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What Makes an Alternate Broadcast Great?

Andy Masur
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What Makes an Alternate Broadcast Great?

They are all the rage. Everybody’s doing them. Some are good and some are well, less than good. I’m talking about alternate broadcasts. 

The early iterations of these broadcasts were designed around the College Football National Championship Game. The BCS Megacast was born in 2014, offering fans more than 8 feeds to watch. Disney provided a channel for fans of each team to listen to their home announcers do the game – an incredible idea to capitalize on that specialization. Realizing that not everyone wants to watch the main channel. Turner Sports offered this option during the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four broadcasts. 

From that simplicity, the new era of Alternate Broadcasts has begun. Every sport from baseball to Formula 1 racing has jumped on the bandwagon for various reasons. Baseball has it’s “StatCast” to show off the new analytics of the game, for those that are interested. The NBA has alternate broadcasts for the NBA Finals and even some teams have tried them on local broadcasts. Amazon started doing them on their Thursday Night NFL broadcasts. 

The gold standard is The ManningCast. It was a huge success. Peyton and Eli Manning co-host the irreverent alternate broadcast, which features guests talking to and watching the Monday Night Football game with the brothers. 

It worked and continues to work. Watching the Manning brothers bicker, trade barbs and interview guests is just how these broadcasts should go. But not every show should operate like this one. Each should pick its lane and stay in it from the start of the journey to the end. 

I bring this up as The Kay-Rod Cast is set to come back for another run as an alternative to fans tuned into Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Yankees TV play-by-play man Michael Kay and former Yankee and polarizing figure, Alex Rodriguez are at the center of the show. Last year was the first for the pairing. It had some success, especially when the duo welcomed Derek Jeter. 

Of course, every first season leads to some changes, or improvements to the original idea. For one A-Rod needs to loosen up and embrace his roots as a former Major League Baseball player. Tell me some stories and give me more of a reason to tune in. 

With all of that said, it got me thinking about what elements of an alternate broadcast are most important. So, I present to you, the 5 things that help to make up a ‘perfect’ alternate broadcast. These are not in any particular order, but all are critical. 

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE

Some shows have the ability to be all things to all people, such as the ESPN MegaCasts I mentioned earlier. The network had the ability to use many different channels to satisfy just about everyone’s needs. 

That is the exception, not the rule. Remember, these are “alternate” viewing programs. Give people what they won’t be getting elsewhere. In the case of the Nickelodeon “Slimecast” a few years ago, it was geared towards kids and the parents watching along with them. It never deviated from that plan. It delivered something that was so different that it really worked out well. 

Alternate broadcasts need to figure out their lane as mentioned. What are you going to be? An entertainment show like The ManningCast with the game in the background? For the Manning’s that format really fits them. 

“Football is always more fun when you watch it with friends,” Peyton told FastCompany in January. “Eli and I get to sit on our couches and watch it together, and the viewers are all of our friends, and the guest is just right there with us. We’re on the couch, we’re at a bar, let’s have a conversation. I may interrupt you if the Bears throw a post-route here, but I want you to come back and finish that story in a minute. That’s how we’re doing it.”

DON’T MIMIC OTHER SHOWS

Just because it works for one, does not mean it’s going to work for others. Don’t exactly mimic other alternate broadcasts and think you’re going to have success. It is a waste of time and money to think that a set of siblings in the NBA could pull off what the Mannings are doing in the NFL.

Depending on the sport being broadcast, it would be stupid to think that one style fits every sport. Baseball moves much slower. Shows like The KayRod Cast need to keep in mind, they’ll likely have more time to fill (even with the pitch clock in place). Plus, viewers don’t watch every sport the same. Baseball fans typically are more stat driven, football fans want stories and so on. 

When programming these shows, producers and developers need to keep in mind those differences. Innovate and actually understand your audience’s needs and desires. It will make it easier to figure out a host and content. 

HAVE A HOOK/BE DIFFERENT

Networks want their shows to stand out and be different. That requires a good hook. Some of these alternate broadcasts are basically the same show every time. That’s fine, if you can keep the show fresh and continue to evolve and produce excellent content. 

