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Steve Russell is Signing Off at the University of Florida

Derek Futterman
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Steve Russell is Signing Off at the University of Florida

When Steve Russell decided to return to the University of Florida in 1998, he came back to campus equipped with experiences and insights from working in sports media across multiple platforms. As the sports director of the campus radio and television outlets, he has mentored a bevy of aspiring professionals as they learn the fundamentals and gain real-world experience ahead of their graduations. The teaching aspect associated with the job has always been most important to him, but he also maintains an on-air presence as the host of Sportscene in afternoon drive. Through innovation in technology and distribution, the University of Florida has invested resources into its facilities to provide cutting-edge resources to the next generation and serve the community in the Gainesville metropolitan area.

Sitting at the back of Russell’s office is an assortment of cards he has received from former students thanking and congratulating him on his next chapter. Russell is retiring from his job after 27 years in the position and will host his final edition of Sportscene on Tuesday. Reflecting on the impetus to make this decision, he said he is in good health and that both of his parents were able to retire. Possessing messages of gratitude and thanks, the notes are a tangible depiction of his indelible impact on the lives of countless industry professionals. Serving as an insightful teacher and empowering role model, Russell’s influence is felt across the country through those he mentored.

“I’m not going to totally retire – I can never do that,” Russell said. “I’ll do a podcast, maybe come back here someday. Who knows? But I do want to be able to enjoy the fruits of that. And then one thing I’m really proud of is that I reached faculty status here, and I’m going to retire as a faculty emeritus, and that means a great, great deal to me [because] the most important thing I do is teach.”

The campus radio station became an ESPN Radio affiliate in 2015, adding the 95.3 FM frequency in the process, which has streamlined access for networking, guests and career development. Russell was also able to easily book guests to discuss collegiate sports and foster relationships in the business, continuing the legacy of Sportscene started by Larry Vettel over four decades ago. The longevity of the show, he surmises, has allowed it to thrive despite the diminished presence of caller-driven sports talk radio programs.

“When I was in school here, Otis Boggs was the sports director and kind of my mentor, and he would always say, ‘If somebody takes the time to call you, listen to them because they’re taking time out of their day to speak to you,’ and that’s resonated with me,” Russell said. “Now, have I been perfect at that? No, because sometimes every once in a while, there could be a contentious call, but by and large, that’s been really fun to do.”

Over the years, Russell has had the support of university officials and worked alongside WRUF operations coordinator Seth Harp. Moreover, he has mentored several alumni who are working professionally including Erin Andrews, Trevor Sikkema, Kristina Pink and Chris Kirschner.

When students express interest in sideline reporting, Russell always asks them to think about what separates them from other people and why they should be hired. Successfully adapting to changing industry paradigms and performing a multifaceted role with aplomb can be evinced through watching Laura Rutledge, who frequently comes back to the university and mentors the students.

“I wouldn’t have my career without Steve,” Rutledge said. “He taught me so much, encouraged me, challenged me and developed my skillset to be able to take on anything that came my way in this business. I still use the advice he’s given me over the years daily and I’m so grateful to have learned from him.”

In addition to teaching and hosting his radio program, he has also had the ability to broadcast Florida Gators sporting events, including football, basketball and softball. As Russell remains immersed in the community through his media ventures, he encourages students within the ESPN Experience classes to become proficient with sports.

“There’s nothing that I do that gives me greater pleasure than to see our kids develop and grow,” Russell said. “That’s why I’m here. Doing Sportscene’s great – it’s fun to do that; I get a kick out of that every day – but the main reason I’m here is to teach and to coach. When somebody starts out at a certain level and you see them progress – they put the work in and that work translates into getting a job in our business – I’ve done my job, and it’s been great.”

Russell is still determining what he will do with his time and ideally would like to have a schedule without any obligations. In addition to hosting a podcast, he will work with the local television station, WCJB TV20, the outlet that hired him as its first weekend sports anchor in history earlier in his career.

