Diamond Sports Group has until this Saturday to negotiate a restructuring plan with its creditors that would result in the end to its Ch. 11 bankruptcy it claimed in March. The company has been rejecting media rights contracts throughout the Major League Baseball regular season, resulting in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks to have their games produced and locally distributed by the league’s local media department. The company is also embroiled in litigation against its parent entity, Sinclair, Inc., which it is suing over a claim that it received more than $1.5 billion because of misconduct. In response, Sinclair, which had an 8% year-over-year (YoY) decline in revenue, believes the subsidiary will not emerge from bankruptcy.
Ahead of the start of regular seasons for both the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League – and the local broadcasts of 27 teams – the company is working to catalyze its efforts to reach a resolution. The original deadline was set for this Saturday, Sept. 30, but did not prevent the company from paying two teams that were due rights payments on Sept. 1 – the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans. Additionally, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been paid and will begin the season on Bally Sports Ohio, although that could change depending on ensuing circumstances. If the mediation were to fall through, however, the company could request teams return the payments.
Diamond Sports Group originally pushed for a Nov. 9 deadline with its creditors to finalize a restructuring plan but was coerced by a bankruptcy court to meet its demands. Earlier in August, the NHL expressed to a bankruptcy court that it may look for emergency relief in order to exit the contracts if a plan is not completed. The league also viewed it as being “critical” that it knew the direction of the company by the start of its preseason.
Before the start of play, the Los Angeles Kings and Diamond Sports Group came to terms on a new, multiyear broadcast agreement; however, it is unknown as to how that could be affected should an outcome fail to be reached. The team enters the 2023-24 regular season with longtime play-by-play announcer Nick Nickson after Alex Faust was let go when the team opted to combine its radio and television broadcasts.
“This partnership furthers our commitment to the Bally Sports West distribution markets and to providing LA Kings fans with in-depth coverage of their favorite team on multiple platforms,” Diamond Sports Chief Executive Officer David Preschlack said in a statement. “Additionally, we are encouraged by the progress we are making in our restructuring process and are hopeful that this agreement can serve as a model for future discussions with our team and league partners.”
The NBA stands ready to produce regional broadcasts itself that would be available to stream through the NBA app, and the league would negotiate linear distribution and sell advertising. Teams receive significant amounts of funding through local and national media rights contracts, the latter of which expires with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery after the 2024-25 season. Other regional sports networks, such as Monumental Sports Network and MSG Networks, have recently released new direct-to-consumer streaming services to pair with their linear television products, giving viewers new ways to watch their favorite teams.
The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury terminated its agreement with Diamond Sports Group during the offseason, opting to televise their games on traditional, over-the-air television through Arizona’s Family networks. The team recently gave away free antennas to fans to ensure they would be able to watch the games this season. Owner Mat Ishbia called the local television deal a “no-brainer” and divulged that over 2.8 million households in the state will have access to watch the teams for free. Bally Sports Arizona continues to hold the rights for the Arizona Coyotes; however, that has the potential to be upended depending on the resolution of hearings in bankruptcy court.
Diamond Sports Group is also in the midst of negotiating a carriage extension with Comcast ahead of the expiration of the contract at the end of the week. For those involved, these negotiating sessions represent a perception of the viability of the business and could have an impact on payments for the NBA broadcast deals. If no deal is reached, there is a chance that creditors would opt not to authorize upcoming payments that could halt payments for 15 NBA teams.
EverWonder Studio has announced that it will finance a project co-produced by Meadowlark Media, co-founded by executive John Skipper and host Dan Le Batard. The feature-length documentary, which will explore the friendship, support and rivalry between tennis stars Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, is the first publicly announced project for EverWonder Studio since its launch last month. Moreover, these teams have garnered rights for a future scripted adaptation to be determined at a later date.
The film will feature never-before-seen footage and information about Evert and Navratilova, outlining how a staunch rivalry turned into an unbreakable friendship. Viewers will receive behind-the-scenes looks at all of the action, in addition to details on their tennis careers both on and off the court.
“Chris and Martina revolutionized the sport of women’s tennis,” Skipper said in a statement. “Their story has all the elements of a fascinating, inspiring documentary, and we are thrilled to bring it to the screen in partnership with EverWonder.”
