The sports radio world has been busy lately and if you don’t keep your eyes open you could miss something. Not to worry though, we’ve got you covered with this week’s installment of ‘Under The Radar’. A reminder, if you have a news tip to share you can send it along to JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me.
- The spring book in Philadelphia saw 97.5 The Fanatic defeat WIP yet again. The Fanatic won the Men 25-54 battle M-F 6a-7p, M-SU 6a-Mid, as well as in middays (Harry and Rob), early evenings (DeCamara), and in afternoon drive where Mike Missanelli has taken a commanding lead over the past few months over Josh Innes. WIP did win the head to head matchup in mornings, and in evenings (7p-12a) which is when they feature Phillies baseball.
- In Dallas, The Ticket is on a major ratings roll with Men 25-54. The radio station saw all of its key weekday shows record double digit 1st place finishes, led by the Musers who were above a 14 share in mornings. The station was also 1st M-F 6a-7p and M-SU 6a-Mid. Jeff Catlin and his crew are knocking it out of the park in the money demo and building a strong case as one of the top sports radio brands of 2016. Meanwhile, 105.3 The Fan also enjoyed a successful month. The station was 3rd overall M-SU 6a-Mid, and 5th in prime M-F 6a-7p. Ben and Skin finished 3rd in afternoon, G-Bag Nation was 5th in midday and Shan & RJ were 7th in mornings. The story is even stronger for The Fan with Men 18-34. They defeat The Ticket head to head in most categories. One thing is for certain right now in Dallas, advertisers can’t go wrong in investing in either one of these brands.
- After ending a spectacular run with ESPN last September, Colin Cowherd has been working hard to establish his program under the FOX Sports Radio, Premiere Radio Networks umbrella. That hard work is starting to pay dividends as FSR has announced that Cowherd’s program has now grown 100 affiliates strong. Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott says “The reaction to Colin’s show over the past 10 months has been incredible – we’ve surpassed every goal we set for the first year of the program. The rapid success of The Herd is a testament to Colin’s unique voice in the world of sports media and his ability to engage millions of fans across numerous platforms. We look forward to reaching many more milestones together.”
- Gow Media is giving its Yahoo Sports Radio network an identity change. The company will rebrand itself as SB Nation Radio, starting August 1st. It’s part of a new partnership with VOX Media. Gow Media had operated as Yahoo Sports Radio since August of 2011. The Yahoo company is currently up for sale. CEO David Gow tells BSM that SB Nation reporters will make appearances on the radio network, and the goal is for the two companies to work together to create more exposure for each of their respective platforms.
- Last week we reported that Eric Dickerson had talked to the Los Angeles Rams about becoming their radio analyst but the two sides could not reach an agreement. We were told the two parties were divided over compensation, leading the running back to explore an opportunity with AM 570 LA Sports Radio, and the team to take a look at Jim Everett, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Jerome Bettis as potential analyst candidates. Then a story came out on Friday stating that Dickerson would take the position with the Rams after all. One source I spoke to said “The Rams have said one thing and done another over the past few months so nobody is sure at this point. They’ve told talent they were in the team’s plans only to learn through other channels that they weren’t. The communication has not been good, and it has to be extremely frustrating for their new play by play partners and advertisers.” No official deal with Dickerson has been announced but that doesn’t mean one won’t be. For now I’m going to take a few extra Advil and let others have fun sorting out the mess.
- KNBR 1050 has a brand new Director of Content. Program Director Jeremiah Crowe has added former colleague Daniel Ogden who recently left 95.7 The Game. Ogden will be tasked with helping strengthen the KNBR 1050 brand and producing a new morning show. He starts in his new role on Monday July 18th.
- Congratulations is in order for Scott Masteller and the folks at Hearst broadcasting in Baltimore. The company’s news talk station WBAL has reached an agreement with the Baltimore Ravens to continue serving as the team’s radio home for six more seasons.
- ESPN Memphis 92.9FM is doubling up its football presence this NFL season. The station confirmed last week that it will become the Memphis radio home for the Tennessee Titans AND the Dallas Cowboys.
- Matt & Scot, WJOX in Birmingham’s evening show has been cancelled. The duo were with JOX for the past 3.5 years and made the move to Alabama after showing promise in a PT role with The Ticket in Dallas. Scot plans to stay in town despite the setback. Matt is open to relocating if that’s what it takes to land his next opportunity. Cumulus Birmingham Market Manager David Walls says “Those guys are a class act, and I want to thank them for 3½ good years. We’re just going to take the station in a new direction.”
- In Minneapolis, Andrew Krammer announced via Twitter that he’s leaving ESPN Twin-Cities (ESPN 1500AM) to join the Minneapolis Star-Tribune as a Vikings reporter.
- Craig Hoffman has landed on his feet after being let go months ago by ESPN 980 in Washington D.C. Hoffman is joining 980’s rival 106.7 The Fan in a PT role. He’ll also be doing fill-in work for Ryan Maguire at WQAM in Miami and for Steve Moore at KMOX in St. Louis.
- Ted Sobel has joined Fox Sports Radio in PT update anchor role. He’ll also be contributing as a studio host this football season to Sports Radio USA‘s NFL and College Football broadcasts.
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.
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You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
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