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November 6 Should Be A Day Of Renewal For Music Radio

Ron Harrell
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November 6 Should Be A Day Of Renewal For Music Radio

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It’s over. We’ll wake up on November 6th and say or think those words. Well, maybe it will be over. We could be in for a visit from the Ghost of Election Night 2000. How has your brand prepared for post-election opportunities?

I know what you’re thinking. “Ron, politics is off-limits with our brand.” Fine. Don’t go there. However, this isn’t off-limits: the reality of an emotional change in your audience. Where will your radio brand fit into their lives the morning after or the weeks and months after? 

This is a good time to review your brand’s purpose. Most radio music stations have the stated or unstated goal of making the listener feel good. Whether Mainstream Adult Contemporary, Country, Adult Hits, CHR, Hip-Hop, Contemporary Christian, Classic Rock, or Active Rock, the listener connects to a radio station to fill the emotional need for music.

Some formats will brand themselves with phrases like Feel Good, Upbeat, Uplifting, Positive. The stations that don’t use the language understand the power of the music to move the listener.  All the other stuff coming out of the speakers (stationality) is the magic that gives the brand a feel and identity. 

Renewal Time

The American public is beaten up right now. We can’t escape the noise, the rants, the division. If you live in a Swing state, bless your heart. If the emotional goal of a music station is to feel good, happy, fun, or satisfied, then November 6th should be like January 2nd. Renewal time. 

Historically, radio station programmers and branders refresh and renew imaging seasonally to reflect the mood and lifestyle changes. In the social media age, that renewal should happen more frequently to reflect awareness. 

Radio stations are challenged to be in the moment with fewer jocks being live in the studio. Voice trackers might live in another market, or the show was tracked 48 hours before it aired, and the This Just In opportunity is missed. So, our attempts to capture the moment to make it feel like we’re paying attention have become more important with produced Imaging and Promos.

The opportunity is to review and renew your station’s purpose and difference after November 6th. Here’s a motivation to do this. If the results are extended by weeks and months, the world will be different than it was after the November 2000 election. This time we have (cue the horror sound effects)…social media. Your audience will want to escape.

How do you say the election is over without saying the election is over?

Here are three categories to review in this season of change:

Difference and Strength 

Do you know what makes your brand different and strong? Well, of course. However, does the content team understand? As leaders, how often do we remind them of our strategic vision? If they’re not internally rolling their eyes every time we mention it or put it in an email, then we’re not saying it enough.

We’re good at telling the audience why we do what we do, but it starts with the presenters and the content creators.

Often, these differences and strengths get adjusted and changed. It’s another reason to preach to the choir so they’re ready for your sermon when the game changes. It’s difficult for me to write anything without a sports reference.

Ear Candy

Seasonal content changes happen months in advance. We don’t like scrambling to create imaging and promotions days before it airs. But it happens. Unfortunately, radio people are good at creating a last-minute idea and the accompanying audio.

What can you freshen this week to promote the benefits of your brand? If you don’t have the time or resources to refresh the imaging, focus on the audio pieces that amplify your benefits. It might be as simple as music promos, listener drops, and your best jingles. Eliminate the stuff that might be good production but doesn’t highlight the emotional benefits of your brand. Reduce the noise.

Disc Jockey/Announcers/Presenters are the most important conveyors of emotion. After the election, they should be challenged to present the best version of your brand’s purpose.

In-The-Moment

How do you say the election is over without saying the election is over?

  • Team shows: Do a break about what everyone watched on Election Night. No one in the room watched any of the news coverage.
  • Street Team: Get audio before Election Night and ask, “What did you do last night?” Obviously, you’re taking the audio out of context because no one watched Election Night coverage on October 30th. It has the potential to create some fun on November 6th.
  • November 6th: I’ve never understood why radio stations give away ice cream only in the summer. Ice cream is better in the winter because it doesn’t melt as quickly. I have it on good authority that ice cream is good every month of the year, so hit the streets after the election and make someone feel good.
  • Pay Your Taxes: Hey, both sides think the other side is raising taxes. If you have extra cash in the budget, do the classic pay-your-taxes contest in November. No editorial is needed.
  • Video and Social Media: Videos and Reels prove you’re in the moment and paying attention, but you’re not walking across the line. The goal is to remind the audience why your brand fulfills an emotional need to feel good because of the music and the content.

These are a few ideas. Get your people together this week and create a butcher paper list of feel-good content. 

What if your Brand Manager says, “No political references on November 5th or 6th”? It’s all the more reason to review and renew your brand’s purpose and vision with the team.

The hot stories and emotional seasons of life change. Last year, I wrote about what happens when the big story changes. When Trump Isn’t The Headline Clearly, I jumped ahead of his headline exit. When that time comes, will our brands be known for something?


A Few More Minutes About Nielsen’s Three Minutes

Dr. Ed Cohen
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A Few More Minutes About Nielsen’s Three Minutes

Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.

