I’m losing a producer this week at 95.7 The Game….and I’m happy about it. You’re immediately thinking “they must have screwed up” or “what the heck is he doing throwing that employee under a bus and running him over“. Actually far from it on both accounts.
I’m excited to lose the individual (Kyle Englehart) because he’s done a good job for us and earned the right to take the next step in his career. He’ll be leaving us to join my good friend Brian Long in San Diego where he’ll become the Executive Producer for Fox Sports XTRA 1360. I see Kyle’s career growth as a reward for the time I invested in him the past two and a half years and it makes me proud because it says that someone else who I respect and trust has the same opinion of his ability to make a bigger difference.
When the situation came about and I was asked if it would be ok to talk to Kyle I didn’t hesitate to say yes because I’m a firm believer in helping people take steps in this industry. It would be different if the move was lateral or backwards or if he was in an on-air position but he’s been working his way up the ladder, doing a great job and trying to find out what he’s capable of. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t looking out for his best interests and pushing him to take on bigger challenges.
I bring that situation to light because I want to pose a question to you. If someone on your team/show had a similar opportunity tomorrow and it meant your own situation would be effected, would you do what’s best for them?
I’d like to believe the answer is yes but we both know that’s not always the case. Too often people focus on their own agendas and success and the last thing they want to endure is that scary six letter word – change! Now I do recognize that there are plenty of people who will root for their colleagues to succeed but there’s a big difference between rooting for them to succeed because it benefits you/the station and rooting for them to succeed because it benefits them.
Ironically what some lose sight of is that an individual’s success and departure for a bigger opportunity, paints a picture even more positively of your show and radio station because it tells others in our business that it’s the type of environment where they can learn, grow and win. That’s never bad for business.
Many people enter this industry in their early to mid twenties, not sure of themselves and wondering what goes on inside of a radio station. To most, this is a cool job and to be paid to talk about sports and go to games for free sounds very appealing especially when you’re young and unsure of what awaits you down the line. Most don’t know the difference early on between a producer and Executive Producer or a Reporter and Anchor and let’s face it, dollars are not high so thinking of the job as a potential career can be difficult. That is of course until you discover your passion for it and find out what you’re capable of.
One of the things I’m most proud of during my career is having had the chance to work with many talented people who have gone on to build bigger careers for themselves. Some of them include Chris “Hoss” Neupert (101 ESPN-St. Louis), Ben Boyd (KMOX-St. Louis), John Semar (CBS Sports 920-St. Louis), Amanda Gifford (ESPN Radio), Joe DeCamara (97.5 The Fanatic-Philadelphia) and Jeremiah Crowe (95.7 The Game). The most recent one to join the list is my previously mentioned producer Kyle Englehart.
I list those people because they’ve gone on to become a Program Director, Assistant Program Director or Executive Producer. While each possesses great passion, talent and intelligence for what we do in this industry and have earned the recognition and opportunities they now have, I’d like to think I’ve rubbed off on them along the way and played a small part in helping them take a step forward in their careers.
When I see people who I’ve worked closely with advance to bigger positions in our business it makes me extremely proud because it says that the hard work we’ve put in together has paid off. I feel equally the same about some of the great talent I’ve had the pleasure to coach, develop and challenge along the way in multiple markets. If we get into that list though I may never finish this column and chances are I’ll leave someone out.
As I examine the sports radio industry today, I can’t help but have tremendous respect for programmers like Bruce Gilbert and Scott Masteller and personalities such as Dan Patrick and Mike and Mike. Not only are they good at their own jobs but they help others create bigger situations for others too.
In Dan Patrick’s case, myself, Owen Murphy (KFWB PD-Los Angeles), Rob Dibble (97.9 ESPN-Hartford), Sean Salisbury (Yahoo Sports Radio), Darren Smith (Mighty 1090-San Diego) and many others have benefitted from working with him. His current cast (The Danettes – Todd, Paul, Patrick and Andrew) have been given the ability to escape from the shadows and build their own identities and there’s no doubt that his influence and impact on people has rubbed off. Keep in mind, I’m only talking about the radio side of things. That list grows even higher if you add television into the equation.
In the case of Mike and Mike, I know that Justin Craig (ESPN NY-PD), Pete Gianesini (ESPN Radio PD) and Scott Shapiro (ESPN Radio PD) have all gone from producing the show to becoming very good managers. While they had the ability to earn those spots, I’m sure many of their skills were made stronger by working with Greeny and Golic on a regular basis.
For Scott Masteller, he played a strong role in delivering Colin Cowherd to Bruce Gilbert at ESPN Radio. He also helped Dave Shore (ESPN Los Angeles Operations MGR/On-Air Host), John Lund (95.7 The Game-San Francisco Talent and Former ESPN Dallas PD) and Amanda Gifford (ESPN Radio PD) land bigger career opportunities in addition to helping numerous talents advance their careers on the local and network levels.
Last but not least is Bruce Gilbert who not only helped me develop but also played a role in many other people’s career advancement. Larry Gifford (Former ESPN Radio PD), Dennis Glasgow (Former ESPN 980 PD-Washington DC), Justin Craig (ESPN NY-PD and former ESPN Chicago-PD) and Chadd Scott (1010XL Jacksonville-APD) are just some of the people who have landed bigger opportunities and had the benefit of learning from Bruce. He was also responsible for hiring Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb, Erik Kuselias and Freddie Coleman at ESPN Radio and putting the network’s focus strongly behind Mike and Mike which sent them on their way to becoming a major brand in our industry.
If you look at professional sports the role of an NFL Head Coach is very similar to what programmers do. Our jobs are to coach our people and help them realize their full potential. The path to reach that destination is where the fun and pain is discovered and you can’t avoid it if you want to make a lasting impact.
I look at coaches like Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, Bill Walsh and Marty Schottenheimer and truly appreciate them not only for their win-loss records but for their impact on their people. When you look at how many Assistants became Head Coaches who learned from those strong leaders, the list is rather impressive. In each of their cases, they prepared their people for future success and when opportunity came knocking, they sent them on their way to realize their dreams while finding others to fill their voids.
In my opinion, that’s one of the changed responsibilities for a PD today. It’s not just about coaching shows, delivering ratings and putting out fires inside your building. It’s also about developing the future leaders and stars of our format.
A former boss Scott Carlin once said to me “Who are you developing today that will replace you tomorrow“? When he uttered that question I was very confused because I was a small-market PM drive host who was being asked to add PD duties and this was what I was being asked as I was accepting the position. I responded by letting him know I didn’t understand and how he summarized things made perfect sense. He told me that the mark of a great leader is what you leave behind and when others take notice of your work and you leave us for greener pastures, who will be next in line to add to what you’ve built?
Instantly I knew that it was not only my job to run the station and host a good show but to also make sure I grew my staff and prepared them for future success. I still remember that line to this day and I approach my position with that belief. My current APD Jeremiah Crowe has been trained to become a PD and he will be one in the future. To know I’ve prepared him for the challenge is fulfilling and he knows, when that day comes, it’s his job to have someone ready to occupy his chair and make sure we don’t lose ground. If he hasn’t done that then he’s missed his opportunity to leave his own imprint.
I’ll end on this note. You can be remembered in this business for many things. For me, I try to focus on making people better, helping them advance their careers and delivering ratings for my employer. It’s up to you to decide how you want to use your influence to benefit your peers and carve your place in the industry. Choose wisely.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
