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Tommy Moody, Longtime South Carolina Gamecocks Broadcaster, Dies

BSM Staff
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Tommy Moody, Longtime South Carolina Gamecocks Broadcaster, Dies

Longtime South Carolina Gamecocks broadcaster and Columbia sports talk host Tommy Moody has died.

Moody served as the color analyst on Gamecocks baseball broadcasts since 2000. Additionally, he hosted shows on 107.5 The Game in Columbia. He co-hosted the midday show with Jay Phillips until 2022, when he cut back his schedule to a twice-weekly evening program. The Tommy Moody Show was self-described as a “trip down memory lane every week. It aired on Mondays and Thursdays. He was also part of the station’s high school football coverage.

“I am devastated to learn of the passing of my dear friend Tommy Moody,” Phillips wrote on X, previously Twitter. “He was an amazing father, grandfather, friend and colleague. His love of Carolina was immense, but his love for his family was so much greater. We love you Tommy. Thank you for gracing our lives.”

107.5 The Game added to the sentiments, stating “Our hearts are broken. Tommy Moody was an utmost gentleman in every aspect. He treated everyone like a friend and would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. His passion for the Gamecocks will never be matched. We love you Tommy and we are going to miss you dearly.”

The station’s morning show producer Jen Jensen tweeted a video of Moody’s desk to show off all of the documents he had kept from decades of covering sports locally.

In addition to his radio work, Moody was a fixture in the South Carolina community, serving as the President of the USC Association of Lettermen and Chairman of the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tucker Carlson Scores $15M Investment for New Media Company

BNM Staff
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Tucker Carlson Scores $15M Investment for New Media Company

Tucker Carlson has received $15 million in a round of fundraising to grow his new media company, according to a report from Axios.

Omeed Malik-founded 1789 Capital has invested in the media start-up from the ex-communicated Fox News host. Malik has previously backed Carlson, as he invested in The Daily Caller after its founding in 2010.

1789 Capital has made its intention to support anti-Environmental, Social, and Governance companies.

The new media company founded by Tucker Carlson is reported to be incorporated in Nevada as Last Country Inc., according to The Wall Street Journal. The company is expected to focus on video projects, including the Tucker on X series that the former Fox News host launched after his April ouster.

Currently, Carlson is working alongside his former executive producer Justin Wells, and has beefed up his home studio at his Maine estate.

Dan Rafael: Showtime Sports Shuttering ‘Sad Day But Not Unexpected’

BSM Staff
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Dan Rafael: Showtime Sports Shuttering ‘Sad Day But Not Unexpected’

Despite president Stephen Espinoza fending off rumors several weeks ago about closing down operations, Paramount Global on Tuesday announced that Showtime Sports will be signing off at the end of the year.

The move comes as several media companies in recent months have had to downsize or make tough decisions on sports coverage.

For boxing fans this means that one of the TV institutions for the sport, Showtime Boxing, is going away.

Boxing writer Dan Rafael on Substack reported that 38 full-time jobs, including Espinoza’s, are being eliminated as a result.

In a memo to staff informing them of the news, Espinoza wrote how proud he was of all the work they had done over the years.

“From Emmy Award-winning documentaries to the three highest-grossing pay-per-view events in television history, I am extremely proud of our content and our events — but I am far more proud of our people,” Espinoza wrote. “Your diligence, dedication and passion have inspired me every day, and it is those qualities that will be the enduring legacy of Showtime Sports.”

Rafael on Twitter Tuesday said the timing of the announcement was eerily similar to how things shook out when HBO left the boxing space.

But ultimately, while news of the end of Showtime Sports is sad, Rafael said the writing was on the wall. His heart went out to those affected.

Dan also wanted to make sure that those who were taking joy in the announcement know that there’s no joy in something that affects people’s livelihoods.