In my September 16 column, I offered some thoughts about Nielsen’s proposal to change the decades-old “five-minute rule” to three minutes. Based on discussion in the trade press, LinkedIn, and elsewhere, here are some more observations. 

It appears to me that people are focusing on percentages emerging from Nielsen’s latest analysis showing that if the three-minute rule were in force during the May 2024 PPM monthly, P6+ AQH for the total week would have increased by 24%. Every other analysis supplied by Nielsen showed AQH increases in the mid 20 percentage range. Cume increases were generally in the single digit percentage range because most of this new listening comes from panelists who already listened for a quarter hour at some other time during the week that qualified under the current rule.

There have been incredulous statements from radio people who are shocked that Nielsen would consider such a move with these big percentage increases, but the percentages hide a fact. In PPM, the PURs (Persons Using Radio) estimates are pathetically low. 

Nielsen’s analysis included all 45 non-embedded PPM markets (Nassau-Suffolk, Middlesex-Somerset-Union, and San Jose were not included because they are already counted in New York and San Francisco). Depending on the demo, the increase was anywhere from 0.9 to 1.1 rating points of PUR. What that reveals is how poorly radio has marketed the medium in the face of digital competition.

For example, per Nielsen, the May 2024 PUR for Persons 18-34 total week was a 2.7 rating. While I’d like to see M-F 6A-7P (Nielsen says they ran it but did not include it in their presentation), here’s how to interpret a 2.7 rating: In any average quarter hour (Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight), 97.3 percent of all P18-34 were NOT LISTENING TO RADIO. Some tough arithmetic here which is 100 minus 2.7 equals 97.3. Sure, the cume number is much higher (69.6 rating) but that still means that over 30 percent of P18-34 didn’t even give radio a quarter hour during the week. With the three-minute rule, the weekly cume moved up to 73.6, but that meant more than one out of four P18-34 still didn’t use any radio in a week whether over the air or streamed.

The net is that 20-some percent of not much is not a lot. The gap between PPM PURs and diary PURs is major and that’s one of the reasons that Nielsen has proposed the change exclusively for PPM. Admittedly, changing the diary rule would not have anywhere near the PPM effect because almost all entries have rounded times. The best chance for any gain would be the instances where a diary keeper writes down multiple stations in a short period of time. The listening is split evenly between the stations and in some cases, this creates listening sessions of under five minutes. I’ve never seen an analysis like this, but my bet is that the result would be an increase of no more than a couple of percentage points of PUR.

In his October 16 column, Sean Ross suggested that this change would be an opportune time to work on “fixing” commercial radio in the US and he offered several suggestions. You’ve likely heard most of them:

  • Reduce the spotloads
  • Market the medium
  • Provide more choice
  • Reinforce “radio” meaning adding the word “radio” to station IDs
  • Focus on a new generation of listeners

I agree with Sean, but does anyone believe the people that control the purse strings in radio today are willing to do any of the above? Perhaps adding the word “radio” is possible, but the remainder of his suggestions require investment, a word radio account executives often use with potential clients. 

Here’s an idea: Can we bring people back to radio? Why not pick a small Nielsen-rated market that doesn’t have any of the big players or a lot of spill. Then let’s put a kitty together for marketing the medium as well as the individual stations. Nielsen could “donate” by oversampling the market (undoubtedly diaries) to get a better handle on what’s happening. Perhaps some of the “best and brightest” from the agency world could contribute some creative. When the test ends, will Nielsen show any improvement in listening levels? I’d even put in a few bucks to see the results of that experiment. What do you think? Could a concerted industry effort move the needle in a positive way?

Let’s meet again next week.

Consultant’s Corner: Ron Harrell Harrell Media Group

Jeff Lynn
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Consultant’s Corner: Ron Harrell Harrell Media Group

Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters, and get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.

Ron Harrell is a Nashville-based radio consultant and talent coach. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching.

He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era.

Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media. 

Additionally, he is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media.

He is this week’s featured consultant.

Jeff Lynn: I always like to start with an overview. How do you view the current state of radio?

Ron Harrell: Radio is searching for a new story. The book is an all-time best-seller full of audience-engaging dramas, thrillers, and advertising celebrations. It’s like Law & Order and Grey’s Anatomy. When you think there can’t be another season, the writers return with new characters, plot lines, and spin-offs.

Radio is looking for its next chapter. The readers are there. Are those readers reading more stories from other authors and sources? Yes, more than ever. However, radio is unique. It’s an in-the-moment medium easily accessible anywhere on the streaming and app platforms.

Radio needs to stop feeling sorry for itself and start believing in itself. I’ve told staff over the years to “Act like you’re going to win, but play like you’re behind.” Maybe that’s another way of saying, “Play with a chip on your shoulder.” 

Why is that attitude important? Because it will resonate out of the speakers and the devices and into the sales and development effort. 

JL: As a talent coach, what do you advise up-and-coming talent to do to get noticed and get on radio execs’ radar?

