Day 1 of the 2024 BSM Summit has kicked off in New York City at the Ailey Theater. We’re updating this column throughout the day to keep you aware of the key information and news delivered on stage by this year’s exceptional group of speakers. BSM Chief Media Officer Dave Greene will be adding tidbits throughout the day as each session wraps up, so be sure to check back multiple times to avoid missing anything important.
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Barrett Media president Jason Barrett officially kicked off the 2024 BSM Summit, the sixth BSM Summit, with a video talking about change, showing what is happening in the world of sports broadcasting. A slide showed, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Jason talked about the three different type of people in the world – the pessimist, the optimist and the realist and said, “I try to be a realist.” A clip played from the movie “Moneyball” which shows Billy Beane, being a realist, talking to his scouting staff and saying “If we try to be the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there!”
While there tends to be a lot of negativity about our business in the press, Jason showed a huge list of new outlets which hace come about in the last decade such as OutKick, Omaha Productions, The Ringer, LockedOn and more.
Jason then talked about how our business has become much more than just radio or just television. However, he pointed out, “You can’t say you are a multi-platform brand and then not tell a multi-platform story.”
Barrett then mentioned the top two threats radio programmers need to think about every day – time and choice. “People have to make a decision on what they listen to in the amount of time they have to listen.”
9:10-9:45 = The Pulse of Programming presented by Beasley Media Group
- Spike Eskin, WFAN
- Chris Kinard, 106.7 The Fan
- Paul Mason, 104.5 The Zone
- Rick Radzik, 98.5 The Sports Hub
The first full session gets underway with a conversation about ratings and revenue with four of the top programmers in sports radio. BSM President Jason Barrett led the session and started by asking how these big brands in big markets keep growing.
Rick Radzik from 98.5 The Sports Hub said in part, “We have had great talent, very little turnover and we are lucky that after 15 years the talent is still engaged. Boston sports has had a ton of success the last 15 years and it all came together and put us where we are today. It’s still about the product you are putting out, having excellent talent and a very passionate fan base.”
Spike Eskin from WFAN then gave a great analogy about the content side, comparing it to opening a pizza restaurant. “If you have a pizza shop, the first thing you need to do is be able to make good pizza.” As far as worrying about ratings, Eskin said, “I don’t ever try to think about ratings, ever. When the ratings come out they don’t talk about why those numbers are what they are.”
Chris Kinard from 106.7 The Fan in Washington said, “It comes down to shows, the talent, being compelling, having strong opinions, being funny, being likeable, having a sense of community. It has to be something that is compelling. Listeners don’t just care about the sport or team, they care about what the talent has to say about those sports or teams.”
The conversation then turned to advertisers and how they integrate into programming. Eskin said it is important to “think of advertisers as partners, not as advertisers. And we want our talent to think that way as well.”
Rick Radzik said his talent in Boston “is incredible with our advertisers and there’s a reason our advertisers stay. They like the association with our talent and those guys do a great job of integrating it into programming. If your talent is engaged and willing to work with the sales department…it becomes a collaborative relationship between sales and programming.”
The panel then moved to the digital and non-traditional sides of the business and how you hire for those positions that can help boost a station’s engagement and revenue.
“If you don’t have the talent to work on the digital side, they need to learn and in the end it makes them more marketable,” Eskin said.
Chris Kinard added, “You bring young people in and give them the freedom to show us the way. I didn’t come up in the digital space, I came up in radio.” Kinard also mentioned their morning show, The Sports Junkies, has a podcast which is now a seven figure business.
Mason said, “YouTube chat is a great way for engagement with your P1’s. I look for positive attitude, you can teach everything else. Give them the creative freedom to create and it has been great watching all of it coming together.”
The topic of programming changes was also addressed. Rick Radzik, who recently had a major change in mornings said, “the realities of the industry are the realities of the industry. You have to build a good bench and hope talent can elevate from other dayparts. The realities of the business today are that shows that have been together for 15-17 years, it’s like a good band, we don’t know why they break up but sometimes they do.”
As for recruiting talent, Paul Mason said, “When you are not getting the results you are looking for you may have to make changes or they are made for you. There’s a lot of listening and trusting your ear, asking a lot of people and always having that bench there. I am always recruiting, internally and outside so that when something happens it’s not a full blown panic.”
Spike Eskin, who has a bit of a different situation where in New York there are several different teams to be fans of, made a great point about just being entertaining. “If you’re entertaining, you hit everybody, if you talk about one team [in New York], you may lose half the audience.”
The panel also hit on live events and Chris Kinard said, “I had sworn off live events. Behind the scenes we have a lot less people to execute. But, then you miss it. Your on air guys haven’t connected with the listeners. It’s on me, I need to make it happen.” An example was given of the two Washington sports stations, both of which Kinard runs, holding an event where the two stations faced off against one another. Kinard mentioned they found a way to do the event on a revenue share with no risk and none of the talent from the stations were paid for their appearance. “They did it because they believed in the concept,” he said.
