Home Blog Page 1125

The Hidden Dangers of ‘Free’ as a Marketing Message

Bob Lawrence
-
0
The Hidden Dangers of ‘Free’ as a Marketing Message

The allure of the word “free” in marketing is undeniable. It has the power to grab attention, create excitement, and drive consumers to take immediate action.

However, as tantalizing as it may be, employing “free” in marketing strategies can sometimes do more harm than good. One of the advantages of radio is that it’s, indeed, free to listeners. However, the word may not be a good idea in your marketing strategy.

 As Market Manager, we never give away free commercials, or at least it’s never positioned that way. There is value in everything we offer to listeners and clients alike.

When I was a programmer, I rarely, if ever, said, “Win a free” anything.” We would simply say, “Win a pair of tickets” or “win a trip.” The value is in the prize, not the fact that it’s free.

Have you ever noticed that game shows like Wheel of Fortune never say, “Congrats, Susan, you’ve just won a ‘free’ trip to Spain!”  Nope—they always say, “Congratulations Susan, you’re off on a trip to Spain—total value… $9,500!!”  

One of the most significant drawbacks of using the word “free” in marketing is the amount of consumer skepticism and mistrust it generates. In today’s wary world, we have all become increasingly cautious of offers that “seem too good to be true.” 

In my daily life, the word “free” raises red flags, leading me to question the offer’s credibility and the marketer’s intention. To me, it connotes hidden costs, strings attached, or that the product or service isn’t of good quality. Terms like “complimentary,” “bonus,” or “included” may help create a sense of value without triggering any skepticism.  

Whenever something is offered for free, we tend to automatically question its value. I remember when I subscribed to satellite TV. I unintentionally remembered what the channel numbers were for all the premium offerings. Why? I’m convinced it was because I paid extra for them. They were responsible for higher costs. I could never remember the channel numbers for the free networks.

They were intrinsically worth less in my mind. Today, we stream with Hulu, and I tend to watch other streaming networks like Paramount+, Prime, or Max most often. I am willing to pay extra for those, which means they have greater value to me.  

There is little doubt that offering something for free can generate a quick boost in interest and sales, but it rarely leads to long-term customer loyalty and may actually damage the brand. There’s an old adage that says, “You can sell anything if it’s cheap enough,” and free is as cheap as it gets. 

But those who are attracted by the word may be more interested in a deal rather than the brand or product. Where is the danger there? Well, once a free offer ends, they will expect it again and when they don’t get it, they just move on to the next free deal somewhere else.

In the end, the short-term gain becomes expensive for a business trying to build a sustainable customer base. If you have ever been in sales, management, or ownership then you know how difficult it is to give someone a discount and then raise the price again next time.  

It seems that we have all become leery of special offers. Most of us have been lured into a marketer’s web by the word “free,” only to determine that something else is required in order for us to receive their no-cost offer.

When you click “learn more,” you quickly find that it’s only free for 7 days, and they want your credit card before starting the “trial,” counting on you forgetting to cancel before the 7 days expire.   

Instead of relying on the word “free,” I suggest exploring alternative strategies to attract and retain customers. Offering limited-time promotions, or value-added services can help create the sense of urgency and excitement you’re trying to create without the pitfalls associated with “free.” Additionally, focusing on the unique features and benefits and highlighting those with testimonials helps build trust.

We are in the business of creating relationships… both on air and with our advertising community. We don’t sell spots or commercials. “Spot mentality” has pigeonholed our industry. Every radio/media operation is truly a “solution store.” We are not vendors but rather marketing partners who help our clients succeed by selling what they need.

There is great value in that. As for listeners, we offer compelling audio content along with fun and prizes that have compelling content with intrinsic value. We all learned early on that nothing in life is FREE.

Bottom line: Avoid the word “free,” as it may unknowingly be viewed as one of desperation. Words have power.

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.

When it Comes to Closing the Deal, Some in Media Sales Don’t Even Deserve a Set of Steak Knives

Dave Greene
-
0
When it Comes to Closing the Deal, Some in Media Sales Don’t Even Deserve a Set of Steak Knives

Let’s get right to it in this week’s sales meeting and talk about closing the sale. To recap, in our four previous weeks, we have talked about how to properly locate a prospect and pre-qualify them as best as we can. We got a meeting with the decision maker, and we had the Client Needs Analysis (CNA) meeting where we asked a lot of good questions and got great answers, all the information we were looking for.

Next, we made a killer presentation. We focused on the needs of the client and the problems or issues they identified in the CNA meeting and are providing solutions that tie directly to those. We presented it that way as well, “Here are the problems you identified, here are the solutions that address those issues.” We also had audio and/or video of talent talking about the business and we made the client feel like they are going to own a piece of real estate on the station.

The truth is, if you’ve done the first four steps of the sales process really well, the close is the easiest part. The client should have seen the value in what you presented, and you’d hope they were so blown away by the time and effort you put into helping solve their business’ problems that they feel like they aren’t just investing in marketing their business, but that that also comes with your expertise as a big part of the ‘added value’.

Now, they don’t always go that way no matter how good of a job you do, so you have to be prepared as well to answer questions that now could come your way, or some objections. The good news it, you prepared for this and don’t have to get nervous if the client throws you off your game by getting down to business.

