Earlier this week, Stu Burguiere announced he was leaving The Glenn Beck Programafter nearly 30 years. He’s now shared what his next adventure entails.
On Beck’s program on Friday, Burguiere shared that he is departing the program to launch his own prediction market company, which will entail a new program as part of the offerings.
“One of my roles here in the program has kind of been chief data nerd guy who looks at the elections and tries to predict the outcomes to them and analyzes all that stuff,” Burguiere began. “So I’m starting a new company that is revolving in the world of prediction markets … The company’s going to be doing a few different things, but the one that’s probably interesting to the audience is we’re going to have a show. It’s going to be called Predictable with Stu Burguiere.”
He continued by noting what his vision for the new program is.
“The show is going to analyze the news, the things that we talk about every day, with a special focus on the elections, considering we’re going into election time,” Burguiere said. “And that’s been somewhat of an expertise of mine for a while. We’re going to be talking about all these news events as they relate to these prediction markets.”
Stu Burguiere has been with The Glenn Beck Program for 28 years. Upon making his announcement, Beck shared that he believed this enterprise fits Burguiere extremely well, and heaped praised on his longtime colleague.
Burguiere — who also hosts a podcast for Blaze Media, Stu Does America — shared that he’ll continue to helm that program in addition to his new prediction market show.
In a post on social media, Glenn Beck shared that the day was an emotional one as a longtime member of his show departs.
“I am rarely at a loss of words,” Beck wrote. “But getting ready for today’s show, the final show with my producer/partner for 28 years, Stu, has me grappling with words and emotion.”
I am rarely at a loss of words. But getting ready for today’s show, the final show with my producer/partner for 28 years, STU, has me grappling with words and emotion. Pat, who has been with me off and on since 1989, will be joining for this final farewell to Stu as he leaves…
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Veteran broadcaster Al Michaels has never pretended that longevity in sports media comes without blemishes. During a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show, the longtime NFL play-by-play voice offered a candid assessment of his career, the criticism that follows it, and an industry he believes has changed dramatically in both tone and purpose.
Michaels, now calling games for Prime Video NFL, acknowledged that perfection has never been a realistic standard, even for someone whose resume spans more than five decades and thousands of broadcasts. He described himself as meticulous and deeply invested in accuracy, while also conceding that mistakes are inevitable when the sample size is that large.
“I’ve always been a stickler for trying to get everything right,” Michaels said. “Have I? Of course not. I’ve made tons of mistakes over the years. You can’t do as many games as I’ve done and not make a ton of mistakes.”
That admission, however, was less about self-critique and more about perspective. Michaels suggested that modern discourse often leaves little room for context or nuance, particularly when criticism is amplified and accelerated by digital platforms. He contrasted today’s environment with an earlier era when evaluation was slower, more measured, and often rooted in a shared understanding of the craft.
According to Michaels, the current sports media ecosystem frequently prioritizes volume and confrontation over insight.
“Right now, a lot of it is, ‘How can I make noise? How can I yell, or scream? How can I get into an argument,’” Michaels said. “You’ve seen enough of these shows where, to me, it’s more heat than light, and sometimes it’s all heat and no light.”
The evolution, in Michaels’ view, has been accelerated by the internet and social media, which have reshaped how audiences engage with sports and with each other. While those platforms have expanded access and participation, he believes they have also intensified hostility and tribalism, often at the expense of thoughtful conversation.
“With the internet now and social media — or anti-social media — it’s like everybody hates everybody,” Michaels said.
Michaels, 81, joined Amazon Prime’s NFL coverage after a storied run calling games for several networks. His move to streaming reflected both his enduring presence in the broadcast world and the growing competition among platforms to attract high-profile sports talent.
Earlier this month, Michaels toldMad Dog Sports Radio that he will know when it’s time for him to officially end his broadcasting career.
“I’ll go as long as I can or I want to,” Michaels told Chris “Mad Dog Russo. “But I have to be able to know that I can do the game at the level that satisfies me.”
Prime Video announced earlier this month that Michaels will return for the 2026 NFL season. Michaels has served as the lead play-by-play voice for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football package since 2022, continuing a career that has made him one of the most recognizable and trusted figures in sports broadcasting
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Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday evening in Los Angeles for his role in a Minnesota church protest last week.
According to Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Lemon, he was taken into custody while preparing to cover the Grammys this weekend.
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” Lowell shared. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”
The arrest of Lemon comes after officials initially refused to press charges for his involvement in the anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis that disrupted a church service.
Don Lemon has continually asserted that he was not a protester, but rather serving as a journalist covering the event.
His attorney has shared that he will defend himself to the fullest extent possible.
“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand,” she added. “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
Lemon previously shared in the wake of the announcement that a federal judge wouldn’t approve charges that he believed the Trump administration would continue to pursue charges against him due to his criticism of the way it has operated.
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Main Street Sports Group is reportedly facing a rapidly narrowing path forward, and the consequences could ripple across professional basketball and hockey as early as this season. According to a report by The Sports Business Journal, if the company fails to secure emergency financing or complete a last-minute sale, sources tell SBJ say liquidation could begin next week, placing the local television homes of 20 NBA and NHL teams in immediate jeopardy.
