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Beasley Media Made the Right Call Letting Andre Gardner Host a Final Show on 102.9 WMGK

Jason Barrett
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Beasley Media Made the Right Call Letting Andre Gardner Host a Final Show on 102.9 WMGK

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.

Layoffs have become a frequent part of our industry. It’s almost guaranteed that the fourth quarter each year will include the loss of quality people inside radio and television companies. Though it’s unfortunate and sad, when the bottom line shrinks, reducing expenses is required. Businesses can’t function if the cost of running them exceeds what they take in.

Most executives don’t enjoy taking away jobs from good people. They don’t like negative attention surrounding their organization or reminding the business world that their revenue performance is lagging. But it’s what you have to deal with when you run a company. As a former programmer turned business owner myself, I know the challenges. Each year, I examine our business, and have to decide how we’re going to approach the upcoming year. It’s easy to invest in more writers and events when others invest in you. If they don’t though, tough choices have to be made.

When a company decides to make cuts, how their leadership handles them speaks volumes about their character. Human beings are affected in this process. They are more than a line item on a document. Expecting to be treated honestly, and fairly, especially those who have given years of service to a company is the least a person should expect when receiving the news that the position they love is being eliminated.

Last week, that situation unfolded in Philadelphia. Beasley Media began laying off employees. Among the affected was Andre Gardner, a longtime radio veteran who’s been an integral part of the Philadelphia radio scene. Gardner was hosting afternoons on 102.9 WMGK, and had been a valued member of the radio station since 2002. Prior to arriving in the city of brotherly love, Gardner spent nearly a decade in New York City. He’s a pro with a proven track record, and he’s established great relationships with co-workers, competitors, advertisers, and listeners.

The news was delivered to Andre on Thursday night. Beasley Media could have elected to not allow him a final show, treating it like a standard business decision. But when someone helps build your business and connect your community for over two decades, the right thing to do is give them a chance to say goodbye. The audience you’re hoping will continue listening is there because the individual losing their job helped keep them on the dial. If the individual is professional, and the relationship between the company and employee is sound, everyone should be able to agree on an exit strategy. It’s how you make the best of a bad situation.

Some managers disagree with this approach. They don’t see the upside in giving a soon to be ex-employee a final show. The business cap gets put on, and they think about what’s best for the company moving forward. What they fail to recognize in these moments is how much damage can be done to a brand by not displaying appreciation and empathy. Listeners aren’t stupid. Neither are advertisers who’ve committed dollars to the host and daypart for years. Showing both that you value them by giving an individual a proper send off is the right thing to do. It puts you in a stronger position to retain loyalty.

That doesn’t mean every employee deserves this type of treatment. How a baseball team handles a hall of fame pitcher walking off the mound for the final time is different from a rookie who got a few outs. It’s no different in radio. Time invested, impact created, trust, and relationships, all factor into these decisions.

Is there a risk in letting someone host a final show after informing them you’re laying them off? Of course. Gardner could’ve gone rogue on WMGK and said damaging things about the company and his co-workers. But this is where knowing the individual and the situation comes into play. If Gardner wants to work elsewhere, he’s not going to jeopardize himself by operating that way. Secondly, if you talk to anyone in Philadelphia who’s been around him, you’d know that’s not his style. He’s well liked, and highly regarded.

That’s why it was easy for Beasley and it’s management team to trust him. Besides, in today’s digital climate, if Gardner wanted to go scorched earth, he could easily log on to a social media platform, and speak his mind. Chances are a local media outlet would pick it up, and relay it back to the entire market. That approach though guarantees a loss of respect and dollars, as it’d likely affect any type of severance package.

Losing a valuable employee who has spent decades representing a brand is hard enough. Why piss off local listeners, advertisers, and the individual you’ve trusted to occupy your airwaves by denying a final show? It also creates unnecessary stress for the local management team. The wins are much higher doing what Beasley Media did than taking the opposite approach.

WMGK allowed Gardner to be transparent with the audience, and showed him trust and respect on his final day. By operating that way, the radio station is less likely to deal with an audience revolt. Some listeners may elect to tune out for a short period out of loyalty to Andre, but if they’re a true fan of the brand, they’ll likely return.

People understand that the media industry is economically challenged. They may not like the news, but if the host and audience are shown the proper respect by giving both sides a chance to say thank you and goodbye, they’ll forgive. If a brand though disrespects the listener by denying their friend on the radio one final show, it leaves a sour taste in their mouth. It tells the audience the corporate company lacks compassion, and doesn’t care. Leaders can take that approach if they desire, just don’t be surprised when the audience you’ve built shrinks worse than your bottom line.

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Quick Hits:

#1 – I applaud Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy for not backing down to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones last week on 105.3 The Fan. The way Jones conducted himself was bush league. Suggesting that he’d replace the hosts with broadcasters who’d ask more favorable questions was embarrassing for a man who’s been otherwise candid throughout his career. If Jones did do that, it’d frame him in the worst way possible with his fanbase. It’d also kill any credibility the next host has when interviewing him.

Jones does not pay the talent on The Fan, but can choose to air his team’s games on another radio station in the future. I’m sure Audacy Dallas executives don’t want that. However, you can’t have a team owner insulting the audience’s intelligence, disrespecting the talent, and positioning your outlet as a shill for the franchise.

The way this should play out, Jones appears this week on the show, apologizes for losing his cool, explains that he was frustrated after the Lions loss, and Shan and RJ thank Jerry for the increased attention. Dave Greene did a nice job laying it out in his latest column.

