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Longtime Hawaii Broadcaster Bobby Curran Returning After Double Lung Transplant

BSM Staff
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Former longtime voice of Hawaii football and men’s basketball Bobby Curran will be making his return to the microphone later this week for the Warriors’ preseason benefit game against Saint Mary’s, over 18 months removed from his last broadcast.

Curran was diagnosed with emphysema in 2021 and underwent a successful double-lung transplant in November last year. His last play-by-play broadcast was on March 12, 2022.

Curran was hospitalized in October 2021 prior to broadcasting the Warriors game against Nevada. It was the first time Curran experienced any sort of irritation of his condition. He would return to finish the football season and call the entire men’s basketball season that year.

He has been cleared for a return to play-by-play duties this men’s basketball season by three different doctors. He returned to hosting his daily sports talk show on ESPN Honolulu on July 24.

NHL Ratings Up 38% in Opening Two Weeks

BSM Staff
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NHL Ratings Up 38% in Opening Two Weeks

Hockey fans are glad the NHL is back, and viewership in the first two weeks of the new season shows that.

Viewership for nine telecasts across ESPN and TNT is averaging 694,000 viewers, which is a 38% increase compared to the first two weeks of the season last year.

A Wednesday night tilt on TNT between the Penguins and Red Wings averaged 699,000 viewers last week. It doubled the viewership of the same early window game in 2022.

ESPN’s coverage of Lightning/Sabres averaged 552,000 viewers, which was up 12% versus last year.

Viewership on The Worldwide Leader was also strong on Tuesday last week with Avalanche/Kraken averaging 513,000 viewers. That figure was up 51% year over year.

Greg Gutfeld: My Commute Makes Me Cranky on the Air

BNM Staff
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Fox News host Greg Gutfeld admits that his long commute to work got the best of him. Gutfeld appeared on Mike Rowe’s podcast and said after a nearly two-hour commute to work, he lashed out at a producer.

“The commute changes your mentality,” he said. “By the time I get into work from where I am –it took me an hour and 45 minutes to get into Manhattan today — I hate everybody. I snapped on one of Jesse’s [Watters] producers.”

He explained that the producer had booked him for a show where the stories being talked about mirrored what he would talk about on his show, GUTFELD!.

“Fox has this problem where in summertime everybody does the same stories, so if you turn on one show on Fox, you get the three stories that are going to be on my show, and that’s fine, but I shouldn’t be the guest.”

He apologized to the producer because he didn’t want the reputation of treating people poorly.

“I hate that reputation,” he joked. 

ESPN Still a Cash Cow in Changing World

Demetri Ravanos
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ESPN Still a Cash Cow in Changing World

No matter how you feel about ESPN, you have to give the network credit. Knowing that Disney’s detractors and the “stick to sports” crowd will pounce on any bit of not-overwhelmingly-good news for the network, Bob Iger and company chose to release ESPN-specific financial data for the first time ever. While the network is still very healthy, profits and revenue are down year-over-year. 

That is information that will be used against ESPN and Disney by both critics and the leagues it does business with in future negotiations. What do the numbers really tell us though? 

Releasing financial data is a good sign that Disney is motivated to sell at least some percentage of the network. Any potential buyer is smart. They get the struggles of the cable television industry and the general trend in the media business. Profits and revenue are not going to be what they were five or ten years ago. 

So what is it that tech giants, private equity firms and other media companies are paying attention to? They want to know that ESPN is a product worth their investment. What the numbers show today matters, but those companies aren’t just processing the numbers.

If Disney is bringing in an outside partner, everyone on the ESPN payroll better be prepared for change. Any amount of influence over a $13 billion business is going to require significant investment, and no business is dropping that kind of money to be hands-off with ESPN.

ESPN has brand equity and is the most valuable name in sports – not sports media – but in sports. Revenue is only down a little over 1.25%. Profits still eclipse $2 billion. We still have a little over two months left in 2023 and the network has already generated over $12 billion. The people using the information to make content will focus on the word “down.” The people using the information to make investments will focus on the word “billion.”

Disney has spent most of 2023 cutting costs as it deals with the realities of spending more than $71 billion to acquire FOX’s entertainment assets. Every division of the company felt the pain. Only ESPN saw dozens of employees receiving pink slips while it was simultaneously courting Pat McAfee with a reported $85 million contract. That brought plenty of scrutiny from people inside and outside of Bristol.

