Former WLS-AM 890 news reporter Jim Johnson has died, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Johnson spent nearly five decades working for the Chicago news/talk station. He joined the station in 1968 after graduating from the University of Illinois, and stayed until retiring in 2013.
“He was the perfect newsman for a radio talk show,” former colleague Roe Conn told the Sun-Times. “He really does care about getting it right.”
In 2019, Johnson was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two days after his sister died from the same ailment.
“He handled this entire diagnosis with such grace and courage and humility,” his daughter said. “He said, ‘I’m not going to ask, why me? Because why not me? Things happen to everyone.’ I found that so powerful. He was sweet until the very end.”
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The National Hockey League and Rogers Communications have reportedly reached a 12-year media rights deal that will grant the league a total payment of approximately $11 billion Canadian dollars, which is equivalent to $7.7 billion U.S. dollars, according to a report from Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. This deal, which equates to approximately $640 million USD per season, will reportedly commence with the 2026-27 season and is more than double the value of its current contract, which was also a 12-year deal said to be worth about $5.2 billion CAD ($4.9 billion USD based on exchange rate at the time).
This new contract surpasses the total remuneration from the deals signed by ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery, which began with the 2021-22 season and is reportedly worth $4.5 billion over seven years. According to the Sportico report, the league media and executive committees have recommended to the owners that they approve the new deal with Rogers Communications in the coming days.
Rogers Communications has a 37.5% ownership stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and is currently in the process of doubling its share through a transaction with Bell Media to become a majority owner at a valuation of just over $3.4 billion USD. Concurrent with this announcement was news that Bell Media gained access to content rights for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors on TSN for the next 20 years under a deal with Rogers.
Rogers Communications has owned a majority of Canadian NHL rights since signing its existing contract with the league in 2013. The company operates the Sportsnet channel throughout the country that televises both regional and national contests. In fact, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames both agreed to 11-year rights deals with the network in 2024. On top of that, the company also has ownership of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and sponsor naming rights for several venues across the country, including Rogers Centre in Toronto, Rogers Arena in Vancouver and Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Amazon’s Prime Video reached a deal with the NHL last year to become the exclusive streaming home of Monday night NHL games in Canada, inking a two-year contract in tandem with Rogers Communications. The agreement began this season and marked the first time the NHL inked a deal for an exclusive national broadcast package to air on a digital-only streaming service. Amazon has previously declined comment about whether the Monday night games would lead to acquiring more broadcasts upon the expiration of Rogers’ current deal.
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The debut of the Athletics in their new home ballpark in Sacramento, CA, got off to a very rocky start last night as the hometown A’s hosted the Chicago Cubs in front of a sellout crowd of 12,119 at Sutter Health Park. While construction projects were still being completed in the outfield prior to the first pitch, the broadcasts for both the Athletics and Cubs were unexpectedly taken off the air due to technical issues, which were later discovered to be internet-related.
This marks the first season in which the Athletics will be playing in Sacramento, as the team is currently in the midst of transitioning to its new full-time home in Las Vegas.
In radio samples obtained by Awful Announcing, the Athletics’ radio broadcast went silent for several minutes during multiple innings. Meanwhile, Dieter Kurtenbach of the San Jose Mercury News provided a play-by-play of the technical difficulties on X.
As the situation worsened, the Athletics radio network eventually decided to carry the television broadcast on the radio network while they continued to work on resolving the issues.
At the same time, Kurtenbach continued to describe the ongoing issues for the Athletics radio network in real time via social media. Additionally, the Chicago Cubs broadcast was also affected by the same internet-related technical issues. Scanning feedback from listeners on X, it became evident that numerous Cubs radio listeners grew increasingly frustrated with the signal loss.
Due to the ongoing signal issues in Sacramento, 670 The Score ultimately decided to carry Infinity Sports Network programming for a period of time. As a result, some listeners on social media expressed confusion over the unexpected programming switch.
Despite all the technical setbacks, the game eventually reached its conclusion, with the Cubs securing a dominant 18-3 victory. Fortunately, both radio networks managed to resolve the feed issues by the later innings.
