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Jordan Cornette Cherishing Every Moment On Set at NBC Sports After 6 Year Ride at ESPN

Dave Greene
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Jordan Cornette Cherishing Every Moment On Set at NBC Sports After 6 Year Ride at ESPN

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.

Jordan Cornette is a tough guy. If you remember his career as a basketball player at Notre Dame, you remember his size, listed in those days at 6-9, 235 pounds. But he is also a tough guy because has dealt with some big blows in his life and somehow managed to come out stronger on the other end each time. Cornette even had a period of time where he was working with his wife and spending 24 hours a day, seven days a week with her and well, you have to think that took some toughness as well.

Cornette is now at NBC Sports after signing a long-term contract with the network. This, coming after he was one of several ESPN hosts to get laid off in the summer of 2023. Cornette said he was “blindsided” by the layoff. “I had to come to grips with it,” he said.

“It wasn’t performance based. And the ‘woe is me’ thing can last for maybe a week, but you got to pick yourself up off the mat. And it was very reassuring to me when I saw so many networks jump up to give me freelance work in the interim. I was able to basically audition for other networks and do some really cool stuff with Turner, with CBS, the CW and of course NBC.”

Cornette said the time period between leaving ESPN and ultimately signing with NBC was actually some of the most fun he has had in the business. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with several different people and do several different things.

When he was younger and a big basketball fan, Cornette said he would watch a lot of NBA and college games. And as much as he loved to watch the stars shine on the court, he found himself also really into the announcers. “I was always enthralled with the voices, Dickie V, Bob Costas, Marv Albert, equally as much as I was the Allen Iverson on the court or the MJ or the Patrick Ewing,” Cornette said.

“So, as much as I was enamored with the play, I was always equally enamored, if not maybe more so, with the voices that were describing and depicting the action. And so, to me, I think that’s probably unique. I’m a 10, 11, 12-year-old kid and maybe that was the first tell that I wanted to be in broadcasting.”

Later as a player at Notre Dame, he got another “sign” broadcasting might be the way to go. Cornette tells a great story about his head coach Mike Brey calling him in his office after a game where they lost to Syracuse who were led by Carmelo Anthony. Anthony went off in the game and Cornette was the one in charge of guarding him.

He said Brey pulled out a newspaper and pointed to all of the quotes Cornette had given afterwards “in a game where you had only a couple baskets and Carmelo went for 30!?” He said what Brey said next reinforced the idea of a media career. “If you could play the game at the level in which you get these quotes in the paper, you’d be an All-American.”

Eventually, Cornette did have to decide his playing days were over. Despite opportunities to play professionally overseas, he was ready to pursue his career, and he was willing to start out wherever he needed to in order to reach the heights he wanted to in this new venture. So, he started out on the production side, and he learned as much about “how the sausage was made” as possible.

Two years removed from college, the Big Ten Network started in 2007 and Cornette would become one of its first hires. He was working as Dave Revsine’s production assistant when he first started. “I worked my way up from production assistant to associate producer to junior producer, feature producer, and then line producing,” he said. “And I was there for five years and got the ultimate education with some very talented production people there.”

Cornette said it was at that time he realized he was ready to make the turn to the other side of the camera. “I wanted to be the one that was being produced by somebody. And so, I felt like I had really crafted an ability, and I knew what it would take to do well in front of the camera. I got a gentle push from some guys in our production bullpen at Big Ten Network to take the jump, hire an agent, and start my climb. And my first job was Campus Insiders, which is now Stadium, and then marched on from there.”

Campus Insiders is also where Cornette would meet fellow broadcaster Shae Peppler. She would not only later become his wife, but also his on-air partner when the two teamed up for a radio show when both were at ESPN. Shae Peppler Cornette is still with the company as a full-time anchor on SportsCenter.

As for Jordan’s time at ESPN and the surprise ending, he has nothing but great things to say about his time with the company. “I don’t look at the exit as much as I look at the ride,” he said. “I had six great years there. It gave me the ultimate platform. I got to work with some incredibly talented people at a network that everybody grew up watching. I look back on it and I’m grateful.”

And as for the time he spent doing a show with Shae, he said, “Working with my wife was to this day, the coolest thing I’ve ever done. We got to be the first couple to do a national radio show at ESPN on Sundays…so that was incredible. And to watch my wife take that and grow that into a SportsCenter role and I took that and grew it into what I’m doing now, it was cool.”

After the layoff, eventually Cornette had offers he had to decide between, but he knew exactly where he wanted to be. “I have an opportunity and I’m very honored, but this is where I want to be,” Cornette said he told NBC after receiving offers elsewhere. As it turned out, the feeling was mutual, and he says they were able to very quickly get a deal done.

In his new role, Cornette says he will be spreading his talents over several different areas. “I’ll be studio hosting and serving as a studio analyst for college basketball, studio hosting for college football, and studio hosting for golf with more growth within the network to come.”

As for home life, with both Cornettes thriving in their careers, he said, “We thrive in chaos, and we almost enjoy the chaos. It’s kind of how we operate. In this TV media landscape and just in the world in general, you’ve got to be able to roll with the punches. And we’ve gotten really good with that. You know, me and her, and I think any strong relationship, we survived hardship, tragedy in our lives, some great stuff, some peaks and valleys.

“And we just continue to rock on. We’ve been able to help each other in this business. I think that’s the ultimate sign of the teamwork we enjoy both in the household and in our careers, which has made us the best versions of ourselves. And I think that speaks to what a partner should truly be.”

At this moment, however, the Cornette’s are also dealing with a transition in their home. It happens on Saturdays when college football games are on. Shae is a graduate of Indiana University, which happens to be undefeated as of this writing and has long been known as a basketball school.

