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Sales Meeting: So, You Want to Be a Sales Manager?

Dave Greene
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Sales Meeting: So, You Want to Be a Sales Manager?

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.

What a great time to be in sports! With everything going on and interest incredibly high, hopefully we are all using that to our advantage. Let’s get our sales meeting kicked off and this week we are going to talk about career advancement. I know there are some of you that want to know about possible next steps, perhaps as a sales manager and maybe even beyond to becoming a General Manager or even higher.

I listened to a great new podcast this week called ‘Glue Guys’ with Shane Battier, Alex Smith and Ravi Gupta. In the first episode, Smith talks about the differences between being an Offensive Coordinator and being a head coach. He explains, the talents it takes to be a good coordinator have absolutely nothing to do with the talents that it takes to be a head coach. He uses Dan Campbell as an example, who couldn’t get a head coaching job because he hadn’t been a coordinator and doesn’t ‘look the part.’ However, as many knew, Campbell is a great leader and that is what makes him a great head coach of the Detroit Lions.

This is very similar to the difference between being in sales and excelling at it and being a sales manager and excelling at it. While you still do plenty of selling as a manager, you are mostly now dealing with your team. As I have said many times over the years, when you are in sales your problems are your problems. When you are in sales management, everybody’s problems are your problems.

When you are a head coach in football, you are not coaching players most of the time. It used to just be this way in the pros but now it is the same in college as well with NIL and dealing with the transfer portal. I recently heard Urban Meyer say that he spoke with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day recently who said he spends less than 25% of his time coaching the team and the rest dealing with everything else like recruiting players over and over again, dealing with their NIL needs and talking to the media. You are a delegator, and you have to be, or it will never all get done.

As a manager you have to be a leader. You have to be aware of what is happening around you and you have to really get to know your staff so you can figure out how to manage each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all in management. You have to adjust.

You have to be patient, be very communicative, you have to have good listening skills and good problem-solving skills. And, no matter what, you have to remain positive and have a look of confidence about you, suggesting to others that no matter what is in the way, you have a plan and will help lead the way out of whatever the situation is.

When you are the manager, everyone is looking to you for the way you respond to things. A salesperson comes in and just lost a major client. You as the manager just lost a ton of billing you can’t make up right away, you want to punch a wall. The way you respond to that salesperson can make all the difference in how everyone in your office handles the situation.

If you talk through it, if you coach up the salesperson, if you offer to work through the problem with them and make them feel like they aren’t alone, you can get through it together. If your response is to yell “WTF!” and get angry and act like the world just ended, good luck getting that seller’s confidence back and plan on needing to intervene as the person just went out to the sales pit and brought everyone down with them.

But it isn’t just the big things, it’s a lot of little things. Jim says Joan is too loud on the phone. Kim thinks Bob is using Salesforce to prospect her clients. John says Tony is faking calls and sleeps in his car. Ed the production guy is sick, and nobody can get spots recorded. Sarah in traffic says the sales reps are messing up orders and now the log is going to be late for the next day. And on and on and on. Some people thrive in those situations, and some would much rather be in front of a client pitching business than dealing with Kim’s paranoia about Bob looking at her information in Salesforce.

For a lot of people, managing is really not what they want to do, they just think it is a logical next step. It is well known in the industry that the best salespeople rarely make the best managers. That is no different, by the way, in sports a lot of the time. Remember Magic Johnson the head coach? He is just one of several examples where the best players have a hard time coaching others. Some people just have the god given abilities in sports or in sales, and they simply expect that others will have the same type of work ethic, understanding, passions and more. It just doesn’t work that way.

Sometimes, you really have to manage someone. You have to dig in and find out what the real problems are. You have to be part manager but also part psychologist and mind reader. It is no different than a client CNA. What is it this salesperson is really struggling with and how can I help that person be better?

Is it a prospecting problem? Is it a problem reaching out to people or meeting people? Or is it a problem doing good needs analysis meetings? Is the problem taking what was learned in that meeting and turning it into great solutions? Is it a problem pitching ideas to the client? Or is it a closing problem?

You not only have to work to find the answers, but you also have to help with the solution and sometimes that means simply doing it with them or even for them in some cases. One of the best moves I ever saw a sales manager make was when he had a couple people sitting in the office, when he asked why they weren’t out on calls.

