'TALKERS 2026 Marks Radio's Triumphant Next Chapter as Sold-Out Gathering Signals Industry Resurgence'
NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TALKERS 2026: Radio's Next Chapter Concludes as Sold-Out Industry Gathering Hailed as Stunning Revival
According to Nielsen's Spring 2025 Nationwide study, AM/FM radio listening among adults ages 25 to 54 increased 6 percent year over year, and News/Talk remains the most listened to format in American radio at roughly 11 percent of total audience share. Against this backdrop of measurable industry momentum, TALKERS 2026 convened 338 registered attendees and 65 speakers for what organizers are calling a historic and vibrant reassessment of talk media's future.
TALKERS 2026: Radio's Next Chapter took place Friday, June 5 at Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication in Hempstead, New York, presented in partnership with Hofstra's multi-Marconi Award-winning campus radio station WRHU-FM. The sold-out conference brought together a cross-section of talk media professionals spanning talent, management, ownership, syndication, journalism, engineering, politics, sports, law, academia, and music to address the format's most pressing existential questions.
The conference agenda centered on how talk media can gain profile traction in a noisy world, regain public trust, generate revenue in a fractured economy, identify entrepreneurial opportunities for independents, expand programming options, recruit emerging talent, attract younger demographics, navigate algorithmic influence, harness artificial intelligence, and build sustainable business models.
Featured programming included Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman of WBT Charlotte broadcasting their full morning show live from Hofstra's WRHU studios, a keynote session on storytelling by Lee Habeeb of "Our American Stories," and a comprehensive programming panel featuring Phil Boyce, Ralph Renzi, Michael Czarnecki, Allan Lamberti, Lisa Polizzi, and Greg Stocker representing major radio networks and stations nationwide.
The day also featured keynote remarks from John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Media and host of WABC's morning show in New York, who engaged in a featured one-on-one conversation with TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison.
Harrison expressed deep gratitude to participants: "We worked day and night for months putting this one together, and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. Heartfelt thanks to our speakers, attendees, and sponsors, as well as our dear friends and partners at Hofstra University, where it all started for me."
Kevin Casey, TALKERS Vice President and Executive Editor, emphasized the intellectual value generated by the gathering: "We have enough text, photos, and video from this historic media event to keep us busy putting it together and maximizing the intellectual riches for a long time to come. It was a content motherlode."
TALKERS will provide comprehensive coverage of TALKERS 2026 speakers, sessions, and insights across its website, newsletter, and video channel in the coming days, weeks, and months.
Sources:
Nielsen Spring 2025 Total U.S. AM/FM Radio Audiences Report: https://hispanicad.com/news/nielsen-spring-2025-total-u-s-am-fm-radio-audiences-up-6-weekends-grow-9
For all media Interviews, please contact:
According to Nielsen's Spring 2025 Nationwide study, AM/FM radio listening among adults ages 25 to 54 increased 6 percent year over year, and News/Talk remains the most listened to format in American radio at roughly 11 percent of total audience share. Against this backdrop of measurable industry momentum, TALKERS 2026 convened 338 registered attendees and 65 speakers for what organizers are calling a historic and vibrant reassessment of talk media's future.
TALKERS 2026: Radio's Next Chapter took place Friday, June 5 at Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication in Hempstead, New York, presented in partnership with Hofstra's multi-Marconi Award-winning campus radio station WRHU-FM. The sold-out conference brought together a cross-section of talk media professionals spanning talent, management, ownership, syndication, journalism, engineering, politics, sports, law, academia, and music to address the format's most pressing existential questions.
The conference agenda centered on how talk media can gain profile traction in a noisy world, regain public trust, generate revenue in a fractured economy, identify entrepreneurial opportunities for independents, expand programming options, recruit emerging talent, attract younger demographics, navigate algorithmic influence, harness artificial intelligence, and build sustainable business models.
Featured programming included Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman of WBT Charlotte broadcasting their full morning show live from Hofstra's WRHU studios, a keynote session on storytelling by Lee Habeeb of "Our American Stories," and a comprehensive programming panel featuring Phil Boyce, Ralph Renzi, Michael Czarnecki, Allan Lamberti, Lisa Polizzi, and Greg Stocker representing major radio networks and stations nationwide.
The day also featured keynote remarks from John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Media and host of WABC's morning show in New York, who engaged in a featured one-on-one conversation with TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison.
Harrison expressed deep gratitude to participants: "We worked day and night for months putting this one together, and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. Heartfelt thanks to our speakers, attendees, and sponsors, as well as our dear friends and partners at Hofstra University, where it all started for me."
Kevin Casey, TALKERS Vice President and Executive Editor, emphasized the intellectual value generated by the gathering: "We have enough text, photos, and video from this historic media event to keep us busy putting it together and maximizing the intellectual riches for a long time to come. It was a content motherlode."
TALKERS will provide comprehensive coverage of TALKERS 2026 speakers, sessions, and insights across its website, newsletter, and video channel in the coming days, weeks, and months.
Sources:
Nielsen Spring 2025 Total U.S. AM/FM Radio Audiences Report: https://hispanicad.com/news/nielsen-spring-2025-total-u-s-am-fm-radio-audiences-up-6-weekends-grow-9
For all media Interviews, please contact:
Ryan McCormick
Goldman McCormick PR
+1 516-901-1103
ryan@goldmanmccormick.com
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