This is where body language and being able to read a person comes in handy. First off, we all know that questions and/or objections are buying signals. If they didn’t want it or couldn’t afford it, they would cut it off and figure out a way to end the meeting. Talking further about it means they’re absolutely interested.

However, if the person on the other side sees you squirm or start to crumble when they ask you to explain something further or says they don’t like a particular tactic in the presentation, you’ve lost. If they see that body language from you, and they are good at negotiating, they have you right where they want you.

A meme saying, 'Second prize, a set of steak knives!'

If they see someone who is confident in their products, confident in the results the client should see based on their knowledge and history with other accounts, they become that much more confident in investing with you. Think about when you are in the position of buying something and the person you are working with buckles at the first question that didn’t follow the script.

I had a sales rep once who used the great negotiating method of dropping the price every time there was an objection. “The package is a total of $7,500 per month, what do you think?” she would say. If the client presented any objection whatsoever, her fallback was always to say something like, “What if I could do it for $6,000 a month?”

That is an extreme example, but I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had with sellers that go this same direction. It always just becomes about lowering the price instead of answering the objection(s) and, you know…SELLING! Dropping the price as an immediate response just shows the client you don’t believe in the value of what you’re selling.

A sales consultant once told a group of us, “How much money a company can spend on advertising is not your decision to make.” Read that again.

Too many times, salespeople want to believe they know the financial situation of a company and decide for them what they can and cannot afford. By doing this they potentially leave thousands of dollars on the table. Put together what will work for the client and price it accordingly. Let them tell you whether or not they can afford it. And if they can’t afford what you presented, don’t devalue your product by ‘dropping your pants’, present another opportunity that fits the price they can afford, so long as that price is enough for the campaign to work.

Getting back to closing the deal, you may have expected at some point for me to list off a bunch of closing techniques and ways to ask for the order, but here is what I will tell you instead. If you need some of those, look at RAB.com or throw it in your Google machine, there are literally hundreds of good ones out there. However, if you’re nervous about asking for the order and closing the sale, you might be in the wrong business. Just ask. The person you are asking happens to be human, too.

The worst-case scenario is they say, ‘No,’ which as we all know, is a heck of a lot better than a ‘Maybe.’

Be confident. You are what will sell the deal. And if all else fails, as a sales manager I once knew always said, “If you can’t make a sale, at least make a friend.”

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.

Devan Kaney Finds Herself Preparing for a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl After Replacing Howard Eskin on SportsRadio 94WIP

Derek Futterman
-
0
Devan Kaney Finds Herself Preparing for a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl After Replacing Howard Eskin on SportsRadio 94WIP

The Philadelphia Eagles secured the George Halas Trophy on Sunday night as champions of the NFC, guaranteeing the team a spot in Super Bowl LIX. Including the final two weeks of the regular season, the Eagles have won five consecutive games, a consistency in which has seen Devan Kaney reporting on the field for broadcasts on SportsRadio 94WIP.

Growing up as a dedicated Eagles fan with a penchant for sports broadcasting, Kaney cherishes the opportunity to report on the team. Even though she regarded herself as being the best candidate for the position, there is still a sense of disbelief that it has become a reality. As Kaney is in the early stages of the job, she is aware that Super Bowl LIX could be her final game on the broadcasts after the role abruptly opened towards the end of the season.

“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been honestly the best time in my career,” Kaney said. “I feel like it’s a pinch-me moment. Not to be cliché, but it’s every day, I’m like, ‘Is this real life? Really, I got this job?’ and I have to remind myself that I have worked my butt off to get here, and that’s kind of what I conveyed when I pitched myself for the role.”

Kaney was propelled into the job after the radio station parted ways with longtime host and reporter Howard Eskin in late December. While he attributed the departure to “irreconcilable differences,” a subsequent report alleged that Eskin had a physical altercation with a female employee at the station. In a statement posted to social media, he denied the report but acknowledged that he had raised his voice towards her since he was irritated about being interrupted while in conversation.

In the summer, an employee at Citizens Bank Park alleged Eskin had given her an unwanted kiss. Audacy investigated the account, and Eskin was suspended from Philadelphia Phillies home games for the remainder of the season. Although Eskin had been the Eagles radio reporter for more than a decade and helped build SportsRadio 94WIP, Kaney did not feel significant distress occupying the job. On the contrary, she has focused on working with the award-winning duo of Merrill Reese and Mike Quick, meeting expectations and implementing feedback.

“I don’t want to disappoint them,” Kaney said. “I want to prove that they made the right choice in choosing me to fill Howard’s shoes. But taking over for Howard – I’m not Howard, I’m never going to be Howard and I’m okay with that. I’m not trying to be anything like him, so I don’t really feel pressure in that sense.”

Kaney has an important role on the broadcast in compiling information, making shrewd observations and communicating with the commentary booth and listeners at large. Broadcast producer Joe McPeak has helped her in the role, and she has also conveyed her familiarity and expertise surrounding the team to contemporaries on the field, some of whom include Erin Andrews and Melissa Stark. Elements of her previous reporting experience have eased the transition into the job, including covering Phillies postseason baseball this past October, but she entered the position with sweeping proficiency regarding storylines and developments combined with a passion for the team.

“I think that’s why I love journalism because I love constantly learning things, and it’s just like a fun role to be able to go down to the locker room and ask these questions and listen to what the players have to say,” Kaney articulated, “and then [we] get to figure out how we can work them into the game broadcast if they become relevant during the game.”

