I discovered last year that there’s high interest in learning how radio executives view the sports radio format’s best shows. It was a project I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle at first because it requires a lot of time and networking, and regardless of the results, there’s no right answer. Everyone has different tastes and opinions, not to mention company allegiances, and markets are very different, but despite all of those reasons to not explore this dangerous territory, I dove headfirst into it because I felt the format deserved to be measured by those who play a part in shaping it.
Thankfully I did because the feedback and web traffic were exceptional, but what I appreciated most is that it gave everyone in the radio business a better idea of the way the format’s top thinkers view sports radio’s top shows, stations, and people.
Since then, I’ve seen more programmers and personalities take an interest in sharing news, success stories, and cool ideas they develop. That’s what really matters most. If we don’t share our stories and explain why the format is special to listeners and advertisers, then nobody else will do it for us.
That brings me to today, and I’m thrilled to announce that starting next Monday January 30th, the 2016 BSM Top 20 in Sports Radio will be revealed. We will start with local morning shows, then midday shows, and finish out the week with afternoon shows, national shows, and the format’s top programmers. The six day series concludes on Monday February 6th, the day after the Super Bowl, when we announce the format’s top stations.
There are a few things I want to point out that are part of this process, including a couple of changes.
Last year it became clear that the industry will reward major markets and ignore smaller ones when determining the best 20 in most categories. In sorting thru all of the results, markets 21 and up, were consistently left behind, no matter how strong they performed.
I understand that New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia are going to generate a lot of interest. They deserve to. But, if you’re a brand in one of those markets outside the top 20, and you deliver a 20 share month after month for an entire year, I struggle with explaining how that’s not worthy of industry attention, simply because of the size of your location.
To try and fix that issue, I’ve expanded this year’s results, and the voting panel. I’ve been fortunate to assemble 52 industry executives, and there are a strong mix of contributors who are voting on the top 20 programs for Major Markets (1-20) and another excellent group who have evaluated the top 20 programs for what I’m referring to as “Mid-Markets” (Markets 21 and up). The one category both groups have provided input on are the national shows.
This means that next week when the results are released, stations, shows and programmers from the smaller cities will be recognized in their own categories. We will feature the top 20 shows, stations and programmers for Major Markets, AND for Mid-Markets. Add it all up and you’ll get a look at the top 40 in each category.
Similar to last year, I have included people in the voting process from a large number of companies. CBS, iHeart, Entercom, Cumulus, Bonneville, Beasley Broadcasting, ESPN Radio, Premiere/FOX Sports Radio, and SiriusXM all have high ranking officials contributing to these results. There are also a few people from smaller broadcast companies, plus one independent member. In order to eliminate any confusion, I do not vote in this process. My role is to simply gather and provide the collective analysis of 52 sports radio executives.
When you analyze next week’s results, there are a few things I want you to take into account.
#1 – Our goal is to recognize the Top 20 programs that performed best in 2016, not which hosts or shows we’d hire tomorrow if we were launching a new sports station. Most voters take this into account when making their selections, but it’s impossible to be inside the mind of every person who participates, and know the true value they place on it.
#2 – If a show or host did not finish 2016 employed with the station they were working for, or if a program didn’t exist on a station’s airwaves for a minimum of six months, that show and/or host was not eligible.
For example, Michael Barkann and Ike Reese occupied middays on WIP for the majority of 2016, but the show was cancelled in late October. Therefore they were not considered for this list, nor were their replacements Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie, who only performed in the timeslot for two months. Other programs such as Josh Innes’ show on 790AM in Houston, Jorge Sedano, LZ Granderson and Keyshawn Johnson’s show in Los Angeles, and Chris Vernon’s midday show in Memphis were not eligible for consideration due to these rules.
The only category where we make an exception to this rule is for national shows since they are measured differently, and go thru more change. That category also includes a larger number of nominees.
#3 – If a show was cancelled or switched radio stations or companies in January 2017, that had zero to do with 2016. Therefore they ARE eligible. An example of this would be Stephen A. Smith leaving Mad Dog Sports Radio for ESPN Radio in January, Danny Parkins moving from 610 Sports in Kansas City to The Score in Chicago, and Terry Boers retiring from The Score in 2017. Since the results are based on 2016’s performance, all three would be eligible with their previous stations/shows.
#4 – If a show kept its foundation in place, but experienced some change in 2016, they ARE eligible. A few examples would be Tom Tolbert’s show on KNBR, which added John Lund in July, Kirk and Callahan on WEEI, which saw John Dennis exit in August, and Marcellus Wiley’s afternoon show on ESPN LA 710, Ethan Skolnick’s show on The Ticket in Miami, and Mike Stone’s morning show on The Ticket in Detroit which added or subtracted cast members.
Capturing the collective feedback of an entire format is nearly impossible, but I’ve found that by using a points system for votes 1-20, and involving a healthy mix of individuals from all companies, it’s the closest thing we can get to determining who’s worthy of praise for a job well done. I appreciate the support of the industry, and everyone who participated in the voting, and look forward to sharing the results with you next week. To see the full list of shows and categories up for consideration this year, click here.
On a side note, I will be releasing the results of the top performers in sports television/digital on Tuesday February 7th. There are 16 questions, and the public decides the winners. If you’d like to participate, click here to vote.
Also, if you’re going to be on radio row in Houston, let me know either via email or Twitter. I’ll be making the rounds Wednesday-Friday, including taping a few conversations for the new BSM Podcast which launches on Wednesday February 8.
- Monday January 30 = The 2016 Top 20 Major Market and Mid-Market Local Sports Radio Morning Shows
- Tuesday January 31 = The 2016 Top 20 Major Market and Mid-Market Local Sports Radio Midday Shows
- Wednesday February 1 = The 2016 Top 20 Major Market and Mid-Market Local Sports Radio Afternoon Shows
- Thursday February 2 = The 2016 Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows
- Friday February 3 = The 2016 Top 20 Major Market and Mid-Market Local Sports Radio Program Directors
- Monday February 6 = The 2016 Top 20 Major Market and Mid-Market Local Sports Radio Stations
- Tuesday February 7 = The 2016 BSM Awards, featuring the best in sports television, digital, etc.
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.
