January 2024 was a great month for sports studio television, as shows on FS1 posted record highs for the month, including two most-watched months ever. First Things First and The Herd with Colin Cowherd had their most-viewed months ever in Jan. 2024, while Speak posted its most-watched January ever.
Ratings continue to rise for @FS1's afternoon lineup ????
The Herd‘s Jan. viewership was up 13 percent year-over-year and the first month of 2024 marked the show’s 14th consecutive month of growth. The month’s impressive numbers were no doubt aided by The Herd’s most-watched edition ever, which took place on Jan. 15.
Likewise, First Things First had its most-watched month ever, with January viewership up 33 percent year-over-year, marking the 17th straight month of consecutive viewership growth. The Monday, Jan. 22 edition of FTF had 335,000 viewers, the most for a live edition of the show in its history.
Speak had its most-watched January ever, up 27 percent compared to Jan. 2023, which marked the series’ 15th consecutive month of YoY growth. Speak, alongside its afternoon block colleagues, followed up a record-setting 2023 with a strong start to 2024.
WFAN in New York hosts Gregg Giannotti and Boomer Esiason discussed FOX replacing Greg Olsen in the number one booth with Tom Brady this morning. The Boomer & Giohosts had very different takes when it comes to what the public reaction will be to Brady when his analyst career begins at the start of next season.
Esiason, noting how Brady is known to be a “maniac when it comes to preparation,” said he believes Brady and FOX will use the upcoming Super Bowl as a practice session. “I would imagine that he and Kevin Burkhardt are going to be somewhere practicing this Super Bowl,” he said, and added it could help with learning the goings on of a broadcast booth including vernacular and technology.
Esiaison said, “He’s got big shoes to fill, the popularity of who he is replacing.”
That is when Gregg Giannotti offered a different opinion than most. “My take on that is nobody really likes Greg Olsen, they just don’t like that Tom Brady is coming in and pumping him out,” he said. Giannotti said Olsen is “getting pumped up to a level like he is the greatest color analyst of all-time. Because Tom Brady, who is generally disliked by most of the football viewing public, because of the Patriots and the cheating scandals and all of that, people were sick of him…But now, Greg Olsen gets knocked out because big bad Tom Brady is coming in.”
Esiason said he thinks Brady’s first game will be one of the most viewed opening week games of all-time. He said it may take fans “getting used to Tom Brady’s voice, because it’s a new voice. You have heard it, but you are going to hear it in a different vein.”
Giannotti pointed out how it has been difficult for some players to make the transition to broadcasting and Esiason brought up Greg Olsen. Gio replied, “And now look, he is enemy number one of the NFL viewer right now, he gets crushed. Jason Witten – that was a disaaster, Booger McFarland was a disaster.
“To go in to the booth now and have everybody criticize everything you’re saying. They will hate you. Everyone will hate him. He would have to be John Madden reincarnated, and he’s not going to be that, why put yourself through that, I don’t understand.”
A conspiracy theory claiming the Pentagon has rigged Super Bowl LVIII for the Kansas City Chiefs as part of a ploy to allow Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to endorse President Joe Biden has made the rounds in conservative media circles. SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly questioned the theory and those spreading it.
“Literally people believe this people on the right who I like and respect are pushing this,” The Megyn Kelly Show host said. She then read off a tweet from former Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who peddled the conspiracy by saying the relationship between Swift and Kelce was “an artificially culturally propped up couple”.
I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month. And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall. Just some wild speculation over here, let’s see how it ages over the next 8 months.
Kelly continued by adding “Others have been even more explicit saying this is all one big psyop against us.”
The former cable news host then questioned why the voting habits or political preferences of someone like Taylor Swift are even a story on conservative radio.
“I don’t understand why people are so afraid of her,” Megyn Kelly said. “People are acting like Taylor Swift holds the key to the Presidency. Why are people living in fear of this?”
Fox News host Jesse Watters accused MSNBC of trying to brainwash its audience after Joy Reid swore in a hot-mic incident earlier this week. Keith Olbermann doesn’t trust the source of the criticism.
During his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast, the former cable news host took a shot at Watters for his criticism of Reid.
“MSNBC’s Joy Reid swore on the air the other night, apparently, and Watters — who is so unjustifiably self-confident that he truly owes part or most of his salary to professors Dunning and Kruger in licensing fees — decided that it was all part of a plot of some kind,” said Olbermann.
