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The Sports Media Industry Weighs In On the FOX NFL Broadcast Booth Saga Involving Tom Brady and Greg Olsen

Derek Futterman
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The Sports Media Industry Weighs In On the FOX NFL Broadcast Booth Saga Involving Tom Brady and Greg Olsen

Tom Brady is no stranger to the Super Bowl. The seven-time league champion, widely considered to be the greatest quarterback to ever play football, shined brightest on the NFL’s biggest stage. His accomplishments on the field are second to none.

But this year, Brady finds himself on Super Bowl Sunday in a different role. He will work his first broadcast for FOX Sports as its lead analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt after previously signing a reported 10-year, $375 million deal. His first season in the booth saw week to week improvement. However, he also endured scrutiny and criticism from consumers and media professionals over his rough around the edges performance. Complicating the situation further was FOX’s decision to insert Brady into the booth at the expense of Greg Olsen. The former Tight End earned a great deal of fan fare for his instant chemistry with Burkhardt, and strong on-air presentation. Olsen expressed that he would have been interested in a three-person booth with Burkhardt and Brady but wasn’t asked.

The Brady-Olsen topic remained a popular one this week in New Orleans. Barrett Media asked several media members for their insights and opinions on the two men, and who they prefer hearing behind the microphone in FOX’s lead booth. Here are their reactions.

Stephen A. Smith – ESPN, Straight Shooter Media

“I think Greg Olsen did a great job, and there’s nothing to discredit him about as it pertains to the job that he did. He’s more than qualified to call this game. He would have deserved it if he was still in that chair, but we all know this is Tom Brady that we’re talking about, and if there was ever an individual that deserved the opportunity to be in this position, it’s Tom Brady. He’s a seven-time champion, he’s the greatest face the sport has ever had. He delivered the goods, he was on this stage on numerous occasions, he performed on this stage on numerous occasions.

“His credentials are as impeccable as they get, and so for me, I’m of the mindset that he deserves it, and then he improved gradually throughout the season, and I think he’s going to be even better next year, but I thought he was damn good this year, especially the second half of the season. He’s a friend, he and I talk, and I watched and listened to every single game he did this year, and he got better and better and better each and every single week. I’m very proud of him, I’m very proud of the job that he’s done, and I think that he’s going to do a terrific job this Sunday.”

Stephen A. Smith
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

“Look, FOX brought Tom Brady for everything that comes with Tom Brady. It’s not just for his ability to call a game. I think they knew this was going to be a rookie season, which is what we’re seeing. We’re seeing a true rookie season, someone finding their way, but improve. He’s improved throughout the whole year. I think this is going to be his best game. I think he lives for the big moments, which is always what’s separated him from so many others that I think it’s going to apply to this, and there’s something to be said for people who’ve been part of Super Bowls before.

“Whenever I talk to players about their first Super Bowl compared to, let’s just say years later, they always will go, ‘Oh, it was a wreck. I had no idea,’ which is why you hear teams practicing the most ridiculous things to just get ready, whether it’s the same music that you’d be hearing, the sounds. Tom Brady’s been in that environment, so none of it’s going to feel too big for him, in my opinion, just as a broadcaster, although I probably would prefer to see him playing right now.”

Dianna Russini
Courtesy: Carlos Lima on Instagram

Katie Mox – CBS Sports

“I like both of them. I thought Greg was great, and I think Tom Brady is great as well. You know what’s so funny, as a broadcaster too, when he had his first game and he was a little bit nervous, I just felt like, ‘Oh my God, Tom Brady is just like me. I mess up, I make mistakes, sometimes I get nervous,’ so I think I had more empathy for him in that first game, but I feel like he’s gotten better. Certainly in the playoffs he had some of his best games, and I think he’s going to be fantastic.”

