Evan Roberts is fired up. Mike Greenberg is so excited he is dropping F-bombs on The Pat McAfee Show. Boomer Esiason is a realist though. He told Greg Hill that anyone that believes that Aaron Rodgers will return to the New York Jets this season is fooling themselves.
“He’ll come back next year, but not this year,” the CBS analyst said Monday morning during a guest appearance on WEEI. “There’s just no physical way for him to be able to do this.”
Rodgers is basing his belief that he could be back before the end of the regular season on other players that have had the same surgery he did. Esiason says the key difference is those players weren’t 39-years-old like Rodgers is. No “darkness retreat or ayahuasca or anything” can change that.
“What about the dolphin sex noises? That’s the new one, Boomer,” Hill asked referencing a comment the quarterback made on The Pat McAfee Show last week.
“I know, believe me, we will be playing that this morning here in New York,” Esiason said about his WFAN morning show. “He gives us content all the time just like he does Pat McAfee.”
Content is just content though. Esiason says it isn’t anything for Jets fans, famous or not, to base their expectations on.
“It’s great, but there’s no way he’s coming. There’s no physical way that he would be able to come back.”
What is the official status of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift? There is a lot of speculation online but no one seems to have the definitive answer.
That doesn’t matter to Ian Eagle. The CBS broadcaster called Kansas City’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. After Patrick Mahomes found Kelce for a Chiefs’ touchdown in the 3rd quarter, he made a not-so-subtle reference to the rumors.
“Kelce finds a blank space for the score,” Eagle said referencing the song from Swift’s 2014 album 1989.
The world is caught up in Taylor Swift fever at the moment and the sports media is not immune. Plenty of Eagle’s colleagues took notice of the call then took to social media to sing his praises.
CNN underwent some tumultuous months during the final stages and immediate aftermath of Chris Licht’s tenure. Anchor Anderson Cooper says things are on the rebound.
In a feature story with The Hollywood Reporter, Cooper claimed that there were dark days at the cable channel, but thinks it has started on an upward trajectory since Licht’s departure and subsequent replacement by Mark Thompson.
“Nobody likes the place they’re working at to be a place where stories are being leaked. It was depressing,” admitted Cooper. “I didn’t really read much about it, but just to see the morale and the layoffs, all of that was concerning. I’m not somebody who has a lot of meetings with management. I certainly had a couple of meetings with Chris. If he asked me something, I would give him an honest opinion.
“I also don’t think it’s responsible to go into details of what I said to somebody who’s no longer here. And look, I wish him and his family well. It’s sad the way the whole thing happened. But morale here has really bounced back, and we’re really focused. No one’s looking backward, no one’s wringing their hands, and we’re plunging ahead.”
Of Thompson, Anderson Cooper said “I was impressed by him then. So I’m thrilled and excited about his involvement. I talked to him while I was on vacation, and then met with him a couple of days after I returned.”
Kristen Welker debuted as the moderator of Meet the Press Sunday with a sometimes contentious interview with former President Donald Trump. She shared that she is completely understanding how important her new role is.
In concluding her debut episode of the venerable Sunday political affairs show, Kristen Welker noted she is keenly aware of the role she now occupies.
“It is an incredible honor to be sitting in this chair and I feel the huge responsibility it carries. I also want to recognize all of the women, all of the people of color, who’ve been pathfinders to make this moment possible, as well as all of the journalists who have mentored me along the way,” said Welker.
“When my colleague Andrea Mitchellapplied for her first job at a news radio station in Philadelphia in 1967, she was told the newsroom was no place for a woman. Well, she talked them into hiring her for the overnight shift. I’m here because she and other fearless women never stopped fighting for their places in the newsroom.”
She continued by noting that each major Sunday political affairs program is now anchored by a woman.
