You see stories about it all the time: a fast food company is trying out a new product in a test market. If it tests well, it’ll go national. If it doesn’t, you’ll never hear about it again. Cumulus is trying out a new radio product, and I hope it ends up sweeping the nation.
With the announcement that the company would place programming from Columbia, South Carolina’s 107.5 The Game onto 100.3 The Game and 100.5 The Game in Florence and Myrtle Beach, Cumulus is testing out the viability of more regionalized sports radio coverage.
The move makes sense. In a college football hotbed like South Carolina, the majority of the state is locked into one team and one sport: the South Carolina Gamecocks (sorry, Clemson fans).
Additionally, from a business standpoint, it works well. Instead of paying producers and hosts in three markets, you’re using just one set. Does the radio talent in me like the move? Of course not, but from a business perspective it’s easy to see why the move makes sense for Cumulus.
Make no mistake about it, a move like this doesn’t work everywhere. In areas or states where several different fan bases are prevalent, or where a region’s favorite sport can vary on a market-by-market basis, this idea wouldn’t be a good one. And it might not be a good move if you don’t control the stations. It’s obviously more difficult to pull off if you’re attempting to self-syndicate a show on some iHeart, Audacy, Cumulus, or smaller locally-owned stations.
But for this specific instance, it works.
I’ve long believed a sports radio needs a regional — not national — approach. Cumulus is going to give it a shot in a test market. What will the future hold if it works?
This isn’t the first time this has been attempted. The programming from ESPN Baton Rouge has been heard throughout the state of Louisiana in a similar setup, and for similar reasons: one school, LSU, unites the region. Same thing in Oklahoma with KREF.
I can see other companies putting more effort into this model if it’s a ratings and revenue winner. For instance, in other college sports states like Nebraska, West Virginia, Iowa, Arkansas, and Mississippi, this trial is likely to be important. If you can launch a statewide network of shows that are talking about the Huskers, Mountaineers, Hawkeyes, Razorbacks, and Rebels, as a sports radio PD, wouldn’t you sign up for that in a nanosecond?
I come from a small market sports station. I know the plight of knowing that your morning show is only going to talk about the NFL (and not the NFL teams you want them to be talking about), the NBA, and the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
During my tenure as a program director in small market Ohio, I attempted this very same idea. I wanted to run the morning show from 97.1 The Fan in Columbus on my station. And frankly, if they would have been open to it, I would have tried to get their entire lineup on my station. In most pockets of Ohio, you can’t talk enough about the Buckeyes. So this would have made sense for me, my station, and my listeners.
I can’t help but think it makes all the sense in the world for Cumulus in South Carolina. Don’t be surprised if in 2024 and 2025 we see other groups attempt this model. I think they’ll be better for it, and I believe sports radio stations and listeners will, too.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
