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Kentucky Derby Most Watched Sporting Event Since Super Bowl

BSM Staff
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This year’s Kentucky Derby ended up with a one-length win by Mage, who had 16-to-1 odds entering the race. Ratings for the event were strong, as NBC reported the event being the most-watched sporting event on linear television since the Super Bowl with a total audience delivery of 14.8 million viewers. The metric also renders the event as the second most watched television show taking place after FOX’s coverage of Super Bowl LVII, with the only event gaining more viewers being the Academy Awards.

The 2023 Kentucky Derby was NBC Sports’ 14th consecutive presentation of the event to garner more than 14.5 million viewers. It peaked at 16.6 million viewers during the quarter-hour window when the race was run (7-7:15 p.m. EST). The event was also live-streamed on Peacock where Adobe Analytics recorded an average minute audience of 371,000 viewers. That number is 50% higher than last year’s total (247,000). It should also be noted that the race took place on the same day as the coronation of King Charles III – with NBC’s coverage averaging 1.72 million viewers.

While these ratings may have been among the best compared to other television programs, it is a disappointing figure when compared to previous iterations of the Kentucky Derby. The 2020 version of the race notwithstanding – which took place on Labor Day weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic – the 2023 Kentucky Derby was the least viewed edition on linear television since 2008.

Across all consumption platforms, the figure marks the lowest figure since 2011 (14.54 million), with that figure excluding out-of-home viewing. The household rating of 6.9 is also NBC’s lowest since it began broadcasting the Kentucky Derby in 2001.

The Preakness Stakes will be broadcast on NBC beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST, with complete coverage beginning earlier in the day on CNBC and Peacock at 1 p.m. EST. The final leg of the Triple Crown will take place three weeks later from Elmont, NY. FOX will broadcast this year’s Belmont Stakes for the first time, part of a new eight-year media rights contract it agreed to with the New York Racing Association.

Landlord, The Horn FM Resolve Rent Dispute Following Threat to Change Locks

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Landlord, The Horn FM Resolve Rent Dispute Following Threat to Change Locks

It wasn’t technical difficulties that knocked local programming off The Horn FM over the weekend. Employees of Genuine Austin Radio were locked out of their building by the landlord, who claims the radio group is more than $345,000 behind on rent payments.

Jason Nassour, the managing partner of Genuine Austin Radio, told KVUE TV that there was an agreement in place with the building’s previous owner. Nassour says his company “was supposed to be given tens of thousands of dollars to fix the place up in April of 2020”.

“Frankly we were surprised,” Lise Hudson, Market Manager for Genuine Austin Radio, told Barrett Sports Media. “We thought things were moving in the right direction.”

The building was sold to OakPoint Real Estate during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nassour says the new owners were trying to collect what it claims are late payments owed by Genuine Austin Radio.

According to a memo obtained by Barrett Sports Media, OakPoint claims it has received no payments from the radio company since October of 2022. It also says that Genuine Austin Radio was served with notices of default in January and April. On Friday, OakPoint claimed it was owed $345,724.24.

“Although Landlord has patiently attempted to provide solutions and accommodate Genuine Austin Radio’s request to resolve the default, Genuine Austin Radio has repeatedly failed to uphold its commitments,” the memo reads. “Therefore, Landlord shall exercise its rights to pursue all remedies set forth in the Lease, including but not limited to, changing the locks of the Premises.”

Hudson described the event as “a perfect storm” of miscommunication with the two companies believing they were operating on different timelines.

The radio staff returned to the building on Tuesday and Hudson said that two sides are working on resolving the matter for good.

“They [OakPoint] have been lovely to deal with to be honest with you. We are back and we are working towards moving forward.”

Nielsen to Introduce Mobile Diaries in 2025

BSM Staff
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Nielsen to Introduce Mobile Diaries in 2025

Nielsen Media Research is officially retiring paper diaries as a tool to collect ratings data for radio stations, instead planning to fully introduce a mobile diary system in the second half of 2025. The company ceased use of the paper diaries for television ratings in 2017, instead creating a system where data can be returned from set-top boxes.

In today’s era of streaming and digital content creation, that option is not feasible in radio. Even so, there is no bonafide way to collect data with radio shows because of the variety of ways through which people consume their favorite programming.

