Home Blog Page 2708

5 Goals: Taylor Rooks

Ryan Glasspiegel
-
0
5 Goals: Taylor Rooks

Taylor Rooks is a personality for Turner Sports and Bleacher Report. Here, in her own words, are her five goals:

1. I want to be an all-around interviewer.

What I mean by that is I want to reach a point where people don’t just know me as a sports interviewer, where people don’t say oh she interviews athletes and coaches and executives … I want people to see me as someone who has conversations with people who have something to say.

If that’s an athlete, great. If that’s a politician, great. If it’s an entertainer, great. If that’s just somebody who has an everyday job but they have something to say to the world, I want to be able to interview that person too. I want to speak to all people, not just a specific category of people.

A lot of that is on me reaching out to those people, and having a content vehicle that allows me to do that, but when I think of my favorite interviewers — Howard Stern, Oprah — their thing is they can talk to anyone. I want to do that.

Some people I want to interview: I got to interview Barack Obama, and that’s who I would’ve said. But, that was quick. I would love to have a long-form interview with him. Obviously, I’d have to throw in Michelle Obama as well. 

Mariah Carey, I know that’s a random one, but she’s just lived such an interesting, lavish life. I read her book, and there were some things she didn’t really touch. Obviously, in your book, you don’t touch on the things that you don’t want to talk about. I would love to interview her. 

Serena Williams, I know she’s obviously an athlete, but I’d love to interview her. Howard Stern is my favorite interviewer so I’d love to interview him. She’s unfortunately passed, but if I could interview anyone who is no longer with us I’d love to interview Princess Diana. And, Pam Oliver, who is a legend. Hopefully I can meet and later interview her. 

2. Create a foundation or initiative for women in sports.

At first, I wanted it to be just for Black and Brown women, and I might have a branch of it that’s for that, but then I wanted it to be for all women. Right now there’s this idea that women in sports don’t get along, or that it’s incredibly catty, or everyone is out to get the other. In some ways, that’s probably true, but I think the majority of women want to see other women in this field win. We understand that a win for one of us is a win for all of us.

I don’t think there’s enough focus on the culture that’s created this idea that women are catty or whatever the case may be, because I don’t believe that to be true. I think the more that we can get women in sports together, and there’s more of a sisterhood and deeper innate understanding of each other — the more we can do what we can to improve that culture and hopefully the people who have created that culture do what they can to improve it too.

Everybody is trying to work hard and get what’s owed to them. You always hear Well, women in sports, but you never say Men in sports. You never say This man is a power hungry person [or it’s at least not said in a negative way]. That’s a very unfair burden on the women to carry. I don’t like it. I think women that are entering into the space are conditioned to think that’s true, because they hear it so much. I would like to have something that dispels the one-sidedness of the rumor.

3. I want to travel more and fluently learn a second language.

Throughout the pandemic, I started doing Duolingo to learn Spanish. Americans are one of the few countries that only know one language. Almost every other country it’s almost a necessity that they know another language, even if that language is English. 

Ryan Shirts

I would just like to expand my horizons in terms of culture and language and understanding that America is only a small section of the world, but so many times we feel like we’re the center of everything. That just isn’t true. I want to learn a new language, travel more, get more in-tune with other places and cultures and get into things like soccer. I want to stop thinking of things from such an American point of view.

4. This is a lifelong goal, but I really want to be a mom.

I’ve really wanted to be a mom my entire life, and there’s something so beautiful about raising a life and having this human being that is born out of love that you have this number one job — the biggest job you’ll have in the world, which is to nurture and protect and love this human. I definitely want to be a mom.

I want to have like five kids. I probably should’ve started by now if that’s the case (laughing). I want to be a mom. That’s my number one goal above everything. 

5. I want to do more football.

Just being from Georgia, in the South, I grew up loving football. My dad played football. It was a football house. I love basketball — I love them both, but I just love football a little bit more. 

I’ve gotten kind of sucked into doing mainly NBA, which is great and has led to so many amazing experiences, but I just wish I had more of a hand in football. I would love to be able to do more of that. 

6. Bonus Goal: I would love to be a professor.

I want to teach journalism interviewing at the college level, just because I don’t love the way it is taught at universities. It’s taught in the way that the professors went through media, and media is so different now that I just think students would really benefit from having someone who came up in this new wave of journalism and social media and content creation. That’s the way it’s going.

