Happy New Year everyone and welcome to our first sales meeting of 2025. Hope your time off was enjoyable and I know most of you sellers on Monday had your head spinning. Last week it was hard to know what day it was, this week it was trying to remember how to do your job!
It is never long enough, but for me it was time to get back to work. I already told you I’m a bit of a scrooge. But I enjoyed the holidays this year and it came at a perfect time as I was starting to lose my mind a bit. The rest and relaxation and the cookies did me some good. Until I ate entirely too many cookies.
When we last met, our topic was the first part of the sales process, the prospecting for the right clients and what you can do to help yourself in that department. There is no foolproof way to know that someone is a perfect candidate, but if you do your homework, you can have a much better batting average than someone who puts no effort into it.
This week we are going to move on to the second step and that is setting an appointment with a decision maker. We used to call this step simply the cold call, but it’s 2025 and we have to use all of the weapons at our disposal. Whatever is needed to get to a face-to-face meeting with the right person or people is what we are looking for here.
We all know the best leads come from referrals where you can site someone’s name who told you to call as they thought what you do would be of service to whomever you’re calling. Generally, we get referrals in our business when we ask for them. Like many things in sales, the answer lies in just doing it. We all know Wayne Gretzky’s saying about missing 100% of the shots we don’t take. Ask for referrals!
The other easiest way for sellers to set an appointment with a decision maker is to get introduced to them in another setting and make the ask yourself. In order to do this, you have to put yourself in situations where decision makers might be. Ask yourself, what boards are you on? What networking groups do you belong to? Do you belong to a social club? Do you go to big events during the year where heavy hitters in the advertising space might be? What are you doing besides emailing people and sending direct messages into the black hole of LinkedIn?
I had a salesperson once who was great at targeting certain prospects and finding a way to meet that person. She would even go as far as posting on her social media things like, ‘Do any of my connections have a connection with (company executive)?’ Often times, she would find a way to get an introduction to that person or find an event they would be at and make sure they met. She worked it and didn’t just rely on reaching out to people cold and hoping for a response.
I know all sellers have heard the dreaded term ‘elevator pitch’ many times in your sales career. Do you have one? If I pulled you in my office right now and said give me the 60-90 second pitch in order to get a meeting with me, what would you say? Do you ever practice that elevator pitch? Fine tune it? Ever asked one of your colleagues to give you their elevator pitch and hear it delivered in a different way?
Elevator pitches are fairly simple, think of it this way – WHAT IS THE BENEFIT FOR THE CLIENT?!?
As we know, many people fail at this step because all they want to talk about is what they have, how great their radio station is or how they are No. 2 in the market with left-handed women from 10a-1p. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is what challenges the business owner you are wanting to talk to has and how you can help solve them. That’s it.
The only other thing sellers can say that will resonate with a business owner is proven results from another, similar, client. If you can’t get a direct referral, use an indirect one. We have talked about this before but have a video you can show from a client about how you and your properties have helped increase their business.
Another key mistake some sellers will make when getting a decision maker on the phone or meeting them in person, is not asking for the meeting. I am sure you have all been through some sort of training on how to put that out there, but however you have learned to do it, make sure you do it. As many details as can be worked out right then and there as possible, what day, what time, where will it take place, who else should or will be there. Don’t make the mistake of having a great initial conversation and then have to fight like heck to get back in touch because you didn’t ask for the meeting.
Unfortunately, there are no magic answers when it comes to how best to book appointments with decision makers for advertising. There is only the reality that unless someone sees the direct benefits to their business, they are not likely to spend their time talking to you.
If you have properly vetted the client in the prospecting stage, and you have made a real effort to connect with the decision maker, using any means possible and not just relying on what is easiest to do.
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 BOB & TOM Show marked a significant milestone earlier this week. The show reached 30 years in syndication and 40 years on flagship station WFBQ, Indianapolis.
Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold started the comedy and talk show, which is now syndicated by Westwood One and heard weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. (ET) on over 80 stations across the US.
I caught up with Tom Griswold and asked him to reflect on 30 years of syndication and how the future looks.
So, let’s start at the beginning.
“The notion of going into a syndication situation was actually pretty funny. We had been voted the most stolen from radio show in America, and that was in one of the trades. And so, the great Frank Wood from Cincinnati, Frank saw that and said, hey, look, why don’t we give this a try? And he was really the guy that decided, yeah, this could work, and we’ll kind of dip our toes into this and see how it goes,” said Griswold.
“And that’s exactly how we got started. We pretty much, with only a couple of minor changes, are using the same clock we used right from the beginning with respect to how much time is allocated to the local stations and how much time we’re spewing, whatever it is that we do.”
Griswold says keeping a local component going with a national show is a balancing act.
“It was kind of a tricky process to keep a local component going and at the same time be generic enough to have a national show. And so we were really lucky, and we kind of figured out a way to do that by having certain segments in which everyone would have an opportunity to be local, including all the affiliates.”
