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Advertising Is About Memories, Not Sales

Jeff Caves
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Advertising Is About Memories, Not Sales

Many times, I have been asked if my advertising campaign is going to work for the client. Most often that means will they make more sales, get more calls, make more appointments, or get a lift in traffic to their website. Sometimes, when pressed, I have said, “half of all money spent on advertising is wasted; the trouble is we don’t know which half.” 

I borrowed that from John Wanamaker, the Godfather of advertising. I need to stop saying that. Wanamaker said that over 100 years ago. We all gotta do better than 50%. 

John Wanamaker - Wikipedia

I set out to do that and landed on an Australian institute, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, E-B for short. They are the world’s largest entity doing scientific research into marketing.

I wanted to know why advertising doesn’t work more often than 50%. E-B claims that If you believe the primary outcome of advertising is to persuade people to buy things they normally wouldn’t, then advertising will mostly disappoint. Talk about setting expectations! Advertising can persuade, sometimes, for some people, in certain conditions, it just doesn’t do this often according to E-B.

It makes sense and supports my assertion that we should go hunting for ducks during duck season and we shouldn’t hunt bear with a BB gun. I don’t hunt by the way.

We would have a hard time justifying our sales proposals if it were based on these rare occasions where someone was persuaded by an ad to buy something they normally wouldn’t. E-B says that is not the most common benefit a brand gets from advertising. Brands are made by memories. Advertising is just a broad name for company-controlled creative activity aimed at shaping buyer memories in the brand’s future favor. A buyer’s memory is one of the most efficient sources of information (even for a google search you need to remember what to type).

Advertising can freshen memories for a specific brand, to make the brand easier to retrieve. E-B calls it Creative Publicity – a way to publicize the brand, remind people of what it does and when to buy it, and on occasion, share some new news such as informing about a new offer being launched. For maximum effect on a buyer’s memory to translate into sales, these 3 fails need to be fixed to help advertising work more often.

  1. FAILURE TO REACH – For a business, or as they put it a “brand”, to grow, they need to reach out to as many category buyers as possible. Often reach failure happens at the planning stage, where marketers don’t plan for reach in the first place. We are guilty of that in radio scheduling if we don’t run spots Monday-Sunday 6am-12 midnight or on more stations in our cluster that reach a similar demographic. It also happens at the creative stage where the plan might be in place, but the creative just doesn’t get any attention. We have all just mailed it in occasionally. We need to work to eliminate empty copy with no direct action or benefit. Write comedic spots or live reads that are direct and action oriented. For advertising to work, these distribution issues of planning, delivering, noticing, and failures in reach need to be fixed. 
  2. FAILURE TO BRAND – E-B points out that the brand name is the anchor of the exposure. If listeners remember that funny ad about a guy and his wife and have no idea who the ad was for, that’s a fail. Much of the reach will be wasted because it failed to brand. The point E-B makes is that advertising must work for the brand, nobody else. A tire dealer sponsoring the Indy 500 is a good idea but not necessarily adjacent to a trivia segment. When we write commercials, schedule ads or involve clients in promotion, we need to keep in mind the client.  
  3. FAILURE TO BE BUYABLE – E-B reminds us that the best advertising in the world doesn’t translate into sales if physical availability is lacking, and the brand is not easy to find and buy. If a store or business is in a bad location, there is only so much we can do to change that. If, however, you are working with a car dealer in an auto mall, help them stand out from the other dealers in the mall. Research offers and merchandising techniques that will make their cars stand out in a crowd at the right time. Suggest a convertible sale in the summer or 4-wheel drive sale in the snow. Put those cars on the front row and feature them in your copy. Have fun with a serious subject like Covid 19 and move all pick up trucks near a curbside and advertise the new ‘curbside pickup’ line of trucks. Bad location retailers can do special on-site sales or buy booths in trade shows. 

By implementing some of these changes maybe we can improve our 50% success rate to 66%. Cause 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. 

Meet The Market Managers – Matt Hanlon, Radio One Charlotte

Jason Barrett
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Meet The Market Managers – Matt Hanlon, Radio One Charlotte

Succeeding in radio as a market manager requires understanding how to motivate people, maintain relationships, elevate programming, and create solutions for clients to generate revenue. Few understand those things better than Matt Hanlon. A veteran of the industry for nearly 30 years, Hanlon has a passion for the industry that’s on display 24/7, and a desire to win that’s felt by everyone around him. He’s a leader who doesn’t assume his prior experiences will provide the answers to tomorrow’s problems. It’s why he continues to educate himself on new technologies in order to stay connected to local listeners. He’s also not afraid to shake things up whether that means introducing a new talent to a market, rolling the dice on a first-time programmer or adjusting the plan if something isn’t working and a new direction is needed. If the path to progress requires adjustments, Hanlon is going to do what’s necessary to win. 

When you analyze Matt’s career, it reads like a tail of two halves. Part 1 is where Hanlon gained his introduction to selling media. He spent a decade working for both Backer, Spielvogel & Bates, and Katz Media Group, where he held multiple positions as a media buyer, before ascending to a sales management role. During that period, he worked on campaigns for familiar brands such as CBS, Campbell’s, Mars Brands, and Miller Beer, and did business with various radio companies. He also had the privilege of working with the late Bob McCurdy, who helped him learn more about the importance of making budget and balancing expenses.

But the second half of Matt’s career is where his background in media sales helped him take the next step into radio management. He joined Citadel in 2001, spending 14 years with the company, growing from Market Manager in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to company President. He was responsible for managing Citadel’s Midwest Region of 85 stations across 14 markets with 1500 employees, and helped develop, build, and grow ‘The Huge Show Radio Network’ with Bill Simonson, gaining affiliates across the state, while generating seven figure revenues.

Following his run with Citadel, Hanlon’s next radio journey led him to Charlotte to manage three of Entercom’s market leading brands, WFNZ (sports), WBT (News/Talk) and 107.9 The Link. In less than five years, Hanlon has helped all three brands evolve, while remaining a vital part of the local listener’s lifestyle, and producing wins on the business end. The collective success of his three brands caught Urban One’s attention, giving the company added incentive to expand in the market, which they did in November 2020 during a multi-market multi-station swap with Entercom.

Having had the pleasure of working with Matt over the years, he’s never been one to seek the public spotlight.  He prefers to let his people enjoy the credit and his brands’ results do the talking. But after a little bit of pleading, he finally came around, and I’m thrilled to share with you some of Matt Hanlon’s insights from our recent conversation as part of our Meet The Market Managers series presented by Point To Point Marketing.

