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From Radio to Podcasting: A Positive Transition

BMM Staff
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From Radio to Podcasting: A Positive Transition

JAG had a traditional on-air and programming career for many years: He started in Vermont at WVTK and WXXX (95 Triple X) before moving to WKQI/Detroit. After a three-year run at KVDU (Voodoo 104)/New Orleans, he returned to Detroit, where he landed in middays at WDZH (98.7 Amp Radio) but was let go in August 2017 during the Entercom-CBS Radio merger.

“It was the week after my wedding!” he says, laughing. “My new – and thankfully still with me – wife said to me, ‘I know you love radio, but there’s always someone waiting in line behind you to do the same job for 10 grand less and more BS.’ I realized she was onto something.”

After three months doing social media for a rabbi who owned a tech company, JAG reached out to Warren Kurtzman at Coleman Insights for some, well, insights on what to try next. “He told me I might want to think about podcasting,” JAG says. Kurtzman referred him to industry vet Seth Resler, who was working for Jacobs Media at the time. “Seth is really up on this stuff, and he was doing a podcast on the arts and entertainment scene in Detroit. I ended up working as his producer and eventually co-host.”

Resler advised JAG to look into podcast production. “It was 2018,” JAG says. “I was like, no way, nobody’s going to pay me to produce a podcast.” Resler convinced him to attend Podcast Movement, an annual convention for the podcast industry. “It really reminded me of what radio used to be when I got into it – it was collaborative and exciting, and people wanted to get to know and help each other,” he recalls. “It was a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ situation, as opposed to everyone fighting over a shrinking piece of pie.”

That world energized JAG, and he started translating his programming, production, and imaging skills into podcasting work but was still applying to social media jobs at the same time. Then his wife hit him with another piece of wise wisdom: “She told me, ‘You’re half-assing two different things. I need you to pick one and whole ass it.’ I thought that was fair. So, I went whole-ass into podcasting.”

JAG got his podcast business off the ground with help from Nick Craig, a jock he’d worked with at WKQI. “He was doing marketing for some financial advisors,” JAG says. “He wanted to offer these guys a podcast as part of a package, and he handed that piece off to me: I’d co-host and produce the show with the financial advisors and split the revenue with him. He told me to think of it like an AM radio Saturday morning show kind of deal.”

With his business foundation constructed, JAG began networking through some Detroit-area chambers of commerce and hooked up with some nonprofits. “I’m working with Laura Bonnell and her Bonnell Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis,” he says, citing their radio connection since Laura used to be a reporter at WWJ. “Both of her daughters have CF, so she started this foundation, and I’m doing a podcast with them.”

JAG’s passion project was a series on WJPZ/Syracuse, the student-run university station that’s churned out notable radio personalities and programmers. WJPZ recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and JAG put together a podcast series where he interviewed station alumni. “It went over really well and drove attendance to our reunion banquet,” he says. It also hooked him up with a WJPZ alum who asked him about launching an internal communications podcast series for Hilton Hotels, opening another business pathway.

Asked about how other radio people might get into podcasting, JAG emphasizes the importance of transferable skills. “People skills are huge,” he says. “Most radio people have those because you’re interacting with listeners and clients and doing endorsement deals and all that.” He also stresses patience due to potential technical hiccups and advises allocating twice the amount of anticipated recording time to actually get an episode together.

“Brevity is key,” he says. “You have to know how to edit yourself – not just in real-time – but also in post-production, not just by taking out the ‘umms,’ but also the side-conversations. We’re all goldfish with limited attention spans. You need a PPM mentality where you have to grab attention in that first 15 to 30 seconds and offer something compelling, especially if you’re asking people to give you a half-hour or more of their time. It’s a bigger commitment to listen to a podcast than to like an Instagram post.”

While there are around 4 million podcasts available, only around 10% of them are active, as defined by Rob Walsh of Libsyn – meaning making it to 10 episodes and putting something out in the last 90 days. JAG says that can be less intimidating to newcomers but offers upfront advice: Realize you’re not going to make Joe Rogan money and sign clients up for complete seasons of a planned number of episodes – but manage their expectations.

By that, JAG means clearly defining their goals for the podcast and what they’re using it for. One of his favorite clients is the National Bone Marrow Transplant Link, for whom he’s done 14 seasons totaling about 100 episodes, but it’s not monetized. “We’re interviewing patients, survivors, caregivers, family members, nurses, social workers, doctors,” he says, “but it’s about building a community and telling stories. They’re not selling ads to ZipRecruiter or whatever, even though sponsors underwrite each episode to pay for production costs.”

