I’m sure you’ve heard the line before, ‘there’s no substitute for experience’. Simply put, people can share advice to try and help you, but until you do something, there’s no guarantee it’ll work. It’s sort of like hosting a talk show. You can listen to other hosts and stations, ask people questions, and map out a great program, but until the red light goes on, you start to speak, and the first curve ball comes your way, you have no way of knowing how it’ll go.
I’ve been reminded of that plenty over the past 4 years while growing BSM because is no playbook to teach you how to work alone and become an effective consultant. I’ve learned on the job that some want your input, others tune it out. What works on one market visit, may not at the next. The PD’s/Stations you think will utilize you won’t, and others you don’t expect to hear from become partners.
Thru it all, one important lesson I’ve tried to carry with me from my programming days is to continue investing in the brand. It hasn’t always made my balance sheet as healthy as it could be, but as the old saying goes, ‘you’ve got to spend money to make money’. I added writers to the BSM brand with a long-term view in mind. I took that same approach adding a social media director, and creating the BSM Summit. Now, I’m doing it again, this time in the audio space.
Though I don’t host the BSM Podcast as often as I’d like, it’s done well for us since launching a few years ago. Hosts and executives are the key focus, and thru our guests we’ve been able to produce a number of valuable tips and lessons. But that only covers one side of the industry. I began thinking about areas of the business we cover that might make for interesting conversation, and I’m happy to share that over the next two weeks we will introduce two new podcasts under the Barrett Sports Media umbrella.
The first audio program we will roll out is the Under The Radar Podcast. Hosted by our own Brandon Contes, this 10-minutes or less podcast will debut on Monday September 16th and shed light on moves being made across the sports media industry that you may not always hear about. If you’ve read the BSM website for a while, you may remember the old UTR columns. They were a big hit, and we’ve decided it’s time to turn them into an audio show. I have no doubt Brandon will do a great job with this project.
Our second release will put the focus on those behind the scenes working to create America’s best sports radio programs. ‘The Producer’s Podcast‘ will be hosted by Demetri Ravanos and launch on Monday September 23rd. Each episode will feature an in-depth conversation with a sports radio producer with the goal being to keep discussions to 30-minutes or less. Demetri has already connected with Brian Monzo of WFAN, Tyrone Johnson of 97.5 The Fanatic, Tom Carroll of 101 ESPN, Adam Sager of SportsTalk 790 and Alec Campbell of 99.9 The Fan. Others are in development as well.
There are also plans to introduce a few new episodes of the BSM Podcast. Conversations with Nick Cattles of 94.1 ESPN and Nick Wilson of WFNZ are part of the next batch which should drop sometime in October. We’re also planning to release another audio series later this fall titled ‘The Summit Sessions‘ which will feature individual episodes of some of our on-stage conversations at the BSM Summit in Los Angeles. By the way, look for some details next week on a few of the speakers we’ve lined up for the 2020 BSM Summit.
With BSM being a brand built for radio and television professionals, I’m always looking for ways to create written or audio content that appeals to the sports media industry. I have a few things I’m working on but am also open to new ideas. I’m especially interested in adding another columnist to the site with a sales background. Dave Greene did a fantastic job for us and adding another sales perspective to the site is preferred. If you fit the bill and have interest, email me at JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me. The same applies if you’re interested in being a sponsor of one of our podcasts.
When results are down in the media business, it’s common to see brands cut back. I don’t believe that helps you in the long run. It’s like putting a band aid on a deep gash. Eventually the pain increases and you require medical attention.
I’m not in position to retire tomorrow nor are those who contribute to BSM, but as long as we’re in business, we’ll continue telling stories, doing research, sharing experiences, and looking for ways to invest and grow. Knowing that the work we do matters, and is helpful to those who love the business, makes for a pretty good feeling each day. The road to the top isn’t always easy, but once you get there it’s well worth the climb.
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.
