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Barrett Media Welcomes Jon Lafayette as Sports Editor, Promotes Derek Futterman to Associate Sports Editor

Jason Barrett
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Barrett Media Welcomes Jon Lafayette as Sports Editor, Promotes Derek Futterman to Associate Sports Editor

2024 has been a roller coaster ride. We’ve produced record website traffic, expanded our coverage into new areas, and invested resources in changing our URL, the look of the site, and our writing team. Newsletters were expanded to reach different segments of the audience, conferences hosted to unite and elevate the sports and news media industries (tickets for the 2025 BSM Summit go on-sale this Thursday night, look for details tomorrow), and we’ve worked tirelessly to grow marketing partnerships with B2B focused businesses. It’s been a fun but challenging year to say the least.

Just as many in mainstream media circles have experienced, we’ve endured our share of challenges too. Traffic and advertising revenues are up, but so too are expenses. As a businessman, I have to examine how to move the business forward while keeping it healthy. Stephanie Eads, Dave Greene and I have talked to 40+ companies over the past two months about working together in 2025. Large TV and radio groups don’t do much advertising here, charging readers has never felt right, and I don’t want to add investors. That means we have to be smart, nimble, and strategic with how we operate.

I’ve sought feedback from our readers, interviewed candidates, and have discussed ideas, challenges, and opportunities with my crew. Time has been spent reviewing which content produces interest, which doesn’t, which writers generate the most impact, and where we can get stronger. I’ve also examined our newsletter performance, managed our social media posts, and analyzed the support we receive from X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I’ll come back to that later when I discuss Bluesky.

I’ve learned that we produce more content than our audience can keep up with. We’ve become a trusted outlet for radio industry coverage, but have work to do strengthening our television/streaming/digital/business coverage. The logo on this website says Barrett MEDIA yet our writing staff heavily reflects radio. I have no plans to stop covering radio/audio. It’s a space we love, and do well in, but adding perspectives from those other mediums is on my radar for 2025. The media as a whole is much larger, and I want to share news, tell stories, highlight people, and explore issues that effect all areas of the industry not just one medium. To do that, adjustments have to be made.

Concurrently, expenses have to be considered, and reliance on full-time crew has to come first. It’s hard to attack issues in a timely manner when you’re reliant on part-time contributions. Keeping up with the pace of a news cycle requires a full-time focus. We feature 23 original stories per day in our 4 newsletters, and write another 5-7 for our website. That’s a ton of content, which sounds big, but the reality is that most people don’t read 30 daily stories. Connecting with our audience doesn’t demand that amount of production, and I’d rather do less, more meaningful content than fill a page with weaker material.

I asked in a recent survey ‘Which Type of Stories Would You Like To See More of From Barrett Media?’ In-depth reporting and industry research are the two runaway vote leaders so far. We’ve also received input from folks who want more video and podcast content from us. I value those things too, but to do them well, we need a smaller crew with FT focus. Just as important, we need staff who aren’t restricted by employers, are connected to the industry, and want to help elevate our brand.

We are a valued source for media news, education, connection, and celebration. I want our readers to learn, and be challenged, inspired, and entertained by our content. It takes a passionate, creative, curious, experienced, and invested team that enjoys telling stories and can do so without limitations to do this well. September 2025 marks our 10th anniversary, and we’ve made tremendous progress since 2015. To assure next year is better than the last, I’m announcing a few moves to help us grow.

New Sports Media Editors

I am excited to welcome Jon Lafayette to our team as our new Sports Editor. A native New Yorker now based in Chicago, Jon joins us after more than a decade with Broadcasting+Cable where he recently served as Business Editor. Prior to joining B+C, Jon covered the TV and advertising industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. He has a strong background in covering media including revenue-generating activities, on-air and behind the scenes talent, brand strategies, and executive decisions. His tour of duty with Barrett Media starts Monday December 2nd. Please give him a warm welcome by saying hello at Jon@BarrettMedia.com.

I’m also thrilled to promote Derek Futterman to Associate Sports Editor. Since joining us in May 2021, Derek has done a magnificent job hustling for stories, and highlighting professionals through his in-depth features. His ‘Day Spent With‘ series was a hit in 2024. Derek has attended events to give Barrett Media an on-site presence, creating original content and important connections along the way. He’s a quick learner, hard worker, and most importantly, passionate about covering sports media. The only negative, which Jon shares, he’s a Mets fan haha. As a Yankee fan myself, I’ll have to work on converting them. Congratulate Derek on his new opportunity by emailing him at Derek@BarrettMedia.com.

Writing Changes

With most of our content being created by Jon, Derek, Garrett, Jeff, and myself, I’m saddened to have to say farewell to Mark Kreidler, Peter Schwartz, Jeff Caves, Keith Berman, and Amy Snider. Dave Williams and Jacquie Cadorette left us last month. All have done great work here, are excellent writers, and I can’t recommend them enough for future opportunities. Demetri Ravanos, and Krystina Alarcon Carroll are staying on but writing less per week too. All other writers remain status quo. The downside of exploring new directions and relationships is that it means existing ones change. I’m appreciative of all who have helped us, and I wish them well in the future.

Additionally, our Chief Media Office Dave Greene is moving into a new part-time role with the company. Dave has been awesome to work with, a positive influence on our crew, believes in the brand, and his attention to detail and love for the business has been needed. Dave is continuing his weekly column, and Eavesdropping and Sales Meeting features. He’ll also work with Stephanie Eads and I on sales opportunities. I’m excited to continue our relationship into 2025.

As 2025 approaches, I’ll be starting a process to interview candidates to serve as our Music Radio Editor. I started interviewing for an Assistant Editor six weeks ago but had to change our plan. Jeff Lynn has been a great addition to our team. His love for the music radio business and decades of experience made him the right man at the right time to help us get started. Jeff has desires beyond radio/writing that he wants to pursue, and a few personal matters he needs to tackle. He’ll be with us for the next two months as we look for his replacement. It’s been a pleasure having him on our team.

I am firmly committed to covering music radio and growing our reach and influence across all music formats. We’re only 4 months into our plan, and have a lot in store for 2025. The recent addition of our Ratings section powered by Harker Bos Group is just the latest example of making improvements to serve music radio professionals. Those interested in our Editor opening, can send resumes and writing samples to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

Newsletter and Content Changes

Starting Monday December 2nd, all newsletter subscribers will receive two emails per day from Barrett Media. The Morning Edition will go out at 8am ET and contain 6-9 stories from all sections comprised of original columns, features, benchmarks, and special projects. Evening Edition will be distributed daily at 5pm ET and feature 6-10 of the day’s top news stories from all sections. We will no longer include stories from other media outlets, only Barrett Media produced content.

In addition, we are tightening up our newsletter features to elevate the experience. Improving content quality, decreasing how often we invade inboxes with newsletters, and better serving our advertising partners are the reasons for our strategic shift. We’ve sent readers 23 original stories per day since July along with 4 articles from outside sources. Quite frankly, it’s too much. Our audience values breaking news, features, columns, and special projects most, and have limited time. We’re making improvements to better serve them moving forward with the best content we can produce from the world of sports media, news media, and music radio.

