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Yahoo Sports Adds Matt Ufford as New Head of Video and Audio

BSM Staff
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Yahoo Sports has announced that Matt Ufford is joining the company as its new head of video and audio. In his new role, Ufford will be responsible for leading audio and video strategy and production for the brand with continued investment from the company in these formats. Throughout his media career, Ufford has worked in multiplatform roles in sports media, most recently with ESPN as its senior director of digital production.

During his first five years with ESPN, he was the company’s director of digital video social content. Before working at ESPN, Ufford was a contributor and video host for SB Nation where he created original content for its YouTube channel.

As part of his new role with Yahoo Sports, Ufford will report to Sam Farber, the head of content at the company. Ufford brings two decades of experience in digital media to the job, and he is a graduate of Northwestern University and Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.

“VERY excited to announce that I’ve started at Yahoo Sports as their new Head of Video and Audio,” Ufford said in a post on LinkedIn. “Ryan Spoon and Sam Farber are building a tremendous team, and I’m thrilled to join it and help strengthen the existing video and podcast production.”

Since Ryan Spoon was named the president of Yahoo Sports, the company has made several additions to its sports space. Last month, the company signed Russell Dorsey to work as its national insider for Major League Baseball. Yahoo Sports also added the “Céspedes Family BBQ” duo of Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman as members of its editorial team ahead of MLB Opening Day.

Yahoo Sports will also be on-site from the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball Final Four providing coverage in the final stages of March Madness. The company signed former NCAA champion and NBA guard Danny Green, three-time NCAA Final Four participant Ros Gold-Onwude and three-time NCAA Tournament participant Isis Young to their roster of college basketball analysts. Prior to the football season, Yahoo Sports also signed Jason Fitz to host NFL and college football coverage.

Are Program Directors in Sports Radio’s Future?

Demetri Ravanos
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Are Program Directors in Sports Radio’s Future?

Middle management isn’t a term of endearment. People in that position often draw more blame and ire from employees than respect. Even as a department head, in radio, isn’t a program director just another middle manager? 

I don’t listen to every episode of The Journal. It’s one of those podcasts I subscribe to and if the topic interests me on a particular day, I might throw that episode on if I have nothing else in the cue. 

Recently, the show discussed Bayer’s goal of eliminating middle management entirely. The pharmaceutical giant wants to put fewer bodies between top-line decision makers and the workforce. It’s the result of a new CEO hearing from employees across multiple divisions of the company that things at Bayer move too slowly because it’s bloated with too many layers of supervision.

The rollout of the idea could be bumpy, but the new CEO, a guy named Bill Anderson, says that the company has no choice. It’s time to start doing business differently. It’s losing money as the result of lawsuits and bad investments. If Bayer is going to survive, bold action is required.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like radio?

Jason Barrett has discussed the business evolving to the point the program director role is eliminated for years. He has suggested new ways of looking at the job, wondered where the next generation of leaders are coming from, and even posited the theory that it’s a role no one aspires to anymore. 

Revolution in programming’s corner office has been the subject of columns on the site and of sessions at the BSM Summit. So could it actually work? Maybe. Bayer has given the world a model. We just have to determine whether or not it could be adjusted for our business.

We do a lot of biting back at the idea that radio is dying, but look around. Music formats are on life support. I grew up on the grunge and alternative of the 90s. I love Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Green Day. I really hate Bush. In a world where Spotify exists, I’m not sitting through “Machinehead” because maybe a radio station will play “Welcome to Paradise” next. I’ll just pull up the song I want to hear right now on my phone. Radio can’t compete with that. 

If I’m tuning into my local urban station, I’m there for Kendrick Lamar and Future. Even local personalities just feel like they are in the way. I don’t want that interrupted with a story about someone’s day.

Talk formats are going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting for companies that own more stations than they can afford to effectively operate. Shouldn’t the business think differently now that the goals and expectations for its stations are different?

Don Martin, EVP of programming for iHeartMedia Sports, has a proverbial doctorate in the basics of this business. He’s always been bullish on producers. He says there is nothing a station can do that is more important than “hiring damn good producers.”

That has to be where this revolution starts. Bayer is still assigning team leads for every project. Isn’t that what a producer is in radio? In a business where everyone is trying to stand out, doesn’t it make sense to have someone with the express task of making his or her show sound the very best it can? Why can’t we empower producers to do some of a program director’s talent coaching tasks? Why can’t the producer be the one fighting for and explaining the show to sales? 

