News/Talk Radio Hosts Need to Expand Their Content Horizons

Caitlin Clark came to Connecticut. And, as a news/talk radio host, I was hesitant to cover it.

Sounds like a children’s book. Perhaps, the superstar basketball player from the University of Iowa visited the heart of women’s college basketball and had some fun interactions with kids, UConn coach Geno Auriemma, and fellow All-American Paige Bueckers.

Sounds cute. But this is no children’s book, and it’s not necessarily cute, either. It’s not even college; it’s the pros.

In case you don’t know the story, Caitlin Clark was the best player in college basketball, and her University of Iowa games drew millions of viewers to women’s basketball and converted millions of fans. She then went No. 1 in the WNBA draft, drew a record crowd for a preseason game, and made her regular-season professional debut in Connecticut on Tuesday night.

It was a national news story, everything from the TODAY show to ESPN2.

On the ground in Connecticut, it was the first season-opening sellout for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun in more than 20 years. The secondary market had courtside seats for over $1,000.

For a regular season game. In women’s basketball. In the middle of the woods, more than 100 miles from a major city (sorry Hartford).

It was that big of a deal.

Speaking of Hartford, a friend of mine who works in the world of written media in that area told me that his publication wasn’t going to cover it wall-to-wall, but when they published a piece about a female player who never played here … and it got off-the-charts clicks, and the approach changed.

He told me it’s getting as much attention in the heart of UConn basketball as anything related to the home-state Huskies, and this multi-decade veteran reporter is not prone to hyperbole.

So, I decided to listen to him, albeit a little late, perhaps.

Basically, on the morning of the game, we went from one guest in two days related to her visit to four.

Do I think the former Iowa star and college player of the year is worth it? I’m not sure. Do I think she’s as good as Diana Taurasi in her prime? No. Breanna Stewart? Probably not.

But what I think does not matter.

The demand was there, and I needed to respond.

Caitlin Clark is one of the biggest stories in sports. Her jersey sales are through the proverbial roof. She has a national ad campaign with Gatorade, and an 8-figure shoe deal with Nike.

And she was stopping in our state. Actually, she was starting in our state, basically making it a bit of history.

I have to admit that I may have underestimated the story.

I am kind of a homer when it comes to basketball, so I lean into UConn hoops and kind of disliked the hoopla surrounding Clark. Paige Bueckers seemed better before she spent two or three years out with an injury, so I went with that.

Again, it does not matter what I went with. The country went with Clark.

To me, it’s a bit of a metaphor for radio in general. There are things we like, and things we don’t. There are things we are used to doing, and things we’re not. Radio (especially AM) is a little like our parents – a little grumpy and resistant to change.

If we are going to survive and even – dare I say – thrive, then we must be able to pivot, especially when the marketplace tells you so in such glaring fashion.

The demographics make it even more necessary to get with the program. Girl Dads (fathers of girls, for the uninformed), kids, and even women are now focusing on this type of story in greater numbers. We need to pay attention to that, especially when these gender and age groups are coveted.

My FM radio colleagues in Hartford not only got it but also got ahead of it, planning to go live the morning after the game. I wanted to diss the move, view it as a boondoggle or a way to get a free night at the casino.

But I have to admit – solid pivot. They got it. I should have done it. Next time, I better get it … and do it.

Brian Shactman

Brian Shactman is a weekly columnist for Barrett News Radio. In addition to writing for BNM, Brian can be heard weekday mornings in Hartford, CT on 1080 WTIC hosting the popular morning program ‘Brian & Company’. During his career, Brian has worked for ESPN, CNBC, MSNBC, and local TV channels in Connecticut and Massachusetts. You can find him on Twitter @bshactman.