The midway point of the week is where we celebrate the programs who entertain our audiences as they head home from work each afternoon. This category is ultra competitive and features some of the best talk talent on the radio airwaves, period.
During the past two years, Mike Francesa has laid claim to this award. The New York sports radio legend has since exited his former radio home WFAN, which means that in 2018 things will be very different. But in 2017, Mike occupied the afternoon slot and went out the same way he started, on top. His consistent performance has earned him a great deal of respect from broadcasting executives and that was made clear once again in this year’s voting, as he was chosen for the third straight time as the format’s best Major Market Afternoon Show. His voting total was the highest of any local sports radio program.
To determine our Top 20 Major Market rankings, we involve a large number of radio industry executives from multiple companies and different cities across the country. They select the Top 20 programs by using the criteria below. BSM does not vote in this process. We simply add up the votes, design the graphics, and present a collective snapshot for people inside and outside of the industry to gain a better understanding of how sports radio’s top decision makers view the format’s best programs.
- Ratings success in their local market
- Quality content and on-air presentation
- An established track record of success in the format
- Spent more than six months hosting on a Major Market sports radio station
- Points are given for each ranking (EX: 20 points for 1st place, 1 point for 20th place)
Remember, these results reflect the group’s collective opinions. This means they are subjective. However, most would agree that each of these shows have earned the industry’s respect and play an important role in helping each of their brands achieve success.
We extend our congratulations to Mike and each of the shows who were recognized by our panel this year and now proudly present “BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Afternoon Shows of 2017”!
Additional Notes:
- Mike Francesa earned the most 1st place votes (25)
- Waddle & Silvy and Felger & Massarotti tied for the second most 1st place votes (5)
- 8 of the 30 afternoon shows eligible for consideration received a 1st place vote
- The closest race was for 13th where Chad Dukes finished 1 point ahead of Ben & Skin
- Kelvin, Marcellus & E.D finished in 21st place, 7 points behind Dave ‘Softy’ Mahler
- 22-25 = Chuck & Chernoff, Danny, Dave & Moore, The Loose Cannons and Steve Czaban
- This is Dukes & Bell and Hochman & Crowder’s first appearance on the list
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.
These ratings are bullshit! When I’ve been in NYC I can’t stand listening to Mike Francesa or that shrimp the Mad Dog. These guys are hugely over rated! They are in a huge market so they get huge ratings, it’s as simple as that! Brandon Tierney and Tiki Barber are good in NYC!