Anderson’s vision for Bayer is built on two observations he made after conversations with employees across multiple divisions. First, even the people lowest on the corporate totem poll are capable of being responsible for themselves. They do it every day in multiple areas of their lives outside the office. Second, people and situations standing between a person and their goal is what causes burn out. Trusting people and eliminating some of the bodies standing over their shoulders should lead to better output.

It’s not an idea that will work at every sports station right now, and there are plenty of truly talented programmers – people like Rick Radzik, Chris Kinard, Ryan Haney and others that have a clear vision and a plan to execute it.

But there are also plenty of examples where this makes sense. Al Dukes has worked behind the scenes keeping Boomer & Gio on track for years. Why does WFAN need to give him a new boss to report to? Matt Moscona is the program director of 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge and the host of a popular, regionally syndicated afternoon show. Can he really give both jobs all of his attention all the time?

Right now, 40,000 Bayer employees are working under what Anderson calls “dynamic shared ownership.” It’s a new way of thinking about restructuring – don’t just cut salaries, cut barriers. He trusts this new idea can lead his company to a brighter future, but he isn’t unrealistic about what the process will look like.

“The first go round, it’ll be a little messy, but that’s okay because the thing is, the thing we’re comparing to is a system that doesn’t work very well,” he told Chip Cutter of The Wall Street Journal. 

I’m not the first person, nor will I be the last, you hear say that radio is at a critical juncture and there is a lot about the business that the people at the top are going to have to rethink in order to secure a better future. Our business has become too risk averse in recent years. Big companies rely on cookie cutter decisions across multiple markets to shape clocks, promotions and content. “If it worked in Buffalo, why shouldn’t it work in Miami, right?” Growing pains are seen as signs of failure and justification for avoiding innovation.

Bill Anderson’s approach to management is one that still has some rough edges right now. As radio and other industries try to figure out if it can work for them, there will undoubtedly be a few stumbles. Maybe eliminating program directors is an idea that is just flat out foolish, but if eliminating them forces us to think about how we can make our shows sound better and how we can get the best work out of skilled, creative people, isn’t it something radio has to consider?

Where Are They Now?: Casey Stern, Former SiriusXM Broadcaster and Turner Sports Studio Host

Peter Schwartz
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Where Are They Now?: Casey Stern, Former SiriusXM Broadcaster and Turner Sports Studio Host

When you have your dream job, it’s not easy to walk away from it.  But in life, there are things that are more important and that begins and ends with family.  From the time he was five years old growing up on Long Island, all Casey Stern wanted to do was to talk about sports and that dream came true with a resume that so many people in the industry would love to have.

Stern cut his teeth in the industry working for MLB.com followed by New York-based MSG Network.  That led to a 12-year run at SiriusXM, a stint with NBA TV and the opportunity to be a studio host for TNT and TBS covering MLB, NBA and the NCAA Tournament. 

But, a couple of years ago, Stern needed to take a break in the action.

“Family things always take priority,” said Stern.  “That was more important than broadcasting as much as I love what I do and as much as it’s been a dream career for me.”

For Stern, the good news is that he and his family are doing well at home in Atlanta.

“The great part is that now my family is thriving,” said Stern.  “Everybody is in a good place.  I’m in a great place and I’m just looking to get back to doing what I love.  When I was five, I stood up in first grade and when everybody said they wanted to be an astronaut, I wanted to be (Mets broadcaster) Bob Murphy and that hasn’t changed.  I’m still the same big kid and I still have the same big dreams so I’m just looking for the next chapter and the next opportunity.  There’s a rush that’s different being on TV and radio for me than anything else I’ve felt in my life and I’m just looking forward to experiencing that again sometime soon.”

But that opportunity has, for whatever reason, not been there for Stern. 

In sports, we commonly talk about athletes and the careers they’ve had by referring to “the back of his baseball card” or the card of whatever sport that individual plays.  If we look at sports broadcasters, you look at the resume and the work that he or she has put out over the air whether it’s in television or radio.

Full disclosure…Casey Stern is a friend of mine but that’s irrelevant to what we’re talking about.  His resume screams that he should be back in the game, but he’s being patient waiting for that opportunity to come his way.

Is he frustrated?