JASON BARRETT: I want to pick your brain on a number of things because you’ve had an interesting career full of many different experiences, but I have to start by asking you about managing a cluster thru a pandemic and tragedy as you have in 2020. I don’t know of anyone else who’s dealt with more challenges than you have over the past year. You changed WFNZ’s PD direction in March, right before the pandemic rocked the nation. A month later, a great man, talented OM and longtime friend Darrin Arriens passed away following a bout with Covid-19. Then, after bringing in new PD Terry Foxx and appearing to have tragedy behind you, WFNZ APD/EP Mark Seidel unexpectedly passed away in September (his death was not related to Covid). Two months later, tragedy thankfully didn’t strike a third time, but you did learn that your cluster would be changing ownership as a result of a deal between Entercom and Urban One. With all of that taking place in less than a year, how do you keep a staff feeling positive, confident, and focused?

MATT HANLON: JB, we have gone thru a lot as a staff. I have as well personally, but as strange as it may sound, I think going thru all of this has brought us closer as a group. I really do. It’s hard to develop and maintain relationships when you don’t work next to someone every day, and when you couple that with losing Darrin and Mark, it had a deep impact on our building. As painful as those losses were given what they both meant to all of us personally and professionally, and let me make sure I say this, those guys were loved inside our building, and we miss them both tremendously, somehow those difficult times have brought us together as a staff.

You mentioned the ownership change too, and going through that was seismic. As you can image, when people learn they’re going to be changing employers, all sorts of questions get raised. Fortunately, we were acquired by a great company that gives us tremendous support. The first few months have given me a great feeling about where we are and where we’re going. What helps a lot is that the management team at the top is small and accessible. We’re in complete lock step about our future because they articulate things very well. The directive that we have is to strengthen our brands by creating more solutions for our clients while providing a stronger listening experience for our audiences, so that’s where we place our focus as a staff.

As far as keeping our team on track is concerned, we have a lot of people on our staff who want to be successful. But when you’re dealing with Covid-19 and the loss of teammates, you have to adjust and over communicate. We’ve never been more active using virtual companies than we are now. If it means having to take more phone calls to activate the staff, then that’s what we do. We do have a good team here that has many of the answers so we just need to allow them to do what they need to do to help us the best they can.

JB: Since I focus a lot on sports media, I want to turn the attention first to WFNZ. Under your watch, the radio station has generated consistent success in the market. It’s also improved its reputation across the entire sports format. Why do you think that’s been the case? Is there some magic formula you’re using?

MH: It’s 100% due to being able to reactivate the people. WFNZ is a great brand that this market loved. We just needed to get them to believe in it again. We made a few changes to improve the product, and the audience has consistently rewarded us with #1 TSL because they like what they’re hearing. I think we have the right people in the right seats with Nick, Kyle, Mac & TBone. These guys are good enough to be on any sports station in the business.

JB: In terms of local sports radio though, WFNZ isn’t facing stiff competition. Do you wish it did? I know you love to compete, so do you miss the daily battle or do you prefer less stress and knowing you hold the dominant format position in your market?

MH: Well, we do have another station in the market that broadcasts sports on the radio, but the market does invest its time with us most and we’re grateful for that. The competition may not be the same for sports radio as it is in some other cities, but there is healthy competition from the marketplace. I think brands need to have the ability to capture the mindshare of the marketplace thru a mix of good content or talent. We have 14 hours per day of discretionary sports talk radio so of course we’re the leader in that space. I’m proud of that and see it as an important layer of our business, but competition does exist. It might be Barstool Sports, though maybe it’s not. It could be ESPN television, but maybe it isn’t. In order to be a legit sports station, you have to be a brand that extends beyond the radio dial. Audiences today have so many options to choose from when deciding who to watch or listen to. In Charlotte, we want WFNZ to be a brand that sports fans know, trust, enjoy, and want to spend time with.

JB: Before you moved to Charlotte, you spent time in Michigan where you worked for Citadel. At one point, you oversaw more than 80 radio stations in the company’s Midwest region. It was during that run that you helped launch Bill Simonson’s ‘The Huge Show Radio Network’ all across the state. We’ve seen other companies explore regional syndication but not all of them have had the success that you did. First, what was it that you saw that convinced you that a move like that could work?

MH: Well, first you can’t be afraid to take a risk JB. We had that part covered. Second, you need a passionate fan base. Michigan was literally a peninsula so sports in that state is very rabid and provincial so it just worked perfect there. Next, you better have a great talent. Bill Simonson was a generational talent, still is, and he was the right guy for us to build around with ‘The Huge Show’. I heard Bill on the air at night and I thought he was doing one of the best shows in the country. He was even better at that time than Mike Francesa was on WFAN. That’s how dialed in he was. We quickly moved him into afternoons which created a lot more interest from both advertisers and listeners. The last piece to that puzzle is that you need to have a strong business model. I got the idea for the network from Knight Quality in Boston. Norman Knight had taken AM radio stations, strung them together, and turned the model into large revenues.

When we put The Huge Show Radio Network together, it became a scarcity model for regional syndication. It was never a ratings play for us. We had a lot of clients and stations jump on immediately, and others were calling out of fear that they’d lose out. We even had stations in Chicago, Milwaukee and Indiana that wanted to air the show. That’s where I saw the power of it on display and how it could motivate others to grow their business.

Back then JB I had to knock on doors and tell a lot of people ‘Hey, I have an idea for you‘. I remember I’d take the Jim Rome contract, and white it out, and type in ‘The Huge Show’. That’s how I learned how to do syndication. It meant having to do things a little differently. It wasn’t uncommon for me to sign deals with affiliates in unconventional places. I remember going to Jim Sommerville’s house in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, he had a tower in his yard, and I had him sign the agreement at his dinner table. I had to climb a fence that day to get to him. In the end, we got business done and it all worked out.

Eventually we got the network on to a dozen stations and at one time we were generating roughly 8 million dollars a year in revenue. It was a heck of a run.

JB: To build a regional network of that magnitude though, you must’ve had to get stations on board who were owned and operated by other companies, some who likely saw you as a competitor. How did you knock down that wall?