Pat McAfee Tracks Down Viral Chargers Fan From Monday Night Football

BSM Staff
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Pat McAfee Tracks Down Viral Chargers Fan From Monday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys met the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football earlier this week, and one of the highlights of the game coverage was ESPN’s cameras catching one particular Chargers fan go through a range of emotions watching the game play out at SoFi Stadium. After seeing clips of her reactions go viral, Pat McAfee reached out to bring that fan (Merrianne Do) on to his show Tuesday.

McAfee thanked her for restoring his faith in sports fanhood. Clips of her reactions to the end of the game blew up on social media.

“We’ve gotten to an era in a time where people are too embarrassed to showcase their emotions for things outside of themselves,” McAfee said. “Last night, we were all inspired and entertained as we watched along with Merrianne Do as she watched her beloved Los Angeles Charges do what they have done a lot of times over the last few years.”

“I love the fact that you were able to eliminate all of life’s bullshit and just get lost in the moment,” he added.

Do has lived in California for two decades and told TMZ she grew up a Vikings fan before adopting the Chargers as her team when she moved to the Golden State. She’s kept up with the franchise going back to the end of the Drew Brees/Marty Schottenheimer era in San Diego.

She said to Pat McAfee she’s just generally an intense person who wears her emotions on her sleeve. In such a tight game, in the closing moments of the fourth quarter knowing the team ultimately needed a touchdown to win, Do was going to be super passionate about what was unfolding on the field.

“I couldn’t handle it. I was excited, I was elated, my heart was just bursting,” she said. “And I was super excited.”

McAfee gave Do props for sticking with the Chargers through the years but wondered if she ever questioned giving up her support given the team’s track record of not being able to rise to the occasion in big games.

Merrianne said she’s had her up and down days with the Chargers like a lot of other fans, but at the end of the day a football team isn’t as important as her relationship with her husband and children. And even though the Chargers couldn’t beat the Cowboys on Monday night, hope for this season hasn’t been lost.

“You have to have faith,” she said. “If not, what’s the point of being a fan?”

Do was given a chance by AJ Hawk to respond to the group of fans, which included Darius Butler and Tone Diggs on the show, that questioned the authenticity of her reactions captured by ESPN cameras, saying she wasn’t paid by the league or the Chargers to be there and act like she did.

“I wish I was getting paid,” she said. “I wish I could make myself AI and as beautiful as I want. But at the end of the day, this is me. Crazy mom of four, crazy Chargers fan, crazy freaking football fan and it is what it is. I’m not offended.”

ALCS Sees Highest Game 1 Ratings Since 2010

BSM Staff
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ALCS Sees Highest Game 1 Ratings Since 2010

Game 1 of the ALCS between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers on FOX Sunday night delivered Texas-sized ratings. It was the best viewership number for FOX in 13 years.

Despite going head-to-head with Sunday Night Football on NBC, Game 1 of the series averaged 7.024 million viewers on FOX. It was the best ALCS Game 1 for the network since the Rangers faced the Yankees for the league title in 2010.

The broadcast also became the most-watched LCS Game 1 on any network since 2015.

Compared to Game 1 of last year’s ALCS on TBS between the Astros and Yankees, viewership was up 28%.

For the Spanish-language telecast on FOX Deportes, viewership was the highest on record at 242,000 viewers.

Dan Patrick: I Never Met a Bigger Professional at ESPN Than Barry Melrose

BSM Staff
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Dan Patrick: I Never Met a Bigger Professional at ESPN Than Barry Melrose

Recently it was announced that longtime ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose was stepping away from his television duties after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Melrose had been working full-time at the network since 1996. During those years, he developed a working relationship with Dan Patrick. Earlier this week on The Dan Patrick Show, DP made a case for why Melrose should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“Barry Melrose should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game,” he said. “He was a former player, didn’t play long, then he was a coach. And he’s been an analyst at The Mothership. I never met a more professional person in my career at ESPN than Barry Melrose.”

