Last week, a gem of a clip gained traction across social media. An old video of Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll circulated from when Carroll spoke to USC students in 2017. He was asked to compare and contrast his coaching style to other successful leaders, Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, and Gregg Popovich. Carroll’s answer showed why he’s so well liked by those who have played for him.
I’ve been interested in coaching philosophy for decades. I’ve read tons of books on it, and am fascinated by how leaders think. All have different approaches to what they do, which shows that there’s no one-size fits all formula for winning. This applies to media too whether you’re in radio, TV, sales or advertising, or sports, news, or music.
I grew up a huge fan of Bill Parcells and Pat Riley. The way they led and motivated teams, and delivered results, made them hall of famers in their respective sports. They had systems they believed in, an idea of which players fit their teams, a feel for the game, and an intense style built on winning. Both achieved the ultimate goal: championships.
When you compete in professional sports, the stakes are high. Combine that with operating under the bright lights of New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and New England, and the pressure to perform is intense. Riley and Parcells understood those demands and thrived under the microscope. Their in-your-face approach was right for their respective situations.
It’s no different in the media/entertainment business. Leading ESPN, Fox News, Z100, 98.5 The Sports Hub, Warner Music or Katz Media comes with immense pressure and expectations. The stakes are even higher if you’re running Facebook, OpenAI, Apple, Google or another major global brand. All expect to win and make a lot of money doing it.
Pete Carroll explained why inspiring, informing, and supporting his players worked better for him than leading with an iron fist. Carroll is 50 games over .500 as an NFL head coach, won and lost a Super Bowl, and has led teams to the NFL playoffs 11 times. In college, he’s 97-19 with 2 national titles. The personnel he has worked with have fit how he approaches the game, and together they’ve achieved plenty.
What I loved about Pete’s remarks is that it shows a parent-like approach with his players. His demeanor is warmer than how other coaches get their messages across, but the goal of winning remains the same. Pete is hoping that by showing he cares, and arming his players with knowledge, it’ll help them make the right decisions on the football field. Understanding how to navigate situations should allow the players to be more productive, and the team to win more games. This is no different than a parent preparing a child for what awaits later in life.
But just because a leader delivers hugs over headaches doesn’t make them better or more effective. Carroll won less in New England and New York than Parcells. Riley and Parcells have won titles just like Carroll. Jon Gruden coached a championship out of Tony Dungy’s players in Tampa. Nick Saban, Chuck Daly, Larry Brown, Mike Ditka, Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, Bobby Knight and Urban Meyer reached the top too. All were known for being intense, and unafraid to call out their players.
A month or two ago, Dave Portnoy got into a screaming match with Kirk Minihane on a podcast. Many asked ‘how can Kirk work for a boss like Portnoy?’ They didn’t understand that Kirk is wired the same way. It’s why their relationship works. The company continues to thrive, and it’s because those involved understand who they work for, what the expectations are, and how they fit in. It may not be as warm and inviting as a Pete Carroll speech, but it gets results.
I myself am more direct than warm. I’m focused on the result, the process needed to achieve it, and how to get teams to the desired destination. Work is what most do to make a living, but for me, it’s different, I own the company. My pressures are higher because I have to foot the bill. If I screw up or staffers don’t deliver results, jobs get cut. That responsibility falls on my shoulders, and it’s something my team won’t experience the same way.
Would it be more fun for me and others running businesses if we could bust chops, and pat someone on the head rather than chewing them out when something gets messed up? Yes. But adults have to understand that work is less about your feelings, and more about productivity. Whether it’s the world of sports, music, media or something else, we’re together in this line of work to achieve a goal and earn a living doing it. The rest is more sizzle than steak. More of the personal, fun stuff is reserved for family and friends.
Whether it’s a media company CEO, radio station programmer, NFL team owner, advertising agency executive or a landlord renting space to a business owner, all expect results. If you can win the Pete Carroll way, excellent. It appears to be more fun. But whether it’s warm and fuzzy, or harsh and direct, as long as you deliver results, the check will still clear, and the bosses, advertisers, and audience will have little desire to change direction. That provides security, which matters more than headaches, hugs, and uplifting speeches, even if Pete Carroll’s is fantastic.
MSBC This Week
I’m headed to Austin, Texas this week for Radio MSBC 37. This is my first time attending the event. Jeff Lynn spoke with conference host Don Anthony for a cool piece today on the site. Check it out when time allows. If you’re attending the show, email me Jason@BarrettMedia.com and let’s be sure to say hello.
Jeff told me a few weeks ago that some folks were surprised that I was going to the event. That initially caught me off guard but then I saw it as an opportunity to educate.
First, as a publisher, I care about the radio industry. I want the business to do well. The more I know and the more relationships I have, the easier it is to tell stories. We just moved into music radio last July and many across all formats have talked to our writers for stories. If I can learn a few things, see a few familiar faces, meet a few new people, thank those who’ve read us, and pick a few brains to make our content better, that’s time well spent.
Secondly, it’d be hypocritical of me to ask the industry to support our Summits but not do the same. I know most trade sites don’t work that way, but I see little value in being territorial. There’s plenty to go around for everyone. I’d rather build others up rather than tear them down though the latter is unavoidable sometimes.
Stephanie Eads and I have attended CRS, NAB, Podcast Movement, the Radio Hall of Fame, Talkers, ESPN Edge, Radio Ink events, Upfronts, and many other industry shows. We’re happy to head to Texas to support Don and MSBC. The industry is better served with folks supporting each other.
