of her transmitter projects. (Credit: Library of Congress)
In the 1920s, if you wanted to become a commercial radio operator or a shipboard radioman, you needed a Commercial Radio License, issued by the Department of Commerce.
The best way to achieve this was to attend one of the few radio schools that operated in principal cities around the United States. Two of the most distinguished schools were in Washington, D.C.: the National Radio Institute and the Loomis Radio College.
The latter was the only woman-owned radio school in the country. Mary Texanna Loomis was the principal instructor and that rare creature in the 1920s: a female authority on radio.
She was a distant cousin to Dr. Mahlon Loomis, who in 1866 had experimented with “stealing current from the atmosphere” using kites and metallic string.
In one experiment, he flew kites from two peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and was able to detect a change in current in a galvanometer in one kite when he grounded the line of the other.
Subsequently, he was able to send Morse Code messages between the two locations, a distance of 18 miles. He was experimenting in wireless communication nine years before Guglielmo Marconi was born.
Adult learning
Mary Texanna Loomis was born August 18, 1880, in a homesteader’s shack near Goliad, Texas, the second child of Alvan Isaac and Caroline (Dryer) Loomis. Her middle name was bestowed in honor of the state where she was born.
Mary Texanna Loomis
The family moved to Rochester, N.Y., in 1883, where she had a respectable middle-class upbringing. She was sports-minded in her youth, participating in swimming, horseback riding and strenuous exercise. She also took voice lessons and became a good soprano. She learned to speak three languages: French, Italian and German.
A grandfather was a strong influence; he taught her to use tools and to build mechanical devices, and he helped develop her interest in science and the new inventions of the industrial age.
Loomis married Turner Erving Howard in October of 1898, in Buffalo. The marriage ended in divorce in 1917. It’s not known that she had any children.
After her divorce, she moved to Washington, where she looked unsuccessfully for music employment. But her life took a new turn when she attended a lecture on the emerging technology of wireless communication.
Fascinated, she proceeded to read everything she could find on the subject. At the age of 38, at a time when radio was the field of only a few experimenters and inventors, most if not all of them men, she graduated from radio school and earned her first-class radio telegraphy license.
During World War I, she worked for the Red Cross and as a secretary in a wireless school. It was only then that she learned about the experiments of her distant cousin, and she resolved to open a radio operator’s school in his honor.
The Loomis Radio School in (Washington, D.C. Credit: Library of Congress)
In 1920, she invested every cent she had and incorporated the Loomis Radio School. Located at 401–411 Ninth Street in the northwest quadrant of the city of Washington, it offered a six-month course preparing students for the first-class commercial radio license exam. Most students who graduated found positions as shipboard radio operators.
Meeting any mishap
Loomis was the school’s president and principal lecturer. She taught radio using the equipment that she constructed herself in the school’s machine shop, and taught her students how to build radio equipment.
“No man can graduate from my school until he learns how to make any part of the apparatus,” she said.
“I give him a blueprint of what I want him to do and tell him to go into the shop and keep hammering away until the job is completed. I want my graduates to be able to meet any emergency or mishap that may arise someday far out on the sea.”
She lived a frugal life in a boarding home, and worked 12 to 15 hours a day teaching, grading papers and writing. The Loomis Radio School offered four courses. One for commercial radio operators led to a first-class commercial radio operators license. A course for technical training taught how to build a receiving set. A third course led to a license as a radio amateur operator. And the fourth was for operators who needed to renew an expired license or who had been military operators and needed only minimal training.
Loomis teaches a class of future radio operators (Credit: Library of Congress)
Her students also gained practical experience operating a radio transmitter through the use of the school’s amateur station, W3YA.
Loomis was a noted lecturer and member of the prestigious Institute of Radio Engineers. She authored and marketed the popular book “Radio Theory and Operating for the Radio Student and Practical Operator.” This was a reference text of 886 pages and 700 illustrations, advertised at a reasonable price and offered postage-paid directly by the school. It found its place as a textbook used by many educational institutions and government agencies.
By 1928 the Loomis book was in its fifth edition and amounted to 1,006 pages. “Radio Broadcast” Magazine called it “one of the most comprehensive volumes in its field.”
She dedicated her book to her cousin Mahlon Loomis.
The depression that began in 1929 affected the school severely, as it did tens of thousands of other businesses. Fewer students could afford the training, and larger schools like the National Radio Institute had more resources to weather the hard times. Further, a new competitor, the Capitol Radio Institute, would open in Washington in 1932.
In 1930, Loomis reorganized the school as the Loomis Radio College, Inc., but it was dissolved in early 1933.
A student works on a radio project in the Loomis Radio School. (Credit: Library of Congress)
Not much is known about Mary Texanna Loomis’ later life. She is known to have relocated to San Francisco in 1938; the census shows that she lived in the St. Francis Hotel and listed her occupation as a stenographer. She died in that city in June of 1960, at the age of 79, and was buried at the Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.
Sources used in this article include:
“National Electragist,” November 1921: “Woman conducts radio school”, by H.O. Bishop
The Dearborn Independent, Dec. 31, 1921: “Woman conducts radio school”
“The American Magazine”, January 1924: “This young woman founded a radio school”
The Washington Post, March 15, 1931: “Mary Loomis bosses air students to high success”
“The Spectrum Monitor,” July 2022: “The First Lady of Radio” by Scott Caldwell
Another woman active in early radio was Mary Day Lee.
John Schneider has spent his career in broadcast technology development and sales. He is a lifelong radio history researcher. Email him at jschneid93@gmail.com.
Connexion
Stingray has ambitious plans in the global audio ecosystem, and TuneIn is an important part of that. Read our profile.
