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What Super Bowl LX Radio Row Attendees Are Saying About the Day One Experience

John Mamola
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What Super Bowl LX Radio Row Attendees Are Saying About the Day One Experience

Super Bowl LX radio row is officially underway in San Francisco, California. The annual event brings out sports radio, media, and influencer brands from around the country. An endless row of tables, IP connections, and chairs fills the middle of the Moscone Center West convention hall like a mosh pit at a heavy metal concert.

This year marks my eighth Super Bowl radio row, albeit this time in a non-sports radio role. There wasn’t a flight packed with broadcast equipment or table skirts filling my backpack. The experience continues to evolve with time, yet the conversations with those who attend annually remain an absolute must. It is part of the networking game that rides shotgun to the Super Bowl radio row experience.

For me, the Sunday night and Monday morning conversations are the best and most insightful. The reason is rooted in experience, knowledge, and perspective. There is plenty of scuttlebutt that listeners, viewers, and social followers will see this week emanating from radio row. What the public does not see or hear is what those behind the scenes are saying so far about the San Francisco radio row experience.

As long as I have attended radio row, it has been an absolute must to grab the week-of-game credential early and scout who is coming to town. Sunday nights provide the calm before the storm in many ways. It is a fantastic opportunity to say hello, catch up, and begin planning and plotting for the week.

When the mics are off, the best information often surfaces. In my first 24 hours in San Francisco, I have had the luxury of finding out what those on radio row really feel about the experience so far.

Nick Kostos Radio Row (Barrett Media)
Nick Kostos Radio Row (Barrett Media)

The top item on the minds of those behind the scenes is the arrangement of the convention hall at Moscone Center. There are more than 130 double-table setups for outlets to call their workstation for the Super Bow week. In a typical radio row setup, many outlets have their own individual workspace. However, this year, that is not the case due to limited space.

During my first 24 hours on site, I spoke with several outlets. Many immediately raised concerns about their guaranteed work areas being shared with other outlets or brands. Some digital media outlets were assigned significantly smaller workspaces than originally planned when plotting their set designs.

One outlet in particular is working directly alongside its competition at the same shared space.

The concern is simple. It is harder to work effectively when you have half the space you typically use or planned to use all along. While there is room surrounding each table, every area is taped off, clearly marking the boundaries that can be utilized. Many of those I spoke with raised their displeasure with this event being that it was never voiced ahead of time to plan for.

Another top-of-mind discussion point revolves around scheduling. Most brands have decided to remain in their home markets for an additional day or two rather than treating the radio row week as it has traditionally been handled.

For example, ESPN Radio will not begin broadcasting until Wednesday morning. The Pat McAfee Show is also taking two days off before beginning its trek on Wednesday. FOX Sports Radio is also keeping a majority of their shows at home for the first couple of days. Of all the national radio outlets, Westwood One Sports was the one who stood out with three shows beginning their week on radio row on Monday.

Many national outlets with larger setups have also had to contend with labor costs and union regulations at the location. This has affected budget lines and overall plans, including setup size, the number of on-air talent making the trip, and the length of their stay.

In recent years, many brands have scaled back the number of days they broadcast from Super Bowl radio row, with some choosing to stay away entirely. In conversations with those who handle large guest rosters for radio stations to utilize throughout the week, this shift has also affected their business. Due to decreased early-week presence on radio row, many “runners” who compile extensive guest lists lose opportunities with celebrity bookings.

This directly impacts their bottom line and eliminates revenue opportunities that was once nearly guaranteed.

SportsRadio 610 Radio Row (Barrett Media)
SportsRadio 610 Radio Row (Barrett Media)

Radio row also remains a massive networking event for young and aspiring broadcasters. With the NFL granting more access outside of traditional radio, universities have found additional opportunities to send sports broadcasting students to the annual event. This year, more than 13 universities made the trip to the Super Bowl to cover radio row activities.

For those who have attended over the years, this represents a major positive for the future of the industry. Despite the expense of travel, lodging, and the costs associated with simply being present, these students have found a way. Much like many who return year after year, the opportunity is too significant to dismiss.

For all the frustrations voiced behind the scenes, the presence of students and young broadcasters roaming radio row tells a different story. They are not focused on table size or broadcast schedules. They are focused on a Super Bowl sized opportunity more than anything.

Perhaps that is the reminder this week offers the industry. Radio row is no longer about who has the biggest setup. It is about who still believes being here matters. As long as that belief exists, radio row will continue to evolve, not disappear.

Radio row at Super Bowl LX is a clear reflection of an industry in transition. Yes, the space is tighter and schedules are shorter. Budgets are often scrutinized to make the trip at all. Yet the demand to be present remains strong.

For veterans, newcomers, and students alike, the value of Super Bowl radio row still outweighs the challenges. The format may shift, but the purpose remains the same — connection, conversation, and the chance to be part of the biggest week in sports media.

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 Glenn Beck Is Navigating The A.I. Opportunity While Guarding Credibility

Kevin Robinson
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How Glenn Beck Is Navigating The A.I. Opportunity While Guarding Credibility

Radio stations, large and small, are finding that artificial intelligence is quietly becoming the newest staffer. A.I. is now assisting hosts and program directors in nearly every aspect of the operation. From writing promos, prepping interview questions, and streamlining digital platforms.

