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ESPN LA 710 Names Amanda Brown PD; Announces Additional Internal Promotions

BSM Staff
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ESPN LA 710 Names Amanda Brown PD; Announces Additional Internal Promotions

It’s no secret that female program directors are rare in the sports radio industry. Fortunately, ESPN LA 710 is more interested in changing history rather than repeating it.

General Manager Scott McCarthy informed his staff today that the station will turn to 17-year veteran Amanda Brown to lead the brand forward as its new Program Director. She takes over for Dan Zampillo who left the station in November to join Spotify.

Prior to earning her PD stripes, Brown spent the past four years as 710’s Assistant Program Director. During that time she spearheaded the station’s play-by-play programming and managed local team relationships.

Her career experience also includes serving as a producer of many notable and successful shows. In Los Angeles, Brown has worked with Mason and Ireland, and Max and Marcellus. In Bristol, CT at the ESPN Radio network, she produced Mike Tirico and Scott Van Pelt, and The Sports Bash with Erik Kuselias. She also spent three years earlier in her career in Dallas at ESPN 103.3 working with a variety of hosts and shows.

With Brown moving up to the PD position, 710 is promoting Greg Bergman to Assistant Program Director. Bergman will work closely with Brown on 710’s day to day programming matters. He’s spent 18 years in the business, beginning his journey into the format in 2002 with Fox Sports Radio. Since then, Bergman has gone on to work for Sporting News Radio, NBC Sports Radio, and Salem. He joined ESPN LA 710 in 2016 and has served as the lead producer for Mason & Ireland since, helping to make the show the #1 sports talk show in Southern California.

Rounding out 710’s internal promotions is the news of Adam Braunstein  being elevated to Producer of Play-by-Play. Adam has been with the station since 2007, starting in the marketing/promotions department before making the leap into the programming circle two years later as a board operator. He’s since moved up the ladder, earning roles as a weekend producer, midday producer (Mark Willard & Mychael Thompson), and became the station’s first-ever local morning show producer working with Travis Rodgers and Kelvin Washington. Following stints on the station’s talk shows, Braunstein moved into play by play producing and has been heavily involved in 710’s presentation of the Lakers and Rams.

Due to the internal promotions, 710 will be looking for a new producer for Mason & Ireland’s show.

6 More Speakers Added to the 2020 BSM Summit

Jason Barrett
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6 More Speakers Added to the 2020 BSM Summit

The 2020 BSM Summit is shaping up to be another star studded affair for sports media professionals. The two-day sports media conference will originate from the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City on February 26-27, and just added to this year’s speaker schedule are Bomani Jones of ESPN, Justin Craig of ESPN Radio, Tim McCarthy of ESPN New York 98.7FM, Mitch Rosen of 670 The Score and 105.7 The Fan, Scott Masteller of WBAL, and Carl Dukes of 92.9 The Game.

“I’m thrilled to have Bomani, Justin, Tim, Scott, Mitch, and Carl joining us on stage for our 2020 show” shared Barrett Sports Media President Jason Barrett. “Each of these men have unique perspective, extensive experience, and a genuine love and passion for our industry. Their willingness to share their insights on the most pressing issues facing our business, will allow our attendees to exit New York City more informed, and better prepared to help themselves, and their brands in 2020 and beyond.”

In addition, BSM has introduced a special holiday sale for tickets to the show. Individual tickets have been lowered from $299.99 to $224.99 thru December 24th. This will be the final sale on tickets leading up to the event.

With the latest speaker additions, the total list of on stage participants is now up to 30. BSM expects the total number of industry participants to be between 50-60. To stay updated on upcoming speaker announcements and to purchase tickets to the BSM Summit visit https://BSMSummit.com.

College Kids Are Different From Professionals

Andy Masur
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When it comes to doing play-by-play chances are pretty good that you’re going to be calling a multitude of sports. Probably on several different levels, NCAA, G-League, Minor League Baseball, MLB, etc. Is there a difference to how you call one or the other? Should you do something different when calling a college game vs. a pro game? The answer isn’t quite as simple as yes or no. It’s kind of like being a parent of two kids, love them both but parent them differently. After all, they are two different organisms. Right? 

The same basic principles of play-by-play apply to everything you call. That shouldn’t change. Describe the action accurately, follow the ball, give time and score often and use your voice as an instrument. We’ve covered a lot of that in previous columns. So make sure to understand this foundation will serve you well no matter what level you are announcing. 

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I’ll talk about College Basketball and G-League hoops from the perspective of a radio broadcaster, but basically the same things apply to television as well. 

The college level lends itself to a little more promoting the product, portraying schools as not just athletics but academics as well.  It’s also about telling stories about the student athletes. After all, these are 18-year old kids as freshman that become 21-year old men as seniors. Some of these players have amazing backgrounds. More and more they’re coming from foreign countries to play basketball and get an opportunity to get an education as well. I always try to keep in mind that even when a game gets intense and every play is meaningful, these are youngsters learning life lessons. How to handle adversity, how to handle being on top and how to handle the in-betweens. 

