Home Blog Page 1612

Former KLIN Hosts Jack Riggins and Dan Parsons Involved in Defamation Lawsuit

BNM Staff
-
0
Former KLIN Hosts Jack Riggins and Dan Parsons Involved in Defamation Lawsuit

The heated battle between conservative talk radio hosts Jack Riggins and Dan Parsons continued in court yesterday. The controversy started when Parsons replaced Riggins on KLIN in 2023. Parsons then made several defamatory statements about Riggins on X, which led to Riggins filing a lawsuit against Parsons.

Riggins’ 16-page complaint accuses Parsons of attacking his personal and professional character through a series of tweets on X. Parsons hosted “The Dan Parsons Show,” which promoted “truth over tribalism” in contrast to Riggins’ hyper-conservative program, for 10 months until his abrupt termination in March.

In response to his firing, Parsons took to social media to detail the end of his contract. He mentioned that he replaced Riggins, who was allegedly fired after an anonymous woman accused a state lawmaker of sexual assault while live on air. However, Riggins denies these claims. He insists that he fulfilled his contractual obligation with the station before leaving.

Riggins’ lawsuit addressed three other posts by Parsons claiming that Riggins was fired from KLIN. An opportunity to say goodbye to listeners before leaving the station was one of the issues in question. He claims Parsons defamed him over it and placed him in a false light.

Broadcast House GM Ami Graham, said neither Riggins nor Parsons were radio station employees. They were contracted hosts to KLIN, and have since completed their agreements with the station.

Parsons responded to the lawsuit by stating that he is seeking legal counsel and will address it soon. Meanwhile, KLIN has replaced Parsons’ show with “Drive Time Nebraska” hosted by Doug Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald previously worked as a fill-in host at the station.

The legal battle between public figures may prove difficult for Riggins to win. He must prove that Parsons acted with “actual malice” in making defamatory statements. This means he will have to show that Parsons knew the information was false when he made it public.

SEVENTEEN DK throws out the first pitch? MLB praises K-pop idol’s strategy to solicit recruitment

Sponsored Post
-
0
SEVENTEEN DK throws out the first pitch? MLB praises K-pop idol’s strategy to solicit recruitment

SEVENTEEN’s DK is making headlines again, but this time, it’s not for his stellar vocals or captivating stage presence. The multi-talented K-pop idol recently caught the attention of Major League Baseball (MLB) after they gave him a surprise shoutout on their official Twitter account.

This unexpected nod from MLB didn’t just excite DK’s fans; it also hinted at the possibility of him throwing the first pitch in an upcoming baseball game. Known for his charismatic personality, DK responded with a sweet and heartfelt reaction that resonated with his supporters. The buzz around this potential crossover between K-pop and baseball has both the music and sports worlds talking.

SEVENTEEN’s DK receives MLB shoutout; first pitch in the works

DK, also known by his full stage name Dokyeom, got a pleasant surprise on the morning of May 22 (KST) when he discovered that MLB’s official Twitter page had given him a shoutout. The video that caught MLB’s attention featured DK throwing a pitch while wearing Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers jersey, initially posted by DK on his personal Instagram. Major League Baseball praised DK’s pitching technique and revealed that the SEVENTEEN member is an avid baseball fan with a childhood dream of becoming a baseball player.

MLB added an intriguing question to their tweet: “Who wants to see him throw out a first pitch at an MLB game?” This tantalizing hint has fans excited about the possibility of DK taking the mound in an official capacity. MLB team futures are buzzing with anticipation, which suggests a future collaboration that could bring even more excitement to the sport. DK shared that MLB had reached out to him, and their official account even followed him on Instagram, furthering the speculation.

DK expressed his surprise and excitement on Weverse, HYBE’s platform for fan and artist interactions. He remarked that he couldn’t believe the turn of events and thanked his fans for their unwavering support. The potential crossover between the music and sports worlds has fans from both arenas eagerly awaiting more developments. With DK’s charm and enthusiasm, a first-pitch appearance could be a memorable fusion of K-pop and Major League Baseball, creating an unforgettable moment for everyone involved.

About DK of SEVENTEEN

DK, whose real name is Lee Seokmin, is a vital member of SEVENTEEN, serving as part of their Vocal team since the group debuted on May 26, 2015, with their EP 17 Carat. Known for his rich, melodious vocals, DK has a passion for singing that most say shines through in every performance. He seizes any opportunity to showcase his vocal talents, whether it’s on stage, during interviews, or in casual settings.

DK’s role extends beyond just being a vocalist; he is also the leader of SEVENTEEN’s sub-unit BSS (BooSeokSoon), which includes fellow members Seungkwan and Hoshi. This sub-unit recently gained attention with its OST for the popular show Queen of Tears, headlined by Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won. The track, titled “The Reason of My Smiles,” has touched many hearts and demonstrated DK’s versatility and emotional range as a singer. Balancing his responsibilities in both SEVENTEEN and BSS, DK continues to profoundly impact fans worldwide.

Stephen A. Smith: Draymond Green Claims Do Not Have a Shred of Merit

BSM Staff
-
0
Stephen A. Smith: Draymond Green Claims Do Not Have a Shred of Merit

Earlier in the NBA season, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely after hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face. It was the latest transgression within a long list of contemptuous behavior from the four-time NBA champion, who received counseling and returned after missing 16 games. Green recently appeared on an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq where he discussed the time he was suspended.

During the conversation, he revealed that ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith reached out to him and said that it had been difficult for them to talk about him over the few days ensuing. Green explained that he replied by saying that it was hard for him to watch but did anyway to see what everyone was saying.

