For many markets in the country, this week has traditionally been sports radio’s version of a Seinfeld episode. It’s a week about nothing. With baseball taking a break for its All-Star week and no other pro or college football, basketball or hockey games happening, it can be a bit more challenging for show hosts as they are left with no live games to react to. Even the ESPY Awards, which don’t generally create a ton of talk for sports radio, aren’t happening this week due to the Republican National Convention. BSM reached out to several sports radio programmers across the country and asked them what advice they give to their on-air team about being prepared for the week ahead.
In New York, where Ryan Hurley has recently taken over as Brand Manager for WFAN and Infinity Sports Network, he believes the amount of interest fans have in the NFL today has been a game changer for a week like this.
“I know traditionally many think and dub this ‘the week nothing is going on’ in the sports world, but I don’t feel that it is that way as much anymore. The NFL can provide content 24-7 / 365. In New York we have Hard Knocks Off Season with the NY Giants going right now and that has provided some interesting topics for on air discussion. Also, if there are tight races in baseball in your city the trade deadline is right around the corner.
“We are ‘content creators’ so we have to be able to be creative, have creative talent and creative production and support staff. Come up with features that can involve the listening audience in an interactive way, whether that is with traditional phone calls or through interaction with your station’s social and digital platforms.
“Additionally, we need to be able to bring much more to the table than just straight up ‘sports’ talk these days. Pop culture, music, movies, TV, and in many cases personal lives are on the table for discussion as audiences relate to all of those thing, and great talent will know how to balance all of that with the great sports opinions and content to keep an audience interested and develop that ‘fear of missing out.'”
In Columbus, Ohio, 97.1 The Fan Program Director and Operations Manager Matt Fishman concurred with Hurley about football being something that can be discussed year-round and with their Ohio State coverage, his team will have plenty to talk about, including the school having a new Athletic Director. Recruiting is a topic that is now front and center for much of the offseason and with the storylines surrounding college sports including NIL, legal cases and conference realignment, there is a never-ending supply of topics.
Ultimately, Fishman says he gives his team the same advice for this week he does any other week, “Look for the interesting! Whether it is in their own lives with their kids, families, pets, food, etc. Stories that our fans can relate with. Then if something pops in the All-Star Game or Home Run Derby or with the Blue Jackets, then it’s a bonus.”
Mitch Rosen, Audacy Chicago Vice President at 670 The Score and BetQL Network, said, “I’m not a believer in ‘You have to create special content for All-Star Break like countdowns or polls.’ I’m a fan of continuing to play the hits.”
Rosen said in Chicago, currently “both baseball teams are ‘broken,’ so fan interaction will be great to discuss with the audience. It’s also a time for our hosts and producers to stretch out with more guy talk, and some entertainment talk when appropriate. Finally, Bears Camp opens on the 17th! We are counting the days on the air, including a countdown promo that airs seven times a day!”
The promos Rosen mentioned gives the number of days until the team reports to Training Camp and then features voices of various station hosts talking about everything going on surrounding the Bears and the coverage the station will provide. They also include mention of HBO’s Hard Knocks which will be on-site filming the Bears during their camp.
Down south in Birmingham, JOX 94.5 Operations Manager Ryan Haney does not have to worry about what his team will be focusing on this week. “We have been fortunate over the years that SEC Media Days has fallen on this week,” Haney said. He added that no matter the circumstance, the station or the market he is a believer, like Rosen, in playing the hits. “There is always something relevant to the main team, sport, or league that you cover.”
Haney also added a great suggestion for all talent as it relates to content. “With audiences changing by the minute, hour, and day – take the opportunity to revisit something relevant that your core audience cares about,” he said. “Repackage it in a different way. Just because ‘you’ talked about it before doesn’t mean ‘they’ heard it.”
