The hardest element of a successful sports radio program to create is chemistry. When pairing two complete strangers together to collaborate on content, there is never a guaranteed outcome. There is no formula or equation on how to pair the right individuals together, leaving programmers to lean on gut instinct, needing a touch of luck. Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy, a.k.a. Shan & RJ, on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas needed a house party to find out if they had chemistry together before hitting the DFW metroplex airwaves.
“We did not do a sample show together,” said Shariff. “We went to a house party, and we just got put in the same room. We got interviewed, and the first time we talked for two hours or more was our first show. That was a crazy way, I think, with the way that it was done, or the way that it is done.”
Now entering their 15th year together in morning drive, Shan & RJ has been a destination for sports fans on their morning commute. In a competitive market like Dallas/Fort Worth, the two have found a blend of sports and lifestyle approach to content has been the best formula for success. Instead of leaning into the stereotypes of how sports radio has been done in larger markets, they buck the trend in Big D despite their northeastern roots.
“The city grew so fast, people still think of it [Dallas/Fort Worth] like a small town,” explained Choppy. “You’ve got a lot of people that move here, so they’re not as diehard. If the Cowboys lose or something, it might be a great radio day in New York City or Boston. Here, a Monday after a Cowboys loss, people don’t want to hear it. Other cities relish in the misery. It doesn’t work like that here.”
How Dallas/Fort Worth Sports Radio Differs From Its Peers
A perfect example of this notion was this past spring, when the Dallas Mavericks traded five-time All-Star Luka Dončić in a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. A fan favorite leaving the organization caused online outrage, fan protests, and national pundits questioning the leadership of the franchise.
However, for Shan & RJ the plan of attack and reaction was a complete opposite reaction.
“We did not do dominant numbers during or after the Luka trade. In Boston, Philadelphia, or New York, it would have been dominant,” said Shariff. “Around here the sports mindset turns away if it’s too negative of a story… The Luka thing was devastating here. We took a show poll and people who listen to our show said stop talking about the Mavericks so much.”
The approach of lean back as opposed to lean in may fascinate those in other markets when it comes to owning a story like the trade of Dončić. Over their time working at 105.3 The Fan, Shan & RJ have developed a blueprint that they feel fits the market to super-serve the listener in substance as opposed to headlines.
“When I was at [former Dallas radio station ESPN 103.3FM] previously, there were some really good bosses. Like heavyweights in the industry that didn’t necessarily know the market,” said Choppy. “The playbook there was personalities don’t matter, your content matters. Now, we all have the same content, so what was differentiating? Personalities. Content matters, yes. But personalities matter more.”
The Dallas/Fort Worth radio market is full of talented personalities, and in morning drive especially. 105.3 The Fan has a head-to-head competition every day with the heritage sports radio station The Ticket, with Shan & RJ doing battle with the longest-tenured morning show in the market, The Musers.
Now heading into their 15th year together as a program, the competition between the two programs is tighter now than when the journey began for Shan & RJ. Referencing how the show is reaping the benefits of their longevity, they have noticed over time how the market tends to be somewhat “tribal” when it comes to determining who is the top sports talker in the market.
“When I grew up in DC, I wasn’t married to a station,” explained Shariff. “What you see here is signal allegiance, it’s very tribal. People feel like they’re committing radio treason if they even think that another station’s afternoon show is better. That’s a foreign concept to me. That is a lot of what Dallas radio is all about.”
The Jerry Jones Weekly Interview
The Dallas/Fort Worth market is also home to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that has been dubbed ‘America’s Team’ despite not winning a Super Bowl in nearly 30 years. Shan & RJ also feature a weekly sit-down with Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones.
The outspoken Jones interviews consistently make national headlines, as Jones is one of the more popular faces of the National Football League. With such a unique opportunity to insert the Shan & RJ program into the national narrative, it may come as a surprise how hands-off the Cowboys organization is regarding how the interviews are conducted.
“I think everyone would be shocked at the lack of feedback, back and forth, instruction, or guidelines. In 15 years, we’ve heard from Jerry’s [Jones] PR twice,” said Shariff. “Dan Snyder couldn’t do this interview. I was in [Washington] DC, and he had his own radio stations, Red Zebra, that he was monitoring. I heard more from the Kansas City Chiefs in my one year there than I did my first 14 years here from Jerry Jones. I just can’t give him enough credit.”
Both Shan & RJ said that Jones’ only rule was to not get personal with the line of questioning, which both have held to. As long as the show is talking about the Dallas Cowboys, to Jones that’s all that matters.
“I remember asking about Hard Knocks. The Giants didn’t want it, and all these teams run from it. Jerry Jones wants Hard Knocks,” said Shariff. “He probably would accept it every year if he could. That’s his mindset.”
Critical of How Nielsen Ratings Judge Success
The Jerry Jones weekly interview is a key piece in how Shan & RJ battle their local competition in a race for audience retention and growth. Regarding audience measurement, both Shan & RJ are staunch critics of the current Nielsen measurement system and how it operates. While they do not discuss their feelings about ratings on the air, neither of the tenured radio talents find the current system useful.
“I want to say this while our numbers are really good. It’s not bitterness or anything like that. The people in charge and responsible for this rating system—it’s a bunch of horses**t,” said Shariff.
“The system stinks. It’s not even the system’s bad; it doesn’t even make sense. It’s to the point where you judge yourself based on a random sample, or do you judge yourself based on how you think the show is?” said Choppy.
While both Shan & RJ credit the support of their brand manager Gavin Spittle for judging their program with his ears instead of what Nielsen shows, they both feel the system is continually flawed.
“It is an injustice to people in this business who don’t get the numbers that they deserve, and that have lost jobs because of this random horses**t lottery system,” explained Shariff. “What are we doing here? It’s a joke. People’s livelihoods and their fate are way too dependent on something this flimsy and this random. It’s bull. It’s BS.”
While the current ratings returns are high, Shan & RJ’s reach has grown exponentially higher through a live viewing audience on YouTube and Twitch, while also growing on social utilizing the power of short-form video on Facebook, Instagram and X. The goal is to place in every space possible where a consumer can find them, and more fun creative can be had.
“I love the video part of it. I think it’s great. It brings a completely new element to it. We’re not just a radio station anymore,” said Choppy. “It’s an addition. Somebody who’s listening on the radio still gets the same great experience. Then somebody who’s watching it on YouTube—the added element is just a bonus for them. I love the video element of it. I think it’s great.”
The Long Road Ahead With No End in Sight
What began as perfect strangers being paired with one another has now turned into a lasting partnership with the goal of staying together for the long road ahead. A bond that began at a house party has become one of the more respected programs in morning drive around the country, where fun, sports and that rare chemistry have elevated Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan.
“We’re doing something that everybody would want to do who’s sitting in a cubicle. If you can’t be happy doing this, you’re going to find, I think, a lot of things difficult in life,” said Choppy. “The people playing the sport are the lucky ones. The people talking about the sport are the second luckiest. If you can’t be driven by that, you’ll never be driven by anything.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