Executive producers on the project include the aforementioned Skipper, along with Deirdre Fenton, Mary Greenham and Jon Wertheim of NewsPresenters Media. Lawrence Frankopan of StarWing Sports and Jeff Zucker of RedBird IMI also have executive producer credits on the project, and all involved are excited to present their story en masse. Zucker formerly served as the president of CNN and chief executive officer of NBCUniversal, and this project marks the first media investment under his new venture.
“Chris and Martina’s story is exactly the type of project we launched EverWonder to tell – a never-before-seen look at one of the great friendships and rivalries of our time,” Zucker said in a statement. “I know this is the first of many powerful narratives EverWonder will bring to life, and I’m grateful to Chris and Martina for trusting us with their story.”
EverWonder Studios hired chief executive officer Ian Orefice to help launch the company after he worked as the president and chief operating officer of Time Studios. After forging a professional relationship with Zucker over several years, he decided to join on building this new entity predicated on genuine storytelling that reaches a global audience and has a widespread impact. Producing non-fiction intellectual property is at the center of the company’s mission, and there are several journalistic- and sports-related hires that are set to begin work with the studio.
“It’s an honor that after a very competitive process, Chris and Martina have chosen EverWonder as their storytelling partner along with Meadowlark Media,” Orefice said. “EverWonder was created to celebrate the world’s best stories, and we’re thrilled to tell the tale of one of the greatest rivalries – and friendships – in sports history. Their journey has already inspired so many, and we know it will do the same for new audiences around the world.”
Fresno news/talk station KMJ 580 AM and 105.9 FM is teaming up with local TV station ABC30. The partnership will see ABC30’s Action News reports added to the local radio station. The reports will include news, sports, weather, and human interest stories.
The partnership brings together two powerful local news platforms to benefit TV viewers and radio listeners. KMJ morning host Chris Gabriel told ABC30 he’s enthusiastic about the two sides joining forces.
“The amount of work that comes out of ABC30 is going to benefit us on the radio side in infinite amount of ways,” said Gabriel. “ABC30 does it better than anybody, and I think we do it pretty well here. When you get that combination, I think good things are going to happen for your viewers and for our listeners.”
KMJ presently airs regular news briefs at the top and bottom of the hour. ABC30 Meteorologist Kevin Musso will be part of the new plan, updating KMJ listeners on the latest local weather forecasts.
“Our goal at ABC30 is to always provide Central California families with the best news, weather and information,” said ABC30 General Manager Michael Carr. “This partnership with KMJ is going to allow us to reach even more people all the time through this radio partnership. It’s a big win for the Valley.”
Tucker Carlson has been accused by his opponents of being a pro-Russian propagandist since the beginning of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Carlson has pushed back before and now wants to make it clear that he does not have a business relationship with the state-run media outlet airing his Twitter show in Russia.
The Russian propaganda outlet Russia 24 has been airing a promo for the show with a tagline that promises Carlson “is moving to another level. Here.”
“This is completely absurd,” Carlson told Mediate when asked about the promos. “Reporters are so dishonest and stupid. I’ve never even heard of this channel.”
Russia 24 is running the promos. It is possible, and maybe even likely, that the network is running episodes without permission from anyone actually involved with the show.
Carlson has not been shy about his pro-Russia stance in regard to the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin even sent out a memo to its media allies encouraging them to air “as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson” in 2022.
It is unknown what future plans Russia 24 has for Carlson’s show.
Bonneville Denver and Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan recently released a new on-air lineup featuring a revamped afternoon drive program and the addition of Josh Dover in middays alongside Brandon Stokley. These changes were precipitated by the changing marketplace in addition to Derek Wolfe’s exit from the station “to focus on other interests.” Wolfe had been working with Darren McKee, who was subsequently let go in a decision that perturbed many longtime listeners of the station.
The Syracuse University graduate had been working with the station since 2008 and was one of four radio personalities to be let go as part of the move. Joining McKee as victims of the changes were former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, former Broncos tight end Nate Jackson and former NFL linebacker Chad Brown.