“It’s bull****,” Jordan says jokingly about Shae’s newfound enjoyment of college football Saturdays. “I’m like, wait a second. I thought it was Bobby Knight, Mike Davis, Mike Woodson. I thought it was only basketball there you would ever talk about, now with football?”

“She’s riding a high,” Cornette added. “And the fact that Notre Dame and Indiana could maybe play each other in the playoffs, this house may just combust.”

While the Cornette’s love to watch sports and have fun, they do also spend a lot of time working on something very near and dear to them. The tragedy Cornette spoke of happened when his brother Joel, a former standout basketball player at Butler, died suddenly of cardiac arrest in 2016 at the age of 35.

“My brother was such a force of nature,” Cornette said. “This world, sometimes it’s so divisive. He was such a unifying person that any time his name comes up, I get an ear-to-ear smile thinking about the lives he touched in his short time on this earth. And that was really the impetus and driving force for us to start this foundation, the Joel Cornette Foundation. He’d want us to charge on. He’d want us to make the world a little bit brighter, shine a light. That’s what we did with the foundation.”

As for what lies ahead for the 41-year-old Cornette, right now he says, “it is to cherish every day that I get to sit on a chair with uncalloused hands and talk about sports with like-minded people and get in front of a television and do such a dream job. And I promise to never take any day for granted. Grateful for the opportunity that NBC has given me a second go at this thing.

“I go in there every day with a big smile, grateful to do the work and try and do it to the best of my ability, both educate and entertain the audience that I’m lucky enough watches. When the rug got pulled from me at ESPN, I didn’t know what the future was going to hold. I just always said, if I ever get an opportunity to get back at it, to be grateful for every day that I’m doing it and be thankful for whoever gives me that opportunity. And that was NBC.”

A Message to iHeartMedia’s Corporate Team From An iHeart Employee

BMM Staff
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A Message to iHeartMedia’s Corporate Team From An iHeart Employee

It’s been a few weeks since the annual iHeart Employee Bloodbath. Although I personally somehow once again outwitted, outlasted, and outplayed talented co-workers to survive again, I am not feeling particularly grateful about that. In previous years after the bloodbath (that’s what our market has taken to calling the annual cutting of employees right before the holidays) there was a sense of gratitude in those left behind to take on even more work that their fired colleagues used to do. Not this year after I read this in the New York Post:

Wendy Goldberg, an iHeart spokeswoman, confirmed the layoffs. She noted that the company has focused on expanding its Gen Z audience and that its broadcast radio audience has “more listeners than it did 10 years ago.”

“Although in a company of 10,000 people very few jobs have been affected, there have been some and we never take this step lightly no matter how few jobs it entails; every team member is important to us and has our respect and appreciation.”

Very few jobs have been affected? I have been in this industry for over three decades. When I started in my current Large Market we had approximately two-thirds MORE employees than we have right now. We had a flourishing promotions department, sales assistants, Assistant PDs, and a support staff that did so many little things that don’t show up as directly related to profit. Over the last six years all of those people have been fired. Empty desks now occupy the renovated studios that iHeart spent millions to remodel.

But guess what? Most of the work that those people did still exists. It was just shoved off onto the remaining employees, most of the time without a raise. The days after the Bloodbath were filled with text messages from friends checking to see if we made the cut. To a person they all said some variation of “I really thought there was no one else left to cut”. These cuts aren’t jobs that didn’t matter!

Air talent is voice tracking in multiple markets. Production is doing spots for all over the country (oh, and “production” is usually one person now). Account Executives are being flooded with new and exciting products to sell with no support from their overworked sales managers. The notion that cutting another person from a skeleton crew doesn’t affect every other job in the cluster shows just how out of touch iHeart corporate is from the day-to-day operation of the company they run.

I’ve worked for Mom and Pop radio stations, and other large media companies. I’ve always been proud to say I work at iHeart. The innovations that the company has pursued in the form of the iHeart Radio app have been groundbreaking. The iHeart Music Festival is a fantastic way to bring young people to our products. Technology at this company is best in class. 

But if radio is to survive in this new world where someone can program their own radio station on Spotify with all their favorite songs, or can get the news of the world with their phones, or traffic reports from Waze on demand, it is only our people that make us better. The people who live and work in the communities they serve, and understand the quirks and foibles of that area. Those who show up at Christmas parades, business openings, and concerts to talk to our fans. Spotify will never be able to beat us at that. However, we’ve beaten ourselves by firing the people who could make all of it happen.

I’ve stayed in this industry for so long because even with the low pay and long hours, this job was FUN. I’ve had an amazing life because of radio, and have done things I could only dream of because of it. For that I am eternally grateful. But this job is not fun anymore. The pay is still low, and I’ve seen more people cry at work the past two years than I’ve seen in the previous thirty.

A good chunk of my colleagues around the country are either actively looking for a new job or plotting their escape from the industry entirely. When talking to former colleagues who have been fired in previous years, most have left the business and wax poetic about how much more money they are making with a lot less stress.

The thing I worry the most about is we are seeing the rise of a workforce in Millennials and Gen Z that isn’t willing to sacrifice their entire life in service to any boss, especially for low pay. Why would they want to come work here? At least in the old days there was free pizza.

This column has been brewing in me for several years. One more exchange in the New York Post story made me finally put pen to paper. It was this:

“I have heard that iHeart is going through a major restructuring,” a top radio executive who does not work at iHeart told The Post. “They have to show their lenders that they are improving profits.”

“I heard there is a lot of pressure on Pittman to stem the decline.”

The source also noted, however, that Pittman and iHeart CFO Richard Bressler both still have access to a private plane. According to securities filings, iHeart leases an aircraft at a cost of $42,000 a month.

“You’ll know they are serious when they fly commercial,” the source said.