During college games, I try to picture in my head, who I believe is listening or viewing this broadcast. In most cases to me, its immediate family members, other relatives and close friends. I’m sure there are fans and alums as well out in the audience but they love this school as well as the players, so why change?

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Why do I think like this? Because after calling many pro games (MLB, G-League) I have to understand that these are not professional athletes and those close to these players are tuning in to hear/view something good about the one they care about. Listen, I’m not saying sugar coat mistakes. Your audience will know. I’m saying realize who is playing and treat the players and their families with respect. 

With that in mind, there are times I take more chances in college games. I may try some new descriptions or new ways of calling a play. I do this to see if it works or not. The opportunity is there for you to experiment a little, but don’t let it affect the actual announcing of the game. Don’t change that, it will only get you in trouble. 

Professional games, like in the NBA and the G-League to me require a little more concentration on the game and less on the periphery. Sometimes there are stories of guys getting a look at the NBA level in the developmental league or a player hanging on to a dream and playing for the love of the game. More often than not these are players trying to stick out to catch interest from other NBA teams. The calls are more about command of the game and broadcast than they are of the fluff that may be surrounding a game.

The fact that players are being paid by either their G-League affiliate or NBA team, means to me that this is their job. Criticism, if handled the right way, is somewhat more acceptable in these cases. Players are held much more accountable by way of decreased playing time or being cut. Those are the facts. 

Now it can’t be all business all the time. I think it’s about a 70/30 split in the upper ranks. I try to fancy up my basics, if that makes sense. After many reps in these sports, you try to take your “basics” to a higher level each time you crack the mic to broadcast a game. It’s all about getting better no matter the sport or level you’re calling. 

When it comes to gathering notes and stats for a broadcast, I find that it’s usually easier to get information from the college teams. To me the most underrated folks around the country are the SID’s (Sports Information Directors) for colleges and universities. Most that I’ve come to know, spend enormous amounts of time on “Game Notes” providing great insight into their teams. They are dialed in with the program and are well versed to answer any questions or concerns a broadcaster may have. They have even been known to arrange interviews with opposing coaches by reaching out to the other team’s SID to set them up. This allows the play-by-play announcer and color analyst a chance to learn some of the nuances of the team they don’t normally cover. This helps to present a more balanced call of the game. 

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When it comes to calling either college games, pro games or a combination of both always be prepared. That is the one thing that never changes no matter what sport or level you are calling. It’s hard to present a good broadcast when there are gaps in your knowledge of the teams or rules. Most of all, enjoy the games and try and present your best product every time you go on the air. 

The Dark Side of Social Media

Jason Barrett
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The Dark Side of Social Media

For most folks in the sports media business, December-February is a time when things slow down. Holidays hit, vacations get used, and aside from a few bowl games, NFL playoff games, and the Super Bowl, sports viewing becomes more manageable.

But for yours truly, this is the most chaotic three month stretch of the year. I rarely travel during this 90-day period because so much has to be done in a short amount of time. The one exception I make is a 2-3 day visit to radio row during the week of the Super Bowl. Yes I’ll be there this year even if one radio group has less of a presence. It’s just my opinion, but the biggest event in sports deserves to be covered live on-site by local sports stations, especially in cities where NFL teams reside.

But I digress.

It’s this time of year when I finalize the BSM Top 20. The process involves gathering feedback from industry executives, creating custom images of the people/shows that earned votes, writing press releases and columns, and developing a social posting schedule so the series reaches the most amount of eyeballs. Somewhere in there I also have to make time to listen to and talk with clients, manage the content flow on the website, and find time for my family.

But that’s not all that’s on my plate.

The remaining details for the 2020 BSM Summit have to be figured out in January and February too. That means hunting down speakers for specific subjects, creating visual presentations, meeting with building officials, securing the cocktail reception location, creating and producing programs, determining the award winners with a small circle of industry executives, having the custom awards made, hiring the videographer, laying out the conference schedule, writing press releases, developing a promotional content strategy ahead of the show, and selling sponsorships. It’s why at this time of year I start looking ahead to February 28th (the day after the Summit is over).

Speaking of sponsors, I want to extend my appreciation to ESPN Radio, Compass Media Networks, Harker Bos Group, and Steve Stone Voiceovers for signing on as partners of the 2020 BSM Summit. Putting on this event isn’t cheap, and without their support I wouldn’t be able to continue doing it. With that in mind, we do still have a few sponsor opportunities available. If your company would like to be involved as an event partner please send me an email here. Your participation makes a big difference.

Also, if you’re planning to attend the conference, we’ll be having a special holiday sale December 16-24 on BSMSummit.com. Ticket prices will be lowered to $224.99. This will be our final sale so take advantage of it if you’re planning to come.

