The Barrett Sports Media Summit can never get here fast enough. Then when it arrives, it is over way too soon. Does anyone else experience the event that way? Maybe it’s just me, JB, and our team.
Whatever the truth is, it doesn’t really matter. We are currently as far away from the next BSM Summit as we can possibly be. This seems like an ideal time to take a look back.
Rather than recap everything you missed, I am going to hit you with three quotes I wrote down. Keep in mind that during the Summit, while everyone in the crowd is taking notes, I am upstairs making sure things run without a technical hitch. It’s not that I’m not paying attention to what I hear. It’s that it can be hard to take even a second to write something down. These three quotes, for whatever reason, hit me in a way that made a real impression.
1. “NOBODY IS EVER GOING TO TURN DOWN THE FREE SHIT.” – Pat McAfee
Let’s start by giving this quote its proper attribution. This was Pat McAfee quoting Bob Kevoian of The Bob & Tom Show. It’s a quote that stuck with me and hit me in a different way twice during the last week.
First, it is a great reminder of the role broadcast radio plays in the average man or woman’s daily life. It might be the single most accessible form of media. It takes zero effort for the audience to discover and keep coming back to it.
Next, it is powerful. Admittedly, it is powerful for all the reasons laid out in the previous paragraph, but being aware of broadcast radio’s power should give hosts and PDs all the motivation they need put their best foot forward every segment of every show everyday.
How often do we hear that the medium and the industry is dying? We’re going to fall victim to podcasts, Spotify, and any of dozens of other digital products? No one could be faulted for being discouraged, but the fact of the matter is broadcast radio is easily accessible and ever-present in American life should tell you that the audience is there and worth the effort.
2. “THE YOUNGER AUDIENCE IS CLAMORING FOR STATS AND INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BET.” – Dan Mason
Dan Mason received the Jeff Smulyan Award. It was to honor all of his contributions to sports talk radio, but his speech focused largely on his investment in the Vegas Stats and Information Network and why he was intrigued enough by the network to make it the focus of his future in the industry.
Gambling has been in the spotlight at each of the last two BSM Summits and it’s for good reason. At this point, betting is no longer the “next frontier,” it’s what’s happening right now and plenty of smart people have told us over and over again that it is the kind of information younger sports radio listeners are looking for.
We have all had the conversation about how to attract an audience that grew up in an on-demand world. How do we get that audience to respond to teases and stay through the break?
Mason’s revelation isn’t just about spreads, totals, and trends. It’s also about entertainment. We compete with the on-demand world by giving the audience that has lived there their entire lives the information they are looking for in a more creative and interesting way than the Action Network app can.
3. “IF YOU HAVE AN ORCHESTRA, YOU NEED A MAESTRO.” – Chris Olivero
Chris was part of JB’s “Power Panel.” This sentence was said in response to a question about how necessary the role of Program Director will be in the future. It may seem insane at first brush, but how crazy is it to wonder if the traditional power structure will change as digital strategies become more and more of a priority in the industry.
Olivero’s metaphor made it clear why leadership matters. Visualize an orchestra ready to play without someone shaping their sound. You could have masters like Yo Yo Ma on cello and a brass section that includes Herb Alpert, Trombone Shorty, and Kenny G. It is going to be chaos without someone standing in front saying “this is what we’re working towards.”
The particulars of the job are constantly changing. That’s why it is important for PDs to never stop learning and thinking about what their staff needs to go where he or she wants them to. My plan wasn’t necessarily to end on the quote that happens to be a perfect advertisement for the BSM Summit, but here we are.
If you came to the BSM Summit, thank you! All of the work we do year round leads up to that event. Not only is it a chance for JB to get on stage and show off the power of his rolodex and experience, it is also a chance to network with new and old friends. That’s a nice reward. The fact that it means so much to so many of you in the industry is the peanut inside the M&M.
Rewards are great for everyone. The chance to get out of your own building and learn from other leaders and other companies is so valuable and usually a lot of fun. Without the lessons though, that fun would be hollow.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