Signing off Sportscene for the final time on Tuesday afternoon will be difficult as the position has been both rewarding and humbling. At this time though, Russell feels that it is time for someone else to have the experiences he has been fortunate to garner. Since announcing his retirement, he has had various listeners reach out from across the United States to offer their congratulations. Although Russell affirms it is up to other people as to whether or not he left a legacy, he hopes to be remembered as someone who was there to develop the students and help them secure jobs in the business.

“A big chunk of me is here and will always be here,” Russell said. “And who knows? I’m not going to close any door about coming back in some capacity someday, but when you sink 26 or 27 years into anything, that’s a big commitment. I’ve gotten out so much from that because I’ve met so many people.”

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Pat McAfee’s Influence Goes Far Beyond ESPN and College GameDay

Demetri Ravanos
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Pat McAfee’s Influence Goes Far Beyond ESPN and College GameDay

There is no historical equivalent to Pat McAfee in sports media. We have seen plenty of evidence of the power he holds at ESPN since becoming a part of the Walt Disney family in 2023. Last week, we saw that may extend into the sports world too.

After the West Virginia Mountaineers fired Neal Brown, McAfee said on his show that plenty of friends and acquaintances reached out, hoping to get his endorsement to become the University’s new football coach. 

That reaction from potential candidates made sense. After all, at this point, does the school have a more famous or influential alum in the football world? Plus, McAfee made a big show of his $1 million commitment to the school’s NIL fund in late August. If he wanted to speak on someone’s behalf, the decision makers would probably have to listen.

On December 12, West Virginia announced that it had hired Rich Rodriguez away from Jacksonville State. From Rodriguez’s side of the fence, it makes sense. As scenic as Northeast Alabama can be, there’s more money in the Big 12 than there will ever be in Conference USA. 

For West Virginia though? Well, Rodriguez still knows how to coach ball, but he was the Mountaineers’ coach before and when he skipped town in 2007 to go to Michigan, he left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of people in Morgantown.

This isn’t 2007. RichRod is 61 and the Mountaineers aren’t playing in the Big East anymore. I am not sure it’s a move I would have made, but when you consider that Rodriguez was the head coach at WVU when McAfee was kicking and punting for the Mountaineers and that McAfee admits he had conversations with the school’s athletics director…you see where I am going? 

I don’t think McAfee told the school who to hire, but I am sure he made his feelings about his old coach very clear when asked.

Whether you love or hate him, even if you are indifferent to him, you cannot deny that Pat McAfee is one-of-one in sports media. He has quickly established himself among the network’s most influential people. 

Note that I didn’t say “most influential talent”. I said, “most influential people”.

Other talent at the network want to be blessed with McAfee’s seal of approval. The network hires people that already have said seal. Network executives that don’t see the value in that are told to get their next paycheck somewhere else.

With evidence of those truths all over the news in recent years, is it so crazy to think that Pat McAfee’s alma mater might seek out his opinion on who to hire to coach the sport he played there? Remember, he’s the face of College GameDay – a show that is one of ESPN’s signature products and a show that changed its whole approach to covering college football to fit McAfee’s identity.

If he is happy with the hire, doesn’t it stand to reason that West Virginia may enjoy a brighter spotlight on College GameDay? Doesn’t it seem likely that he will bring his friend and former coach on his eponymous midday show to talk about Mountaineer football and then disseminate those clips across whatever social media platforms he values? That would probably be pretty good for recruiting and branding.

Even if you aren’t the world’s biggest college football fan, you have probably heard that the sport is in the middle of a transformational moment. McAfee may not have this kind of influence if he played his college ball at Penn State or Ohio State or Alabama. Those schools are secure with their spot in the two most powerful conferences in college sports. 

West Virginia isn’t. West Virginia needs to find advantages where it can.

The school just got some pretty good evidence of how its current conference, the Big 12, is valued by the College Football Playoff committee, and by extension ESPN. 

The conference’s champion, Arizona State, got one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff. No other team in the conference was even close. 

The Big 12 may get to call itself a Power 4 conference, but we have firm evidence that there’s really a Power 2 and an Above Average 2. If you’re in the Above Average 2, you probably want to find a way to move up before the next evolution of college football comes.