#2 – Barrett Media is adding Assistant Editors for our Music Radio and Sports Media coverage. I’ve spoken to twenty people in the past two weeks about our Sports opening, and have a few more lined up this week too. After I finish the Sports process, I’m planning to dive into our Music Radio opening. We are three months into our move into covering music radio, and have plans to grow in 2025 and beyond. Those passionate about music radio, experienced in the business, connected across the industry, and excited by our brand’s coverage are encouraged to submit resumes and writing samples to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

#3 – Some things just feel right. John Sterling calling a New York Yankees World Series in his final season in the booth is one of them. Sterling sounded fantastic last week calling the Yankees-Guardians series. The bigger the moment, the better he broadcasted. With the Dodgers set to face the Bronx Bombers, it means Sterling gets to work one final series opposite his former on-air partner, Dodgers broadcaster Charley Steiner. The baseball gods understood this was how it should be, and the only ones happier are TV network executives who are expecting big ratings from the 2024 World Series.

#4 – Nice work by Front Office Sports on pointing out some huge issues with Tom Brady‘s owner’s agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders. In the deal, it states that Brady is restricted from criticizing teams/referees, can’t enter team facilities, isn’t allowed to attend practices, isn’t permitted to join pregame production meetings with teams or players either in person or virtually, and is subject to the league’s gambling and tampering policies.

How is Brady supposed to execute his duties and improve as FOX’s lead NFL analyst if he’s unable to do those things? Many believe Tom won’t be in his current position in 3-4 years. With $375 million invested in him, FOX deserves its lead analyst to be fully committed to the position. Brady has done a nice job so far, but FOX isn’t significantly better with him in the booth. His profile is much larger than Greg Olson’s but if he’s limited in what he can do for each week’s game, it’s going to force FOX to reevaluate in the future.

#5 – If you want to watch great television, watch Bill Belichick break down plays on Inside The NFL. It’s outstanding. Belichick showing how the 49ers had opportunities but screwed up in the Super Bowl vs. the Chiefs last year was fantastic.

#6 – I was stunned last week to find the Mets-Dodgers game on FS1 rather than FOX. If the game conflicted with another sporting event or Presidential debate, I’d understand. But making the Masked Singer the priority was silly. FS1 did likely expose its programming to more sports fans, which is a positive for the channel. The MLB playoffs though deserve to be seen by the most amount of people on the channels they watch most frequently.

#7 – Fox News anchor Bret Baier demonstrated why he is a superb interviewer last week. He stayed focused on facts, open ended questions, and anticipated the answers. The result of his preparation produced one of the more candid conversations with Kamala Harris. Many loved and disliked the conversation based on their political views, I simply appreciated Baier’s strategy and execution. Learning afterwards of what transpired behind the scenes provided a reminder of why broadcasters must be ready for anything. It’s why Fox trusts Baier with the biggest names in the biggest spots.

Covering the News When the News Goes Off the Rails

Perry Michael Simon
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Covering the News When the News Goes Off the Rails

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.

This is not normal. I don’t have to tell you that.

When things aren’t normal, you can’t treat them as if they are. We need to talk.

In case you were among those who haven’t been paying attention, one of the presidential candidates is demonstrating erratic behavior, and by “erratic behavior” I mean batshit crazy. Saturday’s rally speech by Donald Trump in Latrobe, PA opened with an interminable, disjointed ramble about Latrobe legend Arnold Palmer that culminated with a comment about the size of Palmer’s dangly bits. He topped that by encouraging the crowd to proclaim his opponent a “shit Vice President.” This is not normal adult behavior when addressing a political rally. This behavior would get you booted from a lot of places.

Does that deserve neutral treatment from the news media? Is it incumbent upon editors and reporters to go seek out something, ANYTHING controversial from the other candidate and give it equal play? I mean, this happened, it’s on video, it’s not being denied, and when I saw it I, as a Floridian, immediately thought of the Baker Act. (Google it.) Yet this will fade into a forgotten anecdote as soon as, well, maybe even today, because what used to be front page news now dissolves before your very eyes as the social media-driven news cycle picks up on some other manufactured outrage.

It’s not a brilliant or original insight to note how the news media is failing the U.S. at exactly the wrong time, but it’s also not at all unprecedented. The New York Times is still trying to live down Walter Duranty’s pro-Stalin reporting from the 1930s (that won the Pulitzer). Fact-checking isn’t enough, either; the public seems inured to politicians’ lies, each side excusing their own candidate.

What seems to be happening is that, finally, once and for all, the traditional journalism model is broken. The press is acting as if this is a standard election and a standard political landscape, and that the traditional model of journalism that they learned at Newhouse or Columbia still applies. It doesn’t. The politicians are playing an entirely different game, and too many in the news media are resisting change in covering it.

That, in turn, is why the candidates are going on podcasts and talking to friendly media figures. Kamala Harris will reach the voters she needs through “The View” and Howard Stern and “The Shade Room” and Charlamagne tha God more efficiently than doing interviews with the Times. Trump can connect with the young male audience through Dan Bongino and Patrick Ben-David and Fox News. That doesn’t go down well with some of the traditional outlets, but, again, the game has changed. The news media has both-sides itself into irrelevance.

One solution would be for the traditional news media to stop the pretense of needing to do equal coverage in both content and tone. If something is happening right in front of everybody, reporters and editors should be calling it for what it is, not just ignoring it or waiting for the candidate’s handlers to provide them with the official spin. If a candidate is melting down and talking about a dead golfer’s penis, that should be the lead story, just as President Biden’s age and mental abilities were treated. Instead, on Sunday morning, the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN buried the story, and the Los Angeles Times didn’t even cover it, not even with a wire service story (and it was fully covered on the AP wire, so there’s no excuse).

It’s probably too late for this election, but, assuming we still have a free press afterwards, the news media industry needs to reevaluate some of its long-standing principles and assumptions. The world changed, and the people who are supposed to be reporting on it didn’t do a very good job of explaining it. It might be time to throw it all out and start over. Maybe Arnold Palmer’s penis will end up saving the world.

Radio Stations Enjoy Greater Success When Prioritizing the Music and Eliminating Bad Songs

Ron Harrell
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Radio Stations Enjoy Greater Success When Prioritizing the Music and Eliminating Bad Songs

“Why should it surprise us?” That was my reaction to a recent article by the esteemed Leigh Jacobs, EVP of Research Analysis for NuVoodoo.