However, the internet problems were not the only unusual occurrence during the Athletics’ first game in the state capital. At one point in the seventh inning, a bat boy named Stewart Thalblum noticed a drone being flown near the left field wall. Reacting quickly, Thalblum took it down with a baseball bat, preventing any potential disruptions or safety concerns.
In the aftermath of the chaotic evening, neither the team nor the facility issued any official statements regarding the technical issues or the drone incident following the Athletics’ first game in their temporary Sacramento home.
Issues with the Athletics radio feed for the home opener in Sacramento.
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Comcast Corporation has reached a deal with the YES Network for continued distribution of the regional sports network, ensuring that its customers will be able to continue viewing New York Yankees baseball, Brooklyn Nets basketball and other live programming. The two sides were nearing the expiration of a deadline that had been extended to avoid a blackout of YES Network amid the expiration of its carriage agreement. The news of the agreement just before the proverbial eleventh hour on Monday night comes ahead of the Yankees beginning a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Nets closing out the regular season with five home games.
“Comcast and YES have reached an agreement for continued distribution of the YES Network,” the two companies said in a joint statement obtained by Barrett Media. If no deal had been reached before the deadline, the network would have presumably gone dark in New Jersey and other marketplaces.
YES Network chief executive officer Jon Litner appeared in the Yankees television broadcast booth where he delineated the situation and voiced that Comcast had been demanding YES Network to move on a more expensive digital package. On top of that, Litner spoke about how Comcast has been giving their own networks preferred treatment, including SportsNet New York, of which it possesses a partial ownership stake. At the moment, it is unclear if YES Network will remain available within the current distribution plan.
“Comcast is dropping YES Network because YES refuses to be moved to a more expensive tier, which would cost Yankees and Nets fans an extra $20 per month,” YES Network said in a message that appeared on its programming this past Sunday. Comcast responded to the comments issued by Litner in a concurrent statement.
“We have offered to distribute YES Network in the same package that has been accepted by 20 RSNs in over 100 DMAs across the country in order to provide fans with access to YES programming and a choice for consumers who do not want to pay the additional fees for the games,” Comcast said in a statement obtained by Sports Business Journal.
“YES Network has insisted we pay higher fees when nearly 90% of customers watched fewer than 5 of the ~130 Yankees games it aired last season. If we lose the rights to carry YES, we will credit our customers between $7-$10 a month. Xfinity customers can also subscribe directly to the Gotham Sports App to watch the games.”
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Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud is the first name to surface and announce that he will be part of a new local program on the recently rebranded 1150 WTMP signal in the Tampa Bay market. The station, which is owned and operated by Neal Ardman of NIA Broadcasting, came to an agreement with ESPN Radio in February to carry the network’s programming after it departed iHeartMedia’s 95.3 WDAE and AM 620 in November of 2024.
Stroud, who co-hosted morning drive on WDAE with current Poynter Institute senior media writer Tom Jones from 2011 to 2016, also serves as the lead Buccaneers beat reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and hosts the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast. Notably, Stroud shared the news via his X account early Tuesday morning.
“I’m very excited and honored to have the opportunity to co-host the first local show on ESPN Tampa Bay,” wrote Stroud via X. “Radio has always been one of my favorite formats because of the instant connectivity to the audience and the ability to share my experience and insight from my work at the Tampa Bay Times.”
However, Stroud did not hint at a timeline for the debut of the new program or reveal who his co-host may be for the upcoming show on the Tampa Bay sports radio outlet.
Meanwhile, in February, former WDAE host Ian Beckles hinted at the possibility of joining the station during an episode of his Beckles & Recher podcast.
“I had a young man approach me. I’m not going to say his name right now because maybe he doesn’t want me to say his name,” explained Beckles on his podcast on February 19. “He contacted me about a month ago saying he was trying to purchase ESPN Radio. He hit me up yesterday and said everything is done. I’ll be contacting the next week or so, trying to do some local radio.”