That’s what Pat McAfee can offer West Virginia. With no one at ESPN allowed to tell him what to talk about or how much time to spend on any one topic, he theoretically has the power to raise the Mountaineers’ profile to levels the school has never known before. He has his own powerful megaphone inside of sports’ most powerful megaphone.

Did Pat McAfee tell West Virginia University’s athletics director, Wren Baker, who should be the football program’s new leader? Probably not, but when McAfee does talk about WVU, whether it’s on his show, another show or on a phone call, Baker knows it would behoove him to listen. 

College sports has never put so much power in the hands of its TV partners and ESPN, thanks to its ownership of the College Football Playoff, has more power than anyone else. Pat McAfee seems to have more power than anyone else at ESPN. West Virginia University probably feels like it has hit the lottery.

Now the Mountaineers just have to prove they can compete in the Big 12 with Rich Rodriguez at the helm (this history of coaches reuniting with their old team in a new conference is very much working against them) and McAfee singing his praises on national TV.

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.

Is Radio Checking the Listener-Focused Experience Box?

Peter Thiele
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Is Radio Checking the Listener-Focused Experience Box?

I have realized that I have done you a disservice. I keep bandying about the term “Listener-Focused Experience.” What the heck do I mean? Whatever your job entails at the old radio station, you must meet this phrase. 

The first key is to meet the needs of your station’s target listener. If you are a programmer and cannot define this, you need to do so immediately. The target listener is not just a political ideology or a local sports fan if you work in that format. It is the life that your audience lives.

Do you know your community’s census data? How many people live in the average household? What is the age of the average resident of your metro area? This is insanely important. How long is the average commute in your metro area?

I am a data-driven programmer. I don’t believe in just my gut feeling. While my experience and knowledge of the community in which I reside is important, it is only about the listeners. So, who is your station’s target listener? How old are they? Is it a man or a woman? What are the activities that your listeners participate in? Is your listener married or single? Be careful with marital status. Census Data says that about 40% of people in every age group are single. Is that a shocker?

We often are drawn to confirmation bias. We naturally believe that people have the same psychographics in which we reside. Don’t believe that. It may not be true.

Many talk show hosts in the news/talk radio format believe that it starts and ends with political ideology. That is great to believe, but that is not necessarily saleable. The average Fox News viewer is 68 years old. If you speak with your station’s Market President or Sales Manager, I can assure you that agency buyers could give a rat’s behind of the 68-year-old crew.

If your community’s average resident is 37, what are you to do? We must be focused on our target listener. It is not the average age of a resident in your community. It is probably someone 10-12 years older than your community’s average age. Is your community known for something cool? What is your target listener driving? What is the education of that individual? You must be focused on the lifestyle of your station’s target listener.

Are you providing a Listener-Focused Experience on your radio show or station? If you are in the sales department, it is sometimes an easier answer. Our heroes in the sales department are meeting with business owners, agencies, and other purchasers of commercials. Selling news/talk or sports talk radio is a tougher putt in many ways. Good hosts will ruffle some feathers from time to time. Yes, this is a good thing. If a client gets a complaint, it is manna from heaven. It is proof to the client that people are listening to the station.

I had a host that caused a kerfuffle a while ago. The business owner was so excited that he doubled his spending! Account Executives hate any type of brain damage from clients. These heroes are focused on adding billing, not worrying about a client with their underwear in a bundle because the morning guy said something that was edgy.

At my first programming job, the owner had a line: If someone came up to him and said that he loved or hated a host, the owner was thrilled. If someone said that a host was ok, this particular station owner was worried. If a client complains, here is what you say: “Thanks for letting me know. I will let the Program Director know. The host is such a great person. Have you ever met that host? I can bring the host to meet you. They would love to meet you.”

I guarantee you that the business owner or the agency will be completely disarmed. Bring the host by and have the host produce an Instagram, X, or Facebook video on the station’s social media site with that decision maker. I promise that you will get a better customer.

