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Barstool Sports Is Mainstream Media, Whether Dave Portnoy Likes It or Not

John Mamola
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Barstool Sports Is Mainstream Media, Whether Dave Portnoy Likes It or Not

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has a new book out that you should definitely read. Especially if you’re interested in the unique story of the digital sports content behemoth. The book is entitled Cancel Me If You Can, which is spot on for a person who built his content business by taking chances, being unique, and never settling for what everyone around him felt Barstool Sports should be. The rise of Barstool Sports has been transparent. Nearly everything is on film, and no questions go unanswered.

The results are a massive following and a reach that many media companies around the world envy. A combination of colorful personalities who tell stories, interviews that shape narratives, and partnerships that continue to expand the brand with FOX Sports and Netflix, for example. Barstool Sports has risen to a level where many would consider the brand part of the mainstream media ecosystem. However, Portnoy denies that assertion. Why?

If you look up any definition of mainstream media, the key words are simple to isolate and examine: large, established, mass communications, and broad audience. Doesn’t Barstool Sports fit each and every one of those descriptions based on its own metrics?

Scale Matters

Large? Barstool Sports has offices in both New York City and Chicago. Both locations produce daily written content, record successful podcasts, and create long-form and short-form video for every major distribution platform. The company gained investment from both The Chernin Group and Penn National Gaming. Those investments allowed the brand to grow to a valuation of more than half a billion dollars.

Established? Barstool Sports began as a weekly print publication in the Boston area in 2003. Within a decade, it had expanded into five cities and operated a blog that drew more than four million unique users each month by 2013. By 2016, Barstool claimed to generate 250 million views per month. Pardon My Take, Barstool Sports’ most successful podcast, is now 10 years old. In the creator economy, many consider Barstool Sports ahead of its time, setting the standard well ahead of many companies in the digital content space.

Mass communications? On TikTok, only ESPN has a larger following among sports media brands. Regarding YouTube, Barstool has nearly two million subscribers on its primary account alone and 12 additional channels under its umbrella. On X, formerly Twitter, the main account has nearly seven million followers. However, each personality is a brand unto itself, further expanding Barstool Sports’ reach.

All of those factors lead to a broad and diverse audience: male, female, young, and old. Barstool’s personalities have become established pop culture celebrities. When they host events, they sell out. Who needs Super Bowl Radio Row when the celebrities of the Super Bowl come to them? The outlet has interviewed everyone from the president of the United States to the sixth man who went viral for hitting a last-second basket at a local high school.

The question is why Portnoy doesn’t consider his own brand mainstream media, especially since it appears to meet the definition.

“If you say Barstool says something versus CNN, NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, that doesn’t, like, hit. We’re different,” says Portnoy during an interview with PBS. “When you say mainstream media, seeing a quote from Barstool still does not carry for most people the same weight, I don’t think, as like established blue blood-type news organizations. Nor should it, really.”

The Culture Shift

Does Barstool Sports break news like CNN, NPR, The New York Times, or even TMZ? Not necessarily. The brand has had its share of breaking news throughout its rise, but it has hardly operated as a traditional news organization. However, people are getting their news from more places than ever before, and that’s where Barstool plays best with its audience.

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 19% of Americans make social media their first destination for breaking news. That’s up 10 percentage points since 2018. Among Americans ages 18-29, 31% turn to social media first. A recent YouGov survey found that 60% of U.S. adults consume their news on social media first, including 73% of those ages 18-44.

That shift is why the debate over whether Barstool Sports is mainstream media feels outdated. Portnoy is comparing Barstool to the legacy institutions that defined mainstream media for generations. Newspapers, cable news networks, and national broadcast outlets earned that label because they were where the largest audiences gathered. Today’s audiences gather elsewhere.

Mainstream is no longer determined by a printing press, a television affiliate, or a cable channel. It’s determined by where people spend their time, where conversations begin, and where news, opinions, and culture spread. Increasingly, those places are YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram, podcasts, and creator-driven platforms.

That’s the world Barstool Sports helped build.

Whether someone likes Barstool’s style is beside the point. Millions of people consume its content every day. Its personalities influence conversations, interview major newsmakers, partner with companies like FOX Sports and Netflix, and command an audience that rivals or exceeds many legacy media brands. Those are the very characteristics that have always defined mainstream media.

Portnoy may never embrace that label because Barstool was built as an alternative to the establishment. Ironically, that’s exactly what makes the company’s evolution so remarkable. The establishment has changed. When one of the largest and most influential voices in sports reaches millions where modern audiences actually consume content, it isn’t operating outside the mainstream anymore. It is the mainstream.

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.

CNN’s Independence Day Coverage Shows Network’s Live Event Strength

Garrett Searight
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CNN’s Independence Day Coverage Shows Network’s Live Event Strength

CNN and Independence Day go together well, at least when the network leans into live event coverage. Saturday’s The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250 special reminded viewers why CNN still owns this particular lane, even as its primetime and total day ratings continue drawing scrutiny.

The network has faced plenty of criticism this year for its programming choices and its struggles against competitors. None of that criticism applies to how CNN handles a national holiday.