As for ESPN Radio Tampa Bay programming, it is now based on 1150 WTMP Egypt Lake, along with translators 92.9 W225CQ Tampa and 102.1 W271DL Egypt Lake/St. Petersburg, FL. Previously, the station had aired Rhythmic Oldies. Significantly, the Tampa Bay radio market has not seen a true all-sports competitor to iHeartMedia’s WDAE since December of 2014, when CBS Radio’s 98.7 The Fan folded after just over two years.
“There’s so many talented people out there,” said Beckles in February. “I’m not saying that the other station is not doing a great job, but I think it’s going through a kind of a metamorphosis a little bit. There’s been a lot of changes, and maybe we need some new blood.”
For context, Stroud has been working in the Tampa Bay market since April of 1983, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times.
I’m very excited and honored to have the opportunity to co-host the first local show on ESPN Tampa Bay. Radio has always been one of my favorite formats because of the instant connectivity to the audience and the ability to share my experience and insight from my work at the… pic.twitter.com/oqHOGTHaab
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Since 2019, Barrett Media has presented the Jeff Smulyan Award to a deserving executive at the BSM Summit. Past winners have included Kraig Kitchin, Dan Mason, Traug Keller, Julie Talbott, and Steve Cohen. It’s an honor reserved for those who have led organizations to success, while leaving an undisputed impact on the organization in the process. Making it extra sweet, we’re joined in person by the founder of the sports format, Jeff Smulyan, who addresses the room and presents our annual recipient with their honor.
Industry folks often connect executives to the bad news surrounding radio. They lose sight of how valuable strong leaders are to the health and success of a company. From supporting, mentoring, and challenging programmers and talent, to recruiting future stars, moving the company into new business ventures, forming and extending relationships to grow the business, and assisting markets with growth opportunities and challenges, the best in the business up top, often have their hands in a lot of jars. They understand how to connect the needs and wants of the local market with the needs and wants of corporate leadership. Critical decisions don’t happen without their involvement.
Which brings me to today’s reveal for the 2025 Jeff Smulyan Award.
Broadcasting is what Bruce Gilbert was born to do. He’s been a presence inside of radio stations since he was a child, landing his first job in the industry at the age of 14 in Binghamton, NY at 1290 WNBF. He has been involved in every aspect of programming, sales, network distribution, play-by-play and new media, holding high ranking positions at nearly every major radio organization.
Bruce’s programming resume includes stops in Lake Charles, LA at KBIU, WTAW and KTSR in College Station, TX, and WVAF in Charleston, WV. From there he moved to larger cities, managing WTAE/WVTY in Pittsburgh, PA, and KDBN, KLIF, KPLX, KTCT in Dallas. His stint with Sports Radio The Ticket in Dallas produced some of the radio station’s most important early success.
After making his mark in Dallas, Bruce went national. He moved to Bristol, CT in 2003 to become GM of the ESPN Radio Network. At ESPN Radio, Bruce oversaw all programming, affiliation and sales for the network, working closely with the network’s owned and operated radio stations. While leading the brand, ESPN Radio hired Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb, and Freddie Coleman, and elevated Mike and Mike to become sports radio’s signature morning show, and a key fixture on sports television in the morning.
Gilbert would leave ESPN Radio to move to the nation’s capital. He became CEO of Dan Snyder’s radio group, Red Zebra Broadcasting in 2007. Bruce would help the company expand to thirteen regional stations before having to guide it through an economic recession in 2008 and 2009.
He then headed back to Dallas in 2010 to become the VP of News, Talk and Sports Programming for CBS Radio Dallas. His role included oversight of Newsradio 1080 KRLD, 105.3 The Fan and the Texas State Network.
But a return to the national scene was too enticing to pass up in 2013. He took the reins at iHeartMedia, becoming VP of Sports. The role included oversight of Fox Sports Radio, and assisting iHeartMedia’s sports brands. He remained in that role until January 2015 when Cumulus Media and Westwood One hired him as SVP of Sports.
