Finally. A win for the little guys. Well, maybe anyway.
Earlier this week, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 to approve a new rule that bans non-compete clauses in contracts in the United States, “protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation and fostering new business formation,” they said.
You could almost hear the roars coming from the studios and media sales pits across America. Hallelujah!
No more having to find something to do while sitting out for 6 to 12 months. No more hiring salespeople and sticking them in the marketing department for six months or putting a host on in a nearby market for a while as they ride out their agreement with the other broadcaster in town.
Now, before I get too far, let me point out that it takes 120 days for this reversal to take effect and that is if it gets past all of the legal challenges about to be brought forth to fight this.
And why will this be challenged as hard as possible? Because this is a big, big deal.
The FTC said banning non-compete clauses would increase workers’ earnings by an estimated $300 billion annually. Read that sentence twice. This would absolutely be a win for the employees and a big ‘L’ for the employers.
If it does stay in place, while there are many industries that will be affected, media companies have to be very concerned about what this will mean to them.
As a Market Manager or when I was a managing partner, I never much cared for non-competes. I get having the protection that my hit show isn’t going to walk across the street at the end of a contract, but most of the time it is companies holding people, who they don’t even want, to non-competes.
I never got the logic of someone getting fired for poor performance and then spending any time or energy caring about where that person works next. We have all hired or worked with sellers who just did not work out. I wanted those sellers to go across the street. Let them waste time on someone who isn’t willing to do the work it takes to be successful. If you think you have some sort of magic potion that will work, good luck.
I remember a situation at a station where there was a certain on-air personality who was pretty much a disaster. Late all the time, mean to people, wasn’t a team player, did the bare minimum, wasn’t great on the air, put no extra effort in, you know the kind. I could not believe the fight the company was putting up about the person’s non-compete clause.
They didn’t want the talent, in fact, were counting down the days until the expiration of the contract. But, as soon as someone else in the market expressed interest, they couldn’t wait to block the person from trying to get a job in her industry to try and feed her family.
You will hear media and other companies say things like, ‘well, non-competes help us protect our trade secrets.’
Oh yeah, what trade secrets? What trade secrets can a talk-show-host or salesperson take to someone that is going to make a difference? Look, I love the industry, but what we do is not rocket science. We are not on Dr. Oppenheimer’s team on some secret mission.
You hear what we say, you read what we post, you watch the videos, you hear our commercials. And let’s face it, there hasn’t been a secret kept in a media office since the beginning of time. If KDKA went on the air on November 2, 1920, employees were gossiping to one another by November 3, 1920.
Besides, most information can be protected by non-disclosure agreements. And as for the salespeople there are non-solicitation agreements which can cover them not having a client on your station one day then hopping to a different station and trying to take that same client. There is no need to also block them from trying to make a living in what (in some cases) they were trained to do.
It was a good run for media companies with the non-competes, but someone (or three people) finally woke up and realized it was always about keeping people’s pay down and giving them less ability to negotiate.
FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once non-competes are banned.”
Here is an idea for companies as it relates to retaining top talent in any department of the office – treat your people well. Don’t treat them like they are Employee No. 716 and disposable. If you have people that you would hate to see working for your competition, worry more about what you should be doing to help that person continue to grow, feel appreciated and be a company that someone wants to work for and represent and this new ruling shouldn’t be a problem.
At the same time, I’d warn those chomping at the bit to go get that offer from the other station in town that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. We will most likely see some people make big mistakes in the name of trying to get a better deal. What may look good for a short period of time, might turn into a major regret and then you’ve put your own non-compete in place.
Now, most likely, at some point this lands at the feet of the Supreme Court and it will be a few years before we know the result. But for now, it is nice to think that the long nightmare of non-compete clauses may finally be over.
Mel Kiper Jr. is a sports television miracle. With Wolfman Jack hair and a voice that would make Michael Buffer blush, he burst onto the scene in 1984 as the first ever NFL Draft expert. Kiper’s original draft report was a pamphlet. For those of you under the age of 50 who have never used that word, Google it. It was a few pieces of paper, full of data and information, but still just sheets of paper.
From this, he has become the single biggest star in the NFL Draft universe. Kiper is a trailblazer, innovator, pioneer, architect, and originator. Do you want more synonyms? How about creator, initiator, and catalyst? You pick the word.
Suffice it to say that the NFL Draft and ESPN did not create Mel Kiper Jr. Indeed, it was just the opposite. Kiper created the popularity of the draft and the non-stop coverage of the draft. Believe it and accept it.
And here is a directive to Daniel Jeremiah, Field Yates, Todd McShay, Lance Zierlein, Bucky Brooks, Peter Schrager, and any other person who makes a buck doing mock drafts. Open your Venmo app and send a huge chunk of change to Mel Kiper. In the What’s this for? box, just write “Thank you” because you would not be making dime one if not for Kiper.
