Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno recently hit its 50th affiliate. Make it 51 now, as the Premiere Networks show is on AM 1600 KIVA in Albuquerque.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to connect with Albuquerque listeners on Your Morning Show,” said DelGiorno. “We appreciate Eddy’s trust and look forward to making our mark on The Rock of Talk!”
The show joins other Premiere Networks shows hosted by Glenn Beck, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, Sean Hannity, Jesse Kelly, and George Noory in the daily lineup at AM 1600 KIVA. The program from DelGiorno will air from 4-7 AM on the Albuquerque news/talk station.
“I couldn’t be happier to offer nearly 24 hours of live programming on the station, and having Michael DelGiorno on board makes this even more possible!” said Eddy Aragon, Owner of AM 1600 KIVA – The Rock of Talk. “Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno is another top-notch show from a quality company that advertisers will absolutely love.”
In addition to owning the station, Aragon will remain in afternoon drive from 4-6 PM.
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.
Day four of the Barrett News Media Top 20 of 2024 series has arrived. A big thank you to JJ Surma Voiceovers for supporting this year’s series. Make sure to get familiar with his work when time permits. This series is voted on by news/talk radio programmers and executives across the country. To see each day’s results visit the website, follow BM on X or Facebook or sign up for our newsletters here. We appreciate the support.
The six categories featured in our series are News/Talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, the top program directors and radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets are for markets #21 and below. Not included in our lists are NPR brands and shows. Mainstream talk radio outlets are our main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of our radio industry executive panel. Decision makers receive lists and are asked to vote on talent, shows, brands, and leaders. We don’t participate in the voting process, we simply add up and present the results.
3 Things To Be Aware Of
#1 – We try to be thorough with the spelling of names, shows, cities, and the use of photos and logos. However, we’re creating 200+ images to highlight an entire format, so mistakes happen sometimes. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can fix it. Additionally, we ask voters to send in photos and logos in advance to avoid headaches. Once the series is presented, there are no changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#2 – 71 national talk shows appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 selections for the category using a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance, and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s the best we’ve come up with to showcase who the industry considers its best.
#3 – Our executive panel included programmers, consultants and corporate executives from radio’s top companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, and Radio One. Our total number of voters this year was forty six (46). Most vote on six categories, but some only vote on national shows and/or program directors. We involve people from different groups and cities in order to provide a balanced view of the format.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing a great job with this year’s graphics. I’d also like to thank all who took part in the voting process. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 National Talk Shows in News/Talk radio for 2024.
Additional Notes:
Clay & Buck finished ahead of Sean Hannity for the second year straight. In 2023 they won this category by thirty nine (39) points. This year the show enjoyed a forty two (42) point advantage. Clay & Buck also received a category best eight (8) first place votes.
Spots 21-25 belonged to Michael Smerconish, Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Matt Walsh, and Markley, Van Camp & Robbins.
The closest contests saw Dan Bongino and Charlie Kirk hold off Glenn Beck and Chris Plante by three points each.
Of the 71 shows to appear on submitted ballots, nineteen (19) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 of 2024 Remaining Schedule:
Friday January 10 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2024
Monday January 13 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2024
Kelly Campbell, the president of Peacock and direct-to-consumer at NBCUniversal, is reportedly leaving the company, according to a new report from Matthew Belloni of Puck News. Campbell first joined the media company in 2021 and has been at the helm during a stretch of growth as Peacock has proliferated its total user base to 36 million subscribers while diminishing overall losses. Throughout the last several years, Peacock has become more involved in the sports space, including an exclusive NFL Wild Card game last season that averaged 23 million viewers. Peacock had exclusive coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and has also had several other sports-related ventures in the last year surrounding studio programming and documentaries.
Campbell’s exit takes place as Comcast prepares to execute a $7 billion spin-off of its cable networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, USA and Golf Channel, into a new public company to be headed by Mark Lazarus. Brian Roberts, the chairman and chief executive officer of Comcast, will own a one-third voting stake within this new company, which is expected to be fully created before the end of the year. Lazarus formerly served as chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, a role that granted him oversight of the NBC Sports division and Peacock. Donna Langley and Matt Strauss received new roles within NBCUniversal as the company prepares for this shift to take place.
