2025 in radio

The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2025. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, station launches, closures, and format changes, as well as information about controversies and deaths of radio personalities.

Notable events

January

Date	Event	Source
6	Finnish DJ Yotto broadcasts his first hour-long show, "Yotto's Odd World", on Europe's One World Radio.	[1]
10	Mexican radio station XEQI-AM surrenders its licence to broadcast.	[2]
30	Spanish variety radio station WYKO, based in Puerto Rico, canceled its licence to broadcast.	[3]

February

Date	Event	Source
14	In the Philippines, DWFO launched it's Contemporary MOR station as 87.5 Republika Ni Juan.
18	Westwood One signs a rights deal with the United States Soccer Federation to be the official radio network of the men's national team and women's national team.	[4]

March

Date	Event	Source
1	In retaliation for escalating tensions between U.S. president Donald Trump and Canada, Canadian broadcaster Corus Entertainment stations of all formats devote all of their playlists for the day to Canadian content.	[5]
3	Cumulus Media begins the process of closing down underperforming terrestrial radio stations, consisting mainly of FM rimshot signals and AM stations without translators.	[6]
13	WIRY Plattsburgh, New York closes after 75 years of operation, blaming its own inability to hire salespeople, music royalty increases and changes in music listening patterns that diverted listeners away from local, independently owned full-service stations such as WIRY.	[7]
14	U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce the functions of several agencies including the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which owns the international broadcaster Voice of America (VOA), to the minimum required by law. The next day, all employees could not access VOA headquarters, and many VOA foreign language broadcasts replaced news and other regularly scheduled programming with music. Several international broadcasters which uses the shortwave radio transmitter facilities of VOA are also affected.	[8] [9] [10]

April

Date	Event	Source
8	Maritime Broadcasting System rebrands all 5 of its radio stations it had acquired from Bell Media. CKTO-FM in Truro, Nova Scotia, CKBC-FM in Bathurst, New Brunswick and CIKX-FM in Grand Falls, New Brunswick became The Wave with the "Wave" branding expanding into New Brunswick. CJCJ-FM in Woodstock, New Brunswick also became The Wave and flipped to classic hits. CKTY-FM in Truro, Nova Scotia returned to its heritage Cat Country identity.
14	Vista Radio closes its acquisition on 21 radio stations from Bell Media.
20	Westwood One purges seven of its 24/7 satellite networks that it inherited from Satellite Music Network, Jones Radio Network and Transtar. The seven networks include Good Time Oldies, a gold-based classic hits network, two classic rock networks, two adult hits networks and its contemporary hit radio network. Most of the stations carrying those networks would be forced to flip to other formats.	[11]
22	Ted Cruz becomes the first currently serving United States Senator to host a nationally syndicated radio show as Premiere Networks launches Cruz's podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz , which he co-hosts with current Premiere host Ben Ferguson, into weekend syndication. To avoid conflict of interest and campaign finance issues, Cruz will not be paid for hosting the program.	[12]

May

Date	Event	Source
29	DWPM Radyo 630, a Philippine AM radio station controlled jointly by Philippine Collective Media Corporation and ABS-CBN, rebranded to DZMM; reviving the callsign 5 years after its shutdown in 2020.	[13] [14]

June

Date	Event	Source
7	Philippine news/music network XFM began its broadcast on soft launch through 99.5 DWRT-FM, a radio station in Metro Manila owned by Real Radio Network. Y2H Broadcasting Network, XFM's parent, began occupying the operations of the said station through airtime lease agreement since May 1.	[15]

July

Date	Event	Source
1	Overcomer Ministry, the radio evangelism network owned by the estate of R. G. "Brother" Stair (who died in 2021), begins cancelling its syndication contracts. Overcomer had previously bought large blocks of airtime on United States shortwave radio broadcasters, providing a key source of revenue for those stations (among them WRMI, WWCR, WTWW and WBCQ) and select AM stations (such as clear-channel WWVA). The program disappeared from most of its affiliates on this date, with select others continuing to air the program until its carriage contracts expire.	[16]

September

Date	Event	Source
1	Susan Stamberg retires from NPR. A part of the public radio network since its launch in 1971 (she is regarded as one of its "founding mothers"), Stamberg hosted All Things Considered and the Sunday version of Weekend Edition .	[17]
4	Alan Levin, a fixture of radio in Rochester New York, and member of the Radio Hall of Fame, abruptly retires from radio after a format switch of WAIO from Hot Talk "Radio 95.1" to Active Rock "Rock 95.1" and an attempted demoting of Levin to weekends by station owner iHeartMedia. Levin hosted a weekday morning show for 40 years, starting on WCMF-FM Rochester in 1985 and later moving to WAIO after a contract stalemate with WCMF owner Entercom in 2008.	[18]
15	Power FM (under Word Broadcasting Corporation) was rebranded as Juander Radyo (under RSV Broadcasting Network) in Cebu, Philippines and Ormoc, Philippines.