MH: That’s true JB. I knew we had to get operators of other stations on board to really make it big, and to do that I had to get them to trust me. Every single one of them was my competitor at that time. I was in 8 of their markets. I think what it came down to is that there was mutual respect and they saw value in what they’d be getting in content, and how it could provide them greater value of their commercial units. There was a lot of trial and error for all of us but they stayed on. When they had conflicts we created solutions for them, and it seriously turned into a really good business for everybody involved.

JB: So having had success with a regional syndication model, I noticed that you haven’t taken that same approach in Charlotte where you operate a successful sports brand in WFNZ and have some personalities who’d likely be attractive to other stations across the state. Could a model like that work where you are now?

MH: In Michigan, we had all the right pieces in place at the right time. That’s why the model became very successful. When you look at other cities, not just Charlotte where I’m located now, they usually have a lot of people invested in teams from all over the place. You can do a regional network anywhere but so many factors come into play including the delivery system. There’s no way of telling what the future holds so I never say never, but right now we’re focused on maximizing what we have in front of us.

JB: As a Market Manager, you have to take into consideration a number of different things when deciding who the right fit is to program one of your radio stations. Many people have experience, relationships, ideas and leadership skills, so what ultimately matters to you most when evaluating candidates and deciding who to trust with the oversight of one of your brands?

MH: I think a programmer has to be a contemporary communicator. That means being able to understand where the listener consumes your product. If you don’t live that lifestyle yourself it’s tough to relate to it. You also have to be immersed in today’s technology and culture. In my case, I’m someone who looks at many different things. Are you creative? Smart? Are you good at building relationships with talent and the local teams? Terry Foxx for example who programs WFNZ is very mature and professional. He arrived here in July and instantly gained respect locally with the teams in our market, as well as with the talent in the building, simply by the way he conducts business. You have to be able to get next to all of them that way you can understand, support, create and innovate.

JB: You brought up the importance of being able to work with the local market teams in a positive manner. As you know Matt, some organizations are great to their radio partners, others try to use their influence to control the messages being relayed about the franchise across the airwaves. How do you balance that part with team owners and their key executives?

MH: When you’re in my job JB, I think so much of it has to be figured out early on. I believe you have to commit to sell the team’s product no matter what their record is. If they’re bad, you still have to help them. I’ve asked our partners to do the same for us. Obviously we all want to win, and we pull for each other to do well, and when times are good, the results and attention are ideal for everyone. But you also have to be honest with each other, and more importantly, the audience. We will never compromise a sportscast or newscast by ever adjusting content in someone’s favor just because we’re partners. There has to be trust on both sides to allow each other to do the job right. If trust is there you can work thru anything.

JB: I do want to ask you about something unrelated to sports talk because you do oversee an iconic News/Talk brand in WBT. This is a station that I’ve been able to hear in NY at night due to its massive signal. Like many other News/Talk brands, the format featured Rush Limbaugh in its weekday lineup. Rush unfortunately passed away a few weeks ago, so now stations across the country are trying to figure out what to do. Personalities on Rush’s level are impossible to replace yet you have an audience and advertisers who have been loyal to that timeslot and you’ve got to give them something to keep them with you. Do you see a capable replacement out there on the national circuit or do you see more news/talk stations going local to fill the void?

MH: I went thru something similar to this in Western Michigan with Howard Stern, and I’ll tell you JB, it’s not easy. I don’t think this will be the same though as Stern. There were places when Howard left that would just turn off the radio station. It was bad.

When it comes to replacing Rush, I’m sure the network will try to move forward just as we did with Adam Carolla, David Lee Roth, and Rover. It’s just hard and the odds of it continuing to work aren’t high. What made Rush unique is that he always had something to prove. Whoever comes on after him isn’t going to have that same chip on their shoulder or the history of having to take on big battles. It’s a totally different job now. I do think there’s an appetite for that messaging but there isn’t going to be another Rush Limbaugh.

For us, the impact on a station like WBT is mitigated by the fact that Brett Winterble is in our lineup. Brett is in afternoons for us and he previously worked with Rush so many of Rush’s local fans also appreciate Brett. We also didn’t promote Rush a lot on the station. We didn’t hide him, but we put most of our attention on our local programs so in this situation not much will change for us.

Don’t Shoot The Messengers For Executive Decisions

Jeff Caves
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The recent controversy regarding unpaid internships was misunderstood and, in classic Twitter form, taken out of context to satisfy personal agendas. If you want to read all about what blew up on Jane Slater of the NFL Network, Jason Barrett wrote a tremendous piece on all the madness.

I think sales internships are valuable. I also see the fanny pack as a functionable wardrobe item for young Dads.

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Most often, sales interns were working with the sales assistant in a support function doing busy work, while the sales assistant did more heavy lifting. But they were learning, making contacts, and sometimes getting college or class credit. THEY DID GET SOMETHING IN RETURN. But that isn’t happening anymore.

Several media companies faced lawsuits brought by unpaid interns contending that the companies violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. FOX and many companies lost the court fight and had to pay back wages. Most media companies don’t offer unpaid internships as a result. So, we did have some abuse of the process especially when the internship wasn’t connected to college coursework. 

Salespeople don’t think they work for free. Most of us are on commission in broadcast sales and only get paid if we sell advertising or, in some cases, collect the money. I am unaware of many compensation packages that include paying AE’s for attending sales meetings, proposal/script writing, writing orders, etc. We do those other tasks because we accept it is part of the job to get the commission. 

I think that is changing or at least it should. More on that in a minute.

The heated exchanges on social media are typical get off my lawn type riffs. People over 35 ripping on ‘kids today’ under 35. Some feel Gen Xers and Millennials act as if they are entitled to a higher wage, want to be paid for internships and do not want to do busy work.

I would maintain that the younger set are more evolved and recognize good, better and best opportunities. They have a higher value of themselves and at times can recognize some job opportunities as situations stuck in the 80s, following practices from a bygone era. Some of course are unrealistic, but not most.

These younger employees have learned faster, more, and differently than any baby boomer. They know better. They grew up professionally in a worldwide economy and want tools to compete where the most amount of money can be made. I feel the most insightful millennials are less interested in starting in market #150 working for 30k when they can work digitally and reach the world. They don’t want to cold call on prospects who don’t see the value of advertising let alone radio advertising and not get paid.

They want to sell not collect, get in more closing meetings not handle continuity, and recharge and research not get in the energy suck of inputting orders. They don’t want to attend meetings so middle managers can check a box. They want warm leads, accredited seminars and business offices that are servant oriented to the people who create the business. That’s why I believe most of the best young AE talent are not in broadcast sales anymore. How many recent college grads have been hired for a sales position at your station recently?