Readers will begin to see more creative benchmarks, in-depth features, and original series and columns on the site in 2025. On-Air reactions such as Tom Tolbert or Lamont & Tonelli signing off or Len Berman or Robin Bertolucci speaking for the first time after parting ways with iHeart, will continue to be covered. Generic on-air stories (ex: News Host says Fox News/MSNBC sucks, Sports host impressed by broadcaster on TV, etc.) will be reduced.

To be clear, we are not shying away from covering media drama. But there is a difference between Brandon Tierney addressing Stugotz on WFAN and Joe Rogan saying Elon Musk did a great job buying X. 500 hosts may agree or disagree with Rogan’s opinion. That doesn’t make it newsworthy.

Additionally, content that only serves a company and its PR team will also be decreased. We try to help spread the word about anniversaries, charity drives, fundraising, and promotional events, but few people read those stories. We’ll explore ways to combine them into weekly pieces or find other ways to relay the message. In-depth reporting, breaking news, recognizing accomplishments, and highlighting brands, people, technology, and educational benefits are what we’re focusing on. As we make improvements, I hope you’ll share your feedback to let us know how we’re doing.

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The Bluesky Invasion

I’m all for new ways to interact, and promote content, but I’m not convinced the Bluesky migration of 2024 is a game changer even if some media types want it to be. It’s not bigger than the 2023 invasion of Threads. X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn aren’t losing sleep over a platform that boasts 20+ million users. If folks want to try out the new platform, go for it, but I’ll stay where the audience is. If it takes off and requires changing down the road, we’ll adjust.

Folks are frustrated with Elon Musk for using his influence and amplifying political voices they don’t agree with on X. I’ve considered taking Barrett Media off of X too but not for those reasons. X devalues publishers because the platform doesn’t want people leaving to read content elsewhere. As a result, the reach of written content shrinks, raising the question ‘do we need to be here?’ If we did leave, I won’t announce it. The media world will be just fine with or without Barrett Media on X.

I use X each morning to read, watch, and stay engaged. That won’t change whether I like Elon Musk’s business strategy or disagree with his opinions. I believe in free speech, not having platform overlords decide who can/can’t have a voice. Algorithms for these platforms get many things wrong. Facebook just blocked promotion of Krystina’s story on Daniel Cohen on Friday and our story on the KFI changes two weeks ago. Despite multiple attempts to get the machines to fix the errors, nothing changed.

When I see things on X that I don’t like, I mute them, block them, or ignore them. It’s no different than what I do in my car when I turn on a radio station and hear something I don’t like, I change the channel. No matter where you turn, there’ll always be different points of view, Bluesky included. The question you have to answer for yourself is ‘how important is being where the action is vs. entertaining yourself’?

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Quick Hits

  • The idea of breaking up The Michael Kay Show doesn’t feel right to me. Michael Kay is 63 not 83. He still performs at a high level. A solo 2-hour show in middays feels disrespectful to a host who has earned better. Peter Rosenberg is also a great fit on the show. Not retaining him given his age and talent makes no sense. I know negotiations and costs are involved here, and all good things do come to an end. I just hope ESPN and Good Karma Brands aren’t leaving the dinner table while a good meal still sits in front of them.
  • Amazon’s Thursday Night Football team produced great television last week. Following Jameis Winston on to a snowy field after his postgame chat to make snow angels created a cool visual. It showed the talent in a fun, entertaining way. Nice work by Charissa, Tony, Ryan, Andrew and Richard. And by the way, Jameis Winston interviews on television are a big win for everybody.
  • I enjoy speaking to aspiring media professionals. The University of Florida brings me in annually to talk to their students, and it’s a trip I enjoy making. Their studios, equipment, and training programs are second to none, but more importantly, the students themselves are hungry to learn. I focus so much on my preparation and work that I don’t think about how my feedback connects. When a message like this appears on LinkedIn though, it reminds me that what I’m doing matters. It makes the days on the road worthwhile.
  • Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post has been all over the Around The Horn news. The show per Glasspiegel’s report will end next summer after 23 years on-air at ESPN. I don’t watch ATH like I used to, which is due to my work schedule. However, I’ve always liked Tony Reali on television. I hope ESPN has a plan for him moving forward. His energy, passion, likeability, and connection with people is a value to any show he’s involved in. His only negative, he hasn’t been featured yet on Barrett Media. Let’s make it happen Tony 🙂
  • Love him or hate him, Bill O’Reilly‘s appearance on Cuomo last week on NewsNation was excellent. If he’s right about NBC wanting no part of MSNBC and being willing to practically give it away, and ABC seeking to cut ties with The View, it’ll change how news television looks the next few years. That’s assuming another company doesn’t acquire the channel or pursue The View if it becomes available. Speculation is what it is for now, but with NBC announcing MSNBC and CNBC are being spun off, this will be an important follow in the coming months.
  • Dan Bongino says he hasn’t been part of transition meetings with the Trump Administration. That doesn’t mean though that he won’t be in the future. If the administration wants him involved, it can’t hurt to ask him. After multiple sources confirmed The Daily Wire partnership is ending at the end of 2024, losing Bongino would create an even bigger problem for Westwood One. The network has done a fabulous job for decades offering top talent and shows so I’m sure they’d figure it out. Uncertainty though puts programmers and affiliate stations in a tricky spot. Here’s hoping the 2025 lineup is strong and Bongino remains a part of it.
  • Condolences to Rudy Martzke‘s friends and family. The longtime USA Today sports media columnist passed away last week at the age of 82. I read Rudy’s work often during my radio career and enjoyed his perspectives and inside information. He followed us on X and offered positive feedback many times about our coverage, which I greatly appreciated. His contributions to the industry will be remembered by all who read him.
  • Congrats to Allen Stiles on the new solo show in middays in Sacramento at Sactown Sports 1140. Former partner Chris Watkins moved into the station’s digital department giving the former Bay Area personality a chance to assume more responsibility. So far, so good.
  • iHeartMedia Boston hired Rich Shertenlieb earlier this year to make WZLX better. He did that. The station grew from 14th to Top 5 with Men 25-54. His reward? A pink slip. It’s a reminder that corporations care more about the number you make, not if you’re 5th, 10th or 50th.
  • Congrats to Chuck Sapienza on a great run in Baltimore at 105.7 The Fan. Sapienza and 105.7 The Fan are mutually parting ways after 7 years. Whoever takes the reins next inherits a brand with a strong track record of winning. Programming candidates can apply for the opening here.
  • Jason Kelce is a better man than me. His decision to sign an autograph for a guy who spent the entire time insulting him outside of the Jimmy Kimmel Show showed class and restraint. Had he cracked the guy in the mouth or tossed his phone down like he did the last time he was harassed, few would’ve taken issue with it. Some people in life simply suck. Jason Kelce isn’t one of them.

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Will The Media Industry Adapt To Technological Changes?

Perry Michael Simon
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Will The Media Industry Adapt To Technological Changes?

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 bought a new phone this week. This in itself is unremarkable; almost everyone has a smartphone, and trading your old one in for the newest model is mundane to the extreme, although trying to make sense of the trade-in deals and the benefits and drawbacks of the various carriers resembles trying to pick a Medicare option.