You’ll know when they fly commercial, indeed. So far, they’d rather fly on the backs of employees they fired right before Christmas, again.

This column was written exclusively for Barrett Media from a longtime, accomplished broadcaster currently working for iHeartMedia in a Top 20 radio market. Their identity has been protected due to the sensitive nature of the content.

Hubie Brown Has Given His Life to NBA Basketball and Fans Are Smarter Because of It

Dave Greene
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Hubie Brown Has Given His Life to NBA Basketball and Fans Are Smarter Because of It

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

There are some days in sports you will never forget. Each one of us as sports fans has those different memories both good and bad you will always remember where you were, what you felt and maybe even what you were wearing and who you were with. Having been both a longtime fan and a member of the sports media, I have sports memories on both sides.

One of those moments came in 2002. I was running WHBQ in Memphis, the flagship station at the time of the Memphis Grizzlies. The team started out 0-8 that year and head coach Sidney Lowe was shown the door. I believe when Lowe was let go, our hosts on the station mentioned somewhere between 20 and 200 people as possible replacements. I do not believe a single one mentioned Hubie Brown, and if they did, they were joking.

Hubie hadn’t been a head coach since the mid-80’s and the last thing anyone thought an early-2000’s NBA team needed was a 69-year-old head coach. Boy were we all wrong.

Jerry West is who believed in Hubie Brown and when Hubie came in, he brought his no-nonsense style with him, and I was smitten right away. Here was a guy who had forgotten more basketball that day than I will ever know in my lifetime. To put it clearly, Hubie Brown is a basketball genius. And listening to him, whether on a broadcast, or with a mic in front of his face as a coach, was a lesson in basketball, coaching, motivation and leadership.

As you may know, Brown has lost two people this year he was very close to. His wife passed away in June at 87. Then, earlier this month, Brown’s 54-year-old son Brendan, he himself a former coach and longtime Knicks broadcaster, died suddenly. Brendan was an assistant with his dad in Memphis and he, too, was a walking encyclopedia of the sport.

I do not want to portray that I knew either one very well, but I did get the honor of spending some time around both and am definitely a smarter basketball fan because of it.

We are all smarter basketball fans because of Hubie Brown and that is something I am going to dearly miss as he steps away from broadcasting. He has given his life to the sport and Hubie stepping away, but doing it at the age of 91, is very much on brand.

Whether he was working with Verne Lundquist, Dick Stockton, Al Michaels, Mike Breen or any number of other play-by-play broadcasters he had the chance to work with, he made the broadcast better. It just sounded right hearing Hubie’s voice in a big NBA game, it still does.

ESPN/ABC has said he will call at least one more game to get a proper sendoff. I hope it is more than that, but if it is only one game, I have some small requests. Can we bring Dick Stockton back to do the game? And while we are at it, can the game be played between the late 80’s Lakers and Celtics or Pistons?

Hubie Brown is one of a kind. He will be missed on the call of NBA games, but like everything else, we will all have the memories of the many great games he was on the call for and can cherish those forever. There will never be another like him.

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The Best/Worst Thing I’ve Heard/Watched/Read Recently

Of all the things I could be upset about, I don’t know why I am letting this Tyson-Paul/Netflix situation bother me so much, but it has gotten my already elevated blood pressure to soar even higher. Do these people not have PR or crisis management help?

Hey, I get touting the successes, and as I have already written, there were many. But to see some of the things Logan Paul, Netflix, Tyson, MVP and anyone else associated with the event has put out on social media or in press releases, you would think it went smooth as silk. Nothing to see hear, sorry some/many/nearly all of you couldn’t watch. But guess what? There were somewhere between 60 and 900 million people watching so who cares if some of you struggled.

Be better. Netflix is seemingly a great company, and I have no doubt there won’t be the same problems with the NFL or WWE. But let’s watch how we brag about this particular event. Let’s make sure not to leave out how sincerely sorry you were that the streaming outlet was not prepared, and acknowledge those that tried to watch but couldn’t, even though we all know you are counting them in your numbers regardless.

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In Case You Missed It

Earlier this week, former 95.3 WDAE Program Director John Mamola wrote an Industry Guest Column for Barrett Media about being one of the many people laid off from iHeartMedia. John had been with the station for more than a decade, having started in 2011. He had also just signed a long-term contract extension with the company in February of last year.

John wrote a great piece and included in it were these words:

“I was speechless and felt destroyed and betrayed by the people I called family. The business that I loved, the craft I had studied told me it didn’t love nor need me anymore. In any business layoffs are meant to be cold and soul-less with no correct way to execute. But on my way home I remembered a saying my father taught me many moons ago. It helped me look deep into myself with the entire situation that was ahead of me. 

“You never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

Mamola would go on to offer tips to those who have also been affected by any of the layoffs. To read the full column click here.

Real Life Network’s Daniel Cohen Moved to Israel to Be the ‘Watchman on the Walls of Jerusalem’

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Real Life Network’s Daniel Cohen Moved to Israel to Be the ‘Watchman on the Walls of Jerusalem’

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.

From the sunny streets of San Diego to the star-studded City of Angels, Real Life Network’s Daniel Cohen has covered it all. But nothing here in the United States compares to the coverage he has done since moving to Israel.

“If you would have told me in 2008, ‘hey, [in a few years] you’re going to be living in Israel, you’re going to be a dual citizen, you’ll live through a pandemic, you’ll be reporting from the front lines of the aftermath of an absolutely devastating massacre, terror attack’, I would’ve said, ‘I don’t know about that,’” the former Newsmax correspondent said.

Yet, in 2020, Cohen and his wife Paige did the unthinkable, leaving the TV glamour behind (briefly), picking their family up in the middle of a pandemic and moving to the Holy Land. “We’d never been to Israel,” he said. “We’d always wanted to go to Israel. We didn’t want the rapture aerial view of Israel like we wanted to see it on the ground.”