9:45-10:20 = 5 Great Stories Sports Radio Can Tell Right Now
- Gabriel Soto, Edison Research
Gabriel Soto was welcomed to the stage to discuss the Edison “Share of Ear” report. Soto talked about the time spent listening to audio and how it has been declining. He also showed a slide of LeBron James, who he said people also say is declining. But, are either really in great decline?
His presentation shared five great stories sports radio can tell right now.
Still the King
Soto said AM/FM radio is still the No. 1 source when it comes to share of time spent listening to audio sources with 36% of the pie. When you focus on ad-supported spoken word audio, AM/FM radio accounts for over half and it’s even greater when you isolate sports talk at 61%.
The Courts Keep Coming
Spoken word a decade ago was 1/5 of the time people spent listening to audio, now it is 1/3, a 65% increase because of all of the new outlets that have come about. Soto also showed that 10% of the US population listens to sports audio for a total of 1 hour and 35 minutes per day.
Adapting to the Changing Game
In 2015 AM/FM radio was 81% of sports audio content, since then podcast has grown and has changed the way people are listening to sports content.
Edison did some podcast research, and didn’t rely on download information, they went and asked podcast listeners directly. The results showed Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights was the No.1 sports podcast in 2023 and most of that was due to the amount of new listeners. The research showed a 4.5x increase in weekly reach after Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s romance became public. The suggestion was that sometimes we need to look at other opportunities that could bring new audience, such as discussing women’s college basketball which has seen a major growth in television ratings and overall interest, and Soto’s suggestion was that sometimes these can be great topics covered in podcasts.
Niche Gaps in Content Can Take You Far
Once again Edison interviewed sports fans and asked them questions about sports audio and how it compares to sports video. One of the things that stood out from the report is that female sports podcast listeners have grown much greater than men in the last year.
Sports is More Than Just a Game
Sports fans are just different and Edison set out to prove that with a study asking radio listeners if they have ever cried or come close to crying because of the outcome of a sporting event. To nobody’s surprise, sports radio came out on top of the people who get so bottled up with their sports teams that emotion can come pouring out.
10:20-10:55 = The Power Panel presented by Westwood One
- Bruce Gilbert – Westwood One/Cumulus Media
- Steve Politziner – Good Karma Brands
- Jeff Sottolano – Audacy
- Mike McVay – McVay Media
Mike McVay from McVay Media led the next session and started out asking about the strengths of the sports media business. Jeff Sottolano, Audacy’s EVP of programming talked about delivering personality, opinion and doing it in a relatable, organic way. “That is what people are attracted to,” he said. “That real time engagement and passion is what people like to tap into.”
Steve Politziner with Good Karma Brands whose stations are mostly sports, said “I believe sports is an unbelievable opportunity for advertisers to reach their desired market. The difference now is things have gotten so fragmented, sports used to be a niche play, but now it is more mainstream.”
Bruce Gilbert from Westwood One and Cumulus Media added, “There’s one thing that is a common thread when we have these discussions – it’s the talent. Sports is the great unifier, it brings people together. We have always been able to provide an escape for people. We take that and wrap it with great talent, talk about heroes and villains…and it creates a community and the community has grown. The other strength, because we bring people together…we are more valuable to advertisers.”
Gilbert also mentioned that talent needs to know the pulse of the audience and what they are wanting to talk about. “Local first because sports is very local,” he said. “Great talent know what the people are talking about, because a lot of the hosts live the lifestyle, they are out with their buddies talking about these topics. Every day life is a factor in deciding what is important to talk about.”
Steve Politziner, Good Karma Brands president noted, “You have these other outlets where hosts can find out what is hot and what people are talking about.”
Mike McVay pointed to the Edison research the group had just heard about and commented, “We are not in an AM/FM world any more.”
McVay asked Steve Politziner about the upcoming change for Good Karma Brands in New York where they will be relinquishing their FM sports signal later this year. “It doesn’t feel like a big change to me. It’s just to me about distribution and consumption. If you have a good product, people are going to want to listen and advertisers will follow.”
Bruce Gilbert said, “One thing that is great about sports fans, if they want to talk about their team, they are going to find it.” Gilbert pointed to sports television and how many different outlets viewers can find programming. “We have had no problem with people finding our product, if it is good,” he added.
Sottolano said “The best distribution is the one where the consumer want to get it. Consumers expect us to be on certain platforms. We need to be thinking of these platforms as audience development tools. We have to recondition our talent that the way we need to grow our audiences is through these other outlets. Talent has to be thinking about what else they are going to do beyond the 4-hour shift.”
The topic of attribution and ratings was also addressed as it relates to paying out bonuses and all agreed the more we can get first party information, the better off we will be. Right now, of course, there is more accurate information on the digital side.
Politziner said, “The more we can be in the first-party world the better. We can look at streaming and downloads to incentivize talent without using ratings. We can also look at the [advertiser] results from their endorsements and if they are returning.”