Green continued his remarks by explaining that whenever someone discussed Smith with him, they would rail about how they disliked him. Conversely, Green would defend Smith by saying that he knew the man and that he was a “cool dude and a real dude.” At the same time though, he did not appreciate the comments that were made about him amid the impediments he was facing.

“I know you got to do your thing and say what you’ve got to say, but at not one point did you say, ‘Well, y’all are saying this person needs help,’” Green explained. “‘Now I know the person. Say what you want about the basketball player – that’s fine – but I know the person,’ but to sit back and see those that claim to know and appreciate me as a human being just flow with the narrative because it was easy to do, I lost a lot of respect for a lot of people.”

Smith appeared on the Willard & Dibs afternoon drive program on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, Calif., the flagship radio station for Golden State Warriors basketball, where he uttered his response. Within his opening remarks, he immediately stated that what Green said was “utter bullshit,” expletive language that was censored on the FM airwaves but heard on the YouTube and Twitch live streams. Later in the show, co-host Mark Willard expressed how Smith cursing early in his answer was indicative of the level of discontent and anger he felt pertaining to the situation.

Even though the episode of the show was released on Wednesday, Smith did not see the clip until Thursday morning when producers of ESPN morning show First Take sent it for him. Smith addressed the discourse on the show and expounded on his perspective during the radio hit shortly before NBA Countdown.

“Anybody in the business that knows me; anybody outside of the business that wants to know about the business knows how I feel about him, not just as a professional, not just as a winner, but as a man,” Smith said. “And for me to have the relationship that I have with him, to hear about this because you on Shaq’s podcast, he pissed me off.

“So now both of us are pissed because to be quite honest with you, I don’t think what he’s saying has a shred of merit whatsoever, and that’s the first time that I’ve ever found myself in a position where I could listen to Draymond Green and don’t feel he has a shred of merit to what the hell he’s saying.”

As Smith outlined instances where he defended Green throughout his NBA career, he pointed out that the Warriors forward has been ejected from games 20 times, second to Rasheed Wallace on the NBA all-time leader list. Moreover, he was suspended four times in a nine-month span, underscoring the difficulty he has had controlling his emotions on the court. Some of the examples Smith mentioned included when Green kicked LeBron James during the 2016 NBA Finals, knocking out then-teammate Jordan Poole in a practice and kicking Steven Adams during a game.

“All of this stuff has been articulated by me live on national television in the face of one piece of opposition after another who has spoken against Draymond Green for years,” Smith said, “and somehow you were upset with a bunch of people, but I’m the name that comes out of your mouth when you were on Shaq’s podcast.”

Smith takes umbrage towards what Green had to say, claiming that it is not true and that he did not grant him the courtesy of having a private conversation about it. Additionally, he stated that he would not say anything about Green to that degree without letting him know how he felt beforehand. While he was discussing the assertion on First Take, Smith conveyed that Green was lucky he had not found out about it while recording The Stephen A. Smith Podcast, foreboding what would have been a more acerbic and caustic response.

“I have a job to do – that is absolutely true – and if I did what Draymond Green said I did, I wouldn’t apologize for it because I’m doing my job,” Smith said. “And in the face of the evidence that had mounted against him, I’m in no position to really, really defend him, but I didn’t do what he said. I didn’t just sit there. Now if you want to take one particular show, what about all the other shows that I did? What about all the other times that I came to your defense?”

Green has played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors and has expanded his presence into contributing to and creating original content in the sports media space. Green is appearing on Inside the NBA during the NBA Western Conference Finals on TNT while also continuing to host his eponymous podcast, The Draymond Green Show, through The Volume media company founded by Colin Cowherd. Smith believes he is going to be a star in the business but ultimately is not fond of what he did and the misrepresentation that he promulgated.

“If you’re going to have a problem with us, could you at least have the decency to contextualize properly and hold us accountable for what we’ve actually done or are doing instead of making something up just to garner favor with a cadre of individuals that you think is going to point the finger at us in a negative direction,” Smith said, referring to an incident earlier in the year involving Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “Those are the kind of things that I think are weak as hell, and that is my problem.”

NBA Basketball Media Continues to Pile On The Boston Celtics

John Molori
-
0
NBA Basketball Media Continues to Pile On The Boston Celtics

They are the most unfairly criticized team in the NBA, a team that cruised to 64 victories and earned the number one seed in a very tough Eastern Conference. They have taken two NBA playoff series in five games respectively and lead the Eastern Conference Finals 2-0 versus Indiana.

I speak of the Boston Celtics, and despite these sterling facts, their two superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and the team as a whole, continue to garner criticism from the roundball media.

These “experts” say that the Celtics cannot be trusted and that they have not played to their potential. The Celtics have been to the Eastern Conference Finals six times since 2017 and made it to the NBA Finals in 2022, losing to the Golden State Warriors, but to listen to the basketball cognoscenti, you would think they are a bunch of green-clad slugs.

I get it, the Tatum-Brown Celtics have yet to win an NBA Championship, and I agree that if they don’t win it all this year, it will be a failed season for sure. After Boston defeated Cleveland in the Eastern semifinals, TNT analyst Draymond Green stated that no one cares that the Celtics once again made it to the conference finals. He is 100% correct, but that does not mean that the Celtics are utter garbage.

It’s really hard to win an NBA playoff series in five games. The Celtics have already done that twice in these playoffs, but instead of giving the Celtics credit for taking care of business, many commentators have denigrated them for how they are winning and the teams they have faced or did not have to face.

