Yay Sportsball! Last week, I got to be a fish out of water at the Barrett Sports Media Conference. They left the side door open, and the Classic Rock guy slipped in quietly when no one was looking to watch the panelists speak in the foreign language of Sports.
Well, not exactly. Actually, I’m a huge sports fan and a Sports Radio fan, and I really appreciated the opportunity to sit in on two days of panels and presentations talking about best practices for the format.
Always thinking about my column for Barrett Media, I set out to capture any lessons from the convention that I could relate to the world of Classic Rock. It turns out I’m better at stealing ideas than journalism.
I wrote down several great quotes, but didn’t always remember to write down who said what. So, my apologies to anyone whose words of wisdom I reference but fail to credit.
Quote #1: The Sports audience is aging.
This one came from my other boss, Fred Jacobs, as he went through the results of the 2025 Jacobs Media Tech Survey. He pointed out that the core audience for sports radio is getting older, much like it is for Classic Rock.
We know a lot of our listeners are sports fans, but we don’t always look for ideas and best practices we can appropriate from Sports Radio. It’s a good reminder to look beyond music-based competitors when it comes to finding ways to invigorate Classic Rock stations.
Quote #2: You get people to care about things they otherwise wouldn’t care about by storytelling.
This comes from the “Meeting the Moment in Women’s Sports” panel that featured four very dynamic female sports talents. I don’t know who said it, but it reminded me that telling the stories behind the music is still incredibly valuable.
It’s easy to think these songs are older and everyone knows the backstories, but that’s simply not true. Compared to a boring streaming channel, when we tell the stories of Classic Rock artists and songs, it’s a great way to get listeners to care.
Quote #3: There’s nothing that substitutes for being connected to the community.
Coming out of the “Mornings in the Afternoon” panel that featured some great Sports Radio morning hosts, this quote is true on two levels. First, it’s important to undertake campaigns to help people in your market. Many Classic Rock stations have solid plans for community service, but if your station doesn’t, or you aren’t getting credit for the effort, it needs to be a priority.
You could also define community as Classic Rock fans, and how you connect to them is an important piece of building and maintaining your audience. Look for ways to bring fans together and help them find others who share the same passion for the music you play.
Quote #4: Are you trying to do an interview or have a conversation? Interviews are memorable.
This one comes from Jason Barrett himself in a presentation about effective interviewing. It’s a great reminder for the hosts at your station. Many of the Classic Rock acts that are still touring have been interviewed by the same hosts many times. It’s to the point where it’s extremely comfortable for both parties, but, as Jason points out, comfortable is not always compelling.
Quote #5: It’s hard to get people out of the house.
This comes from Demetri Ravanos’ presentation on connecting and profiting through live events. It’s also probably the truest statement made at the convention. No one wants to leave their house, and the older your audience is – like Classic Rock listeners, for example- the tougher it gets.
That means thinking about how you connect with listeners in public. It’s time to consider new types of events, new incentives for coming to remote broadcasts, and even new approaches to the on-air promos you run. It’s a tough but rewarding exercise to look at whether the events you are hosting and promoting are interesting enough to get listeners off their couch.
Quote #6: Most revenue success comes from ideation and custom programs.
This quote from the “Hitting Homeruns from the Corner Office” panel hosted by Mike McVay could apply to every radio station. I chose to include it here because Classic Rock Program Directors are more likely than most to be old enough to remember when the PD’s job was primarily saying “no” to salespeople.
Today, one of the best uses of a PD’s time is meeting with clients, learning about their needs and helping develop custom solutions that fit your brand and bring in revenue.
Quote #7: We need to have fun. Fun is #1
Let’s wrap this up by going back to the “Mornings in the Afternoon” panel for one more notable quote. I realize it’s harder to have fun in radio today than it used to be. Shrinking staff, revenue pressures, and annoying consultants – I get it. But radio is still an entertainment medium, and if we aren’t having fun, our listeners aren’t either, and then we are no better than a Spotify stream. You may have corporate constraints, but creativity is always available.
Let’s have some fun. Let’s go Sportsball!
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