Today, Gilbert oversees all of Westwood One’s Sports Play-by-Play. He also manages key relationships with the NFL, NCAA, and national talent such as Jim Rome. Bruce works closely as well with Audacy on the Infinity Sports Network. Additionally, he helps programmers, talent, and local leaders across Cumulus Media.
Radio is important to Bruce’s entire family. His father Gary entered the business in 1963, and worked as a news reporter, anchor, on-air talent, play-by-play announcer, sales manager and radio station owner. His brother, Mike Thomas, manages Audacy’s Boston cluster. Prior to landing there, Mike helped build and guide 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. He also led Good Karma’s ESPN 1000 in Chicago. Bruce’s sister, Becky Peutz has also hosted shows for Classic Rock WIQI Watseka, IL and WPXN in Paxton, IL.
Photo of Bruce Gilbert speaking at the 2023 BSM Summit in Los Angeles
The choice of Gilbert for this honor brought a big smile to Jeff Smulyan’s face. Emmis Communications’ CEO said, “It’s terrific that Bruce is being honored. No one has had the impact he has had in so many places. He has made friends and found great success throughout the industry. I’m honored to present him with this award.”
Bruce Gilbert was full of gratitude when I called him to share the news. He said of his selection, “It is a tremendous honor to even be considered for this award, to win it, is nothing short of overwhelming. I admire and look up to Jeff Smulyan and all the previous winners. The only reason I’m even in this conversation is because of the men and women I’ve had the great fortune of working with during my career. I’ve learned from each of them, and they have been the reason for any and all success I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve.”
Having worked for Bruce, I can attest to his passion and knowledge for creating winning sports radio content. He is also one of the most outgoing, humble people you’ll meet. Craig Fenech and I have joked before, Bruce is the type of executive who you feel worse for than yourself when he has to let you go. He’s just a genuinely good guy and great leader.
When you see Bruce at the 2025 BSM Summit, he’ll likely tell you someone else should have received this award. However, few are better at their job than Bruce Gilbert, and few have made a stronger impact on the sports radio business than Bruce Gilbert. It is an absolute honor to present him with The 2025 Jeff Smulyan Award. To do it in the city where his favorite baseball team plays makes it even sweeter.
The Premiere Networks awards ceremony will take place on Friday May 9th from 12pm-12:50pm. Bruce joins Danny Parkins (Champions Award) as our second award recipient. Still to come are announcements for the Mark Chernoff Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
2025 BSM Summit tickets are available at BSMSummit.com. The final agenda will be revealed closer to the event. If you need a hotel room, secure your room before April 9th. Reduced rates are no longer available after that date.
Following a 2018 overturning of PASPA by the Supreme Court of the United States, sports gambling has become big business for 38 states and Washington, D.C., which have legalized sports betting in some form as of February of this year. Broadcasters have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of wagering becoming legal in these states as sports book marketing dollars have flood your television, radio station, social media feeds among other places.
This newfound revenue stream has saved some broadcasters from going out of business, and some broadcasters have created a business model off the legalization of wagering across the United States. As sports betting becomes legal across more of the country, there is a growing desire for “wager-tainment” as the safeguards that once prevented wagering are now gone.
It leads one to ask what these same broadcasters, who are enjoying the benefits of this new profit stream, are providing their own talent to ensure they keep the trust of the consumer with more educated picks. While also asking what these broadcasters are providing, in a digital age, as far as protections for their talent from consumers who follow the talent’s pick to a personal loss.
“If you’re a broadcaster that has never wagered before or doesn’t know a lot about it; And you’re just looking for the extra couple bucks in your pocket, you should make it very clear to the people you’re asking to follow your lead that you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” said Craig Carton, host of Breakfast Ball on FS1 and also a FanDuel responsible gaming ambassador since 2021.
With the Final Four set to happen this weekend, it’s a guarantee that sports media talent around the country will tirelessly debate who should win in each of the basketball games to be played. In states where wagering is legal, it’s likely that some arm of sportsbook advertising will support that debate with their advertising dollar. This puts the trust between talent and consumer to the test, when a talent shares their pick only for the consumer to potentially follow their belief in the talent to make a personal wager.
