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Lauren Rew Moves to Jacksonville to Join 1010XL

Jason Barrett
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For the past two months, Lauren Rew has patiently waited on the sidelines to announce her next move. On Monday, the wait was finally over.

The former midday host and program director of 107.9 The Franchise in Tulsa has moved to the sunshine state to join 1010XL/92.5 FM in Jacksonville. Yesterday was her first day with her new radio station.

As part of Rew’s new role, she’ll co-host Midday Chalk with Rick Ballou and Tony “T-Wigg” Wiggins, weekdays from Noon to 3pm ET. Rew will also serve as the station’s assistant program director, co-host the Tuesday evening show Helmets and Heels, and contribute to the station’s Jacksonville Jaguars pre-game show.

Under The Radar – July 30, 2018

Jason Barrett
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With a mini-vacation on the horizon later this week, I didn’t expect to release a new UTR until next week. But given the slate of activity in sports media circles, a new installment needed to be produced.

From the department of regurgitated messaging, if you or your brand have news to share and would like to be included in a future edition of this column, please send your details via email to JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me.

Now on to the news.

WINZ-940 in Miami has parted ways with afternoon host Andy Slater. The Miami sports media veteran has proven he has a nose for news, breaking numerous stories over the years in South Florida. Slater has declined comment on why he’s no longer with the station or what his future plans are, but with football season about to start, the timing of the move was surprising. No word yet on what WINZ’s permanent plans are for afternoons.

A little further north in the sunshine state, changes are being made to part of the Orlando Magic radio broadcast. Popular local host Scott Anez will no longer host pre-game, halftime or post-game shows due to the team’s games moving to 96.9 The Game. Brandon Kravitz takes over as the host of all three programs. Anez had been part of Magic broadcasts for 27 years.

Congratulations to Colin Cowherd and his team. The FOX Sports Radio host announced via social media that for the month of May and June, podcast listening reached its highest point at nearly ten million listens each month.

On the subject of podcasts, check out 670 The Score host Laurence Holmes‘ new episode with ESPN LA 710 Operations Manager Dan Zampillo. The former colleagues reflected on their time working together and shared some quality insights on the good, bad and ugly of working in the sports broadcasting business. You can hear the episode by clicking here.

Continuing with The Score, as was expected, Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh has replaced Brian Hanley on the morning show with Mike Mulligan. The program is now referred to as Mully and Haugh.

Nick Wilson has signed off as the evening host at 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. Wilson spent seven years with the radio station, working his way up the ladder. He’s landed a new opportunity which should be announced soon. No word yet on how PD Andy Roth will fill the evening slot but it should be an attractive opening internally and externally given how it’s advanced the careers of Wilson, and 92.3 The Fan’s morning host Ken Carman. To apply for the position visit our Jobs section by clicking here.

VSiN has added a new racing program to its weekday schedule. Gone Racing airs Thursday’s from 5p-6p ET and is hosted by Ron Flatter and Brendan Gaughan. You can hear the show on SiriusXM channel 204 or on VSiN.com. The company has also signed on 102.9/750 The Game in Portland as a carrier of its Action Updates.

A tip of the cap to one of the Bay Area’s best sports broadcasters Greg Papa. The weekday host on 95.7 The Game and former radio play by play voice of the Oakland Raiders has been chosen to enter the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Also gaining entry is longtime marketing director Jude Heller who was part of The Game’s initial launch in 2011. For more information click here.

Washington DC sports radio host Nick Ashooh is taking over as host of the Locked on Redskins podcast. The added responsibility doesn’t affect his role hosting evenings and weekends on 106.7 The Fan, or my TV and digital work with NBC Sports Washington. You can learn more about Nick by clicking here.

Manny Chang received some great news recently. The producer of Miami Hurricanes football and the Florida Panthers on WQAM in Miami was named the new producer for Miami Dolphins radio broadcasts.

After 10 years in St. Louis radio, Travis Green has decided its time for a new journey. Green has left his position as Bernie Miklasz’ and Michelle Smallmon‘s producer on 101 ESPN‘s morning show for an opportunity outside of the radio industry. During his career, Green also worked for KMOX and 1380 AM. Although he’s leaving the day to day grind of radio, Green says he will still contribute written articles and a podcast for the station on a part time basis.

In the television world, former ESPN sideline reporter Britt McHenry is officially joining FOX News as a full time contributor. McHenry began her transformation to delivering political commentary after being let go during ESPN’s last round of layoffs. In addition to appearing on FOX’s programs, McHenry also has a local show in Washington DC on Friday evenings.

The Dallas Stars have confirmed that Josh Bogorad will serve as the play by play announcer for the team’s television and radio broadcasts this season. Daryl Reaugh returns to his role as color analyst.

Continuing in Texas, the San Antonio Spurs have added Dan Weiss to their television broadcast. Weiss replaces Andrew Monaco as a studio co-host on the Spurs Live pregame and postgame shows on FOX Sports Southwest, KENS-TV (CBS 5) and KMYS-TV (CW35).

Atlanta sports radio host Matt Chernoff has confirmed he’s returning to FOX 5 for another football season. The afternoon host on 680 The Fan will contribute to FOX 5’s live pregame show on Thursday night’s and make post-game appearances on Sunday’s following Falcons afternoon games.

ESPN has made a few changes to its NFL Nation reporting assignments. Cameron Wolfe has left the Tennessee Titans beat to move to South Beach to cover the Miami Dolphins. Turron Davenport fills the void left behind by Wolfe covering the Titans in Nashville.

Having a Great Product Isn’t Enough to Survive

Jason Barrett
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“I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Remember that line? It was uttered in the movie “Network” by Howard Beale and went on to become a popular movie drop used on many radio stations in their imaging. It also describes the feeling many in our business have when they see reports surface of another mass layoff by a large media company.

Last week, the New York Daily News lost its heartbeat when it pulled the plug on forty five of its best and brightest people. One section which was especially hit hard was the sports section which had become part of the fabric of New York sports coverage for decades.

When I heard the news, I was irate. Seeing talented individuals lose their jobs due to the incompetence of ownership is frustrating. Frank Isola, John Harper, and Peter Botte, to name a few, showed up every day for decades, excelling at their craft. They were exceptional sports writers who provided superb content, and were one of the few reasons I still read my hometown newspaper. But now due to executive ignorance, and bad business decisions, their efforts and loyalty have been rewarded with a pink slip and a mention in a corporate press release thanking them for their years of service.

After the Daily News gutted their newsroom, many personalities took to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the situation. Everyone from Michael Kay to Tony Reali to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo fired shots at Tronc, the parent company of the News, demanding answers for the exodus. Though I share their hostility for the recent turn of events, and will no longer invest one single second reading the Daily News’ content, I can’t help but wonder if this is the new normal for the media business.

