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Josh Martinez Is a Free Agent, and He’s Not Wasting the Chapter

Bethany Kent
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Josh Martinez Is a Free Agent, and He’s Not Wasting the Chapter

Josh Martinez spent more than 12 years at iHeartMedia. Five of those years were spent on Z100 New York’s night show, one of Top 40 radio’s most visible seats. Now, after exiting amid the company’s ongoing consolidation, Martinez is a free agent. He’s treating the moment less like a setback and more like a strategic reset.

“I’m trying to reconnect with the same hunger I had in my early 20s,” Martinez said. “I’ve been in radio for 18 years. One thing I’ve learned is that talent opens doors, but relationships and work ethic keep them open.”

A Free Agent With a Plan

Martinez has never made a career move without thinking several steps ahead. He’s long described his rise through radio as a chess match. That mindset hasn’t changed now that he’s off the board at Z100.

This chapter has already pushed him outside the iHeart ecosystem he knew for over a decade. He’s meeting new people across companies and platforms he hadn’t worked with before. His plan isn’t to rush. It’s to build.

“My goal is to keep building on those relationships, stay prepared, and be ready when the right opportunity presents itself, whenever that may be,” he said.

That patience extends to how he views the industry. Martinez was exploring opportunities beyond traditional broadcasting even while he still held a full-time radio job. He sees versatility as the new currency in media.

“Whether it’s radio, digital content, podcasting, video, hosting or live events, I think it’s important to be versatile,” Martinez said. “The people who continue to grow are the ones who are willing to evolve.”

From La Mega Doubts to Z100 Pride

Martinez’s Z100 tenure carried weight beyond ratings. He became the first full-time Puerto Rican host on the station this millennium. Representation shapes how he thinks about whatever comes next.

Growing up, he assumed his only path in radio ran through Spanish-language stations like La Mega. He wasn’t fluent in Spanish, and that made him question whether mainstream radio had room for him at all.

One moment changed how he saw his own impact. A listener once asked where he was from, then told him he sounded just like the guys he grew up with. The listener added he never expected Z100 to hire “one of us.”

“That stuck with me because I never tried to sound like anyone else,” Martinez said. “I just sounded like any other kid who grew up in New York or New Jersey.”

He carries that responsibility forward, whatever platform he lands on next. “I’ve always believed people deserve to see themselves represented authentically in media,” he said, whether that’s radio, television, or his long-standing dream of WWE.

Small Markets, Big Lessons

Before Z100, Martinez logged serious time in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Dayton and Cincinnati. Those stops rarely make the headline of his career. He credits them for nearly everything he knows.

His first full-time job in Des Moines had him working as music director, imaging director and night host at once, for a $26,500 salary. Cedar Rapids piled on even more. He programmed the station, produced Elvis Duran’s show locally, ran promotions, hosted afternoons and built imaging.

“Looking back, I’m incredibly thankful for those opportunities because it forced me to become a well-rounded programmer and host,” he said. “You learn every part of the business and you learn to solve problems creatively because there usually isn’t a huge budget behind you.”

That scrappy, do-everything foundation still guides him today. It’s part of what he wants programmers to know about him as a free agent.

Wrestling Dreams and Open Doors

Radio isn’t the only ring Martinez wants to step into. His podcast, “The Superstar Crossover,” has landed conversations with CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Becky Lynch and Tony Khan. He’s had ideas land on AEW television and recently made a brief on-camera appearance with TNA Wrestling.

“Professional wrestling has been my passion for as long as I can remember, so I’d absolutely welcome the opportunity to work with a major wrestling company in an on-camera role,” Martinez said.

Still, he’s not narrowing his focus. Sports media, digital content and live hosting are all on the table.

For any PD or executive reading this, Martinez wants one thing understood clearly. He competes to win, and he checks his ego doing it.

“Authenticity matters more than ever,” he said. “Audiences know when you’re full of shit and forcing something, so I’ve always tried to be myself and create genuine connections with listeners on-air and at events.”

Advice for an Industry in Flux

Martinez isn’t shy about what layoffs feel like from the inside. He leaned on an unlikely source for perspective: Knicks star Jalen Brunson. During New York’s championship run, Brunson said you’re allowed to think about the worst-case scenario, but you still have to do something about it.

“Everyone processes uncertainty differently,” Martinez said. “For me, acknowledging the difficult emotions isn’t the problem, staying there is.”

His advice to peers navigating their own exits is blunt and practical. Feel what you need to feel. Then move. Update the resume. Take the meeting. Learn a new skill. Rebuild.

