As media groups continue to struggle as a result of a national crisis caused by the coronavirus, it’s forced operators to make hard decisions. iHeart and Townsquare Media took steps to reduce their staffs to offset lost revenue, and now SB Nation Radio is doing the same.
The national sports radio network owned by David Gow has informed employees they’ll be issuing immediate furloughs. Barrett Sports Media can confirm that afternoon co-hosts Cody Stoots and Jake Asman are both off the air. Producer of Pushing the Odds, Brendan Riley, suffered the same fate, as did Alex Lebowitz, who had just relocated from Lowell, Massachusetts to join the network earlier this month.
SB Nation Radio told the employees that the furlough will last 30 days. It’s possible that could be extended though if the current climate of the country remains in rough shape. The network will continue airing select regular shows and add portions of weekend content from Sports Byline USA as it tries to survive the coronavirus and its effects on the economy.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
