To steal a line from Funk Flex at the 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit, we’re going to have a real talk today. I want to explore a topic that we didn’t discuss at the Summit. It made no sense to do so at the conference because the people in that room valued being there. This is for those who weren’t there or who made a living in the radio industry and no longer do.
The radio business has many problems. Nobody is naive to that fact. But larger than the threat of AI, finding new talent and employment stability looms a larger issue: how radio is talked about by those who represent it.
Go on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc. and you’ll find radio employees bashing the industry every week. The second a local brand or company makes any kind of decision, employees reject it publicly, declare their industry dead, and point fingers to direct blame for what’s wrong with their business. Former employees are even worse.
There’s this constant need to trash the business from those who work in it, and I don’t understand why.
What’s Your Goal?
For those who do that, I’m curious, do you want the industry to vanish? Do you want more people out of work? Are you rooting for listeners and advertisers to have less options? How are you helping?
To be clear, I’m not talking about individuals who vent on social media after being laid off. That’s different. Losing a job hurts and creates fear. People have every right to sound off when they lose work especially if they were blindsided by their employer. Making a public statement about a job change also helps start the process to land the next opportunity.
I’m also not referring to print outlets who frame radio negatively. Many writers don’t work in the business. They latch on to popular headlines, usually about layoffs or something controversial It’s easy to write stories about failing industries failing or individual screw ups because attention follows. Algorithms use a similar approach to keep people engaged on their platforms.
I’m asking about the people who work in radio and frequently rip stations, bosses, talent, companies and the platform itself. The same goes for former bosses and talents who root for the business to fail. Why are you trashing a business that helped make you relevant? What happened to you that was so bad that you feel the need to discourage others from pursuing a career you once enjoyed?
I rarely see TV professionals trashing their industry on social media. Thousands have lost jobs in advertising and marketing yet don’t flock to platforms to tell others how shitty their business is. Major League Baseball is having a strong year but has experienced a decline in interest since 1996 but baseball players aren’t out there encouraging people to play or watch other sports.
Radio for some reason earns its loudest criticisms from current and/or former employees. The messages don’t lead to larger conversations up top or more or less advertising being spent. They also don’t attract more or less listening. They’re simply social bitch sessions that earn agreement from others who are out of the business or working in it and miserable. Those who don’t agree rarely say anything.
Celebrate, Educate and Challenge
At Barrett Media, we try to celebrate, educate and challenge the industry. I have no problem calling out shortcomings. If you’ve read my work over the years, you know I don’t fear taking on anyone or anything. I want the business to grow and those involved in it to thrive. But if I have to tackle tough issues and ruffle a few feathers, so be it.
Earning a person’s attention or an advertiser’s trust is harder than ever. Those who think playbooks from 1970-1990 are going to solve modern day problems are showing how out of touch they are. Hundreds of millions of people still consume content from radio stations each day. Advertisers depend on stations to boost profits. Employees pay mortgages, family vacations, college tuitions and monthly bills with the income earned from working in this field. Many do this type of work because it matters to them. They love their job, the connections they form and the personal and professional fulfillment that comes from it. It’s why many attended and have rewatched sessions from the Barrett Media Audio Summit.
For those that don’t, I have one question: why are you doing this job? If you’ve lost your joy and hate where the industry is headed, do something bolder than ranting on social media. Offer to take the place of someone else losing a gig the next time layoffs occur. The industry needs people with talent and passion who are focused on solutions, not individuals stealing paychecks, doing damage from the inside out.
Dan Patrick Was Right
I don’t like giving oxygen to people who don’t deserve attention. I’m making an exception this week for Jason Page. The second-tier talk show host took shots at Dan Patrick on X, leading many to fire back over his tone deaf remarks.
DP justifiably criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last week. Any other host in his shoes likely would have reacted the same way after waiting two hours for an interview, only for the PR team to inform him that the Commissioner had canceled it. Patrick made a valid point: the PR team works for the Commissioner, not the other way around. More importantly, the WNBA Commissioner’s continued unwillingness to address these issues leaves a black cloud over the league.
Dan Patrick is a class act. He is a hall of fame broadcaster who hosts what many consider the industry’s top national sports show. His legacy in the business is cemented, and his record speaks for itself.
Trashing Dan Patrick is on par for what I expect from Jason Page. He likes to criticize people who own roles that he doesn’t and then blame others for his shortcomings. I once gave him a PT role in San Francisco, which resulted in most of the staff refusing to work with him. When you create false narratives about others and take personal shots, it’s hard to land legitimate jobs. Only smaller roles and lesser known situations have come his way since. Luckily for Page, X still exists and helped him stay relevant for a day.
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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.