Referring to the financial advisors, JAG says their podcast is primarily used as a tool for lead generation, marketing, and credibility. “They send out an email to their clients with the podcast each month, showcasing the topics they discussed,” he says. “Or if they’re talking to a potential client who has questions about a topic, they can direct that person to a specific episode where it’s addressed.”

Overall, JAG is thrilled with what he describes as his “second career,” especially after thinking he’d be in radio forever. “As I tell people, I love what radio was, but I got out of an industry that’s shrinking and into one that’s growing. It’s my passion now.”

Have questions about podcasting or want to see what JAG is doing? Check out jagindetroit.com or hit him on the socials @JAGinDetroit.

Maximize Event Promotions with Radio Ads of Various Lengths

Jeff Caves
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Maximize Event Promotions with Radio Ads of Various Lengths

Promoting event promotions like financial seminars, annual sales, or community happenings requires a strategic approach to ensure maximum reach and engagement. Know how many ads to run and do it! By advertising on radio, you have a powerful tool: the ability to craft and schedule ads of varying lengths to create maximum reach and frequency. Here’s how to use 60-second, 30-second, 15-second, and 5-second ads over two weeks to promote a weekend event.

Week 1: Building Awareness

60-Second Ads: Heavy on Imagery and Branding

In the first week, focus on building awareness with 60-second ads. These ads should tell a story and paint a picture of how the listener will feel when attending the event. Think comedy or drama. Ads that stand out and don’t hard sell. Use descriptive language to highlight the event’s benefits, such as specific events, and turn those event features into benefits. Learn more from the Radio Advertising Bureau here. The ad can be tagged with the date, location, and event name. Run these ads during peak times, such as morning and afternoon drive times, to capture the attention of commuters.

30-Second Ads: Similar to 60-Second Ads

Your 30-second ads should echo the 60-second ads in a more concise format. Focus on the key details and maintain the imagery and branding—just less fluff and more to the point. Don’t oversell buying tickets; push the benefits of attending. These ads could even target the partner of the typical attendee. For example, take your wife to the ‘Wedding Show.’ Or make sure your partner doesn’t miss ‘Beer Fest!’

These ads can be placed during drive times but will carry a lower per-spot price, reducing some cost.

Week 2: Increasing Frequency and Urgency

15-Second Ads: Targeted Messaging

As the event approaches, increase the frequency of your ads and add 15-second spots to the mix of 30/60’s. These should be direct and emphasize the immediacy of the event. Things like don’t miss out; the time is now, this weekend, tomorrow, and today copy.

Run these ads throughout the day and evening, especially during morning and afternoon slots, to keep the event top-of-mind. Again, the per spot price will be lower than a :30 ad.

5-Second Ads: Event Name Reminders

Use these ads the day before and the first day of the event. Like “It’s the Big Sale tomorrow at Joe’s” or “Joe’s Big Sale starts today.” Make these quick reminders. These should be short, sharp, and to the point, emphasizing the immediacy of the event. Run 1x an hour all day if you can to ensure maximum reach.

By strategically using different ad lengths and targeting specific times and audiences, you can effectively promote events over two weeks, save some money, and ensure a successful event.

Ian Camfield: Alternative Format Still Vibrant After 30 Years

Charese Fruge
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Ian Camfield: Alternative Format Still Vibrant After 30 Years

Ian Camfield is hosting five different shows a day in multi-formats in five different markets. He hosts mornings on 99.5 The Mountain in Denver and Alt 94.9 in San Diego. He does Middays at Alt 103.7 in Dallas and Alt 98.7 in Detroit, and Afternoons on 107.7 The End in Seattle. He began his radio career on Virgin Megastore’s Radio in the UK & Country 1035 in London when he was just 16 and still at college. He was part of the launch team at Xfm, the UK’s first Alternative station, in 1997 and did some work at MTV & VH-1 in the UK. He moved to New York for K-Rock in 2008, KDKB & KUPD in Phoenix in 2016, and moved to Dallas for KVIL in 2020. Fast forward to now, where he balances his five shows for Audacy.

Let’s Start with The End in Seattle, a legendary station that is largely responsible for the birth and success of the Alternative format in America and some of its biggest bands. “Back at Xfm in London, I desperately wanted to live and work in the US,” says Camfield. “I used to take all my vacation time in America in markets with great stations and/or influential programmers and market managers so I could have meetings with those people, regardless of whether they had openings. I felt it important to get in front of them in an attempt to be in their minds when opportunities would arise. Part of this process was my having a good aircheck. I took advantage of the fact that Xfm had no great grasp of what it was, meaning I could mold my show as I pleased. I would often change what we were doing in afternoons to suit the station I was about to visit or send audio to in the States.”