As Reese and Quick call the game, Kaney is along the sidelines fulfilling her obligations amid a zealous crowd averaging nearly 70,000 fans. Kaney remains focused on extrapolating the factors that surround the on-field play. Through it all, she tries to remain clear and concise while reporting accurate information and serving the audience.

“It’s almost just more pressure to make sure you nail your hits because you only get so many,” Kaney explained, “and also, especially in football, it’s making sure you fit them in the time that you have before the ball is snapped or before the ball is kicked or whatever play is about to happen.”

Kaney started her career working in entertainment media following graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, but she gradually developed confidence to seek out opportunities in television and radio. After starting her journey in news, she received an opportunity to work with the National Lacrosse League to host national content and produce digital content. The job was based in the Philadelphia market, and she felt being situated in the locale could pay dividends.

JAKIB Media Sports hired Kaney in 2021 to host its live postgame show after Eagles football, an opportunity that allowed her to work alongside Marc Farzetta, Derrick Gunn, Mike Missanelli and Seth Joyner. She was simultaneously seeking out additional opportunities and reached out to Mike Golic Jr., who was working for ESPN Radio at the time, and she began to receive offers and inquiries in the area.

“I grew up listening to WIP,” Kaney said. “It was just always very intimidating to me, and he gave me advice that I still think about almost every day to this day, and it’s, ‘If you’re able to host a four-hour sports talk show, everything else is cake. Everything else is easy,’ and that’s the most accurate thing to this day.”

Kaney officially joined Audacy in 2022 as an analyst on the BetQL Network and later became a contributor on SportsRadio 94WIP for its morning drive program with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie. Lending her insights and expertise to the airwaves, she considers herself fortunate to be surrounded by a group of teammates with vast experience in the business.

“I’m pretty witty, and I always say our love language on the WIP Morning Show is kind of giving each other a hard time, so kind of being sarcastic [and] little fun jabs, but I think in everything, I don’t take it too seriously,” Kaney said. “It’s sports, it’s radio, it’s entertainment – people are listening to us on their way to work, they’re trying to start their day off on the right foot. It’s not brain surgery, and just have fun, right?”

Being able to discuss sports four hours a day, despite the early morning start time, is a privilege Kaney recognizes has helped exhibit her personality while sideline reporting. When she is disseminating occurrences and developments gleaned through her work, she tries to impart familiarity to the audience. On top of that, she tries to add detail that the audience may not customarily hear on a broadcast ranging from parenthetical nuance to emotive manifestations.

“I think it’s important to remember that we’re covering sports and we’re covering human beings, and it doesn’t have to be all black and white and we’re not doing brain surgery,” Kaney said. “I think it’s important to add colorful details and background to my reports, and it’s not always good news. A lot of times, what I report on is negative because I’m reporting on injuries, but it’s important to note, like, ‘Well, Quinyon Mitchell went to the blue tent, but his teammates were all supporting him on the sideline.’”

Since she is at the training complex throughout the week and contributing to daily programming, Kaney does not find herself having to complete significant research before the games. On the contrary, she maintains an understanding about the latest narratives surrounding the team and aims to display her awareness and comprehension amid the live game broadcasts.

“The hardest part is not getting too emotional about it, but luckily I haven’t – and I don’t want to jinx it by saying this – but I haven’t experienced a loss yet, so everything’s been pretty positive so far,” Kaney said. “So I haven’t really had to deal with the disappointment, and it stinks that if I do experience a loss, it’ll be the end of the season for me work wise on the sideline as well, but that’s not something I think I would ever let affect my reporting or on-air style.”

Since assuming this new responsibility, Kaney has balanced a busy schedule with her other responsibilities around the marketplace. Outside of her work in radio, she is an in-arena host for Philadelphia Flyers games at Wells Fargo Center, although she recently hosted her first game in about two months. Furthermore, Kaney continues to serve as a weekend sports anchor for Fox 29 Philadelphia, a forum that also permits her to discuss local teams and take on new obligations.

“I’m not reading highlights on the radio, so being able to cover Temple basketball and their wins, I never had an opportunity to really do that, so it gives me reps in that area,” Kaney explained. “I don’t want to say it’s like checking off another box because that diminishes the importance of it, but it’s not like a repetitive job. It kind of helps me make sure I’m up to date on what’s happening in Philly sports, and it provides TV coverage that I don’t have otherwise.”

Through the variety of roles and responsibilities Kaney holds, she acknowledges the fundamental nature of staying healthy and receiving enough rest. Traversing various corners of the sports media landscape amid the football season, she knows the importance of exhibiting a strong work ethic and taking advantage of downtime. Nonetheless, Kaney admits that effectively balancing her schedule and avoiding fatigue is something she is still figuring out.

“I think I need to work on being better at saying ‘No’ to things,” Kaney surmised. “Sometimes, I think a lot of people in the business have this issue where it’s like every opportunity, ‘Sure, I’ll come on your show. Sure, I’ll hop on that,’ and sometimes I have to have a firm talk with myself and say, ‘You got to say ‘No’ sometimes because you need to sleep.”

