After both MSNBC and CNN cut away from Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday victory speech, Fox News host Bill Hemmer suggested the networks should take “news” out of their names. Keith Olbermann laughed at the suggestion.
“On primary night after primary night, our competition refuses to take the primary winner,” Hemmer said. “One of our competitors took four minutes, the other took 10 (minutes). If that’s what you’re gonna do, take news out of your name. We should all be listening to these ideas and thoughts. If Biden came out, (Fox News) would take him and be fair to his message.”
WATCH: @BillHemmer hammers Fox News competitors for cutting away from Donald Trump's primary speeches, "Take news out of your name." pic.twitter.com/5w6DvvGQnc
Olbermann began his criticism of the Fox News host by insulting his intelligence.
“Bill Hemmer thinks he is a newscaster…He’s a propaganda whore. And he’s also one of the five dumbest people I’ve met in 48 years in media,” said Olbermann on his Countdown podcast. “I mean at CNN, when we worked there at the same time, the makeup artist used to joke after he left the room that she was surprised every day that he remembered where the CNN studio was.”
He continued by noting his belief that Hemmer isn’t as fair and balanced as he’d like you to believe.
“The other day he decided to take a rare editorial stance — he usually takes about an hour’s worth of editorial stances every day — to blast MSNBC and CNN,” Olbermann said. “First of all, MSNBC does not have the word ‘news’ in its name. The ‘N’ stands for ‘National,’ if it stands for anything, and CNN, years ago, changed its name from Cable News Network to just CNN. So yeah, what does CNN stand for? CNN stands for nothing.
“Secondly, dude, ‘one of our competitors’? You’re a whorehouse for Trump and for fascism…Lastly… on February 23, and then February 29, Fox — at the direction of anchor and vice president Neil Cavuto — cut away from Trump’s Il Duce victory speeches. So, Billy, do you really mean this, if you really know what it means? Go tell Neil Cavuto to take the word ‘news’ out of Fox News. I mean, that would be an actual public service, Hemmer.”
OutKick host Riley Gaines has seen a rise in stature in her crusade against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Joe Rogan commended her for her work.
In an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan told the OutKick host that she should be very proud of her work in the space.
“Well, what you’ve done it’s very courageous because I know the kind of pressure that you must have experienced,” Rogan told the former collegiate swimmer. “I know the hate that’s come your way, and you handle it with class. And that is not a learned thing. I think that speaks to one of the things that I think is like one of the most important things that kids can ever get involved in, and that’s sports.”
“Honestly now, I love pressure. I love it,” said Gaines. “I love setting goals and achieving those goals, which sets me up perfectly for this position.”
Gaines has been an advocate for women’s sports, hosting her Gaines for Girls podcast with the conservative digital outlet founded by Clay Travis. She rose to national prominence after being bested in the 2022 NCAA National Championships by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
OutKick’s Hot Mic show with Jonathan Hutton and Chad Withrow, spent time this week talking about the ongoing feud between ESPN staffers Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith. According to the New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel, Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee had a private conversation that turned ugly over creative differences on an unnamed project that Stephen. A will produce through his production company, Mr. SAS Productions.
Allegedly, McAfee called Smith a “motherf*****r” at one point during the call. Glasspiegel said the argument caused Smith to ban McAfee from appearing on First Take, but that ban was since lifted once cooler heads prevailed. The Post reached out to both McAfee and Smith who said any animosity between the two has since been resolved.
Jonathan Hutton asked Withrow, “What is going on, where ESPN has this ‘we are not going to comment on it’ and all they’ve done, the two of them and McAfee especially, is comment and bringing up this whole saga back and forth again? They never addressed it internally, I truly believe they never really did anything about it, they just tried to ignore it and hope it just went away over the 24-hour news cycle and that the ‘we are not commenting on this’ would echo through McAfee especially, and now Stephen A. They didn’t punish McAfee for it so nothing is going to happen here, it will continue.”
Withrow replied, “Some good reporting from the New York Post, first off, to get the report out there. And then get, what comes down to, a complete rebuttal of the entire story from both Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith, other than not denying the fact that a heated phone conversation took place and that Pat McAfee called Stephen A Smith a “mother-effer” in that call. That was not addressed in the two statements back to the New York Post.”
Withrow added, “I think this is partly ESPN saying, ‘you guys are such big celebrities now with big voices, you’re big boys you handle it however you want, but dont let this grow to be something else, so go ahead and release your statements and talk to the New York Post and say whatever you want to about the story, but don’t let this get back to us this time the way Pat McAfee calling out Norby Williamson got back to em last time.’ What did Pat McAfee say about all of that? He didn’t apologize…It all seems like a mess…but the more it seems like a mess, the more I think some it is an orchestrated mess in that ESPN isn’t doing or saying anything to stop it. They are allowing it to continue.”