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I don’t blame the messengers. 

Some of the biggest media companies are using nationwide inside sales groups, automated sales processes, and working to reduce the amount of money paid to salespeople. The messengers see that, and only want a place at the table where they don’t have to buy their own meal and can get a decent portion. They don’t want to have to shop for it, cook it, etc., etc.. Long live the Fanny Pack!  

You Can’t Put a Price On The Value of An Unpaid Internship

Jason Barrett
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You Can’t Put a Price On The Value of An Unpaid Internship

Social media can be a mixture of a vacation in paradise or a long stay in the sewer. Allow me to explain.

On one hand, the ability to share your content with folks who’d otherwise not know about it has great value. As a consumer of content, you also have the ability to learn about a lot of different things to improve your education. More importantly though, you’re given a chance to connect with others, and take part in conversations about subjects you have an interest in. That’s the paradise part.

The flipside, otherwise referred to as the sewer, is that a simple harmless post can turn into unnecessary drama. What started as a call to people to make them aware of an opportunity turns into having to defend your intentions and credibility to those who don’t know you, don’t follow you, have no connection to your profession, yet suddenly think they are the judge and jury assigned to your case. When you learn you’ve been going back and forth with @bitchfaceloser and @TeamStretchNuts and engaging with others with no desire to work in your profession who just want to stir the pot and preach from their morale high horse, it makes you feel like you wasted important time defending your reputation when it never should have been required in the first place.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I came across a simple tweet from Jane Slater of the NFL Network.

The tweet itself made it clear, the person retained for the internship would be entering into an unpaid situation. That’s when the chaos ensued.

Immediately after Jane posted the tweet which was intended for people who are in need of experience, she was attacked. In some cases, she had to even deal with personal shots being taken at her family. This was all due to her sharing information with her followers about a possible unpaid gig. Nobody forced anyone to accept the position, it was simply there if a person looking to eventually work in the business wanted to gain some reps, build some relationships, and invest their time contributing to an NFL draft project.

To be fair, there were a number of people who commented and said they wished the opportunity had been available when they started. Broadcasters also jumped into the discussion sharing stories of their early days and what it took to get to the level many of them are now at.

Which brings me to my own story.

I have what I have today because I once accepted an unpaid internship. I shared a thread on Twitter late last night where I pointed out that I spent my first six months in radio working for free. Would I have preferred to be paid? Of course, but if I declined that opportunity and the chance to get my foot in the door, that internship wouldn’t have turned into a job, the reps I gained to improve at my craft would not have been available, and the recommendations I received from my peers later in my career when I pursued other positions wouldn’t have been offered. I did jobs I didn’t love, and worked many crummy shifts, but everything I’ve done in radio today connects to those first four years where I learned every aspect of the business. I didn’t know it then but I’m thankful that I placed a greater value on investing my time in the studio and office versus worrying about if I was receiving my worth or not.

That’s one big mistake I’ve seen a lot of people make – prioritizing earnings early on over experience. It takes many hours of practice to become good at something. I programmed 5 radio stations in 4 cities over a 15 year period and have consulted many more over the past 5 years. Time after time I see and hear the same stories. If you expect a company to pay you to work as an intern when you don’t have the skills needed to do the job, why wouldn’t they just hire someone PT who’s more experienced?

The fact that many broadcast groups offer compensation for internships today is great, and if you can be paid to learn, awesome, take advantage of it. But it’s not your place to tell others what they should or shouldn’t accept. During your early years in this business, reps and relationships are what you need most. Every day you step foot in that building is a chance to make progress towards achieving your goals. You only gain that by being on the inside. If getting in there is only an option thru an unpaid internship and someone wants to take it, why is that an issue? It’s their life, their career, and they should decide what is and isn’t valuable to them, not someone on social media with no investment in their future.

Secondly, nobody ‘deserves’ anything. Watch the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ and get back to me afterwards on what one deserves. I saw that mentioned in one of the tweets to Jane, and after looking at other issues on social media about unpaid internships I saw some even try to compare it to slavery. That’s ridiculous and an insult to slaves. Slaves had no choice. One choosing whether to accept or decline an internship is far different than what people went thru physically and mentally a long time ago.

If you say you want to work in sports media, and you’re leaning towards passing on it because the first step pays $0 instead of $100-$200 per week, I think you’ll have a difficult road ahead. This is a business where fair or unfair, people pay a heavy price to do what they love. You’ll face years of struggle, miss out on important birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, maybe even relocate, and chances are you’ll question if it’s worth it many times. You may even do what I did once and leave for a few months, seeking a better paying job, only to discover it’s your passion and true love, and making less to do what you enjoy versus making more to do something you don’t is worth the trade off.

I’m not letting companies off the hook entirely. Many don’t do enough to compensate people in the building who aren’t the top ratings and revenue producers. Execs like to preach how important the ratings are, yet I saw folks who were #1-#2 in their markets lose jobs during the pandemic. It reminded me again that anyone who tells you it’s about ratings is full of it. We value ratings in programming because we’re competitive, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s about what you cost the company vs. what your market takes in. The more you make, the bigger the bullseye on your back. I also think some groups search too quickly for what to cut instead of what to keep or invest in to grow. Short-term thinking causes long-term problems. That unfortunately hurts our business too much.

That aside, if you think broadcast groups are going to expand their payrolls for folks who’ve yet to spend a minute in a building and aren’t ready yet to impact the bottom line, prepare to be disappointed. You can tell me that your time is valuable, you’re ‘entitled’ to make a living, and even point out how many millions the broadcast company you want to work at makes, but they have what you don’t – the platform, the opportunity, the experience, and an endless list of people chasing the same dream. If you want to be a rock star or actor, these challenges exist in those professions too.

Furthermore, if you had an unpaid internship and didn’t benefit from it let me ask you a few questions. Did you make the most of your time in the building or did you spend time hanging out, watching, and assuming others will find you for jobs instead of the latter? Were you someone that people wanted to be around and was accepting of critical feedback or were you tough to deal with? How many times did you talk to the boss in the building or the key talent to seek their advice on what you can do to put yourself on the path to a future position? Were you willing to relocate when jobs were available or did you limit yourself to one specific region? If I asked people you interned for to weigh in, would they agree with your version of the facts or claim you subscribe to an alternative truth? The bottom line, nobody owes you anything beyond that invite into the building. What you do with it while you’re there has a lot to do with where you’ll go next.

