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What Can Sports Radio Learn From Counting Crows?

Demetri Ravanos
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Counting Crows are one of those bands that has occupied a pretty enviable spot in the landscape of American pop music. I don’t know anyone that would say the band is their favorite, yet I don’t know anyone that claims to outright hate them either.

Counting Crows fly high for Meadow Brook show – The Oakland Press
Courtesy: Mezgarth

That is a position that can sustain you for years. Even if you never write another new song, you can tour of the strength of “Mr. Jones” and “Long December” for decades.

The band also does something very well that every sports talk host should take note of. So many of their songs start with strong opening lines. They paint a vivid picture. They use words that evoke emotion that the band intends to sustain throughout the song.

In short, Counting Crows aren’t dicking around. You know the mood instantly. You can picture the character we are following.

  • “A long December and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.” (“A Long December)
  • “Step out the front door like a ghost into a fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white.” (“Round Here”)
  • “I wanted so badly, somebody other than me staring back at me.” (“Time and Time Again”)
  • “She sat right down on the sofa. Says “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you.” (“Hanginaround”)

Every song has a theme and a purpose and they are going to make that clear to you from the second Adam Duritz opens his mouth. Can you say the same about the way you approach every segment of your show? Are you getting right to the heart of what you want your audience to think about or react to the second you open your mouth?

We all have bad habits. We learned them from bosses that were stuck in bygone eras of radio or we picked them up from the people we listened to when we were younger. Maybe there was a time when these bad habits were best practices, but now we can more accurately track audience behavior.

Listeners have so many options for sports information. They have even more options for being entertained. Attention spans are short and you cannot count on someone waiting through you talking about the donuts in the break room for you to meet their needs.

Scott Masteller, program director of 1090 WBAL in Baltimore, agrees.

“Never assume and never make the audience wait,” he said in an email. “As soon as the segment starts go right to the topic with content that matters. Do not waste time talking about elements the audience is not interested in or you may lose the listener!”

Duritz is a hell of a songwriter. I find myself going back to Counting Crows’ first three albums, particularly Recovering the Satelites and This Desert Life, pretty regularly. One of the most attractive things about the songs on those records is that they just hit you in the face.

That’s not to say that every song rocks. In fact, most of them don’t. They instantly strike the emotional chord the band is going for.

I have often wondered if that is a result of producing music during the CD era. It was suddenly so much easier to be impatient with a song that wasn’t doing it for you.

Whatever the case, it is the way I wish more hosts operated. I don’t just mean that I want to eliminate the chit chat no one cares about. I also want to eliminate the formatic stuff that we only think we have to do.

There are so many opportunities to say your name. Your listeners likely aren’t going to be with you more than 10-15 minutes, so there is no need to tell them you have a great show. They likely own a phone, or better yet a window, so they aren’t waiting for you to relay traffic and weather information. All of that stuff is a waste of time. When a show opens, I want to hear the host come out with his or her best angle on the biggest story of the day.

Dave Tepper, program director of Altitude Sports Radio in Denver, agrees that there is plenty that can be eliminated. That doesn’t mean you have to eliminate everything that showcases your personality away from sports.

“Don’t repeat what the voice guy said, save your station promo reads for end of segment, save the funny story from the break for later in segment,” he told me. “Open fast with high percentage hit material and work in the rest as the segment progresses.”

If you’re in a PPM market, this is advice you really need to heed when it comes to teasing. How often have we been told that the goal of PPM is to carry people to the next quarter hour? That is what makes teasing so valuable. And if you are going to tease a thought or a topic before going to break, Tepper says you need to reward the people listening.

“Assume listeners sat through multiple minutes of commercials to hear you. Pay them back with urgency by paying off a tease right away, to jump into a topic right away.”

Terry Ford is the new program director of 107.5 The Game in Columbia, SC. That isn’t a PPM market, but he says teasing is ubiquitous in sports radio. There are rules we all need to learn and follow in order for our teases to be effective.

Terry Ford

He agrees with Tepper. In fact, Ford told me that he feels sympathy for his station’s listeners when he hears hosts dicking around at the top of a segment instead of launching into the content they promised before the break.

“I’m thinking about the listener who is sitting in their car, not going into the store, because they want to hear the pay-off of the tease,” he told me in a text message.

I never intended to write a series of columns on what various bands and rappers could teach sports radio. Really, this isn’t an idea that has been brewing in me, but here we are. Two years ago I wrote about Weezer. Last year I wrote about Run the Jewels. It’s turned into a comemorative plate series and I guess this is the entry for 2022.

The members of Counting Crows are all pretty dedicated sports fans. In fact, front man Adam Duritz once told me that in 2015, most of the iteneraries on the band’s European tour were built around being awake at 3 and 4 in the morning to watch streams of the Golden State Warriors’ run to a world championship. He and I have also argued over whether Matthew Delavadova is actuallty good, and as I understand it, he once wrote ESPN’s Bomani Jones a fan letter.

