Podcasts. Yes, they are a thing. According to Google, the Podcast was invented in 2004. They are everywhere now and seemingly everybody has one. An information page on Apple’s website claims that on its platform alone there are more than 750-thousand shows and more than 24-million episodes. Apple says its podcasts are available in 155 countries and in over 100 languages. So, as you can probably deduce, they are popular and far reaching.
Armed with that information and knowledge, let me pose a question to you, “Is it a good idea for a play-by-play announcer or reporter to branch out and start one of his/her own?” Um, YES! This is especially true if you are a young broadcaster trying to hone skills and showcase your abilities. Why not get in on it and take advantage of another way to move you forward in your career?
Why? What is the value of a podcast? For you younger broadcasters, it’s a tremendous way to get more and more of your personal content out there for an audience. Use your connections in the industry to come on your podcast and interview them. The interview has no time constraints on it, because after all this is not on the air and not subject to a “clock” or the end of an inning. You can ask questions that you might not normally ask on air to showcase your subject’s sense of humor. This exercise can make you much more comfortable in a normal interviewing segment as well. The environment is so much less stressful and it will sound that way.
Your podcast will allow your base audience, those that are listening to your broadcasts during the season, to hear you in the off-season. It’s important to stay top of mind and connected to your listeners. Plus, it’s a good forum for you to showcase your personality and other interests. To build your brand and name recognition. When I did my podcast a few years ago, I felt like my opinion segments allowed me some freedoms that a normal broadcast wouldn’t. I got to express thoughts about not only sports, but television and movies and other pop culture events.
This is such a great opportunity to go “unplugged” or unfiltered. Show that sense of humor and build a relationship and trust between you and your audience. Not only will this help your podcast, it will help you in your regular gig.
Depending on how you approach your podcast mentally, it should be looked at as a labor of love. Don’t think of your podcast as extra work because this is again, free content with your name all over it. Hosting a podcast doesn’t have a deadline like your normal work life in sports might. Do it when you have time, but try to keep it on a regular schedule for people to catch on to your podcast. Once a week? Once every other week? Once a month? Up to you, but try for a little consistency for subscribers to keep up with you and your work.
Podcasting is also a great way to promote your social media platforms. Most of the time you will advertise what’s on your latest episode via Twitter, or Facebook or Instagram. It’s another way to build that portion of your brand. People who are loyal to your podcast will in turn be loyal to your social media as well.
Some of these podcasts are produced via a team or a radio station, but you can do it on your own. It doesn’t take a lot of expensive equipment, but if you choose to produce it, there will be an element a time investment. It’s good practice on a creative front to make it your own and to experiment with what works and what doesn’t. Advance these practices to your “day job” and you’ll be amazed at how much better that work becomes.
I don’t mean to exclude the veteran play-by-play announcers and reporters. Just because you’ve been in the business a long time, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn a new skill. Stay relevant with your entire audience, not just those that remember life before cable TV.
I think it’s a good thing to expand your horizons and take the leap into the world of podcasting. For us veterans, it’s not a situation where you’ll need to further a brand or become more visible. It’s more along the lines of continuing to produce content in your “off-season”. Allow your fans, listeners and fellow broadcasters to hear you all year round. They may learn something about you in the process which can only help the cause moving forward.
With technology being what it is, your audience is listening at their leisure and in different places. Commuters on their way to work are using apps to listen to podcasts on trains and buses. Those that drive also have the ability to listen in their cars with Apple Play and Android Play nearly standard features in automobiles now. Your podcast is readily available and in the hands of nearly everyone with a smartphone. Think of the possibilities.
The best part of the podcast is, you decide how long it is, you decide who’s on it and you decide when it gets produced. It’s a blank canvas waiting for you to paint. Unleash your creativity and see what happens.
We are just over a month away from the 2020 BSM Summit in New York. It feels like yesterday when I was walking into the Ailey Citigroup Theater to see if it’d be a good venue for the event. If you’ve followed me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you’ve likely heard about this Summit for months, and at one point or another it’s peaked your curiosity, especially if you work in the media business.
To make an event like this work, a lot has to go right. There’s the venue, the hotel partner, the sponsors, the marketing of the event, and of course, the city itself. Most important though are the speakers. If you don’t have interesting, successful people from various areas of the industry sharing insights on how to make your brand or business better, the rest won’t matter. Also of critical importance is making sure the topics cover a wide range of issues related to sales, social, programming, podcasting, new business categories, audio/video, etc..
Last year in Los Angeles, we had some outstanding people grace the stage, and we’ve built on that momentum by assembling a strong cast of speakers for our 2020 BSM Summit in NYC. It’s my pleasure to share today that we’ve added 6 more to our conference schedule. Joining us on stage in the big apple will be Premier Radio Networks/FOX Sports Radio’s SVP of Sports Programming Don Martin, newly appointed co-manager of ESPN Radio Amanda Gifford, FOX Sports Radio’s RJ Bell, 98.7 ESPN NY afternoon host Peter Rosenberg and evening host Chris Carlin. We’ve also received confirmation that ESPN/ESPN Radio host Jason Fitz will join us on site for the Wednesday night private cocktail party at the All Stars Bar and Grill. The party is open solely to conference attendees.