The answer was that they were struggling to reach people and get appointments. He dug in. He wanted to see the lists they were working off of, what product they were focused on selling and what prep they had done before they started. When he didn’t get great answers, he realized the truth was, they didn’t have a prepared list, they were looking things up on the internet and mostly emailing and sending messages through LinkedIn one by one.

He said he was going to sit and listen and watch for a bit to see if he could pick up on anything he might be able to help with. After they each made a couple of calls, he brought them both into the conference rooms. He wanted to try and nip the issue in the bud immediately. So, he went through a quick lesson on the best ways to prospect and the way you should pick a category, have an idea, and then make a list of everyone you wanted to call in that category.

He reviewed what to say on the phone or in emails to get people’s attention. The manager talked about how to ask for the decision maker and how to leave a message if you get a voicemail. He told them what he wanted but then he went a step further and he showed them. He actually made two calls right in front of them and then turned it over to them and had them do it.

I later asked him about it, and he said the first thing was he knew they were lying to him, they just weren’t doing the work it would take to get appointments. Then when he heard them make calls, he realized they were scared to make those calls and were going to fail if he didn’t step in and try and fix the problem right away. This was difficult to do, time consuming, but it had to be done, and this was great managing.

Servitude leadership is how media sales managers are successful and that means having to do some of the job for everyone, every day, all day. Then, if things don’t go well, you are the leader, so it is you they blame.

And for all of that, they pay you less than you can make in sales, and you have three times as many meetings.

So, are you sure you want to be a sales manager?

For K-FROG’s Heather Froglear Radio Is a Labor of Love

Jeff Lynn
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For K-FROG’s Heather Froglear Radio Is a Labor of Love

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.

Heather Froglear is the Brand Manager and midday host at Audacy’s K-FROG 95.1 in San Bernadino, CA. She also hosts PM Drive at 100.7 The Wolf in Seattle and Audacy’s Sunday syndicated “90s Country With Heather.”

Heather is a member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame and has won numerous industry awards.

She has been with K-FROG for 31 years, and her start with the station in the 1990s led to her unique name.

“Back in 1993, K-FROG was owned by Key Markets Communications, and they were putting up frog stations all over the country, and every person on the air had to have a frog name. So, at that time, Melrose Place was a really popular TV show, and Heather Locklear was a popular actress, so we came up with the name Heather Froglear.”

She attributes her station longevity to her passion for the business and working for good people.

“Well, for me, it’s just in the blood, and I know a lot of other radio people say it’s in your blood, and the companies that I’ve worked for here have been very good to me. I am passionate about what I do on the air and at outside events. I put in the work every day, and some days are longer than others, but I feel like I’ve done the work over the last 31 years, and I just love our community. I’m so attached to our community, but it’s really not even a job. It’s fun for me.”

Giving back and community service is important to Heather and, in her case, has a personal element.

“I sit on the board of directors for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, and we started a radiothon about, oh goodness, 20 years or so ago, and I knew of the amazing work that the hospital did by working, putting together our radiothon every year and in 2007, I was approached by a teenage couple to adopt a little girl born missing pretty much the left side of her heart and she would probably need a heart transplant.”

“Well, immediately, I took a chance on this adoption because I knew that she would receive incredible care at Loma Linda and because of the work that we had done with them and we met the birth parents in the lobby of the hospital on a Sunday and on Thursday, she was born, and I got to be in the room, and we did an emergency adoption of her so we could make the medical decisions and the pioneer of pediatric infant heart transplant, Dr. Leonard Bailey, did my daughter’s open heart surgery and he, in the early 80s, did the baby Faye Baboon heart transplant.”

“So, without that research, kids today born with congenital heart defects would not be here, and so I promised from that moment on that I would do whatever I could to repay the hospital that saved my daughter, and that leads out into other things as well, it’s all about giving back because I’ve been given so much so. She’s 17 now and a senior in high school.”

Heather’s efforts have been recognized with awards and honors, including induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame and the Country Radio Seminar’s Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award.

“The Country Radio Hall of Fame thing was completely unexpected, Heather said. “I don’t purposely seek out kudos for what we do here every day, but that was an honor beyond all honors, and to receive that was obviously the highlight of these last 31 years. To be recognized by people that I grew up looking up to in radio was just huge, and I still have to pinch myself because I don’t know what they call it, imposter syndrome, but there are days I don’t feel I deserve it just for doing what God has asked me to do every day.”