“What kind of plot he didn’t say. ‘MSNBC doesn’t respect their audience’, he said. He has them there,” joked Olbermann. “But he then blew the thing by adding ‘They’re not putting on a show to inform their viewers. It’s a brainwashing op.’ Everything to Jesse is an op. Problem here is to recognize a brainwashing op, Jesse, you’d have to have a brain.”
Watters criticized MSNBC, claiming there is division in the ranks about how to cover former President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Olbermann joked that Watters — who began his career as an intern for Bill O’Reilly — isn’t qualified to make any criticism about the ethics of a news organization.
Steve Cohen, Chris Kinard and Angelo Cataldi were previously announced as recipients of three of our awards this year, which means, there’s one award left – the Champions Award. This award is given annually to an industry professional who uses their platform to make a difference. Past winners include Jay Glazer, Adam Schefter, and Keith Murphy & Andy Fales.
What I love about this award is that it reminds everyone in the room about what’s important. Competing for ratings, dollars, downloads, and contracts may be part of the every day grind, but that’s just business. What’s remembered more are the moments when individuals take action to help others.
I created this award because I saw a lot of good being done across the media industry. That isn’t always captured in the press. Many times disgruntled ex-employees and those looking to benefit from radio and television’s demise paint a picture of a crumbling industry. But what they miss completely is how much good is done by people and brands operating in it.
Many of us get to play in the toy box of life each day. Others aren’t blessed to have the same opportunity. Yet some of us take it for granted. I’m a believer that professionals who use their platforms to help listeners or fellow media members, should be recognized. These are the qualities and acts that people remember more than opinions on sports topics. As part of this award, I personally donate to a charitable organization on behalf of our winners. I do so because I think it’s important to give back. We don’t leave this earth with our bank accounts, so if we’re in a position to help, it just makes sense to do so.
Having said that, let me tell you about this year’s Champions Award winner – Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan.
Colin understands how important it is to help. He’s been on both sides of it. As a host, he uses his platform to serve his audience. He’s got passionate opinions on the Steelers, Pirates and other topics just like everyone else but for Dunlap, there’s another layer that matters more.
For example, last week he took a call from an injured senior citizen who was unable to remove snow from her driveway. Without wasting time, he called on the community to drive to her house and help. That alone was worth highlighting, but it’s what he did last year that really blew me away.
A gentleman named Matt in Florida called in to Dunlap’s show and talked about his struggles with alcoholism. He explained how it’s affected his marriage, and Dunlap’s response made this year’s decision an easy choice. Many hosts in this situation would wish Matt well and move on to the next call or topic. Not everyone would leap into action to find a treatment center for an audience member. Especially if it involved having to find one in another state.
UPDATE: Matt wanted to say thanks to all the listeners who offered support/advice. We worked today to find a place near his home in Fla. He has his initial evaluation scheduled, is headed there soon w his wife and said he’s “committed to get better.” Thanks to all who helped. https://t.co/DKJAfZvYfF
But that’s how Dunlap is built. His first instinct is to find a solution. Then he makes the audience a part of the process. That’s why he’s this year’s Champions Award recipient.
I mentioned before that Colin has been on the other side of it too. He knows how much it matters to have help when facing a challenge. Colin was open about his daughter Darran’s battle with cancer at the young age of 5. When put in that situation, help is needed to produce a positive outcome. Many of you reading this are parents yourselves. If you were in that same spot you’d look everywhere too to ease your child’s pain.
Colin’s daughter continues to be treated for cancer care but received great news in 2019. During that process, he saw the best of the city of Pittsburgh. Local teams, media outlets, and everyday people went out of there way to help. SportsCenter even told the story nationally. Having seen the good that comes from involving a community has rubbed off on Colin. The beneficiaries are the listeners of 93.7 The Fan who get to hear it on display on a nightly basis.
I’m thrilled to have Colin joining us on Wednesday March 13th to receive the Champions Award. BSM will make a $1,000 donation to The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation at the Summit to show our support for the outstanding work he’s doing to help people. If you’d like to offer support too, click here.
“We certainly don’t do things to get recognized,” said Colin Dunlap. “But it is a good offshoot of what we do because the way I look at it it might compel other hosts, and really other people, to do things for others who could use their help. So while awards aren’t a goal, they can push people because of their visibility to help someone else.”
Tickets for the 2024 BSM Summit are on-sale through BSMSummit.com and the BSM Store. Full details of this year’s final agenda will be posted online at the end of February.