The most significant change to the show over the years was Bob Kevoian’s retirement at the end of 2015.
“We’ve had a couple of other people leave, but at the same time, everything else has kind of changed on the outside of radio. I can remember going back to the eighties when the fax machine was the greatest thing that ever happened to radio stations. Instead of just having to answer the request line and have some guy requesting Ozzy, you’d get a fax from a brain surgeon going, hey, you guys were talking about this aspect of the human brain. I happen to know a lot about it.”
“Then, of course, since then, obviously, the digital revolution has taken hold. We’re dealing with a whole new world of instant communication and the whole world of email and texting, etc. So, it’s in many ways completely different, but in some ways, it’s still the same, which is trying to engage an audience with content,” said Griswold.
So, looking forward, how do you maintain a loyal audience and attract new people?
“That’s a really good question. We’re working on trying to make sure that we don’t sound like antiques on the air. We have a number of younger people working on the show. A couple of them are my sons. One of them is on the air. One of them is off the air doing behind-the-scenes stuff.”
“The cast of the people has actually changed a little bit in that we’ve got some younger minds out there working with us. And at the same time, we’re just trying to stay contemporary.”
I acknowledged that asking Tom to pick one or two highlights from 40 years of shows was probably unfair.
“Yeah, there have been so many. We’ve always had a tremendous list of great comedians that have come through, sometimes very young men and women that end up becoming big stars, sometimes just great club comedians that come through on a regular basis. In general, that’s been a terrific asset to the show.”
“The other component is we’ve had a lot of fun shows in which various artists have come in and played live. We have an ancillary studio that can accommodate them. You get a guy like Peter Frampton who comes in, and he’s such a great guy, and he’s so funny, and he’s willing to play around with us. Those are true highlights when you get great artists in the world of rock that are also just wonderful people.”
So, let’s flip it around. When did something happen that left you scratching your head and wondering what were we thinking? Maybe a promotion that didn’t work out?
“We did a thing where we took a bunch of listeners to Florida. And it was somewhere, I think it was St. Pete or somewhere in that general area. Anyway, the point of the story is we’re all in this big hotel. We were there for a week. With all these listeners.”
It was fun. But we went to check out, and our general manager was losing his mind. What’s the matter? Well, it turns out that one of our winners wasn’t up to speed on how the minibar worked. They had drained their minibar every day. And their bar tab was a couple of thousand bucks. And they did not have the money to pay for it. They just thought that was part of the deal.”
“Every day they would drink three bourbons, three gins; it was like a George Thorogood song.”
“The other one was that whenever we go to the Bahamas, we warn people, hey, look, don’t rent the minibikes, whatever they are, because the driving is really treacherous out there. So, one couple did it. Of course, they got into an accident.”
“The guy described to me later that he went into the clinic, and he says I wouldn’t have let my dog in there. So, they were OK. But I mean, we warned them.”
Knowing I could listen to his stories all day, I asked for a couple more.
“I’m sure some of your readers will remember the days when Disney World and Disneyland would bring down a hundred radio stations. And they would place them all over the theme parks. We couldn’t get down there when they wanted to film an announcement for whatever reason.”
“They said we really want you guys to do this. So, we will fly you down on one of our private planes. The private plane was called Ear Force One, like Mickey Mouse ears.”
“We’re flying, and we’re partway there, and we’re somewhere in Tennessee, and the pilot comes on and says, we can’t tell if our hydraulic system is working. We’re going to try to land right now. So, they say we’re going to go to Nashville.”
“Of course, the plane landed successfully, but it was a little bit scary. After all that, including our near-death experience, had the plane crashed, it would have truly been for naught since they ended up, whatever that was for, they ended up not doing it.”
What does the future look like for The BOB & TOM show?
“I’d like to do it another nine or 10 years. I’m in really good health. I just had my annual physical and passed with flying colors. I feel like I’m getting a little bit wiser, which means I’m now thinking I’m less smart than I used to think. This is a great world of radio. Just every day is different.”
“So many people have jobs that are the same over and over again. We get to go in every morning and see what’s going on, and then we kind of become part of it.”
“It’s a real privilege to have such an interesting job. The trick is going to be just keeping up with all of the changes in formats and delivery of the various types of stuff that we do. I think that the most important part will always be the radio component.”
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.
In possessing a keen understanding of sales and marketing through years of professional experience, Sean Pendergast realizes that the occupation spans beyond typical products and services. Whether it is first impressions, social media interactions or conversations with clientele, he believes that radio personalities need to possess a level of sales acumen.
As a morning drive host on SportsRadio 610 in Houston, Pendergast routinely assesses the marketplace and has found opportunities to augment his brand and strength of the weekday offering. Over the last five years in the daypart working with Seth Payne, the duo has proven to be a formidable presence that looks to exhibit synergy, knowledge and expertise. Through it all, there has existed a commitment to serve consumers and shareholders of the company.
