For the third year in a row, Howard Stern tops Forbes' annual list of "Highest Paid Radio Hosts." The magazine just published its annual list of radio's highest paid personalities, and you will be either 1) mightily impressed, or b) quietly horrified to learn that the six guys on this list collectively raked in $315 million over the past 12 months.

Stern, who is one of America's wealthiest celebrities with a net worth of $450 million, earned an estimated $90 million between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, before taxes and management fees. He renegotiated his eight-figure contract with SiriusXM in December 2015 -- the deal includes digital distribution channels like apps and video streaming, "which could pad Stern's paycheck in the future," Forbes notes.

The runner-up, at No. 2, is Premiere-syndicated host Rush Limbaugh, who pocketed $84 million. Forbes says Limbaugh "enjoyed a 21% increase in listeners to his eponymous show thanks to a 'Trump bump.'"

No. 3 is radio/TV mogul Ryan Seacrest, who rolled home in style with a haul of $58 million. As Forbes notes, "The busiest man in show business co-hosted Live! alongside Kelly Ripa and helmed red carpets, the Rio Olympics. New Year's Eve and his radio show, all while producing eight TV shows with the likes of Kylie Jenner and Jennifer Lopez, and churning out a menswear line." The piece also foresees a nice bump in Seacrest's paycheck next year (estimated to be around $15 million) with his return as host of ABC's American Idol reboot.

Rounding out the list are 4) former talk host Bill O'Reilly: $37 million; 5) Sean Hannity at $36 million and 6) Glenn Beck: $10 million.

Congrats to Allen Brown on his well deserved upgrade to SVP of Media & Corporate Communications for Sony Music Nashville. Brown (left) most recently held the title of VP, Media & Corporate Communications. He will continue to report to John Zarling, EVP of Marketing & New Business for Sony Music Nashville, who remarked, "Allen has proven to be one of Nashville's most consistent players in an always evolving business. Having someone lead our corporate publicity efforts who is one step ahead of the situation is essential. His work for the Sony roster of artists since 2004 has allowed superstars to breakout and new artists to find their voice. I'm proud to have Allen a part of our team and congratulate him on his enhanced role."

For over 17 years, Brown has overseen corporate communication matters for the Nashville office, while also handling label publicity for such artists as Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Cam, Kane Brown, Levon, Ben Gallaher and The Sisterhood. Since 2010, Brown has served the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy as a two-term Governor, two-term Secretary, and one-year Advocacy Committee co-chair.

Commenting on his promotion, Brown said, "Special thanks to John Zarling and Randy Goodman for their continued confidence in me as evidenced by this promotion. I'm grateful to be surrounded by the exceptional leadership and the remarkably passionate, talented and creative staff at Sony Music Nashville. He added, "I'm so proud of and inspired by our roster of artists and each one's distinctive sound and message. Who could question why I consider myself one of the most fortunate persons in the music industry and most privileged to convey their music to the world through the media." Brown can be congratulated at allen.brown@sonymusic.com.

• CBS Radio KMVQ (99.7 NOW!)/San Francisco has assembled some of the music industry's biggest stars to perform at the station's annual Poptopia concert on Saturday, December 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose -- we're talking Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers, Fifth Harmony, Niall Horan, Khalid, Logic and Dua Lipa! Now how much would you pay?

Here now to tell us more is the charming and talented Michael Martin, CBS Radio's SVP of Programming and Music Initiatives, who commented, "Poptopia is a culmination of the biggest artists on one stage. This incredible night of music with multiple headliners is a perfect way to celebrate the holidays and our love for music and community." Tickets for 99.7 NOW!'s Poptopia go on-sale this Saturday, October 14 at 10am PT via Ticketmaster.  

• Meanwhile, the holiday magic seems to be repeating itself at CBS Radio sibling B96/Chicago, as the station revealed the equally impressive roster for its 18th annual B96 Pepsi Jingle Bash -- once again, Ms. Taylor Swift will headline, along with Backstreet Boys, Fifth Harmony, Khalid, Logic and Sabrina Carpenter. The big show is happening on Thursday, December 7 at the Allstate Arena in scenic Rosemont, IL

"The Jingle Bash has been a must-see holiday event in Chicago for almost two decades," said Todd Cavanah, PD of B96 and VP of Programming of CBS Radio Chicago. "This year, we are thrilled to have the world's biggest superstar, Taylor Swift as our headliner. In the holiday season the Jingle Bash is a wonderful way for our community to come together and celebrate an exceptional night of pop music." Tickets for the B96 Pepsi Jingle Bash are now on sale via Ticketmaster.

Atlantic Records just released Lin-Manuel Miranda's ambitious Puerto Rico/Hurricane Maria benefit song, "Almost Like Praying," (featuring Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Camila Cabello, Pedro Capo, Dessa, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Alex Lacamoire, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno, Ednita Nazario, Joell Ortiz, Anthony Ramos, Gina Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, PJ Sin Suela, Tommy Torres and Ana Villafañe).

With music and lyrics by Miranda, the Pulitzer, Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning creator of Hamilton, and produced by Jeffrey "Trooko" Penalva, "Almost Like Praying" was written and recorded in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Penned by Miranda less than two weeks ago, the original song borrows its title and hook from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's classic, "Maria," from the original Broadway musical, West Side Story. Miranda said, "I was acutely aware that the name Maria, which is the name of my favorite song from West Side Story, would forever have a destructive connotation as a result of this natural disaster, so my mind began flipping lyrics from 'Maria' to figure out how we could flip this tragedy into something positive, which is why I reached out to Stephen Sondheim for his permission to use it."