With time-starved staffs shrinking under growing expectations, artificial intelligence is not replacing creativity. Instead, A.I. allows broadcasters more time away from the studios and greater opportunity to be present in the community.

Just a few seasons back, the use of A.I. was considered extreme taboo. In reality, the industry has used forms of A.I. for decades. Digital recording and storage? A.I. Audio enhancement tools and editing suites? A.I. Internet-based show prep? A.I.

National shows and their hosts now openly admit A.I. is part of their presentation. That list includes Dave Ramsey where Ramsey Solutions, uses A.I. for content planning, listener engagement, and online publishing. Pat McAfee also has utilized A.I. for video editing, social clips, and show prep. Ben Shapiro and his Daily Wire ecosystem and teams have A.I. handle research and content production. Anderson Cooper has publicly discussed how A.I. is integrated into CNN’s newsroom operations, including his own show’s workflow.

Which brings us to Glenn Beck.

Two weeks ago, we wrote about radio professionals using A.I. to their advantage. We included the work of David Sams and his Keep The Faith platforms, spoke with Jeff McCarthy, Vice President of Midwest Communications, and interviewed Starved Rock Media President John Spencer.

Glenn Beck read the piece and asked to go deeper into his jump to A.I., including his Glenn Beck A.I. Podcast and The Torch George A.I. online archive, an impressive portal that provides access to Glenn’s historical documents.

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

Kevin Robinson – Tell us your overall thoughts about the use of A.I. – pros and cons.

Glenn Beck – I’ve been talking about this since the 1990s and warning against it. We’re at this place of tremendous opportunity and tremendous danger. We just have to be really careful.

I worry about people who say we’re not going to ever use A.I. There are things that you don’t want to do. I really appreciate iHeartMedia’s policy of no AI host, no AI music. That’s great. You’ll never hear me do my any of my Glenn Beck radio show using Glenn A.I. You WILL hear a separate marked Glenn AI doing small things.

It’s really important to make sure it’s authentic and never blur those lines. But to not use AI, just think of the world of radio liners alone right now.

I remember when worked in a KUBE-FM in Seattle. There were like four sunny days and we had sunny sweepers. We would have sweepers and liners that were marked just for sunshine and it would reflect. Now sweepers and liners like that can be generated immediately.

In a time when you’re having hosts record everything way in advance. Nobody’s sitting down doing radio like we used to with that immediacy and that connection. That’s part of radio’s charm.

Kevin Robinson – You said it’s [A.I.] going to become a tipping point where it becomes dangerous. That might even sway our opinions or control our minds. What are your thoughts now?

Glenn Beck – There’s two things. One is what it does to creative. The second one is what it does to truth.

As an example, you look at Gutenberg before Gutenberg. The Church and the kings owned the truth. Gutenberg took it and now owned the truth. So now truth started to spread. But truth was always the thing. Next came radio and radio made you experience the truth differently because you could hear the truth. Then came television, you can now see the truth.

The internet starts to chip away at trust. Not the truth, but trust.

A.I. is capable of forgetting the one big lie. Why not 500 million little lies? A.I. can make the truth irrelevant anymore because the truth can create whatever it is that’s most comfortable for you. A.I. will create and craft a truth for you.

So we have no more shared truth and truth is no longer relevant to operate anymore. That’s extraordinarily dangerous. We are five years away from all trust of any voice. There’s no gatekeeper on truth anymore.

Now is the time that you have to be very clear on A.I., how you use A.I., what your lines are on A.I. You must let your listeners know what you’re doing with A.I. at all times. Clearly watermark things, and guard you as a person or a voice because soon the only thing of value will be the trust that you have with the listener or the viewer.

That’s going to get harder and harder to hold on to. We’re in just this unprecedented, never before in human history era that’s quickly approaching. It will change your relationship with truth and people that you trusted and things that you used to believe, including your eyes and ears.

Kevin Robinson – What do you think A.I. will do for human creativity?

Glenn Beck – I’m really concerned. I’m an artist. I write, paint, speak and do all these different kind of venues. So I am very keyed in to the art form itself.

There is something unique and human that is required in that. You can generate good stuff but there’s going to come a time when it’s the human that matters. You’ll want it because it is human. It’s not at that point yet.

We’re going to go through a period where you’ll just consume it and it won’t matter to you. Because it’ll be good, be what you want, and be tailored exactly to you. There’s two kinds of people that I think we’re dealing with that will look at AI in completely different ways.

When I first said to my staff a year ago that I’m going to start moving in the direction of A.I., they were so confused. They recalled that I’ve been warning all of us about A.I. I understood that but that’s why we have very strict ethics with A.I. and we’ll have very strict rules with it.

There may come a time when we go, nope, no more A.I.

I look at A.I. as a computer. A tool that allows me to do the things I’ve never been able to do before.

Kevin Robinson – What are you doing with A.I. that you’ve never been able to do before?

Glenn Beck – I just wrote a series of about nine or ten songs for a Christmas album that I’m going to be putting out with my daughter. They are just demos, and not A.I.

I worked and reworked the demos and could never get them exactly right, but I got them into the ballpark. Now I’m hiring a composer to go back and look at it, make it right, look at the lyrics, and then put it to music that I can send it out for an orchestra.