RH: Once, I sat on a bus next to the late great Dave Robbins and told him I didn’t get a job at B-96 Chicago because I had never sent him an aircheck. Then I told him I wouldn’t have gotten the job for many more reasons if he listened to that aircheck. (insert laugh from two radio veterans on a company event bus).

Do what everyone has done in this business. Make yourself available. Go for the job you want, not just the one you think you can get. Network, network, network. There are so many more ways to network than there used to be. But the world is noisier for decision-makers, so you will get lost. Human interaction is making a comeback because it’s unique. Pick up the phone or create a Zoom meeting. Do something.

JL: What are your tips for multi-market voice trackers to make each market as relevant and local as possible?

RH: Being local is more than talking about community events and the weather. You get a feeling when listening to a station or announcer. It resonates with the listener non-verbally as, “Yeah, she’s one of us.” 

The challenge for out-of-market voice trackers is creating that feeling for multiple markets… every day. Information is more accessible through search engines and AI. Do the prep and get granular in the market. If you’re tracking a show for Nashville and the break is about a concert at Bridgestone Arena, talk about the parking challenges around Lower Broadway and name parking garages.

“I got a parking tip for tonight’s show. Try the Nashville Public Library parking garage a few blocks from Bridgestone. Only $10. But be prepared to wait 30 minutes to get out when the concert is over.” 

It’s the small stuff that becomes connective tissue with your audience. If possible, invest the time and money to visit the market on a weekend. Get a car and make notes. Observe, observe, observe. Journal, journal, journal.

JL: Can radio promotion still “force listening?” If not, what is the best way to engage the audience when research says three percent of listeners care about contesting?

RH: Contesting’s greatest gift to the audience is what it does to the emotion of a radio station. We call it stationality. It creates emotion in the presentation: excitement, relaxation, concern, empathy. Whatever emotion you’re trying to create, contesting has the power to support your stationality. Promos and Imaging support the goal of the stationality. Contests allow jocks to turn a phrase or be a wordsmith with a giveaway.

Contests provide a simple blocking and tackling technique for radio: If/Then. If you listen at this time, then…. We need to improve this technique on many levels. Think of it as an On-Demand listening opportunity.

JL: Morning shows cannot just be four hours anymore. What tips can you give programmers and morning shows to carry it through the rest of the dayparts?

RH: The power of the promo. If your morning show wants to be promoted throughout the day, get a performance worth recycling in other dayparts. Entertainment is an On-Demand reality. What are you doing for me now? Give me a recycling promo that makes me laugh, cry, or be angry. If it doesn’t force me to listen tomorrow morning, it fulfilled the stationality goal of entertaining me right now.

Video production and social media give morning shows and all dayparts a chance to be visible outside the host’s on-air daypart. Create a strategy to use your non-DJ skills to connect with the audience.

JL: Assuming that it won’t change, what can programmers do to combat the heavy spot loads?

RH: Create reasons to listen around those realities. Music, companionship, benchmarks, and contests all have to be better to pull the listener through the stopset or get them to return. Commercials are content. Those advertising units double as a companion piece of your brand’s puzzle. Make stopsets sound better, and the clients will return.

JL: It seems everyone has a podcast. What can aspiring podcasters do to break through the clutter?

RH: It’s similar to what we do in radio. Find an opportunity or create an opportunity. If cooking is the hottest podcast topic, there must be an interest in cooking. Maybe the opportunity is to do it differently or more memorable than most cooking podcasts.

Some of these opportunities are created from lunchroom conversations. It’s when you hear someone day after day get the laughs or the interest from the rest of the lunchroom or the conference room. Those people and topics have a chance to get the attention of the noisy pod/vodcast audience.

The obvious opportunity for music radio talent is to do the show the Brand Manager won’t let you do on your limited radio show. You’ll find out quickly if you can hold someone’s attention for 20 minutes. 

JL: Do you have any tips for a good social media strategy?

RH: The first and most ignored strategy: have a strategy. If you have a strategy, review it and update the goals. When our medium joined the social media game, we promoted the platforms to get people to follow our brand. Now, the goal is to create a community and connect with social media users. 

The last time I checked, Facebook and TikTok didn’t need radio stations to promote their brand. What they want is engaging content. The benefit of radio creating content for the social channels boomerangs back to the radio brands. It has to involve human conversation to connect with the social media participants.

JL: How important is video in brand extension?

RH: Paramount. Video podcasts’ increasing popularity is why a brand needs a video strategy. Technology makes producing videos for social media and video channels easier. Here’s what hasn’t changed: the storyline. Don’t do it to say you’re doing it. Start with one idea, nurture it, and find your differences and strengths. 

JL: What was the best career advice you were ever given?

RH: Every leadership opportunity provided mentors and lessons. There’s not one job I didn’t enjoy or grow from the experience. Learning and improving from an experience is critical. 