I’ve had a few industry friends say to me ‘you must make a killing on that event‘ and I laugh when I hear it because the amount of resources and time that goes into executing this event makes it impossible to feel like I’m walking away in the plus column. But that’s not why I do it. I built the Summit to bring the sports media industry together, and help people learn and improve their business. If in the process I can gain a few fans and earn future business, that’s icing on the cake.

If you’re reading this and not familiar with me on a personal level, I hope you’ll remember what I said in the last paragraph about why I created this conference. Sometimes we have good intentions, and try to do good for others, yet folks on social media who we don’t know take aim at us because they see an opportunity to make noise at our expense.

Last year on Christmas night, I was doing what most people do, enjoying the evening with my family. I dropped off my son at his grandparents house, and took my fiance to dinner at a casino when my Twitter timeline started blowing up. I assumed a talent with a large social following retweeted a BSM story, but soon discovered I was under attack for the 2019 BSM Summit not being diverse. The comments caught me off guard because I hadn’t finalized the conference schedule, and I’m the same guy who wrote pieces calling for more women and minorities to be given opportunities in the industry. In fact, the year prior in Chicago, I had Jason Goff and Sarah Spain participate in one of our best and most honest discussions on that very topic.

Even more frustrating was that I had talked to a few women about being part of the show but wasn’t going to announce new additions until January. I knew that releasing speaker announcements during the holiday week would receive little attention so I figured I’d wait until the first week of January when more people would take notice. As a matter of fact, I’m actually going to release some additional names to this year’s show next week just to avoid a similar headache during the upcoming holidays.

But none of that mattered.

All it took was one motivated uninformed person with a cell phone to cause chaos. Once it starts, others pile on, and soon you’re stuck defending yourself to people you have no connection to.

I learned firsthand on that night how ruthless people can be. Thankfully I developed thick skin a long time ago and don’t let negativity deter me from getting to where I want to go. I trusted that my industry friends and clients would see thru the BS and not overreact, but more importantly, I knew who I was as a person, and what my plans were for the show. Once February rolled around, we had a great event in Los Angeles with many different people involved, and I’m proud of what we created.

When I put the Summit schedule together each year, I choose people to participate based on merit and their fit with specific topics. I welcome people from all backgrounds, and give them a platform to present issues and solutions at the show that will help those in attendance. If the idiots surfing the mean streets of Twitter who don’t know me don’t like my approach, that’s OK. They’re not my audience, and they’re not going to define who I am.

Although that experience was disheartening, it opened up my eyes to the darker side of social media. I learned that night that some people browse social media looking for a reason to be offended. Some want to be activists and push for change when they’re not even aware of the facts behind the thing they’re trying to change. They also don’t reappear afterwards when you’ve done a good job to tell you they’re sorry or that they were wrong about your intentions.

Keep in mind, I’m just a consultant. The avalanche of hate that on-air talent deal with is much worse. Most of the time managers don’t even know the extent of it. If they do, most aren’t trained on how to manage it. It’s easy to tell a host ‘ignore it, he/she is a jerk’ but we’re all human and affected differently.

I remember talking to Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Season 3 of the BSM Podcast and he shared how some trolls on Twitter took aim at his daughter who was going thru a battle with cancer. How is that not supposed to affect someone? If you were in his shoes wouldn’t you be thinking about tracking down the individual who said it to inflict some pain on them? If you did, you’d be human.

With mental health being an important issue in the country today, I can’t help but wonder how many air talent are affected by their exposure to harmful social media content without us knowing it. We’re conditioned in the media industry to be mentally tough and absorb criticism, but if someone in your building isn’t strong enough to handle it, what’s the solution for helping them? Do you have support available in house for your employees? Do you know the first call to make outside of the building?

You may not have thought about this before because so much of the job is focused on creating content, chasing ratings, and generating revenue, but the words our people see each day get baked into their brains and can have a lasting affect. Imagine if you were under constant scrutiny the way Mike Francesa has been with the Funhouse account on Twitter. Though some of the clips are funny, what if it were you in Francesa’s shoes. Could you endure that daily criticism? How would you respond when friends, family, listeners, and media outlets constantly bring it up? I don’t care how thick your skin is, you’d be affected. The only question is how much.

If you watched the HBO documentary this week with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, you heard Belichick mention how much he hates social media. He’s right when he says ‘who cares if you get 2,000 likes from people you don’t know‘ but we’re in a business where we seek constant validation of our content and opinions. To expect talent to disappear from the space when it has many positives and offers them the fix they need is impossible.

Everywhere you turn, brands are promoting social platforms in order to build deeper relationships with the audience. These channels are necessary to push content to our fans, but more importantly, they’re also a pathway to revenue. Yet the same pathway we wish to monetize is littered with people seeking to mentally damage our talent.