The company will reportedly not hire a replacement in the exact role Campbell has had, through which she has reported to Strauss. Sources divulged to Belloni that this is the first move in a remaking of the television and streaming business under new leadership. NBCUniversal will commence broadcasts of the National Basketball Association next season under a new 11-year media rights deal with the league. Furthermore, the media subsidiary continues to present games in the NFL, Big Ten Conference, Olympic Games, Big East Conference, NASCAR and PGA Tour.
Prior to joining NBCUniversal and Peacock, Campbell worked as the president of Hulu where she oversaw the streaming outlet. Moreover, she spent 12 years at Google where she held leadership roles in its advertising and cloud businesses. Campbell started her career working at JPMorgan Chase as an investment banking analyst after her graduation from Vanderbilt University. In 2003, she enrolled at Harvard Business School where she earned her MBA.
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 Liberty Media Organization has appointed Derek Chang to serve as its president and chief executive officer beginning on Feb. 1, 2025. Chang has worked in operations, corporate development and investing for various companies, some of which include EverPass Media, the National Basketball Association, DirecTV and Scripps Network Interactive. Furthermore, he has served as a director at Liberty Media since March 2021, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how the business operates. This move comes after the departure of Greg Maffei, who revealed that he was stepping down from the job at the end of last year after working in the role for nearly two decades.
John Malone, the chairman of Liberty Media, will serve as the interim chief executive officer until Chang officially commences his role. Furthermore, Chang will step down from his role as executive chairman of EverPass Media, the company he co-founded with Alex Kaplan in partnership with the National Football League and RedBird Capital Partners. Chang will remain on the board of the company while moving to Liberty Media and joining the executive committee of its company board.
“I am thrilled to welcome Derek as the CEO of Liberty Media. His expertise in both operating and investment roles, extensive understanding of our industries and familiarity with Liberty make him the ideal leader for Liberty’s next chapter,” Malone said in a statement. “Personally, I have worked with Derek for over 25 years and am consistently impressed by his leadership style, breadth of expertise and global perspective. I look forward to supporting him and the Liberty management team as they continue to drive shareholder value.”
Liberty Media owns various assets in the world of sports, one of which is the burgeoning Formula One Racing property. The international motor racing competition, however, is nearing the expiration of its media rights deal with The Walt Disney Company, a three-year pact for which the latter reportedly pays about $85 million per year. According to a report from the Financial Times filed in late November, Formula One and Disney-owned ESPN have discussed another media rights deal that could be finalized this year; however, the racing entity is reportedly looking for “a significant increase in the next cycle.” U.S. viewership for Formula One racing was down 3% year-over-year, averaging 1.13 million viewers on ESPN platforms.
“I have had the privilege of working with John Malone and the Liberty team for many years during my time at TCI and DIRECTV and later as a board member of Starz and Liberty, and I have long admired their track record of value creation for investors and partners,” Chang said in a statement.
“Our current focus is clear: optimizing the portfolio structure with the split-off of Liberty Live and supporting the growth of our attractive operating assets, including F1 and MotoGP post-acquisition, to continue their momentum and invest for the future. Looking further, Liberty has always been long-term minded in its investment mandate yet nimble to move quickly on new opportunities. Both of these things will remain true in our strategy going forward.”
Liberty Media and Liberty Sirius XM completed a split-off last September in which the satellite radio provider became an independent public company. To accomplish this split off, Liberty Media redeemed outstanding shares of its Series A, Series B and Series C common stock in Liberty SiriusXM in exchange for 0.8375 shares of common stock in “New Sirius.” The previous iteration of Sirius became a wholly owned subsidiary of the new company and common stock shares were converted into one-tenth share of New Sirius common stock. The “New Sirius” company was subsequently renamed “Sirius XM Holdings Inc.” and continues to air audio programming spanning multiple formats.