Brianna Keilar and Laura Coates opened the coverage from Washington, D.C. at noon, anchoring from the National Mall as the White House’s Freedom 250 celebration unfolded behind them. Their segment set a steady tone for the day. Coates brought her legal and political sharpness to the moment, while Keilar’s field experience kept the broadcast moving briskly between correspondents and set pieces. Together, they gave the network’s marathon coverage a strong foundation.

As the day progressed, Dana Bash and Boris Sanchez took over primetime duties from the same Mall location, carrying the broadcast through the evening’s festivities. Their chemistry translated well on a day built for spectacle rather than hard news.

Meanwhile, Anderson Cooper anchored from Boston alongside Pamela Brown, where CNN served as the exclusive broadcast partner for the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Hatch Shell. Cooper has become something of a holiday fixture for CNN, and his presence in Boston added weight to an already stacked lineup.

A Coast-to-Coast Showcase

What made Saturday’s broadcast work wasn’t any single anchor pairing. It was the breadth of the coverage. CNN didn’t just plant a flag in Washington and call it a day. It sent teams from coast to coast, giving viewers a genuine sense of scale for a milestone occasion. Elex Michaelson and Cari Champion closed out the night from San Diego, extending the broadcast well past prime hours and ensuring West Coast viewers got their own dedicated segment instead of a tacked-on mention.

That kind of commitment takes real resources and real planning. Networks don’t stumble into ten-plus hours of live, multi-city programming. They build it deliberately, and CNN clearly treated this broadcast as a priority. The production value showed in the transitions between cities, the pacing of musical performances, and the way anchors handled live handoffs without stepping on each other. It’s the kind of execution that often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. Nothing did.

Where CNN Still Leads

This isn’t the first time CNN has pulled off this kind of feat recently. Its New Year’s Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen remains appointment viewing for millions. Its reimagined approach to Thanksgiving last year also drew praise for breaking from a stale format. Add Saturday’s Independence Day broadcast to that list, and a pattern starts to emerge. CNN struggles to hold viewers during ordinary news cycles, but it consistently delivers when the calendar hands it a reason to celebrate.

There’s a lesson buried in there for the network’s executives. Ratings pressure in primetime isn’t going away soon, and critics will keep pointing to total day numbers as evidence of deeper problems. Those criticisms aren’t unfounded. But live event programming is a different animal, and CNN has quietly become one of the best in the business at it. Few networks can coordinate this many moving pieces across this many cities without something falling apart on air.

CNN has real issues to address. Its programming lineup draws fair scrutiny, and its ratings trends give competitors plenty of ammunition. Still, holiday and live event coverage isn’t part of that conversation. It’s a strength, not a weakness, and Saturday’s broadcast proved it once again. If CNN wants a blueprint for engaging viewers again, it doesn’t need to look far. It already has one, and it airs every time the calendar gives it a reason to celebrate.

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.

Joon Lee Reveals How He’s Turned an ESPN Layoff Into a Thriving YouTube Career

John Mamola
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Joon Lee Reveals How He’s Turned an ESPN Layoff Into a Thriving YouTube Career

For many who work in sports media, reaching ESPN is the pinnacle of a career. The “Worldwide Leader in Sports” has had many faces come and go over the network’s 46-year history. Joon Lee was one of those faces.

The New York City-based sports writer, who was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Boston, was considered part of the network’s new generation of sports journalists. After stops at Bleacher Report and several other outlets, Lee achieved his dream job, working for the network he grew up loving while covering the sports he had been passionate about since childhood.

Then, in June 2023, after four years with the network, that dream was shattered. Lee found himself part of a round of layoffs at ESPN. At 28 years old, he didn’t sulk. Instead, he pivoted, as many in sports media do following an unfortunate and unexpected end to a chapter of their careers. Ultimately, Lee returned to another passion from his youth, one he had always envisioned becoming his long-term career.

“For me, YouTube has always been my end game. It’s been what I’ve always wanted to do since the beginning of my career,” says Lee, who just celebrated three years since his departure from ESPN. “When I got to college, I realized that if I wanted to do something well, I would have to devote all the time and focus to it. So, I cared more about sports than I did about YouTube. Though, I figured YouTube would come back around at some point.”

That opportunity arrived in the moments following his departure from ESPN.

The Pivot To YouTube

With two years remaining on his contract, Lee was unable to work because of a non-compete clause in his agreement. Instead, he used the time to re-invest in understanding sports fans’ perspective of the industry today. He also immersed himself in learning the latest about YouTube. Studying the metrics, strategy, and approach creators use to build sustainable independent businesses.

Lee says he received offers to do work similar to what he was doing at ESPN. While he considered some of those opportunities, he ultimately decided not to pursue them. Instead, his desire to return to YouTube outweighed the other options available to him.

“After having conversations about YouTube, my heart was in a place of wanting to try to make the independent space work,” explains Lee. “I’m engaged and don’t have kids. I had built up my savings with the thought of trying to go independent. For me, this was a time in my life to try and take a big swing and might as well go for it. Because I don’t have any kids that are dependent on me. It felt like the right time to take a risk.”

