In the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nev., The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz broadcast two episodes live from Circa Las Vegas, a hotel located downtown off of the main strip. One of the means through which the Meadowlark Media-owned program is distributed is the DraftKings Network, which had its own setup from Media Row at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Le Batard’s program, however, broadcast from the remote location and welcomed fans to watch the episodes from the hotel’s Stadium Swim pool complex.
Even so, show producer Chris Cote found himself missing the buzz of Media Row on Monday morning while broadcasting back in the Miami-based studios. In reflecting back on the proceedings, he identified the busiest times as Wednesday and Thursday before informing Le Batard that he was thinking about it all wrong. Cote believes that Le Batard envisions the setup back when the show was broadcasting locally and presumably not as respected.
“You’re a top dog now,” Cote told Le Batard. “You get respect now, and I know Stugotz was kind of complaining about these parts of it. Even though I don’t believe him, he misses being just one of the shows, but I just feel like nowadays if you went there for the entire week like Stugotz, you get left alone for the most [part]. You’re in your bubble, and the people that you want get brought to you. I just don’t think it’s as sad as you remember it being all those years ago.”
The memory of Media Row that Cote affirms Le Batard has maintained despite alterations in the show is not the reality of the situation, Cote continued to express. In fact, he believes that Le Batard needs to experience how the show is received among other programs in today’s era. Show producer Billy Gil was disappointed not to be at Media Row on Friday, describing the scene as “Dope AF,” which led to Le Batard expressing his gratitude for Circa.
“My logic in choosing what it is that I chose I had reinforced when I met the people who came out to see us,” Le Batard said, “and so many of them were genuinely moved by the symbolism of us choosing something far away from Media Row to specifically be downtown.”
Gill mentioned that Le Batard did go on Media Row for an interview, to which he spoke to people about the logistics. They largely kept his presence concealed, trying to keep him hidden in the bushes knowing that he would otherwise be swarmed. Simply getting him in and getting him out was the goal that they achieved to ensure that he would have a seamless experience.
“I loved the live shows,” Cote said. “I just think the way you think of radio row is just not the experience you would have.”
Beasley Media Group has become the first radio company to report its fourth-quarter earnings for 2023, but the news was a mixed bag for the company.
The company saw a revenue decline of 8.7% in Q4 compared to 2022. In total, revenues dropped from $72 million in 2022 to $65.7 million for the quarter with adjusting earnings dropping by more than 50%.
Operating income for the company in the 4th quarter was $7.6 million. That figure is a drastic change from the same quarter in the previous year, which was an operating loss of $31.7 million. Part of the swing is the company is no longer paying a franchise fee for the Houston Outlaws eSports team it purchased in 2019 in the Overwatch league, which was dissolved in 2023.
“Beasley’s fourth quarter and full year financial results reflect the impacts of cyclical political revenue and ongoing advertising market softness, partially offset by the continued success of our revenue diversification strategy and cost management initiatives,” said Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley.
Upon the completion of Activision’s sale to Microsoft, the Overwatch e-sports league was discontinued, and our Houston Outlaws team was dissolved. In December, Activision paid Beasley $6.0 million in exchange for the return of our franchise license,” Beasley continued. “As a result, we made the strategic decision to pivot our focus toward higher-margin gaming content creation under our new Outlaws Entertainment brand.
“Consistent with Beasley’s commitment to enhancing financial flexibility and cash flows through debt reduction, we used the proceeds from these transactions, along with cash on hand, to repurchase $20 million of our senior secured notes at a discount. In 2023, we reduced debt by $23.0 million, strengthening our balance sheet and lowering our quarterly interest expense. With the return of the political advertising cycle and expectations for further digital growth in 2024, we intend to continue to opportunistically repurchase our senior secured notes this year.”
Like the great Peaches and Herb, Barstool Sports and DraftKings Sportsbook are reunited, and it feels so good. Barstool owner Dave Portnoy announced that DraftKings would be the company’s exclusive sports betting partner minutes after the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Breaking News: I'm proud to announce that Barstool has signed a multi year monster deal with @DraftKings We're back to our roots. DK is once again the exclusive sports betting partner of Barstool Sports. The more things change the more they stay the same. #dkpartnerpic.twitter.com/EvmDGK0shl
To celebrate, Barstool is hosting a free-to-play game where the members of its Chicago office will try to hit 41 free throws in a row to match the NBA team record. The contest begins on Monday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. ET.
The two companies originally worked together back in 2014 before Barstool’s deal with Penn Gaming. Penn sold Barstool back to Portnoy for $1 and rebranded its Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN BET. As part of the deal, Barstool could not work with another online sports betting organization for an extended period which turned out to be six months. Now, the Penn deal has officially ended, and Barstool and DraftKings are back together.