Executives across multiple leagues are monitoring the situation closely as uncertainty grows around the future of FanDuel Sports Networks. Should Main Street enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy, broadcasts could abruptly cease following a short grace period, forcing teams and leagues to activate contingency plans on the fly.
Industry sources believe the turning point centers on Main Street’s nine Major League Baseball partners. Those clubs include teams in Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay. They are increasingly viewed as unlikely to continue operating under the current structure.
With the MLB season approaching quickly, skepticism about Main Street’s financial stability has intensified after the company emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring just one year ago.
If those baseball teams formally opt out, the fallout could be immediate. Potential buyer DAZN is widely expected to withdraw from negotiations under that scenario, removing what many see as the company’s final viable lifeline.
According to SBJ, that outcome would likely leave Main Street with no alternative but liquidation, putting NBA and NHL broadcasts at risk during the heart of their seasons.
Main Street has said it would carry games through the regular season if a sale falls through. Confidence in that plan has reportedly weakened. The company has missed rights fee payments. It has also asked teams to accept reductions and deferrals. Those moves have raised concerns among creditors and league officials.
In response, both the NBA and NHL have quietly prepared fallback strategies. League sources tell SBJ teams would shift toward local broadcast partners, including over-the-air television options. At the same time, in-market streaming would move to league-controlled platforms. The NBA would rely on League Pass and its proprietary app infrastructure. The NHL would use its Game Center service to maintain fan access.
Individual franchises are also positioning themselves for rapid change. Many have previously engaged with digital streaming vendors capable of launching direct-to-consumer platforms on short notice. Several of those companies already operate team-specific services across professional sports and could step in quickly, even on a temporary basis.
Until recently, executives believed a season-long wind-down represented the most likely scenario. That outlook now appears less certain as the timeline accelerates and negotiations continue behind closed doors.
DAZN remains the primary wild card, though sources suggest the company may prefer to pursue future league partnerships without assuming Main Street’s mounting losses.
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Welcome to day three of Barrett Media’s Top 20 series for 2025. This series is well regarded across sports radio, news/talk radio and music radio, and for 2026, we’re expanding it into other areas. Each month, we’ll feature different categories voted on by leaders in those respective areas. Stay tuned to this website, our newsletters or X, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social channels to learn what’s coming next. We will also provide commentaries on the Barrett Media YouTube page so be sure to subscribe.
Today’s focus is on the Top 20 Sports Television Talent as recognized by industry decision makers. 39 media executives took part in the voting process. Our voters represent numerous companies such as ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports Regional Networks, Paramount Skydance, Nexstar Media, Sinclair Communications, TEGNA, Warner Bros., Omaha Productions, NFL Network, MLB Network, Yahoo Sports, Red Seat Ventures, The Volume, Bleav, and Blue Duck Media. Executives from a few other groups were asked to share input too but did not provide feedback by our deadline.
Important Information
470 on-air sports broadcasters were listed for our industry voters to vote on. The focus was on identifying the best on sports television, period. By going this route, hosts, analysts, insiders, play-by-play announcers, etc. were all eligible for votes. We knew some executives would place a higher premium on personality. Others might value game broadcasters more. This gives you an idea of how the industry collectively views the best of the best on camera.
Our voting process for this series is similar to how writers cast votes for awards in pro sports. A first-place vote equals twenty (20) points. A 20th place vote equals one (1) point. We do this to try and keep things balanced and from becoming too lopsided should one company be more active than others.
Keep in mind that our voters live in different areas, work for different companies, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system. However, it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
Closing Comments
As you review the results, please remember that these results represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. Barrett Media does not vote in this process. We simply ask folks to participate, collect their votes, and present the information.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for creating the artwork, and each voter who participated in the process. Now without further delay, here are Barrett Media’s Top 20 Sports Television Talent of 2025. Congrats to all who appeared on this year’s list.
Additional Notes:
Charles Barkley edged Stephen A. Smith by five (5) points to earn the top spot in the category. Barkley also led all talent in first-place votes with five (5).
Spots 21-25 belonged to Charissa Thompson, Tom Brady, Dan Orlovsky, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kevin Burkhardt.
The closest contests saw Cris Collinsworth slip by Greg Olsen, and Laura Rutledge nip Mike Greenberg by two (2) points each.
Of the 470 talent names to appear on submitted ballots, eleven (11) received at least one 1st place vote.
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Let’s stop pretending this was complicated. Bill Belichick’s exclusion as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer isn’t a nuanced debate about football legacy, nor is it a gray area open to reasonable disagreement. It was a blown call—plain and simple.
What makes this more striking is the makeup of the voting body: 46 of the 50 voters are media members. The only exceptions are Hall of Famers Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Dan Fouts, and James Lofton.
This was a media decision, and that fact frames everything that followed.
Reports initially indicated Polian led a charge to keep Belichick out, but he has stated publicly that he voted for his old nemesis. For the purposes of this piece, we’ll take him at his word. One voter out of Kansas City did make his non-Belichick vote public and blamed the system.
That explanation is noted and rejected.