Dan Patrick mentioned that during the time they worked together at ESPN, he never saw Melrose in anything but a suit. Barry’s commute to Bristol was over an hour each way, and Patrick noted that no matter what, Melrose always showed up to work in the suit he was wearing on television ready to roll.

DP praised Melrose for his willingness to appear on all ESPN platforms to talk hockey and for keeping the NHL relevant on SportsCenter with Steve Levy and John Buccigross during the days when ESPN didn’t prioritize the sport.

“You needed him on radio, you needed him on ESPNNEWS – whatever you needed – somebody to talk hockey and he was there,” he said. “And then they lost the rights to hockey, Barry Melrose and Steve Levy – those two singlehandedly – were keeping hockey highlights in the rundown on SportsCenter. John Buccigross also played a role as well, that they were fighting hard for that sport.”

“It cannot be overstated what Barry Melrose’s role was, and he was well-liked,” Patrick continued. “He did his homework, he cared passionately about it. I hope whatever time left he has he’s still able to enjoy the sport, watch the sport, be proud of the sport for all the great things that he’s done.”

Dan Patrick said similar to how he lobbied for broadcaster John Facenda to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award winner in 2021, he very much wanted the chance to give Melrose the honor of getting into the hall of fame for his sport.

“If there’s somebody out there who’s affiliated with the Hockey Hall of Fame, I’d be more than happy to speak on his behalf,” Patrick said.

Tom Roten Exits WVHU in Huntington After 32 Years

BNM Staff
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Tom Roten Exits WVHU in Huntington After 32 Years

Veteran talk radio host Tom Roten says he was laid off at iHeartMedia-owned WVHU-AM after three decades. NewsRadio 800 WVHU is located in Huntington, West Virginia. Roten had hosted the morning show for 22 years.

“All good things come to an end,” he said in a Facebook post. “I first went in as a lost sinner. Now as a sinner saved by Grace, I have left the building I worked in for 32 years after hosting the morning show for 22 years. I praise the Lord for allowing me the opportunity.  Thank you, Roten Army!”  

The company did not provide a statement explaining Roten’s departure.

iHeartMedia’s operations in the Tri-State region have recently witnessed a series of layoffs, including Judy Eaton, who had dedicated three decades to the company’s WTCR-FM country station and was let go earlier this year.

Roten tells Barrett News Media he will launch an online show on Lootpress.com.

“My new show will debut soon,” he added. 

Meet The Podcasters: Chris Vernon, The Ringer & Grind City Media

Demetri Ravanos
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Meet The Podcasters: Chris Vernon, The Ringer & Grind City Media

Chris Vernon is the kind of talent the Meet the Podcasters series was built for. He is exclusively in the digital space, but his digital presence is not exclusive. He does a successful NBA show for The Ringer called The Mismatch and he does an eponymous show for the Memphis audience on Grind City Media.

There are challenges that come with taking a local show from a broadcast platform to a digital one. Chris did it and had to learn to own the job, discovering what still worked and what no longer did. 

Vernon not only has thoughts about his own digital presence, but he also shares why the NBA will always win on social media, and how the changing face of the typical golf fan helped a viral video become one of his signature bits.

Demetri Ravanos: Tell me about the unique challenges that come with doing a podcast for a local audience versus doing something like you are with The Ringer, which has more national appeal.

Chris Vernon: I would say that I think our challenges were retraining an audience in the sense of now, “We are on their time.” I think one of the things that I had to learn was that not everything has to be time-sensitive. I was constantly in that realm of knowing that the ratings come every 15 minutes, so there is this constant feeling of having to pack things in within an amount of time that would fit a commute. That’s what you were going to be judged on, that is what you could make money off of.

I started to see this changing when I left radio six or seven years ago. It used to be that if I came on at 3:00 or if I came on at 11:00, there was this feeling that the audience was tuning in right at that time. That had already started to shift where I would say something on, say a Monday, and then somebody might respond to it on a Thursday. I started to realize that people were downloading it and listening to it later anyway.

