What Citadel Broadcasting does

Citadel Broadcasting is a U.S.-based radio broadcasting company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Las Vegas. Historically, the company operated radio stations concentrated in mid-sized U.S. markets, delivering local programming content to listeners and selling advertising inventory to local, regional, and national advertisers. Its scale was materially expanded by the February 2006 acquisition of ABC Radio, and Citadel was itself acquired by Cumulus Media in 2011, after which its NYSE listing (ticker CDL) was delisted and it became a subsidiary within Cumulus's portfolio.

Post-acquisition, Citadel's stations are folded into Cumulus Media's audio-first platform. The combined entity operates 393 owned-and-operated radio stations across 84 U.S. markets and distributes nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment content through the Westwood One national audio network, reaching more than 7,800 affiliated stations and approximately 250 million monthly listeners. Content rights are anchored by partnerships with the NFL, NCAA, Masters Tournament, US Soccer, AP News, and the Academy of Country Music Awards, and on-demand consumption is addressed through the Cumulus Podcast Network and digital/voice-activated distribution.

The business model is advertising-led across two principal streams: broadcast advertising (local, national, and network inventory on owned-and-operated and affiliated stations) and digital advertising and podcast solutions (on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, plus integrated digital marketing services). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company serves two primary segments — advertisers seeking personal connections, local impact, and national reach, and listeners seeking local plus premium national programming — monetized through tiered advertising modules (Local Solutions, Network Solutions, Digital Solutions, Podcast Solutions, and Research & Insights).

Name

Citadel Broadcasting

Website

https://citadelbroadcasting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Citadel Broadcasting is a U.S. radio broadcaster founded in 1984 that operated stations in mid-sized markets and was acquired by Cumulus Media in 2011, becoming part of a 393-station, 84-market audio platform reaching 250 million monthly listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)

Keywords

• Radio broadcasting
• Audio advertising
• Network programming
• Podcast distribution
• Local broadcast media

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Advertising: Revenue from local, national, and network radio advertising across owned-and-operated stations and affiliated network stations
2. Digital Advertising and Podcast Solutions: Revenue from on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing services

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Citadel Broadcasting is a U.S.-based radio broadcasting company that operates 393 owned-and-operated radio stations across 84 markets, following its 2011 acquisition by Cumulus Media. It delivers local programming combined with nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment content through Westwood One (a network of 7,800+ affiliated stations) and the Cumulus Podcast Network, while monetizing its audience through broadcast and digital advertising solutions.

Product overview

Cumulus Media (parent of Citadel Broadcasting following its 2011 acquisition) is an audio-first media company operating a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of 393 owned-and-operated radio stations across 84 markets for local programming, supported by Westwood One (a national audio network reaching 7,800+ affiliated stations) for syndicated content from brands like the NFL, NCAA, Masters, US Soccer, AP News, and Academy of Country Music Awards. The Cumulus Podcast Network provides original podcast content. Advertising solutions are delivered through integrated modules covering Local Solutions, Network Solutions, Digital Solutions, Podcast Solutions, and Research & Insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Owned-and-Operated Radio Stations

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NFL (National Football League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally-syndicated sports programming partnership providing premium football content across Westwood One affiliated stations
• NCAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege sports programming partnership delivering NCAA content across the national audio network
• Masters TournamentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf programming partnership delivering Masters Tournament content through affiliated stations
• US SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoccer programming partnership for national audio distribution
• AP NewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNews programming partnership delivering Associated Press news content nationally
• Academy of Country Music AwardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment programming partnership for country music awards content

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saga Communications: Operates radio stations in mid-sized and small U.S. markets with a similar focus on local programming and local/regional advertising revenue. Comparable by market tier and broadcast model.
• Cumulus Media: Direct parent of Citadel Broadcasting following the 2011 acquisition. Operates the 393 owned-and-operated stations, Westwood One network, and Cumulus Podcast Network described in the data.
• Emmis Communications: Radio broadcaster with stations in major U.S. markets, including flagship brands and local programming. Operates a similar station-portfolio + digital/audience-revenue model.
• Salem Communications: Multi-market radio broadcaster with a niche format focus (talk, news, religious). Overlaps with parts of Citadel's news/talk portfolio and competes for similar advertising categories.
• Townsquare Media: Operates radio stations concentrated in mid-sized and small U.S. markets, similar to Citadel's historical positioning. Runs a complementary digital and live events business alongside broadcast advertising.
• Beasley Broadcast Group: Multi-market U.S. radio broadcaster operating in mid-sized markets comparable to Citadel's footprint. Competes for local and regional advertising revenue and digital audio audience.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with hundreds of owned stations and a national digital audio platform (iHeartRadio). Direct competitor in both broadcast advertising and digital audio, and the closest comparable to Citadel/Cumulus in scale.
• Audacy (formerly Entercom): Major U.S. radio broadcaster with a large owned-station portfolio and a significant podcasting and digital audio business. Competes directly with Citadel/Cumulus for national advertising spend and sports content rights.

Broad incumbents

• Spotify: Global digital audio streaming leader with significant podcasting and ad-supported audio business. Increasingly competes with Citadel's digital and podcast offerings for both audience and ad dollars.
• SiriusXM: National audio subscription service with exclusive content, sports rights (NFL, etc.), and a large digital audio footprint. Adjacent incumbent competing with Citadel for in-car audio shares and sports rights.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Citadel Broadcasting