We endure months of misery to avoid 24 hours of pain, is the most recent advice I learned. Great leadership involves discernment and patience. Sometimes, patience is a mask for fear. When you know in your gut, heart, and brain that you need to move on something, move. Your delay is creating misery for you and, more importantly, the team.

Connect with Harrell Media Group

Email Ron here.                 

Adam Schein is Obsessed with His Content on SiriusXM, CBS Sports Network and New VSiN Show ‘Make It Rain’

Derek Futterman
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Adam Schein is Obsessed with His Content on SiriusXM, CBS Sports Network and New VSiN Show ‘Make It Rain’

Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.

Over the last two decades, Adam Schein has been a fixture over the airwaves of SiriusXM hosting national sports talk radio. As the satellite audio platform has grown to more than 34 million subscribers, listeners have consistently tuned in to hear Schein’s program on Mad Dog Sports Radio featuring informed opinion, nuanced takes and star-studded interviews. The show officially reached its 20-year mark this past June.

Reflecting back on his tenure with the company and the evolution of his show, Schein estimates that the morning drive program is better than ever. The month of August in particular featured a wave of compelling interviews related to the NFL, including Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jonathan Taylor among others. Earlier in the year, the show made headlines when Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry revealed in an interview that the Dallas Cowboys had never demonstrated interest in adding him to its roster. Schein smiles when something from the program is picked up elsewhere, and he continuously seeks to differentiate his content amid a maelstrom of other options.

“I just think in terms of quality of conversation, where I am, my style, the calls, the guests, the crew, the production, the fun quotient, I really think calendar year, this has been the best year bar none of Schein on Sports,” Schein said. “I have a genuine blast every single day doing it.”

Although Schein has maintained success, it has been facilitated by synergy with his colleagues at SiriusXM and a shared indefatigable work ethic. Bob Stewart, the senior executive producer of the show, has built relationships with industry professionals and works to secure guest appearances. Schein will reach out to guests himself as well, but he and Stewart do not feel pressure to book a given number of people every day.

While Schein hosts the program alone, he receives additional assistance from producer Sam Garcia, who allows him to focus on his role and diminishes the overall level of concern about other tasks. Garcia updates audio, selects music and clips moments from given episodes on a regular basis, enhancing the production value of the program. Since he does not have to scrutinize over these essential tasks, Schein can channel his complete energy and determination into hosting and resonating with the audience.

“Having a great crew is so important,” Schein said. “You can find, in any business I guess, but in radio [and] TV, you can have people who are jaded or don’t want to be where they are. We don’t have that on our show.”

From when the channel launched in 2008, Steve Torre has been a fundamental presence with SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio and helped augment the quality and develop the vertical. Schein has known Torre for many years and regards him as both “the ultimate manager” and a trusted friend with whom he is comfortable speaking about the industry. Eric Spitz, who oversees sports programming for the company, is someone Schein met while interning at WFAN in 1997 as a college student at Syracuse University. In fact, Spitz ended up hiring Schein at WFAN early in his career and has been there to offer support and advice.

“Not every radio company nowadays has great radio people running radio stations and radio divisions, and having people who understand radio is just supremely important, and we have that,” Schein said. “That’s having people who understand you and what radio’s all about and how to make the doughnuts and how the sausage is made and supportive of talent and producers and creativity – it’s pretty great.”

Schein signed a four-year extension with SiriusXM last year, and he is appreciative of the guidance and support granted to him by his colleagues. Remaining associated with a worldwide entity with mass appeal, interest and professionalism continues to represent a salient value proposition. On top of that, the company continues to innovate, recently unveiling the revamped edition of its app amid a sweeping next generation rebrand.

Listen, it’s the power of SiriusXM and that platform and how many people you reach and obviously our show and our channel,” Schein said. “Mad Dog Sports Radio is an incredible brand. It’s very important to me in terms of hitching my show, my wagon, to Mad Dog Sports Radio – to Chris Russo, to Steve Torre, to Eric Spitz – and that’s a big deal in terms of knowing that you have the right people in charge who understand what sports radio’s all about, and I think that helps in terms of guests and the ability to do my kind of show, my brand of show.”

In working what he refers to as a “dream job,” Schein understands that his show needs to convey elements of ingenuity, passion and banter as consumers enjoy a broad array of content seeking to earn shares of attention. Throughout these two decades, he has adapted as a host while also retaining the identity of the program that drew listeners to the airwaves altogether. Recognizing this, Schein ends every show informing listeners that they received his best and that his standard for the next day is to be even better.

“I think that it’s important to make sure that you play the hits and you’re creative every day,” Schein said. “We’re obviously a show and a channel – we still take calls nonstop – and we get the best calls in sports radio, and I live for that interaction, and I’m also very cognizant that people tune in to hear my takes on sports, so I think that’s part of how the show evolves on a year-in, year-out basis.”

After his radio show concluded, Schein would travel to a television studio to prepare for Time to Schein, an evening program he hosted on CBS Sports Network. The show, which was initially one hour long, included conversation on several teams and leagues replete with guests, visual aids and enthralling moments. Following live broadcasts from Las Vegas ahead of Super Bowl LIX, the show concluded its run and signed off for good.