McKee recently appeared on the DeHuff Uncensored podcast, hosted by former Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan producer Scott DeHuff, who departed the station in 2021 to pursue other opportunities. DeHuff was an integral part of shaping the morning show, Schlereth & Evans, and affirmed that his exit was not planned but something he felt had to happen. Conversely, McKee was released by the station and reflected on how it felt for him to be fired for the 10th time of his career.
“You had quite a bit more independent decision-making than I had on that one,” McKee told DeHuff. “Okay, it is what it is; I’ve been through it before and just got to [take it] one day at a time and figure it out.”
McKee enjoyed his time on the air and thanked all of the fans who left messages on social media demonstrating their support and appreciation for his work. While he is not sure where his career will take him next, he ostensibly wants to continue to use his gift of gab to inform and entertain the public, presumably in the sports media industry.
“I have no plans to go anywhere,” he said. “We’re off to the next adventure, and [I am] kind of traveling down and trying to catch up with this world, man – the podcast world; the digital world.”
Liberty Media has proposed combining with SiriusXM. The group, which also owns controlling interest in the Atlanta Braves and Formula One Racing, has proposed forming a “new, consolidated public company” with the satellite radio giant.
According to the Liberty Media website, the company already owns 83% of SiriusXM. Combining the to companies would give Liberty full control of both SiriusXM and Pandora.
If a deal were to close, minority shareholders would own 16% of SiriusXM. Liberty proposes the other 84% would belong to holders of LSXM stock.
“Liberty’s proposal rationalizes the dual corporate structure between LSXM and SiriusXM and provides value to all shareholders with a more flexible and attractive currency in New SiriusXM,” Liberty president and CEO Greg Maffei said. “SiriusXM minority shareholders will also benefit from enhanced trading dynamics, including increased liquidity and likelihood of future index inclusion.”
SiriusXM issued a statement acknowledging the proposal. The company had no recommendation to shareholders at this time.
“There can be no assurance that the proposal, or any other transaction, will be completed or, if so, as to the terms and conditions of any such transaction,” the statement says.
Mina Kimes, who recently agreed to a new contract with ESPN, begins her maternity leave on Tuesday as she prepares to welcome a newborn into the world. The beloved National Football League commentator received a sendoff on Monday’s edition of NFL Live in the form of a montage featuring her colleagues Laura Rutledge, Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears, Field Yates and Ryan Clark. This video was filled with messages of encouragement and inspiration for Kimes, who began to visibly tear up at the end as she prepares for her new journey.
Kimes shared a recording of the montage on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a caption conveying the love she has for her television family. She looks forward to seeing them soon when she returns from her maternity leave. Rutledge went on maternity leave herself earlier this year and was surprised with a farewell message prior to her exit.
The news of Kimes’ pregnancy was formally shared through social media where she revealed that she brought a “date” with her to the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. Those on social media noticed a baby bump, eliciting congratulatory comments filled with excitement and euphoria.
Kimes first joined ESPN in 2014 to contribute to its magazine after time as a business writer and investigative reporter. The Yale University graduate became more involved with television and digital efforts through her years at the company and was officially named as an NFL analyst in 2020. She regularly appears on Get Up, First Take, Around the Horn and SportsCenter in addition to her regular slot on NFL Live. Kimes also has experience on audio platforms as the former co-host of The Morning Roast national weekend show on ESPN Radio. Kimes also contributes to Meadowlark Media by appearing on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz once per week.
OutKick founder Clay Travis is reacting to comments about censorship from Carl Cannon, the Washington Editor of Real Clear Politics. Cannon believes some mainstream media members have been overly eager to excuse or justify censorship.
Cannon added that not only have they excused it, but in some cases, they have actively supported the censoring of politicians and even fellow journalists who hold opposing viewpoints.
“I agree with the conclusion,” Travis said on America’s Newsroom. “I think we’ve entered into a really scary time in our country where we’ve moved from basically an embrace of the marketplace of ideas and a robust First Amendment, where you can argue for or against any policy under the sun, to a position where Democrats believe not only the government itself should be censoring opinions it doesn’t like, but in the position of determining what can and cannot be argued.”