They were on my time, but as everything in the world became on demand and it was rapidly changing outside of say, a game that you had to watch at a certain time or maybe an award show. People were starting to take in virtually everything whenever they could get to it, not at the time that was allotted. We weren’t going to be any different than anything else.

So then, in its infancy, it was, “Where do I find you? How do I listen to you? What is this?” Everybody was so conditioned and used to radio for so many years. I think that was a big challenge. Very rarely, if ever, do I get that question now, but that was the only question I got for the first two years.

DR: So I’m going to circle back on The Ringer in a second. But I do want to talk about building and expanding Grind City Media. Where did the idea come from and what did you and the Grizzlies see as the potential initially versus where it is right now?

CV: Yeah, the guy that was the president of the Grizzlies was a guy named Jason Wexler, who I’ve known for many years. I think his vision was that they were going to be able to start a media branch of the team and they wanted to start a media company.

I had already talked to Bill Simmons about doing some stuff with The Ringer. That was going to be very difficult. Then obviously, I had a huge battle with my own radio station. I think things probably went along faster than was originally anticipated, so we just went ahead and did it. At that time, it was very important because it was going to give me an outlet to be on the air without having to serve a non-compete.

I think that things probably have changed dramatically since then. But at that time, a radio station could feel like they had you over a barrel, right? Cause in my case, it was, “Oh, you don’t like the money we’re offering? Okay, well, you’ve got a wife and two kids and your parents have just moved here. We know you don’t want to sit out for six months and we know you don’t want to move. So, what are you going to do?” At that point, I was like, “Alright. Well, here’s what I’ll do.” So I just took the dive into it.

I think that the whole idea with Grind City was they wanted to be able to produce content. But I think that one thing that they got right from the very, very beginning that is very difficult for others is that their agreement at the beginning was, “We want you to bring your show and do it here. We don’t want you to do a different show than what you’ve been doing just because you’re here. We want you to do the show you’ve been doing.”

I think that is a massive challenge for teams. I credit them greatly. They never tell me what I can and cannot say. They’ve never come to me and said, “Hey, don’t say that” or get mad at me. In fact, the only time I remember vividly where they said something to me was me bashing other media members.

They knew, and this is in their wisdom, their point of view was nobody’s going to want to listen to it if it’s cheerleader radio. So, they allowed me to take my show and be able to talk about the things that I wanted to talk about, and then the audience could decide, “Is he right?” I was mega critical of a lot of things, and I think in many cases, probably more critical than the rest of the media, and they didn’t jump me for that.

I think that was the trick. We had built a radio audience for a lot of years, and so that audience was going to be able to come to us and hopefully, a new audience as well was going to come to us and that they knew they were getting something that was still entertaining to them. I mean, it’s still the show we were doing. We’re just doing it on a different outlet.

DR: One of the things that I think everybody knows you for every year is The Masters update, and that’s a great example of what you’re talking about. It’s a team-owned media outlet but that doesn’t mean it’s team cheerleader media, right? One of your signature things has nothing to do with the Grizzlies or the NBA. How did it become this anticipated thing for all of us in the media where we’re all waiting for Chris Vernon’s Masters update every year?

CV: Well, I think it’s it’s weird. I’ve talked before and said I don’t know if it’s that whole Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours thing or not, but I mean, we’ve done it for so many years. It was really the video element of it. That was an audio-only bit for so many years and it certainly had its audience, but it was kind of like loving an indie band, right? People knew about it and some people did write about it. It always did well, and people looked forward to it, but it wasn’t a big deal. I think it all just hit at the right time.            

The year that it really blew up for the first time, it was on video and it was during the pandemic. That was the fall Masters; it was actually in November or something.

If I recall, there were very few people at the office. We did the show the entire time, all the way through, so there wasn’t a lot of support. There wasn’t a lot of live sports on. There wasn’t a lot of content, and then you had this, which was something that made people laugh.