Other alternate broadcast channels will feature different elements every time. This certainly keeps the content fresh. The challenge here is make all of the different interesting all the time. 

Amazon’s Thursday Night Football worked in an alternate channel featuring Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm, an all-female cast to appeal to that segment of the audience. Amazon also used the platform to feature former NFL Scouts, showing us how they watch a football game. 

Amazon also figured out how to appeal to a younger audience. The guys from Dude Perfect hosted an alternate broadcast featuring video of them doing challenges and attempting world record tricks in between plays.

ESPN’s “StatCast” broadcast appeals to the geeks, and I use that term with great fondness for those that are really, really into the new numbers of baseball. It’s like watching baseball as a college class in stats. But the teacher is giving you all the answers, right there on your television screen. I was a part of some of the early iterations of this show, and there is a ton of prep work that goes into this one and the uniqueness makes it stand out. 

BE ENTERTAINING

Isn’t this the reason I’m ditching the main broadcast and turning on this alternative broadcast in the first place? I’m watching your broadcast probably because I don’t have a real rooting interest in the teams that are playing, but I still want to watch. That means your presentation has to keep my attention, show me some of the game action and maybe teach me something that I didn’t know already. 

These alternate broadcasts provide an opportunity for networks to step out of their comfort zones and try some things that can appeal to those that aren’t hard core fans. Make them fans by the way you present the game and then add to the experience making them want to come back. 

Relate to the audience and understand their needs and wants. Adapt to that and give them something they aren’t going to see by watching only the main channel broadcast. Whether it be graphics constantly on the screen, video roll ins or quality interviews, make this happen. It is vital in attracting, keeping and growing of your audience. 

PERSONALITY RULES

Finally, it’s all about the right personalities hosting or being featured on your shows. Personality is kind of a catch all. Find big names. They could be the difference in whether someone watches or doesn’t. 

That could go a couple of different ways too. The Manning’s are the “All-American” types that draw people in because of their likability. They are unintentionally funny at times, but relatable. Easy to watch. 

But that’s not the only route to go. Controversial and polarizing can work as well. If you are a fan of the movie Private Parts you understand what I’m talking about. The scene in which research showed that people that hated Howard Stern listened longer than those that loved was a head scratcher to the program director. When asked “if they hate him, why do they listen?” The response was “They wanted to hear what he’d say next.” Makes sense, right? 

That theory is why shows that include Alex Rodriguez and Bill Walton to name a few actually work. Say what you want, they are “personalities” and have serious credentials to back them up. They both had tremendous careers and have moved into the media and developed personas of their own. Walton is the eccentric “Deadhead” with a wild vocabulary and is legendary for his rants that usually, ok always, have nothing to do with the sport he’s covering. A-Rod is trying to rebuild his reputation after some ‘issues’ during his career. Like either of them or not, they are draws and a reason to watch. Producers need to be cognizant and put both of them in positions that make them succeed. 

Happy alternate viewing. I can’t wait to see what might be coming next.  

A Note to News/Talk Hosts: Stop Reading

Peter Thiele
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A Note to News/Talk Hosts: Stop Reading

I recently received a demo for a newly syndicated news/talk show with an obviously talented host. I listened to a couple of hours of his show. I found something that is way too common. The host was a reader of others. The opinions expressed were not his own. This was light plagiarism. This is more common and needs to be stopped now.

A good opinion piece is wonderful to read. You get the well-thought-out rationalization of a writer who has studied a particular news story or concept. Don’t get trapped. It is not your opinion. The listener is there to hear what you think, not a writer of a blog. I swear that if you think that this is the way to do a show, just get me a producer who can read. Are you a thinker or a person with amazing opinions and observations to share with the world? If not, just quit.  I just listened to a couple of hours of a host wishing to become the next great syndicated star.  All he did was read someone else’s opinions. 

This is how you use an opinion piece. Find a cool take, grab it, and print nothing else. Give the writer his plug and move on. Take that short one to two sentences and run with it. Make it your own. 

I was driving through a town and listening to a very well-respected talk show host. I was waiting for the wow. He was a reader. His opinions were not his own. He was giving the thoughts of another person and masquerading as the writer. He did give credit to the writer once, but after that one plug, he was stealing at a rate that a serial shoplifter in San Francisco could only admire. 