These are the kind of conversations you have with guests on rock radio.

Even with that kind of fandom, there isn’t a book’s worth of sports radio lessons I can write based on this band. I just happened to be listening to a podcast called 60 Songs That Explain the 90s and hear host Rob Harivlla point out how good the band’s opening lines usually are and it sent me down a rabbit hole.

60 Songs That Explain the '90s | Podcast on Spotify

The bar for a great opening line is so much lower for us in sports radio. They don’t have to paint a picture. They don’t even have to evoke an emotional response. That can come later.

Your opening line just has to be relevant to the listener. They are coming to you to be intellectually stimulated in some way. Meet that need and meet it quickly. It is the best way to insure they come back over and over.

Evan Osnos: Dan Bongino Has Profited the Most in Trump Era

BNM Staff
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A journalist who dove into the world of conservative talk show host Dan Bongino recently joined National Public Radio (NPR) host Mary Louise Kelly to share his experience.

Evan Osnos of The New Yorker recently penned an article titled “Dan Bongino And the Big Business of Returning Trump to Power.” 

Osnos claims that no one in American media has profited more from the Trump era and its aftermath than Bongino. 

“He (Bongino) talks about the 2020 election as, to use his words, rigged,” Osnos said. “And he doesn’t go so far as to say that he thinks it was stolen, but he reminds his listeners or encourages them to see ways in which the system is not to be trusted.”

Kelly asserted that Bongino “stokes fear towards the left and drums up support for Trump” by pushing narratives about vaccine and mask mandates.”

“He has tremendous reach in his world, which is to say the people who listen to him are very devoted to him,” Osnos said.

“And then people who don’t know much about him know almost nothing about him, which is really a reflection of this period in our media culture when we do live in these very separate spaces, but even more so than it was, for instance, 25 years ago and the rise of Rush Limbaugh, who had a slightly larger footprint.”

Read Osnos’ article in The New Yorker by clicking this link.

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

Whoopi Goldberg Contracts COVID, “The View” Goes to Remote

BNM Staff
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A surge in COVID-19 cases has forced “The View” to film the show remotely. Co-host Joy Behar announced the developments to her audience, divulging that co-host Whoopi Goldberg had contracted the virus.

Behar said Goldberg’s case was mild, citing that she’s boosted and double-vaccinated.

“Well, Whoopi, unfortunately, tested positive over the break, but she’ll be back probably next week,” Behar said. “But since she’s vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very mild.”

In October, the show fired Health and Safety Manager Nurse Wendy Livingston after a live incident that forced co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro off the set minutes before Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to appear.

Hostin and Navarro recorded false-positive tests leaving some to speculate about the true nature of their immediate removals.

Joy Behar also revealed that her mother had passed away during the show’s brief holiday break.

“I’m not sure any of us are ever ready to lose a parent. I’m sad, Joy,” said Navarro. I’m heartbroken. I wish my mom had been in good health a little longer and able to enjoy her family, which is what she loved the most.” 

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

Fox Nation Launches Series That Relives the 1980s

BNM Staff
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Fox News hopes to gain more traction with its streaming platform by offering the service to non-subscribers as the network attempts to grow the outlet further.

The cable news channel’s streaming service, Fox Nation, provides viewers with a chance to relive the 1980s with special shows and features with a series called, ‘Who Can Forget?’ 

Stand-up comedian Tom Shillue appeared on “Fox & Friends” Monday to discuss the decade-focused content that viewers can expect. 

“We’re doing stuff from 1981, 1984, 1988, and 1989 — so there’s so much to talk about, and it’s such a fun show to do,” he said. 

The preview includes satirical commentary from comedians Michael Loftus, Jimmy Failla, and more. 

“1981 was the year when people went gaga over a car, a new kind of shuttle went out really far, and video killed the radio star,” Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade said. 

The free preview, which runs through this week, is presented by supplement company Prevagen. 

According to Fox News, viewers can visit Foxnation.com/freepreview today to check out the ten most entertaining, romantic, sublime, perplexing, innovative, tuneful, touching, intense, outrageous stories of 1981.

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

Top Sports Ratings Moments of 2021

BNM Staff
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Top Sports Ratings Moments of 2021

During the year 2021, sports were approaching some sense of normalcy. Thanks to the available vaccines, fans returned to fill arenas and stadiums, while those at homes or elsewhere were gradually flocking back to their TV sets or mobile viewing devices. But as the calendar transitioned from 2021 to 2022, the pandemic remained a concern, with a continued impact upon the sports world.

The following list counts down the biggest sports ratings highlights within the past twelve months, based on its impact on the sports television spectrum as we all attempt to come out of the pandemic. America’s four major sports are represented, as are the WNBA, MLS, and PGA golf.

