RightLine with Drew Steele is growing. The extension of the Florida’s Voice Radio show has added two new affiliates.
What We Know: The show is expanded to bring its weekend show to new markets. The show will now be heard on WDBO in Orlando and WHIO in Dayton. Both stations are owned by Cox Media Group. Steele hosts the weekday version of the show from 104.5 WOKV in Jacksonville.
What They Said: “Our national footprint is growing, and joining these great radio stations is truly humbling. With so much breaking news over the weekends, we knew we had to go live. I am genuinely grateful for the chance to join this conversation coast to coast. A sincere thank you to our new station partners for the warm welcome — we are ready to listen, connect, and serve these communities nationwide.” -RightLine host Drew Steele
What Remains Unclear: When the show will air on each station.
What It Means: Plenty of national news transpires from Florida. Having a host in the state reaching out to a national audience is a good thing. The expansion also puts more timely programming in a window that has been put on the back burner at many stations.
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UFC President Dana White is setting massive expectations for this weekend’s event. He believes Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 will draw viewership numbers comparable to the Super Bowl.
What We Know: UFC Freedom 250 takes place Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House. The event marks a historically unique setting for a major UFC card. Fans can tune in to watch the action live on Paramount+ but not CBS television. It is one of the most unconventional broadcast opportunities in the sport’s history.
What They Said: UFC President Dana White (via TNT Sports UK): “For UFC fans all over the world, this is a very unique experience for everybody. We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight.”
What Remains Unclear: The UFC Freedom 250 event currently is scheduled to only air behind the paywall of Paramount+. Not on CBS television. While there has been some back-and-forth about where the broadcast could end up, the UFC nor CBS has announced any additional distribution outside of Paramount+.
What It Means: Dana White’s job as a promoter is to hype up his event. Throwing out a notion of this UFC Freedom 250 event drawing “Super Bowl” type numbers is just ludicrous on its face. However, if the event does find a way to CBS television, the event could pull a larger audience than a potential Stanley Cup Final game six viewership number. The promotion is staging a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it doesn’t compare to the cultural phenomenon that is the Super Bowl.
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What We Know: Tempesta, who also serves at Adult Hits sister KYMT, joined the KWNR team in March. Her addition to middays triggers a ripple effect across the schedule. Lois “Double L” Lewis returns to her original time slot after temporarily expanding to 9am-2pm. SVPP MoJoe Roberts, previously on 2-7pm, now launches his show at 3pm.
What’s at Stake: Daypart stability matters — especially on a heritage Country signal in a major market. Tempesta’s dual-station role adds programming flexibility but also raises questions about bandwidth. Keeping a seasoned voice like Lewis in place signals continuity is a priority. Roberts’ afternoon drive slot remains a critical revenue window.
What Remains Unclear: No official reason has been given for the March expansion of Lewis’s show. It’s also unclear whether Tempesta’s midday role is permanent or transitional. Her workload across two stations bears watching.
What It Means: KWNR is quietly recalibrating without making dramatic moves. Management appears to be balancing new talent with proven performers. For Tempesta, adding a solo airshift is a meaningful career step. This is a station managing growth carefully.
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.
The 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit presented by Point to Point Marketing is exactly three weeks away. That’s when our news media show kicks off the three-day industry conference. If you work in the business and value learning, connecting, innovating, and celebrating success, join us in the room. This conference has something for everyone regardless of whether you work in music, news, advertising or sports media. Tickets are available here or thru the Summit section up top.
In addition, subscribers will receive an email today with details on how to win a trip for two to Iceland, Ireland or Italy. A huge thank you to our friends at Collette for providing an awesome giveaway.
Today’s announcement is about honoring excellence in news/talk programming. It is my pleasure to name Phil Boyce, the 2026 recipient of the Gold Standard in Programming Award. Phil will receive the honor and address the room on Tuesday, June 30th during the Premiere Networks Awards ceremony.
We introduced this honor in 2024. Ken Charles of WSB and Julia Ziegler of WTOP were the 2024 and 2025 winners. Our 2026 recipient’s prints are all over the news talk radio industry. He has played a pivotal role in launching careers and shaping the format into what it is today. If the honor were based on past accomplishments, Phil Boyce could win this award annually. But it’s the work he’s done in 2025-2026 that demonstrates how much of a force he remains today.
Looking back at 2025, we gathered the news media family in NYC on September 3rd and 4th. One week later, Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of the entire world. For many, it was a tragic event and something you discussed among colleagues, friends and family. For Phil Boyce, it was the loss of a friend, an employee/partner, and a show that was a huge part of Salem Radio’s lineup.