Think about it, the New York Daily News, a staple of consistency, has now been torn apart from the inside out. ESPN, a company which seemed safeguarded from any kind of bloodletting, endured mass layoffs twice in the past few years. Rogers Communications and Bell Media, two successful companies in Canada, both eliminated hundreds of jobs in the past few years. Vox Media, BuzzFeed, and Meredith Corp., the company which bought Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Money, also reduced their work forces.

It leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth, but also makes you realize that operating in today’s world is very different. If a company doesn’t stay ahead of the curve, and find ways to reinvent its business model, they soon pay the price for falling behind, regardless of how successful or important they’ve been to their customer’s lives.

As I began writing this piece, I started reflecting on brands that were once important to me but have since decreased in value. Coincidentally, a number of those companies have either gone out of business or been severely altered. In some ways, I and those of you reading this who think like me, share in the blame for their demise. If we don’t continue supporting businesses, they lose money. When they lose money, jobs are lost. If expenses continue to outweigh profitability, larger decisions about a company’s future are explored.

I grew up on Toys R Us. It was my favorite store in the world as a kid. After I became an adult, the store had less value. That connection was restored when I became a father, but even then, the amount of business I did with the store compared to what I and my father did when I was a kid was drastically less.

When I was younger, the option to order merchandise on my phone and have it arrive at my door the next day didn’t exist. Had it been a possibility, I might never have discovered the charm of going into a Toys R Us. I was disappointed when I heard the store was shutting its doors in late June, but I then recalled how many times I had ordered toys for my son online, and quickly understood why.

In my teenage and early adult years, I practically lived at Blockbuster Video. I loved going into that store, buying a bucket of popcorn, and finding the latest movie rentals. It was a great family experience. But once television began offering On-Demand video, and groups like Netflix launched with superior offerings, those trips to Blockbuster stopped. The video rental chain was even given a chance to survive when Netflix offered to sell to them for $50 million dollars, but they botched that too. Netflix is now worth nearly $150 billion dollars.

Throughout my life, music has been a big part of my enjoyment. I’ve consistently supported artists by purchasing hundreds of singles and albums, and because I did, stores like FYE, Tower Records, Sam Goody, and Strawberries earned a lot from my paychecks. Once Napster launched and made file sharing possible, many started buying less records. Then as Apple, Spotify and Amazon made larger investments in offering music, the need to go buy a CD became minimal.

If you drive to most towns in America today, most of these stores barely exist. WalMart, Target, and a handful of others still sell music, but the selections are thin. The majority of music purchasing now takes place online, and although I still like to buy a CD at the store every now and then, I do it far less than I used to.

Having things appear on our phones, television screens, and doorsteps, has changed the consumer experience for the better. We still have interest in many of the same products, but our needs are different. We want things quickly, conveniently, and affordably. The idea of driving to stores, standing in lines, and paying higher prices is a thing of the past. It may sadden us to see some places exit the retail world that were once important to us, but when brand’s fail to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment, that can happen.

Which brings me to the radio business.

What Toys R Us, Blockbuster Video, and the NY Daily News have experienced is what could also face the radio industry in the future if it doesn’t evolve. The content will of course remain vital regardless of which era it’s offered in, but what about the way radio features advertising? Do you honestly think businesses are going to occupy fifteen minutes per hour on radio stations in between songs or talk content down the line?

Take a look around the world. TV networks have begun reducing their inventory. Why? They know people won’t sit thru long stretches of commercials. Advertisers know it too and don’t want to spend money just to be tuned out. That’s especially the case when viewers watch on-demand programming. They take their DVR, and immediately fast forward past the commercials to continue watching their favorite shows thus making it extremely difficult for the advertiser to reach them.

Check out YouTube. Their audience sizes are huge, and they realize that ads running 15 seconds or less are their only chance to keep people on the platform. Once longer commercials are pushed towards the viewer, they vanish. If offered in small doses though, fans of the content will sit thru it. The company has especially seen great results pushing six second ads.

Since I became a YouTube TV and Roku subscriber, I’ve learned how their approach works. The programming options are endless, and the video quality is exceptional, but if there’s a downside, it’s that when recorded shows air, the viewer is forced to sit thru a commercial break. The breaks are still shorter than what you receive on normal television, but even a one-minute spot break feels like an eternity when you’re watching a recorded show and trying to skip ahead to the next part of the content. At some point I’d expect that to change, but even if the breaks remained :30-:60 seconds, I think most people would accept it if it meant keeping costs low and content quality high.

So where does that leave radio? How exactly do you replace 15-20 minutes of spots per hour, and various inclusions in content (sports updates, traffic reports, weather updates, stock reports, etc.), and still remain profitable?

You could try to charge the audience to listen, but that’s a tall order. You could raise your rates for the limited amount of ad time inside your programming, and that’ll work with some clients, but not with all. It’s easy to suggest reducing ad times on stations because of audience demand, but how exactly do you replenish all that lost income?

We could investigate the possibility of further monetizing social media, podcasts, apps, and smart speakers, and although they’re all important to our business growth, if we’re not excelling in these spaces now, why would you expect them to be areas we’d dominate in down the line? Other opportunities will revolve around some of the things we do now such as creating events, and producing branded content. We’ll also have to become retailers, using our platforms to sell custom merchandise and products created by partners who we share revenue with.

Remember, most of the areas that we play in, belong to someone else. Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and Google own the property, we just rent it. 5 years ago Facebook began limiting the ability of a brand to reach its entire audience. Think they won’t do that again? As soon as they see you reaping the rewards from utilizing their platform, they’re going to put up more roadblocks to take more money out of your pocket.

Keep that in mind as you’re falling deeper in love with the Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Those devices are great, and give our fans a chance to hear our content without interruptions. But do you think Amazon and Google won’t eliminate your ads in the future and serve their own up to your audience? Do you honestly believe they wouldn’t do to your brand what Facebook did, and force you to spend money to reach your listeners? As they gain more momentum, do you think they’re going to make it easy on you to access and use your data however you see fit?

A few other things you need to ask yourself, if the business model is going to change that drastically, how will that help with attracting future sellers? Is a new seller going to want to sell audio instead of Facebook, Google, Twitter or Amazon? Will a new salesperson see a better financial path to success selling audio or video? What about our current sellers who rely on selling radio ad time to make a living? If they see limited potential right now earning a living selling apps, podcasts, social media, and your brand’s website, why would they put their focus in that space when it doesn’t pay the bills?

What’s really going to be important is the measurement of our performance in these other locations, and our ability to educate advertisers on the way our programming can help them generate results. If our brands are well established, and the talent we employ possess the skill to mentally own space inside the listener’s mind, then we’ll still have a chance to gain support and trust from local and national business partners.