Katie Mox
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

Dan Patrick – FOX Sports Radio, Peacock

“I’m not really listening where I go, ‘Can’t wait to hear what Tom has to say,’ as much as I’ll listen when he does say something and adds to it. Great, but I don’t want to fall into this trap of, ‘Let me hear what Brady has to say, good or bad, and everybody’s going to have a referendum on him on Monday morning. I hope he has a seamless Super Bowl, and Greg Olsen did a great job when he did it, but Tom’s a competitor, so I’m going to guess he’s going to love to showcase everything that he’s learned all season long. He’s got his moment — he does well in Super Bowls.”

Dan Patrick
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

Mina Kimes – ESPN, Omaha Productions

“I’ll start by saying I think Greg Olsen is incredible. I’m very public about being such a fan of his analysis. I think his command of situational football is up there with anyone’s. He educates viewers, so start off by saying that he’s amazing. That said, I’m pretty optimistic. I think with Tom, you can really tell that he is putting time and effort into it, and I’ve really enjoyed when he kind of draws connections between his experiences in big games to what we see on the field. Obviously, there’s nobody who’s got the Super Bowl experience that he does, so I’m curious to see kind of how that his experience informs the call.”

Mina Kimes
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

Don Martin – iHeartMedia, FOX Sports Radio

“God bless him. He was never, ever, ever going to ding the bell. It wasn’t going to happen, okay, and the reason it wasn’t going to happen [is] because the expectation was so high. Don’t disrespect the medium guys. This is a hard job. I think he’s done a wonderful job. First-year guy, okay? I mean, come on. Give him some time. Romo wasn’t great either — none of them were. Now, we all thought he was because he was different. What are people saying about Romo now? At the end of the day for me, FOX got what they wanted — star power, great star power — but more importantly, sometimes, whether you believe in a God or not, all the planets align. Tom’s got a hell of a Super Bowl now to make one hell of a mark, and he’s going to be just fine.”

Don Martin
Courtesy: Barrett Sports Media

Caroline Fenton – Yahoo Sports

“The star power — obviously, it’s Tom Brady. When Tom Brady is attached to anything, it’s going to be successful, whether it’s partial ownership of the Raiders or if it’s TB12 or if it’s him literally quarterbacking the Patriots or the Bucs. I think Greg Olsen is really, really, really talented at what he does. Tom Brady is new to it. I think he’s got some room for growth. Shocker — maybe Tom Brady isn’t perfect at everything — but it’s going to be awesome. Tom Brady and the Super Bowl just go together — it fits.”

Caroline Fenton
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

Sam Farber – Yahoo Sports

“I’m a Patriots fan, so everything Tom does is great by me. But in all seriousness, I think that Tom has an insane wealth of knowledge from all the years that he played. Nobody knows the Super Bowl stage better than Tom Brady, so my own fandom and biases aside, I think it’s a great decision to have a guy who won seven rings and who participated in 10 Super Bowls in the booth, giving fans insights on what that’s like. I don’t see how you go wrong with that.”

Sam Farber
Courtesy: Sam Farber on LinkedIn

Lucy Rohden – Meadowlark Media

“I miss Greg – I feel bad for him too because I believe it’s come out that he’s very unhappy with the situation he’s been put in – I think that Tom Brady kind of maintains the same level in tone throughout the entirety of his games and it can get a little monotonous, and I think he’s really smart. I do like that I feel like I’m learning stuff when he’s calling a game, but he doesn’t kind of bring the energy and the excitement that I really liked with Greg Olsen, and so I don’t think he does a bad job by any means, but Greg kind of stole everyone’s heart, and now you’re like, ‘Oh okay. Well, oh well, somebody new.’”

Lucy Rohden
Courtesy: Lucy Rohden on X

Claudia Bellofatto – DraftKings Network

“I think we can all agree to some degree that Greg was great at what he did and Tom is green because it’s just not what he’s meant to do. He’s meant to throw the football. He was the best of all time at what he did, so I think it’s difficult for anybody to jump into a new field and to be under all the scrutiny that he’s faced because he was so good at being No. 12, but I think he’s done good. I think he’s done really well at bringing an educational side to it too. I know there’s some restrictions because of his ownership of the Raiders, but I do think he’s done well for the position that he’s in. It’s hard.”