As Kaney heads to New Orleans to cover Super Bowl LIX, she will enter the final game with aspirations to continue working in the job for years to come while expanding her role with SportsRadio 94WIP. Sustaining her commitment to hone the craft and refine her skills, she will continue to seek feedback from her Eagles broadcast colleagues and station brand manager Rod Lakin. No matter the circumstance though, Kaney looks to illuminate stories and yield positive contributions to the broadcast as the team seeks to reign victorious next weekend from the Big Easy.

“For me, success is gaining respect from my peers and, most importantly, listeners, and making sure that I am a reliable and go-to source of information, but also of entertaining stories, of insightful stories about Eagles players and Philly athletes and teams in general, making sure I am up to date on the storylines,” Kaney said. “And really it’s about respect – just gaining the respect of listeners and also entertaining them at the same time.”

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.

For 93.3 KIOA’s Leigh McNabb, a Live and Local Approach Works Best

Jeff Lynn
-
0
For 93.3 KIOA’s Leigh McNabb, a Live and Local Approach Works Best

Leigh McNabb is Operations Manager for the Saga-owned Des Moines Radio Group, where she also serves as Program Director for Classic Hits 93.3 KIOA. McNabb recently landed a spot on Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024 list of Adult/Classic Hits Program Directors and said it was extra special because it means that her peers recognize her.

“I think the fact that it’s voted on by peers is that much cooler because there aren’t as many opportunities for all of us to interact like there used to be, and so we’re not all up in each other’s faces as much anymore and just knowing that you exist in other people’s peripheral is was pretty cool.”

KIOA is a set of legendary call letters in Iowa. The station was an AM powerhouse on 940 in the ’60s and ’70s and was the soundtrack to people growing up. I asked what it means to be the keeper of such an important station.

“I’ll tell you, my mom will be 80 in May, and she talks about listening to Dic Youngs on KIOA when she was a young girl. I’ve heard things like that all my life. I interned here actually right after high school and all through college. I got the chance to work with some of those people like Dic Youngs, and so not only are the call letters big call letters in the industry, but I also owe it to the people who became my friends to keep the ball rolling.”

Changing the formula on such a legendary station, in this case, from Oldies to Classic Hits, can be jarring.

“Shortly before I got here, the move to Classic Hits was made, and it was a rocky move. I’m still really trying to define KIOA as a Classic Hits station, letting people know that we have an oldies station—a pure oldies station up the dial. That’s a constant education process in the metro because Des Moines is a very loyal market.” 

McNabb feels that maybe the transition happened a little too quickly.

“There’s no negativity. If there was that happened before I got here. I think the only real negativity initially in the process was just a realignment of some DJs and jumping too quickly. Initially, the station jumped too quickly from an Oldies station to almost ‘90s heavy. There’s a better progression that can be made there to not totally shock the system.” 

“I think we found a good balance in that now where you add a few songs on the upper end; then you may drop a few songs on the lower end. Then you just keep inching, crawling your way. Because I mean, the eighties were 40 years ago.”

“People don’t come and go a lot. And so, they’re used to decades of KIOA being just oldies. I have the responsibility of not only keeping the whole thing legal but making sure those that came before me would be proud of what we’re doing.”

McNabb has a busy life. In addition to OM and PD, she is a mother of three, all born within a year, and she has a set of twins.

“I work, I’m mom, I work, I’m mom. Sometimes, I’m mom more at work than I do at home. But yeah, all three of our kids were born in the same year. I was 38 when I had all three; they’re not triplets. It’s very crazy in our house.” 

“And it’s crazy here. I think that’s just where I thrive. I’ve always sought out opportunities to move and shake. We could say I don’t sit still.”

In another unique family twist, McNabb’s husband, Mike Wickett, is a morning show co-host on Lazer 103.3, KAZR, making McNabb his boss, at least at work.

“He would say I’m the boss at work, and I’m the boss at home. And he is correct. We’ve been very fortunate to both have radio jobs; this is now our third market. We met when we did radio in Milwaukee and transferred to Kansas City. And then we came here and about a year after we moved here, he got the morning job on Laser.”

“This is the first time that I have been his direct boss and not just a peer. He would tell you he doesn’t have an OM, that he either goes to his PD or the GM, and there is no OM to go to because we do really separate church and state big time.” 

McNabb credits KIOA’s success to a hard-working staff.

“The crew on KIOA is the best at grassroots guerrilla get-out-there marketing, especially in the warmer months. They are at every festival, every event, doing every stage announcement. They enter every silly local competition. They’re out at the Iowa State Fair all day, every day. It really is shaking hands and kissing babies, and they do it, and they’re good at it, and they like doing it.”

Des Moines is a crowded radio market with several heritage brands across Sage, Cumulus, and iHeartMedia. How do you cut through?

“I think we have a very different business model than those companies do. At the end of the day, we are a local radio station. We want local people on the air who live in this community, interact with the listeners, and talk about what they’re talking about.” 

“That’s not the way those other companies are going these days. If you want to sponsor a booth at the Iowa State Fair for ten days, you have a very limited number of stations in the market that are out there all day, every day, with humans that can get your business in front of all those people. If you want someone to put together a great social media campaign for your business and then link that with a commercial campaign on the air, this is the best way to do it.”

“There aren’t jocks at a lot of those stations that are going to go out to that business and shoot and edit and put together everything for that campaign. Because they don’t live here, they live far from here, or they’re not going to talk to anyone.” 