For Audacy, Sottolano said it is a “combination of over the air ratings and digital consumption. Our talent have to understand there is an expectation their personal outlets can benefit the show or the station. It makes good business sense for all of us. It’s part of the job now.”
10:55-11:05 = 10-Minute Networking Break presented by ESPN Good Karma Brands
Attendees had a chance to stretch their legs and grab a beverage while catching up with others in attendance before the first Keynote Conversation.
11:05-11:40 = Keynote Conversation (Day 1) with Caroline Beasley presented by Point to Point Marketing
- Caroline Beasley, Beasley Media
Barrett Media president Jason Barrett welcomed Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley to the stage for the first keynote session. He showed slides painting a negative picture of the industry including from a group in Canada which said radio is no longer a viable business.
“Obviously we see it as very viable,” Beasley said.
When asked about the revenue forecasts for radio, she said, “While the forecasted revenue for radio is big, it’s not where it was ten years ago. Today, I view radio as radio, plus digital, plus the events we do out in the community.”
Beasley said the digital business at Beasley Media Group “continues to grow.”
Barrett pointed out that we are no longer just in the radio or television or digital business, “We are in the content business,” he said. “These new people coming in the industry wouldn’t be coming in if they didn’t think this was a viable business.”
Beasley agreed and said, “We are a multi-platform media company, we don’t just offer over-the-air content.”
Barrett asked Beasley how she feels about how radio has progressed in the way it promotes itself to which she replied, “I think we are doing a better job, but we can do better…I think we are doing a good job, but from my perspective we can always improve.”
The topic turned specifically to Beasley’s 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, which has been a dominant brand and a slide was shown where it comes in at No. 4 in overall revenue, and Barrett asked if there was a thought to not make any changes with it and just leave it how it was before being acquired by Beasley.
“It really comes down to the leadership in the market,” Beasley said. “Mary [Menna] and Rick [Radzik] have done an amazing job.”
Play-by-play rights was another topic addressed by the panel. Obviously it comes with a heavy investment, but Beasley said, “I think it certainly helps when you have them. When you have big brands like the Patriots and Celtics it’s important. In Philadelphia we don’t have football, so you see the difference from Boston.”
Overall, Beasley said about the sports format, “Sports is such a fantastic format with the original content that comes from it. I think the sky is the limit for sports radio. If we had all sports stations…they are expensive to run…but if you get the recipe right, the sky is the limit. If you are involved in sports radio you are sitting in the right spot right now.”
Beasley said with sports stations and play-by-play rights, “You really have to look at long-term ROI. It’s really easy not to take risks. But, if you don’t take risks you aren’t going to grow and for me that is not an option. Everything we do is not going to be successful.”
Barrett moved the subject to attribution and Beasley stated, “I do wish we were able to get more attribution on the traditional side…We have to have Nielsen for now, but if you look out further…in five years we are going to have to look at what we pay Nielsen versus where the attribution is…They have the data, we just need them to connect the dots.
Diversity, especially in station management, was another topic addressed. Barrett said, “Diversity has gotten better in sports radio. On the management side, it has gotten better for Market Managers, but not for Program Directors. 50% of the sports audience is diverse.” Barrett then posed the question to Beasley, “Is there anything you see on the music side where sports radio can look to try and develop more diverse managers?”
“It begins at the top,” she said. “We brought in a consultant in 2021 and use that same consultant today. We are using that as a part of compensation for some of our employees. I think it’s just continuing to educate and promoting both outside and within.”
Artificial intelligence has been a popular topic amongst radio executives and a video was played of Mark Cuban talking about the subject overall. “If you don’t know AI you are going to fail. You have to understand it. It will have significant impact on everything you do.”
As it relates to the sports media industry, Beasley said, “I view it as a positive. I think AI is going to continue to evolve, it’s just in its infancy. We are exploring ways to utilize AI today, whether it’s content, programming, sales or finance. We talk about it in every aspect of our business. I don’t feel a sense of urgency to jump in, right now, because I think it’s going to evolve.”
Lastly, Barrett asked Beasley about the biggest opportunity for the industry. Without hesitation, she said, “The biggest opportunity is on the digital content side. I see what the Sports Hub is doing. 1/3 of their overall audience is over the air. Their digital side will continue to grow. On the sales side it’s really pricing so that we can get the proper amount of revenue off it. It’s education, getting more and more demand on the digital side of the house.”
11:40-12:10 = 2024 BSM Summit Awards Ceremony (Day 1) presented by Premiere Networks
- Colin Dunlap – 93.7 The Fan
- Angelo Cataldi – Formerly of Sports Radio WIP
93.7 The Fan’s Colin Dunlap was given the first award of the summit. A great video was played which showed how the Pittsburgh listening audience rallied around Dunlap’s family when his daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. He provided a great update for those in attendance that his daughter has been cancer free for five years, meaning she is now known as a “survivor.”