“This is a full circle moment for Barstool Sports,” said Dan “Big Cat” Katz on the Feb. 12 edition of Pardon My Take. “We were at DraftKings a decade ago and we’re back with DraftKings.”
According to Katz, Barstool’s involvement with DraftKings will include specialized bets featuring popular Barstool personalities, free-to-play games and a dedicated Barstool betting group on the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but according to original reporting by Sportico back in January, the deal is in the “eight figures” realm.
Barstool personalities are thrilled with the move and took to X to make their feelings known.
620 WTMJ has announced it will debut a new daily lineup on Monday, February 19th, featuring an abundance of new offerings.
The Milwaukee news/talk station will add The Midwest Farm Report — based out of Mid-West Family Broadcasting’s Madison cluster — from the 5-6 AM hour, which will lead into Wisconsin’s Morning News. That program remains unchanged.
After the recent retirement of host Jeff Wagner, the station is completely reimaging middays. Steve Scaffidi currently hosts from 9 AM to Noon but will shift to strictly hosting the Political Power Hour from 9-10 AM, with a focus on local and state politics. Additionally, Scaffidi will contribute to the station’s election and political coverage.
Former OnMilwaukee founder Jeff Sherman has been added to 620 WMTJ with a new program called The Upswing. Airing from 10-11 AM, the program will focus on business in the Badger State.
Greg Matzek will be paired with former Milwaukee morning TV anchor Jessica Tighe to anchor Wisconsin’s Midday News from 11 AM-1 PM.
In the remainder of Wagner’s former timeslot, the station has added Kristin Brey from Civic Media’s Liberal Talk network in the state to host Spanning The State from 1-3 PM.
Wisconsin’s Afternoon News will continue to air from 3-6 PM, with former television news anchor Julia Fello joining current anchor John Mercure.
What’s on Tap with Sandy Maxx (6-7 PM), and WTMJ At Night (7-9 PM) round out the local programming on the station’s lineup.
“As a Wisconsin-based media company, we are excited to further our commitment to providing best-in-class news content that unites the state and strengthens the communities we call home. With this new lineup, one thing we wanted to emphasize is a shift in who we hear on the station and how our content can be consumed,” said Good Karma Brands Milwaukee Market Manager Greg Scalzo.
“Our fans will hear from hosts with new, diverse perspectives and experiences with shows and stories distributed across all mediums to reach fans where they are. We remain dedicated to continuing 620 WTMJ’s storied legacy, delivering purposeful news, and telling the stories that matter to you throughout Wisconsin. Our new shows and voices will give us more of an opportunity to relate and be relevant to anyone who tunes in, while staying committed to the mission of being Wisconsin’s News Radio.”
“Over the last year, we have meticulously worked to build the next generation of 620 WTMJ as Wisconsin’s Radio Station. We will bring not only more news but specific shows and voices throughout the day to keep Wisconsin informed and entertained,” added WTMJ content leader Michael Spaulding. “We are the intersection of newsmakers and the community, and we appreciate that responsibility. We’re not interested in simply reporting the news; we expect to continue to be a trusted companion in the lives of our fans – offering insights, perspectives, and voices they can rely on.”
Triton’s U.S. Podcast Report is out for 2023 and according to the results, Audacy is the No. 1 sports podcast network. The ranking is based on average monthly downloads for all networks measured in Triton’s U.S. Podcast Ranker from January to December 2023.
According to the metrics used in the report, Audacy reached an average of more than 37 million monthly podcast listeners, globally, in 2023. Audacy has over 600 sports podcasts in its portfolio.
“With more people downloading our podcasts than any other sports audio platform, this report solidifies Audacy’s position as the destination for high-quality sports content no matter where, when, or how you are listening,” said Jenna Weiss-Berman, Executive Vice President of Podcasts, Audacy.
Triton’s annual U.S. Podcast Report covers podcast listening trends and the devices and platforms listeners use. It covers the demographics and characteristics of podcast listeners overall and for specific genres and programs. For participants in the Triton U.S. Podcast Ranker, the report also unveils the most downloaded podcasts and sales networks for 2023 and the top podcast debuts. The report incorporates data from multiple sources, including Triton Digital’s IAB Tech Lab-certified Podcast Metrics service, which measures server log data from the Triton Omny Studio platform and other industry hosting platforms. It also includes data from the Triton Podcast Metrics Demos+ solution, which provides demographics and audience characteristics for podcasts of all sizes. It also includes the Demos+ survey of 12,000 monthly podcast listeners in the U.S. in collaboration with Signal Hill Insights.