Researchers, consultants, critics, and analysts are writing about Nielsen Audio’s proposed Average Quarter Hour (AQH) measurement changes. Nielsen will drop the listening requirement from five to three minutes to gain a coveted quarter-hour. I wrote about it on October 1st in this space. Three Minutes and Emotional Impact

Jacobs used the Nielsen changes to recap the Top 10 reasons radio listeners tune out. According to their NooVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study 24 NuVoodoo Study, the number one reason is Too Many Bad Songs. This caused me to talk back to the screen when I read it.

Bad Songs…Talking Bout The Bad Songs

Nearly half of the 3,000-person sample chose the bad songs as a reason for changing stations or tuning out. Six of the top ten results for dissatisfaction were music-related: Burnout, repetition (vertical and horizontal), unfamiliarity, and similarity were other reasons for leaving a station. Commercial breaks ranked eighth in the Top 10. I would bet most radio programming personnel would’ve placed those spot breaks as the top reason for audience attrition. 

Music stations are called music stations for a reason. Those brands are identified and remembered by the genre of music coming out of the speakers. Radio has endured audience attrition due to electronic content competition from streaming services, video accessibility, podcasting, and social media access. No one denies the impact those inventions had and continue to have on a 100-year-old medium.

Play The Hits

Play the Hits is a line the Program Director, VP of Programming, and Consultant have been delivering in the hallways and on conference calls for as long as I’ve been exposed to the Programming side of the building. Every format lives by it. From the super tight Top 40 and Country stations to the expanded playlist of an Adult Hits station, everyone is attempting to play the best.

Stations playing a lot of contemporary music soar and falter based on the music trends of those hits. We can produce the best log, but music doldrums or lack of demand for the type of music you’re programming reduces the number of occasions a listener returns to the frequency or app.

Then there’s a lack of marketing. Oh, how we love to use that line. Worthy. Or, how about the talent is below average, or we don’t have a great signal? All of these contribute to product challenges and need attention and repair.

However, what if none of those issues are fixable in this season? What is the one thing you can improve? It happens to be the reason the listener comes to you and the reason they leave – music. Bad songs, repetition, rotations, etc..

F10, F9

In the Selector DOS and V12 days, we had a term for a PD or MD who didn’t spend enough time on a log: “They F10-F9’d that log.” F10 was the key you pressed to start the software scheduling the log. F9 was the print function. It meant they didn’t manually edit the log to move songs around and check for rotation issues. It felt like a rushed job.

Fast forward to 2024, when fewer people do more work, the rushed job reality occupies multiple categories of the radio workday. Technology has improved the speed of scheduling. It’s amazing what GSelector, Powergold, MusicMaster, WideOrbit, and other scheduling software can accomplish if you nurture and mentor the programs to create the sound you want. Oh, and the algorithms. Don’t forget that word. Do you know what gets minimized if we’re not careful? The human touch.

Those programs provide more reports than your medical insurance provider. Take the time to analyze and create reports to help you improve the six reasons NuVoodoo says listeners are switching stations or tuning out.

Put Your Ears On It

Listen to your station uninterrupted if you want to know what it sounds like. Drive in your car for an hour and listen without changing the station. Listen to it on a stream, on your app, HD, everywhere. Not every once in a while, but weekly and daily. It sounds primitive, but I’ve watched downsizing and technical noise over the last 15 years reduce our exposure to our products.

Research It

If technology and electronic platforms have caused the consumer to rely less on radio for accessibility to music, then shouldn’t we invest in research more than ever? It’s more challenging to get their attention. Why do we think less research is a good use of resources? Maybe you’re creating the next big format that can’t be researched. Great. We’re cheering for you. However, 97% of the other formats need the best consumption data we can access. All of it. Traditional, streaming, and video.

Express It

If the Nielsen AQH changes happen in 2025, it has the potential to make radio better for the listener. The changes don’t change the way the audience listens. It changes the way listening is reported. However, if we’re paying attention and investing time into the product, we will be more aware of the benefits of the three-minute rule, and more likely to focus on creating more occasions.

Great talent, promotions, street teams, digital content, and marketing budgets will be needed more than ever to create those occasions. Focusing on the content that comprises 75-80% of an hour of your radio station is the most important place to start. The music. The rest of the station can sound better if we’re scrutinizing and agonizing over those logs with a human touch.

Radio Hosts and Advertisers Need to Watch Their Language!

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Radio Hosts and Advertisers Need to Watch Their Language!

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 past columns, I’ve discussed some of the lackadaisical uses of words. Just check LinkedIn and you’ll see how many people are “thrilled” about something (synonymous with “sucking up”) or are feeling “empowered”. The latter sensation happens more often in states where the recreational version is legal. Then there is “diverse”, which may be the third most used English word in business after “a” and “the”.

In July, I was doing my best to ignore the Olympics under the heading of “If I don’t care about these sports for 206 weeks, why should I care for two weeks?”, but was in a local watering hole during the games (just one evening, not the whole two weeks!). The gold medal match of women’s table tennis was on. Like moths to a light bulb, screens draw me in and even though my interest in the match between the Chinese and Japanese women was limited (I still don’t know who won), one commercial caught my eye.

Bridgestone Tires ran a spot with the tagline “Solutions for Your Journey”. Shortly after I moved to Bowling Green, I drove my car over a raised stone part of my driveway, but didn’t think much of it. Two hours later, the resulting flat tire forced further thought, however, not for a moment did the need for a solution for my journey cross my mind. After a few expletives, the thought was “I need a new tire and probably two.” 

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never had Bridgestone tires on any vehicle I’ve owned, but the brand would be in my “consideration set”, another phrase that should be banned and replaced with “brands you might buy”. The company is big around here with their US offices based in nearby Nashville, the home of Bridgestone Arena, however “solutions for your journey” is a good reason to avoid them.