Dunlap has used his platform to help numerous people and a few examples were shown where Dunlap helped a caller to his show.
“We can have an impact on people and I think that is really important,” he said. “I like to think I’m just a real guy, that’s it, who gets to talk into a microphone. I cherish being able to push that button and be that guy on the radio.”
Dunlap told the story about a listener calling in who was an alcoholic. “He was calling out for help,” he said. “We will get caught up on the next controversy in our business, that’s our game. But there’s always something else that plays – sincerity and helping. Think about the power we have with this microphone, just stop and help.” Dunlap did stop and help this gentleman, and got him in touch with people who could help him where he lived.
“Its just the way I am wired I guess,” Dunlap said. “There’s always room to help no matter what. All of the other stuff can wait until the next segment. If you can help, do it. Just stop, just help when you can.”
Barrett Sports Media is donating $1,000 in Dunlap’s honor to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.
The next award presented was the Lifetime Achievement Award given to Angelo Cataldi who hosted the morning show at WIP in Philadelphia from 1989 to 2023.
Cataldi, in his usual comedic delivery said, “I am not worthy of [this award], this is a mistake. When they told me, I said, ‘you gotta be nuts.’ Al Michaels got this award, Francesa and Russo got this award. Me, seriously? The devaluing of this award upsets me.”
The former WIP morning host then told a story about his book being turned in to an audio book. He said he was asked to submit a tape of him reading a chapter for the audio book. He said after several weeks he heard back and the response was, “We may want to bring in a professional broadcaster.”
Cataldi added that he was given some great advice in college. A person told him about being in the sports media business: “Hold them accountable, ask the toughest questions, don’t worry about alienating them. I took that advice to heart. In the course of this I alienated everyone. I was physically attacked twice, I was verbally attacked numerous times. Most of the people I covered hated me with a passion. They did everything they could to get me fired.
“None of that mattered at all. So many people are worried they are going to upset someone rather than giving an honest opinion about what they saw or heard. I was never told to back off they just let me do it because they understood something – if you are in sports commentary, your opinion cannot be for sale. The only people that matter are the ones who are listening. I was channeling the passion of the fans and sometimes I clearly went to far.”
Cataldi wrapped up by going back to the audio recording of his book and telling the audience they did end up using him for the audio book. He said he was asked by his publisher if he had another book planned for the future. He said he didn’t know but after taking 16 hours to record a 10 hour book, if they want to do an audio book, (they both said at the same time), “Let’s bring in a professional broadcaster to record it.”
1:15-1:50 = The Empire State of Mind presented by ESPN Radio
- Michael Kay – 98.7 ESPN New York/YES Network
- Peter Rosenberg – 98.7 ESPN New York/WWE/HOT 97
BSM President Jason Barrett kicked off the afternoon half of the Summit by welcoming ESPN New York personalities Michael Kay and Peter Rosenberg to the stage. Barrett began the session by discussing the 20th anniversary celebration of The Michael Kay Show and asking how they measure impact and success.
“It’s just a feeling and it’s very, very subjective,” Kay said. “I know when we do a bad show and I know when we do a good show, and I think for the most part we do pretty good shows.”
Rosenberg added that he has noticed that the shows that feel the most effortless are the ones that feel best. Kay explained that the ratings are frustrating and that the company made the decision not to use Nielsen Media Research’s metrics. The only thing that the program has, he expressed, is their gut, deviating from a time how they grew up.
In order to have longevity and success, Barrett expressed how you have to have trust in partners and build success beyond the studio. When Rosenberg first joined the show, it took time to earn the trust and support from his colleagues in Kay and La Greca. He gave credit to Tim McCarthy and Justin Craig for the decision to add him within a pairing that had already effectuated sustained success.
“It would be like asking Tom Brady, ‘How did you know it would work with Randy Moss?’ You just know. I don’t know – honestly, I could tell they were guarded at first,” Rosenberg shared. “… I sort of just tried to follow the energy that I was getting, but as much as they love telling the story of not wanting me there, they did not make me feel that way in actuality.”
Ratings Review
Kay added that the show was doing well in the ratings and closing the gap with Mike Francesa on WFAN. Additionally, he shared that La Greca did not want the addition and was threatened with expulsion from the program if he did not acquiesce to the move. Kay believes that La Greca and Rosenberg seem to go against him at times on the show, an aspect of the program that Rosenberg believes sets him apart from others.
Barrett displayed headlines on the presentation screen of the show beating WFAN in the ratings and remembered that he and Kay had a discussion surrounding the ratings in 2012. Kay has told the people at ESPN and Good Karma Brands that not having ratings has been difficult because there is no way to keep score.
“I’m not doing this for fun; I’m doing this to win,” Kay said. “The whole chase of Francesa drove me. To do two full-time jobs, that was the carrot at the end, and if we had never beaten him, it would have been something that would have stuck with me for a long, long time.”