Perhaps the bigger challenge is going to be for programmers and content creators, because there might come a time when shows aren’t taking commercial breaks. Picture HBO programming where the movie never ends. Your breaks would come in the form of vignettes, liners, airing of soundbites, taped interviews, etc. In other words, following the content model of podcasts, and SiriusXM which reward the user and limit the interruptions.

That could also lead to shows being shorter in length too. If the average metered listener consumes your programming for 30-45 minutes per occasion, are you better served with one 4-hour show or two 2-hour shows? Some could even make a case for four 1-hour shows.

If breaks were someday to be done away with, advertisers would have to be further woven into the content without it seeming forced. If we hope to compete with other media for dollars and listeners, we’re going to need a less is more mindset, and give clients an opportunity to be more intertwined into specific programming. Movies and TV shows have done a great job of including brands into their content, and it’s a space where radio can step its game up. Barstool Sports and Bleacher Report, two relatively newer brands (under 20 years in operation), have figured out how to excel at it. Radio with its rich history should be able to do the same.

Change is inevitable in every business. Whether it’s complicated or not, technology creates it, audiences demand it, and dollars follow it. If we want to avoid future dark days where our best people lose opportunities and serve as reminders of our failure to read the signs and modify the way we approach our business, then we’ve got to get out in front of these issues rather than waiting them to arrive on our doorstep. When habits change, you either adapt, or get rendered obsolete. The winds of change wait for no one.

Good Karma Makes Big Acquisition in Milwaukee

Jason Barrett
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Good Karma Brands has won the competitive battle to acquire E.W. Scripps’ Milwaukee brands, News/Talk WTMJ (620 AM and 103.3 FM) and Country WKTI (94.5 FM). The Milwaukee based company has agreed to purchase both brands for the sum of $16 million dollars.

Scripps had previously announced intentions to sell their radio group. That process started last month when the company unloaded some of their brands in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Good Karma Brands’ focus on Milwaukee makes the company an ideal home for these important local radio stations,” said Scripps President/CEO Adam Symon. “The company’s expertise in connecting audiences and advertisers, particularly with sports marketing, means these stations will be well positioned for the future.”

One of the crown jewels of Scripps’ properties is WTMJ which serves as the flagship station for the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Milwaukee Bucks. By adding the radio station to its portfolio, Good Karma opens up numerous cross promotional opportunities across their local sports stations, 540 ESPN in Milwaukee, and 100.5 ESPN in Madison. The company also owns another news talk (1430 WBEV-AM) and country music station (95.3 WXRO-FM).

“We’re thrilled to welcome WTMJ and WKTI to the GKB family,” said Craig Karmazin, Good Karma Brands founder and chief executive officer. “The heritage, prestige, and team at the stations, in addition to their incredible sports partnerships, fit our commitment to provide best-in class opportunities for our teammates, content for our fans, and solutions for our marketing partners.”

Remember to Say Thank You

Dave Greene
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Remember to Say Thank You

Thank you.

Two simple words that, according to a New York Daily News article in 2016, Americans say, on average, five times per day.  The same article notes that according to research, we may not even mean it more than half the time, it’s just being said out of habit.

I once had a boss who sent an email out to his large team that said, “please stop replying to my emails with ‘thank you,’ as it clogs up my inbox, your thanks is understood.”  Instinctively, I started to write back, “Got it, thank you!”  Perhaps I was raised right after all, otherwise I’m not sure why I feel the need to be polite, but to me the phrase “Thank you” can’t be used enough and is, most certainly not, just understood.

In our Sports Media Sales World, I think saying “Thank you” (and meaning it) is one of the most important things we can do.  And we should be doing it often.

In fact, I believe it is one of the very first things you should say upon meeting a client for the first time. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”  Translation – we know you are busy and we know your time is very valuable.

When the CNA is concluded, I will often thank the client “for giving us the information we needed, in order to really identify your needs and your target audience to customize a marketing program for you.”  For some business owners, talking to others and opening up about their business challenges, is not something they enjoy, so it’s good to let them know you appreciate all the information they gave you.

Of course, at the end of the meeting, we’re going to thank the client again for their time, after we’ve recapped what we heard and our assignment, as well as secured a follow up visit for the presentation.

Later in the day, or the next morning, you will have the opportunity to send a thank you note, recapping the biggest needs you uncovered during your meeting, the task in front of you and letting them know that you’re looking forward to seeing them at the day and time of the next scheduled meeting.

At that next meeting, guess what?  You got it, you’re going to thank them for giving you the opportunity to present a comprehensive marketing plan that will help them solve some of their challenges and grow their business.  

Because the world is perfect, when they’re so blown away by your presentation of ideas and solutions and they agree to purchase the largest option, right on the spot, you are once again going to say, “Thank you,” this time for allowing you the privilege of partnering with them and their company.

As a manager, when I’m introduced to someone doing business with us, it is always my practice to say, “Thank you for your partnership, we appreciate the opportunity to work with you.”  I believe this says that I not only value their business, but that I view it not as a one-way street, but something where we both contribute in order to make it a success.  All of that, from simply thanking them.

Managers should also be aware of the power of a thanks to an employee and how it can go a long way.  People want to be appreciated and acknowledged.  

It goes beyond just business relationships, of course.  It’s common courtesy that should be extended to everyone you encounter, and most of all, it’s simple, one of the easiest things to do to show appreciation.

Thank you for reading.

Is Your Brand Ready For The Next Disruption?

Jason Barrett
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When change happens, the way you respond is everything. You can try to hang on to the status quo, but the longer you do, eventually you get trampled. Disruption waits for nobody including the radio industry. If your customers and advertisers seek more of something, you either provide it or they find someone else who can.

I spent time last week in Minneapolis at The Conclave, a great event which highlighted the radio industry. Lori Lewis and her team did an excellent job of providing a great mix of speakers and topics. All who attended left with plenty to think about. I enjoyed hearing insights and stories from Bobby Bones, Michelle Tafoya, Jsi-Chavez, Kim Reis and Traug Keller, but there was one session in particular which hasn’t escaped my brain for the past few days. I’ll get to that in a moment.

To set up the point, let me start first by taking you down memory lane.

Remember when the internet exploded in the 1990’s? Websites began popping up everywhere. Overnight it seemed we became fixated on researching and discovering brands, and sharing our lives online. As the business world took notice of where things were shifting, many industries struggled to adapt. Radio was one of them.

I recall logging on to numerous radio station websites and the user experiences were pretty bad. Unfortunately that remained the case for over a decade. Stations relied on poorly built website shells, and assumed that a “Listen Live” button and profile page of their talent was enough to satisfy an audience. Sites were cluttered with banner ads, useless information, and repurposed content from national platforms, exposing the fact that radio wasn’t ready to handle the internet boom.

Then came podcasting, which began to gain steam in the mid 2000’s. Audio on-demand seemed like a niche thing to many when it first started but those who were doing it recall early signs of success. I used to host a wrestling show in upstate NY in the early 2000’s and was blown away by the interest in my website/content. I’d upload the two-hour weekend show, and the online traffic would be triple to quadruple what my former radio station normally generated.

