Home Blog Page 1014

Schroeder Departs FM 102/1 Milwaukee In Cluster Budget Cuts

BMM Staff
-
0
Schroeder Departs FM 102/1 Milwaukee In Cluster Budget Cuts

Another casualty at the Milwaukee Radio Alliance and Alternative FM 102/1 Milwaukee is night host John Schroeder, who posted on social media that he had been let go. In addition to hosting nights, Schroeder was previously Promotion Director at FM 102/1 and sister AC B93.3.

Schroeder was with the station for just under 19 years and wrote:

“Heartbroken to share the news that I am no longer with FM 102/1 after 18 years and 7 months. I was let go late last week along with 3 other colleagues who are friends at the Milwaukee Radio Alliance in a cost-savings move (not performance-based). Radio and media, in general, can be a brutal business, and that’s an incredibly long run at one place, so I’m fortunate for that. Thanks to everyone who listened. I’m grateful for my time there and what we accomplished together, the special group of people I worked with that have become close friends and like family, especially Jon Adler, Michelle Rutkowski, Ryan Miller, and the late Ian McCain, and the industry relationships I was able to build. I can be reached at jschroeder1@gmail.com.”

Earlier, Jonathan Adler was let go from FM 102/1 mornings, and Melissa Jordan from B93.3.

 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.

CBS Sports Elevates J.J. Watt To Game Analyst With Ian Eagle

BSM Staff
-
0
CBS Sports Elevates J.J. Watt To Game Analyst With Ian Eagle

The NFL on CBS will have a fresh look for its number two broadcasting team, as Charles Davis has been elevated to the top college football analyst role beginning in 2026. This change comes with Gary Danielson retiring following this season. Meanwhile, former NFL defensive lineman JJ Watt will step into the analyst role alongside Ian Eagle on the network’s NFL on CBS play-by-play team, starting with the upcoming season.

Since joining CBS Sports in 2023, Watt has been a key in-studio analyst, working alongside James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, and Matt Ryan for the past two seasons. His transition to the broadcast booth marks an exciting new chapter in his media career.

“There is nothing better than the energy and excitement of being in the stadium on game day in the NFL,” said Watt via a release. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return to that atmosphere each week, working with one of the best in Ian. While I certainly miss delivering hits on the field, it will be nice to leave the stadium without taking any, unless Ian decides to try something crazy.”

A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner, Watt is widely regarded as a rising star in the industry. CBS Sports is looking to capitalize on his growing presence as Davis shifts into a more college football-focused role with the network.

Davis has served as Eagle’s analyst on the broadcast team since the 2020 COVID season. With his move to college football, Watt’s addition ensures CBS maintains a dynamic and engaging presence in its NFL coverage.

“JJ is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL, and a future Hall of Famer,” said David Berson, President and CEO of CBS Sports. “Over the last two years – as a studio analyst and on social media – he’s connected with fans through his passion, insight and desire to truly have fun. We can’t wait for him to now entertain viewers as a game analyst. Listening to JJ and Ian together each week will be a real treat for NFL fans.”

CBS’s long-term commitment to NFL coverage remains strong. In 2021, ViacomCBS signed a 12-year rights renewal with the National Football League, securing its broadcast partnership through the 2033 NFL season.

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.

CBS News Correspondent Rita Braver Announces Upcoming Retirement

BNM Staff
-
0
CBS News Correspondent Rita Braver Announces Upcoming Retirement

After more than 50 years with the network, CBS News correspondent Rita Braver has announced plans to retire from the outlet later this month.

Braver joined CBS News in 1972 as a producer before eventually ascending to the role of chief law correspondent for the news division in 1983. She later was tabbed as Chief White House Correspondent during the first term of Bill Clinton’s presidency.

Since 1998, Rita Braver has served as a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning.