A Listener-Focused Experience is a holistic approach. If everything on your station is dedicated to the same thing, it creates a symphony of success. I love the NFL. If the offense of your favorite team is following the same play, you have a greater chance of success. If every show, AE, News Anchor are doing their own thing, you will fail. PERIOD. It is a unified process to provide a Listener-Focused Experience.

Chris Stigall Climbed the Talk Radio Ladder All the Way to the National Stage with Salem Radio Network

Garrett Searight
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Last week, Salem Radio Network announced a series of lineup changes that included AM 990 The Answer host Chris Stigall being elevated to mornings on the national network. After being announced as the network’s new morning show host, Stigall made no bones about it: this is what he’s always hoped for.

“It’s terribly exciting,” he said. “It’s one of those things that as a kid — ever since I started doing radio, and then when I really learned what talk radio was — it’s always something kind of in the back of your mind that you’d love to get there eventually. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to work in Philadelphia for a long time now. That’s a substantially larger city than Kansas City where I got my start, which when I got my start, Kansas City was an unbelievably big city to work in.

“It’s interesting. The old way of looking at broadcasting was you climb up the ladder by working in one market, and then a bigger market, and then hopefully, maybe, syndication someday,” continued Stigall. “Of course, the digital game has changed all that now, but there’s still something really exciting about being syndicated across multiple radio stations. The old-school guy in me is excited about it.”

The elevation for Stigall comes on the heels of Sebastian Gorka leaving the Salem Radio Network lineup to return to the White House to serve in the second administration for President-elect Donald Trump. Gorka — who helmed the 3-6 PM ET timeslot in the network’s schedule — will serve as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Counterterrorism.

Included in the changes is the move by Hugh Hewitt to Gorka’s old window, when he had previously been heard from 6-9 AM ET. However, Hewitt spends time in both the Eastern and Pacific time zone, meaning on some days, he was hosting a show from 3-6 AM PT. Obviously, that’s not conducive to a great personal life, and Hewitt was more than happy to return to his old afternoon timeslot, allowing Stigall to elevate to the national stage in the process.

And while others have sought to avoid morning drive, that daypart is one Chris Stigall relishes.

“It’s the best part of the day. To me, it’s always been the best part of the day,” he shared. “When you talk about radio, in my humble but accurate opinion, morning radio is the most intimate time for the entire broadcast day on radio. It’s why I loved it when I was a little kid. I remember my parents getting ready for work, listening to the guy on the morning show. And from being a little kid, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a special job. I want that particular job.’

“So I’ve always had an affinity for the idea of being in people’s cars and in their homes as they’re getting ready for school, or work, or whatever it is they’re doing. To be able to step up now, at this level, and continue, for the most part, during that time slot across the country, it is an unbelievable honor. It’s a real thrill.”

The news/talk radio space — especially at the national level — can be a dog-eat-dog world. Behind the scenes angling for positions, better dayparts, or more resources and exposure can, at times, be the name of the game. Despite that, Stigall has never been interested in playing those games. Instead, he hoped his work on the air did the talking.

“I think we all love the business, and what we do. Some people really aggressively politic for openings. I’ve never been much for it,” he admitted. “I’ve always sort of hoped that, if I was any good — eventually, in time, if the opportunity presented itself — people that were in charge of decisions like that would see fit to promote the show.”

Which is exactly what happened. Stigall hasn’t been a Salem Media Group lifer. He joined the company in 2019. However the — in his words — “fortuitous” circumstances of Donald Trump winning the 2024 election, and subsequent addition of Sebastian Gorka to his administration led to his elevation to the national stage.

And while Chris Stigall has wanted and wished to be on a national platform, the opportunity with Salem Radio Network couldn’t be a more perfect one. Due to the rapid changes in technology in recent years, the host is able to take his show to a national audience from his previous studios at AM 990 The Answer in the City of Brotherly Love. That, coupled with the fact that he doesn’t have to uproot his family, made this the perfect time and place to make the leap.

“Everything stays exactly the same. That’s the blessing in the whole thing,” he stated. “It’s so funny. My parents and my family, when I came home and told my entire family (that he was being added to the national lineup, that was the first thing out of their mouth: ‘Does this mean we’re moving?’ Because that’s always been, historically, what it means in our business. When you get a promotion, you’re moving.