For 11 months the Cohen’s traveled around the country, even spending time with his grandmother who is a holocaust survivor, before Daniel was made an offer from Newsmax to become their first Jerusalem correspondent.

“I have all great things to say about Chris Ruddy and Newsmax being the first ever Jerusalem correspondent in Israel. For them, what a privilege, what an honor.”

During his tenure with the company Cohen covered some of the region’s most poignant news events, including the horrific terror attack on October 7, 2023.

“Our family saying, ‘What are you doing? You have children. There are rockets coming from Hamas. You have Hezbollah directly to the north. You have Houthis and all these different terror groups.’”  

As his family in America was asking him to come home, Cohen and his wife boldly decided to keep their family in the war zone – trusting in God to keep them safe. “This is called a ring of fire surrounding Israel,” Cohen said. “All these people, they want to kill me. They want to destroy Israel. They want Israel. And they want to take the land.”

He went on to say, “They were trying to start a jihad, a holy war. And they were hoping that the rest of the world would join them. But Israel has a strong military and God’s hand of protection.”

Cohen was one of a handful of reporters to see what happened to the victims of the October 7 attack. “Being in the first group of journalists that saw the massacre footage, which, my gosh. Letting that into my eyes [was rough]. Just seeing that it’s worse than they even told.”

Today, instead of two-minute hits, Cohen is now creating his own show with Real Life Network. “Brick by brick [we are] creating my own show. It’s called Ground Zero, Israel. It’s connecting what’s happening here that these news stories that people are seeing every day with what the Bible says because it’s all prophetic, it’s all tied together.”

Cohen said he feels his role is to, “Be a watchman on the walls of Jerusalem and to tell truthful stories from this land, to call Hamas terrorists, not freedom fighters like some of our colleagues do.”

He later added of his storytelling, “I want to be a bold truth teller here because Israel needs it. Telling the truth from this land is a radical thing. I watch the news in the United States. I watch Sky News in Britain and the Al Jazeera and it’s like there are two realities of what’s going on here. So, my job is just to continue to be a bold and unapologetic truth teller.”

While Cohen’s bold truths have gotten him banned from Facebook, he says he has no regrets. “My Facebook account has been suspended for over a month because I call Hamas terrorists, and I don’t misspell the word terrorist,” he said.

For those looking to follow in his footsteps Cohen says don’t, instead do this: “Follow the Lord’s leading, put the Lord first and watch and see what he does, because Jeremiah 29:11 says, ‘he has his plans [and they] are good. I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, to give you a hope and a future not to harm you.’”

Cohen later added, “Follow the Lord’s leading and blaze your own trail and see what you will do with your life and see what he will do through you.”

On a personal note, I had the pleasure of working with Daniel Cohen, including collaborating on an Easter special. More evident than his faith, is his genuine kindness and compassion for all those who cross his path. He is a thoughtful reporter and anchor who diligently pays attention to the words he selects, which makes his storytelling an art.

Channel 93.3’s Nerf Stays Hyper Focused On Alternative Denver

Charese Fruge
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Channel 93.3’s Nerf Stays Hyper Focused On Alternative Denver

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.

His first official paid on-air gig was at Channel 93.3 in Denver, his hometown, and he’s been there ever since. For Nerf, that was 25 years ago. But overall, it didn’t start there. After college, he lived in Los Angeles and got a gig driving the promo van at KROQ. That doesn’t suck. “That’s where I fell in love with radio and knew I wanted to be an air-personality. Starting out as a PT board-op/DJ/promo guy, I’ve always had more slashes than Freddy Kruger. At one point, I was Afternoon DJ/Promotions Director/Music Director/APD; at that time, we didn’t have an acting PD. I got my PD stripes in 2005 or 2006.”

As of right now, Nerf’s current title is VP of Events and Strategic Partnerships/Program Director KTCL and Punk Tacos (KTCL-HD2)/Afternoon Personality. “More slashes than Guns and Roses to this day,” he says. “I also just joined the Board of Directors for a non-profit called Youth On Record. Awesome music programs for underserved youth.”

“KTCL is a hyper-local, music-focused tastemaker with personality,” explains Nerf. “It’s all about the music, but we find ways to deliver the music that makes us more than just a jukebox. We champion up-and-coming and local artists while balancing that with some big names to keep the mainstream audience engaged.”

“Right now, we’re just starting our ‘Hometown For The Holidays’ process. We’ve been doing it for 18 or so years, and it’s incredibly complicated (to put on) while being much simpler to the audience. But the devil is in the details. To the audience, they hear ten local bands in rotation for a week (during the holiday book) and give us their opinion of each in music surveys (same ones we use all year for new music). Then, they can see the top three at a free show before Christmas. All Ten bands really win with the exposure.”

“Crazy as this sounds… we ‘invented’ a holiday! March 3rd (3/03) is 303 Day in Colorado. We have local shows and local comedians on the air, play a bunch of local music, encourage people to post about Colorado, and wear local sports/music swag, but we never tried to make it OURS. It’s for the state to enjoy, regardless of where it comes from. Now, local businesses offer 303 Day specials, TV News stations do local pieces about 303 Day, and even our radio competitors celebrate it on the air. I’m really proud to have helped Colorado show off its state pride once a year!”

“And my personal favorite passion project is Punk Tacos KTCL-HD2… I love that filthy little monster… I wish I could spend more time on it.”

