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Jade Springart Navigated From Intern To Program Director of Two Iconic Detroit Rock Stations, 101 WRIF and 94.7 WCSX

Charese Fruge
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Jade Springart Navigated From Intern To Program Director of Two Iconic Detroit Rock Stations, 101 WRIF and 94.7 WCSX

It’s hard to imagine that someone in this business has been at one station (or group) all her life. Still, Jade Springart grew up in Detroit, started at Greater Media Detroit (Now Beasley Media Group) as a promotions intern in 2007 for 101 WRIF, 94.7 WCSX, and 105.1 WMGC, and over the years has worked her way up to PD of both WRIF and WCSX.

She’s technically a Unicorn in this business. She’s on air on WRIF from 10:30 am to 3 pm and does a podcast with Andy Green from the “Dave and Chuck the Freak” morning show.

As an intern back in the day, she quickly realized she wanted to be on-air and involved in everything that had to do with the music.

“I did my first on-air shift at WRIF in 2010, did overnights and weekends, became the music director in 2015, took on the full-time midday role in 2020, became PD for WRIF in 2021, and then PD for WCSX in 2024,” she explains.

The two iconic brands Springart oversees, one Active Rock and the other Classic Rock, are very different brands with BIG personalities: WRIF, home to “Dave and Chuck The Freak,” and WCSX, home to “Big Jim’s House.”

And while there is a lot of sharing among the music, to ensure the success of both, “It’s really all about spending enough time with each station and focusing on what makes them unique and different from each other,” says Springart. “It would certainly be helpful to get an extra hour or two in the day, too!”

Springart says working with such big personalities and different entities on both stations is easy when you work with the best in the industry.

“I’m so fortunate,” she says. “We’re all on the same page, and it certainly helps achieve success when everyone is working together towards the same goal. We have a very collaborative environment, too. Having a staff that I trust to handle different tasks is huge.”

Springart says that’s always been the case. “While I’ve certainly experienced a lot of different situations over the course of my 18-year career, I can honestly say that the crew in my inner circle has never been anything less than wonderful.”

“For the most part, I worked with them and learned from them as I was coming up in the industry, and I think they all know my goal has always been to help them/us succeed. Respect was something my predecessor always instilled in us, and that didn’t change as I took over. I feel very fortunate to have had that experience.”

It’s easy to tell just by listening to the two stations, even for a few minutes, that both play a big role in the community. “Locality is a top priority for both WRIF & WCSX,” insists Springart. “With both stations being heritage in Detroit, it is imperative that we connect with our community. It certainly is a major factor in driving success, but it’s also a part of who we are in Detroit Rock City.”

“Both stations also have a heavy focus on Veterans throughout the year as well as many charitable events year-round and during the holidays. There is no better way to reach your audience than to be there with them supporting the causes they support.”

The local music scene in Detroit is also a big priority for WRIF. “We have a local show called ‘Motor City Riffs’ that airs on Sunday nights at 9 pm. It’s been on the air for as long as I can remember (with a short hiatus in there), and it is really well received,” says Springart.

“In fact, every year for our annual Riff Fest, one of our Motor City Riffs bands opens the show. We’re proud to be Detroit Rock City and it’s amazing when a local record gets into regular rotation.”

One of the biggest challenges in the Rock and Alt formats is the massive sharing among stations in the market. The gold that comes back in music research is very much the same and includes a very limited number of hits. That leaves many stations playing a lot of the same gold libraries, which can cause rapid and frequent burnout. I asked Springart how she keeps both stations fresh and relevant.

“I think one of the most important things you can do is focus on locality and imaging,” she says. “I believe that along with talent’s personalities, the station as a whole should take on a persona and personality. For us, we are Detroit. We are grit, hard-workers and proud to be from the Motor City.”

“We have to let the listeners know that we are in touch with what’s happening in our community, whether it’s the Lions, pothole season, the latest happenings at Coney Island (look up Lafayette & American), and more. As far as music goes, yes, we’re both gold-based, but special features always help to break that up. Theme weekends, daily features like the ‘4 Play at Four’ where the listeners pick the songs each day, things like that always keep things lively.”

Another big challenge is the use of AI in the business and the impact it’s having on the industry. “I think AI has its pros and cons. It can definitely be helpful for some things like show prep and writing spec spots, but it’s not a personality,” says Springart.