During her long tenure, she has won nine national Emmy Awards. Additionally, she has won the Joan Barone Award presented by the Congressional Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association, and the Star Award from American Women in Radio and Television. She was also named an Outstanding Mother by the National Mother’s Day Committee.

In a statement to Variety, CBS Sunday Morning executive producer Rand Morrison shared his appreciation for Rita Braver.

“In her decades at Sunday Morning, she’s done it all: breaking news, soft features, political issue pieces, stories on art and theater, and personality profiles,” said Morrison. “If we had a story, Rita always had the interest and always made the time … To call it this end of an era barely does justice to the challenges we’ll face now that we can no longer pick up the phone and call on Rita.”

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.

Gary Danielson Retiring From CBS Sports Following 2025 College Football Season

BSM Staff
-
0
Gary Danielson Retiring From CBS Sports Following 2025 College Football Season

Gary Danielson has announced that he will retire following the 2025 college football season from his analyst role on CBS Sports. As he enters his 36th season with the network, he holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured college football game analyst on any network.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports has revealed that current analyst Charles Davis will succeed Danielson after the upcoming season. This transition will take place as CBS continues its marquee coverage of Big Ten Conference games. In the meantime, Davis will maintain his current role for the upcoming season.

“I have had the greatest seat in the house for 36 years and have loved every minute of it,” said Danielson via a release. “I have discussed the timing of this moment with CBS Sports leadership over the past few years, and we felt it was important that I remained with the team during our transition to the Big Ten.”

Throughout his final season, Danielson will continue working alongside Brad Nessler and reporter Jenny Dell.

“As we enter our second full season of Big Ten football and my 20th at CBS Sports, the timing just feels right,” noted Danielson. “I have so much respect for Charles Davis as both a person and an analyst. He is going to shine in this role and fit so well with this team. I have been blessed to work with incredible teammates throughout my career, and I look forward to one more memorable season with Brad, Jenny, Craig Silver, Steve Milton, and the crew.”

David Berson, President and CEO of CBS Sports, praised Danielson as one of the greatest college football analysts ever to step behind a microphone.

“Gary cares more about uplifting others and ensuring the team receives all the accolades,” explained Berson. “During his 20 years here, he helped propel CBS Sports to the gold standard in college football coverage. We can’t thank him enough. He will always be part of the CBS Sports family, and we wish him the best in retirement.”

Adding to the sentiments, Charles Davis shared his excitement for taking on the role while also expressing his deep appreciation for Danielson’s impact on the network.

“Gary has been the preeminent voice in college football for decades and someone I have long admired and respected,” said Davis. “It is hard to imagine college football Saturdays without him, but I am thrilled we get one last season with him. There is no replacing Gary, but I am truly honored and humbled to succeed him and call games with Brad Nessler and the incredible Big Ten on CBS team.”

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.

LeBron James Calls Stephen A. Smith a ‘Motherf****r’ in Pat McAfee Exclusive Interview on ESPN

BSM Staff
-
0

Earlier in the month, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James confronted ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith courtside at a game. According to Smith, the reason James started speaking with him had to do with comments pertaining to his son, Bronny James. During this commentary, Smith pleaded with James as a father to “stop this” and stated that his son was only in the NBA because of LeBron’s influence. Since this has taken place, Smith has spoken about the incident on several occasions on ESPN’s First Take and on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, which is produced by Straight Shooter Media and available on the iHeartPodcast Network.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, James discussed the situation and explained that Smith missed the entire point. Before elucidating his thoughts on how Smith responded to the entire ordeal though, he explained that Smith may not have been telling the truth about his intent when video began circulating of what transpired. James drew an analogy of Smith being on a “Taylor Swift tour run” at the moment and further elaborated on the aftermath.

“It started off with, ‘I didn’t want to address it. I didn’t want to address it, I wasn’t going to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.’ Motherf****r, are you kidding me? If there’s one person that couldn’t wait until the video had dropped so you could address it, it was your ass. Seriously?”