Lee then got to work. He officially relaunched his channel in early April 2025 with a single video explaining his decision to go independent. Since then, he has posted at least one video each week. The aim is building a relationship with his audience while steadily growing his subscriber base. Today, Lee has more than 62,000 subscribers and is aiming to eclipse 100,000 by the end of 2026.

He credits his success over the past year to hard work, investigative curiosity, and a little luck. With less bureaucracy dictating topic selection, Lee relishes the freedom to turn virtually any idea into content for his audience. That freedom also gives him complete editorial control. Lee scripts, writes, shoots, edits, and publishes all of his own content, outsourcing only the occasional complex animation.

The product lives by a simple mantra: make sports fun again. That means tackling topics that deserve deeper investigation and discussion while replacing the algorithm with the audience.

“I’m always trying to find the line of what I’m interested in and what the audience is interested in. That’s the stuff that’s going to make the business sustain over the long run,” said Lee. “I’m always giving myself room to experiment. Because I don’t want to pigeonhole myself in just doing one thing and doing the same thing over and over again.”

Creator Credibility Over All

Lee’s content focuses on sports topics that extend beyond the action on the field. It’s an eclectic mix of experiential content. Ranging from taking batting practice against a major league pitcher to driving a stock car with NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson. He also explores topics including illegal streaming, sourcing in sports journalism, dad shoes, and how sportsbook and prediction market advertising dollars are changing sports media.

Lee believes sports media is facing a credibility crisis because of the business relationships among leagues, networks, and media outlets. He says fans increasingly perceive those outlets as compromised. Particularly when gambling advertising plays such a significant role in their revenue.

“It’s really important for me to have hardline stances on gambling because it does affect the way audiences receive the credibility of the outlet,” notes Lee. “The reason I’m going about the business the way I am is because the business and the editorial are tied together. The business decisions you make do affect your editorial standing. Sports fans are smarter and more savvy than ever before. They see how sports journalism has changed.”

With that in mind, Lee does not accept advertising revenue from sportsbooks or prediction markets, a category that floods digital sports content, from podcasts to short-form video. In turn, that decision has created collaboration opportunities with companies that prefer not to align with brands that accept gambling clients.

“The feedback from the sales team at GoodStory has been advertisers like the fact I don’t take sports gambling money. It improves our negotiating stance with advertisers because I’m going for a family-friendly audience,” said Lee. “There’s brands that want to advertise with sports. But because of the amount of money tied up in sports media, some brands don’t feel comfortable making that jump. My hope is to attract those brands through the stances we make to reach sports fans on an outlet they can trust.”

Lee’s approach on YouTube is to present each conversation as if he were talking with one of his friends. While most of his content consists of feature pieces centered on a single topic, he is also exploring expansion opportunities, including the possibility of launching a podcast.

Earning The Audience Trust

However, Lee is no different from any other creator when it comes to the continued rise of artificial intelligence. While he admits using AI to help research projects before verifying the information himself, he also has concerns, especially because his content lives on YouTube, which is owned by Google.

“I have concerns about how my videos are being used to train AI and misinformation being spread through AI,” says Lee. “I’m working for Google in some capacity. There’s a lot of conversation about how Google is using YouTube for its own AI training… But I worry most about the way it affects the future of written journalism overall.”

With trust in traditional journalism declining, Lee has seen trust between creators and their audiences continue to grow. In many ways, that relationship has become more important than ever, given the endless options for news, opinion, and entertainment.

“That level of intimacy and trust you have with the audience boils down to everything you do. From the scripts you write to the camera lens I use,” said Lee. “That kind of trust is important to build in a day where many people don’t trust major media outlets.”

In an industry where so many careers are measured by the logos on a business card, Lee has found success by removing one altogether.

The layoff that once felt like the end of a dream instead became the catalyst for building something entirely his own. He no longer answers to network executives or programming mandates. He answers only to his audience and to the standards he has set for himself.

Along the way, that independence has attracted interest from venture capital investors eager to be part of what he’s building, further validating the risk he chose to take.

For a generation of sports journalists who grew up believing ESPN was the ultimate destination, Lee’s story offers a different perspective. Sometimes the biggest career break isn’t getting hired by the industry’s biggest brand. It’s finding the confidence to build one of your own.

Music Radio Isn’t Done With the Taylor Swift Wedding

Bethany Kent
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Music Radio Isn’t Done With the Taylor Swift Wedding

It happened. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married. Madison Square Garden — transformed into a fairytale garden draped in peach and white — hosted what may be the most talked-about event of 2026. The Royal wedding… err I mean… Taylor Swift wedding was officiated by Adam Sandler who even reportedly sang an original song.

The Empire State Building lit up blue for “something blue.” And the moment the vows were exchanged, digital billboards outside MSG flashed “JUST&T MARRIED” to thousands of Swifties standing in the rain. Someone online said that was like the smoke turning white when a new Pope is chosen.

Maybe you read my initial column from last month for prep. If your station engaged last week, congratulations. You were ahead of the moment. If you didn’t — the story isn’t over. Not even close.

Here’s how radio keeps the momentum going all week long.

The Details Are Still Dropping. Stay On It.

The wedding was airtight. And yet the details are leaking anyway — because they always do.

