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Audacy Splits WLYF Midday Slot After Garton Departure

David Hill
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Audacy Splits WLYF Midday Slot After Garton Departure

Audacy’s 101.5 Lite-FM Miami adds two hosts to fill the midday slot vacated by longtime APD/MD Gayle Garton. The shuffle brings back a familiar face while expanding the roster with fresh talent.

What We Know Gayle Garton departed from WLYF after 34 years at the station. Her role spanned both on-air duties (12–7pm) and music direction responsibilities. Audacy subsequently split the position. ‘Ashley O’ Owen returns to the Miami cluster, hosting 10am–3pm middays at WLYF after her September departure from Alternative WSFS (formerly “The Shark”). Additionally, Jessica Bonilla adds WLYF afternoon duties while maintaining her Mix 105.1 Orlando midday show. Bonilla has worked within Audacy’s Orlando cluster since 2005.

What’s at Stake The two-person approach suggests WLYF is investing in continuity and competitive positioning within Miami’s crowded AC market. Ashley O brings format familiarity; she previously hosted mornings at WSFS (2016–2020, 2023–2024) and tracked mornings at Alternative WOCL Orlando. Bonilla offers deep organizational knowledge, having worked across multiple Audacy properties. Together, they represent internal talent development rather than external hiring.

What Remains Unclear It’s unknown whether WLYF plans permanent or transitional arrangements. The station hasn’t announced whether one host will eventually consolidate the midday block. Additionally, music direction succession remains unaddressed; Garton handled that role alongside on-air duties.

What It Means Audacy is leveraging existing talent to manage talent departures—a cost-conscious strategy that signals confidence in internal development. Morning talent Julie Guy and Tamara G remain unchanged. Veteran John Tesh continues nights. Therefore, the cluster stabilizes its brand while testing whether a split shift can maintain audience momentum.

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FCC Petition Could Transform Broadcasting onto Your Phone

David Hill
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FCC Petition Could Transform Broadcasting onto Your Phone

Frank Copsidas and the LPTV Broadcasters Association filed a critical FCC petition. They’re pushing low-power TV stations to adopt 3GPP 5G Broadcast instead of ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0.

What We Know The petition comes from XGN, X1 Mobile, and Tyche Media, which operates WCRN-LD, Boston’s experimental 5G Broadcast station. Their core argument has shifted from technical superiority to public safety and emergency communications. The proposal enables broadcast spectrum to deliver alerts directly to mobile devices. This creates a resilient backup when cellular networks fail.

What’s at Stake The debate cuts deeper than transmission standards. Copsidas points to the July 2025 Central Texas floods as evidence that broadcasters need multiple pathways into the mobile ecosystem. ATSC 3.0 adoption creates economic barriers for smaller operators, while 5G Broadcast offers a direct route to phones everywhere. The industry remains divided—some view it as dead-end technology; others see it as the future for low-power stations.

What Remains Unclear Will the FCC prioritize public safety over industry standardization? Can two competing standards coexist in the broadcast ecosystem? Additionally, does the television industry embrace innovation or defend entrenched infrastructure? These questions will shape broadcasting’s next decade.

What It Means Streaming requires internet. Broadcast doesn’t. When your connection fails, streaming stops—but broadcast signals keep coming directly to your phone. This petition is about building a communication layer that survives when the internet collapses, cellular networks fail, and towers go dark. It’s redundancy built into the hardware itself. Emergency information reaches you because the system doesn’t depend on the infrastructure that just broke down. That’s not incremental. That’s a complete reframing of how we think about resilience and public safety.

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100.7 The Bay Signs Off Tonight in Baltimore

David Hill
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100.7 The Bay Signs Off Tonight in Baltimore

100.7 The Bay signs off tonight in Baltimore. The classic rock station transitions to K-Love format after years serving the community.

What We Know The Bay airs its final broadcast tonight at 11:59pm. The station served as a classic rock staple throughout Baltimore for years. Eventually, K-Love takes over the 100.7 frequency tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, popular on-air personalities—including Huber, Mini Horse, Matt, and Mike Brilhart—wrap their final shows.

What They Said The station expressed deep gratitude in its farewell message to listeners. Officials stated: “We truly appreciate all the amazing years of amazing music, live broadcasts, events, concerts, silly moments, and most importantly, the love and support of YOU, our listeners.” Additionally, they emphasized: “We are so proud to have been a staple in the Baltimore community.” The farewell underscored the lasting bond created over the station’s tenure.

What Remains Unclear Some air staff have transitioned to Bayrock, a new streaming platform dedicated to The Bay’s legacy. Meanwhile, Huber launched “Hanging with Huber,” bringing his morning show energy to podcast format as program director and on-air talent. Notably, Shamrock Communications retained none of the personalities or staff members. However, questions linger about Bayrock’s long-term viability and whether The Bay’s loyal audience will follow the shift from terrestrial to streaming.

What It Means Religious broadcasters continue gobbling up signals across the United States. The Bay exemplifies a heritage classic rock brand going by the wayside. Meanwhile, religious formats now penetrate major markets and medium-sized markets alike. This shift underscores the strategic priority religious broadcasters place on signal acquisition nationwide.

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Cassette Comeback Defies Digital Music Streaming Dominance

David Hill
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Cassette Comeback Defies Digital Music Streaming Dominance

Recently, I went looking for something I hadn’t shopped for in years: a cassette player. Somewhere in my house is a box filled with old cassette tapes from my years on the air. These include airchecks, interviews, and moments from radio stations — pieces of my career that somehow survived every move I’ve made. I imagine a lot of people reading this have a similar box lurking in a closet somewhere.