The final day of our annual BSM Top 20 series has arrived. Thanks to everyone who has followed along and shared the content on social media. We greatly appreciate the support. Today, we recognize the Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Stations of 2023. If you missed any of our prior local and national results, click here to get caught up.
As you review these selections, please remember that the results represent the collective opinions of fifty eight (58) industry executives. I do not vote. My thanks to Alex Reynolds and Stephanie Eads for their help with the Top 20 creative process. A special thank you to Steve Stone Voiceovers for being our exclusive sponsor of the Top 20 series. If you’re unfamiliar with Steve’s work, be sure to click here to listen.
Regarding the voting, here are a few things to be aware of.
– These results are based on 2023’s performance. 2024 changes have no effect on the voting. Some shows went through change in 2023. We promote them based on how they ended the year, not how they started it.
– Our executive panel consists of fifty eight (58) program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and a number of independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large group in this process in order to include feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to prevent the results from heavily favoring one company.
– A total of 37 sports radio stations were eligible for voting consideration in the Major Market Sports Radio Stations category. Major markets consist of cities inside of the top 20 markets.
– Voters are asked to consider a bunch of factors when making their selections. Among the criteria taken into account includes originality, multi-platform impact, ratings and revenue success, and more. Keep in mind that our voters live in different cities, work for different companies, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect science, but it’s the best system we’ve come up with to showcase how sports radio’s brain trust view the best in the format.
And that brings us to the rankings for this year’s Major Market Sports Radio Stations. Our 2023 winner has now won this award six straight times, and seven out of the past eight, 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. The sports format’s top revenue and ratings producer claimed the top prize by thirty nine (39) points over WFAN. BSM congratulates Rick Radzik, Mary Menna and the entire Sports Hub staff on the well deserved honor, as well as every other sports station that earned a spot on this year’s Top 20 list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Stations of 2023
Additional Notes:
98.5 The Sports Hub earned the most 1st place votes with nine (9). WFAN finished with the second most first place votes, seven (7).
Spots 21-25 belonged to 97.3 The Fan in San Diego, Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan in Denver, 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, Sports Talk 790 in Houston, and Sports Radio 93.3 KJR in Seattle.
The tightest races saw 105.3 The Fan edge 106.7 The Fan by one (1) point, and WFAN slip by Sports Radio WIP by two (2) points.
Of the 37 sports stations eligible for voting consideration, eleven (11) received at least one (1) first place vote.
The final day of our annual BSM Top 20 series has arrived. Thanks to everyone who has followed along and shared the content on social media. We greatly appreciate the support. Today, we recognize the Top 20 Mid Market Sports Radio Stations of 2023. If you missed any of our prior local and national results, click here to get caught up.
As you review these selections, please remember that the results represent the collective opinions of fifty eight (58) industry executives. I do not vote. My thanks to Alex Reynolds and Stephanie Eads for their help with the Top 20 creative process. A special thank you to Steve Stone Voiceovers for being our exclusive sponsor of the Top 20 series. If you’re unfamiliar with Steve’s work, be sure to click here to listen.
Regarding the voting, here are a few things to be aware of.
– These results are based on 2023’s performance. 2024 changes have no effect on the voting. Some shows went through change in 2023. We promote them based on how they ended the year, not how they started it.
– Our executive panel consists of fifty eight (58) program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and a number of independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large group in this process in order to include feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to prevent the results from heavily favoring one company.
– A total of 64 sports radio stations were eligible for voting consideration in the Mid Market Sports Radio Stations category. Mid markets consist of cities outside of the top 20 markets.
– Voters are asked to consider a bunch of factors when making their selections. Among the criteria taken into account includes originality, multi-platform impact, ratings and revenue success, and more. Keep in mind that our voters live in different cities, work for different companies, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect science, but it’s the best system we’ve come up with to showcase how sports radio’s brain trust view the best in the format.
And that brings us to the rankings for this year’s Mid Market Sports Radio Stations. Our 2023 winner resides in Ohio just like last year’s winner, although operating out of a larger city. The top prize this year goes to 92.3 The Fan. This is the Cleveland sports station’s second trip to the winner’s circle. They claimed the top spot by finishing one hundred and twenty five points higher than runner up WGR in Buffalo. BSM congratulates Andy Roth, Tom Herschel, and the entire 92.3 The Fan staff on the well deserved honor, as well as every other sports station that earned a spot on this year’s Top 20 list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Mid Market Sports Radio Stations of 2023
Additional Notes:
92.3 The Fan won the category by dominating in top five finishes. However, The Fan didn’t record the most first place votes. 97.1 The Fan and WGR took that honor, each tying with four (4).
