One of my favorite awards to present each year at the BSM Summit is the Mark Chernoff Award. The honor is given to sports radio’s top program director as voted on by radio executives, past winners of the award, and Mark Chernoff. It’s my pleasure to announce that Sports Radio 96.7/1310 The Ticket’s Jeff Catlin has been named our 2025 recipient. Jeff will join us in Chicago to receive the honor, and address the room during the Premiere Networks Awards ceremony on Friday May 9, 2025.
Jeff Catlin has been with The Ticket since its launch in 1994. Initially The Hardline‘s producer, he has programmed the brand since 2003. His passion and influence is felt across The Ticket’s airwaves, supported by countless ratings wins, Marconi Awards, and industry wide respect and recognition. The radio station has done a remarkable job excelling in multiple demos, producing high revenues, besting local competition, and winning with hall of fame personalities, and new voices. All of those successes are a reflection of strong decision making by Jeff Catlin and Regional Vice President, Dan Bennett.
In addition to featuring great talent throughout its lineup for decades, The Ticket has also produced one of sports radio’s signature events, Ticketstock. The two-day affair has been a huge success. It attracts thousands of fans, and features the biggest names in Dallas sports, past and present. As events become harder for stations to produce due to the costs associated with creating them, The Ticket continues to find ways to maximize the opportunity.
If you’re unfamiliar with how Jeff approaches his job, I highly recommend reading this piece by Derek Futterman. You’ll quickly notice how much Jeff respects his talent and audience. He also appreciates the opportunity he has to lead one of America’s great sports radio brands. Jeff loves what he does, is damn good at it, and I’m excited to present him with the Mark Chernoff Award in Chicago next month.
As an added bonus, Jeff will be part of our opening programmer’s panel alongside 670 The Score’s Mitch Rosen, Sports Radio WIP’s Rod Lakin, and Fox Sports Radio’s Scott Shapiro. These are four of the format’s sharpest programmers, managing some of the best brands in our business. To have them together on stage for an in-depth programming discussion will be a treat for all in the room. The session takes place Thursday May 8th. Our full agenda for the Summit will be revealed in a few weeks.
If you haven’t purchased a ticket to the show yet, don’t wait until the last minute and risk paying more. Tickets are $299.99 and can be purchased here.
Additionally, hotel rooms are discounted at $249.99 per night but reduced rates expire after April 9th. This means that you must book your room by this Wednesday or you’ll be paying higher prices. To reserve your room, all you have to do is click here and follow the directions. It’s that simple. Our hotel partner (Westin Michigan Avenue) is a 1-2 block walk from the MCA (Summit location). It’s also close to the Chicago Sports Museum, our home for the ESPN Radio After Party following day 1.
Lastly, I want to thank Westwood One/Cumulus Media for coming on board as a Summit partner. We have a handful of opportunities still available but they’re filling up fast. If you’re interested in supporting the show, please email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com to learn what’s available.
The 2025 BSM Summit presented by Point to Point Marketing is just 31 days away. We have a strong show planned, and will have a few more announcements to share in the coming weeks. We appreciate your support, and hope to see you in Chicago!
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.
