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Matt Nahigian & Chris Kinard Explain How Finding Talent is Like the Coaching Carousel

Demetri Ravanos
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Matt Nahigian & Chris Kinard Explain How Finding Talent is Like the Coaching Carousel

Earlier this week, I wrote about the influence the sports media can have on the NFL coaching carousel. Today, let’s talk about the influence the carousel can have on sports media.

Whereas sports media can but its head into the carousel and become an actual player for some coaches, the carousel’s and coaching searches’ influence on the media is more in practice and approach. Openings in sports radio can happen suddenly or they can be the result of weeks of discussions and strategy. Either way, when there is a hole to fill in your lineup, a PD needs to hit the ground running.

Anyone that is a sports fan has heard about the list. Good GMs and athletic directors supposedly keep a list of five names in their desk. They are all people the GM or AD would turn to if he or she suddenly had to find a new coach tomorrow. That way, they are never caught flatfooted.

It may not be true of everyone in those positions, but wI have to assume it is a fairly common practice. How else would we have heard so much about it?

In the last week, we saw the New England Patriots hire Jerrod Mayo as their new head coach one day after the team announced it was parting ways with Bill Belichick. Less than 48 hours after Nick Saban announced his retirement, the University of Alabama introduced Kalen DeBoer as its new head coach. 

Both were cases of the decision-maker having an idea of where they would turn when it was time to find a new coach. They zeroed in on a target, or maybe a small group of targets, they thought would fit and got a deal done.

Can that work in radio? Yes, but building that lists is a little different. Matt Nahigian, program director of 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, says he would never keep a list of people that he would hire the second he has the chance. Different situations call for different lists.

“To me the most important thing is the chemistry between the hosts,” he told me in an email. “You can have the most talented host, but if he or she doesn’t have chemistry with their cohost or they aren’t on the same page, it won’t work no matter how talented either one of them is. When I’ve had to make changes in the past, I am methodical about my approach and try to match up hosts that I know are completely different in their approaches and compliment each other on a day to day basis. I think my lineup right now really reflects that.”

Nahigian knows he is in a good position right now. The Game’s lineup is very successful. The shows resonate with Bay Area sports fans. There is no immediate reason he has to think about who he would turn to “next.” That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his head on a swivel.

“That’s one of a program director’s top priorities and responsibilities in my opinion,” Nahigian said. “You owe it to the station to be prepared.”

It wouldn’t be absurd for a PD to wait until he or she publicly posts an opening to start forming their list. It probably isn’t the most effective strategy, but the second a new listing hits the BSM job board, the person on the other end of the linked email address is likely to be flooded with dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants.

Nahigian doesn’t advise sitting still though. That list of people a PD would turn to is supposed to be a jumping off point, not gospel.

“You always have to have a backup plan in case something unexpected happens. Listening to podcasts, youtube channels and other platforms on a regular basis to see what’s out there is extremely important. You hope if you have a successful lineup, which we do right now, it lasts for years and years, but you just don’t know so you always have to be ready.”

Chris Kinard tries to always have a plan before any personnel moves are made on 106.7 The Fan or Team 980 in Washington, DC. So far, he has done a good job of making sure things unfold exactly the way he has decided they will. That doesn’t mean he has never been caught flat-footed.

“Only once, in late 2020,” he told me. “Luckily the answer presented itself pretty quickly and we were able to pair Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay together and move Grant & Danny to afternoons.”

Like Nahigian, Kinard is always scouting. Sometimes, his target may not know it, but most times they will. 

Putting a name on your list is one thing. Can you actually hire them though? That comes down to a number of factors. Kinard knows that relationships is a significant one.

“It’s all about meeting people,” he said. “I try to meet and talk to as many smart, interesting people as I can. A cup of coffee or lunch with a local reporter (broadcast or other), current or former athlete, or even someone completely out of the business, could lead to something big down the line.”

He also knows that you have to have more than one list. Part of what made the Patriots able to work so quickly to get Jerrod Mayo in place is that they were promoting him from within. 

