The Jacob Javits Convention Center again will welcome the NAB Show New York on Oct. 22–23.
Organizers expect about 13,000 “creators, technologists and decision-makers” who work in media, entertainment and technology pros.
Notably this year, the AES Show will not be co-located as in the recent past. That convention will take place on the West Coast this year.
Here’s a sample of events of interest to Radio World readers.
Honors for McVay
Mike McVay will receive the National Radio Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.
McVay, president of McVay Media, will be saluted as “a media strategist, programmer, talent coach and industry leader,” as NAB described him.
This has been a big year or two for him. He will be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame soon; and in 2024 he was named a Giant of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation as well as a recipient of the Leadership Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
McVay consults in broadcast, podcasting, streaming and entertainment. He’s a former executive vice president of content and programming for Cumulus Media and the Westwood One radio network.
NAB said he has programming, management, ownership and on-air experience in markets “from Los Angeles to Wheeling, West Virginia.”
McVay also has helped develop and launch nationally syndicated programs. He co-created the syndicated show “Delilah” and helped launch “The John Tesh Show” as a daily program, which he continues to consult.
The award will be presented at NAB’s Marconi Radio Awards described below.
Marconi Awards
Winners of the 2025 Marconi Radio Awards will be announced during a dinner program on Oct. 21 at the Edison Ballroom, the evening before the convention.
Danielle Monaro and Medha Gandhi, from “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” will host the awards.
Since 1989 the awards, named after inventor Guglielmo Marconi, have recognized stations and individuals for excellence and performance in radio.
[Related: “NAB Names Finalists for 2025 Marconi Radio Awards”]
Finalists for Major-Market Personality of the Year are “The Roula & Ryan Show with Eric” of KRBE(FM) in Houston; Mark “Hawkeye” Louis and Michelle Rodriguez of KSCS(FM), Dallas; “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI-FM, Boston; Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison on WMMR(FM) Philadelphia; and Karson & Kennedy on WWBX(FM) in Boston.
Nominees for Legendary Station of the Year are WABC(AM) in New York; WCBS(FM) in New York; WHLI(AM) on Long Island; WLW(AM) in Cincinnati; and WMMR(FM) in Philadelphia.
On-floor theaters
Four stages on the exhibit floor will host conversations about key show themes.
Wednesday’s sessions focus on the business of broadcast, streaming, audio and live events. For example, engineers Bud Williamson and Andy Gladding of SBE Chapter 15 will discuss “How to Attract New Broadcast Engineering Talent.”
Williamson then moderates a talk about “Modern Methods for Transport of Media.” It focuses on ways to accomplish transport, “not just from studio to transmitter but also from remote locations enabled by IP audio systems and virtualization of traditional radio studio and broadcast signal processing functionality.” Andy Gladding, Jim Stagnitto and Sam Wallington will join him.
Other Wednesday sessions cover the use of AI and automation in newsrooms, trends in sports viewing and issues around news credibility.
Thursday’s theme in the theaters is the future of content.
Alessandra Catanese, CEO of comedy brand Smosh, will talk about “how creators can diversify revenue by going direct to consumer” and foster communities that can be monetized “through exclusive content, live streams and direct interaction.”
Also, Sadaf Kazmi of Audible will discuss creative issues in the session “Mic Check: Creators, AI and the Future of Podcasting.”
Thursday talks also cover the state of the content creator economy as well as the business side of being a creator.
Radio + Podcast Interactive Forum
This is a paid conference on Wednesday Oct. 22. Non-NAB members pay $399 for a pass that includes exhibits.
The session “Evolution of AI in Radio + Podcasting” will explore the use of AI-driven analytics to generate audience insights and influence targeted ad strategies.
It’s one thing to have the tools, but how do you attract and retain youthful ears? Multimedia personality Zach Sang has a knack for engaging listeners aged 15–30, and he headlines the panel “Niche to Noteworthy: Winning Strategies for Niche Content Monetization & Gen Z Engagement.” Deborah Parenti of Streamline Publishing will moderate the session.
That’s followed by “From Insights to Income: Turning Data into Revenue.” This session is about how to data analytics to boost audience engagement and turn listener insights into revenue streams. Pierre Bouvard of Cumulus Media/Westwood One hosts a panel including Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of broadcast radio and digital audio at Xperi; Megan Lazovick, vice president at Edison Research; and Jeremy Sinon, vice president of digital strategy at Hubbard.
The forum concludes with “The Impact of Video and Social Media on Broadcasting & Podcasting.” Topics include ideas to create short-form video content, the use of AI-driven social media tools to schedule posts, and how listeners use YouTube to find video podcasts.
More sessions
In addition to the above, there are separate paid specialty conferences about local TV strategies and post-production. Also, a symposium will explore AI in production, automated reporting, hybrid funding models and niche journalism.
A separate programming track promises to bring together broadcasters, leagues, athletes, technology providers and influencers to discuss live sports content production and delivery.
Exhibits
The show floor is open on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 22–23. The booths this year have moved to Hall 3E of the Javits Center, which is to the left as you enter via the “Crystal Palace” lobby entrance.
There are approximately 250 companies listed with booths. They include radio-relevant companies like Calrec, CloudJuncxion, ENCO Systems, GatesAir, Lawo, Nautel, Orban, Radio.Cloud, Telos Alliance, Waymark, Wheatstone, WideOrbit and WorldCast Systems.
Send your show news and updates to [email protected].