Future events

October

Date	Event	Source
11	Dr. Demento will retire from broadcasting with the release of his final episode of The Dr. Demento Show, ending a 55-year run. Host Barry Hansen had been hosting the show as a subscription online offering for the previous 15 years, after 36 years in broadcast syndication.	[19]
30	Singaporean media company So Drama! Entertainment will cease broadcast of its two stations 883Jia and Power 98 from FM terrestrial airwaves as both stations will transition into digital-only broadcast via live audio streaming on the company's new radio platform Kakee. It is still decide on whether they'll return its license frequencies back to the Singaporean government.	[20]

November

Date	Event	Source
28	The Grand Ole Opry is scheduled to reach 100 years on the air; it will be the first American radio program to reach that milestone.	[21]

Fall TBA

• The Howard Stern Show is scheduled to reach the end of its current contract with SiriusXM. If the contract expires without a renewal, SiriusXM would continue to hold rights to the show's archives for the next seven years. Host Howard Stern has been on the satellite radio platform since leaving terrestrial radio in 2006. ^[22] Both Stern and SiriusXM have expressed interest in continuing their relationship, but no agreement on an extension had yet been reached as of September 8. ^[23]

Deaths

• January 2 – Bernie Constantin, Swiss songwriter and radio show host, 77 ^[24]
• January 3 – Willem van Kooten, Dutch businessman and DJ (Joost den Draaijer), 83 ^[25]
• January 12 – Arnold Frolows, Australian music director and radio personality, 74 (liver cancer) ^[26]
• January 13 – Buck White, American mandolinist and Grand Ole Opry member, 94 ^[27]
• January 16 – Bob Uecker, American baseball announcer (Milwaukee Brewers Radio Network from 1971 to 2024), 90 ^[28]
• January 22 – Pete Medhurst, American football announcer (Navy Midshipmen football), 55 ^[29]
• January 29 – Max Schautzer, Austrian-born German television and radio presenter, 84 ^[30]
• January 30 – Leif "Loket" Olsson, Swedish television and radio host and singer, 82 ^[31]
• February 2 – John Crosse, British radio and TV announcer, 83 ^[32]
• February 11 – Philip Brady, Australian radio broadcaster (3AK, 3AW), 85 ^[33]
• February 16 – Reymund Tinaza, Philippine radio broadcaster and correspondent (Abante Radyo, Bombo Radyo Philippines), 42 ^[34]
• February 24 – Al Trautwig, American sportscaster (New York Apollo radio broadcasts), 68 ^[35]
• March 11 – Bob Rivers, American radio host and parody musician, 68 ^[36]
• March 13 – John Feinstein, American sportswriter (NPR, CBS Sports Radio), 69 ^[37]
• March 20 – Bob Davis, American sportscaster (Kansas Jayhawks), 80 ^[38]
• March 22:
  • Bill Mercer, American sportscaster (Dallas Cowboys, CBS Radio, Mutual Broadcasting, among many others), 99 ^[39]
  • Andy Peebles, British radio DJ and presenter (BBC Radio 1), 76 ^[40]
• March 30 – Jim Quinn, American shock jock and conservative talk radio host, 82 ^[41]
• April 14 – Jed "the Fish" Gould, American new wave/alternative disc jockey, 69 ^[42]
• April 15 – Winston "Wink" Martindale, American disc jockey and emcee (The Elvis Presley Story, 2021 version of The History of Rock & Roll ), 91 ^[43]
• April 17 – Colin Berry, British radio disc jockey, presenter and newsreader (BBC Radio 2), 79 ^[44]
• April 20 – Mike Patrick, American sportscaster (WVSC, Jacksonville Dolphins basketball), 80 ^[45]
• April 23 – Steve McMichael, American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman and sports radio host (WMVP), 67 ^[46]
• May 11 – Ted Randall, American shortwave radio broadcaster (WTWW, WRMI Legends), engineer and announcer, 73 ^{[47] [48]}
• May 22 – Michael Rogas, Philippine radio broadcaster and correspondent (Presidential Broadcast Service / Radyo Pilipinas, DZXL), 44 ^[49]
• June 18 – Lou Christie, American singer (specials for 60s Gold on Sirius XM), 82 ^[50]
• June 19 – Gailard Sartain, American actor and comedy host (The Un-Filmy Can Festival for KAKC), 81 ^[51]
• July 1 – Jimmy Swaggart, American televangelist and owner/founder of the SonLife Broadcasting Network, 90 ^[52]
• July 2 – Sven Lindahl, Swedish musician, radio and TV presenter, 88 ^[53]
• July 4 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian ice hockey player and radio host (WAAF-FM), 61 ^[54]
• July 14 – John MacArthur, American evangelist ( Grace to You ), 86 ^[55]
• August 1 – Jeannie Seely, American country singer (a record 5,397 appearances as a Grand Ole Opry member), 85 ^[56]
• August 4 – James Whale, British radio show host, 74 ^[57]
• August 5 – Leonard Lopate, American radio host (WNYC, WBAI, WHDD-FM), 84 ^[58]
• August 13 – Art Wander, American broadcaster best known for his work in the sports radio and beautiful music formats, 98 ^[59]
• August 21 – James Dobson, American author, psychologist and radio commentator (created Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family Radio Theatre ), 89 ^[60]
• August 28 – Gary Burbank, American radio comedian (WLW, voiced Earl Pitts Uhmerikun for a series of nationally syndicated commentaries), 84 ^[61]
• September 9 – Charlie Kirk, American right-wing talk podcaster (Salem Radio Network), 31 (further info: Killing of Charlie Kirk)
• September 11 – Bruce DuMont, American, founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Radio Hall of Fame and host of Beyond the Beltway , 81 ^[62]

