The Media’s Attention Obsession, CMA Highs and Lows, KROQ, and the Power of Suno

This is my first column in three weeks. Being fully transparent, I needed a break from the noise. I enjoy writing about the media business, keeping readers informed, and giving people something to think about, but there’s been a lot of hot air circulating lately. Sometimes that can be fun but it can also be exhausting. If I have nothing useful to say about a pointless beef between two parties, I’d rather say nothing.

Today, brands and people are fixated on generating attention. Will the next thing I talk about boost my radio or TV ratings? Is it going to increase my downloads or views? How much will it get shared on social media? It becomes a frequent case of chasing numbers to validate success.

Shows and talent with a bad plan and poor execution can get bailed out by one meter. Meanwhile others can deliver compelling content and perfect execution and have little to show for it thanks to a measurement system that has more holes in it than the black BMW sedan Tupac was riding in on September 7th when he was shot and killed in Las Vegas.

That can leave you questioning if what you do actually matters and is important. Do talent really care about these sensationalized battles or is it strictly ‘good for business’? Is the validation of their work tied strictly to ratings or revenue success? What about if their words motivated someone to want to get in the business or more importantly, saved someone’s life. Would that not count if it didn’t deliver a number or dollar?

In the past week alone, Stephen A. Smith-Drake Maye-Cam Newton-Dave Portnoy, Stephen A. Smith-Jason Whitlock, Clay Travis-Pablo Torre-Riley Gaines, Candace Owens-Turning Point USA, Pat McAfee-Sports Media pundits, and Megyn Kelly-Tucker Carlson-Mark Levin-Ben Shapiro-Nick Fuentes were all been involved in a series of drama-fueled storylines. I don’t blame any of them for leaning into the battles because they produce a lot of attention. Each of those hosts are expected to create interest, and they’re doing their jobs by raising the volume.

But in the grand scheme of what matters, some of these conversations are just hot air. I enjoy a strong back and forth between notable people just as much as anyone, but is that all that matters today? Is the only thing worthy of stopping us in our tracks a back and forth spat between two or three people?

I’m more interested in understanding what creators and businesses are doing to grow revenue. How brands are changing their strategic approach to grow their audience. What they’re doing to better understand how to reach more people in the spaces where they consume content. What companies plan to do differently in 2026 and 2027 to reverse the economic slide. And how the industry as a whole is going to address AI, ratings measurement issues, finding/developing new stars and ideas, AM radio’s future, and other critical matters.

I want to explore subjects that make people think. I want to talk to broadcasters to learn what makes them tick, how they view certain issues facing the industry, and during the course of those conversations, stumble into areas that open new doors. I’m planning to start that process in January when I relaunch ‘The Jason Barrett Podcast’.

It’s very easy to ask a question designed to produce a reaction, push it across social media, and watch it take off. But then I’d have to ask myself ‘is this what we’re about? Is this what we want to be known for? The answer to those questions is no. I’ve told this to programmers before, I can walk into a studio, grab the mic, passionately declare the NFL dead and label Soccer the new #1 sport in America, and within seconds I’d have full phone lines, texts and tweets. That doesn’t make it a smart, accurate or great idea. It just suggests that I know how to generate reaction and attention.

And therein lies the issue.

Some of the subjects we tackle here will never drive a large group of people to read us. They’re designed to connect with a specific group of decision makers and media professionals. It’s why I’ve said from day one, I’d rather reach 50 Bob Pittman’s or Bob Iger’s than 5,000 fans. Some outlets chase traffic and social shares, and if that works for them, awesome. That’s not our approach though.

I’d rather educate, celebrate and challenge the industry by doing quality journalism with experienced media writers, hosting beneficial events, providing recognition through our Top 20’s and Meet the Leaders series, and address issues, mistakes and unethical matters to improve the industry and its people.

Our approach is appreciated by many professionals. We see it in the readership we generate on a daily basis. However, it’s harder to earn marketing support for it. Those in charge of advertising budgets want maximum attention for their client’s brands or messages and many of the talent I mentioned earlier are perfect for them because they attract millions of ears and eyeballs.

Which brings us full circle. If media dollars are going to depend on the maximum amount of eyes and ears, get ready to hear a lot more noise. Original stories, reporting and issues that depend on substance may not produce the same level of attention, but I promise you, they matter and leave a lasting impression.

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The Country Music Awards

The presentation of the CMA’s was fantastic. Lainey Wilson as host was the perfect selection (her opening medley was spectacular). The performances by Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, Ella Langley, and Stephen Wilson Jr. (Stand by Me was incredible) were outstanding. The stage, lighting, production and banter between presenters were excellent.

Yet some things didn’t feel right.

Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown and Luke Bryan not being there raised eyebrows. The push of The Red Clay Strays over more accomplished acts felt orchestrated and off. Then came closing the show with BigXthaPlug and Luke Combs (wrong spot in the lineup).

Overall, I enjoyed the show. Like anything though, there’s always room for improvement.

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The KROQ Variety Story

I’m no expert on KROQ in Los Angeles. I’ve kept up on news involving the station over the years, and used to listen occasionally to Kevin and Bean (great show). I remember the Los Angeles rock station going through challenges 5-6 years ago, so to see the brand thriving again is great. I hope it continues. Between the return of Kevin Ryder and the success of the morning show it sounds like Kevin Weatherly has recaptured the magic.