“Not really,” said Stern.  “I think if you allow yourself to get mad at it, it’s not going to go anywhere good.  I certainly understand it’s an industry that’s full of talented people.  This industry is not easy and to get to the level where I was at and to get back there is not easy to do.  I’m not frustrated.  I’m honestly at a more grateful point than I’ve ever been in my life.  When you lose things that you love, that dream and that absence makes the heart grow fonder.  I’m just looking to talk sports and do what I love. I know that opportunity will come and I’ll be grateful for it when it does.”

With his family life in a great place, Stern has begun the process of finding that next dream job by launching a new podcast “Unfiltered with Casey Stern” on the Bleav network of podcasts.  It’s been an opportunity for Stern to start talking sports again and he’s doing it on his terms, in his words and with some great content.

“It’s been so amazing,” said Stern.  “I love talking sports.  I’m just having such a great time with it and one of the cool things about being able to do a podcast and doing it with Bleav is I really get to put it out in my own way and make the impact that I want and at the end of the day, that’s more than anything else the most important thing so I’ve just been having a blast with it.”

Stern has made his way back in the game with the podcast, but the search still continues for a traditional sports broadcasting role.  But, going back to his number one priority in life which is his family and taking care of his kids, he has to put a roof over their heads and food on the table.

As he waits for that next dream job to come his way, Stern has had to turn to work outside of sports broadcasting to provide for his family.

“You go through a period of time where you realize I’m going to wait and then it’s not coming,” said Stern.  “We all have responsibilities as parents and as humans. I have been working a job outside of broadcasting.  You do those things to make ends meet.”

Between his full-time job, launching the podcast and coaching his kids in baseball and softball, Stern is a busy man these days.

“I’m a grinder,” said Stern.  “I’ve always been a grinder so I went back to work.  There’s no time to sit and lick wounds when you’re a parent and you have responsibilities.” 

The home base for those responsibilities is currently Atlanta but as he waits for a broadcasting opportunity, there is always that possibility that Stern might have to relocate.

Or maybe not.

Stern spent his first year with Turner living in New York but commuting back and forth to Atlanta for his studio duties.  Perhaps there is a similar opportunity for him to remain in Atlanta but have a job that will allow him to work remotely from home or require some travel.

Right now, Atlanta is home but will it be his forever home?

“Forever is a long time,” said Stern.  “Atlanta is my home for now.  This is where my family is and my kids are thriving and this is where I’ll be.  Atlanta is my home and I love being here with my kids but I’m flexible for the right opportunity and I’m just looking for a chance to not only show what I can do but to be able to enjoy doing what I love.”

Casey Stern has enjoyed a brilliant career in broadcasting.  That next chapter is long overdue. 

Joe Pags Has a Front Row Seat to Issues Conservative Hosts Discuss Daily

Garrett Searight
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Joe Pags Has a Front Row Seat to Issues Conservative Hosts Discuss Daily

Turn on conservative talk radio on any given day, and you’re likely to hear discussions about immigration, the ethics of busing immigrants to far-flung cities, and the acrimony between states led by Republican Governors and the federal government. Many of those issues have come to a head in the state of Texas. Joe Pags has a front-row seat to all of it.

The Joe Pags Show — based at 1200 WOAI in San Antonio — is heard on more than 170 stations as part of a syndication deal with Compass Media Networks. And while many view the current political situation as a talking point, Joe Pagliarulo is watching the happenings unfold live and up close.

“It’s interesting because it appears to be this is where the battle is between the federal and the state. And I don’t believe that those who are on the ground see it that way. In other words, the Texas National Guard doesn’t see the Border Patrol as an enemy. But when it comes to the laws regarding nationalization and immigration, Texas is certainly on the front line. And I think that politicians want to pretend there’s a fight, but there’s not,” said Pags.

“I think from 30,000 feet up, people think that there’s a tête-à-tête going on here in Texas. There’s really not. The residents, the Border Patrol, the National Guard, they all want something to happen to fix the border, but yet being in Texas, we’ve got sort of a closer view of it, and maybe a better understanding of what the story is. But we certainly are ground zero.”

Despite being in Texas and having a frontline view of the issues, Joe Pags doesn’t believe that fundamentally changes his show in any way, however.