A since-deleted post from AMC CEO Adam Aron described the interior of MSG as transformed into what felt like “a lush countryside retreat,” with peach-and-white draping, real flowers, and large photos of Swift and Kelce at every age lining the walls.

Country superstar Maren Morris posted a pic of handkerchiefs embroidered with the “Blank Space” lyric “So it’s gonna be forever” on social.

TMZ reported that Jason Kelce’s kids were the flower girls.

Taylor walked down the aisle to one of her own songs played on strings.

Every one of those details is morning show content this week. Run a daily “What We Know Now” segment through Friday. Each new leak becomes a new conversation. This story has a long tail — use it. If you’re looking for a few central places for the latest Swiftie content, here are some people on social I’d suggest following:

  1. Olivia Levin – she runs SwiftiesForEternity one of the biggest fan accounts, and she recently wrote a book about the fandom.
  2. Bryan West – he’s an actual Taylor Swift reporter for USA Today.
  3. Liz P Woods – she’s a longtime Swiftie who will have the latest info, but is also a great pop culture follow in general.

You could even reach out to any of the above and see if they would be willing to be a guest on your station.

The Charity Angle Is Underplayed

In the days before the wedding, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to at least 20 charities, including Food Bank for NYC, Feeding America, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Most stations haven’t fully told this story yet. More importantly, it’s a community angle. Did any of those organizations serve your market? Find out this week. Connect it locally. Invite someone from that organization on-air to talk about what they do and how your listeners can get involved. This is where radio does something streaming can’t — make a national story feel personal to your city.

The Guest List Is a Week of Programming

Among the 1,000-plus guests spotted at MSG were Ed Sheeran, Bradley Cooper, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Tom Brady, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Fallon, Benson Boone, Glennon Doyle, JLo, and Andy Reid. That’s not just a celebrity roster. That’s a programming menu. You can find a reported initial list here. I even spy some record label execs on there.

Nicole from 92.5 WXTU in Philly is already all over it. Not surprised. She’s great at her job.

Run a daily “Wedding Guest Spotlight” this week. Play their music. Tell the story of their connection to Taylor. Talk about the standouts. Have fun with it, get silly. My group chats have been discussing the most random celebrity guests as they’ve leaked. So far, for me, it’s MGK. But another fun take is to talk about random seating charts. Was MGK sat with Coach Andy Reid? What were those conversations like?

There are angles everywhere. Pick one per day and build around it.

The Dior Story Could Be Its Own Segment

Swift and Kelce’s wedding looks were custom Christian Dior Haute Couture, designed by Jonathan Anderson. For fashionistas, that’s a cultural moment beyond the wedding itself. Anderson’s tenure at Dior has been one of fashion’s biggest stories this year, and Swift just put him at the center of the biggest wedding in a generation.

Find your local fashion voice this week — a stylist, a boutique owner, a blogger with an audience — and get them on-air to break it down. Give listeners context behind the look. It’s a conversation your competition probably isn’t having.

Tease What Comes Next

The honeymoon speculation starts now. The first post-wedding photo drop — whenever it comes — will break the internet. Then comes the first interview, and eventually, new music.

Swift’s most recent album was described as heavily influenced by her relationship with Kelce. Wedding-inspired music isn’t a stretch — it’s an expectation. Start teasing that story with listeners this week. Give them a reason to keep coming back.

Radio had the chance to be part of how people experienced this wedding. That opportunity doesn’t expire today. The audience is still locked in. Keep going.

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 Younger Audiences Crave Local Radio More Than Older Listeners

Pete Mundo
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Why Younger Audiences Crave Local Radio More Than Older Listeners

Last month, Crowd React Media released its 2026 State of the Media report. It’s 50+ slides of data, research, and information that can be incredibly valuable for anyone in the media space. And buried on Slide 28 of this 56-slide study is an unbelievable tidbit for local radio: Who wants local radio content? Younger people! Yes, that’s right.

When those polled were asked why they listen to radio, 30% of listeners overall cited local content and events.

However, among those 18-34, that number jumps to 40%. And for those 55+, the number falls to 20%.

The Local Content Opportunity

This is the opposite of what most people polled would expect. They would assume that older folks would like the local flair, while those younger could not care less about what’s happening in their backyard. The conclusion: the audience the industry most wants to grow is also the audience most motivated by exactly what local radio does best — provide local content, information, analysis, and opinion.

Now, does that mean leaning into “cat stuck in tree” for top stories is the play, in favor of a story or topic on the Iran War or an update from the Trump White House? No. However, what it does mean is that you might be able to structure topic importance differently and make sure you’re finding local angles to the national stories of the day. And while you’re doing this, you aren’t alienating the younger end of the demo; in fact, you might be giving them exactly what they want.

Also, since this study was done exclusively for radio and applies to all formats, it likely means that these younger listeners may be less in tune with the politics of the day, but may like getting their local sports analysis and local concert information from local radio. What’s the news/talk radio play of all of this? Talk about those things when appropriate.

No one needs you to break down a mid-summer baseball game or go into hyperdrive about a Sabrina Carpenter concert in your town. But if there are ways to blend the top local news stories that might seem “out of your news/talk radio lane” into your content, what do you have to lose? Maybe you tick off a 55+ listener for a segment or two, but my guess is they’ll be loyal to you over the long run. If it gives you the opportunity to get the younger demographic to sample or stick around your station and local shows, it’s well worth the trade-off.

