I found myself retrospective on a long drive. I started recalling phrases, instances, and lessons I learned or at least retained from the many, many talented people I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter in the radio business over the last three decades.
It’s a funny thing in and of itself: what stays with you over the years and what you never forget, what shapes you as a career broadcaster, manager, or even fan. So, in no particular order:
“Now, I shouldn’t have heard that from you.” This was an important lesson and, luckily, one I learned very early on as I began my journey while still in grade school. My earliest assignments included pulling records and carts for one of the on-air talent, and I’d occasionally do so for others as well.
Our PD was covering a shift, and as he back-timed his hour, he looked at what he needed to drop to stay on time. I chirped in that the guy I worked with would usually “drop the song he didn’t like.” The PD turned and replied with that phrase. It was my first lesson in managing up to a boss and being a good teammate; it was not mine to report
“I like radio stations that are sticky.” You’ve probably heard this one, as it comes from Michael Scott Shannon. Scott writes imaging and promos, names contests and features, and uses twists of phrase, all designed to stand out while still being pithy so they “stick out and stick with” the listener.
“You really are a contrarian.” I think of this one often, and it’s a badge of honor, as I once worked for a rigid manager who was resistant to thinking outside the box, in favor of the status quo, and never challenged corporate cram-downs. I was constantly pushing the envelope and navigating those parameters, and they could never understand it
“Hire talented people and then know they likely only meet you 80% of the way to your vision.” It’s what makes talent talent, creativity, the spark of imagination and experimentation. Many managers make the mistake of hiring hyper-talented individuals and then trying to force them into a hole, inevitably damaging their confidence in their performance and abilities.
“Take a calculated risk and, at the end of the day, go with your gut.” This speaks for itself. While research, consulting, and collaboration are all important and useful, ultimately, it all comes down to the magic of the moment. It sits next to another great analogic quote: “Wear the coat of your knowledge, but when it’s time to perform, take it off and just hang it up nearby so as not to constrict performance.”
“There is a triangle of success in radio and many skills, desire to do, talent to accomplish, discipline to achieve.”
The last is from Bill Drake (which many of us got from Shannon).
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Tony Lorino is the CEO of Throwback Brands and the host of Throwback Nation Radio. The company’s brands include Throwback Nation Radio, Throwback 2K, and Retro Pop Reunion.
After stops in Des Moines, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Atlanta, Lorino decided to step out on his own and develop the Throwback Brands.
With a family to feed and a vision, Lorino jumped into the deep end of the pool.
“There are a couple of things that I think I’ve learned through it, and one is that you have to embrace the little wins along the way because we kept growing the whole time. The toughest part was the pandemic. I started the show in the fall of 2018 with no significant expectations of how many stations we would get on this thing. What are we going to do?”
“What’s it going to be like? It was just really, okay, we’re going to, I’m going to give it a try, because, and the other part was, I saw an opportunity in the marketplace. I noticed that Classic Hits was modernizing, and it was having to appeal to a 40- to 54-year-old audience that had different tastes than the previous 40- to 54-year-olds, and it was not ready.
“The format as a whole was hanging on to what it had been and wasn’t modernizing, wasn’t moving quick enough, and so I said, you know what? I think I’m going to do it because I love it. I loved the format.”
Understanding the bond between the format and people’s memories and believing in his vision was key.
“You have this bond with the audience over their favorite songs and these times in their life that I just loved. So that’s where my head was with it, and we just kept working. I think the thing for me was an ultimate belief in myself that we would achieve what we wanted to achieve, even if it wasn’t instantaneous or overnight. The dollars and cents were a long-term play.”
Lorino’s vision and hard work have paid off.
“Throwback Nation, we’re at 80 affiliates in all market sizes from PPM to mom-and-pop. Throwback 2K is also right around 80 stations.
While the music may be from 30 to 40 years old, the Throwback brand’s presentation is contemporary.
“Everything we do is contemporary. Everything we do is today. It just happens to be that we’re playing classic music. In Throwback 2K, we saw something very similar to Hot AC in the late 90s and early 2000s, and this boom with 80s products where they couldn’t play enough.”