Fast forward a few years later, and Bill Simmons and Adam Carolla began to dabble in the podcast space. By 2009, Simmons was receiving over 25 million downloads per year at ESPN for his audio show. Carolla was named iTunes’ best audio podcast of 2009, and began to lay the foundation for a move from terrestrial radio to digital audio.

Once again, radio adapted slowly. Solid growth was seen between 2007 and 2015, but in the past three years, interest has reached new levels. Revenue projections for podcasting have soared from 90 million in 2014 to 395 million in 2020. The big challenge now is cutting thru the clutter, and delivering a return on investment for clients.

Next came the smart speaker. Amazon’s leap into the space produced immediate interest. Google soon followed, and Apple has taken the plunge too. Between 2016-2020 smart speaker users are expected to increase from 16 million to 76 million, adding billions in revenue as well. As of today, nearly 28% of all Americans use a smart speaker according to eMarketer.

That’s great news for the audio industry right? It is. Except there’s one issue. Have you tried discovering some of your favorite brands on these devices? There are stations which don’t come up by their name, others which transfer to TuneIn, and with Entercom’s recent announcement of moving their stations off TuneIn to Radio.com, Google Home users won’t be able to hear those brands until further adjustments are made since Radio.com isn’t available on the platform yet.

Strategic company moves are a whole other animal, so let’s instead focus on the user experience. Imagine if your station’s name includes The Fan, ESPN or FOX Sports. You’ve pounded this message into your audience’s brain for years, and now when your audience calls for you on a smart speaker, they’re directed somewhere else.

I’ve spent hours calling for brand names on Amazon Alexa and finding them is not exactly a walk in the park. Some require adding a decimal point, some don’t. Some have to be spelled out “One Hundred and Five” instead of saying “105”. Others send their audiences to national partners, and some have done a good job securing specific words and/or terms to make them easy to locate.

Since our industry was slow to respond in each of these cases, are you confident that we’ll be ready when the next big thing comes along? Well, if you were at The Conclave, then you know what that is.

Fred and Paul Jacobs did a brilliant job taking attendees thru their recap of CES (Consumer Electronics Show), the annual industry show in Las Vegas which highlights thousands of inventors and brands, all with an eye on future technology. There were many interesting points made during the session, but the one which I have spent the past few days thinking about is where the world will be in 10 years.

According to the Jacobs brothers, autonomous vehicles are just around the corner. So too are Smart Cities. Electric charging stations will be popping up across the nation in the future, as automobile makers begin transforming the way we operate on the roadways.

Whether you like the idea of giving up control of your vehicle to a computer or not, and whether it’s ten years from now or fifteen, it’s safe to say that things are going to be different. When that happens, how will it affect your listener? How will it change the way you consume content inside your vehicle? What are you doing in the next decade to make sure your brand is ready unlike previous times?

Think about what you do when you’re on an airplane or a train. If you’re similar to me, you might rest for a bit, read a book, and turn on your phone, tap into the wifi, and either browse the internet, watch video or listen to audio. When it comes time to consume content, you gravitate to the brands and personalities you know and trust. There is no button to scan radio stations, and ad consumption is drastically reduced.

Given the way smart speakers are taking over the world, they’ll soon have a dominant presence inside your vehicle. When you want to hear a specific brand, personality or content, you’ll call for it by name, and it’ll appear in your ears. If the steering wheel is removed from your hands, and you can focus solely on your listening or viewing experience, you’ll become more engaged in the content selection process.

One thing that audio hasn’t had to battle inside the vehicle is video. The car has been our safe haven because drivers are forced to focus on the road. Video is a distraction for drivers, whereas audio serves as a companion, allowing the operator to mentally engage with content without losing sight of the road. Even then, distracted driving remains a huge problem.

But what if that driver suddenly had their hands free? Would they continue to listen to audio or use their phone or in-car video screen to watch video? How would that change the way a radio brand measures its audience impact? What happens to the traditional model of advertising when fourteen to sixteen minutes of ads per hour can’t be forced on the consumer?

Just thinking about this requires two Advil’s. If you’re a radio owner, market manager, account executive, or Nielsen representative, I’m guessing it gives you even more cause for concern.

It makes perfect sense though for the auto industry to explore this transformation, even if it creates a threat to the way the radio business operates. If automakers can reduce accidents while assuring a smooth ride, and offer individuals inside the vehicle more time to relax and enjoy their in-car experience, it’s a no-brainer. The cherry on top of the sundae is that it also gives automakers more information on their drivers, and better access to reach them with advertising messages inside the car.

All of these possibilities seem light years away, but so too did the internet, podcasting, and smart speakers. Yet here we are in 2018 and they’re a huge part of our lives. You can try to push things aside, but if you’re not embracing changes, and doing your homework to be ready for them, you’re setting yourself up to be disrupted.

It’s critical for radio stations to brand themselves well, and make sure they’re easily discovered on smart speakers. Similar to looking for results on Google, nobody is going to waste time looking for you on page 5. If you’re not on Page 1, maybe Page 2, you’re not going to be heard.

Brands must also have content strategies for audio, video and print, and different methods for highlighting that content across different platforms. Twitter is not Instagram. Instagram is not Facebook, and Facebook is not SnapChat. More than likely something else will become part of our social media mix in the next few years, and when that next platform pops up, we’ve got to be ready and willing to adjust quickly.

We’re heading towards a future where the automobile experience is going to turn into the equivalent of a flight or train ride. It’s not a question of IF, it’s a question of WHEN. Auto navigation is going to become a computer’s problem. That’ll open the door for us to enjoy more content with lesser distractions, even if the idea of giving up the wheel seems like a foreign concept.

When that day arrives, is your brand tattooed on the listener’s brain? Can you be easily found on all devices? Do you have a visual component to match your audio presentation? Are your personalities larger than life and important enough to be sought out? How are you planning to retain and grow your business while facing the reality of ad times being rapidly decreased?

The work we’re doing today and tomorrow to be ready for this next wave is important. We can standby and wait for the future to arrive at our doorstep, but maybe it’s time we head outside, observe the landscape, and make sure we’re well prepared to handle it, and thrive off of it. The only thing at stake is the future.

Joe Benigno Taking Leave of Absence at WFAN

Jason Barrett
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Joe Benigno was supposed to return to WFAN on Monday. But that plan has changed according to the New York Daily News.

After being named in a sexual harassment suit by an ex-employee, Benigno is taking a leave of absence from the radio station while his employer, Entercom Communications, works to resolve the case and clear his name.

Lauren Lockwood, a former WFAN sales executive, has filed a five million dollar lawsuit in Brooklyn Civil Court. She claims Benigno would brag about having threesomes with his wife and prostitutes, suggesting she consider joining them.