On ESPN, Kiper dissects the draft like a frog in a biology class, and this dude goes deep. Sure, in this year’s draft, Kiper told you that his top picks were Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Marvin Harrison, Jr. Great, any dude with a smartphone could tell you that. But ask Kiper about the top nickel safety in Round 6, and I’m sure he could have given you ten names to research.
Kiper is the King of the NFL Draft. He is Elvis Presley, except instead of Kentucky Rain, he sings about Kentucky linebackers. The 63 year-old Baltimore native attended Calvert Hall College High School and the Community College of Baltimore County.
He first joined ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage in 1984 joining the likes of George Grande, Paul Zimmerman, and Chris Berman. Forty years later, it is not a stretch to say that Berman and maybe Dick Vitale are the only chaps more associated with ESPN than Kiper.
Kiper is a regular on Sports Center,NFL Live, ESPN Radio, and numerous podcasts. While in college in 1981, he founded Kiper Enterprises and solicited NFL general managers to read his draft reports. Kiper Enterprises? It sounds like a fake business from Seinfeld a la Vandaley Industries. Since then, he has hooted, hollered, and huffed about thousands of NFL prospects, but Kiper’s modus operandi is not mere bluster.
This cat watches a myriad of college games every week. In addition, he swats away throughout the college football season having lengthy discussions with coaches at all levels. Like Punxsutawney Phil, Kiper usually emerges from the darkness in early February.
Is he always correct in his selections? Of course not. Is the current batch of sports betting “experts” on television always putting money in peoples’ pockets? Same answer. A lot of critics like to take shots at Kiper, citing that he has never worked for a college football program or NFL franchise. So what? The bloke does his homework and remains entertaining as hell to watch.
Let’s face it, NFL mock drafts might be the most useless segments in all of sports TV. It is 50% speculation and 50% straight up BS, but we love it. The NFL Draft on ESPN has become damn near as anticipated as the Super Bowl, and Kiper’s analysis of the perceived top three quarterbacks in the draft was telling.
He loved Caleb Williams’s playmaking ability and uncanny throwing prowess. With Jayden Daniels, Kiper harped on the versatility of his game both as a passer and runner, and with Drake Maye, it was about NFL-level accuracy and mobility.
Let’s be real. Beyond the preparation, work ethic, humble beginnings, and explosion into amazing notoriety, it is the odd aura that surrounds Mel Kiper Jr. that makes him so phenomenal. I have seen clips of his first NFL Draft on ESPN in 1984. Kiper looked absolutely frightened to be on television. He sat there next to Chris Berman, measuring every word, talking softly, and nearly perspiring as each syllable left his mouth.
He was wearing a bargain basement sport coat, white shirt, and striped tie. Dude looked like he should be managing a supermarket – more suited to packing peppers than picking players. You could tell that he was wondering to himself, “What the heck am I doing here?”
Fast forward four decades. Kiper, now graying at the temples like Grandpa from The Munsters, wearing a tailored suit and designer glasses, is an absolute stick of dynamite on television. He doesn’t just answer questions, he detonates them. He’s got a confidence that comes with experience. His voice has volume and vigor. The days of choosing his words carefully and sweating through a segment are long gone.
Like any great television personality, Kiper dominates the screen. He truly believes that if you don’t hear what he’s about to say, your world will end. The aforementioned draft experts who have followed Kiper are all talented, diligent, and prepared, but they will never be the icon that is Mel Kiper Jr.
There are few areas of sports media where one person is completely synonymous. Mel Kiper Jr. is exactly that to the NFL Draft, and his watershed moment has been well documented. It was ESPN’s coverage of the 1994 Draft. The Indianapolis Colts and General Manager Bill Tobin had the 5th pick overall. Kiper stated that Indy should select quarterback Trent Dilfer. Instead, the Colts stunningly selected linebacker Trev Alberts from Nebraska.
Kiper went on an absolute rant, calling the Colts a laughingstock. Tobin fired back in an interview with Chris Mortensen uttering the famous line, “Who in the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?”
Sadly, Tobin passed away on April 19 of this year, and the classy Kiper sent condolences to his family via social media. Tobin asked a key question and I will endeavor a response. Who the hell is Mel Kiper? Quite simply, he is the man who made the NFL Draft.
It wasn’t blue chip top picks like Peyton Manning nor players who dropped in the draft like Dan Marino or Aaron Rodgers. It wasn’t charismatic stars like Deion Sanders or players who challenged the system like John Elway. It wasn’t even successful Mr. Irrelevants like Brock Purdy.
The man who made the NFL Draft what it is today is Mel Kiper Jr. For 40 years, he has drawn in viewers and created fans. He does the work, presents himself powerfully, and is a stone-cold legend. Perhaps the best way to close is with a Kiperesque scouting report: Mel Kiper, ESPN – hard worker and versatile, well-versed on top picks and late round surprises. Always comes through in the clutch and never disappoints. A top pick for sure.
With the start of the basketball season on the horizon, Warner Bros. Discovery welcomed members of its NBA on TNT broadcast team to the TNT Sports studios in Atlanta, Ga. for a special broadcast seminar in early September. The assemblage also implemented members of the NHL on TNT, MLB on TBS and soccer properties on site as well, effectuating camaraderie and synergy across departments.