Ask around and you’ll get the same “they all suck” reactions whether it’s about cell service (my house appears to be a dead spot for all three national carriers) or Medicare Advantage (your doctors are not in network no matter who you choose, and Medicare-plus-Medigap-plus-prescription plan costs more than you can afford). I’m just glad to get the phone thing done. Medicare, assuming it still exists by then, is next year’s agonizing decision.

There have been pretenders to the throne – at one point, “smart speakers” were going to be ubiquitous and dominant, but do you really use those things much anymore? The smartphone though remains the device that most people use to replace radio, television, and print. Judging by how hot phones get when you charge them with MagSafe, they could probably replace your toaster oven. It’s easy to forget that they’re phones and you can actually dial a number and talk to someone, or leave a voicemail they’ll never open. They’re amazing devices as well as annoying as hell.

By now, most people working in media are aware that the cell phone is the conduit by which what they create – news, entertainment, video, whatever – gets to the consumer. Some have adapted better than others; for every news organization that has encountered difficulty maintaining an audience (and revenue) online, or radio company that hasn’t quite figured out how to promote and sell streaming audio or create podcasts people will want to hear, there are media companies that have made it work, or at least have survived so far. Someone’s making money doing this.

One question I have, though, is how long this will be the case? I have one of those deals where I can upgrade my phone every year, and as I bought an iPhone 16 Pro I wondered whether I’ll someday be buying an iPhone 28 or whether there will be some other device through which I’ll get my information and entertainment.

If there is, and it’s inevitable that it’s coming, it’s likely to be something we aren’t even thinking about. If it’s up to someone like Elon Musk, it’ll be a chip in your brain. Companies are still trying to make “smart glasses” and AR and VR headsets a thing, despite strong evidence that most people do not want them.

What’s next might show up relatively soon, or may not come for decades, but it’s coming. It’s an open question whether the people in charge of the media at the time will effectively adapt to that new technology or as they did at every turn since the internet changed everything, flounder and try to shoehorn whatever they’re already doing into technology and a market that want something different.

I’d bet on the latter. How many traditional news outlets are effectively using TikTok, for example? How well did traditional media fare when Facebook and Google took their content and advertising revenue? Where are the true innovators, and are they ready for whatever technology comes next? And will they listen to the consumer and give the people what they want, rather than forcing their existing content into new packaging?

I don’t know if I’ll still be around by then, but I’m not likely to be one of those decision makers anyway. My goal is to spend less time staring at the phone screen, less time doomscrolling, less time with social media, even with a shiny new phone. We can all stand spending more time touching grass.

Things Music Radio Should Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Ron Harrell
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Things Music Radio Should Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

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 Thanksgiving holiday break levels the playing field. Food is the great equalizer. The sounds of parades and football on the TV make us feel comfortable for a day. If I have time for a self-indulging movie moment, it will be hearing John Candy in Planes, Trains & Automobiles say, “I didn’t introduce myself. Del Griffith. American Light and Fixture, Sales Director, shower curtain ring division.”

Internally, I make a list of things for which I’m thankful. This year, I expanded the list to What Radio Should Be Thankful For in 2024. Of course, it wouldn’t be a radio column without an attempt at alliteration (For and 24).

  1. Taylor Swift:

Radio is a reactionary medium. It thrives when culture creates trends or movements to endorse or oppose. One of the best gifts came from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. It started in 2023 and continues through next month. 

Radio stations stepped up to create promotions and marketing targeted at the most passionate audience in pop music culture. On-air promotions got creative. Stations used scarce marketing dollars to promote their brand and the tour. Mainstream AC, Country, Hot AC, Top 40, and News/Talk stations could all participate in this promotion. 

The competition between stations was good for the audience and, ultimately, good for radio. Few celebrities could’ve created this type of moment.

2. The Traffic Department:

To the outsider, traffic is perceived as automobile traffic reporters. The radio insiders know this department as the people who traffic the commercials and promos. I use the word department with emphasis because clusters have downsized and regionalized this position in the last 15 years. 

However, it remains one of the most underrated positions in a radio station. There was a time when a stop set had competitive client separation parameters. This meant a commercial break couldn’t have more than one car dealership in the stop set. 

As the advertising options became more fragmented in the digital age, those rules were relaxed. Now, we take your business and air it as long as the payment clears. Technology aids the process of scheduling the spots. However, radio needs human oversight to go beyond the boring and predictable algorithm scheduling of Digital Service Providers (DSPs). Great Traffic Managers and Sales Managers put their eyes on the logs. Thank these people before the year ends.

3. Chief Engineers:

When I got into this beautiful business, the FCC was deregulating and changing the license rules for operators and engineers. My first engineer had the required First Class license to work on a radio station transmitter. The license nickname was First Phone. 

Throughout the years and various markets, I asked the Chief Engineer in the first meeting, “Do you have your First Phone?” The veterans smiled at me. The younger engineers pulled out their smartphones and said, “No, this is my fifth phone.”

We’re nothing without a signal to transmit content. We’re nothing without a stream to transmit content. We’re nothing without an IT department to traffic communication and content.

Thank you, engineers. You’ll always be a First Phone to me.

4. AI. It looks like the man’s name, Al, but it’s the initials for Artificial Intelligence:

This one will be met with skepticism. However, if AI can save time and allow us to focus on creating better content for the audience and better sales propositions to get in front of clients, then it’s a positive innovation. 

Does it make us nervous? You bet. But most of life’s unknown scenarios create anxious reactions. Medicine, sports, relationships, employment, schools, and, of course, technology. However, more problems are realized when we ignore the unfamiliar. Thanks, AI, for pushing us out onto the field and forcing us to play another quarter.

5. KSYM San Antonio:

This is a late entry. A story appeared last week in my feed about this college station’s 25th Annual ALT2Hunger concert benefitting St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home in San Antonio. The Adult Album Alternative station is the campus radio station of San Antonio College and has been on the air since 1966. 

When you think about the turnover of a student-run radio station, it’s impressive that a promotion to raise money for charity continues 25 years later.

Every college training and inspiring students to learn the art and craft of broadcasting and content creation deserves a Thanksgiving high-five from every commercial station in the community served by those stations. 

6. Intel, for laying off more than 15,000 people this summer:

This one is filled with some cynicism. The recent wave of radio company personnel layoffs has the industry feeling discouraged, critical, angry and sad. All of those feelings are heard and justified. However, we’re not the only industry reacting to recent trends and realigning to future expectations. 

Companies like Intel, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, and Tesla had sizable layoffs in 2024. This doesn’t explain or forgive how Radio got into this position, and it doesn’t make the severance and job searching any easier to accept. But it does add some perspective as to how the technology and entertainment categories are being affected.

7. The Living:

Living is the best antonym I could find for ghosts. I’m thankful to those who replied to the job-searching candidate in 2024 and didn’t ghost those people. The emails, DMs, and voicemails will occupy more space in the new year. Let’s all dedicate ourselves to replying to those who need recognition and acceptance. It might be one of us someday.

