The interest in sports radio personalities, programming, and industry information has grown rapidly over the past few years. This site’s existence is proof of it.
When I launched this website in June 2014, I had no idea it would generate the amount of interest, and attention that it has. I was simply looking to do a little bit of writing, offer some advice to help some people in the industry, and have some fun promoting our format, and the people who work in it. I was running a radio station at that time, so making this my top focus wasn’t an option.
Interesting enough, one of my friends and former employees, Zach McCrite, who hosts weekdays from 9am-Noon on 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma City, was going through a similar situation. He was looking for a sports radio podcast to listen to so he could learn more about other top personalities in the format, except when he went searching, he couldn’t find anything.
Rather than sit around and wait for the day to come when someone decided to finally do it, Zach got busy, and launched “The Podcast About Sports Radio” in March 2015. His first guest was me, so you can tell how low he set the bar, but as the months have passed, he’s done a great job landing some conversations with some of the industry’s best.
What I liked more than anything about Zach taking on this project, was that he was trying something new, and doing his part to help promote our format. If there’s one pet peeve of mine today, it’s how hard some people have to be pushed just to promote themselves and their brands.
When it comes to business, I’m known to ask “how can we make this better“, “what’s missing“, and “where’s the opportunity“. I use that same approach in the way I manage this website.
I want the information I post to be of value to those who come here. I want the grammar to be accurate, the news to be posted in a timely fashion, and I want to provide a presentation that reflects what’s happening all across the country in the sports media business. I hope that I’ve provided that for you during the past sixteen months.
If there’s one challenge, it’s finding the time to keep up. I don’t have a staff, I have me. As great as it would be to have extra editors, and writers, that’s not realistic. Add in the responsibilities of working with clients, talking to people throughout the industry, and finding some time in between all of the chaos to be available to my family, and you get a sense of the challenges I face.
I’m not complaining though. This is a true labor of love, and it’s with me when I wake up, as well as when I go to sleep.
As much as I enjoy writing and featuring the top sports media stories across the nation, I did feel the website could benefit by having more audio available. I considered launching a podcast, but knowing my professional and personal schedules, I knew I wouldn’t be able to provide it consistently.
So I started to thinking, “how else could I solve the website’s audio problem“?
If I was going to partner with someone, and put my brand name behind it, I wanted to make sure that it was good, done consistently, and provided by someone I know, respect, and trust. Zach McCrite checks all those boxes.
I’ve known Zach ever since I sprung a surprise history of St. Louis sports quiz on him in a restaurant in Louisville in February 2011, while he was interviewing with me for a job at 101 ESPN. He tells everyone who will listen that I gave him his break, but truth be told, the audience did that. I just provided the platform for him to entertain.
Having five years of history together doesn’t hurt, but I’ve also paid attention to his work with “The Podcast About Sports Radio” and I admired how engaged he was in doing it. It wasn’t a case of trying something out, and getting tired of it. Instead he seemed energized with each week’s episode.
We started talking about each of our platforms, and how they had grown since we first launched them, but what made little sense, was how we were both offering content to similar audiences, yet asking those people to find it in two different places. As much as we all enjoy having our own thing, presenting our work to the largest number of people possible should be the ultimate goal.
Together we covered a number of issues, found common ground, and decided it would benefit us both, and all sports radio fans, to work together again.
Today I am pleased to announce that we have formed a partnership, and all previous episodes, and future episodes of “The Podcast About Sports Radio” will be available here on www.barrettsportsmedia.com. There are thirty one previous episodes loaded for your enjoyment, plus a brand new installment (episode #32) with one of the real good guys of the format, ESPN Radio host Bob Valvano. Make sure to give it a listen.
By joining forces, this helps solve the website’s audio issue, and it gives those of you who frequent the website another reason to check in and enjoy content. For Zach, the increased attention from people inside and outside the industry benefits him too, plus he earns a little more time with his family since he doesn’t have to operate his own website on a daily basis.
More importantly though, you benefit! Instead of having to dig in multiple places to find written stories, opinion pieces, and podcasts with popular sports radio personalities, you can now find it all in one place.
I do want to point out that Zach and I are also working on some additional audio offerings that will differ from the regular podcast presentation. Future announcements will be available on the website at the proper time. If you have any suggestions of things you’d like to see/hear in the future, please email me here or Zach here.
I appreciate you dropping by today, as well as during the past sixteen months. I hope that the addition of “The Podcast About Sports Radio” provides even more incentive to return in the future.
If there’s one thing you can do to help us, it’s this – tell a friend, retweet or share one of our posts, and visit the website. We’re not in this to be rich, we’re in it to raise the profile of the sports radio format. With your help we’ll be able to do that! Thanks for your patronage.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