“So to (ABC’s) Martha (Raddatz), (CBS’) Margaret (Brennan), (CNN’s) Dana (Bash), and (Fox’s) Shannon (Bream), I am incredibly honored to join you on Sunday mornings. I also stand on the shoulders of the first moderator and co-founder of this broadcast, Martha Rountree, who had the courage to launch this program back in 1947.”
ESPN was able to hold onto Mina Kimes. The network re-signed its star NFL analyst to a multi-year extension earlier this month.
The renewal was not a given. ESPN faced some serious competition according to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post. He has confirmed that NFL Network made Kimes a very serious offer.
“I believe she could have made more from NFL Network,” he wrote in his “Sports+” newsletter on Monday, “but decided to stay at ESPN, where she is in the $2 million per year neighborhood.”
There is no reporting on why Kimes turned down more money to stay at ESPN. Like Kimes, NFL Network is based in Los Angeles. It seems that logistically, that marriage would have made a lot of sense.
Bristol did allow her to also do a deal with Meadowlark Media. She will make weekly appearances on The Dan Le Batard Show.
NewsNation has returned to DirecTV after an agreement was struck between the cable channel and the satellite television provider.
“DirecTVand Nexstar Media Group, Inc. have officially reached a comprehensive new multi-year distribution agreement covering 176 Nexstar-owned local television stations and the company’s national cable news network, NewsNation. This follows the return of the television stations and NewsNation to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse on the morning of Sept. 17,” a joint statement from the companies reads.
Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of NewsNation, had all of its channels — including 176 local stations — removed from the satellite provider in early July during a carriage dispute.
Since the dispute began, NewsNation has beefed up its news operations. It has moved to a strictly-news format. Previously, the channel had featured re-runs of CBS police drama Blue Bloods, among other non-news programming. The network has added anchors like Connell McShane, Blake Burman, Amy Robach, and Emily Finn, among others, to grow its news programming.
The dispute was not the first to remove a cable news channel from the satellite service. Earlier this year, Newsmax and DirecTV were locked in a hotly contested dispute. Each company take shots at the other. The dispute even led members of Congress to threaten hearings to investigate DirecTV’s conduct in a supposed plot to “silence conservative voices”. However, an eventual deal was struck that returned the conservative channel to the DirecTV lineup.
Men in Blazers has been more than just a show for a while now. Starting this week, the Men in Blazers Media Network becomes more than just a US operation as the company expands into Europe.
Phase one begins in England. The company has opened a new studio in the UK. It will be the home of a new show called Early Kick Off.
The goal of Early Kick Off is to be out at 6 am each morning on the East Coast. It will give US soccer fans a way to start their day with the latest news from the biggest leagues and stars around the world.
The show will be hosted by Sammy James of the Fullhamish podcast. He will be joined by a rotating cast of podcasters and commentators from around the UK.
“There is such a depth of podcasting talent in the UK that we look forward to bringing to a new audience, and we are thrilled to have Sammy and our new teammates in the UK delivering this to American soccer fans by the time the sun rises and we hope to have more to announce soon,” Roger Bennett, Co-founder and CEO of Men in Blazers Media Network, said in a press release.
More European-based shows are in the works for the Men in Blazers network as well. The network has hired local correspondents across the continent to provide on-the-ground coverage of all of Europe’s top stories.
“Trying to catch up on the amount of soccer news each day can often feel like you’re drinking from a firehose,” Bennett added. “This expansion will allow us to bring fans each morning the most complete, efficient, and entertaining round-up.”
Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, is set to appear with Dr. Sebastian Gorka on America First on Monday evening.
Paxton was charged with corruption and official misconduct, which resulted in his impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives.
However, he was acquitted of all charges on Saturday. Since 1845, only three Texas officials have been indicted, and Paxton was one of them. The trial received national attention, but the Texas Senate ultimately found him not guilty over the weekend.
“Ken Paxton pushing back against Biden administration open border policies earned him praise from Donald J. Trump and other conservative leaders and pastors…including one from Brownville, Texas who drove seven hours to the State Capitol in Austin just to pray for our Attorney General during his trial,” said Tom Tradup, Vice President of News and Talk Programming at Salem Radio Network.