Within his discourse, James articulated that he would never prohibit people from talking about the sport or criticizing players about what they do on the court. In fact, he averred that it is part of Smith’s job to discuss player performance and that it is all part of the game. The aspect of what took place towards which he seemingly took umbrage pertained to the commentary becoming personal, a sentiment that Smith has tried to clarify on the airwaves.

“But when you take it and you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household, but protect the players,” James said, “and I think a lot of the media, including him – and I know he’s going to be happy as well; he’s going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. Oh my God, he’s going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the f*****g freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty-whities on the couch…. Dude, relax bro. Like, relax. Seriously.”

Earlier in the day, The New York Times reported that James had signed a three-year deal with Amazon’s Wondery to bring back his podcast, Mind the Game, with new co-host Steve Nash. Nash formerly coached the Brooklyn Nets and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. James previously co-hosted the podcast with JJ Redick, who was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason to become the team’s head coach. James is the all-time leading scorer in league history and the first player in the Association to ever eclipse 40,000 points combining regular-season and postseason play.

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.

Ernie Johnson Says He’d Leave ‘Inside The NBA’ if it Were to Leave Atlanta Home

BSM Staff
-
0
Ernie Johnson Says He’d Leave ‘Inside The NBA’ if it Were to Leave Atlanta Home

Inside the NBA has been a staple program since 1989 on TNT Sports, featuring its award-winning quartet of Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Now, with the league set to embark on an 11-year media rights agreement with The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, and Amazon, the program will continue to be produced by TNT Sports in Atlanta with the same team of personnel.

Although the network where fans can watch the show may change, host Ernie Johnson is pleased that its production will remain in his longtime home of Atlanta, GA. Recently, Johnson joined The Dan Patrick Show and was asked about his future with the program, as well as whether he would continue if it were to relocate.

“No, that’s home,” said Johnson when asked if he would stay with Inside the NBA if it moved out of Atlanta. “There is a lot of things to do out there. I can’t wait to stay with the guys, and then we’ll see for the years after that. What comes up and what I feel like doing.”

Johnson has been with TNT Sports since 1989, dating back to the inception of Inside the NBA. However, in his conversation with Dan Patrick, he acknowledged that he does see his career winding down at some point in the near future.

“Don’t get this twisted. It’s not like, I’m going to hang it up here, and suddenly I have retired,” said Johnson. “When you’re running a marathon, you can see the finish line from a long way away. Not that I have any marathon experience. So, it’s not like I’m in this sprint, and the finish line is eight meters away. When you get to this point, it’s like, alright, let’s see how this is looking.”

Currently, Johnson is also serving as part of CBS Sports and TNT Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, working alongside Barkley, Smith, and CBS Sports college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg. He expressed how much he enjoys the opportunity to collaborate once again with CBS Sports on the tournament broadcast.

Beyond that, Johnson also reflected on how much the media landscape has evolved, particularly with social media allowing instant feedback on-air performances.

“Everything is so instantaneous,” said Johnson. “You throw a line out there, and all of a sudden, you’re getting skewered, or you’re getting praised. It’s just a different world, but you don’t do it for the likes you get, or anything like that. You just doing your job.”

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.

Connor Kenny Is Departing B100 Quad Cities

BMM Staff
-
0
Connor Kenny Is Departing B100 Quad Cities

Connor Kenny has announced his departure from Top 40 B100 Quad Cities IA/IL, where he has been hosting middays.

Kenny, blogging on the B100 website, said, “If you’ve followed radio DJs in the past few years, most aren’t leaving on their own accord. Typically, people in this industry get told to leave because of layoffs and don’t get to tell listeners goodbye. In this rare instance, I get to tell you and prepare you for my exit at B100 as I prepare for a new job in the industry.”

The Quad Cities area native stated he grew up listening to B100.