What ESPN was doing though seems pretty clear now. In a world with less money being doled out via cable subscription fees, it was solidifying what makes the network one of the most valuable around – star power.

ESPN is doubling down on what its competitors do not have and what the market demands. It has the most popular young personalities. Remember that in addition to signing McAfee, it also inked extensions with Mina Kimes and Marcus Spears. The network also added more screen time for Scott Van Pelt and Doris Burke. It added McAfee and Shannon Sharpe to First Take, which should increase the morning show’s lead over FS1’s Undisputed, which is sure to make Stephen A. Smith, even if he is not yet in a position to negotiate a new deal.

That star power isn’t just about people though. All four of America’s major pro sports leagues air on ESPN, with the NBA likely to come to terms on a new deal with Disney. Buzz-y properties that have gained a following with younger fans like the WNBA, Formula 1 and Slam Ball are on ESPN. Next year, the SEC, arguably the best conference in college football, becomes the exclusive broadcast property of ESPN and ABC. To prepare, the network locked down all three members of its top college football crew.

ESPN has the people, the games, and the name recognition. The numbers prove consumers are still responding. Regardless of how they consume ESPN in the future, the building blocks are there to be successful.

There will be a bold new vision for ESPN. It could come from a prospective investor or buyer. It may simply be focusing on the launch of the so-called “Project Flagship” and the revenue generated by offering the network as an over-the-top subscription service that doesn’t require a cable or satellite package.

Regardless of what that vision is, getting there will require a period of transition and what ESPN is showing us is that the product is strong enough to weather that storm. 

A drop in profits is undeniable and ESPN isn’t running from it. But these numbers are not something that Bob Iger and Jimmy Pitaro need to be sweating. 

Disney has been more upfront than ever about its intention to give up some percentage of ownership in ESPN and every decision the company has made regarding the network since announcing that it would become its own division of the Walt Disney Company has been  with that goal in mind. These financial figures are not part of some kind of competition. The public is welcome to look, but unless you have the capital to buy a piece of the product, your opinion is irrelevant.

Should You Pay For News/Talk Radio Guests?

Pete Mundo
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Should You Pay For News/Talk Radio Guests?

Ever since the report dropped that ESPN host Pat McAfee pays some of his premier guests, the sports media landscape has been in a tizzy.

The original story came from The New York Post, where Andrew Marchand reported Aaron Rodgers and Nick Saban are paid seven figures per year to appear on the show with McAfee.

As the article notes, this is largely nothing new in sports media. As Marchand writes, “Baseball managers, from Joe Torre to Joe Girardi and Aaron Boone, have routinely done ‘exclusive’ audio spots in the $250,000 neighborhood — deals with radio stations or, in Boone’s case this year, with Jomboy’s Yankee podcast. Eli Manning used to make around $125,000 to appear for 15 to 20 minutes on WFAN. McAfee has taken this realm to a new level.”

But for some reason, this became a huge, and strangely controversial, story.

For Pat McAfee’s show, it’s smart business. As he noted, his company has gone from a $2-$5 million valuation to a $500 million valuation. Even if that number is a stretch, it’s hard to argue his seven-figure investments in Aaron Rodgers and Nick Saban haven’t been money well spent.

Now, let’s shift this conversation to news/talk radio. 

While the format is less likely to have this type of relationship with a guest, it’s worth exploring in your market. Politicians obviously can’t take money for their guest spots, so you can cross them off the list. Those interviews will ultimately come down to your relationship with the guest and standing in the market. There’s no check that can legally change that.

But what about former prominent politicians? Or how about former athletes in your market who want to get into media and transition into potentially more news than sports? Who is your Aaron Rodgers? Granted, he’s still playing, but he clearly loves poking into the political realm, like his most recent dig at Travis Kelce, calling him Mr. Pfizer.

They’re out there, they will help make your show interesting, and it’s worth exploring. Especially in a world where more and more shows are made up of solo hosts and not co-host situations. Getting new voices and perspectives from people with name recognition in your market is worth your time and the audience’s interest. 

For those wondering, yes, the promotion from being on your station, trade, or some other type of deal may be feasible to avoid direct payments, but this is where I will say something that modern-day radio suits will hate to hear: It costs money to make money.

And before going any further, let’s put to rest what would be a top excuse: “I pay my host to entertain the audience.” OK, well Pat McAfee is one of the most entertaining individuals in all of media right now, and if he understands there’s incredible value in this model, why wouldn’t local radio act like it’s above it?