Another example of poor use of language is “transparent” or “transparency”. Beyond the major national races, here in the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky, we’ll be voting for a mayor and city council among other offices. Being new in town, I looked up each candidate’s website figuring that would be the obvious place to find out what each one considers to be the issues facing the city and their thoughts. Other than their wonderful backgrounds, the only thing any of them mentioned was a desire to be “transparent”. I don’t think so.

To me, “transparent” means we get to know everything. If the City Council goes into closed session for an HR issue, should the council members tell us what happened? Perhaps they had to approve firing a city employee who had harassed someone, stole, or simply didn’t show up for work for a month or two with no reason. Going public would be “transparent”.

When I represented Cumulus on NAB’s COLRAM committee, Nielsen people would tell us the company wanted to be “transparent”. My response was to demand access to all their intellectual property which would be “transparency” at its finest. My request was denied. What Nielsen really wanted to say was the company wished to be “open” with their client base and respond to the issues.

Which leads to our medium. Do you wince when you hear the word “dial” on the air? It’s still being used. The FM dial or perhaps ad copy suggesting that you dial a phone number.  Does anyone still have a rotary dial phone? Would someone under 30 even know what to do with one? What is the round thing and why is there a cord coming out of the device? Is that how you recharge it?

Then there is the copy crutch of “for all your — needs”. Full disclosure: I’m sure I used that line more than once in my copywriting career which ended in 1983. Whether you’re in a top ten metro or an unrated market, there must be something more original than that. Think about how people speak; radio is a spoken word medium.

Our goal for our clients is to bring more people into their stores, help them sell more, or perhaps raise awareness. When was the last time someone said to you “You know, I go to Al’s Garage for all of my automotive repair needs”? No more dials, no more “all of your needs”, and no more of the more modern word “solutions.” 

The next time I need tires, perhaps I’ll be thrilled to have a Bridgestone dealer sell me a solution for my journey to empower my vehicle after transparently going through a hierarchy within my diverse consideration set. Or I might just buy some Bridgestones.

Let’s meet again next week.

Amanda Brown Has Bigger Plans After Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan Nabs Marconi Award as Sports Station of the Year

Derek Futterman
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Amanda Brown Has Bigger Plans After Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan Nabs Marconi Award as Sports Station of the Year

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 previous seven years, Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan had not applied to win a Marconi Award in the category of “Sports Station of the Year.” The distinguished honor, which is given by the National Association of Broadcasters annually, had never found its way to the Denver sports talk radio station throughout the 29 years it has been on the air.

When new program director Amanda Brown learned of the sobering reality that the outlet had instead applied solely in the “Legendary Station of the Year” category, she questioned the approach and refined it. Going into the awards, Brown felt optimistic about the station’s chances and conveyed her sentiments to afternoon drive host Zach Bye. When her prognostication became reality two weeks ago, Brown and her colleagues celebrated the achievement, joining the ranks of many other top stations in the sports talk format.

As the station prepares to celebrate three decades in the format next year, attaining the distinction was meaningful for the team at Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan both behind the microphones and in other departments. For Brown, it represents a significant accomplishment in her first year working as its program director especially since the station lineup underwent recent changes. While she estimates that there were people skeptical about the station’s chances of winning the award, she was elated to have her confidence validated.

“I think we are all super excited that we won the award,” Brown said. “We know it’s a huge accomplishment, but we also know that we still have work to do. The station has been through a lot of change over the last several years, including when I first got here last year.”

The award helped boost the morale at the station, serving as a tangible affirmation from the industry that the consistent hard work and stellar product was being recognized. Although the station does not have any professional play-by-play rights and is in a marketplace with strong competition, it has found a way to stand out and maintain its audience while appealing to the next generation.

“These guys have worked their tails off for a long time,” Brown said, “and to finally see it pay off in an award like the Marconi – I mean, the smiles on their faces made it worth everything.”

The victory comes less than a month after a lineup change that came from a consequential change in morning drive. Three-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth agreed to join the new morning television studio program, Breakfast Ball on FS1, expanding his role with FOX Sports and complicating his presence in Denver.

For parts of the preceding eight years, Schlereth’s mornings had been occupied by radio through a show alongside Mike Evans, and it has been a hit with the audience. Despite the new television show emanating from New York City, Schlereth wanted to find a way to continue working with the station and expressed that to management.

“We know that Mark is the biggest name in sports, maybe in all of radio, in the Denver market, and we were going to do everything we could to keep him on the air,” Brown explained. “Between him wanting to be here and us obviously wanting him, we found a way to make it work.”

Under the terms of the new arrangement, Schlereth co-hosts the final two hours of the morning show remotely from New York City. Concurrent with this shift, three-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL wide receiver Brandon Stokley informed Brown that he wanted a new challenge and desired to move from middays to mornings.

“We put him in there and from Day 1 it was instant chemistry, and a perfect fit. I spoke to both Mike Evans and Mark Schlereth and they were like, ‘Yes,’ and four days after we had Stokley in, I said, ‘Hey, you want to do this?.’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s do this’, and I think Stokley has reenergized a morning show that’s been together for a while. I think it’s also helped maybe take a little bit of pressure off of Mark,” Brown articulated.

In addition to the new arrangement in mornings, the station added Cecil Lammey to middays with Josh Dover. Brown acknowledged that both hosts share similar interests in movies, music and sneakers. A few weeks after the new show began, they approached Brown and told her that they felt as if they had known each other for a long time.

“Cecil is really strong in football, and Josh is really strong in basketball and hockey, so its energy and depth is the big thing,” Brown said. “Cecil’s worked in this market for a long time, and he’s worked with the station for over 20 years in different capacities, most recently on the digital side. He cares about this station more than any person I’ve ever met, and his passion was really big for me as well.”

These decisions are made in tandem with senior vice president and market manager Katie Reid, who joined Bonneville International two years ago to lead its cluster of stations in Denver. Brown regards Reid as someone who has been supportive and grants her the autonomy and managerial wherewithal to draw conclusions and offer suggestions.