No matter how strong of a programmer you are, there is no playbook for managing through a situation like that. You have to think about your employees, your audience, your advertisers, your bosses, and the way you address and message everything. There’s a need to provide friendship and support to Charlie’s Turning Point USA family, offering ample space to grieve and broadcast, while also thinking about how to move forward. Furthermore, there’s thinking about your hosts, and whether or not to put them back out for live shows. If you do, how do you make sure they’re safe? What do you do if danger arises?
That lesson in leadership is hard enough. Now combine that with talented hosts leaving to explore futures in politics, and it puts even greater strain on keeping a brand strong. Yet if you look at how Salem came through it, Phil Boyce once again passed the test with flying colors.
Sometimes we take for granted how important a strong programming leader is. We trust that they’ll show up and do what they do, as if its just another typical day in radioland. But there’s a reason why people like Phil Boyce stand tall among programming giants. They are always prepared. And in the face of adversity, they keep brands, companies, and businesses thriving, regardless of what’s in front of them.
Phil Boyce’s programming accomplishments are endless. Talk radio professionals revere him and respect him, for good reason. As crazy as it sounds, his work in 2025-2026, might have been his most important work yet.
On behalf of the news/talk radio industry, I am honored to present Phil with the 2026 Gold Standard in Programming Award. The ceremony on Tuesday, June 30th should be a memorable one. I hope to see you in the room.
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.
Thank you for checking out The Industry According To. Every Tuesday we speak with a different expert or leader from somewhere in the vast music industry — label executives, artist managers, programmers, talent, artists, consultants, and beyond. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
Today we sit down with a veteran whose career is essentially a doctorate in label marketing, artist development, catalog strategy, and promotion, Jill Weindorf. She has led major campaigns for Paul McCartney, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ghost, and countless others.
Jill is currently the EVP of Marketing of Concord Label Group, which includes running the Active Catalogue team. She works directly with artists and their teams in a modern, 360° role, spearheading long-term brand management for active artists with depth of catalogue — including John Fogerty, CCR, The Offspring, Seether, The Revivalists, and more. Next year will mark her 20th year at the label group. Prior to Concord, she spent time at Elektra, EMI, Blue Note, and Verve.
So, let’s dive in.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
The Artists-Are-Brands Era
Keith: You’re known for building marketing strategies with artists, not just for them. We’re at the point where it feels like an artist’s brand — their storylines, partnerships, affiliations, image — is now almost as important as the music itself. Do you see it that way? Tell us your view on artists also being viewed as brands.
Jill: “That’s absolutely the way I approach marketing. Everything starts with the artist’s vision for the music, and supporting that vision through every aspect of their career is essential. Everything is connected, and there is always an overarching brand to cultivate and protect. The story and how we navigate that brand development is central to how we build an active and authentic audience for the music.”
The Artist’s Lifespan
Keith: When you first got into this business, artist development was “long-term,” but the industry is obsessed with short-term spikes. What’s the smarter strategy today — building gradually for the long game, or going all-in on an early spike?
Jill: “There isn’t one answer to this question because there are so many variables to consider. But longevity is always a top consideration. Sometimes an artist goes viral for songs that are anomalies, or there is something within the virality that isn’t aligned with the long game. That can affect how we respond.
Other times, spikes have created entire marketing activations. Sometimes you get a sync placement that completely ignites a song. Moments like that are amazing, and we might go all-in — but those are rare instances. That’s why we don’t wait for those moments; we work with the artist to create our own. This makes evaluating what to lean into and what to let burn out only part of our equation. We avoid reacting to virality that requires jumping onto trends without context. It’s fine to be part of a trend intentionally, but if it’s off-brand, it’s also fine to sit it out. The best part of marketing in the current landscape is that we have so much more immediate connection with fans, and they give us so much direction. We listen, and that’s how we win.”
Radio’s Role
Keith: Concord still heavily invests in radio promotions. From your POV, what does radio do best for your artists that other platforms can’t or don’t do as well?
Jill: “It depends on what radio we’re talking about and how we choose to work together. Overall, radio helps contextualize the artist. It creates cultural awareness, drives more curated exposure, and can help build community. Radio also impacts touring, which is essential to supporting our artists holistically.
When I built the promotion team over a decade ago, radio was in a markedly different place — and so was Concord. We weren’t a contemporary hit-driven promotion department; we were in niche formats with less mainstream artists. We always strategized our campaigns with an artist development and marketing-driven approach. Today, that same ethos is in place. Our team has always worked beyond the charts, so they’ve been able to navigate the current marketing landscape very quickly and successfully. It’s the combination of having relevant artists, the right music, and a promotion team that understands how to execute using the complete value proposition radio presents. When you have that deep understanding, you know how to maximize your marketing.”
Marketing Across Many Labels
Keith: You’re responsible for marketing efforts across several labels with different audiences, genres, and cultures. Once the music is great, what’s the most important next step in building a marketing plan that works?