“I treat my sponsors and clients as if I were a salesperson,” Pendergast said. “I have lunches, I make sure to stop at their businesses and say ‘Hello’ to them, I’m in touch with them on game days. A lot of them are Texans fans, so we text back and forth during games. I think they really like that – they’re like, ‘Wow, I’m texting with somebody who’s in the press box,’ that kind of thing.”
Pendergast believes there should be training in sales for all broadcasters. In addition to his ability to keep audiences informed and entertained, he intends to serve his bosses and sponsors by working with others to enact business endeavors and fulfill obligations. Pendergast discerns that radio companies are trying to do more with less, a proposition that leads to individuals having more responsibilities. Having recently completed 11 years with the station, he identifies several factors contributing to his success and longevity in the designated market area.
“I’ve seen so many people in this business who I think are probably better broadcasters than me if I’m being honest, but they don’t stick around because they don’t have any revenue tied to them,” Pendergast said. “It’s so fundamental that once you do get revenue tied to you, just to make sure that relationship is solid and that you’re getting feedback from them. Make sure you know whether or not you’re getting results for them so that if you’re not, you can fix things and get results.”
Pendergast grew up in Connecticut and frequently listened to WFAN, developing a penchant for the sports talk format. Although he participated at the radio station, he focused his studies on finance and business economics and moved to Houston upon graduating where he sold telecommunications equipment. Pendergast was initially confounded that the city did not have a sports talk radio station, but that predicament quickly changed when SportsRadio 610 launched one week into his tenure. The station picked up The Jim Rome Show, and Pendergast became a P1 listener, frequent caller and five-time champion of the Smack-Off competition.
“I got to be very friendly with the people at 610 once I started calling Rome, so some of the hosts there, I became, still to this day, very, very good friends with [them],” Pendergast recalled, “and they would tell me, ‘Hey, you should give this a try,’ based totally on being a caller.”
When United Asset Coverage was sold to Shared Technology in 2007, Pendergast ended up losing his job, prompting him to pack his office and return home. Upon pulling in his driveway, he received a call from Chance McClain, who informed him that he and several others were starting a new radio station in Houston and that they wanted him to host a show. Even though there were complications surrounding the decision, Pendergast recognized the serendipitous manifestation and tangible break to pursue his passion.
“It was like a bolt of lightning when I got that phone call,” Pendergast said. “On literally my lowest day is when I get this opportunity that I’ve been longing for, so it was one of those things like, ‘Man, I almost have to say ‘Yes’ to this just to see how it goes, because if I say ‘No,’ I’ll regret it forever.”
Even though he took an entry-level radio job making 80% less money than his sales role, he enjoyed his formative years in the business hosting local and national programming. While he valued his time with the station, he did not see a pathway to achieving his financial goals and started to position himself to land a role with SportsRadio 610. Over parts of the ensuing five years, Pendergast brought a fastidious approach predicated on attention to detail, adaptability and versatility while leveraging skills developed in sales.
“Getting feedback from people about how I sounded on the air, air checks, all those things that sometimes people take for granted,” Pendergast elucidated, “I went into hyper-detail mode to just get my foot in the door over there.”
Pendergast had interviewed for a morning drive hosting role in 2012, a job that ultimately went to Nick Wright. One year later, he secured a spot in afternoons working with Rich Lord and started the program in the subsequent January. Lord had been at the station since 1995 just after it flipped to the sports format, and Pendergast had listened to him throughout his time in Houston. A few months later, the station added former NFL linebacker Ted Johnson to the program, lending firsthand perspective from the gridiron and forming what became known as The Triple Threat.
“I [wanted] to make sure that when people were listening to me, they knew that I wasn’t some noob to the market or that I’m faking my way through it,” Pendergast said. “All the things that I had been doing that got me that job I had been doing at 1560 already, so I wanted to make sure they knew that.”
As the station made lineup changes in 2019, it let go of two personalities in Lord and morning show co-host Mike Meltser, familiar voices in the marketplace who had resonated with listeners. Pendergast was subsequently paired with Payne in morning drive, forming the duo that Houston sports radio listeners have come to know over the last five years. The duo expeditiously developed chemistry, something that was catalyzed from having known each other previously through Payne’s weekly contributions on 1560 The Game.
“Mornings is the prime spot, but unlike when I was trying to get over to 610, I didn’t openly campaign behind people’s backs about wanting to be in mornings,” Pendergast expressed. “I was really happy to be in the building and be in afternoons with Rich – the show was very successful – but when the opportunity came to go to mornings, I was really excited about it.”
Pendergast describes himself as someone who is informed, organized and entertaining, combining those skills to create a compelling product that blends astute insights with lighthearted revelry. Hosting with Payne, who he affirms is smart while also self aware that he is somewhat unhinged, the duo has fostered intrigue and impact in their discussions surrounding local sports. Part of its appeal has also come in catering to the preferences of listeners in the daypart, refraining from vociferous dissension and overwhelming amounts of information.