For example, within her first few weeks on the job, Brown realized that the morning show had one person operating the board and producing, whereas the midday show had two people splitting the responsibilities. Recognizing the dichotomy in these situations, Brown met with Reid, outlined the quandary and suggested a way to remedy the alignment.

“Here I am, a new employee, and I explained it to her, and she goes, ‘Okay, let’s do it,’” Brown recalled. “If I go to her and I can justify things, a lot of times it’s a ‘Yes,’ and that’s a great feeling. I’m never worried about taking something to her.”

Before joining Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan as its program director, Brown worked in the same role at ESPN LA 710 in her home marketplace. Being able to make the move back to Los Angeles took place after five years in Bristol working as a producer for the ESPN Radio network. After starting as a producer, she became the assistant program director at 710 in 2016 and was subsequently promoted to the lead role three years later. Earning the role was a dream come true, and it afforded her a chance to work with talented hosts and local teams on programming and play-by-play rights.

“I hope that people would say that I definitely changed the way that they did things,” Brown explained. “We focused more on turning it into a station that was more about entertainment – really entertainment then sports with the Mandy Awards and the way that we approached the shows.”

As a part of cost-cutting measures at The Walt Disney Company, Brown was among the professionals subjected to layoffs that ultimately eliminated 7,000 jobs. Having worked for the company for two decades and surviving several rounds of layoffs in the past, she expressed not having thought about when it would be her turn. Yet she and other colleagues in the audio division all lost their jobs and were suddenly separated from their longtime audio home.

“I was still living in LA, but I stopped listening,” Brown said. “I couldn’t listen. It was too difficult. It was hard to have some relationships with people that still worked there because I didn’t want to hear about the things that were going on there, so I just fully removed myself and became a fan of the teams at that point. I kind of went back to just being a fan.”

In the ensuing months, Brown examined her future in sports media and had conversations with several companies, including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Additionally, she identified her passion for play-by-play having worked with teams at ESPN LA 710, leading to a conversation about a potential role with Westwood One.

Through it all, she found it difficult to be watching the games from afar rather than being there and working in her job. She continued to press on and evaluate the marketplace, and even though she was willing to work in television, she wanted to find a way to stay involved in sports media and ultimately received the chance when the program director role in Denver opened.

“I think it was a blessing in disguise,” Brown said of the layoff. “I landed on my feet working for a great company, and now I’m in a city that I absolutely love, working with a team that I absolutely love. Working here has been a great challenge for me. [I am] learning new skills that I didn’t get working for ESPN, and have more opportunity to truly run the radio station.”

While the focus spans beyond radio, the traditional ratings play a factor in reviewing overall station performance. Moreover, metrics from streaming, podcasts and digital-only shows are also included within these quantitative numbers. Brown emphasizes to her staff that no matter what the ratings say, if the team feels it’s doing the right thing, building their shows in the right way and having good broadcasts, that is what genuinely matters.

“I have monthly meetings with each of my shows,” Brown said. “Certain talent I meet with consistently, but I like to empower them to do what they think is best, and then obviously I spend a lot of time listening and providing feedback, but the guys have to feel good about the product that they’re putting out, and for me, it’s about helping them feel good about what they’re doing.”

Brown still sees a future of possibility and potential. She said most revenue from advertising still comes from terrestrial radio, something she does not see changing soon, and she believes that the Marconi Award victory illustrates that the business is still thriving.

“So what if terrestrial radio goes away someday?” Brown surmised. “We can put shows on streams; we can do podcasts. There are so many other ways that we can provide content to the audience, and by the way, sports are never going anywhere, and people are always going to want to consume sports content.”

The station seeks to continue thriving in an industry trying to garner shares of attention from consumers with arguably more choice than ever before, and Brown is appreciative of her team being receptive to coaching and feedback. Throughout her years in the business, she has always been passionate about mentorship and elevating operations to the next level. The lineup change is in its early stages, and she is interested to see where it will go as the local teams continue to compete for championships with each passing quarter.

“When I first got here, I inherited a lineup that was already in place and had been in place for a couple of months,” Brown said. “I feel like I’ve been able to make my mark on the station with the lineup tweaks, and I’m optimistic that these were the right decisions and that we’re going to be successful.”

As Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan approaches its third decade on the air, the team understands there is more work to do. Brown hopes that the distinction is not its ultimate flourish, instead thinking ahead of what else it can achieve. Being on the verge of completing her first year with Bonneville International, she is proud of her team but has bigger aspirations going forward.

“Next year, we want to win ‘Legendary Station of the Year’ at the Marconis,” Brown said, “and I’m not kidding.”

Consultant’s Corner: John Shomby, Country’s Radio Coach

Jeff Lynn
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Consultant’s Corner: John Shomby, Country’s Radio Coach

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Country’s Radio Coach, John Shomby, is a coach and mentor for radio programmers and on-air talent. The Nashville-based consultant has worked with high profile talent and programmers in multiple formats.

He has programming experience in Augusta, Flint, Birmingham, Portland, Dallas, and Norfolk/Virginia Beach.

Shomby is also available to “to coach aspiring or current podcasters in the art of audience engagement and personality development.”

He is this week’s featured consultant.

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

John Shomby: This depends on who is answering the question. From my point of view, the homogenization of the format is still an issue. You have a couple of major companies handling music programming AND talent for a large group of their stations, thus a very” centralized” sound. In addition, the formula hasn’t changed for most for 15 to 20 years. What does”#1 for New Country” or ”Today’s Best Country” really mean? The genre is in a great spot and I’m not seeing stations really taking advantage of that. I listen to a different country station every day in my home office and there are days when I think I’m hearing a station from the day before. Lots are programming not to lose rather than to win.

JL: Knowing it is market-dependent, is there a baseline for current/recurrent/gold in the music formula?

JS: I really see this as a market-to-market situation, taking into consideration the target demo, competitive landscape, etc. The baseline should be based on the station’s image in the market. What I would play at a station in Norfolk/Virginia Beach should have very little, if any, bearing on what a Milwaukee station would play.