10. NHL Sees Immediate Gains Upon Returns to ESPN and ABC

After a 17-year absence, the National Hockey League returned to the cable network where it found its footing in the ’80s and ’90s, ESPN. Bolstered by its frequent mentions in ads and features throughout its studio shows (most notably, “SportsCenter”), the start of the season with marquee team Pittsburgh Penguins at defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning drew just shy of one million viewers. That was enough to have delivered the largest NHL opening night audience on cable on record (since 1993)

This is the first of three sports ratings moments on this list to have taken place at or surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. ABC’s telecast of New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins on Nov. 26 averaged 1.23 million viewers (with a peak of 1.57 million), marking the most-watched NHL Black Friday Gams since 2016.

9. Continued Growth for WNBA Finals

When the stars come out to play, fans will follow. This year’s WNBA Finals featured several notable names: Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and Skylar Diggins-Smith. The series’ peak viewership came on Oct. 12 for the Phoenix Mercury’s Game 2 overtime win (their lone Finals victory) over the Chicago Sky. It delivered 763,000 viewers, having aired on ESPN — the most-watched WNBA Finals game on any network, including ABC, in four years. That figure lifted the Finals’ average to 548,000 viewers across its four games which is the championship series’ largest since 2017.

The Finals have steadily increased in consecutive years (2019-21) for the first time since 2004-07.

8. MLS Has a Postseason to Remember

It was, no doubt, assisted by its NFL lead-in, but Major League Soccer gladly accepted the viewer boost on Thanksgiving Day. The playoffs were already in full swing, and one of its important matches featured the Colorado Rapids versus the Portland Timbers. Taking place after NFL Bears-Lions, almost 1.9 million watched MLS action — the largest audience for the league since the 2016 MLS Cup, which aired on Fox and Spanish-language broadcaster UniMas. The mark was MLS’ largest on a single network since 2004.

Adding to its banner postseason, the No. 1 TV market in the nation became home to the MLS Cup champions, NYCFC. An average of 1.1 million had watched NYCFC’s victory over Portland, the most-watched single-network MLS Cup viewership since 2018.

7. NBA Gives Its Playoffs a Jolt with Play-In Action

Emerging from a season following one that was thrown into flux in 2020, the NBA devised a new look to their playoff format. There would still be eight top seeds in each conference to qualify for the postseason, but the determinations of the 7th and 8th seeds changed. In addition, a mini-tournament that also involved the 9th and 10th seeded teams provided a Wild Card-Esque feel that the NFL, MLB, and college basketball already implement.

Of the six available Play-In games, one was the clear must-see matchup: no. 8 seed Golden State Warriors at no. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first meaningful game between longtime rivals LeBron James and Stephen Curry in three years.

James had previously voiced his dissatisfaction with the new playoff setup. The NBA, on the other hand, could not have been more ecstatic by the monster ratings results from Warriors-Lakers. 5.6 million tuned in on May 19, cable’s top viewer mark for an NBA telecast (excluding playoffs and All-Star Games) since Christmas Day 2011.

6. The Manning Brothers Become NFL’s Newest Star Commentators

Since his retirement, TV networks have vied for Peyton Manning — a popular spokesperson for several products and companies throughout his Hall of Fame career — to join their team as a color analyst.

ESPN had especially eyed him for “Monday Night Football.” In 2021, they finally got him… but not in a conventional capacity: Peyton and his younger brother, fellow two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning as commentators on an alternate “MNF” broadcast for ESPN2.

The ManningCast caused an immediate stir. Its premiere attracted 800,000 viewers; it more than doubled to 1.9 million viewers by week two.

Their eye-opening nuts-and-bolts football talk, along with being joined by celebrities of all types like Charles Barkley, Phil Mickelson, Condoleeza Rice, and David Letterman, delivered much buzz for the casual sports fan. It even birthed a new player curse — the active football stars who made guest appearances on it wound up on the losing end of their subsequent games.

5. MLB Wild Card Sets New Milestones

At the publication time of this list, baseball owners locked out the players amidst negotiating terms for a new financial agreement. Among the ideas proposed during negotiations was an expansion of the MLB postseason to either a 12-team or 14-team format. That would lead to a larger Wild Card round, akin to the best-of-three first-round playoff structure tested out in the fall of 2020. Precipitating these discussions are the recently-agreed-to extended deals with ESPN, TBS, and Fox — the thought being that more playoff games will result in more revenue. Nonetheless, if 2021 was any indication, the higher-ups might be tempted to leave well enough alone.

The starting games of the postseason outdrawing almost every subsequent Division Series and League Championship Series game is nothing new. But in this past year, both single-game Wild Card eliminations achieved significant milestones. Of course, it helped that all four Wild Card participants were familiar teams with big fan bases.

The New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox on Oct. 5 — another chapter in their storied rivalry — averaged 7.69 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2. It was the best viewer figure recorded by Nielsen Media Research for an MLB game on ESPN platforms since covering Mark McGwire’s now-controversial 61st home run (tying Roger Maris’ mark of 1961) back on Sep. 7, 1998.