We are talking about the greatest coach in the history of the game, and the numbers make any statements or explanations to the contrary irrelevant. Belichick’s resume is untouchable. He racked up 333 career wins, second only to Don Shula. He’s tops with 31 playoff wins, along with nine Super Bowl appearances and six Lombardi Trophies.
These are not the accomplishments of someone whose greatness is up for debate. I acknowledge, like many things in our world, the system is not perfect. However, those excuses are for members of the Hall of Very Good, not for the top of the food chain.
So when at least 11 voters said no, the question wasn’t about football—it became, what exactly were they voting on?
Hall of Fame voting is supposed to be simple: Is the candidate worthy, or not? There are no bonus points for charm, no deductions for grumpiness, and no bylaw clause for “you didn’t explain things nicely enough.” The Hall’s own rules direct voters to judge achievements and contributions to professional football. Period.
There is no morality clause. No personality clause. No “you were mean to me” clause. Yet somehow, this vote drifted there anyway.
Some voters may lean on Spygate and Deflategate as justification. But when the football argument collapses, scandal becomes a convenient shelter. That shelter didn’t last long once Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson spoke up, admitting that “many teams (including ourselves) tried it… many teams gave it a try.” In the NFL, everyone looks for an edge. Pushing boundaries is woven into the fabric of professional football.
Selective outrage is laughable when you remember that O.J. Simpson, Ray Lewis, and Lawrence Taylor—all with their own off-field baggage—are in the Hall.
There has never been a moral purity test in Canton. If Spygate is now the standard, where is the consistency? Is Tom Brady suddenly not a first-ballot Hall of Famer over deflated footballs? Or does this logic only surface when it’s not the handsome quarterback with the dreamy dimples and the megawatt smile?
The uncomfortable truth for the media is that this wasn’t really about Spygate. It was about power. Belichick never needed the media. He didn’t play the access game, didn’t seek approval, and didn’t care if he was liked. For a profession built on access and insiders, that’s an unforgivable sin.
Protected by a secret ballot, some voters chose to base their decisions on personal experience rather than greatness. That’s not journalism; that’s grievance collecting. And the secrecy matters. If Hall of Fame votes were public, most of this nonsense would disappear overnight.
In this case, anonymity breeds courage.
Media members are not the morality police. Our job is not to settle personal scores, send messages, or punish candidates for being difficult. When voters confuse their role as evaluators with moral arbiters, the Hall loses credibility.
That’s exactly what I believe happened here.
Belichick will eventually get into the Hall of Fame. His resume doesn’t fade because 11 or so voters got emotional. But the damage is done. The Hall has revealed that “first-ballot” status is negotiable, subjective, and vulnerable to personal bias—withheld not because someone wasn’t great, but because they weren’t affable enough.
That’s not a Belichick problem. That’s a Hall of Fame problem.
If Hall of Fame voters want to be grievance collectors, then say that out loud. Put it in writing. Change the rules. Until then, the process should be simple:
Either a candidate is worthy, or he isn’t. Achievements matter, or they don’t. Either the Hall honors football greatness, or it honors grudges.
Bill Belichick is a first-ballot Hall of Famer in every universe where football results matter more than feelings. The fact that he had to wait exposes exactly who this process is really about, and it isn’t the game.
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Next week, the annual mash up of sport, media, and capitalism begins. A week filled with product placement, exclusivity, and celebrity. Some stations have long moved on from the opportunity, while others still find ways to make the annual trek. Radio row, now rebranded as media row, officially begins as listeners await the unexpected from their local hosts as the familiar rat race of content creation gets underway.
I’ve managed on-site locations for more than seven Super Bowls during my sports radio career. Planning starts early, often as soon as October. Budgeting, sponsorships, guest inquiries, and travel expenses all blend together. The goal is simple: provide a unique experience for the listener, both on air and online, that brings them closer to the biggest football game of the year.
There is no manual, and every radio station approaches radio row differently. Still, I’ve found three keys that consistently lead to a successful experience and make it easier for management to justify the trip for next year’s budget.
Super Bowl radio row (yes, I will always call it radio row) is a business trip like no other, whether you’re a talent, producer, programmer, or engineer. It creates memories, connections, and opportunities rarely found elsewhere in the industry. It’s a convention blending traditional and digital, radio and television, influencers and sponsors, with podcasters everywhere.
You represent more than just the network or brand you work for. You represent yourself. The effort you put into face-to-face interactions will pay dividends later, helping you build relationships and solidify leads for the future. Save every email. Enter every contact. Keep every business card.
First Impressions Matter
The first key to a successful radio row experience is looking the part. Yes, jeans and hoodies will be everywhere. Still, the best dressed often draw the most attention. That doesn’t mean wearing a full suit and bow tie, although those do exist. Somewhere on you, the brand you represent should be visible.
Cameras and networks are always watching, hoping to catch a glimpse of your world while you sit with a celebrity or snap a selfie.
Presence matters too. Your table is a blank canvas. You may not have the budget of sportsbooks or major networks, but you shouldn’t leave it bare. Treat it like your studio. Table skirts or step-and-repeats are essential. Sponsored props help. If your title sponsor has a product, bring it and hand it out. Free samples double as icebreakers. The more thoughtful the product placement, the better.