Lockwood further alleges that Benigno would rub her back, rank women in the office based on their appearance, and show explicit photos of his naked wife and a prostitute.

A statement released by Benigno’s lawyer Arthur Aidala claims the accusations are false.

“He’s denying everything she alleged,” said Aidala. “Joe never showed a naked picture of his wife. That’s absolutely insane. He never propositioned her in any way, shape, or form.”

The former salesperson also accuses the station of conducting inappropriate business by allowing alcohol to be consumed in the workplace, knowingly permitting the practice of taking prospective clients to strip clubs, and creating an uncomfortable environment at events.

During an evening with clients at the Barclays Center, Lockwood claims she was punched in the face while trying to break up a fight between two radio representatives and a guest she had brought to the event. She says the incident resulted in her being the only one suspended.

Time will tell what comes of this situation but for now, one of Entercom’s crown jewel sports radio brands has a huge stain on its image.

Tom Flores Being Replaced on Raiders Radio Broadcast

Jason Barrett
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Earlier this week, Bay Area football fans were stunned to learn that longtime Raiders radio announcer Greg Papa was not being brought back to call the team’s final season in Oakland. The organization signed Brent Musburger to a three year deal to become the team’s new radio voice. Brent will work the final season in the Bay Area, and the team’s first two seasons in Las Vegas.

But Papa wasn’t the only one to receive grim news.

As it turns out, Papa’s longtime color analyst and former Raiders head coach and Super Bowl champion Tom Flores has also been informed he won’t be retained. Flores told the Fresno Bee that he had hoped to stay on thru the first season in Las Vegas but the franchise has decided to explore a new direction.

“In 20 years, I usually sign a contract right about this time — at least a week or two before the first game,” Flores told the Bee. “It wasn’t new when I didn’t hear from them. When they let Papa go, I was: ‘We’ll see what happens. Maybe I’m next.’ And here I am.”

No word has been given yet about the status of Raiders sideline analyst Lincoln Kennedy. Given his talent, contributions to the broadcast, and proximity to Las Vegas (Lincoln resides in Arizona), it’d make sense for the franchise to move him upstairs to the analyst booth filling Flores’ seat. Time will tell if that’s the organization’s plan.

The Sports Radio Spring Ratings Report

Jason Barrett
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The Sports Radio Spring Ratings Report

The Spring book is out which means some are cashing bonus checks, and others are adjusting their strategies to place themselves in stronger position for the summer. Unlike the winter book, which tends to slow down the format, the spring book often provides a boost thanks to the return of baseball, the buzz surrounding the NFL Draft, and the NBA and NHL playoffs.

As you read this piece, understand that we try to offer an informative look at how sports stations are performing in the key demo of Men 25-54, and in some instances we’ll share some other great stories as well. However, not all brands or markets make their stories available. If you don’t see something listed, it’s likely that we simply didn’t have enough information to highlight their story or offer additional analysis on it.

Now here’s what we can share this quarter for the sports talk format.

New York:

Mike Francesa returned and immediately picked up where he left off. The New York radio legend’s first two months in afternoons (3p-6:30p) found him rated #1 with Men 25-54. Mike delivered a 6.8 in May and a 6.4 in June. For the full book, The Fan’s afternoon slot ranked 3rd with a 6.0. The results were also strong for 98.7 ESPN NY‘s Michael Kay Show. ESPN NY’s afternoon program finished the quarter ranked 4th with a 5.4, just six tenths of a point behind FAN.

In mornings, the spring provided a better result than the winter did for Boomer and Gio. The Fan’s morning team produced a 5.2 to capture 5th place. Their last book had them ranked 7th with a 5.1. ESPN NY which relies on the network national show Golic and Wingo, placed 12th with a 3.6.

Turning towards middays, CMB seemed to benefit from the move out of afternoons. Carlin, Maggie and Bart saw their numbers increase during the two months they were rated weekdays 1p-3p. They received a 6.2 in May and a 6.4 in June. Joe and Evan on The Fan finished the quarter in 6th with a 5.4. ESPN NY’s Humpty and Canty, which goes up against Joe and Evan and includes radio veteran Dave Rothenberg, came in 11th with a 3.3.

Given the recent headlines surrounding FAN, this was a solid quarter. I’m sure Mark Chernoff would like to see the morning show in the top 3, and Joe and Evan in the same place. The station has experienced those highs in those timeslots before and has the talent to execute. Regaining momentum though in afternoons was needed and Mike Francesa returned and held up his end of the bargain, at least for the first two months. Credit to CMB because despite being placed in a difficult spot, they’ve since settled into a new timeslot and made the most of their opportunity. Now the question is can they elevate higher?

For ESPN NY, Michael Kay’s show has to feel tremendous. Francesa’s return produced immediate interest, as did the start of the NY Yankees season, and although those two components provide a nice lift for The Fan, TMKS was just one ranking position behind and trailing by less than one point. That’s pretty strong. The real focus has to be turned towards 6a-3p where the station isn’t in the same conversation for numbers as The Fan.

Los Angeles:

There wasn’t a ton of data available this quarter from LeBron’s new stomping ground but here is what we can report. The weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) battle was won by ESPN LA 710. The station finished one ratings point ahead of local rival AM 570 LA Sports. 710 also earned victories in all key weekday demos (M-F 6a-10a, 10a-3p and 3p-7p).

Although we enjoy examining the competition between 710 and 570 each quarter, the sports radio format in Los Angeles doesn’t generate the numbers that we see in many other major cities. That said, it doesn’t mean both brands aren’t making money or feeling great about their people. It may be fun to highlight ratings and how the stations compare, but if those involved are reaping the rewards thru large advertiser investments, then the rest is less important.

Chicago:

There’s been much debate about 670 The Score‘s lineup changes, but for the spring book, there’s no denying the station’s performance. The Score won the book opposite ESPN 1000 taking honors for weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) and full week (M-SU 6a-Mid). The Score was a point and a half to two full points ahead of their local rival.

Sizing up the weekday shows, Mully and Hanley were a force to be reckoned with, finishing 2nd with just under a 7 share. ESPN 1000’s Golic and Wingo gained a few tenths of a point from the previous book but still weren’t inside the Top 10. It’ll be interesting to monitor how Brian Hanley’s exit impacts The Score in mornings, at least in the short term.

Turning to middays, Dan Bernstein and Connor McKnight defeated Kap and Company by seven tenths of a point. That’s the good news. The bad news, the show lost share each month during the book, dropping from a 4.8 in April to a 3.6 in June. Whether that’ll be a continuing trend or a blip on the radar will have a lot to say in how the head to head battle between both shows shapes up going forward.

Between the hours of 12p-2p, The Score’s combination of 1-hour of Bernstein/McKnight and 1-hour Parkins/McNeil, finished nearly two points ahead of ESPN 1000’s Carmen and Jurko.