It’s still obviously great to have these classes where everyone works as the producer one day, and the director, and the teleprompter. You go through all those things, and learn about investigative reporting. All that is so important. But that isn’t what a lot of young journalists want to do now, so being like a visiting professor at a school is something I would love to do one day.

Anatomy Of A Broadcaster: Michael Kay

Andy Masur
-
1
Anatomy Of A Broadcaster: Michael Kay

Dreams do come true, just ask Yankees TV announcer Michael Kay. He grew up ten minutes from Yankee Stadium. He was a huge Yankees fan, so much so, that in Little League he’d wear number 1 for his favorite player, Bobby Murcer. Once he realized that a career as the Yankees’ first baseman wasn’t going to materialize, the dream turned to becoming a broadcaster for the team. To get there, Kay did all the school reports he could about the Yankees, so he could know all about them. Now many years later it’s his job to know all he can about the team. 

Sportsmedia column: Michael Kay braces for new world of MLB broadcasting
Courtesy: YES Network

Kay attended Fordham University and worked for the radio station WFUV, thinking it was the best place for him to pursue the dream. He was there with another guy that dreamed of a play-by-play career, Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA on ABC/ESPN. 

In 1992, the lifelong ambition became a reality as he joined John Sterling in the Yankees radio booth. He would spend a decade on radio, then transition to television with the advent of the YES Network. He became the main play-by-play guy for the network in 2002. So now, Kay is in his 30th year with the team as a broadcaster.  

ROAD TO YANKEES BOOTH

Kay started his professional career with the New York Post in 1982 as a general assignment writer. He had sports assignments from college basketball and the NBA, covering the New Jersey Nets. Kay worked himself up at the paper and received the Yankees’ beat writing assignment in 1987. 

In 1989, Kay left the Post for the Daily News, still covering the Yankees as his primary beat. Kay also served as the Madison Square Garden Network Yankee reporter starting in 1989. 

Kay left the Daily News to host a sports talk show on WABC in 1992, briefly returning to write “Kay’s Korner” for the Daily News in 1993, before taking the microphone job for radio broadcasts of New York Yankee games beside John Sterling. 

BUSY GUY

Kay manages to find time to do many things, aside from calling Yankees games. He hosts The Michael Kay Show weekdays from 2-6:30pm on ESPN Radio 98.7 FM and simulcast on the YES Network. The show started in 2002, the same year he started as the voice of the Yankees on TV. 

The show is now co-hosted by Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg. Kay and La Greca have been paired on ESPN New York since 2002, with the duo working to build a successful sports radio show in a tough market over the course of two decades. Rosenberg, the show’s third voice, joined in 2015.

In March TMKS moved up an hour to give Kay more time with the New York audience. But that means an extra hour away from preparing for that night’s Yankees game. Kay will look through his Yankees notes and other things to get ready for the game, during long commercial blocks on his radio show. If there is a game to call, Kay will leave the radio show anywhere from 5:45 to 6pm, with co-hosts La Greca and Rosenberg left to close out the show. 

He’s also the host of CenterStage on the YES Network. He interviews some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and politics for the last two decades. Kay has even collected some of his favorite moments from on and off camera into a book “CenterStage: My Most Fascinating Interviews – From A-Rod to Jay-Z.”

CenterStage | Book by Michael Kay | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

I’m not entirely sure how Kay manages this schedule. I know that the first time I was asked to host an hour-long pregame show before a game broadcast, the feeling in my stomach was not good. How could I do this show and get ready for a game that night? It meant getting to the ballpark earlier, using time between segments wisely and then getting some good exercise. I’d have to maneuver through the crowd from the home studio down the left field line, to the broadcast booth behind home plate. Stressful. 

My point is, for Kay to be able to call a Yankees game, after having been on the air already for 3-4 hours is something to marvel at. I’m sure he would tell you that a lot of the prep work comes from some of the topics on his show. He’s likely already up on the latest information regarding the Yankees and he’s pretty versed by then about what is happening elsewhere in the world of sports. Still, I admire his ability to be as busy as he is and still be sharp on his play-by-play. 

WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD

There is a conversational style by Kay that sets him apart from others. He doesn’t have that “typical” broadcasting voice, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He seems to speak to Yankees fans as a Yankees fan. Make sense? I mean he’s rooting for the team and he’s not pleased when they aren’t doing well. You can tune into a Yankees telecast and before you even see the score, you can tell by his tone, who’s winning and who’s not. Kay is a true hometown broadcaster and people in New York crave that. He’s happy when the viewer is obviously happy, and not when they aren’t. 