When I look at how the Summit has come together, I’m extremely grateful for the support I’ve received from program directors, voice/imaging folks, affiliate reps, agents, and notable on-air personalities speaking at the show. We also have more GM’s in the room this year than last, which is nice to see. That said, I’d still like to see more PD’s, market managers, and salespeople join us because a lot of the information shared at this event is helpful to future business. I also think more talent and producers should be in the building. Where else do you get access to 40-50 sports media decision makers over the span of 2 days? If you have talent and want to advance your career, you’ve got to build relationships, especially in person.
Having done this now for the past few years, I get grouchy when January rolls around. Creating the Summit is a long exhausting process made harder by having to take care of my normal responsibilities and launching a BSM Top 20 during the week of the Super Bowl (results next week). I’m at the point now where I just want to execute. That said, I have a few additional things to resolve including announcing a few other heavyweights who will be added to our schedule. Look for another announcement later this week.
I started this conference to try and advance the sports media industry and bring people together. I don’t do it to get rich or show off my hosting skills in front of an audience. Too often in our business we live in our buildings and fail to make time to support and connect with each other in person, but these are challenging times for media brands. The way forward requires new ideas and strategies, advanced learning, increased relationships, and celebrating our wins. That’s the purpose behind this event.
I’ll be emailing attendees in February with a detailed layout of all we have planned. The information will also be updated on the conference website BSMSummit.com. It’s going to be a fun and informative few days in the big apple, and if you haven’t made plans to join us yet, I hope you’ll do so. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
You’re looking to hire a play-by-play announcer. Where are you looking? The traditional route of those already working for a team? Probably a safe way to go, but these days there is play-by-play talent across many platforms. Have you ever considered an alternative route?
With all the different streaming services, ESPN+, internet radio and even apps, there are many people calling many game, whether it be a young broadcaster looking to earn his/her first job, or a veteran looking to stay in the game and continue to do what they love. Both are out there and readily available to hear probably without even leaving your desk.
Opportunities abound for broadcasters in the play-by-play realm. I always tell young broadcasters to get on the air in any way possible. I started as a DJ, but it proved to an employer that I knew how to handle myself and gave them an idea of what I sounded like.
These days, does it really matter if your tape comes from an internet broadcast? Is it so bad to be heard and/or seen on a college basketball team’s video stream on ESPN Plus? No! If you are able to perform the job at a high level, sound great, be descriptive and be prepared, to me you’re on the right track.
Now these “alternate” platforms can create some issues. To me there are too many of them and they seem to be popping up every day. New apps like “Hot Mic” give anyone a chance to call a game with a “home team” flavor. I’m not sure that those charged with hiring new broadcasters are looking to this sort of free form site to make their decisions. Not to disparage the newcomers but “Hot Mic” is more of a fan thing, where you don’t have to watch the professional guys on TV and can join this app and watch whoever you want call the game. All good, but I don’t think this is the place to get that job. It’s definitely a place to hone your skills if you take it seriously.
So, while I know that my last two paragraphs may sound like a contradiction, they really aren’t. Established platforms are taken a little more seriously by those in the business than the newer ones. As we all know, this broadcasting business has a lot of grey areas. What is wrong for one executive is correct for another and vice versa. My thought would be to pursue the more “heritage” avenues until you’ve exhausted those. Then take to the alternatives to get your craft up to speed and try again and again.
There are also more places and teams to call games for these days as well. This gives you an opportunity to get involved with a team in the G-League, the XFL, indoor lacrosse leagues, and even independent baseball leagues. Expand the net that you cast in these directions as well.
The problem some will run into is the person doing the hiring may go with a known commodity as opposed to the up and coming sportscaster that’s only done games on the internet. It’s not fair. But you have to put yourself in their shoes. Sometimes their own job will depend on who they hire and how that person works out. On the other hand, a younger broadcaster may work a little more “inexpensively” and not price themselves out of the market like a veteran.
I would love to see a time where minor league clubs and even those in the four major sports, take the time to develop a roster of broadcasters. How much easier would a hiring process be if you as a major sport broadcast executive already knew about several announcers on the rise? Why wouldn’t they want to make the process as easy for them as possible by following someone’s career path and how they’ve grown in the industry?
Let’s not expect this to happen overnight. Also, let’s not think that some of these rising stars will be ready for the ‘next’ hire a team makes, maybe it’s one or two down the road. Maybe this is going on in some organizations already, developing a pipeline for lack of a better word to their club. To make it tougher on those in the hiring position, you as a broadcaster have to continue to grow and not look at a game on a streaming platform any differently than you would a television or radio network. To make your mark you have to be on the mark every time you crack the microphone. While we never have a completely mistake free broadcast, you can hear effort, you can hear potential and you can certainly hear growth.