In a perfect world, Kinard will have that same advantage when he has a major role to fill on one of his stations. That’s why he scouts for everything from drive-time host all the way down to part-time board ops.

“I try to say ‘yes’ every time when I receive informational interview requests with college students,” Kinard said. “I met one of our brightest young hosts, Lynnell Willingham, that way right before Covid and kept in touch with him (and he with me) throughout. I was able to bring him in as an entry level board op as soon as we could hire again, and he was hosting within a year. He’s a rising star in this business, but I wouldn’t know it if I had blown off his email.” 

You can’t take the coaching model and make it work exactly the same way in sports media, but it is clear the idea has merit. Matt Nahigian and Chris Kinard see value in following the model. 

Maybe it isn’t true that most stations have zeroed in on who they want to hire when their job post goes up, but you have to assume that the programmer and maybe the GM too has done some due diligence. If you’re a job seeker, keep that in mind and start making some introductions. Most of them won’t pay off. Maybe none of them will, but if the right person starts watching you and listening to you know, you’ll be in a much better position when they are ready to make a move.

If Nick Saban Joins ‘College GameDay,’ Will He Be Any Good?

Andy Masur
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It’s kind of hard to imagine a college football Saturday without Nick Saban on the sideline. The longtime Alabama coach called it a career last week after 17 seasons at the school. He’s been involved as a coach or coordinator, in the college ranks and in the NFL since 1973. To say he’s made an impact on the game is a tremendous understatement. Saban retired having won 7 National Championships and numerous “Coach of the Year” awards. So, what is next for the man who wears a scowl better than most? He’ll likely end up where most former coaches do, on television.

In recent years, he’s become much more visible on football shows. Nick Saban has appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay, also on The Paul Finebaum Show and locally he’s been visible on shows on the Crimson Tide Sports Network. This fall he began making weekly paid appearances on the Pat McAfee Show which had moved to ESPN. To his credit Saban has tried to work his way into the media world, much more than he did in the past, perhaps to lay the groundwork for his next move.

Is he really contemplating a career move to the media world? Saban sat down with Rece Davis at ESPN, and Davis asked him about a second career, in television.

“I’m going to keep working. I don’t want to get up and watch Netflix. I know there’s some opportunities out there for me somewhere,” Saban told Davis.

“I can think of one, but, go ahead, sorry,” chuckled Davis, referring to GameDay.

“I probably would like to do that. But someone told me once you can’t start a broadcasting career when you’re 80,” Saban joked. Broadcasting on a limited basis, maybe once or twice a week could provide that challenge.

His timing couldn’t be better. ESPN is preparing to take over the full broadcast rights of SEC telecasts. It would be a big feather in the cap of ESPN/ABC to land probably the biggest SEC fish in the pond. He is the face of the SEC, even in retirement. Winding up on the set of GameDay at an SEC campus would bring out more fans to the site and on their televisions to hear what Saban has to say.

Obviously, at the time of posting this column there has been no deal reached, but there’s plenty of talk and smoke. And you know usually where there’s smoke indeed there is fire. Lee Corso has said he has no plans to retire, but the hiring of Saban could certainly cut into his role on the show.  The NY Post’s Andrew Marchand noted in a newsletter that Saban ending up on GameDay is a “no-brainer.”  He notes that is according to a source “with knowledge of ESPN’s thinking.” Marchand also noted that if Corso remains on the show, he may be reduced to just the prediction segment where he puts on the mascot head. If that’s the case, there is an immediate opening.

This isn’t the first time Saban has ‘flirted’ with ESPN. According to the book “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban,” by AL.com senior sports editor John Talty, Saban considered hanging it up in 2014 to join the Worldwide Leader. Coming off back-to-back titles, the Tide would win 11 straight games during the regular season, putting the plan on hold for the time being. Then Alabama lost in heartbreaking fashion in the “Iron Bowl” on the “Kick Six” play preventing a third straight title. Talks with ESPN accelerated, but ultimately Saban decided to stay at Alabama. A good choice at the time as he’d win three more National Championships.  

