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iHeartMedia Executive Vice President of Sports Don Martin Announces His Departure

Jason Barrett
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iHeartMedia Executive Vice President of Sports Don Martin Announces His Departure

One of sports radio’s top executives is signing off. iHeartMedia Executive Vice President of Sports, SVP of AM 570 KLAC-AM, and longtime FOX Sports Radio SVP of Programming Don Martin is departing the iHeartMedia Los Angeles cluster. Martin will relinquish his role as EVP of iHeartMedia Sports, and SVP of AM-570 KLAC. He’s expected to remain involved near term with Premiere Networks and Fox Sports Radio. His wife, Robin Bertolucci, who has led KFI in Los Angeles to record performance is also exiting.

Martin has spent over two decades at Fox Sports Radio, and has been a champion of the sports format. He enjoyed success with FSR during the Jim Rome years, Jay Mohr’s run, and after it as well. Alongside Julie Talbott, he helped the network regain its power and influence, attracting Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick, Doug Gottlieb, Clay Travis, and Rob Parker to come aboard. Martin also hired programming executive Scott Shapiro, who has played a key role in helping move the brand forward.

With Martin leading the charge, FSR and its shows have been consistently recognized by industry executives in Barrett Media’s Top 20 in sports radio as the best in the business. His departure comes after his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers brought home another World Series championship. AM 570, KLAC-AM, another brand which Martin managed, which featured the popular team of Petros & Money, has served as the team’s rightsholder since 2011. The station has seen significant revenue and ratings improvement since aligning with the Dodgers. Martin was involved in that deal, and also oversaw the merger of AM 690/1150. He also was responsible for moving XTRA Sports 690/1150 to 570.

In an internal memo, Martin told his staff that he’s had a great ride, and is looking forward to continuing his journey with Julie Talbott and the FSR Family. “We’ve seen a lot, we’ve done a lot, and we’ve won more than our share,” said Martin. “I want to send each one of you a heartfelt hug and huge THANK YOU for changing my life, all for the better.” 

Martin said he still has fire in his belly, and won’t be a stranger. He praised the team for going out as champions after KLAC earned #1 billing status for the month of October, calling them the GREATEST FAMILY ever assembled.

Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Martin served as Program Director of 850 KOA in Denver. He elevated his career in the Mile High city from 1996-2003. The NAB named KOA “Station of the Year” five years in a row during his tenure.

Martin’s infectious personality, people skills, and programming acumen creates an immediate hole inside the iHeart Los Angeles cluster. iHeartMedia Los Angeles President Paul Corvino, and Kevin LeGrett, President of iHeartMedia Sports will be tasked with managing the transition. Scott Shapiro, Senior Vice President of Premiere Networks and Fox Sports Radio, and Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott will continue working with Martin on Fox Sports Radio business.

Attempts to reach Martin for comment were unsuccessful. His decision comes in the wake of recent nationwide layoffs across the company.

On behalf of Barrett Media, I congratulate Don on a spectacular career. I’ve appreciated his friendship and support throughout the years, and look forward to the next ‘My Brother’ when we connect.

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.

‘Y’all Access’ With Kelly Sutton Is Offering CMA Broadcast Special

BMM Staff
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‘Y’all Access’ With Kelly Sutton Is Offering CMA Broadcast Special

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.

“Y’all Access” with host Kelly Sutton is set to deliver an exclusive three-hour preview of the highly anticipated 2024 CMA Awards. This immersive program will grant fans unprecedented access to “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” offering a glimpse behind the scenes through a captivating blend of interviews, music performances, and insider insights.

This special broadcast is available as a free download to interested stations in non-competitive markets.

Ahead of the November 20th CMA Awards, Sutton will offer listeners an exclusive inside look, interviewing nominees, performers, and this year’s show hosts.

“For big Country music events, we always put together something extra special for our affiliates,” Sutton explains. “By making this content available to a wider audience, it gives stations a chance to see why ‘Y’all Access’ is better than standard all-access coverage.”

This special feature candid conversations with top Country artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay, and Bailey Zimmerman along with hosts Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson. The show will take you from the hit songs you know and love to the stories that inspired them – all leading up to the CMA Awards.