Welcome to the first installment of a ‘Day Spent With.’ This is a nine-week series taking readers behind the scenes for a closer look at different industry brands and people and the various jobs they do. Our goal is to present new features each Friday during the month of February and March, and leading the charge on this project is BSM’s Derek Futterman.
Over the course of these nine weeks, we’re aiming to highlight a variety of roles and programs. Among the positions to be featured will be voice artist, program director, market manager, social media manager, and media buyer. We will also spend time observing the daily process and execution inside of a sports betting network, national sports radio network, and sports digital brand. We are also leaving one slot open to see which of a few possibilities makes the most sense as we move further into the series. If you or your brand are interested in being part of the series, pitches can be sent by email to JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.
For the first feature, we sent Derek to spend a full day with the powerhouse voice talent team of Jim and Dawn Cutler. Many radio and TV networks and stations feature the Cutlers on their airwaves, and being the pros that they are, they take what’s sent in and make magic with it. But what goes into their daily process? What can stations do better to make their imaging stronger? Where is the future of voice work heading? Few know better than Jim and Dawn Cutler, and we’re excited to share their story with you.
When you first step into the voiceover offices of Jim and Dawn Cutler, you can see maps illuminated on the walls displaying where there is daylight and the times in major U.S. markets. As you walk ahead to the recording studios, which are sound treated and compact to capture the full resonance of every read, there is a sign adorned on the wall that reads, “Work hard and be nice.”
This mantra is a small example of the philosophy that underscores the work they do, trying to serve as an asset rather than a liability for their clientele. In a given year, the Cutlers deliver nearly 25,000 voiceover files, working diligently to convey their expertise through the content. The process takes place in an underground command center where dual-layered doors and thick walls keep the sound inside.
Clients of Jim Cutler Voiceovers do not receive gifts with the intent of flattering and/or appeasing to obtain work. Instead, the Cutlers try to remain loyal to their clients by providing effective and efficient voiceover work used in a variety of mediums. Doing this requires 16-hour workdays and even extra time when necessary. Because of the large amount of companies they serve and the timeliness of projects, it’s vital that they remain near a microphone virtually at all times. In the moments where they are away from the studio, they keep a microphone and laptop on hand to rapidly record and submit work.
The Cutlers’ workdays begin at 9am ET. Jim is often greeted with several assignments delivered via email from professionals around the country. There are periods throughout the day in which the workload decreases, along with seasons in which it is unrelenting. Some of the requests are labeled with urgency and/or set a particular deadline that the Cutlers need to meet. For news and sports entities in particular, they are consistently creating production pieces centered around current events. There are also times where copy is sent with a guideline to keep it within a given timeframe, oftentimes either 15 or 30 seconds.
“What do they want – [it is about] how to make their life easy,” Cutler said. “Boiling that down to the devil in the details, what’s the point in the story? In any piece of copy, there is a point to it, and you just build up to that.”
Because of his vast experience and expertise in the craft, Cutler accurately and adeptly reads copy and provides a stellar read on the first attempt. If there are mistakes along the way, he has no problem going back and doing multiple takes. There are occurrences where Cutler gives the client multiple versions to choose from, each slightly different conveying a different sentiment.
In talking to one thousand people per week, the Cutlers do not take shortcuts. They don’t let things linger and get back to people as soon as possible. In fact, there are numerous occurrences where they receive, record and return a voiceover request in 30 seconds flat. Taking what never moves beyond a side hustle for many prospective announcers and transforming it into a sustainable, lucrative career involves dedication to the craft, a credible track record and congenial, professional attitude. They don’t discuss their work in a condescending manner, instead remaining humble, dignified and devoted to their partners.
“There are guys who go on Facebook and just say, ‘So grateful and proud to have been able to do Jimmy Kimmel last night,’” Cutler explained. “I have the record for the most – I have 128 appearances – I’ve never done it once [and] I’ve never said it once, and I know that when people do brag and promote themselves like that, I hear a lot of grumbling from other people in the business going, ‘That’s really lame,’ so we just don’t do it.”
“We’d rather just bond with people and give them something that they can use,” Dawn Cutler added. “Something that helps them that makes the craft better; that makes our partnership [and] our collaboration with them better. That’s the most important thing. I don’t think we need to post our accomplishments.”