In afternoons, McNeil and Parkins led the way, coming in 4th, seven tenths of a point ahead of Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000. Considering this was the show’s first full book, they were opposite a formidable foe, and McNeil was hampered by vocal issues during the early part of the book, that’s positive news. On the flip side, The Score had the advantage of airing 18-20 Cubs games during the quarter, many of which elevated the daytime numbers, so for Waddle and Silvy to be close given the disadvantage is impressive for 1000 as well.

Changing all three weekday dayparts in a short period of time when a brand in the nation’s 3rd largest market is winning a highly contested ratings battle is certainly a curious move, but there’s no shortage of talent on The Score. The station also has a tremendous PD in Mitch Rosen so that makes a difference. If the new shows can find their groove, and the Cubs continue supplying a huge ratings boost, The Score just might be able to pull this thing off. If not, there’ll be a whole lot more debate and discussion on the station’s overhaul.

For ESPN 1000, it’s about weathering the storm of baseball season, and getting to the fall when the play by play advantages are less difficult to overcome. Given past history, they should continue to push 670 every step of the way. If some of The Score’s changes give listeners a reason to tune out, 1000 will be ready to capitalize on those opportunities.

San Francisco:

The greatness of the Golden State Warriors has drawn a lot of attention to something that many in the market already knew, Bay Area sports radio is pretty damn good. For the spring book, another Warriors championship, and the return of Giants and A’s baseball elevated the performance of both KNBR and 95.7 The Game. It was KNBR though who gained bragging rights, winning the weekday prime and full week competition.

Mornings have become much closer, but Murph and Mac were able to once again defeat The Game’s Joe, Lo and Dibs. KNBR’s morning show was 2nd overall for the quarter at just below a 6 share. The Game came in 6th, one tenth of a point under a 5 share. One positive for The Game this quarter, they won the head to head matchup in the month of May, a first in station history.

In middays, Gary and Larry remained dominant, finishing 1st with an even 6 share. The Game had plenty to celebrate though too, placing 3rd with just above a 5 share. One difference during the 10a-1p hours, The Game airs two-hours of Matt Steinmetz and Daryle “The Guru” Johnson, and 1-hour of The Greg Papa Show. For Gary and Larry, they have now started off the 2018 campaign with back to back 1st place finishes.

Another good battle continues to take place between the hours of 1p-3p. KNBR’s Fitz and Brooks won the head to head matchup against Greg Papa by 1.3 points. KNBR’s program ranked 1st for the quarter. Papa occupied 2nd place.

Afternoons saw KNBR’s Tolbert and Lund finish in front of The Game’s The Damon Bruce Show by 1.3 points. Tolbert and Lund were ranked 2nd for the quarter. Bruce turned in a very respectable 3rd place finish.

Where The Game gained a win was in evenings. The Warriors success was the main catalyst for lifting the station past KNBR’s combo of San Francisco Giants baseball and Drew Hoffar and Kevin Frandsen. The Game finished a half point ahead M-F 7p-12a with Men 25-54.

If you’re trying to play the game of winners and losers, you’re going to favor KNBR since they won all of the prime matchups, but this is a race that’s become a whole lot tighter. More importantly, both brands are now thriving.

KNBR had to be thrilled with earning #1 rankings with both midday shows, and seeing their drive time programs rank 2nd. The Game meanwhile can take pride in having three of their weekday programs finish in the Top 3, and their morning show win one month opposite a tough competitor. There’s much to celebrate on both sides, and a whole lot of money to be made for both sports stations in the Bay!

Dallas:

105.3 The Fan in Dallas had plenty to celebrate in the spring book. The station placed 4th in prime with a mid 5 share. Making all involved feel even better was consistent Top 5 performances from each of the station’s weekday programs.

In mornings, Shan and RJ finished the quarter in 3rd place. GBag Nation occupied the 5th spot in middays. Rounding things out in afternoons were Ben and Skin who also enjoyed the 5th place position.

Year to Year, The Fan has experienced nice gains with its AQH rating in both Men 25-54 and Persons 25-54. It’s also continued to lead the charge among Men 18-34.

No data was available for The Ticket.

Philadelphia:

There were positives to share inside both buildings this quarter, but when WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic are involved in a battle for ratings supremacy, competitive juices are going to flow. For The Fanatic, their big win was regaining the lead in afternoons with Men 25-54. Mike Missanelli lost to Jon Marks and Ike Reese in the winter book, but he regained the top spot in the spring by five tenths of a point. Missanelli placed 3rd for the quarter. Marks and Reese came in 4th. WIP did however win head to head among 6+, Men 18+ and Adults 25-54.

Where WIP separated itself from the pack though is everywhere else. Not only has the station excelled in the Men 25-54 demo, but they’ve become a juggernaut in other demos too. Their advantage in mornings has also become impossible to ignore.

Led by future Hall of Famer Angelo Cataldi, WIP won the morning drive battle with Men 25-54 by 7 and a half points. That’s not a misprint. Cataldi is now delivering just under a 13 share, which was good enough to place him 2nd for the quarter. He was also 2nd with 6+ and Adults 25-54, and #1 with Men 18+.

Anthony Gargano and Bob Cooney provided a respectable 5th place result in mornings for The Fanatic with just under a 5 and a half share. The issue facing Gargano though is that many expected him to give Cataldi a run for his money, and for a while it appeared he was closing ground, but that is no longer the case. That said, a top 5 finish in Philadelphia isn’t exactly a bad spot to be in.

In middays, WIP was again victorious thanks to Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie. The Hammer and the former NFL fullback carried the station to a 3rd place finish thanks to an astounding 9.8 share. That number was 5 full points better than The Fanatic’s team of Harry Mayes and Jason Myrtetus which managed a solid 6th place finish. WIP’s midday numbers right now are in a place they hadn’t been previously.

The same story existed for WIP in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) and full week (M-SU 6a-Mid), so it’s safe to say that Entercom Philadelphia executives are feeling good about the performance of their brand thru the first six months of 2018. With the Phillies playing well, and the Eagles gearing up to defend their Super Bowl title this fall on WIP, The Fanatic has a serious headache and a shortage of Advil. Missanelli has proven WIP isn’t invincible, and a huge run by the 76ers and Flyers would certainly help, but the bigger issue is finding a way to close the gaps in mornings and middays. Until they can do so, the local ratings stories are likely to favor WIP.

Houston:

What a difference a year makes! In 2017, Sports Radio 610 led the spring book among Men 25-54 by three tenths of a point over SportsTalk 790 and seven tenths ahead of ESPN Houston 97.5. Twelve months later and we have a new leader in the numbers.