Claudia Bellofatto
Courtesy: Derek Futterman, Barrett Sports Media

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: Seize The Moment, Community Connections, And Radio Industry Happenings

Jeff Lynn
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The Pulse: Seize The Moment, Community Connections, And Radio Industry Happenings

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Eggcellent opportunity to seize the moment and create a promotion around egg prices and bird flu, which are on everyone’s minds.

When I was programming in Cleveland, I had the chance to work with the late Mark Biviano. Mark was easily the most intelligent person I worked with during my entire radio career. He was VP of Sales, and his vision for our stations and the whole industry was extraordinary.

Mark was a huge advocate of “Seizing The Moment.” So much so that it was the only question he asked me in my job interview.

“Pick out something in the news today and tell me how you would “seize the moment.”’

So, my question is, what are you doing to seize the moment in your market?

Every market has its vibe. People always tell me nothing happens here, but that is just a lazy cop-out.

Maybe the local high school or college team is on a roll or has the next Caitlin Clark.

If you have a Waffle House in your market, giveaway surcharge free meals.

What could you create around the chatter involving Kayne’s wife’s dress or lack thereof at The Grammy’s?

Everyone will talk about Super Bowl commercials on Monday. How can you attach that?

The halftime show is sure to generate some conversation.

It’s not the value of the potential prize. The Waffle House example is about a $12 prize, but it attaches you to what people are talking about.

With so much homogenized radio, “seizing the moment” makes you stand out, hopefully makes people smile, and makes you memorable.

I would love to give some publicity and highlight what you are doing. Email me here.

Community Connections:

A public memorial was held for Gary Fruin, who, until the end of last month, was co-host of “The Gary And Catherine In The Morning” on K-Lite 101.7 in Santa Barbara.

Fruin passed away from esophageal cancer. He was 68.

The memorial included Santa Barbara artists Karla Bonoff, Alan Parsons, Michael McDonald, and Kenny Loggins. According to the Santa Barbara Independent, all “benefited from exposure and support on the ‘Gary and Catherine in the Morning’ show.”

Industry Happenings:

C.K. Coin, midday host at WOKO, Burlington, VT, has retired after 28 years at the station. Coin’s career spanned 48 years.

SiriusXM is offering “Chris Stapleton Radio” free in all cars equipped with satellite service. The channel will be available on channel 63 through February.

Bobby Bones will feature songwriters Brett James, Kelly Archer, and Matt Jenkins in Music Night Live!, The show will be broadcast live to movie theatres across the county on March 8.

Add Ons:

CBS reports that the 67th Grammy Awards broadcast on February 2 was watched by 14.5 million people, an 8.9 percent drop from last year.

The Performance Radio Network has launched “Kyle Petty’s Back Then Again Country Countdown with Charlie and Debbie.” Petty is joined WSOC Charlotte’s afternoon team, Charlie And Debbie.

The CRS ’25 mobile app is officially available for download on both iPhone and Android platforms. Users can access seminar agendas, detailed session descriptions, speaker biographies, information on performing artists, and enhancements to the integrated calendar.

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.

WRIF Detroit’s Dave & Chuck The Freak Are A ‘Distraction From All The Crap’

Charese Fruge
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WRIF Detroit’s Dave & Chuck The Freak Are A ‘Distraction From All The Crap’

101 WRIF Detroit and Key Networks’ Dave & Chuck The Freak, another morning show admired by peers in the industry, coming in at #2 on the Barrett Media Top 20 Rock Shows of 2024.

The pair started as the news guy and producer on a morning show on 89X in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It was by chance that in 2001, one of the members of the show left, and the two did an on-air audition to take it over completely for nine months. They were later officially given the job.

Incidentally, Windsor borders Detroit, and the station could be heard in the Metro Detroit area. They started developing a big audience across the border and that’s what eventually led to the success they share today.