The more professional you look, the more comfortable your guests will feel.
Who Are You Working For
The second key is knowing when to say no. Not every guest is worth the airtime. When I spoke with Matt Nahigian of 95.7 The Game, his philosophy was simple: book guests who move the needle with the audience. He’s 100% correct.
Book names that generate strong content you can repurpose online. You probably won’t get Roger Goodell, but you should avoid booking his second cousin promoting a detergent brand.
Radio row demands restraint. Turning down a handler is difficult, especially when they might represent a bigger name later. I’ve had to say no often to guests who didn’t align with the audience. Programmers making those calls must know whether their talent can turn an interview into a true lean-in moment.
The value of your trip isn’t measured by the number of guests you book. Defend your audience. They come to you expecting the best content possible. Never forget that.
Be Different Than Everyone Else
The final key is finding the unique. Radio row offers unmatched opportunities to connect talent and audience through the spectacle of the Super Bowl. There’s NFL Opening Night, the annual media gala, and access to countless parties and events.
Walk the host city. Sit in on a halftime show press conference. The experiences surrounding radio row are just as valuable as the interviews themselves. Go to those events. Too often, talent stays glued to their table all week. The “been there, done that” excuse doesn’t apply to a once-a-year event on this scale.
Radio stations receive access most people never will, yet they frequently pass it up for dinners or routine networking. The Super Bowl is a business trip, but it allows time to reconnect, explore, and still experience the game itself.
This mindset should extend to your content. Look for different questions and fresh angles. Many guests make dozens of stops over several days. The repetition is exhausting. Help them by making your interview feel different.
Listen to previous interviews. Ask handlers where the guest has already been. They are valuable sources of information. The more effort you invest in creating a unique experience for the guest, the better content you’ll deliver to your audience.
Swing Big, Don’t Miss
Radio row is a rare opportunity. It allows you to create content you simply can’t produce from a studio. Maximize the investment your company makes and deliver value for your brand, your network, and yourself.
Radio row doesn’t owe you anything. Not good guests. or viral clips. Not validation for the expense. Those are earned through preparation, discipline, and creativity.
The stations that continue to make the trip understand this. Showing up isn’t enough. You need a plan, a purpose, and something worth hearing when the microphone goes live.
When talent is prepared, content is intentional, and the experience is treated like the business trip it is, radio row remains one of the most valuable stages sports radio still has.
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Clay Travis has spent the better part of two decades building a media brand rooted in opinion, preparation, and an unmistakable point of view.
Late last year, the OutKick founder added another chapter to that story with the release ofBalls, a book that examines the rise and fall of “woke” culture in sports while tying those cultural shifts to the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The book followed earlier works, Republicans Buy Sneakers Too and American Playbook.
That momentum has carried into 2026. On Thursday, Travis announced that The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show will soon join SiriusXM Triumph, further expanding a program that already reaches millions through terrestrial radio, podcasts, and television.
Since partnering with Buck Sexton following the death of Rush Limbaugh, the show has steadily added affiliates (reaching 555 stations now), downloads, and platforms while leaning heavily into unscripted, real-time conversation.
In the wide-ranging Q&A below, Travis discusses the writing process behind Balls, the relationship between writing and broadcasting, the challenges of live radio, his growth in the news/talk space, and what comes next as he approaches full free agency in 2026.
1 on 1 with Clay Travis:
Garrett Searight: Take me through writing the book from your perspective. How does the process of putting a book like Balls together go from “I have an idea” to completion?
Clay Travis: I had a great editor — Alex Pappas at Hachette. I highly recommend him. He loved the idea of telling the story of how Trump came to win in 2024 through the prism of sports. Alex and I met for coffee in November after the election happened, we got a deal done, and the book, believe it or not, was finished by March. The first draft, anyway.
Editing a book takes a ton of time. But I set aside two hours a day to write and cranked away on it until it was done.
I write fast, so that helps. But this one just poured out in a hurry, thousands of words a day at a time.
GS: What are the biggest challenges in putting a book like this — or any book for that matter — together?
CT: The time it takes. I do around four hours a day, on average, of live media — radio, TV, and digital shows. I’m live on radio alone from 12–3 ET every Monday to Friday.
During football season, I’m still on the road a ton for games.
And, remember, I have three kids too! I try to be at as many of their events as I possibly can.
In terms of actually writing, I love it. There’s nothing more satisfying, to me at least, than sitting down and cranking away on an article or a book. There’s no one else involved, it’s just you and the computer screen.
For me, time vanishes when I write, in a good way. I don’t look at the clock. I’m grinding away, and then I look over at the clock and hours have passed. Writing for me is like that, completely immersive. I love every bit of it. If writing paid like radio and TV, I’d only do it.
But, again, it’s super time-intensive to write a book, especially when you write every word yourself like I have for each of my five books. I think the people who write the best pretty much only write, it’s their full-time job.
GS: What was your favorite part of the process?
CT: Getting to see the narrative arc reveal itself as you write.
I never know how my book will end when I start. But about halfway through the book suddenly, you know, it reveals itself. And that’s just magical to me. Then you can go back and rewrite some of your open and it makes it seem like you were brilliant all along, but it’s just that every story in my experience reveals itself in the telling.