I’m still skeptical. I don’t know Saban and have never met him, but he has a certain ‘persona’ attached to him. While coaching, Saban always came across as a grumpy guy, never happy, and never showing any personality. Cut from the Bill Belichick mold, there was a bit of an intimidation factor working for him. Saban had that “hard to approach” aura surrounding him, making the former Alabama coach come across as hard to interview. That should make him a fine candidate for a role on a telecast, right?

But there’s the other side to that coin, as my colleague Demetri Ravanos wrote in October:

“Nick Saban is a nerd. He cannot hide his excitement to teach the audience how this play works. He gives detail without getting boring. He has a great sense of humor about a drive that started on Ole Miss’s 1 yard line and ended with Alabama kicking a field goal from the 23.”

There is no doubt that Saban’s credentials are top notch. You don’t stick around and win as many games as he did over the years without a tremendous knowledge of the game. Not just the X’s and O’s but the rationale behind some moves and formations. This gives him a great chance to be a top-tier analyst in the broadcast booth or on the set of, say a pregame show? But there’s the issue of being “watchable.”  We all know these days it’s more about the ‘name’ than it is about the ‘qualifications’ when it comes to working as an analyst on network television.

But here are a few questions. Will people tune in to see Coach Nick Saban with that no smile demeanor because of the valuable information they’ll get? Will the audience grow tired of the great information because of the way it’s going to be delivered?

To his credit, Nick Saban is working on finding the middle ground answers to those questions. Perhaps those recent media appearances were designed to let him get a feel for what the experience might be like as a full-time contributor? Now, he’s getting to see first-hand what it takes to entertain and inform an audience.

Just because you are a successful college or NFL coach, doesn’t automatically equate to being a top-of-the-line analyst. Be it a booth analyst or in the studio, there haven’t been too many success stories. Of course, John Madden may be the exception to the rule, but you could see the personality from the sidelines and knew it would serve him well in the booth. Jason Garrett to me is struggling to let his personality show. What he’s offering now is forced. He was more of a non-emotional coach on the sideline and it’s following him into the broadcasting world. Someone like Brian Billick, who had a steely, emotional sideline demeanor found a way to relate with an audience and turned into a pretty good analyst for FOX and the NFL Network. Saban is somewhere in between the two and it will be interesting to see what he lets out when given the chance to be on the air.

Working on PMS you can tell that Nick Saban is trying to bring out a little more personality. It can only be described as a ‘dry wit’ that’s a little ‘buttoned up’ because of his status as a big-time college coach. But now, Saban will actually get the chance to relax and not have to ‘live and breathe’ from the win or loss perspective. Most former players and coaches always proclaim that it’s so much easier to broadcast a game than play or coach it. There are very few former coaches that instantly had success on the set. Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher and Steve Mariucci come to mind immediately. Most had to work into what they became on air. Maybe the opportunity to just talk about football will let Saban break out of his shell a bit now that he’s no longer trying to recruit players or win games. We can only hope.

Is Coaching as Important as It Should Be to News Media Leaders?

Perry Michael Simon
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Is Coaching as Important as It Should Be to News Media Leaders?

What made you good at what you do? Was it natural ability, working within a system, guidance from a mentor, or some combination of those? Did you just walk into a radio or TV studio and hit all the marks from day one? Or did you receive coaching from a manager, leader, or someone above you?

Did you grab a notepad, pen, and recorder and head to the first thing you heard on the police scanner and come away with the story?  Did you get hired by some small outfit on the outskirts of nowhere and learn everything on the fly just by doing it, and if that’s the case, what helped you get better at it?

Coaching in the media has been inconsistently valued forever, and I wonder what kind of coaching is being offered today, or who’s doing it. As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, coaching has… okay, I don’t need to tell you why coaching is on my mind this week. While I absorbed the loss all Eagles fans saw coming weeks ago, and considering the active NFL and college football coaching carousel at the moment,  it got me thinking about the coaching element in talk and sports radio, TV news, and news reporting in general, and whether the proper emphasis has been placed on it, or whether the people doing whatever coaching is happening are any good at it.