“At one point, someone told me KNDD was the way Alternative radio should sound. I listened online and agreed. That day, I took a bunch of their principles and implemented them on Xfm, which is one of the many disciplines I still employ today. The next quarter, the afternoon show on Xfm had the best ratings on the station…ratings which have never been beaten. So, I was always impressed with the techniques of ‘The End,’ and that’s before you even get into the station’s music choices and how it connects with Seattle.”

“There is a great responsibility to be plugged into the music scene and vibe of Seattle, especially since KNDD has been Alternative for so long in a market so closely associated with that genre of music. There is always an element of ‘radio is radio’ in whatever you do, but you will fail without a feel and respect for the nuances of the market. The core programming team talks regularly about what is going on in the market and discuss what we are doing well and what could be better. Christine Malovetz (Brand Manager) and I live outside of Seattle, but we both listen to Christy Taylor and Gregr, who are there, as to what’s happening and their feelings regarding all aspects of what we do. Also, KNDD has a ‘Locals Only’ show on Sunday nights, and we choose a focus artist from that show who gets regular daytime play on a segment called the ‘Locals Only Artist of the Month.’”

“As for the format, I’m passionate about it because it’s always evolving, and the catalog is the music I grew up with,” says Camfield. “Plus, I think those nuances I mentioned earlier are greater in the Alternative format than they are in something like Top 40 or Country, which makes being on in various markets more interesting. It may be challenging, depending on how you look at it.”

“The format is still very vibrant,” adds Camfield. “There is absolutely enough new music to keep it relevant. We play a varying amount, depending on the station and the makeup of the market. But it’s also now a format that’s 30 years old, or 40 if you want to include the New Wave stuff like The Cure and U2. So, it would not make sense not to play the catalog, as it includes some of the greatest songs and biggest albums of all time. But it’s a good combination with new music.”

“The Alternative lifestyle is impossible to describe because Alternative can mean anything that’s not mainstream. So, what Alternative means to one person will be different to someone else. That’s as true now as it was in the 90s. And even saying it’s something that’s not mainstream is maybe not true, as last week Paramore, who are clearly an Alternative band, were supporting Taylor Swift in London. And she is about as mainstream as it gets.”

Camfield says the most exciting thing he’s experienced over the years was moving to the States. “I never tried to get a gig in New York; I was always more drawn to the West Coast because it was so different from London life. However, the opportunity to work in New York was obviously immensely exciting. Plus, I was moving by myself to a place I barely knew, where I hardly knew anyone. When I moved to London, I was excited because I was leaving home at 19. But London was only an hour from where I’d grown up. So, the New York move was a great learning curve, both personally and professionally.”

“The radio side of it was absolute chaos. Two people hired me; one was fired in my second week, and the other was fired in my fifth week! It was my first real taste of Corporate America, but I learned a lot and utilize that knowledge to this day. And most importantly, it taught me I way prefer America, as opposed to the plodding mediocrity in England.”

Speaking of Corporate America, with Camfield doing so many different shows in different markets, he’s got to stay focused to stay successful. “I talk regularly to the people who are in my markets, looking at what is happening online locally and taking the time to do the prep,” he says. “I work alone in a studio, but there is a great team around me in the various markets who know those markets, assist, and guide me on what’s going on, ensuring we stay on track. I can be good, but I need the right people to be good with. These days, that means colleagues in different locations and time zones, so communication and work ethic are key. It’s a team setup, and I couldn’t do it without the right people in the right places.”

“I have a process for collating notes for each market; some content is relevant everywhere, and some isn’t. Some are evergreen, and some need to be used on a specific day. I have a spreadsheet and a system that works for me. It may not work for everyone. Some people excel at one thing in one market and do not have the versatility to thrive in several.”

Over the years Camfield has had some success in helping to launch bands with his platform. “In Alternative, I remember Coldplay delivering their demo to Xfm’s building in London,” he explains. “And it’s funny because I never really spent much time with them, but anytime I talk to them now, they remember me because they remember hearing their songs played on the radio for the first time, and it was on Xfm. From the Rock side of things, I was one of the few people playing Rock on the radio in the UK in the late 90s and early 2000s, as England has never had Rock or Alternative radio anywhere near to the extent America has. I remember introducing London to Slipknot.”

“As far as favorite artists go, from Alternative, I’ve always been drawn to the great storytellers—Arctic Monkeys, Lou Reed, Morrissey. For Rock, it’s probably The Stones and heavier acts like Maiden and Motorhead.”