The funny part is that I could probably digitize most of it. I could put those recordings on a hard drive and access them with a click. But somehow that doesn’t feel like the same thing.

The Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

Apparently, I’m not alone. Vinyl continues a resurgence that has now gone on so long we probably need to stop calling it a comeback. According to the RIAA, vinyl sold 46.8 million units in the United States in 2025 compared with 29.5 million CDs. Total physical music revenue increased 5% to nearly $1.4 billion. Importantly, vinyl has now been growing for nearly two decades.

And it’s not only happening here. IFPI reports global physical music revenue grew 8% in 2025 to $5.3 billion, largely driven by vinyl. Even the cassette — the format many of us couldn’t wait to replace — refuses to disappear. Music Business Worldwide reports that in the UK, revenue from physical formats grew 11.5% in 2025. Vinyl revenue jumped 18.5%, while the category containing predominantly cassettes nearly doubled, increasing 95%.

Nobody is suggesting Spotify needs to start worrying about the cassette deck. Something else is happening.

What People Are Really Craving

John Lenac, Chief Strategy Officer at Citizen Vinyl, gave me what I think may be the best explanation. “I think what people are really responding to isn’t the format itself, it’s the attention it demands. Vinyl doesn’t let you skip around or half-listen in the background — it asks you to sit with something for forty minutes.”

Think about how completely opposite that is from almost everything we’ve built over the past 20 years. Music became frictionless. Want a song? It’s there. Don’t like it? Skip it. Don’t know what you want? An algorithm will decide. Want something different? There are another hundred million songs waiting. We successfully removed almost every obstacle between the consumer and the music. And perhaps we removed something else along the way.

“In a culture built around infinite, frictionless content, that kind of deliberate attention has become rare enough to feel almost radical,” Lenac told me. “People aren’t just buying records, they’re buying back a piece of their own focus.” That sentence stuck with me.

Maybe the vinyl resurgence isn’t really about vinyl. Maybe the cassette resurgence isn’t about cassettes. And I highly doubt anyone suddenly decided reel-to-reel tape was the most practical way to listen to music. Instead, this is about ritual.

The Ritual We Lost and Need to Recover

“We didn’t lose interest in music, we lost the ritual around it,” Lenac said. “Vinyl brings the ritual back — the act of choosing a record, holding the sleeve, committing to a full side.” There was once a process attached to music.

You went to a record store. And you flipped through albums. Then you stared at the artwork. Maybe talked to somebody behind the counter who might tell you what record you needed to hear. Then took it home. You opened it. You put it on. Even a cassette required a commitment that streaming doesn’t. You owned something.

That doesn’t make streaming bad. Streaming has given music fans access previous generations couldn’t have imagined. Globally, recorded music revenue reached $31.7 billion in 2025, with paid streaming continuing to drive the business. However, perhaps convenience and connection aren’t always the same thing.

Where Radio Fits In

And that’s where I think radio should pay attention. Radio has spent years trying to eliminate friction too. We’ve tightened the breaks. And reduced interruptions. Made everything more seamless. We’ve automated more of the experience. We’ve given people fewer reasons to tune away. All of those things can make sense. But are we occasionally engineering the ritual out of radio?

Some of the things people remember most about great radio weren’t necessarily efficient. Waiting for a countdown to hear where your favorite song landed wasn’t efficient. Calling a DJ to request a song wasn’t efficient. Sitting through a personality telling a great story before finally playing the record wasn’t efficient. It was an experience. That’s an important distinction.

Lenac put it simply: “That deliberateness is what people are actually craving right now.” Maybe that’s the lesson buried inside all these records, cassettes, and dusty old tapes we’re suddenly digging out again. Technology has become extraordinarily good at giving us everything we want instantly. But sometimes what we really want is a reason to stop, listen, and care. Ultimately, maybe we’re not trying to go backward at all. Maybe we’re trying to recover something we accidentally engineered out of the experience.

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.

20 Brands in 20 Days: Chris Lloyd, WBAB & 106.1 BLI

David Hill
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20 Brands in 20 Days: Chris Lloyd, WBAB & 106.1 BLI

When you talk to someone from Long Island, they don’t tell you they’re from New York. Instead, they tell you they’re from Long Island. It’s a badge of honor. For Chris Lloyd, Program Director overseeing two storied heritage brands, that distinction represents the bedrock of everything these stations do.

After 20 years on the island — with both daughters born here — Lloyd has earned that badge. Moreover, he’s committed to something larger than ratings: keeping WBAB and 106.1 BLI authentically, unmistakably Long Island.

“There’s nothing better than the pizza. There’s nothing better than the bagels. It’s just a special place,” Lloyd explains. “The authenticity of the people — you just can’t beat it. It’s hard to fake Long Island. You gotta be it.”

Ultimately, this is more than nostalgia. It’s the operative principle.

WBAB: 50+ Years of Community Commitment

At over 50 years as a rock station, WBAB has thrived by understanding something fundamental: a radio station isn’t a jukebox. Rather, it’s a community institution. Roger and JP on mornings, together for 26 years, embody that commitment. They’ve been a team long enough that they run into listeners at 7-Eleven when going to get coffee. Consequently, they’re part of the fabric.

“Roger and JP got put on the air just right before 9-11,” Lloyd recalls. “When it happened, they dropped all their commercials and just started talking to people, trying to figure out how they could help. In no time at all, they had tractor trailers showing up at the radio station.”