“I don’t love the idea of ‘AI Jock.’ AI can do a lot of things, but do we need it to emulate being a human with independent opinions? What becomes the point of human existence if AI becomes the artist? Like, I need AI to fold my laundry, I don’t need 47,000 AI cats flooding the Internet…. Real cats exist! LOL.”

“We have done some experimenting with it, and like I said, there are pros and cons. Depending on how we utilize it, it can have a really great impact on our industry (and society as a whole), but we could also be four steps away from living in ‘The Terminator’ (or some other more relevant movie reference).”

I also asked Springart if we missed anything important that keeps her up at night. “How much time do we have? I guess one thing I’d like to say is that despite what Gene Simmons continuously says, rock n’ roll is not dead!”

“There are so many talented and amazing young bands out there. I would love it if we all worked together in the industry to build these bands into the gold of the future. I love it when a song grows organically and continues up the chart and lingers in the top ten and works to hit number one, as opposed to driving a record to number one immediately and then dropping it as soon as it hits.”

“And one more thing, I’d like to extend my gratitude to everyone at Beasley Media Group for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to lead both of these brands in a major market.”

Follow Jade Springart on Instagram: @JadeOnTheRadio, X: @OnAirJade, Facebook: facebook.com/JadeOnTheRadio, and check out her Podcast: https://wrif.com/podcasts/the-jade-andy-show/

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.

Countdown To CRS 2025: Scott Roddy, 103.7 KSON San Diego

Jeff Lynn
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Countdown To CRS 2025: Scott Roddy, 103.7 KSON San Diego

For today’s installment of Countdown To CRS 2025, I spoke with KSON San Diego Program Director and Regional VP/Audacy West Coast Scott Roddy. Roddy recently placed 13th on Barrett Media’s Top 20 Country Program Directors.

For Roddy, the chance to learn and share new ideas ranks high on his CRS list.

“I love to learn. I think that having a sense of wonder about the industry, about the music, about our peers, I think that’s truly what makes great leaders to be open to hearing new ideas, and it’s one of those places that I go that I’m actually quiet because I’m so obnoxious and over the top, but at CRS I love to listen and learn.”

“I remember going, gosh, 25 years ago and sitting in a Coleman study about clock and clock placement and taking furious notes on that. That stayed with me forever, and hearing that everything that goes on the air is a marketing decision, which was songs, the imaging, the way that you set up your clocks.”

Roddy mentioned learning fundamentals early in his career.

“I was learning all of the foundations of radio so many years ago at CRS that you can take into any format, but today, more than at any other time, I believe in the power of local radio, specifically the Country format that can activate its audience better than any other format.”

Roddy also added a pitch for local radio.

“We should concentrate on being ratings proof and showing the value of what our local talent, our local brands, and our local leadership can bring to a market, and we do that in conjunction with the pure plays and the streaming services. I see it as a compliment to each other.”

This year he will host a panel at the seminar.

“It’s ‘30 Sales Ideas In 30 Minutes.’ It’ll be a rapid-fire list of how to ratings proof, things that will activate your audience, entitlements, sponsorships, events, and promotions. A lot of this is one-on-one, but there may be a couple of things here people will say I can do that. I can do that so much better than the way they’re describing it. That’s what this is all about to me.”

“That’s still the heart of CRS, and that’s the heart of what we can share with each other to lift each other up, to be successful, to go beyond the rating point, to show what we can do to truly serve both of our clients, our listeners, and our advertisers. And Jeff, there’s nothing more boring than going to a panel, that’s a list. So I invited the biggest names in voiceover across not just the format or the Country, but the world.”

I suggested that seeing a Program Director conducting a panel on sales ideas might be surprising for some.

“I think we have to remember today, and I may get some flack for this, but we’re as much salespeople today as we are brand managers. We have to; this is my mantra: be ratings-proof. Can we show our advertisers that we can activate an audience? One of the things that you’re going to see there is called ‘Take an Elfie Selfie’ with Ernie the Elf. I did this in a small market a long time ago.”

“We sold it to 10 sponsors. So, the station made $10,000. One winner got a $10,000 shopping spree, $1,000 at each one of these client locations. The way it works is that we had a little Elf made, and we put it on shelves all across these local retailers. And you had to snap an Elfie selfie and upload it to win. We got great, great traction on our website.” 

