News Talk 98.9

What News Talk 98.9 does

News Talk 98.9 (legal name WKIM-FM) is a commercial news/talk format radio station broadcasting at 98.9 FM, licensed to Munford, Tennessee, and serving the Memphis Designated Market Area. The station is owned and operated by Cumulus Radio LLC, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media Inc. (NASDAQ: CMLS), and delivers local news, national news, syndicated conservative talk programming (Will Cain, Kim Komando, Jimmy Failla, Greg Gutfeld), and coverage of University of Memphis Tigers athletics. Its primary audience is adult listeners aged 25-54 in the Memphis DMA, with engagement driven by contests, sweepstakes, and local event partnerships.

The station's product surface spans the core over-the-air FM broadcast, online listen-live streaming via newstalk989.com, on-demand archived show segments, contest and sweepstakes mechanics, Memphis Tigers sports coverage, an events section integrated with ticketing partner 901 Tix, the SweetDeals local commerce platform, and a Studio Insider behind-the-scenes content vertical. Digital delivery is powered by the third-party SoCast platform, which provides website CMS, streaming, and on-demand hosting across Cumulus Media's station portfolio. The station maintains active social media presence on Facebook, X, and YouTube.

News Talk 98.9 operates an advertising-only revenue model with no subscription or listener-paid component. Revenue is generated through on-air commercials, website display advertising, show sponsorships, contest prize partnerships, and affiliate commerce integrations such as SweetDeals Memphis. The station is not separately listed or financially disclosed; financial reporting occurs at the publicly-traded Cumulus Media Inc. parent level. In May 2026, Cumulus Media filed applications with the FCC for transfer of control of its broadcast licenses, including WKIM-FM, indicating an impending corporate restructuring at the parent level.

Name

News Talk 98.9

Legal name

Cumulus Media Inc.

Website

https://newstalk989.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

News Talk 98.9 (WKIM-FM) is a Memphis DMA news/talk radio station owned by Cumulus Media, delivering local news, syndicated talk programming, and University of Memphis Tigers sports coverage to adult listeners 25-54 via FM broadcast, digital streaming, and on-demand content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

News/Talk Radio Networks (MPABABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• News radio broadcasting
• Talk radio programming
• Sports radio coverage
• Digital audio streaming
• Broadcast advertising sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: The station generates primary revenue through advertising sales, including on-air commercials, website display ads, and sponsorships. The site features SweetDeals advertising partnerships and direct sponsorships of shows and contests.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

News Talk 98.9 (WKIM-FM) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting on 98.9 MHz from Munford, TN, delivering news talk and sports programming to the Memphis Designated Market Area. The station combines free over-the-air FM broadcast with online streaming and on-demand audio access, and monetizes its audience through on-air commercials, digital display ads, and sponsored content.

Product overview

News Talk 98.9 (WKIM-FM) is a radio station owned and operated by Cumulus Media, broadcasting from Munford, Tennessee serving the Memphis market on 98.9 FM. The station operates as a news talk format providing local news, national news, and sports coverage. The product portfolio centers on the core AM/FM broadcast and live streaming audio content, supplemented by on-demand programming access, interactive contests and sweepstakes, the Sweet Deals local discount platform, Memphis Tigers athletics coverage, event ticketing via 901 Tix, and advertising services for businesses. The station's digital presence is powered by SoCast platform, enabling online streaming and on-demand content delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• News Talk 98.9 (WKIM-FM) Radio Broadcast

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 901 TixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTicketing partner for local Memphis events, linked in station events section
• SweetDeals MemphisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal deals and advertising partnership providing exclusive offers to listeners
• Live NationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConcert prize provider for national contest giveaways featuring major artists
• Malco TheatresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMovie theater prize provider for local contests, based in Memphis
• SonicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFast food chain prize provider for Sonic Fan of the Week contest
• TN TitansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNFL team prize provider for Tim's Pop Quiz contest - tickets to Titans games
• Memphis RedbirdsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMinor league baseball team prize provider for Name Drop contest giveaways
• Cumulus MediacoreTechnology or IntegrationParent company providing broadcast infrastructure, digital platform technology (SoCast), corporate oversight, and syndicated programming content including Fox News Talk shows

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Lotus Communications: Regional radio operator with clusters in Western and Southwestern U.S. markets running news/talk and sports formats; comparable as a similarly structured multi-station group broadcaster.

Broad incumbents

• Audacy: Major U.S. radio broadcaster operating news, talk, and sports formats in large DMAs; competes for syndicated content, national ad budgets, and digital audio listenership.
• Cumulus Media: Direct parent company and the second-largest U.S. radio operator; comparable as both the corporate parent and as a peer operator of news/talk and conservative-leaning radio stations across the country.
• Beasley Media Group: Multi-station radio operator with news/talk and sports stations in mid-sized DMAs; comparable as a similarly scaled group broadcaster competing for ad share.
• Townsquare Media: Mid-market-focused U.S. radio operator with news/talk and sports formats in similar-sized DMAs; comparable in scale and business model to WKIM-FM's mid-Market Memphis positioning.
• Bonneville International: Radio broadcaster operating news/talk formats in multiple U.S. markets, providing comparable news/talk programming and competing syndicated content lineups.
• Cox Media Group: Diversified media company operating news/talk radio stations alongside TV; competes for the same advertiser dollars in overlapping markets.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with hundreds of stations across multiple formats and markets, including news/talk stations in major DMAs. Directly comparable as a multi-station operator competing for the same national ad dollars and syndicated talk content.

Direct peers

• Salem Communications: U.S. radio operator specializing in conservative talk, news, and Christian formats — directly comparable to WKIM-FM's programming stance and target demographic.
• WREC NewsRadio 600 (Memphis): Direct Memphis DMA competitor operating a news/talk AM format; competes head-to-head for the same Memphis news-talk listenership and local ad budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newstalk989
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Newstalk989
• Facebookfacebook.com/newstalk989mem

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about News Talk 98.9