In addition to interviews, “Y’all Access” will play the year’s biggest hits and nominated songs, making it the perfect way to celebrate and anticipate the 2024 CMA Award

Sign up here to download “Y’all Access” to the CMA Awards with Kelly Sutton.”

NPR, Dan Bongino, Fox News Lead As 7 of Top 10 Podtrac October Podcasts Come From News Genre

BNM Staff
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NPR, Dan Bongino, Fox News Lead As 7 of Top 10 Podtrac October Podcasts Come From News Genre

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.

News podcasts are incredibly popular. But as shows from NPR, Dan Bongino, The New York Times, and Fox News make up seven of the top 10 podcasts in the latest Podtrac rankings.

Podcasts from the genre accounted for the top five places in the October Podtrac rankings. The top three places in the rankings were unchanged as The Daily (The New York Times), NPR News Now, and Up First from NPR finished in the same order as Septemer. Dateline NBC and The Dan Bongino Show each reminded in the top five, as well.

Meanwhile, Fox News Hourly Update moved up one place to finish the month in seventh. Moving up into the top 10 was The Shawn Ryan Show, which is distributed by the Cumulus Podcast Network.

Also finishing in the top 20, according to Podtrac, were The Ben Shapiro Show (11th), ABC News’ 20/20 (16th), Today, Explained (19th), and CBS News’ 48 Hours (20th).

In the Podtrac industry rankings, iHeart Audience Network and iHeartPodcasts took the top two spots for largest monthly audiences by group. Libsyn was third, followed by Acast, Wondery, NPR, The Walt Disney Company, Vox Media, Paramount, and DailyWire+ in the top 10.

Wanda Smith To Enter The National Black Radio Hall of Fame

BMM Staff
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Wanda Smith To Enter The National Black Radio Hall of Fame

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 National Black Radio Hall of Fame has announced the posthumous induction of Wanda Smith into its esteemed Class of 2025. Smith, a successful stand-up comedian, was best known for her long tenure as a morning show co-host on Audacy Urban V-103 Atlanta, working alongside Frank Ski, Ryan Cameron, and Frank Ski again until early 2019. Smith passed away on Saturday, October 12th, just one day after her 58th birthday. (BMM 10/14)

“Hurricane Dave” Smith, Chairperson for the nominations and induction process and Atlanta Chapter President of the National Black Radio Hall of Fame, said, “Today, we honor the late Wanda Smith, an extraordinary talent whose voice and laughter left an indelible mark on the world of radio.” Adding, “I knew Wanda Smith from my years as Radio One’s Vice President of Programming and Operations. She was a fierce competitor, a true radio warrior, and pioneer.”

In September 2025, Smith will be inducted during a ceremony in St. Louis. Her family will accept her induction certificate and a congratulatory resolution from the St. Louis Board of Aldermen honoring this recognition.

Smith will be enshrined among the legendary figures of Black radio, joining the ranks of trailblazers like Tom Joyner, Bernie Hayes, Roland Martin, Donnie McClurkin, Frank Ski, and Big Tigger – all of whom have made invaluable contributions to the industry’s culture and spirit.

The National Black Radio Hall of Fame honors the legacies and ongoing contributions of pioneering Black radio figures who have inspired future generations. For more information, contact  Dave Smith                     

Mauro Ranallo, Roy Jones Jr., Rosie Perez to Call Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Fight on Netflix

BSM Staff
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Mauro Ranallo, Roy Jones Jr., Rosie Perez to Call Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Fight on Netflix

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 much-anticipated boxing match between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and social media sensation Jake Paul now has a broadcast crew for the event which will be carried by Netflix on Nov. 15. According to a report in Variety, the group calling the bout ringside will include Mauro Ranallo along with analysts Roy Jones Jr. and actress Rosie Perez.

Kate Scott, formerly Kate Abdo, will serve as the host of the broadcast which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Scott will be paired with former world champion Andre Ward as analyst.

According to the report, others included will be Sean Wheelock who will serve as the rules and scoring expert, along with reporters Ariel Helwani and Sibley Scoles. The ring announcer will be Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts. Scoles will lead the preliminary card reporting and will have Mike Tyson’s son, Amir Tyson, along with him.