The quirky pair share interesting passions on the side which helps to keep them sane while trying to balance work and a personal life. “Chuck’s passions are metal detecting, coaching his son’s baseball team, and painting miniature figurines, lol,” says Dave. “Dave’s passions include traveling to any part of the world he hasn’t explored yet,” adds Chuck.

To the duo, their show is all about reality and, most importantly, their listening community. “I think the thing about our show is everything we do is real, there’s no B.S. We are who we are; we don’t have any actors doing fake bits,” says Chuck.

“Our audience is the other big player. Their calls and emails add things to the show we could never dream up,” says Dave. “Being in a lot of blue-collar communities, we constantly get emails from listeners who are so thankful for the escape from their everyday life, as we never discuss politics or anything else really divisive. They get to join us and laugh and forget about all the craziness in the world for a while,” he adds.

Dave is the Captain of the ship and the driver. Chuck is the Co-host who is constantly trying to drive the ship into an iceberg. Lisa is the lone female who is the foil to the guy’s antics and the voice of reason.

Andy brings his unique comedy and improv skills to the discussions. Jason is the video editor and producer, a new father of two kids, and is just trying to stay positive.

Al is an 87-year-old man in a 30-something’s body who handles syndication and keeps the team organized, and Cort is the Pop Culture expert who handles all the digital elements and phone screening.

Over the years, Dave & Chuck have caused a lot of commotion, but according to Chuck, the biggest incident involved a fellow employee. “We found a co-worker passed out in the bathroom years ago with the lights off, and when we talked about it on the air doing an investigation about what happened, it resulted in our suspension. That, in turn, got all the listeners fired up supporting us, and it really put us on the map for our ‘Operation Dark Stall.’”

“We really don’t do traditional ‘bits,’” says Dave. “We just try to have a unique perspective on the stories we’re talking about and try to infuse humor at every turn. Making fun of everyone and everything equally.”

With so many characters on the show, I was curious how the duo did their prep. “I Don’t!” says Chuck. “I get in a few hours before everyone to dig into the stuff we’re going to talk about,” adds Dave. “We found out early on that the element of surprise works way better for us. The improv kicks into high gear when no one knows in advance what we’re going to talk about. The reactions are genuine, not rehearsed, and the audience picks up on that.”

According to Dave, one of the most exciting things that has happened to the show over the years was “Interviewing Kenny Rogers and getting to sing ‘The Gambler’ with him live on air. Nothing can top it!” Chuck has a different opinion. “Taking the show into syndication and traveling to other cities and realizing we had fans all over the U.S. that were willing to show up and meet us at events was a pretty amazing experience.”

Some of their biggest challenges over the years: “Erectile Dysfunction, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Hair Loss,” says Chuck. “Still Working on it all.” “Hearing about Chuck’s Erectile Dysfunction, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Hair Loss. Still not over it!” insists Dave.

According to the team, massive reductions in staffing levels have definitely taken a toll on the industry. What’s missing right now? “Nurturing and appreciating talent will always be what sets radio apart, so we’re hoping the focus will shift back to that.”

As the world we live in gets crazier and crazier, we want to continue to be the distraction from all the crap,” says Dave. “We’re also working on more exclusive content, more live streaming, and continuing to increase our digital presence.”

Follow Dave and Chuck The Freak at Daveandchuckthefreak.com, Youtube.com/daveandchuck, x.com/daveandchuck, Facebook.com/daveandchuckthefreakfans, and Instagram.com/daveandchuckthefreak. They’re also on Threads and TikTok.

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: CBS Evening News Sees Slight Dip After Exit of Norah O’Donnell

Garrett Searight
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Ratings Roundup: CBS Evening News Sees Slight Dip After Exit of Norah O’Donnell

The Lead

After the exit of Norah O’Donnell from the CBS Evening News chair, John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois, and Margaret Brennan began hosting the show.