Jim Cutler begins printing voiceover copy from the moment he receives it so he is able to make handwritten changes in real time should they be sent his way. As he reads over the words and views or listens to elements, he depicts the final product and how he can contribute. From there, he starts recording and speaks forward with his Neumann U 87 Ai microphone positioned to the left and recording an omnidirectional sound pattern.
The sustained volume and intensity in which the Cutlers read scripts each day necessitates staying in shape, making time to exercise and refraining from smoking and drinking. On a given day, Dawn is recording and editing voiceover scripts in her studio while managing new entries from clients and serving as a traffic operator per se. Located next door, Jim is recording copy and participating in live sessions with several producers on the other end. In a five-minute period, Cutler completed 18 voiceover scripts and delivered all of the files to his clientele, frequently receiving little to no corrections or feedback.
When he is finished editing a file – which includes minimal processing and subsequent normalization – he names it and includes the proper timestamp. Lastly, he uploads it to designated folders in a file transfer protocol and notifies clients, who are able to quickly download the work on their website.
When the Cutlers create content through their photographic and visual endeavors, everything is centered on effectively telling the story. With dwindling attention spans, the days of protracted show introductions are over. Instead, hosts are advised to enthrall the audience with content and engage them in discussion to avoid transient consumption habits.
“The whole thing is engagement,” Dawn Cutler said. “It may not even be necessarily something that is topical; it may just be an issue that’s kicked around. You have to write for engagement.”
There are impeding facts of the job that render the process difficult at times, including the omission of things people could be doing better to avoid writing and sending bad copy. For example, including phonetics and/or recordings of abstruse pronunciations can assist in preventing errors and subsequent revisions.
Jim Cutler affirms that it is the No. 1 reason why content cannot be delivered back quickly at times. In fact, they both have a running document with over 10,000 phonetic pronunciations of names that they can reference before narrating a voiceover to ensure they are as accurate as possible. A maxim they believe is in competency, and that it will keep you ahead 80% of the time if you adhere to it.
Most of the time, the Cutlers break for lunch around 12 to 1pm but remain in close proximity to their studios and ready to work if a voiceover is sent. Although their schedules are strenuous, there is an empirical reprieve in the evening with the bi-coastal news break.
Regardless of the medium for which they are voicing, the Cutlers strive to keep the objective of the copy in mind. Within a two-minute span, they can voice sports radio, local news television and video game narration, traveling between each domain with aplomb. Referencing a quote from entrepreneur and author Scott Galloway, Jim divulged that he does a market analysis every three to five years to see where things are going. With the augmentation of artificial intelligence technology, he believes voiceover artists will effectively become obsolete within five years. Based on his experience in the industry and observations of technology, he envisions an era where a person can type a script and input keyframes to indicate inflection.
“There’s still going to be some live things,” Cutler prognosticated. “The difference is going to be that if it’s 80% AI, every single voice actor is going to be competing for the 20% that will be live that’s left. So it’ll be a part of what we do, but we’re really excited about all the other stuff that we’re doing as well.”
Located between their two studios, the Cutlers have a dedicated content area where they have a deluge of gear and equipment to be prepared within five minutes. Whether it is camera bodies, lenses, lights or tripods, they have the ability to record and produce visual content for other clients. On top of that, they are involved in numerous television projects and conduct research to create their own, eclectic content that has nothing to do with their voiceover work. A video they created on banned crayon colors, for instance, has received over 2 million views on YouTube. The voiceover work they are doing, however, is produced by other people within the entities whom they are serving.
“Ideally if we were producing, we would have our minds deeper into it and have a better understanding,” Jim Cutler said. “You can never do that because it’s written by somebody else, so you have to get there the best you can and ask questions. If it’s a regular promo, it’s usually understandable. If it’s something really special like an hour-long show or something like that, you’ve just got to ask a ton of questions.”
“We’re all over the map depending on what they send, so if you have on-camera sound, you know how your V/O track is going to work with that on-camera sound [and] what hole you’re filling,” Dawn Cutler added. “That’s why you want to know about timing, and see the raw video and then also you want to hear the music track or tracks.”
Jim Cutler believes that artificial intelligence will be adequate in voiceover within two years, evidenced by the rapid development and investments being made into the space. When the day comes to turn off the microphones, he and Dawn will spend more time behind the camera to produce owned content and participate in other projects. Even within their work on a typical winter day, they approach it with recondite perspectives gained through diversified experiences.
“Because we’re content creators, when we’re especially working with TV or radio, we can actually do a lot of production and a lot of editing and everything else, so we know how time-consuming it is,” Dawn Cutler said. “So we’re committed to making that edit or that production window very, very seamless for you: the producer.”