Hutton that brought a name into the conversation that has come up before with Pat McAfee. “You know what I initially thought, just because it is the New York Post, is that Norby Williamson leaked this to them as well.”
Regardless of where the information came from, Withrow believes this is all a positive for ESPN and they may have something to do with it. “It seems to me like this isn’t the worst news for ESPN,” he said. “And because of Pat McAfee’s wrestling background…I don’t think we are getting full-on worked… but I do believe that ESPN is at least remotely complicit in a work that is going on, in that they are not issuing statements, they are not demanding apologies from either one of them, they’re not suspending anybody. So, I take all of that info to say that ESPN does not care about this going on. This could be an ‘any publicity is good publicity’ type situation for ESPN.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough raised eyebrows earlier this week with his strong comments about the mental capacity of President Joe Biden. OutKick founder Clay Travis could hardly stomach the comments.
“I’m about to tell you the truth. And eff you if you can’t handle the truth, this version of Biden intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever,” said Scarborough. “Not a close second and I’ve known him for years…If it weren’t the truth, I wouldn’t say it.”
“Joe Scarborough may be the most blatant liar on the planet when it comes to Joe Biden’s mental acuity,” said Travis. “There’s not having a gag reflex and then there’s not having any self-respect, either. Joe Scarborough isn’t even a high-end hooker at this point. He’s a street-walking hooker with this thing.”
Buck Sexton agreed, mocking Scarborough for his sentiments, calling him a “full-MSNBC communist” after serving in Congress as a Republican.
Last month, The Walt Disney Company added executives above ABC News President Kim Godwin in a move that many viewed as a demotion for the embattled leader. However, the network is defending her after a report claimed she told employees she’s still the top dog.
The New York Post reports that someone privy to a call with ABC News staffers said Godwin ensured them she was the leader of the outlet.
“Kim said on the call: ‘I’m still in charge. This is my network. And if anyone has a problem with that, you can come see me,’” the employee said. “There was dead silence after that.”
However, ABC News denied that encapsulation, saying “It is not true. She didn’t say that.”
A second source told the Post that Godwin did, in fact, say that she was still “in charge” of “my network” on the call.
Debra OConnell, a long-time Disney executive, was tabbed to lead a new division for the company, overseeing ABC News. When her addition was announced, the company said Godwin, who has served as President of the network’s news operation since 2021, had signed a new contract, but would report directly to OConnell.
“Debra is an excellent executive who has succeeded in a wide range of leadership roles around our company and knows very well the extraordinary power of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden said in a February statement announcing the move.
After Cox Media Group ended The Mark Kaye Show last week, the company announced The Erick Erickson Show will be heard in its stead.
Erickson will now be heard on 104.5 WOKV, Kaye’s former home, in addition to 95.7 WHIO in Dayton and 102.3 KRMG in Tulsa.
Like Kaye, Erickson’s program originates from a Cox station — 95.5 WSB in Atlanta. The program is distributed nationally by Compass Media Networks.
“We’re excited to transition Erick to prime dayparts in these key markets,” said Cox Media Group Executive Vice President Rob Babin. “He has a proven track record of delivering compelling content and ratings and will continue to captivate new audiences across CMG markets.”
“We’re committed to providing our listeners with the best radio experience possible, and we believe these changes will enhance our programming lineup,” added the company’s Senior Vice President of Audience and Programming Chris Eagan. “Erick has earned a deep and loyal following everywhere he’s been, and we know that will continue as he expands to new markets.”
The Erick Erickson Show airs live from 12-3 PM ET.
For week six, we sent Derek Futterman to the studios of WFAN to observe Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata’s midday show. We’ve had the privilege during this series to visit with national sports radio networks, digital outlets, voice artists and sports betting shows and to be able to capture the passion of a local sports talk program was high on our list. To experience it at the birth place of the sports talk format with a show that’s become popular very quickly, made this even sweeter.
My thanks to Chris Oliviero, Brandon Tierney, Sal Licata, David Heim and Spike Eskin for providing access to BSM. Derek was on hand for pre-show planning, in-show execution, and post-show conversations. Having listened to the show myself for months, knowledge and passion were never going to be an issue but BT and Sal have formed strong chemistry and are producing a lot more laughs, not just hard hitting opinions. I’m sure you’ll find the recap of Derek’s time with the WFAN duo to be both interesting and insightful.
On our schedule the next few weeks are days spent with a media buyer, an agent, and either a social media manager or sports television show. We also left room for one additional project should something interesting make sense to pursue. If you or your brand wish to be involved and have an idea you want to pitch, please email JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.
