OutKick is doubling down on one of its most prominent voices. Barrett Media has learned that Dan Dakich has signed a multi-year extension to remain host of Don’t @ Me. The extension with Dakich is his second extension since joining OutKick in 2021.
As part of the new exclusive deal, Dakich is ending his daily radio show on Indianapolis’ Sports Ticket 1430 AM. His final show airs today. Dakich has hosted a weekday program on the Cumulus Media outlet since January of 2024. He confirmed the news on social media after Barrett Media reported the information.
Dakich spoke with Barrett Media in December and revealed that his agreement with OutKick was due to expire in March. Sources told Barrett Media that the two parties were interested in continuing the relationship and worked through the details during the past few months.
“I love what I’m doing, the people, and the freedom. I don’t plan on going anywhere, unless they tell me,” exclaimed Dakich in December of last year to Barrett Media.
Dakich’s program Don’t @ Me has grown into a consistent driver of engagement for the platform. Momentum for the program has continued into 2026 with the outlet noting the show’s strong month of podcast downloads was this past February.
Before entering sports media full time, Dakich built a lengthy coaching career in college basketball. He held head coaching roles at Bowling Green State University and also spent time on staffs at West Virginia University and Indiana University, including working under Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight.
Following his transition to broadcasting, Dakich became a fixture in Indianapolis radio. He later joined Big Ten Network as a studio analyst and contributed to college basketball coverage on ESPN. Now fully committed to OutKick, Dakich’s next chapter centers on expanding the reach of a show that continues to gain traction in a competitive sports media landscape.
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The National Football League (NFL) is taking a major step into the future of flag football. The league announced a partnership with TMRW Sports to build and operate a new professional flag football league for both men and women.
The venture arrives as the sport continues to gain traction worldwide, fueled by increased participation, investment interest and upcoming Olympic exposure.
The new league will be backed by a high-profile group of investors that blends football royalty with global sports icons. Among those involved are Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and Steve Young, along with star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. They are joined by former and current NFL standouts, including Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.
The investment group also features prominent names from outside football. Tennis legend Serena Williams, soccer star Alex Morgan and trailblazer Billie Jean King are part of the effort, underscoring the league’s dual focus on men’s and women’s competition.
In addition, several major institutional firms have committed funding, signaling confidence in the sport’s long-term potential. League officials said conversations with media and sponsorship partners remain ongoing as momentum builds.
The NFL selected TMRW Sports after a competitive review process. Team owners authorized up to $32 million in funding through 32 Equity, the league’s investment arm, to help launch and operate the venture.
TMRW Sports, co-founded by media executive Mike McCarley, previously developed TGL, a tech-driven golf league in partnership with the PGA TOUR. The company has positioned itself as a leader in blending sports with modern media and technology platforms.
“For more than three decades, the NFL has made a significant investment in flag football at the grassroots levels. Including youth, high school and college. Now with the inclusion of flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, TMRW Sports shares a vision with the NFL. To further fuel fandom and participation worldwide with the development of a professional flag football league,” said McCarley. “As the elite competitive tier of flag football, this league will mark a new era for the sport. As the world’s best compete in a fast-paced format that aligns with the evolving media consumption of today’s sports fans.”
NFL Executive Vice President Troy Vincent said the league fills a key gap in the sport’s development system. He noted that flag football now offers a pathway from youth participation to the professional level.
“Selecting TMRW Sports represents an important step in our long-term commitment to growing flag football and supporting the world-class athletes driving its momentum,” said Vincent.
That pathway has expanded rapidly in recent years. Participation numbers continue to climb, with millions of players globally and steady growth across youth, high school and college programs. In the United States alone, more than four million young athletes play the sport, a sharp increase since 2020.
The rise of women’s flag football has been particularly notable. Dozens of states now sanction the sport at the high school level, while more than 100 colleges have introduced programs. The NCAA recently added flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women category, a key step toward broader varsity adoption.
The sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics has only accelerated interest. The new professional league is expected to complement that momentum by creating a global stage for elite athletes.
A formal launch timeline has not been announced. However, organizers indicated the rollout will align with the lead-up to the Los Angeles Games. Positioning the league to capitalize on growing international attention.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
A significant shift hit the sports data and media space Monday as Cris Collinsworth finalized a major business move involvingPro Football Focus. The company sold its enterprise division to Teamworks in a deal reportedly exceeding nine figures, triggering widespread layoffs.
According to several reports, employees were informed of a company-wide restructuring plan during a meeting earlier in the day. The plan called for roughly half of the workforce will transition to Teamworks, while others were let go as part of the change.
The move separates PFF’s two primary operations. Its data and analytics arm, which widely used across the NFL. That department will now fall under Teamworks. Meanwhile, Collinsworth reportedly will maintain control of PFF’s consumer-facing content business, which includes written analysis, fantasy football coverage and digital media.
The layoffs impacted several recognizable names across PFF’s editorial and social teams. Many of which shared the news of their departure on social media. While the total number of layoffs has not been publicly confirmed, the cuts appear substantial, particularly on the content side of the business.
According to Sports Business Journal, Teamworks plans to integrate PFF data into the platforms of prior acquisitions. These include Zelus Analytics, Telemetry Sports and Sportlogiq.
“Having that PFF data definitely unlocks new possibilities for us,” Karim Kassam, VP/Teamworks Intelligence, toldSBJ, noting that the combination of Next Gen Stats in the NFL and Sportlogiq’s computer vision tech at the college level means player tracking data is available at the elite levels of the sport.
Hello, friends. Like too many others, today was my last day with PFF
Working in sports is awesome, but it's who you work with that makes a job a dream job. I had a dream job for the last 5yrs
Thank you to anyone and everyone who has supported us throughout the years. Love y'all
I started back in 2019 as a data collector, and I leave today having lived out a dream of covering the NFL. Appreciate all the people who gave me that opportunity to prove myself.