“There was one client, a very small client who for a year only spent $800 in the small market. I think they bought weather mentions or something a quarter a year, and that was it. That turned into a key account where they were buying $1,000 a month in this market, which was a lot of money. And that’s where you see it grow like that because we show them, look how well we can activate our audience.”

What are a couple of highlights for Roddy over the years?

“A long time ago, the greatest thing that I always took away from CRS was the research notes, which I think are really, really smart.  Be it Coleman, Edison, or NuVoodoo, I always take away from those panels.” 

“I think that I’m a real nuts and bolts; I’m a radio nerd. And so anytime that I can hear something that’s been super successful for somebody else, I want to do that. I want to see if I can do it that well.”

And from a music standpoint?

“I remember going one year to see Big and Rich and they were at the arena. There’s that little rehearsal space in the hall in the back. I’m watching it, and I’m seeing John Rich sweating in his fur coat, and he’s yelling at me from the stage, and I’m doing my fat white guy dance to ‘Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy.’”

“I leave him when I walk out, a rep that I don’t know grabs me, and he hands me a lanyard and says, ‘Hey, come on, get on the bus and come see Keith Urban.’ And I was like, no, Keith was just very public about taking care of his health. I know that he’s out in California for the next month.” 

“They said, no, Keith came back because CRS was so important, and he wanted to perform for radio. And they took us in this little shuttle bus to this bar, which was so cool. It was industrial.”

“And I stood five feet from Keith Urban at his full band. Keith was barefoot, standing on a rug on a riser, and he must’ve rocked out for 90 minutes. It was an amazing experience. It was something I’ll never forget.”

Does Roddy have any advice for a CRS first-timer? 

“Number one, hydrate. Number two, really try to plan to go to as many sessions where you can learn as possible. The diversity breakfast is wonderful.” 

“The ‘Women In Leadership.’ Marci Braun is going to be there. Plan out your learning as much as you can. I don’t make reservations to go to any of the label stuff only because I know I’m going to be pulled in 17 different directions as everybody will be.” 

“So, I kind of do that ad hoc and go to the shows that I want to see because I want to make sure that I can plan to learn as much as I can because the investment that we make is significant. But it’s worth it. Get as much as you can out of the morning as you do the partying and feeling good.”

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.

The Pulse: Focus On CRS Learning, Community Connections, And Radio Industry Happenings

Jeff Lynn
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The Pulse: Focus On CRS Learning, Community Connections, And Radio Industry Happenings

Next Wednesday, the curtain rises on CRS 2025 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville.

I hope you are enjoying the “Countdown To CRS” series, which features some of the leading programmers and industry people attending this year’s seminar.

There’s not a lot that can be said that hasn’t already been said, but there are a few thoughts that I would like to pass along.

A few years ago, a friend of mine, who I know to be a smart radio person, came to CRS and completely immersed himself. Unfortunately, the immersion was into the nightlife and fun on Lower Broadway. He slept in until noon every day and didn’t attend any sessions.

I am not judging, but I’m disappointed that he missed so many learning opportunities.

Scott Roddy talks today about how deeply he is into each year’s learning experience and how much he takes back to the markets he oversees.

By all means, have fun. But don’t miss the research presentation, the news on AI, and all the great panels.

The other thing is networking. When I had my first PD job at a very small market, I went to CRS and met people who are still friends to this day.

Make yourself known to the established folks. In all my years at CRS, I had only one bad experience walking up and introducing myself to someone. I’m looking at you….. Ha-ha, you thought I was going to name the person, didn’t you?

Have fun. Get yourself some Hattie B’s Nashville Hot Chicken and have a great seminar.

Community Connections:

It’s St. Jude Radiothon Season.

Connoisseur Media’s 103.1 The Wolf successfully launched its first Country Cares for St. Jude Children’s radiothon on February 6 and 7. The event raised an impressive total of $165,825.

Alpha Media’s “The Big 94.5” WIBW and “Country 106.9” KTPK in Topeka, KS, successfully raised $85,392 during their St. Jude radiothon.

Midwest Communications’ “104.9 The Wolf” WXCL in Peoria, IL, generated $71,025.

In Cleveland, John Carroll University students and community members gathered at Beachland Ballroom for WJCU’s annual Blizzard Bash charity concert. The event successfully raised sufficient funds to provide over 18,000 meals for families in need.