“We believe that this is the exact same situation, and that’s research-driven. We’ve done our homework. We’ve done some independent music research on the titles for the opportunities there, and you can see it, too. All you have to do is look at who’s at The Sphere in Vegas and the Backstreet Boys this year. Holy cow. I mean, that is Throwback 2K.”
I suggested that the music takes us to a time when the world wasn’t as divided and life for the core demo was simpler.
“125 billion percent, absolutely, and it’s the same, by the way, for all the different ages of people. If you’re a baby boomer, it’s the 80s that you’re probably tied to. If you’re an early Gen Xer, it’s the 1980s. For late Gen X or Zennial, it’s the 90s. If you’re a millennial, it’s the early 2000s. All these buckets of music and nostalgia make you feel good and bring you a little semblance of calm in a very uncalm world.”
I asked what is on the horizon for Throwback brands.
“We are always looking at opportunities, and right now, the stuff we’re looking at for the immediate future is to grow the three brands that we have. We still have a little more runway on all the shows because what we’re hearing more and more is that there are more stations that need more content of higher quality, and we’ve built not just content but quality content. In the case of Throwback Nation, it’s completely localized with call letters and promotion mentions, all woven in with the Radio.Cloud setup.”
“This business is self-funded. There’s no one underwriting. We’re not supported by a corporate entity like Westwood One or Premier that has the opportunity to develop something. Skyview Networks is our syndicator, and they play a huge part in our success; however, the growth and business are all self-funded.
Lorino sees value and opportunity for radio to learn from one another.
“We always joke that in this business, if you stole it from me, it’s been stolen twice. Right? And there’s a little bit of truth to that, but it isn’t always the verbatim of that. Sometimes it’s just the influence. It’s just about hearing someone say something in a certain way and observing how a different talent may try something on social media.
“We all have to be open to experimenting. We all have to be open to learning from each other. There is no tried and true plan for success in the infinite dial for people who have begun their careers in radio. The infinite dial is where we live now. We have got to take what we’re doing to social media. We have got to take what we’re doing on YouTube and other channels.”
“If we’re going to remain relevant, the interaction with the audience that we can achieve on all these multiple platforms is going to be the way we do it. And let’s learn from each other. We’re not looking to steal verbatim from someone but complement each other.”
Lorino is a big believer in complimenting others on a job well done.
“The most important thing right now for radio people to do is to support each other and complement each other when you think someone’s doing something good. If you see someone trying something on a social platform and sharing a video from on the air, send them a DM and say, ‘ Hey, that’s really cool.”
“I’ll give you a prime example. A couple of years ago, we are on WDJX in Louisville with Throwback2K. We saw Ben Davis, the PD there, doing New Year’s Tay, which was Taylor Swift on New Year’s Day. I thought it was brilliant. And I made sure to send him a message to say, I think this is great. What a good idea.”
Skyview Networks is the syndicator and can be reached here.
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Big time athletes are often judged by their performances in big games. At the most crucial times and in the most crucial moments, which athletes can rise to the occasion and take their games to the next level? The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (a.k.a. March Madness) offers broadcasters, like Andrew Catalon, this same opportunity.
With NIL money flowing freely, today’s college basketball players are gravitating to the most storied programs where they can get the most wins, most exposure, and let’s be honest, the most money. Because of this, the 2025 March Madness menu has not offered the usual buffet of grand upsets.
While the tournament has been entertaining, that signature miracle game has not transpired yet. I’m talking about a no-name small school beating one of the giants or a 16 seed taking down a 1 seed.
CBS play by play announcer Andrew Catalon knows what it’s like to call one of these games. Two years ago, he was the broadcast narrator exclaiming “FDU believe it?” when 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson upset number 1 Purdue 63-58. As the tournament moves to the Sweet 16, this year‘s signature game thus far occurred in the round of 32 with number 10 Arkansas taking on 2nd seeded St. John’s in Providence, RI. Catalon was again at the microphone for CBS in this anticipated and hyped matchup.