That moment defined them. Additionally, from Superstorm Sandy to COVID to the blackout, WBAB has shown up when Long Island needed it most. It’s that kind of commitment — the willingness to use the platform for something larger than entertainment — that creates loyalty algorithms can’t replicate.

“When someone needs something on Long Island, the people here at WBAB are there,” Lloyd says.

Producer Brett completes the morning trio — a 26-year partnership that feels like family business. Dominique handles middays after working nights for years, demonstrating how the station develops talent instead of cycling through names. Joe Rock covers afternoons while helping other Cox Media Group stations. Rocky takes nights. Ultimately, each personality reflects the station’s core identity: rock radio by and for Long Island.

106.1 BLI: Pop Station, Long Island Soul

If WBAB is the rock institution, then 106.1 BLI is the pop station that’s been central to countless artists’ careers. Lloyd oversees it with the same philosophy: authenticity first, format second.

“106.1 BLI has been a pop station for many years. It’s had amazing talent come through and continues to do so. We’re very excited about new music, very active with new music, really committed to breaking artists and making noise about it,” Lloyd explains. “It’s a really special brand in the pop world.”

However, the secret sauce isn’t format excellence or technical proficiency. Instead, it’s that every personality on air understands what it means to be Long Island. Syke and Ali anchor mornings — both Long Islanders who’ve been together a couple of years and found their stride. They’re not performing for Long Island. Rather, they are Long Island.

Ali also handles middays, providing consistency across the station’s most important dayparts. Kat brings her own Long Island energy to afternoons. Ultimately, the principle is refreshingly simple: hire people who actually live in the community and understand it from the inside.

The Long Island Difference

What separates these stations from hundreds of others isn’t production value or imaging. Notably, Long Island has a vibe that’s “truly different than other places,” and it’s nearly impossible to fake.

“There’s just a lot of town names and things that are really special and specific to Long Island,” Lloyd explains. “It becomes really tough. It’s hard to fake Long Island. You gotta be it.”

That’s not a slogan. Rather, it’s a job requirement. Everything — imaging, social strategy, community involvement, on-air conversation — comes back to that single principle. The station’s brand doesn’t exist separate from Long Island’s identity. They’re inseparable.

“We want to be the best Long Island radio station,” Lloyd says. “That’s definitely what we’re striving to be. That’s the bar.”

The strategy is refreshingly straightforward: be from Long Island, hire people from Long Island, make content that matters to Long Island, and show up when Long Island needs you.

“We don’t forget that we’re not doing something real, real serious,” Lloyd reflects. “So let’s have some fun and bust each other’s chops. Work hard, play hard, right?”

That culture shows in the laughter in the hallways and camaraderie between talent and staff. Ultimately, people want to come to work. In the streaming age, the stations have their own apps and partner with major platforms — but the strategy remains the same: be where the audience is, on your terms.

The Bottom Line

You can’t manufacture what WBAB and 106.1 BLI have built. Moreover, you can’t algorithm your way into a community’s heart. You can’t fake 26-year morning show partnerships or crisis response that becomes legend. Instead, what you can do is hire people who belong to that community and get out of their way while they do what they were born knowing how to do.

“Both of my girls were born on Long Island, so it’s my adopted home,” Lloyd notes. After 20 years, “You can’t take that badge away. You’re part of it. I feel like I’ve earned it.”

That’s the credential that matters at WBAB and 106.1 BLI — not degrees or market size. Can you honestly say you belong here? Do you understand what it means to be Long Island?

In an era where radio is pressured to be more corporate, more algorithmic, more geographically fungible, these stations double down on what radio actually can be: authentically local.

Long Island has cult status for a reason. Ask anyone who grew up there. They’ll tell you they’re not from New York. They’re from Long Island. They’ll mention the pizza. They might complain about the taxes. But they’ll make sure you understand: that’s home.

And the best radio stations on that island have built their entire business model on understanding that distinction. It’s the real formula. Ultimately, it’s what keeps people showing up, caring deeply, and maintaining these as working community institutions rather than just another format spun out by corporate radio.

As Lloyd puts it: “It’s hard to fake Long Island. You gotta be it.”

At WBAB and 106.1 BLI, they are.

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.

We Are What We Eat With Media Being the Meal

Bob Lawrence
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We Are What We Eat With Media Being the Meal

Whenever I have a desire to make a significant purchase, my southern wife refers to it as “getting a bee in my bonnet.” She uses this phrase when I talk about an item long enough and knows the purchase is very likely coming soon. But why? What takes it to that level for me?

We like to believe that we make purchasing choices independently of outside influence. Most of us admit that media certainly introduces us to products. But we’re too smart to be guided by anything but our own intelligence. We think that because we price shop, read reviews, ask friends and weigh our options, those factors drive our choices.

Decades of psychology and marketing studies, including many from Nielsen and Edison Research, suggest that our habits are heavily influenced by the media we consume every day. In his New York Times bestseller, social scientist Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion identifies his universal principles of persuasion, including:

• Authority
• Social proof
• Liking
• Reciprocity
• Commitment and consistency
• Scarcity

This helps explain why we’re likely to buy products and services recommended by trusted personalities, hosts, celebrities and influencers.

Your sellers should most certainly read Cialdini’s book.

Looking Inward

Despite our resistance to admitting our own susceptibility to outside influence, there is little doubt that we really are what we eat. The shows we binge, the personalities we trust and the podcasts we follow all shape what we buy, often without us even realizing it.