Jill: “I always talk to A&R about why they signed the artist. Signing an artist is a big commitment — it comes with a passionate point of view. I want to hear it and understand it. Whenever possible, I’d try to meet with the artist and ask them what’s important to them and what they want from the label. When I ran cross-label marketing, I worked with the individual marketing leads at every label, weighing in on marketing strategy and then helping them execute through Concord’s central marketing team. The next step, regardless of the genre or label, is audience analysis. Who is the audience, and how active are they? Where is the opportunity to build more audience? Combine that with the artist and A&R vision, and the plan really starts to take shape. Then it’s about the internal sale to the team (this was my specialty 😉), identifying the path to the market, and executing along the way.”
The “Middle Class” Artists
Keith: There’s a growing “middle class” of artists who may not be household names but have developed real careers from a strong touring and merch structure. How do you build models for these artists differently than you would for those on a superstar trajectory?
Jill: Artists have so much choice when it comes to finding the right label partner, and I’m always mindful of keeping the marketing commitment elevated no matter who the artist is or where they are in their career. With touring artists, we do a lot more hand-to-hand combat and micro marketing. The touring artist attracts the most dedicated fans.
Think of the last time you went to a show. There is so much competition for time and money, yet you choose to show up because live music is an exhilarating, communal rush. When we have artists who tour consistently, we make sure we’re seizing that present audience and the opportunity audience that’s just outside the funnel. Those are our superfans. First-party data capture for those fans is essential, as is strong advertising for every element of the artist’s business.
Are these fans following? Are they aware of the new music? Did we serve them, and did we serve the opportunity audience around them — that is, did we set up the local radio interview, create local meetups, and bring in more audience? If the answer is no, we’re failing. Our touring artists are the backbone of our business. Though the marketing around a tour as a main driver can be more micro-focused, it doesn’t stop us from doing all the legacy, new, and opportunity marketing, too. Tours create motion, and an artist in motion requires constant marketing support — and we’re here to provide that.
Catalogue Mania
Keith: Concord has a deep catalog, and it seems every month we see news of another big catalog transaction. How do you market catalog in a way that feels modern, not just nostalgic?
Jill: Concord has launched a new department — Active Catalogue — and I’m proud to run it. It’s the most fun job I’ve had in my almost 20-year tenure at Concord. We serve Concord artists who are actively releasing new music but also have depth of catalogue, publishing, film, or theatrical ties under the Concord umbrella.
We offer these artists full support for their brand. I work as closely as possible with artist and management teams, agents, and publishers to be deeply engrained in their day-to-day business so we can actively promote everything the artist does. By way of example, I oversee the entire catalogue for John Fogerty — both from a solo perspective and from the CCR assets. This past year, we orchestrated a plan around John’s 80th birthday, his reclamation of his publishing rights, and the release of his new LEGACY album. We didn’t take a “catalogue” approach to the campaign, even though the repertoire was all classic songs.
YouTube
John was the keynote speaker at SXSW, he took over SXM for a weekend, and he headlined the iHeartRadio Fest in Vegas. He appeared on Joe Rogan, Trackstar, and Dan Patrick. He played on NPR’s Tiny Desk and The Colbert Show. We doubled his social media following and his previous streaming numbers across his entire catalogue. Concurrently, we launched a new collaboration with Eric Church and NASCAR, plus a new remix with The Outliers. We also released the entire CCR catalogue on colored vinyl and partnered with the NFL to create a new NFL Draft Mix of “Proud Mary.” It’s not nostalgia marketing when the artist is plugged into the cultural conversation. That’s what new mixes, collabs, videos, and brand partnerships can do to reinvigorate a catalogue artist. What other 80-year-old artist had a year-plus of massive looks like these? Next week, John will receive the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame’s highest honor. Let’s gooooooo!
Data Tricks and Traps
Keith: Parts of the music industry have become very transactional, with data leading the way. What data matters most to you when you’re making decisions, and what metrics matter far less — the numbers where your gut still wins?
Jill: “I look at all the streaming data. What really informs my marketing decisions is when I see a ‘lean forward’ audience. When searches, saves, and on-demand streaming are rising — that’s actionable. Instagram and TikTok song creates are also part of my regular review. YouTube analytics offer a wealth of fan behavior there to analyze. From how they consume on YouTube, I can tell a lot about what the audience wants. Additionally, when Shazam is lit up from a sync or strong radio play, I know I need to move. Another strong metric to monitor is ticket sales and merch demand. You can’t manufacture any of that, so you know you’re connecting authentically. Radio call-out data means less to me these days — except for SXM, which can really give a good early read on a record.”
