This week the on-air talent have enjoyed their fifteen minutes of fame, but now it’s time to give some attention to the brand leaders who are responsible for guiding and designing some of America’s best sports radio stations. They may not be known beyond an email address or social media account, but make no mistake about it, these folks play a vital role in developing top notch programming, identifying talent, and making sure the audience and the station’s advertisers and business partners have reason to remain loyal to their brands.
To determine the Top 20 Sports Radio Program Directors, our panel uses the criteria below. I do not vote in this process. I simply present the group’s findings so that people inside and outside of the industry have a better idea of the collective view of sports radio’s top executives.
- Ratings success in their local market
- An established track record of success in the format
- Spent more than six months managing a Top 20 market sports radio station
- Finished 2016 employed and in the same executive role at the same radio station
- Points are given for each ranking (EX: 20 points for 1st place, 1 point for 20th place)
The results are a reflection of the group’s collective opinions, and I remind you that they are subjective. That said, few can argue that each of these individuals have earned the industry’s respect and are known for having done excellent work on a consistent basis.
I extend my congratulations to each person who made this list, and am now proud to present “BSM’s Top 20 Mid-Market Sports Radio Program Directors of 2016”!
Additional Notes:
- Andy Roth finished 25 points ahead of Jay Taylor to secure 1st place
- Brad Willis gained the most 1st place votes (4), Roth was second with 3
- Chadd Scott finished 21st, just 2 points behind Erin Hogan
- Spots 22-25 belonged to Chris Hoffman, Jake Scott, Jimmy Clark & Dave Jaconnette
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