“The one term that drives me crazy in the whole gambling industry is people are always saying this is my lock,” said Ben Mintz, a talent with the digital media company Barstool Sports. “You’ll never hear me say that. All this is educated guessing.”
Mintz, also known as Mitntzy, has built a massive social following through his wagering content on the Barstool Sports platform, with entertaining reactions off both winning big and losing large.
“I think what I’m giving are fairly educated picks,” said Mintz. “People obviously mess with you when you got a losing streak, and you hear about on social media.”
Are Broadcasters Prepared? Social Media With Legal Gambling
Social media has added a layer to sports gambling and especially the concerns surrounding it. With the launch of March Madness this year, the NCAA began airing a video throughout the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments called “Don’t Be A Loser,” which calls attention to the alarming prevalence of abuse and harassment student-athletes face from angry fans who lost a bet. According to a study by Signify Group, last year found 1 in 3 student-athletes received abusive messages from those with a betting interest; 80% of the abuse was directed at March Madness men’s and women’s student-athletes, with women’s basketball student-athletes receiving approximately three times more threats than men’s basketball student-athletes.
While athletes are becoming more targeted for their performance on the field of play from those who lose bets, broadcasters and media personalities are no stranger to this sort of harassment as well. Mitch Moss, host of Follow The Money on VSiN Live, believes it’s nearly impossible for broadcasters to avoid social media backlash in the sports gambling world on social media.
“Of course you’re going to get trolls out there every single day and it’s very easy to hit the mute button,” said Moss. “That’s what I’ve done to quite a few people, because they’re faceless, nameless, worthless accounts that provide nothing to society. What’s the point of aggravating yourself by looking at this stuff every single day? There is none.”
Mitch Rosen, BetMGM Network Vice President of Operations, says that all broadcast companies have built in some responsible gaming messaging on their platforms, but he trusts talent are taking the rights steps in making any thoughts or picks surrounding games.
“I think if you listen to our content, our talent are doing, ‘hey, this is what we think.’ It’s great interaction with the audience,” said Rosen. “I’m not saying it (social media backlash) would never happen, but I think our hosts are very cautious in giving out their thoughts and their picks. At the end of the day, it’s all about responsible practices and responsible gaming.”
While the messages about responsible gaming are present, for most brands they are also often in the tail end of the overall messaging or rushed to fit a hard timed commercial length.
“Should there be some kind of disclaimer that your favorite radio talk show host, whoever he or she may be, is not an expert at picking games,” questioned Carton when asked if there should be added layers of responsible gaming messaging. “I think it’s probably something there that you could be looked into.”
Investing In Sports Wagering Assets For More-Informed Talent
The American Gaming Association predicts that Americans will wager an estimated $3.1 billion in legal bets on the NCAA March Madness tournament this year. That’s even more than was bet on the Super Bowl, which was $1.39 billion.
This rise coincides with the rise in advertising dollars spent by gambling companies across all forms of media. According to iSpot, a company that measures the brand and business impact of TV and streaming advertising, gambling companies spent $434.4 million on sportsbook commercials in 2024, ranking 29th among all industries on TV.
While gambling companies advertise with broadcasters to leverage that trust between the talent and consumer in an attempt to convince them to use the product. In speaking with several managers of traditional radio brands on background, there are no additional resources provided to talent to make more informed picks on air from the same gambling companies who advertise. One unnamed source who manages a traditional radio brand stated that their talent is “just winging it,” because requests for added resources from a gambling company were denied.
VSiN Executive Vice President of Talent and Programming Steve Cohen says that, unlike others, his sports betting network does provide a plethora of assets to talent to help them in making more informed decisions with their VSiN Pro platform.
“We have a treasure chest of information that our talent can draw from and that is the VSiN Pro product,” said Cohen. “Everything they need to help them make informed decisions on who they want to wager on and then bring forth that information to our listeners and viewers is at their disposal.”
Cohen notes the information contained in the VSiN Pro subscription service, which is also available to the consumer, contains latest splits, odds, and other important information.