Spots 21-25 belonged to ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City, 107.5 The Fan in Green Bay, Sports Radio KFH in Wichita, 590 The Fan in St. Louis, and 1620 The Zone in Omaha.
The tightest races saw 97.1 The Fan and WFNZ hold off 101 ESPN and 93.7 The Fan by one (1) point.
Of the 64 sports stations eligible for voting consideration, twelve (12) received at least one (1) first place vote.
Over eight years ago I made a strategic decision that I wasn’t sure was right at the time. I named my company Barrett Sports Media. I thought about Barrett Sports Radio, Barrett Consulting, and a few others but felt the word media was important. Though I spent two decades in radio and planned to assist audio brands, I saw the bigger picture. Digital was rapidly growing, radio was stagnant, and video was dominant. Understanding that content would soon blend together, I chose consulting and covering sports media not just sports radio.
I mention this because I spent last week in Las Vegas where radio row was renamed media row. For good reason. There were over 170 outlets on site last week. Guess how many were radio stations? Under 55. That means that two thirds of the brands covering the biggest event in sports delivered content either through television, podcasts, social video, social audio or online publishing.
During my time on media row, I saw Overtime, Omaha Productions, AllCity Network, Outkick, Meadowlark Media, Yahoo Sports, and Sports Illustrated (who’s paying their expenses for that trip?) on site. Sports betting was well represented too by DraftKings, FanDuel, VSIN, BetQL, and Sports Grid. Far too many traditional sports radio brands were nowhere to be found.
The value of access and quality content created at important sporting events matters to fans and sports digital brands. These digital outlets ramped up coverage to serve audiences everywhere, while many radio groups decreased their presence and prioritized radio over multi-platform programming.
That is a big mistake.
Look back at the past decade and ask yourself, which sports media brands have produced the largest impact? If you work in radio, you may point to The Sports Hub, The Ticket in Detroit and Dallas, WFAN, and on the national level, Fox Sports Radio. All of them are excellent and great examples of format success.
But now look at it through the lens of sports media.
During the past 5-10 years, Spotify bought The Ringer for $250 million, Barstool Sports got purchased for $450 million, Outkick was acquired by Fox for a large sum, and brands like The Volume, Omaha Productions, Jomboy Media and Meadowlark Media have become highly valued as well. I didn’t even mention the record deals struck by ESPN with Penn National or the WWE with Netflix. How many sports radio brands have generated that type of value?
It extends to talent too. Pat McAfee built an empire on YouTube, earning a bigger paycheck from ESPN than any other talent. Shannon Sharpe launched a digital company and through a partnership with The Volume now earns more than he did at FS1. Dan Le Batard and his crew exited ESPN and instantly had a major financial investment waiting from Draft Kings. Many others landed in similar situations.
Great sports media brands and content creators are worth a fortune. Outlets will pay premium rates for those capable of attracting large audiences, regardless of where they originate from. Which leads me to wonder, why would radio groups stay home rather than take advantage of access and content opportunities in Las Vegas? Is it smart to give away audience, awareness, and potential advertising to digital outlets? Is spending a few thousand dollars to support the biggest game in sports not a smart investment? What’s gained by a brand by not being there?
I asked iHeart Sports EVP Don Martin about this during a stop at the Fox Sports Radio set. He pointed out that FSR is not only there to serve listeners, advertisers and the NFL, but they’re also the network many local stations depend on to deliver content from the biggest events in sports. In addition, their large set tells their radio partners on media row that they take their business seriously. They also had a podcast studio set up right next to the main set to create additional digital content. Very smart.
When stations look around the room and evaluate options, they can see FSR means business. There’s a multi-platform plan, and a focus on standing out. It’s why the network continues to gain steam in the national space.
During my three days on media row I saw some radio stations using lighting, cameras, and social to promote themselves. But I also saw many focused on radio shows and lacking a digital plan. YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram allow brands to reach different audiences than the ones they connect with on the radio. The more people inside your tent, the greater your brand’s reach, and the larger your sales opportunities. To have little to no video strategy during a massive week is criminal.
If you’re programming a radio station and not leading the charge to deliver multi-platform content and impact, you are setting yourself up to become extinct. Radio companies will change. As they do, there will be less interest in PPM experts and more demand for brand builders and multi-platform producers. Knowing how to excel at video, audio, and social is a must. AI may become a larger factor too down the road.
It used to be that radio owned audio, television owned video, and newspapers owned print. Those days are gone. We now compete in all three spaces. Being the best sports radio station in a local city still has value but being the best sports media brand in a city has far greater impact.