“In our small markets or diary environments, the paper diary is being challenged as a data collection instrument in today’s environment,” said Bruce Hoynoski, Measurement Science Business Leader in Global Audience Measurement for Nielsen. “I think it’s going to be a game changer for our smaller markets in terms of accurately capturing and measuring audiences.”

Nielsen Media Research’s radio ratings have come under increased scrutiny over the last decade due to their inherent inability to depict listeners from all platforms. In fact, some local and national media outlets do not subscribe to the ratings, instead utilizing different forms of measurement to determine success. Through experimentation and testing, Nielsen expects the mobile diary to have a positive effect on various key performance indicators.

Before the paper diary was phased out in television ratings, it was actively being used in 140 of 210 local markets. The new mobile diary would give the company the ability to accumulate listening data on mobile devices, laptops, tablets and other devices.

Anthony Lima Shocked ESPN Bungled NHL Draft Lottery

BSM Staff
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On Tuesday night, the NHL held its annual draft lottery, with many speculating 17-year-old standout forward prospect Connor Bedard to be the ultimate prize to whomever came out the winner. The Blackhawks entered the draft with the third-best odds to land the No. 1 pick (11.5%), while the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets were first and second, respectively. The city of Cleveland, Ohio does not have an NHL team, but there are many hockey fans of the area who root for the Blue Jackets since Columbus is only two hours south. As a result, many fans were disappointed in the outcome of the top three – Chicago, Anaheim, Columbus – but the manner in which it was communicated caused a larger issue, according to 92.3 The Fan’s morning show, The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima.

“They got down to the final three and you’re like, ‘Alright, let’s brace yourselves,’” co-host Anthony Lima said. “When that happens in the NBA, there is all this lead-up; we certainly know that you have all the representatives from the teams…Instead of showing the card [yesterday], what happened on the broadcast?”

The show then proceeded to play audio from ESPN where analyst Kevin Weekes revealed the first change in the order with the Blue Jackets dropping to third. That meant it would either be the Chicago Blackhawks or Anaheim Ducks receiving the No. 1 pick. The problem was that Weekes revealed which team would receive the third overall pick before it was officially announced by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

“Anaheim has never selected first overall,” Weekes said on the broadcast just before a commercial break, “and the last time Chicago drafted No. 1 was when they took future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane.”

“They didn’t even show it,” 92.3 The Fan personality Garrett Bush reacted. “They went to commercial.”

Following a commercial break, Daly formally revealed that the Blue Jackets would be selecting third overall, leaving many fans disappointed and viewers somewhat confused as to what had just happened.

“The whole point of the lottery is to build the tension; to build the drama; to build the intrigue one card at a time, and then show how baffled and/or just upset [or] heartbroken the representative is,” Lima said. “Really, they should show the fans too. That would be awesome.”

Most hockey fanatics and insiders believe Bedard will indeed be chosen first overall, but nonetheless, the way in which it was revealed that the Blue Jackets would not win the lottery caught everyone a bit off guard.

“They didn’t even show the card,” Lima said. “Everybody is thinking, ‘This is going to be it.’ When you get to the final three, you think you’re going to win. You think this is going to be the total change of everything in your franchise.”

Dallas Braden Says He Did Not Hear Glen Kuiper Use Racial Slur

BSM Staff
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Following an incident over the weekend where Oakland Athletics television play-by-play announcer Glen Kuiper used a racial slur in the broadcast’s open, his colleague and color commentator Dallas Braden has spoken out.

Kuiper, who was suspended indefinitely after using inappropriate language to talk about visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, apologized in the sixth inning of the game. According to Braden, he did not know anything had happened until that time, stating that he had missed the comment because of the wide array of factors broadcasters have to focus on.

“The nuances of live television mean that sometimes we, as broadcasters, miss some of what you, our audience, see and hear,” Braden said in a statement. “We have producers speaking in our ears about what is next, we are formulating our words to articulate our thoughts, we are moving direction from camera to camera, we are waiting for cues, we are checking sound. We have lots going on that is not always visible to our audience.”

