Inside a jungle, anything can happen. You can die from getting bit by a mosquito carrying malaria, drinking bacteria infested water, or eating a poisonous plant. Heavy rainfall and monsoon like winds can make jungle weather unforgiving, also leading to your demise. And if those options don’t do the trick, there’s always the possibility of being devoured by a wild animal.
To survive, one must know how to build a shelter, locate water and food, and avoid potential dangers. Assuming you can do that, then you’ve got to have the endurance to hike, escape the rugged terrain, and give yourself a chance to be rescued.
Sounds dangerous doesn’t it?
Well, I have no grand plans to pursue that type of journey, as interesting as it may sound. But, when I think about the jungle, I see similarities to many layers of the media business. The side order of death aside.
In the world of sports media, your success or failure is a result of the effort you give and the strategy you create to fulfill your personal destiny. From developing your natural born talent to your work ethic to embracing new roles to relocating to pursuing high profile opportunities that make others uncomfortable, it’s a dog eat dog business. If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
The media industry is ultra competitive. Many want to do this line of work. Some will do it for less than you might be willing to accept. If stepping on a few people in the process is what’s required to reach the top of the ladder, some won’t hesitate to put on their best shit kicking boots and walk all over you. That may sound harsh but it’s a cold hard fact.
To become a high profile talent or high ranking executive, you’ve got to have thick skin, and understand that there will always be someone who wants what you have. And there’s nothing wrong with them wanting it either. Remember, you were once in that position yourself. I used to tell my peers, the day that my employer believes they can get equal or better performance out of my position for a fraction of the cost, will be the day when I’m packing up my office and someone else is moving in. Luckily I never ran into that situation.
For many of us, we’re driven by desire. We push ourselves because we’re eager to prove that we can achieve personal goals and ascend to heights that few believed we were capable of. As we grow older and wiser in this business, we become more appreciative and humble. We place a greater importance on delivering results for our employers because we understand that despite talking about subjects that many receive joy from, we are still part of a business. That’s not a strong area of focus for most twenty-something media professionals.
During the journey we hope to earn respect, trust, and love from our colleagues, and the audience, to signify that we’ve made a difference. If all of the boxes have been checked, we put our faith in our employer to acknowledge our performance, and demonstrate their appreciation by supplying a lucrative financial reward that satisfies our expectations.
As I read Mike McCarthy’s interview last week with Katie Nolan of Fox Sports, I found myself wrestling with a number of different feelings. I was impressed by Nolan but for a different reason than usual. She is known for being witty, creative, and smart on camera, but she’s also unafraid off of it. In the interview, she acknowledged that she wanted a larger stage and was determined to work towards achieving that goal. She told McCarthy she hoped to host a late-night program on Fox Sports 1, and the ideal time for the show would be 11pm or 11:30pm.
If you’ve followed Nolan’s ascension in this business, you’re aware that one of the reasons why she cuts through the clutter is because she shoots from the hip. She’s willing to laugh at herself, speak out on controversial issues, and even take her own employer to task if it’s warranted.
Give FOX Sports some credit too. Rather than seeking to silence or edit their rising star, they’ve thrown their full support behind her. She’s rewarded their faith by making a huge splash in the digital world, including winning a sports emmy for outstanding social TV experience. FOX officials say that her clips generate more than 500,000 views across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, FoxSports.com, and FOX Sports GO.
Where the story gets murky is when Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole enter the picture. The two hosts presently occupy late nights on Fox Sports 1, hosting the show “Fox Sports Live”. Their program airs weeknights 11-11:30pm ET.
Upon hearing of Nolan’s comments, O’Toole took to Twitter and let the host of “Garbage Time” know that he wasn’t too happy with her.
After O’Toole’s tweet went viral, many speculated that he was kidding around. Others suggested that the show believes Nolan is overhyped. When a listener challenged Dan on his show’s ratings being low, and a reason why FOX Sports executives would consider moving Nolan into their time slot in the future, he responded by adding that “Fox Sports Live” has better ratings than Nolan.
To be fair, Nolan’s television audience is thin. Her program is watched by a mere 49,000 people and has yet to make a significant difference. But, when a show airs weekly, and during a time when audiences watch less television, to expect a big return is foolish.
For Onrait and O’Toole, they can’t complain about a lack of consistency. They hit the airwaves every night at the same time and are given an opportunity to present a different type of show than the one sports fans receive on ESPN courtesy of SportsCenter. Their program may be laid out differently than the one they initially signed on to host upon joining FS1, but this format is supposed to be looser, and give them the freedom to showcase their personalities more.
