This is one of a series about how radio stations are deploying AI tools.
We asked Chris Brunt, director of AI at Jacobs Media, to Digital and Revenue Generation about recent developments. Brandt writes Jacobs Media Blog About digital tools including the use of AI in wireless environments. The interview took place in the summer of 2025.
Radio World: How is AI technology changing its broadcast workflow now?
Chris Blunt: Few technologies were established as quickly as AI.
18 months ago, when I talk to the broadcaster, I ask who is using it, and about a quarter of the participants' hands will go up. Today, it's an overwhelming majority. Regardless of the market size.
We've seen massive ingestion with text generation tools to knock out promotions and ad copy. Many television and radio groups have audio and video advertising tools that generate AI that are widely used.
RW: The application looks endless. Which AI tools found the most ingested by broadcasters?
Brandt: Most of the AI-Use around the station is a text-generated ChatGpt, such as writing proposals and copying advertisements. In a world where fewer people have more work to do, broadcasters are using AI shortcuts to make better work faster.
RW: How much is the impact do broadcasters use AI to enhance revenue?
Brandt: The biggest change is the ads generated by AI. These sounds and look great.
Using AI to upgrade scripts and create specifications is a great first step for broadcasters. Many salespeople quickly generate spec spots and include them on the pitch, which is why they increase closures. Broadcasting stations use these AI tools to sell across digital audio platforms.
RW: What have early radio recruits learned in the past two and a half years?
Brandt: As AI tools become more powerful and clunky, first adopters are discovering new ways and new prompts to enhance their work at the station. A year ago, I needed a really good prompt to get really good power from an AI engine. Today, these engines create great text, audio and images without meticulously creating prompts. There are also dramatically fewer hallucinations of AI.
RW: What kind of AI do broadcasters use?
Brandt: Most broadcasters using AI use off-the-shelf tools provided by high-tech giants such as ChatGpt, Gemini and Copilot.
For certain station tasks, 11 courses have acquired a lot of use on the audio side. Audacy released a press release last year on the use of the tool, and Waymark is used by many broadcasters to generate video ads.
RW: Are radio stations changing the way they think about their products thanks to AI? For example, in a recent blog I wrote that integration of tools like OpenAI operators will help stations evolve into fully interactive hubs. Please explain that transition.
Brandt: Most AI tools today are designed for a single, one task, such as generating scripts, rewriting paragraphs, meeting summaries, and more. It's convenient, but the range is limited. What is currently emerging is more advanced features. It is an AI agent that can handle not only isolated actions but also the entire workflow.
operator This is a project revealed by Openai earlier this year. Unlike task-based tools, operators are designed to plan, coordinate and execute multi-step projects with minimal human input. You can achieve your goals, break them down into tasks, and complete each step using other AI tools or APIs. Basically, I'm a digital project manager.
Broadcast tech companies are beginning to gain attention. Some have already been researching how these agent-based systems can be integrated into the platform to automate complex processes. Instead of simply speeding up one task, these AI agents can ultimately optimize the entire operation, essentially shift the way stations manage their workflows, and provide programming to their audiences and campaigns to clients.
RW: He also said that the tone around AI has changed in the broadcast circle. Why?
Brandt: The panic subsided as the station saw what AI could do to help them. Both radio and television broadcasting stations are in an industry that focuses on people with fewer jobs. With AI tools, they become more efficient and allow you to spend more time on what's important. Conversation focuses on viewers and listeners.
RW: Alpha Media recently pulled out a plug from Portland's AI Ashley. Why do broadcasters seem hesitant to use AI jocks, yet seem to embrace it for their audio production needs?
Brandt: Media companies have seen this research. At this point, radio listeners are overwhelmingly hoping to listen to real people rather than AI-created content. Can listeners communicate the difference between live, audio tracking, and AI generation? I don't really understand. But there is an inherent trust between the audience and the people behind the microphone.
TechSurvey, a Christian music broadcaster in the fall, showed that 91% of Christian radio listeners felt that it was very important for the station to stand in front of the audience about the use of AI. Unanimous results are rare.
RW: What's next? Can you identify the trends you look at and expect?
Brandt: We see an existing product embedding AI into the next version, but that continues.
The next wave of AI is about hyper-personalized content. Think about AI that scans social profiles such as Instagram Like, Tiktok Skips, and even dating apps. Then use that data to generate a custom podcast that is just created for you. Hosted by people who find it easy to see and filled with the kind of content you crave.
There's no tailored media at that level here yet, but it's not science fiction. It is already being discussed in high-tech and entertainment companies. The race continues to build AI that curates your entire experience.
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