There are countless numbers of examples of announcers starting from nothing and ending up with terrific jobs. The difference between those that made it and those that didn’t is constant work. Shop your wares, do your homework, put in the time and effort.
The same can be said for those doing the hiring, expand your scope, check out a game on the internet every once in a while. You might be surprised at what you hear.
In sports radio programming circles, the name Mark Chernoff carries a lot of weight. As the longtime architect of WFAN, Chernoff has guided the New York sports station to decades of ratings and revenue success, managing high profile personalities, discovering and developing tomorrow’s stars, adapting to the rise of multi-platform content, and doing it all under the microscope of a feisty New York print media. It’s why BSM has introduced a new award this year in honor of one of the best to ever program a sports radio brand.
To earn consideration for the first ever Mark Chernoff award, sports radio programmers needed to possess the following; Strong leadership, vision, creativity, ratings history, and multi-platform excellence. Six candidates who checked those boxes were nominated for the award, and BSM’s twelve person voting committee weighed in the determine the first recipient. The six nominees were Chad Abbott of KFAN, Chris Kinard of 106.7 The Fan, Jeff Catlin of Sports Radio 1310/96.7 The Ticket, Mitch Rosen of 670 The Score/105.7 The Fan, Ryan Hatch of Arizona Sports 98.7, and Spike Eskin of 94WIP.
After processing the feedback, Barrett Sports Media is pleased to share that the first winner of the Mark Chernoff Award is Mitch Rosen. Mitch will be honored at the 2020 BSM Summit in New York on Thursday February 27th during the awards ceremony presented by Premier Radio Networks.
Under Rosen’s
watchful eye, 670 The Score has been one of the most respected and successful
sports stations in the country. The lifelong Chicagoan has spent over thirty
years in Chicago radio working with elite brands such as The Score, ESPN 1000, WGN,
WXRT and WLUP. He’s served as program director of 670 The Score since 2005, and
took on the added responsibility and challenge of programming 105.7 The Fan in
Milwaukee in July 2019.
“Mitch Rosen’s contributions
to the sports radio format are endless,” said Barrett Sports Media President
Jason Barrett. “Spend two minutes with Mitch, and you learn quickly just how
much he loves this business and appreciates his people. So much about success
in our industry depends on strong leadership, creativity, vision, and adaptability,
qualities that Mitch Rosen not only possesses, but puts into action on a daily
basis.”
Rosen was taken aback
by the news, and wanted to thank all who’ve helped him along the way: “I’m
extremely honored and humbled to receive this award. Mark is a dear friend
and mentor who I’ve known for a long time. That makes this extra special. But
this award is not about my individual accomplishments, but rather the power of
the Score brand and everyone who has contributed to its success over the past
15 plus years. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing people and
terrific companies, and am proud to accept this honor on their behalf, and
share the stage with Mark at the 2020 BSM Summit.”
Chernoff was equally happy when told that Rosen would receive the award: “I am so proud to know Mitch Rosen, truly one of the best program directors in America. Mitch knows all the tricks—how to work with talent, sales and management; deal with the ups and downs of the sports world, and come up with new ideas and solutions to address problems. I’m happy to call Mitch a friend as well as a co-worker, and look forward to seeing him in New York.”
Tickets for the 2020 BSM Summit on February 26-27, 2020 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York are on-sale to media members for $299.99. For further information visit https://bsmsummit.com.
The Tony Bruno Award was introduced in 2019 by Barrett Sports Media to recognize a national sports media personality who has expanded their profile and cut thru the noise by offering a unique, unfiltered, and authentic approach. Clay Travis of FOX Sports Radio and FS1 was selected as the first award winner at the 2019 BSM Summit in Los Angeles, and with the 2020 BSM Summit taking place next month in New York, it’s time to announce our 2020 recipient.
To help us determine this year’s winner, twelve industry executives were asked to cast a vote for one of the following five nominees; Pat McAfee of Westwood One/DAZN/ESPN/WWE, Nate Burleson of CBS Sports and the NFL Network, Mina Kimes of ESPN, Nick Wright of FOX Sports 1, and Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports. After tallying the results, Barrett Sports Media is pleased to share that Pat McAfee has been selected as our 2020 recipient of the Tony Bruno Award.Pat will accept the award at our special awards ceremony presented by Premier Radio Networks, next month in NYC.
2019 was a big year for McAfee. After leaving Barstool Sports in 2018, the former NFL Punter partnered with Westwood One to launch a nationally syndicated sports radio show. That program was given a television simulcast on DAZN. The CBS Sports Radio network has since added the show to its weekday lineup in January 2020.