“Seth and I don’t scream at each other, but we disagree over a lot of stuff, but we flush it as soon as the break rolls around,” Pendergast said. “We’ll get into disagreements on a show that people think are really contentious, and then during the break, we’re kind of laughing about it. Not that we faked our way through the argument, but if you carry it around, that’s not a healthy way to go do radio or go through life if we’re being honest.”
Aside from broadcasting skill and allure among the audience, generating ratings and revenue oftentimes are inextricably tied to how media professionals are evaluated. Even though the program has secured strong engagement on terrestrial radio and podcasting platforms, he knows that establishing and maintaining client relationships is critical in ensuring stakeholders remain satisfied.
Being situated in a marketplace with three sports radio stations and several other media entities disseminating content over multiple verticals, there are an abundance of domains competing for attention and engagement. Pendergast recognizes the appeal of the Houston Texans and feels that SportsRadio 610 has an advantage in being a flagship station for the team. At the same time, he recognizes the station tagline, “Houston’s Sports Leader,” and delivers for consumers who want to hear about the Rockets, Astros or other sports teams.
“We talk everything,” Pendergast said. “Seth and I had our best ratings as a duo the month that the Astros won the World Series. Our ratings were double the flagship of the Astros’ ratings that month, and that was something we took a great amount of pride in because theoretically, people, you would think, would be going to the flagship for that.”
Pendergast views establishing himself as a brand to be essential, and he has started to monetize some of his social media. There are opportunities in the marketplace to explore broadening reach and revenue, and while he remains aware of potential occurrences, he also wants to ensure that current clients are satisfied. Pendergast measures his performance against financial data both individually and for the company, along with appealing to the listeners and contributing to mental wellbeing and sports expertise.
“You try to put on the best show every day and serve your sponsors the best way that you can, and you hope that, ‘Okay, this is good enough. This is good enough,’ because I want to do this for a long time,” Pendergast said. “I’ve got no end date. There’s zero [of], ‘I’m trying to get to this age or this age or this age or this age.’ I plan on doing this for as long as my health and my bosses will let me do it.”
As Pendergast continues to work in his ideal role, he will explore adding projects, such as potentially starting a podcast series functioning as an anthology that chronicles the biggest Houston sports stories. From the moment he decided to join SportsRadio 610, he set a goal of becoming the morning host and holding what he feels is the best job in the city. With a decade on the station under his belt, he aims to continue the momentum he has established and remain embedded in sports media while continuing to explore the landscape.
“Hopefully as long as they’ll have me, it’s going to be things that get added to being the morning host at SportsRadio 610 because I’m lucky, man,” Pendergast said. “I’m one of the lucky people who set out to go get their dream job, and I’m able to do it every day. It’s awesome.”
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.
There isn’t a faster way to become a hero to conservative media members in 2025 than to play a modern version of the Prodigal Son who has recognized the error of the ways and come home to the right — pun intended — side of any issue. Mark Zuckerberg is the latest figure to experience this phenomenon. And he won’t be the last.
On Tuesday, the Facebook founder announced that the social media network would move away from dedicated fact-checkers and instead have users do the honors, similar to the Community Notes strategy implemented by the X social media platform.
I don’t necessarily have a strong opinion on the decision. Do I think fact-checkers are good? Yeah. Do I understand that fact-checkers — like every other human being — are biased? Also yeah. Would I advise against getting rid of them in favor of the average user? No, but I don’t run a billion-dollar company.
My issue is with the reaction to the decision by conservative media members. Turn on Fox News, your local news/talk station, or a national show in the format on Tuesday and you would believe that Mark Zuckerberg had become an honorary member of The Heritage Foundation.
After years of being near the top of the Public Enemy list from conservative media members, the idea that Mark Zuckerberg deciding that it would be easier to share verifiably false information on the social media platform he owns is what takes him off the list and into the good graces of conservative news/talk radio and television hosts? Seriously?
There’s only one problem with this line of thinking: Mark Zuckerberg didn’t make this decision because he had a change of heart. He didn’t suddenly recognize the error of his ways. This is a business decision. He’s worried about repercussions. That’s it. It isn’t because he now believes in free speech. It isn’t because he had his mind changed by the conservative point of view. It’s because he likes money. The end.
And that’s a perfectly fine thing to like! We all like money! But some of us also like to have character, integrity, and principles.
For the political party, and its media members, to constantly beat the drum about how they are more moral and ethical than the other side, they sure do love making heroes out of unprincipled people.
Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Russell Brand, and more have all become conservative idols in recent years because they have supposedly seen the error of their ways and have joined the conservative cause. And instead of questioning the motives of these people, that side of the political aisle has simply welcomed them with open arms.
The idea that you could spend years trashing someone — like Mark Zuckerberg — and reverse course over one decision shows how ridiculous the entire news media ecosystem has become.
To be fair, some hosts were able to recognize that it’s a wholly unprincipled decision by Zuckerberg. They deserve to be commended for their stances to their audiences. Because so many hosts now believe they simply need to feed their audience what they want to hear, instead of the opposite.