While media has endured record numbers of layoffs over the last year because of rising costs, altered revenue sources and emerging technologies, the demand for compelling, relevant content is extremely high. With all of the different projects, the Cutlers keep busy and are virtually always on call during active times, including the Super Bowl and U.S. presidential election.
“I can’t believe radio stations don’t replace a lot of their fluffy promos with dopamine-hitting, adrenaline-hitting news items that are made fresh for you every single day in the news,” Jim Cutler said. “You don’t have to write it. History writes it. You just take it and report it and make it interesting.”
Jim and Dawn Cutler have recorded hundreds of thousands of voiceovers over their years in the business, but they remain captivated and enthralled with their work because of its variety and inherent dynamism. As they work in their respective studios, it is evident that they have a passion and a gift for content creation, and are devoted to helping brands create and refine content. Whether or not Jim’s prediction comes true of his job being superseded in the next five years, he knows there are benefits to working with he and Dawn today centered on manufacturing stellar content – not a desk clock embedded with their logo inside.
“I think that using somebody externally can give your station a brand from outside your own people, and hopefully that person is experienced so that they can bring to the copy something more than just saying the words,” Jim Cutler said. “It’s still in demand, and it’s still interesting. Every time I think, ‘Okay, I’ve reached my limit as far as what I can learn,’ I’ll listen to other people and go, ‘Oh no, I can do better than that.’”
This article is designed to be sent to your advertising clients or used as content in social media posts. Feel free to edit or add your own stories. Or why not drop it off in person and make it easy for your client to pick it up and read it. Be the positive light of solutions in their hectic day!
Like Weight Loss and Exercise, Advertising Must be Consistent to Produce Best Results
Deciding to advertise your business always raises the question: how long should I advertise? The temptation is to do enough to see if it works before committing to a longer-term investment. Should you invest in periodic, high-impact campaigns or maintain a steady presence? Here is some research to help with that decision and why consistency wins the race.
1. The Elusive Impact of Sporadic Advertising
Go Long!
McKinsey researched more than 600 large and mid-sized publicly listed companies in the US over 15 years. It showed that firms with long-term advertising strategies had 47% more top-line growth than the other companies, 36% higher earnings, and an average market capitalization of $7 billion.
3. The Numbers Speak: Does Advertising Pay Off Long-Term?
Research Insight: Business Up with Ad Dollars
Looking at US advertising spending from 1960 to 2018, researchers found a significant increase in annual advertising outlays relative to gross domestic product. This shift includes everything from print to internet-based digital advertising. Businesses that maintain a steady presence benefit from cumulative effects—each ad builds upon the previous one, reinforcing brand awareness and driving results. Consider advertising consistently on a radio station as a compounding interest investment. The more you save and reinvest, the higher the return.
4. The Five Keys to Advertising Effectiveness
Insights from NCSolutions
NCSolutions and Nielsen conducted a comprehensive analysis based on nearly 500 studies. They identified five critical factors driving advertising effectiveness:
Creative: Engaging and memorable ads leave a lasting impression.
Reach: Consistent exposure to the target audience maximizes impact.
Targeting: Precision matters—reaching the right people at the right time.
Recency: Recent ads have a stronger influence on consumer behavior.
Context: Placing ads in relevant contexts enhances effectiveness.
Conclusion: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Consistent advertising isn’t glamorous; it lacks the adrenaline rush of a flashy campaign yelling about buying from you by the end of the month. Yet, it’s the steady marathon that yields sustainable results. Businesses should view advertising as an ongoing investment rather than a sporadic expense. Maintaining a consistent presence drives trust, brand identity, and growth. So, next time you consider turning off the ad tap, take the advice John Heywood gave almost 500 years ago. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Businesses aiming for long-term success should find an advertising partner that aligns with their customers, commit to a consistent plan, and reap the rewards of persistence.
Before football became a twelve-month sport with the NFL Combine, free agency, and the NFL Draft becoming television spectacles, it was baseball that carried the year-long heartbeat of the American sports fan. Winter trades and free agent signings took on the moniker of hot stove baseball with MLB executives regularly trading and signing big name players.
These days, with analytics, long-term contracts, and a preference for cheap home-grown talent over high priced veteran players, baseball’s offseason is not what it used to be. But fret not, the hot stove is alive and well in the form of MLB Network’sHot Stove, a complete baseball cavalcade airing every morning.