Netflix has already released the first two episodes of its three-part documentary series, Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson. The show is narrated by Ice T and the network said it will, “Provide viewers with intimate access to the training camps of both fighters, showcasing the grit, determination, and physical challenges they faced along the way. Additionally, Countdown will highlight the build-up to another significant fight — the rematch between undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, who will also face off on Nov. 15 in the co-main event.”

Erick Erickson: News Media Will Keep Losing Relevance and Revenue ‘Until They Figure Out How Insular and Out of Touch They Have Become’

BNM Staff
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Erick Erickson: News Media Will Keep Losing Relevance and Revenue ‘Until They Figure Out How Insular and Out of Touch They Have Become’

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 news media has always been in the crosshairs of conservative commentators. But Erick Erickson believes the loss of relevance may reshape the gameplan for news media outlets in the future.

After Republican nominee Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election earlier this week, CNN reporter Brian Stelter shared a comment from a news radio reporter that said it was “hard not to see this election as just a national repudiation of what we do,” as journalists.

He continued by sharing that the anonymous reporter said, “We spent four years reporting so aggressively” on election denialism and the fallout from January 6 – and many voters evidently didn’t care.”

It is safe to say that The Erick Erickson Show host disagrees with that sentiment.

“This really is such bulls—,” wrote Erickson. “Reporters reported on what they thought mattered, not what Americans thought mattered. And they will keep losing trust and revenue until they figure out how insular and out of touch they have become.”

The Hill Sees Nearly 10 Million Visitors During Election Night Coverage

BNM Staff
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The Hill Sees Nearly 10 Million Visitors During Election Night Coverage

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 Hill has become a digital media juggernaut, and that was proven true on Election Night with a strong performance.

On Tuesday, November 5th, 9.44 million unique visitors came to the Nexstar Media Group-owned digital outlet as dozens of reporters filed stories from around the nation.

More than 18 million page views were tabulated during the election day coverage. The Hill saw more than 140,000 views on YouTube, nearly 400,000 views on its FAST channel, and nearly 50 million views on social media between X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

“None of this would be possible without every single one of you,” Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack and General Manager Joe Ruffolo said in a memo to staffers. “Along with the DDHQ-The Hill Election Center partnership, we no doubt helped our users make sense of the returns in real-time.”

The strong digital metrics for the outlet come after it saw it’s best month since the inauguration of President Joe Biden in 2021 earlier this year. According to Comscore, more than 47 million unique visitors went to the site in July during a month that featured the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, the announcement that Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) would be his running mate, and that President Joe Biden would not seek re-election.

Country Froggy 100.3/107.3 Comes To Milwaukee

BMM Staff
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Country Froggy 100.3/107.3 Comes To Milwaukee

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.

Milwaukee has a new Country station.

Milwaukee Radio Alliance transitioned from its Halloween-themed stunt, “The Haunt,” which aired Halloween music since October 26, and launched Country “Froggy 100.3/107.3” at noon Thursday.

Gordon Mays has been appointed as the Director of Programming at the station, arriving from Mid-West Family Broadcasting in Rockford, IL. There, he served as the cluster Director of Programming and Content, as well as the Program Director and midday host for Country “95.3 The Bull.”

Mays said, “This station is going to be where Milwaukee discovers country. There are so many incredible acts that have traditionally been ignored by mainstream country radio. We want to amplify their voices. Expect us to feature a mix of burgeoning talent and current chart-toppers.”

MRA VP/Programming and Operations Michelle Rutkowski added, “One of the best things about the Milwaukee Radio Alliance is that we have always been listener-driven. We’re really proud of that. Our local roots and involvement in the community led to people telling us they’ve been craving this kind of Country station. We’re going to give it to them, and we’re going to keep taking their input as we grow. To us, that’s the key to success.”

Market President Colleen Valkoun said, “We’re proud to bring another option for country music to Milwaukee. The genre is so rich and brimming with talent. Launching this station was an undertaking, but it’s going to be worth it to give people a chance to access a larger part of the genre so they can enjoy artists they might not have heard on other platforms.”

“Froggy 100.3/107.3” enters a market that already includes iHeartMedia’s “FM 106.1” and Magnum Media’s “92.5 Buzz Country” and “92.1 VTY Country.”