Part of this two-day conference included an obstacle course with activities pertaining to the different sports, which included analysts and former athletes Pedro Martínez, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal competing. Ernie Johnson, the longtime host of Inside the NBA, addressed the group en masse, along with various commentators and executives across sessions.
Scooter Vertino, senior vice president of production and programming for sports at Warner Bros. Discovery estimates that everyone had not been together since the formation of the new company as a result of a merger finalized in April 2022.
“It is a chore to get everybody under the same roof at the same time, but it was important,” Vertino said. “I think everyone enjoyed their time together.”
Vertino began working as a producer at then-named Turner Sports in 1996 where he was able to regularly work with established industry professionals on its broadcasts of the NBA. Marv Albert, who served as the lead voice of the NBA on TNT for 19 years, was someone that Vertino got to witness firsthand.
Looking at the roster of play-by-play announcers for the NBA on TNT today, Vertino can see Albert’s influence while also identifying distinctive personalities all bound by a common approach to present an informative and entertaining product to the viewer.
Kevin Harlan Meets the Moment
Kevin Harlan has been with the company since 1996 and first started his tenure calling NBA playoff games. When he was first hired by Mike Pearl to join the property, there were several accomplished, veteran announcers on the team from whom he learned, including Verne Lundquist and Dick Stockton. The early experience within the national property was something he regarded as invaluable.
“To be with those guys and be on that roster – and we weren’t doing as many games then either; we were not doing all the games we do now – but we did a lot of them,” Harlan explained, “and I was brought in as an extra hand just could not believe my good fortune and how lucky I was to work with that company and join that roster with Hall-of-Fame broadcasters above me.”
As a production assistant at ESPN, Vertino remembers that everyone would become excited if they were able to log a game with Harlan on the call because of his crescendos and propensity to meet the moment. There would be opportunities to use his calls within highlight packages on shows such as SportsCenter, and it would pervade through the screen to genuinely impact the viewing experience.
“I probably let that fan side of me come out too much, and I hope no one ever feels like it’s manufactured,” Harlan conveyed. “Somebody said, ‘No one could manufacture that kind of energy as many times for as long as you’ve done it,’ and they’re probably right. So I am a fan, and I just think it’s such an honor to be there and doing these games for TNT representing the NBA and calling the great players that I’ve been able to call.”
As a dedicated play-by-play announcer with a proclivity for the sport, Harlan ensures not to get too ahead of himself when it comes to delivering these momentous calls.
“In the NBA, I get to see the most skilled, the lightning-fast, quick-twitch movements and the unbelievable artistry that is the NBA,” Harlan said, “and then I get to do these college games in the tournament where the stakes are so high, the emotions are palpable in the arenas and the passion with which these kids play and the consequence which they look in the eye every single second is so compelling that I can’t help myself but be engrossed in each.”
“DID WE JUST SEE WHAT WE THINK WE JUST SAW?!” ????
Kevin Harlan's call during Furman vs. Virginia was ICONIC
Harlan understands that the analyst is the star of the broadcast and never tries to make it about himself. In working with him and other play-by-play announcers across the property, Van Gundy tries to use his esoteric knowledge to make an impactful, effective contribution.
“I look at games as a coach, and I get into watching film and looking at the numbers and everything else,” Van Gundy said, “and I write up notes before every broadcast and send them out [to] the play-by-play guy, the producer [and] the sideline reporter and all of that so that they get an idea of at least what I think is important in the game. I think it really ends up helping me more than them.”
Ian Eagle Thrives on a New Stage
Ian Eagle recently completed calling his first Final Four and National Championship Game, succeeding Jim Nantz. While the stakes of the game were higher than other tournament contests he had called previously, he made sure not to change his routine. At the same time, Eagle was in the midst of calling regular-season NBA contests for TNT, along with Brooklyn Nets games locally for YES Network. When he was on-site from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. for the Final Four weekend, Eagle recognized the finality of the proceedings and tried to take in the atmosphere.
“Leading up to the game itself, normally you just head to your broadcast area [and] you’re locked in with your thoughts and your notes and all of your information,” Eagle said. “At the Final Four, I did not have that time to myself. It felt like a receiving line at a wedding, and it was a good thing. People wanting to chat and take pictures and commemorate the experience, so fortunately I’m malleable, and I did not let it affect what I had to do once the game started.”
When Eagle takes the air for a broadcast, he is always looking to present his genuine self to the viewers, something that he did from a young age as the son of a comedian and singer. From the time he was in college at Syracuse University, he wanted to maintain his own identity on the air, and he had enough confidence to perceive that his style would ultimately reverberate with the audience.
“I’ve always viewed this job as twofold – that it’s important that you’re an interesting person because you bring all of the experiences that you’ve had in your life to the airwaves, but you also have to be interested in the people that you’re covering and the people that you’re working with,” Eagle said. “So, I just look at that as a twofold approach to the job, and that’s also just who I am in everyday life. I don’t really change a whole lot of who I am or what I am just because the red light goes on the camera to start the broadcast.”