Industry Happenings:

Delilah, who hosts evenings at iHeartMedia’s 106.7 Lite FM in New York, will kick off a special Valentine’s Day celebration by lighting up the Empire State Building on February 14. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 am (ET).

The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA), a nonprofit organization committed to supporting broadcasters in times of significant need, has confirmed that Deborah Norville will serve as the emcee for its upcoming Golden Mic Gala. The event is scheduled for Monday, March 10, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Add Ons:

The 2025 NAB Show is set to transform the media landscape, harnessing artificial intelligence to innovate content creation, distribution, monetization, and audience engagement. This year’s show introduces PropelME, a startup hub spotlighting AI-driven companies poised to reshape the broadcasting, media, and entertainment sectors.

The International Women’s Podcast Awards are returning this June. The awards focus on moments of audio brilliance. IWPA Bursary Fund is offering free entry for applicants worldwide.

Bit Of The Week:

Hit me with your best. The Pulse wants to include your show with the “Bit Of The Week.” If you want to be featured, please send me an mp3 of your best, most recent bit to jeff@barrettmedia.com.

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.

Andrew Fillipponi Continues ‘Swimming Against the Current’ Each Day on ‘The PM Team’ in Pittsburgh

Derek Futterman
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Andrew Fillipponi Continues ‘Swimming Against the Current’ Each Day on ‘The PM Team’ in Pittsburgh

Andrew Fillipponi always thought of his on-air sound as resembling a sports talk radio host who would resonate best in the afternoon drive daypart. As someone with a comprehensive knowledge of the format, he is able to perceive the nuances between programmatic archetypes and feels that although he could adapt to another timeslot, his style fits best at this moment. Fillipponi describes himself as someone who tries to be dynamic and opinionated while eliciting emotive responses and lighthearted revelry for the listening audience. In fact, he has a penchant for the kind of radio mastered by Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo in the afternoons on WFAN, a pairing that achieved historic levels of success for nearly two decades.

Fillipponi made it to afternoon drive with 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh in 2018 after previously starring in middays. As part of the move, he started to host with sportswriter Chris Mueller, and the duo worked to showcase chemistry and rapport over the airwaves. The offering has exhibited a strong value proposition to local listeners while also gaining attention nationally. One of these plaudits came after a panel of 46 program directors and corporate executives from audio companies around the country voted The PM Team as the top afternoon sports talk radio program in mid-markets in the Barrett Media Top 20 series for the third consecutive year.

“I think we have talented people,” Fillipponi said. “I don’t say this to be braggadocious or cocky, but I think I’m good at my job, and I think that I’m fortunate enough to work with similarly talented, skilled people who also have mindsets that I think match mine.”

In seven years of eligibility as a duo, Fillipponi and Mueller have garnered a run of consistency in finishing first on the list four times. The show received the most first-place votes in the category, and it also finished 18 points ahead of the program finishing second. Fillipponi considers it humbling to have amassed this triumph again, but he attributes the victory to a variety of colleagues, including brand manager Kraig Riley, market manager Michael Spacciapolli and producer Donny Chedrick. On top of that, Fillipponi does not lose sight of the panel who grants such a distinction, and he is humbled to be acknowledged in this capacity.

“I think I also generally feel proud when I see us ranked there because it puts more stock in I guess what we’re doing,” Fillipponi said. “It makes me feel like there’s a recognition that people hear us and think that they’re doing a really good job, so it’s just great every time something like this pops up and I see us there. It makes me feel good about where the show is headed and where it’s been.”

Fillipponi aims to augment the social currency of doing a show that can catalyze more conversation and foster greater shares of listening. With a deep tradition and bevy of superstar players spanning the marketplace, he does not underestimate the proficiency of the listeners. Rather than dedicating a specific period of time to preparation and research, the genuine reality of the situation is that the job can be somewhat all encompassing.

“I’m always cooking up things I want to say or thoughts that I have on it, so it seems like it might be a ponderous way of life that that’s always on my mind, but I really don’t know anything differently,” Fillipponi said. “That’s just, I guess, my brain chemistry or genetics – I don’t know what it is – but that’s just how I work.”