Paying It Forward

I asked Martinez if there are any personalities in radio right now that he felt are worth spotlighting. He didn’t come back with one or two names; instead, he sent me thoughtful notes about eight members of our industry. I’m including his thoughts below in his exact words because while my goal in doing this feature on Martinez was to highlight a talent who should not be “on the beach”, I think it’s important that we all keep lifting each other up as much as possible.

Shelley Rome — I’ve said for years she’s one of the most underutilized personalities in any form of media. She has the talent, versatility and professionalism to excel in virtually any role, including a major-market morning show.

Brady (KISS FM Chicago) — One of the hardest-working people in the business. His off-air hustle is just as impressive as what he does on the air. That dude busts his ass on a level rarely seen. 

Eric White (Charlotte) — He understands content and knows how to immerse himself in a community, making everything he creates feel local and authentic.

Vont Leak (KDWB Minneapolis) — Exceptionally creative and always pushing himself to try something new on-air on social media. 

Sol Tsonis (Columbus) — Tremendous talent with the drive and personality to succeed at a very high level in any form of media. 

Cat Sodano (WBLI) — She has an incredibly natural connection with her audience. Her content feels authentic, relatable and perfectly matched to her station and who she is. 

Amanda Gaudiosi (Poconos) — One of the brightest young talents I’ve seen. She’s early in her career but already understands what it takes to build a successful brand.

Israel Nunnely (Seattle) — I’ve worked with him on airchecks, and he’s someone I’d bet on. He has the work ethic, talent and mindset to become one of the next great personalities in our industry.

Martinez’s instinct to lift so many others up, paired with nearly two decades of range across markets, formats and now podcasting, is exactly why his free agency shouldn’t last long.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

SiriusXM’s Julia Cunningham on the Art of Interviewing

Mike Stern
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SiriusXM’s Julia Cunningham on the Art of Interviewing

There is an art to doing great interviews, and if anyone has come close to mastering that art, it’s Julia Cunningham. Host of The Julia Cunningham Show on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy channel — which is focused on Andy Cohen’s expansive pop culture universe — she regularly interviews all kinds of celebrities. That experience is how she’s learned to manage the variety of curveballs guests can throw at her.

For Cunningham, a great interview starts with balance. She weighs her personal curiosity against the audience’s interests — even when her curiosity leans toward more obscure projects. “I think to myself, what does the audience want to know and what do I want to know, because I’m often more curious about a project that is not necessarily something everyone else brings up,” she says. “I like asking unexpected questions.”

She also wants to take care of her guests. “I want that person to walk away feeling like not only were they completely understood, but they can also be proud of whatever project they were working on.”

Preparation Is Everything

Her biggest tool for successful interviewing is preparation, which Cunningham admits she can sometimes take too far. For example, she recently conducted an interview with the director and cast of One Battle After Another. “I went back and watched the movie another five times. I wasn’t letting anything slide by.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 14: (L-R) Cassandra Kulukundis, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Thomas Anderson and Julia Cunningham speak during SiriusXM’s Front Row Series With The Cast And Creatives Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “One Battle After Another”at DGA Theater on January 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

While that might seem excessive, there is a method to the madness. “I was way overprepared, but I slept well knowing that I wasn’t going to crash and burn.” She adds that she has always liked homework, so all the studying doesn’t bother her. “I always like to feel that I’m overprepared, never underprepared.”

It Takes All Kinds of People

No matter how much preparation she does, Cunningham also has to adapt to each guest. “Some people can be nervous or just aren’t great storytellers, and that’s when I have to think, ‘how do we get there? How do I make them feel more comfortable?'”

But her years of experience have also taught her that patience really is a virtue. “I’m less scared of the silence now. When I ask a question and the answer is just yes or no, sometimes I just wait. Then they fill that silence because they’re uncomfortable.”

Other times it’s the exact opposite. Some guests bring so much energy they nearly take over the interview — Cunningham calls them Tasmanian Devils. Balancing control with entertainment value becomes critical in those moments, like when she moderated a Q&A that included Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes. He quickly stole the spotlight.

“I realized Chris is this majestic Tasmanian devil. I threw my cards in the air and thought I just had to let him be himself, because the crowd was devouring everything he was saying and doing. He was having the time of his life and people were responding to it.” So she let him go — for a while. “But then you have to find a balance. It takes a lot of resetting, asking specific questions that have limited answers and making sure the person that isn’t talking a lot gets pulled in too.”