On the following night (Oct. 6), the St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers, which concluded with a walk-off win for LA, averaged 6.67 million viewers. It was the second most-watched MLB Wild Card game in TBS history; only Cubs-Pirates from 2015 had drawn more.

4. NFL Dominates the Holidays

We’ve already mentioned Thanksgiving for the NHL and MLS on this list. But when you think of the holiday, you think of the NFL and “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Add into the mix the Raiders who triumphed over the Cowboys in overtime, and, with nearly 38 million viewers, you’ve got the biggest NFL regular-season telecast since the infamous 1993 Thanksgiving Dolphins-Cowboys matchup (the Leon Lett game).

Thanksgiving was not the only holiday the NFL flexed its ratings muscles. The league was the figurative bull in a china shop on Christmas Day, the perennial bastion for the NBA, with its doubleheader of Browns-Packers and Colts-Cardinals. Almost 29 million across Fox and NFL Network saw Green Bay’s close win over Cleveland from Lambeau Field, achieving the second most-watched multi-platform “Thursday Night Football” game on record (only the 3-network telecast of Patriots-Giants in 2007 when New England accomplished an undefeated regular season drew more).

3. Baseball Became a Field of Dreams Once Again

Kevin Costner was one of the biggest movie stars of the ’80s and ’90s. During the past decade, he’s been the king of the small screen from his Emmy-winning turn in the blockbuster miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys” to starring in TV’s No. 1 scripted series, the cable sudser “Yellowstone.” In August 2021, Costner achieved another massive TV audience courtesy of revisiting his 1989 film classic “Field of Dreams.” MLB and the Fox network turned the magic of Hollywood into reality in the small town of Dyersville, Iowa, for a game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox.

The backdrop of the cornfields over the outfield wall, the players’ vintage uniforms, and the game concluding with a walk-off home run by the White Sox all combined for a special night to remember. 5.9 million viewers watched the contest, posting the largest amount for an MLB regular-season game on any network since 2005.

2. The Majesty of the Olympics Loses Some of Its TV Luster

The world came together once more in the spirit of competition this past summer in Tokyo, Japan.

The figurative pandemic clouds still hovered over the proceedings, from athletes disqualified by testing positive for the coronavirus to the empty arenas where events like the Opening Ceremony took place. Overall, it was an antiseptic atmosphere that we American sports fans became undesirably accustomed to in the latter half of 2020.

Nonetheless, this was, after all, the Summer Olympics. It has long been a rating juggernaut, and it always outdrew its winter Games.

But those notions got debunked in 2021, having encountered the modern trends of home viewing. We probably should have known an Olympics still labeled as “Tokyo 2020” for marketing purposes was a bad omen for business at the very start.

Relative to what else is airing on TV, the Tokyo Olympics averaging 16 million viewers per night, is a solid achievement. But the Summer Games had never before dipped below 20 million/night, on record. The Sochi Games in Feb. 2018 did 19.8 million, so surely, NBCUniversal would have sold Tokyo as better than that to advertisers. Make-goods to those same advertisers were abounded, as a result.

Just five years earlier from Rio de Janeiro did the Olympics draw 27 million in prime time. The minimal time zone difference was an important aspect to the more robust number — Rio just one hour ahead of Eastern time; Tokyo ahead by 13 hours. But another factor has majorly affected the state of television since 2016. Audiences for linear offerings have massively eroded. Younger generations have sought other entertainment options, especially streaming services. NBC’s Peacock platform was established as a vital centerpiece for its Olympic coverage. Still, the nascent outlet has a long road ahead to be a go-to streaming option like Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, Disney+, or even HBO Max.

NBCUniversal may be bracing for another alarming dip for its upcoming Winter Olympics from, of all places, China.

1. Super Bowl Sets Off Domino Effect

The 2020 NFL season was a tumultuous one. The vaccine had yet to be widely available then, and multiple game postponements were a frequent occurrence. However, it all concluded on time, as Super Bowl LV was held on Feb. 7. And as a bonus, it was a battle between newfound superstar Patrick Mahomes and the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, in Brady’s first non-Patriots season of his career. With big names and known teams involved, CBS was bound for phenomenal ratings.

Or so we thought.

The following morning arrived, and no ratings were released. For what is the year’s biggest TV event since the 1970s, it was certainly an oddity that there was no early indication of how the Big Game performed. The longer the absence of such rating news, the presumption that it received not-so-great results had grown. By the morning of Feb. 9, the data was finally published, confirming the previous day’s concerns: the Big Game underwhelmed.

With over 96 million viewers (including almost 6 million on streaming platforms), the Big Game dipped to a 14-year low. It was also the lowest-rated in households since Joe Namath led the Jets to an upset win over the Colts in 1969; and the lowest adults 18-49 delivery since Washington’s win over Buffalo in 1992.