“It’s amazing to me how insatiable this town (Denver) is for live music,” says Nerf. “With the exception of this year, which is ending pretty soft almost everywhere, it sounds like Coloradans spend ridiculous amounts of money on concerts. I guess when you have Red Rocks in your back yard, you want to use it. I think Rock and Alt music come along for the ride. In our cluster, we have Active, Triple-A, and Classic Rock, along with KTCL. Somehow, the rock stations all do well, and we’ve always struggled to make a pop station work. I guess Denver just Rocks!”

“I think the reason we’ve struggled a bit lately is first and foremost…well, what’s missing is…most of the people we used to work with for one. I miss you all! Let’s get a beer!” says Nerf. “On top of that, I think this format used to like to ‘taste-make’ more than it does now. I get it; we’re all just trying to keep our jobs, but I think the conservative game makes for boring radio. I include myself in that assessment.”

“When thinking about what we could do to improve our chances, I think a lot about the concept of the ‘Event Record.’ It’s possible that always playing a record, no matter what it sounds like, simply because the artist has had successful records in the past is turning Alternative from a concept to an era. If we want to just say Alternative is GenX’s thing and go for 44-54 appeal, with artists from the 90s still making new songs… OK. But that’s never been what I listened to Alternative radio for, personally. Don’t get me wrong. If an act made a lot of hits off their last album, SURE this first single’s release is an EVENT. But we need to judge all the songs by the audio, not the history at the end of the day. Otherwise, we ignore the next generation of hitmakers, playing stiffs from the founding fathers.”

Linkin Park seems to be an exception to the rule for Nerf, but again, it’s about the quality, not the band name. “Colin Brittain, the new drummer, is great! The guy has tons of chops and great studio skills. Nice of you to ask… drummers never get enough cred.…OK, and Emily Armstrong is an absolute ass-kicker too! If you can sing Crawling and not barf up your vocal cords… you’re a legend. We’ve had times where our station played NO Linkin Park. Not an automatic hit for our audience, but they really seem to like the new song thus far. Can’t wait for the shows!”

One of the biggest challenges of the format is the repetition and sharing of a large gold category among both Rock & Alt records. Historically, the same artists and songs come back as the most familiar and are played over and over again on multiple stations in markets. How do we find a content balance and keep the music and formats sounding fresh? “They say culture happens in 30-year cycles. Up until now, Alternative has really been in its first cycle. I think it’s time for us to think about what we can let go of,” explains Nerf.

 “Our classic rock station isn’t playing the same music it did 20 years ago, why are we? I think there’s a survey bias with the way radio tests music. If you like Alternative Rock, are you going to say you don’t like Nirvana? No, they are sacred. When you reduce songs to numbers, the oldest is going to be the best. Does that mean that’s all we should play, though? No. That may work in the short term but then crash when you burn out your gold.”

“Here’s where a programmer’s savvy and experience should come into play. A healthy balance of Gold, Recurrent, and Current are (in my opinion) what can give you longevity in the Alternative format. This is an argument that I don’t always win with the powers that be, but we’ve seen our best ratings when we followed that philosophy.”

“And the good news is, Yes! 100% there is enough new music out there to keep the format alive! We may have to go out and find it, though. The promotions community in records is pretty small these days. We can’t afford to wait for hits to be dropped on our desks anymore. We also need to make room for new artists like I mentioned previously.”

Some of the most exciting experiences for me over the years have been seeing local bands like The Fray, Single File, Meese, Tickle Me Pink, 3oh!3, Churchill, Air Dubai, 888, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats and Illenium blow up. Putting on great events like Big Gig, Rave On The Rocks, and Keggs and Eggs are always a blast for me, too.”

“And lately, my own personal favorites have me on a Frenzal Rhomb kick. Also, Iguana Death Cult is my new favorite thing. I listen to an unhealthy amount of Pissed Jeans. IDLES is my go-to for the past six years. …I should have prefaced this with ‘most people find my taste unlistenable.’ Too late. Sorry.”

“As far as getting Women more involved in what is historically a male-dominated format, we pack our music meetings with extra female artists and people of color. Every weekly survey we send out, we try to make sure there’s at least one act with one or more women in it. As far as staff goes, thankfully, we haven’t had much turnover with the airstaff. In promotions, though, our last six hires were women, and our next two prospects are, too. We tend to train promotions staff to be jocks, so HOPEFULLY these women fall in love with radio like I did and hang in long enough to take my job.”

Follow Nerf on social media: “Before Twitter went to shit, it was my fav. Now, I go primarily with Instagram. @NERF933.”

Radio Salespeople Can Make Themselves Invaluable by Embracing Change and Being True Consultants

Jeff Caves
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Radio Salespeople Can Make Themselves Invaluable by Embracing Change and Being True Consultants

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 business arena is littered with sales reps whose jobs have been eliminated or drastically reduced. Print media, Yellow Pages, and travel agents are just some professions that have seen significant declines.

You may be wondering, “Am I next?”

No! Broadcast radio sales reps don’t have to be next. Radio salespeople can survive and thrive in the evolving market by transitioning to digital-first offerings, studying to become true consultants, focusing on their niche, and leveraging existing relationships.

Radio Isn’t Perfect

The shift of advertising dollars to digital platforms, audience fragmentation, and the increased use of streaming have reshaped our world. Advertisers are attracted to the promise of digital targeting and the robustness of analytics, leaving us sometimes feeling left behind. But with these challenges come opportunity. It is by repositioning ourselves and this business as an integral part of modern advertising. It doesn’t have to be the end of radio; it can be the beginning of a new period.

We Are Strong

Radio continues to stand out in ways that newer platforms can’t replicate. The facts don’t lie. 70% of the audio listened to in the car is radio. We listen over 10 hours a week, and over 91% of U.S. Adults 18+ listen to radio monthly, making it one of the most accessible and far-reaching mediums. Advertisers can impact most of your community by being on during drive times. We are intensely local, with stations producing millions of dollars each month in charitable donations and providing advertisers with authentic and trusted connections to real local audiences. Google THAT.