Through all of that, she’s also juggling time constraints. “I have an amazing producer named Sarah, who is always in my eyeline and giving me time cues. Then I have to think about what the most important things are that I can fit in during the remaining time. I’m listening, but also doing my own mental gymnastics.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 10:(L-R) Julia Cunningham, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Greta Lee and Conan O’Brien attend SiriusXM’s Front Row with the cast of “Toy Story 5” at SiriusXM Studios on June 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Learning From the Best

Cunningham’s skill as an interviewer comes not only from experience but also from studying several talented journalists. One of the most influential is Jess Cagle, former Editor-in-Chief of both People and Entertainment Weekly.

When Entertainment Weekly partnered with SiriusXM for the EW Radio channel, Cagle launched his own show and asked Cunningham to co-host. “Getting to sit next to him every day was a master class in how to up my own game,” she says.

Cagle’s biggest strength was the ability to ask tough questions. “Jess did a beautiful job of setting the scene and leading up to it in a way that gave context for the listener and gave the guest a heads up that the tough question is coming,” Cunningham says. “He acknowledged that this is a thing everyone is wondering about, you need to answer it, and here it is, plain as day.”

Sometimes, even though it’s uncomfortable, Cunningham says difficult stories need to be told. “Especially when it comes to addiction or having gone through something incredibly serious like a mental health break. It can remind the guest that telling their story allows people to understand it better and lets light shine on that type of scenario. When that happens, I always thank them for being vulnerable.”

Working With Andy Cohen

Today, working on Radio Andy, Cunningham works closely with Andy Cohen, whom she sees as a modern-day version of another cultural icon with a similar name — Andy Warhol. “He looks at pop culture in a way that no one else really does or has. I think what he has built is an incredible legacy. It’s an honor to represent his ideas and feelings.”

She says what sets Cohen apart as a host is the way he carries himself. “He does amazing interviews. He knows how to ask the questions that everyone is dying to know, but he does it in such a casual, nonchalant way. I’m still learning how to do it with that sort of chutzpah.”

Navigating a Complicated World

Much like Warhol did in his time, Cunningham now finds herself walking a tightrope as politics becomes a bigger and bigger part of the pop culture landscape. “I think art is political no matter what. And I know people can argue whether or not The Real Housewives is art, but it is.”

She would prefer to watch shows without wondering where the performers stand on the political spectrum, but it’s difficult. “It bums me out, especially if it differs from my point of view. I try and take some things at entertainment value, but there are issues that are also deeply important to me.”

Cunningham believes highlighting women’s voices and advocating for people in below-the-line jobs is important, but so is delivering what the audience wants. “I think the listeners know that I’m going to use my voice to lift up things I believe in without just sitting there and complaining,” she says. “But I also know that they’re tuning in to hear about The Real Housewives and Summer House. I realize I have a platform to use my voice, but I use it strategically, and I’m mindful that when I make a point it’s done with purpose.”

In the end, politics aside, Cunningham believes the best interviews reveal something about the subject. “I think it’s important to tap into the person, what their point of view is, and what they’re trying to get across through their music or their book or their movie.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Pardon the Interruption Proves Success Can Be Earned by Not Chasing Trends

John Mamola
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Pardon the Interruption Proves Success Can Be Earned by Not Chasing Trends

There are a lot of theories on what defines a successful sports program in the modern era. It’s a period defined by short attention spans, playing the hits, and distributing content across every traditional, streaming, and social platform available. Few programs buck those trends and remain successful as generations of consumers continue to change how they consume content. One of those programs is ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.

It’s no secret that PTI remains as familiar as the four letters of the network it calls home. For a quarter century, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have hosted a show that perfectly blends sports, insight, and entertainment for audiences with both lean-in viewing habits and increasingly shorter attention spans. It’s rarely changed its formula, if ever. The personalities have room to breathe. It’s built for clip culture but refuses to embrace it, remaining the lone piece of appointment television on a network designed to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere.

In an era of inflated viewership, where nearly every sport and studio show is posting impressive gains, PTI remains a constant. It continues to lead every ESPN studio program in viewership. Just last month, PTI averaged 665,000 viewers per episode. That’s a 21% increase year over year and the program’s highest June audience since 2021.

Among ESPN’s studio programs, PTI still sits atop the rankings, averaging more than 200,000 more viewers than Get Up and 150,000 more than First Take in June. Looking at the past six months of released ESPN data, the trend remains impressive. PTI posted its best first-quarter average audience this year, drawing 777,000 viewers. That’s 16% higher than the show’s performance during the same period last year.

Keeping The Main Thing

Mind you, this is a program built around two stars. Kornheiser and Wilbon are showcased from 5:30-6 p.m. ET as the main attraction. It’s appointment programming by design, never moving from its daypart. Both personalities also rarely appear elsewhere across ESPN’s lineup. By resisting the temptation to spread their star power across the network, ESPN preserves the value of the feature presentation each afternoon.