Conservative media has taken on a collective unity that anyone who agrees with us is correct and deserves praise, and anyone who disagrees with us is the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of the Earth.
In essence, Facebook announced on Tuesday that we’re too damned divided to even agree on what facts are anymore. That isn’t something worth celebrating. It should be shouted down by anyone and everyone.
In the 2004 book “The Seven Basic Plots”, author Christopher Booker shares that every single story falls into — as you might have guessed by the title — seven basic plots. And conservative media members have somehow fallen in love with the “Rebirth” plot. Where they denigrate those on the other side, and then welcome them home to the conservative side of the culture war, political opinion, or us versus them battle that seemingly consumes every single topic.
Instead, judge people by the content of their character. Buck the trend of simply agreeing or disagreeing with someone because of their political beliefs or the letter next to their name.
Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a conservative. The Facebook founder isn’t a free speech champion. He’s an unprincipled businessman who only cares about two things: himself and money. If that makes him someone worthy of praise in conservative media circles, it says as much about that ecosystem as it does about Zuckerberg.
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.
Late last year, iHeartMedia unveiled the largest refresh of the iHeartRadio app since it debuted in 2011. In the update, the company had several goals in mind but one stood out more than the others: make the experience for users feel familiar.
And what is more familiar to a radio listener than designing an app to more closely resemble the way a large chunk of consumers listen to the content? So, iHeartMedia was inspired by the in-car radio.
The app refresh included new features like a seek or scan button for users to find local stations on the homepage. Additionally, the iHeartRadio app update features presets for listeners, allowing up to 15 stations, playlists, podcasts, or artist radio stations to be accessible throughout the app.
While discussing the updates and new features, iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne shared that the company is already seeing encouraging results from making updates that were ultimately dubbed as “obvious” by those designing the update.
“The first thing you want in big product change is to hold the line,” said Byrne. “You don’t expect to grow day one by 1000%. We are not holding the line. We are already growing. That is a wonderful surprise.”
He shared that the idea to mix the functionality with an in-car experience — like a scan or seek button coupled with presets — with a digital app led to users feeling as if the new features were now essential to the digital experience.
“While our scan button feels already like a ‘nice to have’ for users — let’s not say it’s bad or good, just it’s a ‘nice to have’ feature — presets is already a ‘need to have’ feature. It feels very clear like our one day, one in the first few thousand users that jumped in, this is now an essential part of their iHeartRadio app experience,” Byrne continued.
“I’ve been doing product a long time. I have not seen that. I honestly have not seen a product that users have acclimated to that fast, where it’s become a core part of their UX. That has driven up our average time spent already, on average, new users downloading the app, new versus our control group, stuff like that. I hope it keeps going in that direction, obviously. But we’re really heartened by that.”
People hate change. No matter the situation. So when a company like iHeartMedia undergoes the process of updating something as familiar as the iHeartRadio app, you have to be careful in how you go about that update. So, for nearly a year, a team of top leaders and executives from departments at the radio giant formed a Product Council to opine on what a refreshed app needed.
The leaders came to recognize that the car radio dashboard, which, obviously millions of radio consumers are intricately familiar with, was “one of the single greatest product UX inventions ever by humans.”
“The goal of any at-scale product is sleekness, beauty, scalability, but above and beyond anything else, it’s to get your learning curve to almost zero. It’s absolute convenience and intuition. And I truly don’t know many products that match the car radio dashboard for that,” Byrne said.
Some coming to that realization led the designers down a path that made them use the term “obvious” multiple times. It was obvious to make the app as familiar as possible for users. It was obvious for the company to implement features the car radio includes. And it was obvious that after more than 100 years since the 1922 Chevrolet could be equipped with a Westinghouse radio dial, there hasn’t been much functional change in the product offering because it is obvious that it works.
“If you have enough even half intelligent — and I hope they were half intelligent — conversations with the smart folks who run their different departments at iHeartMedia, from broadcast radio programming to analytics, from engineering to marketing by conversation three, people are going to start repeating sentences like, ‘I don’t know. I just want it to look like the thing in the car.’ And the difference with this round of brainstorming was that we — and I’ll give us this credit — were open to that,” Byrne stated.
“Whereas before, where product teams sometimes miss the mark is, you will try to translate that into ‘I think what you mean is this.’ No, I literally mean that thing. The best digital can do is take a concept like presets and quite literally translate it into digital and then build on it. As opposed to saying, ‘Well, I think by presets what you mean is a recommendation engine.’ No, I do not mean that. I mean literally presets.
“Now, it should function like the long press functionality of apps on your iPhone. Sure, it should function like that. But no. Otherwise, I literally mean the presets thing. I think, honestly, that was the difference for us was being open to it, and then keeping ourselves honest about what it meant to translate it into digital.”
Byrne added that there were features the company investigated in adding to the revamp that didn’t make the cut.
“Another source of inspiration we initially looked at was TV, and specifically cable news TV. We were looking around for different UX — this was one before we locked into the car dash — and we tried to sort of let in that inspiration of, to their credit, they are using that TV screen, that space, innovatively for their world.
