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BNM Top 20 Madness Begins Next Week

Jason Barrett
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BNM Top 20 Madness Begins Next Week

It’s been easy to label me a sports radio guy because I spent most of my radio years working in the sports talk format. I’m proud of those years and still work with many sports brands across the country but make no mistake about it, I am not defined by a format. I am a strategist, publisher, influencer, analyst, content creator, marketer, brand builder, recruiter, and advocate for spoken word programming. My passion for those things trumps my love of sports, news and other forms of entertainment.

I make that point because in September 2020 we took a leap into the News/Talk space and during the past two years we’ve done a lot of work to cover the format and elevate brands and individuals involved in it. I believe that if you know and value the business, understand the subject matter, study the brands and people, build relationships, deliver accurate and timely information, and treat those involved in the space with respect, it’s not hard to earn trust and support even if you previously built your identity in another format.

Next week, Barrett News Media will take another big step in strengthening its position with News/Talk professionals. For seven years, our biggest traffic driver has been the BSM Top 20, a 7-day series highlighting sports radio’s best brands, talent, programmers, and podcasters. It’s a series many in sports radio enjoy and it receives great voting participation from decision makers all across the format. We’ve previously discussed doing the same series for News/Talk given that it’s two and a half times the size of sports/talk, but the timing just wasn’t right.

Well, now, it is.

On Monday, we will officially launch the very first Barrett News Media Top 20 series. The seven day series will recognize the best talent, shows, brands and programming leaders in the News/Talk industry. What makes this series unique is that the results are determined by format program directors and radio industry executives. Each voter is asked to take into account a variety of factors including the quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz.

Listed below is the schedule for each day. Be advised that we split all local categories into Major Markets (#1-#20) and Mid-Markets (#21 and Below) and our Digital category features shows that are created for the audio/video space, not radio shows repurposed and available on-demand. There are plenty of those success stories too, but those get placed in either local or national radio show categories.

As I tell each voter, this is an inexact science. Picking the best host, show, station or PD changes from individual to individual. It’s why I involve a large group of decision makers. I also do that to try and avoid regional and/or company bias. Fortunately, we had participation from fifteen different broadcast groups covering thirty six cities, which is excellent.

Having run a sports media version of this series for years, there are always programmers who are uncomfortable voting. We went through that with this project too. We also had to navigate an IT issue with one radio group. In the end, everything turned out great. I knew a few PD’s would take a wait and see approach since they’re still learning about BNM, but 44 were excited to be part of it, and I greatly appreciate them making time to be part of our inaugural series.

The BNM Top 20 will be released EXCLUSIVELY on this website. We will also promote it in the BNM Rundown newsletter as well as across our BSM and BNM social channels. I want to thank Steve Stone Voiceovers for being our exclusive partner of this series. Those of you who work with Steve know how good of a voice talent he is, and how easy he is to work with. For those of you who don’t, visit StoneVoiceovers.com.

The industry’s collective snapshot of its best and brightest gets announced starting Monday December 12th and it ontinues through Tuesday December 20th. We’ll then make a big announcement on Wednesday December 21st just in time for the holidays. Get ready for the madness!

BNM TOP 20 OF 2022 SCHEDULE:

  • MONDAY DECEMBER 12: Top 20 National News/Talk Radio Shows
  • TUESDAY DECEMBER 13: Top 20 News/Talk Local Major/Mid Market Morning Shows
  • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14: Top 20 News/Talk Local Major/Mid Market Midday Shows
  • THURSDAY DECEMBER 15: Top 20 News/Talk Local Major/Mid Market Afternoon Shows
  • FRIDAY DECEMBER 16: Top 20 News/Talk Local Major/Mid Market Program Directors 
  • MONDAY DECEMBER 19: Top 20 News/Talk Local Major/Mid Market Radio Stations 
  • TUESDAY DECEMBER 20: Top 20 News/Talk Original Digital Shows 

The Time of Year Where Americans Are in Giving Spirit

Pete Mundo
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The Time of Year Where Americans Are in Giving Spirit

It’s that time of year when Americans are in the giving spirit. Despite the differences that exist in our country today, be they cultural, political, or other, Americans of all stripes like to try and give back during the Christmas season, and talk radio often does an outstanding job in this category.