“The way that we are able to stand out from our competitors is that we’re here, and we’re local. We are just like anybody else in the community, and there are very few stations and companies in Des Moines that can say that our salespeople are here. They are calling on local clients. You cannot call a number and design your commercial over the phone with a computer. It is a person-to-person business.”

I asked if there was anyone else to give a shoutout?

“I should probably shout out Wickett, my husband because he has made some pretty major market moves for me to try to figure out how to do all of this. And he stays home with those kids when I’m late at the office some nights. He’s really the superstar in all of this, but I hope he doesn’t have that go to his head because he’s already got an ego. Let’s be real honest.”

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.

Digging Through Data: John Boyne, Jay Nachlis of Coleman Insights

Garrett Searight
-
0
Digging Through Data: John Boyne, Jay Nachlis of Coleman Insights

With the calendar turning over to 2025, Barrett Media is sitting down with some of the best and brightest media researchers in the industry for a weeklong series, “Digging Through Data.” In the third installment of the series, we spoke with John Boyne and Jay Nachlis of Coleman Insights.

Coleman Insights does a variety of research, in both the radio and podcasting spaces. On the radio side, Boyne, the company’s Executive Vice President and Senior Consultant, said one of the biggest changes Coleman Insights has seen in recent years is the type of research being commissioned.

“We’ve long provided customized local research for radio stations, and it’s super helpful, whether it’s strategic research or library testing or call out,” said Boyne. “But budgets are tightening for a lot of our clients and potential clients, and a lot of them kind of come to us and say, ‘We know what we would like to do, but we’re not able to do that. And at the same time, we feel like we’re flying blind, particularly when it comes to song decisions. In a way, there’s more data than ever, but just because there’s data out there doesn’t necessarily apply to what we do in programming a radio station.’

“So they can look at what other stations are doing, but they don’t know the motivations behind that. They can look at what’s streaming, but what’s streaming is not necessarily the same as what titles would work best on a radio platform in a given market for a given demo. So they’re trying to find some high-quality, data-driven insights, even if it’s not the local that they would ideally like … We’re just trying to meet people where they are. We just want to help, whatever budget that is and help people make informed decisions.”

John Boyne added that local research “remains the gold standard,” but national trends can also help radio brands make better-informed decisions, too.

“There are cycles of when a format is up or down. You often see that in many places, and many of the hits — not all the hits, but many of the hits — are the same in different places,” said Boyne. “So it’s still valuable to get that big picture perspective … it’s good to play songs people like, but if it’s alienating and pushing people away, you kind of need to know that, too.”

On the podcasting side, Coleman Insights — in conjunction with Amplifi Media — released the New Rules of Podcasting on YouTube study in August 2023. Jay Nachlis, Coleman’s Vice President/Consultant & Marketing Director, said that the rise of the digital video platform has only grown since that study was released. Nachlis shared that the study’s release at Podcast Movement in Denver that year was the only session dedicated to video podcasting.

“Last year, there were 15,” Nachlis said with a chuckle. “I just got back from Podfest Expo in Orlando in which there was an entire video podcasting tract. One of the things I talked about was: Is this a bubble? Is this just buzz, or is there something real happening? So we did an interim study that we put out and talked about at Podfest Expo. And one of the things that came out of it was all that momentum that you saw in 2023 in video is really just getting bigger. YouTube is the monster everybody sees it as. It’s just a huge player.

“Everybody’s got an opinion on video podcasting, but the only opinion that matters is the consumer. And the consumer is now defining a podcast — more than ever — as audio and video,” Nachlis said. “They’re using YouTube more than ever for podcasting specifically. They’re using it most often for podcasting specifically. So as consumers are getting more comfortable with that platform, the big lesson for creators is, I know it’s more effort, but more than anything, it’s meeting consumers where they are. That’s what our research is showing: You’ve got to meet the consumer where they are.”

That’s born out in research from Coleman Insights that shows 75% of those surveyed view podcasts as both an audio and visual medium, while only 22% identified podcasts as an audio-only format.

A cynic could say the only reason YouTube has grown as a podcast platform is due to a much higher ad-revenue CPM from the platform compared to audio-only podcasting. But Jay Nachlis says the audience size is the chief motivating factor.

“YouTube is just a massive search engine; it’s a massive platform,” he said. “So people were there anyway, but they just started to consume podcasting in a bigger way there. Some creators are embracing it in a big, big way.

“And even in the year that’s gone by, and a lot of the conversations I just had with creators, they’re definitely embracing it more than they ever have,” admitted Nachlis. “It’s a lot less begrudgingly, like, ‘Ok, I need to be on YouTube,’ but now it’s really, ‘How do I strategically do this in a smart way?’ There has to be a deep level of strategic thinking about how you do it, rather than just throwing it up there, and that really is where research and a strategic plan can help and come into 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.

What Earning The #1 Spot in the Barrett News Media Top 20 Meant to Tony Katz, Jeff Katz, and Bill Cunningham

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
-
0
What Earning The #1 Spot in the Barrett News Media Top 20 Meant to Tony Katz, Jeff Katz, and Bill Cunningham

Katz, Katz, and Cunningham. No, they are not a new law office, Tony Katz, Jeff Katz, and Bill Cunningham were all ranked as the #1 news/talk radio hosts in their Mid-Market time slots — mornings, afternoons, and middays, respectively — in the Barrett Media Top 20.