DR: I’ve written before that I think it’s legitimately a perfect sports media bit because it is the kind of thing that people who like golf get something out of and people like me who think golf conversation is an incredible waste of time, still get something out of it. We’re watching the same thing. We’re enjoying it for two different reasons, but we’re both tremendously enjoying it. 

CV: Yeah, what’s kind of odd is there has been a massive youth infusion into the golf world. Not only player-wise, but also like company wise; branding-wise; fashion-wise; all that kind of stuff. Even media-wise for that matter. Back when we first began doing it, it was used as, “What is the most polar opposite thing of The Masters? “

DR: Right, Memphis hip-hop.

CV: Yeah, that’s how it kind of originally happened. Now, instead of it being something that would be resented by “golf people,” they love it the most.   

I saw this video the other day and they asked the LIV golfers; they’re finishing Drake lines or something like that, and every one of them, finished every line. That’s when you start to realize, “Okay, this is who plays golf now.” They all grew up on this music, so I do think that the fact that it was happening during the pandemic, it just hit at the exact right time. 

DR: Let’s wrap here. I want to ask you about the sport you do most of your content on – the NBA. It’s interesting to me that no league has captured social media discourse the way the NBA has. Why does the coverage of the league serve a digital audience so well?

CV: I think that’s due to the youth and the relatability of many that cover the sport. I think you have a lot of people that are around my age, possibly your age, that the biggest athlete when we were kids was Michael Jordan, and that’s by a very wide margin. So the NBA was always very relevant to us during our youth. I think that you’ve also got the highlight thing and I think the transaction thing leads to an amount of coverage.

I was reading a Washington Post story today about Woj and Shams. It talks about their rise and it talks about how people are so satiated over every report and about every transaction and the drama that comes along with the NBA. That’s just not so when it comes to the other sports. There is a finite amount of time where you would have any interest in the transactions of baseball and the NFL does not really have that. So, when you have a sport that’s an 82-game season, it’s an everyday thing.                   

I think the people covering it and I think about the accounts, even the aggregate accounts; the meme accounts; whatever. There is no real version of, say, House of Highlights. I know they do a bunch of other stuff now, but when you think about it, the other leagues don’t have the creative people that are doing that as much and as popular. I think there’s something to that. I think it’s kind of built for the Internet age.

My 13-year-old loves the NFL. He loves his fantasy football team and he loves the team that he loves, but there’s not a lot of daily interest. It’s Sundays and it’s setting up your fantasy team. I think that young kids and the people who came up in the internet age, they love the NBA.

When we did a live show, Kevin O’Connor and I were in Memphis, and there were all kinds of 20-somethings that came up to me and said, “Hey, I do this now. I grew up listening to you and here’s what I’m doing now,” and they have a YouTube channel, and TikTok channel, and they’re just so adept at it. They’re used to that type of media and getting that content out.

DR: I don’t know about your 13-year-old, but my 12-year-old loves European soccer. And if you think about it, it is the kind of thing that is built for social media highlights, but, to your point about the NBA versus the NFL, what’s European soccer? It’s Saturdays and Sundays and that’s it.

CV: That’s right. Anybody that does this social media stuff and becomes great at it; I just think a lot more of the NBA fandom community is better at it and more adept to it and understands the internet and YouTube and all that kind of stuff so much more.

The other thing I’ve noticed, which has opened my eyes in a massive way, is that it is truly global. There have been times when we’ve gotten reports that we’ll be the No. 1 sports podcast in Australia or in some of these other countries. There’s people that care about the NBA deeply all over the world.

We’ll read some question that we got in the mailbag from a guy in Ireland or whatever. Like, wow, can you believe people are listening in Ireland, and then the next week, we’ll be flooded. I’m not kidding. But we have gotten emails in the mailbag from 35 different countries. The internet makes the world a small place.

To learn more about Point-To-Point Marketing’s Podcast and Broadcast Audience Development Marketing strategies, contact Tim Bronsil at tim@ptpmarketing.com or 513-702-5072.