“For the past 5 years, I’ve had the extreme pleasure and opportunity to work on a radio station that is close to my heart. Every radio DJ in this industry dreams of doing one thing: working at the radio station they grew up listening to. For me, that is B100.”

“I thought the only time I was going to even be close to being on this station was when I was given an opportunity to shadow Red Hot Brian Scott and Cody Tucker back in the summer of 2013. Without them so graciously allowing me to watch and help, I don’t think I would have even gotten into radio because once I walked into the same studio that I’m about to leave, I was hooked.”

Kenny has not announced where he is heading.

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.

Fox Sports 1’s Danny Parkins to Receive ‘The Champions Award’ at the 2025 BSM Summit

Jason Barrett
-
0
Fox Sports 1’s Danny Parkins to Receive ‘The Champions Award’ at the 2025 BSM Summit

One of the best parts of the BSM Summit is the annual awards ceremony presented by Premiere Networks. For years, we’ve highlighted the best in the sports media industry by recognizing their contributions in various areas of the business. The ceremony features four awards, The Jeff Smulyan Award (top media executive), The Mark Chernoff Award (top sports radio programmer), The Lifetime Achievement Award (legendary figure who’s made a lasting impact), and The Champions Award.

Different this year than in prior years, the awards ceremony will close the show on day 2. We will present all four awards on Friday May 9, 2025 between 12p-1250p CT. Jeff Smulyan and Mark Chernoff will also be on hand to present their awards to their 2025 recipients.

Our first announcement for this year’s awards begins with The Champions Award. This award is given annually to a sports media industry professional who has used their platform to make a difference. Past winners of the award include Jay Glazer, Adam Schefter, and Keith Murphy & Andy Fales.

What makes this award special is that it highlights the amazing work done by individuals and brands to make a difference beyond content. It also reminds our attendees of what truly matters in life. Sports media may be a competitive business, but there’s much more that warrants recognition beyond ratings and revenue wins. Those who make a difference are truly the game changers in our business.

Which brings me to our 2025 announcement for The Champions Award. It is my pleasure to share that Danny Parkins of Fox Sports 1 has been named our 2025 recipient of the honor. Danny will join us in Chicago on Friday May 9th to accept the honor and address the room.

In recent years, Danny has led the charge in Chicago to raise funds for multiple causes. One that is especially important to him is the battle against cancer. In fact, his final day on the air at 670 The Score before heading to New York to work for FS1 saw him spend 24-hours on the air raising money for Cubs For a Cure. Last year’s radiothon generated over a million dollars with Parkins spearheading the effort across The Score’s airwaves.

Having lost his brother Brad to brain cancer in April 2023, Danny is doing his part to help raise awareness and funds for the fight against this deadly disease. He may now have a key role now on sports television at FS1, but the cause was so important to him that he worked out an arrangement to be able to return to Chicago to continue hosting the 24-hour radiothon on The Score, which he’ll do again later this summer.

Last year during the radiothon, Cubs great and baseball hall of famer Ryne Sandberg broke the news that he had beaten cancer while speaking in-studio with Parkins, Laurence Holmes and Leila Rahimi. It was one of the most powerful on-air moments to date. Take a moment to watch if you haven’t seen it before.

As we do each year, Barrett Media will make a $1,000 donation on Danny’s behalf at the Summit to show our support for the work he’s doing to battle cancer. If you’d like to offer support too, you can do so by clicking here.

Tickets for the 2025 BSM Summit are available at BSMSummit.com. Full details of this year’s agenda will be posted closer to the event. Hotel rooms are available at a special rate through April 9th. If you haven’t booked yours yet, don’t wait until the last minute and risk paying higher prices.

We hope to see you in Chicago in May!