If you’re in college or just breaking into the business, you may hate hearing this. Maybe you’ll take aim at me like some did to Jane and you’ll call me out of touch, old fashioned, old school, heck maybe even old. I’ll use a different word – experienced. I’ve seen many thrive, some struggle to find their way and blame the business for their shortcomings, and a whole lot more throw in the towel because they weren’t willing to pay the price early on. This business is not for everyone. Some won’t think it’s worth it. Others will use it as the first step towards building a career. We all have choices to make. Whichever you choose, I hope it works out and you find happiness in it.

What Hiring Managers Want To Hear On Your Play By Play Demo

Andy Masur
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What Hiring Managers Want To Hear On Your Play By Play Demo

It’s an age-old question in sports broadcasting. What do I put on my radio demo tape to get a job?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. It depends on the sport you’re doing, the amount of actual broadcast tape you have and what job are you going for. Sounds complicated, but once you cut through it all, it will become a little clearer for you. 

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I find myself in this situation right now, sending out demo tapes for Major League Baseball jobs. For the first time in a few years, I am without a team to broadcast. It meant updating my website and putting together fresh tape from the 2020 season. I have a little bit of time to refine what I have on my tape and to try and understand what it is that PD’s and team broadcast directors are actually looking for. 

The task of putting together a tape after a full-season of broadcasting, whatever sport you call, is a daunting one. You have so much material to work with, so how do you sift through it all? During the season, I find myself “starring” things in my scorebook during a game. I then will listen back to those innings I deemed “star worthy” and go from there. My star system doesn’t always include what I think might be my best stuff.

Let me explain.

I realize that big home runs and walk-off wins are a dime a dozen. I want to find other things that showcase my skills as a play-by-play announcer. Maybe something made us laugh, maybe I brought up a great piece of trivia and so on. Sometimes that “best inning” may not be the one to send.

How can we be certain what it is to send? Well, I enlisted a few expert decision makers in the industry, on the radio side and the team end of things to help share some insight on the process. 

To illustrate my point, Mike Swanson, the Vice President of Communications & Broadcasting for the Kansas City Royals offers up what he wants you to send.

“For me personally? It’s not just sending what they think their best few innings of work was,” said Swanson. “Though time consuming, I really prefer entire games and a couple of them. I get a feel for entire game rhythm, the ups and downs of a team’s play,” he said. 

Mike Swanson

Swanson says there are a variety of things that he’s listening for in a prospective broadcaster. “First and foremost an excitement in his voice that remains relatively constant throughout the game,” said Swanson. “If there is a dip in enthusiasm in a game, then how can I be convinced he can do it for 162 or more?  Also, knowledge of the game and its lingo. Don’t go overboard with the cliches, try to have some originality and don’t impersonate other announcers, Lastly, let the game breathe a little. You’re not being paid by the word and you can allow the crowd or stadium ambient sound cover for some pauses in talking. Announcers that just go and go and go kind of wear me out.”

Mark Chernoff of WFAN in New York, who oversees the Yankees broadcasts on his own station and the Mets broadcast on sister station WCBS-AM has some specifics that he wants to hear too.

“Best to send an inning where something exciting happens but I also get to hear how the game is handled without exciting moments,” says Chernoff. “I’m also wanting to hear if the announcer has a sense of the field and situation (one out, two men on—first and third—score is tied, it’s the bottom of the fifth, etc.), Then want to hear if the announcer is able to follow the ball and what else is going on (ball rolls to the fence, one-man scores, one guy is on third, cut-off man throws to second, etc.). I will also look for some ‘banter’ either with the other announcer or how one handles things when solo.”

Makes sense doesn’t it? 

The former Vice President for Communications with the Angels, Tim Mead, who now is the President of the Baseball Hall of Fame has heard countless tapes over the years.

“When I listen to the submissions, I think a good fan can, sans the radio or tv voice, call something exciting, and they may stumble a bit but you can get excited,” said Mead. “I wanted to listen to the 90 percent of the game where there wasn’t action. I didn’t just want to hear highlights, I wanted to hear an inning or two of that Tuesday night in the 3rd week in April, where it’s 10-0 and you just have to pull out your best stuff to entertain and get through the next seven innings because it’s 10-0 in the third. I really listen to that,”

He even told me, over the years, broadcasters have sent tapes with their team on the losing end to showcase what they can do in those situations.  

So, the bottom line is this is a very subjective industry. Radio and TV in general are all about who is listening and what they might be listening for, right? How do you sift through it all? Chernoff has a bit of advice for you. 

“When putting together a demo, always listen to it yourself and critique it.  If you’re not happy with it, it’s doubtful who you’re sending it to will like it,” he said.

The other bit of advice is how the PD’s or broadcast directors want to receive your demo. 

“In this world of links that’s how I prefer to receive the audio. Hell, I’ve got a computer that I’d have to get an adapter to use a CD or DVD,” Swanson told me. Chernoff agreed, “Send me a link that’s easy to receive so it doesn’t take up endless space on the computer.”

It’s a difficult task to produce your specific demo for your specific sport. That’s understood. Nobody said this was going to be easy. Mead says, it’s not easy for those listening either. 

“What always popped out to me and I really believe this,” said Mead. “I don’t think anybody can anymore tell you why you didn’t get something as opposed to why you could or did.  Especially when you listen to 130 (demos). When you make one decision over 130, I will tell you the baseball analytic guys will tell you that you missed a talented person in 129. You feel good about the hire, but there was somebody else out there.”

Tim Mead Heads To Cooperstown After Four Decades With The Angels | WAMC

Hopefully armed with some new knowledge, you’ll head back to the drawing board and listen, really listen to what you’re putting out there. It could be the difference in getting that dream job or not. 

Never Let A Good Disaster Pass You By

Jeff Caves
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Last week was a disaster for most of Texas. I live in Flower Mound about 20 miles north and a bit west from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. FloMo is also referred to as being in North Texas, the Dallas Metroplex and the DFW area.

After 2 to 4 inches of snow fell, which hardly EVER happens, on Valentine’s Day, the temperatures ranged from 0 to 21 degrees for a brutal 3 day stretch. Power was lost at millions of homes, millions of others, including our house, had a near 68 hour stretch of power on and off for 45 minutes at a time.  Roads were full of ice and snow, over 400 Walmarts closed for a few days and water pipes were freezing all over the area. After the temps came back up to the 40’s and 50’s last Friday and Saturday, the thaw was on. 