“It was never something we ever took for granted,” Schein said. “We appreciated the hell out of that every single day for eight-and-a-half years, and it was awesome. It was incredibly well received, and it was an awesome ride – a sensational, fun ride for eight-and-a-half years.”

Despite no longer anchoring a weekday sports television program with CBS Sports, Schein still works with the company as the host of That Other Pregame Show, colloquially abridged by its acronym of TOPS. On Sunday mornings during the NFL season, he is on the air for four hours alongside analysts Kyle Long, Amy Trask and Brock Vereen previewing the slate of games on the schedule. Furthermore, lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones delivers injury updates, lineup adjustments and other relevant news and information throughout the program.

“It just feels big, it is big, and we’ve been having celebrities come in and pick games,” Schein said. “Jay Wright was just 6-0 a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been doing that show for 12 years, and it’s been, bar none, the best production-wise, chemistry-wise, fun-wise, taking chances – it’s been an incredible year of TOPS.”

Over the years, the show has incorporated segments focused on sports betting, analyzing the odds and making selections for the games. This content features Katie Mox and Jeff Ratcliffe as they pick games against the spread and select a five-game parlay on a weekly basis. Schein acknowledges that consumers feel sports betting makes games more interesting and that it has permeated into the flow of sports radio and television programs.

“If you turn on ESPN, it’s Yankees-Dodgers and, ‘Here are the odds per ESPN BET,’” Schein articulated. “That was SportsCenter this morning, and that’s how it should be, and I think that that’s the way sports conversation is going in that I think it’s normal and I think it’s mainstream.”

As the industry gravitated towards this content, Schein thought about doing a show with content and conversation surrounding and related to sports betting. When Time to Schein ended, he met with several people about different projects ranging from podcasts, sports talk shows, television programs and sports betting content.

One of the companies with whom he met was VSiN, a Las Vegas-based sports betting network recently purchased back by its founders, Musburger Media, after it had been under DraftKings ownership for the last three years. Steve Cohen, former senior vice president of sports programming at SiriusXM, has been working with VSiN since this summer in an executive vice president role overseeing talent and programming. Akin to Spitz, Schein has known Cohen since interning at WFAN and is the person who brought him to SiriusXM.

“Going back to the FAN days, we see sports TV [and] sports radio the exact same way,” Schein said of Cohen. “We just share the exact same vision, and I know what he wants, and he knows who I am and what I do, and it’s awesome, man. Bill Adee has been great, and the Musburgers are fantastic and everyone at VSiN is phenomenal, but obviously sitting down with Steve again, I just couldn’t stop smiling.”

VSiN revealed that Schein was joining the company to host an afternoon television program, titled Make it Rain, aligning with his vision of associated sports betting content. Although the four-block show takes place in Las Vegas, Schein is not based in the area and instead hosts remotely while remaining in communication with the staff.

From its launch on the first day of the NFL season, he has seen its growth and is thrilled to be part of the lineup of shows that airs across multiple points of distribution. Schein is about to complete his second month with VSiN, but he feels that his tenure has lasted much longer and is energized by the dedication and proficiency showcased by his colleagues.

“It’s really just fantastic, and it’s a great place to be,” Schein said. “It’s a great place to work, and especially doing that kind of show, a sports content conversation and how it relates to betting.”

As Schein considers future undertakings, he desires to take his content to another level and believes he is employed by the right companies to achieve that intent. Even though it can be challenging to captivate consumers in an ecosystem filled with choice and competition, he approaches his work with passion, humility and sincere gratitude. In the end, these intangibles shine through and are transmitted on screens and speakers from coast to coast under the aegis of sports fandom and fervor.

“There’s not a day where I’m like, ‘Oh man, I got to do the radio show,’” Schein emphasized. “No, I live for this, I’m obsessed with it. It’s who I am, it’s what I do – it’s my identity in so many ways. I’m just obsessed with it, and I’m obsessed with the rush and the competition and making every single show, as I say at the end of it, the best show in the history of Schein on Sports.”

Eric Stanger Sought Sean Hannity’s Attention Over 30 Years Ago, and is Now His Senior Vice President of Operations at Premiere Networks

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Eric Stanger Sought Sean Hannity’s Attention Over 30 Years Ago, and is Now His Senior Vice President of Operations at Premiere Networks

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.

To have an illustrious career takes dedication, perseverance, and a lot of ingenuity and creativity (and perhaps a little luck). Eric Stanger is no exception. “[Sean Hannity] was 27 years old, and I was 21. I just remember thinking, ‘I’ve never heard anyone in their 20s on the radio. It was just so interesting, like you can be in your 20s and give opinions on the air,’” the Senior Vice President of Operations for the ‘Sean Hannity Show’ remarked.