Dr. Sebastian Gorka hosts America First, airing on radio stations nationwide from 3-6 PM EST, produced and syndicated by Salem Media Group’s Salem Radio Network.
KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM / 1060 AM) is hosting a special live broadcast event to address education concerns. The broadcast will start at 8:00 PM, taking place at Audacy’s corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, and will be moderated by KYW Newsradio morning anchor Ian Bush.
A recent court ruling in Pennsylvania has increased the urgency for more funding in education, as it declared the state’s support for schools unconstitutional. Although this year’s state budget marked a historic increase in school funding, advocates believe it will significantly improve students’ access to essential resources.
However, the problems accumulating in city schools for decades persist. Many school buildings still grapple with lead and asbestos contamination and faulty HVAC systems. Many students continue to perform below grade level in reading and math, which worsened during the pandemic. Additionally, the ongoing gun violence crisis in the city negatively impacts children during their crucial developmental years.
“We stand at a pivotal moment for public education in Philadelphia. While the recent court decision is poised to be a game-changer for schools, the systemic challenges that have plagued our schools for decades won’t be easily solved,” said Kevin McCorry, News Director, KYW Newsradio.
Education Reporter Mike DeNardo, City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb, and Reporter Shara Dae Howard will pose questions. The panel will consist of key stakeholders, including Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan.
“We’re proud to leverage our platform to bring together a panel with diverse viewpoints to discuss critical issues, including deteriorating infrastructure, academic disparities, and gun violence. The future of our city depends on the quality of education we provide to our students, and conversations like these can kick start action.”
Apart from Watlington and Jordan, the panel will include Christopher Dormer, Superintendent of the Norristown Area School District; Shereda Cromwell, a parent from North Philadelphia; David Hardy, Co-Founder and retired CEO of Boys’ Latin Charter; and Charity Robbins, a freshman at UPenn who attended Frankford and Carver for high school.
Listeners can tune in to the event on KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM and 1060 AM) in Philadelphia and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. You can follow the station on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Our first BNM Summit is in the books, and overall, it was a great week in Nashville. The bar I set for our shows is high, so though I’m proud of the product we put out last week, I also know there are things we can do better next time. And yes, there will be another BNM Summit. I’m planning to host our 2024 conference in either Chicago, Dallas, Washington DC or New York. You can vote on it on BNMSummit.com.
Having had a few days to digest everything while driving from Tennessee to New York, here’s what stood out to me from our first show.
First, I heard a lot of positive feedback about our visual presentations. I appreciate that. I spend months listening to stations/shows, watching videos, studying brands, talking to people, and creating a ton of graphics, informative slides, and editing video and audio clips to advance discussions. Then it comes down to having smart conversations on stage with accomplished professionals, and putting on a show. I bill this as the equivalent of a two-day masterclass on news/talk media, and I hope it felt that way.
I understand how hard it is to keep people interested, educated, and entertained so a lot of time is spent on creating content that stands out, and assembling a lineup of speakers who bring different ideas and opinions to the table. Overall, I felt pretty good about those things.
From my vantage point, I thought Pierre Bouvard, Jim Cutler, and Larry Rosin delivered a ton of valuable information. Andy Bloom’s chat with Chad Benson, Erick Erickson, and Tony Katz was also insightful, and hopefully I added value too during my opening and closing remarks, and the art of interviewing session. I aim to send attendees back to their buildings with new information and ideas to make their brands and staffs better. If we can do that, then it makes the months of hard work worthwhile. This slide below and the one I showed during the Digital Dilemma about the lack of YouTube presence are just two examples that I hope people remembered.