The show features host Matt Vasgersian along with Harold Reynolds and reporter Lauren Shehadi. This trio brings different skill sets to the broadcast making for a fun two hours. This past Wednesday, former Major Leaguer and current MLB Network personality Carlos Peña sat in for Reynolds, and the show still hit a home run.
The While You Were Watching Something Else segment provides up to date daily news from across the MLB scene. Vasgersian and Pena talked about a potential delay for Texas Rangers star and 2023 World Series MVP Corey Seager’s sports hernia surgery. Rangers Executive Vice-President and General Manager Chris Young provided audio questioning Seager’s status for Opening Day.
It was great having Pena on this particular show because he actually suffered a similar injury when he was playing for Tampa Bay during the 2008 World Series. He provided a somewhat graphic description of a sports hernia injury saying that your abdominal muscles literally rip from your pelvis.
Pena has become a very glib, articulate, and well-rounded member of the MLB Network talent roster. He has experience in the ups and downs of baseball having put together some great years and some disappointing ones in MLB. His animated style and upbeat conversation definitely add to a number of different MLB Network shows.
Hot Stove not only talks about the news of the day, but also provides a look at how teams attempted to improve themselves during the offseason. Joc Pederson appeared on the program to talk about his move to the Arizona Diamondbacks and how he feels about his new ball club. Vasgersian and Pena provided some really good analysis of the on-the-rise Diamondbacks and how they shape up in the tough National League West.
Lauren Shehadi joined the program and brought her usual enthusiasm and knowledge to the proceedings. She is absolutely terrific on her in-season program MLB Central alongside Mark DeRosa and Robert Flores. On this edition of Hot Stove, she voiced over video of Mets’ star pitcher Edwin Diaz rehabbing from a 2023 injury.
Shehadi always takes the conversation to unpredictable places. She tossed some good questions to Pena about the Rays’ rivalry with the Red Sox during his playing days asking him whether he was an instigator or peacemaker when a brawl erupted. Hot Stove also gets the fans involved in the program by showing viewer emails and questions.
Along with Shehadi, MLB Network reporter Jon Morosi is a regular contributor to the show. He offered some news on the Orioles sale to a group led by David Rubenstein and including Cal Ripken, Jr. Morosi also talked about the status of free agent Cody Bellinger revealing that sources told him that Bellinger is not close to signing with any team at this time.
Shehadi jumped in, discussing a list of notable free agents who remain unsigned including Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell, Corey Kluber, and Noah Syndergaard. The collaborative bent of Hot Stove is its strength, but it is Vasgersian who sets the tone.
The relaxed and thoughtful ringleader brings a portfolio of knowledge, interview skills, and self-deprecating humor. He doesn’t mind being the butt of jokes and throws out his own brand of humor in the discourse. Hot Stove is not just a talking heads show. It includes guests, graphics, and features, and Vasgersian orchestrates it all with John Williamsesque aplomb. He also does play by play and has established himself as an MLB Network foundation talent along with Greg Amsinger and Brian Kenny.
One of my favorite parts of Hot Stove is when Keith Costas joins the program. He provided excellent analysis on players who are looking to bounce back from somewhat subpar 2023 seasons including Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Costas knows baseball and adds insightful statistical analysis, but effectively mixes in some telling opinions and commentary as well.
I like the way he presents stats in a manner that is not overloaded. On this edition, Costas presented an interesting trend analysis of Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. showing how his stats differ based on the venue in which he is playing. Costas uses numbers to make a point in an easy-going and smooth fashion. I’d like to see him get more airtime at the network.
One of the strengths of Hot Stove is the regular parade of MLB players who join the show for interviews. Minnesota Twins pitcher Griffin Jax talked about his pitching mechanics and the leadership of manager Rocco Baldelli. Cincinnati Reds phenom Spencer Steer joined the program and talked about his solid 2023 season and what he expects for 2024. Vasgersian and Pena also welcomed Adam Frazier who recently signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. They exchanged banter on Frazier’s time at Mississippi State and some of the new additions to the Royals.
The research staff is also on point. Vasgersian showed a neat graphic comparing the 2014 World Series between Kansas City and San Francisco to the upcoming Super Bowl featuring the same two cities. There were actually some similarities between the teams, pretty cool stuff.