See also

• 2025 in British radio

References

1. "Yotto's Odd World". Tomorrowland.com. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
2. "#087192 Renuncia" (PDF). Public Registry of Concessions (in Spanish). Federal Telecommunications Institute. January 10, 2025.
3. "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. January 31, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
4. "U.S. Soccer, Westwood One Ink A Rights Deal". Radio & Television Business Report. 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
5. "Corus Radio Stations Will Play Nothing But Canadian Music on March 1, 2025 | Billboard Canada". ca.billboard.com. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
6. Venta, Lance (2025-03-03). "Audacy/Cumulus Truth & Rumors". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
7. "Plattsburgh's WIRY radio to shut down after 75 years of broadcasting". WPTZ . March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
8. "Trump signs order to gut staff at Voice of America and other US-funded media organizations". AP News. 2025-03-15. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
9. "Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy". The White House. 2025-03-15. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
10. D.C, Camilla Schick Camilla Schick is a British journalist in; Producer, CBS News' Foreign Affairs; relations, covering U. S. foreign; Department, the State; Schick, national security Read Full Bio Camilla; Director, Fin Gómez Political; Politics, Executive Director of; House, White; director, CBS News Fin Daniel Gómez is CBS News' political (2025-03-17). "Voice of America's full-time staff and contractors placed on leave following Trump directive - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
11. "Westwood One Eliminates Seven 24/7 Formats". March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
12. Wermund, Benjamin (April 22, 2025). "Ted Cruz becomes the first sitting senator with a talk radio show". Houston Chronicle .
13. Krishnan, Ganiel (May 29, 2025). "DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 returns on air". ABS-CBN News . Retrieved May 29, 2025.
14. Baizas, Gaby (May 29, 2025). "DZMM, Teleradyo return after 2 years". Rappler . Retrieved May 29, 2025.
15. 99.5 XFM Manila - Test Broadcast. YouTube. 8 June 2025.
16. Peterson, Adrian; Robinson, Ray; White, Jeff (June 15, 2025). "Episode 851". Wavescan. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
17. "Susan Stamberg, iconic NPR voice and broadcast journalism legend, is retiring". NPR . August 12, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
18. "Brother Wease Retires From Radio 95.1 Rochester; Station Flips To Rock". RadioInsight. 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
19. "Dr. Demento Show To End With 55th Anniversary". RadioInsight. 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
20. "So Drama! Entertainment Launches New Entertainment App – Kakee". HR Asia. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
21. Opry. "Opry 100th Anniversary Show - Friday, November 28". www.opry.com. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
22. "Is 'The Howard Stern Show' Getting Canceled? Here's What We Know". People.com. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
23. Spangler, Todd (2025-09-08). "Howard Stern Trolls Listeners With Gag That Andy Cohen Had Taken Over His SiriusXM Slot". Variety. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
24. "Le rockeur valaisan Bernie Constantin est décédé à l'âge de 77 ans". Radio Télévision Suisse (in French). 2 January 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
25. "Radiopionier Willem van Kooten (83) overleden, bedenker van Top 40". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
26. Condon, Dan (13 January 2025). "Arnold Frolows, long time triple j music director, dies at 74". ABC News. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
27. Nicholson, Jessica (2025-01-14). "Buck White, Founder of Country/Bluegrass Group The Whites, Dies at 94". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
28. Gardner, Steve. "Bob Uecker, Hall of Famer and legendary broadcaster, dies at 90". USA TODAY.
29. "Pete Medhurst, the voice of Navy football for the past 12 years, dies at age 55". Associated Press . 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
30. "TV Legende Max Schautzer ist tot". Bild. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
31. "Leif 'Loket' Olsson är död". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
32. "John Crosse: One of Yorkshire Television's most recognisable voices dead at 83". Yorkshire Post. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