Meeting The Madness Of Calipari vs Pitino
Much of the fanfare surrounded two of the most successful, controversial, vocal, charismatic, loved, and despised coaches in the history of the game – John Calipari of Arkansas and Rick Pitino of St. John’s. As the cliche goes, you cannot write the history of men’s college basketball without mentioning these two names early and often in the dissertation.
The game also provided Catalon with another chance to step up and be great, and as usual, this prepared and entertaining sportscaster did not disappoint. Catalon has a varied background in broadcasting, and for this game, was paired with former college hoops coach Steve Lappas and sideline reporter Evan Washburn. Ideally, when it comes to important games on television, you want the athletes to be the stars, but in this contest, there was no doubt that Pitino and Calipari shared the spotlight.
When asked about their similarities leading into the game, Pitino said that both he and Calipari are Italian and love basketball, but there is more to it. They both carry a behemoth presence and have jumped from college basketball to the NBA and back. Their failures are as epic as their successes, and their sideline antics resemble circus clowns dressed in $5000 suits.
Catalon and Lappas put this game in perfect perspective during their pregame chit chat. With a vociferous crowd behind them, they recognized the impact of the coaching matchup and set the scene amazingly well. While they spoke, a CBS graphic showed that both Calipari and Pitino are approaching 60 wins in the NCAA Tournament and 900 wins overall as college coaches. Both men have a national championship pedigree, and Calipari is 13-10 all-time versus Pitino.
Catalon Letting The Action On The Court Tell The Story
As the action commenced, Catalon stepped to the forefront. He is a solid, meat and potatoes play-by-play announcer, deftly setting up Lappas and, when necessary, adding his own personality and flavor to the broadcast. Catalon recognizes that this is television. He lets the pictures do the talking and is honest and genuine in his style. Catalon possesses a measured meter of the action. He knows when to turn up the heat and lower the temperature. If you want to watch a seasoned broadcaster adeptly ply his craft, check out a couple of Andrew Catalon games.
Coming back from a break during a hotly contested first half, Catalon summarized the action with the help of a statistical graphic. He then threw to a quick Washburn interview with Pitino talking about what St. John’s needed to do to finish the half strongly. Of course, the CBS production crew featured numerous sideline shots of Calipari and Pitino visually demonstrating the underlying theme of this game.
One of Catalon’s strengths is interjecting statistics while calling the action. With a little under 11 minutes remaining in the first half, he said that St. John’s was just 5 for 21 from the floor and had missed their last seven shots. His voice intonation was beginning to build the story of what would be a disappointing loss for the Red Storm. A great play-by-play announcer sees what is happening. Despite the discrepancy in seedings, Catalon sensed that this would not be a St. John’s cakewalk.
March Madness on both the men’s and women’s side provides the best backdrop for crowd shots and atmosphere. Big time props go out to the CBS production staff for expertly capturing the special atmosphere of this huge college basketball game. While the crowd was loud, one of the best parts of Catalon’s game is silence. He does not feel the need to start gabbing just because the ball has passed the half court line. Late in the first half, he used silence and space as both teams were moving the ball and looking for the best shot. The crowd noise and the bounce of the ball on the court told the story.
Heading Down The Home Stretch
Moving into the second half, Lappas made the astute point that both coaches did a nice job with their teams given the foul trouble on both sides. He also pointed out that while St. John’s was behind in the game, they were the fourth best second half team in the country during the season.
As the game moved into the second half, Catalon, once again recognizing what would become a major story of this game, kept reiterating that RJ Lewis, one of St. John’s best players, was sitting on Rick Pitino’s bench. He also mentioned that three of St. John’s top scorers were a combined 4 for 27 at that point in the game. Statistics can often clutter and overshadow a broadcast, but Catalon knows when to use numbers to back up both his and Lappas’s points. With 9 minutes left in the game, St. John’s cut the Arkansas lead to just six points, and you could sense the building drama in Catalon – his voice bracing for a classic finish.