What If IG and TikTok Just… Went Away
Keith: Data shows the younger audience is facing real social media fatigue and craving different societal and music experiences — for example, vinyl. If Instagram and TikTok vanished tomorrow — no clones, no replacements — what would that mean for labels, for artists, and for your job?
Jill: “Music is about connection. There is no replacement for it. The mechanism for discovery evolves, but what music gives to the world doesn’t go away. That will never change. If social fatigue sets in and there is total backlash, we adjust our tactics accordingly. That’s the beauty of being a true, always-on, contemporary marketing team. We have an extremely well-balanced, brand-forward marketing mix, and we aren’t so naïve or arrogant to think we know it all. We listen to the artist, and we listen to the audience. I don’t know what it would mean for other labels, artists, and music execs — but we’re evolving every day, and we’d simply pivot, because our artists are counting on us to be adaptable.”
The Marketing Mix
Keith: With everything from radio, sync, digital, brand partnerships, and creative all under your umbrella — what’s the most undervalued or underappreciated marketing lane in 2026?
Jill: “I wouldn’t call it undervalued or underappreciated, but I’d say the most misunderstood marketing function is sync. There is a real lack of understanding about how hard the creative sync game can be. Everyone wants sync because it creates exposure and revenue. But what goes into landing great sync placements is a lot of tedious work.
There are times when our team works on something for months — creating new music, sourcing a remix or a collab, getting the artist to buy in, and negotiating the rates. They get everything done, quoted, pitched, and then at the last minute, the director comes back and says they chose another song. It’s brutal, and everyone’s disappointed — and nobody knows how much went into it all. Then there are other times when I’ve seen our team do all of this and successfully land a sync that launches full-on marketing activations. I always tease them by saying they are the new promo guys — ‘heroes or zeros’ depending on the day.”
The One Situation
Keith: You’ve worked on campaigns for some of the biggest and most unique artists in the world. What’s that one situation you look back on and think, “I can’t believe we pulled that off” — or — “How did we ever make it out of that crisis?”
Jill: “So many come to mind, but two that stand out involve McCartney. We shut down the street in New York for Paul’s first underplay when we released his album Memory Almost Full*, and we did it again in LA when he did an in-store at Amoeba around his* NEW album. Both events were absolutely wild. Another artist that everyone said would never break through to the mainstream is Ghost, whose last record debuted at #1 all over the globe — and they now sell out arenas, which is awesome. I Prevail, The Revivalists, and Nathaniel Rateliff are all tied to moments where I just knew we’d break through, and we grinded to make sure they became career artists — not just artists who had a song or two. That’s what I love to do: artist and career development. It’s a rush, and that’s why marketing across active artist catalogue is so fantastic. There is always so much to do when you’re working with career artists.”
The Blank Slate
Keith: Last question — blank slate — say anything you want to any sector of the music industry. What do you want them to hear?
Jill: “Everyone fell asleep already, no more comments!!! 😉”
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Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit in New York City. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event June 30-July 2 share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the big apple. The Summit takes place at the SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street. For tickets and hotel room reservations, click here or visit the Summit section at the top of the website.
Rod Lakin is the Brand Manager for Sports Radio 94WIP in Philadelphia. He joined Audacy in 2021 after spending two decades in the spoken-word format. Prior to that, he worked for several brands in Arizona, including 620 KTAR, and served as both executive producer and eventually program director of Arizona Sports for Bonneville.
At Sports Radio 94WIP, Lakin oversees one of the most successful sports radio brands in the country, featuring a deep talent roster and partnerships with the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies. Lakin has been both an attendee and speaker at numerous Barrett Media Sports Summits and will be speaking at this year’s event on July 1. He sat down with Barrett Media from his office in Philadelphia, PA.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: What are you looking forward to the most later this month at the Barrett Media Summit?
Rod Lakin: I’m always just excited to see the people and get a chance to talk to your contemporaries. I enjoy hearing the discussions on stage and the presentations. I always enjoy the formal aspect of it, but the other part I really like is the informal part.
Where you watch somebody present something, like an event they created for their local market. They’re all great ideas that look fun. Then you have the opportunity to talk to somebody who works in the same building and company. Sometimes they share some added flavor to those presentations in those conversations. A lot of the behind-the-scenes conversations. You get a better idea of how people run their race.
John Mamola: For someone in your position, what value does the summit provide? Not only for yourself, but also what does it provide people who might be attending it for the first time?
Rod Lakin: There’s a couple of different things. One, the summit gives you an idea of the overall health of the business. People are using different ideas because the markets are all different. So, there’s not a ton of generalizable lessons that you can get.
The things that you can do in Philadelphia are not the same things you can do in other cities. Overall, you can take little things away from it.
I just like talking to my colleagues to get an idea of things that are working in their company. What are some of their challenges? How are they overcoming those challenges? Finding the lessons derived from all that.
