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Salem Media Group

SALM
25
Broadcasting · Communication Services
Winston Score
25
Winston is worried
Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Mar 31, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Mixed
Growth
Mixed
Cash Flow
Weak
Stability
Good
Valuation
Data not available

Winston Score History

The full picture

Salem Media Group owns and operates a network of radio stations across the United States. The company focuses almost entirely on conservative talk radio, Christian music, and religious programming, making it one of the largest Christian and conservative media companies in the country. Its main audiences are religious listeners and politically conservative adults.

Salem makes money by selling advertising time on its radio stations and through its digital media websites, podcasts, and online content. It also earns revenue from book publishing under its Regnery Publishing brand, which is known for releasing conservative-leaning titles. The company operates in roughly 100 U.S. markets but is a small player overall, with a market cap near zero and negative operating margins signaling ongoing financial losses. Its biggest risk is the long-term decline of traditional radio listening, as younger audiences increasingly shift to streaming platforms and podcasts, which puts pressure on advertising revenue.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-11.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

+66.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Strong earnings growth

Insider Activity

45.5%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Runway

~1 months

$1M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

→ Burn rate stable

Short runway — potential dilution ahead through share issuance

Cash watch

Salem Media Group has less than a year of cash at its current burn rate. Growth investors should watch for potential share dilution from future fundraising — that directly reduces your ownership.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
94.7%
Premium pricing power — 94.7% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
-7.3%
Losing money on operations — -7.3%
Return on the money invested
ROCE
-7.0%
Weak — -7.0% return on capital

Negative ROIC means the business is losing money on every dollar invested in it.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-10.3%
Shrinking sales (-10.3% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-273.3%
Earnings shrinking (-273.3% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
N/A
Data not available
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
-5.1%
Burning cash (-5.1%)

Free cash flow is negative. They are burning cash, not generating it.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.10
Conservative — low debt load (0.10)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
N/A
Data not available

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
N/M
no trend
Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful
Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
N/A
not available
Data not available

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.
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