Braden continued to say that while the choice of words his colleague used has had a profound impact on him, he is standing by his broadcast partner who claims that the verbiage did not come out in the way he intended.

“I don’t pretend to know Glen heart’s, [but] I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness,” Kendrick stated. “I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!”

This incident is the latest in a slew of events that have portrayed the Oakland Athletics negatively in the public light. From possums in the press box to a move to Las Vegas, the team is struggling to attract fans to the ballpark and drawing the ire of others in the sport.

Braden pitched for the Athletics from 2007 to 2011, days when the team was more competitive, albeit still out of a playoff position. He will continue his work with the team alongside a rotation of play-by-play announcers including Vince Controneo and the newly promoted Johnny Doskow.

“When issues around race occur, I’m always interested in having conversations aimed at finding healing and advancing collaborative discussions,” Braden said. “I have reached out to have those conversations, and I have listened and I have learned. I will continue to seek clarity, encourage learning and engage in dialogue to bring out the best in our diverse community.”

Megyn Kelly Warns Fox News Employees: ‘You Could Be Next’

BNM Staff
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Tucker Carlson is reportedly considering taking a blowtorch to Fox News after he was unceremoniously dumped by the network late last month. One such reported ally is former network host Megyn Kelly who argued that any other Fox News employee could be in the same boat as Carlson.

During her SiriusXM program Monday, Kelly discussed her own exit from Fox News before mentioning why she’s able to speak so openly and candidly about her experience at the network.

“The only reason I’m able to tell you any of this is because I refused to sign a non-disclosure when I left Fox, though — trust me — they tried,” Kelly said. “I said ‘You’re offering me all this money to renew, I’ve chosen to do something else. Why would I sign a non-disclosure? I don’t need to. Why should I?’ And they got very upset and withheld a couple of months of my salary. Even though they owed it to me. That’s what they did to try to force me to sign it. Well I didn’t, and I too had to forfeit pay. It was absolutely absurd.

“These guys are bullies! They’re bullies! And all the talent at Fox News that’s listening right now, who, I guarantee you are more on my side than Fox’s side…you could be next. I left on the best of terms. These guys were down on one knee with a bouquet of roses begging me to stay, and I left with a handshake and a wish of goodwill,” continued Kelly. “And then they did this stuff to me. Withholding salary, trying to strong-arm me into signing a non-disclosure, and then bit-by-bit attacking me day after day when I was on the air at NBC…that’s them.”

Kelly has been an ardent support of Carlson’s since his exit. She has repeatedly encouraged him to breach his contract and force the network to either pay him or take him to court to force him to remain silent. Fox News has reportedly told Carlson it will honor the final two years of his contract, which had more than $30 million remaining.

CNBC Parts Ways With Hadley Gamble

BNM Staff
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CNBC has announced anchor Hadley Gamble has departed the network.

Gamble was the NBCUniversal employee who filed a sexual harassment complaint that led to the eventual ouster of the company’s CEO Jeff Shell last month.

In a statement, CNBC says that Gamble “is leaving the company. Gamble has been a distinguished journalist for more than a decade for CNBC, undertaking highly visible and challenging assignments, and developing deep expertise in the Middle East and beyond. Her initiative and drive have secured valuable interviews with several world political leaders. We wish her every success in her future endeavors.”

Reports had surfaced that Gamble filed the complaint against Shell after she “reached an impasse” with the company over a contract renewal. Shell and Gamble reportedly had a sexual relationship that began in 2012 before ending “a few years ago”. Shell reportedly tried to strike up the relationship, and was rebuffed by Gamble. Emails between the two were uncovered after Gamble’s complaint that led to Shell’s exit.

Additionally, Gamble accused former CNBC Vice President and International Managing Editor Patrick Allen of using a derogatory slur towards her in the company of other employees. Allen left the company earlier this year.

Axios media reporter Sara Fischer is reporting the network and Gamble are finalizing what is being called a multi-million dollar settlement over the sexual harassment and toxic work environment claims Gamble raised.