At Cumulus Kansas City, we reserve the first day of the Holiday ratings book for our annual radiothon to support our local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, KU Med, here in the Kansas City region. Every dollar donated stays here in Kansas City to help kids with life-altering situations. And in each of the five radiothons I’ve been fortunate enough to partake in, the donations continue to grow exponentially.

I admit I worried this year that, given the recession fears that exist, folks might be a bit more cautious in their giving. Will they give less? Will they give at all?

The opposite happened. While we don’t have the total numbers as of this writing, we appear to have raised two or three times what we did in 2021.

As the talk audience continues to build a relationship with its hosts, I believe it becomes more and more willing to support causes that the host genuinely gets behind. All the data shows the talk radio audience has higher income levels than nearly every other format, so if they find that connection with their host, they will open their wallets.

Then, the challenge is to get them to completely buy into what exactly it is you are doing and raising money for. That can be done through interviews, vignettes, personal stories that relate directly to the fundraiser at hand, and so much more. This is an audience that is oftentimes littered with high-achieving and high-earning individuals who want to be challenged. Give them shoutouts on air, talk about the big donors, find other donors to match or top some of those numbers. 

And on top of that, while it might not be the biggest ratings day ever, as many in the audience might ultimately want to get their news fix after giving you a single quarter-hour or two instead of the four or five you might get on a given day, it shows a different side of the host and the entire radio station.

It puts the station and every single person connected to it, from hosts to producers to news anchors, in a different light. It makes us all more vulnerable and more human. That’s a long-term benefit and is ultimately when radio is at its absolute best. 

If an annual fundraiser is something your station or cluster is not involved in, you’re missing the boat. Find a great cause and a great charity. Then, bring your audience along for a one-day journey of powerful radio and make that emotional connection that in an era of unlimited media options, will make you stand out in a way you can’t ever pay for in marketing dollars. 

You won’t just hopefully remain at top of mind for your listeners, you will be in their hearts as well. There’s no price tag to put on that.

Dan Dakich Exits 107.5 The Fan

BSM Staff
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Dan Dakich will not be heard on local radio in Indianapolis going forward. His content disappeared from 93.5/107.5 The Fan’s website on Thursday afternoon. Later in the day, he took to Twitter to confirm that he would not return for his show on Friday.

Just last year, Dakich launched a new show on Outkick called Don’t @ Me. He says the demands of hosting two shows made it hard to give both the attention they require.

Greg Doyle of the Indianapolis Star obtained an internal email from David Wood. The operations manager for Radio One confirmed to his staff that Dakich was out.

Dakich had been heard in middays on the station for the last 14 years. He had been voted the #1 mid market midday show in BSM’s annual Top 20 an impressive four times.

The timing is strange as Dakich just signed a new contract with the station in February. At that time, 107.5 The Fan was owned by Emmis Communications. It was sold to Radio One in June.

In July, The Star documented two incidents that brought scrutiny on Dakich. Dana Hunsinger Benbow posted an audio clip of the host referring to a caller as a “meth head”. Then Greg Doyle reported that Dakich made off-color jokes at a station event that upset Radio One brass.

Dakich mocked the allegations. Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins chose not to answer questions about the incident or Dakich.

Outkick carries Don’t @ Me every weekday at 9 AM.

Dan Le Batard: ‘I’m Not Arguing Politics of Brittney Griner Release’

BSM Staff
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Dan Le Batard: ‘I’m Not Arguing Politics of Brittney Griner Release’

The biggest news in the sports and current events worlds on Thursday was the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a penal colony in Russia. Her freedom comes as the result of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.

Several media pundits began debating the logic of the decision immediately after President Joe Biden announced at a press conference that Griner was coming home and in exchange, Viktor Bout, a terrorist nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” would be returning to Russia. Dan Le Batard isn’t going to participate in those conversations.

“I’m not interested in arguing the politics of this, whether it was a fair trade or if Biden did the right thing soon enough,” said on his show Thursday.

He added that while members of the media are pointing fingers and making accusations about why Brittney Griner is coming home and a former servicemember is not, the family of former Marine Paul Whelan is happy to see Griner released. The family released a statement Thursday morning saying that while they are disappointed that Whelan remains detained in Russia, they “do not begrudge” Griner or her wife.