Barrett Media spoke with Tony, Jeff, and Bill about the honor, their preparation process, and what they’re doing to create some of news/talk format’s most successful shows.

Tony Katz, 93 WIBC

“Finally, my mother can be proud of me,” Tony Katz said in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner. “She called and said, ‘Tony, before I thought you were this guy whose brother was a doctor. But now I realize that you’re number one, whose brother is a doctor, and I’m so proud of him.’” 

Thinking more deeply, Katz said of the honor, “I don’t know what it necessarily can mean or does mean. You’re talking about excellent people in great cities serving their city and serving it well. If [that is what this] means — that I’m serving Indianapolis and the surroundings in a way that people like — thank you. I appreciate it quite a bit.” 

One big way Tony Katz believes he’s setting himself apart? “I drink much more bourbon.” Jokes aside, he added, “The conversations are honest, and I think profound. They’re funny and it’s how we mix it and how it gets woven through. There’s a moment for something that’s deep and there’s moment for something that’s light.”

A lighter moment for the show is Katz’s ‘Marketplace’ segment.

“I do this segment where I highlight something for sale on Facebook Marketplace that I think is cool.” The segment lightens up all the serious political talk but initially he said his Program Director needed convincing. “My program director (David Wood) asked if I was crazy.” Today its one of the biggest ways Katz lightens things up.

“And yet it also promotes capitalism, the markets, and people creating, selling, and doing things,” he said. “So it all fits within brands. But doing that, not being conventional as a political morning show has been very advantageous.”

Tony Katz isn’t sure if his show preparation is different than anyone else’s but he does have one fundamental principle. “The mantra is I’m not trying to tell you what to think; I’m trying to give you something to think about. That has guided me well. But I don’t think that the preparation from the sources or anything else is is better or worse than anybody else. Rather, I work very hard on trying to say ‘How do these stories connect?'”

Tony Katz and Jeff Katz backstage at the 2024 BNM Summit

In addition to hosting local events, Katz hosts the Eat, Drink, Smoke podcast/nationally syndicated radio show, as well as a digital video program. But it’s not the added social media events which Katz believes expands the audience, its the experience. “The Audience doesn’t need more and more ways to see you digitally. They want to touch you. So what I did was I said, I’m holding events.” 

This past November, Tony Katz hosted ‘The Election in Three Bourbons.’

“It turned out we had sponsors and we were tasting bourbon and we were talking about the election, election results, and we had this whole audio/visual thing. Here’s the charts, here’s what it means. And I was taking people through what happened in the election, what happened in the swing states. It was humorous and it was informative and it was engaged and there was food everywhere. After the event some of the listeners stayed behind and “just hanging out. This is the model. You have to be where people are. Experiences matter.”

Jeff Katz, WRVA

“I am totally blown away, surprised, and I keep worrying there’s going to be a recount and there was a box of ballots found in the middle of the night or something,” Katz said in jest. “All kidding aside, this is nothing short of amazing.”

The 33-year talk radio veteran was rendered speechless when the announcement came out.  “I look at the other people that are on that list and I think, ‘My gosh, these are world-class talents. I’m humbled, honored and so grateful to those who voted for me.”

Jeff Katz believes it’s his dedication to service that helps him deliver a solid program on a daily basis. “When my listeners tune in, they know that it’s going to be professional, entertaining, and informative. I’ve established the relationship with my listeners and my advertisers. That is rewarding for each of them, and it’s just a great process.” 

Katz’s relationship with his advertisers is important to him in a similar way that his listeners are. “There are other people that don’t do that on the talent side, and I think that’s a shame. Hosts are missing a great opportunity by saying ‘the salespeople handle that’ and ‘I’m over here, the pretty face’.”

Valuing himself as more than just a face, Jeff Katz recognizes the symbiotic relationship serving advertisers can have for listeners. “If you don’t have that relationship with an advertiser, there’s a bigger opportunity for advertisers to say, ‘I want somebody else’ or ‘I’d like to work in a different direction.’”

Tony Katz, Todd Starnes, Jeff Katz and Mike McVay at the 2024 BNM Summit

The most important part of the show building process for Katz, is simply remembering he serves. “It’s about being part of a community. So I’ll give you an example, as the wildfires were raging in California, and still going on, it’s a horrible situation that was the dominating factor for every national piece of entertainment information.” 

However, covering a fire thousands of miles away is not serving his base audience in the Virginia capital. “Here in Richmond, we had no water. The main water processing plant stopped working and it was a crisis on the national scope. You’ve got the wildfires, which already have TV crews. Here we are in central Virginia, and that’s my issue now. For a solid week, that was topic A. It wasn’t just about finding out what went wrong or pointing out that the mayor had only been on the job for seven days.”

The coverage Jeff Katz provided wasn’t just on how it happened, but more importantly, it was about “making sure that my listeners were able to have water. We started making sure we coordinated with agencies that were distributing water. I had listeners that were driving 60 and 70 miles out of town, buying pallets of water, and then driving them back to some of the hardest-hit communities in the city of Richmond. They had a special focus on disabled folks and senior citizens. There’s just no way that a show outside of this area could have done that.”

Bill Cunningham, 700 WLW

“I feel like James Brown, I feel good!” exclaimed Cunningham of the honor. “But in a serious way, I think the greatest award you can get is from those who know you the best.”   