As far as the use of AI in the industry, Camfield says he has done some experimenting with it. “I think it’s interesting but somewhat scary, not just for radio, but for humans in general. But then, all tech has been feared to a certain extent, probably from when people were scared of the car replacing the horse and cart. AI is obviously here to stay, so we must embrace it. However, I also think it’s in its infancy, so we have yet to discover its full extent and limitations.”

“As far as impacting the industry, I know this is where most people say human interaction and connection can never be replaced by AI, and radio is something special in that regard. In some cases, that’s true, and we should use it to our advantage. On the rare occasions I get time to listen to other radio, I do hear some great content I find hard to believe would work were it not for a human on air. However, I’ve heard other stuff and thought, ‘JESUS! This show sounds like it’s begging to be replaced by AI!’”

“As far as my legacy is concerned, I think radio is fun. I think it’s great when it engages with the community and does good things,” says Camfield. “I hope the people listening have fun or are enlightened in some way. But let’s be honest, it’s a ‘commercial’ concern. It’s show ‘BUSINESS, and the business side is the most important. My impact needs to be that I get better numbers than the other guy. If I don’t, they fire me. It’s a numbers game. If you’re not winning, you’ll eventually have to get a real job.”

Follow Ian Camfield on X – @iancamfield and Facebook & Instagram @camfieldofftheradio.

Greg Olsen Wants to Call the Biggest NFL Games for FOX Sports

Derek Futterman
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Greg Olsen Wants to Call the Biggest NFL Games for FOX Sports

Two years ago, before kickoff of the NFL season, there was considerable interest in the movement taking place on football broadcast teams for television rightsholders. One of the headline moves was the lead NFL on FOX announcing duo of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman deciding to join to ESPN to call Monday Night Football. In turn, FOX Sports decided to promote play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Greg Olsen to the lead broadcast team, ushering in a new generation on marquee matchups and special events.

After two years in which he secured Sports Emmy award victories and widespread plaudits, Olsen is moving to the No. 2 broadcast crew at FOX Sports where he will work with play-by-play announcer Joe Davis and sideline reporter Pam Oliver. The internal modification had been in the plans for two years to clear space for seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady to join the company after his retirement.

Despite his disappointment, Olsen recognized the circumstances but did not know when the outcome would be actualized. Nonetheless, he is grateful for FOX Sports in entrusting him with the esteemed broadcast position, which included calling Super Bowl LVII amid an average audience of 115.1 million viewers.

“It was a very comfortable environment for me to walk into as an inexperienced broadcaster just knowing that I was surrounded by really talented people who were really good at their jobs,” Olsen explained, “and I think that was probably the best thing I could say about the experience the last couple of years, even my first year at FOX.”

Olsen never received directions on specific topics to discuss or how to approach the job, instead being told to retain his techniques despite the larger audiences. As he contemplated his goals while on the lead broadcast team, he thought about effectively calling the game, making it interesting and surmising that people would be sad to see him go. While he is privy to other broadcasters around the league, Olsen has been steadfast towards his distinct persona and the translation of recondite knowledge to the viewing audience from his playing days.

“The complexity of the game is the beauty of it,” Olsen said. “It is why it’s such a fascinating three hours of football because there is so much going on and there’s so many decisions being made in real time. That’s what makes football so different than the other sports.”

Over his 14-year career as a tight end and subsequent broadcasting stint, Olsen has discerned that the person with possession of the football tends to get the most attention. At times though, he believes that action away from the game itself can possess interesting storylines, such as coaching decisions, analytics and other advanced situations.

“I think getting a little bit deeper and what makes the game so fun and so interesting and so complex is a little bit more of the behind the scenes, the part that the people maybe just don’t naturally follow,” Olsen said, “but hopefully during our games when we at times just kind of lead their eyes, lead the replays, lead the conversation and maybe some of these other categories, the hope is they leave watching our game and say, ‘Hey, I’ve never had someone dive into that. That makes sense.’”

Over the last several years, Olsen has made the most of every opportunity and focused on providing viewers with his best. Throughout that time, he has settled into a niche of calling games where he exhibits his strengths, an endeavor that happened organically after FOX Sports executives informed him that he should audition. That foray turned out to be alongside Burkhardt, and he ended up working with him and Charles Davis in a three-person booth in a bye week two years later as an active player. There were no discussions surrounding a similar setup in which Olsen would remain with the lead broadcasting team to form a three-person booth with Burkhardt and Brady.