“The Whelan family, that has more invested there than any of us, is saying ‘we are happy any time a wrongfully detained person can get to freedom,’” Le Batard said.

He added that he is also disappointed that Whelan remains a prisoner in Russia, but there was no perfect scenario that would result in everyone’s release and the United States not having to give something up.

“Hostage crises are tough. Getting people home [is] tough. I can’t swim in these waters. I don’t know what it takes to get a prisoner released. I can just be happy that Brittney Griner is coming home and is no longer being used as that political tool wrongly detained.”

Mike Missanelli On Potential Radio Return: ‘My Ears Are Always Open’

BSM Staff
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Philadelphia sports radio listeners have been in a bit of a nostalgic mood all year as the farewell tour for Angelo Cataldi continues on WIP. On Thursday morning, it was a double dose of “the good ol’ days” as Cataldi welcomed Mike Missanelli to the show.

Cataldi introduced Missanelli, one of the original WIP sports radio hosts, as a “former star of WIP and other stations that I won’t mention here”.

The two visited for 15 minutes and covered a number of topics. Mike Missanelli was candid about his feelings on his past partnership with Howard Eskin, admitting that he never wanted to stop working with Steve Fredricks and saying that he “literally wanted to kill [Eskin] every day.”

“Eskin came back to radio from doing TV and they thought that putting us together would be a good show, but they kind of threw Steve out the door,” Missanelli says of the beginning of the duo’s partnership. “They gave him night hours or whatever. So, I wasn’t in favor of it and I didn’t think it would work because to me, our chemistry wasn’t good. Howard is what he is, but what he isn’t is a team guy.”

Cataldi asked Missanelli what he missed most about being on the radio.

“I’ll tell you where I missed it during that Phillies run was the everyday reaction from fans,” Missanelli answered. “So I’m doing podcasts now where you don’t get that immediate reaction. So like, that bias play was always good about what we did in sports talk radio.”

Mike Missanelli has been off the air since being let go from 97.5 The Fanatic earlier this year. Cataldi noted that it was the first time Missanelli’s voice had been heard on 94 WIP since 2006 and that it would have happened sooner if Missanelli didn’t have to wait three months for his non-compete clause to end.

Will it be the last time we hear Mike Missanelli on the radio? He told Cataldi that he isn’t opposed to doing a live show again.

“My ears are always open,” he said. “Like when this ended at the other station, I didn’t expect that I was going to do anything. Then all of the sudden, I started getting a couple of calls to do some things. You know, I’m not ready for the grave. I think I would listen to any opportunity if it was palatable.”

Mike Gallagher: ‘Joyless Reid’ Perfect Nickname For MSNBC Anchor

BNM Staff
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Mike Gallagher: ‘Joyless Reid’ Perfect Nickname For MSNBC Anchor

MSNBC anchor Joy Reid is a constant target for conservative media members and her recent comments on Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R-GA) caught the ire of conservative radio host Mike Gallagher.

Reid discussed with MSNBC contributor LaTosha Brown how black voters, especially black men, felt somewhat disrespected by the way Walker had been “paraded” by other Congressional Republicans like Lindsey Graham . Gallagher took exception to Reid’s characterization.

“Miserable Joy Reid. (Sean) Hannity calls her ‘Relentlessly Joyless Reid’. It’s a perfect nickname,” Gallagher said. “These people have no joy. You think Joy Behar has any joy in her life? Joy Reid? They’re miserable people. Leftists are so angry and so miserable so much of the time. This is what I mean about the racism — the bigotry — that has been thrown at Herschel Walker.”

Scott Hastings Details How Inside The NBA Video Came Together

BSM Staff
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Inside The NBA analyst Charles Barkley and Denver Nuggets analyst Scott Hastings have an interesting relationship. During a game in 1990, Hastings took a swing at Barkley during a mele between the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers. Earlier this year, Hastings admitted he “sucker punched” Barkley during the altercation, with the two jokingly setting a date of May 19, 2023 for a boxing match.

During a recent Nuggets visit to Atlanta, Hastings stopped by the Inside The NBA studios to film a segment to provoke Barkley.