Then, the pipes busted for millions more. 

It was the perfect storm for a sale. An Ice Storm Sale to be exact.

Radio and sales consultant Chris Lytle once had this idea and I thought it was timely to remember the power of radio and how mother nature can provide all the creativity we need to move the needle. It was 1975 and Lytle was a sales rep at WISM AM 1480 in Madison, Wisconsin. He had met the owner, Len ‘Crazy TV Lenny’ Mattioli while selling him radio, hit it off and took over all the advertising. An ice storm hit Madison, a metro population about of about 575,000 in 1975, for 3 days and knocked the power out to huge areas and caused all other kinds of chaos. Lytle didn’t know what to do at first until the store manager reminded him that “retail never closes”! 

He didn’t quit. He turned to the most medium he knew best: RADIO. The American TV Ice Storm was born.  

Lytle knew he could change copy immediately on his pre booked radio schedule. So, he wrote the commercial, had it produced and was on the air immediately at the beginning of the storm. 

Now listen up, American Tv is open but there are no lights, no power and no heat. 

How can you sell stereo equipment, tv’s and appliances without power? 

If you’re willing to buy a tv you can’t watch, a stereo you can’t listen to, or a washer and dryer you cant even see, American is willing to deal! What you do is bring a flashlight, bring a candle, dress warmly but SHOP NOW!

Customers hit the sales floor and used flashlights to decide which speakers they would buy. It was a scene out of a bad 1970’s movie. 

This special pricing ends soon! As soon as the light heat and power go back on. So, take advantage of it! Americans Ice Storm Sale, the sale not even Crazy TV Lenny planned. 

The store had the single biggest day in history. 

And Crazy TV Lenny? He was in Tokyo the whole time. 

Been looking for the 'Crazy TV Lenny' water skiing ads? Here they are | Living in Madison | madison.com

Lytle has told that story all over the world as a consultant. The power of broadcast was on display. So, the next time Mother Nature provides you an opportunity, go ahead and be creative, timely and stand out.

Remember the Ice Storm Sale of 1975! 

Rush Limbaugh’s Lesson for Aspiring Broadcasters

BNM Staff
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Rush Limbaugh’s impact on the world may never be fully understood or appreciated. Even as we’ve heard many heartfelt tributes over the past week, they fail to capture the landscape-changing consequences of his 30-year rise and domination of the talk-radio airwaves. This piece, too, will fall well short.

Still, one lesson for aspiring broadcasters sticks out. From the up-and-coming student at the college radio station, to the neophyte media professional cutting his teeth for ten bucks an hour somewhere in middle America.  This lesson is for one, and for all.

It isn’t to learn all you can about Conservative policy and Republican party history, although Rush certainly did. He figuratively, and literally, wrote the book, while making complex philosophy simple. His ideal America? Create a strong and powerful country where people of all types, colors, backgrounds, sexes and ethnicities can flourish to the greatest of their God-given abilities.  This was one of his overarching beliefs, but not the key lesson we are referring to here.

It wasn’t his side-interest in tech products, specifically those designed by Apple. He was quick to silence his devices when they talked to him during a broadcast, and he loved sharing what he had learned from the liberal tech blogs. Yet he always knew when to return to the topics of the day, pleasing the “stick to the issues crowd.”

Yes, he was a “household name in all four corners of the world,” but that took time. To aim toward such lofty heights could paralyze a young newbie just trying to get on the air for the first time. Rush’s notoriety grew over years and decades. Many of his loyal listeners of 2021 began as “Rush babies,” or first heard him while catching the EIB network during high school lunch breaks back in the 1990’s.

Limbaugh’s path required perseverance, which became a driving force for his career. While his family of lawyers would have been pleased had he followed in their footsteps toward a stable and lucrative career, he blazed a different path. He shunned formal advanced schooling and pursued radio. A brief stint in professional baseball helped him grow and continue, following his heart all the way. That tenacity helped sustain him through personal and health challenges over the years. 

Once identifying his first love – radio – he mostly stuck to it. Brief stints with television, from the bright-ties on weekend talk to a short-lived sports gig never made him lose focus with radio. 

Rush learned to nourish his “talent on loan from God.” In this way he balanced the necessary media ego with the acknowledgement of where the talent truly came from, and to who it ultimately belonged. He was simply a steward of the gifts.

Limbaugh was never afraid to challenge someone who “got all up in his chili.” He was a serious and thoughtful broadcast professional, and not one to waste time with the “phony-baloney, plastic banana, good-time rock n rollers.” A solid lesson, sure. But not the big one, from a broadcast perspective.

He idolized “Ronaldus Magnus.” He distrusted the “wizards of smart.” He promoted Rush Revere and Liberty, while sipping Two If By Tea. He stood with Betsy Ross against the modern detractors of America, and he took major career risks each and every “Open Line Friday.” 

Yet, these still were not the big lesson Rush Limbaugh imparted on aspiring broadcasters.

That major lesson, the one that helped him grow a career to lengths never before seen, was simple.

The big lesson is this – He built an unbreakable bond with his listeners.

Rush knew his audience. He thought like them, and he spoke like them. He said what they thought, with words they themselves often could not come up with.

This was the biggest lesson for aspiring broadcast professionals. If you listened every day, you could sense its significance. Rush was honest. He was authentic. As he said many times, he had nothing to gain by misleading his listeners. One failure in this regard would have been catastrophic and career-crushing. He delivered not what his audience wanted to hear, but what his heart and mind authentically believed. 

For example, at noon Eastern time the day after the 2012 presidential election, Rush got straight to the point. “It is nearly impossible to beat Santa Claus,” he said that day, referring to the challenge of unseating a president intent on spreading the wealth of hard-working citizens around.

When you listened to Rush Limbaugh, you felt as though he was speaking directly to you. Not to a crowd or a group, but to you. The connection was natural – a friend talking to a friend, complete with the emotion and fact. When he was frustrated, you knew it. When he felt good, you instinctively did too.

Rush was real. He was original, as all unique humans are. For broadcast professionals, this genuine approach is the key to long-term success. Authenticity attracts the audience – your bona fide broadcast tribe. 