While the average human attention span continues to diminish, Eagle still sees value in being able to explain things and captivate an audience for an extended period of time.
“I think long-form storytelling is still really important and being able to have a starting point, a middle point and an endpoint, and I do think in this day and age, aggregating has become more and more popular and default mode in many cases,” Eagle said. “Sometimes you’re only getting a little bit of the story based on a headline or based on a fragment of the larger story, and that’s unfortunate, and we’ve all fallen victim to it.”
Brian Anderson Brings Versatility to the Job
Over his years behind the microphone, Brian Anderson has developed a system to determine the way in which he approaches a call. Utilizing a scale ranging from one to 10, he tries to place the moment and determine where his commentary should lie. In this manner, he is able to remain apropos with his volume, intonation and urgency. Especially during the spring where March Madness precedes the NBA Playoffs combined with the start of the MLB season, it is essential to rest, recover and retain stamina.
“Stan Van Gundy and I were gone 15 straight days last year doing games basically every other day during that window last season in the first round of the playoffs, so it is important that you just maintain your mental wellbeing,” Anderson said. “For me, that means grabbing a meal with my co-workers. I don’t like to isolate in my room – that feels very depressing to me – so sometimes we will just reach out and try to meet up with people in the particular cities we’re going [to] and rekindle friendships.
“We all stay in touch a little bit, even just quick texts to each other; to those play-by-play guys during the year so you maintain a relationship a little bit, but those guys are so good,” Van Gundy said. “I think what they all do is they really take responsibility for the broadcast, and they try to help guys like me out and make our jobs easy, and it’s the same thing just in terms of chemistry.”
Over the course of the season, Anderson is in constant communication with his counterparts at TNT Sports, which allows him to seamlessly work in different setups. Lead reporter Allie LaForce has had the chance to work with many play-by-play announcers within the property over the years and can ascertain the close-knit relationship among the team.
“The energy and the togetherness,” LaForce said when asked about the distinctiveness of the announcing team. “I think for every play-by-play announcer we have, for as great as they are on the air, they’re even greater as human beings and teammates.”
In the national windows during the regular season and playoffs though, there is a consistent lead-in of Inside the NBA that precedes these broadcasts. With Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny “The Jet” Smith, the quartet encompasses a longstanding, eminent and award-winning sports studio program. All four personalities inked contract extensions with TNT Sports in October 2022 to keep the show together, which has become a fixture in and of itself within the NBA on TNT property.
“You couldn’t ask for a better lead-in,” Harlan said. “They’re historic – they’re going to be talked about for decades and decades to come. They’ll be talking about this foursome forever, so what more could you ask for?”
“It’s a beautiful thing that TNT Sports has cultivated in all of us,” Anderson added. “It really starts with Ernie Johnson, I would say. Our bosses are amazing, but they’re still not broadcasters. Ernie’s the guy who really establishes the culture in our family and our network, and because he’s so great and so amazing, we all follow his lead and we all just kind of do that too.”
Spero Dedes Is in for the Long Haul
Just as the commentators on Inside the NBA all bring their unique perspectives and insights to the air, the play-by-play roster encapsulates depth, latitude and versatility. Spero Dedes, who has been a member of the company since 2015 and came in with a plethora of broadcasting experience in major markets, understands Harlan being able to meet the moment, Eagle’s gift to infuse humor in the broadcast and Anderson’s amiability that comes through on the air. Within his broadcasts, he looks to compliment the overall portfolio by performing to the best of his ability and successfully implement his analyst(s) and reporter(s).
“We all have a distinct way in which we do the game and approach the game, and I think for a viewer, that’s a positive,” Dedes said. “…You now are put at ease because you know that this game will be well-covered. When you’re breaking in on play-by-play, that’s the biggest hurdle.”
“We don’t sound the same,” Eagle added. “It’s not a homogenized version of a play-by-play announcer. We all have a distinct way in which we do the game and approach the game, and I think for the viewer, that’s a positive.”
As a broadcaster, Dedes affirms that he has traditionally gravitated towards announcers with big voices, such as Pat Summerall when he was growing up and Al Michaels. At the same time, he enjoyed hearing theatrics in the memorable calls, plenty of which he has heard narrated by his colleagues at TNT Sports.
The exclusive negotiating period between the NBA and its television rightsholders – Warner Bros. Discovery and The Walt Disney Company – ended earlier in the week without an official contract. Various reports, however, have indicated that both companies have the right to match any offer that comes from a third party and that significant progress was made in the discussions.
“I want to call NBA games as long as I can,” Dedes said. “I’d love to be a part of this team for as long as they’ll have me, and I hope TNT signs a 100-year contract with the NBA – that’s what I’m hoping.”