I’m all for highlighting radio success but I thought the Variety piece read like a one-sided PR story. KROQ’s growth should be recognized but little was said about the competitive battle in L.A. between KROQ, KLOS and ALT 98.7. KLOS had a big ratings book in July and ALT ranked higher with 6+ according to the article. Is the station’s turnaround a case of panelist changes or are there other metrics and moves worth highlighting? If the station wasn’t as strong 1-2 years ago as it is now, what changed? Is it as simple as adjusting the playlist and re-hiring Kevin Ryder or are there other factors? The morning show soaring from 14th to 2nd warranted much more attention. That’s a great story.

The Variety piece also never mentioned that Nicole Alvarez left KROQ in August. She even wrote a scathing piece about her exit in The Hollywood Reporter. It also didn’t feature any input from Mike Kaplan or others who worked at the station previously though plenty of shots were fired at them. The best part was Kevin Weatherly’s insight on music adjustments and Kevin Ryder’s return and how the brand’s ratings changed upon his arrival. That was supported in the piece by the data chart shown.

I have no dog in the fight. As I said before, the KROQ crew deserve a ton of credit for turning things around. I love seeing radio brands earn recognition for good work. I’d just have liked to see more balance and a little more ground covered by Variety. KROQ is an important brand in an important market. There was a lot more worth diving into to tell a complete story.

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AI Music and the Suno Effect

At the 2025 BSM Summit in Chicago, I showed how AI could create a song about the Shadeur Sanders-NFL Draft night saga. I encouraged professionals to use new tools to elevate their on-air creativity. While my example was solid, I barely had scratched the surface of what Suno can do.

Xania Monet, Breaking Rust and The Velvet Sundown are AI artists that have created buzz and impact. Real artists may hate it, but they’re not in danger as much as mid-level studio producers. Similar to radio, great talent is irreplaceable. You also can’t do live remotes/concerts, sell merchandise and endorsements without people. But AI music isn’t going away. My hope is that YouTube, Spotify and social media platforms will label it better, and Billboard’s charts will separate it so it’s less confusing.

Being a former musician, I wondered how advanced Suno can get. I’m no expert but I spent time recently taking original songs that were 30+ years old, and re-creating them with modern sounds. I also took lyrics and melodies I wrote that hadn’t yet been put to music, and turned them into completed songs. I even wrote a few pieces in the vein of current artists, utilizing ChatGPT to determine the right keywords for Genre, Style, Mood, Tempo, Voices, Instrumentation, and Mastering. There were some hiccups in the creation process, but the final results were impressive, and they were done within seconds.

The more detail you provide Suno, the better the final product is. I’ve produced songs in the vein of Rap Rock, Country, Industrial Rock, Alternative and Pop Rock. The one above is an original Country-folk rock ballad that had lyrics and a melody but no prior musical arrangement. This was created within seconds.

I’m not starting a band or chasing a record deal, but some upcoming artist is going to create future hits using Suno or other AI technology such as Klay. Record labels are investing millions for a reason, it’s a gamechanger. Many will push back but if history has taught us anything, technology usually prevails. The only question is ‘how will it be used to make music better in future years?’

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Quick Hits

• The final installment of Meet the Leaders drops this Wednesday. The series created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing has been excellent. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to check it out. If not, go here. For the final feature, we’re excited to have Townsquare Media CEO Bill Wilson participating. His conversation with John Mamola should be a must-read.

• Pete Mundo‘s column on Friday about AM Radio created a stir. Some weren’t thrilled with his opinion, some texted to express their thanks for the issue being raised. I don’t tell our writers what to write about but I do ask them to be honest, topical, factual and accessible. They also know that once we publish an article, the content isn’t being changed unless it’s to correct a mistake. I realize that this is a sensitive topic, but there are thousands working at AM radio stations who want answers. Congress has had this issue on their radar for nearly 3 years thanks to the NAB. It’s time they treated it with some urgency. Jobs and the health of an industry are at stake.

• On behalf of everyone, if the news cycle could exist without the use of the word felching that’d be great. IYKYK.

• Congrats to Dave Ramsey and the entire Ramsey team on 100 million streams, listeners and viewers. Props to Spotify on marketing that news in a New York City billboard.

• Speaking of marketing, I was in a few New York City taxi’s last week and it was great to see Newsmax and 77WABC prominently displayed on the in-car video screen that plays for passengers. Smart non-traditional marketing that keeps both brands top of mind. Most importantly, it’s just great to see two valuable brands out there promoting themselves. TV and radio needs more of that.

• If you want to read a great piece on leadership and turning around an organization, check out this article by the San Francisco Standard. It examines how Joe Lacob and Peter Guber turned the Golden State Warriors into a world class franchise. There’s some great management lessons for media executives in the article. I was in the Bay Area for Lacob and Guber’s early years. They pushed so many of the right buttons while showing what passionate, intelligent, and invested leadership looks like.

• Candace Owens put out a very troubling tweet the other day. She claimed she received intelligence from a highly placed source in the French government that authorization was given to have her assassinated. If true, our government needs to step in to make sure she’s protected and France understands there will be serious consequences if any American media professional is harmed. We can’t have free speech and those who use it being gunned down for using their voice.

• It’s not every day that you learn of a radio station’s signal being hacked. That apparently happened on Sunday in Houston. ESPN 97.5 shared on X that audio aired on its airwaves that didn’t come from the radio station.

• There are a few new songs worth checking out. Shinedown has another hit with Searchlight. Lakeview is back with Sorry, which is great. Rob Thomas‘ Ghost immediately strikes a chord, and Bad Omens‘ Left For Good already has over a million views in just 5 days.

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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.