JL: How can radio programmers effectively program around the ever-increasing spot load?

JS: Assuming this isn’t going to change any time soon, I think strong creative promotion/teasing could give a station an edge. I love what The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon has started doing to promote the next segment. They showcase a key snippet of that segment going into a break. Rather than the usual jock tease, why not find a way to highlight what may be a part of the next segment? Sure, it’ll be a recorded piece, but listeners don’t care. They just want to be entertained. It could be a piece of a new song, an excerpt of a show bit, etc. Watch how other mediums do this. You can learn a lot. Bottom-line, you need to give the listener a real reason to stay or come back.

JL: Promotional budgets, in most cases, are gone. Do you have a tip for market outside your cume with no money?

JS: Get out in front of the listeners. These political candidates may be spending $$$ on advertising, but their bread and butter is getting out and shaking hands. The same applies for any station. Build FANS, not followers. Fans come from personal contact. The Swifties are the number one example of the success of growing a fan base. Money can’t buy that.

JL: What’s the best promotion you’ve seen lately or been a part of?

JS: When I was programming a classic rock station in Boston back in the day, our competitor was the big-dog heritage radio station. Every St. Patrick’s Day, U2 would come in to play the old Boston Garden, and that station would be all over it. We decided that it was time for us to get in the middle of that and hopefully steal a little thunder. We had a small budget to purchase tickets, which we did………six pair total. We created a fictitious character called the” Ticket Phantom” and told our listeners he would be lurking around the Garden with tickets in hand before the show. All the listeners had to do was have our station call letters displayed somewhere on their person. I sent two of bigger staff people out there just in case a few hundred showed up. Well, turns out that over 10,000 showed up, all displaying the station calls. I was getting calls from the director of the Garden, the concert promoter, and, of course, the press. So – we gave the tickets away and got out of there. The big-dog station did live TV cutaways prior to the show and every report sported a background of our station call letters. The follow-up press on this went three days ending with the city no longer allowing large gatherings in that area ever again. All for 12 tickets!!

JL: Many big Country stations now have a syndicated morning show and out-of-market voice trackers for the rest of the day. How can a programmer make his station feel like part of the community?

JS: Make those out-of-market folks as much a part of the station as the local staff. I programmed three nationally syndicated daily shows for four years a few years back, and, I will tell you, there were a handful of PDs who drove me crazy, wanting local break-ins, liners, etc. You know what? They were all consistent ratings winners. Be relentless in getting those personalities involved. From the national level, it’s expected, so take full advantage of it.

JL: Do you have a tip for brand extension for both stations and individuals into social media and podcasting?

JS: Don’t do it just to do it. With your socials, engage your listeners. Don’t use them as a promo liner extension. It’s a viral way of shaking hands so don’t waste it. At one station, we had all personalities having ongoing convos with listeners during the actual CMA awards. Rather than post the winners, we wanted to know what they were thinking. Engage them!!

With podcasts, I would say don’t do one just to do one. Make sure there is a clear purpose. If it’s your morning show, maybe it’s an extension of a popular benchmark or create a podcast of artist interviews that really tell a story. No matter what, be clear and simple………..and reasonably short.

JL: Classic Country stations are popping up. Do you see long-term success for that branch of the Country format? I loved listening to them initially, but after some time, I realized my ears needed to rest “Chattahoochee.” No offense to AJ.

JS: Yes, I do, and I also see some future success for a more current-based branch, too. Country is really the only format that hasn’t splintered as AC, Rock, Top 40, and R&B have. Time to open up.

JL: With gold in mind is 90s music returning to current-based stations.

JS: This depends on the station, but I can tell you that a good song is a good song is a good song. Plenty of 90’s tunes have stood the test of time, so I’d play the best of those.

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

JS: I’ve been fortunate to have some great mentors throughout my career, but I must tell you, the best advice ever came from a book – “Called Out” by Paula Faris, a former ABC news anchor who is now a Christian podcaster. That book hit me between the eyes with the fact that your identity is not your job……not what you do. It’s what you’re good at…..what gets you up every morning……what you are CALLED to do.

Contact John Shomby here.

Email here:

Eavesdropping: The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, 92.3 The Fan

Dave Greene
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Eavesdropping: The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, 92.3 The Fan

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.

What a run baseball has been on lately. Viewership numbers have been up, mainly due to the major markets of New York (both teams) and Los Angeles being in the mix, but also because of some of the excitement happening and the stars of the game shining. When two of those stars, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs in Game 3 of the ALCS, it sure felt like the Cleveland Guardians were about to go down three games to none. Then, magic happened as Jhonkensy Noel crushed a game-tying two-run homer to send the game to extra innings where David Fry hit a walk off home run to cut the Yankees lead in the series to two games to one. I had to hear what that sounded like the next day on Cleveland sports talk radio, so I eavesdropped on The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan.

Carman has been with the station since its inception in 2011 when he hosted a Friday night football show and other weekend programming. In July 2015, Carman replaced Chuck Booms and moved into the morning drive slot with Kevin Kiley. That changed in February 2016 when Kiley and the station parted ways. Anthony Lima worked on an interim basis with Carman and then was named the permanent co-host in May 2016.

Carman has also done play-by-play, national work for what was then CBS Sports Radio, and he is a sports anchor on evening newscasts on Fox 8 News, a position he took on in 2022.

Andy Roth, who was the Program Director for the station at the time, said he wanted a local morning show led by two Ohio natives with a passion for Cleveland sports and they have delivered that and more over the last eight and a half years. The show has finished either No. 1 or No. 2 each year since 2017 in the Barrett Sports Media Top 20 Mid-Market Sports Radio Morning Show rankings.

There are fun shows to do and then there was this one, which had to be one of the most fun shows the hosts have ever done.

They kicked it off with audio clips from TBS and Brian Anderson’s calls of the Yankees home runs, followed by an abrupt music change for the Guardians home runs, culminating in Anderson exclaiming, “Fry to left field, it is a walk off home run, David Fry lights up the Cleveland night!”