Travis said the real threat to democracy is the inability to have a healthy dialogue and express opposing points of view.
“Typically, the First Amendment was for minority rights as it was the majority rights,” he added. “Many different issues that initially start off with minority appeal grow into a majority perspective by allowing themselves to be argued over decades. That’s really kind of the entire purpose of Supreme Court dissents.”
Evan Cohen had an advantage when deciding how to introduce himself to the audience thanks to a dual role as both a host and an executive. Ushering in a new era of ESPN Radio, he prompted Michelle Smallmon to talk about why she came in the show’s premiere episode with a black eye.
Viewers of the program could see it for themselves on ESPN2 as she regaled the tale of what happened in her New York City apartment, instantly invested and intrigued by the story and everything thereafter. Even though the circumstance timed itself perfectly, Cohen took a risk in starting a show this way and learned the details behind the incident with the audience live on the air.
Whether it is about sports or not, Cohen is always prepared. Watching games is just as important as the viewing experience, trying to find the metadramatics in each situation to present consumers with parlance and conversation that goes beyond expounding statistics. Sports radio has an inherent element of entertainment that forges a strong connection with its listener base, and these narratives tend to have more value than meretricious greetings.
“If I’m doing the show and we’re doing the show that we think is right, our life is work and our work is life,” Cohen said. “….If you just make up in your mind, or at least I have made up in my mind, ‘My entire life could be show fodder,’ then it’s always enjoyable.”
Good Karma Brands and ESPN have been business partners for more than two decades. In the first quarter of 2022, Good Karma Brands acquired ownership of ESPN New York 1050, ESPN 710 Los Angeles and ESPN 1000 in Chicago. As part of that agreement, Good Karma Brands continued its digital sales obligations for ESPN as its official operating partner and inked a local marketing arrangement (LMA) to take on select responsibilities pertaining to ESPN New York 98.7.
When ESPN began layoffs mandated by The Walt Disney Company in order to slash $5.5 billion in costs, the audio division of the outlet took a significant hit. Program directors Ryan Hurley and Amanda Brown were relieved of their duties, as were executives Scott McCarthy, Louise Cornetta and Pete Gianesini. Additionally, those within the ESPN Radio Network sales staff lost their jobs as the company finalized a renewed deal with Good Karma Brands to execute sales responsibilities within the company’s radio and podcast networks.
Cohen is part of this transition as the vice president of content for Good Karma Brands, but he has no jurisdiction over what happens at the outlets in New York and Los Angeles from a managerial standpoint. As it relates to other ESPN affiliates owned by the company, he works directly with market managers and content directors to ensure that they produce content that best satisfies three key performance groups: fans, teammates and partners. The partnership is one factor that Cohen affirms proves ESPN’s commitment to content crafted for the ear.
“[ESPN has] decided that [it] would like to find partners to go out and find a way to market the content to great advertising partners that they can put [its] message on, and [it wants] to bring in best-in-class operators who do that on a daily basis to help raise the profile of [its] audio,” Cohen said. “I think people have had this twisted for so long.”
ESPN Radio announced a revamped national weekday lineup in late August with experienced hosts up and down the board. From Freddie Coleman and Harry Douglas to Amber Wilson and Ian Fitzsimmons, new and unique pairings are keeping listeners interested and entertained with the latest sports talk.
Starting off the day is a three-person composition with Chris Canty, Michelle Smallmon and Cohen on Unsportsmanlike, and early reviews of the show have been favorable. For Cohen, reaching this point of his career required taking calculated risks and seizing any opportunity that could help him grow – even if it was outside his direct interests.
When Cohen was 9 years old, he heard Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo on WFAN for the first time and remembers distinctly thinking that he wanted to work in sports media.
In addition to working on the student radio station and newspaper at the University of Wisconsin, he had professional experiences over every summer. An internship with the Madison Square Garden Radio Network marked his first external radio endeavor, and subsequent experiences at WFAN and various network public relations departments bolstered his acumen and comprehension.
During Cohen’s junior year at the university, he interned for the Wisconsin Badgers broadcast team, consisting of Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas. For football and basketball home games, along with television and radio shows, he observed the way they went about their jobs and helped out where he could. Learning both through osmosis and involvement assisted in his erudition, but there was no viable substitute for bonafide repetitions.