Unfortunately, I was a part of the PFF layoffs today. Really enjoyed my time there, where I met and worked with so many kind, hard-working and incredibly talented people.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Mike Gallagher said something last week that every program director, syndicator, and radio executive in the country should hear.
In announcing that 98.9 WORD morning host Tara Servatius would guest host his nationally syndicated show, Gallagher explained his thinking plainly: he wanted listeners to get “a sampling of a local host at a great radio station.” It’s a simple idea. It’s also one that doesn’t happen nearly enough.
Let’s think about what it actually takes to host a successful local show. You can’t lean on the same five national stories everyone else is covering. You can’t recycle the same White House talking points that your competitors are already running with.
Instead, you’ve got to take a story about a city council vote or a state legislative squabble and make a listener care about it — deeply, genuinely care. That’s a harder job than most people credit.
Here’s what strikes me most when I tune into strong local stations across the country. I don’t live in Nashville. I couldn’t care less about Tennessee state politics, at least not on paper. But SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s Matt Murphy makes me care anyway. He pulls you in, makes the stakes feel real, and delivers it all with the kind of energy that keeps you from reaching for the dial. The same goes for Bruce St. James and Larry Gaydos over at KTAR News 92.3 in Phoenix, or James T. Harris on 550 KFYI. These hosts are doing something special — and it’s translatable.
That ability to make the local feel universal isn’t a small skill. It’s arguably the most valuable one in the format. And if you can master it locally, there’s every reason to believe it carries over to a national platform.
There’s another dimension to this worth addressing. Local hosts aren’t bunkered in New York or Washington, D.C. They’re not spending their days obsessing over polls, press briefings, or Beltway gossip. They’re living in their communities, talking to real listeners, and staying attuned to what actually matters to the average American. That proximity matters. It produces a different kind of instinct — sharper, more grounded, and frankly more entertaining in a format where entertainment has to drive everything.
National radio has always been where the big names live, and that’s fine. Joey Hudson is a deserving go-to for Gallagher’s show, as the host himself made clear. But the pipeline from local excellence to national exposure has been too narrow for too long. Talented hosts are grinding in markets all over the country who’ve never gotten a real look at what they could do on a larger stage.
Gallagher’s move with Servatius wasn’t just a nice gesture toward a local host at a strong station. It’s a challenge to the rest of the industry to think differently about where the next great national voices might come from. They’re probably not waiting in a New York studio. They’re likely waking up at 4 AM somewhere in Charlotte, or Phoenix, or Nashville — building audiences, sharpening skills, and making people care about stories that have no business being that compelling.
The talent is there. The opportunity, too often, isn’t. So here’s hoping Gallagher’s instinct catches on — because local radio has been quietly developing some of the best broadcasters in the business, and it’s past time the national stage opened its doors a little wider.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
It’s been nearly a week since the boys of summer kicked off another season of Major League Baseball. The pageantry and excitement of the opening weekend are beginning to subside as teams settle into their routines and fans make the game a nightly ritual. Baseball has always been a passion for ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who grew up in Cleveland as the son of someone who worked at The Cleveland Plain Dealer for more than four decades.
Since graduating from Syracuse University, Passan has grown into one of the sport’s most recognizable voices. He carries the heart of a scribe with an ear to the ground for every transaction, injury, and headline that can change the perception of a season. Passan joined ESPN in January 2019 and has elevated through the ranks of the worldwide leader. Last month, he signed another multi-year extension to continue bringing baseball stories to ESPN’s audience.
“I got into this business to write stories. I love writing, and will always love writing,” said Passan. “It’s a great challenge to get at the heart of a story. Plus do so in a way that allows you to still be creative in telling it. Going to ESPN, all these different avenues to show that creativity were new [to me].”
After spending 13 years at Yahoo Sports, Passan always aligned himself with the outlet synonymous with sports. Once he joined ESPN, he found himself immersed not in the usual day-to-day grind but in a wide range of opportunities to expand his horizons. From television appearances to assisting with documentaries that earned him a Sports Emmy.
Staying With ESPN
When his contract was nearing expiration, Passan said his focus remained on where he could tell the best stories in baseball.
“ESPN is that place. They care so much about this, and are willing to devote the resources and the energy that other places still can’t match,” notes Passan. “There’s a gravitas that comes with ESPN. The media economy has become bifurcated, that’s not a bad thing. I like that there are many ways that people can go about doing this. But for me, ESPN, regardless of the rights we have, we’re still the best. We still do this better than anyone else, with the best people.”
The past year for ESPN and Major League Baseball has been an interesting one. Before the 2025 season, the network and the league mutually agreed to opt out of their media rights agreement with three years remaining. That decision led to a summer of intrigue as the two sides traded words both on and off the record before ultimately agreeing to a new deal in November.
Passan, who says Baseball Tonight on ESPN was the show of his childhood, always believed the two sides would find common ground, ensuring ESPN’s long-standing relationship with the sport.
“ESPN is vital to any sport that cares about its relevancy,” said Passan. “The notion of Major League Baseball and ESPN not being partners was problematic for the league. The league recognized that too… When it comes to media networks, ESPN is still the place that is synonymous with sports. Major League Baseball is the kind of sport that deserves to have a platform like ESPN putting its content out to the world.”
Under the new rights agreement, ESPN lost its heritage broadcasts of Sunday Night Baseball and the MLB Home Run Derby and did not secure postseason games. However, the network did gain rights to MLB.TV, which is now available through ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app.
Playing To Your Strengths
Additionally, ESPN will air 30 exclusive national broadcasts, many during the summer months and primarily on weekdays. Passan has contributed to several MLB broadcasts, including on-field work during the Home Run Derby. However, during his contract discussions, expanding that role never became a focal point.
“There are parts of what I do where I’m very confident that I can do a great job. In terms of what I’m not quite as good at, I don’t think, is that role,” explained Passan. “As much as that role allows you to do some storytelling and some reporting, it’s a little more limited by its nature.”
Passan admitted his work during the Home Run Derby was “terrifying,” with a live microphone echoing throughout the stadium during player interactions. While he considers the experience a success, he believes others are better suited for that role.