As I gear up for the third BSM Summit in NYC this February, this is a topic I’m interested in hearing discussed by some of our on-air talent and PD’s. How do we navigate hate on social media? What can we do to help those who use these platforms for professional purposes yet are mentally abused in the process? We may not have the answer today or by the Summit, but if we stay alert and continue working on it, those we care most about will be less damaged.

Ad Copy Is Annoying But It Matters

Andy Masur
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Ad Copy Is Annoying But It Matters

“That fly ball out is brought to you by…ACME Pest Control to get the flies out of your house choose ACME.” Ok, maybe that’s extreme, and by the way made up by me, but you’ve heard the “drop-ins” on your favorite sports radio broadcast. Let’s face it, as much of an intrusion as these “reads” can be, they allow the station to afford the broadcast rights fees and allow them to pay, you!

When it comes to baseball, everything seems to be sponsored, from the time and temperature to save opportunities all can be seen as money-making opportunities. They have to be, because the cost of doing business with a professional sports team on radio isn’t cheap. There are those occasions where the team and the station enter into a revenue share, even in these cases revenue has to be generated to be shared. See what I’m saying? 

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Creativity has to reign supreme when it comes to sponsorships during radio broadcasts of sporting events. Why? You have to keep an audience and why not entertain when you are trying to sell. Sometimes it’s just being innovative.

For a few years Chicago White Sox home games started at 7:11pm, with a sponsorship by who else? 7-11. Makes sense doesn’t it? A team on the West Coast has a “Shake up play of the game”, which is sponsored by the California Earthquake Authority. Seems pretty obvious. As the game evolves so do the sponsorship opportunities. Now that replay challenges are a part of baseball and other sports, one baseball team calls it, “The Barbasol Close Shave Challenge” when a manager requests a replay. Clever and clean. Fun. 

There are obvious tie ins that come along in baseball games. “What’s on Tap” brought to you by a beer advertiser. “Diamond Notes” sponsored by a local jeweler. “Who’s hot and Who’s Cold” coming to you from an HVAC company. Or the “Catch of the Day” served up by a local fish restaurant. Corny, but effective and fun to play off of if you’re doing the game. 

Baseball games allow you a little more time to spend reading these in game commercials. Situations automatically lead to “read” or “card”. Double plays, stolen bases, home runs and strike outs are usually the plays that lend themselves to advertising. If one of those plays happen, you read. It’s simple right?

Not exactly.

Make your call, allow your analyst to break the play down, then, because the pace of the game allows, you can get in that ad. It’s only obtrusive if you allow it to be. Sometimes you can even go back several batters later if the moment doesn’t allow for that ad to run at that particular time. This is the beauty of baseball and its slower rate of play than other sports. Even if it’s the next half inning you can say, “the stolen base by Player X in the top of this inning was sponsored by…”. Just get the copy read. 

Football and basketball broadcasts almost work the same way as baseball. Yes, there are a lot of in game sponsorship cards to read and yes it can seem overwhelming at times. The fact is there is enough down time in these faster moving sports to get plenty of these sponsorships into the broadcast.

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In football, the time between plays is 40 seconds, most of the reads (if they’re written well) are between :10-:15 seconds. That’s plenty of time for the call, analysis and a sponsor read. The exception is a hurry up offense, but again, you can use the baseball trick by referring back to a play several moments after it happens. Nothing lost by either the announcer, listener or advertiser. Basketball has its definite moments of availability when it comes to sponsorships. If the starting lineups are sponsored that’s an easy one to get in moments before tip-off. Others can be read during and in between free throws, or going into or coming out of time outs. Plenty of time to take your time and give the advertiser all the value added content to keep them happy. 

Hockey broadcasts do make it a bit tougher to work in these advertisements. The game moves so quickly and especially if a “time in the game” is sponsored (ie, 15-minute mark, sponsored by that insurance company) try to get it in as close to that time as the game allows. You can’t sweat it. No advertiser worth its salt would argue with the timing. They don’t want to be intrusive into the flow of a game, they only want their copy read in a professional manner as close to that time as you can get. 

More and more these days, not only do you have to be good at play-by-play or color commentary, you need to be a salesman. Believe me, after 162 games of baseball, it can get uber repetitive and monotonous but it’s part of the gig these days.

Remember that you are there to call a game, first and foremost, that’s the job you were hired to do. At the same time, announcers have to understand that while it can get frustrating, business has to be conducted. Yes, sponsorships sometimes can ruin the flow of conversation and intrude on the game itself at times, but remember there’d be no broadcast without them. 

Rewarding Fans Shouldn’t Sound Like a Chore

Jason Barrett
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Rewarding Fans Shouldn’t Sound Like a Chore

I’ve done a lot of listening over the past month, and as I’ve scanned the nation sampling content, there’s one item I want to address that often gets overlooked – executing on-air giveaways.