“Matt Lepay taught me a lesson early on [by saying], ‘If you want to be on the air, you’ve got to get on the air,’” Cohen recalled. “He was specific in the way he said that because he didn’t say, ‘If you wanted to be a sports talk radio host, you’ve got to do sports talk radio.’”
Good Karma Brands had found its niche in the sports talk format and was starting an ESPN Radio affiliate from scratch in West Palm Beach, Fla., leading Cohen to relocate and host a show produced by John Martin. Originally on 760 AM, the station implanted itself in the country’s largest market without a sports radio station at the time and included programming hosted by company executives Craig Karmazin and Steve Politziner themselves. Today, ESPN West Palm is in the midst of celebrating its 20th year on the air and has established itself as one of the outlet’s trusted and respected sports media outlets.
Cohen, however, quickly found out that he was going to be much more than just a host. As he was discussing the job offer with management, he remembers being told that no money would be invested in advertising the station and that no full-time producer would be hired. Furthermore, working as a salesperson would be a condition of his employment as a host, requiring that he execute the role during the day to catalyze remunerative growth.
“It was the single greatest experience I could have because it allowed me to appreciate being on the air,” Cohen affirmed. “It allowed me to work to be on the air, and we started something from scratch that the only way we could make it work was grassroots efforts of being there, meeting people and learning the market.”
Upon being informed of the offer though, Cohen expressed some ambivalence regarding whether or not he should take the chance and called his father to ask his opinion. He was met with a resounding plea to take the job, with his father emitting shock that he would even consider turning it down in the first place. Today, Cohen is often asked how media professionals can exit their comfort zone, to which he frequently replies, “You have to determine what your comfort zone is in order to know how to get out of it.”
Despite West Palm Beach’s status as a top 50 market, the area at the time consisted of many transplant sports fans with allegiances to various teams. Evidently, personalities had to be able to talk about non-local topics. Hosting shows in this marketplace helped him relate to different types of listeners and foster connections with strategic corporate partners, preparing him to continue broadening his horizons.
“You’re appealing to a fanbase that is not solely focused on one team, so how do you connect with them?,” Cohen expressed. “I think it’s [by] being as relatable as possible.”
Cohen connected to the local marketplace by working on Florida Atlantic University broadcasts of football and basketball games in various roles, including as a play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporter. He could also be heard on the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network as the host of its postgame show, coinciding with opportunities to serve as a fill-in host on FOX Sports Radio. Former vice president and general manager Andrew Ashwood afforded him the chance to contribute to the outlet, a place where he ended up meeting colleagues Jorge Sedano, Greg Bergman and Chris Morales.
“It’s crazy in this industry how many people you meet early on,” Cohen said. “Then later in life, you work on different projects with [them] and now I’m interacting with all of them [at] ESPN LA.”
While most of Cohen’s work took place on the radio, he also gained television experience as the sports anchor for WPTV, the local NBC affiliate. The job emanated from a deal that tabbed ESPN 760 sports radio personalities to appear on the news channel to provide local sports features and contribute to the Braman 5 Sports Live nightly sports wrap-up program. The confluence of exposure and expertise, combined with fortuitous timing, put him on the radar of SiriusXM.
Cohen began hosting a four-hour morning drive program on Mad Dog Sports Radio with former baseball executive Steve Phillips and worked closely with lead producer Mike Babchik. Later in the day, he would host his two-hour show on ESPN West Palm while continuing to serve in a managerial role with Good Karma Brands. Cohen’s days were jam-packed with media obligations, and he split his time between New York City and West Palm Beach each month to effectively perform his roles. Regularly appearing on a national and local outlet each day, he adopted nuanced differences in his style while keeping a consistent approach.
“The platform is the biggest thing that’s different [in] who’s watching and who’s listening and the amount of people,” Cohen expressed. “If you stay true to kind of what got you here and stay true to what you believe is right in terms of radio, then I think that you’re going to be good.”