“Anybody can make picks, but what we do is very different,” stated Cohen. “It’s not good enough to just make a pick. For wagering, we have all this great information for our hosts to go through on VSiN Pro to help them make that informed decision.”
While every broadcasting entity cannot provide uniform coverage in both assets and protection for their talent when it comes to approaching “wager-tainment,” the overwhelming sense is there is limited concern about the trust factor between talent and consumer being lost over a bad bet. Brands and talent work years to earn that trust, yet are now gambling to keep it while reaping in the rewards of legalization with advertising. The overall sense is the advertising dollar has more importance to have any concern about losing trust with the listener. Broadcasters continue to take the risk of why prepare like the NCAA has when there is no issues with their side of the sports gambling equation, yet.
The NCAA is showing added emphasis this year by taking steps to further educate their consumer on the dangers of sports gambling due to consumer backlash against its student-athletes. Should broadcast companies do the same as their talent rosters continue to earn advertising dollars from gambling companies, as sports wagering becomes more legal around the country?
That may be a bet to wager on.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Everything on ESPN is the WWE now, and that sucks.
It’s not that I dislike professional wrestling. It’s been years since I have watched. Like, the last time I could honestly call myself a wrestling fan there was no AEW, TNA, or NXT. Hell, I’m pretty sure we were still calling it the WWF. I recognize a compelling product and story when I see it though.
Why does professional wrestling work? Maybe you think it’s in the writing. Maybe you think it’s about the live reaction of the crowds in the arena, selling every revelation and twist with real, loud reactions.
Those things all matter, but at the end of the day, all of the drama works because we get to watch two guys actually fight. Sure, it’s scripted, but every story is paid off with physical violence.
Unless Disney makes some serious changes to their employee handbook, I don’t think Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James are actually throwing hands. It’s just a lot of talk, and that can be compelling, but if I’m going to watch two guys each talk about how scared the other is of him, I’m going to need a resolution and there is only one that will do.
It’s So Much More Than LeBron v Stephen A. Smith
Nick Wright recently said that LeBron James has painted Stephen A. Smith into a corner in this feud. I think that’s wrong. They have both painted ESPN into a corner because where the hell is there for this thing to go?
I don’t have a problem with any of these in a vacuum. I actually agree with the points Duncan made last year about Charles Barkley and LeBron James, but not everything can be a fight that goes nowhere. Just think with your PD hat on for a second. What kind of content is that?
The Pat McAfee Network
Since striking a deal with Pat McAfee two years ago, ESPN’s identity has shifted. I have written about this before. There was never a reason to wonder how McAfee would fit into the ESPN ecosystem. So many of the network’s biggest stars were more eager to fit in with him.
McAfee is a showman. That should be a good thing for ESPN. I don’t think it always fits, but I see the value. It should make McAfee stand out as something truly unique in sports media and in the history of ESPN.
I don’t dislike McAfee. He is silly and quick-witted. There’s a lot about his show that I enjoy, but I don’t need every show to be Pat McAfee.
I also don’t need the WWE where I didn’t sign up for it. College GameDay has turned from a TV show to a live event. I know plenty of younger college football fans that like the show now, but to me, watching McAfee play to the crowd in attendance instead of the much bigger audience watching at home is just bad TV.
And again, I don’t believe anyone on that desk is actually interested in delivering sweet chin music to back up their tough talk. So McAfee antagonizing Washington State fans, Kirk Herbstreit’s ire at anyone that criticizes him or Nick Saban’s shouting down a celebrity guest all ring hollow.
Stephen A. Smith Knows How To Do This
Stephen A. Smith isn’t trying to fit in with Pat McAfee though. He never needed anyone’s influence to find a reason to channel his inner Chris Jericho. He has a long history of staring down the barrel of an ESPN camera to cut a promo for a fight that is never going to happen. Knowing how to manipulate being rebuked and turn it into content is part of what makes the man so valuable to his employer.
The problem with First Take right now is not Smith’s or anyone else’s ego. In fact, ego is part of what makes a debate show work. Mike & the Mad Dog is off the air after a year if Mike Francesa and Chris Russo were just two reasonable people.