If you’ve worked in the sports radio business for a bit, chances are that you’ve raced thru a read which promoted a cash giveaway or tickets to a game, concert or local event. Unless the giveaway is part of in-segment content association, it becomes something you spend less time thinking about until it appears on the log. When it does, you’re just looking to get it done in order to keep the sales team and your program director satisfied.

But to the person listening who puts food on the table by grinding at a job unrelated to sports, the chance to win a prize represents hope. It’s an opportunity to try and earn a reward to share an experience with friends, family or loved ones. They’re excited to text or call and participate in your process. If lucky enough to win, the prize becomes an unbreakable link between the listener, show, and radio station.

Brand’s gain access to items that everyday people hold in high regard, but to many inside of a studio, they don’t register. Turn on a sports station in any city in America today, and you’ll likely hear a prize given away as if it’s just another sponsor read or item for the promotions department to fulfill. Lost enthusiasm for announcing giveaways stems from taking for granted how fortunate we are to have unmatched access around the world of sports. I hear hosts sometimes deliver giveaways that sound like the :30 or :60 read is preventing them from being able to answer texts or use the bathroom.

But man is that a missed opportunity.

Many in programming circles view commercial breaks as a road block preventing the show from maintaining listener interest. It’s why little things such as offering listener rewards matter. We can all agree that rewarding our fans makes sense and is worth doing right?

The reason it matters beyond strengthening listener loyalty is because ratings credit for stations depends on grabbing 5 minutes of listening in a quarter hour window. I hear shows that start their hour of content at :06-:07 and then break at :13-:14. If a listener vacates the station when the break hits, and doesn’t return until :10 after, and they leave at :13-:14 when you signal your next break, that means you’ve grabbed 3-4 minutes of listening. Guess what that amounts to? Nothing. You get no credit. It’s as if the listener tuned in to your radio station.

One extra minute of listening can be the difference between your show gaining or missing out on ratings credit. Would you rather trust yourself to hold them over for an extra minute by offering a reward or rely on a produced commercial with no listener benefit?

In a perfect world, we’d execute 10-12 minutes of content in a quarter hour, and hit our break times without fail, but it doesn’t always work like that in radio. If your PD or Marketing Director gives your show a prize to reward your fans that can help you steal one extra minute of listening, is it not fair to expect you to sound interested and deliver the giveaway with passion and enthusiasm?

One of radio’s biggest issues is internal perception. We hate the grind of booking interviews so we tell ourselves they don’t matter to the listener. If the ratings aren’t strong, we convince ourselves the advertiser won’t buy the brand, thus creating an excuse to not hit budget. It’s no different with on-air giveaways. Tickets to a game on a Tuesday night that we wouldn’t go to ourselves are considered ‘not good enough’ so we treat the read like it’s unimportant.

This isn’t to say that every prize is gold. PD’s and Promotions Directors have to work together to make sure lemons aren’t being pushed to the air, but if they determine a prize is good enough for the listener to win, and it’s scheduled to be promoted on the airwaves, a good talent should be able to turn on the mic, and sell it. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the audience doesn’t value the prize just because you don’t.

You may not agree with everything your radio station gives away on the air. I’m sure there are many wide receivers in the NFL who’d prefer to jump for a ball to score a TD than serve as a decoy and block downfield, but they do what their coaches ask because they know it helps the team. What’s important to remember is the purpose behind the task. It’s not about emptying the prize closet or keeping the promotions director busy. It’s about providing a thank you to yours fans for investing their time with your brand on a regular basis, and trying to leverage that passion and loyalty to increase your numbers.

If you’re fortunate enough to have access to prizes that the everyday fan doesn’t, treat it like it matters. It helps you and the radio station. In fact, the next reward you provide could be the single biggest difference between winning or losing your next ratings book.

BSM is Having a Black Friday Sale

Jason Barrett
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BSM is Having a Black Friday Sale

Last week I traveled into New York City to have lunch with Demetri Ravanos. We met to discuss BSM business, and to look ahead to February’s 2020 BSM Summit. The trip included visiting the Ailey Citigroup Theater and The Watson Hotel, scouting a few venues for the cocktail party, and talking about potential speakers and sessions we thought would excite our attendees. We’ll have more names to share over the next two months so stay tuned.

While we were at lunch, I told Demetri I wanted to continue trying new things that we haven’t in the past. We did that this fall with the addition of a social media director, the introduction of weekly social giveaways, and the launch of the Producers Podcast and Under The Radar Podcast. We also announced a contest for tri-state area college students to earn free admission to the BSM Summit.

One thing I’ve wanted to do which we hadn’t tried yet was having a sale on BSM Summit tickets. We’re fortunate to have a lot of industry folks travel in for this event, but local attendance is a bigger challenge. Some of that’s due to local folks feeling like they can’t afford to leave their office for two full days, but these type of events don’t happen often, and the information gained, and the connections formed are valuable for helping professionals grow their business. That reason alone is enough to justify taking two days to join us.