Digital Access and Radio’s Enduring Consistency

Now, when it comes to other conclusions from this study, does this mean you can go back to doing radio like it’s 1996 instead of 2026? Of course not. The data also made it clear that, among the 18-34 demographic, combined digital access (mobile + desktop + smart speaker) exceeds traditional AM/FM listening.

So by making sure your younger audience can find you where they are or where they want to be — via an app, smart speaker, desktop, or any other streaming device — along with giving them the local content they want, this can be a winning formula.

Lastly, consistency remains radio’s great advantage. Cume sits at 76% usage in 2026, up from 75% in 2025, and down slightly from 80% in 2024. Frequent usage (30-60 minutes per day) has remained steady at 30% for the last couple of years. So when every other platform is trying to explain why its numbers moved, radio gets to explain why its numbers didn’t. There’s a huge benefit to telling that story, which remains under-told across the advertising space.

Now the question is: can radio sell its story and make the necessary tweaks to give listeners and advertisers what they want and need from the platform going forward? That is TBD.

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 College Radio Could Save the Future of Broadcast Radio

David Hill
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Why College Radio Could Save the Future of Broadcast Radio

What impressed me most at the Barrett Media Summit wasn’t just the star power in the room. There were plenty of recognizable names, familiar voices, and people who have built significant careers in this business. That part was great.

But what stuck with me most was the youth.

I talked to a handful of bright students who came looking to get a foot in the door. They wanted to learn, ask questions, meet people, and be part of whatever radio and audio become next. They were not sitting around waiting for an invitation. They showed up. They listened. They talked to people. They put themselves in the room.

Simply put, we need more of that.

More Than Data and Demographics

We need corporate execs and data analytics — of course we do. But we also need more college kids who understand what it means to connect. They are not doing it because it is a business. They are doing it because it is a passion. That matters. In some ways, that passion may be the very thing radio needs to find again.

Then, as the summit went on, college radio kept popping up in different panels and conversations. Not always as the main topic, but enough to make me realize something. Maybe college radio is not something from the past that we recall with a smile and a story about our first bad overnight shift. Maybe college radio is starting to move back toward the center of the conversation.

During one summit conversation about talent and the future of content, the point was made that “there still is college radio being done with incredibly creative people who want to be in this industry.” That line stuck with me because it runs counter to so much of the doom and gloom we hear about the next generation. They are out there. They are creating. They are experimenting. They are trying to find their way in.

Where It All Started

For me, that hits home.

My years at WRAS Atlanta were the pathway to 99X in the 90s. Without that pivotal point in my career — and without walking through the doors at WRAS — I would not have had the career that I have had. It is that simple. College radio gave me a place to learn, to make mistakes, to figure out what worked, to understand music, and to begin becoming who I was going to become in this business.

I owe a lot to college radio. And I intend to repay it.

Because I believe in the medium. I believe in radio. And I believe in college radio.

A Loss Bigger Than We Realized

Somewhere along the way, college radio fell off to the side. The industry got bigger, more consolidated, more measured, more researched, and more cautious. There were fewer training grounds, fewer places to experiment, and fewer places to be wrong before you got good.

That may have been a bigger loss than we realized.

At some point — and maybe this is it — big media has to recognize that the youth of America may be the primer that helps us figure out where to go next. Not just analytics. Not just past history. Not just another look at what worked before. Young people are the ones venturing into new territory, trying to redefine an age-old medium in real time.

That does not mean we throw away research. It does not mean we ignore experience. But it does mean we should stop pretending the next answer will only come from the same places we have always looked.

The New Language of Connection

Because now, as radio tries to figure out what comes next, it may be time to look back at the place where so many of us started. Not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity.

The next generation understands things many of us are still trying to figure out. They understand what resonates on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Discord, podcasts, short-form video, group chats, and all the places where culture actually moves. They do not separate audio, video, social, and community the way the traditional broadcast industry often does.

To them, a show is not just a show. It is a clip. It is a moment. It is a comment. It is an inside joke. It is a shared experience. It is something that lives beyond the studio and beyond the signal.

Teachers and Students at the Same Time

That does not mean college students know everything. They do not. They still need guidance, coaching, and the fundamentals of structure, storytelling, discipline, responsibility, and how to respect an audience.

But we should stop pretending we know everything, too.

We are not all-knowing. We are not sitting on top of some mountain, handing wisdom down to the next generation. At our best, we should be teachers and students at the same time.

That is where college radio becomes so important again. These young broadcasters may not be trying to change the world — or maybe they are. Either way, they are much closer to the way younger audiences actually think, listen, share, laugh, discover, and connect.

That matters.

Let Them In

The tastemakers and gatekeepers in the broadcast industry should not be shy about looking to college students for direction. That does not make the industry weaker. In fact, it makes it smarter.

Radio needs ideas. It needs energy. It needs people who are not afraid to try something before a committee has a chance to water it down. It needs young people who understand the secret sauce of what connects now.

College radio may not have all the answers. But it may be closer to the answers than we are willing to admit.