Anyone who’s been a program director or news director knows the feeling: You’re not working, you’re listening or watching someone else’s show, and you involuntarily begin to pick apart everything you see and hear. That break went too long. That topic was phrased as a yes-no question. The host isn’t really taking a strong position. That answer wasn’t followed up. That article buried the lede and is missing key details. Someone should be on top of that – an editor, or a producer, but, really, the primary talent should know better.

Knowing better is a function of training. Even the most naturally gifted hosts, anchors, and writers need to be reminded of certain things along the way. And while I assume that, at least with the larger operators, there are people – whole departments, probably – tasked with talent development, I still catch a lot of stuff that gets by everyone, even on network and syndicated shows and in the largest newspapers. Every show surely has a hierarchy and procedure to ensure quality control, whether it’s having the producer monitor the content or an editor to do quick rewrites and corrections and, in some cases, send the story back for revision and additional reporting. And in radio, there’s the dreaded aircheck.

But airchecks aren’t the be-all and end-all of coaching. In fact, and I know this is heresy, they can be counter-productive with talent that really doesn’t like to relive their shows once they’ve been broadcast. (I, personally, am not a fan of rereading my columns once they’re filed.) I always preferred working with talent both before and after each show, taking the approach not to shoot down even the most outlandish topics but to offer ideas on how to make them better, maybe a rephrasing of the topic or a suggestion on an angle or focus that would generate a stronger audience response. I’d note when someone relied on a crutch phrase and point it out afterward. The key, for me, was not to crush with criticism but to help with tips to make a good thing better.

And if you’re a host or anchor or reporter who isn’t getting guidance – maybe your program director has a zillion-and-one duties and coaching the talent is near the bottom of their priorities – I hope you can seek out someone to listen and tell you when you need to fix something. It might cost you to hire a talent coach or consultant, but it might be worth the cost, because the longer bad habits hang around, the more entrenched they become.

Your employers should be investing in everything that improves the performance of their staff, but they’re probably thinking more about how much money they can save with AI. The way to survive the AI invasion will be to be both clearly human and be demonstrably, obviously better than the alternative to the point that makes a financial difference to your company. Being receptive to coaching is a good first step.

Just be careful about to whom you’re listening. Not every coach is strong in all aspects of the job. You’d rely on Bill Belichick if you’re running a football team, but I don’t think he’d be the best talk radio consultant, though he would probably do a good job of keeping segments concise. Very concise. Although “We’re on to Cincinnati” wouldn’t really be a good talk topic.

The Sporting News Undergoes Round of Layoffs

BSM Staff
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The Sporting News Undergoes Round of Layoffs

It appears The Sporting News is undergoing a round of layoffs.

Several SN employees took to social media to announce that they were no longer employed by the outlet.

It’s unclear just how many employees were laid off and if there was any reason given for the job cuts.

The company, like many others in the media space, went through some layoffs last summer. Veteran baseball writer and editor Jason Foster and fantasy sports/betting writer Jovan Alford were among those let go in August.

The Sporting News was sold by DAZN Group to Pax Holdings in 2020 and then became Sporting News Holdings.

Originally founded as a magazine in 1886, The Sporting News transitioned to strictly digital operations in 2013.

Ken Charles is an Evangelist for Talk Radio

Garrett Searight
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Ken Charles is an Evangelist for Talk Radio

As the 2024 Presidential election inches closer and closer, one could argue that news/talk radio is as strong as it has ever been. Meanwhile, the counterargument is the medium has missed an entire generation of potential listeners. At 95.5 WSB in Atlanta, Director of Branding and Content Ken Charles is keenly aware of the missed opportunity.