That A.I. has saved me time with a composer which it would have taken me two years to get where I got in four months with A.I. I’ve never been able to do that. Personally, I couldn’t have done that.

Now I can create so much more exactly the way I want, and then pass it to humans to make it better. That’s using A.I. as a tool.

Kevin Robinson – What has A.I. done for researching content or analyzing data for your team?

Glenn Beck – We can do research now we couldn’t do before. Look what Data Republican is doing.

I used to pay a staff a million dollars a year to do research for me. We couldn’t get done what they’re doing now with A.I. People just know exactly what they’re looking for. They know how to look for it, check it, and know that it’s right. That’s tremendous.

Kevin Robinson – How is The Torch working? How did this come together using A.I.?

Glenn Beck – George A.I. is not Chat GPT. This is not A.I. off the shelf. We built this from scratch.

It is 30 years of every broadcast, book, and every speech that I have available. Everything that I’ve ever spoken for the last 30 years.

It took us nine months to get it just ingested and we’re still not fully there. It’s proprietary and fenced off, cannot reach outside, and cannot pull anything from outside of my library.

It can’t ‘hallucinate’. ‘Hallucination’ comes from A.I. It is required to remember everything in all of world history, and it can’t. Typical A.I. is good at remembering the beginning and the end. It gets fuzzy in the middle and it’ll believe it probably happened like this way.

That’s where your ‘hallucinations’ happen.

Our A.I. is trained and small enough that we force it to memorize everything so it cannot ‘hallucinate’. We’ve trapped it in a box so it cannot pull from the outside. Glenn A.I. is not Chat GPT.

Kevin Robinson – The 10 minute vignettes heard on Glenn A.I. are topical. How does that work and how does it know that?

Glenn Beck – We update that every day. Glenn A.I. has the current news. If I haven’t talked about it on the show, then we have to teach it and we give it scenarios. The same thing with George A.I. We have George A.I. draw from my archives which is the largest library of founding documents outside the Library of Congress and the National Archives.

We’re soon going to be sucking all that library into ours as well. But it’s only from the Pilgrims until about 1820. It can only pull what we have in the founding documents, anything that they spoke about, wrote about, or we know for sure directly influenced them.

We put those things in, and then we can get an approximate idea of what they might say. Everything past 1820 we have to give it a possible scenario. For example, if a scenario were happening in a city in Minnesota, and the President was saying this is an Insurrection Act, how would a certain founder have viewed the Insurrection Act.

People say, Glenn just created something. It sounds strangely sounds exactly like him, but it doesn’t know who I am. We’ve asked it. Tell me who Glenn Beck is. Who’s George Soros? What’s the Tides Foundation? Who’s Barack Obama? Who’s Jimmy Carter? What happened in the Soviet Union? It doesn’t know, and it can’t answer.

Kevin Robinson – Is The Torch part of GlennBeck.com or an independent entity?

Glenn Beck – Always separate. It will never be taken as a Glenn Beck statement and put into our archives that are used for Glenn A.I. because it’s not me. Only the stuff created by me, and it will always be marked. That’s why Glenn A.I. has hair and I barely have any left.

We’re trying to make it look almost a little like Max Headroom, so you always know we’re not trying to fool you. That’s not me. Information from George A.I. is only reflective of the documents that we have. Spoken word from shows going back to the year 2000 – when I started doing talk in Tampa. So it goes back to my first talk shows.

Kevin Robinson – What’s your thoughts on A.I. – now or in the future?

Glenn Beck – Anything and everything is possible. If it’s not possible today, it is possible in the very near future. With George A.I., we type in the script and it generates in less than two minutes.

I urge people to think in big, bold strokes but be very careful. You are dealing with a devil in the box. Guard your credibility because it’s the only thing you have. Believe me, in five years, credibility will be everything. That’s the only thing that’s going to count, and the only thing that will matter in five years.

The call for guarding credibility should be the headline readers take with them. His warning for discipline and transparency in a space of unlimited possibility must be practiced across all formats. While sounding the A.I. alarm for decades, Glenn Beck and his team continue to navigate the treacherous balance between artificial intelligence as a powerful creative tool and a profound threat to truth that could sow distrust.

Glenn’s use of A.I. is impressive. From building tight, controlled systems like George A.I. and Glenn A.I. to compressing years of musical composition into months, Glenn insists technology must remain fenced, labeled, and ethically governed.

The future of media will include A.I. Those who project authenticity will find trust to be their most valuable currency.

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.

The Industry According To….Dave Van Dyke, Bridge Ratings

Keith Cunningham
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The Industry According To….Dave Van Dyke, Bridge Ratings

Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.

Today we hear from an industry veteran who is an expert in data and isn’t afraid to discuss the uncomfortable reality, Dave Van Dyke. He’s the President and CEO at Bridge Ratings Media Research and has built a decades long career of using data to help brands better understand the marketplace, consumer behavior, and the best path forward.

So, let’s dive in.

The Reality Check

Keith: From everything you’re seeing in data these days, what’s the single biggest audience shift radio needs to understand and deal with immediately?

Dave: Most of the audience is less engaged than ever. There are so many options to satisfy mood, interest and curiosity that radio has become part of the mix. This is because – in general – the audience of most formats realizes they can be satisfied in other ways. Radio’s challenge is to rise to the occasion and remove thinking out of the radio silo and compete in the entire landscape of choices.