This extraordinary all-star single is now available at all digital music retailers and streaming services, and is accompanied by a companion video featuring imagery from Puerto Rico alongside exclusive footage from Miranda's travels and recording sessions. The entire sale price of $1.29 will benefit The Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund to help meet hurricane-related needs and recovery in Puerto Rico. For more information, or to make a much-needed donation, please visit hispanicfederation.org/unidos.

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) just held its annual ANA Masters of Marketing Conference in Orlando, FL. One of the highlights was a performance by UMG Nashville superstar Shania Twain during a dinner party hosted by iHeartMedia at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

Pictured after Shania's well received seven-song set, (l-r): Marissa Morris, Vice President, Artist Relations for iHeartMedia; Rod Phillips, SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia's Nashville Region and Brand Manager for iHeartCountry; Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia; Shania Twain; Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.; John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia; and Scott Rodger, Maverick Management. [Photo Credit: Getty Images for iHeartMedia]

Music Choice has reached a distribution agreement with San Francisco-based distribution company and record label Empire for the rights to distribute Empire's entire catalog of 8,000 music videos in the U.S. and international markets. We're talking recent music videos from Fat Joe, D.R.A.M., Anderson .Paak, Tyga, XXXTENTACION, Snoop Dogg and T.I., among others. This partnership further expands Music Choice's video portfolio, with Empire dominating the urban market share. This marks the first time Empire has made its entire video catalog, which also includes Reggae, Rock, Gospel, Latin and Pop -- available to any TV programmer.

Under this agreement, Music Choice and Empire will collaborate on exclusive video premieres, artist programs and marketing campaigns. The content will be available via traditional set top boxes as well as on the go via Music Choice digital properties through TVE. The reciprocal agreement allows the partners to co-market each other's services to build a new audience for both brands. The deal also creates a range of new revenue opportunities on Music Choice for artists signed with Empire and its record label, Empire Recordings. Additional Empire programs and artists will be rolled out throughout the year.

The alliance kicks off with several exclusive releases, including a full-length mini-movie and music video from rising R&B star Rhyon, who created an entire visual movie comprised of connected music videos for her new album, Pretty Girl. Also coming up is a mini-movie by Dipset star Jim Jones, along with new music videos from Snoop Dogg, Tyga, Rich Chigga and more.

Damon Williams, SVP, Programming Strategy and Partnerships at Music Choice stated, "Empire has been our go-to for independent artist that move the needle, like Rich Homie Quan, D.R.A.M. and Anderson .Paak. We are committed to giving independent artists a national platform for their music. This strategic partnership with Empire will take it to... [Ed. note: brace yourself!]... the next level™."

• Premiere-syndicated personality Bobby Bones will emcee the 73rd Annual Congressional Correspondents Dinner on October 25 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Bones will be joined by House Speaker Paul Ryan, who will deliver the keynote remarks, and headline entertainer Roy Wood Jr., a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

The black-tie event will feature a pre-dinner reception at 6:30pm followed by a dinner at 7:30pm. iHeartMedia is hosting an after party at the venue. Tickets for individuals and tables are currently on sale. All credentialed members of the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association should have received an electronic invitation on September 15. Please email RTCADinner2017@dufourandco.com for additional information.

• Empire Broadcasting Triple A WRNR/Annapolis, MD, in its continuing effort to raise awareness of the serious opioid epidemic affecting its local community and our nation, yesterday launched Lifelines -- A Bridge to Recovery. This new monthly one-hour, live call-in show, hosted by Rob Timm is designed to help with the fight against addiction in Anne Arundel County and throughout the state of Maryland.

WRNR, in association with Anne Arundel Medical Center [AAMC], The City of Annapolis, and Anne Arundel County will offer public participation with a live phone-in Q&A, featuring a rotating cast of experts in the field of addiction and recovery during each monthly program. Lifelines -- A Bridge to Recovery will air one Sunday per month on WRNR, online at WRNR.com and via the TuneIn app. Lifelines is sponsored by Anne Arundel County, The City of Annapolis, and Pathways from Anne Arundel Medical Center.

In the wake of the recent deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, Cumulus Media's WRQX (Mix 107.3) and WMAL/Washington are teaming up with Inova Blood Donor Services to host a Vegas Victims' Blood Drive on Wednesday, October 11 from 2-8pm at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, VA.

Rob Roberts, PD of Mix 107.3 said, "Distance doesn't lessen the impact of what happened in Las Vegas. This is our chance to help someone and it costs nothing but a little time. We're proud to do our part." WMAL PD Bill Hess commented, "The injured -- including some from our area -- face a lengthy recovery, and this is one thing we can come together and do to help in our own individual way. We invite our friends and listeners to roll up their sleeves and join us Wednesday in this effort."

The blood drive is open to the public and appointments can be made online at mix1073.com/BloodDrive or wmal.com/BloodDrive. Donors can also make an appointment at 866-BLOODSAVES (866-256-6372) and reference sponsor code 8297. 

The thoughts and prayers of a nation are with Premiere-syndicated personality Delilah, who is now dealing with the unimaginable -- the suicide of her 18-year-old son, Zachariah. On Saturday, Delilah shared the devastating news with her millions of fans via Facebook. The post reads, "My dear friends, I need to share some devastating news with you. In the early morning hours, Tuesday, October 3, my son, Zachariah, took his life.

He was being treated, counseled and embraced fiercely by family and friends while battling depression for some time now. My heart is broken beyond repair and I cannot fathom how to go on... but I have to believe he is at peace with the Lord and that God will get us through."

She continued, "I will be absent from the radio and on social media for a time as I grieve and try to process this loss with my family. In the meantime we'll be playing some of my favorite shows from the recent past. I'll look forward to my return, as you all lift me up so very much! Please pray for my beloved Zacky, and I will pray for all suffering from this debilitating disease called depression."

And with that, we share this vitally important reminder: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.