ESPN 97.5 won the quarter by three tenths of a point over 610, and four tenths above 790. 610 and 790 actually gained ground year to year. 610 was up one tenth. 790 increased their share by three tenths. That paled in comparison though to 97.5 who doubled their performance from a 1.1 to 2.2.

It’s worth pointing out that 97.5’s increase during the past six months has come after the station added Lance Zierlein and Charlie Pallilo to its lineup. One beneficiary of those moves has been the station’s afternoon show with A.J. Hoffman and Fred Faour, which had always held its own, but is now gaining some extra tune ins. The afternoon show has been the top rated program in the market with Men 25-54 for the past six months. How will 610 respond to that? That’ll be something to keep an eye on.

One additional item to pass along, Gow Media, the owner of 97.5, also began simulcasting 8 hours of the station’s programming on Sports Map 94.1. Since doing so, 94.1 has gone from not delivering a rating, to showing up in the report.

Washington D.C.:

New Market Manager Phil Zachary couldn’t have timed his arrival better. He shows up, and the Washington Capitals end their franchise drought of never having won a Stanley Cup. That Caps championship run provided a huge boost in the spring book and the recipient of that incredible journey was 106.7 The Fan.

For the first time ever, The Fan beat WTOP (News/Talk) in weekday prime (m-F 6a-7p). They were also just two tenths of a point behind the dominant News/Talk brand for the full week (M-SU 6a-Mid). If you’re unfamiliar, WTOP, led by Market Manager Joel Oxley, is one of the best performing radio stations in the nation with high ratings and revenues. With the President of the United States residing nearby, and political tensions rising on an almost daily basis, it’s pretty easy to see why WTOP’s programming has large appeal in the nation’s capital.

What had to make The Fan’s PD Chris Kinard feel especially good this quarter was that each of his station’s weekday shows produced strongly in their respective dayparts. The Sports Junkies came in 2nd with Men 25-54 in morning drive with just below a 10 and a half share. Grant and Danny finished 1st in middays with just under a 9 share, and Chad Dukes locked up the 4th spot in afternoons with a low 7 share. Even the station’s evenings turned in an impressive 2nd place finish with just over a 7 and a half share.

Year over year, each key weekday demo (6a-10a, 10a-3p and 3p-7p) on The Fan was up 2 full ratings points or higher. The month of June for The Fan was its highest rated month in brand history.

The Capitals championship run, a Wizards playoff appearance, the return of the Nationals, and the interest in the NFL Draft all played key roles in elevating listening this quarter. Perhaps more impressive though is that when interest in sports grew locally due to the performance of the market’s teams, The Fan’s ratings soared, other brands received less support. That further highlights the position the brand and their talent have established with DC sports fans.

Atlanta:

The spring book was soft but still good enough to help 92.9 The Game lead the market’s sports radio competition. For the quarter, the radio station finished 5th in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 25-54.

Among the highlights for the brand included a 4th place result from the afternoon show, Dukes and Bell. The popular duo delivered a high 6 share to achieve that ranking. Another notable achievement was Andy Bunker‘s evening finish. The night time talk show host turned in a high 6 share to finish 2nd in the book.

680 The Fan has also seen all of their shows increase their shares year over year. The early season success of the Atlanta Braves has definitely been good for business.

Boston:

The spring book once again showcased a competitive matchup between two exceptional sports radio stations, 98.5 The Sports Hub, and WEEI. For the quarter, The Hub earned top honors, with WEEI occupying the 2nd spot.

Perhaps the biggest win for the Hub came in mornings. Toucher and Rich reclaimed the lead from Kirk and Callahan with an eight tenths of a point advantage. If you include WVEI which WEEI programming also airs on in the market, the lead shrinks to four tenths. Either way, Toucher and Rich earned a tough win this quarter.

In middays, the story is a little trickier. WEEI’s OMF and The Hub’s Zolak and Bertrand each could proclaim victory depending on which metrics you’re focused on. Z&B finished four tenths of a point in front of OMF but when WVEI is included OMF goes in front by six tenths. Nonetheless, both shows were close and in firm command of the 2nd and 3rd ranking positions.

The afternoon battle is where The Hub delivered their biggest win. Felger and Massarotti remained the market’s highest rated show, finishing 1st with a powerful 14.7 share. WEEI’s Dale and Keefe did secure a strong ranking position, grabbing 2nd place, but trailed by roughly seven points.

Finishing up in evenings, The Sports Hub’s combination of Celtics playoff basketball, Bruins playoff hockey, and Adam Jones, held off WEEI’s mixture of the Boston Red Sox and Mike Mutnansky by four points. With the Celtics and Bruins off for the summer, and the Red Sox playing great, the next quarter should show a tighter battle in this timeslot.

Phoenix:

A hot start by the Diamondbacks, and the arrival of Josh Rosen were just what Arizona Sports 98.7 FM needed for the spring book. The market’s leading brand generated a mid 5 share, which was enough to place 3rd in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p).

Looking at the local shows, Doug and Wolf came in 3rd for the quarter with a low 6 share. Bickley and Marotta finished 4th in middays with just under a 5 share. The afternoon team of Burns and Gambo delivered a 2nd place ranking with a high 5 share. Evening programming which included DBacks baseball and The Rundown with Luke Lapinsky, also produced healthy returns, coming in 6th with a high 4 share.

There are other local sports radio brands in Phoenix, and their companies may be satisfied with the results they’re producing, but none right now are delivering the ratings that Arizona Sports 98.7 are. Congrats to their team on a strong 2nd quarter.

Seattle:

The spring book bragging rights belonged to 710 ESPN Seattle. The station finished 6th in prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 25-54. One particular show which stood out this quarter was the trifecta of Danny, Dave and Moore. The afternoon trio which went thru some challenges in the numbers last year has rebounded in 2018. In the latest book, they were 3rd overall. Year to year 710 has seen its ratings increase by two full shares.

Minneapolis:

It’s starting to sound like a broken record, but KFAN continued its path of excellence once again in the spring book. The top rated Minneapolis sports radio brand finished one tenth of a point under a 12 share with Men 25-54 in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p). For the full week (M-SU 6a-Mid), the station saw a little bit of a dip, pulling in a low 10 share. That said, most brands would kill to be in their position, delivering double digit shares each quarter.

Tampa:

The market’s top rated sports radio brand, WDAE, experienced solid growth among Men 25-54 book to book. The station’s ratings were up 47% M-SU 6a-Mid and 36% M-F 6a-7p from Winter to Spring. Winter of course creates more challenges for sports talk brands, but despite a soft start to the year, WDAE was back on track in the spring.

Year to year each of the station’s shows is up in share. A strong Lightning Playoff push and the return of Rays baseball has contributed to those increases.

St. Louis:

Once again the spring book was strong for local market leader 101 ESPN. The brand finished 3rd overall in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 25-54. The station’s key weekday shows all delivered in the Top 4 led by The Fast Lane who finished 1st in afternoon drive. The show has consistently placed near the top for approximately 18 months.

