In this “Future in Focus” series, we’re asking industry thought leaders, executives and engineers to comment on trends of the past year and what they expect for radio in 2026.
Tom Stultz is CEO of K-Love, a Christian radio network owned by the Educational Media Foundation.
Radio World: What is the most important thing that happened in your part of the world of radio in the past year?
Tom Stultz: Two things come to mind. Our acquisition of seven stations from Salem in top markets, plus the addition of the Tampa and Columbus markets to our network in 2025, represented a significant investment and expansion for the ministry. It allowed us to enter major markets where we did not yet have a presence and potentially reach millions more people as a result.
Separately, we worked through a significant technology upgrade in 2025, shifting from satellite to IP delivery. This will allow us to ensure that our radio signals remain healthy and strong. We expect that project to wrap up in Q1 of 2026. We are getting great reviews regarding the quality of our audio, which we hope will result in increased audience satisfaction.
RW: What can we expect from you this coming year when it comes to additional expansion?
Stultz: We are always open to new opportunities to bring the hope of Jesus to more people. The Salem acquisition was substantial, and at this time I don’t foresee anything on the horizon that would be comparable, but remain open to where the Lord leads. Our stated goal is to minister to people in all of the top 50 markets. Right now there are only a handful of these markets that don’t have K-Love or Air1 stations.
RW: What business or technology trend do you think is going to have the greatest impact for you in 2026?
Stultz: Artificial intelligence is already making an impact on the radio industry at large, and I would expect that trend to continue as we see the rise of AI artists. Currently, there are no AI artists or hosts on K-Love or Air1, and we plan to keep it that way. However, we do think AI will be helpful in other ways, and we are open to exploring how these tools may complement the work of our teams.
RW: The FCC is considering removing market caps on local radio ownership. Do you support that change; why or why not?
Stultz: I believe in a free-market system, so I am fine with potential changes in the ownership caps. If the caps are removed, I would expect to see even more consolidation, which would be good, short-term, for station valuations. If the caps are not removed, we believe the downward trend in valuations will continue, which could open up some acquisition opportunities for us in markets not currently served by our programming.
Either way, our listener supported, faith-based content should remain in high demand.
RW: Any other topic on which you’d like to comment?
Stultz: There are two key issues that are important to us as we look to the future. One is the effort by automakers to remove radios from their vehicles. We feel such a move would be a disservice to their customers and disastrous for this industry. The other is to maintain strong support for the First Amendment. It is important that the media remains independent and free.
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