The BSM Top 20 of 2020 continues, as we recognize the best in sports radio for the sixth year in a row, although this was one that none of us will soon forget. Rocked by a pandemic, sports radio’s finest persevered to continue playing an important role in their listeners lives. Whether broadcasting from office desks and kitchen tables apart from one another or behind plexiglass dividers while wearing masks, operations were tested this year. Combine that with the world of sports shutting down in March and offering no new content for months, and it put a huge strain on all involved.
The show’s you see listed below deserve tremendous credit for finding ways to stay mentally sharp, and provide a needed daily distraction for their audiences. Before you jump ahead to see who our panel of 51 industry executives voted for, please join me in thanking Steve Stone Voiceovers for supporting the Top 20 as our exclusive sponsor. Steve is not only a tremendous voice talent, but a huge supporter of sports radio. His support for this series makes it possible. I also want to acknowledge my son Dylan Barrett, who handled all of the creative for this year’s series. He spent all of January digging thru personality and brand accounts to find photos, editing them in Photoshop, and the images you’ll soon be sharing on social media or printing off to hang inside your office or studio are a reflection of his hard work.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to keep in mind.
#1 – These results are based on 2020’s performance. 2021 changes have no impact on the voting. Our one specific rule that has been in place since we started this series in 2015 is that a show must finish the year on the air in the timeslot for which it’s being considered. Therefore, a show like The Big Show in Milwaukee, which moved into middays in January, was eligible for voting consideration. A program such as The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey in Charlotte, which moved from afternoons to middays during the summer was not since it didn’t complete the year in the afternoon drive slot.
#2 – Our executive panel consists of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Entercom, iHeart, Cumulus, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, Emmis, and independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large number of groups in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to avoid the results heavily favoring one company. BSM President Jason Barrett does not vote, he simply presents the results.
#3 – A total of 52 shows were eligible for voting consideration in the Mid Market Afternoon Shows category.
#4 – Our executive panel picked their Top 20 shows based on a few factors; the ear test, originality, ability to entertain, multi-platform excellence, market where impact is created, on-air chemistry, and ratings success. Keep in mind that voters live in different cities, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect science, but it’s the best way we can think of to showcase how sports radio’s braintrust views the best in the format.
And that brings us to the rankings for this year’s Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows. The trophy this year is heading to Pittsburgh where ‘Poni and Mueller‘ have earned the executive committee’s support to become #1 in the category. Chris Mueller and Andrew Fillipponi held a twenty two (22) point advantage over 97.1 The Fan’s ‘Common Man and T-Bone’, collecting the most amount of first place votes among afternoon shows with four (4). BSM congratulates Chris, Andrew, producer Kraig Riley, program director Jim Graci, and the entire 93.7 The Fan staff on a job well done, along with every other show which earned a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Mid Market Afternoon Shows of 2020!”
Additional Notes:
- Poni & Mueller earned the most 1st place votes with four (4), Common Man & T-Bone were second with three (3).
- Spots 21-25 belonged to Isaac & Big Suke, The Big Show, Matt Moscona, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, and Jason Ross & Doug Christie.
- The closest battles saw Jim Traber nip Schopp & The Bulldog, and Murph & Andy hold off Inside Access by one (1) point apiece.
- Of the 52 shows eligible for consideration this year, thirteen (13) earned at least one (1) 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2020.
- Friday February 5 = The 2020 Top 20 Major/Mid Market Program Directors
- Monday February 8 = The 2020 Top 20 Major/Mid-Market Sports Stations
- Tuesday February 9 = The 2020 Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts
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.