Longevity breeds familiarity and connection. Kornheiser and Wilbon are throwbacks to a time when newspaper columnists were ESPN’s premier opinion-makers. They’re not hot-take artists. They’re seasoned communicators whose experience, reporting, and perspective drive the conversation.

The set has barely changed. Two chairs, never three or four. A desk where both hosts face off with little separating them. Faces of the biggest names in sports surround them like royalty watching combatants inside a coliseum. The theme music, graphics, opening, and closing all remain the same. A welcome to the boys and girls and a goodnight to Canada.

While nearly everything else in sports media has evolved, PTI hasn’t chased the changing digital consumer. The show and its stars don’t fit what many networks now expect from their top-tier talent.

Socially active? Hardly. Kornheiser and Wilbon have largely stayed away from social media, especially compared to many of ESPN’s biggest personalities. You’ll find an occasional post or comment, but very little engagement.

Clip culture? PTI shares its opening segment on X. That’s it. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok be damned. If you want to hear what Kornheiser and Wilbon think about the biggest topic of the day, you still have to tune in at 5:30 p.m.

On demand? Sure, you can catch the show later via podcast or the ESPN app. But you won’t find full episodes on YouTube or every major video platform.

Not Broke, Don’t Fix

PTI is different. It always has been. It doesn’t need to change simply because the industry says it should. PTI doesn’t chase a different audience because it has never abandoned the one it already built. It’s the rare nostalgia play that never became outdated, delivering a familiar format anchored by personalities audiences still trust.

In a media landscape obsessed with reinvention, Pardon the Interruption has quietly proven that consistency can be just as powerful as innovation.

ESPN hasn’t chased every trend with PTI because it hasn’t needed to. The network hasn’t flooded social media with endless clips, asked its stars to become full-time content creators, or reinvented the show to accommodate every new viewing habit.

Instead, it continues to trust the formula that made PTI successful in the first place: two respected voices, intelligent conversation, authentic chemistry, and a half-hour audiences still make time to watch.

Sometimes the smartest programming decision isn’t finding the next big thing. It’s recognizing when you’ve already built something people refuse to abandon.

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. After 25 years, Pardon the Interruption remains one of the strongest arguments in sports media that success doesn’t always come from chasing every trend. Sometimes, it comes from knowing exactly who you are and having the discipline to stay that way.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Inside Mike Gallagher’s Surprise Tribute to Salem’s Phil Boyce

Garrett Searight
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Inside Mike Gallagher’s Surprise Tribute to Salem’s Phil Boyce

Mike Gallagher flew nearly 1,000 miles to surprise Phil Boyce, and the plan worked perfectly. Boyce had no clue his longtime friend and boss was anywhere near the stage when Salem Media’s Senior Vice President of Spoken Word Formats stepped up to accept the Gold Standard in Programming Award at the 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit.

Gallagher’s appearance lasted just three minutes, but the moment carried decades of history between the two men.

Boyce assumed Gallagher was hosting The Mike Gallagher Show from Tampa, as he does every day. Instead, Gallagher had quietly relocated to Salem Radio Network’s New York studios, a move designed specifically to keep his old boss in the dark. The subterfuge paid off, and Gallagher later admitted the entire operation felt like something out of a spy film.

Gallagher didn’t hesitate when Barrett Media asked why he made the trip.

“Well, Phil just means the world to me,” said Gallagher. “He hired me at WABC, which was one of the highlights of my career. Then I had the joy of continuing to work for him as he became an executive at Salem Media. So we’ve sort of come full circle together. We’ve been through a lot of highs, a lot of lows, but we’ve just had a great ride together. He’s one of the most important figures in my career. It was just a joy to be able to introduce him for that wonderful award.”

A Plan Straight Out of a Spy Movie

Pulling off the surprise required real logistical planning, since Gallagher and Boyce typically talk daily. Hiding a cross-country trip from someone who tracks your every move isn’t easy, and Gallagher knew the visual details could give the whole thing away. His New York streaming setup looks noticeably different from his usual Tampa studio, and that difference nearly blew the surprise.

Gallagher said the deception took real effort, and he leaned into the theatrics with a grin.

“It’s funny you asked that because this was like something right out of a James Bond movie,” Gallagher said. “Phil and I converse a lot, so we’re in pretty close contact daily. Trying to keep that from him was sort of epic. One of the challenges we were afraid of was that the studio I stream from looks a little bit different in New York than it does in Tampa. I was in New York that day, and we were afraid Phil would notice because, for all he knew, I was still in Tampa. So it was a lot of subterfuge, a lot of joyful fibs, and smoke screens. But I think we pulled it off. Judging by the look on his face when I came walking out to present the award, I think it was a total surprise. It was worth every bit of it.”