8. Sales:

It takes a certain personality type to be positive and rebound when faced with defeat and rejection daily. However, today’s sales reps must be trained and competitive in broadcast, podcast, streaming, apps, and event advertising models for clients. Your world is noisy. But the good ones like it that way. Thanks for showing up to those networking events with the vision of closing a deal.

9. Non-Commercial Fundraisers:

If you’ve worked with an organization that keeps the power on and the staff employed because of on-air fundraisers, you have a different respect for the outcome. It’s crazy. I’m continually amazed at how these media brands motivate people to give to a FREE medium.

If I don’t pay Netflix this month, I won’t get to spend 30 minutes scrolling the app for something to watch before I give up and watch nothing. 

However, I could listen to a non-comm station for five years without giving one dollar. Yet, some of these stations and networks have enjoyed a fruitful period of donations in recent years. Clearly, these stations and brands have something the audience wants to hear. The commercial stations can learn from the passion created by the non-commercial formats.

10. Radio:

Finally, I’m thankful for the noun, adjective and sometimes transitive verb, radio. No one says, “Hey, turn on the audio.” The audience isn’t repelled by the name. Why should we be?

As we retool and prepare for the 2025 battles, let’s be proud of the word used for nearly 105 years. Radio. It’s always been about what comes out of the speakers and devices.

Should Radio Be More Optimistic?

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Should Radio Be More Optimistic?

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 last couple of months have not been good for many people in the radio business. We’ve seen layoffs, most notably at iHeart, but also at Cumulus and other companies. What is most painful is that many of those whose services were no longer required were long term veterans in their markets, some with 20, 30, or more years of work at their stations and clusters. No one was heartened by Bob Pittman’s comments on the recent iHeart earnings call with his reference to “redundancies”.

Meanwhile, Nielsen’s change in crediting policy from five minutes in the quarter hour to three minutes in PPM markets is a “go”. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, and I’ve already written two columns supporting the change. After the initial year over year bump, it will be “ho-hum” and most likely, we’ll see radio usage slowly slide again as has been happening for many years.

As a researcher with a fair amount of time inside of ratings companies, it smells more like Nielsen has some big contracts up for renewal and needs a positive story or is looking for new ways to increase revenue. More than a few presenters at the September Barrett News Summit mentioned the decline in ratings-based agency business and the need to replace those dollars with direct business. That also means less revenue based on ratings and more revenue based on a solid direct multimedia proposal.

Let’s put those two news items together: Radio usage continues to decline, revenue is flat to down, and good people are being told to find another way to earn a living. My sense of the trade press is something akin to the 1976 movie “Network” and one of the great movie lines: “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore” uttered by Howard Beale. Are you sensing more trade press with that attitude? Are you following the advice that a number of writers are offering and making sure that you have a Plan B if the corporate grim reaper comes looking for you?

Rather than offering even more “doom and gloom”, here’s a question: What are radio people doing to bring listeners back to the medium? A fellow Barrett columnist, Robby Bridges, seems to be everywhere in his part of New Jersey per his Facebook posts and I don’t think it’s “AI Robby”. Is it working? He can’t be the only one busting his tail and (hopefully) getting results.

A while back, I wrote about the experiment at KDKA in Pittsburgh with handing the overnight shift over to local college students. There’s not a lot of audience available at those hours just as there wasn’t during radio’s heyday, but it’s a fantastic idea. We need to put these initiatives into the trade press in addition to the wonderful stories about how much money local stations have raised for various charities. The latter shows the continued power of the medium as well as offering good talking points when the NAB government relations people are meeting with members of Congress or state associations are lobbying state-level legislators. But fundraisers are usually one-offs because as public broadcasting knows, you can go to the well only so many times before listeners are turned off.

This is a research column so let’s turn this into a research study. Who out there in radio is doing something new and different and can point to some success? I deliberately used “who” rather than “what stations” because radio is about people; the rest is a distribution system. Send me an email and maybe we can all be a bit more optimistic about the future of the medium. There’s an email address at the end of this column and I promise to read any and all submissions and write about what I’m hearing. Small town or major market makes no difference…good ideas are good ideas.

My first “real” radio job (college radio didn’t count) was at WFYC AM/FM in Alma, Michigan and even as a weekend part-timer who started out at the princely sum of two dollars an hour in 1974 and didn’t know much, I could try a few things and could learn. Not every idea I had made sense or worked, but I kept generating them.

I’ve spent some time recently with Steve Newberry. You may know him as the CEO of Quu or from his recent tenure with the NAB. He also owns Commonwealth Broadcasting here in this part of Kentucky. We had lunch a couple of months ago and he gave me a tour of Barren County, KY, his home base. We drove into downtown Glasgow, the county seat, and he spoke with such pride about his stations there being “on the square” and being part of the community. Format, music rotations, and spot loads were secondary to serving Barren County and the surrounding area. Commitment like that gives you faith in the continuing strength of the business.

Perhaps Bob Pittman is planning to put Ryan Seacrest, Bobby Bones, and Charlamagne Tha God on hundreds of stations and use AI the rest of the day with more push for the iHeart Radio app. Those people are talented and work very hard, but they’re not local and as we’ve seen in the last election, people in different parts of the country have divergent worldviews. Tell me what you’re up to in your market that is making a difference.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving regardless of your current employment status and let’s meet again next week.

Consultant’s Corner: Scott Husky, RWPC

Jeff Lynn
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Consultant’s Corner: Scott Husky, RWPC

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.

Scott Husky is President of RWPC, a Corinth, Mississippi-based consulting firm focusing primarily on Country radio.

Husky worked for the late Rusty Walker, and the company name reflects a nod to Rusty Walker Programming and his work.

He is this week’s featured consultant.

Jeff Lynn: What is the current state of Country Radio?

Scott Husky: I think we are currently in somewhat of a transition phase of Country.  The music is really good right now, and there is nationwide attention to the format.  We have a ton of fresh new artists breaking out, thanks to TikTok and YouTube.  The music has variety.  Every song doesn’t sound the same.  Story songs are coming back some, and that’s the root of Country music. 

My biggest fear is that since we have a ton of new artists coming out, we run the risk of becoming a song-based format. Call me old-fashioned, but the central core of the format has always been that it’s an artist-driven format. The listeners want to wrap their arms around the artists, and it’s tough when there are so many of them, and some of them don’t get a chance to mature. 

JL: How do you advise clients to handle that overwhelming amount of new music coming out of Nashville?

SH: We have to carefully manage the songs coming out of Nashville.  The great music I just spoke of can get lost if we don’t manage it.  Certainly, artist separation is not as much an issue as in the past.  You can play the same artist within a shorter period of time than a few years ago. 

I like to have special features that showcase a new song or group of new songs that’s something that can be done a couple times a day and not just at night.  That way, we can expose new songs and tell our listeners that we hear the new stuff but not have to try to rotationally play ALL the new things coming out.  With so much coming so fast, it’s hard to develop a passion for a song, and that’s what radio still needs to do: create a passion for the music.

JL: You carry the mantle for the legendary Rusty Walker. What does it mean to you to carry on his work?

