Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing have turned The Daily Wire into a digital media juggernaut, with a strong focus on podcasts. Shapiro believes for that growth to continue the company needs the support of advertisers from a wide variety of backgrounds.

While speaking at the IAB Podcast Upfront last week, Shapiro discussed the growth of podcast space, but also the lack of growth in the current event/political sphere.

He pushed ad buyers to not listen to pushback they might receive on social media for purchasing time on podcasts like The Ben Shapiro Show.

“I understand why companies, including our own, use a lot of these social media as feedback loops to test the temperature of an audience on what was going on. But it’s not real,” Shapiro said, according to Podcast News Daily. “Twitter is a place filled with bots and foolish people, and there is no reason why you should be led around by the nose. That’s not your audience, it actually is not.

“And that’s true in virtually all social media. Your audience are the people who are buying your product. If you see a decline in sales, that’s a reason to cut off advertising. Just because some schmuck calls your office three times from a phone number that you don’t recognize is probably not a great reason to start rethinking your entire advertising strategy.”

Ben Shapiro said that when he and Boreing launched the company in 2015, many advertisers were hesitant to partner with conservative content. And while some may still be weary of the partnership, he argued it is not only good for those companies, but it’s also good for the nation.

“As we navigate this election year, you might not always side with what I say or what The Daily Wire stands for. And that’s okay,” Shapiro said. “I remain bullish that the podcast industry will continue to be a platform for all viewpoints. In order for that to remain the case, I hope that you all consider sponsoring all the sides, not just the ones that you personally agree with. Because there are audiences all across the political spectrum. It’s good for your business, and it’s very good for the country.”

Salem Media Group saw a decline in revenue during the first quarter of 2024, with the company believing that advertisers are questioning the “effectiveness” of radio.

The company saw a net revenue of $58.6 million in the quarter, a drop of 8.3%. Broadcast revenue fell to $46 million, down 4.6%. Digital revenue, however, was on the rise, up to $10.7 million. That is an increase of 1.9%.

“Revenue growth from the sale of broadcast airtime is negatively impacted by audiences spending less time commuting, certain automobile manufacturers removing AM radio signals, increases in other forms of content distribution, and decreases in the length of time spent listening to broadcast radio as compared to audio streaming services, podcasts, and satellite radio,” the company claimed. “These factors may lead advertisers to conclude that the effectiveness of radio has diminished.”

The drop in broadcast revenue can be attributed to a decline in local advertising, as the company dropped $1.1 million in the category. Salem Media Group shared that it is still heavily reliant on its stations in Los Angeles and Dallas for large portions of its local ad revenue.

“Our broadcast advertising revenue is particularly dependent on advertising from our Los Angeles and Dallas markets, which generated 15.3% and 18.4%, respectively, of our total net broadcast advertising revenue during the three-month period ended March 31, 2023, compared to 15.1% and 18.7%, respectively, of our total net broadcast advertising revenue during the three- month period ended March 31, 2024.”

Revenue from its nationally syndicated programs fell $800,000 in the first quarter when political advertising wasn’t factored in. The company did see an increase of $400,000 in that particular advertising category.

As more and more radio broadcasters reveal their first-quarter revenue results, Audacy is one of the few reporting a gain during the first three months of 2024.

Revenue for the company reached $268.1 million, up 1% compared to the $259.6 million it saw during the first quarter of 2023.

While radio advertising revenue dropped 2%, digital revenue rose 10% to make up the difference. The company made significant decreases in its operating losses. In the first quarter, Audacy lost $400,000, compared to $12.2 million during the same time period last year.

“The Audacy team is very much looking forward to a bright future, emerging as a scaled leader in the dynamic audio market, distinguished by our best-in-class balance sheet, our top positions across the country’s largest markets, and our exclusive premium content highlighted by our unrivaled leadership in sports audio,” said Audacy Chairman, President, and CEO David Field.

The company’s Adjusted EBITDA was $9.6 million for the quarter, seeing year-over-year growth of 173% compared to the $3.5 million figure it featured last year.

“We expect another quarter of substantial EBITDA growth, enhanced by our continuing work on expense reductions,” revealed Field.