In many ways, though, radio has an opportunity to improve engagement and attention. The industry needs to be more courageous and willing to take some risks.

Listeners no longer tolerate waiting—for songs they don’t like, for long commercial blocks, or for content that isn’t relevant to them.

  • Smart speakers, podcasts, and streaming music have retrained audiences to expect instant control: skip, pause, replay, choose.
  • Even older demos (45–64)—traditionally radio’s stronghold—are shifting toward on‑demand audio faster than expected.
  • Time‑spent‑listening is dropping, even when cume holds steady, because people dip in and out instead of staying for long stretches.
  • Car dashboards are no longer radio‑first, and that’s where the erosion is most visible.

Ratings Relevance

Keith: The Nielsen Rating Point still shapes much of the radio economy. Streaming platforms tend to build their revenue model around deeper, behavioral-based data and outcomes. Are traditional radio ratings still the barometer for long-term industry growth — or is radio competing in a general market that now rewards a different definition of success?

Dave: Traditional ratings no longer tell the whole story. With attention fracturing from many sources, advertisers want to see an audience that is engaged. The attention economy is the next best way for advertisers to have a greater understanding of how their advertising can achieve ROI.  Share of attention really sheds light on radio’s challenges and potential.

Streaming Illusion

Keith: Radio often compartmentalizes its battles as being station vs. station but you’ve been very vocal about how that thinking must change and it’s less about the brand across the street and more about competing with the other platforms. What changed in the last few years that makes streaming a bigger threat or opportunity than it used to be?

Dave: What changed was that radio discovered a market it did not know it needed.  Even before mass streaming became mass appeal, radio was complacent thinking their competitor was across the street. Streaming services caught radio flat footed.  Streaming filled a need and that radio hadn’t considered before 2014. If it had had a better understanding of audience’s needs it would’ve seen engagement with its music programming was fading. If the industry would’ve seen this data and acted on it by being more courageous and creative, it might have blunted the impact by offering a compelling version of itself. Talent, marketing aggressively, learning to sell digital.

The Advertiser Disconnect

Keith: When advertisers choose newer platforms over radio, what’s the real decision driver for them in their data – is it perception, innovation, targeting, immediate proof of performance, or something else?

Dave: It’s primarily accountability and proof of performance. There is a bit of follow the leader gaining momentum as more advertisers and agencies became comfortable with using digital platforms. Radio has done a good job countering the accountability question, but it still lacks the technology to match proof of performance.

Audience Passion

Keith: Many will say the more a brand chases cume, the more it risks chasing away its core. When advising clients, how do you recommend balancing cume/core or passive reach vs. passionate loyalty?

Dave: In today’s competitive climate, we advise to build on the core, the fans, the audience that already listens – the heaviest of listeners.  We do research for our clients that exposes the traits and needs of their most loyal consumers, then the station is more proactive with programming adjustments based on this intel and invests in powerful marketing so the market can see how the station fits into the competitive landscape.

Done properly, it is possible to use that research date to expand the cume by applying  the intel discovered about the core.

A radio station does not need an audience of millions; it needs to be relevant to your bubble. Why does a listener choose this station over silence? What emotional work does radio perform in a distracted world?

Talent

Keith: From a listener behavior standpoint, what matters more today: a strong music brand or a brand with personalities?

Dave: No doubt personalities are a critical element of the station brand. Every on-air element must reflect the brand, and personalities can better communicate the essence of the brand.

Commercials

Keith: Everything has commercials now, even Red Zone and Netflix. “Too many commercials” has always been a red flag in your data but since ads aren’t going away, where’s the real Mason-Dixon line? I’m asking about minutes per-hour, minutes per-break — what’s acceptable and tolerable for listeners, and what simply becomes obnoxious and starts doing real damage?

Dave: Ah, the trickiest decision that must be made. The answer lies in limiting spot loads especially in today’s competitive climate in which multiple non-radio competitors are raising awareness of radio’s soft spot. 8 minutes an hour in two-minute breaks, reducing promos, branding sweepers and other noise will make the audience member more comfortable with the experience of spending time with a station.  If there are too many elements in an hour, we have seen this amplifies listener discomfort and can cause sensitivity to nonessential interruptions.

Radio Investment

Keith: Brand investment comes in many forms — research, talent, promotion. marketing — what is the investment hierarchy, top to bottom, your data recommends that many broadcasters may have out of order?

Dave: (1). Research – it’s needed to establish benchmarks for all that follows. Follow the research to determine audience response to (2) talent presentation. (3) Promotion and marketing learn from the previous two tactics.

The Trust Factor

Keith: The reality of today is there are AI fakes around every corner and nearly everything is sponsored or paid for, so what helps make an audience genuinely build trust with a voice, show or brand?

Dave: The human voice is a trust anchor. Radio’s intimacy is powerful. Consistent human presence is inherently harder to sound authentic. Talent that builds relationships with their audience generate a trust level AI can’t, even the latest AI tech that attempts this action.

The parasocial bond radio creates naturally is a competitive advantage against algorithmic content. Realtime curation – filtering the nose – becomes a core value proposition.