John Mamola: What do you hope attendees take away from the session you’ll be participating in?
Rod Lakin: Anytime you’re presenting things that you’ve done, such as success stories, you’re hoping to inspire somebody to try a similar thing. Oftentimes you can’t do the same thing, but just getting the idea process moving is big.
If you can have an impact on somebody who takes something from one of your presentations and applies it to whatever they’re doing in their market, that’s a really good thing to have.
John Mamola: The Barrett Media Audio Summit will be featuring a large roster of speakers this year. Is there anyone who stands out that you’re looking forward to seeing in session?
Rod Lakin: I like going in not looking for any specific session. I like to be surprised. Personally, I don’t ever really look ahead and identify ones that I specifically want to sit in on. I just want to sit and watch everything.
John Mamola: Is there a specific topic that you hope is magnified more with the Summit coming up later this month?
Rod Lakin: I’m always excited to see and hear about what the newest digital initiatives are. AI, obviously, has been something that’s been top of mind in the last couple of summits. I’m sure it’ll play a big role in this one coming up.
John Mamola: How have you seen the Barrett Media Audio Summit evolve over time?
Rod Lakin: I mean, everybody just looks older every year. We’re stressed out and getting gray hair, including me. In all seriousness, I take as much enjoyment out of the actual presentations as I do talking to people behind the scenes. Just getting an idea of how everything’s going with them in their individual markets.
John Mamola: What do you think are the biggest opportunities and challenges the industry faces that you hope are addressed at the upcoming summit?
Rod Lakin: There’s so many different content choices right now. You’re competing with a much larger pool of competitors. So, how do people figure out how to deal with that challenge? Ideas are always important. As I’ve learned over the years, you can’t be reliant on the news cycle. You really need to get ahead of it. Have a lot of proactive and creative thinking.
Plus, as I mentioned before, I’m sure there are a lot of people now who are using AI in different ways in the industry. I’m curious to find out the lessons there as well.
John Mamola: Why should talent attend an event like the Barrett Media Audio Summit? What do you think they may get out of an event structured like this?
Rod Lakin: Like anything else, you get a thorough understanding of what your company and your leaders are doing. I think it’ll help you have a better idea of how to accomplish your mission.
It’s a more candid, behind-the-scenes look at what we’re dealing with as program directors. If I’m a talent, I don’t think there’s much downside in knowing that. Whether or not they care, I’m not sure.
That’s the way I would approach it if I were talent.
Rod Lakin WIP (Canva | Social Screenshots | ChatGPT)
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This coming Sunday evening will see a first for professional sports. For the first time in history, a live sporting event will take place on the South Lawn of The White House as UFC Freedom 250 unfolds. The card includes seven MMA bouts, a 92-foot, 600-ton, 154-foot-wide outdoor canopy dubbed “The Claw,” and President Donald Trump sitting front row on his 80th birthday enjoying a promotion he has long supported.
The idea was simple. The event evolved over time, yet one thing remains a mystery. With America celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, why can’t all Americans access this event on CBS television?
If you haven’t noticed lately, there’s a lot more combat sports programming on traditional television. The shift away from the pay-per-view model has accelerated over the past several years. The two biggest behemoths in the combat sports world are the UFC and WWE. Ironically, both properties now operate under the umbrella of TKO Holdings.
A Shifting Broadcast Model
Over the past year, WWE and UFC have begun reshaping their media rights agreements. WWE moved its PLEs (premium live events) from Peacock to ESPN. The company also moved the broadcast rights for Monday Night Raw to Netflix and shifted Friday Night SmackDown from FOX Sports to USA Network.
Since signing that agreement, WWE has placed PLE programming on ESPN and ESPN2 during select windows. The goal was simple: provide some programming on those networks to encourage sign-ups for ESPN Unlimited through the company’s direct-to-consumer platform. WWE has continued this practice for several months, including both nights of WrestleMania, the crown jewel of the promotion’s calendar year.
This weekend, ESPN presents its first-ever @WrestleMania – live from Las Vegas
The UFC has followed a similar model in recent months. After reaching a seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount, UFC numbered events began appearing on CBS television. In February, the UFC announced that, for the first time ever, a UFC numbered event would air on network television.
The announcement included the final hour of preliminary fights and the first hour of the main card airing on CBS. The objective mirrored WWE’s strategy with ESPN: provide some content for free on broadcast television in an effort to drive sign-ups for Paramount+.
While there is considerable debate about this approach among networks and their streaming platforms, the early results remain unclear. Neither Paramount nor ESPN has released data regarding the success or failure of the strategy to drive subscriptions.
A Unique Opportunity
However, UFC Freedom 250 presents a greater opportunity than any numbered event in the promotion’s history. It’s taking place on the South Lawn of The White House. The event is being promoted as a celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial. It also takes place on the 80th birthday of the President of the United States.