When I think of the great programmers of the past decade, I don’t think of many radio folks. There are still some great ones (Spike Eskin, Mitch Rosen, Chris Kinard, etc.) but if compared to Dave Portnoy, Jamie Horowitz, Clay Travis, Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd & Logan Swaim, etc. it’s a different story. Those folks have changed the sports media landscape. Not many in radio can say that.
To make a dent against stronger competition, you’ve got to be available and exceptional in multiple places. By relying just on radio, you’re giving away the present and future. You can tell me how great your ratings are but how much does that matter when digital sports brands are eating your lunch, advertisers are spending more on digital than radio, and multimedia outlets are worth more despite less time in the space?
It boils down to a few simple things. How seriously do you take your business? Are you willing to invest in it to stand out? Who are you hiring and are they capable of adapting to a rapidly changing sports media environment? Those questions may be difficult to answer. Showing up to key events shouldn’t be.
Each year we do this, I’m reminded of two things. First, how much it means to people across the sports radio business. Two, how subjective things are. Being the one who presents the results, I stay true to the votes even if I disagree. I also know going in that larger groups benefit more than independent companies. That’s because more voters represent bigger operations. There’s no way to change that.
Most of what gets shared is positive. I’m thrilled for every individual, brand and show that earned recognition in the BSM Top 20 of 2023 presented by Stone Voiceovers. However, there were three decisions this year that I strongly disagreed with.
BSM's Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows of 2023 presented by @stonevoiceovers. @FoxSportsRadio led the way with 8 shows cracking the Top 20.
First, Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo is not the 6th best national host in America. Russo, Cowherd and DP should be battling for spots 1-3. Sixth is way too low for Mad Dog. Second, Adam Schein ranked 18th? Sorry guys, that’s absurd. That might’ve been the result that bothered me most. Adam does an excellent job and should be in the upper tier on the national list. Third and final, Matt Moscona should’ve been on the mid-market PD’s and afternoon show lists. His omission is a classic case of missing out due to working for an independent group. If you know about the work he’s done in the state of Louisiana, you’d see that this was a miss.
Talking to folks at SiriusXM last week I learned that the company will soon be taking over operations of the Blue Wire studios at Wynn Casino. Wynn made a significant investment in 2021 to build the studio and partner with Blue Wire. Now, it will welcome SiriusXM as its new tenant. The exact date of that changeover I’m not sure of.
— Morning Show with Boomer & Gio (@WFANmornings) February 5, 2024
Blue Wire increased exposure and revenue during the last year, renting the space to high profile talent and shows. Whether Sirius continues to operate that way and retain key local staff remains to be seen. They’d be smart to do so as it’s produced revenue and exposure. Where Blue Wire moves next I’m not sure. The company did recently announce a few internal promotions.
The Volume: Colin Cowherd’s company has quickly created one of the best, must-attend parties during Super Bowl week. Everywhere you turn, smart, successful people are nearby.
A quick glance across the room and you saw talent on site such as Cowherd, Shannon Sharpe, Clay Travis, Mina Kimes, Dominique Foxworth, Kyle Brandt, Kevin Clark, Chad Millman and John Middlekauff. Execs were present too from Jamie Horowitz to Logan Swaim, Don Martin, Julie Talbott, Scott Shapiro, Bruce Gilbert, Kevin Jones, Maggie Clifton and Jon Goulet. Power agents were also there such as Michael Kline, Matt Cramer, Kevin Belbey, Mark Lepselter, Shaun Wyman and Jerry Silbowitz. Even reporters and social media leaders were visible from Andrew Marchand to Michael McCarthy, Omar Raja, Steve Braband, Matthew Kline, and Bailey Carlin.
Overall, another great event, and an outstanding location. The Beer Park at Paris, directly across from Bellagio was a tremendous choice.
Joy Taylor: When an earthquake hits, most people run for cover. Not Joy Taylor. The FS1 host continued her commentary on Patrick Mahomes, even as the room around her shook. Showing that she’s calm under pressure, it’s apparently going to take a lot more than a 4.6 earthquake to slow down the Queen of Speak.
1010XL: Dan Hicken is the gift that keeps on giving. The morning co-host of The Drill paid off his first “dime bet” of Jaguars season, which involved having to walk eleven miles to work. 1010XL went live on Facebook several times, posting original clips of Hicken’s journey.