Calling his market, “The heart that beats the United States of America,” and his listeners, “millions of hardworking, God-fearing Americans.” And he wants to give them what they want to hear.

While some on the left may presume it’s only the conservative values and opinions he brings to the radio, Cunningham has one other unique way to bring together his audience, and gain some new listeners in the process.

“I’ve been doing this for about 42 years. I started as a very young man by mistake, and I still do it, I speak two or three times a month to groups or crowds. I bring in high school coaches when they’ve won a state title because when a coach comes in with a bunch of 17 or 18-year-olds, most of the time the 17 or 18-year-old is on Spotify listening to music, but the coaches and the parents do [listen].”

Bill Cunningham also connects with his listeners by speaking with them, “I often will go speak at a pep rally and there’s a big high school football game, or if there’s a Reds rally and Cincinnati Reds every year has opening day. And I’m the opening day speaker and I give a great speech about what lies ahead and it advertises and communicates and connects with people that are currently your listeners, because the only way to survive in this business is to replace those the older [listeners], with the younger [ones] so you don’t lose your audience share.”

From Columbus, Ohio to Indianapolis, Indiana and even Nashville, Tennessee these connections give insight into Cunningham’s listeners. “[I know] what they like, what they don’t like, because I speak to them and I hear what they have to say and we interact together. And as a consequence, I kind of know where most people are.”

Politics or not, another distinct attribute of Cunningham’s show is giving the audience perspective or a take on a story maybe they haven’t thought of. For example, “Why these so-called, quote, rich people in California hire private firefighters. And so their visceral reaction most people would have is that’s not fair. You should be able to do that.”

Bill Cunningham elaborated, “Then I talked to a former chief in California who says we like private firefighting paid for by homeowners because it relieves us of the responsibility of caring for that block of houses. Secondly, most of these guys are retired firefighters, but we use each other back and forth in an emergency. Thirdly, the insurance companies actually hire many private firefighters to save them. A larger claim on a house or a block. And so I bring that perspective to an issue so that a listener can understand. This isn’t about elitism or the rich taking care of their own. There’s a public good in that that gives you an example.”

However, two of the best things for Bill Cunningham are, “[Hearing] from a listener out in the real world is that they’ve listened to me and they either learned something or thought about something differently because of what I said. Or secondly, I made them laugh and humor comes from a shared interests and values. When I hear that, I give myself a pat on the back and said, ‘Willie did a good 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.

Former MTV Host Matt Pinfield ‘Incapacitated’ After Suffering Massive Stroke

BMM Staff
-
0
Former MTV Host Matt Pinfield ‘Incapacitated’ After Suffering Massive Stroke

As first reported by TMZ and subsequently multiple news sources, former MTV, VH1, and radio host Matt Pinfield suffered a massive stroke on January 6.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Pinfield is in stable but poor condition and has been left “incapacitated.”

Pinfield’s daughters have positioned the Los Angeles Superior Court for temporary conservatorship. They request permission to handle his health and financial concerns and state their concern about Pinfield’s girlfriend drawing money from his accounts.

Pinfield is heard on 88.5 The SoCal Sound KCSN as well as a syndicated weekend show based at KLOS, Los Angeles.

KCSN told listeners, “The SoCal Sound’s legendary DJ Matt Pinfield will be taking a temporary leave of absence. We are fully supportive of Matt and hope to have his energetic knowledge of rock n’ roll back on the air soon.”

Pinfield’s 90s MTV portfolio includes hosting “120 Minutes” and “TRL.”

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.

Cumulus Media Brings Back Cody Welling as Regional VP/Market Manager for Cumulus Flint/Saginaw

BSM Staff
-
0
Cumulus Media Brings Back Cody Welling as Regional VP/Market Manager for Cumulus Flint/Saginaw

Cumulus Media announced today that Cody Welling is their new Regional Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Flint/Saginaw. Welling is making a return to Cumulus as he was previously Vice President/Market Manager for the five stations in Shreveport and Bossier City, LA.

Most recently Welling was Station Manager and Director of Sales for Columbus, OH, sports station 97.1 The Fan and the Ohio News Network. Prior to that, he was Director of Sales for Cox Media Group in Tulsa, OK. Welling replaces Chris Monk in Flint/Saginaw, who will be retiring from radio at the end of the month.

Bob Walker, President, Operations, Cumulus Media, said in a statement: “We are thankful to Chris for the strong foundation he has built for our clusters in Flint and Saginaw and wish him all the best in his retirement. As we look to the future, we are excited to welcome Cody back to Cumulus to take our powerful brands to the next level. Cody is a passionate broadcaster who is dedicated to helping local businesses connect with our audiences and fully leverage the opportunities our traditional and digital assets provide.”

Cody Welling commented: “I’m excited to return to Cumulus Media, where I have many friendships and will be able to work with all the talented broadcasters, content creators, and the entire team from Saginaw, throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region, and down to Flint. We have extremely strong properties, and I’m honored to serve the hard-working communities, engage our listeners, and build results for our partners that trust these stations for joy and entertainment each and every day. I’d like to thank Bob Walker for his support, Mark Sullivan for his guidance, and Chris Monk for making this a smooth transition before his retirement.”

Cumulus Media owns and operates five stations in Flint, MI, and four stations in Saginaw, MI.

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.