Are you a thief? Are you a robber? Do you take things from people and declare them as your own? So many self-declared talk show hosts do this on a daily basis. Are you one of them? 

Opinion pieces are like meth to an addict. I try never to read them. 

Read the news and find your own opinions. If you cannot come up with an original opinion of your own, sell real estate or timeshares. You are cheating your audience. Innovation doesn’t mean copying. You are sitting in that chair to bring that unique, salient, well-thought-out show to your audience. If you cannot do that, you are stealing food from someone else’s children. 

Here is a tutorial: stop listening to talk radio. It is way too easy to parrot the thoughts of another host. Read stuff that you don’t agree with. I love reading left-wing sources and thinking through why they are wrong. It helps you build ideas that will connect with your audience. Finding a factoid in an article or study that no one has said before should be your goal every day. 

Your listeners are giving up their precious time to you. It is a privilege and an honor. Bring them a moment of “Wow”. Why are you there? If you want a long-lasting run, it is to provide your listeners with something that they cannot get anywhere else. If you are reading someone else’s opinions, you are cheating your audience, employers, and advertisers. 

If you are reading Red State, Hotair, Daily Caller, or others, the writer usually references a source article. Read that instead. Usually, it is fact instead of opinion based. That gives you the reference material to make your unique thoughts. I can’t help if you don’t have original opinions. My guess is that you do. 

If I can guess the opinion before the host finishes the sentence, it is not good. Entertainment is all about being surprised. Listeners want to be informed and surprised by your brilliance.  Give them what they are desiring. 

Unique experiences are why we are here. There is nothing more amazing than hearing from a listener telling that story of when they were in the car for 10 minutes just listening to something that connected with them. I love the term “Honor”. It is an honor to do our job. It is an honor to make a memorable moment for your audience.

Here is how I do my prep. I write a quick headline with the link to the article. I print my prep and nothing else. Never print articles. I will pull up an article on the computer if there is something that is important that I wanted to share. I almost never use opinion pieces in my prep. In the 50–60 articles that I add to my prep each week, I may have 3 opinion pieces. Of these pieces, I usually use a cool line and expound on that in the show. I never read. 

Radio is theater of the mind. Your job is to connect with your listeners. Creating memorable moments, should be your hope for every segment and show. I have been doing this a while and occasionally, I receive an email or a social media interaction from a listener from 20 years ago.  There was a moment that had a permanent impact on that person.  If you are reading, you cannot really connect with your audience.

Every host preps differently. We are all individuals. If you are tempted to read on the air, don’t print articles. Use bullet points with your points to cover. It sounds better. Just stop reading.  Stop it. 

If you are hosting a daily or weekly show, it is a gift. Make those moments so compelling that your audience can’t stop listening. Reading others work is actually keeping you from connecting to your audience. 

The last time you had coffee with a friend, did you read to them? No. You had a conversation.  If someone started reading to a friend at lunch, you would find it impersonal and perhaps a little creepy. When you are on the air, you are having a conversation with one person at a time. Every listener should feel like you are speaking with them. 

Colin Cowherd: NFL Doesn’t Need HBO Anymore

BSM Staff
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Colin Cowherd: NFL Doesn’t Need HBO Anymore

Has Hard Knocks run its course? Colin Cowherd thinks so.

It was reported Wednesday that the New York Jets will be the team featured in this year’s training camp portion of the series. Colin started that day’s episode of The Herd on FOX Sports Radio by pointing out that seven of the last ten teams featured missed the playoffs. And normally the teams featured were bad teams the year before.

“It doesn’t make a bad team good or a good team bad,” he said. “But if your marriage is already rocky, it’ll get you to a divorce attorney. It’s not great.”

Cowherd seemed to buy in some to the point that having HBO there would affect how normal everyday operations would go. Ultimately, though, Colin felt like it’s more of a need by HBO and the league to continue the series than the teams being willing to let viewers get an inside look.

“It’s less than ideal. It’s not gonna make good teams bad,” Cowherd said. “But teams do not need HBO. Used to, don’t now. You can tell that because head coaches and GMs are begging not to be on this show.”