Hicken’s second punishment was even worse. After losing a bet to Tony Boselli who correctly predicted that Josh Allen and Travon Walker would have over 25.5 sacks, Hicken had to take part in the ‘Mayo Sandwich Challenge’. That involved being doused in mayonnaise and having cold cuts tossed at him. He then had to make a sandwich out of it. Hicken may want to resist the urge to bet again next season. Though I can’t see how, it could potentially get worse 🙂
670 The Score: A tip of the cap to Shane Riordan, Chris Tannehill, Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel for their work on the rapid-fire Super Bowl predictions segment. This was well done, well produced, and an example of what can be done when shows have big ideas and determination to create exceptional content. Take a bow boys.
The guest lineup for @ParkinsSpiegel's rapid-fire Super Bowl predictions segment was incredible, hilarious, star-studded, random and also full of callbacks for the show diehards.
Jeremiah Fennell: Write his name down, and check back in the future. He’s going to be awesome if he sticks with the industry. The 11 year old whiz kid was poised, prepared, and polished interviewing members of the 49ers and Chiefs during opening night. The well spoken young man was a social media sensation, all due to being ready for the moment.
Press Pass Pick Ups: Las Vegas was an awesome Super Bowl city, the media party was a smashing success, and the visuals for media outlets across the city looked outstanding. What wasn’t great was the walk from Reno to Las Vegas to pick up a day pass or the five mile trip to get back to media row if for some reason you chose to leave the room for lunch or to make a call or see someone. Much of the week at Mandalay Bay was perfect but even the security guards and day pass folks acknowledged, the process for media folks getting in and out didn’t have to be so long and difficult.
Gregg Giannotti: I’ve been a fan of Gio’s dating back to his 93.7 The Fan days and remain a supporter of WFAN’s morning show. Gregg’s been great to BSM and our writers and the one time he called us out, he was justified in doing so. We butchered a social media post, which was hilarious though very inaccurate.
But last week he said something on the air about yours truly which was incorrect. It isn’t a big deal and normally I’d not even mention it but I didn’t want my team or clients to get the wrong idea. A few folks told me that the morning show mentioned me. I figured it had to do with the BSM Top 20 since Boomer and Gregg were voted the #1 Major Market morning show. I then learned that Gio mentioned me as a PD candidate for WFAN and said I previously interviewed for the job when Mark Chernoff left. That is incorrect. I’ve never spoken to WFAN about their PD opening. As I’ve said before, I’ve built a successful brand, love what I’m doing and have no desire to change it. Chris Oliviero is a great leader and he will find the right fit for The Fan. It just won’t be me.
Derek Futterman: Our bulldog reporter does an awesome job for BSM. He’s determined, smart, a strong writer, and constantly hunting to create good features. However, he’s also susceptible to a prank, which I do enjoy pulling from time to time.
During our Vegas trip, I informed Derek that Pat McAfee and Kay Adams were both anxiously awaiting to chat with him on media row for upcoming features. Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity, Futterman hurried to Mandalay Bay to discover no such situation existed. A few laughs were enjoyed afterwards. I’m pretty sure he’s still aggravated that he lost thirty minutes of prep time and rest over it. He’ll survive 🙂
I’m thrilled to add Maggie Gray as a session host to our upcoming BSM Summit. I’m also excited to have the WWE returning as a conference partner. Being a lifelong fan and supporter of the company, I’m pleased that we’re able to extend the partnership. It’s greatly appreciated. We have a handful of sponsorships still available. If interested in being involved, email Stephanie Eads at Sales@BarrettSportsMedia.com.
Last but not least, hotel room reservations must be made by Tuesday February 13th in order to take advantage of discount pricing. On February 14th, normal rates kick in. There will be no extensions. We’ve promoted this for six months. At some point, you’ve got to take care of business if saving money is important. To make sure you’re all set, click here.
If you didn’t get a chance to yet, check out Derek Futterman’s ‘Day Spent With: Fox Sports Radio. I thought it turned out really well. A special thanks to every host and show who made time for the story. This Friday, we’ll have our next installment, a day spent with a sports betting network, VSiN.
If you have a question, comment, news tip or are interested in writing a future guest column, email me at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. Press releases and interview requests can be passed along there as well. Thanks for reading!
It was a big week last week for those in sports radio with the announcement of the 2023 Barrett Sports Media Top 20 lists. Congratulations to all of the people who found themselves on the lists. You are the best of the best in an industry where there is a lot of talent and you should be proud. It’s always great to see so many people I know and those that I have worked with make these lists.
The work you do has been recognized by people in the know. So, now what?
Next steps really differ by what position you hold, however, the one thing you absolutely cannot do is stay silent about it. After all, if you don’t promote your accomplishments, who in the heck else is going to?
This has been one of the problems radio has had for years, a lack of real promotion. Often times the only place radio is promoting itself is to the listeners who are already tuning in to a particular station. Heck, remember when it was taboo to even mention another station in your building?