“I think there is a direct correlation and association with TNT and our personalities and how much fun we have also calling the moment in the game in a newsworthy fashion that the viewers are comfortable with and look forward to,” LaForce added. “[That allows them] to take their mind off of their everyday grind and just live in a moment of freedom and fun and excitement.”
Dedes believes that most fans of the NBA have some sort of connection to TNT Sports over the years through its various iterations and that the partnership means something to the league itself. Warner Bros. Discovery will continue to air NBA games through at least next season, with the outcome beyond that point yet to be determined.
“I just feel like the branding is so deep and the history is so deep of this network and its affiliation with the NBA,” Dedes said.
“They’re synonymous with one another – that’s the reality within NBA broadcast circles,” Eagle added. “It’s like peanut butter and jelly – it just goes together, the NBA on TNT.”
The TNT Sports team possesses a willingness to move beyond what is comfortable and try new things. Through it all, those within the NBA on TNT support one another and work to thrive both in the present moment and down the road courtside, placing the spotlight on the players, coaches and teams that compete on the hardwood.
“We are willing to fail if that makes sense,” Vertino said. “We are willing to take chances because we know that if you take five chances, they’re not all going to succeed. But if you get the one or the two – that’s it – let’s get our field-goal attempts so that we’ve got a better chance of scoring.”
Imagine you are the owner of a residential plumbing business in a mid-sized market. You’re equipped with a fleet of 5 trucks and a goal of securing 120-160 jobs monthly or beyond. Your geographical range of operation covers two to three counties, catering to nearly 700,000 households or about 2 million people. Now, you decide to start advertising on the radio, what’s next? What should you advertise? Determining your messaging and deciding between generating leads now or building them for tomorrow is job #1. A comprehensive study by Nielsen Catalina Solutions reviewed 500 advertising campaigns, and the creative or messaging or radio script accounted for nearly 50% of the Return on Investment (ROI). So, let’s pay attention to that first.
Navigating this means making one of two decisions: seizing immediate opportunities or nurturing long-term growth. Do you aim to convert existing demand for plumbing services or sow the seeds for future demand? A recent study titled “Rethinking Brand for the Rise of Digital Commerce,” co-authored by James Hurman, a renowned marketing consultant with a rich portfolio including Air New Zealand, Cadbury, and Vodafone, alongside the World Advertising Research Center (WARC), talks about the importance of addressing both, but separately.
First, converting existing demand entails targeting homeowners looking to hire a plumber right now. They have a leaky faucet or broken pipes. In any given month in a market, it is most likely, less than 2% of households will hire a plumber. So, this type of radio campaign should be done in short bursts to avoid alienating the majority of radio listeners who aren’t currently seeking plumbing assistance. They will tune you out.
That’s why you hear funny or emotional commercials. Or jingles. Crafting radio copy focused on pricing, service quality, or product superiority can sway customers to select your services over competitors. And those 2% of households are getting bombarded on Google and the internet when they search for plumbers in my area.
On the other hand, most radio campaigns should focus on creating future demand. Engaging a broader audience base, the other 98% of the market does not need a plumber but is likely to require it in the future. Establishing brand recognition before it’s needed is critical. Be known before you are required. Become familiar and create positive vibes among listeners, positioning your company as the preferred choice when plumbing services are needed.
Hurman’s comprehensive guide, as outlined in his book “Future Demand: Why Building Your Brand Among Tomorrow’s Customers Is The Key To Start-Up Success,” expands on those and other strategies for each approach. To convert existing demand, he advises employing targeted, rational messaging emphasizing product attributes or pricing to sway consumer decisions. Conversely, stimulating future demand necessitates messaging with emotions tailored for broad audiences to connect positive brand associations that influence subsequent purchasing behavior.
So, the bottom line is that it’s OK to do occasional price and item ads to generate leads a few times a year at critical times. But, month in and month out, run that jingle and make them laugh or cry to build a business.
Donald Trump is news. But this is not 2016. Both those things can be true at the same time.
When Donald Trump burst onto the scene in 2015, there was nothing like him in modern political history. The billionaire businessman turned media superstar turned frontrunner for President of the United States. We had never seen anything like this in American history.
But it’s 2024. Donald Trump spent four years in office and had a tumultuous end to his term. The American people have suffered through four years of Joe Biden, and now we’re set for the rematch no one really wanted, but it seems like the rematch America deserves.
Now, Donald Trump finds himself in and out of a courtroom. And based on the media’s coverage across the political spectrum, you’d think it was 2016, not 2024. 2024 Donald Trump is not 2016 Donald Trump. Athletes, musicians, and celebrities all lose their shine over time. That doesn’t mean Donald Trump can’t be an effective President if re-elected. He can be. However, the level of general public interest is not where it was nearly a decade ago.
Yes, it’s a big deal that an ex-President, who also happens to be the 2024 GOP nominee, is a big deal, but the media’s attempt to turn it into O.J. Simpson 2.0 and “The Trial of the Century” is comical.
Every morning, I see cable news with a little box showing Donald Trump’s black SUV as people anxiously await his transportation to the courthouse.
No. One. Cares.