Television has always been one of the most powerful product influencers. While traditional commercials are effective, the impact goes far beyond commercial breaks. We all subliminally notice the vehicles driven by our favorite characters, the coffee shops where storylines unfold, the smartphones everyone seems to use and even the clothing and shoes worn by those characters.

As a fan of Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch, I quickly noticed that RAM pickup trucks are the only ones you’ll see the main characters driving. When they crash them, it’s hard for me to swallow destroying another $75,000 truck. Likewise, note the number of shows and movies in which MacBooks are prominently displayed or characters are clearly using iPhones.

Product placement has evolved into an art form because it works. Obviously, when consumers see products used in noncommercial, everyday life, those products become more familiar, trustworthy and desirable. You may remember an article I penned earlier this year on product placement for radio. It’s certainly more difficult, but it can work in ways missed by traditional 30- or 60-second commercials.

Personality radio influences purchasing decisions a bit differently. We tend to gravitate toward people who align with our personal values and worldview. That type of trust often extends across multiple formats. Your clients should know that their target consumers develop strong relationships with your personalities. That makes endorsements and sponsorships especially persuasive. If a trusted news anchor or on-air personality discusses financial planning, health care, travel or home improvement, listeners remember that brand when the time comes to make a purchase. Trust has become a form of social currency and is transferable.

Podcasts have taken this influence to an entirely new level. Unlike TV or radio, podcasts create a much more intimate, one-on-one relationship between host and listener. People often spend hours each week listening through headphones while commuting, working, exercising or relaxing. Over time, podcast hosts begin to feel less like celebrities and more like friends.

This relationship helps explain why podcast advertising consistently delivers impressive results. When a podcast host says, “I’ve been using this product for months,” listeners often perceive the recommendation as genuine rather than scripted. These spots routinely outperform traditional commercials because they feel authentic and personal. Radio and TV win on potential reach, but podcasts score big on a more personal and meaningful connection. That personal impact makes it a worthwhile investment.

Different Genres, Different Categories

Multiple genres influence consumer behavior. Renovation shows inspire kitchen and bathroom remodels. Cooking competitions drive sales of kitchen gadgets and specialty ingredients. Crime shows boost our interest in security systems. Travel programs inspire vacation bookings. Even some of the silliest reality shows create fashion trends almost overnight. Entertainment doesn’t simply entertain us; it creates aspirations.

Social media amplifies these effects. Clips from TV, podcast highlights and news commentary are shared across multiple platforms, reinforcing messages repeatedly. A recommendation heard on a podcast may appear later on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or Facebook, creating multiple touchpoints that increase the likelihood of a purchase. This transfers traditional methods and expands them within the digital world.

Content may be king, but context is an extremely powerful tool. That message for marketers is clear. Consumers are more likely to respond to advertising when it comes from sources they trust and enjoy. However, awareness is equally important.

Understanding how our industry influences consumers’ decision-making doesn’t eliminate that influence, but it does encourage more thoughtful, impactful and compelling buying habits.

The next time you get that bee in your bonnet to buy a particular vehicle or order the latest gadget, pause for a moment. Ask yourself one simple question.

Did I make the choice on my own, or did an outside influence in the media help choose it for me?

One thing is certain. The only way I ever see something enough for it to become the bee is through the media. The decision to actually buy it is probably a combination of both.

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 Tom Verducci’s Storytelling Became the MVP of His TV Career With FOX Sports, MLB Network

John Mamola
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How Tom Verducci’s Storytelling Became the MVP of His TV Career With FOX Sports, MLB Network

The game of baseball has been played for well over a century. It’s the only American sport to survive two world wars, the Great Depression and numerous controversies and scandals within its own ranks. That’s what has made the game America’s pastime to this day. Whenever the game gets knocked down or interrupted, it always finds a way to return and rise again. Few have told baseball’s stories over the last four decades like Tom Verducci.

The five-time Emmy Award-winning writer, analyst and reporter is heading into another fall where his skills shine brightest. A member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Verducci continues to balance his duties for Sports Illustrated, MLB Network and FOX Sports while also hosting a podcast with former MLB manager Joe Maddon. At the heart of everything Verducci accomplishes each season are the lessons he learned in his early days covering the game.

“The writing feeds everything else. It starts with the backbone of writing, which is preparation. Reporting, researching, and being prepared. I always tell students to use a fraction of what you discover in your story. The same approach applies to everything else,” said Verducci. “I just wanted to be in this business because I love to write. Longform writing is closest to my heart, but I love doing everything else too.”

Verducci believes every great connection to baseball begins and ends with narrative. From an early age, he viewed the sport through the eyes of a coach. His father coached high school baseball during Verducci’s youth, giving him a unique perspective that shaped his understanding of the game.

To this day, Verducci admits he’s still learning about the sport he grew to love. From those early lessons to becoming one of baseball’s most respected storytellers, he believes the best insights often come directly from the players themselves.

“I love to learn about baseball, but a lot of what I’ve learned about the game comes from around the batting cages and dugouts when my notebook is closed,” said Verducci. “To have the opportunity to still do that is really important. Always getting to know the players personally is always better for the fans.”

Remaining Rooted In Coverage

As a lifelong storyteller of the game, access remains essential to building meaningful narratives. While writing has always served as the foundation of Verducci’s career, his move into television came naturally, allowing him to present baseball’s stories through another medium for fans to enjoy.

Verducci began his television journey with TBS in 2008. Then shifted into the booth as a game analyst with MLB Network in 2009. Verducci expanded his television resume by joining FOX Sports in 2012 and has been part of the network’s lead broadcast team since 2016. His approach is simple: tell compelling stories and leave viewers wanting to share what they just experienced.