When Fillipponi arrives at the studio, he informs his colleagues of his thoughts and listens to feedback to help craft a robust on-air product. Within the on-air discussions, he tries to evince different aspects of his personality that includes some of his own personal idiosyncrasies as it pertains to his sports fandom and lifestyle. There are instances where he can relate to media personalities who may view themselves as being isolated in their viewpoints or perspectives, but he is not afraid to bring up dilemmas or other matters that may go against the norm.

“I think anybody who thinks they’re good at this thinks that they have a unique personality and that there’s stuff about them that sets them apart,” Fillipponi said, “and I just feel like I’ve always naturally been someone who kind of swims against the current as far as opinions go, and that’s not purposely done where I’m just trying to be the lone wolf or have the minority opinion.”

Mueller has played a pivotal role in the prosperity of the show, and he is someone who Fillipponi views as nimble, competent and adaptable. Bringing a substantial sense of humor and spontaneity to the timeslot, he enhances the conversations and contributes to the aggregate synergy realized. Since Fillipponi has been paired with Mueller, he is able to gather the direction of a conversation and effectively position the show to have extemporaneous and memorable moments.

“There’s no complacency, there’s no stagnation, there is no just coasting,” Fillipponi articulated. “We talk about sports, and sports are meant to kind of have a lot of those ideals and qualities and attributes to competition, and I think it gets applied to a lot of what I do too, or at least try to do.”

As an undergraduate student at Syracuse University, Fillipponi studied communications and participated in the student-run campus radio station. Several of his former contemporaries have also forged successful careers in the sports media business, including Nick Wright, Damon Amendolara and Danny Parkins. The alumni reunited at the 2024 BSM Summit in New York City to partake in a session about their forays throughout the business.

“That was a pretty unique experience because that’s something that if we were all sitting together in one of our living rooms or at a bar, we probably would have talked about just the state of the business and our own thoughts and opinions on it,” Fillipponi explained, “and then to do it in front of some of the biggest decision makers and power brokers in sports talk radio was pretty surreal.”

Fillipponi and his colleagues are broadcasting in an ecosystem where Nielsen Media Research has reduced its credit threshold to three minutes to receive listening credit in a quarter-hour. Even though he feels it is too early to extrapolate the residual effects, he surmises that it will benefit music stations more than those in spoken word formats. Nonetheless, Fillipponi strives to finish atop ratings tabulations and bolster the listening audience on a variety of platforms while genuinely enjoying his work.

“I’ve been a part of shows where the ratings have been fine, but I’m like, ‘Man, this just does not sound like the kind of show that I want to do,’ and that’s a really hard thing to reconcile with yourself,” Fillipponi said. “Ideally you want to do a show that sounds how you want it to where you can be yourself and it also does big ratings and it’s great for the company locally and bigger picture too.”

Congruous with his approach to producing content that appeals to the radio audience, Fillipponi remains motivated to improve at his craft. Rather than envying the success of his former classmates, he shares in their victories and maintains confidence that he can continue to thrive in the field. Furthermore, he recognizes the expertise and commitment of those on his team at 93.7 The Fan instead of treating his career as a one-person operation. With the show broadcasting in the new year seeking to secure a fourth-straight top finish, Fillipponi is still optimistic about the future of radio and the notoriety it yields

“I run into people all the time that recognize me, either my voice or my face from our YouTube page,” Fillipponi said. “I feel like you still have a lot of agency and a lot of authority from being on traditional, over-the-air radio, and that’s impressive to me because obviously the options in the menu for what people can listen to has expanded so much.”

Despite the enthusiasm about the future though, Fillipponi still remains concerned about the viability of radio continuing to generate the revenue it had engendered over the last three decades. There are questions he holds surrounding whether talented professionals in different marketplaces can provide for their families. Fillipponi cannot speak nationally on this subject, but at the local level, he is energized by the teamwork and alignment of departments to effectuate a common goal.

“I see really encouraging and positive things in Pittsburgh, and I hope that’s a trend that’s company wide and industry wide because you read articles, trade articles, about money that’s shifted from radio to podcast to YouTube to other places,” Fillipponi expressed, “and I hope we can continue to capture what we did in the past and grow that even more in the next year.”

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.

Ratings Roundup: Will Cain More Than Doubles Key Demo Audience for Fox News With New Afternoon Show

Garrett Searight
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Ratings Roundup: Will Cain More Than Doubles Key Demo Audience for Fox News With New Afternoon Show

The Lead

Will Cain has continued to see a strong performance since launching his show in the 4 PM ET timeslot for Fox News last month.