In mornings, The Bernie Miklasz Show turned in a 4th place finish. Kevin Wheeler was ranked 3rd for the book in his timeslot of 10a-1p. Closing things out was The Turn with Anthony Stalter and Chris Duncan (Chris has been out for a while dealing with health issues) which came in 4th.

Portland:

Not a ton of data was available this quarter from the Rose City, but here’s one nugget worth passing along. The afternoon team of Isaac and Big Suke on 1080 The Fan dominated in afternoon drive for the spring book among Men 25-54. The show was just above a 5 and a half share, good enough for 6th overall. Rip City Radio‘s tandem of Chad Doing and Travis Demers were 4 ratings points behind and in 18th place. They did however inch in front of 102.9 The Game‘s Bill Reiter by one tenth of a point.

There was one huge positive though for The Game. For those that subscribe to the theory that national shows can’t perform in local markets, The Dan Patrick Show continues to prove that not all markets are equal. Dan and the Danettes once again won the quarter, generating an impressive 6.6 share to finish 4th overall. Their performance was better than 3 full ratings points ahead of Dusty and Cam on 1080 The Fan. Rip City Mornings with Dan and Nigel trailed both shows and finished tied for 23rd.

Baltimore:

105.7 The Fan is on a roll. The Baltimore sports station finished the spring book in 1st place weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with just under a 9 share. It was the first time in a long time that the station had gone back to back books ranked #1 in the Men 25-54 demo. Another highlight included The Big Bad Morning Show, featuring Rob Long, Ed Norris and Jerry Coleman, finishing 1st overall for the book. It was the popular trio’s first experience leading the market in the male demo. They produced an outstanding 10 share to lead all local brands.

Charlotte:

No Hornets playoffs games. No Panthers football. No local baseball team. No problem.

Despite those challenges, WFNZ continued to lead the pack among local sports radio brands. Perhaps most importantly, the station increased its share by three tenths year to year, highlighted by a five tenths of a point uptick in the month of June.

Among the local shows, The Mac Attack continued to roll, delivering just under a 3 share, which was an increase of more than a full point year to year. Middays, which featured Chris Kroeger and a rotating cast of hosts after Kroeger left to become the new radio voice of the Charlotte Hornets, remained flat with just above a 2 share. The first book in afternoons for Garcia and Bailey (they started during the first week of May) was solid with shares just above a two and a half.

With football season on the horizon, and a new midday show expected soon, Charlotte’s sports radio leader should be well positioned for the remainder of 2018.

Salt Lake City:

What used to be a fun race to analyze between three solid brands, has turned into a 2-brand race. The only issue, one of those brands, 97.5/1280 The Zone, has pulled further ahead and distinguished itself as the clear cut leading in the market.

For the spring book during the hours of 6a-10a The Zone was 2nd with just above a 7 share. That was 4 full ratings points ahead of local competitor ESPN 700. Middays was where The Zone got even stronger, producing just under an 8 share which was also good enough for 2nd place. 700 was 5 and a half points behind during that time period. The same story existed in afternoons too, where The Zone finished just above a 6 and a half share, 4 and a half ratings points in front of 700.

Nashville:

The local rivalry between 104.5 The Zone and 102.5 The Game has become a fun follow the past year or so because the race has become closer than it had been in previous years. That said, The Zone still occupies the driver’s seat, although that lead isn’t as massive as it once was. Whichever side of the aisle you sit on though, there’s plenty to feel good about in the latest book.

Among the notables to pass along, The Zone saw solid gains year to year and month to month in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) and among their weekday shows. In the last two months alone, the Wake Up Zone picked up 1.4 points, Midday 180 improved by 1.2 points, and 3HL gained 1 full point. The station’s overall prime number was also 1.1 points higher, just under an 8 share.

On the other hand, The Game had plenty of reason to feel excited as well. The spring book represented the station’s best quarter in its seven year history, and the month of April was the brand’s best overall month. Stealing the headline for best performance on the station was Jared & The GM who delivered better than a 5 share in afternoon drive for all 3 months, including an impressive 5.7 number in the month of April.

Given that just two years ago these two brands were separated in the month of April by 10 full ratings points, it’s become a much closer competition. The real winners are Nashville sports radio fans who now have two great options to choose from when deciding where to invest their listening time with local sports radio stations.

Memphis:

92.9 ESPN continues to dominate the Memphis sports radio scene. The station has consistently played in the top 3 with Men 25-54, turning in strong shares. The spring book saw the station turn in performances between 7.4 and 9.2 for the three month period.

As far as the station’s programs are concerned, Golic and Wingo‘s national program led off the day with a healthy top 5 finish for the quarter. Mike and Trey increased their growth each month, rising from 5.2 in April to 7.3 in June.

When the station goes local, they see an even bigger spike. Geoff Calkins turned in three month shares ranging between 8.4 and 10.4. He’s averaged being #1 for the past year during his timeslot of 9a-11a.

Jason and John then took the reigns from 11a-2p and raised the bar even higher. Not only has their program also averaged a 1st place finish for the past year, but their past three months have seen shares fluctuate between 9.4 and 12.0.

From 2p-4p, Eric Hasseltine took over and produced shares between a 5.8 and 6.6. Hasseltine’s month of June placed him 6th. He’s averaged being 8th for the past twelve months.

Closing things out in afternoons was Gary Parrish. The dynamic Memphis sports talk show host remained strong, turning in shares between 8.7 and 10.7. His full year average finds him 2nd in the market with a share just under an eleven.

OMF, Dale and Keefe to Switch Timeslots at WEEI

Jason Barrett
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WEEI is making changes to strengthen its elite weekday lineup. The key members involved in the moves are Glenn Ordway, Lou Merloni and Christian Fauria from the midday show OMF, and Dale Arnold and Rich Keefe from WEEI’s afternoon program Dale and Keefe.

Starting August 13th, the two shows will switch dayparts. The move sends Ordway and Arnold back to timeslots they both previously worked and enjoyed prior success in. Ordway starred for WEEI in afternoons from 1995 to 2013. Arnold worked in middays with Michael Holley from 2005 to 2011.

The new lineup for WEEI will look like this:

5:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: “Kirk & Callahan” hosted by Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: “Dale & Keefe” with Dale Arnold and Rich Keefe
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria” hosted by Glenn Ordway, Lou Merloni and Christian Fauria
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: “Mut at Night” with Mike Mutnansky
10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.: “WEEI Late Night”

“We are proud to deliver the power of local connection to our listeners and advertisers through an elite roster of talent that provides premier sports audio content in Boston,” said Mark Hannon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Boston. “This move allows us to return Glenn and Dale to the show times that have been synonymous with their legendary careers in Boston, while also providing Rich, Christian and Lou with new, exciting challenges moving forward.”

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