SH: It was a dream come true when I was able to begin working with Rusty years ago.  I was fortunate enough to be a client for nearly ten years before I joined the team.  We still maintain the same philosophy about focusing on the listener, and underpromising and overperforming are our goals.  Being associated with one the members of the Mount Rushmore of consultants is an honor that we don’t take lightly.  In the past 12 years since his passing, there have been many times where I have said, “I’m gonna ask Rusty…”.  The fortunate thing he did for us on the team was allow us to develop our own style.  My particular case, since I was a client for so long with some good success (KCYY Y100), allowed me to learn from Rusty before putting it into practice.

JL: How important is the resurgence of 90s music to a current-based Country station?

SH: I think, based on the market situation, some 90s sprinkled in gives some great depth to the station.  The younger demo is finding that music, and it’s pretty good.  In lots of cases, that music adds dimension but doesn’t necessarily add shares. The issue is really what to do with the early 2000’s.

JL: Considering market differences, generally, what is a good balance of current/recurrent/gold?

SH: Again, market-to-market is different.  Competitive situations are different, but I like to balance a little newer today: 30%-40% gold, 60-70% Current/recurrent.

JL: How are you coaching morning teams to extend their brand from just four hours in the morning to across the day? How important is video and podcasting for shows, and does it need to be more than just a repost of the show?

SH: It’s extremely important to extend the brand as listeners are consumers of multiple types of media.  I encourage all my mornings shows to create touchpoints throughout the day whether it is via podcast or Facebook or Insta or X interaction. 

Just like the music the listener wants to get their arms around the personalities. I think podcasts are key and they can be anything from the “show after the show” where you can let your hair down a bit and continue on with the thread from the day or you can tackle those things that didn’t make it on the show.

I also encourage all talent to use video whenever they can and if they have a special passion or interest I suggest they create a podcast about that passion.  That can give the listener another way got get to know the personality. 

JL: What are a couple of the best promotions you have seen lately?

SH: This time of year I especially like “Random Acts of Cash” where a listener wins cash and the station donates the same amount to a charity of the listener choice in the listeners name.  Generally, I like some of the standards like Secret Sound or Crack the Code.  If it has vicarious playing to it, I like it.

JL: Social media is a daily moving target. How are you advising clients to create a strategy?

SH: You are correct about a moving target. The best advice I give is fish where the fish are.  Be present on the platforms of choice, TikTok, Insta, and FB, to a certain extent.  I believe all things should point back to the station and have a reason for being.  I could be wrong, but I don’t like posting things just to post things.  Again, video is key.

JL: What is the best piece of career advice ever given to you?

SH: Lead, don’t Tell…..Coach, don’t boss.  And always carry a litterbag in your car., it doesn’t take up much room, and when it gets full, you can just throw it out the window anyway (thank Steve Martin)

Reach Scott by email here:

RWPC

P.O. Box 2349

Corinth, Mississippi

662-423-8092

Peyton Manning and Bill Belichick are Transforming NFL Film Sessions on ‘The Breakdown’

Derek Futterman
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Peyton Manning and Bill Belichick are Transforming NFL Film Sessions on ‘The Breakdown’


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.

Earlier in the year, ESPN and Omaha Productions officially reached a nine-year media rights extension that expands the partnership between both companies. As a part of this deal, the award-winning alternate broadcast, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, was officially slated for renewal, and both parties committed to collaborating on developing new content across several verticals of distribution. Over the past three years in which the ManningCast had been on the air, the presentation had gone through various iterations and introduced new elements, such as state-of-the-art technology, special editions for NFL playoff games and doubleheaders, and elaborate schedule reveal videos featuring celebrities from sports, pop culture and entertainment.

Omaha Productions, which was co-founded by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and television executive Jamie Horowitz in 2020, has worked with sports media brands to create compelling and entertaining content accessible through multiple consumption platforms. Manning is a front-facing personality on select ventures and works with his brother, Eli, on editions of the ManningCast.

During the NFL offseason, the company agreed to a deal with eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick to have him appear on the show for the first half of games. Yet the conversations between Belichick and Peyton Manning went beyond this venture and ultimately materialized into a new offering that has established itself as a distinguished source of strategic insights and analytical expertise.

“When we were recruiting Coach Belichick in the offseason, we discussed The Breakdown show idea, and what appealed to both of us was developing something that would educate fans about football in a deeper way than usual,” Manning said. “Coach Belichick is a brilliant Coach and we have received such great feedback on the show from players, former players, and coaches at all levels from high school to the pros.”

Accompanying forthcoming ManningCast episodes concurrent with the traditional presentation of Monday Night Football on ESPN, The Breakdown grants viewers a lens into the nuances of football from the viewpoints of Manning and Belichick. As accomplished professionals in their own right, the former quarterback and head coach dissect game film in a manner akin to NFL team meetings. The multiplatform series, which is produced with NFL Films, divulges some of the observations that are made as franchises scheme formations, routes and alignments to defeat the opponent.

“We try to hit a few different themes on each side of the ball in each episode, so it probably resembles more of an overview of the matchup that a Head Coach or Coordinator would do alongside their Quarterback,” Belichick said. “Peyton, of course, brings the perspective of a Hall of Fame player [while] I try to give fans the view from a Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator perspective.”

New episodes of The Breakdown premiere through ESPN+ on Fridays leading up to upcoming editions of the ManningCast. Additionally, the program also airs on ESPN2 several times before the featured game on Monday Night Football. This show adds to an expansive programming lineup on ESPN networks and ABC that supplements the ongoing NFL media rights deal with The Walt Disney Company. The 10-year pact contains flex scheduling ability from Week 12 to Week 17, an annual divisional round game and Super Bowl broadcasts to conclude the 2026 and 2030 seasons.

“Peyton and Belichick together, discussing football – there is no convincing needed when that is on the table,” said Burke Magnus, president of content at ESPN. “Great part of our relationship with Omaha Productions is we both see eye-to-eye in pushing for impactful and entertaining approaches to educate and entertain fans. An added benefit is the brand extension the show provides to Monday Night Football and Monday Night with Peyton and Eli.”

Throughout their NFL careers, Manning and Belichick were regarded as savants in their profession and amassed the metrics to back it up. As a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, Manning won two Super Bowl championships and five MVP awards while earning 14 Pro Bowl selections. Furthermore, he retired as the all-time leader in passing yards (71,940), game-winning drives (54) and touchdown passes (539). Even though they were never in the same organization, Manning has profound respect for Belichick, who won six Super Bowl championships over his 24-year tenure as the head coach of the New England Patriots.

“Bill has one of the greatest football minds ever,” Manning said. “I faced him 24 times in my playing career. Some games he won, some games we won, but there was always mutual respect and admiration. I didn’t really get to know him personally until he coached me in the Pro Bowl in 2007. He loves football, he cares about the game and his insights are incredible. I think that’s what fans see when they watch The Breakdown and why it has been so successful.”

In games where Manning faced Belichick, he passed for an average of 267.5 yards per game and eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs three times. Although Manning compiled a winning record in their postseason play, Belichick won 10 out of their 15 regular-season contests when he was the head coach of New England. Fifteen of the 24 overall matchups, including when Belichick was defensive coordinator of the New York Jets, ended as one-score games and were subsequent points of discussion across sports media. Nearly a decade later, Manning and Belichick are on the other side of the equation and apply their knowledge to draw inferences with substantial credibility. 

