CBS, Barstool Sports, Fox Sports and Saga Communications were involved last week in major news. All four situations required risk taking that may or may not benefit their respective businesses. Given the amount of interest in these particular stories, I’m going to tackle all of them in today’s column.
Saga Communications Leaps First
I wrote three weeks ago that an AI tsunami was about to hit the media industry. Some told me I was nuts, others expressed concern or appreciation for the piece, and a few felt it already happened. Until major moves are made that effect a large number of people though, it feels like noise to many. But now after Chris Forgy confirmed our report of Saga Communications replacing all voice talent with AI replicated voices, the industry is barking loudly.
When Garrett Searight spoke to Saga’s CEO last week, Chris Forgy shared that the move helped the company save 10 jobs. He left out that these moves eliminate more jobs than they save. That implies that Saga values its own employees over independent contractors. Many outside the building won’t like hearing that but most operators share a similar view. Chris has to think about who he employs first before he gets to everyone else. I consult brands and can prove my worth but I understand that some see me as a luxury not a necessity. It’s vital for anyone working with companies in a support role to continually create impact or risk being replaced.
I did some math to see if Mr. Forgy’s numbers lined up. Saga owns 113 radio stations, many of them in mid to smaller sized markets. If each brand spent $500 per month on voice talent, that’d cost 6K per year and 678K for all stations. Boost the cost to $600 per month and it’s 813K annually. Based on those numbers, it suggests that the 10 jobs saved earned an average between 67-81K per year. That math makes sense to me.
Keep in mind, in some cases, the monthly spend on voice talent is lower. There’s also likely some situations where on-air staff inside buildings provide voiceover work to help brother/sister stations. Folks may not consider that a big savings but if Saga felt it could remain important to its local audiences and advertisers while utilizing their own people and technology, it’s hard to say that they’re wrong. Saga reported a 4% decline in revenue in Q1 and it’s Chris’ job to run a profitable business. Love or loathe it, he has to make tough choices to stay ahead.
The bigger issue isn’t that this happened. It’s that it’s only the first. If you think Saga Communications is going to be the only one doing this, you’re not paying attention. This is likely to spill over to sales, digital, production and talent too. I expect to see more national/regional talent on local airwaves in the future, and potentially even licensing agreements to retain quality programming while minimizing expenses. In radio markets 60-109 (under one million people) and 110-250 (under 500K), where 15-25 stations compete to earn audience and advertising dollars, it’s even more likely.
I do hope executives are wise enough to not lump everyone into categories and treat them the same. We don’t do that with talent, sales people, and executives, and shouldn’t with voice talent or other key roles. Some see a line item like ‘voice talent’, ‘consultant’, ‘support staff’ and view it as non-essential. They ignore how much an individual matters to the audience and staff or how they affect the bottom line.
Case in point, in 2020, it’d have been easy for my clients to cut me due to the pandemic. While many were losing 40-60% of revenue each month and struggling to sell anything, I helped three partners earn 5K each in advertising buys. They were stunned to learn that the business they received came from their consultant. It’s why I dread using ‘consultant’ to define what I do. I prefer business partner because I can help the entire organization, not just the programming department. Without knowing that, corporate folks who are detached from local markets would’ve just lumped me in with all consultants. Doing so could’ve cost them more than they saved.
When it comes to voiceover talents, executives tend to discount their importance. They don’t think about the sound or personality of the brand or how quickly credibility gets harmed if mistakes are made. What type of long-term damage is done if a Milwaukee radio station using AI pronounces Giannis Antetokounmpo wrong or a local town or street incorrectly? How big does Westwood One sound if you removed the powerful pipes of David Lee? What happens to 105.7 The Point if the witty delivery of Steve Stone was gone or ESPN NY/LA if it lacked the punch and versatility provided by Jim and Dawn Cutler?
In 2012, I was with Entercom in San Francisco when David Field wanted all stations to drop their voice talent for company production voices in order to save money. We had introduced a campaign (AM vs. FM) which produced a lot of reaction across the market. It featured Steve Stone and Sean King’s clever dynamic, and highlighted the creative brilliance of Jeff Schmidt. I was perplexed that the company wanted to disrupt a big part of a market #4 brand over 3-5K in annual savings, so I pushed back. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and we stayed the course in San Francisco, but other markets weren’t as lucky.