Now let’s dive into this week’s version of a Day Spent With Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata of WFAN.
– Jason Barrett
After a long workday that ended with an appearance on SNY’s Honda SportsNite, Sal Licata is back on the train bright and early in the morning. Undeterred by fatigue, he makes his commute into New York City and communicates with his colleagues while reading the latest sports headlines and news. Although the baseball season has yet to begin, Licata knows that it resonates with New York sports fans and is attuned to the latest news and rumors. In fact, he will head back to SNY later tonight to host Baseball Night in New York, a daily half-hour talk show covering the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
For his day job as co-host of The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show on WFAN, he is trying to think about satisfying the zeitgeist of local sports fandom. A clip from the SNY program the night before – in which Licata shares his belief that Yankees outfielder Juan Soto will sign with the Mets in free agency next offseason – has already amassed 250,000 views overnight on X. Following a 2023 season in which the Mets fell short of expectations, he is already looking ahead to the offseason and the 2025 campaign.
When Licata arrives at the WFAN studios, his co-host Brandon Tierney has already been present for nearly an hour. Having solitary time to himself before the program where he and Licata effectively floor the gas pedal for four hours of unmitigated fervor and enthusiasm puts him in the right mindset to commence the show.
“It’s a speed that starts fast; there’s very rarely any lulls,” Tierney said. “We laugh a lot, which is awesome – those are where the lulls come in – but in my opinion, it’s the fastest, most opinionated show on radio.”
Before taking over WFAN’s airwaves at 10am ET, show producer Pete Hoffman and engineer Dov Kramer enter the studio for a pre-show meeting. The group recently took notice of a New York Post report outlining mutual interest between the Philadelphia Eagles and free-agent running back Saquon Barkley. Of course, Barkley was drafted by and played six seasons for the division rival New York Giants.
Hoffman expounds on the topic to try and establish something that would relate to several New York sports teams with star players who are approaching free agency. Tierney, however, believes that it is a broad perspective that will elicit localized reactions across different fanbases. As they continue to discuss what will lead the show, the team broaches discussing the haphazard play of Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodón. Licata then observes his Soto clip has eclipsed 330,000 views on X, but at the same time is apprehensive that the perennial All-Star is positioned to dominate the program this season.
In addition to creating compelling and riveting content, Licata aims to increase comparisons between the midday program and the lauded afternoon show, Mike and the Mad Dog, which previously featured Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo. The staple of WFAN’s lineup for nearly two decades, the program blended nuanced sports discussion and lighthearted revelry, regularly dominating the PM drive ratings.
The new midday team has not yet completed a year together but already has recorded a 7.6 share in the winter ratings book to finish third among Men 25-54. The show has also been voted BSM’s second-best major market midday show by industry programmers and executives.
“Obviously you want to be number 1, but I want to make sure that our show is the best sports talk show in the world,” Licata said. “We’re on the best sports talk station in the world; we’re in a prime spot on that station, and I don’t look at others necessarily as competition, but I want to make sure regardless of what the numbers say that we’re doing the best sports talk show possible.”
In order to achieve the goal of improving its ratings, it is fundamental to have an idea of what drives engaging discussion. When the program learned that Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons would be out for the season with a lingering impediment in his lower back, it was not granted much consideration in the overall rundown.
Conversely, the dialogue surrounding a high-profile addition to the Yankees lineup who could possibly depart after one season to play for the crosstown rival Mets was a narrative they felt was worth exploring. It was up to Tierney and Licata to create a distinct angle, something Brandon effectuated through the synergies of apathy towards the Mets’ upcoming season and the potential of inking Soto and adding his offensive prowess to the lineup.
“You just have to use your instincts and kind of almost hear it playing out, not just between me and Sal, but then with the calls and how it’s going to sound coming through the speakers,” Tierney said. “To us, it was a natural U-turn, and I think we definitely did the right thing for sure.”
Immediately after a top-of-the-hour sports update, Tierney begins discussing how Licata is effectively punting on the Mets’ season. The introduction to the show is a bump introducing the hosts and a music bed that played beneath the hosts’ conversation blending both New York baseball clubs. The program has 20 minutes to enthrall and interest its audience in the first segment, and they make sure to bring the energy from the very beginning.
Within seconds of Tierney’s first point, Licata refines what Tierney is conveying by explaining that he believes the team is punting, but he is not and is entering the year with high expectations. Yet he is also aware of the reality that the team is not perceived to be equipped to win games to keep pace with other divisional teams such as the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
After a few minutes of discussion, the phone lines light up with requests from listeners to chime in. Hoffman screens the calls, trying to capture what listeners wish to contribute. The ones not fitting into the current content window are turned away.