Kay compared the lack of ratings at the station to taking the scoreboard away at a New York Yankees game. On the contrary, Rosenberg shared that he and Kay have different viewpoints regarding the subject. When program director Ebro Darden joined HOT 97’s morning show, Rosenberg did not have frequent discussions about these metrics. He measures success in other ways, such as seeing full phone lines and how people treat him while he is in the street.
“It is such a flawed measurement system,” Rosenberg conveyed. “When you explain it people, they look at you like a psychopath.”
“Even when we were winning, it’s the most ridiculous system I’ve ever seen,” Kay added. “People in this room – their careers; their ability to pay their mortgage – is based on this, an incredibly flawed system.”
Content Selection
In selecting certain content for the show and developing a blueprint, Kay explained that it comes down to matching what interests them into what interest the listeners. Barrett mentioned World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as an example, prompting Rosenberg to respond that it leads to success in the ratings system when a WWE guest is announced ahead of time. Moreover, he has noticed that more people want to talk to Rosenberg about aspects of the WWE, which, in its essence, is entertainment.
“I think we excel talking about nothing; making something out of nothing,” Kay said. “….I think that’s really the sign of a good entertainer on radio that if there’s nothing going on – like Gerrit Cole’s elbow has not exploded – that you can take three-and-a-half hours and make it entertaining.”
Kay shared that one of the tools the program uses are social media platforms to observe how people engage and ask questions. With the absence of a minute-to-minute ratings system, social media provides value in determining interest in topics. Rosenberg tries to think back when he was a listener and what he would want to hear.
Industry Changes
ESPN New York will be forsaking its 98.7 FM signal next August, focusing its distribution through digital platforms and the AM spectrum. Additionally, there have been personnel changes at the station while they have remained on the air in the afternoons. Kay shared that to this day, he does not understand why ESPN New York let go of general manager Tim McCarthy. Moreover, Ryan Hurley, the former program director, was let go from the station, two moves that hurt Kay.
Rosenberg contrasted the dichotomy between quantitative and qualitative modes of analysis and believes that radio has reached a point of fiscal awareness. Furthermore, he thinks that radio producers need to be paid more money in order to keep their talent on the air and help the show grow. Leaving the FM dial at the end of August upon the expiration of the frequency lease with Emmis Communications was a topic that they then addressed on stage, specifically how they will inform the audience.
“Let’s just be realistic,” Rosenberg said. “The numbers on actual radio are always dwindling. Where we’re seeing things do well though are streaming and are podcast. We already do well in those places.”
The ESPN New York app, Rosenberg continued, is simple to use and geared towards quick and facile listening. Kay also stated that since Craig Karmazin and Steve Politziner are not concerned with the move and are ultimately the ones that have to sell the show, he is confident going forward.
Don La Greca On-Air Rants
To close out the session, Barrett played video of several of Don La Greca’s rants over the years, prompting laughter and revelry from the audience. Kay explained that his rants are like an old car from a winter’s day, but you can tell from his countenance that he is about to blow up.
“The thing that makes it work in my opinion is that it’s genuine,” Kay said. “You can’t make your face turn that red if you’re acting. He’s really, really somebody who should be institutionalized, but he’s been integrated in society and it works on the radio.”
“The main thing you have to learn as a host is when to shut up,” Rosenberg said. “Early on, I wanted to be a part of it – you naturally do; your all hosts; you want to be part of the big moment.”
Rosenberg recognizes that part of his job is to be the person laughing in the background of the rant rather than interfering with it directly. Kay divulged that these kind of rants occur off the air as well, giving them a sense that is is genuinely real.
1:50-2:25 = Strictly Business presented by Beasley Media Group
- Chris Oliviero – Audacy
- Mary Menna – Beasley Media Group
- Vinny DiMarco – ESPN/Good Karma Brands
- Dave Greene – Barrett Sports Media
BSM Chief Media Officer Dave Greene began the conversation to discuss positive aspects of the business and asked everyone on the panel what has them most excited about the format going forward. ESPN New York/Good Karma Brands market manager Vinny DiMarco explained that as a format, radio is powerful for advertisers and helps deliver results to clients. In a world where there are a preponderance of options in radio, video and social media, he presumes that sports will keep people coming back because of its timeliness.
Oliviero answered the question focused on sports radio as a whole, explaining that it has a growing influence despite the radio business being challenged by other platforms. Menna looks at growth in the marketplace and shared that 36% of revenue for Beasley Media Group in the Boston market comes from 98.5 The Sports Hub.
There is an evident relationship between talent and advertisers, something that Greene believes that talent seem to understand. For Oliviero at Audacy New York, he employs several former NFL stars in Boomer Esiason and Tiki Barber, something that is part of the localized approach.
“It’s also a way for the talent to make more money,” Oliviero said. “To drive more business in talent fees, endorsement rates, etc. As there’s been more and more pressure on compensation in media, if talent can kind of create another value proposition…. I think that’s where you got the win-win.”