Without question, this event offers many more levels of interest than a typical UFC numbered event. So why aren’t CBS and the UFC taking the same approach they have previously by placing UFC content on CBS? Moreover, why isn’t the full event being used as a giant marketing vehicle for the UFC, the President, and the network to drive Paramount+ sign-ups?
To me, the decision not to air the event on CBS in its entirety is a giant miss for both the UFC and CBS.
With so many layers of intrigue, why are reruns of Marshalls and Tracker more important than a once-in-a-lifetime event? While I understand CBS’ commitment to the consistent audience those programs deliver, does the network not recognize how many additional viewers would tune in simply for the shock and awe of what this event represents?
From a competitive standpoint, there’s no NBA Finals to worry about going head-to-head against. And while the Stanley Cup Final could have a Game 6 airing at the same time, wouldn’t there be interest in seeing the UFC compete directly against the NHL’s crown jewel from a viewership standpoint?
The UFC and CBS aren’t just passing on additional television viewers by keeping UFC Freedom 250 behind the Paramount+ paywall. They’re passing on a rare cultural moment that could introduce the sport to millions of people who would never normally seek out a UFC event.
There’s Still Time…
Sports leagues spend years trying to manufacture moments that break through to the mainstream. The UFC doesn’t have to manufacture one. It already has it: a live sporting event on the South Lawn of The White House, the President of the United States sitting cageside on his 80th birthday, and a celebration tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
Whether people love it, hate it, or are simply curious about it, they’re going to be talking about it.
That’s exactly why CBS should want it on broadcast television. There’s still time to make the change.
The purpose of putting premium content on free television isn’t to maximize one night’s revenue. It’s to expand the audience, create new fans, and build future customers. WWE understands it. ESPN understands it. CBS and the UFC appeared to understand it earlier this year when they placed portions of UFC numbered events on network television.
Yet for the most unique event in company history, they’re choosing the opposite approach.
Maybe Paramount+ will see a short-term boost in subscriptions. Maybe the paywall strategy will prove financially successful. But opportunities to introduce your product to an entirely new audience don’t come around often.
Opportunities to do it from The White House come around even less.
Years from now, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as a historic first. The question CBS and the UFC may eventually ask themselves is whether they maximized the moment—or merely monetized it.
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The obituaries were written. Critics lined up to declare The Daily Wire finished, Ben Shapiro irrelevant, and conservative media’s once-dominant digital outlet on its last legs. That narrative spread fast — and it turns out, it spread wrong.
Throughout April and May, a chorus of voices argued that Shapiro had lost his grip on conservative media. Layoffs at the company fueled the fire. Candace Owens claimed 60% of the staff had been cut, and that figure raced across social media like it had been confirmed by three sources and a sworn affidavit. It hadn’t. Still, the story took hold, and suddenly everyone had a hot take about a company in freefall.
There’s just one problem. The data didn’t cooperate.
When the Numbers Don’t Match the Narrative
If The Daily Wire was truly collapsing under the weight of bad press, May would’ve been the month it showed. That’s when the negative coverage peaked. That’s when the layoff rumors dominated the conversation. So what happened to the audience? According to the latest Podtrac rankings, The Ben Shapiro Show finished May in seventh place on the Unique Monthly Audience chart. Seventh. That’s exactly where it sat in April.
Think about that for a second. Weeks of relentlessly negative coverage, a viral claim about mass layoffs, and a pile-on from critics across the media landscape — and the show didn’t move an inch. It didn’t slip. At all. It held steady.
That’s not the behavior of an outlet in crisis. That’s the behavior of an outlet with a deeply loyal audience that isn’t reading the same think pieces its critics are writing.
Two Shows, One Very Clear Point
The Shapiro show’s resilience is notable on its own. But then consider Morning Wire, The Daily Wire’s morning news podcast. It finished May in 15th place on that same Unique Monthly Audience chart — a top 20 finish across every podcast in the country, in every genre, covering every conceivable topic.
Two shows. Both in the top 15 of American podcasting. Both are competing against every sports show, true crime series, comedy podcast, and pop culture recap available to listeners nationwide. It’s genuinely difficult to look at those numbers and construct a serious argument that the brand is fading.
Furthermore, Morning Wire has quietly built one of the strongest audiences in news podcasting without generating anywhere near the amount of cultural conversation that surrounds Shapiro’s flagship. That kind of under-the-radar growth tends to be sustainable. It’s not built on a single viral moment or a hot-button controversy — it’s built on listeners showing up consistently.
So yes, The Daily Wire had a rough few months in the press. That happens. What doesn’t always happen is emerging from that stretch with your audience completely intact. Yet here we are.
