Last night, the NFL crowned the Kansas City Chiefs as their Super Bowl champion. Today, we do the same for the sports radio format by recognizing the best sports radio stations for 2019.
Before scrolling ahead to see who made the list, remember that our Top 20 results are based on the collective votes from forty seven radio pros representing thirty cities and eighteen companies. Yours truly (Jason Barrett) does not vote on the awards, I simply recruit the voters, collect their information, add up the votes, design the images, and present and promote the results.
We asked those participating to consider the criteria below to judge the best in the sports talk format, but keep in mind that each individual knows and values different things and that can have an influence on the final order. That makes this project an imperfect science. Nonetheless, it provides a collective snapshot of who radio folks consider to be the format’s best programmers.
- Strong ratings in 2019
- Great Reputation and influence
- Makes a difference in its local community
- Exceptional talent and content offered on a regular basis
- Points are given for each spot (EX: 20 for 1st, 1 for 20th)
Moving on to the rankings, the top spot has once again been claimed by 98.5 The Sports Hub. The Boston sports station has now won this award 4 out of the past 5 years, cementing itself as the format’s best brand. Rounding out the Top 5 were 670 The Score, Sports Radio 94 WIP, WFAN, and Sports Radio 1310/96.7 The Ticket.
We extend our congratulations to Rick Radzik, the 98.5 The Sports Hub staff, and former PD Mike Thomas on their well deserved honor, and now bring to you the full results of BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Stations of 2019.
Additional Notes:
- 98.5 The Sports Hub received the most 1st place votes, fourteen (14).
- The battle for 3-4 saw WIP edge WFAN by 1 point, and the race for 16-17 was won by 104.3 The Fan over ESPN 1000 by 2 points.
- Spots 21-25 belonged to 710 ESPN Seattle, Sports Radio 610, XTRA Sports 1360, WDAE, and Sports Radio 950 KJR.
- 10 of the 37 eligible stations received at least one (1) 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2019.
- Tuesday February 4 = The 2019 Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts
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.
Can’t speak for any of the other stations, but 106.7 the FAn in DC is trash. They rely on a strong morning drive show but the rest of the station is crap.