“It looks more like a web page than it did 10 years ago. There’s a bunch of different stuff. There are right rails on certain cable TV news channels. There are tickers. So an example of that that we played with for a second was a news ticker across the bottom of the screen, because we said, ‘There must be something working about cable TV news that that is so prominent across them all.'”
However, the focus groups for the new app were “allergic” to the feature, Byrne said, adding that users felt as if they had lost some of the control over the app in the process.
“That’s what made us say, ‘Ok, the idea is right. The execution is off.’ Let’s just take what we have in the background that we share with our own programmers. create a trending on iHeart section, that’s a little bit like trending on X, and start there. It’s a good example though of us saying ‘Eh, not so fast.'”
When asked if iHeartMedia expected other radio or digital audio companies to implement similar strategies in later versions of their apps, Byrne responded with an idiom.
“The greatest compliment to an artist is when someone traces your work,” he said with a smile. “I think the unfair advantage we have is we reach nine out of 10 American adults a month through 950-plus broadcast radio stations. We have the ability to shout very loudly about the work we do. I will take it as a compliment and I won’t be too concerned. We hold ourselves to a very high standard with or without competition nipping at our heels. It won’t bother us too much.”
The iHeartRadio app will continue to evolve in 2025, Byrne told Barrett Media. He shared that there is a “product roadmap” for the year, with new features being expanded in the first and second quarter, noting that — depending on user feedback — there could potential be a whole new set of features to discuss later this year.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Internet blackjack has grown to be favored among players seeking the right meld of strategy and luck in the comfort of their own homes. Unlike most games, which entirely depend on chance, it’s possible to shift the odds a little to your advantage in blackjack with proper strategies. Thus, it comes as no surprise that, with an understanding of its intricacies, even novices will have better chances of succeeding alongside experts. In the following guide, discover how to master Internet Blackjack and maximize your winnings.
Can You Beat Online Casino Blackjack?
One of the questions that always intrigues many players is whether it’s possible to beat online casino blackjack. It all depends on understanding the house edge and applying the appropriate strategies. The game is different from slot machines or roulette in that it offers the player one distinct advantage if played correctly. By using basic strategy and making decisions based on probability rather than instinct, you can reduce the house edge substantially, in many cases to as low as 0.5%.
Although some skills will affect the actual outcomes observed, blackjack is a probability game. Combining some of its elements of skill, bankroll well managed and playing the game with discipline are the keys to achieving successful outcomes while enjoying the various ways to play internet blackjack games.
How to Master Online Blackjack
The art of online blackjack starts with an understanding of the basic rules and strategy: understand the objective, which is to have a higher score than the dealer without going over 21; understand the value of the cards, the power of aces and how and when to hit, stand, double down and split pairs.
Next, study and memorize a basic strategy chart. These charts depict every possible hand combination that makes the best play for given dealer upcards. Playing a basic strategy will help to shrink the house advantage as far as possible and thereby ensure substantial wins in the long term. Besides, practicing in free or demo mode is a great opportunity to improve your results with no financial risk involved. Most of the well-known platforms allow players the possibility to play for free to get comfortable with the game’s mechanics.
Is It Skill or Luck?
Blackjack is a game that involves both skills and luck. The cards dealt initially are purely a matter of chance, but the subsequent moves can considerably affect the outcome. Those players who depend on luck might win for some time, but the long-term winners are the ones who apply skill and strategy. Understanding the odds of the different hands, knowing when to hit or stand, and bankroll management go hand in glove with success. Of course, any given hand involves luck, but winning at Internet blackjack more consistently requires knowledge, discipline and practice.
The Cornerstone of Success
The most integral part of playing blackjack is managing your bankroll effectively. Before seating yourself at a virtual table, you should set a budget for your gaming session and stick with it. Determine the size of your bets based on the size of your total bankroll and do not try to chase your losses.
A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t bet more than 1-2% of your total bankroll on a single hand. In this way, you will be able to survive losing streaks and this allows you to play the game for a longer period with the same amount of money.
The Role of Variance
Another very critical concept in the game is termed variance or natural swings of wins and losses that go on in a game. You will experience ups and downs even when using perfectly correct strategies. All that is important is keeping the player disciplined by not being misled through losses in a short span.
You also learn to stay focused more on the big picture once you understand and accept that variability is simply part of the game. Sticking to your strategy and proper bankroll management will enable you to weather it when the ups and downs hit the internet blackjack.
Choosing the Right Casino
Not all online casinos that host blackjack games are created the same and some will tend to suit your needs. Make sure you choose a reputed website properly licensed and follows strong security protocols. In a good gaming platform, options for playing the game like classic blackjack and multi-hand versions should also be at hand, as well as live dealer games.
Check the payout percentages provided by the site, bonus offers and wagering requirements. Most casinos have pretty nice bonuses for new players; those will give you some extra money to enjoy playing the game. But of course, read the terms and conditions for clarity on how those bonuses apply.