Stanger was an intern for WGST, Hannity’s original home station. He was determined to find a way to be a part of the show. “I started leaving notes and [Hannity] was like, ‘Who’s this kid that’s leaving me notes every night? Let’s get him on as a producer’. That’s how I got started. I got very lucky.”

Their friendship now spans 30+ years. While the pair have worked on-and-off together during that time, their respective careers have grown equally both in front and behind the microphone. “It sort of blows my mind to even say that sentence because I still think I’m 25 years old, so how could it be 30 years ago?”

30 years can feel like yesterday in news. However, the news cycle moves so quickly, yesterday can feel like a year ago. Stanger believes this election cycle is no different. “It’s been a challenge only because this has been such an interesting and different kind of an election because you have a candidate who was a former president. Then you have another candidate who has just become a candidate. Biden only dropped out in July, and it feels like years, but that was three months ago. It just moves so quickly, and Sean is very adept at staying ahead of the news cycle.”

As Hannity’s success grew, so did Stanger’s. The latter becoming the former KABC and WABC Assistant Program Director, and Director of Talk Programing at ABC before rejoining Hannity’s team. Stanger believes the biggest part of Hannity’s success is, “He’s just focused on what we’re always focused on and that’s delivering information and opinions to the audience that expects it from us. It hasn’t really changed much this year, even though it’s been a crazy year.”

Being a part of the Hannity team there is a lot expected, especially from the listeners. “I think that the expectations are that we deliver Sean’s analysis and opinions on politics. But he is also very adept at breaking into breaking news coverage if there’s a hurricane or if there’s, God forbid, a shooting or some breaking news event. [Sean] is a member of the media. He delivers his opinions, but we also can pivot if needed, to cover breaking news and just deliver straight news coverage and interviews of newsmakers without opinion.”

It’s this talent which Stanger believes sets Hannity apart from other talk hosts, and likely why he is number one. “I’ll give you an example. When that horrific shooting happened in Las Vegas back in 2017, we were on a plane the next day. We wanted to be there to cover it. We talked to ATF, FBI, local people at our radio station cluster at the time. A couple of the guys that worked at the station were at that event and could give eyewitness details. There’s just something in the news business about being on scene.”

The need for Stanger, Hannity, and the team to be live on location also has benefits for their 700 affiliates. “It gives you honor and authenticity that otherwise you would miss and that’s a benefit to stations because either they have somebody who’s willing to go out there and do it, and have a presence on location instead of the station not having have the staff to send somebody.”

For those looking to become the next great news anchor, Stanger recalled what he looked for in talent as Assistant Program Director at KABC, “Somebody who’s really knowledgeable and has the ability to communicate to an audience in a warm way. I think warmth is really important. For a radio show, I definitely want to hear humor, and that you’re knowledgeable. A little bit of arrogance is fine, but not too cocky. But I would just say that warmth is really important and the knowledge of the issues and being able to communicate effectively and in a compelling way.”

One great thing about modern technology for those looking to take to the mic is, “There are a lot of really great podcasters out there and there are a lot of podcasters out there that are green and have a lot of work to do. But the talent pool has never been bigger. It’s so easy now to start a podcast or get yourself on YouTube. I would just say to any young talent starting up, just get yourself out there.”

For those who might not want to take to the mic and instead follow in Stanger’s footsteps, he said, “Get to know the talent rather than getting to know your programing bosses. That is the best thing I ever did in my career. I became friendly with Sean and really got to know him and how it all works. That really helped me in my career when I started working with other talent. If you’re working at a radio station or TV station, I would do what you can to get to know the talent and what their needs are and how to meet those needs as a programmer. Do that and you’ll be successful.”

Eavesdropping: Glue Guys with Alex Smith, Shane Battier and Ravi Gupta

Dave Greene
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Eavesdropping: Glue Guys with Alex Smith, Shane Battier and Ravi Gupta

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If you read this space enough, you know I like to check out sports podcasts which are recommended to me when I look at my Apple podcasts app. I really like shows that can make me a smarter sports fan and that make me think. I like to be taken behind the curtain, into the locker room if you will. So, when I saw the show ‘Glue Guys‘ with Shane Battier, Alex Smith and Ravi Gupta, I thought it would hit that mark and that is what I chose to eavesdrop in on this week.

And boy was I right. I won’t bury the lede here. If you also like smart sports conversation, you will really enjoy this show. ‘Glue Guys’ launched on September 10th and is only nine episodes in. Based on the early editions, topics, and guests involved, it stands out in a crowded marketplace.

In the early 2000’s, I was a very young program director at WHBQ in Memphis, the flagship station at the time for the Memphis Grizzlies. The team drafted Shane Battier sixth overall out of Duke in the 2001 NBA draft. I had just left St. Louis where I had had the chance to cover Kurt Warner, who I thought was one of the most genuine people I had ever been around. I thought Shane Battier was very similar. It never seemed like you were interviewing him, it seemed like you were having a conversation with him. So, I knew when I saw his name as one of the hosts that it would be intelligent conversation.