But that’s not all. McAfee also struck an agreement with
ESPN to work Thursday night College Football games as an analyst, and make
appearances on the network’s popular shows ‘College Gameday’ and ‘Get Up’. The charismatic
host also continued to grow his popularity by appearing on WWE pay per view
pre-shows, and stepping in for emergency color analyst duty on an episode of
Friday Night Smackdown. All of this was done while continuing to strengthen his
social media presence and host a popular podcast multiple times per week.
“Pat McAfee’s blend of energy, drive, authenticity, and entertainment has helped him stand out on the national sports media stage,” explained BSM President Jason Barrett. “At just 32 years old, Pat has dove head first into the business, building an incredible brand across multi-platforms by being relatable, credible, and highly motivated. Though his best days in the industry are still ahead of him, executives are well aware of his rapid rise and special talent, and I am looking forward to presenting him in New York with what I’m sure will be the first of many broadcasting honors, the 2020 Tony Bruno Award.”
After being told he’d been picked to receive the
Tony Bruno Award, McAfee expressed his gratitude to those who chose him for it:
“It’s an honor to be recognized
as this year’s Tony Bruno Award recipient. For as long as I can remember, I’ve
always enjoyed great conversation. I thought that if I knew a little bit about
everything, I could talk to anybody about anything. So, whether it was talking
with a custodian about a new mop they were using or chatting up a billionaire
about their choice of a new plane, I lived for those exchanges because I knew
they were a chance to learn something. My genuine curiosity and willingness to
chat about whatever hasn’t always led me to “perfect” situations but I’m
thankful that in this beautifully intimate form of entertainment, radio, those
2 traits can set you up for some magical on air moments.
He continued: “My life has been filled with a slew of insanely cool moments happened upon serendipitously and I am grateful for every single one of them. When I tell a story, I hope the listener feels as if they were right there with me. When I interview someone, my intention is for the listener to think “I would’ve asked the same damn thing.” My goal for each show is to help listeners escape from whatever’s going on in their lives and enjoy a mental vacation for a few hours. It’s been quite a thrill to be mentioned alongside the other nominees because they are doing the exact same thing and inspire me daily. I’m a fan of all of you. Massive thanks to whomever decided I should win this award, I’m not sure I agree with you BUT I appreciate it mucho nonetheless. Cheers to the future of radio.”
Bruno was also pleased with this year’s selection, and praised McAfee’s quick surge on the national stage: “In addition to being honored by having my name on this award, seeing the incredible list of yearly finalists proves sports media’s future is in good hands for decades to come. Pat McAfee was the “go to” guy in the Colts locker room for refreshingly candid and hilarious ability to relate to media and fans alike, and since entering the media business, his star power has continued to skyrocket. Pat Summerall was the greatest kicker turned HOF broadcaster ever, and now – dare I say: Pat has *out kicked the coverage, and keeps nailing it on the air every single day (*courtesy of 2019 winner Clay Travis).”
In addition, thanks to Benztown Branding and Westwood One, McAfee will have a little more on his plate than just collecting hardware at the BSM Summit. A special BSM Summit Kickoff will take place on Tuesday February 25th at 8pm ET at The Watson Hotel. McAfee will serve as the special guest and discuss his football and media career, in addition to taking photos with conference attendees. The event, which is being billed as a casual affair (no suits and ties permitted) will include free drinks and appetizers to the first 100 thru the door.
Tickets to the 2020 BSM Summit on February 26-27, 2020 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York are currently on-sale to media professionals. A special $99.00 per night hotel rate has also been established at The Watson Hotel for those wishing to attend and keep costs down. For further information visit https://bsmsummit.com.
Big changes are underway at the ESPN Radio Network. The longtime SVP of ESPN Radio and the ESPN Talent Office, Traug Keller, has announced he’s retiring. Keller is expected to help the network thru a transition before stepping away from daily activity sometime next month.
With Keller at the helm, ESPN Radio has become one of the most successful and respected brands in the country. Under his watch, ESPNRadio.com became the most listened to live stream of any terrestrial broadcaster in the world, reaching more than 700,000 unique listeners per month. He’s also led the expansion of the ESPN Audio brand to the ESPN apps, SiriusXM, Apple Music, Slacker Radio, TuneIn.
During his time with the network, Keller has had direct oversight of all aspects of ESPN Audio’s business including talent, staffing, national programming content, scheduling, and event production. In May 2016, he added the responsibility of managing the ESPN Talent Office, which is responsible for recruiting and retaining ESPN’s more than 1,000 on-air personnel.
Prior to joining ESPN, Traug served as the President of ABC Radio Networks, leading all aspects of network programming, affiliate relations, engineering, finance, research, IT, international programming, and marketing. Prior to his time at ABC, Keller worked as a sales manager in New York for the CBS Radio Networks, and held marketing and sales positions with the New York Times.