“I think that’s a conversation that if it was something that was even on the table, we would have definitely leaned into and considered and talked through what the mechanics and the situation of that looks like,” Olsen said. “I’m not one to just close doors without at least knowing what’s behind them. So yeah, that’s not something I would have been opposed to by any stretch. It just never was worth much consideration just because it was never really a possibility.”

Despite the forthcoming NFL on FOX broadcast debut of Brady in early September, Olsen knows that he is working with an “A-caliber crew” and is thrilled to call several exciting matchups. Having previous experience broadcasting alongside Davis, Oliver and several members of the production team, the assimilation process has elements of comfort and familiarity.

“When you hit Week 1, you’re not kind of feeling your way through the conference room,” Olsen said. “Everyone kind of walks in like, ‘We’ve done this before. Let’s hit the ground running, and let’s go have a great Week 1 game,’ so in that regard, we’re pretty fortunate.”

A typical week for Olsen involves reading an array of local articles, listening to press conferences, watching film and synthesizing advanced analytics. The balance of quantitative and qualitative metrics has helped facilitate Olsen’s rise in the sports media business, enhancing the game by going beyond the superficial and eliciting commendatory feedback.

“I don’t want to talk about the obvious things,” Olsen said. “I don’t want to just say, ‘Hey, they run the ball 30 times a game. They’re a running team.’ I want to dive in a little bit deeper and bring that to the viewer, and you can do that through a lot of different avenues.”

Over the last several months, Olsen and Brady have spoken on numerous occasions about broadcasting and how to approach the new role. Because of Brady’s résumé and success both as an athlete and entrepreneur, Olsen is careful about giving him too much advice. One thing he would advise for any football broadcaster, however, would be preparing every week as if they were calling the Super Bowl. Brady will end his inaugural season calling Super Bowl LIX, following a similar path to Olsen in his first year on the lead crew.

“We’ve gotten to talk a lot through this process,” Olsen said. “We’ve gotten to know each other a lot better now than we did when we were just players and kind of just knew each other from being on the field. And, of course, the respect I had for him on the field goes without saying, but getting to know him off the field – getting to know him at the seminars; spending time with him on the phone; just kind of shooting the sh*t a little bit about what to expect on the job, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him, so that’s been a fun experience.”

Although Olsen has learned more about television and the sports media business in recent years, he recognized the aptitude of his colleagues and would oftentimes leave the decisions up to them. In fact, whenever they were in meetings and there was deliberation over something the broadcast should do, he would accede to whatever Burkhardt wanted to do, possessing a pristine level of trust in his mindset.

“I always told him – I said, ‘Kevin, you steer the boat – I can talk about anything.’” Olsen recalled. “I said, ‘You just get us to a good conversation, and I will talk about it, but you know what makes good television better than I do,’ and that was such an advantage for me just to have such an experienced crew.”

Olsen would be open to opportunities to take part in alternate broadcasts or studio work, but he feels calling games in the traditional sense represents his comfort zone. A limiting factor on the live broadcasts that renders it both challenging and enjoyable is that the pace is usually dictated by the game.

Even though he looks forward to collaborating on a new NFL on FOX broadcast crew, Olsen hopes to call more Super Bowl championships. He explained that there is always due diligence as networks try to plan for future events and what will take place on the road ahead. This season, for example, the NFL is beginning a media rights deal with Netflix in which the streaming service will be the global home of two Christmas Day matchups this year to be produced by CBS Sports. Olsen acknowledged that sports media is a difficult business to predict what will come ahead and that what is known is the occupancy of lead broadcast booths for this season.

“I want to call the games that everybody’s tuning in to watch and all eyes are on the game and you’re the voice that weaves them in and out of super complex situations, super interesting, high-stress, kind of all-in environments and situations,” Olsen said. “I love that. Last year calling that run of playoff games that we had was awesome. I didn’t want it to end. I wish we could have done another week.”

Concurrent with his inclination to sustain his growth in the media business, Olsen is also involved in several external ventures. A few years ago, Olsen began a podcast with Ryan Khalil and Vince Vaughn in which they highlighted the landscape of youth sports. As they spoke to former professional athletes, coaches, mental health specialists, sports psychologists and more, they received positive feedback and determined that the project lent itself to something bigger than solely a show.

Ryan Baise, a former executive at Fanatics, connected with Olsen after listening to one of the episodes where they spoke about how the youth apparel marketplace is ostensibly disjointed. Upon realizing that they were aiming to reach the same consumer base, they agreed to build out Youth Inc., a digital media network and commerce marketplace focused on youth sports that will begin its rollout in the late fall. While the digital platform will arrive at that time, the commerce component will come online in the first half of next year. The company had a $4.5 million seed round this past May, and it has been working on compiling a content strategy to fuel customer acquisition and drive the commerce business.