Despite there being contrasting theories pertaining to including callers, Tierney and Licata weave them into most segments on the show. Hoffman expressed that some of the discordance between the two hosts is generated by the opinions made by the callers and that there are plenty of jovial moments along the way. The program values its listeners and presents hard-hitting, frenetic adrenaline at every turn, building congeniality and rapport by including members of the audience.
“Now let’s delineate between just starting a show, throwing out a phone number and being lazy and taking calls. We’re not doing that,” Tierney affirmed. “What we’re doing is we’re connecting to the soul of the city, and this city in its essence is opinionated, brash, loud [and] convicted. That plays well with us.”
Some sports radio shows conduct interviews with guests and include a variety of topics, but Tierney and Licata are focused this day on Soto and the Mets’ forthcoming season. In a passionate first discussion filled with nuanced, zealous optimism and pessimism alike, Hoffman sees that the show has missed its first break. As a result, he uses talkback to inform the hosts to end the segment, reminding them to make up the missed time immediately thereafter.
With commercials and other on-air production elements pre-loaded into the Wide Orbit software, Kramer operates the board while editing audio for a betting segment distributed to Audacy affiliates. The control room maintains a state of calmness as Kramer and Hoffman handle multiple tasks to achieve successful results.
There are moments in the show where Tierney and Licata agree with their listeners, and other times when they’ll challenge an assertion with spirited retorts. Once the show moves to its second hour, Tierney finds a new wrinkle within the main topic, subsequently accelerated the discussion.
The midday show seamlessly flows with four hours quickly passing by, utilizing a paradigm promoted by Spike Eskin. Eskin informed the hosts that listeners generally tune into a show for 15 minutes, thus the hosts need to supply them with as much as they can during that time. In accordance with this rationale, BT and Sal often welcome callers in the back half of segments, although there are times when they immediately dive in with callers.
“I love getting the listeners and callers involved in the show. I used to be one of them, so I know how fun it is to call up and get your voice out there. For me, it’s imperative,” shares Licata. “I know sometimes we get caught up in battling each other, but I love getting in the mix with the callers.”
Upon the second departure of Craig Carton from WFAN to join FOX Sports 1, management had to determine the future of its afternoon drive timeslot. The outlet chose to pair Evan Roberts with Tiki Barber, consequently creating a void in middays. In a conversation with station bosses, Brandon Tierney recalls telling them that out of everyone at WFAN, the person he would want to work with the most is Sal Licata. Even though he wasn’t sure if he would have felt the same way early in his career, the timing proved advantageous to launch what he believes is the most energetic and dynamic sports talk radio program in the country.
“When I thought about years ago being on WFAN and what it would sound like, the sound that Sal and I create is what I always envisioned,” Tierney explained. “Then when you get to know him; you get to know his family a little bit; you get to share some things off the air where you really build the trust, and there’s a friendship.”
Tierney instinctually believed that he and Licata had the chance to create a stellar program, and the pair have proven to be adept teammates. Palpable rapport exists between the two hosts despite having similar hosting approaches that include passionate expressions of opinion and fandom. Additionally, both possess a tireless drive and commitment to be the top-rated program in the format with no paucity of zeal and exhilaration. The midday offering has established its own flexible speed limit, and there is evidently no telling whether or not it will eclipse the established maximum and reach a new zenith.
“We’ve developed a relationship that I feel like he’s the older brother that I never had,” Licata said. “We’re not the same hosts, but we have a lot of the same qualities as far as passion, opinion, knowledge [and] reference point.”
Although Tierney and Licata may differ on their favorite baseball teams, they perceive the New York Knicks as the sports team that brings people in New York City together. As soon as Tierney discovers news of injured forward OG Anunoby playing five-on-five and being considered day-to-day 30 seconds before the next segment, he immediately shifts his focus.
Rather than discussing Carlos Rodón, he initiates a Knicks-focused conversation filled with hope of a medical renaissance. Unlike the news pertaining to Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets, Tierney chose to speak about Anunoby and the Knicks since the program is not beholden to the daily news cycle. Tierney and Licata incontrovertibly trust their instincts and speak on topics for which they are passionate.
“You’ve got to understand what people want to hear,” Tierney said. “You’ve got to also be adaptable, and I think one of the keys in radio is to have an editorial sense – not that you always react to the news cycle. I think it’s more important to have interesting content, which might not be the conventional stories.”
During one of the segment breaks, Licata retreats to his office to choose three packs of vintage baseball cards, one of which Tierney will select. The hosts play a baseball card guessing game where Licata has to identify the team for whom the athletes played in the year the card was printed – in this case, 1988.