The lesson here isn’t specific to conservative media, either. Audiences and narratives frequently diverge, especially in today’s fractured media environment. Critics and industry observers — this one included — sometimes confuse cultural chatter with consumption data. They’re not the same thing, and conflating them leads to bad analysis.
The Daily Wire’s critics made exactly that mistake. They saw a story they wanted to be true and ran with it before the numbers arrived. Now the numbers are here. They tell a different story entirely, and it’s time to update the take accordingly.
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if you spent any time in radio during the 1980s, 1990s, or early 2000s, you probably have a few radio remote stories. Some were legendary. Others felt like punishment.
There was the Saturday night bar remote where the owner slipped you a little cash at the end of the night and everyone had a great time. There were concert broadcasts, charity events, and county fairs where listeners actually wanted to meet the personalities they heard every day.
Then there were the remotes that made you question your career choices.
The Remotes Nobody Misses
The four-hour cell phone store remote on a Saturday afternoon. The furniture store grand opening. The car dealership remote where management convinced itself that a dozen people were going to buy a vehicle because the station vehicle was parked out front. Most of us knew how those played out.
The same prize pigs showed up every weekend. They grabbed a T-shirt, entered a contest, ate a hot dog, and disappeared. The odds of somebody buying a phone because a radio station was there were slim. The odds of somebody purchasing a new truck because the afternoon jock was broadcasting live were probably even slimmer.
Eventually, radio figured that out.
When the Calculation Changed
Sales departments became less interested in selling remotes. Clients became harder to convince. As a result, stations looked at the labor, equipment, staffing, and logistics involved and decided there were more efficient ways to make money.
In many cases, they weren’t wrong. But I think the industry made a mistake.
Because when radio stopped selling remotes, it also stopped showing up.
The remote wasn’t just a sales tool. It was, in fact, one of the primary ways radio physically existed in the community. Every weekend, station vehicles were parked somewhere. Personalities were shaking hands. Promotions teams were talking to listeners. The station logo was visible. The brand was moving around town.
Listeners didn’t just hear the station. They saw it.
What Got Lost in the Math
At some point, the industry started evaluating remotes solely through a sales lens. If the remote didn’t generate enough revenue, it wasn’t worth doing. What got lost in that calculation was the programming value.
Programming has always been about building relationships. Great radio stations aren’t just frequencies and playlists — they’re brands, personalities, and part of the community. That requires visibility.
For decades, radio stations understood that. Whether it was a county fair, a local festival, a charity fundraiser, or a Friday night football game, stations showed up. Sometimes the event generated revenue. Sometimes it didn’t. But every appearance reinforced something important.
The station was local, cared, and present.
Then COVID Made It Permanent
Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of that. Programming worried about ratings. Sales worried about revenue. Promotions worried about budgets. Corporate worried about efficiency. The result was fewer reasons to leave the building.
To be fair, the decline of the remote started before the pandemic. Staffing cuts, consolidation, voice tracking, and budget pressure had already reduced the number of stations actively working the streets. COVID simply accelerated the trend.
Events disappeared. Gatherings stopped. Personal appearances became difficult, and radio stations learned how to function without leaving the studio. When communities reopened, however, many stations never fully returned. What started as a temporary adjustment became a permanent operating model.
Social Media Is Not the Same as Community
At the same time, radio became increasingly dependent on social media. Again, the logic made sense. Social media was cheap, measurable, and didn’t require fuel, vehicles, remote equipment, or overtime pay. Best of all, it was essentially free.
But social media and community presence are not the same thing. A social media post generally reaches people who already know your station exists. A community appearance, by contrast, reaches people who may not. One maintains relationships. The other creates new ones. That’s a critical difference.
It’s also where the industry’s thinking may have drifted off course.
The Contradiction We Need to Confront
Radio stations spend every day telling advertisers they need visibility. They need awareness and to be seen. They need to engage with consumers where consumers live, work, and play. Yet many stations have largely stopped doing those things themselves.
It’s a strange contradiction. We’re in the advertising business, but somewhere along the way we stopped marketing ourselves.
The irony is that radio often wonders why listener engagement isn’t what it once was. We debate streaming and podcasts. We also debate changing media habits and audience fragmentation. Those are all real factors. But it’s also fair to ask what happens when a medium stops physically showing up.
Relationships are built through familiarity. Familiarity is built through presence. And presence requires getting out of the building.
There Has to Be a Middle Ground
I’m not suggesting we bring back every four-hour remote from a strip mall parking lot. Nobody is nostalgic for standing outside a cell phone store in August heat hoping someone signs up for a family plan.
But there has to be a middle ground. Sales and programming should be working together to identify events that accomplish both goals — events that generate revenue while strengthening the station’s connection to the community, and events that put faces on personalities and personalities on brands.