Watch and listen to the really great ones throughout history or in today’s media landscape. Whether in news, sports, finance or entertainment, the most successful broadcasters are the ones who know who they are and effectively share that vision with the audience. This built his incredibly attractive brand, lassoing the masses by their own volition.

Rush Limbaugh was authentic. He connected because he was the real deal. 

This is a lesson for aspiring broadcasters across the fruited plain, who dream of success and dare to achieve it.

Anatomy of an Analyst: Chris Webber

Andy Masur
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He’s most famously known for being a part of the Michigan “Fab Five” teams of the early 1990’s. Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King all became Wolverines at the same time. The group went to 2 NCAA Finals, but lost both times. Webber took a lot of heat for the second of those losses. Facing North Carolina and down 2, he attempted to call a timeout, while the Wolverines had none, a technical foul was called and the Tarheels went on to the win. Webber would declare for the NBA Draft the next season.

Image result for chris webber

Webber grew up in Detroit. He played High School basketball at Detroit Country Day School and was the most recruited Michigan high school player since Magic Johnson. Webber led his school to 3 state championships, averaging nearly 30 points a game along with 13 rebounds. Then of course he went to Michigan for two years and was taken by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, he was immediately dealt to Golden State for Penny Hardaway and three future 1st round picks. He would later play for the Wizards, Kings, 76ers, Pistons and then back to Golden State where he would retire. Webber scored just over 17-thousand points and had over 8-thousand rebounds. He was a 5-time all-star. 

THE ROAD TO TNT/NBA ANALYST LIFE

After a 15-year NBA career, Webber began his new career, when he joined the Inside the NBA crew in 2008. Webber had an initiation ceremony upon joining the show. The established crew asked him a series of questions, including, “In college basketball how many timeouts do you get in a game?”. Webber responded, “I still don’t know the answer!”. With that he embarked on his broadcasting career that has seen him in the studio and courtside at games as an analyst for the NBA and the NCAA Tournament. 

Webber along with Reggie Miller are the main color commentators, working Thursday night games on the network. In 2015, he added NCAA basketball analysis to his resume, when Turner Sports became involved with CBS in the telecast of March Madness. 

WHY IS HE GOOD?

Webber, from all the games I’ve seen him do, is pretty smooth on the microphone. He articulates a point within the flow of a game and seems to work well with whomever he’s paired. I enjoy his candor when it comes to carefully calling out NBA players from time to time. He never makes it a personal attack; it’s about what a player may be doing within the framework of a game. I think he understands that because of course he played in the league. For example, he and Marv Albert were doing a game between the Rockets and Clippers just before the pandemic shut down in March of 2020. Houston frustrated Webber with its shot selection. 

“That’s the frustration with this Rockets team, you’ve got a step back three by House Jr, who should not be taking that shot, then on the other end you get a 3, that’s a six-point swing. Just because someone on paper says to take it, you need to understand your shooting percentage and how much realistically you can make it.”, said Webber. 

Makes sense to me and judging from the comments accrued on the YouTube page I watched the play on, Rockets fans agreed with the assessment. It seemed like Webber was channeling the frustration of a team’s fan base, articulating the point and having them all agree to an extent in this particular case. Some former players turned analyst are not as outright with their criticisms for fear of blowback. Webber straddles the line and doesn’t really cross it, especially in this instance. 

Webber seems to be a polarizing figure though overall. While some really enjoy his work, there are those that are not as enamored shall we say. It seems people have strong feelings, both ways, for the work he does on TNT. So much so there is an online petition started by a basketball fan “to ban Chris Webber from all TNT broadcasts moving forward.” The comments I read on the page range from “he has a total lack of care in regards to the fan experience…he is constantly off target in his analysis…” to the less thought out “Chris Webber sucks. That’s all”.

As we’ve mentioned in this column before, not everyone is going to be a fan of your work. This is not surprising at all. If you really look at it though, are they watching? They are compelled to react to what he’s saying, right? To me that makes him effective. Webber is stoking emotion in these fans and creating conversations. 

Image result for chris webber tnt

WHY HE’D BE FUN TO WORK WITH

To me it’s his sense of humor. Webber seems like he’s having a great time and isn’t afraid to poke a little fun at himself. Take this back and forth between Webber and Albert during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2015, between the Bulls and Cavaliers. In Game 4, Cleveland head coach David Blatt tried to call a time out, without any left, luckily an assistant coach stopped him and the refs didn’t see it. TNT flashed back with Albert describing the actions and what the consequences might have been. 

“Marv, I was going to interrupt you, I hope you aren’t explaining what happens when you call a time out to me, was that for everybody else?”, asked Webber.  “Yes, for everybody else.”, said Ablert. Then Marv asked the obvious question, “What went through your mind when you saw David Blatt call for the time out when he was out of time outs?”  Webber responded, “I wish had time to undo my wrong for my team 20 years ago. That’s exactly what went through my mind.” Later TNT showed a graphic with the rule about calling a TO without one, to which Webber deadpanned, “I don’t need to see it.”. 

That is a dynamite exchange. A sense of humor must run in the Webber family. Did you know his dad Mayce Sr. has a license plate that reads “TIMEOUT”, referring to his son’s famous miscue in the 1993 NCAA Finals. Great stuff. 

SOCIALLY AWARE

It’s not always fun and games though. Webber isn’t just a former basketball player and current television analyst. He’s a man in tune with the social issues facing not just the NBA but the country and world.

Webber was front and center on the night the NBA players staged a walk off, August 26, 2020, to protest the shooting of an African-American man Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for a playoff game against the Magic in the Orlando bubble to protest the incident. The walkoff forced the postponement of all NBA games that night. The WNBA postponed 3 scheduled games that night and 3 MLB games were also called off. 

With no games to call, TNT used the airtime to discuss the civil unrest and shooting of Blake. Kenny Smith walked off the set in solidarity. Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley remained to further talk about what it all meant. Webber was in Orlando, getting ready to call a game, so they brought him into the show to get his thoughts. Webber was visibly shaken and was choking back tears. But he managed to make some very powerful statements. 

“I have a godson who has autism,” Webber said. “I just had to explain to him why we aren’t playing. I have young nephews who I’ve had to talk to about death before they’ve ever seen it in the movies. If not now, when? If not during the pandemic and countless lives being lost? If not now, when?”

“I keep hearing the question ‘What’s next?, What’s next?’. Well, you gotta plan what’s next. You have to figure out what’s next,” Webber continued. “Very proud of the players. I don’t know the next steps. Don’t really care what the next steps are, because the first steps are to garner attention, and they have everybody’s attention around the world right now. Then leadership and others will get together and decide the next steps.”

