Few talents in sports radio have the earned distinction of abiding their success to the chosen method of the singular self. In other words, achieving success through the decision to stand on their principles without wavering. No talent is perfect, and all make mistakes. However, the key to success for Mike Valenti is simple: remain true to who he is and never stray away from it.
“I’m a 45-year-old in an 85-year-old’s body,” joked Valenti. “If people are allowing you their time, the least you can do is offer them some honesty and integrity.”
The principles that Mike Valenti has built a two-decade career on hosting programming at Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket are the same ones he witnessed growing up in upstate New York. Sports radio was his calling from a young age when he was a devoted listener to Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN in New York City.
“I grew up on the golden age of radio as I see it, listening to Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN,” explained Valenti. “Mike & Chris, those are my radio heroes. It was just brutal honesty. I feel as an industry, at large, we’ve lost that. There are so many people on the air that are either completely or partially compromised—it’s jaw-dropping to me.”
Respecting the Listener
Valenti’s straight-shooter approach to his weekday program, The Valenti Show with Rico, has been a smashing success for the station. It’s a program built on respecting the listener with thought-provoking opinion, a community feel, and a no-nonsense approach to the local teams. His co-host, Rico Beard, told Barrett Media earlier this year he likened Valenti’s approach to a “serial killer,” a term of endearment that Valenti continues to pursue every weekday afternoon.
“You owe it to your listeners. They don’t care if you’re having a bad day—that’s not their problem, it’s your problem. Either figure out a way to work around it or find something else to do for a living,” explained Valenti. “If the experience isn’t adding something to their day, they aren’t going to be around long. They have choices. I owe them; that’s how this works.”
Valenti is a Detroit transplant who arrived in the area in 2004. A city that is often forgotten among the landscape of professional sports, Valenti believes Detroit has never been given a fair shake when it comes to sports radio.
He called Motown one of the top five sports cities in America, despite referencing the teams of the market as belonging to the listener and not himself.
“By and large, I want my audience to be happy. But I want them to understand that I’m always going to try and give you unfettered honesty. For me, I do root for my teams, but it opens me to get blasted. That’s fun,” said Valenti. “We have gotten so tribalistic, so nasty that people have lost the ability to have a good time with stuff. Sports is not real.”
Defining Effective Digital
Some consider Valenti a renegade in an industry that continues to push talent to do more with less. Valenti does not participate in social media on an individual basis but has one of the larger social platforms in the industry between his daily show, weekend football programs, and his Cash The Ticket podcast through Audacy.
He believes his time is as valuable as his listeners’ time, but he only allows the audience so much of it. Valenti never rests on his laurels and refuses to break away from doing things the way he intends to do them. He admits he’s made mistakes like any other talent but also finds ways to constantly improve his product—by working smarter, not harder.
“Radio guys inherently can be lazy. It drives me insane. We need to be in the business of ‘what more can I do?’” said Valenti. “We’re not in an explosive growth industry anymore. You need to plant your flag and provide as much quality content to your audience, not nonsense. Then deliver it to them on a plate.”
Never Compromising
Over the past two decades, Valenti has seen changes in how sports teams have been covered from an industry-wide view. He considers many within sports media to be compromised by the organizations they cover, with television networks falling in line as well. Although 97.1 The Ticket has partnerships with every local professional team, Valenti remains steadfast about not changing his approach despite any partnership.
“We won’t get them [team staff] on our show because they don’t want to expose their people to what we do,” explained Valenti. “I don’t think access is even necessary. It doesn’t matter. We have moved so far beyond the game story. They’re going to come on your show and not answer your questions. They’re going to outright lie to you. I choose not to play. There’s a reason why you’ve seen guests move to the podcast space, but even that’s getting compromised.”
While Valenti’s stance may seem foreign to many, the proof is in the substance. Valenti’s program continues to drive the audience both on the terrestrial and digital sides of content consumption.
“I’m going to do this one way—my way. In my view, it’s the right way. If people want bought-and-paid-for radio, there are plenty of places to go and get it. God bless. The day I’m gone, I’m sure we’ll find someone more team-friendly,” noted Valenti. “The average guy who’s working his ass off—I’ve never understood the concept of that guy wanting to be lied to. We as an industry have become propagandists. It’s nonsense, and I can’t and won’t do it.”
As passionate as Valenti feels about the sports radio industry, he also believes sports organizations are presenting conflicts by acquiring ownership stakes in television networks and sportsbooks, leading to an impression of a controlled narrative that he feels weakens the industry as a whole.
“It’s very simple: don’t p**s on my head and tell me it’s raining,” said Valenti. “The TV side of things is so far gone compared to radio; it’s jaw-dropping. The networks own the leagues now. You’ve got ESPN owned by the NFL, and ESPN runs a sportsbook. You have conflicts all over the place—it’s insanity to me. I’m so happy I don’t have a TV presence, and it’s probably why I don’t have one, because I don’t believe in that.”
Radio Has Problems
Just as he calls out a local franchise for a bad game plan, Valenti also believes radio as an industry has problems—from corporate station ownership making it more difficult for new players to enter, to how radio has forgotten how to develop talent.
“As an industry, we have lost the focus on this has been, is now, and forever will be a people business. This is a talent business. Your stars are going to drive the bus, but very few radio guys have business sense,” said Valenti. “Radio needs to look toward the past in order to guide its future. We have got to be better at identifying, acquiring, but more importantly, developing young talent. As an industry, we have done a completely reprehensible job developing young talent.”
For as successful as 97.1 The Ticket has been with Valenti at the helm, he recognizes the struggles of smaller markets owned by smaller broadcast companies. He noted that today’s industry climate has shifted the model from providing a proving ground for young talent in smaller markets to becoming one step closer to making people work for food.
“What we have to do is strip away the terms of radio and podcasting. It’s all content—we’re in the content game,” explained Valenti. “Radio has problems. We have to find better ways to elevate stars, produce products that make fiscal sense, and push forward. If we think rights deals are going to save us, they’re not. Those rights deals are now just trading inventory; the margins get even thinner. There’s no Pollyanna view—definitely not.”
Detroit vs Everybody
As for his future, Valenti couldn’t imagine doing what he does anywhere else. Although his dream was once to return to his home state and work for his first sports radio love at WFAN, he admits that may only remain a dream.
“I don’t think the right opportunity would make me leave, to be honest, because the game has changed so much,” said Valenti. “Quality of life trumps everything. You start to really recognize how short life is the further along your path you get.”
In 2016, Valenti was a high-profile name rumored to replace Mike Francesa following his first retirement. Although the opportunity didn’t work out as he intended, Valenti was approached again about the possibility years later privately but still remains in Detroit.
“I’m a rare breed in that I do things in a different way. I don’t think a lot of companies or program directors are going to want to bring that to the marketplace,” noted Valenti. “The audience has changed. The ability to go to a different market where all they’ve been fed is propaganda, and then you drop this blowtorch into the market—listeners will say, ‘This guy is saying things that are mean. I don’t like this person.’ It becomes difficult.”
Through it all, Valenti is comfortable in his own skin—remaining steadfast in doing things his way, standing on his principles, bowing to no one, and continuing to achieve new heights every day in the Motor City.
“Being me—it hasn’t been perfect. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and I’ll continue to make mistakes,” explained Valenti. “Being me has gotten me a hell of a long way in this life. I didn’t sell out. I’m just going to do it the way I want to do it. We’re all hired to be fired; my number will get called at some point. But I’m good with how I do it.”
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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.