If adding targeted, interesting, appointment-listening guests to your station can make a sizable impact on your ratings. You will make that guest appearance fee back many times over.

There’s no reason to force this, but it’s a model that our format should be thinking about as well, especially heading into an election year. So let’s start spinning those wheels.

Jim Costa is Waiting His Turn at 97.1 The Ticket

Peter Schwartz
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Jim Costa is Waiting His Turn at 97.1 The Ticket

As Jim Costa waits for his big day in February, he’s spending a lot of his downtime coming up with some ideas for when he assumes a very important piece of Detroit sports radio real estate.

When the current NFL season comes to a close, Costa will take over for the retiring Mike Stone as co-host of the morning show from 6 AM to 10 AM with Jon Jansen on 97.1 The Ticket in Motown.

But, for the moment, he’s letting the NFL and college football campaigns play out.

“The anticipation is real,” said Costa.  “You never want to rush football season away. This is like the best time of year for sports radio and for fans but yeah, I’m super excited to get things going in February and put it all together.”

For Costa, the opportunity to join the morning show is special because he’s a local kid. Costa grew up in Michigan, went to Central Michigan University, and, upon graduating in 2015, began his sports radio career in Grand Rapids.

He’s been with 97.1 The Ticket for two years as a fill-in host and now he is set to replace a legend.

“Stoney is the Godfather of Detroit sports radio going back even before his time at The Ticket,” said Costa.  “His resume and his legacy speak for itself and he’s as good a person as there is in the industry.”

As for filling the shoes that will be left behind by Stone, Costa says that will be impossible.

“I can’t try to be Stoney,” said Costa who is also the studio host of Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons radio broadcasts.  “No one can. He’s one of a kind. I can just be myself and the most genuine authentic person of myself I think is what you have to give the people.”

Costa is excited to be working full-time with Jansen and there’s already a bit of pre-existing chemistry. They’ve already done some shows when Costa has been able to fill in. The soon-to-be morning partners have already developed a rapport and a solid relationship.

And once Costa and Jansen begins in February, that relationship will certainly continue to evolve in a positive manner.

“I think the chemistry is something that will only get better over time,” said Costa. “We’re going to push each other to do the best show we can and give each other a hard time when it calls for it, but I look forward to it. I think we have a fun contrast that we can only expand on when we get to do shows together.”

For Jim Costa, talking about the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons comes naturally for him because these are the teams that he has rooted for, especially growing up and listening to sports talk radio in Detroit. What Costa really appreciates about Detroit is that there’s something really unique about the market that sets it apart from other passionate sports towns.

Detroit has a little something that places like New York City, Philadelphia, and South Florida is lacking.

“I think what’s special about Detroit is that we have the blend of four iconic professional sports teams and a big-time Big Ten football rivalry in Michigan vs Michigan State,” said Costa. “When you look at great sports cities in this country, there’s a bunch of East Coast cities that have pro teams and passionate fan bases but they don’t have that college element, too. I think Detroit affords you kind of the best of both worlds.”

After Jim Costa honed his skills by majoring in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan and working at the school’s radio station WMHW, he promptly began his professional career as a 22-year-old working afternoon drive at iHeartMedia-owned ESPN 96.1 in Grand Rapids. He spent five years at the station including the final two in the dual role of host and program director.

That experience helped shape him for the next step of his career.

“I had done everything I could at Central Michigan to prepare myself to do this as a career,” said Costa. “But if I could do some self-scout on myself, I would say I was probably wound a little too tight and was too much of a perfectionist.”

In Grand Rapids, Costa credits his co-host “Big Drew” McCarthy for helping him loosen up a bit and not take things so seriously.

And it worked.

“I want to be right, but if I’m wrong, I’ll be the butt of the joke,” said Costa. “You can go ahead and laugh at me and I’m not wound as tight as I was at 22 years old.”

That personality and ability to entertain has also led Costa to be part of the highly successful Cash The Ticket podcast that he co-hosts with Mike Valenti, co-host of the station’s afternoon-drive show. As Costa is just months away from replacing Stone in the mornings, he does the podcast with another veteran voice that he followed growing up in Michigan.

Especially when Jim Costa would get into his car and put on the radio after high school football practice.