It’s been almost ten years since Colin Kaepernick took a knee, for instance. You have the ability to contextualize something like that, or the University of Missouri food strike protest, Caitlyn Jenner’s ESPY, outside of the immediate histrionics of the emotional instant that it took place, which is what Twitter is for, and sit back and consider these issues in a larger perspective.
I was a history major in college. I love reading history. But the challenge of history is sometimes we don’t know the impact of an event for fifty or a hundred years, until after the lives of everyone who lived through it is past. That’s when you can see the tides of history, when the emotions of the present moment fade and the arc of history reveals itself.
This book, I think, does a good job of writing about the “woke” era in sports as it both began, and as the book argues, ended with Trump’s election. In that way it’s a bit of an echo of what we saw in the 1960’s in sports. I wasn’t alive then, but there’s a great line, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it echoes. I think the woke era of sports we all lived through was the echo of the 1960’s.
Now, I didn’t grow up in that era at all. I lived through the Jordan era of sports, the 1980’s to the early 2000’s. My entire generation of sports fandom was about how awesome sports were and how unifying they were. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, I’d argue, really defined that era. Their overarching ethos was, “Republicans buy sneakers too,” which was the title of my prior book.
And I think this book, Balls is sort of a natural trilogy. Republicans Buy Sneakers Too was arguing that we were headed to a bad place in sports. American Playbook gave a roadmap for how to get out of it, and I think Balls tells the story of the triumph of sanity and the rejection of woke identity politics, not just in sports, but in the country as a whole.
Balls opens with that moment when Lia Thomas won a women’s swimming title, what I call the high-water mark of woke sports, that moment in the spring of 2022. I think that Trump’s election in 2024 represented a fundamental repudiation of that event. The thesis of my book is that swim event unlocked the tidal wave of history, which Trump rode to his election victory.
GS: Many folks in the industry have shared that being a good writer has helped them be a good radio host, too. Do you feel similarly?
CT: Yes, 100%.
I tell every kid who asks, and a lot of them ask me now that I’ve been doing this for twenty years, how do I work in sports media? I tell all of them to start with writing.
You’ve seen many sports media figures go from writing, to radio, to TV. I’ve said it before, but Tony Kornheiser was my role model in sports media. I wanted to be good at writing, radio and TV like he was. I think I’ve done that now. But he was the pioneer, the guy I emulated.
You never see anyone go from TV, to radio, to writing, because they’re going from the easiest medium — TV has tons of people trying to make you look good — to the hardest medium.
If you can master writing, which is the hardest of these three disciplines, then you can do radio and TV too.
Now each discipline requires commitment because what works in TV may not work in writing, but I think TV is by far the easiest of these three. I think the only way you can be good at all three is with a foundation of writing.
Ultimately what leads to media success is original thought. And writing, at least writing that people want to read, is founded on original thought.
GS: What “muscles” does writing exercise that working in radio and TV don’t?
CT: A good writer has to build the entire story by themselves. You are in charge of the entire narrative, for better or worse. The cursor blinks until you make it move. In radio and TV someone else turns on your mic or the camera, you turn your computer on, no one else does.
Ernest Hemingway’s metaphor about writing using an iceberg is perfect. Good writing only shows the top of the iceberg, but the foundation has to be there. Most of the iceberg you never see. But if there’s no foundation there, you can’t fake writing.
You can fake TV.
Lots of guys and girls who do sports don’t even watch the games. They read a teleprompter and give a glib take on an athlete or a sport.
If someone doesn’t do their homework, they get exposed in writing. Radio too, because both mediums have expansive terrain and require depth of knowledge to do well. TV is much easier to fake. I don’t think you can fake writing or radio.
Doing radio and writing means I’m ready to talk about anything when I sit down to do a Fox News hit. Lots of times I don’t even know the particular topic and I almost never know the questions in advance. That’s not because I’m not prepping, it’s actually the opposite — because I’m always prepping.
I do three hours of radio a day and am active on social media and with OutKick content all day long.
If I’m not ready to talk about a top story on TV, that’s my fault, not a producer’s or a TV host’s. I remember when I first started doing TV with Fox Sports back in 2013, Charissa Thompson, who is one of the best hosts in TV, leaned over before we went on air to make sure I had been told the topics in advance. I told her, “Ask me anything, I’m good to go.”
She loved it.
That’s radio preparation.
Good radio hosts are always ready for TV. Now we might not be that good looking or dress ourselves well or look at the camera correctly — all those things matter too — but the actual talking? We’ve got that down.
If you told me you can do an entire TV show off a teleprompter or not have a teleprompter at all, I’d pick the latter. I suspect most good radio hosts would say the same.
GS: How much does having the largest news/talk radio show in the country help in promoting the book?
CT: Ha. Immensely.
Our Clay and Buck audience reads. Authors beg to come on our show because when we have guests on, they buy the books. Not many shows can say that.
Fox News is also a monster when it comes to selling books. The combo of radio and TV is the killer app here.