“Being here certainly gives me a better perspective, I think then than others who might be in bigger cities in the Northeast or out on the West Coast. I don’t think that it changes the show other than I think we have a better understanding about what it is federal versus state than I think somebody in the middle of the country might have,” said Pags. “I think that the visual that was given to most people through radio and other means was that the Border Patrol and the Texas (Department of Public Safety) were at a standoff and they might start shooting at each other. None of that was going to happen.

“The bottom line is we want the border to be fixed. It doesn’t matter if you left or right or you live in Texas or don’t. And I think that in Texas, we have a better understanding that they really do all like each other — the law enforcement — and they want to see a solution.”

Before Joe Pags became a talk show host, he was a TV news anchor for 14 years, working at stations in Saginaw, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Lansing, Michigan, as well as in Albany, New York before diving into talk radio full-time.

And while his time as a local news anchor was a successful one, the enticement of providing commentary and talking about the day’s issues — rather than report on them — was too much to ignore.

“I knew how to do that job, but there really wasn’t a whole lot of fun other than ‘Hey, it’s gonna snow tomorrow. What do you think Steve?’ There wasn’t a whole lot there that you can show personality and show any opinion at all, to be honest,” Pags said. “When I started doing (talk radio), getting out of that shell of you don’t have to just be ‘Here are the facts. What do you think it?’ it can be ‘Here are the facts and here’s why it made me laugh’ or ‘Here are the facts and here’s why it made me emotional’, ‘Here are the facts and here’s why I think this is important for you.’

“Injecting opinion, and getting away from the straight news — ‘Don’t waver from the news’ — that was hard. And I didn’t really develop it, I just let it happen, to be honest. I had conversations off the air that I thought were funny or interesting or educational, and then I would bring those on the air, and it just started working.”

While working as a TV news anchor, Joe Pags was a heavy talk radio consumer. And while he doesn’t emulate anyone else, he did point to two hosts he spent the bulk of his time with, and they could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum.

“My favorite talk show host — and he’s gone now — was Neil Rogers. Neil Rogers was a guy who was a liberal, gay, white guy in South Florida and we didn’t agree on much of anything politically. But he had me laughing. He had me listening for four hours a day from 10 AM to 2 PM,” said Pags. “My job at the time that — I was 18 or 19 — was driving a truck, and I listened to him all day. The guy was hilarious. I’d never know what he’s gonna say next. When he interviewed people, it was hilarious. The guy really kept me riveted.

“And of course, everybody loves Rush (Limbaugh). Take a guy who set a blazing path on conservative talk radio and was very entertaining as well in rush, and you take Neil Rogers, this guy who was on the opposite end, politically, and I loved both of them. If you can, you could do something that’s entertaining, that’s interesting that isn’t so polarizing that it stops people from listening, you can be a talk radio host. I don’t mold or model my show after them — I’ve got my own personality, my own style — but in hearing them do it, those two would be the two that I would point to (as biggest influences).”

And while Joe Pags points to two Radio Hall of Famers as the shows he listened to the most as a talk radio listener, one specific trait from the hosts was passed on to the nationally syndicated host through the speakers.

“If I don’t come off as authentic, they don’t listen. They’re gonna leave,” Pags posited. “I didn’t agree with Neil Rogers on anything. I wouldn’t shut it off. That guy was an amazing broadcaster. So, if I’m not my authentic self, then why are they listening? They can listen to any number of other talk radio hosts out there. I mean, I think there are 5,000 estimated in the country when you add podcasts and everything else in.

“Why choose me? Why am I so high on somebody’s list? It’s because I’m just a guy who’s going to be who he is, and gonna make fart jokes every once in a while and talk about important issues out of Washington. You’re gonna get my authentic self every time, even if you disagree. You’re getting who I am. So I think that it’s vital.”

Industry Guest Column: Andy Furman’s Radio Do’s and Don’ts

BSM Staff
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Industry Guest Column: Andy Furman’s Radio Do’s and Don’ts

Sports talk veteran Andy Furman is a weekend FOX Sports Radio host who has been a strong voice in the industry for over 25 years. Furman is a native of Brooklyn, New York, and has spent much of his time in Cincinnati at WLW-AM and WQRT. You can follow Andy on X at @AndyFurmanFSR. Here is some knowledge he has shared for today’s guest column:

Radio – what’s that?

Radio was the last profession on my wish list as a kid. In fact, I don’t think it ever was on my list.