The results set the tone for the TV industry in the weeks and months that followed. NBC — despite its marquee events that were then-upcoming like the Golden Globe Awards, two Olympics, and an NFL season that culminated in their broadcast of the next Super Bowl — joined their public relations brethren of ABC, Fox, and The CW in ceasing publications of daily ratings releases.

And, in an unprecedented move, the Fox network, the broadcast home of Super Bowl LVII in Feb. 2023, began selling commercial time for that Big Game this past year to guard against any potential championship audience declines.

As 2021 came to a close, the NFL not only remained a ratings behemoth but — as noted on this very list — achieved some multi-decade highs. Perhaps the notion of erosion for the country’s biggest sport may be quickly fleeting. For the league and its TV partners, they sure hope those worries are short-lived.

Lastly, an honorary mention:

  • Mickelson’s Historic Win Lifts PGA Championship

Phil Mickelson was already among the legendary golfers of the 21st century. Back on May 23, he transcended his career even further by winning the PGA Championship. At the age of 50, he became the oldest to ever win a golf major, beating the previous mark by two years. The tournament’s final round averaged 6.6 million viewers — the largest amount in three years. A peak of 13 million was tuned in to CBS in the moments Mickelson had clinched his win. With the exception of The Masters one month prior, it delivered the largest PGA Tour golf audience since the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns.

Note: ratings were tabulated by Nielsen Media Research, and most of their provided context was originally complied and mentioned by Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch at sportsmediawatch.com.

Desmond Howard, David Pollack Reflect On Evolution Of College GameDay

Derek Futterman
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Desmond Howard, David Pollack Reflect On Evolution Of College GameDay

It was a college football weekend to remember as the 2021 season nears its completion with the playing of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas and the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami. Neither game was particularly close in terms of the final score, as defending national champion Alabama pummeled Cincinnati 27-6 in the Cotton Bowl, while Georgia similarly crushed Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl, making for an intriguing rematch (the two teams met in the 2018 Championship Game) to close out the college football season.

ESPN’s signature program College GameDay was woven throughout Friday’s action, broadcasting live from outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miam. The show, which was also broadcast on the SEC Network, was hosted by Rece Davis, and featured college football analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack breaking down each matchup and making their predictions as to who would win. The show’s production and advertising have markedly changed since its launch in 1987 with Tim Brando, Beano Cook and Lee Corso, the latter of which is still on the air today.

“GameDay was maybe a 90-minute show,” said Howard, who has been on the program since he joined ESPN in 2005. “Now, we have a three-hour show. It’s changed dramatically from a sponsorship deal and to the extent to which we cover college football. You have more hours to fill [and] more time to fill.”

David Pollack joined College GameDay in 2011 amid the extension of the show’s air-time with the first hour airing on ESPNU and its addition of Erin Andrews to the panel of analysts. As a three-time All-American defensive end at the University of Georgia, Pollack frequently watched GameDay and has been thrilled to be a part of it as an analyst since he made his debut.

“I watched it over the years since I was in college, and [have] seen it evolve and grow bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Pollack. “The audience and the following [have] grown bigger, [and] to be a part of it has been really cool.”

College GameDay started doing broadcasts live from college campuses in 1993, with a multitude of fans congregating around the set to express their zeal towards their team and to be seen on national television. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic though, protocols to ensure the health and safety of all parties involved have prevented some of the prior congregation and interaction between fans and commentators from taking place.

“Before COVID, we would have fans come up and take pictures after the show was over,” explained Howard. “We had sponsors too, [and] we would have a tent where we would sign autographs. That has pretty much been eliminated because of COVID.”

Pollack added that there is no longer VIP access available backstage, and that anyone going on the set has to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, consistent with restrictions that have been implemented across several U.S. cities, including New York City and San Francisco.

Following a two-year stretch of empty stadiums and/or restricted capacities, along with stringent protocols, a feeling of pandemic fatigue has become prevalent around the world. Undoubtedly, a sign of progress in reaching an ostensible new normal comes in seeing industries like sports media adapt to continue producing stellar content across multiple platforms to be consumed by its audience. For the commentators on College GameDay, bringing viewers coverage from bowl games and championships is something they are genuinely excited to keep doing as the world looks to cease the pandemic and transition into a new lifestyle.

KBOI Now Available on AM and FM

BNM Staff
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KBOI Now Available on AM and FM

670 KBOI has expanded on to the FM dial.

The Cumulus owned and operated Boise brand, which features ‘Kasper and Chris’ in the morning, and Nate Shelman in the afternoon has begun offering its programming on 93.1 FM in addition to 670 AM.

In a story on CBS2‘s website, Shelman explained how the FM addition will better serve local listeners.

“We have the ability to offer additional content without interrupting regular programming,” said Shelman. “Certain sporting events, live press conferences, election coverage etc. KBOI will be able to offer a broader base of content.”

By adding an FM signal to air its content, listeners will now be able to hear the station’s full lineup, as well as Boise State football. Men’s and women’s basketball games are expected to continue airing on 670 AM.

