Salem Media has signed a two-year extension with Dan Proft, ensuring the long-running Chicago morning talk show host remains on AM 560 The Answer (WIND-AM) through December 31, 2027. Proft, who joined Salem’s flagship Chicago station in 2015, is the market’s longest-tenured morning host, averaging 25,000 weekly live listeners and driving a 15% year-over-year increase in local advertising revenue during the last ratings cycle. Management credits Proft’s deep Illinois policy expertise and interview acumen with strengthening Salem’s conservative talk lineup, bolstering audience retention in a highly competitive media market and solidifying relationships with key political and corporate underwriters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Salem Media has elevated Carolyn Cassidy to Vice President & Regional General Manager, adding her to the company’s Senior Leadership Team while she continues oversight of four major markets—Columbus, Tampa, Orlando and Miami. Cassidy’s tenure includes driving 12% compound annual growth in total revenue across those four markets since 2019, orchestrating community engagement initiatives that yielded a combined 40% increase in local sponsorships, and streamlining operations to deliver a 10% reduction in overhead. Her promotion underscores Salem’s focus on leadership development and operational scalability, positioning the company to capitalize on expanding digital syndication opportunities and integrate newly acquired station clusters into its national network strategy.