The Future

Keith: I’ve seen some of your thoughts online about the future and what radio can and may look like. Please share your view on what successful future radio brands will be doing as early as maybe even today, next year, a few years from now.

Dave: What Successful Radio Brands Are Doing Now (2026):

Successful radio brands are already behaving like multi-platform media companies —blending traditional reach with digital precision, building emotional brand identities, and monetizing through community, content, and cross-channel influence. The winners aren’t just broadcasting — they’re connecting, converting, and evolving in real time. 

Next Year (2027):

  • Shift identity from “radio station” to “local audio network”—the medium is audio, distribution is omnichannel
  • Build expertise verticals: hosts become authorities in specific areas (local politics, music, community issues) rather than generic entertainers
  • Continue to diversify revenue beyond traditional ads: memberships, live events, community storytelling partnerships

2028-2030:

  • Become curators of local reality—the verified source for “what’s actually happening here” when deepfakes and AI content proliferate
  • Practice radical localism: deep community embedding that AI can’t replicate (neighborhood knowledge, generational relationships, hyperlocal context)
  • Evolve into event producers and civic conveners, not just broadcasters—real-world gatherings create authentic content and irreplaceable community bonds

The Core Shift:
Stop asking “How do we get people to listen to radio?” Start asking “How do we become essential to people’s daily lives using audio? “​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

If Ratings Went Away

Keith: Given there doesn’t appear to be a new measurement system or company waiting in the wings, if Nielsen disappeared tomorrow — it’s just gone. What fills the void first? Listeners wouldn’t know, but do you see a mass exodus from advertisers, a new standard of measurement built by broadcasters emerging, would it be every AE for themselves?

Dave: What Fills the Nielsen Void:

Immediate Solutions:

  • First-party data from station apps and streaming becomes the new currency—stations know exactly who listened, when, and for how long
  • Connected car data emerges as census-level measurement (automakers already track what’s playing in every vehicle)
  • Broadcaster consortium forced to create shared measurement standard under advertiser pressure

The Shift:

  • Move from reach/frequency to performance metrics—QR codes, promo codes, attribution tracking like digital advertising uses
  • Multiple competing measurement systems coexist rather than one monopoly (messier but potentially more accurate)

Reality Check:

  • No replacement gets built until Nielsen actually fails—expect 12-18 months of chaos and deals made on relationships
  • Fragmented measurement requires educating advertisers to think differently about buying audio

What Broadcasters Should Do Now:

  • Invest in owned streaming platforms and listener accounts for proprietary measurement
  • Start shifting advertiser conversations toward performance and first-party data
  • Participate in industry measurement working groups before crisis hits​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The One Metric

Keith: Your research studies curate dozens of data points from top-of-mind awareness to cume patterns to perceptual images of music and talent — what’s the one data point you look at first to decide if a brand is healthy or in immediate jeopardy?

Dave: Time-spent, repeat usage, audience churn = engagement. Healthy brands have audiences who’d fight for them. Jeopardy brands have audiences who’d shrug and find alternatives.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Keith: What’s the hardest truth about radio’s future that your data keeps pointing to but the industry isn’t ready to confront yet?

Dave: I keep coming back to engagement factors. Is radio capable of holding on to its listeners because they love what you’re doing, they’re fans or is the audience just automatically punching that button and only filling a void – a relief from the distractions of their day.

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.

Can Cable News Copy the Pat McAfee/ESPN Model?

Garrett Searight
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Can Cable News Copy the Pat McAfee/ESPN Model?

Cable news has spent the last decade staring at the same problem from different angles and still asking the same question. How do you regain relevance during the day when fewer people are watching television live? Sports television may have accidentally handed over a compelling answer when Pat McAfee signed his licensing deal with ESPN.

The move didn’t just change the ESPN lineup. It reframed how legacy networks might partner with creators who already know how to win online.

McAfee didn’t need ESPN to prove he mattered. He arrived with a massive digital footprint, a loyal audience, and a style that already felt native to younger viewers. ESPN didn’t buy a traditional show and hope it caught on. The network licensed a proven product and let it be what it already was, just with a larger megaphone. That distinction matters, especially for cable news executives searching for daylight between relevance and irrelevance.

There’s no shortage of creators performing well in digital spaces right now. They aren’t hypothetical. They’re already pulling audiences that many cable news daytime shows can only dream about. Dan Bongino’s return to Rumble this week drew more than 150,000 viewers live. That number alone would rival or exceed the ratings of several daytime cable news programs. He’s far from alone, too. Steven Crowder often pulls more than 50,000 live viewers at a time, while it isn’t uncommon for Benny Johnson to see more than 20,000 viewers at any given moment.

Political commentary, culture analysis, and opinion-driven shows thrive on YouTube, Rumble, X, and podcasts every single day.

None of this means cable news should start throwing around nine-figure deals. The roughly $85 million agreement ESPN reached with McAfee makes sense in sports, where personalities can drive advertising, sponsorships, and cross-platform engagement. That math obviously doesn’t work for Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, Newsmax, or NewsNation. Still, the underlying concept is worth serious consideration. Licensing an established digital show could inject relevance into time slots that currently struggle to matter.

Daytime cable news has become a graveyard of modest expectations. Networks often settle for shows that don’t embarrass them rather than programs that energize audiences. Meanwhile, creators online are building passionate communities without the benefit of cable distribution. That imbalance feels increasingly absurd. Cable still offers reach, credibility, and advertiser comfort. Digital creators bring urgency, authenticity, and an audience that actually shows up.

