Here are a few takeaways you should be thinking about right now:

1. 1. Talent is still the ultimate differentiator. The talent you hire today looks completely different than it did even five years ago. 
   2. Being good on air isn’t enough anymore. Talent MUST think like content creators, not just DJs. This needs to be part of their job description.
   3. AI isn’t the threat. Complacency is. How are we responding to AI driven discovery and content consumption? 
   4. Radio is still a powerful tool for discovery, but it is no longer the center. Listeners are also finding music through social, streaming, and culture.
   5. Content is greater than platform. Hits are built across radio, streaming, social, culture and touring. We have to think in terms of content ecosystems, artist storytelling, and multi-platform amplification. 
   6. The opportunity is greater than what we’ve known. Younger audiences won’t come automatically. We have to intentionally create content that invites them in. 
   7. Great programmers now think in terms of stories, moments, and experiences.
   8. Artist partnerships are more important than ever. The strongest stations help tell the artist’s story, not just play their songs. 
   9. Discovery still matters, but it’s evolving. Radio breaks artists early, but social, streaming and fans now shape traction. 
   10. The opportunity is still massive for radio, but the window is now. Radio is at a crossroads, yet still holds unmatched reach, trust and influence. 

The stations that win will:

• Invest heavily in talent development
• Think beyond the mic 
• Be intentional about audience growth
• Move faster than the industry’s comfort zone
• Recognize that the future won’t be decided by technology, but by talent and content. 

The post 10 Things Every Programmer Should Be Thinking About Right Now first appeared on CMB.

The post 10 Things Every Programmer Should Be Thinking About Right Now appeared first on CMB.

This year’s theme, Greater Than, built on last year’s Risk theme, reminding us that growth begins when we’re willing to step beyond what is comfortable. We are part of something greater than our stations, our titles, and ourselves, and Momentum gave us the opportunity to consider how God might use us in His greater story. Risk was the threshold. Greater Than was what came next. 

The feedback we’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees calling this the strongest speaker lineup in Momentum history. While it’s impossible to capture every takeaway from every session (which you’ll find on the Momentum On Demand platform), Coach RAC, Steve Cuss, Tania Bright, and Phil Becker are just a few examples of the speakers who challenged, equipped, and inspired us throughout the week.

The sessions provided valuable insights, and we were encouraged by the 35+ artists who shared their music and stories. One of the greatest strengths of Momentum continues to be the people. Those relationships are one of the reasons Momentum exists. The opportunity to learn from one another, share ideas, encourage each other, and build lasting friendships is incredibly valuable.

 Here’s a glimpse of the feedback: 

“I had the chance to meet several people who have faced the same challenges and victories that my team has experienced. It was so encouraging to connect and brainstorm, and to really uplift each other as we navigate the crazy world of social media together.”

We were also grateful for the feedback from sponsors and speakers:

“Having attended many conferences throughout my career, I can honestly say this was one of the best. From start to finish, we felt genuinely valued and welcomed.“

“The education, inclusion, logistics, and production level at Momentum exceeded every radio convention I have attended, including my own.”

As we reflect on an amazing week, we’re thankful for every attendee, speaker, artist, sponsor, volunteer, and team member who helped make Momentum possible. We hope everyone returned home renewed, empowered, and reminded that what you do matters.

We can’t wait to see you at Momentum 2027 back in Orlando, June 1-4!

The post What’s Ahead Is Greater: Celebrating Momentum 2026 first appeared on CMB.

The post What’s Ahead Is Greater: Celebrating Momentum 2026 appeared first on CMB.

Prefer to read? Here’s a summary:

Michelle Younkman, Executive Director of CMB, shares a meaningful reflection from Country Radio Seminars, where an early-morning believers gathering drew a packed room of radio professionals, artists, managers, and record label representatives all worshipping together. As Brandon Lake led worship, it was a powerful reminder of the unique privilege Christian radio has — the ability to speak the name of Jesus on air every single day, something most in the country radio world simply can’t do.

On the research front, Edison Research’s 2026 Infinite Dial report confirms that your core audience is going digital faster than ever. 81% of Americans are now listening to online audio every month, with the strongest growth coming from the 55+ demographic. The takeaway is clear — the starting point for audio has shifted, and that opens up fresh, innovative ways for radio to connect with listeners.

