TALKERS 2026 draws sold-out crowd as radio looks for a reset

TALKERS 2026 brought 338 registered attendees and 65 speakers to Hofstra University on June 5, framing talk radio’s future around audience growth, trust, revenue, and AI. The sold-out event landed as Nielsen reported AM/FM listening rose 6% year over year among adults 25 to 54.

Why it matters: - Nielsen’s Spring 2025 nationwide study showed AM/FM radio listening among adults ages 25 to 54 rose 6% year over year. - News/Talk remains the most listened-to format in American radio at about 11% of total audience share. - The turnout at TALKERS 2026 suggests the talk-media business is still drawing serious attention as the format searches for a next phase.

What happened: - TALKERS 2026: Radio’s Next Chapter took place Friday, June 5, at Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication in Hempstead, New York. - The sold-out conference drew 338 registered attendees and 65 speakers. - Hofstra’s WRHU-FM, a multi-Marconi Award-winning campus station, partnered on the event. - Organizers said the gathering brought together people from talent, management, ownership, syndication, journalism, engineering, politics, sports, law, academia, and music.

The details: - The agenda focused on how talk media can gain visibility, rebuild public trust, expand revenue, find opportunities for independents, add programming options, recruit younger talent, and adapt to algorithmic influence and artificial intelligence. - Sessions also examined how the format can build sustainable business models in a fractured economy. - Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman of WBT Charlotte broadcast their full morning show live from Hofstra’s WRHU studios. - Lee Habeeb of “Our American Stories” delivered a keynote on storytelling. - A programming panel included Phil Boyce, Ralph Renzi, Michael Czarnecki, Allan Lamberti, Lisa Polizzi, and Greg Stocker. - John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Media and host of WABC’s morning show in New York, delivered keynote remarks and joined TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison for a one-on-one conversation. - TALKERS said it will provide coverage of the speakers, sessions, and insights across its website, newsletter, and video channel in the coming days, weeks, and months. - The source release links to Nielsen’s Spring 2025 Total U.S. AM/FM Radio Audiences Report: Nielsen report

Between the lines: - The conference’s sold-out status and broad lineup point to an industry that still sees value in in-person convening, even as radio competes with fragmented digital media. - The heavy focus on younger listeners, trust, AI, and revenue reflects pressure on talk media to modernize without losing its core audience. - Michael Harrison and Kevin Casey framed the event as both a content-rich gathering and a sign of momentum for the format.

What’s next: - TALKERS plans to roll out extended coverage of the conference over the next several days, weeks, and months. - That coverage will likely keep the event’s debates about audience growth, programming strategy, and business sustainability in the spotlight. - The larger question for talk radio is whether the audience gains Nielsen measured can translate into durable industry growth.