Hugh Douglas Is Right, The Temperature Needs Lowered on NFL Analysis

Garrett Searight
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NFL Network analyst Steve Smith went viral last week for his harsh criticism for Denver Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy. It wasn’t necessarily in response, but 94 WIP host Hugh Douglas took the opposite approach when discussing NFL talents, and I think that approach is the more appropriate one.

The issue I have with Smith’s criticism isn’t that it was harsh. I don’t mind harsh criticism, especially if it is warranted. You could argue that Smith’s criticism is warranted, but it came across as more that his ego was damaged by Jeudy failing to grovel at his feet rather than about his play on the field.

Steve Smith was a great — some would say borderline Hall of Famer — during his NFL career. He has carved a nice niche in the NFL analyst world for his outspoken beliefs. But there is a difference between outspoken beliefs and personal beefs, and one has no business being aired on the league-owned pregame show.

During his midday show on 94 WIP, Hugh Douglas said calling players “garbage” was “the one thing that I’m trying not to do — because I see a lot of my contemporaries doing that. Now, I’m trying not to use those words like ‘garbage’ and like certain things like that, because it does take a lot to get to this level of play at this level.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. Noting that it takes a lot to play at a high level doesn’t dissuade anyone from giving or protect anyone from receiving criticism. I have no issue. But the personal nature in which “analysis” has turned isn’t a welcome switch, in my opinion.

If Steve Smith had claimed that Jerry Jeudy was “just a guy” and a “WR3”, I’ve got no qualms. But it’s the personal nature of the storytelling, and it appeared the only reason he was angered was that Jeudy didn’t worship the ground Smith walked on. That’s just such a weak response from someone who puts on such a tough exterior.

SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt shared similar sentiments during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show Monday. “There are people that traffic in telling you everybody’s garbage and the hot takes, and this and that and everybody stinks,” Van Pelt said before adding “I try to show a bit more respect for the folks that are in the arena.”

You can be critical and not be a jerk. Hugh Douglas does it every day. It shouldn’t be hard to accomplish, but for some NFL analysts, that’s easier said than done. Harsh criticism is fair, and can often make for great TV or radio.

But being a jerk just to be a jerk? I can’t think of a more selfish action from an analyst. What did the viewer learn from Smith’s diatribe? What information was offered? How was the viewer served by what happened on the screen and the story told by Smith?

The answers? Nothing. The viewer learned nothing, other than Smith is basically guilty of the same accusation — being thin-skinned — that he tried to label Jeudy with. What information was offered? Nothing. It was an anecdote to which the average person couldn’t relate. How was the viewer served? They weren’t. Smith got the opportunity to grind an ax, a one-sided ax at that, and took it. A viewer got to see an analyst pout because they didn’t get their way. Even if Smith’s ultimate goal was to simply be entertaining, I think it missed the mark. It came across as petty and stupid.

There is a difference between analysis and opinion. Both can include the other. But when you’re argument is simply “this guy didn’t want to talk to me after I was an asshole to him, therefore he sucks,” how else should I take your analysis other than “this is junior high bullshit”?

Kudos to Hugh Douglas and Scott Van Pelt for taking the high road. Neither are afraid to levy a difficult appraisal for any situation, but choosing to do so with tact and class might not drive social media reaction and website traffic, but it also lends itself to better conversation overall.

Whether pandering to the lowest common denominator or not is good for business shouldn’t be something that’s even worth discussing, but here we are.

ABC News Radio’s Aaron Katersky Has Covered the Middle East as Much as Anyone

BNM Staff
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ABC News Radio’s Aaron Katersky Has Covered the Middle East as Much as Anyone

When Hamas militants snuck into Israel and killed hundreds nearly two weeks ago, network newsrooms worldwide sent some of the most qualified people to the Middle East to cover the story. Americans didn’t have to wait too long to understand the atrocities being carried out by ruthless terrorists as platforms like X and TikTok were showing videos and pictures of the violence almost in real-time. Blending storytelling with our present-day media environment has seized the public’s interest. Veteran journalists with extensive experience in the field, such as Aaron Katersky, a senior investigative reporter and correspondent at ABC News, have not only observed these transformations but also adeptly adjusted to them.