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 Monday after the final week of the NFL regular season is always interesting with coaching changes, playoff matchups, predictions, and reflections. There is an infinite number of questions and seemingly the same number of football television programs with purported answers. For my Monday viewing, I choose to check out FanDuel’s Up & Adams hosted by Kay Adams. The show features a cold open with Adams seated behind her laptop. She jumped right into the fray joyously holding up a printed sheet of paper with the playoff pairings for the upcoming Wild Card weekend.
Truth be told, I was impressed with Adams before she even spoke. Her background set features, among other things, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album and Dolly Parton’s Just Because I’m a Woman album. How can you not like that?
Beyond props however, Adams has a uniquely smooth and understated style cultivated over her years at NBC Sports Boston, as host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, and now with her own show on FanDuel. Moreover, she is an excellent reporter and interviewer. Her enthusiastic intro to the show touched on potential coaching changes and looked back at the Minnesota Vikings’ dismal performance in a Week 18 division and number one seed clinching game against the Detroit Lions.
She said that this past weekend might’ve been the best final weekend of the NFL season ever, cracking a sly smile as if she was recognizing her own little bit of hyperbole. A graphic then showed this upcoming weekend’s Wild Card matchups while Adams analyzed some odds for the various games on the slate.
There is a palpable excitement in Adams’ voice as she talks about football. This is where the fan in her emerges vividly. Her voice inflection and tone changes as she moves from game to game. This authenticity is a key part of her ability to draw in viewers and keep them interested. Sports fans can spot a phony from a mile away. Adams is the real deal.
Speaking of fans, viewers can send in questions and comments via YouTube live while watching Up & Adams. In fact, watching the show is kind of like a fun social media scroll. Adams pitched to a Twitter/X clip of Dan Campbell’s locker room speech following the big win over the Vikings. Since the bulk of the show is simply Adams in a one shot, it’s great to have these breakaways to bring variety.
Adams also does a nice job of providing information and opinion over highlights. During video of the Vikings-Lions game she didn’t just narrate the plays, she gave her viewpoints and some solid analysis.
Up & Adams is largely host-driven which can be a challenge, but Adams often looks into the camera and talks directly to viewers almost as if the watcher is a co-host. She is not alone in this endeavor, however. On this edition, Up & Adams went to a two shot and welcomed reporter/producer Matt Hamilton to analyze some NFL games and headlines.
This is FanDuel, so many of the commercials and show graphics center on wagering and betting odds. One such graphic showed the current FanDuel Sportsbook odds for the Super Bowl LIX winner with Detroit topping the list at +300. Adams added to the numbers game stating that number one seeds in the NFL playoffs make it to the Super Bowl 53% of the time while number five seeds make it to the big game just 3.3% of the time. This stat hit home the importance of that Minnesota-Detroit game with the Lions gaining the top seed and Vikings now sitting at five.
One of the best parts of Adams’ TV game is her on-air introspection and angst. She expressed exasperation over those who are writing off the Vikings after a 14 win season, but also said that the pressure of a winner take all game might impact QB Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
As she looked at the AFC playoff picture, she mentioned that the Cincinnati Bengals were out, and then made a choking sound. Adams is direct yet jovial in her criticisms. It’s like getting hit by a brick with a nice ribbon tied around it. With eyes wide, a smirk, or full on head in hands disgust, Adams’ rifts are like football therapy with all the emotional ups and downs that fans feel in the week to week soap opera that is the NFL.
In talking about the resurgent Denver Broncos, Adams harkened back to when her show was at Broncos’ training camp and a conversation with wide receiver Courtland Sutton. She then ran a clip of Sutton predicting that his team would make the playoffs. This added some thickness and depth to the program.
Adams is an established NFL media star, and her next guest is well on his way to that status. ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak is direct, passionate, and entertaining. He and Adams talked about the Giants retaining both head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. Solak said he was fine with that as long as you don’t mind setting the team up for failure.