How to Use Bonuses to Your Advantage
Most online casinos have different forms of bonuses and promotions, both to attract and retain players. These range from welcome bonuses to cashback offers and loyalty rewards. While these can be great to boost your bankroll, it’s important to use them wisely. Pay more attention to the bonuses that have reasonable wagering requirements applicable to blackjack games. Do not make crazy bets on the excuse of bonuses; use them to prolong your playing time and heighten your chances of winning.
Practice is Important
Practice is very important since nobody can master the game when it comes to internet blackjack. Hence, free-play alternatives or low-stake tables will get you practicing almost perfectly, without the stressful feeling that you could lose a lot just in an instant.
With regular attempts, the basic strategy chart will be internalized and the rhythm of applying it at the table is automatically felt. Furthermore, practice allows you to practice advanced techniques such as card counting if it applies or understanding table dynamics in live dealer games. The more you practice, the more confident and prepared you will be when playing for real money.
Exploring Advanced Strategies
Once you learn basic strategy, you will want to move on and figure out more advanced strategies that could give you an even greater edge. You can do card counting or other techniques under very particular conditions, such as during live dealer blackjack since these games don’t shuffle decks after each hand. However, most online blackjack games incorporate random number generators that preclude card counting. Instead, move on to the advanced betting strategies, known as Progressive Betting Systems, although you have to make sure they don’t conflict with your bankroll management.
Online Blackjack: Strategy, Skill, and Fun Combined
Success in the game of online blackjack requires not only a stroke of luck but also a marriage of strategy, skill and discipline. Knowing the fine mechanics of how the game works, how to execute basic and advanced strategies of the game and managing one’s bankroll will go a long way in helping anyone succeed in the game. Remember, though blackjack is a number’s game, it should also be one full of lots of fun. You can definitely guarantee that effort will translate into rewards if you apply the right approach to the time spent at the virtual table.
This past October, TNT Sports agreed to a media rights deal with Unrivaled to present live game coverage on TNT, truTV and Max. The three-on-three women’s basketball league was co-founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, and it will feature 30 players across six teams competing for the league championship. The league has received investments from David Levy, the former president of Turner Networks and current co-chief executive officer of Horizon Sports & Experiences, along with Meadowlark Media co-founder and president John Skipper. Live game action for the league will begin with a doubleheader from Medley, Fla. on Friday, Jan. 17.
Studio coverage surrounding live game broadcasts will include three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP Candace Parker and former WNBA All-Star Candace Parker serving as analysts, while Lauren Jbara will be the host. Lisa Leslie, four-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will make special appearances and share her insights and perspectives. The team will return after the matchups conclude for postgame highlights and analysis from the TNT Sports studios.
“The additions of Candace, Renee, Lauren, and Leslie will jumpstart our exciting coverage with some of the best and biggest talent in the sport,” Craig Barry, executive vice president and chief content officer of TNT Sports, said in a statement. “Their transcendent knowledge of the game and scope of experience are going to bring this new league to life in important and unexpected ways.”
Throughout the season, broadcasters for matchups within this league will include play-by-play announcer Brendan Glasheen and analysts Lisa Leslie and Sarah Kustok. A rotation of experienced reporters will take part in the presentation as well, including Taylor Rooks, Allie LaForce, Stephanie Ready and Ros Gold-Onwude. The broadcasters will take part in more than 45 prime time regular-season matchups taking place three times a week across TNT Sports platforms. TNT Sports has also invested an undisclosed amount in Unrivaled as part of its partnership with the league.
“We’re thrilled to tip off our inaugural season with such legendary talent across all levels of the women’s basketball space,” Micky Lawler, commissioner of Unrivaled, said in a statement. “Their voices will bring much-needed analysis and perspective to the revolutionary version of basketball Unrivaled and TNT are bringing to fans this year.”
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For the 17th straight season, Compass Media Networks will broadcast college basketball games on terrestrial and digital radio platforms, including SiriusXM. This includes 20 top-ranked regular season matchups and exclusive coverage of the Big Ten Men’s basketball tournament.
Coverage begins Wednesday, Jan. 15 when the seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks visit the third-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. Compass will also be on the call for top teams like Auburn, Alabama, UConn, Houston, Illinois, Oregon, and more.
“With the expansion of the Big Ten Conference, Compass Media Networks’ 2025 college basketball platform is packed with extremely compelling matchups that will deliver all of our partners tremendous value,” said Paul Gregrey, president of advertising sales & marketing for Compass Media Networks.
Compass also announced its roster of hosts, including play-by-play talent, color commentators, and studio hosts:
Play-by-Play: Gregg Daniels, Matt ‘Money’ Smith, Jerry Recco, Wayne Larrivee
Analysts: Robert Horry, Rick Mahorn, Mike Wozniak
Studio Hosts: Tim Cates, Jeff Biggs, Kevin Figgers
“We wish to thank all of our participating schools, universities, and especially the Big Ten Conference for their help and support in crafting our schedule,” said Robert Blum, general manager of Compass Media Networks/Sports. “We are thrilled to welcome seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry to our broadcast booth, along with our roster of returning on-air talent. We cannot wait for tip-off next week.”