During the week of February 3rd, The Will Cain Show averaged 2.8 million viewers, with 348,000 coming in the Adults 25-54 demographic. That’s an 89% year-over-year increase in total viewers and a 110% gain in the key demographic. Will Cain stepped into the timeslot previously occupied by Neal Cavuto, who departed the network late last year.

Fox News has seen a ratings surge since Donald Trump secured a return to the White House on Election Day 2024.

The network continues to hold the lion’s share of the cable news audience, with 60% of both the total day and primetime viewership being tuned into the network.

During the week of February 3rd, Fox News averaged just over 3 million viewers in the primetime (8-11 PM ET) window. That more than doubled challenger MSNBC, which averaged 1.2 million viewers in the same timeslot. MSNBC was second in the overall cable TV rankings in that category behind Fox News.

CNN finished the week seventh in the primetime rankings with 508,000 total viewers. The network was also fourth in the total day category, as it averaged an audience of 417,000.

Fox News also led the total day viewership sector for all of cable news. It featured an average of 2 million viewers, according to Nielsen, while MSNBC was second with 657,000.

In the Adults 25-54 demographic, Fox News earned the top spot in both the primetime (398,000 viewers) and total day (258,000 viewers) categories. CNN was the second-best cable news network in the total day ratings inside the key demo, earning seventh with 78,000 viewers. MSNBC was close behind in 9th with 72,000 viewers from the sector, on average. The order was reversed in the primetime rankings, with MSNBC earning 8th with 118,000 A25-54 viewers, and CNN finishing 9th with 115,000 from the demo.

Newsmax Up More Than 40% In Primetime to Start February

Newsmax continues to see ratings gains throughout the day, but especially in the primetime hours.

For the first week of February, the cable network averaged 312,000 viewers from 8-11 PM ET. That represents a 43% increase compared to the final week of January, when it saw 208,000 total viewers.

That 312,000 total audience figure was enough to propel Newsmax to 15th place in the overall cable TV ratings. In December, Newsmax was, at times, as far down the list as 26th.

In the total day viewership rankings, the network was 17th with an average audience of 212,000 total viewers.

For the week, Newsmax saw an average of 29,000 viewers from the coveted demographic during primetime, while NewsNation earned 14,000 in that window.

In the total day ratings, Newsmax averaged 18,000, with NewsNation dropping to 10,000.

CBS Evening News Continues Slide

Last week, we shared that the revamped CBS Evening News — now being led by anchors John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois, and Margaret Brennan — had seen a slight dip in the overall ratings since the departure of Norah O’Donnell.

That slide continued during the week of February 3rd.

During the week, the nightly newscast saw a 5% decline in total viewers, dropping from 4.8 million to 4.6 million. The drop wasn’t limited to total viewers, as it also dipped slightly in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic, down to 666,000 viewers in that segment.

ABC World News Tonight continued its dominance in the category, earning an average of 8.2 million viewers for the week. It also featured 1.2 million viewers from the key demo.

NBC Nightly News, meanwhile, averaged 6.7 million viewers and just over 1 million viewers in the Adults 25-54 demographic for the week.

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.

Nielsen Well Intentioned For Changing Qualifying Time, But Still Missing the Mark By Wide Margin

Pete Mundo
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Nielsen Well Intentioned For Changing Qualifying Time, But Still Missing the Mark By Wide Margin

As those in the radio industry are now aware, Nielsen announced and has now implemented a change to the way it calculates its PPM radio ratings, by shifting the qualifying time from five minutes in a quarter-hour down to three.

In a recent article on Barrett Media, Jon Miller, the Vice President of Audience Insights at Nielsen, explained how the decision to pick three minutes was not an arbitrary one, but rather one that was decided upon after stumbling upon this data point: “Of all of the uncredited occasions that we see in the PPM markets, the median length is three minutes,” Miller shared. “So that was like a blinking red light of like, ‘You know what? Maybe that makes sense to go to that number’, right? This gets us, again, more in line with current digital currencies.”

This is a step in the right direction. We know that attention spans have diminished, people spend less time with their preferred content than ever before and bounce around between an infinite amount of audio options.