Menna does not have to have conversations with talent about their role in the sales process because they understand its importance and have genuine relationships with advertisers. The only former athlete she has on full time is Scott Zolak, while the station also uses current athletes. Menna shared that fees paid to athletes for these endorsements do not count against the salary cap, creating an extra source of revenue outside of league restrictions.
Adjusting and Adapting to Change
Oliviero emphasized the importance of remaining prepared in emergency scenarios, which ultimately led to the creation of Boomer & Carton. Down the road, the station was prepared to move on from Craig Carton when he was arrested, leading to the promotion of Gregg Giannotti to the morning show. If the brand is ultimately strong enough, it will be able to withstand these difficulties while also not being complacent.
In Boston, the sudden departure of Rich Shertenlieb from the morning show led to 98.5 The Sports Hub having to make a change while trying to maintain its high ratings and success. Menna shared her philosophy that any championship team needs to have a strong bench, and fortunately for 98.5 The Sports Hub, it is filled with talent and potential backup plans should they be necessary.
“As soon as it happens, you have to tell them what’s going on and address every single client,” Menna said regarding the accompanying sales strategy. “Everybody has to work the phones and go to see people in person and make sure they know, We’re going to get through this. We’re going to try to do the right thing, and certainly we’re going to make sure that with their advertising, they get what they pay for.'”
With ESPN New York dropping the FM signal, Greene believes all eyes on the industry are looking at what happens. Furthermore, he stated that it could be one of the biggest things that happens in the whole industry because if it is successful, it could have considerable implications on other marketplaces.
“We feel very confident that, again, putting out good content to loyal fans – people will find it,” DiMarco said. “We’re just moving our address – we’re moving from one street to the next – and we’re confident that people will find it.”
Play-by-play rights is another important topic in the scope of sports radio, something that Oliviero feels is a valuable asset that opens several doors for advertisers and helps moves product at the right fee. Oliviero is not interested in overpaying for rights but feels that what needs to be stressed is that radio is different from video.
“Our primary product is our daytime talk shows,” Oliviero said. “Our daytime talks shows our are prime property; that’s what people come for. The games are actually the shoulder programming, which is the reverse in the video world – the play-by-play’s the star; the talk shows are the shoulder.”
There is an advantage to having sports teams associated with the station, such as the New England Patriots in the National Football League. It is somewhat of a passion play that involves giving them unique experiences that involves game tickets and programs around it. Radio stations such as 98.5 The Sports Hub can help catalyze brand activations through creativity, granting people outlets to work with the team and help pay bills.
Live Events
Earlier today, 106.7 The Fan brand manager and program director Chris Kinard recapped a live event in Washington, D.C. Menna shared that most of the live events that take place in Boston are client-oriented that take place at several different venues. The station is out in the community and can understand their audience; however, they are not putting on large-scale live events. There are also opportunities for the public to speak with radio station members on a weekly basis, fostering audio engagement and interaction.
One thing that Audacy New York began to do in this manner was ticketed, non-broadcast live shows around talent. For example, Boomer & Gio are holding an event in May at a theater in New Jersey for a few thousand people. In altering the nature of the relationship though, Oliviero stressed that events need to be worthwhile for the listeners to keep a strong bond with the radio station and the shows.
DiMarco can tell how excited fans get at live shows when interacting with talent, but it is essential to do the events correctly and be selective about what is done. Even if it is not a ticketed event, there is an expectation that if ESPN New York is putting on a show, it needs to be good. Last year, the outlet held The Michael Kay Show 20th anniversary event, an endeavor that DiMarco feels was a success.
Streaming
Greene asked those on the panel what streaming means to them and in the business strategy. DiMarco explained that it is an important part of the business, creating a new ESPN New York app upon the acquisition of ESPN local affiliates by Good Karma Brands. The station focused on making sure that the app functions correctly and creates a seamless experience for consumers.
Oliviero believes that streaming is discussed as one of the many platforms that the Audacy cluster of stations broadcast their content. While streaming generally includes a younger demographic, it is essential to invest in the technology behind the app to ensure it is a great listening experience.
“I agree with both of them,” Menna added. “…As a consumer, they don’t really know the difference between an iHeart app or an Audacy app, so be everywhere so that they can find you.”
2:25-3:00 = Experts on the Digital Expressway presented by Westwood One
- J.D. Crowley – Audacy
- John Wordock – Cumulus Media
- Bruce Gilbert – Westwood One/Cumulus Media
Bruce Gilbert of Westwood One/Cumulus Media started the digitally-focused panel by beginning with an overview of the podcasting landscape based on how they view it from their perspectives. J.D. Crowley commenced the discussion by explaining how the death of podcasting is as incorrect as possible. The space is still the fastest-growing in the space for consumers and advertisers, something he attributes to the appeal, accessibility and functionality of audio-based media.