“The Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award was ultra special too because I forget how the saying goes, but to whom much is given, much is expected, and that one was sort of a poignant one because it’s like a stamp of approval saying you put your heart out there and you’ve been using your career for good and that there’s no bigger compliment than for somebody to say you have a beautiful heart whether it’s on the air or at outside events. I get to be the voice for the voiceless in our community, and that is a big responsibility, but it’s so very special. So, both of those accolades, I’m still mind blown over it, to be honest with you.”

One change over 31 years that Heather has seen is more opportunities for women in leadership roles.

“30 years ago, you really didn’t see any female brand managers or even women in management. We were sometimes the traffic reporter or the giggle girl, and how far, my how far we’ve come because you are seeing more and more female brand managers and the ladies that work here for me are absolutely incredible, and they are doing the exact right things to further their career by putting in the hard work, creating the amazing content that they do and having a positive attitude about it. I never walked around here thinking, well, you owe me because I’m a woman. I just did the work. You know, you can’t outwork me.”

And what advice does she have for young talent coming into the business.

“I would say do all that you can with all that you have. If it means starting out in the promotions department or starting out in copywriting or goodness, a board op if they still even have those positions. Get your feet wet in every area of the business. We are doing so much more with so fewer people. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to wear a lot of hats, but that’s where your passion comes in. You got to want to do this. You got to it’s a 24-7 job.”

“You’re constantly thinking about, at least for the on-air talent, about how can I take this story or this instance that happened to me tonight at the grocery store or whatever and make that relatable to my audience, be real, be authentic, but be ready to work.”

Heather sees one of the industry’s biggest challenges as simply being enough hours in the day.

“For me, I think the biggest challenge right now is our use of time because we are wearing a lot of hats, and I’m on the air in multiple markets and programming a radio station and doing a syndicated show on Sunday, and it’s time management. You have to be good at list-making. Your number one goal should be put up the best content on the air at all times. And sometimes, when you don’t have a ton of time, something will suffer. It’s just managing the time. I’ll get it done. And I always want to do the best I can, whatever hat I’m wearing at that time.

And how does she prepare and manage to be relevant in San Bernadino, Seattle, and a nationally syndicated show?

At Audacy, we have the most amazing country group and I am in contact every day with my morning show in Seattle. I have an aunt and a cousin who live in Seattle. And we are in constant communication. And, of course, I do my homework on the web and look for local events. I am familiar with the Seattle area. My home state of Montana is not that far from there. So, we maintain excellent communication, and you absolutely have to do that. Otherwise, people will call you out on your bullshit. And the same thing for Riverside.”

“For the 90s country show, it’s really all about the music and it’s just all about creating that picture of what Country was when it was the era of big hair and big belt buckles. So, I don’t have to get local on that show. I am just there to hopefully trigger some really cool memories for the people that listen to an incredible era in country music.”

Listen to Heather on K-FROG here.                    Connect via email here.

Alexis McAdams Has Gone from Talking in Class to Talking on Fox News as a National Correspondent

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Alexis McAdams Has Gone from Talking in Class to Talking on Fox News as a National Correspondent

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.

She’s reported on some of the biggest stories of this century. “There’s nothing really like journalism where you can go and hold powerful people accountable and help people and give them a voice. So that’s why I love it,” said Fox News Correspondent Alexis McAdams.

While today it seems only natural the native Midwesterner is in journalism, initially she wasn’t sure what her career path would be when entering college, but one class at Illinois State University helped solve it quickly. “I just kind of fell into it,” she said. “I always talked a lot in class and was always a big communicator. So, I think that’s kind of how it started out for me, talking to people and asking people questions instinctively. Then I went to college in Illinois, and I kind of just took a class and it was for broadcast journalism.” It was here McAdams found her passion.

She moved on to a few smaller markets then landed in Chicago, where she covered some of the Windy City’s biggest stories. McAdams joined Fox in 2021.

In her time on the politics team, McAdams has covered both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris rallies. Most notably, “I was there in Butler when he was shot. I was kind of in the groove of going to these rallies. You hear the speeches, you talk to people, you hear the talking point and that day kind of showed that you just never know what’s going to happen in the news or in politics.”