Cohen and Babchik eventually began hosting the show, renamed The Morning Men, together when Phillips transitioned to work on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio, an idea they had discussed previously and implored station management to cosign. Former New York Jets guard Willie Colon joined the program in 2021, and the show continued to gain traction on the air. After some time passed, Cohen came to end his afternoon program in West Palm Beach after more than 5,000 episodes of his show to focus on his SiriusXM and Good Karma Brands managerial responsibilities.
Continuing the three-person hosting format as he did with SiriusXM and Morning Men made sense to him of the caliber of talent he is working with now on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike. Michelle Smallmon had been a successful radio producer and found success in multiple morning teams on 101 ESPN in St. Louis. Chris Canty had played in the NFL and appeared both on radio and television with ESPN, taking the preparation of his show as seriously as lining up against Tom Brady. Cohen is cognizant of the fact that this is a show with invaluable levels of radio experience and can appeal to consumers from numerous markets.
“When I get this insane opportunity to be at ESPN and to be a part of this show and to work with two people like that – man oh man,” Cohen said. “You can’t be luckier than I am to work with that level of talent.”
Canty authored the name of the show during a brainstorming session, recognizing that its goal is to find enjoyable and convivial aspects of every story discussed. Deviating from usual sports media structure by focusing on celebrating the game and its players is at the center of their ebullient mindset.
Relatability and connectivity are the keys to success for any sports radio program, effectively transforming casual listeners into devoted fans who can advocate on the show’s behalf and convince more people to listen. There is no host who has done that more effectively in the history of the medium, according to Cohen, than Howard Stern.
“If you think about the Howard fans, they support Howard in a way that is so unbelievable that I think the mark of a great show is, in some ways, getting your fans to contribute to the marketing department,” Cohen said. “The more the fans can promote the show, the better your show is going to have a chance to succeed.”
None of that is possible without some level of vulnerability and divulgence of personal life, continuing to entice listeners and retain their mind share. Growing comfortable in doing that as an executive took time for Cohen, and he now feels he has reached a point where he can relax and fulfill his obligations with aplomb. Having a vested interest in both sides of the partnership centers his focus on how the brands can help one another achieve their collective goal of generating revenue and garnering relevancy.
“I think that I am unbelievably lucky to have both,” Cohen said. “….I get to learn so much from so many people at both companies and then kind of be that messier of ideas so to speak with both spots.”
“There is not a quarterback in this league that is considered on a higher level than Josh Allen that is more overrated.”@EvCoRadio goes OFF on Josh Allen after his performance against the Jets. #UnSportsmanLikepic.twitter.com/Ykcfw6ykcr
Good Karma Brands will forsake the 98.7 FM signal in New York City in August 2024, converting ESPN New York’s distribution solely to the AM band and other digital channels. The decision to abdicate its position on the FM dial saves $12.5 million for its annual lease fee, perpetuated by internal data that reveals that 60% of station listenership comes outside of radio.
“I see no time in which Good Karma Brands will not do everything in its power to make sure the fans consume our content in a way that partners can support that will make teammates happy,” Cohen said, who did not have direct involvement in this decision. “I have no idea where and when that lands and how that lands, but I know for 20+ years, the goal of Good Karma is to make sure fans consume our content in a way that partners want to support and makes teammates happy, and I’ve never seen anything otherwise.”
Cohen references New England Patriots head coach and general manager Bill Belichick in what he looks for from himself and his colleagues on a day-to-day basis. Whenever he is asked what encompasses a successful effort on the field, Belichick will usually reference all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams.
“I look at it in the same way [with] all three phases,” Cohen said. “The three phases are sales, marketing and content – but in essence, it is fans, teammates and partners. If we hit all three of those phases, we will be successful.”
Many in the news media world were surprised last week as one of its biggest players — if not the biggest — stepped down from his lofty perch. Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of News Corporation and Fox Corporation, announced last week that he was abdicating the role and passing the baton to his son, Lachlan Murdoch.
As the dust settles and the change takes effect in the coming weeks, it is important to learn the lessons of Murdoch’s past seven decades in media ownership. There are many pearls of wisdom to be grasped regarding building media success and a legacy worth remembering.
Let’s take a look at three things Murdoch got right, and how other media executives can learn from his example.