“I always want to acknowledge my strengths and my weaknesses. I’m not in pursuit of things that might benefit others more,” said Passan. “I work with a lot of good people. Plus, I find as much joy seeing others filling that role as I would get personally.”
One element of his recent extension includes hosting a new baseball-centric podcast for ESPN in partnership with Omaha Productions. This marks his first opportunity as a lead podcast host. Since signing the deal, he has worked closely with Omaha Productions to develop a show centered on in-depth conversations with figures who can illuminate different aspects of the game.
Beyond storytelling, Passan hopes the podcast will feel distinct, built on his insider perspective.
“There’s a real vacuum for great baseball podcasts out there. There are a few of them. But I think there’s a real opportunity for this to be the kind of show that people tune into on a weekly basis,” said Passan.
While the debut date has yet to be announced, the podcast already has a name that also has not been publicly revealed. Passan says he is approaching the project like a teacher addressing a class. A profession he hopes to pursue after retiring from baseball coverage.
“Baseball can be a complicated sport. There’s a lot of arcane little angles to it with terminology and strategy that can be tough to understand. I want to de-mystify all that with this podcast,” said Passan. “The easiest way to do that is to talk to the people who actually do it. To be their translator. Be the person who helps bring them to a point of explaining things while serving as the megaphone to the world. The podcast format is perfect for that.”
The podcast is Passan’s latest venture, adding to an already full workload at ESPN. In preparation, he has leaned on conversations with colleagues like Mina Kimes and Brian Windhorst. Both of whom balance successful podcasts with demanding reporting roles.
The Toll Of Being An Insider
Passan describes the insider role as unrelenting—a job with no off switch that requires constant engagement. Despite balancing his career with family life, he says he has never felt burned out.
“You have to have ‘motor’ to do this job. If you don’t, it will eat you up. I’m very fortunate to be able to function on much less sleep than others,” said Passan. “If I ever get to a point that the job is too much and I can’t keep the pace of it, that will be the day that I pull a ‘Woj.’ That’s how I will know.”
The “Woj” reference points to former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who stepped away from his role in 2024, citing the demands of the job. Passan expressed deep respect for that decision.
“He’s the best, and I love that he did what he did. This job can eat away at you. If you don’t feel like you’re fully invested in it, then you should stop,” said Passan.
What continues to drive Passan is the impact his work can have. A single report can shape how fans feel about their team or season.
“It’s an awesome job. It’s a privilege to do what I do,” said Passan. “People are so incredibly passionate about sports. When an alert of mine hits their phone, and it has to do with their team, it has the ability to make or break their day. There’s an immense amount of power in that. Not power to be used the wrong way, but power in knowing you can have a real, tangible effect on a stranger’s day. That is so cool that I have been a small part of seminal moments in people’s lives.”
Looming MLB Work Stoppage
With the regular season underway, Passan’s workload has intensified, delivering updates and storylines at a pace baseball fans have come to expect. He believes the sport is in a strong position following the success of the World Baseball Classic.
However, the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players association expires in December, creating a backdrop of uncertainty.
“December 1 is going to be the guillotine that’s hanging over this season. It’s impossible to separate the two, because there is so much good that’s going on in baseball right now,” explained Passan.
Since joining ESPN, Passan has increased his appearances across the network. He is a frequent guest on The Pat McAfee Show and has engaged in more discussions about baseball with Stephen A. Smith. He believes the growing attention from prominent voices is helping introduce the sport to new audiences.
Still, he cautions against any potential labor stoppage.
“I look at this as a business problem. Business problems are nothing but math problems. The math problem in this situation tells me that they [MLB owners] have way more to lose than what they have to gain,” said Passan. “I am not confident because I’ve learned covering professional sports and labor that logic doesn’t always apply. But until I see otherwise, I’m going to apply logic to this. Logic tells me that a work stoppage where games are lost would be catastrophic to Major League Baseball, and that everyone involved knows better than to do that.”
In a sport built on rhythm, patience, and the long view, Jeff Passan has carved out a role that mirrors the game itself—steady, relentless, and always searching for meaning beneath the surface.
As Major League Baseball navigates both momentum and uncertainty, and as ESPN continues to redefine how the game reaches fans, Passan remains at the center of it all—not chasing the spotlight, but chasing the story.
As long as baseball continues to evolve, so too will the voice helping fans understand it, one headline at a time.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Local voices matter. That’s what NBC Sports is showcasing with its rotating broadcast booth, using local analysts during nationally televised games. The network’s debut last week featured Orel Hershiser and Luis Gonzalez. Next week, NBC play-by-play voice Jason Benetti will be joined by Brad Thompson from St. Louis and Andy Dirks from the Detroit Tigers.
The concept isn’t new, but it plays into a long-honored tradition among sports fans and national broadcasts. Why isn’t my team getting a hometown feel on a national call? For years, nearly every fanbase in Major League Baseball hated Joe Buck because of his ties to the St. Louis Cardinals through his father. You could say the same about any number of national voices who have graced broadcasts at the national level.
Yet, this concept not only provides a local feel but also presents an idea for change. One networks and other sports could learn from. That’s why NBC Sports may be sitting on one of the most important changes in sports broadcasting history, possibly without even knowing it.
Every offseason, there’s a news cycle dedicated to which networks are bringing in the best analysts for their broadcasts. There’s a certain appeal in giving fans reasons to watch and advertisers reasons to invest. Year after year, networks roll out massive contracts for former players and executives in hopes of drawing more attention to their product and increasing revenue.
NBC Sports first toyed with the idea in 2022 when the network secured a Peacock-exclusive Sunday Leadoff package. Jason Benetti served as the constant play-by-play voice, while each game featured local analysts for a national streaming audience. The idea lasted only another year, as NBC let the deal expire, with MLB allowing Roku to pick it up.