Also retiring from the company is Marcia Keegan. Keegan worked for the company in the early 1980’s and returned for a second run in 2007. She recently served as vice president of national radio programming and production following stints as the vice president of production, and vice president of content integration & strategic planning. Most recently, she oversaw the network’s weekday shows First and Last, Golic and Wingo, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, The Stephen A. Smith Show, The Will Cain Show, Spain and Fitz, Freddie and Fitzsimmons, and SportsCenter AllNight.
In an email distributed today to ESPN employees, executive vice president of event and studio production Norby Williamson said, “Both Traug and Marcia have been pivotal in successfully leading the Audio division to continued growth in a dynamically changing industry.”
To fill Keller and Keegan’s roles at the network, ESPN will turn to the team of Dave Roberts and Amanda Gifford. Both have prior experience working with ESPN Audio and ESPN television. They’re both well respected, talented professionals with a lengthy track record inside the company.
Roberts, currently serves as the Vice President of Production at ESPN, overseeing production of First Take, the 6pm ET SportsCenter, Get Up, High Noon, Highly Questionable, Around the Horn & Pardon the Interruption. He is directly responsible for 35 hours of programming per week on ESPN’s airwaves.
Previously, Roberts held the title of vice president of ESPN Audio network content, leading a group focused on strategy for national talk and play-by-play content. Roberts had a big role in bringing Bomani Jones to the network, and added shows such as espnW Presents: The Trifecta, Izzy & Spain, and The Morning Roast.
His experience includes time spent in New York as the general manager of ESPN Radio New York 98.7FM. He’s also held roles as senior coordinating producer of studio production for ESPNEWS, and coordinating producer for ESPNEWS, SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight. He joined ESPN after 25 years in local news, both in front of and behind the camera.
Gifford on the other hand started her career at ESPN Radio in 2004 as an intern, advancing to a producer role on ‘The Herd’ with Colin Cowherd, before taking the plunge into management. She currently serves as Coordinating Producer II, overseeing content planning and strategy for SportsCenter and the network’s studio shows. Her responsibilities include managing ESPN’s Talent Producers, and having direct oversight of guests booked on the network’s key shows and platforms.
Prior to her promotion to the CP role in February 2019, Gifford worked in the ESPN Talent Office, handling all talent matters related to SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, ESPN2’s daytime shows, MLB, NBA, Soccer, Golf and Tennis. Part of her role included assisting with contracts, and helping to recruit talent.
But radio is where Gifford first earned her stripes as a manager. As the network’s Senior Director of daytime programs, she oversaw the content, production staffs, talent and operations of “Mike and Mike,” “The Dan Le Batard show with Stugotz,” and “Russillo and Kanell.“ She also managed other programs such as “College GameDay,” “GameNight,” “The Erik Kuselias Show,” “The John Kincade Show” and “The V Show” with Bob Valvano. Gifford has also been heavily involved in the planning, organizing, and executing of the annual ‘Don’t Ever Give Up V Foundation Auction’.
Though Roberts and Gifford are taking on the responsibility of running the ESPN Audio division, both will remain involved in their current roles on the television side as well.
Last but certainly not least, the network has confirmed that Tim McCarthy, ESPN Audio’s Senior VP and GM, and head boss at 98.7 ESPN NY will take over GM duties of ESPN LA 710 in addition to continuing to operate 98.7 ESPN NY and managing network play by play. Scott McCarthy, who’s managed the L.A. brand in addition to holding a VP and GM role with ESPN Audio, will shift his focus to overseeing business operations for the audio division, which includes network ad sales, affiliates, marketing, digital, and podcasting.
Barrett Sports Media congratulates Traug and Marcia on all of their accomplishments with the company, and Dave, Amanda, Tim and Scott on their new opportunities.
In 2019, Barrett Sports Media introduced The Jeff Smulyan Award, named after Emmis’ CEO and the founder of the all-sports format. The goal was to annually recognize a deserving radio executive who has moved the industry forward thru a combination of leading by example, taking risks, producing results, and making a significant impact on the sports radio business.
Our first recipient of this award was Kraig Kitchin, the current Chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame and Co-President of the talent management firm SoundMind. Kitchin played a huge role in Premier Radio Networks’ rise into national syndication including launching The Jim Rome Show. We were fortunate to have him join us on stage in Los Angeles at the 2019 BSM Summit to accept the award.
For our 2020 award, I involved twelve well respected executives in the selection process. After gathering all of the feedback, I’m pleased to share the results. The 2020 recipient of the Jeff Smulyan Award is none other than Dan Mason. Dan will join us at the 2020 BSM Summit in New York to accept the award in person.
As President and CEO of CBS Radio, Dan Mason spent more than 15 years managing all business matters for more than 125 stations in 27 markets, including all of the Top 10. Under Mason’s watch, CBS Radio’s sports stations earned high ratings and revenue, and a reputation as best in class operators. Along with CBS Radio’s EVP of Programming Chris Oliviero, Mason moved the company’s top sports brands on to the FM dial, assuring future growth for the format. He also authorized the launch of the CBS Sports Radio Network.
