Have you ever seen the move In Time featuring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried? It didn’t earn great reviews but it performed well at the box office and outperformed the film’s budget. The reason I mention it is that the story reminds me a little bit of what I see in the radio business.
In the movie, people are genetically engineered to stop aging on their 25th birthdays. They receive one free year to live, each possessing a timer on their forearm that shows how much time remains before they die. I’m not suggesting that anyone in radio is on death’s door but I do think a case can be made that the clock is ticking on radio functioning the way it does now.
Apologies in advance if you’re not ready for some straight talk but some 40-60 year old professionals are doing today what they did ten to twenty years ago. I’m fortunate that some of the people I work with operate differently but there are plenty still utilizing an old playbook. They dismiss audience behavior changes, ignore the rise of new outlets and seismic shifts in technology, and more importantly, don’t study where the dollars are going. They’re focused on what’s happening locally this week, this month, and this year, not what’s on the horizon.
I’ve raised attention to a lot of issues over the past eight years. Too many of them though remain unchanged. It’s as if we’re standing by, waiting for time to expire rather than proactively creating new paths forward.
For instance, if you’re running an AM radio station today, what’s your plan if you’re knocked off the dashboard tomorrow? Are you just assuming people will stream you? Is your plan to wait for corporate to pass down instructions of how to proceed? If you don’t own the social media platform you appear on or the dashboard where your broadcast originates from, how do you keep your brand alive and what are you doing now to make sure the relationship with your audience doesn’t vanish?
Do you even have a newsletter to stay connected to your fans? Are you ever in touch with the audience by email beyond when you’re pushing them an advertiser message or piece of content? What would you do if Apple and Spotify eliminated your podcasts from their platforms and Alexa didn’t let your commercials play? Do you have a plan?
Why are commercials on many radio stations in an hour still longer than the recommended length of a podcast? How does that benefit the listener let alone the advertiser? While we’re at it, are four to five hour shows the right model for future success? They make financial sense and some hosts are exceptional for longer periods of time. However, not everyone is built to perform that way. More importantly, look at your TSL. How many people consume more than an hour or two of a show on your station?
I’ve written numerous times about the lack of diversity in sports media management. How is it that the issue is as bad today as it was in 2015? At some point, you either do or don’t care about the issue. The results suggest we don’t.
Furthermore, how many audio brands operate in 2024 without a video strategy? Or a social media strategy? How many think about the future of Search in an artificial intelligence supported world? What happens when your brand recall and page one visibility shrinks?
The television industry is pursuing new ways forward. Their ideas may or may not work but at least they’re trying. Whether it’s the ESPN-FOX-WBD streaming deal, WWE’s deal with X to create SPEED, a series of matches delivered in 5-minutes or less, CBS Sports introducing new technology for the Super Bowl or NBC embracing new measurement alternatives, the quest to innovate doesn’t stop. Even MLB introduced a ‘pitch clock’. What’s radio’s excuse?
I know that’s a ton to digest. You need to think about these things though not just whether or not your content is good, ratings are high and sales are on target. Maybe you believe these things are far down the road so you’ll leave it for the next man or woman to deal with. But innovation happens fast and other mediums respond quicker and more effectively. It’s why confidence is higher in television and digital. It’s also why social media is as dominant as ever despite a lack of trust and frequent complaints.
As an example, when I started the BSM Summit in 2018 in Chicago, not one chair was filled by someone outside of radio. Today, a third of our conference features representatives from digital and television outlets. Who’s to say that in three to five years radio isn’t the minority in the room rather than the majority?
Many of the questions I’ve asked in this column you’ve thought of yourself. What’s stopping you from addressing them? Don’t tell me it’s corporate’s fault. Rethink your structure, ask the tough questions, and create a plan to improve it.
There is going to come a time when new players own the audio space. The current landscape isn’t promised in 2025, 2030 or 2040. It’s vital that we innovate, learn new skills, and strike new partnerships to change the perception, value and future of our business. The inability to do so is what ultimately leads to losing control.
If a media extinction level event occurred tomorrow, how many of you would be able to create a second act in a new space and thrive? Many of you haven’t even thought of that possibility. I hope those who aren’t prepared don’t ever have to find out. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and you don’t even know it.
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BSM Summit Update:
We are twenty four (24) days away from being inside the Ailey Theater in New York City. If you work in the sports media industry and haven’t bought a ticket, why not? People in radio, TV and digital talk often about being stuck, exhausted, unable to make connections and fearful of the future, yet here’s a golden opportunity to spend two days with some of the smartest, most successful people in the business. This applies to students too who are thinking about a future in the industry. Learning from fifty to sixty decision makers isn’t offered regularly. To be in the room, buy your ticket by clicking here.
