Notice anything different? If you guessed a redesigned Barrett Media website, congratulations. Similar to a house, a new coat of paint is needed sometimes. Our prior look was sharp but had so much content on the home page that it was hard to find everything. Desktop users had less issues than mobile users, but a strong experience for both matters. It’s easy if you only write six or seven stories per day but as a publisher covering radio/podcasting, television/streaming, advertising, the music industry and more, a tune-up was needed.
This new display features the latest 10 media news stories in the gold boxed area on the right. Many of those stories are also in the sections for Sports, News, Music and Business below. You can also find them by clicking the sections up top in the menu area. In addition, we now display the latest six columns and features in the main area on the main page. If you’re looking for older content, visit the individual writer’s page or use the search bar. Each writer has a profile in the section they write for.
Furthermore, we have lowered the story count in our Sports, News and Music sections from twelve to eight. Business now displays the latest four. Readers previously had to scroll past 31 stories to reach News, 43 to get to Music, and 55 stories to reach Business. There is no perfect number when you create content but we hope this makes it faster and easier to find content.
A Game of Adjustments
Also starting today is our third annual 20 Brands in 20 Days series. This twenty day project features interviews with twenty different brand leaders. Our music editor David Hill is leading the charge. The series begins with Chase Daniels of Audacy Cleveland’s Q104 and Star 102. Check out the first story here when time allows.
Prior to our Summit, a lot changed with online traffic. Google’s announcement in May to make AI Overviews a bigger part of the Search experience had an impact on publishers. After six months of record activity, growth stalled. What we experienced paled in comparison to what others endured. According to Search Engine Journal, some publishers saw click-through rates drop by as much as 89%. With reduced traffic comes lower advertising impressions and financial instability. Fortunately we’ve held steady.
When the Summit ended, I knew this needed attention. I looked at what changed, how our content was performing, how we were promoting and distributing it, and moved our newsletters from MyEmma to beehiiv. The early returns have been positive. Our social media strategy was also tweaked. Dylan Barrett, John Mamola and Garrett Searight have done a nice job since keeping us consistent. We are still exploring ways to improve on X. Some simple platform adjustments go into effect today.
Video
If you’ve followed us for a while, you’ve likely noticed an increased focus on video over the past year. Dylan Barrett joined us last July and one of the first things I told him was to experiment everywhere. We built an identity on nearly every platform, started creating video content daily, and have added even more since the Summit ended. The Barrett Media Minute and The 4-Cast are now offered regularly. We have other video projects forthcoming, and to date, we haven’t even pursued video advertising partnerships. That is because building the product and being consistent come first. Those opportunities will become available in the near future.
We refined our content strategy because according to 2026 data, the average U.S. consumer spends 13 hours and 5 minutes a day interacting with media and technology across all formats. Out of that massive footprint, users spend 16% of their entire 24-hour day strictly watching video. According to BroadbandSearch and market research, video commands 82% to 82.5% of all global and US internet traffic.
It takes time to build something up from zero. Given our niche, we also know our subscribers and watch time metrics won’t equal what traditional media delivers. However, in July, we recorded our first month over one million video views across all platforms. Given our targeted approach, that was outstanding and unexpected. Congrats to Dylan on doing a great job to make us better. Now comes the hard part, doing it again, and reaching two million, three million, and more.
The Road Ahead
Industry audiences value written information and expertise. I have ten years of data to support it. We offer both thanks to an accomplished writing team. As skilled as many are though, owning a lane is vital. The same way fans love Adam Schefter for NFL coverage, Shams Charania for NBA, and Jeff Passan for MLB, we need the same for different audiences. Generalists gain little traction. It will be even tougher in an AI Overviews world.
One of my pet peeves are stories and headlines created for “radio” or “television”. There is no Mrs. Television or Mr. Radio. Who are we writing for and why should they read the story? For example, if we target Rock Radio or Sports Television rather than Radio or TV, a story shifts from being broad to directed to a specific group. Nearly every time, those pieces perform better.
Since we began adding writers in 2018, we’ve hired people to share advice, information and opinions that others can learn from. We’ve had accomplished professionals contribute, and others launch careers here. Many media writers enjoy exploring topics with personal appeal and some cast a wide net, assuming everyone reads their work. The reality is that most readers don’t. They care about what is happening today, and content that mentions them, their brand, their company, and/or colleagues. Our aim is to help people be smarter, better, and more informed. If we do that, they’ll keep reading us.
Today, there are too many brands and content options. Cutting through is hard if you’re not targeting specific audiences. The point of creating and distributing content is to serve it to an audience that values it, and connect partners to it who can grow their businesses by being associated with it. In sports and news, we have a good, targeted approach. Music is harder because there are more stations, formats, labels, and artists. Many publications cover the same stories too. Readership changes from format to format, business to business, and position to position.
Having said that, I am bullish on covering music radio. But, I know that content adjustments and improved targeting are needed. Figuring that out is my next order of business. For today, the website looks cleaner, more video is available, and social media and newsletter upgrades are helping. The challenges never stop, but that makes the job fun and rewarding. Thanks for your continued support.
Six Additional Items
- Stephanie Eads and I are heading to Cleveland this week for MSBC 38. If you are attending and want to connect, email me at Jason@BarrettMedia.com. We look forward to seeing industry friends and readers.
- Speaking of travel, I’ll be in Los Angeles on business August 18-19. I’m not sure what my schedule will allow time for, but L.A. friends interested in catching up, reach out.
- A tip of the cap to 95.7 The Game. The San Francisco sports station celebrated 15-years of serving the Bay Area on Saturday. It feels like just yesterday that we created the call letters, AM/FM promos, and prepared to change the game, pardon the pun. As I told the original staff before launching, change is inevitable, but if we get it right, everyone involved will be a part of history, forever. What a fun ride it was. Matt Nahigian and his team have taken the baton and made an even greater impact since. Congrats to the entire crew, and here’s to 15 more!
- Sticking with the Bay Area, nice work by Skip Dillard elevating Andre Yancey to brand manager of 102 JAMS. Andre will remain involved with 94.7 The Block, doing bi-coastal duties. If you attended the Barrett Media Audio Summit, you learned how much Andre loves his work and format. My advice, load up on those miles Andre, and take the redeye flight. It’s the best time to sleep and attack the next day.
- NewsNation did an excellent job with its Town Hall on AI last week. The past few specials on the channel have been hosted by Chris Cuomo, including this one. It’s a format Cuomo thrives in. NewsNation has found something here. I hope to see more of it. It’s nice taking a break from the onslaught of news every once in a while to learn about something new.
- And finally, congrats to Zimmer Communications and the Mid-West Family on joining forces in Springfield, MO. Local broadcasters with a passion to serve their local communities seem to love the industry that many claim isn’t fruitful. They’re excited to invest further into it, and many are also profitable. But wait, I thought that wasn’t possible!
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in 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.