“If I think it’s going to be fun for us, generally the listener who’s also a sports fan should have fun being able to play along, and it’s kind of snowballed here where I think it’s become a fun segment on the show,” Licata said. “A lot of people talk about it and say, ‘Oh, I remember that play,’ or this or that.”
Tierney realized that the pack of cards he chose was quite onerous as Licata struggled early in the game. He was close on a couple of guesses, explaining how he was trying to visualize the card in his head and the uniform colors to try and reach the correct answer. As the game continued, Licata began to get more answers correct and ended up going 7-for-14 overall. Throughout the segment, the hosts recalled memories of each player and genuinely enjoyed the look back into a national pastime. Licata wanted to play another round of cards, but the show ended up running out of time in the segment.
“This is a sports station – sports fans their whole lives have opened up packs of cards, whether it’s baseball, football, basketball; whatever,” Licata said. “It should be a quick 5-10 minutes max that people could have fun to where it’s just a fun change of pace from the otherwise same topic for four hours.”
While the remainder of the show largely focused on the overarching theme of baseball, the duo aspired to find ways to prevent the audience from feeling hackneyed or disinterested. Presenting each secondary point with candor and verve, their rhetoric was permeated with affectations and hardly glib.
Eskin was part of the process to cement the midday show with Tierney and Licata and has helped them grow, but he is now transitioning to SportsRadio 94WIP to return to the airwaves as an afternoon host. Audacy New York Market President Chris Oliviero is responsible for overseeing the cluster of stations that encompass the company’s portfolio in the area and is part of the reason why Tierney and Licata are excited about the future of the heralded sports radio enterprise.
“I hate to lose Spike because I genuinely do love him and have learned a lot from him and believe in him, but we’re going to be fine without him,” Licata said. “It’s not a knock on him. It’s WFAN, our boss Chris Oliviero has our backs and he’s another guy that I trust and believe in and he lets us be ourselves and believes in what we’re doing.
Tierney credited Eskin as a person who believed in him when he was paired with Tiki Barber and currently with Licata. When Tiki and Tierney moved from CBS Sports Radio to WFAN, it was one of Eskin’s first decisions that altered the programming lineup. The show ended up amassing high ratings and breaking it up was not the first choice in formulating the new lineup. Even though it is the route they ultimately ended up pursuing, Tierney is content in his current role and searching for more means of distribution.
“I think that this show’s got to be on TV,” Tierney said. “I think it’s criminal that people can’t see the visual exchange between me and Sal every day. What you hear from the speakers is one element of energy. I think when you combine that with the theatrics and the hands and the veins and just all the other mannerisms, I think it brings it to a different level.”
As he exits the studio, Licata converses with afternoon hosts Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber who are entering the studio to anchor the next four hours of programming. Tierney gathers his things and prepares to hit the road towards St. John’s University to film the magazine-style show, Red Storm Report, alongside head coach Rick Pitino. Licata remains in Manhattan, traveling to the SNY studios to film Baseball Night in New York ahead of a New York Mets spring training contest.
While their schedules remain packed, both hosts anticipate their next four hours on the air at WFAN, never taking a moment for granted. They both recognize the honor and responsibility embedded in having a weekday prime airslot in a major market, along with the value of local coverage within the aggregate content landscape. The intent for Friday’s show is to discuss the possibility of Barkley signing with the Eagles, but of course, that plan is hardly set in stone. Instead, the show will adhere to its commitment to the audience, honing in on what appeals to WFAN listeners.
“There is no greater feeling in my life than being on the radio or in front of the camera – and actually I prefer even being on the radio to being in front of the camera,” Licata said. “It’s just something I’ve always loved, and every second that I get to speak with the mic on, I want to make sure I’m as passionate and as energetic as I possibly can be.”
“I don’t take myself too seriously; I take the show seriously, meaning I really care about the show,” Tierney added. “But I don’t view myself as anything other than a guy who’s creating content and having conversations for four hours a day. I’m not special – I’m good at what I do and I love what I do, and I took the chance years ago on this profession, and thus far it’s rewarded me.”
Let’s just cut to the chase. Pat McAfee is a freak of nature. He is a goateed gorilla escaped from its cage, a tank-topped terror wreaking havoc on the mild-mannered world of sports, a boisterous bull with ESPN as its China Shop.
He is like Donny and Marie – a little bit country and a little bit Rock ‘n Roll. McAfee is part bumpkin and part brilliant, part reckless and part raconteur, part simpleton and part savant. With his NFL punting background and redneck personae, he is equal parts Ray Guy and Larry the Cable Guy.
Call him what you want, but ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show and the host for whom it is named is a TV miracle. First of all, McAfee was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009-2016. Not many special teams players, least of all punters, have made a post-career impact in media. And I’m not going to lie to you, it’s taken me a while, but I’m sold on him.