“As a broadcaster, the best thing that I can do may involve numbers. But have a nugget or a story or an anecdote that people can pass on to someone else,” notes Verducci. “People rarely do that with a stat or figure, but it’s that narrative and story that draws people in and wanting to share with others.”

With his work on MLB Network and FOX Sports focused on a national audience, Verducci understands that approach isn’t always embraced by local fan bases. For generations, baseball coverage has been driven regionally. With more platforms than ever delivering information, Verducci has watched fans’ expectations evolve. Local voices still seem to resonate the most, something he believes benefits both the game and its continued growth.

Being a trusted source of information in sports looks much different in 2026 than it did when Verducci began covering baseball in 1981. Information travels faster, and fans demand greater access and engagement. While there is value in breaking news, Verducci believes there is even greater value in explaining what that news actually means.

“If it’s not first, then explain it best. News travels so fast now,” said Verducci. “Once the news is out, it then becomes what that news means. There’s a lot of value in explaining the news. You always want to get news, but there’s more of a premium in explaining it to people.”

Connection Through Baseball’s Evolution

Verducci is a rare breed of reporter and analyst. In an era of instant information, when nearly everyone has a platform to offer their interpretation of the news, Verducci chooses not to participate.

“Staying off social media gives me a little bit of freedom because I’m not sure what the reverberations would be of what I might say or write,” says Verducci. “I’ve had so many people tell me they wish they could do what I’m doing with social media… I always wanted what I do to be more about my work than me. I don’t need any personal feedback, I’m as tough as anyone on myself.”

He understands that staying off social media likely limits his reach, but it’s never been something that concerns him.

“Listen, I know people don’t write letters anymore. But I do answer everything that I get in terms of ‘snail mail,'” said Verducci. “If people take the time to write something with a name and return address on it, I really admire that because of the effort it takes to do that.”

Without question, baseball is enjoying one of its strongest periods in 2026. Viewership continues to rise, while games are becoming more widely distributed across streaming platforms, generating additional revenue. Players’ salaries continue to climb, and increased interest has fueled higher attendance.

The game has never moved faster, making it more digestible for modern audiences with shorter attention spans. Large-market teams are also enjoying sustained success, creating additional interest across some of the country’s biggest media markets.

“It’s been a perfect storm for baseball,” said Verducci. “The image of baseball was it’s too slow. Who says that today? Baseball in one swoop took 25 minutes of dead time out of the game. We have generations that have grown up on fast moving images now. Baseball has caught up with the direction of entertainment. Plus, super teams are great for baseball. Cinderellas are great, but major markets and stars drive the popularity of the game.”

Looming Doubts Surrounding The Game

Despite baseball’s current momentum, uncertainty looms this winter with the possibility of a work stoppage. The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players association expires in December, creating questions about the sport’s immediate future.

This isn’t the first time Verducci has covered potential labor strife surrounding baseball. However, he understands the damage that could occur, especially after all of the adaptations the game has made in recent years to capture more attention.

“Momentum can be a fleeting thing. Especially in the world we live in now. If you go back to 1994, we know how long it took baseball to regain momentum following that strike,” explained Verducci. “There’s so many more options out there. We live in a world where everyone is competing for attention, and we only have so much attention to give… The game is in a better place than in 1994, so there’s more to risk with that momentum.”

Verducci remains hopeful that cooler heads will prevail and the sport’s momentum will continue with a new CBA in place and no games lost next season.

But in a sport built on rhythm, patience and the long view, baseball will likely rebound like it has always done. Much like the game, Tom Verducci has carved out a career that mirrors it—steady, resilient and always searching for meaning beneath the surface. While technology, television and social media have transformed how fans consume baseball, the fundamentals of great storytelling haven’t changed.

More than 40 years after he first fell in love with telling baseball stories, Verducci still approaches every season with the curiosity of a young reporter carrying a notebook into a clubhouse for the first time.

As long as that passion remains, so too will one of the game’s most respected storytellers. And like baseball itself, his story is still being written.

“I still really enjoy what I’m doing. I literally haven’t thought about how much more I want to continue covering the game, because it’s just so much fun,” says Verducci. “It’s a lot of work, and there are days where I think about what I’m doing. But the upside is still just as exciting. I’ve learned a lot about baseball, but I want to keep learning more because there is so much to learn.”

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 the NBA Should Never Give up Their Spot to the NFL on Christmas Day

John Mamola
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Why the NBA Should Never Give up Their Spot to the NFL on Christmas Day

Remember when Christmas Day used to be about family and gifts? A piping hot cocoa to start the day with a glass of wine to finish it. Gifts, family, food, fun. Do you also remember when sports on Christmas Day used to be minimal? Now, one in four Americans surround their Christmas Day planning around sports. Specifically the NBA and the NFL. Talk about a lump of coal for ol’ Kris Kringle.

Since 2021, the NFL has staged at least two regular-season games every Christmas. The games began airing on traditional broadcast networks such as FOX and CBS, but have since shifted mainly to Netflix. This year, the NFL is presenting three games on the annual holiday that has long been dominated by the NBA. That has led to observers questioning whether the NBA should shift away from the holiday it has long claimed as its own. In reality, any shift would be a giant mistake.

Stats Don’t Lie

Let’s start with viewership.