But here’s one more.

After examining a number of factors, I’m excited to share that BSM will have a special Black Friday Sale for 2020 BSM Summit tickets. The current price for a ticket to the show is $299.99. However, this Friday November 29th, starting at midnight, prices will be reduced for 24-hours to $199.99. The sale will end at 11:59pm later that evening. That’s a $100 savings!

If you’re local and don’t need a hotel room, that means you can attend the two-day conference on February 26-27 for just under $200. If you’re flying in and need a place to stay, we’ve made that affordable too. The Watson Hotel has a special $99 per night rate for our attendees. Details can be found here.

When I created the BSM Summit, I put it together to help industry people learn different aspects of the sports media business, honor those who’ve made a lasting impact in it, and to give folks an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships. We provided that earlier this year in Los Angeles, and it’s what we intend to deliver this February in New York City.

With the media business rapidly changing, the worst thing you can do is the same thing you’ve always done. Some of you reading this may miss the event due to not wanting to be away from family or miss two days in the office, conferences not being your cup of tea, or not having funds available. I can’t make you come, but I’ll remind you that you work in a competitive industry where many are searching for an edge. What works today, won’t tomorrow, and the threats you deal with now, will soon be replaced by new ones.

So if you’re interested in staying a step ahead, increasing your knowledge, forming new relationships, strengthening existing ones, and celebrating the business you’re a part of, I hope you’ll join us in New York City this February for the 2020 BSM Summit. I’m making it easier on you, by offering a lower ticket price on Black Friday (November 29). The rest is up to you!

Broadcaster Review: The SEC on CBS

Andy Masur
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Broadcaster Review: The SEC on CBS

Rarely do hyped match ups live up to the advanced billing. Most of the time they wind up in a blowout which ruins everything for the network covering it and its announcers. That wasn’t the case last Saturday when LSU faced Alabama in Tuscaloosa. CBS had its “A-Team” on the call, Brad Nessler on play-by-play and Gary Danielson handling color commentary.

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I went back and watched the game, to focus on the actual broadcast and not the outcome. Here are my thoughts. 

GAME OPEN

The broadcast open concentrated on the 2011 meeting between the two teams billed as “The Game of the Century”, which wound up in a 9-6 overtime win for LSU. CBS created good drama, using music and graphics to set the stage for this big moment, billed as “The Game of the Year”. 

It was good to see that both Nessler and Danielson seemed be loose for calling such a big game in their on camera open. Sometimes broadcasters fall victim to over enthusiasm when it comes to calling huge games. These guys seemed relaxed and ready for what was to come that afternoon. 

The open featured most of the obvious angles, concentrating on the two QBs and of course mentioning the injury to Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. They went deeper to include an injury on defense to LSU’s safety Grant Delpit. Both were dealing with ankle injuries.   

Nessler brought in Jamie Erdahl, the sideline reporter for the game, first with an interview of Alabama coach Nick Saban who confirmed what we already knew that Tagovailoa would start the game. After a brief toss back to the booth, Erdahl caught up with LSU coach Ed Orgeron who mentions that he told his team all week, “you are the better team”. Pretty good stuff here. 

Back to the booth now and Nessler is going over a graphic illustrating that Alabama has an 8-game win streak in the series vs. LSU. It’s followed by a good graphic showing what these two teams have done over the course of the rivalry. Good illustration for those that may be new to the game. 

The open segment wraps up with something that I had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly. Nessler exclaimed, “football fans around the world have circled November 9TH”, really? The world? Seems a bit much to me here. I get what he’s trying to say but that seemed a bit over the top. 

1ST QUARTER

There is good energy in the stadium for the opening kick. LSU won the toss and deferred. I liked the energy from the guys in the booth too as Alabama gained two first downs on its first two plays from scrimmage. The announcing crew didn’t get caught up in the crowd noise from the over 102-thousand fans in attendance. 

Image result for alabama lsu bryant denny stadium

To me, Danielson was very sharp early. He noticed six offensive lineman in game for Alabama on one offensive set, then four wides (receivers) on the next. I liked how he explained why Alabama had to call a timeout in the red zone on the first Tide drive. It all made sense and was easy to understand, even for the uninformed casual fan. 

Danielson continued to shine as Tagovailoa fumbled trying to scramble. The crew showed the replay and it was obvious there was some rust on the QB who had ankle surgery 21 days earlier and missed some game time. “You can’t simulate game action. You can test it (the ankle) all you want, now you have to instinctively make moves. Can’t blame that one (fumble) on a bad ankle”. 

LSU would take over and a lot of the focus turned to Joe Burrow the QB for the Tigers. He led the team right down the field for a score following the fumble to give LSU a lead. I thought Nessler did a great job of “laying out” after LSU touchdown. Even though the game was in Tuscaloosa, there were a lot of Tigers fans in the crowd, they were heard from after the score. 