During Polumbus, Hastings, and Dover on Altitude Sports Radio Wednesday, Hastings detailed how the segment came to be.

“I said ‘We should do something and show up at the studios’ because of the Charles and I thing,” Hastings said. “We get there and one guy lets us in and waits for us at the loading dock. They got three people, two camera guys, a sound guy, and a producer. And she’s got the whole thing storyboarded out. I added some of my own flairs to it. There’s probably another 10 minutes of footage — maybe five to seven minutes. We got to the hotel at about 5:15 PM and asked if we could be there by 6:00 PM.”

Hastings said the Inside The NBA studios are located directly beside where the Nuggets were slated to practice, so he could both attend practice and go to the studio, which he called “cool”.

“You could play a two-on-two game. It’s that big. It’s probably not ‘NBA three’ wide, but we’ve all played on narrower courts. Honest to gosh, you’d have enough room — if you put a hoop at the big screen where they run to — you could play a game. It’s like an old catholic school court with the carpet up to the side.”

Veritonic, Acast Partner For Podcast Data

BNM Staff
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Veritonic, Acast Partner For Podcast Data

Veritonic, an audio analytics and research platform, has announced a partnership with podcast company Acast.

With the partnership, more than 2,400 advertisers and 88,000 podcasts that use Acast will have the ability to utilize Veritonic’s capabilities to increase ROI on podcast advertisements.

“We are pleased to partner with Acast to support brands, agencies, and publishers with the holistic data and analytics they need to increase their reach and ROI with audio. The powerful combination of our attribution and brand lift technology provides unparalleled and comprehensive measurement of audio campaigns from top to bottom in one unified and intuitive platform.”

Saga Communications Rebuffs Unsolicited Takeover Offer

BNM Staff
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Saga Communications has announced it has rejected an unsolicited takeover offer.

The company’s board of directors says it “received and ultimately rejected a confidential, unsolicited, and non-binding conditional indication of interest to acquire the company under two potential transaction structures.

While not naming who offered to purchase the company, a report from Inside Radio claims it was Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw. Warshaw unsuccessfully attempted to purchase Cumulus Media twice earlier this year.

The first offer, according to Saga, was a “cash buyout in the range of $30-$33 per share for all outstanding shares of Saga common stock”. The second offer was a merger with Connoisseur Media that would have paid Saga shareholders $12.47 per share to own 83.1% of the new company.

The Saga board of directors says it “did not believe this indication of interest was acceptable given the board’s view of the fundamental value of the company and its assets, the assumptions and significant financial contingencies underlying the offer, the longstanding mission of the company to develop and operate broadcast properties, and the board’s confidence that the company can ultimately create more value for shareholders in comparison to the highly conditional offer.

In conjunction with the company’s consultants and legal and financial advisors, the board will continue to formally review and evaluate all opportunities to enhance shareholder value, including through the new variable dividend policy as well as future acquisitions of additional broadcast properties.”

PAC-12 Commissioner: Deion Sanders Adds Value In TV Rights Negotiations

BSM Staff
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Even if you are not a fan of Coach Prime, his influence is hard to deny. Since accepting the head coaching job at Colorado, Deion Sanders has made the Buffaloes a hot topic in the sports media. That almost never happens.

Will that enthusiasm and curiosity translate into dollars and cents? George Kliavkoff thinks so.

The PAC-12’s Commissioner told The Athletic that he has seen Colorado already reap the benefits for itself. When the team opens the 2023 season with College Football Playoff participant TCU, he expects the conference and it media partners to see the value of Deion Sanders too.

“I can’t imagine what the ratings are going to be for that game,” he told Andy Staples.

Fans of the PAC-12 and media that cover the conference have been wary of the Big 12 raiding the West Coast for a number of the remaining top brands. The Big 12 has been seen has having a stronger position to emerge as the third mega-conference after solidifying deals with FOX and ESPN last month.

Kliavkoff also said that Sanders is a factor in the conference not having a new television deal lined up yet.

“We knew some other information was coming, including the announcement of Coach Prime, and why would we do a media deal before that?” the commissioner said adding that Deion Sanders “absolutely adds value” for the conference and its media partners.

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