Katersky has reported on Middle East conflicts on two distinct occasions, initially in 2003 when he embedded with the Marines in Iraq. Subsequently, he has embarked on numerous missions to Baghdad and Afghanistan, consistently delivering reports from the frontlines of conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Aaron Katersky began his journalism career at 15 by covering school board meetings in Marshfield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Syracuse University, he worked at an AM station in Western New York, where he met Ken Charles. Later, Charles moved to NewsRadio 740 KTRH in Houston and eventually brought Katersky with him. In Houston, he would catch the attention of ABC News Radio executives.

Throughout his career, Aaron Katersky has won numerous awards, including Edward R. Murrow and Emmy awards, which he credits to his commitment to simplicity. His success can be attributed to the valuable advice he received while reporting on a plane crash – “Describe what you see and nothing else.” This guiding principle remains his mantra even today.

In a conversation with Barrett News Media, Aaron Katersky talks about the influence of social media on war coverage in the Middle East. He also shares the most significant break he received in his career, how ABC News Audio is managing the digital transition, and explains how he honed his storytelling skills.

Ryan Hedrick:  As someone who has previously covered conflicts in the Middle East, what are your thoughts on the media coverage of the situation in Israel?

Aaron Katersky: I’ve covered two wars in Israel. It’s heartbreaking. That’s the only thing you can feel. My colleagues there are doing Yeoman’s work, bringing visceral, powerful stories to life. It can be challenging operating in those environments. I tip my hat to how compelling they (war correspondents) have been, but above all, it’s heartbreaking to watch.

RH: How do you overcome fear when reporting in a war zone?

AK: For me, you focus on the stories and try to take as much of yourself out of it. You will be impacted by the emotions and the horror around you, which will undoubtedly seep into your perceptions and how you deliver, but I’ve never really felt like my feelings mattered; it’s the people you meet and the stories you encounter. Taking the reporter out and putting people in is the best way.

RH: Have you been intrigued by the evolution of war coverage, particularly with the advent of social media and the ability to witness events in real time?

AK: It intrigues, it enhances, and it also frightens because things that are said to be confirmed via social media need some checking, and it’s not always easy, particularly in war zones, to verify everything that you see. We have an amazing team (at ABC News); I wonder if they’ve slept since the war kicked off in Israel to try and verify some of that.

It’s even more incumbent upon us, what you might call more traditional media, to try and take an extra step and verify everything we see. Sometimes, we get criticized for not reacting quickly enough to what might be evident to some, but I think it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that it’s right. We will never compete speed-wise with social media, but we can bring an honest assessment, and that’s truly our value.

(During our conversation, I mentioned Russian paratroopers filming themselves during the first days of the invasion of Ukraine. I told Aaron it looked like a scene from a movie).

AK: It’s also straight out of a propaganda play, and that is where social media also becomes dicey. Those images are often released and are entirely compelling because we’ve never seen that kind of image before. On the other hand, sometimes a pause to say, ‘What, why am I being shown this?’

When Tori Clarke (former Pentagon Spokeswoman), in her infinite wisdom, brought embedded reporters into Iraq to see things that had not been seen, it was incredibly powerful storytelling. It also had its value for the Pentagon, and those things are sometimes cut both ways. I’ll grant you the images (coming out of Israel) are stunning.

RH: Where did you begin your career as a reporter?

AK: WATD Radio in Marshfield, Massachusets. It’s a small, family-owned, full-service radio station that does everything from high school football, accepts mainly local ads, and covers about 12-15 small communities south of Boston and Cape Cod. I was handed a microphone and a tape recorder and asked to cover school board meetings.

RH: What was your objective when you first started in the radio industry?