I think most sports fans are familiar with Alex Smith as we’ve seen him in many different ways since he came out of Utah and became the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. We have seen his successes and his struggles. We have seen him fight back from one of the more horrific injuries in football history when his leg was broken in 2018, and we watched him win Comeback Player of the Year in 2020. Now, we are getting to know him as an analyst for ESPN.

Ravi Gupta is the former COO & CFO of Instacart who is now a partner with Sequoia Capital. Like Battier, he is a graduate of Duke University. Together, they are close friends who dive into topics surrounding business, teamwork, leadership, resilience and sports.

Battier posted on X about the show saying, “Our new podcast dives into the unsung heroes of life—the people, moments, and lessons that keep us grounded and moving forward. Join us as we uncover and celebrate the stories of everyday resilience and hidden gems in our journeys.”

I scrolled through the episodes to look at the topics they’ve covered and while they’ve talked with Steve Young and Urban Meyer and they have a full episode on Alex Smith’s journey, the very first episode they did caught my attention. The topic was leadership and what makes a great coach. Since, among others, Battier and Smith played for Coach K, Hubie Brown, Meyer and Andy Reid, I was really interested to hear what it was like playing for those types of incredibly successful coaches.

Fortunately, they get right into it. Ravi Gupta says, “We’re going to talk about what makes a great coach today.” Battier quips back, “Great players!”

Battier has played for what he called “an embarrassment of Hall of Fame coaches” and said one was the “walking encyclopedia of basketball,” as he talked about Hubie Brown. He talked about how people would come from around the world to learn from the “Yoda of basketball.”

He noted how Brown would start clinics the same way every single time. “I’m going to teach you the most important lesson that I could ever teach you about basketball…write this down,” Battier recalled Brown saying. “If you do not have good players, you will not win.”

Battier said it was a common theme among the coaches he played for, “huge egos but huge humility as well.”

Smith says he took what Brown would do as “flipping the script” and putting the accountability back on the players. Smith said a coach like Brown knows he can draw up the best plays possible, but if the players don’t execute it doesn’t matter.

Smith talked about the parity in the NFL and the amount of talent each team has. He said to him, the coaching is the difference maker in the NFL, as they have so much input in game plan, the overall chess match, and the psychology. “All the great coaches I have played for have been master psychologists,” he said.

Gupta turned that thought into his world of business and said people want to work where the leaders make you feel good, but also create that accountability. He said leaders have to understand who it is that does the execution and make sure they believe in what they’re doing and who they are doing it for.

The show provides some great nuggets of information, such as when Battier notes the term ‘leadership’ is highly searched on Google, while the term ‘teammate’ on the other hand is hardly ever searched in comparison.

Football fans will also enjoy hearing Alex Smith talk about how being an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator is in no way training to be a head coach. “The criteria for both aren’t even close to being the same thing.” He uses Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell as an example saying he would interview with teams for head coaching jobs because he is a “big, giant, strong, goober” and because he hadn’t been a coordinator. When it turns out, as many already knew, Campbell is a great leader and therefor more fit to be a head coach than someone with years of coordinator experience.

Gupta deals with founders, people who have ideas to start companies and need to find financial backing and support. As Battier points out, Gupta has to decide if the people looking for investment can be great leaders. To make his point he shares a story about Kobe Bryant telling Phil Jackson he was ready to be a captain and Jackson saying back, “but nobody wants to follow you.” He makes the point that you don’t make yourself the leader, the people make you the leader, it has to be earned.

Smith talked more about Andy Reid, who he said would often say, “Fear nothing, attack everything.” He talked about ‘Big Red’s’ sense of humor, saying he loves being around the guys and cracking jokes. “The reason you see Patrick [Mahomes] and [Travis] Kelce smiling on the field is because Andy is.” He said when the game would be at its most tense moments, Reid was known to crack jokes on the sidelines to keep things loose.

Battier summarizes what he believes the best coaches he has been around all have and says it is integrity, competency and benevolence. In other words, do what you say you’re going to do, have a smart, well thought out plan and treat people well.

“You have those all come together, I’ll follow you over a wall,” Battier said. “That’s the secret sauce.”

Whether it was Jim Harbaugh on dress codes, Coach K’s minimal number of rules and motivational skills, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick’s very different assistant coach philosophies or Rick Adelman giving the players ultimate ownership of everything, the amount of insightful conversation was off the charts. You also hear about Battier and Smith’s time as coaches and whether or not that is something they might pursue further.

From start to finish ‘Glue Guys’ was a very good listen filled with informative sports and business talk. It was recommended to me by Apple and now I highly recommend it to you.

FOX Sports Averaging 14.5 Million Viewers Through First Two World Series Games

BSM Staff
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FOX Sports Averaging 14.5 Million Viewers Through First Two World Series Games

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The first two games of the 2024 World Series are in the books and with the top two media markets in the country being locked in to see the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, the television viewership numbers have been impressive. FOX Sports reports that across Fox, FOX Deportes, Univision and FOX Sports streaming services, Game 1 of the World Series averaged 15.2 million viewers while Game 2 averaged 13.8 million viewers. That makes the average for the two games 14.5 million viewers.