“We’re still in the growing phase,” Olsen said. “We’re still kind of putting all the pieces [together], but we think with the people that we have coming on and the ones that we’re adding down the road, we think it could be a pretty interesting little market.”

Throughout his playing career, Olsen recognized that he did not have the physical prowess to defeat opponents simply through his athleticism, requiring him to compile deft knowledge and cognizance of the fundamental aspects of the game as a purported “survival mechanism.” Even though he was usually the starting tight end, he was never content in having that position and instead yearned to be the best player in the entire league.

In applying that insatiable approach to his work in sports media, Olsen desires to call marquee matchups such as Thanksgiving Day showdowns, conference championship games and the Super Bowl. There will likely be plenty of key games throughout the season he will call and thankful for the seat he currently occupies, retaining his indefatigable work ethic and perspicacious mindset no matter the schedule. 

“It’s not something we’re calling around begging to get ourselves out, but through my conversations at FOX and everybody there [with whom] we obviously have a good relationship and we’re all on the same page and everything has been good, they know my aspirations have never changed, and I don’t think they would want my aspirations to change,” Olsen said. “I want to go out this year, albeit on a different crew, and my goal is that we’re the best crew in the industry, and that will always be my goal on every crew that I’m on is that when people watch games they say, ‘That’s my favorite crew.’”

John Skipper: I Have Always Thought Venu Sports ‘Overwhelmingly Benefitted The Walt Disney Company’

BSM Staff
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John Skipper: I Have Always Thought Venu Sports ‘Overwhelmingly Benefitted The Walt Disney Company’

Earlier in the month, FuboTV received a preliminary injunction in its antitrust lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, FOX Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery pertaining to the creation of Venu Sports, a direct-to-consumer joint streaming venture. The defendants are appealing the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit after noting that they had spent $74 million on the service and are hoping to launch in time for the college and NFL playoffs.

Although there have not been any trial dates currently instituted for the case, there is interest in a speedy appeal from the Defendants within this manner. On the latest edition of The Sporting Class podcast from Meadowlark Media, co-host David Samson outlined the logic behind the decision to grant such a preliminary injunction, an outcome that has prohibited the service from reaching the marketplace and building a subscription base at the moment.

“You can allow a lawsuit to continue [with a preliminary injunction], and that’s the lawsuit of FuboTV against the joint venture, and you can allege in a lawsuit an antitrust violation, and a judge can say, ‘Eh, not positive, but there’s a good enough chance that we’re going to let this go forward and survive a motion to dismiss by the defendant,’ in this case the joint venture,” Samson explained, “but this judge went even further and said, ‘Not only do we think the case should go forward, but you also can’t launch while we’re doing the case because we think that if you launch – FuboTV, we agree with you [that] you’re going to be irreparably harmed.’ That’s a major decision by the court, and it really does screw Venu.”

John Skipper, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Meadowlark Media, believed that the companies “deliberately obfuscated” what Venu Sports was in classifying it as a sports bundle. The plan for the service is to offer an array of linear television networks from across the three companies, including those that televise sports content, to subscribers at a monthly or annual rate.

“‘We don’t include other channels because they don’t have sports,’ but they said it was a sports bundle, and then they pretended and it was deliberately put together with an eye towards not creating more cord cutters,” Skipper said. “So this is not about cord cutters, so they assured their distribution partners, ‘[We are] not going to take any of your business away.’ That’s kind of B.S. And second, that it’s a sports bundle. Not really.”

When Skipper served as the president of ESPN, he remembers informing FuboTV that if it wanted content from The Walt Disney Company, it would need to pay the same thing as everyone else. The company had most favored nation clauses in its deals that restricted how much it could charge other companies, mandating that it must provide equal or more favorable rights and benefits received by other parties with whom it does business.

“We had one price, and I assume that FuboTV had to pay the same pierce, they’re angry, their business has struggled,” Skipper said. “They’re a light bundle now.”

FuboTV ended the fiscal second quarter with approximately 1.85 million paid subscribers worldwide, representative of a year-over-year decline. Edgar Bronfman Jr. serves as the executive chairman of the company’s board, a role he took on months after John Textor resigned from the job after the company merged with FaceBank Group. Bronfman recently pulled a bid for Paramount Global during the company’s go-shop period, ostensibly clearing the way for the two-step merger process to take place with Skydance Media. Samson believes that there was a deeper meaning to Bronfman having an interest in purchasing Paramount Global while serving in an executive chairman role with FuboTV.