Then NBC Sports secured a new three-year media rights agreement last fall, and Benetti officially returned to the NBC family. Yes, the network also brought in big names for studio roles like Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto. However, the play-by-play is the attraction. That’s where NBC went all in and embraced a fan-first approach.
Local voices assisting on national broadcasts bring a hometown feel to every market represented on Sunday Night Baseball.
That’s why other leagues should pay attention to the concept. Instead of signing former players, executives, or coaches to high-dollar analyst positions, why not lean on the league’s existing broadcasters? This approach helps elevate talented voices from around the country while giving them national exposure. It also likely saves networks money. Instead of shelling out millions for a single national analyst, how many local voices would demand a comparable price for a national stage?
Additionally, with rights fees likely to skyrocket, any cost-saving measure becomes worth exploring.
The most important factor, however, is how networks cater to local audiences. Who better to speak about the teams playing than the people who follow them every day? It’s a win-win for everyone involved—and a model more networks and leagues should consider adopting.
Imagine turning on ESPN and watching a national broadcast of the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks with Darren Pang and Dave Maloney on the call. Think about the entertainment value if the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls played on Prime Video with Ian Eagle alongside Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Stacey King.
Yes, I understand I used two Chicago-based examples there. Sue me.
With regional sports networks struggling in recent years, why wouldn’t leagues push networks to do more of this? Raising the profile of local broadcasters could also boost awareness and marketing for the league’s direct-to-consumer team platforms that 14 of 30 MLB clubs currently operate.
Why stop there? Wouldn’t a local call make an MLS national broadcast more entertaining and informative? Why not apply this concept to postseason contests across all sports—minus the NFL—when national broadcasts remove the opportunity for local voices?
If this concept proves successful in year one of NBC Sports’ return to Major League Baseball coverage, it could create one of the most significant ripple effects in sports broadcasting.
One where networks win through increased viewership. Where local broadcasters gain value, prestige, and visibility. And where networks no longer need to chase expensive national voices when they can deliver what fans truly want—a local feel on a national stage.
And that’s what makes this different.
Because this isn’t just a broadcast tweak. It’s a philosophical shift. One that says authenticity matters more than star power. That familiarity can beat flash. The people who cover a team every day might be the best ones to tell its story. Especially when the spotlight is brightest.
If NBC Sports sticks with it—and if the industry is paying attention—this won’t remain a Sunday night experiment for long.
It’ll become the standard.
And when that happens, the biggest win won’t belong to the networks or the leagues.
It’ll belong to the fans—who, for the first time in a long time, might finally feel like the national stage sounds a little more like home.
Because local voices matter, and always will.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
Today, we check in with a radio and media veteran who has been in the boardrooms and worked at the highest levels, but can also relate to the hustle, grit and grind required to work your way up from the bottom to the top, Kevin LeGrett. Kevin was recently named Chief Business Officer for Beasley Media Group, after a long run at iHeartMedia. His tenure there included serving as President of iHeart Sports. He also enjoyed a decade-long tenure as iHeart’s Division President for the West Coast and Los Angeles market.
So, let’s dive in.
From Bear to Bull
Keith: Inside the industry, radio operators tend to be very bullish about the medium. But many advertisers still approach it cautiously. Why is there this confidence gap, and what needs to change so advertisers see radio the way insiders do?
Kevin: The “confidence gap” is largely an attribution and education gap. For too long, our industry sold on “faith” while digital sold on “data.” At Beasley Media Group, we’re bridging that by moving beyond just the spot. We are showing advertisers that radio is the original “influencer marketing” but with massive, verified scale.
The gap closes when you stop selling “reach” and start selling results. We aren’t trying to be the biggest radio, digital, or podcast company in the world. What we are is a highly trained marketing team that operates with surgical precision. While others preach national reach, a partner in Philadelphia or Boston doesn’t care about assets in Los Angeles or Chicago—they care about winning their specific city, specific zip codes, and their specific customers. We turn bears into bulls by delivering a data-driven, local-first strategy that proves we move the needle right where their business lives. That commitment and focus matters to our partners because their success is directly linked to ours.
Revenue Reality
Keith: Across the industry we see and hear about revenue pressures. How much of that is based on economic cycles? How much is a result of advertisers just reallocating their budgets across more choice?
Kevin: It’s a combination of both, but “more choice” is actually our greatest opportunity. Reallocation is only a threat if you aren’t providing a clear, integrated solution. We lean into that choice by being marketing, audio, digital and events experts on the ground in our local markets.
While economic cycles are inevitable, we mitigate that pressure by evolving into an integrated media partner. We partner with these businesses, we don’t see them as clients and therefore they don’t see us as a vendor, our team doesn’t just sell spots; we provide integrated marketing solutions that bundle our OTA, podcasts, events and digital assets including CTV/OTT to solve local problems. By maintaining strict CRM discipline and focusing on sales velocity, we stay ahead of the curve. We win because we are big enough to have the best tools and attribution, but small and nimble enough to care deeply about a partner’s success in a specific community. When you deliver results at the street level, the “macro” revenue pressures become much easier to manage.
Adults 25-54
Keith: The radio industry still largely revolves around A25-54 numbers, which has pushed many radio brands to the middle. But not every format, artist, or personality was built to live in the same box. Do you see a future where radio sales rely less on a broad demo and more on the true audience a brand actually delivers?
Kevin: The future isn’t just coming; it’s here. While A25-54 remains a standard “currency,” the most successful brands are moving toward community and consumption-based selling.
We are leaning into the “true audience”— the passionate, loyal fans who follow our talent across every platform. Think of Preston and Steve on WMMR in Philadelphia or Zolak & Bertrand and Felger & Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. Their relationships with their audience is that of a ‘best friend’ – someone you trust and react to. That connection is amazing. Frankly, I worked for Mel Karmazin at CBS Radio who preached ‘content is king’ but in 2026, ‘connection is king’. Our personalities are focused on surrounding their audience with multiple touchpoints to enhance their ‘best friend relationship.’
