Conservative radio net reaches 'deep into parts of America that don't engage with most mainstream media outlets'

Salem Media Group, a publicly traded company based in Texas, has turned into a "conservative media juggernaut" as its big-name radio hosts reach "deep into parts of America that don’t engage with most mainstream media outlets," Cecilia Kang and Tiffany Hsu report for The New York Times. Salem isn't a household name but personalities backed by the company, such as Eric Metaxas, Sebastian Gorka and Charlie Kirk, are well-known in conservative circles.

Leading up to the midterm elections, that trio and other Salem hosts have "amplified the messages of conspiracy theorists, including misinformation about the voting process," Kang and Hsu write. Meanwhile, the company has said that the "war for America's soul is on the line" in the midterms and has put many of its hosts on tour. With a network of 100 radio stations and more than 3,000 affiliates, Salem says it reaches 11 million listeners. It also operates religious and conservative websites while expanding into podcasts, news shows, book publishing and social-media influencers. This year the company financed a film that claimed voter fraud in the 2020 election and was directed by Dinesh D'Souza, another conservative commentator.

Salem CEO David Santrella (Business Wire)

The company started in 1974 as two tiny radio stations in North Carolina. Salem added more stations and eventually went public in 1999. Over the past two decades, it expanded into conservative websites and book publishing. Multiple former employees told Kang and Hsu that the company executives largely stayed out of editorial decisions until Trump's presidency. Bloggers and Craig Silverman, a former radio host, said they were fired from the company after being publicly critical of Trump. 

In an August earnings call, David Santrella, Salem's chief executive, said political advertisers had spent nearly twice as much so far this year compared to the same period in 2020. "The political environment has never been as interesting and as heated and intense as it is right now," he said.