AK: I think I was 15 years old; my goal was to get to school on time (laughs). I didn’t have any larger aspirations at that point. I just wanted to find a story and get it filed. Those are the stories that you learn matter to people.

In Massachusetts, in the town where I grew up, it’s a town meeting format, so those are also interminable, but they are an interesting way of getting laws passed and getting people’s voices heard. You learn what resonates with people and what matters to people, and I saw that as entirely compelling.

RH: How did you develop your storytelling abilities?

AK: A lot of it was through mimicry. There are a couple of guys on the radio in Boston that I tried to emulate. There’s a reporter named Carl Stevens for WBZ Radio, who I think is one of the finest storytellers on radio; the morning anchor was Gary LaPierre, who, for me, is what the gold standard for what a news anchor should sound like, and then I watched Peter Jennings. Imitation is the best form of flattery.

RH: What was the most significant break you received in your career?

AK: I had people who were incredibly generous to even bother with me, and a lot of that had to do with sticking with radio when many people I went to school with had a bigger passion and talent for television.

In school, I worked at the AM station in Syracuse, WSYR, and John Butler was the news director. And he was terrifying and wonderful and would bother. He would take a piece of copy that I wrote and take a thick, black magic marker, and he would draw arrows and say, ‘Why is the lede sentence down here?’ ‘Why did it take you so long to get to the sound?’ He would go through your copy, and it was intense and scary, but it was the best learning experience.

A woman on the air named Tara Howard was incredibly generous in helping me hone some skills. I will forever be grateful for just writing things straightforwardly and getting rid of extraneous adjectives, skills I continually fall back on. Also, in Syracuse, this guy named Ken Charles became the boss. He then bounced around and brought me over to Houston.

I was working in Houston but visiting friends in New York, and an American Flight crashed on the year anniversary after 9/11. The plane crashed into Jamaica Bay, and I hitchhiked a ride with some transit cop, and I met Rich Lamb from WCBS, who gave me the best advice to fall back on. Not a week goes by when I don’t think about his words. [He told me] Describe what you see and nothing else. I fall back on that every time I am at a story because it keeps you out of trouble and focuses on what matters right in front of you.

RH: What do you think about radio reporters who use their social media accounts to tell stories to their radio audience and introduce a younger audience to radio?

AK: I’m all for it; you have to meet the audience where they are. Our reports are so short it’s perfect for some social media platforms. If you can be compelling, some of the principles are the same. There should be a natural connection.

I don’t think I am going to become a TikTok star. My daughter would be only slightly horrified, but I know that’s where she’s getting information for better and worse, so it’s terrific if we can meet the moment with compelling journalism in a short format, that’s radio. Why can’t it be for TikTok, too, or for any social media platform?

RH: The radio, TV, and digital convergence are more prominent now than ever. Can you share your observations on this trend at ABC News?

AK: You can’t pick one. Now, I don’t think anybody has the luxury to be a radio reporter. You have to have some versatility to tell stories in different ways; the moment demands it. That is where we are going because one isn’t sufficient anymore.

RH: What are your thoughts on how ABC News is managing the current digital transition?

AK: ABC News is really well-built for the future. I am so blessed to work with colleagues who have become friends. Alex Stone,  Steven Portnoy, and Karen Travers, who covers the White House for us.

We’re all about the same age. Hopefully, we’re telling stories in a compelling way has built us to propel forward in a digital age. We’re mindful of podcasts and other offerings, meeting an audience where it is, and who knows what that’s going to look like. If our basis is we have people in places who can tell compelling stories in short form or in long form when called upon, that’s going to position us very well.

What Liz Alesse (vice president of ABC Audio), Jonathan Newman (Managing Editor, ABC News), and Tara Gimble (Deputy Managing Editor), have done is try to trim away the things we used to do just because we used to do them, and really try to shake that thinking a bit and do the things that matter most to our affiliates and to our audience and that then leaves us open to doing things that are new. 

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