“That is the beauty about the advancement in our business, the change in our business is now there is no such thing as moving. You don’t have to move. You can stay right where you are. So, that’s great. I told the family the days of moving are over. At least for this family.”

The Chris Stigall Show will begin its run in national syndication in the Salem Radio Network lineup on Monday, January 13th. In addition to being heard nationally on terrestrial radio, the show will also be available as a video simulcast on Salem News Channel, the streaming network run by the company.

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 Interview: The Dom Giordano Show on 1210 WPHT

Garrett Searight
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The Interview: The Dom Giordano Show on 1210 WPHT

More and more in recent years, many news/talk radio hosts have decided that they’d rather keep their albeit limited time during their shows for themselves and not devote precious time to interview subjects. 1210 WPHT host Dom Giordano isn’t in that group.

Giordano is a staple in the Philadelphia radio scene. This means an invitation to appear on his show brings instant credibility to both the subject and the audience. And he uses it to his advantage, truly focusing his show on local issues.

Rarely will a day go by where Giordano doesn’t have a local newsmaker — whether it be an elected official, business leader, or another media member — on his program.

Last Friday, Dom Giordano welcomed Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla to his show to discuss the fight for a new arena for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

To begin the interview, Dom Giordano bluntly stated that he was against any effort to build a new arena for the franchise in the Chinatown neighborhood. He added that he understands council members don’t usually get an avenue at meetings to express their full opinions on topics, which was why he was welcoming the councilman to the show.

Frankly, Dom Giordano is a hound dog. He sniffs out poppycock and calls it out if he believes he’s being lied to. He’s keenly aware of what his job is as an interviewer: get answers for my listeners. And if he thinks he’s not getting an honest opinion, he’ll pepper the newsmaker until a satisfactory answer is given, which is a giant plus as a news/talk radio listener.

He also isn’t afraid to cut off an interview subject if they’re rambling or not answering the question. He’s got a great sense of knowing when tune-out could be coming from his audience. For instance, at one point near the mid-point of this particular interview when discussion turned to public transit at the potential new arena, he chimed in by saying “Why would I think that SEPTA (the public transit authority in Philadelphia) could accomplish anything? To me, SEPTA is ill-run and unsafe.”

Additionally, Giordano doesn’t ask superfluous questions to eat up time until the next segment. He asks pertinent questions, gets what he needs/can from an interview subject, and wraps it up. He then does a good job of recapping what was just said before sharing his opinions on the topic, inviting listeners into a deeper level of the conversation.

Now, despite the good, there are some negatives.

As a host on a conservative station, Giordano has an obvious slant to question at times. For instance, when the councilman shared that they had heard from residents of the Chinatown neighborhood who said they would view the potential arena as a detriment, Giordano questioned if they would get more preferential treatment from the city because of their minority status and the optics of not listening to those constituents.

Depending on your viewpoint, it can be viewed as an interviewer trying to play all sides of an issues. But that particular question — in my opinion — felt more like a “They would tell White people in Philadelphia to suck it up and put the arena in a particular neighborhood even if 100% of the people disagreed, but they won’t do that in Chinatown because…well we know why,” tone.

Despite the conservative nature of the show and station, Giordano doesn’t play in the hyperbolic sandbox, which is a welcomed listen. In an insanely local topic like this, it would be incredibly easy to call the situation “the worst I’ve ever seen,” or something similar. But Giordano is known for being a logical and rational radio host, and that comes through in his interview style.

The other thing that Giordano can be knocked for during his interviews is make statements to the guest rather than ask questions. During this particular conversation, there were seven questions in just under 12 minutes.

But of the seven “questions”, three were of the “no query” variety. Where he made a statement, and waited for the councilman to respond. It’s the first of the seven deadly sins of interviewing. When you’re asking someone questions, you have to questions. Is there something to be said for a conversation rather than an interview? Yes. But in this instance the guest wasn’t a co-host, contributor, or regular on the program. He’s an elected official. To get responses for your listeners, you need to ask questions and not make statements with the expectation that the guest is going to agree or disagree with you.