“Peyton and I had a lot of player/coach battles,” Belichick said. “Trying to think a step ahead of Peyton was always a big challenge.”

When Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways following last season, he departed the organization 15 victories away from breaking Don Shula’s record as the winningest coach in league history. As rumors continue to percolate about a potential return to the sidelines, Belichick has been working within the sports media industry throughout the NFL season presenting his discerning proficiency and tactical wherewithal.

Outside of his appearances on ESPN platforms, which also includes an agreement for a weekly interview on The Pat McAfee Show, he co-hosts the Let’s Go! podcast through SiriusXM, stars and co-produces Coach with Underdog Fantasy. Moreover, he is an analyst on Inside the NFL, which is in its second season airing on The CW.

Belichick films editions of The Breakdown from the NFL Films studios and works with Manning remotely, who co-hosts the program from the same location in which he participates in Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli. Rather than sifting through tape from around the league, the show focuses on the two teams that are set to be featured on Monday Night Football a few days later. In fact, having the episodes center on the ensuing matchup was a subject of the early discussions surrounding the ESPN+ original series.

“Bill and I have tried to make it more of a teaching tape, focused on big-picture football strategy,” Manning said. “Where else can you talk in depth to Bill Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl Champ, about his approach to blitzing and then talk through exactly how his Patriots used it against us in the years we played them[?]”

While consumers are not generally afforded access to internal team meetings during the season, mass media conglomerates employ former players and experts as analysts who can diminish ambiguity and prognosticate gameplans. On top of that, broadcasters often converse with players, coaches and other key personnel before games, providing background information off which they can accurately contextualize occurrences, formulate opinions and deliver commentary. Blending elements of synthesis, inquiry and repartee, Manning and Belichick authentically depict their mindsets and engage in incisive discussions.

“Peyton and I do our best to bring the viewers inside a film session,” Belichick explained, “and [we] try to show what is working, what is not working, and why.”

Courtesy: ESPN, Omaha Productions, NFL Films

Manning and Belichick review game footage and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of teams on the field, providing a benchmark for their real-time analysis amid the matchup. Even though the ManningCast welcomes guests who sometimes discuss ancillary topics not directly related to the game, an overarching theme of these eclectic interviews is the palpable display of interest and revelry in football. The sport continues to function as the cornerstone of both programs; however, the degree to which they penetrate the full breadth of the action varies between these presentations.

“The Breakdown gives us more of a chance to offer some instruction or teaching moments,” Manning said. “While we’re trying to entertain with both shows, The Breakdown is that show that really goes deeper on football. It’s a football show for avid football fans.”

Over its five years in business, Omaha Productions has worked to become a leader in creating distinctive content that cuts through the clutter. From the creation of documentaries chronicling the lives of professional athletes to unveiling divisions dedicated to branded material and audio, the enterprise aims to serve the industry and enthrall the audience.

The debut of the ManningCast can be surmised as a watershed moment in sports media that disclosed the ingenuity of recurring alternate broadcasts combining shrewd discourse, authentic personality and external contributions. Rather than functioning as purely ancillary content though, The Breakdown has concurrently set itself apart as a distinctive property and archetype to be considered for future NFL programming.

Manning recognizes the value of hosting the show alongside Belichick, an accomplished coach, general manager and coordinator who was tasked with game-planning for a preponderance of the active personnel and teams around the league. Belichick’s path to winning Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots involved facing Anthony Lynn, Andy Reid and Sean McVay, all of whom are still coaching and/or coordinating for NFL franchises.

Yet Belichick, who gained a reputation of being reserved in his press conferences as a coach, has exhibited his passion for football in the media setting. At the same time, he has been able to convey his vast logic by translating film-room parlance into straightforward, clear vernacular.

“No matter if it’s The Breakdown or the ManningCast, if you’re listening to Bill Belichick talk about football, you’re going to get smarter,” Manning said. “He’s witty and has a dry sense of humor, and it’s fun to see him in this new media role.”

The program utilizes visual elements to illustrate what is being discussed, one of which includes clips from previous matchups. Manning and Belichick will draw parallels to instances in their playing careers that are applicable to a given situation, evincing senses of nostalgia and outlining the historical links therein. On an earlier episode of the show, Belichick broke down cornerback Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl XLIX that secured the Patriots’ victory. Within the examination, he reviewed the defensive scheme and detailed how it was successfully carried out.

“We try to pull a few plays from the NFL Films Vault every week while also breaking down what’s going to win or lose this game for the two teams,” Belichick said, “so it’s supposed to be fun, educational and give you a different perspective on the matchup than you might normally get during the week.”

Courtesy: ESPN, Omaha Productions, NFL Films

Rather than solely talking about the intricacies of the game, Manning and Belichick have diagrammed concepts and schemes using a telestrator. Interspersed during the 30-minute episode, the duo is able to delineate coverage assignments, sketch routes and highlight other signals that may be concealed to those who did not play professional football. Explaining what is taking place with visual aids powered by firsthand knowledge and advanced technology can assist viewers in better grasping the essence of conversation and the minute details that can decide between a touchdown or a turnover.

“Peyton and I want to educate the viewers – the telestrator is a good way for both of us to give our perspective on the same play,” Belichick said. “A quarterback/head coach conversation about preparing for a game, and the execution of play, is how I took my football knowledge to the highest level. We will show our viewers the fundamentals and details of the plays we break down.”

In addition to the game audience, The Breakdown is said to have also become appointment viewing for NFL coaches and quarterbacks. There are even rumors of NFL teams implementing clips from the show into film studies of their own, exhibiting an appreciation and respect for the duo and the opinions given on the program. 

“One thing I love about the show is hearing from coaches who have watched it and used it with their players,” Manning said. “We hope to make it smart football instruction, where the viewer can learn something new.”

Manning and Belichick simplify complex elements of the game within their analysis as they strive to write and effectuate a winning formula on The Breakdown. Omaha Productions and ESPN, working in tandem with NFL Films, have provided the resources and materials necessary for the show to air. Combined with its presentation, the program is ultimately powered by an inexorable curiosity to decipher plays and construct an effective course of action ahead of the opening kickoff.

“He has a great offensive mind,” Belichick said of Manning. “I love the opportunity to be his teammate on Breakdown – I love talking football and learning from Peyton – joining him on Breakdown was a no brainer.”

Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay Continue the Great Tradition of ‘3HL’ on 104.5 The Zone

Dave Greene
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Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay Continue the Great Tradition of ‘3HL’ on 104.5 The Zone

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 April 2021, 104.5 The Zone in Nashville announced former University of Tennessee basketball star and Nashville native Ron Slay would join their afternoon show 3HL. Slay would join hosts Brent Dougherty and Dawn Davenport in the afternoons as the third host on a show that has been around, in various iterations, for many years.

The show started out in middays, hence the name which stands for ‘3 Hour Lunch.’ It now airs weekdays in afternoon drive from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT. This week I chose the popular show to eavesdrop in on.