Wordock believes that the market has undergone somewhat of a correction, deviating from the purported difficulties that were being accrued from the industry itself. He believes that over the last decade-and-a-half, there are more corporations placing bets, some of which have been “dumb.”
At the moment, he feels that the numbers are rebounding and strong after a “mess” last year. Moreover, Wordock makes it a point to frequently remind his talent to utilize the radio signal to promote podcasts from the station and its other associations.
When it comes to monetization of these podcasts, Crowley understands that there are numerous facets of the media business that can help drive overall growth. There are many different ways to partner with larger sales networks either directly or indirectly, along with creating content on various sales platforms. By targeting a DMA-focused audience, radio stations should focus on implementing it within the sales strategy surrounding talent and overall content.
“Be everywhere, because in this world you never know how someone’s going to discover you,” Wordock said. “We are platform-agnostic; we don’t have a consumer-facing app, so I have my podcast on Audacy’s app. We have really good working relationships with Apple and Spotify, and we are also working and have been working now with YouTube on the various projects that are going on over there. I would recommend that as part of your monetization strategy, also have your discoverability and platform strategy too.”
Crowley said, “The average podcast listener is listening to six to eight podcasts per week, and it used to be four, so that is great. But, to get them to listen to something new, they have to fire one of those current shows. So, how do you get to be one of those 6-8 shows? It has to be compelling.”
“So, where is this all heading?” Gilbert asked.
Crowley said, “there’s a lot of exciting things going on from a technology standpoint.” He talked about those technological advances and what they can mean for advertisers, raising CPM’s and bigger advertisers coming in to the space.”
Wordock added, “I see mostly blue skies ahead. Last year was rough at times, I think we are on the mend. Those who want to write the death of podcasting, forget it…I really want to see if something happens with Amazon who has this massive distribution platform and what they do in podcasting.”
3:10-3:45 = Cutting Through The Noise w/ Paul Heyman presented by WWE
- Paul Heyman – WWE
Barrett Media president Jason Barrett talked about his passion for professional wrestling and how the businesses of wrestling and broadcasting are fairly similar in terms of creating content that sells.
Paul Heyman will be going in to the WWE Hall of Fame in April, even though Heyman says he normally thinks of Hall of Fame inductions as lifetime achievement awards and noted that he is definitely not done yet in this business.
Heyman talked about wrestling talent who have a habit of “pontificating” without setting things up and the audience is already behind and potentially confused. Heyman said he always starts his promos the same way, then has an idea of where he wants to go in the middle and will have worked out the way he will end. “The rest of it I improvise and goes based on reading the audience,” Heyman said.
Heyman talked about being very aware of the mood of the crowd and uses that to decide which direction he will go when he speaks, knowing he wants to take the audience on a ride and tell a story. Asked what he uses for inspiration for stories Heyman said, “Anything and everything.”
Heyman talked about the high or fix when you are put in charge of something like WWE’s RAW or SmackDown. “It’s a job to which you never sleep, because you don’t want to. Your creativity is just in hyper mode…The athletes are so busy with costuming, matches, injuries, traveling…they have so much on their minds and the only thing on my end is I am thinking about how to make this person a star.”
WWE is the top dog in wrestling and Heyman once had his own wrestling wrestling promotion, ECW, and competed against WWE. Barrett pointed out the promotion seemed more “real” than WWE did. He asked Heyman how he got viewers going up against major established brands.
“We were an upstart company, I had worked for Ted Turner for five years…I found a little promotion in Philly which didn’t have much but it did have a great television slot in Philadelphia.”
Heyman talked about what was happening at this time and the “MTV era,” and that the word “extreme” had not been completely overused at that time.
“Everything we did was extreme, Heyman said. “But we were always honest with our audience. Being a startup, the one thing we had over the big company was we would under promise and over deliver and we did it with honesty as well.”
Heyman said ECW came to mean an intimate relationship between the company, the employees. “You always want that intimacy and that connection. If I am in an arena with 20,000 people I want each individual to feel like I am talking to them. You need that connection.”
Asked why he continues to do what he does, Heyman said, “I love what I do, I love every moment of what I do. Besides my children, this is my passion…There’s still so much I want to achieve…If in 2004 I told you I have done everything I want to do in this business on every platform out there, that was a year before YouTube. Same thing in 2011, TikTok came out the next year.” Heyman said he looks forward to what comes next and seeing how he can
3:45-4:20 = Game Changers presented by Silver Tribe Media
- Bonnie Bernstein – Walk Swiftly Productions
- Bimal Kapadia – Meadowlark Media
- Courtney Hirsch – Jomboy Media
- Scott Reinen – Yote House Media
- Brandon Spano – AllCity Network
Bonnie Bernstein, CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions, led the next session talking with several others who are with younger companies and she thanked BSM and those supporting these younger companies.
Courtney Hirsch said Jomboy Media is “all about the content creators. The creators are our machine. They built this company off a Yankee twitter following. When we think about expanding we don’t think about what sport or what region, we think about what creator we want to bring aboard.”