Joel Embiid was hurt. Giannis Antetokounmpo was hurt. The Knicks were banged up and the Cavs lost Donovan Mitchell. Well, too bad. Injuries are a part of the game. Are we forgetting the Celtics have been crushing playoff series without Kristaps Porzingis? When the Celtics get attention from the national media spotlight, it is usually with an air of disappointment and disgust. I’m wondering why.

ESPN and FS1 give endless attention, hope, positivity, and forward-thinking to the Los Angeles Lakers. Simply put, the Lakers are a mediocre to decent basketball team at best. They were dumped in the first round of the playoffs and if not for their history, LeBron James, and the city in which they play, they wouldn’t even be in the discussion. They are the New Orleans Pelicans with Snoop Dogg at courtside.

Still, the Lakers remain in the A block on many network hoops shows. Do you want to talk about a lack of trust, disappointment, and not reaching potential? How about the defending champion Denver Nuggets?

Yes, they have a two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, but what about his team this year? They fell to a bunch of playoff neophytes called the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing Game 7 at home. Meanwhile, the Celtics took out an always tough Miami Heat team and a highly competitive Cavaliers team, 5 games each. All these Celtics do is win. Does it matter if the wins are pretty? Since when is that the media litmus test?

In a recap of Game 1 of the Eastern finals, a thrilling 133-128 overtime win for Boston, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps said that the Celtics almost “coughed up” another game at home. He went on to say that all the Pacers had to do was inbound the ball and hit a free-throw, and they would have won. Fine Tim, but guess what? They didn’t get it done and the Celtics did. Mistakes and capitalizing on mistakes are a big part of basketball.

Bontemps went on to say that if the Celtics don’t win Game 2 vs. Indiana, the Game 1 win will not matter. This is quite possibly the most foolhardy statement uttered in this year’s NBA playoffs. When four games win a series, every win matters. I understand that the Celtics lost Game 2 at home in their first two series, but so what? They righted the ship and swept both series the rest of the way.

During Game 1 against the Pacers, the Celtics jumped out to an early double-digit lead, but Indy came back to tie the game as good NBA playoff teams are known to do. ESPN’s Lisa Salters asked Boston guard Jrue Holiday how the Celtics lost the early lead. Holiday calmly replied that the Pacers are an NBA team as well. Exactly.

At the end of Game 1, after Boston stormed back in regulation and dominated the OT, ESPN play by play announcer Mike Breen said that the Celtics “survived” Game 1. It was an interesting choice of words that underlined the unfair criticism of Boston.

Coming back in a game, hitting big shots, and winning when it matters is not surviving. It is stepping up, closing the door, and being clutch. Breen is probably unfamiliar with these words because he’s been hanging around the Knicks too long.

On the May 21 edition of ESPN’s First Take, the talented and eloquent Andraya Carter questioned whether the Celtics can be trusted pinpointing Jayson Tatum in the conversation. Austin Rivers vehemently disagreed and the two engaged in a lively debate. The morning after the Celtics won Game 1 vs. the Pacers, ESPN’s Get Up crew still dogged them.

The eminent host Mike Greenberg asked the panel how Jaylen Brown could get open for the “easiest” three-point shot of the game to tie the game with just seconds left in regulation.

If you watch video of the shot, however, it was hardly easy. Brown was in the far corner with the 6-10 Pascal Siakam in his face and the Indiana bench just a couple of feet away most likely yelling Dicemanesque obscenities his way. These are the types of unmerited insults tossed at the Celtics. Brown hits an amazing shot with everything on the line and it is somehow considered the easiest shot of the game. Really?

Much of the rancor toward the Celtics is based on their stacked roster and the perceived lack of talent in their opponents, but let me get all historical on you for a minute. The nearly unanimously coronated greatest player in the history of the game, Michael Jordan, did not play all-time great teams in winning his six NBA Championship series.

In 1991, it was an old Lakers team. In 1992, it was the utterly forgettable Portland Trailblazers. In 1993, it was an aging Phoenix Suns team with Charles Barkley trying to get a

ring. In 1996, it was a good, but not great Seattle Sonics club, and in 1997 and 1998, it was the Utah Jazz. I’ll give the Jazz Karl Malone and John Stockton, but the rest of the team did double duty in a men’s weeknight league at the Northern Utah YMCA.

In fact, a team’s competition is trivial. If you win, you win. It doesn’t matter who is on the opposite side of the court. The Celtics have yet to win a ring and that is on them, but the media criticism levied against them has been inane.

Even the legendary Michael Wilbon piled on saying that if the Knicks were completely healthy, he would have picked them to beat the Celtics. All due respect to Mr. Wilbon, but a fully healthy Knicks team still may not have beaten the Pacers, sharpshooting like Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon.

On Get Up this past week, ESPN’s Alan Hahn said that Jayson Tatum is not in the same league as LeBron James. No kidding, Alan. LeBron James is the leading scorer in NBA history, a man who has defined the sport for two decades. Hahn doubled down however, stating that Tatum is not in the same league as Luka Doncic.

Doncic is an immensely skillful player, but that’s about it. His Mavericks are in the conference finals for only the second time in his career. He has taken his team absolutely nowhere. Doncic is the is the Josh Allen of the NBA. Super stats, but not a sniff of a conference championship to his credit. His name is Luca, and he lives on the second bill to Tatum.

On the May 22 edition of First Take, Stephen A. Smith noted that Jayson Tatum scored 12 points in the Game 1 overtime period, but also added that Tatum shot 2-10 in the fourth quarter and early in overtime.