Here’s the problem: It doesn’t get Nielsen — and the radio industry as a result — anywhere close to being in line with current digital currencies.

Sure, it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s miles away from how major digital outlets are calculating their metrics. This is nothing to celebrate, but rather highlight the snail’s pace at which metrics are progressing in radio.

According to available information, YouTube counts a view of a video at 30 seconds, and it doesn’t even need to be a consecutive 30 seconds. Facebook and Instagram (Meta) count a video view if you watch it for three seconds. On X, that number is two seconds. TikTok is even more absurd. On TikTok, a view is counted as soon as a video starts playing, meaning even if a user scrolls past immediately, it still registers as a view; essentially, you only need to watch for a fraction of a second for a view to count.

Meantime, for audio-only platforms like podcasts, it’s more about downloads that are tracked, which means a user doesn’t even need to technically listen for it to count as a listen.

So for radio, we’re playing a game that is totally unfair when compared to any of the digital platforms that are competing for the attention of viewers and listeners. To use a sports analogy, digital outlets are left-handed hitters who get to play all their games in Yankee Stadium with a short right field porch, while radio is playing in Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, considered the hardest place to hit home runs in Major League Baseball. Oh, and radio can only have one hand on the bat, while blindfolded. 

Nielsen’s decision to move to three minutes was more about missed opportunities on the platform of radio, rather than looking at it through the lens of where the rest of the media world is, and what is being presented to advertisers as “views” and “listens” around the industry.

Some may see this as complaining, and it may be to a degree, but for an industry that has shot itself in the foot far too many times — in different ways for far too long — we should not celebrate when we happen to fire and just knick off a piece of our baby toe, rather than take off the big toe.

Let’s get this Nielsen number down even further. And do it ASAP.

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.

Jenny Law Heads Back To Texas And 101.1 KONO San Antonio

BMM Staff
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Jenny Law Heads Back To Texas And 101.1 KONO San Antonio

Country K95.5 KWEN Tulsa APD/PM Driver Jenny Law is headed back to the Lonestar state and Classic Hits 101.1 KONO in San Antonio, where she will serve as Assistant Program Director.

Cox Media Group owns both stations. Law will continue to host KWEN afternoons until a replacement is hired.

Mark Shecterle, CMG Tulsa’s General Manager and Vice President, said, “It is always a proud moment when we can promote talent from within our company. Offering opportunities for training, personal growth, and advancement is a priority for us at CMG Tulsa, and watching someone as deserving as Jenny reap the rewards is so gratifying,”

Law joined KWEN in 2015. Prior stops include nine years at KKBQ, Houston, and KYYS Bryan, TX.

Congratulate her here.      

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CNN’s Audie Cornish Candidate to Join Michael Barbaro as Co-Host of The Daily

BNM Staff
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CNN’s Audie Cornish Candidate to Join Michael Barbaro as Co-Host of The Daily

The New York Times has been looking for a co-host to pair with Michael Barbaro for The Daily. CNN host Audie Cornish could be the leading candidate according to a new report.

New York Magainze reports that Cornish has spoken to The New York Times about joining the popular podcast as Barbaro’s co-host.

The 45-year-old Cornish could be viewed as a natural fit for the role. Before joining CNN, she served as the co-host of All Things Considered for NPR, spending 11 years working for the public broadcaster.

Currently, Audie Cornish hosts The Assignment podcast for CNN Audio. That program releases one episode per week. She is currently scheduled to take over the anchor chair of CNN This Morning from Kasie Hunt in March of this year as part of the network’s re-tooled daily lineup.

It is unclear if Cornish would relinquish her role at CNN to take the position beside Michael Barbaro on The Daily.

Since launching in 2017, The Daily has become one of the most popular podcasts, regardless of genre, in the United States. According to podcast rankings from Podtrac, the program hosted by Barbaro finished 2024 as the second most popular podcast of the year, trailing only The Joe Rogan Experience.

The co-host position of the podcast opened when The New York Times announced that Sabrina Tavernise, who had been with the show since early 2022, would step away and return to reporting for the news outlet. In her absence, the podcast has featured a rotating panel of guest co-hosts while searching for a permanent member of the show’s cast.