I’ve worked with voiceover talents who are vital to the brands they voice. Good ones grasp the PDs vision, research the local market, and bring the messaging to life. But many up top don’t know what goes into their work. I’ve been at dinners with voice talent who receive copy, and exit the table to duck into a room or car, make sure the acoustics are right, and deliver timely copy for a key issue within minutes. Those same people help programmers, talent, producers and salespeople understand how to use audio to make clients and listeners feel an emotional connection to the brand. AI may turn things around quickly but it lacks emotion, passion, and human connection.
Can AI help? Yes. Should it be utilized? Definitely. Are there voice talents doing the bare minimum who aren’t vital to the station’s they voice? Absolutely. But before deciding that an entire category is expendable, I’d take a closer look at who is and isn’t valuable. Maybe 50% or 75% won’t be, but if 25-50% are, and you mistakenly cut them, how much more will it cost you in the long run?
I believe that Chris Forgy and most executives running radio companies want to retain employees and be profitable. It’s easy for programming people to suggest that sales should sell more and companies should invest in staff and boost rates but many who say that tend to be uninformed on the local advertising picture. Nobody runs a business just to run it. All want to make money, and grow. If radio revenues keep shrinking, and technology can help a few areas improve, then more of these decisions will be made. Now, whether it improves our product, listenership, trust, and revenue, is a very different question.
The Fox Sports-Barstool Sports Deal
John Mamola made some great points in his Friday column referring to the Fox-Barstool deal as a shift from analysis to personality and substance to fun. There’s a lot of truth in that. However, I also think this is about a culture shift and ESPN’s role in redefining the sports media landscape.
It was ESPN that opened the door on licensing content with Pat McAfee. The brand has also partnered with Omaha Productions for the ManningCast, TNT for Inside the NBA, and provided flexibility for Stephen A. Smith, Mina Kimes, Pablo Torre and Rich Eisen to pursue outside projects. They’ve also featured high-profile contributors like Shannon Sharpe and Chris Russo who hold important roles for other media outlets. Fox Sports hasn’t done as much of that with their lineup but now they are. ESPN’s opening the door has paved the way for Fox to present a bigger challenge.
I believe the Fox-Barstool partnership is strategically smart, and competitively brilliant. Dave Portnoy on Saturday’s is the perfect fit for Big Noon Kickoff to counter Pat McAfee and College Gameday. Not only does his passion for Big Ten football align great with Fox, but the back-and-forth battles he’ll have with Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Mark Ingram will create good television and more importantly, viral social moments. Big Cat making appearances is another outstanding addition. I’m sure Jon Gruden will show up along the way on Fox as well.
In addition, Barstool going live M-F 8a-10a ET opposite GetUp! is the perfect slot to feature the show. Mike Greenberg’s program is built best for the 35-64 crowd. Barstool skews younger, more likely to deliver a strong 18-44 demographic. This gives Fox a shot to close the gap, attract new audience, and turn younger fans on to Colin Cowherd, Nick Wright, Danny Parkins, and others. Ask yourself this, are advertisers more likely to be intrigued spending on FS1 this week or two weeks ago? I think you already know the answer.
I do wonder how Fox will react when Portnoy inevitably comes under fire for something controversial that creates bad corporate PR and potential advertiser pushback. I’m sure Eric Shanks and his team debated and discussed that situation extensively before going down this road. Some media critics will also question why Fox cut six black employees (Joy Taylor, Paul Pierce, Keyshawn Johnson, LeSean McCoy, Emanuel Acho and James Jones) for Barstool, a heavily white crowd. It won’t matter that Craig Carton, Chase Daniel, and Mark Schlereth were also white and let go, because anytime Fox is in the news alongside a brand as polarizing as Barstool, critics find new ways to pick them apart.
I believe this is a homerun for Fox and Barstool. Eric Shanks deserves a ton of credit for taking a risk and recognizing change was needed. FS1 was floundering, parted ways with executive Charlie Dixon, and needed a spark. Colin Cowherd and First Things First featuring Nick Wright were the best two shows on the channel. The company also wisely held on to Danny Parkins, a future TV star. As you look at the Saturday football picture, Lee Corso is exiting College Gameday, Pat McAfee’s contractual situation is always a story, and Big Noon Kickoff is getting stronger. There’s a real shot for Fox to tighten the race.
FS1 didn’t set up Breakfast Ball, Speak and The Facility for success. Danny Parkins, Craig Carton and Mark Schlereth are all talented but they were put together with short notice and placed in roles that didn’t capitalize on their best attributes. The same could be said of The Facility and Speak. I hate seeing Craig Carton, Joy Taylor and Mark Schlereth, three people I’ve interacted with over the years lose work but each will bounce back. I’m especially interested to see if Craig returns to NYC sports radio or SiriusXM and if Joy gets a look from Charlamagne Tha God and The Breakfast Club.