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Appears in WFAN Studio with Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata

BSM Staff
-
0
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Appears in WFAN Studio with Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata

Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata welcomed New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone as an in-studio guest to the Tuesday edition of their midday radio program. Boone, who used to broadcast games for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball over several years, was back behind the microphone on Tuesday where he discussed matters surrounding his managerial tenure and the Yankees organization.

Furthermore, he competed against the co-hosts in their signature baseball card game, in which they need to guess what team players were on in a given year based on the assortment within a given pack. As the segment got started, Licata, who is an avid fan of the crosstown rival New York Mets, remarked how the dynamic of the room had shifted.

“The Yankee bromance has already started here,” Licata said. “Booney’s in studio – he’s ripping on me for being short. Him and BT are talking shop, the Yankee love. Aaron Boone live in studio with us. Booney, thanks for coming in!”

“Hey, thanks for having me,” Boone replied. “I can’t believe you guys got me in, but I’m so excited to be here. It’s cool to see the studio, your little digs here. Fired up to be here.”

Ahead of the baseball card game, Tierney and Licata had the chance to ask Boone about a variety of topics, the first of which was surrounding the World Series. The Yankees lost the Fall Classic in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past October, a defeat that Boone does not believe he will ever get over.

“It’s kind of one of the first things when you’re talking with the team after the game, and it was obviously pretty emotional,” Boone said. “A lot of people got up and spoke. It’s going to hurt forever. The 2019 walk-off, that, really every end to the season, but when you’re close in a lot of different ways, the ending sticks with you forever.”

Boone has been a guest on The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show before, but he had not appeared in studio with the duo. Tierney and Licata first started hosting the midday program in the summer of 2023 after WFAN changed its weekday lineup following the departure of Craig Carton. Carton joined FS1 on a full-time basis to host a morning television program. Aside from discussing other matters that occurred last season and during the offseason, Boone responded to prior criticism from Licata regarding the use of data applicators in constructing his lineup.

“Obviously, a lot of people have been, ‘Oh, he’s going to data applicator this,’ so it pissed me off last year when you said that because it’s nonsense, but at the same time, there’s some truth. The teams that aren’t applying some data to what they’re doing are behind and trying to catch up, and are, in a lot of ways screwed. There’s always a balance, and that balance exists every single day, and it does with me, it does with us, but you’d be foolish to not look at a lot of the information that’s been available to you.”

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.

Nick Wright: ‘I’m Angry at the Way We Cover Football These Days’

BSM Staff
-
0
Nick Wright: ‘I’m Angry at the Way We Cover Football These Days’

Over the weekend, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter was criticized when he reported that NFL replay assist is expected to expand in the offseason to include plays such as the quarterback slide. Yet Schefter framed the tweet around Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, ostensibly addressing those that complain that he gets too many calls to go his way. Nick Wright, co-host of First Things First on FS1, replied by calling the article “simply ludicrous [and] poor journalism” by centering the piece on Mahomes and not including that the NFL said the two calls he cited in the story were correct.

While appearing on the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday morning, Wright was informed that the program booked him on Sunday and would have had him on regardless if the Chiefs won or lost the AFC Championship Game. Yet Wright asserted that this was a lie, articulating that they really wanted to have him on if the team lost, but that he is now able to be correct about the team again as they try to become the first franchise in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships.

“I’m angry at how last week got hijacked,” Wright said. “I’m angry at folks instead of just being like, ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong,’ creating a nonsense conspiracy. I’m angry at the way we cover football these days.”

Wright conveyed that he was discussing mainstream media in general with his statement, underscoring an assertion that if the internet is talking about it, the group of media outlets assumes that it is the story. Describing the occurrence as the mainstream media allowing “the tail to wag the dog,” he referenced several accounts on X that seem to be perpetuating these narratives.

“‘MLFootball and Dov Kleiman got 9,000 retweets on this still shot photo of a potential hold, so I guess it’s got to be the B-block today,’” Wright mimicked. “And then a Twitter account with 12 million followers says, ‘Relief is on the way football fans.’ Relief is on the way? Finish the thought. You’re going to put it out there, finish the thought. Relief from what? A rigged game.”

Patrick asked Wright specifically why he believed Schefter put out the story in question on social media over the weekend. Part of it, he believes, has to do with the advent of social media platforms and the engagement niche sports content can generate.

“Because everyone has had their brain rotted by an algorithm and it’s like, ‘Man, this sure gets engagement,’ and I get why the faceless nameless accounts do it. It’s literally how they make their living,” Wright said. “I get it – I don’t respect it, but I understand it. I look at that honestly no different than folks that run any scam that people run just to get by. So be it, that’s your life. I don’t understand why someone who the $1800 extra a month you can make off Twitter engagement means nothing to them, why they would do that, and I really don’t like the hiding behind the, ‘Hey guys, I’m just presenting unbiased facts.’”

Later in the interview, Wright opined that the story of the week should have been about Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and how he was trying to defeat an opponent that has eliminated him from the playoffs three times as they strive for another Super Bowl championship. At the same time, he explained that users engaging with these accounts grants them the power to choose the narrative while also exclaiming that the games are rigged.

“A defining moment in the best and the second-best player in the league’s career will be this football game,” Wright said, “and instead, we’re talking about the flag on Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game from two years ago, and we’re being led down this road by MLFootball on Twitter? I find it cheap and unlikable – that’s it.”

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...1,1241,1251,126...2,896Page 1,125 of 2,896