Scott Reinen of Yote House Media said, “Chris Long is our founder and he started the Greenlight podcast. The foundation is made by Chris’ fans. You feel like you are with your buddies…As we are looking forward we are looking for people who can be authentic where an audience can feel like they are a part of it.”
Bimal Kapadia from Meadowlark Media added, “We are not reacting to the market, we are trying to set where it is going to go.”
Brandon Spano of the AllCity Network said their model is “trying to come in and create something that is new and fresh. The mission is to really create a community that fans never had access to before. When we started this, it was created to make sure when people searched a particular team or sport, we were what came up. Now, we have the number one pod for every team in every city except one.”
One of the main challenges new companies can face in our space is dealing with advertising agencies and getting buy in when it comes to new products.
Courtney Hirsch of Jomboy Media said, “We have been successful in proving that when brands align with us, we can deliver. The advertisers and agencies see a real community.”
4:20-4:55 = Straight Talk w/ Stephen A. Smith presented by Premiere Networks
- Stephen A. Smith – ESPN
Jason Barrett led the discussion with the unparalleled Stephen A. Smith. Showing a slide of all the different outlets Smith is doing work for and the various outlets he is using to get his content out, the question was asked, “With all you do, how do you have enough time to prepare.? How do you make it all work.?”
“I love what I do, Smith said. “I am very passionate about what I do.
Asked why it is important for him to do appearances like the BSM Summit and going on various radio shows Smith said, “I think about the fact that all the people calling me are doing what I started out doing…I inevitably can’t help but think about those that helped me when I was coming up. I have an obligation to help those folks because somewhere down the line, people did it for me.”
Smith talked about becoming Executive Producer of First Take and why he was qualified to take on the role. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I know what the audience is looking for and what they want from me.”
“I’m one of those people, you’ll see me at events,” he continued. “I am a person who believes in being seen on a professional level. I believe you have an obligation to convey to the audience that you can be reached out and touched. I want to show up to a game. I want to be that kind of person fans take pictures with . I don’t want to sign autographs and take pictures all the time, but I do it. I am not just someone who is talking into the TV, I live what I do.”
Smith said he hates to get up early and in order to do it he needs to feel enthused. Prior to taking on the EP role with First Take, he said he had gotten to a point where he wasn’t enthused anymore.
Being both on the content side and now the business side with everything he is doing outside of ESPN, Smith said he has had a lot to learn. He said Google has been a great asset to him but networking with people and asking questions has helped him even more.
He mentioned hiring Mike McVay, one of the other presenters at the BSM Summit, to help him understand more about broadcasting and the broadcasting business. He learned things like how to tease and how to build relationships with advertisers.
“I committed myself to ‘how do I make my bosses more money, how do I get some of that money and how do you make your partners money, too.'”
Smith said one thing he realized is it can’t always just be about himself. “I am clearly not just thinking about me, I am thinking about the peope who are in business with me.”
He also talked about his podcast and how that has allowed him to expand outside of sports and let people see more of who he really is, versus the serious, loud talker on television.
“What I have done is expand,” he said. “What you see me doing on my podcast is who I am. I just wasn’t able to show those things on a sports network. You knew me on a sports level, now come over here and see the rest of who I am. But, I will never do anything that works as a detriment to anyone else that I work for. I owe it to them to be consistently reliable on who I am.”
Smith talked a lot about his work ethic and how he has been successful and will continue to be successful because he works harder than the next person.
“Nobody’s going to outwork me,” he said. When shown logos of other new media outlets from the likes of Colin Cowherd, Dan Le Batard and others, Smith gave a clear warning. “I respect all of these people. All I will tell you is I am coming and I ain’t coming to be the low man on the totem pole. Anybody who knows me knows nobody, nobody is going to out work me.”
Michael McCarthy from Front Office Sports kicked off the question and answer session and asked Smith about the possibility of taking on yet another role down the road. “Would you be interested in succeeding Jimmy Kimmel?” McCarthy asked since Smith had filled in for Kimmel. “I would be very interested. If they came to me and wanted me to do it, I would do it. There’s so many opportunities being presented to me and I am learning about things I haven’t known about before. Let me just chill out, my contract is up in July of 2025, let me see what happens and what offers come my way. I just don’t know because I never dreamed all these opportunities would come my way.”
In wrapping up, Smith told the audience about the greatest compliment he ever received and how important it was to him. After being let go by ESPN and then coming back, Smith said in 2011, ESPN legend Chris Berman said to him, “Welcome home, you shouldve never left.”
Smith said he is not an emotional person but that line from Berman almost made him cry “because what he means to this industry and to ESPN, the level of validation, it’s hard to put into words. He helped build ESPN. To this day, it is the greatest compliment I have ever received in the industry because I knew what that meant coming form him – be yourself and thank you for upholding the standards we created.”
And that’s a wrap for Day 1. Come back tomorrow and find out what is said on Day 2.