Before her exit, Gamble hosted Capital Connection for the network from its Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

Ted Cruz: Podcasts ‘Incredibly Valuable Tool’ to Reach Constituents

BNM Staff
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Ted Cruz: Podcasts ‘Incredibly Valuable Tool’ to Reach Constituents

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hosts a podcast that drops three times per week. He has recently come under fire from Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) for being a “content machine” instead of a legislative machine, but Cruz argued that his podcast is a valuable way to reach citizens who live in his district.

During an interview with Business Insider about Allred’s criticism, Cruz claimed the content he is producing is part of his duties and responsibilities as a public servant.

“Congressman Allred’s idea that communicating with voters is somehow separate from the job is a bizarre and frankly silly idea,” said Cruz. “The podcast is an incredibly valuable tool to explain the issues facing America.”

Cruz continued by saying hosting a podcast allows him opportunities other mediums don’t present.

“If you go do a TV hit, which I do every week, you’re on for six, eight minutes. You have a soundbite or two, and there’s value to that, but you can’t really sit down and explain an issue in substance,” said Cruz. “What I like about the podcast is sometimes the podcast is 20-30 minutes, sometimes it’s an hour, depends on what the issue is.” 

The senator moved his podcast to the iHeartMedia portfolio in October of last year. He had previously hosted the program with The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles. According to Chartable.com, Verdict with Ted Cruz is the 224th most popular podcast in all genres on Apple Podcasts, while sitting in the 7th place in the political genre.

Al Michaels: Amazon Will Make ‘$18 Gazillion’ on Black Friday Game

BSM Staff
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The new National Football League media rights agreement commences at the start of the 2023 season with matchups being broadcast across various national media outlets and Thursday Night Football continuing to be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. As part of the agreement, Amazon Prime Video will present the first ever NFL game held on Black Friday, and while the matchup is not yet known, it will mark a historic moment in sports broadcasting.

Amazon Prime Video play-by-play announcer Al Michaels appeared on The Michele Tafoya Podcast, hosted his former NBC Sports colleague, to discuss what adding this game means to the network.

“You have games on Thanksgiving and then the Black Friday game is going to be a fantastic thing for Amazon that would probably, you know, sell 18-gazillion dollars worth of merchandise that day for people who are at home logging on,” Michaels said.

Michaels spoke on the transition into the streaming era and how he is proud of the first season of Amazon Prime Video broadcasting Thursday Night Football. Adding Fred Gaudelli as its producer gave the broadcast a primetime feel, and Michaels was happy to see many people from Sunday Night Football contribute to the production.

“Even I was kind of amazed that we could make this look very much like Sunday Night Football or any presentations right off the bat,” Michaels said. “So that part of it was great. The Amazon people were terrific [and] unbelievably supportive through and through.”

While watching a game through a streaming platform can be a learning experience for traditional consumers of sports media content, Michaels is confident in the team Amazon Prime Video has assembled and believes the broadcast will continue to improve annually.

“The streaming world is a different world,” Michaels said. “It’s not linear television…But they’ve got a lot of smart people. The technological end of this thing is trying to work on making this simpler and more easily accessible to everybody [will] come in time.”

Keith Olbermann: ‘MSNBC, Like CNN, is Drowning’

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Keith Olbermann: ‘MSNBC, Like CNN, is Drowning’

A recent commercial airing on MSNBC has caught the ire of former cable news host Keith Olbermann, which led him to declare the network is teetering on a path similar to that of CNN.

During his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast Tuesday, Olbermann took issue with a commercial that urges President Joe Biden to negotiate with Republicans to “get our fiscal house in order”. He joked that he understood why CNN would take the money, but mocked MSNBC for doing the same.

“It is a spot produced by a group aligned with the pitiful Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy (R-CA) called American Action Network. And that network spent a quarter million dollars to put the ads on CNN and MSNBC. The CNN part is understandable. That’s probably the first commercial they’ve sold this year,” said the sarcastic Olbermann.

“But the other part? Yes, MSNBC also took the money from a conservative PAC trying to pressure the Democratic President of the United States and put it on a supposedly liberal network because MSNBC, like CNN, is drowning.”

Olbermann has previously shared his extreme displeasure with CNN over its decision to host a New Hampshire town hall event with former President Donald Trump this week. In keeping with the theme of comparing cable news networks to each other, he said the decision had turned CNN into Fox News.

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