33. "Media personality and radio presenter Philip Brady dies, aged 85". ABC News. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
34. "Reymund Tinaza". Facebook (in Filipino). Politiko. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
35. Arnold, Christian (February 24, 2025). "Al Trautwig, longtime voice of MSG Network, had died at 68". New York Post. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
36. Anderson, Aspen (11 March 2025). "Longtime Seattle radio host dies at 68". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
37. "Sports columnist, author Feinstein dies at age 69". ESPN.com. 2025-03-13. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
38. Greenstein, Henry (21 March 2025). "KU broadcasting legend Bob Davis dies at 80". KUsports.com. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
39. Wedding, Paul (March 23, 2025). "Bill Mercer, legendary sports announcer and broadcast journalist, dies at 99". WFAA. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
40. "Former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Top of the Pops presenter Andy Peebles dies aged 76". BBC News . March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
41. Panizzi, Tawnya (30 March 2025). "Pittsburgh DJ, conservative radio host Jim Quinn dies at 82". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Retrieved 30 March 2025.
42. "Renowned Los Angeles Radio DJ/Personality Jed the Fish Dies at 69". Rock Cellar Magazine. April 14, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
43. Evans, Greg (15 April 2025). "Wink Martindale Dies: Game Show Host Of 'Tic-Tac-Dough', 'Gambit' And 'High Rollers' Was 91". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 15, 2025.
44. "Ex-Radio 2 newsreader and DJ Colin Berry dies at 79". BBC. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
45. "Mike Patrick, ESPN play-by-play voice for 36 years, dies at 80". ESPN. April 22, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
46. "Bears great Steve 'Mongo' McMichael dies at age 67". WGN TV. April 23, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
47. Hauser, Glenn (May 14, 2025). World of Radio episode 2295. Retrieved May 15, 2025. "U S A. 5050, May 11 at 0122, this WRMI is off; pretty sure I tuned across it earlier. Supposed to be on `Legends` at 0100-0400. Something`s odd at Okeechobee (...) Saw a post on FB stating Ted Randall had passed away. (...) That might explain why Legends and WRMI 5050 were off air when I checked(.)"
48. "Ted Randall Klimkowski Obituary (2025) - Lebanon, TN - Sellars Funeral Home - Lebanon". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
49. Datu, Dennis (25 May 2025). "Veteran radio broadcast Michael Rogas passes away". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
50. Barnes, Mike (June 18, 2025). "Lou Christie, "Lightnin' Strikes" and "Rhapsody in the Rain" Singer, Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
51. Tramel, Jimmie (June 19, 2025). "Tulsa actor and longtime 'Hee Haw' cast member Gailard Sartain dies". Tulsa World . Retrieved June 20, 2025.
52. Hilburn, Greg. "Louisiana televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, 'King of Honky Tonk Heaven,' dies". The Times. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
53. "Nyhetsankaret Sven Lindahl är död". Aftonbladet (in Swedish).
54. "Former Bruin Lyndon Byers Passes Away at 61". NHL.com. July 5, 2025.
55. Silliman, Daniel (2025-07-15). "Died: John MacArthur, Who Explained the Bible to Millions". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
56. Edel, Victoria; Michaud, Sarah (August 1, 2025). "Jeannie Seely, Legendary Country Musician, Dies at 85". People . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
57. "James Whale Obituary: Britain's First Radio 'Shock Jock'". www.thetimes.com. 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
58. "Leonard Lopate, Longtime New York Radio Host, Dies at 84". The New York Times. 2025-08-06. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
59. "Veteran Buffalo broadcaster Art Wander dies at 98". WBEN . 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
60. Hewitt, Bill (August 21, 2025). "James Dobson, evangelical leader behind Focus on the Family, dies at 89". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
61. Gray, Sheila (2025-08-28). "Longtime, popular radio personality Gary Burbank has died". WKRC. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
62. Miller, Violet (2025-09-12). "Broadcast giant, 'Beyond the Beltway' host Bruce DuMont dead at 81". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2025-09-12.

External links

Media related to 2025 in radio at Wikimedia Commons