Radio plays nicely with digital marketing by filling the top of the funnel, while digital media fights it out at the bottom. Streaming audio, podcast sponsorships, and social media ads power reach and effectiveness. Be innovative and deliver real results.

We Build Bridges

Radio sales reps aren’t just selling airtime—we’re creating partnerships. Most of us have local knowledge and deep relationships with clients, so we can help businesses navigate the complexities of today’s advertising. We must continue to evolve and study the new terms and tactics of advertising, specifically digital. To be a true consultant, you must know the business as well as you can navigate a ranker. We must understand our client’s business challenges, identify opportunities, and develop tailored solutions that leverage radio’s strengths alongside digital tools. It’s not about the drill; it’s about making holes.

We Are Evolving

Programmatic radio, podcast advertising, and zonecasting are changing how advertisers connect with audiences. Explore programmatic to offer your clients real-time targeting. Offer podcast sponsorships to reach niche audiences or use zonecasting to help local businesses stand out on THEIR side of town. Be proactive and bring these solutions to your clients.

Learn about dynamic creative, which allows ads to adapt to a listener’s location or preferences in real-time. Learn about these innovations to keep your clients engaged and attract new business for yourself. With the right strategies, radio can continue as a local and national advertising cornerstone.

Let’s Do It!

Embrace change and commit to lifelong learning. Be more like Don Draper. You will always be relevant. Try becoming an advertising technology expert. You will have no choice but to keep up. Secure your place in the future of advertising at the place that supports you and desperately needs you to evolve. The pain of staying the same is way worse than that of change. This week, commit to learning one new digital tool or advertising technique. Call two clients to pitch a fresh idea integrating radio’s reach with digital precision.

Take pride in your role as a radio sales rep but explore new opportunities and deepen your knowledge. Confidence brings energy. Energy + Urgency=Success. The future of radio isn’t just in technology—it’s in you. Never forget this: nothing happens until a sale is made.

Melissa Stark Brings a Field-Level Perspective to NBC Sports, ‘Sunday Night Football’

Derek Futterman
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Melissa Stark Brings a Field-Level Perspective to NBC Sports, ‘Sunday 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.

When the Kansas City Chiefs were featured on the Week 3 edition of Sunday Night Football, fullback Carson Steele was between the lines for his first career start in the NFL. This career milestone, however, also happened to coincide with the wedding ceremony for his sister that members of his family were attending.

Upon discovering this unique confluence of lifetime achievements, NBC Sports sideline reporter Melissa Stark immediately reached out to Steele’s parents to request that they send an image of the group watching the game from afar. The attempt to obtain this footage was successful, and it was later spotlighted on the broadcast as Steele rushed for 154 yards and contributed to the 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Stark, a veteran reporter and journalist, prides herself on journalistic integrity in uncovering and disseminating nuanced stories throughout the broadcast. In this instance, her decision to take action and ultimately enhance the presentation through her outreach ended up paying dividends. Clips of Steele’s family and friends watching the game on a large display quickly circulated social media platforms, drawing complimentary plaudits and attention from football fans around the world. Moreover, the game ended up averaging 25.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, rendering it the most-watched Week 3 edition of Sunday Night Football in franchise history.

“We do our typical production meetings every week and then I make my own calls outside of that, so I bring my own stories to the table,” Stark said, “and then what we’ve really – because we’re just so on the same page and we’ve been working together – our sideline team has really, really tried to emphasize in-game observations.”

Contextualizing particular occurrences can eliminate potential ambiguity or speculation, providing a more accurate depiction of situations that are unfolding. Effectively compiling these reports in real time is not only derived by means of real-time observations, but also from comprehensive preparation, research and questioning.

Stark has built immense credibility throughout her career in the sports media business and excelled in a variety of roles, but she is a relatively new addition to the Sunday Night Football broadcast team. Michele Tafoya ended her 11-season run as the sideline reporter for the broadcast property following the NBCUniversal presentation of Super Bowl LVI in February 2022. One month later, play-by-play announcer Al Michaels agreed to a deal calling games for Amazon’s Prime Video on Thursday Night Football, although he still would remain in an emeritus role with NBC Sports.

Whereas new play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico had previously filled in on games alongside Cris Collinsworth, Stark had not worked on the property. Despite occasionally sideline reporting for NFL Network’s slate of international games, it had been two decades since she regularly occupied this type of role. Nonetheless, she arrived with an understanding of the expectations and still aims to improve on a weekly basis, opting to approach every game as a miniature version of the Super Bowl.

“I’ve been in the business for 25 years, there’s no resting on your laurels,” Stark said. “You never want to get comfortable because you can always get better. There’s really no egos – it’s everybody just diving in each week and trying to raise the bar – and I love that because we can all grow and we can all learn and we can all be better, and so that’s what we try to do.”

Early in the week, Stark watches the games of the teams she will be covering for the next broadcast while also analyzing storylines and narratives to determine with whom she wants to speak. Furthermore, she takes part in a sideline meeting to review the last telecast and considers how to make improvements. Stark and her colleagues will customarily watch practice on Friday morning and spend three days on the ground to ensure they are ready to take the air.

“There’s an energy and adrenaline to it that you just cannot find anywhere else and just constantly new information and stories,” Stark said. “Being in school, I loved studying for an exam, and I feel like each week, we’re covering different teams, different players, different storylines, and I absolutely just throw myself into that and live and breathe it for that next week, and then you move on to the next.”

Stark and her colleagues are on the precipice of calling three games in eight days, including a Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers. While she is grateful for the assignments, she grasps the inherent difficulty of this stretch. Attaining a work-life balance, especially around the holidays, is a cumbersome task that involves a surfeit of travel and requires shrewd focus and stamina. At the same time, she has to sacrifice being away from her family amid a holiday centered around camaraderie and togetherness.