So let’s lean into that. Let’s listen to them. Let’s invite them in. Let’s give them a real seat at the table.

Because the future of radio may not be waiting for us to teach it.

It may already be trying to teach us.

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.

How the Rolling Stones Exemplify the Power of Classic Rock

Mike Stern
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How the Rolling Stones Exemplify the Power of Classic Rock

It’s easy to forget the power of the music we play on Classic Rock and Hits stations. When you live with these artists and songs day after day, year after year, it can start to feel like wallpaper. So, when something comes along that’s a stark reminder of how powerful other people think our music is, I try to note it in this column.

One example would be the promos FX is running for the final season of their hit show The Bear. Considering the demographic that watches the show, I was surprised when they chose The Who’s “Love, Reign o’er Me” as the focal point of those promos.

But the real standout example of Classic Rock’s enduring power is in the major partnership announcements that have popped up around the Rolling Stones’ new album Foreign Tongues, which drops on July 10. Here are three examples that caught my attention.

NASCAR

When I think about NASCAR, I can’t say a band of 80-year-olds like the Rolling Stones is exactly who comes to mind. But earlier this week, the two announced a “first-of-its-kind collaboration celebrating two cultural icons built on performance and life on the road.”

The centerpiece of the partnership is a NASCAR vehicle transformed into a listening lounge where fans will hear music from the album. The vehicle is said to “blend racing culture and the band’s legendary aesthetic.” Additionally, there’s a NASCAR x Rolling Stones merchandise collection, headlined by a signature racing jacket and two limited-edition NASCAR-themed vinyl editions of the new album.

The press release also mentions original content “highlighting the parallels between professional drivers and touring musicians.” That begins with a film featuring several drivers set to music from the album. It will reimagine the drivers as a touring rock band by blending racing imagery with “rock ‘n’ roll storytelling.” Furthermore, it’s the centerpiece of a campaign designed to “bring fans inside the worlds of both NASCAR and The Rolling Stones.”

Marvel Comics

Another unexpected partner — and one much closer to my personal wheelhouse — is Marvel Comics, which teamed with the Stones for a series of special collector’s edition vinyl variants. The series features some of Marvel’s best-known characters: The Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine.

Each hero has their own edition of the album with corresponding artwork. For example, Spider-Man is using his web to form the iconic Stones lips and tongue logo, Thor has the logo rendered in lightning around his hammer, and The Hulk is in the process of throwing an iconic British double-decker bus bearing the band’s logo on the side. The special pressings also come with a comic book, though it’s unclear whether the story is Rolling Stones-related.

FIFA

While I only have a mild case of World Cup fever, the Rolling Stones — not surprisingly, given their English roots — are fully on board. This partnership starts with three special vinyl editions for the World Cup host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with artwork focused on the colors and cultural themes of each country.

There is also a FIFA World Cup edition of the album featuring the lips and tongue logo with a soccer ball pattern. Additionally, the band is contributing a remix of “In the Stars,” one of the songs from the album that’s already been released, to the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album. And, literally as I was writing this, I came across the announcement of an extensive Rolling Stones/World Cup merchandise line.

What It All Means for Classic Rock

Here’s the moral to this week’s story. NASCAR, Marvel, and FIFA represent some of the biggest fan communities around, none of which exactly match who you might picture as a typical Rolling Stones lover. Yet all three were willing to lend their cachet to the band.

Meanwhile, at Classic Rock — where the band is still a top 10 artist — we reach the community that likely loves this band the most. Yet I wonder how many stations are going to create special programming around the release.

As you read this on July 6, there is still time to join the likes of NASCAR, Marvel, and FIFA in celebrating a new Rolling Stones album release. You don’t have to focus on playing the new music, but you should be finding ways to celebrate the fact that one of the format’s biggest acts is still relevant and still creating buzz.

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.

How the FCC’s Quadrennial Review Could Reshape Radio Ownership Rules This Year

Dr. Ed Cohen
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How the FCC’s Quadrennial Review Could Reshape Radio Ownership Rules This Year

It’s somehow appropriate that my first column following the 250th birthday of the United States should involve the laws of our land. No, not the dumb ones, like the law here in Kentucky that requires you to take a shower or bathe at least once a year.

Specifically, there are laws requiring the FCC to issue reports covering important things, like how many radio or TV stations an entity can own. When Congress passed the Telecommunications Act in 1996, Section 202(h) required the FCC to “review … all of its ownership rules biennially as part of its regulatory reform review …” In a massive bill passed in 2004 (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004”), Congress inserted Section 629, which changed the television ownership cap to 39 percent national audience reach (up from 35 percent) and dropped the word “biennial” from the Telecom Act, inserting “quadrennial” instead.

If that rule didn’t keep the FCC folks busy enough, Congress passed the RAYBAUM Act in 2018. Congress and the President like catchy names for bills, and the RAYBAUM acronym stands for Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act. Yes, that’s RAYBAUMSA, but RAYBAUM rolls off the tongue more easily. RAYBAUM required the FCC to publish a biennial report (so far, not changed to quadrennial) on the state of the communications marketplace and to submit the report to both the House and Senate committees, as well as publish it on the FCC website.