Having a highly rated sports talk show helps with that delivery. Hosts are supposed to have that conversational, passionate and easy to listen to style. You talk with your audience as opposed to talking “at” them. Sports talk hosts want to build that relationship with an audience, making them feel like the host is one of them so to speak. This holds true with a baseball announcer trying to develop that same relationship. Kay truly is one of them and while his style may not work for others, it definitely works for him. 

Kay is a throwback of sorts as well. There aren’t too many true “homers” left in booths across the country. Yes, broadcasters of local teams, scream and yell more when their team is doing well, but if their local 9 isn’t playing well, choosing the right words can be challenging. Not too many announcers have free reign to criticize their own club. Gone are the days of Harry Caray and Marty Brennaman who would frequently call out their own team and its players for a variety of things. Both had built up so much equity with the teams and fan base they were free to do and say what they wanted.  

Kay isn’t afraid to call it like he sees it, even if that means blasting the Yankees, an individual player or the opposing team. He sees it as being honest with the viewer/listener. As he told the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast, Kay doesn’t think there is anybody more critical of the team they broadcast than he is and he credits the Yankees for allowing him to do that.

“The reason I can do it is that the Yankees never say a word because they realize the value of honesty. If you are going to tell people the food stinks, then they are going to believe you when they tell you the food is great. There are so many people around the country that are blowing smoke constantly and I guess that’s what the fanbase wants. I don’t think that would play in New York. I think honesty plays in New York.” 

CRITICIZING AND BEING CRITICIZED 

In his 30-year career, Kay has done his share of criticizing. In April he went off on the Yankees for using an “opener”, Nick Nelson, in a critical game against the Rays. 

“You’re the best-looking guy at the party. Don’t try to be the smartest. Why couldn’t they start Michael King? Why were they getting cute by starting Nick Nelson, who gave up two runs and they never looked back? Why? Why were you doing that? In your organization, you don’t have another starter? It’s almost the same thing as what you did in the Division Series. You started Deivi Garcia and brought in J.A. Happ. Don’t try to outsmart the Rays!”

So, when you criticize you open yourself up for it to come back to you. He’s had back-and-forth run-ins with players on his own team, like Clint Frazier. Most recently as a result of commentary on his talk show, he’s gone toe-to-toe with Mets’ pitcher Marcus Stroman.

The funny thing is Kay claims he has thin skin. Again, speaking on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast he admitted to such. His inclination is to fight back, but sometimes it’s not the best way to go about it. 

Courtesy: ESPN Images

“People that criticize people do not like to be criticized. My skin is so thin, it is translucent. If I mess up a call and you say wow, Michael messed up a call. Bring it, I deserve it. When you say stuff just the way I do stuff or something that rubs you the wrong way, it bothers me. I don’t understand the meanness of it.” Kay told the podcast.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/CALLS

Working for an organization like the Yankees lends itself to a broadcaster having some memorable calls. This is true in the case of Kay, who got to watch Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Tino Martinez, Mark Teixeira, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada, Aaron Judge and even Alex Rodriguez play many baseball games. One of Kay’s most memorable came in 2011. 

Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit came on a home run, July 9, 2011:

“The 3-2, that one’s drilled to deep left field, going back Joyce, looking up, See ya! 3000! History with an exclamation point! Oh, what a way to join the 3000-hit club! Derek Jeter has done it, in grand style!” 

If you’ve ever wondered, where his home run call, “see ya!” came from, well in 2018 he joined the Dan Patrick Show and explained the origin:

“I got this job 27 years ago, and at the time I was dating a young lady who, when she would get out of the car at the end of a date, she would say ‘see ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!’ And I said, ‘you know, I’m going to hijack that as my home-run call. So, I’ve been doing it since the very beginning of when I got the job in 1992.”

File:Michael Kay.jpg - Wikipedia

CONCLUSION

Kay is a multimedia superstar in New York and just keeps on going. His uniqueness is in his ability to juggle a top-rated talk show and call games for one of the iconic franchises in sports history is amazing to me. To actually be able to do BOTH jobs at such a high level sets him apart. Kay has carved out his own style and it works for both him and Yankees fans alike. 

Traug Keller Named 2022 Recipient of the Jeff Smulyan Award

Jason Barrett
-
1

Sometimes decisions are difficult. Other times they’re not. This was one of the easiest ones I’ve made since launching the BSM Summit in 2018.