KBOI has been a dominant ratings winner in the market for decades, featuring a mix of news and right-leaning talk. Additional shosts heard on the station include Dan Bongino, Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, and Michael Knowles. All are distributed nationally by Westwood One.

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

BSM, BNM Ready To Grow In 2022

Jason Barrett
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BSM, BNM Ready To Grow In 2022

It’s commonplace in our business to self-reflect when a new year full of possibilities arrives. We should probably do it more often rather than reserving it for the final day of the year or the first day of the next, but in the media business, finding time isn’t always easy.

As I look back at 2021, and the obstacles, adversity, accomplishments, enlightenment, and unpredictability that awaits BSM and BNM in 2022, I’m grateful to be able to do work that many enjoy and benefit from. Since I left the programming world in 2015 not a day has passed where I thought ‘I need to get back to running a radio station‘. That may sound crazy considering I spent two decades inside of buildings, loving the job, and living and breathing it 24/7, but from the second I moved into this space, I knew it was where I needed to be.

I had my fun building brands, chasing ratings, leading corporate programming calls, and making good money, but that restricted me to working in one city for one company with one brand and one staff. Now, I get to wake up each day and help clients in multiple cities, and run my own brand, collaborating with a great group of people to tell stories about the business we love. Combine that with hosting an annual conference, working with advertising partners and industry friends to create cool content and examine ways to grow their businesses, and connecting with folks to stay plugged in on details that others won’t know about until weeks or months later, and I consider myself very lucky. The added bonus, I get to do it in running pants and t-shirts inside the comfort of my home office/studio.

But with operating a business comes a different set of challenges. In 2020, we ended the BSM Summit on a high only to watch the entire world spin out of control weeks later due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That created a bunch of short-term issues, which fortunately we were able to overcome. Fast forward to this year, and we’ve ended 2021 with record high’s for monthly traffic and social impressions, and our client and advertiser base the best its ever been thanks to the support of outstanding partners. I never assume we’re in the clear because things can change quickly, but the support we’ve received is appreciated. It fuels me to reinvest in others to continue growing our operation and helping the industry.

So let’s talk a little bit about how we’re doing that in 2022.

First, we merged Barrett Sports Media and Barrett News Media in May 2021 to bring news and opinion from both the sports/talk and news/talk worlds under one roof. We tried running them independently initially but that wasn’t the best strategy for a new brand. Since bringing them together, BNM’s exposure has increased, the content has been read more regularly, and though we have more to do to get the brand on par with BSM, we’re making progress. BSM had a 5+ year head start on BNM, and though I know at times it may seem weird to read a sports media and news media story on the same website or social media account, as I tell those who ask, sports and news have mixed together since the invention of television, radio and newspapers.

Boosting BNM’s awareness and content is a goal for 2022, and to do that I want to share two things we’re creating to help us make progress.

I’m excited to share that we are launching The BNM Rundown. This will be a newsletter we distribute 3x per week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) via email similar to what we’ve done with the BSM 8@8. The Rundown will go out around 5pm ET on each of those three days, and it’ll contain ten (10) news media stories, five (5) advertising slots, and the latest stock prices for radio groups. There will be additional content and advertising added in the future, and we may increase delivery to five days per week down the line. I’m happy with the layout and think you’ll enjoy it. If you’d like to receive the BNM Rundown or discuss advertising opportunities inside of it, click here to sign up. A big thanks to Ryan Jaster for all the work he’s done getting it ready for distribution.

In addition to the newsletter, 2022 will become the first year where we roll out BNM’s Top 20 of 2022. Similar to how we’ve produced the BSM Top 20, we are going to do the same for the News/Talk format. Categories will be announced at a later time, and we’re expecting to present our results towards years end. There’s a lot to be done to make it a success, but if we’re able to do for News/Talk what we’ve done for Sports/Talk during the past 6 years, I’m confident folks will appreciate it.

When I look at BNM right now, I see a number of excellent writers on the site. If you’re not reading Pete Mundo, Jerry Barmash, Douglas Pucci, Rick Schultz, McGraw Milhaven, Ryan Hedrick and Eduardo Razo, you really should. Each of those guys have been rock stars for the brand, but we need more help, especially another columnist or two. If you work in news radio or TV, love writing, and live and breathe the business, email: JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.

Though we do need to add columnists, a bigger hole has been a dedicated Assistant Content Editor. I’ve poured my heart and soul into BSM over the years, Demetri Ravanos has as well, and that’s helped us build a strong connection with sports radio folks. For BNM, that love, interest, and unwavering passion for telling stories about news radio and news television has been missing in the editor role. Though frustrating at times, it’s all part of building a brand. You have to go thru a few things before it all starts to click. Now after talking to a bunch of talented people over the past two months, and thinking about the brand’s need for TLC, I’m happy to announce the internal promotion of Eduardo Razo.

