Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit in New York City. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event June 30-July 2 share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the big apple. The Summit takes place at the SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street. For tickets and hotel room reservations, click here or visit the Summit section at the top of the website.
Scott Shapiro is the senior vice president of FOX Sports Radio and Premiere Networks at iHeartMedia, and he has attended every iteration of the BSM Summit over the years. Shapiro previously worked at ESPN as a director of programming across several national shows and produced Mike & Mike in the Morning.
Shapiro has the distinction of speaking at every Barrett Media Sports Summit he’s attended. He will be speaking at the event later this month. He sat down with Barrett Media from his office in Los Angeles, CA.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: What are you looking forward to the most later this month at the Barrett Media Audio Summit?
Scott Shapiro: What I look forward to most every year is learning. I love sitting in that room and just hearing smart people talk about their craft. What works, but also the challenges—and hearing their passion.
I love this industry. I love that we all get to do this for a living. It’s incredible.
If I wasn’t working in this industry, I would be consuming it and be so interested in the mechanics of it. But it’s great to be working in it because it aligns with my passions.
When you’re in a room like this with the leaders of the industry I’m most passionate about and fortunate to work in, there’s so much you can learn. The way the summit has always been set up allows very smart people in the industry to let you dive into their heads in terms of what works and what their goals are. I could sit there all day and not even get up.
I’m a student of this game. It’s fascinating to learn from a lot of the brightest minds. On top of that, I love being able to connect with people whom oftentimes you only see once a year. It’s just a tremendous convention for us in this crazy game.
I absolutely love that it happens. That’s why I’m one of a handful of people who have been fortunate enough to attend every one of these. I remember very fondly that very first year in Chicago in a relatively small room compared to what it is now. It seemed like dozens of people at the time.
To see what it’s grown into now is outstanding. There’s a need in the industry for it to have become this. I credit the entire BSM team and Jason [Barrett] for growing it into what it is now. The results every year get bigger and bigger.
John Mamola: What type of value do you think the Barrett Media Audio Summit provides that some other conferences or events you attend throughout the year do not?
Scott Shapiro: It’s very targeted. That’s why this year is going to be so fascinating with three consecutive days focused on three different genres. I love that there’s an attempt to try new things and see if it can become even more focused and tailored to the audience at hand.
You go to other conferences, and they may talk about different genres or different sides of the business. It might be something that’s too broad or too specific. You may not necessarily be speaking the same language as others in different parts of the industry.
When I look at my role and the challenges and ideas that I face every day, if you were to check a box in terms of what my role is and what many roles in the industry are, then look at the content and the folks speaking at the summit, it directly aligns with all of those things.
To me, it’s so pivotal compared to others. It’s a workshop, a summit, and a convention that’s right in line with content providers, executives, and advertisers. It speaks our language in terms of what we do each and every day.
John Mamola: You’ve spoken on a number of panels throughout the years. When you’re approaching being on stage, what do you hope attendees take away each time you’re up there?
Scott Shapiro: Honestly, it’s transparency and perspective. Ideally, one of the crowning achievements of the summit is that it lifts up the industry for all. If we’re not all trying to grow this thing, it’s not going to exist.
It’s a celebration of what we do in sports media, but it’s also a melting pot of ideas to grow the industry and keep it vibrant and successful over time.
No matter what the topic is that I’m discussing, I just want to add my perspective. I want to add my color and give insight into some of the decisions and challenges that we face.
Honestly, if it’s going to make anybody else in the room smarter, give them ideas, or at least prompt them to think differently, that’s my goal.
John Mamola: We’re combining news, sports, and music for the first time this year. Is there a specific speaker or topic you’re looking forward to hearing discussed later this month?
Scott Shapiro: You guys keep one-upping yourselves. Pretty much every new batch of speakers that gets announced, I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, I want to see that.” It’s a tremendous roster. Thankfully, that’s something I’ve been saying for many years now.
There have been so many meaningful speakers throughout the years. I’ve got my popcorn ready for all of it.
Ideally, when I look at the topics that resonate most with me, it’s about all of the platforms speaking to each other and growing for the future. That’s the biggest thing.
Whether it’s video or social media, it’s about all of the platforms and how to create the best multi-platform, 360-degree approach to succeed five to ten years from now. To me, those are the biggest conversations about the future of this business and how we can keep putting points on the board.
John Mamola: You’re in a unique position overseeing a national brand with Fox Sports Radio. Now that we’re combining the summit with news, sports, and music, is your plan to dabble in those days as well?
Maybe pull some nuggets of information from other wings of the industry that you can apply to your role at Fox Sports Radio?
Scott Shapiro: Absolutely. The news day, even more specifically, because of the talk format. There are so many parallels to what makes a successful personality, no matter what type of talk it is. There are a lot of attributes and correlations that can work for sports talent.
Some of those news philosophies, frankly, why couldn’t they work for sports? You’ve got to be open-minded and willing to think outside your own box. I have not been fortunate enough to attend any of the news summits in the past.
So, I do think that’s a tremendous privilege—to be able to sit through that and come away with some takeaways.
John Mamola: What do you believe are the biggest opportunities and challenges the industry currently faces?
Scott Shapiro: There are two challenges, and they’re kind of on opposite sides of the aisle.
In a very cluttered marketplace, there are so many content providers across so many different platforms. How can you command the audience’s attention? How can you be top of mind when a big story happens in sports?
There are so many options competing for people’s time. How can you create the mindset that you have the content people aspire to listen to or watch? How do you get people’s attention? I love hearing ideas with that focus in mind.
On the other hand, it’s the advertising industry. Same thing. There are so many providers and places where people can park their advertising dollars.
It’s a tough time right now with the economy and the advertising market. Many budgets have been cut. How can you have the best content that audiences want to seek out and find? And how can you create sales-friendly and successful products that advertisers will feel comfortable investing in?
Whether they have unlimited budgets or limited budgets, why are they going to choose your company to invest their advertising dollars?
John Mamola: What would you say to somebody who is still on the fence about making that personal investment in themselves to attend? What’s the specific gain that people may not be thinking about when it comes to attending this event?
Scott Shapiro: It’s a tremendous opportunity to meet many successful leaders in the industry, both on the air and behind the scenes. It’s rare when you get all of those types of people in one room.
Frankly, I’m not sure you can replicate it at any other point during the year.
It’s a tremendous opportunity to meet people you otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to meet. Then, when you’re sitting in the room, there are just so many takeaways and lessons to be learned. I’ve gone every year for that reason.
Yes, I work for a company that supports and is deeply involved with the summit. However, I feel blessed to be there because of those relationships and the things I’m able to learn.
If you’re serious about this industry—whether you’re trying to enter it for the first time, get back into it, or network to grow within it—there are so many reasons why it’s important to be in a room like this.
Purchase your tickets to the 2026 BSM Summit here, and for more information BarrettMedia.com
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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.