Being a former programmer myself, I have great respect for those leading departments and media companies. It was great having Craig Schwalb, Phil Boyce, Steve Moore, Dan Mandis, Mike McVay, Tim Wenger, Martha Maurer, Drew Anderssen, Dave Tepper, Peter Thiele, David Wood, Charlie Cook, Brad Lane, Gary Krantz, James Derby, Tim Clarke, Jeremy Sinon, Lee Harris and the Dead Horse Branding team share their insights with the room. There were so many interesting opinions and pearls of wisdom shared on stage. It was equally great seeing folks like Bud Walters, John Zimmer, Greg Strassell, Carla Leible, Allison Warren, Paul Mason, Trevor Morgan, Mike Paradiso, Chip Miller, Heather Cohen, Richard Harker, Glenda Bos, Rob Walch, Amy Bolton, Jennifer Brown, Mike Ragozino, Kelvin Davis, Jim Daunais, Chuck Sullivan, Chris Crane, and Dr. Ed Cohen take in the sessions.
There were others in and out of the room too, and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but I’m also trying to avoid this column taking an hour to read. Most of the folks mentioned above haven’t been to our shows before so it was cool to hear how our work was received by a group that went in with eyes wide open.
As far as personal favorites are concerned, I thought Tomi Lahren absolutely crushed it. Her passion, insight, and opinions on a variety of industry related topics were outstanding. I knew the session had a chance to be a hit because I liked the design of it before we even took the stage but it only works if the guest is on point. She was. It was easy to see why she’s successful, and on the verge of having her star shine even brighter. What a talent. I appreciate her being there and giving everyone plenty to digest. She was exceptional.
The most creative session of the show was likely the Shark Tank. That was fun. I owe a big thank you to Jill Albert of Direct Results for helping us bring Omaha Steaks into the show to reward one of our speakers with a $4,000 advertising buy. I wanted to do something unique on the advertising side, and thought it’d be cool and different to give folks a chance to earn an ad buy for their company or cluster. Gordy Rush, Tim Wenger, and David Wood each used creative approaches in the session, and Andy Bloom’s Mr. Wonderful lines were hysterical. In the end, Tim Wenger earned the business for WBEN in Buffalo but it could’ve easily gone to any of the three. Nice job by all involved.
On a personal level, I was thrilled to spend time on stage with Clay Travis, Dave Ramsey and reconnect with my friend Jason Whitlock.
Starting with Clay, I have great respect for the work he’s done building Outkick into a national force. People have strong thoughts about Clay, good and bad, but one thing he doesn’t get enough credit for is how well he’s built OK and his own personal brand in the media industry over the past 5-10 years. You don’t step into Rush Limbaugh’s former timeslot, and earn a massive investment in your company from the Fox Corporation if you’re not business savvy. Clay’s passion for the media business and his comfortability discussing a wide range of issues made it easy to guide a conversation with him. In fact, we went twenty minutes past our time because it was the end of the first day and he was rolling. Because we’ve known each other for a while and share mutual respect, I think people learned a few things during our chat.
For my friend Mr. Whitlock, I’ve always enjoyed picking his brain. He’s a unique thinker with a lot of range, and I appreciate people who are authentic, which Jason certainly is. After years of making his mark in sports media, Jason has expanded his focus into other aspects of life. As I told him on stage, I’d like to see him available for radio syndication. Talk radio doesn’t have enough diverse voices let alone someone with Jason’s creativity and ability to tackle sports, faith, pop culture and politics.
I thought my chat with Dave Ramsey flowed well and covered a lot of ground. Dave gave everyone in the room a lot of insight into the way Ramsey Solutions views and approaches brand building, and content creation. You don’t become one of the industry’s largest shows if you’re not superb on every medium and platform. There were a lot of takeaways from that discussion, and I’m glad Dave enjoyed the Logan Roy comparison when talking about succession planning. I also appreciate Hank, Steve, and Brian being in the building and supporting the BNM Summit Social. The Debt Free Scream was a pretty good beverage too.