But the reality is unless you’re John Grisham or George R.R. Martin or Michael Lewis, most people don’t write books for money. It’s hard to sell enough books to make a ton of money, especially now. I’ve donated my book money, both of the last two, to charity.
The books aren’t about money. It’s about getting the stories out there, not just for the present moment, but hopefully for the years ahead when historians try to make sense of our modern era.
I’m jealous I won’t get to read the history being written about the present day a hundred or two hundred years from now. That’s what I love about history — it’s a collection of the best stories from all of human history.
I don’t fear death at all, but I do regret all the stories I’ll miss in the future.
GS: How do you feel you’ve grown in the news/talk genre since being partnered with Buck Sexton following the death of Rush Limbaugh?
CT: I think assessing that would be for others to do, for better or worse. I’d like to think I’m continuing to get better at all my jobs — certainly that’s the goal. I’ve told my wife that if she thinks I’m not performing at a high level, to let me know. She’ll see it. Because I think it’s very hard for people in our industry to self-assess. And the more success you have, the more people line up to tell you that you’re awesome.
I’d like to walk away still with my fastball. That’s hard to do, but it’s my goal.
Now what I do know that the data reflects is we have way more listeners today than we did when we started Clay and Buck back in 2021. We’ve added hundreds of new radio affiliates, the podcast and the podcast network get tens of millions of downloads a month. We just added satellite radio, which starts on channel 123 on February 9th. There will be three hours of video of the radio show starting this year.
Revenue for the show and advertiser demand are great. Our bosses want us to sign long-term contracts. Those are metrics that are tangible and they’re all good.
Personally, I think we have the smartest live show in media, irrespective of political perspective.
I really do.
If you listen to us for three hours, you might not agree with us, but all of our facts will be correct. We will have a high-level discussion about current events in the country and it will be completely unscripted for three hours, and we will adjust on the fly for whatever news story develops.
Truly, anything can happen now more than ever, and we are ready to talk about it in real time.
It was an awful story, but we were live on the air when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, the Afghanistan terror attack when our troops were departing the country, school shootings — you name it. We’ve been live on the air talking about those events in real time.
There is no script. It’s live, visceral reaction in real time.
And unlike a taped podcast, for instance, all of it requires hitting the clock correctly, and getting the live reads done. A guest may miss their hit and you have to pivot and fill that time slot when you’d been expecting to be asking questions. It’s a big show — three hours with no safety net every day talking about the biggest and most impactful stories, with often the biggest and most impactful newsbreakers, live every day.
And we have a lot of fun too. Buck and I really get along well and I think the audience sees that.
Plus, the audience experiences our lives.
When we started, Buck was single. Now he’s married and has a baby. Five years ago I had a young family. Now my oldest son is going to college this fall. The audience experiences your life with you. Neither of us is very different off the mic than on it.
It’s funny — when I started in radio my wife couldn’t listen because she was so afraid I would say something that would get me fired. She’d tell me after shows, “You can’t say that!” But I think for better or worse, I have no filter.
I say exactly what I think.
Earlier I was talking about questions on TV. I’d rather not know the questions in advance because I can’t act. I’m the worst actor if you tell me to memorize any lines. They used to make fun of me for it when we would do Fox Bet Live skits promoting the show. I can’t remember the lines. I can’t act at all.
But if you tell me to just honestly react to something, I think I’m as good as anyone in the country at that.
GS: Where do you feel like you can still improve and grow in that space?
CT: I think I can be more efficient. I’m probably doing too much. I work really hard and I basically work all the time. I could probably do less, and by doing less be better at what I do.
I’ve been in media for 22 years and I would say that every year for those 22 years, I’ve done more than I did the year before. I’m 46 now. I feel good, and feel like I can keep doing more. But will that be the case when I’m 56? I have no idea.
In fact, if I were predicting for you now, I’d say I’m going to go hard for ten more years, and then I may retire and travel the world and be unreachable. In a decade my kids will all be out of college, basically.
My wife says I won’t do it because I love what I do too much, but at some point, I may just toss my phone as far into the ocean as possible and be unreachable for a few years.
There are lots of places in the world I’d like to see. I haven’t been to Asia or Africa. There are a ton of European countries I’d like to visit. Spending a few months in Italy doesn’t seem like it would suck. I loved Australia. I’d like to spend more time there, spend a few months going around Asia.
I feel super fortunate. Once we sold OutKick, I was in a position where I didn’t have to work anymore.
I love my jobs, but I’m not doing them anymore to pay a mortgage or put my kids through college — that’s taken care of. Now it’s just a challenge to try and figure out what the most efficient and effective thing I can do with my life is to help make the country as fantastic as possible for as many people as possible. That’s my motivation.
GS: Last year, it was highly publicized that your contract was coming to an end. Where do you sit now that the calendar has turned to 2026?
CT: When I sold OutKick to Fox in June of 2021, they got me for five years as part of that acquisition. It’s been an awesome five years, but yes, come June of 2026, I’m not under contract with anyone for anything.
I’m a complete and total free agent, which I haven’t been for a very long time — 20 years, I think.
Having said that, lots of good things are coming. I’m working on a lot behind the scenes. As I said above, I’m not retiring.