The only contact I had with radio was hoping they would promote an event of mine – or carry race results from the various greyhound tracks, harness tracks and thoroughbred facilities I toiled for Delaware North Companies.

In fact, at Latonia we had the first mother-vs.-daughter jockeys   – the Bartons – compete in the same race. Of course, we didn’t miss that – several weeks later they were guests on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Latonia – now Turfan Park – was near and dear to my heart – I was married in the winner’s circle when the GM was looking for an Opening Night Promotion. Oh yeah, it was covered by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated – and, local radio.

Nope, radio was in the distance – the far distance.

I was more concerned with elephants racing at Monticello (NY) Raceway; or Cris Collinsworth racing a horse at Latonia Race Course in Florence, Kentucky; or having a Polish Night at Buffalo Raceway – where the harness drivers were set to go the “wrong way.”

Promotion was my wheelhouse. I served as Sports Information Director at Hunter College (NY), St. Francis College (NY) and later at Oral Roberts University – where we had the world’s tallest basketball-playing piano player, at 7-3.

But my introduction to radio came when television – of all things – came calling. The local NBC affiliate in Cincinnati was airing the Reds’ baseball games – and I was hired to sell Reds’ baseball.

So, the GM gave me an office spot – and, gulp – a copy of the Yellow Pages. And for the Gen-X’ers out there – it was a book with all local businesses — from A to Z.

Since everyone was in the same sales competition, I figured my best bet would be to start selling from Z rather than A – since the former is probably the most logical.

I hit a home run with local P&G — a six-figure deal – and 700 WLW Radio – The Radio Home for the Reds came calling. Thanks to the late GM, J. David Martin, and radio genius, Randy Michaels.

I sold for the radio station, and was soon given a Sunday morning slot with former NFL player Tom Dinkel and radio play-by-play man, Andy MacWilliams.

The main sports talk gig was held by Bob Trumpy – and when he went full-time to NBC Sports it was Cris Collinsworth – and me – nightly for three hours. When he left – well, that left me.

And I have learned some radio do’s and don’ts over my 25-plus years in the business:

  • If you work with a co-host, one must be the villain – I was with Cris. Nothing forced – it must be in your DNA.
  • Phone calls are a crutch – and when a host opens a show with a phone number, I cringe – why you ask? Well, why call if you never gave me a reason to call?
  • No one liked Lecture Hall in college – why would you like it on radio? Make it a one-on-one conversation.
  • No one – and I mean no one – likes a know-it-all. It’s OK to admit, “I was wrong,” or, “I don’t know.”
  • Guests are great – big names for sure – only when applicable. Why have a baseball manager/player on New Year’s Day – unless there is a news story behind it. (We had Bill Belichick on Fox Sports Radio some two years ago –a big hit as he only does local radio —and his then weekly show. At 700 WLW Radio I chatted yearly – once a year – with Bob Knight. His ground-rules; half hour, no commercials, no phone calls. How was that possible you ask – develop relationships – very important. After every guest, I would send a thank you note.
  • For local radio —always look for the local hometown angle. People love it. Iowa women’s basketball has a local in Cincinnati’s Gabby Marshall – cannot believe she has not been on!

I will have part II in the future.

– Andy Furman

Interested in writing a guest column for BSM? Email davegreene34@gmail.com

Marc Hochman Celebrates 10th Anniversary Hosting Afternoon Drive at WQAM Miami

BSM Staff
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Marc Hochman Celebrates 10th Anniversary Hosting Afternoon Drive at WQAM Miami

Marc Hochman celebrated 10 years at WQAM in Miami today. The current iteration of the show celebrated on the air and had several guests from the show’s past on with them as they looked back on the decade.

Hochman posted about the anniversary on his X account, saying, “I always appropriate that it falls on April Fool’s Day. Today is my 10th Anniversary hosting afternoon drive on 560 WQAM. I had worked 10 years at 790 The Ticket, 8 1/2 years w/ the Le Batard Show & 1 1/2 years doing mornings w/ Zaslow. Took a leap of faith joining WQAM and it ended up being on the Mt. Rushmore of great decisions in my life!”

Hochman started the show saying, “If you were listening to this station 10 years ago on this day, April Fool’s Day, my first show ever on 560 WQAM…back then it was The Marc Hochman Show with Zach Krantz…and now it has been completely rebranded, many times over the course of 10 years. But I think this is the stable version, the Hochman and Crowder Show with Alejandro Solana and Jimmy Garcia.”