The hosts were clapping and yelling and Carman declared, “We’re back in the series!” And from there, the hosts and anyone who interacted with them just simply let their emotions out and went an hour straight just simply winding down and talking about the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.

Carman summed it up when he said, “What a night! I went from feeling as bad as I’ve ever felt during a Cleveland sporting event….to one of the greatest things that I’ve ever seen at a Cleveland sporting event…I’ve sat there and seen a lot of crap and I can’t believe what I saw last night.” Later, Carman would say to the audience, “I hope you remember it forever. I know I will.”

There was plenty of analysis as well going on as the two would bounce back and forth between being fans who just witnessed one of the great wins of all time to being hosts who needed to also talk about what it means and what may or may not happen next.

Additionally, there was another major local sports topic as the City of Cleveland announced the Cleveland Browns would be leaving their stadium in the city of Cleveland and moving to a domed stadium in Brook Park, Ohio starting with the 2029 season. On any other day this would have been the top story and talked about most of the show.

I was impressed with how Carman handled it early in the show. In a complete veteran move, he would simply slip in every now and then a quick acknowledgement of the headline and then give the actual time or minutes until the time they were going to address it.

The hosts went back and forth giving some of their takes on the baseball game and the night itself from their vantage point as well as mixing in calls from listeners and getting their version from wherever they were watching the game. If you read my recent column on why I think sports stations need to take phone calls and you disagreed, go back and listen to this show and hear the emotion from the callers. When you hear a lifelong Cleveland baseball fan call in from Pennsylvania, who drove to the game with his son and then drove back after two hours of sleep to get to work it gives you chills and reminds you what sports and fandom is all about. Carman did a great job mixing in the right number of calls throughout the show.

They talked about the game from every angle imaginable. They talked about how neither team had really played their best baseball in the series and certainly the Guardians had won this game without playing their best. Lima said he was ready to talk about how boring the series had been wondering where the big moments and heroes were.

As they eventually shifted to Browns discussion, they again handled something well that can be pretty difficult. This is a political issue as most stadium situations become and you have to be careful how opinionated you get. So, in those cases it is best to present as much fact and sound from others and that is what they did hear. They played audio from the Cleveland Mayor, talked about how this is business and that for the most part everyone is going to get what they wanted whether they realize it now or not.

Later in the show, they would talk with the Mayor of Brook Park to get his side of the story. They also talked with their Browns insider, Daryl Ruiter.

As they presented the info, they went to the phones and one of the callers probably spoke for most of the city when he said, “I don’t think anyone woke up today wanting anyone to talk about the Browns, what have they done to deserve any airtime?” Carman then explained, “People are mad, they are mad at the Browns,” and he would later compare the environment around the Browns to that of a prison.

As the Browns flagship station, they have to talk about the team even though they are 1-5 and have a terrible situation at quarterback with millions invested in Deshaun Watson who is not meeting expectations to say the least. In fact, the topic became what happens if the Browns want to introduce the offense at the game because the very popular Nick Chubb is returning after working his way back from a major injury. That would mean they would have to introduce Watson which would undoubtedly get a very negative reaction.

Later in the show, Browns color analyst Nathan Zegura joined the show and wisely they talked about the Guardians at the beginning. He brought up the idea that perhaps the Browns can feed off the excitement from the Guardians after seeing you can beat the odds as the Browns would need to do in order to turn their season around. As a reminder, this show took place on Friday which was prior to the Yankees winning the next two games and ending the Guardians season.

In a rather funny ‘FML’ segment, which they say stands for ‘Fix My Life,’ they got into a beef Carman was having with the morning team at WFAN in New York. Both stations are owned by Audacy but that didn’t stop Jerry Recco from saying, in response to a Carman social post making fun of something they did on the air, “Get a life. Go enjoy your lousy life in Cleveland and complain about Cleveland sports. Leave me alone I don’t give a crap about you, I don’t know who you are, I don’t want to know who you are, eff off, leave me alone.”

Carman laughed it off and said he could respond but he already got what he was looking for knowing that he got Recco mad. Lima used the opportunity for some of his classic sarcasm as he went back at Recco and the New Yorkers.

It fit the show well. Listening to Carman and Lima was a great way to start a Friday morning, and I had no rooting interest in the game or series whatsoever. They were quick witted and fun, had more energy than they knew what to do with, had good use of audio clips and guests to support various topics and made a pretty long show feel like it went by in no time at all.

NewsNation’s Leland Vittert Believes Policy Matters Less Each Presidential Election

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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NewsNation’s Leland Vittert Believes Policy Matters Less Each Presidential Election

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.

“I’m an old shoe leather reporter,” Leland Vittert said recently. Vittert is NewsNation’s Chief Washington anchor and host of, On Balance, who will be anchoring the station’s Presidential election coverage.

It’s an exciting time to be at the station as the 2024 election will be the first Presidential election since becoming a 24/7 cable news network and fortunately it’s not his first election. “I ended up with an internship in radio between my junior year of high school and my senior year of high school, which was the summer of 2000, so, this is my seventh presidential cycle,” he said.

While the names have changed since his first election, Vittert noted there are still some similarities. “What I think is so amazing is 2000 was Bush v Gore and all we could talk about was how divided America was, how this is the most contentious election we’ve ever had, how the stakes are so high, the direction of the country is at stake,” he recalled. “And it’s been the exact same theme about every election since then.”

One thing Vittert believes is increasing every year is the tension. “There’s no question that every year the vitriol has increased and the focus on the themes in fields rather than policies. Increasingly, policy has mattered less in every single election.”

He went on to say, “I think since 2000 the culture war and the vibe war, and the feeling war has mattered more and more over the past seven cycles. It is only ratcheted up in the meaningful discourse over the direction of our country has mattered less and less.”