In the first week of the reimagined program, it saw a slight dip in ratings compared to the previous week, and compared to the average of the previous three weeks.

During the week of January 27th, CBS Evening News averaged 4.8 million viewers. That figure is down slightly compared to the previous week, which saw an average audience of 4.9 million viewers.

For the three weeks preceding the change with the CBS News program, it had averaged 5.1 million total viewers.

Additionally, the newscast has seen a decline in viewers from the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic each week in January. During the first week of 2025, the program saw 743,000 viewers from that demo. Declines ensued for the following two weeks — 721,000 and 714,000, respectively — before dropping to 688,000 the first week the CBS Evening News was helmed by the new trio.

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir won the week in both total and key demographic viewers. The newscast averaged 8.3 million viewers for the week, with 1.1 million coming from the Adults 25-54 demographic. NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, meanwhile, saw an average audience of 6.9 million viewers, with 1.1 million coming in the key demo.

CNN, Newsmax See Primetime Jump

In December, Newsmax was just on the cusp of being a top 25 cable network in the primetime window with 256,000 total viewers.

During the week of January 27th, the cable network averaged 318,000 total viewers in the 8-11 PM ET timeslot, placing it as the 18th most-watched network in the timeslot.

Fox News led both the Primetime and Total Day ratings, with 3.1 million viewers in primetime and 2.1 million viewers in the total day ratings. MSNBC was third in primetime at 1.2 million, while finishing second in total day with an average of 690,000 total viewers.

CNN was fourth in both categories, averaging 684,000 viewers in primetime and 534,000 in total day. Those figures were up dramatically compared to the ratings from mid-December. CNN had fallen to 19th in primetime viewership with an average of 360,000 total viewers. It also finished sixth in the total day ratings in mid-December with an average audience of 404,000.

Newsmax was 15th in total viewers during the final week of January. It averaged an audience of 218,000.

Meanwhile, NewsNation was 52nd with an average of 121,000 viewers in primetime and 72,000 viewers in the total day ratings.

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.

With Data Showing Health of News/Talk Radio, What Are You Doing to Sustain It?

Pete Mundo
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With Data Showing Health of News/Talk Radio, What Are You Doing to Sustain It?

Two big stories to hit this week that should be viewed favorably by those working on the programming and sales side of news/talk radio. At a time when many want to bury the format and the industry, these are critical reminders to lift internal morale while also highlighting the major advantages of News/Talk radio to those outside of our business.

First, Nielsen noted the strength of the format in the fourth quarter leading up to the 2024 Election. As pointed out by Barrett Media, in the 18+ category, news/talk radio accounted for 11.3% of all listening. That topped the next closest challenger in the demographic, adult contemporary, which earned 8.1%.

Then, when you look inside the 25-54 age demographic, news/talk lost share and was not ranked No. 1, but still came in at No. 2 with a 6.7% share, trailing only AC. This bucks the trend of what many, even in the industry, would probably predict. 

On streaming, news/talk radio absolutely dominated. News/Talk was first or second in every category, except for in the 18-34 demographic, where it finished behind AC and sports for third place. In the 35+ audience, more than 25% of all AM/FM radio streaming happened with news/talk. The figure dropped in the 25-54 demo, down to 15.4%, but still tops of all genres in that sector.

When you combine these numbers with the strong attachment listeners have to the hosts, who are the content, along with the strong Time Spent Listening, it’s clear that the format is incredibly healthy, despite what the doomsayers might claim.

It’s a format that has a desirable audience with disposable income. While the over-the-air demographic might be aging, the streaming audience, which remains a growth spot in the industry at large, is tops.

On a broader radio scale, Eastlan Ratings and FMR Associates showed that AM/FM Radio listening dropped by precisely one percentage point in their 2025 study. In 2025, 85% of the more than 1,500 25-to-64-year-olds surveyed listened to radio weekly. That is in line with listening from 2023 and down one percent from 2024.