Boyce’s reaction confirmed the mission was a success. Nobody in the room could miss his stunned expression, and Gallagher took pride in knowing months of careful planning had paid off.

Decades of Trust Between Talent and Boss

Beyond the surprise itself, Gallagher used his brief time on stage to highlight what makes Boyce such a respected figure across the radio industry. Their professional relationship stretches back to 1998, when Boyce hired Gallagher at WABC in New York. Since then, the two have worked together through multiple companies and countless format changes, yet the foundation of trust never wavered.

Talent across the industry often praises Boyce’s steady hand, and Gallagher offered specifics on what separates him from other executives. The Mike Gallagher Show host shared why that reputation matters so much to the people who work for him.

“He has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best managers of talent in our business,” The Mike Gallagher Show host shared. “Not only has he found and put some of the greats on the air, like Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Curtis, and Kuby, he’s also a wonderful manager to work for. All we ask as talent is that our bosses have our back, and he does. He’s a straight shooter. He doesn’t play games. You always know where you stand with him, but he’s also incredibly even-tempered. I hear stories of some bosses knocking over tables and throwing phones across the room. That would never be Phil.

“He’s calm and reassuring, and you get an extraordinary amount of confidence working for a guy like him. He knows the industry. He knows what should come out of the speakers,” continued Gallagher. “He’ll gently coach you if he feels you’re getting a little off the rails, but you trust him. I couldn’t ask for a better boss. We go back decades. I was thinking about this the other day. I think I was hired at WABC in 1998, so we’ve been together for a couple of decades. It’s been a wild ride and a really satisfying one.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why ABC Is Right About the FCC’s Talk Radio Bias

Garrett Searight
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Why ABC Is Right About the FCC’s Talk Radio Bias

ABC has a point, and the FCC isn’t going to like hearing it. In a recent filing, ABC’s lawyers pushed back against regulatory scrutiny by highlighting something that’s been clear: talk radio gets a pass that television isn’t getting here.

The network’s argument centers on The View and its willingness to host Democratic candidates. Critics say that violates fairness expectations, since the show doesn’t always extend equal time to Republican guests. Meanwhile, syndicated talk radio hosts do something remarkably similar every single day, and almost nobody bats an eye.

ABC’s lawyers didn’t mince words in their filing. “The Commission has trained its attention on daytime and late-night television — programs perceived as unfriendly to the current administration — while leaving untouched the vast landscape of talk radio, where candidates routinely appear without their opponents,” the filing states. “A rule pressed against one set of speakers and quietly suspended for another, along lines that track the administration’s political preferences, is not evenhanded regulation.”

That’s not a stretch. That’s an accurate description of how this has played out.

The “Bona Fide News” Excuse Doesn’t Hold Up

Talk radio’s defense usually goes something like this: their candidate interviews qualify as legitimate news programming, so they’re exempt from the equal-time rule altogether. Technically, that’s true under FCC regulations. Practically, it’s often nonsense.

Plenty of nationally syndicated shows haven’t just interviewed candidates — they’ve campaigned for them. Some hosts have turned entire segments into on-air rallies, complete with fundraising pitches and get-out-the-vote messaging.

That’s not journalism. That’s advocacy dressed up in a press badge, and everyone in the industry knows it.

Meanwhile, a daytime talk show books a guest and suddenly faces a filing at the FCC. The inconsistency isn’t subtle, and it’s not accidental either. It tracks almost perfectly with which side of the aisle benefits from each format’s political leanings.

Selective Enforcement Undermines the FCC’s Credibility

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if the FCC actually wants to police political balance in broadcasting, it needs to apply that standard evenly. Otherwise, the agency isn’t regulating content — it’s picking winners.

Radio has operated for decades under the assumption that its news/talk format shields it from the same scrutiny broadcast television faces. That assumption has held up mostly because nobody with enough leverage has challenged it directly. ABC just did, and the network chose its moment carefully, given how politically charged the current regulatory environment has become.

None of this means The View should get a total pass, either. Fairness cuts both ways, and any network booking one-sided political guests should expect questions about balance. But singling out television while radio hosts run virtual campaign events undercuts the FCC’s ability to claim it’s enforcing anything close to a consistent standard.

Selective enforcement erodes trust, and it invites exactly the kind of legal pushback ABC just delivered. Once one network calls out the double standard publicly, others will likely follow, especially if the FCC doesn’t adjust its approach.

Whether the FCC actually sees it this way remains to be seen. Regulatory bodies don’t love admitting inconsistency, particularly when political optics are involved. Still, ABC’s filing puts a spotlight on something the industry has whispered about for years, and that alone makes it worth paying attention to.