The pair then hit on the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo after just one season as head coach. Adams admitted that she was shocked at the move, while Solak said that Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would be the perfect fit as head coach in New England citing the team’s $130 million in cap space and terrific young quarterback Drake Maye. Adams counterpointed saying that the fact that New England canned Mayo after just one season could make them an unattractive landing spot for a prospective new coach.
In addition to Solak, Adams also welcomed Hall of Fame class of 2025 finalist Jared Allen to the program. The former Minnesota Viking star talked about Minnesota’s postseason chances and opined that the team needs to run the ball more in the playoffs.
He and Adams also discussed the Rams’ Wild Card game defensive strategy against Justin Jefferson and the possible retirement of Aaron Rodgers, who was a rival of Allen’s when he played with the Packers. I enjoyed the back-and-forth.
Just as the show had a cold open, it also has sort of a cold close ending right after the Allen interview with no traditional sign off or goodbye, just Adams shutting her laptop.
There is a coolness to Adams on air demeanor reminiscent of the late Barbara Walters. Like Walters in news and entertainment, NFL players, coaches, and media people want to talk with Adams. She makes guests feel comfortable while also asking pertinent questions and gaining insightful answers. In this light, Up & Adams is truly a mirror image of Adams herself – linear, organic, free-flowing, and simultaneously hard-hitting and soft-spoken.
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.
Our publisher Jason Barrett, wrote a great piece earlier this week inspired by his recent watching of a documentary on Aaron Rodgers.
Jason’s wheels got turning on his own path, work ethic, and sense of self, and how that translated to his leadership style, work with others, and how broadcasters (particularly once they hit the beach as Aaron is contemplating) see themselves.
Good questions. I was having similar thoughts this week. I found more conclusive life advice in a new GQ interview with David Letterman (a massive influence on me and a professional hero of mine).
Dave discussed life during and after hosting his daily show, his drive, and who he thinks he is, and it surely resonated with me. The interviewer pointed out that Letterman is often described as “miserable” and “reclusive” in the press during his many years of broadcasting while, more recently, being more open and lighter-hearted.
Letterman cackled with delight at this and shared he hates “show business and show business culture” and yet had a burning desire to pursue it. While doing so he was so completely consumed he hardly considered other facets of life, let alone enjoyed them to the point that even the professional highs left him empty and seeking a greater one.
He described this as a form of addiction similar to his former alcoholism and shared that he, not only since coming off the air, feels he has time and bandwidth to appreciate and enjoy people and activities outside of what his routine once was. He describes the “real me” as a guy excited to cook dinner and eat it with his wife adding “I suppose that’s who I’ve always been really.”
Whether working, retired, sidelined for the moment, or attempting to break in, it’s worthwhile to attempt to keep it all in perspective.
Letterman and Aaron Rodgers describe the ferocious tenacity to consume oneself in the pursuit of greatness. Jason, our publisher, shared that he, too, knows it well. I do, too, but not as much as I once did.
I find myself a little less consumed, a little less obsessed, and a bit happier with family or out to dinner than I once was in the studio. As a matter of fact, I think I’m a more well-rounded broadcaster in that I’m not quite as obsessed with it as I once was.
I’m still obsessed with an unhealthy and crazed point, but just a little less to try to keep all in perspective and not take myself or radio too seriously.
I let my radio career define me for a long time, and whatever legacy as a human I’ll leave. I don’t think of myself in terms of my career first as I once did or use it as an emotional crutch “ah no setback here I’ll make it to Hollywood one day I will.” After all, as one of my good friends in this business, super jock Dave Fuller always says, “Radio, it’s a sickness.”
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.
Before Noah Eagle began to show an interest in following in his father’s footsteps, he had something else in mind. Something that showed a bit of imagination.
“When people asked what I wanted to do, the answer was very simple: I wanted to be a TV dentist, which is not a real thing,” Noah told GQ last summer. With the great example right in front of him, the career goals became a little more real as a teenager. A pivot in his outlook began after watching his dad’s passion for his own work as a CBS announcer.