Ego is playing a role in the problem though. This is happening, but the Stephen A./LeBron saga won’t end. Every new chapter is a staircase that leads to nowhere.
Nice try folks. On my show, I said I would’ve swung on @KingJames had he slapped me — like lots of y’all said I was scared he would’ve done a few weeks ago. I also said immediately after that I would’ve gotten my ass thoroughly kicked by the 6’8”, 250lb Goliath, but folks just…
It’s fitting that Smith has a decades-long love of soap operas, because this fight is playing out just like a storyline on his beloved General Hospital. Only so much can happen and there will never be any real resolution. In a soap opera’s case, there are hours of dead air to fill. Resolution would be detrimental to the product. In First Take’s case, no resolution is not the goal, it just makes Stephen A. vs. LeBron perfect content because, again, there are hours of dead air to fill.
ESPN = The WWE, But Just The Boring Part
I have a friend, who is also in the business, that has suggested that the WWE-ifying of ESPN is a response to the 2024 election. Her argument is that hosts like Dan Bongino and Charlie Kirk, who love to talk about what they would do, are receiving attention from people and institutions that were not familiar with their hustle until now. It’s natural for ESPN and others in the media to see their success and conclude that tough talk that never has to be backed up is the new recipe for success.
I disagree.
ESPN devotes space on its website to WWE news. It fills social media pages with clips from Raw and Smackdown and “did you know” graphics about any wrestler that has a more traditional sports background. Shannon Sharpe was begging to get in the ring with John Cena while discussing the WWE star’s heel turn last month on First Take.
The network didn’t need any election result or societal trend to push it towards professional wrestling. It has always seen value in the sport. That’s part of why it struck a deal with McAfee in the first place.
But ESPN can never truly embrace the WWE, because in the WWE, dudes actually hit each other. That’s what fans come to see. Even if the writing is good and people are locked into the story, they are tuning in for the physical violence.
Until LeBron is ready to chokeslam Stephen A. Smith through the First Take desk, ESPN is stuck promoting the boring part of WWE programming.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Wonder when it leaked into business. The Slogan, most likely, with the pervasion of overly-researched, splintered brands and the advent of syndicated consultancy.
When did every one of our brands need a slogan? Quick. What’s the slogan for Apple, Tesla, and Starbucks?
You know their product – WITHOUT a slogan.
Apple – brand identity, minimalist design, and product innovation. Their products and branding speak for themselves.
Tesla – branding is built around Elon Musk’s persona, technological innovation, and word-of-mouth. Tesla’s futuristic identity is well-established.
Starbucks – the brand is built on experience and lifestyle, as they feel their consumers are ‘over-marketed.’ The Green Mermaid Logo and in-store atmospherics support a strong brand.
Years ago, our late radio friend George Johns reinforced to us that Disney doesn’t have a slogan. No string of words could appropriately describe the Disney brand.
McDonald’s?
OK. McDonald’s has a catchy jingle that they change every few decades. Since 2003, their “I’m Lovin’ It” phrase has been more of an aural activator pushed into the consumer psyche by their overwhelming advertising muscle.
During a break in one of The NCAA March Madness Games last week, CBS rejoined the action with a slate of their sponsors, each with a slogan.
While near the television, there was zero recall of even ONE of their sponsor’s slogans.
Modelo
Royal Caribbean
Lexis
Think – what ARE their slogans? Answer key at the bottom of this article.
What about radio’s addiction to the slogan?
Regardless of the positioning statement, NPR means fact-based journalism, K-EARTH means Classic Hits, and WBBM means all news. All operate just fine without a meaningless slogan.
A quick audit of America’s radio markets reveals the following taglines on legacy brands.
“Your Number One Hit Music Station.”
“Upbeat Variety for Your Workday.”
“Best Mix of the 80s 90s 2k and Today.”
.
What does any of those slogans do to enhance the product for the listener? Not everyone agrees on slogan development for radio brands.