Fox News has already experimented with this approach. The network essentially lifted a YouTube show and introduced it to its cable audience with The Will Cain Show. The results were immediate. Cain’s transition proved that audiences don’t always need reinvention. Sometimes they just need access. That’s a lesson other networks shouldn’t ignore, especially outside of prime time.

Critics will argue that digital creators are too raw, too partisan, or too unpredictable for cable news. That concern isn’t entirely wrong. It’s also not new. Cable news has survived far bigger risks than a live-streamed opinion show. The bigger risk is continuing to program safe, forgettable hours that no one talks about and few people watch.

Licensing deals also offer flexibility. Networks wouldn’t need to own the shows outright. They could test runs, limit contracts, and maintain editorial standards while still allowing creators to keep their voice. If it doesn’t work, move on. If it does, you’ve found something cable news desperately needs: daytime programming people actively choose.

The industry keeps waiting for audiences to return out of habit. That’s not happening. Viewers are forming habits elsewhere, and they’re doing it in real time. Borrowing from the Pat McAfee model doesn’t mean copying sports television wholesale. It means acknowledging that relevance now starts online, not on channel guides.

Cable news doesn’t need saving, but it does need adapting. Partnering with proven digital voices could be a smart place to start. Ignoring them feels less like caution and more like denial.

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.

In an AI-Driven World, Talk Radio May Be the Last Human Connection

Peter Thiele
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In an AI-Driven World, Talk Radio May Be the Last Human Connection

One spoken word/talk radio trend that should scare all of us? The sheer glut of available distractions is consistently growing. At some point, there will be a balloon pop — right?

What if I told you the on-demand experiences will become catered to each human to create their own reality? I am sure that we all have this impulse. You know the person who seemingly lives in their own reality. The person who is busy living “their truth.” What does this mean to radio?

Soon, you will be able to ask artificial intelligence to break down the news from the Zoroastrian point of view, and you will be able to get the biggest stories of the day individually catered to your personal views, ethics, and biases. You will be able to avoid anything that you don’t want to hear. It will create an alternate reality in an already splintered world.

Radio being companionship is something that is disappearing. It is not that radio has ceased to provide that service; it is because of the millions of alternatives. So, you are an adherent to the Zoroastrian belief system — I am using this as an example — you could be Jewish, Christian, atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, or some other faith. The point is this: the moment that you don’t need other people is the warning sign for our society.

Your new artificial intelligence friend can’t really listen to you. The prompts provided to the AI platform of your choice can only give you the answers that you asked for. So, if you want to bathe deeply in your personal beliefs, you can. There will be no differences provided. There will be no questions, only confirmation of your truth.

If you dive deeply into humanity’s weaknesses, it is our personal devotion to the person in the mirror. We have all worked with radio personalities that have self-destructed. Why do they fall apart? If you are the biggest genius ever to walk the earth, everyone around you is somewhat less. We have heard people refer to someone they disagree with as an insult that equates to “subhuman.”

Our artificial intelligence future could become a rocket for dehumanization between people. This is not necessarily a war between countries, but hate for our neighbors.

The promise of artificial intelligence is seemingly unlimited. Could AI give us the cure for cancer, potholes, or help us with complex mathematics? Yes. Can it lead to solving humanity’s greatest problems? Yes.

Here is what artificial intelligence can never do — provide real human interaction and feeling. The suicide rate is up 36% since the year 2000. Why? Isolation, depression, worthlessness, and loneliness certainly cover a great deal of the reasons. Are you a skilled person on an artificial intelligence platform?

According to United States Census data, about 17% of Americans ages 18–65 live alone. Thirty percent of U.S. households have children under the age of 18. Radio is essential. Humans are made to be pack animals. Sadly, isolation is a growing segment of our society.

Ok, that is nice, Peter — but what does this mean for radio?

This is a shot across the bow of radio’s future. When you are on the air, you may be the only human voice people interact with today. Think about that. Radio is about community and interaction. There are people who work from home and rarely leave their homes. They are alone in a consistent manner. Sometimes people at the office just focus on the tasks at hand and never really interact with others. Human beings need each other. With our faults, we are best together.

This is where radio comes into play. You are an essential part of the day of people who may be at their wits’ end. The ex-spouse may be taking the kids away or demanding more money. The person is driving to work, and you may be the only person they feel connected to. In a humorless existence, you may be the lone light on that commute. You are not artificial intelligence. So, you must be real and connect with the listeners. You are not a prompt hoping for an answer that someone conjures up to validate whatever motivation the prompt directed.

Talk Radio is people. The more human the format, the happier the audience is. In news/talk radio, this is about confessing to something stupid you did at dinner last night. Talking about being so close to a complete road rage breakdown that you had to share it with people who would understand — your listeners. A talk radio host reliving the moment they cried at the end of Home Alone because of how wonderful Catherine O’Hara was in that movie. Rest in peace to her.

In an unfeeling, on-demand world, you are an essential part of their world. You can be the reason the audience feels worthy and connected to another living soul. I am always amazed when I receive a note from a listener from a decade or two ago who tells me about a moment on the radio that touched their life. Radio is an intimate medium. Ideas and experiences are shared that change people’s lives. Artificial intelligence cannot do that.