“I don’t think, as an industry, we’ve done a very good job of evangelizing just how relevant and just how much fun this industry is,” Charles told Barrett News Media earlier this week. “And I think we’ve missed a couple of generations and lost a couple of generations to TV and other places, because we haven’t done a very good job of being evangelists for the format, being evangelists for the medium. We’ve got some 20-year-olds in our newsroom, who were, you know, could be great TV journalists someday, but they’re here now.”

Charles pointed to news reporters like WSB’s Jonathan O’Brien as one of the younger news professionals that have found a home in news radio, and said it’s the industry’s “responsibility to evangelize to them”, but admitted, “we’ve done a very bad job of doing that”.

“We just all of a sudden forgot to talk to our next generation,” Ken Charles argued. “Just look at (Eric) Von Haessler. His listeners 20 years ago on 96 Rock are our listeners today. If they found him 20 years ago and were 18 or 20 or 25, today, they’re 45, and they’re our listeners. We just needed to recruit them for the last 20 years. That’s when I have to put on my evangelic hat, and I have to go out, and we all have to go out and we need to do a better job of evangelizing for this format, ’cause it’s there…if we did a better job of telling (younger listeners) ‘There’s something here for you’, they’d come.”

Despite the admission, Ken Charles has led a resurgence of 95.5 WSB in the face of high-profile departures. Since joining the station in August 2022, Charles has been tasked with retooling nearly the entire lineup on the Atlanta news/talker. Scott Slade departed mornings after 31 years, with morning news anchor Marcy Williams following him.

Additionally, 95.5 WSB swapped The Mark Arum Show to middays, and moved The Von Haessler Doctrine — hosted by Eric Von Haessler — into the timeslot previously held by Arum. It’s a move that has paid off, with each of the programs earning high praise from the industry in the annual Barrett News Media Top 20. Ken Charles has said the formula for the station’s resurgence has been a simple one.

“This is probably the most important lesson I ever learned, and it’s the thing that I think trips up most program directors around the country when they come into a station that’s got the heritage of a WSB, is be true to what it is,” said Charles. “This radio station was built by Greg Moceri And Pete Spriggs as a news station that did talk.

“And so I’ve tried very hard to be true to the brand and be true to what makes this radio station great, and that is we are a news station with really big, great talk personalities. The combination of the two make it what it is, and if I leaned too much one way or the other, I could absolutely break it. But by leaning into how it was built and leading into the strength of the brand, the rest kind of follows from there.

“By being true to the brand, by being true to what it was built on, and never losing sight of that heritage and history, I think has really helped me not break a great radio station,” Charles continued. “And a lot of radio stations around the country have been broken by — I’m not gonna name any — program directors who really didn’t get to understand how it was built, why it was built, and what made it successful.”

95.5 WSB isn’t your traditional talk radio station. It doesn’t feature an all-conservative viewpoint. While it certainly has those leanings with hosts like Erick Erickson and Sean Hannity, the station has become a hot-bed for talk radio that doesn’t strictly revolve around whether Joe Biden is the worst President in history, culture wars, or whether or not Donald Trump should be on the ballot in far-flung regions.

Eric Von Haessler had a history in rock radio before moving into news/talk, and Charles called 95.5 WSB the perfect station for the afternoon host as he evolved in his career.

“Maybe five years ago when WSB had Herman Cain and Rush Limbaugh was still on, and Sean’s (Hannity) show on, you know, Eric might not have fit as well, because those guys were very very political,” Charles stated. “As the station has evolved and as Atlanta has evolved and Georgia has evolved, we kind of evolved towards Eric.

“So it’s kind of a perfect storm because at the end of the day, WSB is whatever you want to identify as kind of a full-service station. We do news in the morning, Mark Arum is a talk show, really not political, but he talks about political things, topical relevant things.

“Erik Erikson and Sean Hannity are much more traditional in some ways, more political, more on top of national events, and then you get to afternoon drive, the audience changes, and the needs change…It’s time to kind of loosen up, have some fun, and unwind from a long day of work. I think WSB is a unique platform, and the perfect one for Eric, because like I said, we evolved away from some of those things, and he’s evolved towards our audience and our target demo.”

