Saying goodbye is the toughest thing to do in your career. It’s not easy, and there’s no way to truly prepare for it, whether the decision is made by yourself or by someone else. Emotions pour out because radio is a passion-fueled career choice. No one gets on the radio just to pay the rent. There’s love for the format, passion for the industry, and connections that matter through the medium.
I’ve been on the goodbye side twice in my over twenty years in sports radio—once by choice, the other not. Reading Jason Barrett’s column on Monday about how you say goodbye matters more than you know was correct. It was a reminder that words matter, people are always watching, and how you navigate change shows how you handle the utmost pressure situations.
However, there was one passage I didn’t agree with that JB pointed out. Barrett said that talent are sometimes so focused on their show that they don’t look at the full scope of the business. I ask you, is it fair for managers, who hold the keys to a potential next step, to always hold all talent to that level of expectation in the moment? Which is often the most vulnerable of times.
When news came out about the consolidation of the Infinity Sports Network and BetMGM Network into the new Westwood One Sports network, people were on edge. Two networks full of talented people, both on air and behind the scenes, were all looking over their shoulders, wondering what would happen next.
Radio Is an Emotional Business
I’ve been in those buildings—it’s not fun. Worries about the future, a shrinking job market, and financial and career implications all compounded, especially with the holidays approaching. From an outsider’s perspective, the formation of the Westwood One Sports network seemed rushed and hastily assembled to meet the December 29 launch date.
It was bitter for many involved, and not everyone took it well in their goodbyes.
Several BetMGM Network talents said they felt blindsided by the news on their own programs and spent weeks promoting their own platforms for listeners to follow after their departures. Zach Gelb delved into his back-and-forth with what he understood his future to be with the new network. Many other talents affected by the news found no solace in the decisions made and were never criticized for how they handled their goodbye messaging.
Should they also have been more focused on the full scope of the business?
Do I believe Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata were thinking about the full scope of the business in their final moments on WFAN? Do I believe Doug Gottlieb was considering his potential future during his last segment? I don’t think any talent, in those final moments of scheduled airtime, is focused on how their words could elevate or damage their future in the industry.
Yet former Infinity Sports Network host Bart Winkler was referenced as taking a bridge too far with his closing remarks. I watched Bart’s final segment the morning after it aired.
Did he say that the listeners of the Infinity Sports Network were an afterthought? Was there questioning of the need for a new network? Did Winkler say radio will die if the people in charge continue to make decisions based on how to do things cheaper and more efficiently?
The answer is yes to every single one of those questions.
However, to hold Winkler (or any other talent) to account for those comments is a little unfair, in my opinion. Before Winkler said those things, he spent time talking about how the audience saw him as genuine, which he considered as the ultimate compliment. Personality and honesty with the audience mean more than any box score or feature interview on a program. He thanked his management team, affiliates, and the overwhelming listening audience for allowing him the opportunity to just be himself.
Winkler closed by saying, “I don’t know what’s next for me. But I know that whatever’s next is because I am me. I got here because I’m me. That is my last wish for everyone. Be you. Don’t be fake, be genuine. I never regret anything about anything because I did it as me.”
Isn’t that what the audience demands of talent? Do managers want personalities who aren’t living their lives through the programming they provide? Would it have been more accepted if those comments had been on a podcast instead of the network itself?
Jason Barrett is right: it’s about the next opportunity. While he received a number of texts from decision makers about the comments, there was a lot of talent online complimenting Winkler for them—former teammates, sports media talents, and personalities alike. Winkler won’t be applying for jobs with those who shared their support online, but his comments also shouldn’t be a dead stop on his career.
Words Shouldn’t Always Have Consequences
Saying goodbye is never something any talent truly prepares for. Each talent chooses a different way to send off their listeners in those final moments. Some choose gratitude, and others choose bitterness. In the end, I can feel empathy for a talent who chooses either. It’s their decision, and one they choose to live with.
Can others? I would never expect every single manager to feel the way this former manager feels about Winkler’s closing chapter. We are all different, but we must answer for how we react. I chose to remain quiet, thankful, and reflective. Others took the route I did, others did not. They still found work in the industry, and I did as well.
In the end, the hard part is now over. The goodbyes are done, and the emotions of the moment are past tense.
The burden carried by every talent who didn’t continue with the new Westwood One Sports network is now off their shoulders. Working for months knowing your future was likely coming to an end should be commended and celebrated. That’s loyalty for the industry. It shows the passion those who didn’t make the cut continue to have for this industry.
That should be the lasting memory of the last moments of those from the Infinity Sports Network and BetMGM Network.
At the end of the day, saying goodbye isn’t just about leaving a job—it’s about honoring the craft, the audience, and the passion that brought you here in the first place. There’s no single “right” way to do it, and there shouldn’t be.
What matters most is authenticity, gratitude, and the courage to face change head-on. The chapters may close, but the dedication, talent, and resilience of those who’ve left will continue to echo in the industry long after the final sign-off.
That, more than anything else, is the legacy worth remembering.
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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.