You’re probably thinking, “Ed, why should I care about all that, especially after a holiday weekend?” Both the Quadrennial Report and the Communications Marketplace Report are due this year. It matters because these reports become the basis for changing the media ownership rules.

Where the Industry Stands on Ownership Rules

If you follow the trades, you know there are those in the industry who advocate for looser ownership restrictions, especially for radio. Some comments filed with the FCC suggested that the local ownership rules for radio be scrapped entirely, while others believe the current rules, established in the Telecom Act of 1996, should stay in place.

As usual, the arguments on both sides make sense, but there are nuances. The FCC received over 2,200 comments on the docket (link at the end of this column), though the vast majority came from individuals submitting the same pre-written comment supported by the MusicFIRST Coalition and the Future of Music Coalition, opposing any local ownership changes. These individuals weren’t original, perhaps, but the fact that 2,000 people took the time to support a cause in an FCC proceeding counts for something.

On the broadcast side, joint comments from a group of smaller owners (Connoisseur, Midwest, Mid-West Family, Townsquare, Bonneville, Legend, and Frandsen) pointed out the loss of audience and ad revenue for local radio in recent years, driven by the rise of digital competitors that don’t face the restrictions and obligations placed on broadcast licensees. They supported eliminating the local ownership rules. A quick look at other comments from smaller ownership groups suggests they agree.

Meanwhile, iHeart took a different approach in its submission, supporting unlimited ownership in the AM band while retaining ownership caps for the FM band. With AM’s continuing decline, this argument has merit.

The Conundrum of Consolidation

Here’s why this is such a conundrum: we know the local radio business is hurting. The joke about “flat is the new up” is real when it comes to revenue. No matter how many studies show the value of local radio to advertisers, many still prefer digital, despite its shaky statistics. If an ownership group could own an even larger number of stations in a market, especially the stronger signals, it could spread costs across more stations and offer a stronger option for advertisers, ideally bringing in more business.

However, small operators might get squeezed out. Any owner left with one or two stations, especially in a niche format, would need a solid core of local advertisers who genuinely support what the station is doing, or else risk losing them.

The wild card here is money — not just revenue, but financing. We’ve seen the bankruptcies, including a couple that are ongoing as I write this piece. Lots of debt is fine if the marketplace is improving, but if ownership restrictions are removed and we see another debt-fueled buying spree like the one that followed passage of the Telecom Act in the late ’90s, the industry will be heading for another fall: more good people out of work, more syndication and automation, and very little local presence, fulfilling the prophecies of those who oppose any change to the local ownership rules.

Looking back, the Telecom Act was a watershed moment for commercial radio. We went from small groups (the 20/20 rule) to huge radio conglomerates owning hundreds of stations across dozens of markets. The track record hasn’t been good, but then again, who could have foreseen the competition local radio faces today?

What a Fair Trade-Off Might Look Like

Much as foreign entities aren’t allowed to own more than a small percentage of a U.S. broadcast station, could there be a requirement limiting how much debt an operator can carry? Can the FCC ensure that an operator, whether a small group or one of the majors, has enough cash invested to maintain the local presence needed?

I doubt we want to return to the days of studio location rules or add requirements for certain amounts of local presence, like the old news/public affairs percentages that existed prior to 1981. Still, if we’re going to allow a near-monopoly in local broadcast radio to exist, shouldn’t there be a quid pro quo? That’s why it matters.

If you want to read the comments on the quadrennial review, here’s the link.

For the comments on the competitive market report, go here.

Let’s meet again next week.

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.

Marcellus Wiley Arrested on Domestic Battery Charge in Florida

Garrett Searight
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Marcellus Wiley Arrested on Domestic Battery Charge in Florida

Marcellus Wiley’s Fourth of July didn’t go as planned. The former NFL star and longtime sports broadcaster spent the holiday in a Florida jail cell instead.

What We Know: Jail records confirm Marcellus Wiley was booked into the Orange County Jail on July 4. Authorities charged him with domestic battery, and he’s currently being held without bond. Following retirement from his NFL career spent with four teams, Wiley moved into broadcasting and became a recognizable presence at both ESPN and Fox Sports, where he co-hosted several debate shows.

What’s At Stake: This latest arrest lands during an already difficult stretch for Wiley. Four accusers came forward in April with sexual assault allegations against him. On his podcast in May, Wiley denied the claims outright, saying, “They are attempting to leverage lies for personal gain. As they say, assassination by accusation, that’s their goal. They trying by lying.” A domestic battery charge now adds another layer of scrutiny to a reputation already under fire.

What Remains Unclear: Details about the alleged incident haven’t surfaced yet, and it’s not clear who else was involved. TMZ Sports reached out to Wiley and his representatives for comment, but neither has responded so far. Whether this case connects in any way to the earlier sexual assault allegations also remains unknown.

What It Means: For Wiley, this arrest marks the second major controversy of 2026. And it’s likely to renew questions about his broadcasting future. Networks tend to distance themselves from talent facing legal trouble, especially when multiple allegations stack up within the same year. Since Wiley’s already denied one set of accusations publicly, observers will be watching closely to see if he addresses this arrest with a similar approach. For now, the story remains developing, and additional details will likely emerge as the case moves through the legal system.

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.