The hosts kicked some quick memories back and forth and Hochman mentioned a time when The Miami New Times compared him to LeBron James.

Channing Crowder said, “…You are a genius radio mind…I’ve worked with a number of people before you and now being a part of the show, I have really seen the change. When D-Wade was running around with Mario Chalmers it’s a difference between running around with LeBron James. And if I’m calling myself D-Wade, I would also say you are the LeBron James of radio, man, you are good at this.”

Hochman later said, “I’m telling you, no joke, this foursome…is the top radio crew that I have ever worked with. I think we have more fun and communicate more off the air than any show I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve been doing this 20+ years. I love it.”

Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports Win APSE Breaking News Contest

BSM Staff
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Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports Win APSE Breaking News Contest

The Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) have announced the winners of its 2023 Breaking News contest within its four divisions, all of whom will be honored at the organization’s Summer Conference banquet taking place from the Marriott South Park in Charlotte, N.C. on June 22. Contest winners will receive a plaque, while those who finished in second through 10th-place will receive a frameable certificate.

Judges present at the APSE Winter Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., along with remote judges around the country, were tasked with ranking the entries from one to 10. A second judging group received the final 10 recipients, leading to an additional ranking before a final determination was made by tallying the ballots.

Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports were named as the first-place finishers in Division A for the contest held by the APSE. Dellenger recently joined Yahoo Sports as its senior college football reporter after spending five years with Sports Illustrated and is a preeminent news breaker in the business. Wetzel has worked with Yahoo Sports since 2003 and currently serves as a national columnist for the digital outlet, and he also hosts the Yahoo Sports College Podcast. Newsday reporters Laura Albanese and Gregg Sarra finished second in the division, while Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times placed third overall.

Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel garnered the first-place finish in Division B for his work with the outlet as the Tennessee Volunteers football beat reporter. Before joining the publication, he worked as the Vanderbilt beat reporter at The Tennessean and has earned numerous awards for beat writing, breaking news and investigative writing throughout his journalism career. Kevin Reynolds and Julie Jag of The Salt Lake Tribune finished second in the category, while Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel received a third-place finish.

Marc Stein finished in first place within the Division C breaking news category for his work on his Substack platform, The Stein Line. As a veteran reporter covering the NBA for approximately three decades, Stein has worked for numerous publications including The Washington Post and The New York Times. Additionally, he worked for ESPN as an NBA insider on television and radio while also serving as a columnist. Finishing second in the category was Clarence Hill from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, while Ed Reed of The News-Press placed third overall.

Sam Sklar of the Hattiesburg American finished first in the Division D breaking news category, achieving the accolade within his first year with the outcome. Sklar is a recent graduate of Michigan State University where he worked at The State News through his four years of college and covered several sporting events. Before beginning his current role as the Southern Miss beat reporter, he worked as an intern with the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. where he covered the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final and Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami. Fletcher Page of the Augusta Chronicle finished in second place, while Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald came in third place.

Townsquare Media Buys Back Nearly $15 Million of Outstanding Stock

BNM Staff
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Townsquare Media Buys Back Nearly $15 Million of Outstanding Stock

Townsquare Media has purchased and retired 1.5 million shares of stock totaling nearly $15 million in a move similar to one instituted in 2023.

In June of last year, the company bought 1.5 million shares held by MSG National Properties LLC at $9.70 per share. Townsquare bought another 1.5 million shares from the same company at $9.76 which equated to $14.6 million. The company also purchased 12.6 million shares from Oaktree Capital in March 2021 for $6.40 per share.

“We are very pleased to share that we have repurchased just under 10% of our total shares outstanding in an immediately accretive transaction for our shareholders. Since 2021, we have repurchased 16.2 million shares at an average price of $7.19, while simultaneously reducing leverage,” said Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson. “The strong cash generation characteristics of our business model, which produced $68 million of cash flow from operations in 2023, has afforded us the opportunity to actively repurchase equity and debt, while also investing internally in our digital growth engine. In addition, we introduced a high-yielding dividend in 2023, and recently increased it by 5%. Our dividend has a yield of 7% as of March 28, 2024.