The Game 1 audience was the largest audience for Game 1 of the World Series since 2017. Game 2 drew 13.44 million viewers to Fox which makes it the most-watched World Series Game 2 on Fox since a Dodgers-Red Sox matchup in 2018.

Game 1 peaked at 17.8 million viewers from 11:30 p.m. ET to the conclusion of the game which saw Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in extra innings to give the Dodgers a one game lead in the series. Game 2 peaked at 16.35 million viewers from 11 p.m. ET until the conclusion which saw the Dodgers hold on to win 4-2 and take a 2-0 series lead.

Univision and FOX Deportes combined for 1.29 million Game 1 viewers, making it the biggest audience on Spanish-language television for a World Series game ever. FOX Sports reports FOX Deportes averaged 380,000 viewers for Game 2, up 69% over last season.

Overall, Game 1 was up 62% over the audience from Game 1 in 2023 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. Game 2 saw a 65% increase year over year.

Jim Donovan, Cleveland Browns Radio Voice, Dies at 68

BSM Staff
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Jim Donovan, Cleveland Browns Radio Voice, Dies at 68

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Jim Donovan, the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns for 25 seasons, passed away at the age of 68 after battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Donovan was diagnosed in 2000 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011.

“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a team release. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan. His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.”

“He will be greatly missed, but he cemented a legacy that will live on forever. The only thing that outweighed his love for this city and this team was the love he had for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate enough to call Jimmy family or friend.”

Donovan was first named as the radio voice of the team in 1999, when the franchise returned from a three-year hiatus, and completed his 25th season in 2023.

Donovan announced in late August he would not be returning to the broadcast booth.

“Unfortunately, I will not be calling the (season opener) on the Browns Radio Network,” he wrote on social media. “I have called my last Browns game,” Donovan revealed. “I have been dealing with cancer for many years. I’ve gone through every treatment imaginable. But my cancer is a defiant opponent and has returned and very aggressively. This will require me to devote everything I have in me to continue the fight and my family and I are committed to doing that.

“I have called Browns games for 25 years. Not a day has gone by when I haven’t paused and been so proud to be ‘The Voice of the Browns’ … I’ll be watching and listening. Here we go Brownies, here we go!”

ESPN 2024 WNBA Full Season Coverage Up 155% From 2023

BSM Staff
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ESPN 2024 WNBA Full Season Coverage Up 155% From 2023

Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.

The record-breaking season has come to an end for the WNBA and ESPN reports the overall increase from their coverage in 2023 to 2024 was 155%. Through the regular season, playoffs and finals, ESPN platforms averaged 1.2 million viewers for WNBA games, making it the most-watched full season on ESPN platforms ever.

ESPN platforms televised 22 postseason games with the New York Liberty securing the franchise’s first WNBA championship, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in an overtime thriller in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, Oct. 20. The 2024 postseason averaged 1.1 million viewers – up 139% over 2023’s postseason – making it the most-viewed WNBA postseason in 25 years.

The WNBA Finals ended as the most-watched Finals in 25 years as it averaged 1.6 million viewers, a 115% increase over 2023. Games 3, 4 and 5 each became the most-viewed WNBA Finals games ever on cable.

32 WNBA telecasts across all networks (including the 2024 WNBA Draft and the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game) averaged more than 1 million viewers each with 22 of those airing on ESPN platforms. ESPN was home to the most-watched game of the regular season which featured Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever playing Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on June 23, averaging 2.3 million viewers.

Connie Chung Tells Martha MacCallum: ‘If I Were in News Today, I Think I Would Be Fraught With Anxiety About Everything’

BNM Staff
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Connie Chung Tells Martha MacCallum: ‘If I Were in News Today, I Think I Would Be Fraught With Anxiety About Everything’

Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.

Connie Chung is a legendary news pioneer. But in a recent podcast interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, she shared she’s glad she’s no longer in the business.

On The Untold Story with Martha MacCallum, Chung shared that the current news world would leave her in a position where she would struggle with her mental health.

“I’m overly wrought with fear of what’s happening in our world, but I also fear the situation in the Middle East and the growing war that seems just on the brink,” Chung admitted. “And I fear Russia. I fear Putin so much I can’t sleep, if you want to know the truth.

“And if were I in news today, I think I would be just fraught with anxiety about everything in the world,” Chung continued. “It’s such a frightening period … I’m obsessed with the news, and I wonder, I really wonder, how it’s all going to turn out.”

Connie Chung also discussed her groundbreaking career with the Fox News anchor. She recently released her autobiography Connie: A Memoir, which detailed her rise through the news media ranks in spite of being a minority woman at a time when even white women struggled to gain a foothold in the industry.

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