The Reason For SEON Integration: A Short Retrospective

Sponsored Post
-
0
The Reason For SEON Integration: A Short Retrospective

Prior to the integration of SEON into Soft2Bet’s stack (more on that in the Soft2Bet Investigation), the operator faced a number of challenges that impacted its risk management:

  • Lengthy manual reviews
  • Rampant bonus abuse
  • Operational inefficiencies
  • A spate of ID theft incidents
  • High chargeback rates

Remarkable Outcomes from Seamless Integration:

  • The results for Soft2Bet were remarkable following seamless implementation of SEON:
  • More triggers for automation and simplified work processes
  • Dashboards in real time providing instant visibility into customer actions
  • Comprehensive security at each of the customer’s steps

Fast Growth and First Fraud Alerts

With Soft2Bet’s growing player base and transaction volumes, the pressure placed on its risk and fraud teams has multiplied. As the Chief Compliance Officer put it:

“The exponential growth in both players and transactions we have seen, directly linked to the success of our iGaming product, puts huge pressure on our risk and fraud review teams.”

However, this accelerated growth came with serious challenges, including:

  1. Bonus abuse, where criminals opened several accounts to take advantage of sign-on bonuses
  2. Freebies that you didn’t deserve presented in front of you due to someone falsifying your personal details
  3. Chargeback rates are exploding due to fraudulent deposits made by stolen credit cards
  4. The problems not only taxed resources but also risked straining relationships with payment providers and drawing regulatory scrutiny.

Implement a Custom Counter Fraud Solution

Within a few short weeks, SEON had been integrated into Soft2Bet’s anti-risk ecosystem. Thanks to SEON’s customisable fraud risk scoring, Soft2Bet is now able to manage risk automatically, instantly blocking obvious fraud cases, while allowing legitimate players to start gaming in seconds. At key touchpoints, tailored business rules—solution components created from Soft2Bet’s specific knowledge—were applied:

  1. Registration — SEON analyzes digital fingerprints to find signs of fraudulent accounts.
  2. Log-in: Device intelligence is used to detect unauthorized access attempts.
  3. Deposit: Payment methods are thoroughly checked, with red flags instantly raising the alarm.

Tangible Business Impact

Immediate benefits for Soft2Bet since implementing SEON include:

  • Dramatic reduction in manual queries, allowing teams to focus on more advanced problems
  • 20% time saving in manual review, improving the efficiency
  • Significant reductions in bonus abuse, false registrations, and chargebacks thanks to improved detection of fraud across registration, login and deposit phases
  • An easier, safer experience for honest users, with streamlined sign-up and deposit processes underpinned by strong security.

Elevating iGaming Security

As the Chief Compliance Officer noted:

“SEON has totally revolutionised our approach to preventing fraud. Automating has allowed for countless hours of people time to be freed-up to concentrate on not just high level actions, but on our processes, policies and procedures. This achievement is a key milestone in our mission to create a more responsible and trustworthy iGaming sector internationally.”

Through the adoption of SEON, Soft2Bet has enhanced its risk management capabilities while also reshaping customer journey protection and operational excellence.

Bill Schulz Leaving 96.5 Alice For Sunny 106.9 Reno

BMM Staff
-
0
Bill Schulz Leaving 96.5 Alice For Sunny 106.9 Reno

Changes are coming in Reno. Market veteran Bill Schulz is moving his morning show from Top 40 96.5 Alice to AC Sunny 106.9. Schulz and co-host Jlynn will make the switch tomorrow, March 27.

Schulz, who has been in the market for nearly three decades, said, “This will be my fourth radio home with Reno Media Group, and it’s exciting to now be on the air at Reno’s top-rated radio station.”

He also serves as VP/Programming for Reno Media’s nine-station group.

Kara Brown, Vice President and General Manager of Reno Media Group, said, “The Alice Morning Show over the years has prided itself on not only being fun and entertaining but also being a big part of the community.”

Schulz’s Reno career includes time with 103.7 The River, K-Wins at 97.3 and 96.5 Alice.

Landon Miller will slide down from afternoons to mornings on 96.5 Alice.

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.

1...1,0131,0141,015...2,896Page 1,014 of 2,896