Last year, ESPN/ABC’s five-game slate of NBA action drew an average of 5.5 million viewers. The top stars were prominently featured. Start with the Knicks out East, mix in Steph Curry and defending league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and wrap things up with Nikola Jokic out West. From noon until well after midnight, NBA basketball was live on television. What we all have come to expect annually.

The NBA has had five games every Christmas since 2008, and viewership overall has been relatively consistent, averaging around 4.5 million to upwards of 6.3 million viewers, with most years falling in the 5.5 million range.

When the NFL began putting regular-season games on Christmas in 2021, the viewership changed.

In 2021, NBA Christmas viewership dipped to 4.1 million. 2022, viewership saw a slight increase to 4.3 million. In 2023, it dipped again to 2.9 million. Why the dip? The NFL Christmas games were on broadcast television. FOX, NBC and CBS both saw massive audiences driven to their respective holiday slates. The NBA needed Santa to deliver a gift worth giving in order to save the concept of NBA on Christmas.

Boom. The NBA got a Christmas miracle.

The NFL moved its games to Netflix as part of a three-year deal with the streaming platform, taking NFL on Christmas off broadcast television and shifting it behind a paywall. The NBA numbers were back to normal, with an average of 5.25 million people tuning in in 2024 and 5.5 million last year.

If you dive into the data, the numbers suggest the NBA should stick with Christmas as long as NFL football remains on a streaming platform rather than fully on broadcast television. Broadcast still holds tremendous power with the viewing audience and the average sports fan. These viewership figures are proof of that power. The minute the competitor goes behind a paywall, broadcast still delivers.

Sorry, Pat

That’s why, when Pat McAfee offered a potential solution for the NBA to shift away from Christmas on Tuesday, the notion was laughable.

The NBA has been a proven source of entertainment on the holiday for decades. For nearly 60 years, families have counted on the sport of basketball to be easily and readily available, with the stars of the game always shining on the annual holiday. McAfee’s suggestion to shift the NBA to Christmas Eve doesn’t benefit the league in any way.

Think of your own situation as an example. Christmas Eve is the last-minute shopping, wrapping, planning, cooking and holiday preparation before the big day. Placing five NBA games on a day when attention is already spoken for in so many other areas would not be a net positive.

The NFL is powerful enough to change the way sports fans consume Christmas Day. It is not powerful enough to make the NBA abandon it. That distinction matters.

The NBA doesn’t own Christmas Day because it has exclusive rights to the holiday. It owns it because, for nearly 60 years, it has built a viewing habit that fans recognize and anticipate. The moment the calendar turns to December, we know what is coming: family, food, gifts and NBA basketball. That consistency is worth protecting.

Christmas Day is different from Christmas Eve. The day before Christmas is filled with distractions. There are gifts to wrap, food to prepare, last-minute shopping to finish and a seemingly endless list of things demanding attention. Christmas Day is when much of that work is finished. The presents are open. The meal is being prepared or already eaten. The family is gathered. And, for millions of people, there is time to sit down and watch sports.

A Lasting Tradition

The NFL can put three games on the schedule and dominate the conversation. It can command enormous audiences mainly on streaming platforms and continue to expand its presence on the holiday. But that doesn’t mean the NBA should surrender the one piece of the Christmas sports tradition it has spent generations building.

The NFL took its place on Christmas Day, it hasn’t earned it. The NBA has already earned its place on Christmas. The answer isn’t to move the NBA away from Christmas and hope fans can find the time. The answer is to keep giving them something they have already made time for.

Because when it comes to Christmas Day, the NBA doesn’t need to beat the NFL. It simply needs to remain part of Christmas.

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 WTOP’s ‘Top News Podcast’ Is the Wake-Up Call News Radio Needed

Garrett Searight
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Why WTOP’s ‘Top News Podcast’ Is the Wake-Up Call News Radio Needed

WTOP is doing something most news/talk stations still won’t try, and it’s about time someone did. On Monday, the Washington, D.C. all-news station laid out its plans for Top News Podcast, a feed that will update 12 to 14 times per day with 20-minute rundowns running from 6 AM to 7 PM. WTOP is also building video versions of the show for digital platforms, which means the same content will live on audio apps, YouTube, and social feeds simultaneously.

Director of News and Programming Julia Ziegler called it a natural evolution for the brand. “This new podcast represents a natural evolution of the WTOP brand,” she said. “It meets news consumers where they are — on more platforms than ever before — allowing us to grow our audience and develop new revenue streams.”

That phrase gets used constantly in this industry: meet listeners where they are. Executives say it in strategy memos, on earnings calls, and in trade interviews like this one. But there are two problems buried inside that sentence, and WTOP just showed everyone else how to fix both of them.

Consumers, Not Listeners

The first problem is the word “listeners.” That framing is outdated. These are news consumers, and they’re largely platform agnostic. They don’t care whether they’re getting their information through a car radio, a podcast app, a YouTube video, or a headline on their phone. They just want the news, they want it fast, and they want it on whatever platform or app they’re using at that exact moment.

If you’re running a news operation and you actually want to meet consumers where they are, you need more than one lane. You need an audio strategy, a long-form video strategy, a short-form video strategy, and a written strategy. Anything less isn’t meeting anyone anywhere. It’s just hoping people still find you the old way.

WTOP clearly understands this. The station isn’t treating Top News Podcast as a side project bolted onto its broadcast signal. It’s building a standalone product with its own release cadence, its own producers, and its own video component. That’s a real strategy, not a talking point.