Every programmer in every format has a pet peeve when it comes to their genre. Ken Charles is no different. However, he has a strong opinion on one of the hot-button topics that divides talk radio programmers: callers.

“I just think that too many talk show hosts rely on calls to be good,” Charles revealed. “That would be like a stand-up comedian relying on hecklers to make their act good, right? Our talk show host on their worst day — maybe got in a fight with their wife, maybe hungover for a long weekend, the kids annoyed them, whatever — better be better than a caller on their best day.

“I think too many show hosts come in and just expect the callers to carry the show. There’s a reason why it’s called The Mark Arum Show or The Eric Erickson Show, because the connection is the talent, and that overreliance on calls drives me crazy.”

The Untold Challenges Radio Professionals See While Moving For A New Job

Peter Thiele
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The Untold Challenges Radio Professionals See While Moving For A New Job

I hate moving. I just hate it. But, moving is a necessary ingredient for most of us in radio. 

Ok, I landed in Des Moines, and I have a terrific apartment leased until late summer. My house in Joplin is on the market. I am learning the roads and meeting my new co-workers.  

Hey, I am no longer in my 20’s. One of the great challenges of being an adult is finding a new social life. I am not married and frequently when you are in your 40s, relationships are built by wives. The random single guy is not invited to dinner parties. So, building new friendships is a challenge.  

Getting set up with the internet and DMV stuff takes up time that you want to be at the office working. I had my internet appointment from 8-11 AM and my installer showed up at 9:48. Not terrible, but it seemed like it was his first installation. We had to wait for the building maintenance to arrive to open the door to the internet room. He was done at 11:20. I pulled into the office right after noon. You cannot survive without internet, obviously, and my home did not qualify for 5G internet from my cell phone provider.

Oh, here is a pain: insurance. Car insurance is easy, but I have 30 days to get renters insurance, or the leasing company soaks me. Insurance people want to meet on weekdays. They want me to bundle, of course. I read that bundling is a scam. I need to figure that out. We all need insurance. It is an expense without a visible benefit. Yes, if you rear-end a Ferrari, you will see a benefit, but most of us rarely make a claim. We just pay the premium in the hopes of never needing to use insurance because the rates will be raised. I don’t hate the insurance salespeople. They are generally quite pleasant. It is seemingly a waste of time when you can be working.

Ok, the other issue is being a dog owner. I generally want to come home, eat lunch, and do the midday walk with the dog. With a new job, I want to be there as I meet the staff and get oriented in the new surroundings. My dog had to go through an all-day evaluation to be accepted by the doggie daycare. I have decided that I am not that excited about this particular daycare. So, there is another place near my home. They want to interview my dog. It is a stringent test according to the prospective daycare’s website. This exam will take place at 9:30 AM or 2:30 PM Monday – Friday. More hours out of my workday. My dog will pass. She is a Brittany and loves everyone and plays well with others.

Is there anything worse than the DMV? I am told that Iowa has a pretty good system. You can make an appointment and it goes smoothly. Is it just me? How many hours will this take? I have waited at the DMV for hours. The DMV employees are generally the unhappiest people on Earth. It is like these people had to give up their eternal souls for this job. Doesn’t the DMV hire individuals who claim to like people? How many employees at the DMV are watching the calendar to retirement? What a wretched way to live a life.  

Finding places to shop for groceries? I am a normal human and I like routines. I want to stop on the way home and pick up a couple of things. This is all upended in a move. I probably also need a dentist and a doctor. Thankfully, you can get your haircut after work or on the weekend.

There is good in this as well. I have already stumbled into a couple of good restaurants. Lots of stuff to try and I am enjoying the exploration. 

Then there is work. I like to hit the ground running when I move. There are always hiccups in arriving at a new workplace. New people to meet, understanding the talents, and challenges of your team. I want to be working. All these errands slow down the progress that I am seeking to achieve. I want to work. I moved for the job and I want to get things done.