“Him on one side fighting to the death as part of Fubo to stop this joint venture while putting together a bid to purchase the company that was not invited to be part of the joint venture,” Samson surmised. “I’m just telling you that these things don’t just happen. It would be in the best interest of Edgar Bronfman when he thought that he was getting Paramount or had a chance to get it that this joint venture disappears. It is clear to me.”

Samson articulated that he does not believe Venu Sports will ever launch, citing that judges oftentimes do not like to have their injunctions overturned. In response to Samson, Skipper stated that it is likely that this turn of events has made it difficult for the product to reemerge, especially as ESPN focuses on launching a direct-to-consumer platform next year. The company’s cable television distribution has diminished to under 68 million homes, according to data from Nielsen Media Research, down from a peak of about 100 million homes in 2011.

“I think it’s certainly likely that this does derail the product because I’ve always thought this product overwhelmingly benefitted The Walt Disney Company,” Skipper said, “and what they were really trying to do was to set up a bunch of options for you to get ESPN…. so I think this sort of helped with, ‘Oh, you can buy the standalone bundle, you can buy Venu or you can just keep your cable television subscription. You can do all those things,’ and now I’m not sure they need this middle state.’”

“And you’ve noticed that ESPN has been clear,” Samson added. “They’ve said, ‘Listen, Venu, no Venu, we’re doing DTC, direct to consumer. We’re making sure that you’ve got a product that’s going right to you.’”

Podcast Use Grows as Majority of Americans Now Label Themselves Monthly Users, New Study Reveals

BNM Staff
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Podcast Use Grows as Majority of Americans Now Label Themselves Monthly Users, New Study Reveals

For the first time, a majority of Americans say they listen to a podcast at least once per month, a new study shows.

53% of Americans 18 and older say they consumer at least one podcast per month, according to Sounds Profitable as part of its annual Podcast Landscape study.

Additionally, the number of adults who say they have never listened to a podcast is down two percentage points from last year, with 26% saying they’ve yet to listen to the format.

“It’s really fully mainstream,” said Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster.

The listening habits are essentially universal, as 63% of Hispanic respondents said they listen monthly, while Asian-Americans responded at 62%, Black respondents were at 59% and White answerers were at 52%.

“Black and Hispanic populations are significantly younger than the White population,” Webster said. “And it actually may be more of a function of age as much as anything.” 

37% of those surveyed by Sounds Profitable said they had listened to or watched a podcast in the past week, with another 16% saying they had done so in the last month. Those figures were relatively unchanged compared to the 2023 survey.

“It’s a piece of evidence that growth in audience at the moment may be slowing or maybe hitting a temporary pause, because these numbers were pretty much statistically the same as they were last year,” Webster concluded. “I’m not prepared to go out and say that we have stopped growing, but I am prepared to say that it’s time to really look at retention as much as we look at growth.” 

‘House Of Music’ Returns For 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival

BMM Staff
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‘House Of Music’ Returns For 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival

iHeartMedia has announced the return of the “House of Music,” a mixed-reality immersive experience, at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival. The “House of Music” is inspired by performances from the festival’s main stage, featuring artists such as Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Shaboozey, and Thomas Rhett.

Fans can immerse themselves in the lives, music, and passions of their favorite artists and brands by exploring over 12 interactive rooms. On Friday, September 20, fans can continue the experience as James Kennedy DJs at the “House of Music” until 1 am (PT), following the festival’s main stage show.

In a joint statement, Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, and John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia, said, “We’re excited to bring back the House of Music this year, the ultimate mixed-reality experience for fans to immerse themselves in the lives and music of artists playing at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival.”

Guests are greeted with a simple digital guide – the House Pass – that they unlock by scanning a QR code upon entry. This guide showcases a map and details of all the interactive experiences, games, and prizes available throughout the “House of Music.” Guests can then embark on a choose-your-own-adventure-style exploration, wandering through rooms inspired by their favorite artists and content.

The “House of Music” will be open on September 20 and 21 at Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tiziana Dearing to Move From Middays to Mornings on WBUR

BNM Staff
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Tiziana Dearing to Move From Middays to Mornings on WBUR

WBUR has announced Tiziana Dearing is moving from middays to mornings at the public radio station in Boston.

Dearing has hosted Radio Boston for the past five years and will now take the lead chair of Morning Edition. She will replace Rupa Shenoy, who had hosted the program since Bob Oakes retired in 2021.