Coming back from a break CBS posted a great graphic illustrating it was LSU’s first lead over Alabama since the 2017 game in the 3rd quarter. Nessler acknowledges it after the graphic is gone because he let Danielson make a point, which a good play-by-play guy should do. 

Now with Alabama on offense a poignant graphic popped up, stating that the 7-0 deficit was tied for the largest of the season for the Tide. 

In an effort to show both sides, the producer popped up a graphic, a comparison of the two team’s wide receiver corps. Nessler leads to it, showing how eerily similar the numbers are – Nessler pays it off saying, “despite all that ask if there’s a better group (of receivers) than Alabama, here you go.” 

The booth sends things to Erdahl after returning from a break. She has a very in depth look at the surgery Tagovailoa went through on his ankle complete with animated graphics. Nessler highlighting the detailed look with, “Jamie did so much research on that ankle thing we thought she could perform the surgery on us.”

The first quarter ends after a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown by Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle, making the score LSU 10, Alabama 7. 

2ND QUARTER

As the 2nd quarter begins with LSU on offense, I noticed that the CBS crew cut off a few of the replays before they were finished, because of the pace of the LSU offense. I found it really distracting and maybe they should consider waiting until the Tigers go into a huddle? 

LSU continued its offensive prowess with another scoring drive. Nessler with a good call of the Burrow to Marshall touchdown. Danielson points out how the Alabama defense got schooled big time, saying “it’s just embarrassing for the Alabama defense”. 

The criticism wasn’t reserved for just the Tide defense. Danielson, the former NFL QB had a point with the slow start for Tagovailoa and the Alabama offense. “Right now he is not in sync at all in this game. He does not have the feel of complete high level competition so far.” Also so far I’ve noticed that Nessler is having a bit of an issue with the name Tagovailoa. Not that I can blame him, but it’s been coming out a few different ways. 

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Maybe it was just great timing, as Nessler and Danielson had a conversation about the ‘Bama wideouts from Jerry Jeudy’s perspective. He told the crew that Devante Smith just “caught everything”, just then Tagovailoa threw a 64-yard score to…Smith. How did he get so open? The producer showed us on replay, that several LSU defenders looking to the bench for a change in coverages as the touchdown pass developed.

CBS shined during a disputed play in the 2nd quarter. LSU receiver Thaddeus Moss made a catch near the sideline, it was very close, but called a catch on the field. “Pylon cam” showed Moss’ left foot out of bounds then re-established in the field of play to make the catch. This produced some good discussion between Danielson and rules analyst Gene Steratore about the legality of the catch. Was it illegal touching? No flag was thrown for it. Eventually after a lengthy delay, the call is confirmed. More on this situation pops up later in the broadcast. 

Image result for thaddeus moss catch alabama

As the first half ends, Danielson says this about Tua, “he just seems rusty to me, more than just his ankle is bothering him, just seems out of sorts.” Followed by Nessler throwing to a break, “I don’t believe I’m saying this, LSU by 20.”

The first half ends with LSU up 33-13. 

3RD QUARTER

To open things up, Steratore had a terrific follow up of the ruling of the completed pass controversy in the 2nd quarter. He stated that all the information wasn’t initially given about the play. He said that the official near the sideline ruled the receiver was pushed out of bounds and did not go out on his own, that would make it a legal catch rather than illegal touching. It is a strong follow up from one of the best rules analysts in the business. 

The struggles continued for Alabama, with Waddle calling for fair catch inside the 10…Danielson “that’s a mistake, you’re not supposed to back up behind the 10. Usually it’s Alabama forcing their opponent into bad plays like this, today it’s different.” Strong and correct commentary. 

Even after the previous statement the sentiment in the booth is that Tua is going to get hot at some point. Again, lucky or just great timing, Tagovailoa obliges and validates the thought with a touchdown pass to his RB Najee Harris.

Image result for najee harris lsu td catch

As the quarter comes to an end, Nessler says, “If you’ve ever in your life thought about doing something now instead of watching the fourth quarter – reconsider. 33-20 LSU after 3…” 

4TH QUARTER

The game still felt in doubt as the final quarter began. Alabama went right to work with the Tide scoring an early 4th quarter touchdown. Right after the play, again Nessler lays out for crowd reaction, which was a beautiful thing. 

After the Alabama score, the narrative switched to the pressure being on the LSU offense now which hasn’t scored since the 2nd quarter. Of course, more fortuitous timing, because a TD drive would ensue. 

Nessler put on his SEC hat and seemed to go on a rant which based on Twitter reaction wasn’t received all that well. The producer put up the College Football Playoff graphic, with LSU as #2 and Alabama as #3, leading him to say, “I don’t care if Ohio State (the #1 Buckeyes) won by 100 points (73-14 actually over Maryland), if LSU beats Alabama their number one next week.” The Clemson and Oregon fan bases were the most critical of this comment of all. 