Barrett Media Expands Social Media Reach
On Friday, we started promoting content across 9 social media platforms. Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube were the four platforms we were already active on, but we’ve since added a presence on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and Rumble. If you’re active on a platform where we’ve not bee before, give us a follow.
As I shared in last week’s column, we’re increasing our visual content and reducing link promotional posts across social channels. Articles remain vital to our brand strategy but they’ll be featured on the website, in our newsletters, and across search and Newsbreak. If platforms are going to show link posts to less than 5% of the audience, there’s little upside in using that approach.
Dylan Barrett introduced a new Barrett Media Minute video (voiced by Garrett Searight) and posted it across all channels on Friday. We also rolled out videos for our Newsletters, Member Directory, and Jobs Listings. We’ve produced over 100 hours of video content since launching conferences in 2019, and so many of these events have featured the sharpest, most successful people in the business. Featuring their remarks on different industry issues is a top priority. If you’re following our channels, you started to see some of those clips this past weekend.
BNM Summit
The winners of the Gold Standard in Leadership, Gold Standard in Programming, and Gold Standard in Business will be announced over the next two weeks. A 4th award, the News Media Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced later this month. The show takes place September 3-4, 2025 in New York City at The Ailey Theater. All attending receive a free pass to The Barrett Bash on Thursday night September 4th. Details for the conference can be found on BNMSummit.com.
I’d like to send a message to my news/talk radio and news television friends. This will be our third year running the BNM Summit. Support from speakers and sponsors is excellent, but too many behind the scenes professionals, talent, PDs, GMs, agents, and advertising/sales people have yet to attend a show. Meeting the stars of your format, top decision makers, advertising leaders, and learning how others operate and grow their business should matter to everyone involved with a news media outlet.
Events like these are shrinking not expanding. We host this Summit to unite people, and help folks learn, celebrate, and form/extend relationships. Attendance in Nashville and Washington DC was good, and with a large number of companies, brands, and agencies in New York City, support should be higher this year. Tickets and hotel rooms are still available HERE.
We reduced the day 2 agenda to make the trip more manageable. We’ve lined up speakers who are among the best in the business and have more still to reveal. If you work in news/talk radio or news television, this event should be atop your priority list. A family emergency/trip or important life event aside, there’s no reason to not be present.
After the Summit and the Bash are done, we’ll examine how to make 2026 bigger and better. Our agenda, speakers, and sponsor support is strong, but I’d love to see more news media people in the room taking advantage of the opportunity to learn and network. Education and relationship building is essential to your future. If you’re not coming to New York because of budget or having too much work to do, you’re making a mistake.
Quick Hits
- The ESPN–NFL deal requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department’s antitrust division. FOS reported on Saturday that there’s growing concern of President Trump delaying or blocking the agreement. I’m curious how CBS, NBC, FOX, Amazon and Netflix feel about this, and how it’ll affect future rights negotiations with those networks. What I’m not worried about is ESPN screwing up RedZone. They know the value of top-tier programming and won’t mess with the format. Whether Scott Hanson hosts it long-term and how much it costs fans in the future are different conversations.
- I was in Florida last week for a business trip, and had two-hours in the car on Monday and Thursday to do some radio sampling. Both times I landed on Orlando’s Rock Station, 101.1 WJRR. The promos and production were crisp, Klinger’s energy on Monday night was contagious, and the mix of current and classic tunes made it easy to not want to change the dial. Nice job by Rick Everett and his team.
- Kudos to the WWE. SummerSlam was excellent, but WWE Unreal on Netflix was a smashing success. The social traction was through the roof and the show itself was outstanding. A report from PWInsider said that the show has been picked up for a second season. As I watched clips of Paul Levesque and Michael Cole on WFAN last week I couldn’t help but think of how much wrestling has grown in earning mainstream media attention. Sports media used to shun WWE guests, not anymore.
- Fox News has been running an excellent series on artificial intelligence. Bret Baier recently examined how the technology is impacting movies, artists, and more. Click here to check it out.
- Newsmax is on a roll. Q1 ratings for the brand were up 50% year-over-year, and the channel is now offered in 60 million homes. That’s remarkable growth for an outlet that went public earlier this year.
- Barrett Media Sports Editor John Mamola appeared last week on Fearless with Jason Whitlock to discuss Shannon Sharpe‘s future. Jump to hour two by clicking here to check it out.
- Congrats to Rowdy Yates on being selected to the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Well deserved.
- I discovered Sam Donald, a guitar player and singer from Mississippi on TikTok this weekend. His cover of System of a Down’s Aerials is excellent. Check it out if you haven’t heard it before. Very well done.
- WRIF Detroit radio host Anne Erickson has a song out titled Pray. Show your support by giving it a listen.
- Morgan Wallen is known as a country music hit maker but he also knows how to entertain. His concert entrances in San Francisco this weekend included Barry Bonds and Steve Young on night #1, and George Kittle and Trent Williams on night #2. That’s how you fire up a crowd before playing your first song.
- Four new tunes worth checking out this week include Where Did You Go by We Came as Romans, Finger Eleven featuring Filter with Blue Sky Mystery, blessthefall‘s Fell So Hard, Felt So Right, and Hard to be Happy by Rob Thomas.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
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.
