Last night, the world watched as the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 to become world champions. It was a matchup between two #1 seeds to determine the NFL’s best and thanks to a stout defense, Peyton Manning was able to leave the field at Levi’s Stadium victorious and add a 2nd championship to his Hall of Fame resume.
Unfortunately in sports radio, we don’t have a winner take all tournament to find out who the best in the format is, so in order to determine the top brand of 2015, we’ll have to rely on the expert opinions of 35 radio executives from 23 U.S cities and 15 radio companies.
This is the final category of our Top 20 series and hopefully you’ve enjoyed it so far. I was initially reluctant to take on this project but after talking to a number of industry people I changed my mind. I’m glad I did because judging from the traffic and the feedback I received last week at radio row and on email, Twitter and Facebook, many of you enjoyed it and were happy to see the format and its people presented in a positive light.
Remember, these results have been determined by people who understand the format but they are very subjective. None the less, we did use a criteria to help determine who made the cut, and those details are as followed.
- Station has a great reputation both locally and nationally
- Station must have delivered strong ratings success in their local market
- Station employs dynamic talent and presents compelling content and a unique sound
- Points are to be given to each brand for a ranking (EX: 20 points for 1st place, 1 point for 20th place)
I want to extend my appreciation to everyone who took part in the process. As you look over the selections you may agree or disagree with the rankings but most in the format know that the majority of these brands provide great content, entertaining personalities and a strong showing in the ratings in each of their local markets.
And now for the final time this year, Barrett Sports Media presents “America’s Top 20 Local Sports Radio Stations” as part of “The 2015 Best in Sports Radio Awards“!
Additional Notes:
- The Sports Hub finished 10 points ahead of WFAN for 1st place
- WFAN & The Sports Hub tied for the most amount of 1st place votes (14)
- There was a 200+ point drop off between 2nd and 3rd place
- ESPN LA 710 finished in 21st place, 1 point behind 106.7 The Fan
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.