“[E]specially as a mom who is thinking about Christmas and preparing for the holidays and all that stuff, I always say this week definitely is a really tough one,” Stark elucidated, “and then it’s kind of tough to recover from it just because travel is getting harder around the holidays and it’s getting colder and all that stuff, but it’s an incredible job, but this is definitely the hardest week, without a doubt, that we have for sure.”

Yet Stark recognizes the peerless honor of broadcasting on Thanksgiving Day, especially having previously worked with John Madden on the ABC Sports edition of Monday Night Football. Madden’s impact and legacy are realized throughout the game broadcast, which typically culminates with members of the winning team feasting on holiday delicacies. The curiosity and tenacity Stark brings to the eight-day span, including two traditional Sunday night matchups bookending the holiday, helps her execute her responsibilities with aplomb.

“[There is] nothing like doing a game on Thanksgiving, especially because John Madden and I were so close and he was such a big supporter of mine, and now that everything about the Thanksgiving games now is all about Madden,” Stark said. “They’re donating $10,000 to the high school program of the MVP’s choice from the game and the turducken and it’s super fun.”

Stark established herself in the Washington area reporting for Home Team Sports, a local programming network co-owned by Viacom and the FOX Corporation. Shortly thereafter, she was hired by ESPN and hosted Scholastic Sports America, a weekly show examining high school and collegiate sports. Stark refined her craft traveling the country routinely conducting interviews with athletes, some of whom were uncomfortable on camera, but she yearned to assuage those apprehensions and extrapolate their genuine viewpoints.

“We are in the business of storytelling, and if you can find that nugget – that sort of golden nugget; that piece of information about somebody’s ‘Why?’ or what drives them – ultimately I think that’s kind of what makes the world go round, and it’s what makes someone unique and someone special,” Stark said, “so I think that helped me sort of hone my storytelling skills.”

In the ensuing years, Stark began covering a variety of sports for ESPN and contributing to shows such as Outside the Lines and SportsCenter. Upon moving to ABC Sports in 2000 as the sideline reporter for Monday Night Football, she regarded it as an incredible opportunity that was simultaneously overwhelming. Stark recalled that fewer women were working in television at the time and faced people who did not take her seriously.

“I always say that I wish I knew then what I know now, and what is that?,” Stark averred. “That’s through hard work and through making all the connections and really knowing the information and getting the stories, that you belong. You do belong, as long as you are doing that work, and I really learned what a strong work ethic it does take and how important it is to have those connections, but obviously those take time to develop.”

A few years after working for NBC Today and on MSNBC breaking news coverage, Stark joined NFL Network where she hosted shows and reported from the NFL Draft. Her stint with the league-owned entity recently concluded on NFL 360, its newsmagazine program. A consistent link between all of her experiences underscores storytelling, serving as an objective resource situated on the field level.

Under new rules approved by the league, both teams must make a head coach or coordinator available for an in-game interview either during end-of-quarter breaks or at halftime. Stark stays in contact with a sideline producer situated in the broadcast truck while also listening to Tirico and Collinsworth to hear what points on which the commentary is focused. When the conversation occurs, she aims for brevity in her questioning to garner compendious answers and accumulate fundamental insights.

“The coach is trying to get into the locker room or he’s trying to get back, coming out of the half, he’s trying to get back to the start of the third quarter, so I don’t like long questions,” Stark said. “We like to keep our questions kind of short and succinct, and there’s a sense of urgency at that time because the coach doesn’t have a lot of time.”

Once the game concludes, the broadcast affords consumers the chance to hear from standout players on the field before they participate in postgame media availability. Stark has spoken with stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy and Jordan Love to chronicle their perspectives of the final outcome. Arriving at the stadium with the ability to properly frame situations, she asks penetrating questions that facilitate authenticity within their responses.

“I try not to ask generic, cookie-cutter questions,” Stark said. “I try to always think outside the box or utilize something they told me earlier in the week really to personalize them so that you dig a little deeper.”

Even though Super Bowl LX is more than a year away, Stark and her colleagues are looking forward to presenting the championship matchup, emanating from Santa Clara, Calif., on NBCUniversal broadcast television and streaming platforms. The game will complete the third season of a 10-year media rights deal between Comcast and the NFL that is reportedly worth $2 billion annually. Aside from the fact that one of her daughters recently committed to nearby Stanford University for track and field and that she will be able to visit, Stark is excited to call the matchup for the first time since 2003 but remains focused on the season at hand.

“This team has been together for so long – this group – and ultimately we’re completely building for that,” Stark said. “When we were just out there for a San Francisco game, [we] already did some survey sites of hotels and Levi’s Stadium and stuff like that, but I’m not necessarily thinking; I mean, I can’t start preparing for the Super Bowl right now.”

The professionalism, verve and avidity that Stark brings to her assignments is evident to many viewers, and she has oftentimes been identified as a paragon by her contemporaries, catalyzing them to pursue careers in sports media. As she has continued her journey through the business, more women are being promoted to leadership roles and making their voices heard in decision-making forums shaping the future of innovation and consumption. Stark is one of the luminaries who has inspired aspiring professionals to earn a seat at the table and shatter proverbial glass ceilings.

“It’s incredible to have that kind of respect and to know that other younger girls or women know that this is a possibility,” Stark said. “….If the future generation of women can take something from what I’m doing or my job and say, ‘I can do this too,’ that’s awesome.”