Cowherd did go on to say that there are a number of factors with the Jets that make them the most appealing franchise to be on Hard Knocks. But really if a team wants to be off limits, the league and HBO should respect that.

“I don’t think companies or leagues should be in the business of distracting their business partners,” he said. “All things – good things – must come to an end.”

Mike Felger: NESN is Embarrassing

BSM Staff
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Mike Felger: NESN is Embarrassing

98.5 The Sports Hub host Mike Felger hates having to tune in to watch Boston Red Sox games on NESN, because the broadcast crew in his eyes refuses to offer any real criticism of the team.

On Wednesday’s edition of Felger & Mazz, Felger felt like the fact that the booth couldn’t come down a little harder on players for making bad defensive plays shows you how far the regional sports network has fallen.

“The broadcast is just embarrassing,” he said. “And it’s obvious that Sam Kennedy or John Henry or somewhere in there, someone somewhere said, ‘We’re not saying anything bad about this ball club. We’re protecting the brand and the days of anyone saying anything critical are long gone.'”

The Red Sox lost to the Miami Marlins 10-1 on Tuesday night, and despite there appearing to have been multiple errors committed on the field by Boston throughout the course of the game, the plays were ruled hits. Clips of the broadcast on the plays in question were played on the show, and Felger asked why they couldn’t have just been honest.

“At one point is one guy going to say, we have to make a play?” he asked. “I mean it is so bad, and I’ll just say it again. It’s my soapbox. The TV guys don’t get it. You’re doing your viewers and your fans a disservice. You’re not hurting the brand by telling it like it is. You’re actually servicing your fans, and you might actually get more fans in the process.”

Felger spoke from experience when he added that just being honest with what you’re seeing will go a lot further with fans and viewers than trying to sugarcoat.

“The fans here want real commentary. Trust me when I tell you that,” he said. “If your team sucks, or your team blew a play, they’re ok with your commentators saying, ‘We blew the play, we should’ve had it.’ In fact, most of your fans want it. More want it than don’t. You’re not hurting yourself, you’re helping yourself. But the people run these teams and these networks don’t get it. And NESN has gotten really, really bad.”

Domonique Foxworth: ‘You’re a Garbage Coach’ If Hard Knocks Distracts Team

BSM Staff
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Domonique Foxworth isn’t buying the excuse that NFL teams refuse to be on Hard Knocks because it would be too big of a distraction.

On Wednesday’s edition of First Take, Foxworth said teams will have to deal with distractions throughout the course of the entire season. The New York Jets have reportedly been voluntold by the league that they will be the featured team in the training camp edition of the series, and Domonique thinks this would be a good way to work on handling distractions.

“What is training camp for if not to prepare for the regular season?” Foxworth asked. “So why not already expose yourself in a low-stakes situation? Expose Aaron Rodgers to all of this attention. You’re gonna get it. It’s just gonna be five or ten extra cameras. It’s not that challenging.”

Domonique doubled down further, saying the presence of HBO cameras and crew at a team’s facility would only rattle a team with poor coaching.

“You’re a garbage coach if some cameras showing up is going to distract your team from getting any better,” he said. “And if it is a distraction, fine. Let’s prepare for how we’re going to deal with distractions during the regular season. Let’s practice that now when we’re just playing preseason games.”

Ultimately, using that excuse just doesn’t fly with Foxworth.

“Anyone who thinks there’s some sort of distraction about Hard Knocks, that’s foolishness,” he said.

Pat McAfee: I Wouldn’t Know Jason McIntyre Had a Podcast If Not For Kevin Durant

BSM Staff
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While Jason McIntyre took issue with NBA star Kevin Durant lashing out at him in his Twitter DMs, Pat McAfee is enjoying what KD is doing.

McAfee and crew discussed the now viral clip of McIntyre detailing some of the messages Durant sent him, saying initially he didn’t even know McIntyre had a show away from his duties on FS1 on Colin Cowherd’s show.

“Had no idea that McIntyre had his own podcast,” McAfee said on Wednesday. “Learned of it literally as he was explaining the situation with Kevin Durant.”

Pat said the way McIntyre presented the incident made it come off like KD should stop wasting his time going after his detractors. But McAfee loves that Durant doesn’t care and does it anyway.