To be fair, I shouldn’t say that. The Trump Derangement Syndrome folks care, and those rocking MAGA hats care, but the majority of the population is not nearly as interested as the news media makes this out to be.
Part of this is because the state of New York and the Department of Justice have incessantly weaponized the law to hammer Donald Trump with lawsuit after lawsuit. People can’t keep track and don’t care enough to. They’ve formed their opinions of Donald Trump, and at this point, there’s little to no curiosity left from the public as to who he is, what he’s about, and whether or not they like him. They’ve made up their mind.
So, if you’re a local host, what’s the play?
It’s a news story, but you’re not cable news. Spending quarter-hour after quarter-hour obsessing over Donald Trump’s latest courthouse proceedings like you’re FOX News or MSNBC is not the move. Letting your top and bottom-of-the-hour national newscasts (assuming you have them), handle that story, while you inform and entertain your audience based on the happenings in their backyard, brings you closer to them, and vice versa.
Because if you play the hits based on cable news, why wouldn’t your bosses pipe in syndication? What are you bringing to the table at this point? Not much that can’t be done by the plethora of national hosts, many of whom will have resources and connections into the national political scene for perspective that you may not be able to provide.
I’m not trying to discourage you from discussing the trial; I’m just making sure you put it into perspective and use your microphone effectively to inform and entertain your audience about issues that impact their day-to-day lives. That’s why you’re there. And it’s the job you’ve been hired to do. And ultimately, your audience will appreciate you for it.
I’m an optimist. I insist on it. I don’t like being sad or angry and I sure as heck have no right to inflict my pissy moods on you or anybody else. Nobody likes whiners.
It’s not easy being optimistic all the time, especially now. The pessimists of social and mainstream media are just waiting to dump a load of misery on us every morning.
I see a lot of this in our industry, too, especially from those who worry that Artificial Intelligence is going to end news, talk, and music radio as we’ve known it.
We need to step back and ask ourselves one question: would it really be a tragedy if radio as we know it were to change drastically?
No, far from it. It will be progress in every sense.
Everybody who’s worried about the end of radio is either currently or previously employed in the business. Nostalgia is a nice place to visit but you can’t live there. If you spend a lot of time grieving change you’re going to end up sitting on the porch watching life pass you by without bothering to wave.
Those of you still working in the business are rightly concerned about your future. You need to make plans. We graybeards on the outside looking in are saddened by the loss of our glory days, increasingly forgotten in a world reimagined.
If progress teaches us anything it’s to expect change. The only way to think outside of the box is to burn the box.
Radio as we know it can only target audiences with a shotgun. We can play music of a specific genre and aim talk topics and perspectives to specific demographics but there’s no way to be all things to anybody. You won’t like some of the songs I play or many of the topics I choose to discuss. AI radio will change that. Listeners will be able to choose the content they want to hear. We’ll all be able to make our own music playlists and select news subjects and discussions of topics of specific interests.
Choosing your music sounds something like Spotify, doesn’t it? Have you heard its AI DJ? Seriously, take a moment to read and hear Spotify’s AI deejay. It will give you an early sense of the future of radio. It’s available right now but it’s only the beginning.
Very soon you will be the programmer of your AI radio station. Who’s your deejay? You decide. You’ll select an entire lineup of jocks by dayparts if you like and they won’t all just be pretty voices created by AI. With legal approval, you might have voice-cloned radio Hall-of-Famers. Pick a celebrity, they’ll have their vocal likenesses signed into contracts.
Or, you can do mornings, yourself. You only have to allow the app to get a voice print. Oh, and don’t forget to program topics you’d like to hear on demand: Weather, for example. And traffic, of course, and local events. This is not only conceivable, it’s being developed right now.
News via AI seems like it would be complicated but omg, you’ll finally be able to hear a full spectrum of reports and views to give you a much deeper understanding of current events than we get with the limitations of radio and TV as we know it.
Pick a topic and learn to understand the difference between fact and biased implication. We’ll learn to explore our own beliefs. Once listeners get a taste of the big picture sneaky biases will be replaced by accurately labeled opinions and ignorant social media trolls will be kicked into the gutter. We’ll finally be able to discuss things nicely with a greater depth of knowledge.
Just imagine: personalized music, news, conversations, ideas, and thought-provoking philosophies will be yours for every mood and whim.
This isn’t going to be free, is it? Yes, or no. I expect we’ll have tiers of choice ranging from free with ads, to no commercials for a premium price.
But the original question still hasn’t been answered: would it really be a tragedy if news, talk, and music radio as we know it were to change drastically?
Tragedy? No. It will be bittersweet for those of us who love to remember our good old days but as listeners, it will be a nearly perfect experience. We’ll hear what we want to hear when and how we want to hear it.
We old farts will still miss the wacky deejay days but let’s be honest, those memories are more about a time in our lives than the spirited colorings of hit-and-miss deejay patter. And there’s no reason to assume that AI can’t provide personality as part of its content excellence.
Nor will live radio end altogether.