McAdams was taking notes on her phone the moment shots rang out. “He was only talking for about five minutes, and I was still right next to the camera when I heard what sounded like I thought were pops or like fireworks and it all happened so quickly. I saw the former president go down behind the podium and it felt like he was down there for quite some time.”

The seconds felt like minutes as McAdams tried to figure out what exactly was happening. “I didn’t know if he was going to come back up and people got down on the ground, then we saw the authorities move in,” she recalled. “It was like something out of a movie. I got down on the media riser, but we were also elevated. I knew it was gunfire when I saw [President Trump] with blood on his ear and I saw the police and I was like, ‘Is there another shooter?’”

Fortunately there was not another shooter. However, McAdams knew she had to put how she was feeling aside. “I was shocked and nervous and I was so upset that that had happened, but it wasn’t about me. I had to remove that and talk about just what I knew and what I saw happening in real time.You just have to focus in and remember what you’re there for and how important your role is and your job.”

Doing her best to relay real-time information to the viewers at home McAdams said, “I knew I was in shock. Nobody could get out of there that day. There were like thousands of people at that rally, and they were all parked in a field. Everyone wanted to get out of there because they were scared, there was no cell phone service, but they couldn’t get out because of the police securing the area and the line. So, we just went up and talked to everybody that was in a car.”

Before police could speak with the press, eyewitnesses told McAdams, “There were a few people shot in the crowd, there was a man who we think died. So that information comes out in real time. I just used my news team back in New York to try to sift through everything to make sure we gave the best updates and factual updates.”

When President Trump went back to Butler in October, so did McAdams. “I do give him credit for going back there because he was nearly killed, and he got right back up on that same stage in the same area,” she said. “They had the same flag, things I noticed when I went back because I was on that media riser in the same position.”

McAdams went on to covering several other events for both candidates and no matter what part of the country she was in there was one major issue on a lot of voters’ minds. “People care about the economy, and they care about the border. Sometimes I’ve heard more about the border than I have about the economy but those seem to be the top two issues. And people are kind of just looking for whatever candidate can lead them in a better direction.”

“You hear people saying they’re working 2 to 3 jobs in some of these states and they still can’t really make ends meet. That’s something everyone can connect with. Whatever side of the aisle you’re on, everyone agrees that you if you’re going to work hard, you want to have some money left to be able to kind of achieve the American dream.”

While most can agree the economy is on a lot of voter’s minds, McAdams believes it’s not the only deciding factor this election cycle. “When I was in Greenville, North Carolina, the other week for Kamala Harris’ rally, people said that the economy isn’t where they want it to be and that they’re paying more and they have extra jobs but they don’t blame the Biden administration for it. Or they say even if former President Trump has a better plan for the economy, they don’t care because they don’t like him as a person.”

McAdams recalled the comment of one woman she interviewed at a Harris rally telling the Fox News Correspondent, ‘I’d rather pay more for items than have President Trump.’ Resounding comments like this have allowed McAdams to come to the conclusion, “People are very, very divided on personality more than policy.”

For those looking to follow in her footsteps, McAdams suggests, be active, be flexible, and work hard. “Get involved in it as much as you can. If you really know that you’re passionate about something early, great. I feel like most of the people that I was friends with in high school and college didn’t really know what they wanted to do.”

Even if you know exactly what you’d like to do McAdams says, “I think having a little bit of a looser plan might be good too, because there are some people that get so [focused, but] you have to have a little flexibility because [life] doesn’t always go to plan.”

Most importantly, she stressed you need to work hard. “There’s a lot more opportunities now for younger people,” she said. “You can get into those smaller markets, or you can get into a bigger market on a lower level. If you’re willing to kind of put in that time and work starting in those smaller markets is super important. Working in local news is what made my work a little bit different because I worked really hard. I worked in Rockford, Illinois, Indianapolis, Indiana and then Chicago. Those were the places that I learned everything.”

On election night, McAdams will be stationed at Trump HQ.

Amazon, NBC Talking with Blake Griffin for NBA Analyst Role Per Report

BSM Staff
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Amazon, NBC Talking with Blake Griffin for NBA Analyst Role Per Report

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.

With both NBC and Amazon looking to fill out their NBA broadcasting rosters, rumors are starting to swirl as to what new faces could be welcomed in. According to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, one of those names is Blake Griffin. Griffin was a six-time NBA All-Star who spent several years with the Los Angeles Clippers after being drafted by the team No. 1 overall in 2009.