Because there is still tremendous value in being seen. There is still value in a station vehicle parked at a local event. There is still value in listeners meeting the people they hear every day. Ultimately, there is still value in showing up.
The remote may not have been a perfect business model. In many cases, it probably wasn’t. But it served a purpose beyond revenue. It reminded listeners that radio was part of the community, not just a signal coming from a tower. And in an era when every media company is fighting for attention, that’s something worth remembering.
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As a collective group, we’ve gnashed our teeth and spit out recommendations for getting young talent interested in the radio business. We wrote about it here last fall.
All the socials are perceived ‘cooler than radio’. TikTok is content fire, YouTube is a space where anyone can have their own ‘station’ and the entry to podcasting is easier than ever.
Most emerging talent view radio as something from ‘The Boomer Generation’. Yet, we know live radio — executed properly — is the most immediate, creative, and community-focused media. It allows teenagers to feel the thrill of creating live content, emotionally touch a real audience, and develop communication skills that translate on digital platforms.
Radio’s Talent Pipeline Problem
How will radio grow in the future without investment in recruiting talented emerging personalities?
It’s a ton of heavy lifting for time-starved clusters, but one avenue to spark interest in radio is through high school radio stations.
While these programs offer students real-world experience in broadcasting, audio production, and sports play-by-play, most broadcasters are unaware of their existence and often bypass high school job boards in their recruitment efforts.
Indiana’s Award-Winning High School Stations
Within my home state of Indiana, and drivable to visit, you will find over a dozen award-winning high school radio programs, including:
Carmel High School — WHJE 91.3 FM
WHJE is widely known as one of the most award-winning high school radio stations in Indiana. Located inside Carmel High School, the station is entirely student-run and broadcasts alternative rock, sports, podcasts, and community programming on its Class A FM signal.
Ben Davis High School — WBDG 90.9 FM
This Indianapolis high school station is one of America’s most recognized, launching the careers of many radio Hall of Famers. WBDG has operated from Indy’s West Side for decades at Ben Davis High School. Students create live programming, local news, team sports, and music broadcasts on a full FM signal serving Indianapolis.
Post your open part-time positions inside the school. Administrators will welcome you with open arms.
College Partnerships Open a New Pathway
It’s also encouraging to read last week’s news out of Long Island, New York.
Spearheaded by Kristin Okesson, Regional SVP/Market Manager for Connoisseur-Long Island, Connoisseur Media launched an initiative to introduce college-level students to the broadcasting industry. They’ve partnered with Nassau Community College — home to award-winning radio station WHPC 90.3 FM — to give students hands-on experience across the Connoisseur cluster through mentorship in broadcasting, marketing, sales, and digital media.
Okesson commented, “Partnerships like these create a direct pipeline for passionate students to gain real-world experience, build important industry connections, and ultimately become the future superstars of our business.”
The benefits students will reap extend beyond the cluster. Students involved in radio develop strong public speaking abilities, teamwork, and time-management skills.
Live, LOCAL radio creates opportunities for meaningful community involvement.
What about the kids who get interested in radio early — like pre-teen early — and develop into a top-tier broadcaster? What’s their story all about?
When the Bug Bites Early: Scott Miller’s Origin Story
We caught up with just one example.
When I was programming in Chicago, Scott Miller — now morning host on WJBC since 2019, the heritage news/talk station serving Bloomington-Normal, Illinois — would often call our air talent and religiously visit our appearances.
We asked Scott to share HIS origin story:
“I was 12 years old when the bug bit me. My parents took me to the Chicago Auto Show to meet legendary radio personality Dick Biondi. He was a voice my mother and father had grown up listening to in the 1960s, and one I would later come to admire myself.
That day changed my life.
Dick invited me on the air to deliver the weather forecast. In that moment, everything became clear. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to work in radio.
From the age of 12 until I turned 18, I made it a point to attend nearly every remote broadcast Dick hosted. He welcomed me, put me on the air and shared lessons about the radio business. He taught me about programming, sales, promotions and how a station operates behind the scenes.
More importantly, he taught me about listeners. Dick believed the audience always came first. He often reminded me that radio personalities are not the important ones. Our job is to entertain, inform, and connect with the people doing the truly important work in their everyday lives.
Since that day in February 1991, I have carried one dream: to spend my life working in radio. So far, that dream continues.
To this day I speak to grade school kids about this industry and participate in every high school and college class tour of our studios.”
Our challenge for the radio industry is ensuring the next generation understands the values Scott assimilated at an early age.
Radio has survived major media disruption because radio evolves. Our next stage of evolution is solely dependent on investing in young creators — now.
When the phone rings, answer it. When the email arrives, reply.
Your next Scott Miller might be on the other end.
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.