At Beasley Media Group, our partnership focus is on delivering a specific, engaged consumer rather than just a broad demographic slice. By leveraging our first-party data, we can prove that a brand delivers a high-intent audience that traditional demos might miss. Selling the impact of the brand rather than just the age of the listener is how we avoid the “middle” and drive premium value for our partners.
Attribution
Keith: An unarguable key strength for radio is reach, but advertisers are gravitating towards attribution. Where do you think radio stands today in its ability to prove effectiveness to advertisers?
Kevin: Radio is no longer the “black box” it used to be. We’ve moved from selling on “faith” to selling on proof. Today, we can provide closed-loop reporting that tracks everything from website lift to physical foot traffic. At Beasley Media Group, we use attribution not just to prove that an ad ran, but to prove it worked. By layering our massive broadcast reach with digital tracking tools, we provide a full-funnel view that rivals any pure-play digital platform. Reach is the engine, but attribution is the dashboard that shows our partners exactly how fast they’re growing. The more of our assets a partner is connected to the higher results they see.
Immediacy
Keith: Radio still operates on a measurement cycle that may be up to a month late. That means that a February ratings book might not land until the end of March. Meanwhile, some platforms can deliver near real-time data. Does the slower loop create more revenue challenges for the broader industry when advertisers are used to seeing results almost immediately?
Kevin: The lag in traditional ratings is a legacy challenge, but it’s one we’ve bypassed by focusing on real-time internal metrics. We don’t wait for a monthly book to tell us if a campaign is successful. We monitor sales velocity and digital engagement in real-time. By the time a ratings book lands, we’ve already optimized the campaign multiple times based on the actual consumer response we’re seeing through our attribution tools. The “slower loop” only creates challenges if you aren’t using modern data to drive your daily decisions.
Downsizing
Keith: No executive enjoys downsizing, but cost-cutting has become a reality. At the same time, some worry radio may be reaching a point where there’s little room left to cut. With too many layers involved in decision making and fewer boots on the ground to create the content and drive audience loyalty through connection, there’s real concern. Do you share that worry? How do you balance financial discipline with making sure stations have the people and creative energy needed to grow in an environment that’s more competitive than ever?
Kevin: I have been involved in many reductions in workforce and expense cuts, and it’s never easy. It’s frankly tougher sitting on the side exiting, which I have experienced. Overall, it’s about efficiency, not just deficiency. Financial discipline shouldn’t come at the expense of the “boots on the ground” who create the connection with the audience. My approach is to strip away the bureaucratic layers that slow down decision-making. By being leaner at the top, we can protect the creative energy at the local level.
Giving the ‘true power’ to the leaders that are closest to the action is just not a phrase to me. It’s a strategy. We want our teams focused on two things: creating indispensable local content and delivering results for partners. When you remove the “corporate noise,” your people actually have more energy to innovate and compete.
Sports & Passionate Audiences
Keith: You spent significant time building sports platforms – and those fans are among the most passionate audiences in media. What lessons from sports media can other formats learn when it comes to engagement and loyalty?
Kevin: Sports media taught me that passion is a multiplier. Sports fans don’t just “listen”—they participate, they debate, and they stay loyal through thick and thin. Other formats can win by treating their audiences like a “fan base” rather than just a “listenership.” This means creating multi-platform touchpoints where the audience can engage with the talent beyond the 30-second spot.
Whether that’s through a podcast, a social thread, or a live event, you must give the audience a way to “wear the jersey” of your show and radio station. That approach ‘screams’ throughout the hallways of Beasley Boston where we have the largest sports station in the country, 98.5 The Sports Hub. The ecosystem they have built to serve their ‘fan base’ is unprecedented. As you can tell by my passion, I truly have enjoyed my time in Boston working with that team!
Being The Littler Guy
Keith: Companies like iHeart or Audacy can leverage enormous scale to gain the lion’s share of revenue. You’re now leading a smaller group with less mass, and fewer layers and resources. How has your approach changed related to generating and growing revenue when you have less scale to draw upon?
Kevin: I have nothing but GREAT respect for both iHeart and Audacy! Each company is great and successful in their own way/lane but I don’t see my new challenge as “less scale”. I see it as more focus. At the massive companies, you often get bogged down by national mandates that don’t translate to the local street. At Beasley Media Group, our “littler” size is our greatest competitive advantage. We are more agile, we make decisions faster, and we are more deeply embedded in our local communities with two-way communication from our leaders in the market vs. just corporate dictating strategy and the tactics to achieve their strategy NOT the market’s.
Our approach hasn’t changed regarding the fundamentals. We still prioritize our partners and audience first then a CRM discipline with data-driven sales—but our execution is faster. We can pivot a strategy in a single afternoon to help a local partner win their key zip codes, whereas a larger ship takes miles to turn. We’re not trying to out-scale the giants. We’re out-maneuvering them.
Kevin’s New Business
Keith: You’ve hypothetically left radio to start your own business and have money in your plan to spend on radio. How would you allocate the budget between spots, sponsorship, events, endorsements, social, show podcasts, etc.
Kevin: What a great question. Man, I’d love to invent a product and use audio to launch it and drive sales. First, I would build my budget around integrated influencers. I’d lead with talent endorsements and show podcasts to build immediate trust and credibility with a loyal fanbase. That’s the “high-touch” foundation.
From there, I would use OTA (Over-The-Air) spots as my frequency engine to maintain top-of-mind awareness. I’d layer in digital and social to catch the audience in their scrolling habits and events to create a physical community connection. I wouldn’t treat them as separate buckets, I’d treat them as one ecosystem. The goal isn’t to be “on the radio”. It’s to be everywhere my target consumer is, using the station’s and podcast talent as the trusted bridge to my new brand.
Looking Ahead
Keith: You’ve built a career through vision and being able to see around corners. Looking ahead a few years, how do you see radio evolving in how it serves audiences with programming and delivers results for advertisers? What advice would you give operators when trying to navigate the future?