Like a talented player, Catalon sees the whole floor. He tells viewers which players are about to come in the game, keeps an eye on time, and focuses on the action at hand. As the game’s pace quickened, so did Catalon’s. When it slow down, he brought viewers back to earth.
Lappas, who coached college ball for 17 years, did a nice job of calling attention to the defensive play on both sides of the court while the CBS cameras kept going back to Lewis sitting on the St. John’s bench as his team fell behind by six points with two minutes to go. As the game entered its final seconds, Catalon pointed out that Calipari had not made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, then he and Lappas remained quiet, letting the images of the crowd as well as both celebratory and dejected players tell the story.
Catalon summed up the pulsating action saying that both teams left it all on the floor on this day. When the final seconds ticked off the clock and Arkansas won the game 75-66, Catalon exclaimed, “From 0-5 in the SEC to the Sweet 16, Arkansas and John Calipari moving on to San Francisco!” It was a terrific ending to a wonderful telecast. With Catalon, Lappas, Washburn, and the CBS crew at the top of their respective games, this matchup turned into a master class of Big Game Basketball Broadcasting 101.
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Promo Meeting shout out to B-105 Cincinnati’s “The Big Dave Show.” The show ran an eight-week promotion called “Crock Stars,” which asked listeners to submit Crock Pot recipes. It was simple to execute, and people were likely competing more for recognition than the $100 Kroeger gift card.
Big Dave B-105
Pets and Kids
There are two surefire ways to connect with your listeners and people in general: kids and pets. I saw them firsthand recently in my own world.
I have a neighbor who is nice enough but incredibly shy and guarded. She barely says hi out loud while looking at her feet. All that changed when I saw her walking her dog. I fussed over the dog, learned its name, and started saying hello to the dog before her. Now, she is a different person when I see her, even offering me the dog’s leash to walk with her recently.
Humane Society adoption events or a weekly segment with adoptable animals will be a winner for your station or morning show. I worked for a station that titled the segment “Doggies on Death Row,” which may now be a little too harsh and graphic by today’s standards. I toned it down in later years as “Furry Friday.”
It connects with listeners, creates engaging web and social media content, and positively impacts the community.
Kids are a little more difficult. I worked with one of the majors at a time when they were not quite but practically mandating the cutest baby contest. When people submitted their pictures, we then had to follow up with a specific release to allow us to put their minor child on the web. This was before DocuSign, so snail mail was required to obtain a “real” signature.
Let’s just say the time in execution was not worth a month of extra web clicks.
Technology
When I worked for Entercom (now Audacy) Madison, AAA Triple M had a technology feature called “The Geek Critique.” The late Mickey Reynolds hosted the segment and was the perfect choice. With a quirky personality and unique voice, he could truly portray the geek.
The idea is to review new technology from an intelligent, albeit geeky, perspective. With AI and nearly constant innovation, it is a good time to launch something similar.
Get a sponsor to provide you with technology to review and then give it away during the segment.
More Take Me Backstage
I wrote about WQMX Akron’s annual “Take Me Backstage” T-shirts a few weeks back. (BMM 3/6). Here’s another version of that promotion from 93Q in Houston. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a huge 20-day event that features, among other things, numerous Country music concerts.
93Q passed out buttons with the station logo stating, “Take Me Backstage.” This can be easier to execute and more cost-effective. It also allowed the station to interact with fans at the rodeo.
Morgan Wallen is one of the hottest acts in Country music. His fourth studio album, “I’m the Problem,” will be released on May 16. With a new album generally comes a tour.
Sticking to Houston and Country stations, 100.3 The Bull has a clever ticket giveaway called “Where’s Wallen.” Listeners are encouraged to listen for clues on where the virtual Wallen is hiding in Houston. When a listener determines the location, they call the contest line to win a pair of tickets to Wallen’s show at NRG Stadium.
Your Talent As Judges
Here is something that I see pop up far too often: A client, advertiser, or civic organization asks someone from your team to judge a local contest. You get your morning show on board and think it is a great way to get them involved in the community.
I never allowed my on-air talent to do this. While it may seem to be good exposure, it is just as likely to blow up in your face.
