ABC Audio
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting, Digital audio, Podcasting |
| Predecessor | ABC Radio |
| Founded | January 1, 2015 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | American Broadcasting Company (ABC) |
ABC Audio operates as a radio syndicator, radio network, and digital audio platform within the United States, under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company, which also owns the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Its satellite distribution services are provided by Linkup Communications. The network originally debuted as ABC Radio on January 1, 2015, before adopting the ABC Audio name in 2019.
Background
The origins of ABC Radio trace back to the division of the NBC Red and NBC Blue (later renamed Blue Network) networks. ABC assumed control of NBC Blue's operations from RCA in 1943 and formally adopted the ABC identity two years afterward. A significant moment in its history was delivering the first nationwide broadcast reporting President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.
Important affiliated networks over time included Watermark Inc. (acquired in 1982), Satellite Music Network (1989), ESPN Radio (1992), and Radio Disney (1996).
Although ownership shifted through entities such as Capital Cities Communications and subsequently Disney, ABC’s radio division was sold on June 12, 2007, to Citadel Broadcasting, along with most of its owned-and-operated stations. Through a reverse Morris trust arrangement, ABC shareholders gained control over Citadel, which licensed the ABC brand until it was rebranded as Citadel Media Networks in 2009.
When Cumulus Media acquired Citadel Broadcasting on September 16, 2011, it renamed the network segment to Cumulus Media Networks. In 2013, Cumulus combined this network with Dial Global Radio Networks to create Westwood One.
ABC retained ownership of Radio Disney and ESPN Radio owned-and-operated stations. In 2015, ABC announced intentions to divest most Radio Disney station licenses and discontinue terrestrial broadcasting. The majority of these stations were sold except for KRDC, which transitioned to a country music format while maintaining the Radio Disney branding. The licenses for KRDC and ESPN Radio’s KSPN remained under "ABC Radio Los Angeles Assets." KRDC’s sale was finalized in 2023. Meanwhile, Good Karma Brands acquired the ESPN Radio network and remaining stations, with ESPN preserving intellectual property rights.
ABC Radio
On August 7, 2014, ABC declared it would relaunch its radio network division effective January 1, 2015, following Cumulus’s choice to replace ABC News radio services with Westwood One News (distributed via CNN). ABC continued delivering radio news content through ABC News Radio and ABC News Now, while expanding programming based on ABC properties such as Good Morning America, Dancing With The Stars, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Advertising sales and satellite distribution were managed by Skyview Networks.
By December 23, 2014, ABC News had secured affiliations with over 1,000 stations for its ABC News, ABC Digital, and ABC Air Power networks. This included adding around 200 new affiliates featuring significant partners like WTOP-FM, WGN, and KFI.
In April 2018, a partnership with Skyview was established to develop new syndicated radio shows. This collaboration resulted in syndicating “The Dana Cortez Show” in August 2018, broadening its audience beyond San Antonio’s “98.5 The Beat” KBBT market.
Beginning around 2015, ABC News expanded into podcasting and introduced an audio channel within its app. The first daily podcast titled Start Here launched on March 28, 2018. Later that year, Paula Faris debuted a faith-oriented podcast called Journeys of Faith.
On January 1, 2019, Local Radio Networks transferred twelve of its continuous music formats to ABC Radio for marketing support and talent sharing arrangements; satellite distribution continued through Skyview. Prior to this change, Local Radio affiliates had access to programming from ABC News Radio.
Vice president and general manager Steve Jones left in April 2019 to join Skyview. An interim leadership group composed of four executives from ABC News oversaw ABC Radio until May 2019 when Stacia Philips Deshishku was elevated from Washington Deputy Bureau Chief to general manager.
ABC Audio
On September 20, 2019, ABC Radio underwent a rebranding to become ABC Audio, reflecting its broadened range of podcasts and on-demand offerings. Vice president Deshishku highlighted that "radio's influence remains vital to our operations, as does maintaining the ABC News Radio identity within ABC Audio." In March 2020, ABC Audio revealed that ESPN Audio would take charge of advertising sales for its podcast content.
Programs and services
- ABC News Radio
- ABC Air Power
- The Deja Vu Show
- ABC Digital
- ABC Sports Radio
- Perspective
- This Week
- World News This Week
- Your Body with Dr. Jen Ashton
Podcasts
- 10% Happier with Dan Harris (since March 11, 2016)
- 20/20 (since November 4, 2017)
- COVID-19 Immunity in Our Community (since March 31, 2021)
- Cutthroat, Inc. (March 26 – May 7, 2020). Total of 7 episodes.
- The Dropout (January 22 – February 26, 2019)
- Everybody's Got Something (since September 19, 2016)
- The Essentials: Inside the Curve (April 20 – June 13, 2020). Comprising 10 episodes.
- Have You Seen This Man? (October 23, 2019 – November 19, 2020). Seven episodes in total.
- The HeirPod (since October 3, 2019), hosted by ABC News Royal Contributor Omid Scobie
- In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson (March 1 – April 12, 2021). Eight episodes.
- Inside Frozen 2 (November 11, 2019 – December 9, 2020). Seven episodes.
- Inside the Midnight Order (July 11 – August 8, 2024)
- Inside the Oscars (March 25 – April 26, 2021). Six episodes.
- The Investigation (February 11, 2019 – February 7, 2020)
- Journeys of Faith (November 13, 2018 – April 21, 2020). Ten episodes including three premieres.
- A Killing on The Cape (October 25 – November 29, 2017). Six episodes.
- Life After Suicide (May 1 – June 18, 2019)
- Motivated (June 26 – December 31, 2017)
- A Murder on Orchard Street (October 3 – November 30, 2017). Eight episodes.
- Nightline (since November 30, 2017)
- No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis (January 9, 2017 – December 29, 2019). A total of 145 episodes.
- Perspective (since November 9, 2017)
- Popcorn with Peter Travers (since August 26, 2016)
- Pop Culture Moms (since February 27, 2024)
- Powerhouse Politics (since February 19, 2016)
- Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Story (starting November 12, 2024)
- Reclaimed: The Forgotten Years (October 2–30, 2023)
- Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation (since November 10, 2024)
- Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley
- This Week with George Stephanopoulos (since November 12, 2017)
- Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein (January 9 – July 10, 2020). Ten episodes total.
- Tulsa's Buried Truth (April 6–20, 2021). Three episodes.
- Uncomfortable (March 21, 2017 – March 12, 2018)
- The View
- World News This Week (since November 3, 2017)
- World News Tonight with David Muir (since December 1, 2017)
- Start Here (since March 28, 2018), a twenty-minute audio program hosted by Brad Mielke