Overall, Giordano — a former teacher who has been at the news/talk radio game for quite awhile — is a strong interviewer. And while he might not be the poster child for interview formatics, he gets answers for his listeners. When that’s the name of the game, Dom Giordano is dominating the interview.

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.

Taylor Rooks to be Named Lead NBA Host for Amazon Prime Video, Per Report

BSM Staff
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Taylor Rooks to be Named Lead NBA Host for Amazon Prime Video, Per Report

According to a report from Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, Amazon Prime Video will hire Taylor Rooks as lead host for its NBA pregame, halftime and postgame shows which will begin next season. Rooks, who is a current sideline reporter for TNT’s NBA coverage, is already working for Prime Video, doing features during coverage of Thursday Night Football.

Ian Eagle is expected to be the lead play-by-play announcer. Eagle is currently the local voice of the Brooklyn Nets and calls NBA games for TNT Sports. He also announces the NFL and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for CBS Sports, in addition to working NFL radio broadcasts for Westwood One.

Recently, a report has come out linking former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki to Amazon as a place where he would start his career as a basketball analyst. In the report from Deitsch, he also names Kevin Harlan as someone he believes Amazon will pursue as a play-by-play announcer.

Amazon is the brand-new member of the NBA media family along with ESPN and NBC. The streaming network will air 60 games per season as part of its contract. Prime Video will have Thursday night NBA broadcasts which will start at the conclusion of the NFL season, as well as Friday night games throughout the season.

Amazon will reportedly pay $1.93 billion per year for the media rights deal, which also includes global distribution rights for the NBA. There will be an expanded package of games in select territories, some of which include Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Rights in Canada within the international games package will begin in the 2026-27 season. Within this package, there are a minimum of 20 additional prime time regular season games each year, along with a Conference Finals series each year and the NBA Finals for six of the 11 years.

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.

Sam Rosen Talks Through ‘94, MSG, and More as Historic 40-Year Broadcast Career Ends

BSM Staff
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Sam Rosen Talks Through ‘94, MSG, and More as Historic 40-Year Broadcast Career Ends

MSG play-by-play man Sam Rosen is calling it quits after 40 years, and the longtime voice of the New York Rangers had quite a bit to say to Rangers beat writer Mollie Walker in an extensive interview on the New York Post Sports YouTube channel. Throughout the 40-minute talk, Rosen discusses the Garden, the magical Rangers’ 1994 Stanley Cup run, and being beloved by Rangers fans.

Rosen admits that, for now, the finality of his career hasn’t hit him yet, but as the season approaches its end, it will. “I know it’s there,” Rosen said, “but I’ve kind of pushed it down the road,…I think it’ll probably hit me somewhere in the March or April days when the games start to dwindle down to single digits and I realize that there aren’t going to be many more games left, so I think that’s the mixed emotion because I love the game so much.” While Rosen is hoping for an extended playoff run, the Rangers currently (as of 12/16) find themselves outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture amidst a disappointing season.

That being said, Rosen still enjoys every game, wins or losses. “The games, every game is great, to me, and it can be 6-1 or 2-1 or 1-0 or 5-4 in overtime,” Rosen said. “The games are great and the players are great, and I look forward to every one.”

Of course, no conversation with Rosen would be complete without talking about 1994, the Rangers’ lone modern Stanley Cup victory. Rosen recalls his historic call, saying it was “his greatest moment as a broadcaster and a fan” of the New York Rangers. “That was just a glorious moment, and when I said, ‘And this one will last a lifetime!,’ I meant it. I meant it for me. They can win some more — I’ll be happy to watch that — but that was the ultimate.”

When speaking about Madison Square Garden, Rosen calls it “another home” where it’s “like being around your extended family”  but acknowledges its status as a hallowed sports arena. ”The phrase, ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena,’ really fits because anywhere you go and any sport, anyone who’s involved in sports, knows Madison Square Garden, and to have that as your place where people can relate right away,” Rosen said.