The Fred and Wilma morning show judges the contest. Who are the people that didn’t win going to blame? Not the person putting on the event. They will blame the high-profile judges who just told them their pet, baby, or cooking wasn’t the best.
This was almost as big a hot button for me as when stations wrapped roll-a-banners around a trash can at the concert or the fair. You want your brand to be associated with garbage, OK?
Or here’s another one along those lines. Buying bus board on local transit and getting the one on the back of the bus. So you’re sitting in traffic on a hot day with bus fumes bellowing at you, and you want to associate your brand with that?
I would love to give your station a shout-out in a future edition of the Promo Meeting. Let me know what you are doing, and I will pass it along and spotlight your team.
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Following a loss in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, UConn head coach Dan Hurley forewarned Baylor about the referees in a viral video taken online by Charlotte Sports Live reporter Joey Ellis. Bobby Mullen, the UConn director of men’s basketball communications, reportedly threatened to ruin the life of Ellis if he did not delete the video, which has since led to public outcry surrounding the incident. This was a topic of conversation on the Wednesday morning edition of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI in Boston, and co-host Courtney Cox expressed that she did not love seeing Mullen get involved in the situation.
Mullen wrote a since-deleted post on X ostensibly expressing a sardonic tone towards the outrage, articulating that a public relations person yelling at reporter would be “News at 11.” Furthermore, he seemed to defend his actions by explaining that he has a degree in the field and knows the difference between reporting and trying to find ‘Gotcha’ moments. Mullen also added that he feels the journalists who he works with regularly would vouch for him.
“Dan Hurley can run his mouth, can say whatever he wants,” Cox explained. “He’s earned that, he’s earned the respect of everybody around him. The SID is supposed to be the person in-between the coach and the media and kind of tempering a situation. Adding fuel to the fire, I don’t think is a good look for UConn.”
Co-host Jermaine Wiggns stated that Hurley knows the cameras are always on him and talked about how society has become soft surrounding coaches, especially those in college. Cox clarified that no one was upset about Hurley, but it was more about Mullen trying to intimidate the journalist into deleting the post.
“That also is a douche move,” Hill said. “That’s a douche move by the SID…. They’re talking about suspending Dan Hurley for games next season for it. That’s ridiculous, ridiculous.”
Show producer Chris Curtis asked if everyone had seen the ratings for the first two rounds of the tournament, to which Cox replied that the numbers were the highest since the 1990s. CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced that their broadcasts were averaging 9.4 million viewers per window, rendering the tournament the most-watched iteration of such in the last 32 years. As the tournament thrives and NBA ratings remain relatively flat compared to the previous year, Curtis surmised that it indicates waning interest in the latter because of the three-point shot.
“Doesn’t that solidify that belief?,” Curtis questioned. “These games are starless by and large. Outside of Cooper Flagg, I don’t know anybody, I just know the coaches, I don’t watch college basketball during the regular season, I find these games entertaining – obviously legalized sports betting is a huge component – [but] that exists in the NBA as well. I just think that the way the game’s played in college where it is not all [posting] up shots from the three-point line, it is more entertaining.”
The Sweet 16 stage of the tournament is composed of teams that are entirely from power conferences, marking the first time this has taken place since the expansion to 64 teams in 1985. With no ‘Cinderella’ teams still involved in the proceedings, there has been criticism surrounding the effects of NIL deals and the transfer portal. Yet Hill, going against popular opinion, does not think this is a good thing for the tournament going forward despite the ratings success.
“Well, look at St. Francis,” Wiggins responded. “They had to drop down from Division I to Division III because they can’t compete with the NILs, but that’s just the nature of college sports nowadays is the ability – the biggest schools are able to take advantage of that.”
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KSHE 95 St. Louis is bringing Tim Virgin back to St. Louis starting March 31. Virgin arrives from WLS-FM Chicago, where he was hosting afternoons. Previous stops include San Diego, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. Virgin previously hosted evenings on KSHE sister station 105.7 The Point.
