The morning after the New England Patriots pulled off an improbable comeback to become Super Bowl champions, the city of Boston celebrates yet again by owning prime real estate among sports radio’s elite radio stations. Over the past twelve months, the battle between 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI has been intense, resulting in dominant ratings for both brands. Their collective performance was recognized, respected and supported by our executive panel.
This is our final category of our BSM 2016 Top 20 series. I was conflicted on whether or not to continue with this project but I’m glad I stuck with it because the traffic and feedback have been largely supportive, and I think it’s better to have the radio industry tell its story and weigh in on its own performance rather than leaving it to be decided by others who aren’t as informed about the successes of each brand.
If you haven’t read any of the previous Top 20 pieces, let me bring you up to speed on the way the voting works. Our executive panel uses the criteria below, and BSM does not vote. We simply present the group’s findings so that people inside and outside of the industry have a better idea of how the format views its top stations.
- 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)
Be advised that these results are a reflection of the group’s collective opinions, and they are subjective. That said, few can argue that each of these brands have produced strong results during the past year. I want to extend my appreciation to everyone who took part in the voting process, and now for the final time, Barrett Sports Media presents “BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Stations of 2016”!
Additional Notes:
- 98.5 The Sports Hub received the most 1st place votes (14), WFAN and 1310 The Ticket tied for 2nd with (5)
- 6 of the Top 20 stations received at least one (1) 1st place vote
- WEEI edged WFAN for 2nd place by three (3) points, 97.1 The Ticket had the same advantage over KFAN
- ESPN LA 710 finished in 21st place, 2 points behind 104.3 The Fan
- 22-25 belonged to LA Sports AM 570, 92.9 The Game, 790 The Ticket and WQAM
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.