Since joining us Eduardo has been a steady fixture on the site, writing news, scheduling social posts, and putting an extra set of eyes on the content that comes in from our team. He cares about the site being clean, conducts himself neutrally and professionally when adding news, and he believes in the brand. If hours go by and the site doesn’t have new content, he’s the one who points it out. When Eduardo first joined us he was just learning the ropes. Over the past fifteen months he’s been consistently excellent, and I have no doubt he’ll make even more progress in his new role as BNM’s Assistant Content Editor.

Making sure Eduardo has support to help him though is also important. I’d love to be that person myself, but client projects require much of my focus, so having a strong #2 is key. I’ve been lucky to have a great one in Demetri Ravanos who I’m excited to share is being elevated to the new role of Director of Content. In his new position, Demetri will continue producing columns, creating original feature stories, and hosting a weekly podcast. He’ll also be responsible for daily social creation and scheduling, working with yours truly on client projects and Barrett Media events, recruitment of writers, growth of the BSM Member Directory, BSM merchandising, additional BSM audio projects, and oversight of BSM and BNM’s Assistant Content Editors.

That last line implies that there will be multiple editors involved in shaping BSM and BNM’s content, and with Demetri and Eduardo promoted, that means we’re adding someone to help grow BSM. I’m thrilled to welcome Ian Casselberry to our team as BSM’s new Assistant Content Editor. Ian is familiar to many in the sports media universe for his work with Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He’s also contributed to Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, SB Nation Detroit, and MLive.com among others.

I’ve read Ian’s work for years and have always appreciated his passion for sports radio and sports television. Adding someone with his experience, creativity, and attention to detail has been a huge priority for me. I’m looking forward to turning him loose on January 17th when he officially begins working with us. Under his direction, and in tandem with Demetri and I, we’re going to aim to produce more quality sports media content, and continue expanding BSM’s footprint across the industry.

As awesome as all of these moves are for creating interest in reading the site, if you don’t have someone in position to help sell it, the upside is going to be limited. For the past six years I’ve been the one making those sales myself. But I’ve also had to be a consultant, social scheduler, content creator, summit organizer-creator-host, finder of new clients, and the one in charge of billing and payroll. I love being busy, but a brand’s potential can’t be maximized without help.

Placing the company’s sales efforts in someone else’s hands though requires trust. I’ve learned the past few years that unless you’re inside my world and understand everything that goes on with BSM and BNM, it’s not an easy brand to sell. Media sellers are used to working with more assets, bigger dollars, and they expect things to move faster. They’re also used to corporate environments where a crew provides support from the beginning to the end of a sale. That’s not how it works here. This is more of a family business. Our success depends on one on one relationships, accessibility, being a self-starter, and patience. It means keeping in touch with industry friends and partners even when there isn’t a sale to be made. Nobody knows this brand, business, and who we serve better than the person who’s lived it with me for the past six and a half years, Stephanie Eads, my new Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Not only has Stephanie worked in sales and customer service most of her adult life, she’s honest, organized, and outstanding with people. She’s been exposed to every aspect of my radio life for the past sixteen years, and if you’ve been to a BSM Summit before then you already know how on the ball she is at making sure things get done. This is something we’ve talked about for years, but the timing was never right. Now it is, and I’m excited to watch her blossom. Having her add extra support to help me with billing and payroll is an added bonus.

The BSM brand will also welcome a few additional writers starting this week. First, I’m glad to have Danny O’Neil joining us as a weekly columnist. I got to know Danny in Seattle at 710 ESPN Seattle over the past six years, and he’s always been smart, passionate about media, and an exceptional writer. He’s now based in NYC and his debut column will hit the site this Friday. Also joining us in a daily news writer role is Will Dundon. Will is based in Nashville where he works as a producer for 102.5 The Game. Having him involved will help us stay on top of day to day news stories.

In terms of upcoming content, the BSM Top 20 of 2021 will be released February 7-11 and 14-15. The series moves back a week this year in accordance with a later Super Bowl date. During the seven day span we will highlight the best local sports radio stations, program directors, and morning, midday, and afternoon shows. We will also recognize the best national sports talk shows and original sports podcasts. To do that, we will once again involve more than 50 program directors and executives in the voting process.

One thing we will do differently this year is create an extra piece which recognizes the top performer in twenty smaller categories. These will be determined by a combination of BSM staff and select experts for specific fields. Some of these categories will include Best Sports Betting Content Brand, Best Wrestling Audio Show, Best Sports Radio Social Brand, and more.

After the Top 20 concludes, we’ll turn our attention to the 2022 BSM Summit, which is scheduled for March 2-3, 2022 in New York City at the Anne Bernstein Theater. The show will also be available virtually for those who can’t attend in person. I’m excited about the guest speakers we’ve lined up for this year’s event, and have more tremendous additions to announce later this week and next week. I realize the Omicron/Covid-19 situation has created some concern over the past month, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. As of today, we’re planning to host the event. If the situation were to worsen and we couldn’t keep people safe and comfortable, we’d reschedule the show. I’m hopeful of seeing familiar faces and many of sports media’s best and brightest in sixty days. If you haven’t bought your ticket, log on to BSMSummit.com and do so before you’re on the outside looking in. In the meantime, stay tuned to this website and the BSM 8@8 for details. We should all know more January 15th when New York State updates everyone on their mask ordinance.