Most beloved to Rosen out of all are Rangers fans, whom Rosen attributes to some of his best memories. “It’s the greatest thing to have fans come up to you and say that you really had an impact, whether it’s fans saying, ‘Oh, you and JD and you and Joe taught us the game of hockey,’ or to have a family where mom and dad have 8 or 10-year-old kids and they’re all dressed in Rangers outfits, and, ‘Sam, we love what you do,’ and you realize that you’ve impacted their lives; that it’s gone from one generation to the next, and father who had season tickets, passing it on to his son, whatever it is, you realize that people are passionate about sports.”

Rosen credits hockey as a sport that, “brings out the passion” in its fans, and Rosen does not take that lightly. “You understand that it’s very expensive to come to games and people are dependent on you, on me as a broadcaster, to bring them closer to the team that they love, and that’s what I try to do,” Rosen said. “I’ve always felt that if I could transmit the love that I have for the game and for the team and for the players to the fans, then I would have accomplished what I set out to do. And I realize now when people unsolicited walk up and say the things they do, that I’ve been successful in that regard.”

As Rosen approaches his curtain call, he tells fans to savor every minute of it, as he will. “Enjoy this. Enjoy the moment. I’m trying to enjoy every minute of it, and understand that nothing has changed for this season. I’m giving everything that I have,” Rosen urges.”I want people to remember me in that last season that I was at the top of my game, and fortunately, we have a terrific team that’s entertaining every single night; great personalities that are involved, and just keep enjoying the moment. The hockey has never been better. As I said to you before, the games are just great, and I look forward to the next one, and I want the fans to know this is a great time for me, and I want to transmit that to them.”

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.

Steve Sanchez Inks Contract Extension to Remain with KDWN in Las Vegas

BNM Staff
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Steve Sanchez has grown to be the highest-rated news/talk host in Las Vegas at KDWN. That title has earned him a contract extension with the Audacy station.

Sanchez — who was with the station when it was acquired by Audacy in a deal that saw it swap stations with Beasley Media Group in the market — has signed a deal that will keep him with the station through 2025.

The contract extension will keep Steve Sanchez in the 3-6 PM window on the station. He moved to afternoons in February 2023 after the timeslot was previously occupied by the nationally syndicated Mark Levin Show from Westwood One.

In addition to his afternoon show, The Best of The Steve Sanchez Show will continue to be heard on Sunday evenings from 7-10 PM on the Audacy Las Vegas station.

Steve Sanchez has been with KDWN since 2015.

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NAB to Move Crystal Radio Awards From NAB Show to State Leadership Conference

BNM Staff
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NAB to Move Crystal Radio Awards From NAB Show to State Leadership Conference

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced it will move the Crystal Radio Awards from the NAB Show to the NAB State Leadership Conference.

With the change, the Crystal Radio Awards will be awarded on Tuesday, March 4th at the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.

Entries for the awards will be accepted between January 1st and 24th, and finalists will be announced in February.

Ultimately, 50 finalists will be selected and 10 winners will be announced. It remains to be seen if a station will be given the Crystal Heritage Award in 2025. That award recognizes radio stations that have won five or more Crystal Radio Awards. Only 11 stations have ever received the honor.

The awards — founded in 1987 — “bring national recognition to radio stations for their year-round commitment to serving communities.” Judges representing the broadcasting industry and community service organizations will review the applications.

Previously, the Crystal Radio Awards were presented at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Bert Weiss Of ‘The Bert Show’ Is Fighting Back Against Show’s Online Trolls

BMM Staff
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Bert Weiss Of ‘The Bert Show’ Is Fighting Back Against Show’s Online Trolls

Bert Weiss of “The Bert Show” is taking aim at online trolls and implementing a new policy to protect his staff from personal attacks.

In a post on the show’s Facebook page, Weiss called Facebook a “cesspool of toxic comments designed to personally hurt members of the Bert Show.”

“For the 1% that “hate listen” then find motivation in personally attacking members of the show or their families with the intention of affecting their mental health, you don’t get that opportunity anymore. Personally, I think you’re sad AF.”

Adding, “Opinions and constructive criticism are welcome, and 99% of you guys “get it.”

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