Fair enough, but he then stated, “You’re looking for him, and he was nowhere to be found when it really counted.” Huh? So, it didn’t really count in overtime? Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and the Pacers was a tremendous NBA playoff game, one that should go down in history as a classic.

Instead, it became a springboard for continued unfounded Celtics trashing. Not every competitive NBA game is perfect. Teams make mistakes and miss shots. That’s basketball.

Game 2 saw the Celtics drub the Pacers 126-110 making them 10-2 in the playoffs with multiple trustworthy players delivering in the clutch. This series might end in 4 or 5 games, or could go 7, but to once again paraphrase Draymond Green, nobody cares as long as you win. Despite the baseless media negativity, that is exactly what the Celtics have been doing.

Ken LaVicka Looks Ahead Following ESPN West Palm Exit

Derek Futterman
-
0
Ken LaVicka Looks Ahead Following ESPN West Palm Exit

Although April Fool’s Day had recently taken place, the message Ken LaVicka was delivering on the air early in the month was hardly a joking matter. In an announcement that came as a shock to listeners and LaVicka himself, he revealed that he was leaving ESPN West Palm after 17 years with the outlet. For the last three years, he was the co-host of the popular LaVicka, Theo and Stone midday program, which provided local listeners with discussion and revelry surrounding sports in South Florida and in the United States as a whole.

While it was insinuated to LaVicka that there were financial reasons for the exit, the entire move left him uneasy and uncomfortable, suddenly finding himself out of regular hosting work and looking for a new job. After all, he had been appearing on the air for the Good Karma Brands-owned radio station since 2007, one year after he completed college at Valparaiso University. Over the years at the outlet, he augmented his standing through shifts as an update anchor and fill-in host to eventually being granted his own full-time hosting slot.

The audience within the West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast marketplace had become accustomed to his voice and opinions for more than a decade, making the move difficult for both parties involved. In fact, as LaVicka was divulging the news in the last 20 minutes of what was his final show on the station, he articulated that it was not only he and his partners losing the midday show, but those listeners that encompass the audience as well.

“It was ultimately a corporate decision,” LaVicka said. “It was definitely not mutual. I would prefer to still be at ESPN West Palm. I am unhappy that I’m not at ESPN West Palm, but hey, we’ve been in the business a long time. I’ve seen a lot of friends end up losing jobs over decisions that come from a much higher paygrade, and so I think that ultimately that’s what happened to me.”

When reflecting back on the circumstances that led to his departure from the station, LaVicka believes that he was seen as expendable. Outside of his hosting work, LaVicka is a play-by-play announcer for Florida Atlantic University and calls NWSL soccer matches on various digital platforms. Although LaVicka is appreciative of the company’s belief for him to find his footing again, he is crestfallen to be off the air but conducted himself with professionalism throughout his egress.

“The last thing I wanted to do was bus throw,” LaVicka said. “Was I disappointed? Absolutely. Was I bitter? For sure, and I still feel bitterness towards the situation that unfolded. But I also think that the positives of the opportunities afforded to me by Good Karma Brands for almost 20 years, and also at the end them trying to, while making a tough decision that was going to have an adverse effect on me, try and do it in the most professional and classy way possible that you could in that spot, it kind of allowed me this freedom.”

There exists a dichotomy between LaVicka’s time at ESPN West Palm ending and that of the midday program itself. Upon discovering that he would not be retained, he made this distinction and felt despondency towards having to leave his co-hosts Theo Dorsey and Stone Labanowitz. The broad age cohort on the program and varying perspectives on sports was an aspect that LaVicka believes engendered a unique offering on the air. LaVica has been at the station the longest among the trio, and his partners understood the importance of having the ability to say goodbye to the listeners through the platform.

LaVicka remembers starting at the outlet and describes the first office he worked out of as an “absolute closet,” but it proved to be a place where the business continued to flourish. Originally being from Chicago, Ill., he adjusted to living in southern Florida while also having an ability to focus on growing his career.

The perception that he had of sports talk radio when he was studying in college and participating in the student-run radio station differed from what he ultimately experienced working at ESPN West Palm. It was preceded by a year working at then-FOX Sports 100.5 FM in Madison, Wisc., also owned by Good Karma Brands. LaVicka accepted the role three days before he was supposed to move to Dickinson, N.D. to work as a sportswriter for The Dickinson Press, deciding to pursue his passion in radio.

Nearly two decades later, he evinces an ongoing, axiomatic shift pertaining to multimedia consumption and content creation. LaVicka believes it has become more difficult for terrestrial radio outlets to find businesses who want to associate with their work and delivery methods, although it is dependent on the marketplace. The apprehension he possesses in this regard, however, is in whether talented young people will be able to secure and subsequently capitalize off opportunities.

“Local radio will not die,” LaVicka prognosticated. “It’s still too much of a bonding entity for it to go away completely, but the expectations of how much money a local station can bring in just using traditional means as its way of bringing in income – there’s going to have to be some forward thinkers in that local radio space because you can’t just go, ‘The person goes on air – sell sponsorships’ It doesn’t work like that anymore.”

LaVicka himself is currently looking for a new role in the industry and is not opposed to moving out of south Florida if the opportunity is right for him and his family. Since losing his job at ESPN West Palm, he has endured many sleepless nights and pondered over the amount of fortitude and patience he has within the process.