What I’m working on will be coming out in the months ahead, but suffice it to say, if you love me, you’re going to be very happy. If you hate me, you’re going to stay miserable, because I’ll be even more visible than I have been.
GS: I’ve always wanted to ask you this two-part question.
1) When you told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin in 2017 that the only things that have never let you down are the First Amendment and boobs, what did you mean? Some boobs are fake, Clay! You’ve never been let down by boobs?
2) What would it take for you to appear again on CNN?
CT: I can’t do CNN now because of my Fox contract. To be fair to them, they’ve reached out a bunch over the past couple of years asking me to be on, so I’m not banned there anymore. Fox talent just isn’t contractually permitted to do CNN or MSNBC.
I’m sticking to my guns here — boobs have never let me down. Heck, I don’t even buy the concept of “fake boobs.” If it’s inside the skin, it’s real. You don’t say someone who got a knee replacement or a hip replacement has a “fake knee” or a “fake hip.” If it’s inside the skin, it’s real.
The same is true with boobs.
As for the First Amendment, it’s still the most important right we have in the country. And I’ll keep fighting for the marketplace of ideas, as hard as I can, for the rest of my life.
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It’s easy to complain about the state of the radio industry. Managers and owners are facing many challenges and are being forced to make tough decisions. That, in turn, sometimes frustrates longtime radio people who remember the way things used to be and what they consider to be “the good old days.” With more than twenty years hosting a prime-time show in Kansas City, Scott “Lazlo” Geiger certainly could fall into that category.
His show has gone through several high-profile changes. He’s moved from afternoons at Alternative KRBZ to the same slot at sister The Rock 98.9. Most recently, a shift to mornings on The Rock, replacing the legendary Johnny Dare. You’ll get no complaints from him because he still gets to do the one thing that matters most. The show.
“When I get to go in the studio and close that door, that’s when everything else disappears,” said Lazlo. “Life disappears and I get to really be me. I get to act, talk, and say the things that I really think. I wish everybody had that.”
As for the rest of the radio industry’s machinations, he tries not to concern himself with them. Instead he chooses to focus on how to execute a program that entertains his devoted following. For an industry that’s changing rapidly, it’s easier to just ignore.
“Who’s in charge and who’s not in charge. One company or seventeen different companies,” explained Lazlo. “Whatever it is. When you close that door those four hours are still the same. I’ve never really concerned myself with the outside noise.”
Lazlo Advice ! Listen to the Church of Lalzlo from 6 AM – 10 AM on 98.9, The Rock 🎸 Or, watch us live on twitch.tv/churchoflazlo If you miss us, you can also catch the podcast 😁 Stream The Church of Lazlo on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! #churchoflazlo#kansascity#job#radio#fypシ
His show, co-hosted with Slimfast, is called The Church of Lazlo, a name that even he admits is a bit much. The name of the program came from a listener commenting on how Lazlo would go off on rants about different topics through his program.
“I never would have called it that. It seems pompous,” says Lazlo. “We had a guy who kept calling in and saying, ‘preach man, preach.’ Other people would message us and say the show is like ‘going to the church of Lazlo.’ It just sort of stuck.”
Like so many ‘preachers’ before him, Lazlo uses his personal experiences as fuel for the show. His show is like an open book, and one that builds a unique connection with the audience.
“I share everything. Whether that’s my marriage, divorce, my kids, all of it,” explained Lazlo. “I’ve kind of lived by this rule. If somebody was going to tell a story about me to someone else, good or bad, I have to share it first. People go through divorce; people have challenges with kids; they have money problems. That’s always the connection.”
However, being that open about your life comes with challenges. With listeners, it frequently puts him at a disadvantage when the opportunity presents itself in person to connect.
“When you meet someone for the first time and they already know you, but you don’t know anything about them. Quite often they already have an opinion,” said Lazlo. “Maybe they want to argue with me, agree, or maybe they liked my ex-wife better than me. It starts from a different perspective than two people meeting each other for the first time.”
Sometimes the impact goes beyond Lazlo himself. He recalled a time when his kids were younger and he took his son to a gymnastics play space. His son was playing with another child when the child’s mother approached him and asked if he was Lazlo. When he said yes, she immediately pulled her child away.
“She grabbed her kid and said, ‘we don’t talk to them,’ and took her kid away. My son was like, ‘wait, no, why did that happen,’” he explained. “Just the other day my oldest texted me and asked, ‘are you talking about killing hookers in the metaverse?’ When I said yes, he replied, ‘my friends are listening.’”
For Lazlo, it’s all part of being a talent. It’s not an easy take and has it’s challenges, but it is part of the job. Lazlo also is very open about sharing his political views, which lean liberal in a conservative area. He knows that can narrow his potential audience, but Lazlo views it as a math problem.
“I don’t need one hundred percent of the people to be successful. I need seven percent,” he explained. “If I get between seven and ten percent of the possible audience, I’m killing it, so why not be that voice.”
While politics are part of the show, he notes they are not his focus. Lazlo believes that presenting balance during the conversation often helps conservatives continue to listen to the show. However, he does receive harsh feedback from listeners who don’t agree with him. Unlike some talent who struggle with criticism, Lazlo takes it in stride.