KSHE has also announced the arrival of “Nights with Alice Cooper.” The Cooper show will air on weeknights beginning at 6 pm.
Marty Linck, Brand Director for KSHE/WARH, said, “Tim Virgin is the perfect fit for KSHE 95. His energy is contagious, and he truly lives the rock-and-roll lifestyle. Plus, his familiarity with the St. Louis market means I don’t need to drive him all over town for a grand tour—which is nice.”
Tim Virgin added, “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining Hubbard Radio-St. Louis and the legendary KSHE 95. Huge thanks to John Kijowski (Market President), Tommy Mattern (Operations Manager), and Marty Linck for this incredible opportunity. KSHE is an institution in rock radio, and I can’t wait to be part of its amazing legacy. This is going to be an incredible adventure—I can’t wait to eat Imo’s pizza and play Ozzy again!”
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Audacy announced Tuesday the launch of Rulebreakers with Saraya, a new weekly audio and video podcast hosted by professional wrestling superstar Saraya, formerly known as WWE’s Paige. The AEW superstar announced her departure from her current company AEW earlier in the day ahead of the news of the podcast via Audacy.
The show will feature Saraya engaging in candid and provocative conversations with fellow “rule breakers,” exploring their lives, challenges, and the unpredictable twists that shaped their careers. Rulebreakers with Saraya will debut with two episodes on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
“This world wasn’t built by people who played it safe – it was built by the rule breakers, the ones who got told no a million times and still went for it, the ones who fell flat on their faces, got back up and said let’s try again… and that’s what this show is all about,” Saraya said. “On Rulebreakers, I’ll sit down with rebels and misfits for unfiltered, no-BS conversations, and I’m excited to partner with Audacy to bring this show to life.”
Following the launch, new episodes will be available every Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, the Audacy app, and wherever podcasts are streamed. Listeners can tune in to the trailer and follow the show for updates.
On the podcast, Saraya will connect with other bold individuals who share her defiant approach to life, including guests like Teen Mom’s Kail Lowry, AEW wrestler Harley Cameron, musician Hayes Warner, and comedians Joe Stapleton and Brad Williams. Each episode will dive into their journeys, touching on both the triumphs and the struggles that have defined their paths.
Saraya, who previously wrestled with WWE as Paige, announces that she is leaving AEW in the debut episode of her podcast 'Rulebreakers With Saraya': 'I just don’t fit in right now.' https://t.co/AEJr3Cyfvw
In addition to conversations with her guests, Saraya will host solo episodes each month, where she will reflect on her own experiences, including what it’s like to be a woman in wrestling, her personal journey to veganism, and navigating relationships with loved ones behind bars. The podcast promises to blend humor, honesty, and authenticity, drawing inspiration from Saraya’s own unapologetic approach to life.
Leah Reis-Dennis, Vice President of Podcast Content Strategy and Business Development at Audacy, expressed her enthusiasm about the show’s launch. “Saraya is a lovable and brilliant firecracker—a true original whose bold perspective will make ‘Rulebreakers’ a must-listen,” Reis-Dennis said. “Her new show is funny, fresh, and sits at the intersection of comedy, entertainment, women’s lifestyle, and sports—categories our listeners and brands expect from Audacy. We are thrilled to welcome her to the family.”
The show is produced in partnership with Denim Pictures and executive produced by Adam Reynolds and Leah Reis-Dennis.
Saraya-Jade Bevis, a groundbreaking figure in wrestling, is also the author of the book Hell in Boots: Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives. She is the youngest two-time WWE Divas Champion and the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion. In 2014, she was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone and ranked first in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Female 50. Saraya’s achievements extend beyond wrestling, as she became the AEW Women’s World Champion in her home country of England in 2022.
Additionally, she was the subject of the critically acclaimed 2019 film Fighting with My Family, produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and starring Florence Pugh.
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Blue Wire announced four new additions to their podcast lineup on Tuesday, featuring four former NBA greats. Specifically, the company introduced D’Angelo Russell’s Backyard Podcast, Penny Hardaway’s Two Cents Podcast, Dwight Howard’s Above The Rim with DH12, and Victor Oladipo’s Inner Court.