I was skeptical at the jump, totally ready to dismiss McAfee as just another dude trying to be different – a poser acting tough to stick it to the sports media establishment. To many, he may still be that. Depending on your perspective, the Pat McAfee experience is a mixture of everything that is good or bad in sports.
I am leaning toward the former. Give McAfee credit. He is not only thriving now, but mark my words, he is going to change the look and feel of sports talk television moving forward. Moreover, McAfee is doing this at ESPN, a bastion of original personalities who predated him.
Stephen A. Smith on First Take, Peyton and Eli Manning on the ManningCast, Chris Berman and Tom Jackson on NFL Primetime, Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann, Rich Eisen, Stuart Scott, and Linda Cohn on SportsCenter – these and others have not only broken the sports TV mold, they forearm smashed, suplexed, and dropped the big leg on the mold, shattering it to smithereens.
I’m not ready to put a Pat McAfee in that historic pantheon of Bristol beauties, but he has actually done what almost every sports talk show aims to do. I mean, how often have you heard a host or producer say something like, “We are trying to create a show that is just like sitting around, talking sports, and having a beer with your buddies.” Innumerable shows have attempted to do this, but McAfee has literally done it.
Like Sandler in the Grown Ups movie franchise or Clooney in Ocean’s film trilogy, McAfee has grouped together a bevy of buddies to talk about the games. They may not be crushing brews on air, but it would not shock me if they each had a rack of PBR’s stashed under their desks. McAfee‘s band of brothers look like The Oak Ridge Boys circa 1976.
There is Ty Schmit, the Iowa corn-fed crony who has parlayed an internship on the McAfee show into a regular on-air slot. “Boston” Connor Campbell who clearly buys his t-shirts from that guy with the spray paint kiosk at the mall, has a mullet, and somehow is a New England Patriots’ fan.
I’m from Massachusetts and if this guy has New England ties, it has to be in or damn close to New Hampshire, where a mullet, beard, Timberland work boots, and at least one kitchen appliance on the front lawn are not only recommended, but actually the law.
Tone Digs is another cowboy swinging open the doors of this saloon. With his Stetson hat, enviable beard, and sports acumen, he is a mystical cross between Charlie Daniels and Merlin Olsen. Ex-NFL’ers Darius Butler, Chuck Pagano, and A.J. Hawk are also regulars. Ladies and gentlemen, to paraphrase the classic Oldsmobile commercial, this is not your father’s sports talk show.
McAfee’s crew is not objective. They do not wear Armani or Gucci. They do not always use the King’s English, and they don’t screw around with political correctness or conventional conversation. Don’t call Pat McAfee a game changer. That’s too easy. He’s more of a game breaker, and it’s working for him.
He not only has his own talk show, but also broke into the established group of hosts on ESPN’s College GameDay program joining the proven likes of Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Lee Corso, and Desmond Howard.
This past year, McAfee took GameDay to a new level of irreverence and absurdity. With Nick Saban waiting in the wings to join the show this season, who knows what the future holds, but the McAfee effect shook the cobwebs off of that venerable program and raised the games of the particulars.
On The Pat McAfee Show, there is a constant crawl at the bottom of the screen putting out disclaimers about content, quoting guests, providing news updates, and letting viewers know what the show is all about. The truth is, I don’t think McAfee even knows what his show is all about.
He does, however, know how to get A-list guests. Granted, many of them are ESPN colleagues like Adam Schefter and Kendrick Perkins, but they don’t seem to be on the show out of obligation. In fact, they spend most of their provided block smiling, laughing, and getting a general kick out of the original and ribald discussion.
McAfee has done what most shows only dream of doing. He has created a program that people want to join as a guest. Outside of sports, this has been accomplished by shows like Hot Ones with host Sean Evans and TheJoe Rogan Experience podcast.
Agents and publicists ask, and sometimes beg, to get their celebrity clients on these popular programs. The aforementioned ManningCast on ESPN’s Monday Night Football has hit that same high note.
Thanks partly to his association with Hawk, a former Green Bay Packer, McAfee rode his exclusive interviews with former Green Bay and current Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers to fame, and he has made the most of it.
Many have decried this, but that is just petty jealousy. Instead of whining about McAfee, they should be asking why Rodgers liked being on with McAfee. It was not just the presence of former teammate Hawk, but the open, honest, and relaxed nature of the show. Don’t hate, emulate.
Watching The Pat McAfee Show is almost like being hypnotized. You don’t think it can happen to you, but as you sit there, you are entranced. In fact, you really don’t know what you’re watching. There’s a punter with no sleeves, some Travis Tritt lookalike, a guy with a cowboy hat, and some dude from Iowa. Like, what the heck is this?