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.

After 28 Years With Glenn Beck, Stu Burguiere’s Departure Couldn’t Have Been Predicted

Garrett Searight
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After 28 Years With Glenn Beck, Stu Burguiere’s Departure Couldn’t Have Been Predicted

For nearly three decades, Stu Burguiere’s professional life has revolved around one thing: showing up every day to help Glenn Beck do radio at the highest possible level.

It’s a run that’s almost unheard of in modern media, marked by stability, loyalty, and a creative partnership that never fractured under the weight of success. That’s what makes Burguiere’s decision to leave The Glenn Beck Program after 28 years feel less like a career move and more like a life pivot.

Yet for Burguiere, the timing isn’t accidental. In fact, it’s precisely the moment that makes sense.

“Well, I think considering the economy seems to be really upside down and crumbling, it’s a great time to quit your job and start a new business,” said Burguiere, with a chuckle. “So I just wanted to go down the road. It’s been a really great run with Glenn, and we’ve done so many things. It was a very difficult decision because I love Glenn, I love that show, and I love that audience. There’s no audience like it, in my view, ever been created, and I don’t think it’s one that can be assembled outside of radio specifically. It’s a really special group. So leaving that was really hard.”

That audience, and the show that cultivated it, made the decision anything but easy. Burguiere didn’t leave because something was broken. If anything, the opposite was true. The relationship still worked, which only made stepping away more emotionally complicated.

“Part of it was watching Glenn build something new,” Burguiere said of his reasons for now being the right time to exit. “He’s in the middle of doing something new, and I think if I were going to go all in on that, I needed to be 100% able to help him with every little part of it. I still had a lot of stuff I wanted to do on my own.

“I was growing and getting really excited about these prediction markets, which is something I’ve been doing for over a decade on my own. The fact that they’re now able to be accessed by everybody, and not just some weird nerdy niche thing I was doing on the side, made it a really cool opportunity.”

Burguiere’s next chapter centers on that fascination. He’s launching a new show and company built around prediction markets called Predictable with Stu Burguiere, blending media, analysis, and financial insight into a space that’s only recently become widely accessible. While he’ll still host his show for Blaze Media — Stu Does America — it’s a leap of faith, but one grounded in years of quiet preparation.

“I hope to be able to pop back on with Glenn,” added Burguiere. “We’ve talked about it quite a bit, so I think that’ll still happen. I just thought it was time for me to try something new and always be supportive of what Glenn’s doing as well. I think it was time.”

Time is the recurring theme. Burguiere isn’t a broadcaster bouncing between jobs or chasing the next contract. He’s someone who spent almost his entire adult life in one place, which makes the emotional weight of leaving impossible to ignore.

“It’s really difficult because I have no experience as an adult not doing that show,” Burguiere said. “It was the first real job I got in the world of radio. I’ve been doing it for 28 years. I’m 49, about to turn 50. I started working with him before I could drink, before I met my wife, before I really had any experience in the workplace. So it’s been really mixed emotions.”

Those mixed emotions extend beyond nostalgia. Stu Burguiere understands how rare his run with Beck was in an industry defined by churn, ego, and fracture.

“I’m very excited about this new thing. I feel invigorated to give something like that a try,” Burguiere said. “But when I think about radio and all the people I’ve known in radio, there aren’t a ton of examples of what Glenn and I have done together, which is stay together for a really long time and never really have arguments, fights, disagreements, or near breakups. None of that stuff really happened. It’s been really solid and positive for 99% of the time. Knowing that was coming to an end has been really difficult.”

That stability shaped him professionally, and Burguiere doesn’t shy away from acknowledging how central Beck was to his development.

“I’ve basically made a mess of myself on the air trying to articulate this,” said Burguiere. “It’s because it really is a huge part of my life. He’s a really important figure. The best professional decision I will ever make in my entire life was going in and hanging out with this guy who, at the time, seemed like his career was washed up and destroyed. Listening to him and learning from him, a guy who knows more than anybody else I’ve ever met in radio times ten, has been incredible. Mixed emotions probably understates it. He’s been great, supportive, and helpful when he absolutely didn’t have to be, and that’s made it a lot easier.”

So why prediction markets, and why now? Burguiere points to a major legal shift that changed everything.

“In October 2024, Kalshi, one of the big prediction markets, won a lawsuit that allowed these markets to move out of the gray area and into the light in all 50 states,” Burguiere said. “Being able to invest based on your opinion on everything is interesting. People already do this in their own lives. Everyone has an opinion about what’s coming in the world and what’s going to happen. They just never had an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is.”

For Burguiere, prediction markets aren’t just about money. They’re about clarity.

“With prediction markets, you have a clear question with a yes-or-no answer. It’s simple and accessible,” Burguiere added. “I think it’s a great way to talk about the news with an ability to drill down to the truth. There’s a lot of punditry out there, and I like punditry. But prediction markets eliminate the problem of people saying things they don’t believe because money is on the line.”

That philosophy underpins Predictable, which Burguiere hopes will carve out a distinct lane separate from partisan media noise.