Follow-Through Is the Real Test

The second problem is one I’ve raised before: we talk a good game about on-demand audio, but the format has consistently failed to back it up. Plenty of stations still upload episodes hours after a show ends. Some still leave traffic and weather segments in podcast feeds, content that means nothing to someone listening on Tuesday afternoon. Those choices tell the audience something, whether stations mean them to or not. They signal that podcasting is an afterthought rather than a priority.

And when something isn’t a priority for the brand, it won’t become one for the audience either. Consumers can tell the difference between a product that’s been thoughtfully built and one that’s been dumped online to check a box. WTOP is doing the former. The station is hiring two additional producers specifically for this show, which is a real investment, not a press release dressed up as one.

That’s what separates Top News Podcast from so many “we have a podcast too” efforts across the format. WTOP isn’t just repackaging its broadcast signal and calling it done. It’s building something native to the platform, updated throughout the day, and formatted for how people actually consume video and audio now.

Radio doesn’t have to disappear from that equation. It can still be a platform, and for many stations, it can still be the most important one. But it can’t be the only one anymore, and WTOP is proving that in real time.

Other news/talk operators should be paying close attention here, because this is what commitment looks like. It’s not a single podcast feed with stale audio and old traffic reports. It’s a dedicated show, staffed appropriately, distributed across formats that consumers actually use. If WTOP’s approach works the way it should, expect other major-market news stations to start asking why they haven’t done the same thing already.

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.

4 Non Blondes Singer Linda Perry Documentary

Terrie Carr
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4 Non Blondes Singer Linda Perry Documentary

I remember the first time I saw the band 4 Non Blondes. It was in the office at a radio station on a VHS tape recording of “What’s Up?” Interscope Records was pushing the single.

Linda Perry looked different than everyone else. Powerful, unique, and strong — I was told — “She’s a rockstar.” I believed it then. I still do.Their debut “Bigger, Better, Faster, More” became a global success, and the song? A phenomenon covered and performed by many throughout the years, including Dolly Parton and Lady Gaga. Notably, the song is still gaining attention in the digital landscape.

*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*

A Legendary Songwriter and Artist

I was so excited to interview Linda Perry. She’s one of the most honest people I have ever spoken to. Opinionated, yes. Authentic, yes. And correct in her observations — yes! Linda is an in-demand songwriter who has written hits for Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Gwen Stefani.

She also has a beautiful new album called “Let It Die Here,” which was created after the filming of her documentary of the same name. With help from acclaimed producer Don Hardy, the documentary follows Linda’s journey through one of the most impactful years of her life. Additionally, the film explores the loss of her abusive mother, her cancer diagnosis, and her journey of self-discovery. We discussed music, motherhood, and more.

“Why Are You So Down to Earth?”

Terrie Carr: “There are people that I admire and there are also people that I’m in awe of. Linda Perry, you are both of those. I know you’re a very humble person. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s Linda F’Ing Perry!!!”

Linda Perry: “First of all, thank you for calling me humble because I really do try to be. Actually, sometimes people are like, ‘Why are you so down to earth?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I think it’s because I never think I’m good enough,’ you know? So I’m always trying to be better and better.

There’s so much room for improvement. And there’s always a better song to write. There’s always a better course to find. Moreover, there’s always a better way to be kinder in the world — a better parent.

So I think because I’m so preoccupied with that space, when someone says ‘legend,’ I’m looking behind me, like ‘Who are they talking about?’ ‘Did Madonna just walk in?’ I appreciate everything that you said.”

“Who Was That Moment for You?”

Terrie Carr: “Your impact on me as a woman in the music business who was finding my way was huge. I think you can relate to this — always being told ‘You’re lucky to be here’ rather than ‘We appreciate your contributions.’

I remember the day when I was invited into a music meeting, and somebody was coming in from the label. And I don’t know who the local was, but it was an Interscope person, I guess. They talked to us about this record that was coming out from this band, ‘Four Non-Blondes.’

‘And the singer is a girl, and she’s a rock star.’ Then they played us ‘What’s Up.’ But the thing that stood out to me the most was that this executive from a record label in 1993 was telling us that this was their ‘hot band,’ and the female was a rock star. For me, as a woman who always felt unseen, that moment clicked for me. And I thought, ‘You know what? Women can move this machine forward because this guy is telling me that.’ You were that moment for me. Who was that moment for you? Or maybe you didn’t have one. Maybe you created your own moment?”

“She was like the ultimate villain to me”

Linda Perry: “I don’t know what to say. I’ve been asked that several times, and I always feel weird not having an answer. But the truth is, the person that moved and motivated me was my mom — because she was so brutal and mean. To me, she was the ultimate power. Very strong and very mean. Yet I loved this villain.

She was like the ultimate villain to me. And so beautiful and extravagant — just a survivor. A survivor. I always admired my mom. People think that I should hate my mom for the things she’s put us through. But I idolized her because I knew, for some reason, I could identify as a very young survivor. I was instantly put in that position.

My mom had years to process the abuse, which probably came later in her life. It was instant for me. I was instantly born into the survival reality show. So I really think about that. And I still think that she’s pretty amazing. I just needed to have strength. And I needed to persevere. I needed to be strong. And I give her all of that — she built my character.

As far as music, there are so many influences. I mean, Brian Wilson. Karen Carpenter was huge for me because I could identify with her voice — it sounded like I felt. The melancholy and depressing sound, you know?”

“Karen Carpenter Was Huge for Me”

Terrie Carr: “That’s why I love Chrissie, because I feel like Chrissie is like a punk Karen Carpenter.”