Even though he is not ruling out an eventual return to ESPN West Palm, he views the outcome as unlikely. The value working there, however, comes in being able to relate and appeal to a diverse, transient audience residing within the locale. Good Karma Brands is assisting him with the process by promoting his work and providing him with financial assistance as he prepares for his next career move.

“I don’t want to come off as cocky, but I’m very confident in myself that given an opportunity; given a role – a sizable role that is something that’s going to be consumed by a lot of people – I get that opportunity, I’m going to excel in it,” LaVicka said. “There hasn’t been any point in my career on air where I haven’t been given an opportunity and then it didn’t completely expand past I think what the initial expectation was, and this includes my time at Florida Atlantic.”

While LaVicka is open to opportunities in terrestrial radio, he is also exploring working in the digital realm and recently started a YouTube show with WQAM digital content producer Zach Krantz titled By All Accounts. LaVicka first met Krantz at Miami Dolphins practices and training camps when he was working on The Joe Rose Show, and they shared several laughs and memorable moments.

When LaVicka and his wife welcomed their second child into the world, it required a stint in the neonatal intensive care unit at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. Their newborn daughter ended up spending 72 hours there where her health improved. Krantz discovered the circumstance shortly after it began and reached out to LaVicka to offer his support, understanding the stress with the situation after his son was in the NICU for several months.

“[He] made sure to come find me at the hospital and put me at ease [and] talked me through the process,” LaVicka said, “and that was massively important to me, had a major effect on me and also gave me an idea of the type of person Zach Krantz is.”

Krantz came up with the idea to start a program with LaVicka, reaching out to him shortly after his exit from ESPN West Palm. Within his proposition, he explained that they already possessed strong chemistry and rapport and would work together to begin a show from phase one. Despite the program still being in its early stages, LaVicka can sense palpable growth potential that could perhaps turn into its own sustainable entity if it continues to grow. The venture is not evanescent, but rather something he is committed to growing in the long run as he discovers the media landscape and searches for the most optimal long-term solution.

“I want this thing to be broad,” LaVicka said. “I want it to be fun, but I think that I also want to make sure that it at least plays to our strengths, which is being petty sports fans; which is showing favor to South Florida sports, making sure that we’re being extremely relatable in the grand scheme of things.”

How Audacy Dallas Has Used Technology to Enhance Already Strong Brands

BNM Staff
-
0
How Audacy Dallas Has Used Technology to Enhance Already Strong Brands

We used to say sports was the toy department of news. I thought that sounded fun but most news and programming people back then said it condescendingly. Today, sports talk listening is eclipsing the more serious news/talk offerings of corporate or “local” radio. There are two such sports stations in Dallas: Cumulus-owned, multi-Marconi Award-winning 96.7 The Ticket, which always keeps its news/talk sisters, WBAP and KLIF, in its ratings dust, and 105.3 The Fan, the Audacy station that is consistently beating its all-news older sibling, KRLD.

I live in Dallas. It’s a huge sports market, home of the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks, and Stars, as well as several NCAA Division I programs. The Fan and The Ticket are engaged in an epic daily battle between two superb management and talent teams. They’re both very good.

Gavin Spittle is the Vice President of News, Talk, and Sports at Audacy Dallas, radio home of the Cowboys and Rangers. I talked with him last week. I’m a fan of The Fan. The station is consistently hitting on all cylinders. Their show hosts are unfailingly informative and entertaining, blessed with the hard-to-find combination of brains, personal chemistry, and humility.

Most of all, they know their craft, staying focused on sports while weaving in an organic flow of personal observations and anecdotes that make you feel you know them. You wish you could sit down and have a beer with them, which you often can because they’re always making personal appearances at local events, family eateries, and barbecue joints.

Am I being too effusive in my praise of The Fan?

GAVIN SPITTLE: Well, thanks. I mean, you just quoted my playbook, Dave, as far as like what I look for in hosts. In sports radio I want to create that tree house feel, I want the listeners climbing up that tree to be a part of it or feel like they’re hanging with their buddies at a bar. That’s what I want The Fan to sound like. I want it to be conversational rather than just throwing out analytic after analytic.

One of the things that we pride ourselves on is having conversations, and that can include debates. The other thing that I will say is, and thank you for noticing, our staff is extremely tight. These guys talk to each other constantly, they genuinely like each other, and they want each other to win. That is a brand manager’s dream when you can put something like that together.

DW: The Fan is the flagship of the Dallas Cowboys and the reigning world champion Texas Rangers. Do those affiliations with major sports franchises pay for themselves in terms of prestige, audience, and profit?  

GS: We are very fortunate in Dallas to have two amazing partnerships where, yes, it is effective for us and it’s effective for them. It’s a very creative partnership where the contract only gets pulled if necessary and it’s like, how can we help each other? So, it’s not (just that) we carry the games. It’s how can we help each other?

Like, for instance, a perfect example is that one of the first appearances the Rangers made with the World Series trophy was in our Audacy showroom. That is so special, to say to our listeners, come see the World Series trophy. We had a line around the corner. That shows how tight and how much we value that partnership. And it’s the same with the Cowboys.

DW: Another thing that I love about your on-air talents is, on one hand, they’re unabashed fans of the teams that you carry, but they also level serious criticism of the teams and never sound like they’re forcing themselves to be unbiased; they’re just being themselves and that creates that tree house or bar atmosphere that you were talking about.

GS: I think that’s a key component when carrying a team’s games, that the team understands that you’re allowed to criticize them fairly, as long as it’s not a personal attack. I think that’s something that we have a lot of wiggle room with the Rangers and a lot with the Dallas Cowboys.

(Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones is a listener and it’s cool that he talks to the guys and has a relationship with them and that doesn’t mean you can’t be critical. We love the Cowboys, but we’re still going to be The Fan. If we allowed a team to dictate what we say our listeners would pick that out immediately and we wouldn’t be ourselves.

DW: Let’s talk technology. How great is it for you as a programmer to be able to embrace the new toys that Audacy is giving you on-air and with their app? We all remember the times we sat in our driveway while listening to a great live conversation so we wouldn’t miss any of it. You don’t have to do that now.

GS: No, the ice cream no longer has to melt. You take the app in and you back it up 30 seconds. You can back up and hear the whole show if you want to.

DW: This morning I was taking our dogs to the groomer and listening to The Fan and I noticed for the first time a little audio control panel within the main touch screen. And I’m going, holy crap that’s not just on the app. I can pause and rewind right here in my car. [Which is 10 years old and still has its original audio system.] 

Correct me if I’m wrong but that’s a technology not a lot of stations in this country have available yet. Radio operators are still trying to compete with the Internet while forcing themselves to send listeners to their websites for clicks. I keep thinking, guys, use it all!

GS: What I try to explain (to our on-air staff), is that we’re no longer a radio station. We’re a brand. We’re more than just over the air. We have so many Audacy app listeners, not just in North Texas, but across the country.  It is absolutely awesome when we get calls from Philadelphia or San Francisco. That’s really, really cool.

DW: Yes, you’re a brand and not just a radio station anymore. I love that. A lot of radio people are still trying to struggle between being a radio station and being a website. And you have to go, ‘Wait a minute, guys, you’re missing the whole point. It’s all of these things working together.’

GS: Yeah, absolutely. When a new technology comes out, we want to be at the front of the line and we want to be the ones doing the beta testing and we want to be the ones saying, let’s give this a whirl because, you know, we feel as though that’s the future. And once again, when you change that mindset, as far as an overall brand success, not a radio station success, I feel as though the radio station success obviously is going to be there.

—————————

I never met Gavin Spittle before this conversation. I like him as much as I love his radio station. We talked about sports and talk radio in-depth, including Gavin’s love of hockey, and his own Dallas Stars-centric podcast, Spits and Suds. To hear our full conversation go to my podcast, Conversations.buzz, or on your favorite podcast app.

Fox News’ Pete Hegseth Still Has a Soldier’s Perspective

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
-
0
Fox News’ Pete Hegseth Still Has a Soldier’s Perspective

Christian, Veteran, and most importantly American Patriot. For Pete Hegseth, service and devotion to our country are undeniable. It’s his experience as a Veteran that inspired his latest book, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.

“When only 1% of your population is actually serving, most people are disconnected from the wars that they fight or the service that they have. Which means it becomes an academic exercise whether or not you support the war or don’t support the war,” Hegseth told Barrett News Media over a Zoom call.

“Meritocracy, lethality, and preparedness,” is what Hegseth believes the military should be focused on, but he’s seeing today’s military is focused on everything else. “There’s been an infiltration of other priorities. Call them social justice, call them politically correct, call them cultural Marxism, call them identity politics, it’s all of the above.”

Things once used as political bargaining tools by the left have now become a necessary survival skill for patriots who want to stay in the service. “[These other priorities] made their way into the general class because the general class knew they needed to adhere to them in order to get promoted. So now you have a lot of warps and warts inside our formations. That has vets like me saying, ‘This is not the military I remember.’”

Awarded two Bronze Star Medals for his service, Pete Hegseth believes it’s common unity and mission that should draw those to the military. “We all get bad haircuts for a reason, we all shave for a reason, we all wear uniforms for a reason. Because we’re supposed to look the same. Because it isn’t about your individual identity. It’s about what you’re going to do for the group and your brother on your left and your right. That’s that’s the kind of ethos we need to restore.”

Hegseth noted when countries are at war, diversity is the last thing on your mind. “You swear an oath to defend the Constitution. You want your leaders to be laser-focused on men making sure they’re trained, prepared, and ranked properly based on how good they are at their job. The standards are high and [service members are] held to them so that if they have to go to war, they’re able to be at their best and come home.”

The Army Major made it clear that he did not enjoy writing this book.

“I’m not out to trash the military. I revere my time in the military. I want [the military] to be what it was for me, for other people, and not look like a college or a university playing identity politics.”

He recognized wars are not perfect but it’s the sense of duty which is most important. “I can still hang my hat on what I was committed to, what my brothers were committed to and that mattered. I want to make sure in future wars, these soldiers have the leaders they deserve and the ethos and the focus on mission that we as the American people in our leadership should be responsible to give them.”

When veterans come home, it’s that very same ethos they need help finding and channeling into civilian life. “[Something the average American might not know when it comes to the life of a veteran is] the gaping hole that is your sense of purpose. And you’re missing how disorienting it can be to be sort of outside of the brotherhood that you forged.”

“A combat tour changes you in ways you’re not even aware of at the time, especially when you see things and do things that shake you to your core. But you did those things with other people, and you did big, difficult, nasty, tough things in the middle of the night, in dangerous places where you never knew if you’d come home.”

Veterans rediscovering their sense of purpose in the next chapter of life is difficult but it could be something as simple as, “Teaching the next generation of third graders the Pledge of Allegiance or the Lord’s Prayer.”

There are so many chapters to life after but the VA estimates that 17 veterans a day take their own life, some believe the true number is higher. “I’ve talked to a bunch of guys who say ‘I’ve lost way more dudes at home than I lost overseas to suicide.’ So, I think it does tie back to [purpose]. I think we don’t need to throw more pills at them. We don’t need to throw more government programs at them. We need to remind them of the ethos they had when they served.”