The frequencies were previously Oldies “The Fonz.”

Ben Shapiro: We Created The Daily Wire Not to Make Money, But ‘Because I Believe Certain Things’

BNM Staff
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Ben Shapiro: We Created The Daily Wire Not to Make Money, But ‘Because I Believe Certain Things’

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 Daily Wire has become a conservative media powerhouse. Co-founder Ben Shapiro says the company was founded with intentionality in mind.

While appearing on The George Janko Show, Shapiro was asked about his falling out with former Daily Wire host Candace Owens. He said that he doesn’t believe Owens should no longer have a platform just because he disagrees with her stances, but does believe his company has no obligation to continue paying her.

“We don’t purport to be anything but conservative. We’re conservative,” Shapiro reiterated. “If you show up and I hire you, and Jeremy (Boreing) hires and Caleb (Robinson), we all hire you, and you say ‘I’m a pro-life person’ and then the next day you come out and you say ‘Abortion up till the point of birth is a moral virtue’, do I have a moral obligation to continue paying you to be on the platform? I think absolutely not.

“Now, does that mean you should be ‘silenced’? No. I mean, it’s just we’re signing a check. For that check, you are paid to provide the viewpoint that you are going to provide, within limits that we are happy subsidizing. But I’m not going to pay for somebody to — and neither will our company — come on the air on Daily Wire and spend an entire episode talking about the great virtues of late-term abortion, right? In other words, we are a self-stated company with a self-stated mission. If that mission is violated, then we have not served not only our customer, we haven’t served ourselves.”

Ben Shapiro continued by noting that he had more than financial prosperity in mind when he and Boreing teamed together to found The Daily Wire.

“We didn’t get into this business really to make money. We’re very happy that we made a lot of money,” he shared. “I’ve been in this business a lot longer than that … I did not get into this business making money. I got in this business because I believe certain things. If ever I’m responsible for forwarding the opposite of the things that I believe, I have not done my job. I’ve not done my job for the American people, I’ve not done my job for the consumers, I’ve not done my job for myself. I can’t sleep at night.

So if the idea would be, for example, that I have a moral obligation to hire somebody or pay somebody whose views I find morally reprehensible on any topic, including abortion, is that my moral responsibility? I think not. I’m not a platform. If I’m Facebook, if I’m X, then the idea is the Overton Window should be pretty damned broad, because that’s essentially the town square. You’re almost mimicking what the First Amendment was built for. But I feel the opposite of moral obligation to hire somebody or pay somebody for expressing viewpoints that I find to be personally outside the window of what we want to be subsidizing.”

KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman to Call SLU Billikens Games on FanDuel Sports Network Midwest

BSM Staff
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KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman to Call SLU Billikens Games on FanDuel Sports Network Midwest

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.

Tom Ackerman, Sports Director at KMOX in St. Louis and co-host of the station’s Total Information AM morning show, has been tabbed to call play-by-play for Saint Louis University basketball this season on television. SLU’s broadcasting situation was in limbo as Diamond Sports Group, owners of FanDuel Sports Network, worked through their bankruptcy proceedings.

SLU has now announced they will have at least 12 men’s games and one women’s game as part of their local package. The games will also be streamed on the FanDuel Sports Network app and on their website. They will also be streamed on ESPN+ via an Atlantic 10 Conference agreement.

According to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, SLU games will be included in FanDuel’s direct-to-consumer package that also includes its St. Louis Blues telecasts and does not require a subscription to another programming distributor. The pricing for that subscription is currently $19.99 monthly or $189.99 for the hockey season.

“We are thrilled to have Billiken Basketball on the airwaves on the top regional sports network in our region,” SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said in a release. “A robust local television package is critical to us showcasing our men’s basketball program in Josh Schertz‘s first season. We are also excited to televise a women’s game as they are coming off back-to-back championship-winning seasons. Thank you to our partners at Billikens Sports Properties and FanDuel Sports Network for helping deliver a top-notch television production for our fans.

Ackerman will call the games along with analyst and former SLU basketball player Troy Robertson. Ackerman has also been the main fill-in for Chip Caray on St. Louis Cardinals telecasts on FanDuel Sports Network Midwest.

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