Kevin: Radio is evolving from a “broadcaster” into a “multimodal content engine.” For audiences, the delivery will be seamless—the car, the smart speaker, the phone—but the soul will remain local and human. For advertisers, we are becoming an attribution-first medium. We won’t just tell you we have a big audience; we will show you exactly how many people took an action because of us.
My advice: Kill the “silo” mentality. If you are still separating your “digital” team from your “radio” team, you’re already behind. You need a unified, highly trained marketing force that understands data as well as they understand creative. Embrace the “grit and grind” of the local market but use world-class tech to prove your value. I have always had a fondness for ‘grinders’ who out-work, out-think and out-innovate their competition.
That Really Happened
Keith: You can be ambiguous or make up names, cities, call letters, whatever you need to do, but having overseen hundreds of brands and watching countless dollars in transactions, you’ve seen some wild things happen. Give us a story of something you still can’t believe really happened, but did.
Kevin: I’ve seen everything from high-stakes negotiations in backrooms to promotions that went sideways to live broadcasts that went off the rails in the best way possible. But one that sticks out is when we pitched a major client who was 100% convinced radio was ‘dead.’
We didn’t just bring a deck, we brought a live data dashboard showing real-time foot traffic to a competitor’s store triggered by a single flight of ads we’d run as a test as well as a major personality who electrified the meeting room with their passion and story-telling ability. Seeing the look on that partners face when they realized they were missing out on a massive, active local community—that’s the ‘wild’ part of this business. It reminds you that data doesn’t just support the story; sometimes, it is the story.”
My outlook for the future is incredibly optimistic, but it’s a focused optimism. At Beasley Media Group, we aren’t trying to be the biggest radio, digital, or podcast conglomerate in the country. We have a much more intentional mission: to be the most effective, highly trained marketing team in the local markets we serve.
We understand that a partner in Charlotte or Tampa doesn’t care about your footprint in Seattle or Houston. They care about winning their specific city and their specific zip codes. That is where we excel. By combining our dominant local reach, amazing personalities with sophisticated digital assets, attribution and a relentless, data-driven sales discipline, we don’t just offer impressions; we deliver measurable results right where our partners live and work. We are leaning into the ‘grit and grind’ of local business, backed by world-class assets, to prove that when you win the community, you win the market.
We can’t just stand still. If we want to keep growing, we need to make sure that we continue to make ourselves relevant and address forward-looking needs of our audience and our partners. I’m incredibly proud of the work this team is doing, and we are just getting started!
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Mary Sandberg Boyle didn’t set out to run one of Chicago’s most storied radio stations. She just kept showing up, working hard, and saying yes. Today, she serves as Vice President and General Manager of WGN Radio — and her path to get there was anything but conventional.
Mary Sandberg Boyle climbed steadily from being the personal assistant to a radio legend to producing some of Chicago radio’s most recognizable voices. Then she attempted a pivot few in her position had tried — moving from programming into management.
No road map existed for that transition. So Mary Sandberg Boyle built one. Volunteering for responsibilities outside her role. Raising her hand at every opportunity. And speaking her ambitions out loud until the right doors opened.
She leads WGN Radio today with the same work ethic her parents instilled in her. No entitlement. No waiting for praise. Just doing the work. She has also become a vocal advocate for the next generation of media leaders, particularly women, and for the role local radio plays in keeping small businesses alive in communities across the country.
To conclude our series celebrating Women’s History Month, we asked Mary Sandberg Boyle if she ever felt as if a pathway to management existed when she started. We also asked what advice she’d give to aspiring leaders. And how an early work ethic has helped her to where she is now.
Garrett Searight: Mary, start me off by going back to the start of your career. When did you know that you wanted to be in the media business?
Mary Sandberg Boyle: When I was a little kid, when I was 9, my sister and I had a radio station, and we did fake radio shows at our house. “KMS Radio” is what we called it. It was Katie/Mary Sandberg, and the only reason why it was lettered that way is that I had to put her name first in order to get her to play radio with me.
But then, by the time, I was in high school and picking a college, I really didn’t have a lot of direction. I was a communication major and studied radio in college, and interned for Kevin Matthews. And I was a talk radio fan. I thought it was the greatest thing ever. But had no idea that I could work in radio as a career. Even though I had interned in it. I was working a regular job after I graduated, because I needed health insurance. Because, back then, once you graduated, you couldn’t just stay on your parents’ insurance.
While I was working for a food brokerage firm, Steve Dahl said on the radio that he needed an assistant. My dad heard it, and I heard it, and he said, “You should apply for that.” And I said, “I’m not going to apply to something I heard on the radio.” But I did, and I got that job, and then I was working in radio.
And even when I was working in radio, I still didn’t know that that was going to be my career. And here I am ever since. It wasn’t anything I planned for, even though I studied for it and loved it my whole life.
GS: When you first got into the business, did you feel like there was a pathway for you to be an executive in the media space?
MB: Absolutely not. I wasn’t even thinking further than what the next day brought. As I said, I interned for Kevin Matthews, and then I worked for Steve Dahl. Shortly after starting with Steve, I was hired as a personal assistant, and then he and his producer decided to part ways. And I became his executive producer very quickly after I started. I was working for a guy I grew up idolizing, pretty quickly. And I thought, “It doesn’t get any better than this! Who would want to do anything else?” That’s how I felt.
I had a meeting — my first and only employee review — a year into that job with our VP of Programming, Drew Hayes, at the time at WCKG. He told me — and I was young — “You should go into management, because you’re very good at handling talent.” I looked at him, and I thought, “This man is crazy.” Any of the managers I knew walking around were all older guys wearing suits. It seemed like no fun, not anything like the programming side. Why would I want to do that? I really liked working on the programming talent side.
So, file that away — that’s about 25 years ago. I kept working on shows and never thought about it again. I continued down the path of being on the programming side. And I went from Steve Dahl, stayed with him for quite a few years, then I was with B96, and then I worked with Steve Cochran at WGN. We also launched a morning business show at WGN called The Opening Bell. That’s when, about 10 years ago, I started thinking, “Maybe I don’t want to just always work on a show. Maybe I should be thinking about doing something more.”
