The journey from traditional to independent is different for anyone who’s made the trek during their sports media career. Some choose to enter the arena hoping the brand they’ve built will appeal to an audience, while others are forced into independence through corporate cost-cutting. John Canzano’s journey began with an inquisitive eye and an ability to recognize the trends shaping the industry. Cuts were always coming, but the appetite for content remained just as strong.
“The content itself is what drives this industry,” says Canzano. “What I saw was my brand was increasing and having deeper penetration with readers and listeners. All while I was watching the industry struggle to connect, because in a lot of ways, the consumer was saying, ‘I don’t have time to consume everything I want from all these outlets. I just want to follow a person.'”
For more than two decades, Canzano was a commanding voice for sports in the Pacific Northwest. As the lead sports columnist for The Oregonian, Canzano fueled sports conversation and built a following through the printed word. In 2006, Canzano took his written voice to the radio, beginning as host of The Bald Faced Truth sports radio program with Alpha Media’s 750 The Game.
For years, Canzano balanced both roles, utilizing each medium to build his brand around in-depth analysis and opinion surrounding collegiate sports. But with time came signs of consolidation in both industries, beginning with his departure from The Oregonian in 2022.
“I knew I was in a good place, but the place I went to work for 20 years earlier was gone. But my content was more important than ever. So, I told my editor I no longer need you. She agreed,” said Canzano. “It was that moment when it became obvious that I needed to go on my own.”
The Path Of Independence
Canzano departed The Oregonian in search of independence and a platform that could house his brand. With his radio show remaining, he began figuring out how the connection between reader and writer could continue to be served.
After several conversations and some investigation, Canzano launched his branded The Bald Faced Truth on Substack in March 2022. While he was unsure at the time what the response would be, the immediate reaction made his decision instantly worth it.
“The immediate affirmation came when so many people subscribed on day one. My eyes became glassy because people understood what I was trying to do,” notes Canzano. “The messaging so often was people read you because you’re in the newspaper. Now, we know differently from the success of independent media. That’s not exactly true. We know the audience is dedicated to the content creator.”
The emotions of those first steps, Canzano says, matched what his conversations with small-business owners had told him they would be: a mix of terror and happiness. It was a roller coaster of ups and downs, with support from longtime readers and former editors who cheered on Canzano’s success from afar.
“There’s a lot of elements you have to learn about driving an audience toward your content. But ultimately, if you give people the goods, they will keep coming back. They will trust you and support your entrepreneurial spirit,” said Canzano. “There’s so much mistrust of media lately. More people are being discerning about what media they want and trust. You have to have a dedicated audience, but I had a 20-year head start with growing an audience while being on radio.”
Because of his efforts, The Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano is currently the No. 1-ranked Substack in the sports category. The outlet continues to provide the same high level of coverage Canzano brought to his readership at The Oregonian while also providing an opportunity for readers to interact with him directly.
Adapting The Process
After finding success by evolving his written content, Canzano began wondering if the same approach could apply to his sports radio program.
“I was entering the last year of my contract, and I sort of made my mind up,” explained Canzano. “Could I do this in radio? Could I duplicate what I did with my written work with my radio program?”
With his experience in the newspaper industry, Canzano saw the same signs of consolidation on the wall in radio. When Connoisseur Media completed its purchase of Alpha Media in September of last year, Canzano says the new ownership group was never interested in keeping his services.
“Alpha had a very different feel. It was built by people that wanted to go live and local. I wouldn’t have stayed 20 years with Alpha if they weren’t good people who were trying to win,” said Canzano. “But when Connoisseur came in, it was about the bottom line. They never talked to me. So, it was evident to me they didn’t know what they were buying.”
Despite his contract running through the end of June 2026, Canzano says he reached an agreement with Connoisseur Media to leave his radio program in December of last year.
“They knew I wasn’t extending. They didn’t want to extend me. I didn’t want to be there. I probably would have ridden that out until June out of loyalty to my audience. But they told me I was free to go, but I couldn’t do radio until July 1. That gave me six months to plan, and it was a real blessing,” explained Canzano.
Creating Syndication
During that six-month period, Canzano took the same approach he used to create his highly successful Substack. Eventually, he launched a YouTube show and secured sponsorships through relationships he had built with several clients, including ADIDAS. But this time, YouTube wasn’t enough for Canzano when it came to distributing his audio content.
“I studied what Dan Patrick did. I looked at what other syndicators did and talked with syndication companies like iHeart and Audacy. Any time I heard the same sort of thinking, I shut down. I didn’t want to go down the syndication route unless it was different and new,” explained Canzano.
Through conversations and bouncing ideas off peers he respects, Canzano developed a content concept that offers benefits for both talent and affiliates.
“I’m not interested in bartering or splitting commercial breaks. I want these stations to be successful and win because I need them to win. So, they keep all the commercial time to sell themselves, except I get to sell into my own content,” explains Canzano. “That way, I’m monetizing the show itself. The stations aren’t paying a fee or splitting commercial breaks. And they get unique content for their dedicated audience with a show that stands on its own.”
Because of this arrangement, Canzano found an avenue to pare down his radio show to a one-hour program for affiliates throughout the Pacific Northwest. He then applied that same concept to television by licensing his YouTube program to the NBC affiliate in Portland. In less than a year, Canzano took the principles he developed while building a Substack and applied them to find success and a second act in both television and syndicated radio.
The result is a trusted name delivering relevant content for audiences, even when that content is personalized for specific markets.
“The feedback I got has been my show isn’t a typical syndicated show for anyone. This show sounds like it’s for us. That’s where the connection is different and goes a long way to connecting the audience,” said Canzano. “I’m fairly early in this. But you have to continually evolve, thinking about what’s next. For now, it’s working for me and all the affiliates, and they want to continue taking it.”
Thinking Different For Yourself
Instead of focusing on the challenges facing the industries where he worked, he chose to think differently. He embraced the idea of being bold, considering every possibility to strengthen his connection with an audience whose consumption habits continue to evolve.
“We often think about beating the guy across the street, but there’s a lot of fear within the walls. They’re afraid for their jobs and change. A lot of the people making decisions are thinking about retirement. So, they’re not thinking about the next 15 years; they’re thinking about the next 15 weeks,” explained Canzano. “This industry is in a race to die slowly. We have to stop thinking that way and start reinventing.”
For Canzano, independence was never about walking away from sports media. It was about refusing to let a changing business model dictate how he connected with his audience.
The newspaper changed. Radio changed. The economics of both industries changed. Rather than waiting for the next corporate decision to determine what came next, Canzano took control of the one thing he could control — his relationship with the audience.
That approach has allowed him to turn a two-decade career built inside traditional media into something that exists beyond any single newspaper, radio station or television network. The platforms may continue to evolve, but the connection remains the constant.
The future of sports media isn’t necessarily about preserving what worked in the past. It’s about recognizing where the audience is going, finding a way to meet them there and having the courage to build something different.
For Canzano, the next chapter isn’t about waiting to see what happens to the industry. He’s building his own path through it.
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.