To keep the momentum building, I’m excited to announce seven additions to our lineup. It’s a pleasure to welcome Stadium NFL Correspondent Annie Agar, Audacy Executive Vice President of Programming Jeff Sottolano, AllCity Network CEO Brandon Spano, Yote House Media CEO Scott Reinen, Front Office Sports CEO Adam White, Good Karma Brands New York Market Manager of 98.7 ESPN NY Vinny DiMarco, and former EVP of Content and Programming for Cumulus Media/Westwood One and the current President of McVay Media Mike McVay to this year’s show.
I’ve got a few more additions to reveal this week. We’ll then release the full schedule next Monday February 26th. After that, it’s time to dive into production and connect our speakers in order to make sure the sessions are valuable for our attendees. I hope you’ll join us in the big apple. It’s going to be an exceptional event.
Laugh of the Week:
Props to Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata of WFAN for this gem. Last week, the midday duo had to pay off a bet. The punishment required BT to dress as Goldust and Sal to become Doink the Clown. It was laugh out loud funny. Every time I tried to forget about it and focus on my work, another clip or photo appeared on my timeline and I couldn’t look away. Watching these guys try to talk sports while looking ridiculous was great entertainment. Nice job fellas.
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Thumbs Up:
Mike Stone: After three decades in sports radio, the 97.1 The Ticket host has earned the right to sleep in. Stone will still be doing part-time work for the Detroit sports radio juggernaut but signed off his morning show on Friday. Replacing a popular figure and important voice on Detroit’s sports radio airwaves isn’t be easy but The Ticket did a great job with its succession plan, preparing Jim Costa to step in alongside Jon Jansen. Stoney’s daily presence will surely be missed by many. I tip my cap to Mike for one hell of a run.
First Take: Shannon Sharpe extended his deal with the show through the end of the NBA season, and Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo was signed to a multiyear agreement. Smart moves by Stephen A. Smith and ESPN executives. Mad Dog has been television gold since joining the show, and Sharpe is built for the debate format and fit like a glove as soon as he joined the cast. When First Take parted ways with Max Kellerman in 2021, some questioned if the new format would work. Not only has it worked, it’s made a top rated show even stronger.
Bill Simmons and Pat McAfee: On behalf of the sports talk format, thank you! Outlets (ours included) love to dive in and create content when two notable personalities take shots at each other. It’s red meat that people can’t wait to take a bit out of. Pat and Bill gave hosts last week extra juicy content to work with, which was certainly more interesting than NBA midseason recaps, NFL year in review discussion, and MLB Spring Training previews.
Barstool Sports: After regaining control of the company, Dave Portnoy had to wait until he could team up again with a sports betting brand. Once Barstool was legally able to, the brand struck a deal with DraftKings. To promote the new partnership, Barstool went back to their roots, recreating the Major League credit card commercial, one they previously did in 2014. The final result, an excellent creative spot. Well done.
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Thumbs Down:
Bell Media: Company president Sean Cohan sent out an internal memo informing employees that Bell intended to sell 45 radio stations to 7 buyers. In making the announcement, Bell chief legal and regulatory officer Robert Malcolmson said “That’s a significant divestiture. It’s because it’s not a viable business anymore. We will continue to operate ones that are viable, but this is a business that is going in the wrong direction.”
I look at this as addition by subtraction. If Bell didn’t have passion for the business, confidence in the industry’s ability to produce revenue, a desire to compete, and an understanding that audio/video is rapidly thriving, move over and let someone else take charge. Large groups saddled with debt still generate revenue. They just can’t get ahead because of prior financial issues. Independent operators and smaller groups becoming more involved is better for the business. Let’s hope the groups snagging Bell’s assets do more with them than Bell did.
TV NewsCheck: Last Monday, I was saddened when I read that the online trade site was pausing its content due to a turbulent advertising market. Unlike one person I know who runs a trade site, I support other industry publications. However, two days after posting the pause announcement, TVNC posted an article saying they’d turn the lights back on if they could get 1,500 broadcasters to each donate $199. That implies the brand sought 300K to return to business.
I’m not privy to TVNC’s business, I’m just an occasional reader of the site. After seeing that message, I couldn’t help but wonder if the goal was to launch a high-cost subscription service and use the shutdown as the catalyst to drive signups. TVNC posted a job listing for an account executive four days prior to the pause. Then it reversed its position two days after the announcement and had specifics outlined of what was needed to return to the business.
Normally when you reach a point where there’s little hope left, you don’t add staff or roll out a detailed revival plan in forty eight hours. It’s just very strange. I hope my initial reaction is wrong.
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BNM Survey:
If you read BarrettNewsMedia.com, we’ve introduced a survey to gather feedback from our readers. Taking 10-15 minutes to offer your thoughts, would be greatly appreciated.
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If you have a question, comment, news tip or are interested in writing a future guest column, email me at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. Press releases and interview requests can be passed along there as well. Thanks for reading!
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