Talk radio has enjoyed a comfortable exemption for a long time. If the FCC wants to keep drawing lines around political content, it’s going to need better reasons than the ones it’s offered so far.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Rock Radio’s Playbook for Winning the Second Half

Keith Cunningham
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Rock Radio’s Playbook for Winning the Second Half

Carpe diem… zeitgeist… make hay… be present. Whatever phrase you choose, it matters for RockTernative brands and talent. Showing up in the moment matters.

Music and marquee talent will always be the entry points, but regular readers know I put topicality and treatment near the top of the totem pole for radio brands, especially those with content-driven shows.

Ratings, revenue, research, engagement, and even brand marketing all prove the same thing: topicality moves the needle. Moreover, it’s not enough to just talk about the big story — how a brand participates is equally important. That’s treatment.

Lessons From the Boards

When I started in radio, topicality was a key weapon. I’ll never forget the infamous KRFX/Denver (“103.5 The Fox”) Classic Rock billboards featuring OJ Simpson and Charles Manson captioned Bad Company. The station became known for its topical boards — including another favorite, Bill Clinton as a Doobie Brother.

Today, most GMs and PDs haven’t seen a billboard budget. But you don’t need one. RockTernative brands already have everything required to stand out: morning shows, daypart talent, social media, production resources, websites, and some even still have street teams — and hopefully some creativity left in the tank.

Being topical gets brands into the room where listener conversations are happening — sports, trends, viral moments, controversies, and scandals. Treatment determines how long they stick around or how frequently they’ll come back.

A Mid-Year Check-In

We’ve reached the midpoint of another year. It’s time to gear up for the second half. Let’s look back at some of the first-half highlights — the events we celebrated, couldn’t avoid, or scrolled past — with an exercise for PDs, talent, promotion and social directors, sales managers, and even GMs.

Look back and ask:

  • Did our brand capture the moment?
  • Did the morning show participate?
  • Were we present in our own unique way?
  • Did we find creative revenue opportunities?
  • Did we let it get away?

This isn’t judgment day. Not everything here is right for every brand — some stations are purely music-focused and sit everything out except new releases. But being uniquely connected to what’s going on inside and outside of music should be part of the mix if max cume or TOMA are goals, because we all know music isn’t exclusive.

This list could have been longer, and only you can decide which topical moments are right for your brand. Still, it’s a reminder to have your head on a swivel. There will be second-half moments around every corner that can help connect your brand to the audience, alongside STP, and Dexter and the Moonrocks.

2026 First Half Highlights

  • Stranger Things came to a dramatic end, leaving everyone praying for malls to make a comeback.
  • It got so cold in the Northeast that trees literally started exploding.
  • The Olympics slayed, and curling became more popular than “six-seven.”
  • Music had a wild ride. U2, The Black Crowes, Sublime, and many others dropped new records, including Flea’s jazz album. Kanye was banned from the UK; Jelly Roll became single; Britney got another DUI; Shakira drew 2M fans in Brazil; 67-year-old Madonna crashed Sabrina’s Coachella set wearing purple lingerie; and Maiden, Oasis, and Billy Idol made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — so did Sade and Luther Vandross.
  • Sports was madness. The Seahawks dominated the big game, but Bad Bunny dominated headlines. Vrabel Gate became an all-timer; a real UFC fight broke out on the White House lawn; Golden Tempo became our new super-horse; Tiger rolled another car; the Knicks and ‘Canes got rings; Myles Garrett got his ninth speeding ticket; and Indiana went from worst to first.
  • Airports melted down.
  • Spring Break in Mexico was basically cancelled.
  • Gas prices exploded.
  • Artemis II returned from space with an alien… just kidding… or am I?
  • Delta Force captured a president while blasting Chief Keef.
  • Hantavirus mania spiked.
  • Scientists with spooky ties kept disappearing.
  • Sharks in the Bahamas tested positive for cocaine.
  • The Michael Jackson movie crushed the box office. Star Wars didn’t.
  • Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire.
  • The most over-hyped wedding of all time finally happened.
  • Soccer fans from around the world discovered the American greatness of ranch dressing and Waffle House.

The Second Half Starts Now

Being reliable for music should be priority one for RockTernative brands. But being unique with topicality and treatment can make brands and content shows unforgettable. The top brands across the country put their fingerprints on much of the above — whether through the morning show, a specialty weekend, an imaging campaign, or a promotion.