Connecting With the Audience
When Rupert Murdoch launched Fox News in 1996, he was venturing into uncharted territory. Television media was dominated by liberal-leaning executives, anchors, and reporters.
As hard as it is to believe in the year 2023, television news media in the mid-90s was even more liberally biased than it is now. Television viewers just had nothing to judge it against. They largely received the same slant from all outlets — NBC, CBS, ABC, etc. — which conditioned viewers to feel there was only one way to look at an issue.
Even though millions of Americans felt differently, they were conditioned to think the liberal slant was the only proper, educated way to view an issue.
When Murdoch began Fox News, he gave half of the country their voice on television. With Fox, he connected with their hopes, dreams, values, and sensibilities. Certainly, pioneering legend Rush Limbaugh had begun blazing the path of traditional, common-sense talk on syndicated radio.
However, bringing mainstream conservative thought to television was strikingly new, compared to the big-government, elitist, globalist approach taken by the vast majority of television media. Murdoch gave millions of Americans a home. Through the network’s approach, from the stories they covered to the talent they employed on-air, Murdoch tapped into the pro-God, pro-America, and pro-freedom core of the nation. He heard the audience and filled the vacuum.
As an example for future media executives and broadcasters, Murdoch saw an untapped market segment and had the courage to cater to the audience. The success has been astounding, as Fox News eventually out-rated CNN and MSNBC, becoming the unrivaled leader in the new world of cable television news. Murdoch saw the need and filled it.
Hiring the Right Leaders
Truly successful owners, executives, managers, and leaders know one of the biggest secrets to success is hiring the best people and letting them do their thing. So when Rupert Murdoch hired Roger Ailes to become the CEO of Fox News in 1996, he trusted that Ailes had the ability and vision to help make the network successful. Ailes had been extremely influential in conservative political circles for years, which gave the network an immediate connection to that segment of the nation.
Roger Ailes was an authentic conservative who specialized in building perception. After all, politics revolves around creating a perception and image for the voting public. Ailes knew how to create that perception and then magnetically attract similar-thinking viewers. He had done it as a media consultant for Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and others, and he still had deep connections to the new generation of thought leaders, such as Limbaugh.
In other words, Ailes and his subsequent leadership team knew how to reach the viewers to make Murdoch’s vision of the network a reality. And a hugely successful reality at that.
Simply in terms of the network’s vision, Rupert Murdoch was largely successful due to the hiring of Roger Ailes and the additional Fox News leadership team.
Additionally, he made difficult decisions when allegations were made years later against that same leader. Hiring the right people is crucial, as is moving on when the right people no longer are. Certain behaviors, when true, can no longer be tolerated or supported if an organization’s culture is to remain strong and flourish in the future.
Knowing When to Pass the Torch
Perhaps one of the most difficult milestones for any business, organization, or media leader is to know the time to bow out. After a lifetime of success, many feel the need to hang on for as long as possible, lest the organization wilt upon your absence.
Rupert Murdoch is 92 years old. He has built a remarkable media empire, including ownership of The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. Apparently, he feels now is the best time to exit, while giving his baby the best chance to grow and evolve for years to come.
In a statement released last week, Murdoch said, “Our companies are in robust health, as am I.”
He exits the field ala John Elway, Pope Benedict XVI, or Andrew Carnegie, still with gas in the tank but before the tank nears empty. A multi-faceted life includes many ingredients, and media professionals of all levels can benefit from stepping back, at times, to smell the roses and connect with the truly important things in life.
Perhaps Murdoch wants to sit back and enjoy his lifestyle. Or maybe he no longer identifies with the populist, America First climate sweeping the Republican party and the country. Regardless, Murdoch is stepping back, apparently at a time of strength rather than weakness.
Rupert Murdoch has been a transformational figure in American and worldwide media culture. He did a lot correctly, including listening to the needs of the consumer, hiring effective leaders, and stepping aside at the right time. Perhaps more than anything, he aligned with the majority of the people – giving their interests a voice against the usual powerbrokers of the era.
“Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth,” Murdoch said in his letter to colleagues last week.
History may consider Rupert Murdoch a media visionary who saw the truth viewers were searching for, and who then created a successful media empire around those values.