“Don’t listen to these people telling you don’t do anything because it’s not going to end right away,” Webber said. “You are starting something for the next generation and the next generation to take over.”

Pretty powerful stuff. 

CONCLUSION

Webber has the “it” factor when it comes to being an analyst. Knowledge of the game, personality and the ability to articulate what he sees in a concise manner. He works well with those that he’s paired with and you can tell they enjoy working with him. If all else fails for Webber, he could rely solely on his sense of humor. Don’t ever lose that Chris!  

How Do We Sell Local Podcasts?

Jeff Caves
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How Do We Sell Local Podcasts?

The BSM Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts were just awarded last week. Jason Barrett pointed out that it was the most competitive category of all the Top 20 lists due to so much product. 

I know, podcasts are like assholes, it seems like we all have one. Check out mine (podcast that is) at Kingdom of POD- Boise State Football. 

Image result for kingdom of pod boise state football

So, with all those choices, there must be great advertising opportunities, right? Well, that depends on who you are, I guess. Barstool, ESPN, The Ringer, Fox, NBC, etc have the BSM Top 20 locked down. And, massive sales staffs that know what to do and can package and bundle several different pods to advertisers. 

So, what about the rest of us selling the Kingdom of POD, a recycled on-air show or a local pod? How do we sell that? Depends on who you ask. I asked a local seller here in Dallas how they did it. This account executive has tons of radio selling experience, works for one of the large groups in radio and is now very active in selling a national podcast to Dallas area advertisers.

My podcast by the way is on the Bleav Podcast Network and is sold into by the Bleav sales team. I can sell local advertisers but more on that later. The Dallas AE has had success selling doctors and professionals into more national type pods. Clients like the association, believe in the targeting, and probably listen themselves. 

Don’t most of our best sports radio clients listen to our stations? 

The Dallas AE touts the brand loyalty aspect of the listener. The pod listener is not only loyal to the talent but to the advertiser as well. The listener knows without the advertiser their favorite pod probably wouldn’t exist and they want to show support. 

A few larger clients buy both radio and podcasts to cast a wide and in-depth net. The deep audience loyalty is great for repeat sales and generating word of mouth advertising. The AE pointed out that the Male targeted sports/news pods were some of the most popular platforms they offer because the higher income Millennial Males 28-36 are the largest listening audience of pods and bring the AE success. That should be enough to get us all on our keyboards and start touting pods via email to our advertisers.

I think the local pod is best served as part of a package buy. Bundle it in with on air, some digital and make sure you sell it to a real P-1 of the station and preferably a fan of the podcast hosts. 

Sports Radio sellers have a tremendous advantage here. So many of the podcast selling benefits match up with how we sell sports radio. Sell an on-air schedule for the 35-54 Male and pair it with a pod for the 28-36 Male. Now, that’s a combo!

Image result for radio and podcasts

It’s a great answer to the younger buyer who insists “all they listen to is pods” but can acknowledge there are a tremendous number of Males 35-54 who still listen to car radios. I personally have had a tougher time selling the Kingdom of Pod locally as a stand-alone pod because it doesn’t have an on-air piece attached. So, take advantage of those re-purposed pods, sell some streaming with that on air package and get busy! 

Get Ready To ‘Meet The Market Managers’

Jason Barrett
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Get Ready To ‘Meet The Market Managers’

Since 2016, one of the highlights each year on this website has been our BSM Top 20. This year was no exception. The seven day series is our largest traffic driver of the year because it shines the light on 240 sports radio brands, personalities, program directors and podcasts who are making an impact in the sports audio business. Helping the credibility for the series is the fact that the results are determined by industry programmers and executives.

But after the Top 20 series ends, I like to step back and evaluate what we did well, and where we can improve. I appreciate that so many pay attention to the series, but I know this business is big and there are many others who contribute to the success of a radio station or talk show. It’s why we’ve created other content over the years such as The Producers Podcast, 5 Podcasts in 5 Days, Managing The Crisis, and have had imaging and voice talents like Justin Dove and Mark Rider write guest columns. If we can help industry pros learn how to do one or two things better, it makes the work we’re doing even more meaningful.

One position though that hasn’t received much attention over the years has been the Market Manager. These are the leaders of America’s best radio groups and without their guidance, knowledge, and support for the programmer and on-air staff, the sports stations you enjoy listening to most could be drastically different. These professionals are expected to manage multiple brands inside of a cluster, and be skilled in programming, sales, promotions, digital, research, engineering, etc.. Others in a building may take credit or blame for a station’s results, but corporate groups expect the Market Manager to be accountable for ratings and revenue, while simultaneously growing and/or maintaining a brand’s relevance, reputation, and relationships.

Understanding how pivotal this position is to each market’s success, and recognizing how many involved in the content space don’t know the stories behind the men and women in these roles or how they’ve created impact in their respective markets, I wanted to develop a series which would shine the light on our industry’s top leaders. There are so many questions to be answered as we try to move our industry forward while battling stiffer competition, changes in technology, and difficulties created by Covid-19, and who better to ask than those tasked with navigating our brands thru a sea of uncertainty.

I’m pleased to announce that starting tomorrow on the BSM website, we will kick off a 15-week series titled ‘Meet The Market Managers‘. Demetri Ravanos and I will write the series, and we’re excited to chat with and feature many of the industry’s best. Our first feature will be on Good Karma Brands VP and Partner, and the man charged with guiding ESPN Cleveland 850 WKNR, Sam Pines. Details on other market managers we’ll be featuring in the series will be made available prior to each Wednesday’s release.

I want to take a moment to thank and recognize Tim Bronsil and the team at Point to Point Marketing. When I mentioned the idea of creating this series to highlight Market Managers and treat our readers to their insights on the industry, Point To Point didn’t hesitate to support it. Already an established force in audience development marketing working with the majority of radio operators, Point to Point has been a friend to many of our industry’s best brands and leaders, and they were the perfect partner for this project. If your station is looking for ways to create robust audience growth and long-term retention, I encourage you to check them out by clicking here.

We have a preliminary schedule set for the 15-week series, but if there’s someone in the industry who you think is exceptional as a market manager, and is worthy of being featured, please email JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. We hope you enjoy learning a little bit about the industry’s top market managers and welcome your feedback along the way.

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