“All it did was just make me think Kevin Durant is even more awesome,” McAfee said. “We would like to let Kevin Durant know that we are firm on your side.”

“I am here for it,” co-host AJ Hawk added. “We can disagree, say, ‘Hey you don’t need to be doing this – it’s a waste of time. You have a billion dollars, you’re one of the best players ever.’ But if you want to engage, I’m here to watch. I have no problem.”

McAfee said the fact that KD jumped into a Twitter Spaces chat that was titled “Kevin Durant is not top five all time” and made layered points while also talking trash was great.

“Kevin Durant on different levels is operating in four-dimensional chess,” Pat said. “And I love everything about it.”

Chris Russo Blasts ESPN For Talking About Damian Lillard ‘Every Five Minutes’

BSM Staff
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Chris Russo Blasts ESPN For Talking About Damian Lillard ‘Every Five Minutes’

The NBA offseason is a time when rumors swirl and news of a free agent signing or a trade could virtually be seconds away. One consistent topic of discussion dating back several years pertains to Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and whether or not he will be moved. Lillard has reiterated his loyalty to the Trail Blazers organization and the city of Portland on numerous occasions; however, back-to-back seasons without a playoff berth could have him second guessing his future with the team.

The seven-time All-Star selection and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team is considered by many fans and analysts to be one of the greatest shooters to have ever played a game. As a result, where he ultimately lands is of great intrigue to many people invested in the basketball landscape. The fact that there is consistent discussion about it, however, can be perturbing to some who are sick of the noise and ready to receive an answer regarding the ultimate outcome.

“Enough of Damian Lillard – will you please?,” Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo said during his “What Are You Mad About?” segment on ESPN’s First Take. “Oh my gosh – and this is for [Brian Windhorst], I don’t need that report every five minutes for crying out loud. Miami; the Nets; does he stay in Portland?”

Various reports suggested that Lillard would choose his course of action by evaluating what Portland chose to do with the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft. Rather than trading the pick for proven, veteran talent, the team selected guard Sterling “Scoot” Henderson. Even if the Trail Blazers’ plan is to develop Henderson alongside Lillard, the conversation will ostensibly continue throughout the offseason, with commentators such as Stephen A. Smith begging he be moved. The conversation is something in which Russo wants no part, as he would rather hear about news of transactions or free agent acquisitions than bouts of speculation.

“A lot of guys have ended up on bad teams and they’re Hall of Famers,” Russo remarked. “Have you heard of Oscar Robertson? He played on the Cincinnati Royals forever. We’ll live if Lillard has to stay in Portland; it’s not the end of the world. The NBA’s not going to cease.”

Russo is hoping the Lillard saga comes to an end relatively soon and chided the “Worldwide Leader” for the seemingly interminable amount of time it is devoting to the story.

“Next week, get it over with!,” Russo exclaimed. “I don’t want to read another story; another podcast – listen to another GM or another ESPN reporter breaking down where Lillard’s going to play next year. Move on!”

The aforementioned Smith and host Molly Qerim have been absent from the show throughout the week, leading Russo to appear with Christine Williamson, Dominique Foxworth and Freddie Coleman. Everyone on the set can understand his frustration – even though Russo considers Bill Walton to be the best Trail Blazers player of all team since he won a championship – and can only wonder what will happen if procrastination and/or delay of a definitive continues.

“I hear you because we’re waiting for a decision from Damian Lillard when it already seems he’s made his decision that he wants to stay in Portland,” Coleman said. “I will say this – if we’re having this discussion 365 days from now, if you thought he was mad today, wait until a year from now.”

Tim Hasselbeck Tells Dan Patrick He Thought Getting Cut on Hard Knocks May be Scripted

BSM Staff
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Tim Hasselbeck Tells Dan Patrick He Thought Getting Cut on Hard Knocks May be Scripted

As news regarding the New York Jets being forced to appear on the NFL Films and HBO documentary series Hard Knocks circulated earlier this week, various former players and media personalities are reflecting on what the experience was like for them. During production days, cameras follow different players around the practice facility to document their experience and create a storyline, and ultimately craft an episode.