Although Russell’s Backyard Podcast has already been part of the platform, the newly added properties bring in a combined 445,000 YouTube subscribers and over nine million followers on Instagram to the Blue Wire sports content network. Moreover, Blue Wire was founded by CEO Kevin Jones in 2019, and it has now grown to a total of 177 million podcast downloads in 2024.
Hosted by NBA star D’Angelo Russell and producer Logan Linkmeyer, The Backyard Podcast offers an unfiltered look into their daily lives. The show features candid interviews, mic’d-up golf sessions, and behind-the-scenes workouts with top athletes like Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, and Chris Brickley. Russell, an NBA Cup Champion, All-Star, and former second overall draft pick, shares exclusive insights from his journey, while Linkmeyer ensures top-tier production and engages nearly 75,000 Instagram followers with behind-the-scenes content. Together, they bring fans an authentic, insider experience straight from the world of professional basketball.
On the other hand, from his legendary playing career to his transition into coaching, Penny Hardaway brings a wealth of experiences and stories to the Two Cents Podcast, where he engages with top basketball figures like Nick Van Exel, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Stephen Jackson. As one of the most unique players of his generation, Penny’s influence on the game extends far beyond the court, making each episode both entertaining and insightful.
Meanwhile, Above the Rim with DH12 goes beyond basketball, as Dwight Howard elevates conversations from sports to life itself. Through authentic storytelling and engaging, humorous, and judgment-free discussions, listeners gain a unique perspective on the NBA superstar and his guests. The show features key NBA figures like Brandon Jennings, Jeanie Buss, and Gilbert Arenas, along with influential voices beyond basketball, such as Evander Holyfield.
Finally, on The Inner Court, two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo and music executive Nieman Johnson explore major NBA topics, Victor’s basketball journey, and more. Launched in February, the podcast has already featured guests like Timbaland and NBA champion Quinn Cook, along with episodes highlighting Victor’s personal story.
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Earlier this week, The Atlantic shared a report that editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg had been inadvertently added to a group chat on the Signal messaging app with several high-ranking members of the national security team, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, among others. The topic has been one of the hottest subjects in news/talk radio and news television shows since its revelation.
Thus far, the Trump administration has downplayed the situation, saying that no one involved in the situation is at risk of losing their position. On Wednesday morning, The Atlantic released the Signal messages from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other government officials after many had argued that no “war plans” were shared in the unencrypted group message.
The released messages purport to show the exact opposite, with exact times and expected equipment of planned strikes against a terrorist group in Yemen. Earlier in the week, Secretary Hegseth bluntly stated “Nobody was texting war plans. And that’s all I have to say about that,” when asked about the situation.
Barrett Media spoke with several conservative news/talk radio hosts and news radio anchors to ask one question: If you were accidentally included on a private group chat (assume this was Biden’s camp making the mistake) that exposed you to sensitive information from the White House, how would you have handled the situation?
“I’d let them know and remove myself,” Erick Erickson, host of the nationally syndicated Erick Erickson Show, said. “National security is more important than a scoop.”
Another nationally syndicated host, Joe Pagliarulo, host of The Joe Pags Show, had a different thought process.
“I honestly don’t know how I would react,” said Pagliarulo. “We’re still figuring out what was on the chat. What I do know is, I have been texted by accident before and I have said ‘Was that meant for me?’ I think most of us have faced that. But, included in a government group chat? That hasn’t happened. I’d like to think I would let them know I was in there.”
Salem Radio Network morning host Chris Stigall was blunt in his answer to the hypothetical question.
“I’ll be 100% honest: I would wait and read tons of communication to make certain what I was learning was not a harm to the country,” said Stigall. “Because I genuinely believe many inside the previous administration meant harm to our national security. At a minimum, they willfully compromised it.