Smart choice by Noah, who is one of the brightest up and coming (some may argue he’s already there) broadcasters in the country. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey, who grew up a big basketball fan. He would shadow his father when Ian called NBA games. Following through on his intentions to get into broadcasting, Noah ended up going to Syracuse, and graduating in 2019. There he showed promise when given the opportunity to call Orange basketball, football and lacrosse games.
Just a few years later, he had already burst on the national scene, joining his dad as a network broadcaster.
ROAD TO NBC
Eagle didn’t take long after his graduation to get into the game. In April 2019, he tried out, unsuccessfully for the LA Clippers television play-by-play job. He was impressive enough for management to offer him the radio job. He took it and started in October of that year.
The busy Eagle worked in his off-season of 2021 on the play-by-play of 3×3 basketball for NBC Sports’ coverage of the pandemic delayed 2020 Olympics. It was the first time the sport was played.
Later that year Eagle joined CBS Sports as the play-by-play broadcaster for their #2 broadcasting team for college football. Eagle called games during the SEC on CBS doubleheaders calling select CBS Sports Network games.
He has also called special NFL broadcasts for CBS’ sister network Nickelodeon since 2021, teaming with CBS sportscaster Nate Burleson and Nickelodeon star Gabrielle Neveah Green on coverage of two Wild Card playoff games and a Christmas Day contest.
In 2022, Eagle was paired with his dad’s former announcing partner Dan Fouts for Los Angeles Chargers preseason games airing on KCBS-TV. Eagle also moved over to Fox Sports that year, working as a play-by-play announcer for their college basketball coverage and later their college football coverage. 2022 was also the year for Eagle’s first chance to call an NFL game on network television. He called a Week 6 game between the 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons on Fox.
In February 2023, Eagle left for NBC to become their play-by-play broadcaster for their recently acquired Big Ten Saturday Night package, as well as their Big Ten basketball package on Peacock.
In September of 2023 Eagle joined the YES Network as an alternate play-by-play announcer behind his father, Ian, and Ryan Ruocco. He left his role with the Clippers as a result.
NBC had more plans for Eagle in 2024, announcing that he would take on the play-by-play duties for the United States men’s and women’s basketball teams at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Also last year, he was the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports/Peacock at the 2024 French Open tennis championships and for a Netflix NFL game on Christmas Day.
Quite a five-year span for a young broadcaster.
WHY IS HE GOOD?
His voice is mature beyond his years. He sounds poised, confident, authoritative and much older than he is. There’s a polished quality to his broadcasts that you normally hear from seasoned veteran broadcasters. His voice is smooth, yet commanding, another element to a broadcast usually reserved for those with much more experience. It’s rare that young broadcasters possess more than one of these traits, but that’s the case with Eagle.
The one thing that comes shining through in every broadcast is how well-prepared Eagle is for each of them. It is so important for any broadcaster to be ready to go every time he/she cracks the mic.
“If I’m prepared, then I feel confident that I can go in and do my job,” Eagle told The Athletic. “But it’s all about preparation. It’s what you do leading up to the broadcast that makes the broadcast good.”
Most younger broadcasters are singularly focused on sounding great. So much so, that it can sound robotic and mechanical. Not in Eagle’s case. He infuses the proper balance of command and confidence to unlock his personality. He is technically solid, but I love the way he can poke a little fun at himself along the way. Self-deprecation makes you sound human and much more relatable to your audience. I enjoy the mix of it all in Eagle’s broadcasts.
You can tell he is Ian’s son. I don’t mean that he is copying his dad at all. The style he employs takes a little from dad. Meaning, the information is great, the pop-culture references are on point and yes, there must be some humor along the way. Broadcasts need humor, in moderation of course. Professional sports offer long, and sometimes tough, seasons. The announcer needs to consider how he/she will continue to ‘entertain’ as well as ‘inform’ during the season.
Eagle picks the right time to showcase his ability to entertain. Take for example on a Nets broadcast, during the “Ask The Announcers” segment, Eagle and broadcast partner Sarah Kustok took advantage of a question from a fan and ran with it.
