Upward of 60% of locally produced radio commercials fail to meet effectiveness standards, with automotive and legal ads performing worst. “As radio stations nationwide grapple with AI adoption in creative departments, we’re seeing a troubling trend in commercial quality,” said Yaman Coskun, founder of yaman.AI and a former creative director with more than two decades in radio creative. Coskun found through the study that 39% of local spots scored 8 or above on a 10-point effectiveness scale measuring factors including emotional resonance, brand recall, and call-to-action clarity. The February-July 2025 analysis spots across U.S. radio markets of all sizes. The study identifies the culprit as the new alarming trend of radio leadership handing creative AI tools directly to sales staff, bypassing human radio creative professionals in cost-cutting efforts.