“It’s entertaining focused,” said Costa. “It’s about betting on games but we pride ourselves on being entertainers too and delivering it in a way that’s still fun and irreverent and all kinds of bits and jokes. Working with him can be creatively stimulating. We’re good friends at this point so it’s a fun experience.”

As the countdown towards assuming one of the host chairs in the mornings on 97.1 The Ticket, Jim Costa is starting to think about how the landscape of Detroit sports will look in February when he sits down next to Jon Jansen. At that time, the Tigers will be approaching spring training while time will tell if the Red Wings and Pistons will be in contention for a playoff spot. The NFL Draft will be in Detroit come April and, of course, there will be plenty to talk about with regards to the Lions who could very well be coming off of a special season.

To that point, Jim Costa would like nothing more than for his predecessor to get that storybook ending.

“I hope Stoney gets to go out celebrating a Lions Super Bowl.” 

Do Nielsen Survey Response Rates Still Matter?

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Do Nielsen Survey Response Rates Still Matter?

Why should Nielsen survey response rates matter? The question is really this: for whatever behavior or attitude you want to measure (radio listening or TV viewing in our case), were the people who responded similar to those who didn’t wish to participate? If the response rate is high, that’s usually not an issue. If it’s very low, it probably matters.

Long ago and far away, Americans were actually impressed that someone wanted to know their opinions and behaviors. In other words, they were asked to respond to a survey. Sometimes the sample frames were less than ideal. For example, the infamous Literary Digest poll that said Alf Landon would defeat Franklin Roosevelt in 1936 (Landon secured a massive eight electoral votes). And there is the famous picture of Harry S Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune with a banner headline proclaiming, “Dewey Defeats Truman”. Those results aside, many Americans used to enjoy doing surveys.

Response rate has always been a key indicator of survey quality. Assuming the sample frame (the list of possible people or households that you might reach) is representative of the population you want to survey, the higher the response rate, the better the quality. Today, response rates are at record lows. Very few surveys use random sampling at this point although Nielsen still does.

Like every other business, the survey business has changed. Gone are the days when landline penetration in the United States was near universal and randomly calling landline phones was the typical way to survey Americans. If you’re interested, the best track of phone status has been the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. As of the second half of 2022, the estimate was that 72.6% of all US households were cell phone only. Only 1.3% were landline only!  Less than 1% had no phone service at all and the rest had both cell and landline service in their homes. It’s not surprising that barely one out of four US households still has a landline. 

Why not just call cell phones? There is a small issue known as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. Did you have a mobile phone in 1991? Perhaps a Motorola brick analog phone? What did roaming cost? It was probably around one dollar a minute (in 1991 dollars).  Telemarketers started calling cell phones, whether by design or accident. Those charges added up which led to the cry of “There ought to be a law against this!”. 

At that time, Congress was better at getting things done, for better or worse, and they passed the TCPA. It forbids companies from using “automatic dialing equipment” to call cell phone numbers. The goal was to stop the telemarketers, but in doing so, legitimate survey research was closed out as well. The law required some form of agreement from the called party to accept the calls. 

Nielsen has adapted as best they can. Arbitron started calling cell phone numbers in 2009 and got around the prohibitions by mailing a survey in advance. Those who responded with household information effectively agreed to accept calls from Arbitron on their cell phone. It was expensive, legal, and necessary as we could see the changes coming. Today, many diary households never speak to anyone at Nielsen…the whole process operates by mail.

As these changes were taking place, the willingness of Americans to participate in surveys was declining. Along with my Arbitron colleagues, we tried to find any way possible to improve response rates without breaking the bank. The Media Rating Council had a laser focus on response rates which further kept us working on that aspect. However, we could improve response rates but would hurt proportionality. For example, we could have improved response by getting far more 65+ persons to respond, but the resulting proportionality would, in technical terms, suck.

When PPM began, Arbitron tried to report an honest response rate. Unfortunately, that number was often a single-digit percentage. The suggestion was to use Nielsen’s panel method, a statistic called the Sample Performance Index (SPI). 

SPI implies two samples. One is a set of basic households. You do everything you can to bring in a basic household because the SPI is the percentage of basic households in the sample. If a basic household simply won’t cooperate, you choose an alternate. Here’s the rub: you can go after one or 100 alternates with no effect on the SPI. The real response rates may be absolutely pathetic, but the SPI can look reasonable, and in this case, reasonable might be a 20 or higher. 