“What does an argument between Noah and Ian Eagle sound like? So, I’ve already done it. But I will do it live in person so you can hear it,” said Eagle, reading the question provided.
“You’ve already had an argument?” asked Kustok.
“No, I’ve already simulated what an argument was when I was growing up,” replied Eagle. “Which is I would get home and he would go ‘Clean your room!’ And I would go ‘Not today!’ And he would say ‘Breakfast denied!’ And I would say ‘I want some eggs!’ And then he would say, ‘Broken ankles and yolks!’ And I would say ‘I’m not hungry!’ And I would get grounded. That’s usually how it would go.”
All in all, Noah Eagle is a talented individual. I can’t wait to see how much better he gets as he gets even more experience. Yes, he’ll get even better, which may be hard to believe.
DAD
Ian Eagle is a very accomplished broadcaster. Now with his son in the business as well there are bound to be comparisons and claims about how Noah got in it.
“I was nothing but encouraging, but I also knew the reality of the business,” the veteran (Ian) sportscaster told GQ. “The reality is, if you don’t have the talent to do it, it’s probably not going to work out for you.”
Of course, the word nepotism comes up often. The younger Eagle, responded to whether he’s bothered by that word or not in a conversation with The New York Post.
“No, because, listen: I understand that there is still something that comes with having a father who’s done this at the level that he’s done this. And even just having a father in the industry’s one thing, but one with such notoriety comes with anything, and I accept that, right?”, he told the Post.
“If I was offended by it and if I knew I was going to be offended by it, I wouldn’t have gone into the business, just plain and simple. So, knowing that I enjoy the job, knowing that I wake up excited to do the job, that drives me more than anything, and I understand where people are coming from, from that side of it, because yeah, there were doors that probably were opened, but then it was up to me to kick the door down, and that’s how I’ve always looked at it.”
A very healthy attitude toward the inevitable line of questioning.
DID YOU KNOW?
In May 2024, Noah won a Sports Emmy. He was named “Outstanding personality/emerging on air” for his play-by-play on the inaugural season of Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock.
Performing is in the Eagle DNA. Noah’s grandfather, Jack, was a successful standup comedian and actor. His mother, Monica, was a singer. It was almost inevitable Noah would follow in the family tradition.
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.
I went to the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders game this past Sunday.
Having never been to Allegiant Stadium, I arrived early to take in everything inside and out.
When walking through the tailgating lots, I was reminded of a simple but easy-to-execute promotion that I used to do at Milwaukee Brewers games when I was programming 97.3 The Brew.
Send your promo team through the lot with a camera. People imbibing are generally willing to have their picture taken. Then, hand them a business card-sized piece of paper telling them they can download their picture from your station website.
But wait, there’s more. On the paper, tell them that if their picture is one of the 50 or whatever number you choose with the station logo, they will win tickets to a future game or some other significant prize.
Easy to execute.
First Big Game
Another version is to create a sign or banner with your station’s logo and the words “First Game.” I must admit that I stopped by one of those signs at the Raiders game because who doesn’t want to brag about their first game on social media? You might as well have your logo on it when they do.
Let It Snow
When I worked twice in the Great Lakes Lake Effect snow belts in Milwaukee and Cleveland each year, we gave away a snowblower, and there was moderate interest.
The year we twisted it to free snow plowing for the season, interest shot through the roof.
You must write your rules to ensure you are not doing commercial properties. The best part was that we were able to trade it with a plowing company looking to gain a foothold in the market.
It Really Is “Your Station”
Recently, Barrett Media contributor Kevin Robinson has twice proposed getting young people involved in radio by giving them, with supervision, a couple of Sunday morning or evening hours when listening is typically low to learn the craft.
I used to give a Sunday evening shift to a listener. We helped them curate their special playlist, and of course, the shift had to be voice-tracked with my staff’s help.
The beauty of it was they would get the word out. I once saw an email sent through an entire major city employer (Harley Davidson) telling everyone that their colleague would have his own radio show that weekend.
Make some special logo frames, and ensure they get a nice photo taken in the studio.