One aspect of The Pat McAfee Show that has been a topic of discourse is his periodic use of swear words. I get it. It’s kind of cool, daring and different, and I’m no prude. In fact, I have always believed that a well-placed cuss word can bring emphasis and humor to any discourse.
Comedian Dennis Miller is a great example of this. Hearing swears on ESPN can be startling to viewers. It can also take offended or parentally-guided eyes off the program. I don’t think the swears are necessary, but it is really up to McAfee and ESPN if the shock value is worth it.
Despite the relaxed atmosphere, I am sure that the ESPN version of The Pat McAfee Show was not just thrown together. There had to be a bevy of programmers and consultants who gathered to craft and create this program. I also have a feeling that McAfee probably told a few of these suits to go suck an egg.
Dude is riding the crest of a massive wave of success and seems to actually appreciate it. He knows he is lucky to be doing what he is doing where he is doing it. McAfee may have no sleeves, but he’s got a lot of heart. He actually cares about sports, wants to connect with people, and show them a good time.
Pat McAfee doesn’t look, act, or sound like a TV guy. Good for him, we have enough of those. This hyper hillbilly hellion is changing the face of sports talk, kicking tail, taking no prisoners, and making sports fun again.
Understanding your customers’ whereabouts and who else competes for their attention is critical for business success. Conducting your own market research, consulting existing sources, and looking into competitive analysis are equally important steps in identifying opportunities, carving out a market niche, and making advertising decisions.
Market research boils down to understanding your customers’ needs, resources, and preferences. For instance, if you’re selling golf carts to local golfers and families in a “golf cart community,” targeting areas dominated by apartments and lower-income housing wouldn’t be wise. Diving into demographic data such as age, income, interests, and location can gain invaluable insights into your potential customer base’s preferences and behaviors. Sales reps should have access to this and customize it for you, providing a clear picture of your target market.
Understanding where your customers are located and how to reach them effectively is crucial for making sound marketing decisions. Consider conducting your own research, such as using Survey Monkey and questionnaires, to understand your customers’ thoughts and pain points.
This is only half the battle, though. Conducting a competitive analysis provides insights into the strategies and positioning of your competitors. This exercise helps identify opportunities to establish a unique selling proposition (USP) and carve out a distinct market position. Identifying competitors by product line, market segment, and geographical reach is essential. Determine their market share, strengths, weaknesses, and what sets them apart. Warby Parker eyewear differentiated itself by adopting a direct-to-consumer approach online and in smaller stores, distinguishing itself from giants like Lens Crafters.
Simultaneously, it’s crucial to judge how easy (e.g., restaurants) or complex (e.g., new car dealerships) it is for additional competitors to emerge. Some industries face significant hurdles, such as government regulations (e.g., broadcast radio), while others benefit from tremendous brand loyalty (e.g., churches), which acts as a barrier to entry. Additionally, consider indirect or secondary competitors.
Does Walmart sell your product? Could they? Analyzing marketing and advertising spending levels for your competitors is also insightful. Where do they advertise, and how much do they invest? If competitors allocate no budget to print advertising and you’re questioning its effectiveness, it might be time to reallocate budget. Keep that media sales rep on speed dial. It may be time to re-do the advertising budget.
Utilizing market research and competitive analysis are invaluable tools to point your business in the right direction. By understanding your customers and staying ahead, you’ll seize opportunity and keep business in growth mode based on market intelligence.
“Coming up, the latest from the war in Gaza. But first, a word from my good friends at Foonman Automotive…”
First of all, that’s a lousy tease. You should sell the meat of a story not just say “Coming up, the latest from…”. That’s pure laziness. Also, linking a humanitarian crisis to a station’s client doesn’t do Foonman Automotive any favors.
The point of the example is to illustrate that common transitions to a live personal endorsement raise the decades-old question of whether endorsements should even be allowed by news presenters.
Years ago, personal endorsements were considered heretical for news radio people. Some news and program directors today still think endorsements undermine credibility. I was a radio news host for 48 years and have always been allowed to do endorsements. It was a great perk and I always felt it made me more relatable to my audience.
At KFBK in Sacramento, I did live spots for Oreck vacuum cleaners. I believed in the product and talked enthusiastically about its light weight and superior cleaning ability. At the end of every spot, I adlibbed the tagline, “Get an Oreck. It really sucks.” More Orecks were sold in Sacramento than any other market in the country. (This was the mid-80s, by the way. The word, “sucks” was considered somehow nasty and never uttered on air. That’s another topic for a future article.)