The station is the only major news outlet who will be using an outside company to report on calling the race. They have partnered with Decision Desk HQ to call the electoral college races. “This is the first time I’ve gotten to work really intimately with the decision desk. Scott Tranter, who is the head of data science there is the best in the world. The resources that Decision Desk has, which are sort of far vaster than any other individual network ever employs, is pretty remarkable.”

Vittert said another reason he is looking forward to working with Decision Desk is that “They have one mission, one mission only, which is to get it right and to get it right as quickly as they can.”

Vittert believes this is key to the station’s journalistic integrity. “The fact that we’re going to be able to get race calls that are completely irrespective of any influence from any management, I think, is completely unique to NewsNation.”

He went on to say, “For a network that’s committed itself to being balanced and fair, the idea that we’re taking out any influence from talent or from management or from the campaigns over when race calls are made, especially after 2020, really shows our commitment to a news product that’s better and separate than anybody else’s.”

While speaking with voters, Vittert noticed one of the biggest things motivating them this year was, “The economy, the economy and the economy. I think you will lose sight, in Washington and other places, of how focused people are on a day-to-day life.”

A second major issue on a lot of voters’ minds he said is fentanyl. “Fentanyl was an enormous issue. We talked to, of all people, a sheriff whose son overdosed on fentanyl and died. I mean, you think about it, if it can kill the sheriff’s son, it can kill literally anybody.”

Although this seems to be a major voting block Vittert found it interesting that, “In the two presidential debates and the vice-presidential debate, there was not one question about fentanyl. And this is something that’s for swing voters, for rural, mostly white working-class voters that are going to decide this election. What they tell me is it is the number two issue for them and oftentimes the number one issue because their kids are at risk of dying from fentanyl and it isn’t discussed.”

The station invested heavily this year in swing states, including broadcasting several senate debates. “The Senate debate in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada, all of which very well could decide the balance of power in the Senate, will have been on NewsNation, so simulcast by our Nexstar stations. I went to Pennsylvania and did the Senate race out there. Also, Nevada for the debate there. Our investment in being in the swing states and telling the stories that are most important to the voters there rather than the storylines that are most important in Washington, I think is very different.”

The former Fox News Anchor noted one of the more interesting parts of this year’s election is how voters are starting to diverge on not race but social class. “In Nevada and one of the things we’re going to be focused on there is the Latino vote. We also have a Latino vote in Pennsylvania that is now breaking towards Donald Trump or at least breaking in larger numbers than it has in the past towards Donald Trump over the immigration issue.

“You see that also with the African American vote. As you go talk to African American communities, which I think we’re all learning is no longer a monolithic vote, they often talk to you about immigration as one of their key issues.”

Another part of the effort NewsNation is putting toward neutral reporting and journalism is their ‘Driving the Vote’ segment with Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin. The first of the series dropped Sunday, October 20. The outlet is planning on releasing more segments daily through election day.

Vittert’s advice for those look to follow in his ‘shoe leathered’ journalistic footsteps is to “Always say yes, because that’s how you get opportunities. Right? Now more than ever does the marketplace demand really objective journalism and people are seeking that out.”

He added, “Never before in America has there been a greater need for journalism because the trust in media is now at an all-time low. If you’re really committed to aggressively covering both sides and to not giving in to groupthink and to not giving in to conventional wisdom in Washington to understand that Washington is 64 square miles surrounded by reality. Then there’s an enormous opportunity because the marketplace is demanding.”

Prime Video Averages 9.8 Million Viewers for Thursday Night Football, More Than Double MLB Playoffs

BSM Staff
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Prime Video Averages 9.8 Million Viewers for Thursday Night Football, More Than Double MLB Playoffs

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.

On a busy sports television night, the Denver Broncos-New Orleans Saints Thursday Night Football matchup on Prime Video drew an average of 9.81 million viewers according to early Nielsen panel only measurement. Despite competition from the MLB playoffs and early season NHL action, the game was a slight increase over the game from a season ago.

The game won the night on all head-to-head broadcast and cable programming, up almost 50% over the No. 2 program. In addition to the busy night on television, the game was also a blowout with the Broncos winning 33-10 as they improved to 4-3 while the Saints dropped to 2-5. The game peaked at 11.72 million viewers between 9:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets were playing Game 4 of the NLCS in the same timeframe and that game drew 3.96 million viewers on average to FS1.

Prime Video reports through six games, Thursday Night Football is averaging 13.31 million viewers, 12% higher than last season’s full year average of 11.86 million and 39% higher than 2022’s season average of 9.58 million. Additionally, the network says the median age of those watching TNF is 47.4, more than 7.5 years younger than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks (54.9), and more than 15 years younger than the broadcast primetime average (62.5).

TNF Tonight, which kicks off each week at 7 p.m. ET, is also up. The show is averaging 1.54 million viewers, which is an increase of 11% over last year’s full-season average.

Thursday Night Football, which features a broadcasting trio of Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung, will next have the Minnesota Vikings at the Los Angeles Rams and will then finish the month with the Houston Texans at the New York Jets.

 

Apple Music Executive, Accomplished Radio Veteran Charlie Morgan to Retire

BMM Staff
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Apple Music Executive, Accomplished Radio Veteran Charlie Morgan to Retire

Apple Music’s Global Head of Radio & Music Programming is retiring. After 40 years in the radio industry, Charlie Morgan has decided to call it a career.

Morgan started his career in Indianapolis at WFMS. He worked on-air before ascending to programming and operations positions. He became Vice President and Market Manager for Susquehanna in 2000, and then joined Emmis Communications in Indianapolis as SVP and Market Manager in 2009.

His run with Emmis saw him move from the Midwest to the Big Apple, becoming Market Manager for the company’s New York cluster. Morgan left Emmis and joined Apple Music in 2020.

Morgan is a member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame, and has served as board chairman for the Country Music Association. His exit puts Jay Liepis in charge of Morgan’s Global Head of Radio and Music responsibilities. Michael Bryan, Apple’s Global Head of Country Music will absorb Liepis’ duties.

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