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Carmelo Anthony to Join NBC Sports as NBA Studio Analyst: Report

BSM Staff
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Carmelo Anthony to Join NBC Sports as NBA Studio Analyst: Report

Carmelo Anthony, former All-Star forward for the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, will reportedly be joining NBC Sports as an NBA analyst as the company resumes its live game broadcasts of the league. Anthony, who retired from playing the sport two years ago, would presumably be part of the network’s studio team, the rest of which has not yet been determined. The news of Anthony appearing on the air for NBA coverage from NBC Sports was first reported by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

Anthony has co-hosted the podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, which is produced and distributed by Wave Sports + Entertainment. The show returned for its second season last November by showcasing the college decision of Anthony’s son, Kiyan, to attend Syracuse University. A rotating cast of co-hosts join Anthony and The Kid Mero, including Kazeem Famuyide, Monica McNutt and Rudy Gay.

If Anthony’s signing becomes official, he would join a roster that includes venerated broadcasters and league veterans, including Mike Tirico, Jamal Crawford and Noah Eagle. Current TNT Sports analyst Reggie Miller was also said to be joining NBC Sports last month as its lead game analyst, which would presumably include several marquee assignments. Under its forthcoming 11-year media rights deal with the league, reportedly worth $2.45 billion per year, NBC Sports will have rights for up to 100 NBA regular-season contests, NBA All-Star festivities and various playoff games, including a conference final series in six of the 11 years

There are various possibilities surrounding the remainder of the roster, with the network reportedly showing interest in Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill to join the broadcast entity as analysts. Marchand also reported that the company could have Terry Gannon call games on the network, who was the lead WNBA play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ABC for parts of the 2000s. Although the company held talks with Charles Barkley, those discussions have since ended as he is expected to continue working on Inside the NBA. TNT Sports will continue to produce the show, but it will air on Disney platforms (ESPN/ABC) starting next season as part of a sublicensing deal.

Amazon has been reported as hiring Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan as play-by-play voices for NBA games starting next season, along with Cassidy Hubbarth as its sideline reporter. In addition, the company has reportedly demonstrated interest in Michael Grady to be part of its play-by-play rotation as well.

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97.1 The Fan Staff Forced to Evacuate Building, Air ESPN Radio Programming After Suspicious Package Arrives at Station

BSM Staff
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97.1 The Fan Staff Forced to Evacuate Building, Air ESPN Radio Programming After Suspicious Package Arrives at Station

The staff at 97.1 The Fan were forced to evacuate their studios and office space and put ESPN Radio programming on the air on Thursday afternoon after a suspicious package was mailed to the TEGNA sports radio station.

After returning from a commercial break, Anthony Rothman — host of the station’s midday show — alerted listeners to the fact that he and co-host Matty “Ice” Hayes were being told to evacuate the building, along with the rest of the employees.

“In full transparency, this has never happened in all the years that we’ve been at the station, but I want to do this quickly and efficiently and not scare anybody here at our station,” said Rothman. “But when you work at a media situation, TV station, radio station, there can be some things that come about that have emergency situations.

“Evacuating a building for us is really not that convenient, because we’re on the air, and obviously we’re providing a service to you and our fine listeners here at The Fan, but Matty and I have recently been told that here in our building, that we have been issued an evacuation, out of cautiousness for something that might be here, might have arrived, and we’re not going to ask any questions.

“So what we’re going to do is we’re going to switch over to our national ESPN shows, and hopefully we will be back with you shortly, but we want to abide by this,” continued Rothman. “We want to choose safety overall, and we appreciate you having the patience with us, because this has never happened. So thank you very much for your patience. We hope to be back with you here before the end of our show, and, of course, before Common Man and T-Bone.

“Right now, we will do what we are being told to do, and evacuate our building. Hopefully, everyone is safe at this point and we will continue to be safe. So thank you for listening. Hopefully, we’ll talk to you very shortly.”

The station immediately began airing programming from ESPN Radio after the final comments from Rothman.

Police channel blotter from Columbus indicates a package was mailed to 97.1 The Fan that contained a powdery substance.

A statement from the station on social media reads “We are currently running ESPN Network programming due to a situation in our offices that has caused us to evacuate the building, temporarily. We plan to return to local programming ASAP. Keep an eye out on our social media for further updates.”

At 3 PM, the station returned to local programming, with its afternoon show — Common Man & T-Bone, hosted by Mike Ricordati and Jonathan Smith — broadcasting remotely.

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