Following his exit from CBS Radio, Mason signed on as a special adviser to iHeart Radio, reporting to CEO Bob Pittman and CFO Rich Bressler. He also dusted off his broadcasting chops, making on-air contributions as a play by play announcer and analyst on the CBS Sports Network, and Horse Racing Radio Network.
Now entrenched as the Chairman of VSiN (Vegas Stats and Information Network), Mason is focused on helping the Las Vegas based company expand its profile and programming in the rapidly emerging sports betting space. Since joining VSiN, a partnership has been established with Gow Media to launch The BetR Network, giving the group more opportunity to expand its sports radio footprint.
“Dan Mason’s vision, confidence, and passion for sports radio is a huge reason why the format is thriving today,” said Barrett Sports Media President Jason Barrett. “He has made big decisions throughout his broadcasting career, many of which have positively and permanently impacted the sports talk format. I am thrilled to recognize him with this award, and give our attendees at the 2020 BSM Summit an opportunity to show their appreciation and respect for the significant difference he’s made on our industry.”
Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan added “I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Dan Mason. He has done so much for sports radio and our entire business for many years. Everywhere he’s been, Dan has left an indelible mark. He is a great broadcaster, great person, and great friend, and I’m proud to have him recognized as this year’s award winner.”
“I think of all of the risks
Jeff Smulyan took with WFAN back in its early years, and how important the
success of that brand has been to the growth of the sports radio format,” said
VSiN Chairman and former CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason. “It’s an honor to be
presented with an award in Jeff’s name, and I look forward to accepting it, and
seeing many of my industry friends in New York next month.”
Tickets to the 2020 BSM Summit on February 26-27, 2020 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York are on-sale to media members for $299.99. A special $99.00 per night hotel rate has also been established at The Watson Hotel to help broadcasters keep expenses down. For further information on the conference visit https://bsmsummit.com.
Over the years, I’ve tried to live in the moment rather than in the past. But the longer you stay active in the sports media business, the more you recognize how important it is to appreciate the journey, and all of the ups and downs that come with it. Those good and bad experiences play a big part in your professional development.
As I write this column with 2020 lurking around the corner, I’m fond of what I experienced between 2010 and 2019. It is without a doubt, the best decade of my professional career. Granted, I’ve only been in the industry long enough to enjoy 2.5 decades, and there’s still plenty of road left to travel, but the past ten years have given me a newfound respect and love for the business that I chose to enter in 1995.
The decade started for me in St. Louis, where I was fortunate to work for a first class GM named John Kijowski. I was hired as PD to build 101 ESPN. We launched the station in 2009, and made progress, but it was 2010 when the brand took off and became a top rated juggernaut. We had a great lineup, investments in play by play and key contributors, but most importantly, we were having fun and growing together.
It was at 101 where I developed my leadership style. I introduced monthly meetings with the programming staff which would include a lesson or two, offer a deeper look into the state of the station, and end with a couple of laughs and staff recognition for whoever earned our employee of the month award. I felt it was important to bring the group together to laugh, learn, voice their opinions, and gain a better understanding of our results and why certain decisions were being made. It was a vital part of creating a winning culture, and though I left the station in June 2011, 101 ESPN has continued winning throughout the decade, building on what we started.
The reason I left the radio station was due to receiving an incredible opportunity in San Francisco. I was hired to build and develop 95.7 The Game, working for another great GM, Dwight Walker. The difference with this situation was that it was in market #4, and included the challenge of taking on one of America’s best performing sports stations, KNBR.
I signed a four year deal with Entercom, knowing that the likelihood of winning the ratings battle the first few years would be difficult, especially without a major play by play partner driving additional cume. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to win badly and drove the team hard to help us unseat the competition, but I knew that the real goal was to build a sustainable brand. We came out of the gate far back in 27th place, but over the next 4 years climbed to as high as 3rd right before I exited in June 2015. After I left, The Game landed the radio rights to the Golden State Warriors, and it’s helped make the battle for Bay Area sports radio supremacy even more interesting.
Similar to my time in St. Louis, the years spent in the Bay Area will always be important to me. I loved living there, and working with a ton of talented people. I helped grow two program directors in that building, and helped others earn on-air opportunities which have since changed their lives. Like every job, it had its pluses and minuses. The GM change two years in wasn’t easy. Neither was going from working with a budget to having constant conversations about every personnel decision. But when I weigh the pros vs. the cons, I look back fondly at the experience. To see the station, and many who I worked with still doing well, shows me that we created something that local people, teams, and advertisers value.
The crazy part of reflecting on the past decade is that this is just the midway point. I had no idea the back half of my journey would include a return to NY, gaining custody of my son, and launching a business as an independent consultant. It took a lot of adjusting, but I dove head first into this space in September 2015 by listening to stations, hitting the road to work with brands, building the BSM website and a stronger social media presence, hiring a writing, web, and social team, and creating the annual BSM Summit. It’s hard work, and not a path for everyone, but I’m thankful that I took the plunge when I did.