What do I do with these boxes? I am hopefully going to purchase a house later this year. Do I rent storage for empty boxes? Recycle? Where do you do that? I am told that we don’t need these things in landfills, but I am guessing that the recycling center is only open Monday – Friday from 9-5. Another errand to pull me out of the office. 

Ok, a ray of light. I love my new employer, teammates, and city. I am looking forward to exploring new restaurants, activities, and learning about my neighborhood because I love new adventures and I certainly know people who are married to their routines. 

Moving forces you to change your schedule. It creates the need to get out of your comfort zone. Moving also allows us to evaluate what is needed in life. I shed a lot of possessions in every move. I do have the radio memorabilia tubs, though. So, moving sucks, but adventures and personal growth are the benefits. 

Fox News, MSNBC, CNN All See Declines in Iowa Caucus Coverage Compared to 2020

BNM Staff
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Fox News, MSNBC, CNN All See Declines in Iowa Caucus Coverage Compared to 2020

The first presidential primary race of 2024 was certain high importance in the realm of national politics, but our very nation definitely had other priorities to watch on that particular evening.

For the 8-11 PM Eastern prime time period of Monday’s (Jan. 15) Iowa caucuses for the Republican primary, the three major cable news networks — Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN — combined to draw 4.77 million viewers, including a range between 758,000 thru 794,000 within the key 25-54 demographic (more exact demo data, to come), according to Nielsen Media Research.

That represents declines of 44 percent in total viewers and at least 62 percent among adults 25-54 from the Feb. 3, 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses (8.48 million viewers / 2.1 million adults 25-54). There were even steeper losses of 53 percent (in total audience) and 75 percent (in 25-54 demo) when compared to the 2016 Iowa Democratic and Republican caucuses (10.16 million viewers / 3.15 million a customdults 25-54, from Feb. 1, 2016).

Several key factors were involved in this significant downward showing in the ratings. Unlike the two most recent Iowa races, the 2024 Iowa caucus took place opposite an NFL wild card playoff game (Philadelphia-Tampa Bay on ABC and ESPN: 27.8 million) and the Primetime Emmy Awards (Fox: 4.46 million). Also, the results of Donald Trump’s clear win over Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley occurred at about 8:30 PM Eastern, whereas they were more uncertain as the nights progressed, respectively, in the 2016 and 2020 Iowa election results.

Furthermore, while cable news has experienced lesser year-over-year viewing level declines compared to the other cable and broadcast networks, the erosion of the total amount of U.S. cable subscribers continues to accelerate after each passing year. According to analytical company MoffettNathanson, 75.5 million are subscribed as of Mar. 2023 — the lowest amount since 1992.

Breaking down the prime time averages by network:

  • Fox News Channel (1/15/2024): 2.885 million viewers; range: 416,000-429,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox News Channel (2/3/2020): 4.249 million viewers; 759,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox News Channel (2/1/2016): 4.461 million viewers; 1.16 million adults 25-54
  • MSNBC (1/15/2024): 1.179 million viewers; range: 144,000-156,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC (2/3/2020): 2.468 million viewers; 609,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC (2/1/2016): 1.968 million viewers; 594,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN (1/15/2024): 0.707 million viewers; range: 197,000-209,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN (2/3/2020): 1.764 million viewers; 701,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN (2/1/2016): 3.730 million viewers; 1.39 million adults 25-54

Reach Over Revenue for Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks

BSM Staff
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Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban was a guest this week on The Ben and Skin Show on 97.1 The Freak in Dallas.

He talked about his recent sale of a majority stake of the franchise to casino mogul Miriam Adelson and her family. Cuban has retained shares of the team and control of basketball operations as part of the deal. While he will no longer be the governor of the team, he plans to still be very much involved.

The conversation then turned to team media and Cuban let Dallas Mavericks fans know that 10 games this season are going to be shown on over-the-air television. The schedule has not yet been determined, but Cuban did say the games would be towards the end of the season.