From HOT 97 to the Operating Room: Megan Ryte’s Next Chapter

Bethany Kent
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From HOT 97 to the Operating Room: Megan Ryte’s Next Chapter

The latest round of radio layoffs doubled down on the longstanding feeling of uneasiness for everyone in the radio industry. On Monday, I wrote about surviving a radio layoff. Right now, for a lot of our colleagues, the future feels uncertain. For many, the question of what comes next is still unanswered.

Today, I’m choosing to highlight someone who made a choice to step away from radio. Megan Ryte made an intentional career pivot that may surprise you. My hope is that it will also inspire you to think outside the box for your own future.

Ryte built two decades of equity in radio. She rose through markets including Norfolk, Miami, Houston, and eventually landed at the legendary HOT 97 in New York City. She has DJ’d stadium stages, toured with artists, and even released an album. Ryte gradually moved into television as a correspondent Extra TV and contributing correspondent for ABC News, Nightline, and Good Morning America.

Now she’s making a hard pivot — this time into anesthesiology, after earning her chemistry degree and securing a role as an Anesthesia Tech at a level one trauma center “with the goal of going to med school”. Her story is about more than career reinvention. It’s a roadmap for anyone feeling at a crossroads.

The Gradual Shift & Identity Crisis

Ryte doesn’t point to a single turning point. The shift was gradual. “I woke up feeling like I no longer enjoyed what I did,” she says. “And then it was important to me to figure out why that was.” That kind of honesty isn’t common in an industry built on performance and presence. Sitting with discomfort long enough to understand it takes real courage.

For Ryte, the harder part was accepting what she found. “Coming to terms with the reality that it was time to move on from something I spent almost two thirds of my life doing was incredibly difficult,” she says. “Even though it felt like the right thing, it felt like weirdly a part of my identity.”

Identity is the word that keeps surfacing when radio professionals talk about leaving. The industry doesn’t just give you a career. It gives you a name, a voice, and a sense of self. Walking away from that is more personal than professional.

Why Medicine?

The jump from HOT 97 to an operating room is jarring to imagine. But for Ryte, it wasn’t a leap into the unknown. It was a return.
“I grew up wanting to be a doctor, and then life took me in a different direction and I became a DJ instead,” she says. “But that dream never left.” Before committing to the pivot, she did her homework. She reached out to a hospital and shadowed anesthesiologists and CRNAs in an operating room for a full day. “It was a polar opposite from the studios and stages I was used to,” she recalls. “But after being present for my first surgery, I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.”

She’s now on the floor full-time, assisting anesthesia providers. And she draws a direct line between her media career and her medical one.
“Spending my career in high pressure environments helped prepare me to work quickly and efficiently in stressful situations,” she says. “The pressure is a completely different type — but the muscle is the same.”

What Radio Taught Her

Ryte isn’t bitter about the industry. She’s reflective. She started in radio in 2007 at WOWI 103 Jamz in Norfolk — then a Clear Channel property. The industry was already churning. Ratings moved from diary to PPM. Jobs were disappearing. The anxiety felt familiar then, even if the scale is different now. “Radio has been through a lot, like many other industries,” she says. “Being there through the transition from CDs into streaming, the consolidations, the loss of jobs — it has been tough.”

Still, she believes in radio’s staying power. “Radio is and will continue to be important, it just may look a little different,” she says. “I hope that as many local voices as possible can continue to represent their communities.”

Advice for the Next Generation

Ryte has clear advice for people early in their careers. Stop thinking in formats. Start thinking in range. “When I first got into the game, I wanted to be a VJ,” she says. “That job doesn’t even exist anymore.” She’s not being dismissive. She’s being practical. TRL is gone. 106 & Park is gone.

The landscape shifts, and the people who survive shift with it. “Instead of looking at it like ‘I want to be a radio host,’ look at it as ‘I want to work in media as a whole,'” she says. “Whether you are in front of the mic or camera, or behind the scenes — be an asset.”

She also reframes what radio still offers right now. Big salaries may be fading, but the platform builds something durable. “Radio can be a great platform to market yourself and then move on or evolve when the time is right,” she says.

The Multi-Track Mindset

Ryte’s career reads like a highlight reel across industries. DJ. Radio personality. TV correspondent. Recording artist. Now, anesthesia tech. Was it all planned? Not exactly. “I would not say every path I took was completely intentional,” she admits. “But having a multi-track approach is very necessary now more than ever before.” She chased what she wanted and figured out the path as she moved.

That willingness to act — even without a full blueprint — is what set her apart. “If I had a dream, I went for it,” she says. “A few small wins can lead to your next great opportunity.”

The DJ Never Left

Despite the pivot, Ryte is clear on one thing. She’s not walking away from who she is. “I am a DJ first and foremost,” she says. “My goal is to get to a point where I can DJ and take on gigs or projects because I want to — and not because my life depends on it.” She’s not retiring the name. She’s giving it more freedom.

For radio people feeling the weight of the industry’s uncertainty right now, Ryte offers a challenge more than comfort. “You made one dream come true,” she says. “Who says you can’t make another?”

The mic doesn’t have to be the last thing you ever love. It can be the thing that taught you how to love what comes next.

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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