“There really aren’t many serious efforts to build a media company around prediction markets,” said Burguiere. “The government can always get in the way, but I think these markets have real staying power. They’re a fascinating way to understand the news and potentially make some extra cash. I’ve paid for a lot of vacations over the years thanks to prediction markets.”

The launch is expected later this spring, with multiple distribution paths and layers of content designed to appeal to casual observers and serious participants alike. For Burguiere, it’s the culmination of a long curiosity finally meeting the right moment.

After 28 years of predictability in his own career, Stu Burguiere is betting on something new. And for the first time, the outcome isn’t already known.

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.

9 MLB Teams Officially Leaving FanDuel Sports Network RSNs

BSM Staff
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9 MLB Teams Officially Leaving FanDuel Sports Network RSNs

All nine MLB teams whose broadcasts remained on FanDuel Sports Network regional sports network channels are departing the organization.

According to a report from Sports Business Journal, the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays are all departing FanDuel Sports Network, with eight planning to move to MLB Media distribution methods.

The Atlanta Braves are planning to launch their own network, following a recent precedent created when the Texas Rangers struck deals with local cable and satellite providers, a local over-the-air partner, and a streaming platform with the Victory+ platform.

“FanDuel Sports Network is continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games, and we appreciate the leagues’ engagement in ongoing discussions on our go-forward plans,” a spokesperson for Main Street Sports, the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network, said in a statement. “We appreciate the relationships we have had with our MLB partners and fans over many years, and we wish them the best.”

The announcement of the MLB franchises leaving FanDuel Sports Network comes on the heels of reports that the regional sports network company had been in on-again, off-again talks to sell the organization to DAZN. Those talks have remained fruitless, however, with SBJ noting that the viability of the business is in question following the exit of the MLB broadcasts.

Furthermore, Main Street Sports reportedly did not make payments to its remaining NBA and NHL teams on Sunday as was previously scheduled.

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ESPN Andscape Signs Jason Reid to Contract Extension

BSM Staff
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ESPN Andscape Signs Jason Reid to Contract Extension

ESPN Andscape has announced it has inked senior NFL writer Jason Reid to a multi-year contract extension.

The network has been a familiar home for Reid for the past decade. He originally joined ESPN as an online columnist in February 2015. He later moved to Andscape — previously known as The Undefeated — in January 2016 before its launch.

“I’m grateful for the trust that Andscape and ESPN have continued to place in me,” said Reid. “I work with so many amazing colleagues, and I’m incredibly proud of the storytelling we do every day.”

As part of his duties, he’ll continue to lead Andscape’s coverage of the NFL, while continuing to contribute to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio.

“Jason is a pioneering NFL reporter whose work has chronicled the league’s evolving identity and its social and cultural impact,” said ESPN Vice President and Head of Andscape Jason Aidoo. “His journalism has helped establish Andscape as a destination for incisive coverage of the National Football League, and we are fortunate to have him leading this work.”

Jason Reid has previous experience writing for The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times before joining the network. He also previously helmed a morning drive radio show on ESPN 980 in the nation’s capital alongside Chris Paul.

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ESPN Sees 2nd Most-Watched Month in 30 Years During January

BSM Staff
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ESPN Sees 2nd Most-Watched Month in 30 Years During January

ESPN has shared that January was a banner month for the network, seeing its second-most-watched month in the past three decades.

The network’s records go back to 1996, with the 1.7 million viewers averaged throughout January marking the near record-setting performance.

The 1.7 million average viewership figures mark a 12% uptick compared to the same time period in 2025.

During January, ESPN had back-to-back days of high-stakes football broadcasts between college and the NFL. On Sunday, January 18th, an AFC Divisional Round game pitting the New England Patriots against the Houston Texans was broadcast at 3 PM ET. The following day, the network aired the College Football National Championship Game, as Indiana won its first title in a tight contest over the Miami Hurricanes.

According to figures from Nielsen, 43% of all sports viewing in January took place on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN Deportes.

Furthermore, 89.6 billion minutes were spent watching ESPN and ESPN on ABC. That marked a 10% increase year-over-year and is the best month since ESPN and ABC Sports combined forces in 2006.

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KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Adds The Chad Benson Show to Evening Lineup

BNM Staff
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KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Adds The Chad Benson Show to Evening Lineup

KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM in Seattle has announced it is adding The Chad Benson Show to its daily lineup in the evening window.

The show will be heard from 7-10 PM beginning on Monday.

The program from Chad Benson will replace Eye on the World with John Batchelor, The Takeout with Major Garrett, and Prime Time with John Dickerson in the window.

“I’m excited to join KIRO Newsradio and connect with listeners across Seattle,” said Benson. “My goal is to deliver the news in a way that’s informative, honest, and engaging—without losing sight of the human side of the stories.”

In addition to airing on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, The Chad Benson Show also airs on 92.3 KTAR in Phoenix, among other locations. The show — nationally syndicated through Radio America — airs from 9 AM to Noon ET. Benson also hosts the 12-3 PM timeslot at SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, as well as a 12-3 PM Dallas-focused show for 1080 KRLD.

“Chad has a unique ability to break down complex issues in a way that’s engaging and accessible,” said KIRO Director of News and Talk Programming Bryan Buckalew. “He respects the intelligence of the audience, values facts, and understands how to connect with listeners in a meaningful way. He’s a strong addition to our evening programming.”

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