Local broadcasters are the power grids of local communities. You don’t always see the wires, but they’re carrying the current that keeps towns alive — illuminating storefronts, energizing conversations, and sparking trust.
At Forecast 2026, “Main Street Media: Where Local Broadcast Survives & Thrives” will fill the room with electric ideas from local radio and TV operators who are the live wires in their markets and know how to bring in the money.
With midterm elections set to pump billions into the system across 36 gubernatorial races and 33 Senate seats, political ad spending won’t be evenly distributed. It will surge through the outlets closest to the voters.
Local broadcasters already know how to handle that voltage: through trusted voices, community connections, and digital extensions that make their signals stronger, not weaker. You’ll hear the operators who’ve built resilient grids explain their “wiring diagram.”
Moderated by Quu CEO and Commonwealth Broadcasting Owner Steve Newberry, this panel featuring Lilly Broadcasting Founder and Co-Owner Brian Lilly, Norsan Media CEO Natalia Sanchez Alvarez, and WNKR Radio CEO and General Manager Jeff Ziesmann will share how they convert raw political and community energy into sustainable revenue streams and enduring audience loyalty.
In an era where many believe broadcasters will inevitably end up “in the red,” these mavericks and true believers are boosting profits, expanding their empires, and celebrating victories. Sound like trends you’d like to follow?
You’ll walk out of this session with the immediate value of practical strategies that can be plugged directly into your own operations: how to capture ad dollars, how to fuse local trust with digital innovation, and how to insulate your business from the rolling blackouts of a volatile media market.
If you want to know where the real power is flowing in 2026, this is the room where the circuit connects.
Secure your seat now. Due to the nature of the event, seats at Forecast 2026 are extremely limited. If you want to be part of the next big moves, it starts by being in the room with the people making them.
Want to get your company or brand in front of radio and television’s highest-level decision-makers? CLICK HERE for conference sponsorship information.