When we discovered that some were hosting listening parties, we invited ourselves and showed up with treats.
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.
Some of the best talk radio hosts were originally on the other side of the phone calling in to their favorite station. 610 WIOD host Manny Munoz is one of the lucky ones working at the very station he called into as a kid.
“I was always a news junkie,” said Munoz. “I loved listening to some of the political talk shows down here.”
The native South Floridian recalled, “I used to call some of the talk shows so often one of the producers talked me into taking a semester off [from college] to go to a [radio broadcast] technical school. I never even went back to finish getting my degree.”
Munoz went on to be a successful news producer, editor, and later, was an executive producer for the Miami Dolphins Radio Network and the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network.
He bounced between WINZ and 610 WIOD before becoming the operations manager and program director for what a startup sports talk radio. “It lasted about a year and a half before it went under because of funding and financial problems with the ownership, stuff like that. But then I came back to WIOD Working News in 2001.”
Later, Manny Munoz was producing and co-hosting the morning show before being given his own slot from 9 AM to Noon, recently expanding after the station added The Ryan Gorman Show to morning drive.
“We talked about the vision for the show. It would be live and local and not necessarily focused on local issues, but stuff that would be important to South Florida,” Munoz said. “I said, ‘As long as I can take calls, I want to be able to talk to the listeners.’ To me, more than anything, that’s what makes it live and local and I think that’s what makes a radio special.”
A large part of what Munoz is doing with his show is giving everyone one a voice, not just one political side. Making the show less about him and more about you the listener because the last thing this veteran wanted to do is cash-in on what he calls the ‘Outrage economy.’ “What they do on cable news, just highlighting the differences and focusing on that and the fighting and setting it up, this faux outrage. I think it’s so bad. It has hurt me to see what’s happened in the country.”
While he doesn’t perpetuate the bad behaviors of political extremes, it doesn’t mean he’s immune to the attacks from political extremists. “It’s funny because if somebody is calling me a MAGA apologist and then [someone else calls me] a closet liberal, I think I’m doing a pretty good job being who I am,” Munoz noted of the critics.
The long-time producer turned host has now given life to a program allowing people to have a form to disagree respectfully. A sentiment even his critics appreciate. One of his ‘hate-followers’ even noted, “I don’t like almost anything that [Manny Munoz] says, but I love that he gives me a forum to talk to him about it.”
Of the guest’s respect for each other and their host, Munoz noted, “Rarely has it gotten ugly with anybody. That was the one thing I wanted to do by taking the calls is be able to have those disagreements politically, culturally, whatever the issue might be, to have the disagreements respectfully and maybe have some fun with it because it’s just it’s gotten so ugly, the rhetoric in our country so heated.”
Manny Munoz said there is a difference between the way callers react to each other versus on social media, “Doing it on the phone, it’s a little bit different and doing it specifically to someone who’s interacting back with you that’s different so you see a little bit of a different tone [than you do on social media].”
The 36-year radio veteran saw the early rise of social media, “It’s different for an anonymous person on their phone to just post some crap on social media and attack somebody. Social media has given people the authority to throw out civility and common courtesy.”
It’s more than just the way people interact with each other, over his career Munoz has seen a change in the way news is gathered. “Sometimes a story will come across and only one person will be reporting it, or it will only be on social media, and we all have to stop and wonder, is that real? Especially in this day and age, because you just don’t know. It might come from a legitimate source. But you never know these days whether stories are real. Because I think everybody because it’s so easy to get news out there.”
It’s not all bad Munoz believes it’s giving an opportunity to connect with people who wouldn’t normally call in. “Not everybody likes calling into a talk show. Right? And so I’ve I learned to be able to use that as a different way to interact with the lovers and the haters.”
Over the air and on social, the message he’s putting out there is simple and important for those who get wrapped up in politics to remember. “The tornado of of us vs. them and the enemy of the people is absolute garbage. We might disagree or believe differently about issues, but because you have a different political view than I do doesn’t make you any less of an American. It doesn’t make you my enemy.”