While there’s undoubtedly been growth in podcast listening amongst all age groups, there wasn’t solid evidence that it was at the expense of radio but rather largely additional listening.

The percentage of adults using radio is a reminder that the broader issue is that we are all competing against more media. So rather than bemoan the fact that usage might not be trending up, an enormous audience still gives us a chance to earn their entertainment time daily. They’re punching the dial, and they’re giving us a shot.

The best performers in any industry will use the old adage, “Just give me a shot.” The audience, based on these numbers, is doing that. What are you doing with that shot?

So, after what has undoubtedly been a roller coaster a few years since the COVID pandemic, there just might be more light on the horizon than many wanted ever to believe.

I won’t blow smoke and deny that serious challenges still exist, but of course, two things can be true at the same time.

Radio, and specifically news/talk radio, is healthier than the critics will say. However, in an ever-changing media landscape, programmers and talent need to step up their game every day to compete for the ears and eyeballs of their listeners and never take a single listener or a single second of a show for granted.

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.

Greg Olsen: ‘I Don’t Have Any Personal Animosity’ Towards Tom Brady

BSM Staff
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Greg Olsen: ‘I Don’t Have Any Personal Animosity’ Towards Tom Brady

The story that doesn’t ever seem to want to go away is back in the news. In a recent interview with Nick Carboni of WCNC Charlotte, Olsen was asked whether or not he believes there’s a path where he returns to the booth for championship weekend or the Super Bowl in the near future.

Olsen replied, “I’ll be honest – it’s hard sitting home on the couch watching the games, and you’re sitting there and you’re living and dying with every broadcast, and you’re sitting there and you’re dissecting everything that’s said and done and, ‘What would you have said?’ and, ‘What would you have done?’”

That brought up questions by the media this week during Super Bowl coverage. Olsen appeared on Good Morning Football today and responded to what has been said recently:

“I want to be very clear,” he started. “I know my comments last week kind of took on a crazy storm. I actually talked to Tom. I’ve talked to Tom regularly throughout the season. We’ve gotten to know each other really well. I have a ton of respect for him, which goes without saying as a player, but like I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him as a guy since he’s joined FOX.

“So, this whole narrative of I hate watching him call games and all that is not true. So, here I am on national TV setting the record. I have no personal [dislike for Tom], I like Tom. I want to see him. I’ve tried to help him. I answer questions, again to the best that I can help.

“But I want to see him do well. I want to see him and Kevin and EA and Tom and all of them have a great broadcast. I don’t have any personal animosity. I want to be very clear.”

Brady is in the first year of his 10-year, $375 million contract he signed with FOX in May 2022. He will be in the booth on Sunday along with the aforementioned Tom Burkhardt on the call of Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

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.

Bobbie Loesch Named iHeartMedia Pittsburgh Market President

BMM Staff
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Bobbie Loesch Named iHeartMedia Pittsburgh Market President

iHeartMedia Pittsburgh has named Bobbie Loesch Market President.

Loesch joined the Pittsburgh cluster in 2004 as an Account Executive. She rose through the ranks as VP/Sales and then Senior VP of Sales seven years ago.

In her new position, she will be responsible for sales, programming, and promotions for Sports Talk WBGG, Country Big 104.7, Rock WDVE, Alternative WXDX, Top 40 96.1 KISS-FM, and Classic Hits 3WS.

She will report to iHeartMedia Division President D.J. Hodge, who said Loesch “has been an instrumental and driving force behind the success of our Pittsburgh cluster for over 20 years, and her leadership and vision make her the perfect fit to lead the team into the future.”

“I am genuinely honored to be appointed to this role and deeply appreciate the trust placed in me to lead this exceptionally talented team,” Loesch said. “My colleagues, our partners, and our audiences are the cornerstone of our success. I am excited to build on our achievements and further elevate our dominance in the market, and I’m eager to continue to help brands harness the unmatched reach, scale, and efficiency that only iHeart can deliver.”

Congratulate her here.