Other content projects are in the works as well for March-December. We’ve got a number of ideas we’ve talked about for March Madness, and the NFL Draft. Items like last year’s Meet The Market Managers or a programmer’s version of it may also land on the content calendar. Not to be forgotten is the importance of continuing to improve the BSM Member Directory to help people stay informed, ready, and land in front of the right decision makers when job openings arise. Seeing a few of our members earn gigs the last 4-5 months of 2021 was very cool, and we hope to see more of that in 2022. Last but not least, I’m hopeful of giving the website a new layout in either quarter 2 or 3.

As I bring this column to a close, I’d like to remind you that BSM and BNM exists because we love the business and advocate for it daily. Since 2015, I’ve prioritized professional storytelling, research, industry news, relationship building, social media marketing, and consulting. Inside information and building relationships are important, and sure, it’s occasionally fun being first, but I’ve never worried about clicks, scoops, cash grabs or ruining reputations to elevate my own. I try to think about the big picture, even if it means missing out in the short-term. That applies to who I work with in a consulting capacity as well as how I operate the site. There’s no better example of it than last week. Most of our crew had the week off. It was tough missing out on stories when we were taking a mental timeout, but people come first. If you want long-term productivity and a staff to stick with you, support and sacrifice are essential.

If there’s one thing I know, this outlet has been a great resource for industry professionals. I wasn’t as fortunate during my studio days to have a site this rich in content to learn from, debate with, and stay connected to. We’ve hired 20+ contributors to help serve the industry, and I’m honored to have each one of them here. The additions we’ve made to improve the brand in 2022 will make us even better. We’re not perfect by any stretch, but we try to be fair and accurate. I also try to be accessible, especially when difficult situations arise. There are going to be times when our crew deliver strong opinions or tackle sensitive issues, and when those instances occur, I hope you’ll remember what I said about accuracy and fairness. We won’t operate as shills for the industry but we’re also not going scorched earth on folks.

Our goal here is simple, help folks stay informed about the sports and news radio/television formats, overdeliver for clients who place their trust in us, connect our advertising partners and members to others who can benefit from their services, and give industry people access to content from other professionals so they can do their jobs better.

If we can do these things consistently we’ll be in great shape. If we miss along the way, we’ll clean up the mess, and try to learn from it. We’re nine months away from celebrating seven years in operation, and we couldn’t have made it this far without your full support. Thanks for riding with us, now let’s make 2022 a year to remember.

Doctor Malone To Joe Rogan: U.S. Government Has Muted Media

BNM Staff
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Dr. Robert Malone told podcaster Joe Rogan that the U.S. government has systematically muted the mainstream media when it comes to reporting on COVID-19 and vaccines.

Dr. Malone, who recently had his Twitter account banned after the platform said he violated its community standards, believes top officials are actively conspiring to destroy any discussion of the “appropriateness of lockdown strategies.”

“We’re in an environment in which truth and consequence are fungible,” Malone told Rogan on episode #1757. “Medicine is being destroyed, globally. People are losing faith in the whole system, in the scientific enterprise, they’re losing faith in our government, they’re losing faith in the vaccine enterprise.”

Malone also suggested that some people have lost contact with reality through “mass formation psychosis.”

“How is a third of the population basically being hypnotized, and totally wrapped up in whatever the mainstream media and Dr. Fauci feeds them and whatever CNN tells them is true?” Malone said.

The conversation went viral, getting about 3 million views on this video alone over the weekend.

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

Twitter Suspends 3 High Profile Accounts

BNM Staff
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Twitter Suspends 3 High Profile Accounts

Twitter has suspended a trio of accounts linked to some prominent political figures. The suspensions reportedly have to do with spreading COVID misinformation.

According to Mediaite, Grabien Media’s account was brought down after it shared a clip from Fox News featuring Rep. Andy Biggs discussing vaccines, Ivermectin, and big pharma.

“We require removal of content that may pose a risk to people’s health, including content that goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources of global and local public health information,” said Twitter.

The platform also suspended the account linked to Politics for All owner Nick Moar. Although it’s not clear why Twitter suspended this account, Moar also owns @NewsForAll and @FootballForAll. Both of those accounts are down as well.

Additionally, Twitter permanently suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s personal account for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

According to Business Insider, Greene repeatedly violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy.

The official representative account for Greene, a freshman Republican from Georgia, remains active on Twitter.

Greene criticized Twitter via GETTR citing instances where Democrats promoted violence and riots in 2020.

Got a story to share? Send tips to Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com

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