You can find the full schedule of Compass Media Networks games below:
Date
Time (ET)
Matchup
Wednesday, Jan. 15
6:45 PM
Kansas @ Iowa State
Saturday, Jan. 18
1:45 PM
Arizona @ Texas Tech
Saturday, Jan. 25
7:45 PM
UCONN @ Xavier
Friday, Jan. 31
7:45 PM
Indiana @ Purdue
Sunday, Feb. 2
12:45 PM
Ohio State @ Illinois
Friday, Feb. 7
7:45 PM
St. John’s @ UCONN
Saturday, Feb. 8
1:45 PM
Kansas @ Kansas State
Tuesday, Feb. 11
8:45 PM
Alabama @ Texas
Saturday, Feb. 15
3:45 PM
Auburn @ Alabama
Sunday, Feb. 16
12:45 PM
Michigan @ Ohio State
Friday, Feb. 21
7:45 PM
Michigan State @ Michigan
Saturday, Feb. 22
5:45 PM
Kentucky @ Alabama
Sunday, Feb. 23
1:15 PM
Purdue @ Indiana
Wednesday, Feb. 26
8:45 PM
Texas @ Arkansas
Friday, Feb. 28
7:45 PM
UCLA @ Purdue
Saturday, Mar. 1
8:45 PM
Arizona @ Iowa State
Monday, Mar. 3
8:45 PM
Kansas @ Houston
Tuesday, Mar. 4
8:45 PM
Indiana @ Oregon
Friday, Mar. 7
7:45 PM
Purdue @ Illinois
Saturday, Mar. 8
6:15 PM
Duke @ North Carolina
Mar. 12 – Mar. 16
Various
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
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ESPN officially posted back-to-back winning seasons with its Monday Night Football block. The company announced 112 million total viewers and an average of 15 million viewers tuned into the longtime NFL mainstay. The 2024-25 campaign ranks only behind the 2023-24 season in terms of average viewership. Last year’s campaign averaged over 17 million viewers.
Some key demos propelled viewership during the 2024 campaign. MNF was up 15 percent in females and Persons 18-49 and 25-34 – among others – compared to two seasons ago.
This season added three new top 10 most-watched games in the block’s history.
The Dec. 30 matchup between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers is now the fifth most-watched game in MNF history with 22.1 million viewers
The Nov. 9 game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs now ranks eighth with 20.67 million viewers
The Sept. 9 game between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers now ranks ninth with 20.5 million viewers
MNF also featured a Saturday night doubleheader that generated viewership totals akin to other standalone games. 22 million viewers for the Jan. 4 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, making it the network’s most-watched Week 18 game in four seasons, up 12 percent compared to last year’s Houston Texans/Indianapolis Colts game. The other doubleheader game, the 4:30 p.m. ET matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens drew 17.3 million viewers.
The ManningCast, the alternate broadcast starring former NFL QB brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, averaged one million viewers an episode during its 10-episode regular season run in 2024. Since the show began with the 2021 season, the alternate telecast has hit the million viewers per game season average each year.
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Beasley Media Group has announced that Dan Finn, Senior Vice President and Regional Market Manager of the company’s New Jersey cluster, will retire at the end of the first quarter of 2025. A seasoned industry veteran, Finn has chosen to end his career with the company.
Finn joined the company in 2016 following its acquisition of Greater Media. Prior to this transition, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Regional General Manager at Greater Media, which he had held since 2007.
His career with Greater Media began in 2002 when he was appointed Vice President and Regional General Manager, and five years later, he was promoted to Senior Vice President.
Finn has been a prominent advocate for the broadcasting industry, taking on several leadership roles within the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA), including serving as Treasurer and multiple terms as Chairman.
His contributions extend to the New Jersey Ad Club and New York Market Radio (NYMRAD), where he held board positions. In 2014, he joined the Radio Advertising Bureau’s (RAB) Sales Advisory Committee (SAC). He was a founding member of The City University of New York’s CSI School of Business Dean’s External Executive Board.
In 2002, Finn earned recognition as one of New Jersey’s “Top Executives Under Forty” in the annual “40 Under 40” edition of New Jersey Business Magazine. His notable achievements continued when he was inducted into the New Jersey Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Atlantic City in 2015.
Throughout his career, industry experts have consistently acknowledged Finn as one of the “Best Managers in Radio,” underscoring his significant leadership and influence within the field.
“Dan Finn has been an integral part of our Beasley family and a trailblazer in the broadcasting industry,” said Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer at Beasley Media Group. “His strategic vision, steadfast leadership, and ability to foster meaningful relationships have made a profound impact on our company and the industry at large. We are deeply grateful for his dedication and wish him the very best as he begins this exciting new chapter in his life.”
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