Live and local radio will survive in the world of AI information and entertainment because there will still be individual owner-operators who insist on it and will adapt their business models. The tall towers behind brick studios will be gone but live human content will be created and streamed from homes, cafes, and on the streets of Everytown, USA. It will remain a huge part of our social fabric.
After 54 years in the business, I still love driving back roads and searching “the dial” for small-town radio where I can hear local people talking about local things. Today in small towns I’m much more likely to hear the same syndicated shows airing in hundreds of markets than passionate beginners learning their craft.
Like many of you, I miss my good old days, too, but that’s how life works. We need to get off the porch and embrace progress.
Radio will never be what it once was, it never has been. It has always gotten better.
As the industry marvels at the latest innovations coming to a TV or radio station new year CTO and Executive Vice President at the NAB, Sam Matheny believes there is one outstanding figure: Artificial Intelligence.
Matheny noted speaker Hao Li’s company Pinscreen as one of the most innovative. “Li has a company called Pinscreen, they’re talking about instead of just dubbing it and offering a different language. You can actually manipulate the video to make it look as if that person is speaking that language. So you’re not distracted by it.
“Now, I think that is more important in an entertainment and movie or television show environment than it would be necessarily in a news environment. But the underlying, I’m going to take one language, I’m going to instantly translate it to 19 other languages. Not only can I provide it as a ticker text, but then I can do a speech-to-text back, or a text-to-speech back and provide it in my native tongue. That is really exciting.”
However, he does have concerns about AI being misused by the media saying, “Absolutely. I mean, it’s a tool, right? And it’s it’s all about how you use it. If you were a bad actor or a nation-state or, someone who wanted to sow discontent, you could absolutely use AI in that way. And for us as broadcasters, we have to be and already are exceptionally aware of that.” He added verifying information and maintaining content provenance is key to good reporting.
Matheny’s North Carolina roots in local news showed him what good reporting looks like and also exposed him to the importance of local media. His grandfather published the local paper in Zebulon and had a radio show which aired across the state. Matheny believes his family roots in media gave him a unique perspective on the industry.
“I think what it gave me was two things one was going back to the real appreciation of the importance of local media and accurate information. The notion of being able to reach people, to be enabled, to communicate with them, to entertain them.”
As technology has grown, Matheny has seen smaller and more local outlets closer their doors. Preventing this is something the NAB is “very focused on.” While technology may help small outlets stay open, Matheny believes there is a second prong not being as closely monitored to aid outlets from closing.
“What it requires is, what I’ll just call business and regulatory innovation. It requires a willingness to say that this is important, and we have to ensure that we have a regulatory and business environment that enables these local outlets to succeed.”
There are other innovations outside of AI, Matheny is keeping his eye on, including better sound and better visual quality. “It may evolve into a more 3D type of experience. Or at least a 180-type view as opposed to today. Everything is on a flat screen. And I think the most famous example of that right now is the Sphere as a place that you can go in Las Vegas and experience a new type of viewing.”
Another innovation was spatial computing. “I just call it facial computing. And it’s the idea that I have to put this thing on my face, but it gives me an immersive experience. I think that will evolve too.”
Matheny noted today we are in a clunky world where “You either have to have this bespoke sphere environment that’s built or you have to wear these goofy goggles.
“But I think that’s going to continue and you’re going to have different types of experiences, that are ultimately enabled by this notion that I can have better compression, I can have better network connectivity.”
He made note to say it’s not just one technology but a combination of different technologies which is making these innovations all possible.
Over his nearly 10 years at the NAB, Matheny says there are three pillars they have focused on: “advocacy, education and innovation.” What is essential for the organization is working together as a team, “not just internally as staff, but also with our members, and the way that we pursue an advocacy agenda. But we also do something like NAB Show where we provide global level education not just to our members, but also, to the entire media and entertainment industry.”
Matheny plays a significant role in innovation, not just passive innovation, but actively getting in and doing things to help encourage innovation. “We do a lot of research and development and early-stage engineering projects to explore what some of the possibilities might be.”
With their global consortium of members from Japan, Europe, Australia, and many others they look at operating systems like Android Automotive. He said of the technology, “[It is] supposedly going to be adopted by many different automakers. We looked at how is the radio going to function in this new operating system.”
The most important note Matheny made about his work was, “Through NAB’s innovation initiative, to say we’re going to develop real, frameworks and software and ideas that can be adopted to make sure that broadcasting prospers in the future.”
The third season under the seven-year agreement between The Walt Disney Company and National Hockey League was a success, with the NHL on ESPN property delivering double-digit viewership increases. For the regular season, NHL broadcasts on ESPN averaged 486,000 total viewers, which is up 25% compared to last season. Within the Persons 18-49 demographic, the property averaged 211,000 viewers, a 20% year-over-year increase.
Regular season games on ESPN networks averaged 666,000 total viewers, a 13% increase from last season. Additionally, the Persons 18-49 demographic came to an average of 230,000 viewers, which is up 4% year-over-year. ESPN also produced digital content that accrued more traffic than last season with 42 million unique viewers and 1.5 billion minutes, up 14% and 11% on the year, respectively.