As the NFL season eclipses its halfway point, Stark is determined to continue being a discerning storyteller that enhances the parlance of the Sunday Night Football presentation. The NBC Sports broadcast has been the No. 1 show in prime-time television across key metrics for the last 13 consecutive years, showcasing the stories and stars to an expansive national audience. As the franchise prepares for one of its busiest stretches of the season, Stark is embarking on an extended road trip where she will travel eastbound from Los Angeles to Green Bay to Buffalo. Throughout this interconference expedition, she is getting set to document the action and contribute towards a perdurable final product.

“There’s nothing redundant about it; there’s nothing boring about it,” Stark said. “It constantly keeps you on your toes, and I absolutely love the group that we work with. You have to because we spend so much time together, so we have so much fun. We laugh [and] go out to dinners, so there’s a fun aspect to that as well and a team camaraderie.”

Advertisers Are Missing a Golden Opportunity

BNM Staff
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Advertisers Are Missing a Golden Opportunity

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 see a missed marketing opportunity that advertisers should be aware of. Please take note that 63% of all mail-in and early in-person votes in this year’s election were cast by voters 50 years old and over. Strikingly, only 5-10% of advertising dollars are spent targeting this group, according to The Harvard Business Review.

The thinking 30 years ago was that those over 50 had no money to spend so why bother. But that was then and this is now. The reality is that this is the group that has the most disposable dollars.

Now let’s take a look at those that do vote. 

I’m comfortable with the assumption that this group is very aware, pro-active and are more likely to answer a call to action. How great it would be to see a marketing budget targeted by age of voters instead of a ranker with a sample size of one thousand.

My suggested way is to use a sample size of 88 million who voted in-mail and early in-person. If it is my product and my ad budget, I’m going to change up the parameters to try it this way one time.

Just sayin.

Dan Mason is a Venture Parnter and Strategic Advisor to SeventySix Capital, and the former President and CEO of CBS Radio. Dan’s radio experience spans decades and includes time as Chairman of VSiN, and President of Group W Radio. He has also served as the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors, and contributed on-air for CBS Sports Network and the Horse Racing Radio Network. Reach him by email at RadioDanMason@aol.com.

Mike Missanelli, JAKIB Sports Court Hearing Ends with Allegations of Verbal and Physical Attacks

BSM Staff
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Mike Missanelli, JAKIB Sports Court Hearing Ends with Allegations of Verbal and Physical Attacks

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.

97.5 The Fanatic host Mike Missanelli co-hosted a Philadelphia Eagles postgame show for JAKIB Media in 2022 and 2023. In a recent lawsuit filed, Missanelli claims the company and its founder Joseph Krause agreed to pay him $100,000 for the 2023 season, but that he wasn’t paid anywhere near that amount.

“I gave him plenty of time to pay what he owed,” Missanelli told the Philadelphia Inquirer recently. “Chasing him down was exhausting, which is why I finally decided to sue.”

After a hearing in the case today, JAKIB Media posted on its X account accusing Missanelli of verbal and physical abuse. The post read, “Following today’s court hearing in Norristown, where JAKIB Sports declined a $40,000 settlement offer, an incident occurred involving Mike Missanelli. He verbally threatened & attempted to physically attack our founder, Joe Krause, in the courthouse lobby by the elevators after the hearing. We will not stand down to Mike Missanelli, and we will not be bullied. He did not fulfill his contract, and he knows it. A police report is being filed tonight with the Norristown Police Department, and we are prepared to press charges. JAKIB Sports is committed to seeing this through the proper legal channels.”

Missanelli gave the following statement to Barrett Media:

“Joe Krause lost his court case with me today and was obviously sour after the fact. I turned down his settlement offer of less than half of the $85,000 that he owes me for services rendered. He has repeatedly tried to circumvent payment to many he employed for his fledgling company, and I have begun the process of legal action to recover what’s owed. There was no physical altercation other than his failed, belligerent attempt to get into the elevator with my attorney and myself.”

Since posting this story initially, JAKIB Media has posted the following statement on their X account:

“We have been reached for comment by the Inquirer & other outlets. For the sake of full transparency, this is our founder’s official full statement on yesterday’s incident: “Yesterday afternoon at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Mike Missanelli exited a fifth-floor elevator and approached me in an aggressive and threatening manner. With a hostile look and shouting, ‘I WILL F***ING TAKE YOU OUT RIGHT NOW,’ his actions demonstrated a clear intent to intimidate and threaten harm.

A courthouse officer had to intervene and physically restrain him to prevent further escalation. Terroristic threats and intimidation are serious offenses under Pennsylvania law, and I am committed to holding Mike accountable for such unlawful behavior. A formal complaint has been filed with the District Attorney’s Office. Since this incident occurred within a courthouse, which is County property, a special prosecutor has been assigned to handle the matter. Harassment and intimidation have no place in our society, and I will ensure that appropriate legal actions are taken to address this incident.”

Missanelli isn’t alone in suing JAKIB Media of late. Audacy has also recently filed suit against the company for $440,000 in missed payments after it “failed to pay in full for paid programming agreements” on WPHT.

Those programs weren’t limited to just sports content. Some other programs focusing on legal advice, real estate investing, and medical care aired on sister station 1210 WPHT for a more than three-year period.

‘Bernie Mack’ Moreland Takes On Morning Drive At CayCountry 93.5

BMM Staff
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‘Bernie Mack’ Moreland Takes On Morning Drive At CayCountry 93.5

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Former Westwood One host “Bernie Mack” Moreland has picked up morning drive remotely on DMS Broadcasting’s CayCountry 93.5 Grand Cayman.

He takes over from local host Jay Ehrhart, who left after less than a year.

Mack spent 11 years at Westwood One as night voice for Hot AC, following previous roles at Classic Hits KLUV in Dallas and Top 40 WNDV in South Bend, IN.

Congratulate him here.

The station welcomed him on social media.

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