Here’s to a great second half. Special thanks to my friend Garner Goin, longtime KRFX PD and creative ninja, for sharing the billboard pictures.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why Fans Keep Judging the MLB All-Star Game Broadcast Wrong

John Lund
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Why Fans Keep Judging the MLB All-Star Game Broadcast Wrong

Every July, sports media follows the same script. The MLB All-Star selections come out, and suddenly, we’re conducting congressional hearings.

Who got snubbed? Who shouldn’t have made it? Why are fans still voting? Why does every team get a representative? Somebody’s WAR is higher than somebody else’s OPS+, and before you know it, sports radio, television, and social media have spent an entire week arguing over a game that’s supposed to be fun.

Ironically, that’s the best part of All-Star Week.

The debates. The snubs. The Home Run Derby. The player introductions. The custom uniforms. The mic’d-up moments. The awkward dugout interviews where future Hall of Famers suddenly sound like Little Leaguers. That’s the entertainment. The game is simply the closing act.

Then Tuesday night arrives, and everyone makes the same mistake.

They expect October.

This is my annual public service announcement: you’re watching the All-Star Game wrong.

Every year, people tune in expecting nine innings of playoff intensity, then spend the next morning complaining that nobody dove headfirst into second base, that managers emptied the bullpen too quickly, or that pitchers only threw one inning. Of course they did. That’s the assignment.

We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that an exhibition should deliver championship drama, then criticize it when it doesn’t. That’s like buying a ticket to Happy Gilmore and complaining it wasn’t Oppenheimer. Wrong movie.

Why the All-Star Game Isn’t Built for October Intensity

The World Series, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals are where every pitch, possession, and decision carry enormous weight. That’s where players become legends, and fan bases either celebrate forever or spend the next decade asking what went wrong.

The All-Star Game isn’t trying to be any of that. It’s baseball’s family reunion.

It’s one night where rivals become teammates, where MVPs laugh together in the dugout, where fans get to see combinations they’ll never see again, and where the sport gets to celebrate itself for three hours without anyone’s season hanging in the balance. Sports don’t have enough nights like that.

Sports media doesn’t always help. We spend two weeks promoting the event like it’s going to determine baseball’s future. Every roster reveal becomes breaking news. Every snub becomes a national controversy. And every fan vote becomes evidence the process is broken. By first pitch, we’ve convinced everyone they’re about to watch baseball’s version of Game 7.

Here’s the funny part: if the game looked like October, we’d probably complain about that too.

Imagine if managers refused to remove their ace until he’d thrown 110 pitches. Imagine if stars played all nine innings. Or imagine if every replay review lasted five minutes because the outcome mattered that much. We’d spend Wednesday morning complaining that everyone took an exhibition too seriously.

The All-Star Game can never win that argument because we’re asking it to be something it was never designed to be.

The Numbers Prove Fans Still Care

Meanwhile, the ratings tell a completely different story. Last year’s MLB All-Star Game averaged roughly 7.2 million viewers, once again making it the most-watched All-Star event in American sports. The Home Run Derby drew nearly 5.8 million viewers, up from the previous year. Those aren’t Super Bowl numbers, nor should they be, but they’re a long way from “nobody cares.” People care. They just care differently.

Different events are meant to give you different experiences, and that’s okay. The All-Star Game isn’t failing. We’re just grading it with the wrong answer key.

Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves the appetizer should taste like the steak, when the feast is everything leading up to Tuesday night. The debates, the snubs, the Derby, the introductions, the personalities, and the anticipation — that’s the event. The game itself is simply the celebration after all the arguing.

Not every sporting event has to determine a champion. Not every broadcast has to produce an all-time sports moment. Sometimes it’s enough to celebrate the best players in the game, let them smile, joke around, wear microphones, hit a few tape-measure home runs, and remind everyone why they became stars in the first place.

So before All-Star Week takes over Philadelphia and the inevitable complaints flood television, radio, and social media, here’s my annual public service announcement.

Stop grading the All-Star Game like it’s October. Debate the rosters. Argue about the snubs. Watch the Home Run Derby. Laugh at the mic’d-up moments. Appreciate seeing the game’s biggest stars sharing one field, even if it’s only for a night.

If you judge the All-Star Game for what it is instead of what it isn’t, you’ll probably enjoy it a whole lot more.

Maybe the problem has never been the All-Star Game. Maybe it’s been the way we’ve been watching it all along.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

San Antonio Spurs Voice Jacob Tobey Exits Following Social Media Firestorm Over Cheating Allegations

Garrett Searight
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San Antonio Spurs Voice Jacob Tobey Exits Following Social Media Firestorm Over Cheating Allegations

Jacob Tobey won’t return to the San Antonio Spurs broadcast booth this season. His exit follows a personal controversy that quickly spread across social media.