The network broadcast an opening night tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 10 that started with a game between the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning at 5:30 p.m. EST. Following the interconference matchup was a tilt between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m. EST. The night concluded with a matchup between the two newest teams in the NHL – the Seattle Kraken against the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. These games averaged 909,000 total viewers, up 40% from the 2022-23 season opening night doubleheader.
Later in the season, the network broadcast both Stadium Series games from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. – which included the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Rangers. The latter matchup between the Islanders and Rangers became the most-viewed regular season game since ESPN reacquired rights to the NHL in 2021, averaging 1.6 million viewers.
ESPN is broadcasting games within the Stanley Cup Playoffs as teams strive to win the league championship at season’s end. Viewership of Round 1 games across ESPN, TBS and truTV have amassed a 51% increase in ratings and 60% rise in viewership from last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to a report from Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. The Walt Disney Company will broadcast the Stanley Cup Final on ABC for the second time under the existing deal with the NHL.
Amazon Prime Video will become the exclusive streaming home of Monday night National Hockey League games in Canada, agreeing to a two-year deal in tandem with Rogers Communications and the National Hockey League. Under the agreement, Prime Monday Night Hockey will stream national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 NHL seasons. It is the first deal the NHL has struck with an exclusive national broadcast package for a digital-only streaming service. The property will feature a new broadcast team that will include play-by-play commentary and analysis, streaming live to Amazon Prime members in Canada.
“Rogers’ partnership with the NHL has been incredibly successful and integral to Sportsnet’s leadership as the number one sports media brand in Canada,” Colette Watson, president of Rogers Sports & Media, said in a statement. “Today’s content ecosystem is evolving, and we’re really pleased to work with Amazon to continue to grow the game and help hockey fans watch games when and where they want.”
“With Prime Monday Night Hockey, we’re offering our customers even more from their Prime membership,” Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement. “We’re committed to driving more innovation for fans as we bring the NHL into more Canadian homes and across more devices on Monday nights than ever before. We’re thrilled to be offering Prime Monday Night Hockey as part of our one-stop entertainment destination, which includes add-on channels like Sportsnet for even more hockey and sports content, the latest movies to rent or buy, popular and award-winning Amazon Originals to stream with Prime, and so much more.”
Sportsnet became available on Prime Video channels in Canada at the start of the 2023-24 hockey season. The new agreement helps build on the 12-year deal that was announced between Rogers and the NHL in November 2013 to carry games, reportedly worth $5.2 billion. The league has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) since 2021 to implement in-game analytics and video highlights meant to enhance the viewing experience.
Akin to the United States, cord cutting in Canada has hastened over the last decade with growing pay television penetration that estimates approximately 9.2 million households as subscribing to pay TV. Rogers Communications’ deal for national television and digital rights with the National Hockey League will expire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Amazon and Rogers on this project. Amazon has a strong track record of presenting sports on Prime Video in a highly innovative and viewer-friendly manner,” said David Proper, NHL senior executive vice president of media and international strategy, said in a statement. “We are committed to serving hockey fans and reaching new audiences with our robust content distribution strategy that brings viewers exciting NHL content to a multitude of streaming services. With this groundbreaking partnership, we are continuing to stay true to that goal.”
The Seattle Kraken announced two new broadcast partners to increase over-the-air and streaming options for fans. The deal features multi-year partnerships with Tegna and Amazon Prime Video in place for next season. This means a departure from Root Sports, which carried the team’s game during their first three seasons.
All non-nationally televised Kraken games will be broadcast on Tegna-owned KONG with 15 games simulcast on sister station KING 5 in Seattle. Additionally, Amazon Prime members in Washington, Oregon and Alaska, will be able to watch all non-nationally televised Kraken games on Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost. The streaming slate will include preseason, regular season and, potentially, the first round of playoffs.
“Root has been a terrific partner for us; we have appreciated their support as we determined our broadcast plans moving forward,” said Kraken owner, Sam Holloway in a release. “Today’s announcement is a game changer for our fans. Our goal is to increase the ways they can watch our games – whether they’re cheering us on at home or on the go. To have both Tegna and Prime Video as trusted partners is a dream come true. I can’t wait for more fans to fall in love with Kraken hockey.”
“Our collaboration with the Seattle Kraken marks a significant milestone in our commitment to celebrating the essence of local sports on local broadcast television,” said Dave Lougee, president and CEO, Tegna. “We look forward to bringing every thrilling moment of Kraken hockey to all viewers in the Pacific Northwest as we build on our long-standing commitment to the region.”
“Seattle Kraken hockey is synonymous with the Pacific Northwest, and we’re thrilled to bring Prime members in Washington, Oregon and Alaska access to Kraken games on Prime Video,” said Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships for Prime Video. “Live Kraken games add to our growing selection of premium live sports and deliver additional value for Prime members throughout the Kraken home footprint.”