For those callers looking to jump behind the mic, Manny Munoz’s advice is simple, “Give a crap. Take pride in what you do, especially in radio. It’s always been said, ‘Get your foot in the door.’ Something that I’ve always found important and has allowed me to progress in my career is no matter who the boss has been, no matter what station I’ve been at, is to never say ‘That’s not my job.’”
One additional piece of advice the 610 WIOD host shared? “Always be willing to learn, and I hope that you learn something new every day. But like I said, you can teach the technical stuff. You can’t teach somebody to give a crap. Just take pride in what you do no matter what it is.”
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.
NewsNation can’t be like everyone else in the cable news space. And that couldn’t be more on display than what the network does at 8 PM ET with Cuomo.
And the strategy makes sense. Channels like Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and even Newsmax are more established than NewsNation. If you’re going to do the same thing as everyone else, what makes you think those viewers will leave those pillars of cable news for your network?
So, NewsNation pushes the Cuomo format to be different.
Yes, Chris Cuomo opens his show with an opening monologue like every other cable news show. Yes, Cuomo features the same basic format of four segments and commercial breaks in the one-hour timeslot. And yes, the NewsNation program features probably too many motion graphics in an effort to keep a viewer’s attention span.
But the content is different from many other shows.
Cuomo exudes opinions. On everything. On Tuesday, he shared a blistering takedown of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for the social media platform’s decision to remove third-party fact-checkers. With his criticism of the mega-billionaire, he spent several minutes of his opening segment blasting the decision and arguing that Zuckerberg was attempting to rival X owner Elon Musk for who can get the closest proximity to Donald Trump’s…well, I let your imagination fill in the rest.
Chris Cuomo’s criticism bites a little harder than others. There’s an authenticity to it that isn’t as present in other primetime cable news shows. He mentioned that he recently inked a contract extension with NewsNation due to its “insurgent” attitude. I believe him. Because Chris Cuomo fits well with an outlet with an “insurgent” attitude. Part calculated, part naivety, and part unafraid, Cuomo isn’t afraid to blast whoever needs blasting. He doesn’t worry about the repercussions of his comments. He doesn’t concern himself with questions about whether or not sharing his opinion will limit his access to party power players or the biggest newsmakers of the day.
Cuomo operates on opinion. Unadulterated takes on the topics of the day. Love him or hate him. And he isn’t afraid to share the stage with others like him.
Frequent guests on the show include ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith and cable news legend Bill O’Reilly. They are both guests who have created their media legacies by — like Cuomo — having strong takes with the ability to, if I can borrow a phrase from my junior high math teacher, “show their work.” You might not like each and every opinion, but they all come with an expressed thought process, which is surprisingly rare.
And those high-profile guests are a rarity. Not that other cable news shows don’t bring on big names, but they rarely compete in the same space as the host. At the end of the day, Chris Cuomo, Stephen A. Smith, and Bill O’Reilly are pundits. They all do the same job. So for them to all appear on Cuomo, sometimes together, makes for something you just don’t see all that often.
When he also has guests on to provide deeper context on a story rather than share opinions, Chris Cuomo doesn’t ask questions that lead the subject to begin their answer with “That’s right, Chris,” or some other statement of affirmation. In fact, the first question he asked his first guest on Tuesday evening, the answer was an immediate disagreement with the host.
There are just things that you don’t often see on cable news happening on the NewsNation show. In the past, I know Cuomo has taken callers on a regular basis from listeners. The back-and-forth between the host, producers, and the viewers was something you only see on the program. While it didn’t happen in the episode I watched, it just further goes to show that Chris Cuomo and NewsNation — the upstart outlet that didn’t complete its 24/7 cable news lineup until 2024 — do things differently and aren’t afraid to experiment.
The counterargument is “It isn’t working. The ratings for the network stink, with only 100,000 viewers on average in primetime.” My rebuttal would be: That might be true. But if you had to choose between someone bucking the norm or just going along with what everyone else is doing, which would you pick?
I’d pick what Chris Cuomo is doing on NewsNation over most everything else from other cable news competitors.
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.