As we enter this next decade, many familiar faces who we’ve come to know, trust, and depend on for support the past few decades will exit the industry. Someone has to take the baton and move this business forward otherwise the work those folks have done will have been wasted. As stations look for help to navigate a complex sports media picture, I want to be the person they turn to for guidance.
Looking at the business today, one area where I know we can improve is in keeping more of an open mind. There are far too many assumptions made about who people are, how they operate, and what we think works or doesn’t work based on our prior experiences. The problem with that is the future is different than the past, the sports media landscape is more competitive than ever, and the only way to know what someone stands for and how they fit in your operation is to talk to them and form your own opinion.
Case in point, I was on a visit this fall when someone told me a corporate person told them to be careful of what they share with me because I could spin their ideas as my own to gain favor or talk them out of their initial idea in order to push my own agenda. I was stunned because that’s not how I work at all. But to know that, you’d need to know me or have worked with me. It annoyed me to hear that a corporate person was offering an uneducated opinion on me, but it also reminded me that I have a lot more people to win over. And I will.
I tell my clients all the time, I’m in the suggestion business. They’re in the solution business. I’m a resource who’s focus is on helping them grow their business. To do that, I listen, do research, and offer my opinions just like anyone else. When the final call has to be made though, it belongs to the client. Sometimes my work involves leading a recruitment search, other times I’m designing a podcast or social media strategy. One day I’m on location leading a sales meeting, the next I’m in a conference room working with a show and PD. There’s no one size fits all formula in my world. Much depends on what each station/market needs and values most.
If I can make two personal requests for the next decade, the first would be for more people in our industry to lead the charge on changing the narrative about the radio business. We’re quick to embrace podcasting and social media, but haven’t done a great job of pounding the drum for radio. The last time I checked, radio was still a big part of people’s lives, even if some want to label it a thing of the past. Be proud of the business you’re in instead of apologizing for it. Many would kill to be where you are.
I get that our industry doesn’t have a great image in the eyes of the business world. Decision makers see the other media options, the frequent cuts made at stations across the country, and radio’s revenue projections, and it lessens confidence. That’s why it’s up to us to educate advertisers, teams, media partners, and fans about the cool things we do, and the successes we have doing it. That makes others want to be part of it. If your story isn’t familiar to them, why would they look past all of the other danger signs?
My second request is to see more women and minorities given opportunity to manage sports radio brands. I’ve written about it, and highlighted it at the Summit, but here we are entering 2020 with less than a handful of sports radio PD’s being female or non-white. There isn’t one valid argument to be made for why the status quo should continue. Our ability to make progress on this front has been embarrassing. I certainly hope that at the end of 2029 I’m not writing a similar paragraph.
As for myself, I love what I’m doing. Just last week I was recognized by Sports Illustrated’s JohnWall Street as one of the Top 100 sports business follows on Twitter, and my knowledge and understanding of the business has grown leaps and bounds over the past 4 years. I’ve had a chance to meet and listen to a lot of great people, while expanding my knowledge of social media metrics and strategy, website performance, podcasting data, audience behavior, and of course, radio ratings. I never want to stop challenging myself to grow, and nothing fuels that fire more than what I’m doing now.
I’ve been asked many times if I’ll return to a building one day. I never say never, but it’s highly unlikely. I’ll always take a phone call because that’s just smart business, but I won’t be the guy chasing down job openings. During my 4 years of running BSM, I’ve taken two meetings, and neither were for PD gigs. One was to run an entire sports operation for a major audio company. The other to work with a well known sports television talent and company on building a new online platform.
In both cases, the timing and fit wasn’t right, and I returned to doing the job I love most, this one. I’m fortunate to work with a lot of great brands and people, and tell stories that others care to read or listen to. I also like having my family nearby, and my son in my house, although that’ll end next year when he goes to college.
My goal moving forward is to become an even better resource for the media industry, and increase awareness and interest in our online brand and the BSM Summit. There are a lot of companies I haven’t had the privilege of working with yet. With a new decade in front us, I’m hoping to change that.
I do have one thing in development that is going to be pretty cool, but I’m not ready to share the details just yet. What I can tell you is that I expect to add more media professionals to this website as writers in the future. If interested, email me at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. We’re also planning to put a few merchandise items on the site at some point. I think you’ll dig some of the sayings and designs we’ve been working on.
As long as sports media remains important to people, I plan to write, report, and podcast about it. If over the next decade I can help and influence a few more brands and people, and help my staff advance in the industry, that’ll make my work even more rewarding. Whether you’ve read this website, listened to one of our podcasts, interacted on social media, retained me for a business project, or attended a BSM Summit, I want to thank you for your support. All of it matters, and is greatly appreciated.