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.

Netflix Considering A Pursuit of Live Formula 1 Rights Alongside ESPN, Apple

BSM Staff
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Netflix Considering A Pursuit of Live Formula 1 Rights Alongside ESPN, Apple

In its quest for live sports domination, Netflix could pair one of its most popular shows ever with its live counterpart. According to The London Times, Netflix could pair Drive To Survive with live F1 races, creating a formidable one-two punch for racing fans nationwide.

This would be the company’s first attempt at securing rights to an entire season’s worth of events, rather than just tentpole one-offs like holiday NFL games and boxing matches. ESPN is the current rights holder but The Times indicated that the company’s exclusivity deal with F1 has expired — and that the circuit is open for business with other potential suitors.

The Times says Apple and ESPN are still on the table as far as challengers but F1 would probably not be interested in the same global rights deal Apple has with Major League Soccer. ESPN could also emerge after all, but it has failed to secure a new deal within its exclusive negotiation period. 

There is an appetite for Formula 1 in the United States. The 2024 Miami Grand Prix averaged 3.1 million viewers, the most ever for F1 racing in the States. Netflix is banking on that continued success, plus Drive to Survive’s popularity, to turn live racing into the next big streaming sensation.

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.

News Media Reacts to CBS News Releasing Unedited 60 Minutes Interview with Kamala Harris

BNM Staff
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News Media Reacts to CBS News Releasing Unedited 60 Minutes Interview with Kamala Harris

CBS News has released its entire, unedited 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris at the urging of the FCC and Donald Trump.

Trump had sued the network for $10 billion, alleging the interview was deceitfully edited to help Harris in the race for the White House.

CBS News has released the full video of its interaction with Harris, along with a transcript at the behest of the FCC, which has been investigating the network.

In a statement, the network said it is commonplace to edit interviews “for time, space, or clarity.”

“In making these edits, 60 Minutes is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public – all while working within the constraints of broadcast television,” CBS News continued.

“The issue here concerns one question from 60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris: whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is listening to the Biden-Harris Administration. We broadcast a longer portion of the vice president’s answer on Face the Nation and broadcast a shorter excerpt from the same answer on 60 Minutes the next day. Each excerpt reflects the substance of the vice president’s answer. As the full transcript shows, we edited the interview to ensure that as much of the vice president’s answers to 60 Minutes’ many questions were included in our original broadcast while fairly representing those answers. 60 Minutes’ hard-hitting questions of the vice president speak for themselves,” the statement added.

In a post to social media, President Trump said “CBS and 60 Minutes defrauded the public by doing something which has never, to this extent, been seen before. They 100% removed Kamala’s horrible election changing answers to questions, and replaced them with completely different, and far better, answers, taken from another part of the interview … CBS should lose its license and the cheaters at 60 Minutes should all be thrown out, and this disreputable “NEWS” show should be immediately terminated.”

Elsewhere on social media, many shared their opinions, ranging for echos of Trump’s sentiments to questioning what the revelation meant for the program going forward.

Members of the FCC differed on their reaction to the release of the interview. Anna Gomez, a Democratic commissioner, shared that FCC shouldn’t be doing the bidding of the Trump administration, and added that the video shows CBS did nothing wrong in its interview. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called CBS’ conduct “concerning” through the ordeal.

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.

FCC Issues Advisory Regarding Airplay And Free Performances

BMM Staff
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FCC Issues Advisory Regarding Airplay And Free Performances

In response to Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) accusations of payola (BMM 2/4), FCC Chairman Brendon Carr has issued an advisory to radio stations concerning increased artist airplay in exchange for free performances.

Blackburn has alleged a “forced quid pro quo” for the shows often used for charity shows or radio station events.

The advisory reminds licensees that free or reduced-cost shows cannot be offered in exchange for increased airplay. It further warns that stations hosting those types of events are responsible for ensuring that payola regulations are not violated.

Fines range from $10,000 up to a year in prison or both.

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