If you’re wondering about your market’s response rate, it’s in the E-Book. PPM markets have the SPI and diary markets report an adjusted response rate. Take a look and you’ll get an idea of how many households or individuals will simply not be part of your market’s ratings. 

Let’s meet again next week.

Liv Moods Exiting Colin Cowherd’s The Volume

BSM Staff
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The Volume podcast host Liv Moods has announced she will not return to the digital media company owned by Colin Cowherd.

Found out today that I will no longer be continuing my content journey with The Volume,” Moods wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter. “Beyond thankful for the opportunity by Colin Cowherd and all that I’ve learned along the way. My chine is up as I want for whatever God has in store for me next.”

Moods hosted the Liv Moods Unfiltered podcast for The Volume. She joined the company in August 2021 after graduating from TCU.

The podcast host published her program in both podcast and YouTube installments. The addition of Moods as a sports betting host entered a crowded market when her program launched in 2021, joining the likes of ESPN, FOX Sports, Barstool Sports, FanDuel, DraftKings, and VSiN, among others, in the category.

MLB Postseason Ratings on Upswing After Decline in First Two Rounds

BSM Staff
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MLB Postseason Ratings on Upswing After Decline in First Two Rounds

After declines in the ratings for the first two rounds of the postseason, the MLB has received stronger numbers throughout the ALCS and NLCS.

While the matchups do not contain a team from one of the three largest designated market areas for the first time since 2014, the numbers are up year-over-year.

Additionally, none of the top-five teams from the regular season are within the sport’s semifinal round; rather, the teams competing for a chance to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy largely entered the postseason as underdogs to some degree.

According to data from Nielsen, the first game of the ALCS (Oct. 15) between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers averaged 7.27 million viewers on FOX, Fox Deportes, and streaming platforms. The figure makes it the most watched opening matchup of the ALCS since 2010, which also included the Rangers facing off against the New York Yankees and averaged 8.11 million viewers. Last season, the first game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees had 28% fewer viewers on average.

Aside from the matchup between divisional rivals and the storylines surrounding the series, some experts view the New York Jets matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles contributing by serving as an effective lead-in to the coverage. That game ended up being the most viewed NFL on FOX broadcast of the season, which ended with a thrilling upset victory by the Jets, defeating the league’s last undefeated team.

Conversely, the Philadelphia Phillies qualified to play in the NLCS for the second consecutive season and are facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams that entered the playoffs as Wild Card seeds. The first game attained an average of 3.8 million viewers across TBS, truTV, and MLB Network, down 7% year-over-year, but the second game garnered 5.3 million viewers, a significant increase. The Phillies and Braves divisional round series was the most watched on TBS in the last eight years, averaging 4.6 million viewers.

FOX Sports will broadcast the World Series for the 24th consecutive year, and it will feature Joe Davis and John Smoltz in the commentary booth. Coverage of the “Fall Classic,” which averaged just over 12 million viewers across FOX platforms last season, begins on Friday, Oct. 27 with a matchup still to be determined.

98.5 The Sports Hub Signs Extension with Boston Celtics

BSM Staff
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98.5 The Sports Hub Signs Extension with Boston Celtics

98.5 The Sports Hub has inked an extension to remain the radio flagship of the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics and Sports Hub have partnered together since 2013. Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell will continue to be the voices of the team’s radio broadcasts. Select games for the upcoming season will be heard on Rock 92.9 in Boston when conflicts arise with the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins’ schedules.

“We’ve greatly enjoyed our partnership with The Sports Hub as the radio home of the Celtics for many years,” said Boston Celtics President Rich Gotham. “It’s a great place for Celtics fans and listeners to feed their passion for all things Celtics, and we hope to give them more to be excited about in the coming years.” 

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the Celtics,” added 98.5 The Sports Hub Program Director Rick Radzik. “The game broadcasts along with our weekly Celtics content will keep our listeners entertained and informed for years to come.” 

In addition to airing the game broadcasts, Celtics head coach Joe Mazulla will appear on the station’s midday show — Zolak & Bertrand — each week throughout the NBA season.

“The entire 98.5 Sports Hub team is thrilled to be continuing this great partnership with the legendary Boston Celtics and are honored to be able to provide coverage of the exciting Celtics games, as well as pre and postgame analysis to the Boston fans who bleed green,” concluded Beasley Media Group Boston Vice President and Market Manager Mary Menna.

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