Shehadi and Morosi provided a look at the 2024 Caribbean Series currently being played in Miami – the first time ever in the United States. They also talked about the ongoing free agency of Adam Duvall and Michael A. Taylor. Costas then rejoined the program with a statistical analysis of the Twins and a look at division odds according to BetMGM.
Coming out of a promo bump for an MLB Network show on the Top 10 Third Baseman in the big leagues right now, Vasgersian offered his all-time Golden Era for third baseman with classic late 1980s video of George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, and Paul Molitor along with mentions of Buddy Bell, Howard Johnson, Carney Lansford, Terry Pendleton, Matt Williams and others.
Looking back or looking ahead, young talents or veteran superstars, Hot Stove covers it all. Variety and commentary are the hallmarks of a show that delves into the guts of the game and gets viewers pumped for the upcoming season. Hot Stove lives up to its name, giving fans a sizzling look at baseball from every angle.
Typically, the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl can mean a big boost for sports talk radio. But as sports, politics, and culture continue to intertwine, the opening for news/talk continues to grow during these two weeks. And we get to do it without the awful, cheesy, salesy interviews from Super Bowl Radio Row!
In recent weeks, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have stolen the headlines of the NFL season. In fact, in what feels like the first time in a long time, the X’s and O’s story on the field before the Super Bowl is far from the biggest story going into the game. It’s the off-field storyline around the two lovebirds. It’s a beautiful blend of sports, culture, and politics wrapped into one nice package of two celebrities: the sports star and the pop star.
It’s a match made in heaven, and it’s talk radio gold.
The question is: If you’re a news/talk show, will you figure out a way to royally screw this up as so many have?
If your goal is to appear like an out-of-touch, old, angry conspiracy theorist, then by all means, join the portion of the “online right” who have elected to take the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift story and turn it into a secret plot to help the Democratic Party in 2024. Huh?
Everything from the NFL is rigged, to the relationship being fake, to Taylor Swift getting attention to set up a Joe Biden endorsement to her being a Pentagon asset have made the rounds on social media and on corners of cable news.
This noise has been coming from those generally on the right side of the political aisle, and there may be a temptation for some, who might assume those with large, national platforms might know what they are talking about. Please understand, they don’t.
This story creates an opportunity for news/talk to expand its audience beyond the base of die-hard P1s that we overly rely on. It’s a chance to show off our pop culture knowledge, embrace the top pop culture story of the year, lean into the football angle, and prove to the listeners across our cities that we aren’t one-trick ponies reading Presidential polls. While that is an unfair characterization of our format at large, it remains accurate for too many, unfortunately.
But by taking this golden opportunity and turning it into an alleged psyop on behalf of the Democratic Party and Joe Biden, will only continue to detach our format from cultured, smart, and information-seeking 25-54-year-old adults, who could be listening to any other format in the marketplace.
Oh, but you say that some of the biggest personalities in the “online right” have gone viral pushing this nonsense? Yes, they have. But their goals are far different from a talk show host.
These individuals care about nothing more than their online traction and ability to go viral. And yes, it’s our job to get ratings and grow the audience, but like anything else, at what cost? Clicks on social media are a different strategy from consistently growing ratings and trust in our medium. Our level of trust with an audience that tunes in every day goes much deeper than getting affirmation from various corners of the internet. They’re playing a different game. Some might say grifting is too strong, but it’s not.
It’s a grift and it’s a well-coordinated one, at that.
But the end result will be two things:
1) Republicans losing more elections by looking like absolute lunatics who would go to war with America’s favorite pop star, when she has given zero reason whatsoever to deserve it.
2) Declining ratings and listenership in a format that is already struggling to reach the younger end of the demographic, which is occurring already for various reasons, some out of our control, some self-inflicted.
So as you look at this story, use it to your advantage. Have fun. Be original. Find angles. Showcase your depth of knowledge and interest in life beyond the political headlines of the day. Be the personality you’d want to take to and hang out with at a party.
And yes, you might get some pushback from your P1s. But just Shake It Off, they’ll be there, I promise. You don’t have to worry about any long-term Bad Blood. In our Wildest Dreams, we could never have imagined a Love Story like this falling into our laps, yet it has. Embrace it. You won’t become the Anti-Hero.
Lawyers with media training have become essential for modern-day news. From breaking down President Trump’s indictments to the legal ramifications of SCOTUS decisions ABC News Contributor, Law and Crime Daily host, and Author of “Come Home Safe,” Brian Buckmire wants to make the law more accessible to all.
