How many times have you heard it said, the best things in life happen by accident? You make a plan, put it in motion, and it doesn’t hit how you intended. Yet in that process, you stumble into a spectacular situation.
That’s what happened at the 2022 BSM Summit in New York City.
We created a Mike and the Mad Dog Award and had a great plan. Felger and Mazz would receive the award, accept it by video since they couldn’t be in the room, and two of sports radio’s top afternoon shows would share a moment.
The concept made sense but then Mike Francesa and Chris Russo took the stage with live microphones and everything changed.
Attendees couldn’t look away. The magic and chemistry between Mike and Chris was undeniable, and even though the ceremony ran late, shortening lunch, nobody cared. Greatness was on display, and when that happens, you step aside and let the stars shine.
Mike and Chris hadn’t been together in seven years. But they reconnected that day as if they just talked a day prior. It was truly a special moment.
After that Summit, I knew we had to change our plan. Rather than trying to create an award to connect people, I wanted to celebrate true greatness. That led to introducing the Lifetime Achievement Award last year in Los Angeles.
Our first official honoree was the great Al Michaels. He was simply fantastic. Everyone in the room was excited to hear him speak, shake his hand and offer a round of applause when he was done. They waited to say hi and thank him for the exceptional work he’s done for decades. The class act that he is, Al took questions from the crowd, stayed and took pictures, and made conversation with everyone. Another truly special moment.
So for 2024, I wanted to build on that momentum by honoring a host who forever changed the sports radio game. I am thrilled to share that our 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented this year to Angelo Cataldi.
Ratings, revenue and relevance have been strong in Philadelphia for decades. At the center of it all was Angelo Cataldi. WIP’s kingpin dominated morning drive, operating at an extremely high level. He was authentic, passionate, loud, entertaining and never settled for less than the best. One glance through this piece gives you an idea of how well respected Angelo is by industry friends and competitors.
WIP remains a dominant force today thanks in part to the foundation Angelo helped build. The next group of stars are thriving and they recognize how vital his contributions were to the brand, the audience, the advertisers, and more importantly, the city of Philadelphia.
Upon learning he had been chosen as this year’s recipient Angelo said, “I was never at a loss for words during my 33 years in sports radio, but this incredible honor has left me speechless. Thank you to Barrett Sports Media for recognition that is beyond my biggest dreams. All I ever tried to do at WIP Radio in Philadelphia was give my honest opinion about sports every day. The previous winners of this award are media heroes. I’m just a guy who was lucky enough to talk sports for a living with the most passionate fans in America.”
Angelo will receive his award on Wednesday March 13th. The ceremony will take place between 11:40am-12:15pm. We will also recognize the Mark Chernoff Award winner during that same day. Details on this year’s recipient of that award will be revealed soon.
To secure your seat for the Summit and reserve a hotel room, visit BSMSummit.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
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.