We asked programmer Ron Harrell – who’s built huge large market and syndicated brands – about his take:
“If your station’s call letters or nickname connect the listener emotionally and logically to your brand’s usage and purpose, then remove the noise of a slogan. Slogans are basic branding identifiers for an audience attacked by the noise of multiple audio mediums and social media channels.”
If you hold tight to your slogan, at the minimum, take it out of your on-air talent content development.
Imagine walking into Wal-Mart, Target, or Publix, and the greeter says to you:
“Welcome to Wal-Mart – Save Money, Live Better. My name is Kevin…”
“Hello, my name is Kevin. This is Target – Expect More, Pay Less. How can I help you…?
“Hi, how’s your day going? Publix – Where Shopping is a Pleasure. I’m Kevin let me know how I can help you…”
That’s how we sound when we put a slogan in the talent’s mouth.
A friend who encouraged us to revisit this topic called slogans – “soul-sucking.” Spot. On. The best brands are defined by their experience.
When a format or evolution launches, we feel compelled to etch a position in the listener’s mind.
One of our last audio creations – no slogan – listen here. The experience lives in the mind. If you have a slogan, take it off, out, and down for a week.
Remove it from promos, liner cards, and websites. See how many calls, texts, or DMs you get. Better yet, ask a listener about your current slogan or the competitors at your next event. Define your experience in a quarter-hour—that’s all a listener needs.
Rest In Peace – Slogan.
Answer Key
Modelo (The Mark Of A Fighter)
Royal Caribbean (Come Sea)
Lexis (Experience Amazing)
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For Gabby Diaz, getting an on-air gig in her hometown is a dream come true, especially when your hometown is Los Angeles. Díaz is currently the Midday Host on the legendary 102.7 KIIS FM in LA and also hosts afternoons on WILD 94.9 in San Francisco.
It’s not too shabby for a girl from SoCal working to live the dream. It doesn’t suck that her first real “radio job” was in 2010 at Power 106 in LA, doing street team and promotions.
In 2013, she landed Power overnights on weekends while acting as Promotions Coordinator. In between, she was doing part-time on-air in both Palm Springs and San Diego. Finally, in 2015, she got her first full-time gig with iHeart in San Francisco, doing nights on Wild 94.9. In 2018, she was moved up to afternoons. Then, in October of 2021, she moved back to Los Angeles for personal reasons and was officially named Middays on KIIS FM.
Diaz says the industry has changed “a lot!” since she started. “I think working for a company like iHeart, you see what the possibilities are,” she says. “But then throw in something like a pandemic, and it changed EVERYTHING. I mean, just doing a show from home was not even a thought at one point.”
“I originally got into radio because of my love for music. I’ve always been into music since I was in High School. But I definitely want to have an impact on people, especially on women. Just to prove you can do it no matter what size you are. I’ve always been on the plus side and want to show that your talents will take you far no matter what you look like.”
“For me, it’s about being authentic and fun! I’m always me. If that’s me stumbling over my words, you’re going to hear that ’cause that’s me!”
As for what excites Diaz most about the business, it comes down to basics. “I think just interviewing some of the artists I have—nothing but A-listers. I never thought that would ever happen. But also being on that stage at LA’s “Jingle Ball.” LA is home for me. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to make it back at any point. Here I am, and I’m so glad I did.”
“Look, it’s not always as easy or glamorous as it sounds. I think being in the industry is a challenge. But for me, handling any challenge starts with taking a step back and taking a deep breath. In any challenge, your mind should be clear.”
“And authenticity is key!” insists Diaz. “It’s the one thing the industry is missing right now. With so much content flooding our feeds, listeners are craving real, raw, relatable voices. To guarantee continued growth and success, it’s all about staying connected to the audience and embracing diversity. The future is all about engagement. If we keep it fresh, creative, and genuine, we’ll stay ahead of the curve.”
If radio hadn’t panned out for Diaz, she says, “I’d probably be working in some sort of events business. Before knowing I wanted to be on air, I was doing promotions and really enjoyed event planning. I also went to cosmetology school but didn’t finish, cause well radio. LOL!”
Follow Gabby Diaz on all socials @thegabbydiaz.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