“With a strong cash balance of $40 million following this transaction, we will retain financial flexibility moving forward and we are confident in our ability to build shareholder value for our investors through long-term net revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow growth, net leverage reduction, future dividend payments, and potential future share repurchases. We thank our Board of Directors for their vote of confidence in our medium and long-term business plan to grow revenue and profits, and MSG for their long-term support of our Company.”

The 1.5 million shares purchased by Townsquare Media in this round represent just under 10% of the total outstanding shares.

Mike Mulligan: ‘The Whole Caitlin Clark Experience Has Captured A Lot of Basketball Fans’

BSM Staff
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Ahead of a highly-anticipated college basketball matchup between the LSU Tigers and Iowa Hawkeyes to determine who will advance to the Final Four in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, there has been palpable buzz surrounding superstar players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.

Surrounding the play on the court is the debate surrounding a story written by The Washington Post about LSU head coach Kim Mulkey that went in depth about her life, including her upbringing and coaching career. Mulkey stated before Saturday’s game that she was unaware the story had been published and was not sure if she would read it. Earlier last week, she threatened legal action against the publication and described what was then a forthcoming article as a “hit piece.”

The game between LSU and Iowa will be broadcast on ESPN Monday night at 7 p.m. EST from the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., the first of the final two games within the Elite Eight. Morning show co-hosts for 670 The Score, Mike Mulligan and David Haugh, will be watching the action as it unfolds. A preponderance of the basketball world is curious to see if Caitlin Clark will be able to win an NCAA title in her final year with Iowa before declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. Earlier this season, Clark broke the NCAA all-time basketball scoring record, eclipsing Pete Maravich with 3,650 career points.

“I do watch, and I’m aware of when Caitlin Clark is playing,” Mulligan said on Monday. “I’m aware of how good South Carolina has been and that they are the team. I get that, but I do think that the whole Caitlin Clark experience has captured a lot of basketball fans.”

Mulligan watched the championship matchup last year between these two teams that resulted in an LSU victory averaging 9.9 million viewers on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+, which rendered it the most-watched women’s college basketball game in history. On Saturday afternoon, show producer Dustin Rhoades saw Iowa eliminate Colorado from the tournament in an 89-68 win, a game in which Clark posted 29 points and 15 assists in 37 minutes of play.

“I would even go so far as to say Caitlin Clark is the most likable college athlete going right now against the most unlikable coach, the easiest coach to dislike in Kim Mulkey,” Haugh said. “I do know way more about her life than I want to. That was a great story because it was an exhaustive profile; this is what you do when you write profiles.”

Mulligan acknowledged that Mulkey possesses several grudges after Haugh explained the process that journalists go through to write profile pieces. Both Mulligan and Haugh are former print journalists themselves for the Chicago Tribune, and they have been hosting the morning drive program together on 670 The Score for several years. Before Haugh officially joined the program, Mulligan hosted different iterations with Rick Telander and Brian Hanley. At the end of this discussion, Haugh made it clear that he was rooting against LSU and hopeful that Iowa would advance to the Final Four.

“Let’s hope she’s out of victories because I don’t want them to win tonight,” Haugh said of Mulkey and LSU. “I will watch tonight, I will watch Iowa and I will say, ‘Go Hawkeyes!’ I may even wear black and yellow just because there’s no way I want to see Kim Mulkey get to the Final Four. Her 15 minutes this year – over. Enough already. More Caitlin Clark please.”

Larry Hansgen Celebrates 43 Years at WHIO Radio in Dayton

BNM Staff
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Larry Hansgen Celebrates 43 Years at WHIO Radio in Dayton

WHIO Radio morning host Larry Hansgen has reason to celebrate, as he recently commemorated his 43rd year with the Dayton news/talk station.

After originally joining the station in 1981 as an overnight board operator, Hansgen ascended at the station, quickly becoming the Sports Director before ultimately being named the host of Miami Valley’s Morning News in 2003, a position he still holds.

“Today I celebrate 43 years at WHIO Radio,” Hansgen wrote in a social media post Saturday. “I have been blessed beyond words for the life I have. Amazing coworkers, listeners and being part of the Dayton community. Already looking forward to the next 43!”

In addition to his role as host of Miami Valley’s Morning News on WHIO, Larry Hansgen also serves as the radio play-by-play voice of the University of Dayton Flyers football and men’s basketball teams. He has also previously moonlighted as a stand-up comedian.

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