Dave Portnoy also deserves a lot of credit. He gets a ton of attention for his rants and pizza reviews but his business acumen is often overlooked. 5 years ago, Barstool was in strong shape with Erika Ayers-Badan, had a deal with Penn National, and was coming off of a failed ESPN partnership. The brand looked unlikely to be connected to a traditional media operator like Fox, CBS, NBC, etc. anytime soon. When Erika left, it raised eyebrows.
Since then, Barstool hasn’t missed a beat. Now, they’ve been hired as a key strategic partner to help Fox battle ESPN. This move should energize Barstool’s talent, expose the brand to more fans making it even stronger, and most importantly, energize advertisers who have tuned them out to take a second look at working with them. For those who already are, it will convince them to invest even more in the brand. Hardcore stoolies may question Barstool becoming too mainstream the way Pat McAfee fans took aim at him when he joined ESPN but it’s hard to argue that the pros don’t outweigh the cons.
If you’re part of Fox’s ownership group, this is a big test. If Barstool can’t help FS1 and Big Noon Kickoff make a major dent after years of investing significant resources in traditional personalities and programming, eventually you’ll ask, ‘is this fight worth fighting?’ But until that day comes, if Fox and Barstool are going to battle ESPN for sports media supremacy, it’s better to do it united than to go it alone.
The End of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS
Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS is pulling the plug on The Late Show in 2026. Many have since blamed Donald Trump, Colbert’s politics and criticism of his employer, and other issues for the program’s cancellation. In a statement, CBS said the show’s cancellation was not related to performance or any issues at Paramount.
Matthew Belloni reported that Colbert’s show cost more than 100 million per year to produce. Colbert’s salary was a reported 16 million, roughly 100 people worked on the show, and it was losing 40 million dollars per year. I’m not sure what CBS meant when it said the cancellation wasn’t tied to performance. The content and ratings may have been good but losing 40 million annually suggests poor business performance.
Brian Stelter wrote an excellent article on CNN, which shared that Guideline, an ad data firm, estimated that advertising revenue for late-night shows dropped from $439 million in 2018 to $220 million in 2024. That represents a 50% drop. Audience size has also been flat to down, moving from 2.8 million in September 2015 to 2.4 million during the second quarter of 2025.
Colbert is ahead of Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon in the ratings, but trails Gutfeld on Fox News. Success isn’t measured just by ratings and social media impressions, it’s about revenue and profitability too. Folks may not like seeing the show go away but late night television isn’t what it used to be. Losing 40 million dollars annually makes no sense for any media operator in 2025 especially for a 1-hour program that airs weeknights at 11:30pm and requires staffing 100 people.
That said, if you’re a Colbert fan, don’t lose sleep over this. Some TV or streaming company will add him once he’s free. He won’t be homeless and starving anytime soon.
Quick Hits
- I hoped to announce a few names last week for the 2025 BNM Summit along with details of a partnership we’re putting together to help attendees save money. Keep an eye out for details tomorrow. News/Talk folks, this conference is for you. If you work in the format, you should be in the big apple on September 3-4, 2025.
- Attendance for The Barrett Bash on September 4th is nearing 150. There are a number of prominent names across the industry already registered. If you received an invitation and plan to attend, register asap. It’s first-come, first-served. We can’t accommodate everyone. Brands looking to support the Bash and/or BNM Summit can email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com to learn what’s available.
- One of my favorite videos from the weekend was Jon Gruden opening a box of goodies from WDAE in Tampa. Gruden was entertaining and gave the entire air staff plugs and content to work with on Monday. Great job by Tommy Chuck and the iHeartmedia Tampa team seizing an opportunity to create social buzz.
- Randy Williams shared a cool video of how to get your radio show syndicated. It covers why it’s smart to syndicate, how it works, and more. Take a moment to click here and check it out.
- The Grill Room with Dylan Byers recently featured a great conversation with Adam White of Front Office Sports. If you enjoy learning about the business of sports and brand strategy, click here to listen.
- I saw a ton of memes over the past few days related to the Coldplay–Andy Byron kiss cam saga. If any music radio shows did something clever with it, send the audio to Jeff@BarrettMedia.com and myself. We’d love to check it out.
- The new Shinedown single Killing Fields is fantastic. As I remarked on Facebook last week, I don’t think they know how to write a bad song….I’ve seen people online praising iPrevail‘s new music but it’s not the same without Brian Burkheiser. Maybe the new tunes will grow on me but I’m not crazy about Rain, Into Hell or Violent Nature.
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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.