Cuban then addressed the future of the team’s streaming rights and had said, “It wont be Bally unless something crazy happens, like Amazon buys them or something like that. At which point it would be on Prime.”

Oddly enough, less than 24 hours later it was announced Amazon is doing a deal with Diamond Sports Group, parent company of Bally Sports.

As they continued on the topic, Cuban did point out the goals of his team may be different than others when it comes to streaming in the future. “What we do probably won’t be the same as what other teams have done,” he said. “We will probably focus on getting the greatest reach as opposed to trying to maximize revenue.”

Sports Media Reacts to Spike Eskin Leaving WFAN to Return to WIP

BSM Staff
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Sports Media Reacts to Spike Eskin Leaving WFAN to Return to WIP

On Wednesday morning, Audacy announced Spike Eskin will be returning to SportsRadio 94WIP to co-host its afternoon drive program with Ike Reese and Jack Fritz. Eskin had been working as the vice president of programming for WFAN and CBS Sports Radio since 2021 and oversaw various lineup changes at both stations.

“I am thrilled to be able to work with Ike and Jack in afternoons at 94WIP,” Eskin said in a statement. “It’s now the third job of a lifetime I’ve had the opportunity to do. Leaving WFAN and CBS Sports Radio is an incredibly difficult decision. I’m surrounded by talented, great people, and it’s been an amazing experience. I’d like to thank David Yadgaroff, Jeff Sottolano and Rod Lakin for this opportunity, and Chris Oliviero for my time in New York.”

Joe Giglio and Ike Reese revealed the news during their midday program on SportsRadio 94WIP. Additionally, both hosts took to X and reacted to the development.

Eskin will move into the co-host role with Fritz, who had served as the producer of the afternoon show at WIP. Fritz originally got his start at 94WIP as a member of the street team, and he has been producing shows for the outlet since 2017. Additionally, he has worked as a play-by-play announcer and founded “Philly Fan Live,” a website dedicated to Philadelphia sports.

Fritz is also the person who came up with the idea to give Philadelphia Phillies infielder Trea Turner a standing ovation to demonstrate the fans’ support, which ultimately helped catalyze his season.

Jon Marks had previously co-hosted the afternoon program with Reese, but he chose to step away from the program in December. Upon the expiration of a non-compete clause in his contract, Marks will look to resume working in media and is open to a variety of different options, he told Barrett Sports Media in a recent interview.

While he was in his leadership role with WFAN, Eskin was involved in various decisions surrounding the station’s lineup. Upon Craig Carton leaving the outlet to work on FS1 full time, he helped craft the new afternoon show with Evan Roberts, Tiki Barber and Shaun Morash. This move was made concurrently with the new alignment in middays featuring Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata.

At CBS Sports Radio, Eskin recently helped launch a new lineup that moved Zach Gelb to afternoon drive and JR SportBrief to evenings. Damon Amendolara had moved to Mad Dog Sports Radio a few months earlier, resulting in Maggie Gray and Andrew Perloff being moved to morning drive.

‘The NHL on TNT’ Crew Will Call Tonight’s Red Wings-Panthers Game Due to Inclement Weather

BSM Staff
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‘The NHL on TNT’ Crew Will Call Tonight’s Red Wings-Panthers Game Due to Inclement Weather

Due to inclement weather in Buffalo, TNT has had to call a massive audible on its nightly NHL coverage, one that will have its studio show calling the game this evening. For tonight’s matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers, it won’t be TNT’s usual broadcasters like Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk on the call, but instead its studio crew of Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, Henrik Lundqvist, and Paul Bissonnette.

TNT’s original plan was to broadcast the Chicago Blackhawks’ trip to Buffalo to take on the Sabres, but the game was postponed until Thursday due to the snow impacting the greater Buffalo area. With their game crew stuck in Buffalo, TNT will have their studio hosts call the game in Florida from their Atlanta studios.

Many NHL media members are excited to see what the foursome gets into tonight:

Depending on how tonight goes, we may get our first look at a potential alternate broadcast for the NHL on TNT.

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