The morning after the New England Patriots pulled off an improbable comeback to become Super Bowl champions, the sports radio industry does the same by recognizing the brands who performed best in 2016. This is our final category of our BSM 2016 Top 20 series and I hope you’ve enjoyed the last week of activity.
Initially I was hesitant on continuing with this project because in many ways it can be a thankless job and create a lot of tension with friends and industry partners and associates. I’m glad though that I stuck with it. The traffic and feedback have been largely supportive and as great as those things are, I think it’s even more important to allow the radio industry to tell its own story and weigh in on the performance of its top brands rather than leave it to be decided by others who aren’t as informed or who are influenced by compensation and professional relationships.
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:
- 104.5 The Zone received the most 1st place votes (8) and finished 14 points ahead of 93.7 The Fan
- 7 of the Top 20 stations each received at least one (1) 1st place vote, 101 ESPN was 2nd best with five (5)
- 92.3 The Fan finished one (1) point in front of 97.1 The Fan to claim 4th place
- 1620 The Zone finished in 21st place, 11 points behind 1010XL
- 22-25 belonged to 107.7 The Franchise, 104.9 The Horn, 107.3 WBBL, and 97.9 ESPN
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.