Daugherty started on the show in late 2008 and would work with OutKick founder Clay Travis and former Tennessee Titans player Blaine Bishop. Davenport, an Auburn grad who has worked sidelines for ESPN since 2013, joined the show in 2017.

When Slay came on board, Program Director Paul Mason had said it was the listeners who had pushed the station to hire him. “3HL is already a great show, and I look forward to seeing it go to even higher levels,” Mason said at the time. As it turned out, Mason and the station listeners nailed the hire.

When the Fall ratings book came out in April this year, 3HL had a streak of 23 consecutive months being No. 1 in the M25-54 demographic. Additionally, the show went from No. 13 in the BSM Top 20 Mid-Market Afternoon Shows list in 2021 to No. 4 in 2022 and No. 2 in 2023.

In June 2023, the hosts all agreed to multi-year contract extensions to ensure the show will be around for several more years. When the contract extensions were announced, Davenport had said, “It’s not very often you find the chemistry and culture that we are lucky enough to have right now at the Zone and on 3HL. We have the best listeners in the country, and I’m so excited our team will be together for the foreseeable future!”

On the Tuesday Nov. 19 episode, Davenport was fighting a lost voice. Her doctor had recommended voice rest, but she fought through and did what she could to contribute. Dougherty and Slay had some fun with this and suggested she hold up signs to show if she agreed or disagreed with what her colleagues were talking about. Davenport suggested she would make a sign with a middle finger on it and hold that up.

Davenport made it clear she wasn’t feeling sick, her voice was just not working. She pointed out her football assignment this coming weekend might involve her working in snowy conditions in West Virginia.

As I listened to this opening part of the show, I couldn’t help but feel like instead of the proverbial ‘two buddies at a bar’ that this was more like a family, with two brothers and a sister at a bar talking sports, along with any other number of subjects that might come up. While the guys were giving Davenport the business, she was throwing it right back. And, at the same time, there was general concern for her wellbeing as she was asked a few times if she should really be listening to her doctor and shutting her voice down.

There is a lot of interaction with those tuning in, through the phone lines and especially through the chat happening on YouTube. The listeners were having fun at Davenport’s expense as well. One suggested her husband must be happy since she was trying to talk as little as possible.

Davenport got the joke but said her husband, a big Indiana fan, was actually not happy because he wanted to talk about the team’s big game coming up against Ohio State and where they might be ranked by the playoff committee.

Several comments were made referring to the raspiness of Davenport’s voice with many saying it sounded “sexy.” Later the voice conversation would lead down a rabbit hole of comparing her voice to how Demi Moore sounds. This led to talking about actress Kathleen Turner, which led to talking about the movie Romancing the Stone, which led to talk of just how good of an actor Michael Douglas was. That was followed by Daugherty asking his cohorts if they had seen the list of best 1980’s movies where Clue was No. 1. Slay had never seen it but was happy to hear his favorite, Scarface, was No. 2 on the list.

It was indeed a Tuesday with no local teams having played the night before. There would be plenty of sports mixed in over the three hours, but the episode was all over the place, in a good kind of way – it covered a lot of ground.

Daugherty runs point on the show and does a solid job of keeping the audience updated on what’s coming up and deciding when it is time to move on to something else. He has strong opinions and a big voice, and he knows the Nashville sports scene inside and out.

Slay is funny, has a great laugh and gives the perspective of someone who played sports at a very high level. In the family dynamic he is definitely the younger brother, often leaning on Daugherty and Davenport for wisdom. At the same time, he’s not afraid to give his opinion and seems to rarely play things down the middle.

Those that tuned in for football talk got plenty of that over the course of the show. Jim Wyatt, who covers the Titans, came on and tried to make sense of their season as they tried to figure out how the team could come out of an upcoming game at Houston with their third win of the season.

A college football section had some great content as the trio talked about the Texas A&M Aggies – Texas Longhorns matchup which was a week and a half away. They talked about all the various scenarios in the SEC and some of the other larger conferences. This then led Davenport to bring up something she had texted the guys about recently, which was the Texas A&M security feed on X @tamupolice. The account addresses any and all security issues in the stadium. As one can imagine the word ‘intoxicated’ shows up a lot and the issues usually ended with something like, ‘subject released to sober friend’. Should be a fun account to follow the day of that Texas game.

Later, other football subjects addressed would include who the Titans might pick near the top of the draft, where the Titans are as a franchise versus the only team scheduled to pick ahead of them at this point, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and their thoughts on Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

Slay said, “You cannot compare this guy to anyone, he is 100 snaps a game.” Daugherty noted former Titans receiver Kevin Dyson had said while he doesn’t think Hunter is a great route runner, he could contribute offensively in the NFL, but thinks ultimately, he will be an elite cornerback.

Davenport added she didn’t think people really understood how hard it is to do what Hunter does. “I see it, I feel it every weekend on the sideline and the fact that he is doing it is special.”

Slay compared Hunter’s elite athleticism to that of an Allen Iverson or a Charlie Ward, who played quarterback and point guard. “We can name all of them, this isn’t a long list,” Slay said.

The topic the hosts kept coming back to however, was an important one in its own right. That was the topic of when the first time someone grouped peanut butter and chocolate together. Initial show research said it happened in the 1920’s, however later a caller said he believed it was earlier in the 1900’s.

This is where we learn Daugherty is a peanut M&Ms guy, Slay likes a Payday and Davenport prefers an Almond Joy. Viewers watching on YouTube, Facebook Live, X and Twitch also learned that Davenport likes sunflower seeds which she was eating throughout the show. That sort of had the direct opposite effect of the ‘Demi Moore voice’.

Daugherty had a great line at one point, summing up the type of day it had become on the show. “This is where we are today,” he said. “Damn Titans are 2-8 so we’re talking about chocolate and peanut butter.”

So it goes, at least it was entertaining conversation, didn’t sound forced, and those wanting hardcore sports talk were served well, too, just not as much as they would be on some other days. There was a really good conversation about teams perhaps not wanting to play in conference championship games in college football. Some sound played of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin confirmed that some SEC coaches were thinking they’d rather sit the game out and skip the chance to get the bye week, versus potentially losing and getting knocked out.

This led Davenport to say, “The committee better be careful how they treat the conference championship game losers, or they’re going to become [even less important].” Daugherty would add about the college football season so far, “This year is on crack.”

All in all, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to have as much fun as 3HL does and get paid for it. The chemistry is no doubt what makes the show special and the three also have different backgrounds that give the audience several different perspectives.

Whether it was college football or the NFL, how long someone might want to stay in Alaska or which type of slaw you prefer, 3HL entertains and informs. And as it does it will make you laugh along as well and you’ll feel like you’re just another person sitting at that bar, talking with friends about sports or making fun of Davenport for taking out her own mailbox.

Salem Media’s Dr. Sebastian Gorka is Heading Back to Washington, D.C.

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Salem Media’s Dr. Sebastian Gorka is Heading Back to Washington, D.C.

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.

He is the latest big name in conservative media who will be “moving at the speed of Trump.” Salem Media radio host, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, was tapped over the weekend to serve in President-elect Trump’s second administration as senior director for counterterrorism.