Hegseth noted the importance of faith, community, and peer-to-peer counseling as good ways to help veterans process what happened in the war zone and stay connected to those who love them.

While many talk about veterans on Memorial Day, it is a day to honor those who served our county, fought for our freedom, and never came back. Hegseth believes the best way to honor them is by civic ritual.

“Meaning parades or ceremonies. Find one. Be a part of it. Take your kids. Take your grandkids. It’s easy for us to say, ‘Ok, kids. Remember Memorial Day is the day that we remember all those men and women who gave their life for us.’ And the kids will go, ‘Yeah, Dad. Ok, thanks.’ You can’t expect kids to really process that and understand what that means or the gravity of it.”

It’s events like these that inspired Hegseth to join the Army.

“My parents used to take me to the Memorial Day parade and 4th of July parade in their tiny little farming town in southern Minnesota. I remember as a little kid looking up at these vets, and the whole city and the whole town is saluting and clapping, and it’s not a big town. Like 300 people, but everyone’s there. I remember thinking year after year as I watched it like, ‘Wow, this man is really doing something really important. Whatever they did seems important. And I feel like when I grow up, I think I should do something like that.’”

Today, the father of seven is preparing for the conversation with his sons if they choose to serve in the military. “What do I say to my kids? You know, the same question a lot of people are facing. What do I tell my kids if they are thinking about serving? And that’s the last chapter of the book is actually a letter to my sons. Kind of articulating that thought process to them.”

Hegseth made it clear while he is critical of current military status, “I still think we need our best putting the uniform on, and then we need to get them a commander in chief that they deserve.”

The War on Warriors was published by Fox News Books and is available for pre-order now. It hits bookshelves on Tuesday, June 4th.

News/Talk Radio Hosts Should Embrace Topics From Every Avenue Possible

Pete Mundo
-
0
News/Talk Radio Hosts Should Embrace Topics From Every Avenue Possible

The Kansas City Chiefs again found themselves at the center of the sports and news universe this past week. By now, you’ve likely heard about kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College, a small Catholic college in Atchinson, Kansas, that got picked up and covered worldwide. And, if you’re a radio host, you probably have an opinion on his speech. If you haven’t seen his speech in full or read a transcript, you can do both here and come to your own conclusion.

There are two enormous takeaways: one for sports radio and one for news/talk radio.

For sports radio, there needs to be a focus on diversity of opinion, not just diversity of looks. I scanned sports radio across the country, and the overwhelming sentiment was that Harrison Butker was wrong to say what he said, with most misrepresenting his comments during the commencement speech.

It was like they took copy from the MSNBC newsroom and regurgitated it on their radio show. But what happened? As of this week, Harrison Butker’s jersey was sold out on the NFL Shop. And it wasn’t just his men’s jersey that was sold out; his women’s jersey was sold out too.

And when it comes to the political leanings of sports fans, they are overwhelmingly traditional and right-of-center in every major professional sport.

A recent Harris Poll showed the political leanings of every league. A nationally representative sample of 4,116 U.S. adults age 18 and over showed that sports fans are slightly more conservative (55%) in their self-identification.

58% of college football fans identify as conservative (the most of any sport), 57% of MLB fans are conservative, and 56% of NFL fans identify as conservative. Even amongst NBA fans, 51% of their fans identify as conservative.

While there can be value in diversity of background, suits seem to be much more obsessed with favoring physical diversity traits over diversity of thought and ideology. At a time when sports, politics, and culture continue to mix, ensuring any outlet is ideologically representative of the audience is more important than focusing on the melanin levels of the individuals behind the mic and in front of the TV.

Now, for News/Talk radio, these cultural topics are worth discussing. Don’t view them as “sports stories.” They’re not. Harrison Butker is as relatable and engaging a story as we’ve had in recent weeks. 

It gets you away from the day’s politics and into a relatable, easy-to-discuss topic that will likely engage your audience. The day-to-day politics can be mundane and might appeal to the P1s, but broadening topic variety, especially when you can spin it in a relatable way that broadens your audience while still keeping your P1s entertained, is a win-win.

Every adult can relate to attending a graduation ceremony, hearing a commencement speech, and reacting positively or negatively. We’ve all done it as students, parents, uncles, aunts, or grandparents.

Bring your audience into the topic, set the scene, and make it relatable as you intertwine the cultural moment we find ourselves in 2024 and how the media has reacted, and you can weave it into politics if you so choose.

The angles and topics have been endless the last week and a half, with several layers to explore and discuss. You don’t want to beat a dead horse unless you’re in the market like I am in Kansas City, but exploring topics that transcend “traditional” News/Talk will only broaden the audience for your show.

How Advertisers Can Protect Their Digital Ad Spend

Jeff Caves
-
0
How Advertisers Can Protect Their Digital Ad Spend

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) partnering with digital marketing companies for their ad spend can enjoy significant advantages. Digital companies, such as many radio stations’ digital departments, often have more expertise than SMBs in spending money wisely to generate website traffic and, crucially, in avoiding the waste of ad dollars on fake traffic. Fake website traffic has increased by 33% in just two years. Invalid website traffic (IVT) from automated scripts and “bad bots” will waste $71 billion this year. Here are some questions advertisers can ask their digital partner to help eliminate fake ad engagement:

Make Data and Machines Work

Ask your digital partner if they use advanced data analytics and machine learning to optimize your ad spend. By employing predictive analytics—predicting future outcomes—savvy digital marketers can identify audiences most likely to engage genuinely with your ads. Inquire if they use Google Analytics and how it can help flag potential fraud and protect your investment.