Despite the change in style and presentation, “Fox Sports Live” continues to underperform. The show as of last check was being watched by 57,000 viewers per night. That’s only 8,000 more than Nolan’s weekly program.
Which is why O’Toole should immediately thank Katie Nolan.
Two weeks ago, nobody was talking about “Fox Sports Live”. Based on the numbers, they weren’t watching either. That’s not a jab at Jay and Dan, that’s a simple fact.
By being brought up in conversation by Nolan, the show has gained additional headlines. For Onrait and O’Toole’s sake any publicity is good publicity. Assuming people tune in to find out what all the fuss is about, it’ll be up to Jay and Dan to convert them into casual fans. If they can do that, they might have a chance of building up their audience.
The second reason why O’Toole needs to thank Nolan is because she’s put them on notice, and done so publicly.
Here’s a little truth about the media industry. Most people who are gunning for an individual’s job, treat them with a smile to their face, and then twist the knife into their back the second they aren’t paying attention. It’s a kill or be killed business, and the competition is always intense.
Say what you will about Nolan, but she makes no bones about wanting to expand her show and compete against the best on late-night television. Given that FOX recently put up a billboard of her in Times Square, and her popularity has led to appearances on Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel’s shows, the network has every reason to believe they have a star in the making inside their company.
If Jay and Dan think they’re going to win a battle by calling out the network’s top prospect they’re clearly not in tune with reality. It’s the equivalent of a veteran baseball player who’s not pulling his weight calling out the future face of the franchise. You have every right to do it, but the organization also reserves the right to trade or release you.
In this instance, Nolan told them both “I’m coming”. They should respect the fact that she had the guts to communicate it publicly and welcome the challenge. She might have intended for her message to be aimed at ESPN, but if you were in Jay and Dan’s shoes you’d recognize the threat as well.
Friendly competition is supposed to bring out the best in performers. It’s a way of life in professional sports. Coaches like Bill Parcells and Jim Harbaugh were notorious for creating battles that involved every member of their team’s 53-man rosters. Players on the other hand, don’t take their ball and head home the second they face adversity or lose a starting spot. They dig down deeper to find out what they’re made of, get back on the field, and push themselves harder to reclaim what they once had.
If Jay and Dan focused more on putting on a great show, building an audience, growing their ratings, and less on social media complaining, they’d be in position to deal with any challenge in front of them. But because O’Toole reacted like a fifth grade child, it sent the message that he has very thin skin, doesn’t respond well to pressure, and is already looking over his shoulder.
Ask yourself this, if you were running FOX Sports, and that was the mindset of one of your best on-air talents, would you trust them to compete against the best late-night programs on television? Forget about Katie Nolan for a second. How are you going to handle the pressure of performing against SportsCenter, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and every other quality show on TV if you’re that easily distracted and shaken?
Whether Dan O’Toole likes it or not, every day someone in the media business is going to seek out Jamie Horowitz and explain why they’d be a better fit to handle late-nights on FS1. That interest will never subside and that pressure will never go away.
The only difference in this instance is that Katie Nolan had the decency to express her desires to occupy their time slot publicly rather than behind closed doors in a private meeting with Horowitz. For that reason alone Jay and Dan should respect her.
If you’re working in this business and looking over your shoulder, it’s only a matter of time until the person behind you is running past you. You control your work ethic, focus, content, creativity, and results. If all it takes to get you off your game is someone expressing an interest in taking what you have, then you’re beaten before the fight even begins. In sports they say the game is 90% mental. In sports media, it’s no different.
I don’t know Jay and Dan at all. I’ve watched their television show a few times, listened to a couple of their podcasts, and am well aware of the strong impression they made while working on television in Canada. They’re professionals, and don’t need a sermon from me or anyone else, but since I’m in a giving mood, I’m going to offer them a piece of advice that they can enjoy free of charge.
Rather than bitching and moaning about the possibility of being replaced, go out and kick some ass tonight on television. Do that again tomorrow. Then the next day, the next week, the next month, and every single time you get in front of that camera. Make it so painfully obvious to everyone in your company that removing you from the picture would be a catastrophic business decision. Force FOX executives to take notice of the difference your show is making, and alter the plans they had laid out for Ms. Nolan. You control the outcome of the situation more than anyone else.
If by chance you fail, and Katie Nolan ends up in your time slot, don’t blame her. She understood what was required to survive in the jungle. She took the advice, kicked ass, and put herself in position to make a bigger impact. While you were distracted and letting the whole world know how easily rattled you could be, she was focused on reaching the top, and not worrying about who she had to step on to get there. Whether you like it or not, that’s business. At least you can’t say you never saw it coming!
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.
