“We’re fortunate enough at the Score in Chicago to be the home of the Super Bowl. And everyone knows the Super Bowl, so many people watch it, but it’s a huge listening and audio play also,” Mitch Rosen tells me.
That reliable audience gave him an idea. Why not use the power of the Super Bowl to create one of the most valuable prizes his station has ever given away?
Businesses in the Chicagoland area can enter the Score Big for Your Business contest. All the station is asking them to do is go to the website and submit a 1500 word explanation of what the free advertising package would help them do.
The winner receives a thirty-second spot during the game, plus an ad schedule during the week of the game. Rosen is quick to note that Russ Mitera, Audacy’s production guru will be lending his brain and ears to the project as well, so the winner will most certainly be in good hands.
Rosen had the idea for the contest on his early morning commute to work. As the operations director and brand manager of 670 The Score, he knew that he was an important piece, but only a piece of the final decision.
Fortunately, he quickly found an ally. Chad Feldman, the sports sales director, loved the idea. Westwood One, who allows the Score to broadcast and stream the game, loved it. That was the support the idea needed to get the ball rolling.
The station is accepting entries through January 19. After that, Rosen and his staff will have to pick a winner and get to work.
“Hopefully, it’s a business that looks to rebrand and gain exposure,” he says. “Whether it’s a local car dealer, a local bakery or any type of business, it really doesn’t matter. I just think the exposure will be tremendous.”
Broadcasters of all types are learning to account for the changing tastes of the audience. Live game rights still matter, but the way those games are presented has changed in just about every sport.
The general public seems to have some idea of television ratings. Whether it is the leagues and networks themselves rushing out press releases or politicians and talking heads using them to justify their position, those are always easy to find. They are usually presented with plenty of spin, but they can be found.
What the general public may not know is that live games bring people to the radio too. Rosen says that is clear for The Score, no matter what live event the station is carrying. On Super Bowl Sunday though, the station’s broadcast has become essential for many Chicagoans.
“I think the Super Bowl is special with people throughout the country and the reach that Westwood One has proves that,” he says. “But in Chicago it’s an event. It’s almost like a national holiday where, ‘hey, let’s go to this friend’s house. And then at halftime we’re going to jump over to this house and we might stop at this bar and people listen.’ Traditionally, it rates very high. And I can speak for Chicago in all demographics on that.”
Score Big for Your Business is a big, creative idea. The national power of Westwood One and Audacy are being leveraged, but Rosen calls it “somewhat grass roots.” He wants Chicago businesses to know that it’s a local contest and the winner will be dealing with people that are in and understand Chicago.
With 2024 here, Rosen has the chance to look back. Last year was an eventful one for the station. There were some very high highs, including celebrating Laurence Holmes’ quarter century with the brand, a trip to London with the Cubs, watching that team’s radio play-by-play voice Pat Hughes be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and strong ratings in all day parts.
The Score and BetQL already enjoy success, but Rosen is even more optimistic for the future. Kevin Cassidy came to Audacy as the new market manager in Chicago last year. He’s a huge sports fan, which Rosen says is always good for his station.
For Rosen personally, 2023 was monumental. He moved to a VP role, paving the way for Ryan Porth to become the Score’s program manager and for Andrew Williams to become the program director of the BetQL Network.
He has nothing but praise for both men. He cited Williams’s work with both people and numbers as reasons to believe that BetQL will continue its upward trajectory in the new year. He also points to Porth’s ability to hit the ground running since coming to the Windy City from Nashville. His right hand man has fit in well with a group of Chicago lifers convincing Rosen that the station is in good hands for the future.
Rosen is still hands on with both properties. He spends time with Porth and Williams every day to make sure visions align and the Score and BetQL are getting all they need. But Mitch’s focus for both brands is now on the bigger picture. That might mean digital goals, sales goals, or building attention-grabbing promotions.
“I think as an industry we need to have more fun with audio and our brands. This is a little step into that,” he says of The Score’s Super Bowl contest. “We have this massive game, we have this traditionally massive audience, why not give a business a great opportunity to grow their band with that combination while having fun.”
Having more fun and being innovative is part of the reason Mitch Rosen makes it a point to be at the BSM Summit each year. He hasn’t missed one yet, and doesn’t plan to start any time soon. He will be in New York in March.
“I still go because I learn,” he says. “I want to learn, ‘What’s next in our business? Local content, local audio, you know, that’s great. ‘Who’s next?’. What talent is out there? What’s next in terms of different social media platforms? That’s what I want to know.”
Learning is all about keeping an open mind and being willing to share as many ideas as you hear. Rosen says Chicago is a beast unto itself. That doesn’t mean he cannot use ideas or concepts that leaders in other markets present. They just have to be adapted to fit his audience’s tastes and goals.
This year, he will have a unique experience, learning from one of his own employees.
“I think Danny Parkins is coming to speak this year with some of his friends in the business, and I’m really interested to see him talk and share his perspective on the business from a host and talent perspective.”
Mitch Rosen loves what he does, but isn’t content to rest on his past success. BetQL is a growing player in the national network space. 670 The Score is one of the truly iconic stations in sports radio, regardless of the market. He knows both brands deserve his best.
That is why he is still eager to learn. It’s why he pushes himself to conceptualize promotions that will get Chicago’s attention and do big things that he and his team can be proud of. If Rosen gets his way, there will be a lot of that for him and for The Score in 2024.
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.