Blockchain Technology for Ad Verification

To ensure transparency and security in your ad campaigns, some digital marketers leverage blockchain technology. This technology records every click and impression, guaranteeing that each interaction is genuine and that payments are made only for verified interactions. Blockchain makes it more difficult to change, hack, or manipulate data.

Advanced Attribution Models

Check if your partner uses multi-touch attribution models, which consider all touchpoints in the customer’s journey to your website. This approach provides a comprehensive view of how each ad contributes to conversions. Algorithmic attribution models apply sophisticated algorithms to improve ROI measurement.

Partnerships with Anti-Fraud Organizations

Ask if they collaborate with anti-fraud organizations to reduce fraud in digital advertising. Some digital companies ensure that campaigns and partners are certified by organizations like TAG, guaranteeing that ad placements are genuine and not plagued with fake engagements.

Private Marketplaces

Ensure that ad placements are with trusted publishers, reducing the risk of fraud. Some digital companies use private marketplaces, where a limited number of advertisers can buy and access premium inventory that is less susceptible to fraud, ensuring higher-quality ad placements for your business.

Real-Time Bidding (RTB) and Enhanced Filters

Your digital partner should set criteria for real-time bidding to ensure only high-quality, vetted traffic is considered. Real-Time Bidding is an auction setting where ad impressions are sold and bought. And transactions occur within seconds. Once an advertiser’s bid wins the auction, their digital ad is instantaneously shown on the website or property of the publisher.

Dynamic bidding strategies can adjust in real time based on the quality and performance of the inventory, maximizing the efficiency of your ad spend. Attempting this on your own can be challenging and less effective.

Focus on User Engagement Metrics

Ensure that deeper engagement metrics are employed, such as time spent on a page, scroll depth, and interaction rates, to provide a clearer picture of ad effectiveness. Analyzing post-click behavior helps determine the quality of engagements, ensuring that clicks result in meaningful interactions.

By partnering with well-established digital marketing companies, SMBs can access advanced technologies and strategies to ensure that digital marketing efforts are practical and efficient. Make sure your website conversions are as high as possible. YouTube and Google Search are leading the way in combating bot traffic, while LinkedIn, Google Video Partners, and X are less effective at blocking “bad bots.” Finding a reliable digital partner is crucial to protecting your ad spend and maximizing your returns. Beware of the bad bot and ensure your advertising efforts drive genuine value.

Joe Buck: ‘It’s Ego-Filled That I’m Doing St. Louis Cardinals Broadcast’

BSM Staff
-
0
Joe Buck: ‘It’s Ego-Filled That I’m Doing St. Louis Cardinals Broadcast’

Joe Buck will make his return to the Busch Stadium broadcast booth on Friday night alongside Chip Caray to broadcast the St. Louis Cardinals game against the Chicago Cubs at 8:15 p.m. EST on Bally Sports Midwest. Buck’s father and Caray’s grandfather worked together on Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX from 1954 to 1959 and 1961 to 1969. Both St. Louis natives made an indelible impact on fans of the team and Major League Baseball as a whole. Friday night will mark the first time since 1969 that a Buck and Caray broadcast team will call a Cardinals game together. On Thursday’s edition of MLB Now on MLB Network – hosted by Brian Kenny and featuring Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo and Bob Costas – Joe Buck appeared to discuss the significance of the moment.

Buck, who joined ESPN in 2022 to serve as the voice of Monday Night Football with longtime broadcast partner Troy Aikman, was previously the lead play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of the National Football League and Major League Baseball. During his time behind the microphone for MLB on FOX, he worked with Tim McCarver and John Smoltz for broadcasts across 24 World Series championships and numerous marquee matchups. Buck has divulged in the past that he misses calling games for the local team and evinces a connection between broadcasters and fans. Before working at FOX Sports, he called Cardinals games on KMOX radio on FOX Sports Net Midwest.

“I think as far as calling baseball, doing the local stuff and being able to root with the watching and listening audience I think it’s a part of it that I missed when I went to FOX,” Buck said. “It’s just a different job, and I think when you’re thinking and I think hoping along with the fanbase that you’re talking to, there’s something fun about that, and that’s the part of it that I miss. So, will there be more games? I don’t know, but I’m going to have fun tomorrow night.”

Buck explained that Bill DeWitt III, the president of the St. Louis Cardinals, had approached him with the idea to return to call a Cardinals game while he was with FOX Sports at the end. Once he joined ESPN, DeWitt brought up the idea with more frequency, but Buck articulated that he was content with being at ESPN and broadcasting football games.

Caray became the play-by-play voice of the Cardinals last season and appears on Bally Sports Midwest alongside a rotation of color commentators that includes Jim Edmonds and Brad Thompson. Buck will be in the booth with Caray on Friday serving in a multifaceted role.

“Now that I have 6-year-old boys who are both playing coach-pitch baseball, I kind of want to do it to get them down on the field, to get them in the booth [and] let them see what I did for 35 years of my life and enjoy it,” Buck said. “And I’ll be honest – it’s narcissistic; it’s ego-filled that I’m doing it, but I’m really excited to get back in the booth and to work with Chip and to do play-by-play and color and switch off, and just to have two-and-a-half, three hours of fun.”

1...1,6111,6121,613...2,890Page 1,612 of 2,890