Radio needs all the help it can get in promoting the talent working the airwaves. So, when lists like the Barrett Sports Media Top 20 come out, those who get chosen and the companies they work for need to take full advantage. What exactly you should do can differ by position.
If you are air talent, the first thing you need to do is run down to the sales department. Make sure everyone in the sales pit is aware of your accomplishment. Make sure they know about the recognition you have received and explain to them how the BSM Top 20’s are decided. This isn’t a popularity contest or Jason Barrett sitting in his basement deciding which of his radio buddies he is going to feature. This is a big deal!
Don’t forget, as air talent, you also need to make sure you have recognized your producer and those that help make your show what it is. This is a team award, be sure to celebrate it as such. As good as you may feel for earning the recognition, make sure those around you that help make your job easier also feel the love. Perhaps even reward them in some way if you can with a small gift or a nice meal out together, similar to what a quarterback would do for his offensive line.
Talent undoubtedly will take note of where they finished this year versus past years, but they should also do the same for the other shows in their category. If you see one that has consistently been on top or which has climbed up year after year, those might be shows you want to pay attention to. I know this is going to sound crazy, but another idea would be to actually take a listen to these shows. Find out what they are doing that your show is not doing or what it is that makes them special.
As a program director, you may have been recognized, your talent may have been recognized or both. If you were recognized, just like the air talent, you also need to celebrate this as both an individual and a team award. Share your accomplishment with the enitre programming department and use it as an opportunity to make your staff feel good about the success. You know what a grind it is each day for everyone to be on top of their game and also know even the smallest recognition can make a world of difference for those working for you.
Personally, make sure your recognition hits your social media and certainly your LinkedIn profile. Out of all the people doing your job, you were chosen as one of the elite. A social post thanking your team and the listeners of your station is a great way to make people aware of what has happened and to pat yourself on the back for a job well done without being too braggadocious.
If talent under you watch, or your station as a whole, get announced as one of the Top 20, make it a big, big deal. Everything from social posts to interoffice memos, to celebrations toasting the winners to airing promotional announcements. Do it all. Again, nobody else is going to do it and as an industry, any recognition should be documented and celebrated.
And to our friends in upper management and the C-suite, what a great opportunity you now have to shine a light on your employees who have been recognized by peers of yours. In order for your companies to survive and thrive, you must have great content to offer. The shows making the Barrett Sports Media Top 20 lists are the best of the best and you should go out of your way to recognize thier achievements. Again, from the simple gestures of a mention in a company email or conference call to personal phone calls or emails from top executives all the way to celebrations, something formal like a plaque or maybe even a little monetary bonus. Any of it would go a long way.
No matter which position you have, find a way to use this recognition to the fullest. Help the sales team pitch you and your show, use it in your leadership position to make your team feel good about the hard work they put in, pump up your own individual profile or be the company who shows that it celebrates its best of the best.
You have earned the recognition. Celebrate it and then do what KISS said: “Shout it, shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.”
What took place this week on Boomer and Gio with their producer, Al Dukes, accidentally booking the wrong Randy Moss was not just the best thing I heard this week, it will also most likely be in the running for the best thing I hear this year. Sometimes the best part about live radio is that it is live and anything can happen. I am very grateful there is not only the audio, but the video as well. To see the look on Al’s face as he learns from the guys about “the other Randy Moss” is priceless.
I have two pieces from Barrett Sports Media I want to recommend you check out if you have not already. The first is Ryan Brown’s column on the NFL’s TV ratings blowing every other sport out of the water. “The margin by which the NFL dominates everything else TV has to offer is borderline embarrassing to the TV world,” Ryan wrote. Other sports are no longer competing with the NFL because they can’t, it is in a stratosphere all by itself.
The second is Derek Futterman’s feature on Kurt Warner who was part of Westwood One’s Super Bowl broadcast over the weekend. I will admit I am a bit biased here. I live in St. Louis and covered the Rams for sports radio during some of the “Greatest Show on Turf” years. As anyone who spent any time around Warner knows, he is as genuine as they come. No athlete has ever respected the media more than Kurt Warner. “I’ll always attack a problem, but I’ll never attack a person,” Warner told Futterman.
In 2016, Brandon Tatum was a police officer with the Tucson Police Department when a video of his experience at a rally for then-Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump went viral. Tatum has since turned that viral clip into a full-time job in the conservative talk space, first working on YouTube before joining the Salem Radio Network for The Officer Tatum Show, which airs live from 6-9 PM ET.
The former police officer has cultivated a large audience on YouTube. Currently, he’s approaching 3 million subscribers on his channel. But despite his success on the digital video platform, he doesn’t spot many differences between hosting a show on national radio and a YouTube show.