The radio host, who also has a Sunday show on Newsmax, is no stranger to Washington. He served in the previous Trump administration as a deputy assistant and counterterrorism strategist. It is this national security expertise which brought the London-born host to media.

“I started to do interviews for Fox News around the time of the Paris attacks,” Dr. Gorka said. “I got a lot of exposure because of what was happening in France, and that led to a lot of attention from the likes of Sean Hannity and others. So, I did a lot of TV media, then radio media.”

After his time in the administration, Salem offered Dr. Gorka his own radio show, America First. “Radio is live, it’s unscripted,” he said. “And often the host is connecting with the listener in a very intimate fashion. They’re listening to them in their car, while they’re walking the dog, while they’re doing some chores at home. If you’re faking your attitude, your analysis, your demeanor, the three hours of talking will very quickly demonstrate to the listener that it is artifice and that it’s not genuine.”

Dr. Gorka believes this is why conservatives have dominated the talk radio landscape for years. He said, “People don’t want to listen to something that’s hate filled and artificial for hours on end.”  

Saying he is as much a consumer as he is a producer of radio, Dr. Gorka attributed his love of radio to his mother, who worked in media. “My mother actually worked for Radio when the BBC was still an institution of integrity,” he recalled. “When she was awake, the radio was on and I’ve kind of inherited that.”

In addition to his daily radio show, Dr. Gorka also hosts the Gorka Reality Check on Newsmax every Sunday. He explained, “Because my TV show is weekly, I can dedicate the whole hour to an issue like trans lunacy, or the border, or the economy, or war in the Middle East, which gives me the luxury to go a little bit deeper than having to cover what happened this morning in the current news cycle.”

Aside from his unique opinions, Dr. Gorka often brings his radio talent to the TV screen, by not using a prompter. “I think the closer you can get television to radio, the more exciting it is,” he said “Also you differentiate yourself. How many cable monologues are there in an evening? There are a lot of them. How many of the panel formats are there out there? Far too many. So, if you’re connecting, it’s the same as politics.”

Dr. Gorka is a big believer that facts are not enough to sway voters (and listeners) but there is a need to grab hold of their emotions as well. “Ben Shapiro is wrong,” he said. “I mean, he built his career on this catchy phrase, ‘Facts don’t care about your feelings.’ Yeah. Okay. But people have feelings and feelings are often what win elections and win arguments. The election on November the 5th wasn’t about tax policy or the fine minutia of how we’re going to fix the border.”

He went on to say, “I give credit to Brendan O’Neil out of the UK from Spiked online. The real reason for this trouncing of Kamala Harris and the Democrats and not just the electoral college, but in the popular vote as well, was an emotional, spiritual one.”

Comparing the 2024 election to Brexit, Dr. Gorka said, “The American people of every skin color [voted for Trump]. 25% of blacks voted for President Trump. People were fed up with being told you need to be ashamed of being in America. It was about pride. It was about, ‘I want to be allowed to love my country again’. That’s an emotional statement.”

This emotion Dr. Gorka sees in American politics is the very same emotion which he believes bring people to their choice of media. “That’s the obverse of what Shapiro has been telling us for years and as such, that’s the important aspect of communication,” he said. “Be it radio, podcasts, TV, you have to connect that you have the truth. If you’re a patriot, if you’re a believer, if you’re a conservative, you have the truth.”

It is this truth which Dr. Gorka says other media outlets lack. “The mainstream legacy lying media are prostitutes for the Democratic party, and they literally have talking points, whether it’s about President Trump, Matt Gaetz, the border or the economy, they’re just propaganda outlets. And that’s why the conservative movement owns talk radio, because we’re prepared to tell the truth.”

He later added, “I say to conservatives, we have the truth. The other side denies the existence of truth, not just the existence of God, but the existence of objective truths. Conservatives and patriots believe in God, believe in family, believe in truth and objective truth and we think that’s enough.”

For those looking to follow in Dr. Gorka’s footsteps, his advice is simple, “Whether they want to work in media or be a brain surgeon, it’s the same piece of advice. Put your stinking phone down for an hour a day, switch it off and pick up a book, preferably written by a dead white guy, who died at least 400 years ago.”

From Plato to Shakespeare, Dr. Gorka believes these writers of the past will help many expand their horizons in the future. “The truth is immutable,” he said. “The truth of mankind and what moves human beings hasn’t changed since the first Cro-Magnon man came out of that cave. Read, read, read. Become an expert in a field. Make yourself indispensable in that field.” He later added, “Become the person who, on a specific issue, is a proven expert and authority. That’s what you want to have.”

Note: This interview took place before President-elect Trump announced Dr. Sebastian Gorka would be joining the Trump Administration

Prime Video Draws 14.78 Million Viewers for Steelers-Browns on ‘Thursday Night Football’

BSM Staff
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Prime Video Draws 14.78 Million Viewers for Steelers-Browns on ‘Thursday Night Football’

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.

Amazon’s Prime Video scored an average audience of 14.78 million viewers for its Thursday Night Football matchup featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, according to the Big Data + Panel from Nielsen Media Research. The game was played through heavy snow and saw the Browns come from behind to win the game 24-19 on a 2-yard touchdown run by Nick Chubb with :57 seconds left.

The game marked an increase of approximately 34% over the last time the two teams played one another on Thursday Night Football. The last game drew just over 11 million back in Sept. 2022. Furthermore, the matchup is the fifth most-watched Thursday Night Football event for the season.

This makes it 13 times that TNF on Prime has averaged more than 13 million viewers since the outlet started airing games in the 2022 season. For this season alone, it is the seventh game over that mark with four games still to air.

Through 11 games, TNF on Prime’s record season is now averaging 14.31 million viewers, pacing 16.2% over the 2023 season-to-date average of 12.31 million. Additionally, the metric is nearly 20.7% ahead of the 2023 full-season average of 11.86 million and 49.3% over the 2022 full-season average of 9.58 million.

For the season to date, TNF on Prime Video’s median age is 48.4, about seven years younger than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks, which is 55.3 years, and almost 15 years younger than the broadcast primetime average age of 62.9.

Sam Newton Resigns As Program Director At ‘Coyote 102.5’ And ‘BIG 98.5’ Albuquerque

BMM Staff
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Sam Newton Resigns As Program Director At ‘Coyote 102.5’ And ‘BIG 98.5’ Albuquerque

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Sam Newton has announced his resignation as Program Director for American General Media’s Classic Rock “Coyote 102.5” KIOT and Classic Hits “BIG 98.5” KABG Albuquerque.

 He is set to join the Public Affairs Department with the State of New Mexico.

In a staff email, Regional Director of Operations & Programming Bob Lewis described the announcement as “a bittersweet morning in ABQ.” He expressed gratitude for Newton’s contributions over the past seven years, stating, “Sam has been an integral part of the success of KIOT, Classic Hits KABG, and our AGM brands. He has done an exceptional job, and we wish him the best as he embarks on a new chapter in his career.”

Newton’s final day with AGM is scheduled for November 30th.

Lewis announced that the organization intends to swiftly and carefully fill the vacant position to enhance its ratings mission across both brands.

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