Griffin retired after the 2022-2023 season and according to McCarthy’s sources is in talks with both Amazon and NBC about a possible role in their NBA coverage starting with the 2025-26 season. Neither has said what their plans are for broadcast crews, however, it has been reported that NBC will likely use Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as play-by-play voices and recent reports say Noah’s father, Ian Eagle, is the top play-by-play target of Amazon.

“A lot of people are very interested in him. Blake is making the rounds,” a source was quoted as saying in the FOS story. Griffin has done television work in the past and has tried his hand at comedy as well. He took part in Comedy Central’s Roast of Alec Baldwin.

Griffin was The Oklahoman High School Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, was the 2009 Naismith College Player of the Year. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011. Griffin was traded by the Clippers in 2018, and finished out his career playing for the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.

College Broadcasters Inc Hosts 2024 National Student Media Convention

BMM Staff
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College Broadcasters Inc Hosts 2024 National Student Media Convention

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.

College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) held the 2024 National Student Media Convention (NSMC) from October 23 to 26 at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle. During this four-day event, attendees had access to insights from over 30 media professionals and participated in more than 70 informational sessions designed to equip them with essential skills and techniques for their media organizations at high schools, colleges, and universities nationwide. In addition, students engaged with recruiters from over 700 radio and television stations at NSMC’s inaugural Career Fair.

NSMC 2024 concluded on Saturday with the National Student Production Awards, celebrating outstanding student media work across 33 categories. Judges evaluated over 900 entries, ultimately recognizing four finalists along with one winner in each category.

The CBI Board of Directors honored the students of Columbia University’s WKCR-FM/New York with the “Community Reporting Impact Award.” This recognition highlights their commitment to journalistic integrity during the coverage of the spring campus protests. The jazz station quickly adapted into a breaking news operation, delivering continuous reporting for two weeks despite facing police presence and potential arrests.

The board honored Steven Sandberg from Oregon State University with the prestigious “Dave Black Excellence in Advising Award” in recognition of his exceptional dedication to student media.

“The energy and enthusiasm at this year’s National Student Media Convention in Seattle was extraordinary,” said CBI President Anabella Poland, whose other day job is GM of Montclair State University’s WMSC. “Meeting nearly 400 passionate students, educators, and industry professionals from across the country reminded us why CBI’s mission is so vital,” she said. “Our first-ever Career Fair was a resounding success, creating exceptional networking opportunities between students and industry professionals from over 700 radio and television stations. As an organization that fosters growth and success in student broadcasters, we’re proud to facilitate these career-launching moments.”

Find out more about the organization here.                    

Kansas Men’s Basketball Games Moved in Lawrence to 92.9 The Bull

BSM Staff
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Kansas Men’s Basketball Games Moved in Lawrence to 92.9 The Bull

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 University of Kansas made a fairly abrupt announcement late last week when they said all Kansas men’s basketball radio broadcasts would be moving from 105.9 FM to 92.9 FM “The Bull” in Lawrence starting with an exhibition game that was aired that same evening. Kansas is the No. 1 ranked team in both the preseason AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.

The need to move stations came following the recent sale of 105.9 FM by its parent company, Great Plains Media to Reyes Media out of Kansas City. The format will be changing on the station to Spanish-language broadcasting, although that will not happen until the beginning of the new year. KU said this way they don’t have to move the games in the middle of the season.

Kansas football broadcasts will remain on 105.9 FM through the end of their season. The Kansas men’s basketball team will open their regular season on Monday Nov. 4 when they host Howard. Their second game of the season is a matchup of college basketball blue bloods when they host North Carolina on Friday Nov. 8.

According to reports, Great Plains Media sold KKSW to Reyes Media Group for $175,000. Great Plains Media also owns 105.9 KISS-FM as well as KLWN AM/FM.

Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Tells Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy: I’ve Heard What You Said About Me After ‘Dust Up’ on 105.3 The Fan

BSM Staff
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Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Tells Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy: I’ve Heard What You Said About Me After ‘Dust Up’ on 105.3 The Fan

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 this month, a moment between 105.3 The Fan hosts Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones went viral. And the billionaire shared he’s heard what the pair have said about him since then.

On his weekly segment with the Audacy Dallas hosts, Jones was asked about Cowboys DB Trevon Diggs confronting a media member about their opinion following the team’s loss on Sunday. The irony of the situation — lambasting a media member for their opinion — was not lost on the owner.