“I intend to bring every aspect of that knowledge, that life, those relationships to bear on how we help you understand your neighborhood, your state, and your world,” Dearing said.

With her move to the morning show, WBUR will search for a new host for the Radio Boston program. Amory Sivertson and Darryl C. Murphy will host the show on an interim basis until a permanent host is selected.

“As anyone who has ever listened to Radio Boston or seen Tiziana on the CitySpace stage knows, she is a singular talent — an extraordinary host with deep ties to this city and region,” said WBUR CEO Margaret Low. “She’s one of a kind. A natural leader, a brilliant mind, rigorous journalist, virtuoso interviewer, and a career-spanning public servant of Greater Boston. She treats each interview guest honestly and honorably, revealing insights and connections through sharp conversation.”

Mark Madden Announces Contract Extension With 105.9 The X

BSM Staff
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Mark Madden Announces Contract Extension With 105.9 The X

Longtime Pittsburgh sports radio host Mark Madden has announced he has signed a three-year contract extension to remain with 105.9 The X.

On Thursday afternoon, Madden admitted that he had been lying about the situation, knowing that he had agreed to a new deal a few weeks ago.

“I’m gonna keep doing this. That decision was made about two or three weeks ago,” Madden said. “I kayfabe’d up until now. Kayfabe’d everybody. It’s a three-year deal that probably I’ll probably quit after the ’25-’26 Penguins season ends, if I don’t die before then. So two more football seasons, two more hockey seasons. I’m already having buyer’s remorse.”

Mark Madden, who has been on the iHeartMedia Pittsburgh station since 2008, shared that as part of his new deal, the show will actually expand during the NFL and NHL seasons.

“I’m gonna get a lot more time off at the same price. That was the biggest factor in me continuing. But starting next week, Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, the show begins at 2 PM. It’ll be 2-6 PM. Four hours. That will be the case until the Penguins are done playing. Then, it’ll be back to 3-6 PM.”

105.9 The X serves as the radio flagship of the Pittsburgh Penguins, which means during the season Madden will often serve as a lead-in to the radio network’s coverage of the franchise.

The longtime Pittsburgh host added he wasn’t entirely sure he had made the correct decision to continue the program.

“I’m gonna keep doing it. I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing, but it’s good for you, good for Pittsburgh, and good for Pittsburgh sports,” he concluded. “Because I’m the best ever to do this in Pittsburgh. 28 years on top, non-stop since day one. I’m on an alt-rock station and the all-sports station can’t beat me. My formula is a simple one truth and charisma. So let’s move forward.”

Kansas Association Of Broadcasters Announce 2024 HOF Inductees

BMM Staff
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Kansas Association Of Broadcasters Announce 2024 HOF Inductees

The Kansas Association of Broadcasters has announced four new members of the Kansas Broadcasting Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees will be honored at the 2024 award ceremony at the KAB Convention, Oct. 20-21, in Wichita.

The four inductees include:

Ben Bauman of Holton, KS.

Bauman began his career in 1982 as a student part-timer at KTWU, the PBS station licensed to Washburn University. In 1983, he added a weekend radio news job at 580 WIBW. After completing his communications degree in 1985, he joined WIBW AM-FM and their newly added Kansas Information Network.

For the next two decades, Bauman served as the primary morning anchor for the local flagship and statewide network, including ten years as News Director. In 2006, Ben transitioned to television, serving as an evening anchor for KTKA (KAB Medium Market Station of the Year in 2008), KTMJ-Fox 43, and KSNT after the stations merged.

Greg Sharpe, Lincoln, NE

Greg Sharpe has been the Voice of the Nebraska Cornhuskers since 2008. A two-time Kansas Sportscaster of the Year winner, Sharpe served as the Voice of the Wildcats for his alma mater, Kansas State, from 1996-2002.

Paul Heskett, Colby KS

Paul Heskett has spent his 40-year career in Kansas, beginning at KAYS, KFNF, and KIOL, before finding his home at KXXX in northwest Kansas nearly four decades ago.

Kyle Bauer, Clay Center, KS

Kyle Bauer has been one of the owners of Taylor Communications (KCLY and KFRM) since 1994. In 2024, he purchased ten stations from Rocking M in Colby, Goodland, Liberal, and Dodge City. He serves as the General Manager of KFRM, its National Sales Representative, and is also the co-host of “Plain Talk.”

The Kansas Association of Broadcasters, which represents 259 full-power broadcast stations statewide, honors the legacy and future of Kansas broadcasting through its annual awards program. For details on the award criteria and past recipients, please visit the KAB website.

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