Aside from the discussions on stage, Braden Hull sounded great during his acoustic set during the BNM Summit Wrap Up. I also appreciate David Heim capturing insights shared by Audacy’s managers and sharing them on social media, and JJ Surma delivering live voiceovers during the Shark Tank. It was also nice hearing folks remark how impressed they were with our ability to keep the show on time and constantly moving. I’m big on pace, and keeping things on track. However, a case could be made to allow more time for each session rather than sticking to 30-35 minutes. We’ll debate that down the line.
Though I was very pleased with the show, there were things that I know we can do better.
Starting with myself, my intros into a few sessions could’ve been smoother. I went into the show well prepared, but sometimes things didn’t come out the way I intended them to. I’ve also got to reduce my hosting of sessions. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy talking to people but I don’t need to be on stage for 8 sessions. I was too involved at our first sports summit in Los Angeles in 2019 too, and adjusted the next year. That’ll be a goal for our 2024 show.
Another area where I could’ve been much better was during my chat with Ginny Morris and Julie Talbott. They were great. They usually are, and I hold both in high regard, so it’s bugged me for days that I didn’t set them up as well as I could have. I enjoyed the discussion about radio’s challenges with receiving full credit for its collective impact, and the battle over the dashboard with auto companies, but some of my earlier questions weren’t crisp. I could’ve put them in much better positions. That’s on me. I’ll be sharper next time.
Aside from cleaning up a few of my own mistakes, I learned that I’ve got to be more firm with deadlines for receiving materials and speaker presentations. We got through everything unscathed but could’ve ran smoother if those things were nailed down sooner. I’ve always left room to make changes especially if it’s going to improve a session. That said, we can organize things better to keep folks happy and avoid minor technical delays.
The other stuff we have to work on wouldn’t be noticed by most in the room. Stephanie, Alex, Andy, and Garrett did a great job handling multiple things but we were down a person, which put more pressure on everyone to juggle more than usual. When we operate at full strength we get more done so next time out, we’ll add a few people to make things easier.
If there was one thing that was unfortunate it was dealing with a few cancellations. It happens sometimes at our sports conferences too. People get sick or have personal or professional emergencies pop up. Though the goal is to deliver the event exactly as planned, I’m always ready with a Plan B. Fortunately, we had good backup options. This is why I never get too excited prior to a show when people tell me we’ve hit a home-run. Until everyone is on stage and the conversations produce value for those in the room, it’s just a cool looking poster.
Our biggest challenge moving forward is bringing more people into the room. We had a lot of decision makers in Nashville, which was great, but there were a few groups not represented and others who spent months saying they’d come but then didn’t. Being at an event like this should be a no brainer if you work in the news/talk media business. We deliver two days of content, a low ticket price, an action packed agenda, and attract a strong group of decision makers. That opens the door to do business, and I know of a few situations that are already in progress as a result of last week’s show. I don’t run events worrying about how many people attend. I prioritize reaching the right people. But news/talk media is a large space, and as we move ahead, I’d like to see more of the right faces in the room.
If I was surprised by anything it’s that college students and professors in Tennessee were less active than other places with pursuing free tickets to the show. We also didn’t have the Daily Wire in the building despite being local and carried on shows/stations across the country. Attempts to include them were made. Why they chose not to come, I’m not sure.
There are some folks in the format who we still have to win over, and I’m ok with that. We’ll keep building BNM, and make it impossible to deny our influence and reach. As I told everyone at the start of the show, I’m 49, passionate about news/talk media, and not going anywhere. Just as we’ve done with BSM (which was just included in a TV commercial for YouTube TV), we will strengthen the brand until it’s a force for news/talk media coverage.
But for now, we’ll put a bow on this one, and chalk it up as a great first event with room for improvement. I’m planning to sort through our video footage and make the sessions available later this week. I’m also hoping to add a ton of photos to the BNM Summit website. In meantime, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Come 2024, an election year, we’ll be even stronger especially now that we’ve got one event under our belts. I appreciate everyone who took time to attend, participate, and sponsor the conference. None of this works without your support. Here’s to uniting the industry again next year.
