Key Facts
Key Information
About
Salem Media Group, Inc., formerly known as Salem Communications Corporation until its rebranding in 2015, is an American multimedia company specializing in Christian and conservative content. Founded in 1974 by Edward G. Atsinger III and the late Stuart W. Epperson, the company began by consolidating their radio assets in North Carolina and California and expanded rapidly throughout the 1980s and 1990s by acquiring major-market stations in cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, and New York. Salem's portfolio includes nearly 100 owned radio stations, over 3,000 broadcast affiliates, and digital properties generating more than 150 million monthly page views.
Salem's operations are organized into three main segments: Broadcast, Digital Media, and Publishing. The Broadcast segment operates over 100 radio stations featuring Christian teaching, contemporary Christian music, and conservative news/talk programming. A prominent part of this segment is the Salem Radio Network (SRN), a subsidiary and radio syndication company focused on conservative talk radio and Christian programming. Based in California and launched in 2009, SRN builds on Salem’s earlier syndication efforts from the 1990s. It distributes syndicated talk shows and programs, including The Dennis Prager Show and hosts like Hugh Hewitt, to a vast network of more than 2,000 to 2,700 affiliate stations nationwide. SRN operates four key formats: Christian talk and teaching (AM/FM), contemporary Christian music (primarily FM), and conservative secular news/talk (AM), serving both faith-based and general audiences. It partners with more than 70 ministries and organizations to deliver daily and weekly programming and is one of the fastest-growing full-service radio networks in the U.S.
The Digital Media segment encompasses the Salem Web Network, Townhall Media (which operates the conservative news site Townhall.com), Salem Podcast Network, and the Salem News Channel for streaming television. Its Publishing segment includes imprints like Xulon Press and Hillcrest Media, focusing on Christian books and self-publishing.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas since 2021 after relocating from Camarillo, California, Salem has faced financial challenges including delisting from Nasdaq in 2023 and trading over-the-counter as SALM. In 2025, the company repaid $159 million in debt through station sales and a $40 million investment from the WaterStone foundation, signaling a strategic shift toward digital media growth. That year, Salem also acquired a 30% stake in MxM News, a mobile news app co-owned by Donald Trump Jr., who along with Lara Trump became stakeholders in the company, highlighting Salem's expanding ties to conservative political figures and digital platforms.
Politically aligned with conservatism, Salem actively engages in lobbying and supports Republican causes through PAC and employee donations totaling $174,865 in the 2024 cycle. Its influence extends through a variety of events, podcasts, and partnerships, establishing it as a key player in shaping conservative discourse. Although Salem has been critiqued, notably in a Columbia Journalism Review article titled "The Sin Spinners," for promoting conservative viewpoints intertwined with religious messaging, it continues to innovate in podcasts, video-on-demand, and online content despite economic pressures on traditional radio. Salem remains committed to its mission of delivering positive impact through Christian and conservative media.