On behalf of our entire crew, I wish you a Happy New Year. Be sure to take a few minutes today to reflect on your own experiences from the past ten years. It’s what makes the journey worthwhile. Just don’t celebrate too hard tonight, because your next decade of challenges and opportunities starts tomorrow!
Last week I introduced an email only contest to a few hundred sports media professionals. With the holidays here, I’ve been in a giving mood, so I thought I’d show my appreciation to those who support us by giving away two pairs of tickets to February’s 2020 BSM Summit.
I figured we’d get 15-20 emails, pick two winners, and call it a day. What I didn’t expect was the response. More than 75 people sent in the secret code to participate. GM’s, PD’s, Corporate Executives, Agents, Talent, Producers, and Sales professionals were all active in the process.
After reviewing the feedback, I decided rather than playing scrooge this Christmas, I’d play the role of Santa Barrett, and be extra generous by giving away 4 pairs of tickets instead of 2. It’s great to see industry people taking greater interest in the conference. If I can make the holidays brighter for a few folks by passing along a couple of free tickets, then I’m happy to do so.
To determine the winners, I used super advanced technology (put all of the names into a hat). The four names that were pulled out who now have a pair of tickets to February’s 2020 BSM Summit are as follows:
Steve Herz – The Montag Group
Todd Markiewicz – 97.1 The Fan
Dave Cadeau – Sportsnet 590 The Fan
Marissa Rives – SiriusXM Fight Nation
Thanks again to all who participated in the contest. If you didn’t win but wish to join us in NYC for the Summit, there’s still time to take advantage of our special holiday sale on tickets. Prices have been reduced to $224.99 until 11:59pm tonight. To get yours, visit https://BSMSummit.com. Happy holidays!
Over the past month and a half BSM has given tri-state area college students an opportunity to qualify to win free tickets to the 2020 BSM Summit. The rules were simple, students had to attend a school within 90-miles of NYC, and send in a video up to 2-minutes in length explaining why they wanted to attend the event. They were also encouraged in their video submissions to tell us what they’ve been doing during their college experience to prepare for a career in sports media.
I asked Cumulus Media and Westwood One’s Senior Vice President of Programming Bruce Gilbert to help me with the process. The two of us watched each of the videos submitted, and I am pleased to share that our two winners for the BSM Summit College Contest are Dominic Capone of Fordham University, and Derek Futterman of Hofstra University. Congratulations to both guys. Bruce and I look forward to seeing you at the BSM Summit on February 26-27.
For industry friends looking to attend the conference, tickets are still available. We’re running a special holiday sale thru Christmas Eve, so if you’d like to save $75 on the ticket price and make sure you’re in attendance for the show, visit https://BSMSummit.com. We also have a few sponsorships remaining. Companies interested in being associated with the event can reach out via email at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.
The lineup is coming together little by little, and I am thrilled to share a few new additions to the conference. FOX Sports Radio Vice President of Programming Scott Shapiro, 105.3 The Fan Program Director Gavin Spittle, Edison Research President Larry Rosin, and Front Office Sports Senior Writer Michael McCarthy have been added to the schedule. We’ll have more speaker announcements in January, so stay tuned.
One thing I do want to tease in advance is a special Tuesday night Kickoff event prior to the start of the Summit. It’ll be a 1-hour gathering, starting at 8pm ET. We’ve got a really cool guest host for it too. We’ll share that with you in January. To make the event fun and more relaxed, there will be one simple requirement – no suits and ties allowed. Dress casual, and have fun interacting and hearing our special guest host weigh in on some of the interesting twists and turns of his media career.
Additional announcements still to come include the winners of the Jeff Smulyan, Tony Bruno, and Mark Chernoff awards. I’ve enlisted 12 well respected radio executives to help determine our 2020 winners. The PD’s nominated for the Mark Chernoff Award include Chris Kinard, Spike Eskin, Chad Abbott, Ryan Hatch, Mitch Rosen, and Jeff Catlin. Our nominees for the Tony Bruno Award are Mina Kimes, Pat McAfee, Dave Portnoy, Nate Burleson, and Nick Wright. The executives list is 6-7 deep. The official results for all three awards will be revealed on Monday January 6th.
The holidays are supposed to be a time for unwinding, but it never works out that way for me. I just secured our location for Wednesday night’s private cocktail party following the first day of the Summit, retained a videographer to film the show, and ordered our very first batch of BSM t-shirts. Next on the to-do list besides Summit work is finalizing the BSM Top 20 voting, and working on a year end podcast with the BSM crew looking back at the 10 top sports radio stories of 2019. I’m hoping to release the episode on Monday December 30th.
You’ll notice lighter activity on the BSM website between December 24th and January 5th. The majority of our crew will be enjoying a break for the holidays. If you’re following along on social, we’ll use the time to feature some of our best content from the past few years. Feel free to check out some of it in your leisure. In the meantime, thanks for your continued support of BSM. I wish you and your family a great Christmas/Holiday.