“When I was in the fourth grade, I got handed me a letter signed by the entire class that said they hated me. Everyone in the fourth grade hated me,” Lazlo explained. “When somebody sends me a mean message on Facebook, I think, ‘if you wanted to hurt me you had to get me in the third grade because I already dealt with that in the fourth.’”
That same pragmatism applies to navigating changes in the radio industry, including being moved to KQRC when Audacy changed Alternative station KRBZ to a sports format. Also a move to mornings when the company parted ways with morning host Johnny Dare.
“They didn’t really ask me. They just said, ‘we’re making these changes.’ But I’ve been doing this long enough to know there are train tracks and you can see the train coming. You can either get on it or get off it,” said Lazlo holding no ill will towards anyone who chooses to leave the radio industry.
“I understand how getting off the train is an option for some people. But not for me, I love the job and those four hours.”
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I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve been in this crazy, whacky, marvelous radio business since 1978. It didn’t take long to find out that radio isn’t just a job. It literally rewires you. People who grow up on air, in promotions, programming, sales, production, or management/ownership often discover something unsettling when they try to leave.
It’s virtually impossible because nothing else seems to fit. It’s like the scene in Godfather Part 3 when Michael Corleone [Al Pacino] famously said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
In reality, the hours are often better elsewhere. The pay can be higher. The stress is lower. Yet, so many still drift back, or at least feel like they never fully land anywhere else. The reason is simple but complicated at the same time. Radio really isn’t a career—it’s an identity.
When starting, radio’s rewards were nearly immediate. Everything was always at a frenetic pace. It was as if we learned to think fast, react even faster, and live in multiple 10–20 second moments. Adrenaline was truly baked into every on-air break, remote, or listener call.
Back in the day, I was lucky enough to be on the air on “The Big 610 – KFRC” in San Francisco, owned by RKO. When walking down studio row, the hair would stand up on the back of my neck. In the halls lived talent like Dr. Don Rose, Bobby Ocean, Don Ste John, and so many others. I worked at other great facilities, too, but KFRC was truly “The Amazing AM!”
It was after 9 p.m., and I finished a break but picked up one of the request lines that were always blinking.
“Hi KFRC! Who’s this?”
“Hi, this is Sharon—can you play a song for me?”
“Of course,” I replied. “Where ya calling from?”
Her response blew me away. “Cheyenne!”
Wow! This young woman was calling from 1,200 miles, 17 hours, and three states away! All the FMs in town needed repeaters just to clear the mountainous terrain of the Bay Area, but not KFRC. I’m certain there were good stations in Cheyenne, but for Sharon that night—none like “The Big 610.”
Honestly, my pulse increases just regaling that story. For many, that constant sense of awe becomes normal, and you settle into it as more comforting than anything else.
Other industries move slower, plan longer, and require patience that radio never trained us to have. As some have told me, when they try something else, they often feel like they’ve been dropped into slow motion.
There is also the public validation received as well. Being “the person on the radio” still comes with recognition. People know your voice, and your job is visible in a way most careers aren’t. Walking away from that can bring a sense of anonymity overnight. It can be a difficult adjustment for people who’ve spent years being recognized for doing their job.
Let’s not forget that radio talent are the original content creators and initial influencers. In fact, their love and passion still make radio far more valuable than Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. Connections we make are seeded and rooted much deeper than those on social media.
Radio is immediate, live, local, and far more authentic. That talent means more to clients than anything else. Just like The Godfather—“Making an offer they can’t refuse.”
Radio also creates a true sense of belonging. We have all worked in places that are small ecosystems with shared stress, inside jokes, and battle scars. You survive the crumby remotes for which no one showed up, the brutal schedules that include holidays and weekends, format flips, and management changes that impacted everyone.
That kind of bonding is intense. When radio people move into corporate or traditional office environments, the emotional temperature can feel sterile. Fewer shared risks, and even fewer shared wins. I remember when Ed Christian offered me VP of Programming at Saga Communications, one thing stood out. We didn’t have a radio station in the corporate office. It could just as easily have been the inside of an insurance company.
Despite the hours, the stress, and all the issues, the old adage is true. It’s a calling, and if you love it, “you’ll never work a day in your life.”
It’s why leaving can feel like betrayal. Many radio pros feel if they quit, they’re somehow quitting on themselves. Even through change, shrinking budgets, and narrowed opportunities, the love of the game remains.
Something else that works against changing careers is that while we are highly adaptive, creative, and resilient. We’re not always great at shifting into corporate language that matters in other industries.
Doing mornings during a market downturn doesn’t neatly fit into a LinkedIn profile. Hiring managers across other industries don’t necessarily understand the value of our experience. It reinforces the feeling of “being stuck.”
Radio has taught most of us to endure long hours, modest pay, and constant change. We learn to push through it all because that’s just what we do. Ironically, though, that endurance is exactly what can keep some in the business long after they’ve outgrown it.
Leaving radio isn’t really about finding another job. It requires a redefining of who you are when the mic or the station logo isn’t synonymous with your name anymore. That’s why, for so many radio diehards, the most difficult part of doing anything else isn’t the work.
It’s letting go of the version of ourselves we created inside that little radio.
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