Finally, get excited for Momentum, because Coach RAC of the Savannah Bananas is joining the lineup! A former pro baseball player turned viral content creator with over a million followers, Coach RAC has helped redefine how the next generation engages with content, storytelling, and live experiences. His fans-first mentality aligns perfectly with radio, and he is going to be a can’t-miss addition to the event.

The post CMB Update – March 2026 first appeared on CMB.

The post CMB Update – March 2026 appeared first on CMB.

Risk may sound exciting when you are at Momentum, but it feels different when you are back home making decisions that affect your station, your team, and your listeners. Maybe your risk was large and visible. Maybe it was quiet and internal. Maybe it is still in progress and you are waiting on results. However it looked, I hope you can already see what God is doing because of that step. Sometimes risk pays off fast, and sometimes it unfolds slowly. What matters most is that you stepped out in faith. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God holds us steady. 

Take a moment and ask yourself what God is doing right now because of your choice. Did you reach new people in your community? Spark new ideas in your staff meetings? Stretch your leadership in ways you did not expect? 

God often grows us through the uncomfortable stuff. Comfort is nice, but it rarely moves us forward.

Now what? It is tempting to look back at 2025 and think, “Whew, glad that is over. Time to play it safe again.” But what if the risk you took was only the warm up for something greater as God is writing the next chapter. 

Here are a few questions worth asking your team as you look toward 2026:

• What risk helped us honor our mission most?
• What surprised us?
• Where did God show up?
• What is still unfinished?
• What might God want to grow even greater in the year ahead?

Risk is about being obedient to the direction God is nudging us. We are not chasing headlines, we are following Jesus. And following Jesus usually involves some level of stepping out before everything is certain.

So what is He nudging you toward now? What idea keeps resurfacing? What opportunity feels bigger than you? Pay attention to those things. Pray about them. Talk with your team. And consider what faithful courage might look like in this next season.

You took risks in 2025. God saw them all. Now take what you learned and let God grow it into something greater. Keep stepping. Keep listening. Keep trusting God who promises to hold you steady and lead you into a year that is truly greater.

The post Beyond the Risk first appeared on CMB.

The post Beyond the Risk appeared first on CMB.

Because in a world of constant change, taking calculated risks while honoring our mission is vital—not just for growth, but for eternal impact.

As radio professionals with a Kingdom mindset, we’re not here to play it safe. We’re called to step out in faith, live fearlessly, and trust Jesus to guide our path. That takes courage…courage to move beyond comfort zones, courage to ask hard questions, courage to follow the Spirit wherever He leads.

Risk is what faith looks like in motion. It’s choosing obedience over comfort. It’s asking bold questions and leaning into God-sized dreams.  Risk means saying “yes” to God when you don’t have all the answers. It’s trusting that He is already where He’s calling you to go.

We must be willing to risk:

• Risk doing things differently for the sake of reaching someone new.
  
• Risk speaking the truth boldly in a world of noise.
  
• Risk getting uncomfortable to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
  
• Risk walking by faith, not by sight.

Risk leads to breakthrough. And breakthrough leads to lives changed by the hope of the Gospel. This is why we do what we do:  To give more platform to the gospel message, so that more people, in more places, are reached for Jesus.

As we start a new week, take this mindset with you. Risk believing that God can use your voice, your story, your station to change lives. Let what God sparked at Momentum ignite bold faith in the everyday.

Because He is trustworthy. Because our message is urgent.  And because this world desperately needs what only Jesus can offer.

The post RISK first appeared on CMB.

The post RISK appeared first on CMB.

This article said, “Online communities have become pivotal for engagement. Marketers face challenges navigating between owned channels and social media. The evolution of community-building resources provides great ownership and purpose rather than solely relying on the influence of external platforms.” This piqued my interest because we’ve been having this same discussion over the CMB Forums. Over the past few years, people have asked us to consider moving them to an alternative platform, such as Facebook Groups. This article by TINT noted that 67.4% of consumers feel more connected through community than social media. After much research, discussion and prayer, we decided to make a concentrated effort on our Forums. 

We all crave a sense of belonging, a place where we connect with others who understand what we are going through. That is why the CMB Forums were created over 20 years ago (shoutout to Bob Thornton). They bring our radio community together offering support, shared resources, problem-solving, connection, authenticity and more. Each forum is tailored to meet the specific needs of radio. 

If you are looking for community, we hope that you’ll consider joining us on one of our eight topic based forums. Get started here >> 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:4

The post Community first appeared on CMB.

The post Community appeared first on CMB.