That’s when I just started saying to my managers at the time, I think I might want to start doing something more. But there’s no path to go from being an executive producer to management. It doesn’t exist, really.
GS: And so you built that path.
MB: I built the path. I just kept saying it out loud, to anyone that would hear it. Not in an annoying way. I’d mention it when it would come up. I put my hand up when there were opportunities. We had a Director of News and Operations, and when she’d go out of town, I’d say, “Hey, put me down as the person that handles the call-outs if people are sick. I’ll handle the scheduling.” I could see where I was already filling in those gaps when that person wasn’t available.
Then one day, she got an opportunity and left. And I put my hat in the ring for the position. It was actually a little bit difficult for me to get that role because my career has always been in Chicago, and I knew everybody. Everyone I interviewed with for those roles knew me as always being an executive producer, and they weren’t sure if I was going to make the leap. They wanted to use someone they knew had always been more of an administrator, had already done that kind of job. So it was a longer process than it probably needed to be.
But they took the “risk” — I say that with quotes — because I think I was proven, and I adapted very quickly. A few months into that role, our company was acquired. They got rid of all of our management and made me the interim general manager, and then very quickly after that I earned the role as general manager, and then I became a vice president within the year, all earned under our new ownership.
GS: Who are the people who influenced you the most throughout your career?
MB: Well, before anything, it starts with how I was raised. My parents raised us to be really hardworking. We aren’t entitled, we expect to come to work and work hard, and we don’t do anything for praise or accolades. I think that foundation is really important when you’re setting yourself up for success, and then treating people well.
I’ve been super fortunate that I worked for the most talented people you could work for — Kevin Matthews, Steve Dahl, and then getting to WGN. Even in management, I get to work with Bob Sirott, John Williams, Wendy Snyder, Lisa Dent — just incredibly smart, brilliant broadcasters who understand how to communicate to listeners, but also treat people really well that they’re working with. And that’s something you don’t find with everybody in the business.
They also understand that there’s a business side to this. There are clients and that relationship and how important that is.
GS: When you sit down and think about the next generation of leaders in the radio space, what do you say to those who want to someday be in your shoes, who want to hold executive roles and help lead and manage brands?
MB: I get it, and I’m really excited about it. I think this is probably historically how it’s gone — management came up from the sales side. That was the track. And I think no one would argue that not a lot of general managers come up from the programming side.
I like to talk to people on the programming side about how you actually know more than you think you know — and could go up this way. But you have to be more vocal about getting involved and asking more questions about what’s going on in the sales process. Or involve yourself more and get involved with clients, so that you’re ready for the part that you need to understand in order to be a general manager.
And especially if I’m talking to young women, that part is inserting yourself. I think they’re more eager and more willing to do that work than maybe we were when we were younger, and it’s really exciting. They have better models now. There are more women in management for them to model after. And they’re also more encouraged. Networking is easier to access with social media. They can reach out to anybody they want to.
You won’t always hear back, but I answer every single person who reaches out to me on LinkedIn or Instagram. I think the world is so open that you can get a lot of feedback. That’s something that was a little more difficult 30 years ago. They’re really set up for success now.
GS: If there’s anything I didn’t ask you, or anything you want to include or share, I’ll give you the floor.
MB: Our business gets a lot of attention these days for whether the messaging is being scripted, or if there’s pressure from the people that own you to lean one direction or the other. I don’t think we get enough credit for keeping local businesses — meaning your local construction companies, plumbers, mom and pop restaurants — in business. Because we’re an affordable way for them to advertise and reach their local community.
I just don’t think people give enough credit to that part of the good that we do in our business. We keep those businesses thriving. Your local carpet cleaners, et cetera. We’re very invested in our communities that way, and I just wish that everyone recognized the importance of that. And how it’s really our pride and joy. It makes us happy and fuels us every day to see those local businesses thrive. It’s just important to us.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Media companies have come and gone for decades. Some shuttered, while others were sold or merged. Clear Channel, Jacor, Infinity, AM/FM radio, Westinghouse, and countless others—all giants of media—either merged or were sold.
For decades, radio served America as a trusted companion. Spoken-word audio acted as a beacon, informing, entertaining, and connecting communities.
That’s one reason eliminating CBS News Radio off the top of the hour for more than 700 affiliates comes as a shock. The closing of a legacy institution like CBS Radio signals a corporate shift. While emphasizing the exponential growth and transformation in how audiences consume content.
Listeners have rapidly migrated to podcasts, streaming platforms (including CBS), and on-demand audio. Appointment listening has eroded, and our industry is now forced to confront fading relevance.
Here’s a snapshot of recent harbingers for our business:
CBS News Radio shutdown – May 2026
CBS News Radio, under its parent company Paramount Global, will undergo a full network shutdown on Friday, May 22. Hundreds of affiliates will be left to find another news partner, while an estimated 70 people will lose their jobs. The national radio news network will cease operations. CBS News will still provide online and television coverage of regional, national, and international news.
Cumulus Media bankruptcy – 2026
For the second time in six years, Cumulus Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure more than $600 million in corporate debt. The company’s 400-plus radio properties across the U.S. will continue to operate, and employees will remain paid. Cumulus Media is also in a legal dispute with Nielsen over ratings pricing and Nielsen’s monopolistic hold on the ratings business.
Audacy bankruptcy transformation – 2024
With more than 230 nationwide radio stations, Audacy continues to deal with the $1.5 billion in debt incurred in 2017 when CBS Radio merged with Entercom, forming Audacy. The company has since emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The result included nearly a 10% reduction in force, or around 300 employees.