“The difference in what Goldberg was included on versus what a Biden chat might include is the difference between harming our country versus defending our country. For instance, I bet I’d find evidence of destructive behavior related to the border, or Iran to name a couple of examples in a private Biden chat. In the Goldberg instance, Waltz and the rest of the team were talking about taking out the Houthis – defending our military men and women, our allies, and our shared navigable waterways. And they did so with devastating success.
Stigall admitted that the situation was a mistake and one that should be reported on. But he believes, in this hypothetical situation, the content of the potential conversation he was accidentally included in would have included more damaging messages than what was seen in the real-life instance.
“Yes, I’m a partisan. So is Goldberg. I don’t mind that he reported the mistake. And it was a mistake. I would also report on the mistake,” he shared. “But we didn’t learn anything from the Waltz/Goldberg chat except confirmation Trump’s team is doing what they were elected to do.
“I genuinely believe if I were included in a private conversation involving Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary — for example — I can almost guarantee I’d be privy to conversations about keeping our border open, encouraging illegal immigration, etc. That’s something the American people need to know,” argued Stigall. “Trump’s team is America first. Biden’s team was something else entirely and it was destructive to our country. That’s not just my opinion, the last election backs me up.”
Tony Katz, morning host at 93 WIBC in Indianapolis in addition to his nationally syndicated show Tony Katz Today, said his response came from one not out of obligation to his job but just as a human.
“I more than likely would have written ‘I don’t think I’m supposed to be a part of this conversation,'” said Katz. “But I think like a person and not a ‘journalist.'”
Barrett Media also reached out to WTOP afternoon news anchor Shawn Anderson, who is based in Washington D.C., how he would handle the situation as a non-partisan media member. He, potentially, could be one of the most likely radio journalists to find themselves in this situation. In his response to the question, he said the situation was handled appropriately by The Atlantic and its editor-in-chief.
“It depends what you mean by ‘sensitive’ information,” Anderson qualified. “But if you’re talking about a similar scenario where national security and the lives of American troops and/or intelligence assets are on the line, Jeffrey Goldberg just showed us the playbook on how to handle it. He didn’t report in real time he even had that information. He waited an appropriate amount of time after that particular mission was completed, and made sure lives weren’t at risk before he revealed just the outlines of what was said in the text chain. And he only revealed the operational details after the Trump Administration continued to insist the information was not classified.
“Despite the extraordinary White House pushback, Goldberg only released the tick-tock to force us to keep our eye on the real story – why are top Security principals discussing crucial details of a military mission on an app that could be compromised? And how did Goldberg get included in the text chain in the first place?”
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Doug Abernethy has announced his exit from Audacy in the coming weeks, making him the latest executive at the company to depart.
Abernethy joined the company in 2015 as the Vice President and Market Manager of the company’s South Florida market. He has overseen the company’s Austin, Denver, Gainesville, Greensboro, and Greenville markets during his tenure before taking oversight of 16 markets nationwide when he was promoted to Regional President in 2017 when CBS Radio and then-Entercom merged.
The longtime radio executive has spent more than 35 years in the business, holding multiple senior management positions in multiple formats in 25 markets over the years.
In an email to Audacy colleagues, Doug Abernethy shared his admiration to the staffers he has worked alongside during his long tenure with the company.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside you during the past ten plus years with the company, and for some, my thirty six years in the industry,” Abernethy wrote. “Each market, team and person I have had the pleasure to work with has made a lasting impression on me. I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together and confident in your continued success.”
His final day with Audacy will be on Friday, May 9th.
After emerging from pre-packaged bankruptcy in recent months, Audacy has seen a bevy of departures from its executive team. Earlier this month, Audacy Chief Digital Officer and President of Podcasting and Streaming J.D. Crowley announced he was leaving the company. His exit coincided with the departure of Chief Operating Officer Susan Larkin, Chief Marketing Officer Paul Suchman, and Executive Vice President and General Counsel Andrew Sutor.
Additionally, the company named Kelli Turner as its permanent CEO after she took the reins on an interim basis after previous CEO David Field resigned. Audacy Executive Vice President of Podcasts Jenna Weiss-Berman has also departed the company since the calendar turned to 2025.
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