The Toast to 10 series presented by Premiere Networks, is a month-long series looking back on 10 years of Barrett Media. Throughout the month, you’ll hear from those who’ve shaped the company, managed and created the content, read the site, and partnered with the brand between 2015-2025 to share how they’ve seen it play a role in covering the media industry and educating, celebrating, and challenging the business.
Six years ago, I joined the ranks of “writer” for the then-“Barrett Sports Media” back in 2019 as a weekly sports columnist. A friend urged me to contact Jason Barrett to see if he would be interested in having me contribute to his site.
I had never met Jason but had known of him. So I reached out to several other friends in the business to get a “scouting report” on JB. Everyone said, if you get the chance, work with him.
I was a work in progress. As a broadcaster, I’d never really written anything other than for a sportscast or pregame show. Jason took a chance on me, and it didn’t take long to figure out that what I was doing was extremely worthwhile.
I learned so much about the industry through my writing and the research that went into my columns. My eyes were opened to just what made my fellow broadcasters tick. It was so interesting to see that many were going through some of the same things I experienced in my career.
I was inspired to find out how they navigated potholes and pitfalls along the way. I gained knowledge from them, and hopefully, they gained the same from me.
It always seemed that my articles led to some great sharing of information.
As I found out, the Barrett brand was and is quite powerful. When I started to write our “Anatomy of a Broadcaster” series, I learned firsthand about the power of making a connection. It amazed me that after several of the columns, I heard from some of the top broadcasters in the industry. People like Jim Nantz, Ian Eagle, Sean McDonough, Kenny Albert, Marv Albert, Bob Costas, and Al Michaels reached out to thank me for writing about them.
Thanks to Barrett Media, I’ve maintained professional relationships with several of these top-tier broadcasters. Connections are so important in our business.
In the case of Michaels, he was one of the first I featured in the AOAB series. After the article came out, an email was delivered to my inbox claiming to be from Al. I thought, no way is he reaching out, so I deleted it. A day or so later, the email appeared again. One more time, into my trash bin it went. The next day, a spokesperson from NBC Universal reached out to tell me that Michaels was trying to get in touch.
Thankfully, I didn’t ignore that one!
When I first started with Barrett, I didn’t realize the site’s reach. I didn’t know who was actually reading my articles and columns. Quickly, though, I would find out that my contemporaries were seeing what I wrote. Some would agree with my takes, some disagreed. That’s what it’s supposed to be all about.
I’d hear from young broadcasters whenever I would pen a column with tips and advice, some of whom I still correspond with to this day.
Barrett Media opened doors due to its great reputation in the industry. If I was trying to get a hold of a high-profile individual for an article, I found that saying, “I’m writing a piece for Barrett Media” was usually met with, “Yeah, I’ve got a few minutes for you,” thanks to the credibility Jason and the wonderful staff created for the site and brand.
Finally, writing for Jason showed me just how closely knit this industry is overall. It was so much fun to work with people who shared a common goal. The people I worked closely with all wanted me to succeed, as I wished the same for them. It was also like a big think tank—a sharing of ideas for what to write about and what might be good for our careers too.
I want to thank Jason again for the opportunity to work with him. Here’s to another ten years and many more for Barrett Media.
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Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