“If people are more informed about the law and compassionate about the people who are being affected by the law. We will be a more just society,” Buckmire told Barrett News Media over a Zoom call.
Born and raised in Toronto, Brian Buckmire is the son of immigrants. His mother is from Jamaica and his father is from Grenada. He said of their relationship, “I am the only kid between the two of them, Parents divorced when I was young and it was like a single mother home. But also my mother is one of 14 kids,” later adding, “I had a lot of uncles [around, and] saw my dad on the weekends.”
At 3 years old, Buckmire was diagnosed with ADHD, while doctors wanted him medicated his grandmother had a better idea. “Just let the kid go outside and run around and when he’s tired, he’ll be okay,” Buckmire recalled.
Two years later, a neighbor noticed Buckmire’s talent for running and suggested soccer. “My mom can’t afford the first year of soccer, so [our neighbor] paid for it, paid for the cleats and everything. From there, I never stopped playing soccer.”
His talents provided a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. From there he transferred to Queens College where he played soccer, “I was a Second-team All-American at a Division II school. I applied to law school on both sides of the border,” Buckmire said.
It was a scholarship to Hofstra law which kept him in the States. After his first year, he transferred to Washington School of Law in Lexington, Virginia. Of his time in law school Buckmire said, “During my summers, I got the public defender bug. I like the idea of actually representing clients, litigating, the adversarial kind of an environment of criminal law and I want to come back to New York.”
After law school, Brian Buckmire took a job at the Legal Aid Society and in 2014 got his wish of becoming a public defender in Brooklyn. “I was kind of hungry to do as much as I could and also so I was on what’s called a NAFTA visa.” Having to renew his visa every three years, Buckmire needed to prove why the Legal Aid Society needed him. He added, “So, along with my just naturally competitive personality, I also have to show my worth every three years. I was always aggressively saying, ‘Hey, let me do more in bigger cases.’”
It is from his public defender work that Buckmire was discovered and brought as a contributor to Dan Abrams’ Law and Crime Network. “There is this private attorney named Julie Rendelman. She was a host at Law and Crime. And, let’s say my litigation style is a little bombastic. It’s colorful and, I think, she saw me making some just argument and she was like, ‘You should come to the show,’” Buckmire recalled.
His TV career began in 2018 but he also continued to work in the legal field. “I would do my work as a public defender and every day I would sneak out after the lunch break and from 3 PM to 5 PM do my Law and Crime shifts,” Brian Buckmire said. He worked both jobs for a year and a half before being offered a hosting gig at the network. While still working for Legal Aid, Buckmire covered the biggest trials including, Derek Chauvin, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
His “bombastic” or “colorful” litigation style comes across on TV very well and caught the attention of one ABC executive. “Steve Baker, who was the executive producer at Nightline, hit me up and he’s like, ‘Hey I keep seeing you on Law and Crime, and every once in a while I would see you on ABC. What’s your story?’” Buckmire recalled.
He was offered a contributor role at ABC News, and now has his own segment on Good Morning America 3, “Better Call Brian.” Buckmire is excited to continue to develop the segment. Not only does it help achieve one of his goals, informing people about the law, but it also unleashes a great deal of creativity.
“I want to get to a point where we’re talking about explaining prenuptial agreements and why they might be helpful not just for the rich and famous, but for everyone. Explaining, wills, and then also estates,” Buckmire said.
His main goal is to, “Make the law more accessible to people more understandable. I don’t want it to be a foreign language. I want to be a thing that works for them, not against them,” He later added, “Help people not be intimidated by the law, instead embrace it and use it to better their lives”.
Brian Buckmire also looks to better the lives of others outside of the law. This year he is being honored by the mentorship program Bigs Littles NYC for giving back to the community. But Buckmire is humble about the honor saying, “Actually, I don’t think of it as giving back. It’s what I think is the right thing to do. I think in large part, I look back at who I become over the years and how I’ve gotten to this place.”
He later added, “There are so many people who could have just said ‘He’s just another player. He’s just another student. I don’t have to go the extra mile.’ But they did. And I’m here because they figured that was the right thing to do. So who am I not to do the same?”
While Brian Buckmire is excited about what comes next, he does have one goal in mind, combining his legal expertise and media experience.
“If I could have any goal, it would be not to persuade people in this country or this world about the law, but just make it more accessible and more understanding to them. I think when people understand the law and they’re compassionate about it. We all benefit from it. And I think that that might be a goal to try to figure out how to best do that.”