Linda Perry: “Yes! But she’s confident and powerful. And Karen wasn’t. But what an incredible drummer. And nobody heard her. Nobody heard her cries, and nobody saw what she was going through. I identified with that. Mind you, I was probably four or five in the 70s when I heard the Carpenters for the first time.

And immediately, it wasn’t the songs — their songs are cheesy and not what I would want to listen to. But it was her tone. I immediately identified that emotion. That tone, that resonance, the sadness, the darkness, the melancholy, the laid-back quality, the understated vocal — it was so powerful. So Karen, hands down, from an emotional place. But Brian Wilson as well. Those melodies all felt like sad cries, mourns, a cry for help, you know? Those harmonies. I always gravitated towards the dark, this very dark, reflective, emotional sound. I guess I was emo early on!”

“Was That Your Idea or Did It Happen Organically?”

Terrie Carr: “For the fans, we have a whole Linda Perry experience because you get to see the documentary, which is so well done. My hat goes off to Don Hardy. And you have this amazing new record. Now, I’m not going to lie — if I were doing a documentary with you, I would be intimidated. I would be afraid to try to capture all of those moments because you’re such a strong presence. And Don got them, and you seem like you felt very comfortable with him. And of course, you’ve got this amazing record as well. Was that your idea going into it? Or did it happen organically?”

“I’m not a hit maker. I just write songs, and it comes from my emotion”

Linda Perry: “No, I would have never made a documentary. There’s no world where I call up some people and go, ‘You know what? Let’s make a documentary about me.’ No! Don and I became friends through this project called ‘Citizen Penn.’ He directed it, and he asked me to score it. We became friends through that experience. Then he was like, ‘You know, you’re so interesting. Can I just come hang out at your studio and film you?’

And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, everybody tells me I don’t do enough social media. So this is perfect.’ I said to him, ‘Can I use some of this for social media?’ And he was like, ‘Okay!’ He was so easy to be around. There was no big energy with Don around. He just happened to be there during a time when I was getting confused. I was getting confused about what my purpose in life was. What am I supposed to do now? Because at this time, I had been a songwriter and producer for almost 25 years. I was just struggling with things like, ‘I don’t feel creative. I’m not digging where these artists are coming from. You know, the work ethic isn’t at the level that I would want to.’ I’m not saying that it’s bad what these artists are doing, but it just wasn’t what I wanted to be involved in.

I’m not a hit maker. I just write songs, and it comes from my emotion. If it becomes a hit, great. If it doesn’t, I’m not sweating it. I’m not going to bed late at night going, ‘I didn’t write a hit.’ I just want to make music, you know?”

“Where Do We Go From Here? How Do We Come Back to Something Real?”

Terrie Carr: “Where do we go from here? We have so much, yet we feel so empty. There’s so much of it being thrown at us every day, but yet there’s an emptiness I feel as a music fan. So I know where you’re coming from when you say I didn’t really feel where some of these artists were coming from. Where do we go from here, Linda? How do we sort of come back to something real?”

Linda Perry: “There’s never going back. There’s just new versions. I don’t know why this is popping in, but I’ll say it. Justin Bieber came out during the Grammys in what looks like boxer shorts. By himself, no shirt, he performed. And there’s like this backlash — ‘Did you just roll out of bed?’ ‘Why is he wearing boxer shorts?’ ‘That was weird.’ ‘What’s wrong with Justin Bieber?’

And all I have to ask is — did it move you? Did it move you? It moved me. People have to ask themselves, ‘Is this moving me?’ The artist has to ask themselves, ‘Does this feel authentic to who I am?’ Or am I just trying to play a role? Is this the game, the thing I have to do?

Lindsay Buckingham and Steven Nicks just wrote a song. Adele just sat down and had someone play the same four chords over and over in this arpeggiated way. That’s what she is known for now. And Adele releases a record when she feels like it. Kate Bush — her labels would yell at her, ‘Where is our record?’ And she’s like, ‘It’ll be done when it’s done.’

She produced her record and wrote it. She choreographed everything and arranged the strings. I mean, amazing. There were no rules when Zeppelin showed up on the market. That’s what concerts are for — they are for the moment. Now we’re just sitting in our houses watching a concert. It’s a different perspective because now you’re listening for imperfections. And live performances, if you’re actually doing it live, there are imperfections.

The Beauty of Imperfection in Live Performance

(Perry contnues)…You go out of tune. But you hit things. You mess up solos. You mess up arrangements. Sometimes you forget words. That’s what’s beautiful about concerts. But then when you go see some of these artists, they’re lip-syncing. Everything’s programmed. So it sounds like you’re getting this perfect record, this perfect concert. And it’s a lie. It’s a scam. It’s a fraud. I think artists should be sued for selling concert tickets. The extreme amount of what it costs now — and they lip-sync.

That is false advertisement. It’s fraud. It’s a scam. And the audience, the kids — they should sue those artists for that fraud. We go to concerts to feel alive. We want to hear something that we didn’t hear before. And we want to stop in the middle of the show and go, ‘Wow, I forgot the lyrics,’ and then you have to restart again. That’s the magic. That’s the stuff that we want to go see. I think that the audience has a very strong voice right now. They need to be aware of their power. The artist needs to wake up. They need to start giving the audience something to fight for. Because otherwise, they chew them up and they spit them out. And that’s why there’s artists coming in and out so quickly — because they don’t deserve to be there longer than they are there.”

Linda’s “Let It Die Here” documentary will exclusively stream on 8/16 on Lindaperry.com. You can check out our full conversation below.

Linda Perry with TC

Linda Perry With TC Stream

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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