“I have absolutely no compulsion in dealing with emotion,” said Jones. “Now, we all realize that we need to, bite your lip when you need to. I don’t even need to remind you guys, I heard you build up to the show just a minute ago and you were kind of giggling about, again, the dust-up that we had. Bottom line is, guys, this is an emotional game, and it doesn’t alarm me in any way to see the manifestation of emotion.”

Shariff then asked if Jones was aware of the context of Diggs’ “deez nuts” comment at the conclusion of his confrontation with a member of the media. The 105.3 The Fan host joked he was attempting to end the interview with Jones — who has obviously been contentious in previous weeks — with some lighthearted humor.

Jerry Jones admitted he was not familiar with the full context of the joke, but did share that he had a half-smile on his face, implying otherwise.

Morning Show Bootcamp 37 To Be Held In Austin, TX

BMM Staff
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Morning Show Bootcamp 37 To Be Held In Austin, TX

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 secret city is out. Talentmasters will host its 37th annual Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC) in Austin, TX, from August 7 to 9, 2025, at the Austin Marriott Downtown.

MSBC founder Don Anthony said, “Choosing the venue each year involves a lot of planning, primarily focusing on affordability and accessibility for our attendees. The organization prioritizes negotiating low room rates to accommodate both individuals and companies on a tight budget.”

The planning committee for MSBC 37 is at work, developing the event’s agenda and securing sponsorships despite the event being months away.

Attendees can expect more details and regular updates in the upcoming months. Those interested in attending are encouraged to book accommodation now, as special rates are available for early arrivals on August 5th.

ESPN Launches Immersive Football Experience in Fortnite

BSM Staff
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ESPN Launches Immersive Football Experience in Fortnite

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.

ESPN is bringing a new gaming experience to fans with its one-of-a-kind island in Fortnite, ESPN Football Island. It is available now in the popular online game by searching “ESPN” or entering Island Code 4481-0077-4190. ESPN says “fans can experience over-the-top action and new exciting gameplay within the new map.”

Three ESPN talent have lent their voices to the game, SportsCenter anchors Randy Scott and Gary Striewski along with SportsCenter & NHL Content Host Arda Öcal.

“At ESPN, we consistently look for ways to innovate and showcase our world-class sports storytelling,” said Kevin Lopes, Vice President, Sports Business Development & Innovation at ESPN in a release. “With ESPN Football Island, we’re doing just that through engaging games on a platform we know resonates with the next generation of sports fans.”

Fortnite was developed by Epic Games in 2017. According to reports over 500 million players have played Fortnite and Fortnite’s peak player counts are 11,616,374 players at one time and 44.7 million players in one day. 

Urban One Names Eddie Harrell Jr. And Deon Levingston Co-Presidents Of Audio Division

BMM Staff
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Urban One Names Eddie Harrell Jr. And Deon Levingston Co-Presidents Of Audio Division

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.

As reported previously, Radio One and Reach Media CEO David Kantor will retire at the end of the year. Kantor has been with Urban One since 2004, overseeing 57 stations across 13 markets. Reach Media’s syndicated programs have also been under his supervision.

With Kantor departing, Urban One is promoting Eddie Harrell Jr. and Deon Levingston to co-presidents of its Audio Division. Based in Cleveland, Harrell joined Urban One in 2011 as VP/General Manager for the Columbus properties. He later transitioned to Cleveland, where he took on the responsibilities of Regional Vice President, managing the Cleveland and Cincinnati markets.

Levingston has been serving as the Regional Vice President and General Manager in Indianapolis since 2016. His experience includes previous positions as General Manager, President, and SVP/Market Manager with YMF Media and Emmis Communications in New York from 2004 to 2016. He was also at Radio One Indianapolis, where he held various titles, including Local Sales Manager, Director of Sales, and Market Manager, from 1998 to 2004.

Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins said, “The radio industry is losing one of its giants, and Urban One is bidding farewell to a venerable leader whose passion and vision have helped to shape our industry, guide our company, and serve our growing and diverse audience. Eddie Harrell, Jr. and Deon Levingston are ready to take the helm and build on the legacy David leaves behind. They understand our brand, our audience, and our position in this industry. Their talent and experience are just what we need moving forward.”

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