Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2025 BSM Summit in Chicago, IL. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event coming up on May 8-9 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) inside the Edlis Neeson Theater and share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the Windy City.
Jonathan Hood is the co-host of Kap & J. Hood on ESPN Chicago. He has been a Chicago mainstay working for both in-town sports radio outlets since 1991 and also hosts on SiriusXM’s Fight Nation and play-by-play voice for the University of Illinois at Chicago basketball and baseball teams. Hood will be attending and speaking at his very first BSM Summit next month as the conference will be held in his hometown of Chicago.
Hood sat down with Barrett Media from his home in Chicago, IL.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
BSM Staff: This the first time that you’ve attended the Summit.
Jonathan Hood: It is!
BSM Staff: Excellent. So how have you kept up with the previous Summit topics and findings?
Jonathan Hood: Every year when this happens in different cities, I follow along with the clips on social and then read the columns afterwards. I’ve never attended, but I’m aware of who’s been there and what’s being said. I’m a radio and content geek, so of course I’m going to pay attention.
BSM Staff: Being this is your first time attending the Summit, what are you looking forward to the most about the summit being a first-time attendee, and a speaker?
Jonathan Hood: To let people know that we’re more than just radio. I know that we’ve had content meetings internally as a company talking about what are we. Are we a radio show? Are we a YouTube show? Are we a TikTok show? It’s all of the above.
I just want to just point out that we are more than just radio. We are radio first, but we have to be able to entertain everyone and get everybody under the tent. I want to talk about that part of it, and the chemistry I have with ‘Kap’ (David Kaplan) is something that I want to talk about as well.
I’ve been doing this a long time. When you’re a partner show, it’s not about me, it’s not about ‘Kap,’ it’s about the audience. When you’re on the show that’s an ensemble, we got an opinionated producer in Shea Norling and J. Moore who’s great on sound. I want to talk about how we’re in it to have fun, and we’re in it to put smiles on people’s faces especially in the morning.
I remember Mike Thomas when he was our program director. We took over right in the middle of the pandemic. Everyone at home with people scared and he said ‘guys you’re there to smile people’s faces during a very difficult time.’ I said I could do that and so I want to tell that story. I feel like we’re still in the pandemic.
People are listening. People want to be able to smile and have fun, or be involved in our content any way shape or form.
BSM Staff: When it comes to the BSM Summit, albeit you’ve never attended. What do you think an event like this provides as far as value for people in your situation and other positions in the business?
Jonathan Hood: If you are not listening and learning, then you will perish. There’s people that you and I grew up with in the business in which whatever they did in year five of their of their career is good enough in year twenty.
‘I’ve always done this way,’ which is always the worst thing.
If I’m sitting in the audience, I’m taking notes. I’m just willing to learn different styles, different approaches and just be able to learn the business. I’ve been doing this since 1991, so even though I’m going to be speaking and give my story and ‘Kap’ will give his story, I could still sit in the audience and learn others.
That’s the key. It’s not just one size fits all, you can learn more every year that you’re in it.
BSM Staff: You’ve been in this industry for a long time, and every year represents new challenges and new obstacles. What are some of the biggest opportunities and challenges you think the industry faces today that you hope is discussed at the Summit?
Jonathan Hood: I hope that we could talk about how to monetize on what we do outside of just the radio show. On TikTok, YouTube, and podcast, and just be able to talk about where we are going with this side of it. I know that we can look at the business and say, ‘hey we got a good solid radio show,’ but I think that the monetization of all the other platforms is important.
Also, I’d love for there to be a conversation about the approach. I taught for five years at Illinois Media School and what I would teach the kids is how to set up a topic. I know everyone does it differently, but how do you go into the conversation?
How is your experience in Philadelphia, Orlando, Charlotte, or San Francisco? What’s your approach? How do you approach going into a topic versus others? I just I’d love to know of the variety of like how do you go into conversation? How do you engage your audience in your market? I’ve been fascinated by that for years.
BSM Staff: The Summit every single year has aimed for representation of different subsets of the industry. For instance, sports radio people, sports television people, a social media panel, digital media, video streaming. Also, there’s people representing media sales, CEOs, and marketing people in attendance as well.
What do you see regarding how we can all collaborate in that room and utilize all those different sectors of the industry where we can foster some synergy between all the different realms of the business to where we all grow together?
Jonathan Hood: Anybody that’s done this for a long time, everyone’s life is different. Once your radio show is over, you’re not done. What I’m saying is that once you’ve done your show and put in your hours, the show continues because there’s other ways to be able to put out that content.
Doing two professional wrestling shows, UIC Flames basketball and baseball with the radio show and side podcasts. That means that you want the audience to be able to reach out on all these different levels. Every day I’m getting someone that says, ‘I don’t know you did pro wrestling.’ I didn’t know that you did play-by-play. You want the audience to be engaged in something because you know somethings going to hit.
You can be able to do more, even on social media in a clip. You see me do stuff on TikTok and Instagram. I would just tell people just continue to expand your brand. That’s how you bring that synergy to the audience.
BSM Staff: With this being your first time at the Summit, what’s the one thing that you absolutely want to walk away with?
Jonathan Hood: Learning from other broadcasters. Learning from other programmers on how they go about their business, I’m very intrigued by that. I could do the whole ego thing like I’m going to sell my story and it’s really about me, but it’s not. I’m always a fly on the wall.
I’d love to know the story, because the story helps me. It’s like anything else. You go to a seminar, and you can use the things that you like and other things I probably wouldn’t do, but either way you’re learning. I don’t want to be that guy that just glides in the business because I’m comfortable in a nice power ship.
I want to be able to learn from other markets because I’ve always been intrigued by it. I’m one of these guys that even though I’m one of the centerpieces with ‘Kap,’ I still want to be able to learn more. When I walk out, I want to feel like I have more knowledge of our radio business than ever before.
Purchase your tickets to the 2025 BSM Summit here, and for more information BSMSummit.com
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