“I don’t really think about audience differences, I just do what I normally do,” Tatum said. “I say the things that I believe in…and I don’t hold back. So I treat both of them the same way.
“I think I’m a little more explicit on radio because there’s less restrictions in comparison to YouTube. You can be completely banned if you say something YouTube doesn’t like. Radio is a little more free. So I think that sometimes I’m a little more raw on radio, but as far as preparation and the things that I talk about, the tone that I take is absolutely consistent across the board.”
The idea that he’s able to speak more freely on a medium regulated by the federal government rather than on YouTube wasn’t lost on the up-and-coming radio host.
“It is backward, in my opinion. I understand why, to a certain degree, but it is kind of weird that every platform isn’t open enough that you can say whatever you want to say. We live in America. If you’re going to be a communicative platform for people, it would behoove you to allow people to say whatever they feel,” argued Tatum.
“And if they’re wrong, let people challenge them on being wrong. But the censorship on social media is asinine to me. I get it. So many social media companies are private businesses. They exercise the right to do put whatever policy in place that they want…It’s something that I understand.
“I’m disappointed that it’s the reality of it. In the time that we live in, you have to just be mindful of being strategic about the way you communicate. On YouTube, I just can’t say certain things, but I still am going to communicate within their policy so I can still get the word out.”
Tatum admitted that one of the advantages of YouTube is the immediate feedback garnered from viewers.
“I know how many people are watching my YouTube channel. I can see the numbers. It’s almost like instantaneous feedback. I can see what people are saying about what I said because there’s comments and people send me messages and things from the YouTube channel. Radio is just a shot in the dark. I have no idea how many people listen to me at any given time, and I don’t know what they think about what I say. So that’s just a slight difference.”
Another difference for Brandon Tatum — who began his radio program with Salem Radio Network in 2022 — was breaking up his content to allow for commercial breaks.
“It’s kind of hard for me to stop for five minutes and then come back. And then when you come back, sometimes you have to read an ad when you come back. So then it’s even more of a time period between when we took the break and when you get back engaged in the conversation. So that’s just a little bit of an adjustment period for me,” said Tatum.
“And so that’s one of the differences and why it took me a little bit to kind of get used to that, to kind of get my ideas out, be able to take the callers, and get out of the break before I just completely run out of time. I still think it’s something I’m working off even today.”
Brandon Tatum said his first offer from Salem Media Group was to host a podcast, which he turned down because he thought the idea was too similar to his burgeoning YouTube show. However, when Larry Elder departed the radio network, that enticed him to consider the medium.
“That appealed to me more than anything. I thought ‘Wow, Larry Elder is leaving. There’s a gap there.’ There’s an opportunity to continue somewhat of the legacy of the black conservative voice. And I’m not trying to bring up the black thing. It’s honestly irrelevant, but people kind of see it that way. You don’t get a chance to hear from a perspective of a man in America that’s black.
“So I thought that Larry Elder did a wonderful job being that diversity of voice, and I wanted to continue that,” said Tatum. “I didn’t want the radio to go on without Larry and people not having an opportunity to hear what it’s like in this world that perceives you as a black conservative and that perspective.
“When it comes to talking about those issues, it’s kind of almost as if you don’t have the diversity, you’re limited. So I knew that there would be an opportunity for America to hear a wide variety of voices from different perspectives if I were to continue in Larry’s position, so that’s one of the major reasons why I did it. It wasn’t for selfish motives. I had no desire to be on the radio. When I thought about it, some people told me don’t do it. It’s too much. But I said ‘You know what? It’s bigger than me.’ And I really want people to be able to hear that voice.”
Brandon Tatum has taken the ball given to him by Larry Elder and ran with it. He maintains that he’s not the only Black conservative in the media space and believes that section will continue to grow in the future.
“There’s a tremendous amount of room for growth. I think that we haven’t even tapped into a fraction of putting out there the talent and the ability to communicate from black conservatives,” Tatum said. “I think for a long period of time there weren’t a lot of black conservatives. I mean, there’s an influx when me and Candace (Owens) started, there were really no prominent black conservatives doing it.
“Now? You probably have hundreds, and many of them have converted. Many of these people are already talented on social media, but they were liberals like me and Candace Owens. And so I think we’ve seen an explosion…I think it is just going to grow exponentially from here, given the fact that it spawns more Black people who have a conservative voice, and then also they’ve seen a level of success for me and Candace.
“The explosion of black voices, I think it’s incredibly important. A lot of young people can be influenced, if they hear the right people that they identify with, saying the things that they know to be true or they later find out that find out is true.”