Once, I was hosting a news show in Dallas when our morning reporter sat down in the studio for a live report. I teased the story and went into a commercial break that started with me doing a personal endorsement. From there, we went to recorded spots, during which the reporter said to me, off the air, “If I was news director here, you wouldn’t be allowed to do endorsements.” The comment came unbidden from left field. It was insulting but I just smiled and replied, “I think listeners understand the difference between news and a commercial.” We left it there, went back live, and talked about his story.
This whole business of personal endorsements and credibility has been redefined in the past couple of decades. Neck-deep in the era of fake news and assumed bias, we’re nearing the point where the very notion of credibility is anachronistic. Social media has influenced news to such an extent that it drives opinions not only of the subject but also of the source.
Pew Research recently found that half of all Americans who consume news get it from social media, which is to say we’re getting our news from each other. Social media hearsay is driving opinions because posts on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and the rest are nearly always biased by the opinion of the poster. It serves the First Amendment well but it makes the truth and credibility of nearly all news reports questionable. That’s good to a point but some of us have just thrown up our hands and admitted we don’t know who to believe about anything anymore.
As a radio news personality operating in this modern environment characterized by suspicion of our content and sources, how can I be trusted to give listeners credible advice about the products and services that sponsor my show?
The question is funny in a way. It used to be the other way around: can I be trusted to broadcast factual news when I also do commercials? My answer has always been what I said to my Dallas colleague: “I think listeners understand the difference between news and a commercial.” Hell, for many listeners my product endorsement is probably more credible than the news I read.
I asked a few of my former colleagues about this. Crys Quimby, former News and Program Director for CBS giants KFWB, KNX, and WCBS, admitted, “…my opinion changed a long time ago, while I was still a news manager. For the first years of my career, I would have been extremely hesitant for news people to be involved in commercials. I recall when I was a young TV anchor, the station required me to do on-camera commercials for a car dealership. After a couple, I continued to object, so they lifted the requirement. While that was not a direct endorsement, it could imply such.
“As for literal endorsements, I now believe it is ok as long as the talent has used or uses the product and truly believes in it. I realize that’s quite subjective. But everyone deserves to make an honest living to the best extent possible.”
It seems most of the great news directors are adjusting their opinions, some grudgingly. Ed Pyle, retired long-time News Director at KNX, Los Angeles injects a note of sarcasm on the topic:
“At KNX, fighting (endorsements) tooth and nail finally failed when corporate ruled the radio stars would read (ads). It’s no huge deal as I see it when it’s just the voicing of a spot, live or recorded because it’s not the listener objecting. The worst — from a journalism purist’s point of view — is the endorsement commercial: ‘It’s only nine weeks and I’m already down six pounds thanks to Fanny’s Fat Deflator Shake.’ Endorsement spots may actually be appreciated by listeners roped into and looking forward to updates on the newser’s progress. The radio star’s reaction to them? ‘Hey, I’m losing weight thanks to all those free shakes!’”
I learned a lot from Crys and Ed. As CBS news managers, they were employed and schooled by what was known at the time as the Tiffany Network. It was the network of Edward R. Murrow and America’s Most Trusted Anchorman, Walter Cronkite. The traditions of news gathering and reporting in their time were sacrosanct. Unfortunately, these honored traditions are largely beyond memory today. We have a new reality.
This is 21st-century America. Nearly everything we say and do contains a commercial aspect. All of life is a series of popup ads.
Like it or not, personal endorsements are not going away. They are increasing in number and subject if anything. If you listen to sports talk stations, you will be bombarded with ads for testosterone clinics and titty bars. News stations tend to reveal their audience demographics with live spots for weight loss, hair restoration, pharmaceuticals, and every physical ailment treated by specialized quasi-medical practitioners.
The undeniable fact is personal endorsements work and they’re a great profit tool. Major market stations charge advertisers between 30 and 40+ percent premium rates for endorsements.
Account execs love endorsements. It’s a healthy chunk of change for them and for on-air talent whose audiences like them personally and believe what they say. Talent should be paid for endorsements but they also have a responsibility to our audience and ourselves to be honest. As Quimby said, the talent has to use and believe in the product. Otherwise, you’re just reading a mediocre script while being paid for a premium effort.
One more thing, going back to my example, “First a word from my good friends at Foonman Automotive…”. Stop with the “my good friends” nonsense. It makes you sound like a shyster from the beginning. And if you do it often enough, which you probably will because you’re too lazy to be creative, that view of you will seep into your audience’s judgment. Nobody believes you care personally about a sponsor unless you can inject a truly personal note: “I noticed a problem with my car this morning so I called Gus Gordon at Foonman Automotive and he told me…”
You’re a creative person, don’t be lazy. Do your job. Create.