What We Know: The San Antonio Spurs are moving on from Jacob Tobey after one season as the team’s television play-by-play announcer. Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel first reported Tobey won’t return for the upcoming NBA season. Earlier this week, Tobey’s Instagram account shared a story reading, “This is my girlfriend of six years. But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not.” A later post included a photo booth printout that appeared to show Tobey kissing Loren Waters, the sister of Spurs player Lindsay Waters III, along with several other images.

What’s At Stake: Although the controversy centered on Tobey’s personal life, it quickly became a public issue because of the alleged connection to a family member of a Spurs player. As a result, the organization now faces the task of replacing its television play-by-play voice after originally hiring him in 2024. Meanwhile, the situation highlights how rapidly personal social media posts can create professional consequences.

What Remains Unclear: Neither the Spurs nor Tobey has publicly detailed whether the reported departure directly resulted from the social media posts. Additionally, the team hasn’t announced who will handle television play-by-play duties next season.

What It Means: Sports broadcasters increasingly serve as public representatives of their organizations beyond game coverage. Consequently, off-air controversies can affect employment decisions just as quickly as on-air performance. For the Spurs, the focus now shifts toward finding a new voice before the NBA season begins.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Adam Schefter, ESPN Approaching Multi-Year Contract Extension

Garrett Searight
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Adam Schefter, ESPN Approaching Multi-Year Contract Extension

ESPN appears close to locking up one of its most recognizable NFL insiders. Adam Schefter is reportedly nearing a long-term contract extension with the network.

What We Know: According to a report from Front Office Sports‘ Ryan Glasspiegel, ESPN and Adam Schefter are closing in on a long-term extension. That deal would keep the veteran NFL insider with the company well into the 2030s. Meanwhile, an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment. Schefter joined ESPN in 2009. He quickly formed one of sports media’s most respected insider pairings alongside the late Chris Mortensen. Since then, he’s become a fixture across the network’s NFL programming.

What’s At Stake: The reported agreement would further strengthen ESPN’s already deep NFL reporting roster. Schefter remains the network’s signature insider. Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo, Jeremy Fowler, Kimberley Martin, Dan Graziano, Jeff Darlington, and Judy Battista all contribute to its football coverage. Additionally, Front Office Sports previously reported ESPN reached new deals with Rapoport and Garafolo following the NFL Network acquisition.

What Remains Unclear: Neither side has confirmed the reported extension, leaving the contract’s length and financial details unknown. Schefter’s last ESPN contract was worth roughly $9 million annually, according to the New York Post.

What It Means: If finalized, the extension signals ESPN’s continued commitment to premium NFL news gathering. Earlier this year, Schefter dismissed any speculation about retirement after comparisons to former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s departure. Instead, the reported deal suggests ESPN intends to keep one of its most influential personalities for years to come.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz: Our Podcast Strategy Runs Counter to Netflix

Garrett Searight
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SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz: Our Podcast Strategy Runs Counter to Netflix

SiriusXM continues to bet on openness over exclusivity. Jennifer Witz says that strategy better serves creators and listeners.

What We Know: SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz used the company’s latest earnings discussion to reinforce its long-term podcast strategy. Rather than following a model similar to Netflix‘s content exclusivity approach, Witz argued SiriusXM remains committed to broad distribution. As competition for podcast talent has shifted from aggressive spending to more disciplined investments, SiriusXM believes its approach helps creators grow audiences without limiting where their shows can be heard. In an interview with CNBC, the company’s CEO said it continues to prioritize partnerships instead of locking content behind a single platform.

What They Said: “We’ve been in the podcast business since 2020 when we bought Stitcher, and we’ve seen a lot of change, whether it’s investment, contraction, and investment. We’ve been disciplined throughout this period in working with the partnerships that make the most sense for us. So we’re focused on an open ecosystem and distribution. The partners that we work with, the creators, we’re helping them build their audiences and their businesses. So, we have industry-leading monetization in part because we offer them distribution across every platform where it makes sense. Some other platforms are taking a more exclusive approach. We found that open distribution makes the most sense for creators.” – SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz

What Remains Unclear: Witz didn’t identify which competitors she viewed as taking a more exclusive approach. She also didn’t indicate whether SiriusXM could pursue exclusive podcast agreements in select situations if market conditions change.

What It Means: Witz’s comments signal SiriusXM believes broad availability creates stronger long-term value than exclusivity. While companies like Netflix built subscription businesses around exclusive content, SiriusXM appears convinced podcast creators benefit more from reaching audiences wherever they listen. That position also aligns with an industry that has increasingly favored scalable advertising, wider distribution, and sustainable creator partnerships over expensive bidding wars for exclusive programming.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

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