The announcing crew shined in some cases as the game’s momentum swung from one side to the other toward the end. 

Danielson reacted to a pass that was batted down at the line, with a possibility of him running in the picture. Danielson thought that for the first time in the game, Tagovailoa may have been affected by his ankle injury in his decision making. The analyst still wasn’t off the bandwagon, thinking there would be a moment for the Tide quarterback. The payoff came after a huge 4th down conversion resulting in a touchdown throw by Tagovailoa. It’s a 5-point game, LSU 39, Alabama 34. 

Now it was Burrow’s time to shine. He led a 7 play, 75-yard drive and in the process picked up a huge first down late in the drive and quarter. Nessler pointed out, “might be a Heisman moment there.” The drive continued and wound up in a 7-yard score for running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. 

Image result for clyde edwards-helaire bama touchdown

As quickly as the crew commented on the LSU score after the kickoff, the Tide would strike on its first play from scrimmage. The game would come to an end after a failed on-sides kick to give LSU the win in Tuscaloosa. 

OVERALL

It didn’t seem like the moment was too big for a veteran broadcast crew, and I never really suspected it would be. I felt like Danielson was very pointed in his commentary and on both sides. He had criticisms for each of the teams and all seemed extremely warranted at the time of the commentary. 

Nessler did his normal solid job with a couple of exceptions. The pronunciation of Tagovailoa’s name changed a few times and he didn’t seem to see some of the things that looked obvious on screen, especially when plays would be called back by penalty. Just a little nitpicking on my part here. 

Image result for brad nessler gary danielson alabama lsu

The broadcast never seemed too over the top which can be a tendency when some networks cover big games. CBS stuck to the script and to the storylines of the game itself. Nice job all around. 

BSM Podcast – Season 4 – Episode 10 – Dave Tepper – Altitude Sports Radio 92.5

Jason Barrett
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BSM Podcast – Season 4 – Episode 10 – Dave Tepper – Altitude Sports Radio 92.5

Twenty one years ago, an aspiring comedian in Los Angeles got his first taste of the radio business. He hasn’t looked back since. Dave Tepper caught the bug listening to Howard Stern, and over the years worked as an on-air performer before choosing to move behind the scenes and explore a career as a programmer. His travels have taken him from L.A. to Austin, Houston, Omaha and Denver, and during this 35+ minute chat, he shares his career story as well as his thoughts on managing talent and building winning brands.

SUBJECTS COVERED WITH DAVE:

  • Who he first listened to that made him interested in radio
  • The horror story of moving from California to Texas
  • Being thrown into the sports radio fire in Austin
  • Landing a job in Houston and learning programming
  • Adjusting from working for Cumulus to Gow Media
  • Developing the right identity for ESPN 97.5
  • Why he chose to move from Houston to Omaha
  • How he handles watching a former station make changes
  • The letter grade he’d give Altitude 92.5 for its last year of progress
  • Why brands generate strong TSL and how to increase cume
  • Sports radio programmers he has a high opinion of
  • Quick Hits: Hardest part of running a sports radio station, Difference between a good and great GM, The quality that matters most in on-air talent, one programming move he wishes he could have back.

FROM THE GUEST:

Dave’s Twitter handle: @DaveJTepper 

BSM Podcast – Season 4 – Episode 9 – Nick Wilson – WFNZ

Jason Barrett
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BSM Podcast – Season 4 – Episode 9 – Nick Wilson – WFNZ

After developing his on-air skills in Cleveland at 92.3 The Fan, Nick Wilson has settled into the queen city and become a daily destination for Charlotte sports radio listeners. Having grown up around the business thanks to his father’s involvement in it, Wilson has gained valuable experience on the mic and behind the scenes, all of which have helped him develop as a sports radio personality. In this episode, Nick shares details of his radio journey, and his views on a variety of industry topics.

ISSUES DISCUSSED WITH NICK:

  • How he became interested in the radio business
  • Collecting his first radio paycheck after college
  • Earning attention from 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland
  • Memorable on-air and off-air radio pranks
  • Having the right attitude and persistence to land a bigger role
  • Hosting night shows during the LeBron James championship years
  • Making the decision to leave Cleveland for Charlotte
  • Not knowing his on-air partner while relocating to a new city
  • The way he approached a new market and worked to gain fans
  • Areas of the show that are strong and need improvement
  • What Andy Roth would say he does/doesn’t do well as a host
  • Where he sees himself in 5 years
  • The importance of enjoying experiences while chasing bigger goals
  • Quick Hits: One pet peeve about sports radio, What he needs most from a producer, The thing he likes best about Charlotte, Best sports radio show in Cleveland

FROM THE GUEST:

Nick’s Twitter handle: @NickWilsonWFNZ 

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