SiriusXM restructuring – 2025
Non-traditional platforms are not immune to layoffs. SiriusXM underwent major layoffs and internal restructuring in 2023, reportedly cutting its workforce by 8%. Then followed another round of reductions last year affecting roughly 150 positions. The company continues shifting toward an app-based and streaming model while shutting down or consolidating select satellite channels.
iHeartMedia + TikTok – TikTok Radio
Announced in the fall of 2025 and launched this month, iHeartMedia has partnered with TikTok on a three-pronged TikTok Radio product across several dozen stations. This includes broadcast, streaming, podcast integration, and TikTok influencers appearing at high-profile iHeartMedia events. Regarding workforce reductions, iHeartMedia has kept a low profile on nationwide job cuts. However, rolling staff reductions remain ongoing.
It’s clear the consolidation era is unwinding. Companies like CBS, Entercom, and Audacy are proving to shareholders and the public that mega-mergers did not solve long-term revenue decline.
Debt remains the industry’s biggest problem. Repeat bankruptcies from Cumulus and Audacy signal that high leverage, combined with declining ad revenue, continues to strain financial stability.
National radio networks are disappearing. Those of us experienced enough to remember networks like Jones, Dial Global, and NBC Radio News are likely less surprised by the demise of the CBS Radio Network. One longtime programmer noted, “what took so long”?
Tech companies are taking over content creation and programming influence. This is not TikTok’s first attempt at a broadcast partnership; its effort to scale a SiriusXM agreement never fully materialized. However, iHeartMedia offers a much wider reach with more than 800 non-subscription radio stations.
Does this signal that radio is losing its grip on new music discovery?
Beyond empty studios, fading community connections, and declining ad revenue, the true cost of consolidation is people. Some of the most creative and loyal professionals were once found in radio. Many still remain and have adapted—even flourished. The investment this platform, Barrett Media, is impressive at a time when brands are shrinking and talent is disappearing.
In some ways, certain aspects of radio have never been healthier. While large, heavily leveraged groups struggle under debt, medium and smaller markets continue to thrive and serve their communities.
With seven markets spread across northern Minnesota, CEO Bob Leighton has built Leighton Media into several community-focused, successful clusters across multiple formats. The company has also developed a digital department that rivals larger groups.
Based in Columbia, Missouri, the Zimmer brothers expanded into St. Louis radio years ago to create Zimmer Communications. They used that success to strengthen their small-market foundation. Their staff remains strong across both programming and revenue, while their in-house agency supports businesses of all sizes.
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a post from longtime radio programmer and former tour manager Chad Taylor caught attention last week. Taylor, a Cedar Rapids talent working with a locally rooted Iowa group—KZIA—represents a station committed to community. The cluster prioritizes local, live talent while actively expanding its digital footprint.
Chad posted the following piece last week and agreed to share it in this week’s column:
Bravo.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
“Where do you get your ideas?” I get that note occasionally from other program directors and readers of this column. I have been writing these weekly musings for almost three years. I have written over 145 columns so far. Jason has yet to fire me, which is nice, because reflection has really helped my career.
Writing a column is a different challenge than hosting a talk show. Particularly a column on a narrow subject such as news/talk radio. I want to explain how I do these — not because I am an egotistical genius, but because the process has allowed me to grow as a program director, manager, and perhaps as a human being.
You are insanely busy. Radio in 2026 is a multi-dimensional job. You are likely performing the jobs that three or more people did five or ten years ago. You are stretched thin and seemingly are in the putting-out-fires club for a significant amount of time each week.
That being said, you must address certain issues before anything else. This is a time suck that keeps you from getting your job done. Perhaps the market manager or your immediate supervisor wants you to complete something immediately, and you need to shoehorn that between an air shift, a meeting with your team, production, and family commitments. You may be one of those people who get up before the chickens and go to sleep 18 hours later. Your day is filled with activities, let alone getting some downtime for yourself.
We are in a rapidly evolving media landscape, and thinking through the challenges in new and innovative ways is essential. Where do you carve out the time? Which task can you sacrifice? We must have downtime. Many of our major religions encourage us to have a day off to recover from our busy lives. For those who are not religious, most of these days are supposed to be set aside for you to connect with a spouse, kids, or other important people in your live.
I get it — if there is a big news or weather event, we get to go to work. We are very rarely completely off the grid. But it is mentally important for us to be at rest.
I have found that writing these columns allows me to focus exclusively on an aspect of our business. It gives me the opportunity to think through my philosophy, experiences, and execution of my radio station and our format. I have been doing this news/talk thing for more than just a cup of coffee, and I continue to learn and adapt. I tend to be a person who is not living in an aspirational fantasyland. Because I tend to think that everything can be done better.
Here is an example: when I started my current position, there were several issues with the automation templates on the three news/talk stations that I am responsible for. I rebuilt them all. I fixed many of the issues. But I’m not done — I am now going through them again to add some more advanced features. I didn’t rest on my laurels. It is always about what is next and what can be done better.
You may benefit from my experiences, but your knowledge and experiences may be better or different from mine. Lock yourself away and take time to reflect on an issue at your station or in your life. Write about it. If the term “journaling” drives you nuts, take time to write through a problem.
Start by admitting that there are issues. So, you have a staffer or co-worker who is just not getting it. The individual is a difference maker, and you need them to be fully engaged. There are ways to address this. As a program director, I have heard this line: “When I was hired, I was told to focus on a particular topic or way to execute a show.”
I always follow up with the question of who told them that and when. Then you hear the story of the market manager who left in 2019, telling them to do something. Your answer? That was three market managers ago — do you think the market has changed since 2019? I write through that scenario to give me answers.
Most people are myopic. They are only focused on what is in front of them. It is a tough concept to teach and even harder to understand. Look at how to improve everything on your show, your station, and in your life. We are often resistant to change. The victorious adapt. So, I work on how that person really wants to do well but has never received different orders. Or if they have, they don’t understand why it is important to change. Writing that through can really assist them and you.
I hope that my columns are a good jumping-off point for you. These ideas and concepts that I share will allow you to build on them.
I don’t have all the answers, but I hope that I am asking myself the right questions. Your knowledge and experience can lead to innovative ideas that will benefit you, your company, and your personal life.
Take time each week to write through something. It is very important for us to reflect.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