The first season of the show featured the Baltimore Ravens. Hard Knocks televised quarterback Tim Hasselbeck being cut from the team and granting fans never before seen footage of a difficult moment.

Hasselbeck, a current ESPN and ACC Network football analyst, had been cut from the Buffalo Bills a few weeks earlier. While his career continued largely in a backup role, the timing of being cut and then having the footage air made the circumstance all the more difficult. Dan Patrick, asked Hasselbeck if he had any say in the footage being aired, to which he replied he did not.

“I’m sitting there and Brian Billick’s like, ‘Hey man, this doesn’t mean it’s forever, but it’s just not with us,’” Hasselbeck recalled on Wednesday. “To make it worse – literally to make it worse – I don’t know if it was scripted to totally humiliate me. There was a big van; like a coach bus that probably seats 65 people. I rode it by myself to the airport. I was like, ‘How much salt do you want to pour into the wound, fellas?’”

Both Hasselbeck and Patrick understand the entertainment value behind fans being able to gain access to parts of the team and areas within the practice facility that are typically off limits to the media. Yet in his being cut, the show gained early experience pertaining to how to handle challenging, somewhat disheartening moments.

“Is there an easier way to cut people or a worse way to cut people?,” Patrick wondered. “It’s TV, and they’re trying to make good TV, and I’m sure it was good TV.”

“I actually knew I wasn’t going to make the team,” Hasselbeck replied. “It was Randall Cunningham, Elvis Grbac [and] Chris Redman was there. I was a camp arm for sure.”

With the Jets likely to appear on the next season of Hard Knocks, how the program tackles difficult moments will surely be on the minds of those who have previously been on the show. The fact that Hasselbeck had low expectations probably softened the blow, even having asked quarterback coach Matt Cavanaugh when he was going to be cut from the team. Cavanaugh had played professionally on the New York Giants with Hasselbeck’s father, Don, and maintained a relationship with him in retirement. Nonetheless, he is not sure if there is any method to cutting a player on television that would make the moment any less distressing.

“I knew I was out,” Hasselbeck affirmed, “but I still don’t know if there’s an easier way to do it.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Planning to Add CNN Programing to Max

BNM Staff
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Warner Bros. Discovery Planning to Add CNN Programing to Max

A report from Bloomberg claims Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to add live programming from CNN to the Max streaming service later this year.

The move is an alteration from previous plans by the company. Warner Bros. Discovery had operated under the policy that CNN did not add to the entertainment value of the Max service.

However, one of the challenges of placing CNN content on a streaming service is that traditional distributors — cable and satellite companies — are generally given the first right of access to the network’s live broadcasts.

Competitors to CNN — namely Fox News and MSNBC — air their programs on streaming services a day after the content made its debut.

Some CNN content, like Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, was already available on Max.

CNN had undergone a robust shift in strategy to incorporate a streaming platform — CNN+ — into its business model before being acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, who shut down the platform weeks after it complete the purchase of the company.

Eric Bolling: ‘There Are Rarely Coincidences in Big Media’

BNM Staff
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Eric Bolling: ‘There Are Rarely Coincidences in Big Media’

CNN receiving a leaked audio recording of former President Trump admitting to failing to declassify documents he was showing to contemporaries continues to dominate the news. Newsmax host Eric Bolling believes it isn’t a coincidence the network was the beneficiary of the leak.

During Eric Bolling The Balance Tuesday, the cable news host questioned the curious timing of the leak to CNN

“With coincidence, of course, that just as the situation becomes more and more desperate and dire for the Biden camp, evidence in the Trump prosecution is mysteriously coincidentally and miraculously leaked to the public,” said Bolling. “Suddenly, CNN gets their hands and releases a recording of Donald Trump’s conversation about the so-called classified documents to the public.”

Bolling then shared that while that may seem like it is a product of happenstance, he doesn’t buy it.

“Never forget there are rarely coincidences in the big media. Never forget the big media are now far-left, happily, actively peddling their lies and propaganda. And never forget most of them will distract and deflect from the real news about the Biden family cash trail. But we here at The Balance won’t let that happen. We won’t stop until the real justice not the fake DOJ terms of justice, real justice is served and served steaming hot.”

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