If you haven’t attended the Summit before, one of the cool parts of the conference each year is that we take time to honor people who have left a permanent mark on the industry we love. Awards ceremonies are held both days to recognize difference makers who have made positive contributions to the sports radio business. At our 2022 BSM Summit, I am pleased to share that a great man will be celebrated for his life’s work.

It is my honor to announce that former SVP of ESPN Audio and President of ABC Networks Traug Keller has been chosen as our 2022 recipient of the Jeff Smulyan Award. Keller becomes the third industry executive to earn the honor. Kraig Kitchin and Dan Mason were the first two to be recognized at the 2019 and 2020 BSM Summit’s.

Upon learning that Traug had been selected as the next Jeff Smulyan Award winner, Emmis Communications CEO Jeff Smulyan said, “Traug Keller has left an indelible imprint on not only sports radio, but on all of broadcasting through his remarkable career. I’m proud to call him my friend, but I’m just one of the legions of people who have loved every minute of their time with him. He’s a broadcaster’s broadcaster, but more than that he’s one of the best people I’ve ever known.”

“I am humbled for sure but thrilled to be receiving an award with the name of my good friend on it, Jeff Smulyan,” added Traug Keller, now the EVP and COO of American Media. “Jeff did what all too few leaders in business do, he took risk and action against all kinds of headwinds and the rest of us in the great business of Sports Audio were the beneficiaries of it. Thanks to BSM for this great honor and I look forward to seeing a bunch of old friends in March!”

Anyone who has crossed paths with Traug over the past three decades knows how important he was to the success of ESPN Radio. He’s been a friend to many, a great partner to hundreds of radio affiliates, and a champion for talent. His support for BSM has also meant a lot.

Perhaps even more impressive was Traug’s ability to connect with his affiliates, clients and colleagues, offering steady leadership and on-air stability for ESPN Radio. No executive leaves with a perfect record, but Keller had a knack for landing on the right side of many decisions. None as impressive though as retiring from sports radio in February 2020, one month before the sports world came to a screeching halt and a global pandemic rocked the entire advertising industry. Talk about timing Traug, haha.

In all seriousness, having Traug and Jeff together on the same stage in front of the industry to give folks an opportunity to show their appreciation for their accomplishments is a real treat. So many enjoy professional success today due to bold and smart decisions made by each of these men, and I couldn’t be happier to spend time with both in New York City this March.

For tickets, hotel and additional details regarding the 2022 BSM Summit visit BSMSummit.com.

Mitch Rosen Named Director of Operations of BetQL Network

BSM Staff
-
0
Mitch Rosen Named Director of Operations of BetQL Network

Mitch Rosen certainly likes to stay busy. The longtime programmer has led 670 The Score in Chicago to countless successes since joining the brand in 2005. In 2019, he added programming duties for 1250 The Fan in Milwaukee. Now, he’s taking on another role.

Audacy has named Rosen it’s Director of Operations for the BetQL Network. The move was actually announced two weeks ago in an internal memo sent out by Audacy VP of Sports Matthew Volk. In the note, Rosen was recognized for his help in planning, operating and executing the network. BetQL is presently carried in twelve markets, but much more is expected in the near future.

Rosen’s steady hand and interest in the sports betting space makes him a natural fit to guide the company’s growing sports betting audio product. If anyone can manage three quality brands successfully it’s Rosen. Having a trusted and talented on-air and behind the scenes team in both Chicago and Milwaukee certainly makes the task much easier.

Rachel Maddow Wins Big with MSNBC Contract Extension

BNM Staff
-
0

Rachel Maddow was on the verge of being on the outside looking in, and it would have been her decision that put her there.

That was all before a pile of money was thrown her way last week. And perhaps more importantly, some flexibility and runway for growth that came with it.

The Daily Beast reported two weeks ago that Maddow was considering her options as she heads into the final year of her current contract with MSNBC. The Beast’s Lachlan Cartwright joined CNN’s Reliable Sources at that time to share his reporting on the possible breakup.

“This isn’t about the money for her, this is about a change in lifestyle,” Cartwright said about the motives of the whip-smart Maddow. “This is about a more balanced lifestyle. She’s had talks about starting her own thing that would involve podcasts and streaming and potentially newsletters.”

Cartwright currently reports that Maddow’s new deal is for $30 million per year, and includes a large downsizing of her workload. He says her nightly show will end in 2022, with her transitioning to weekly contributions through the 2024 election. The plan is for her weekly show to air for roughly 30 weeks out of the year.

A staunch liberal, Maddow studied at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and then began her media career at a small Massachusetts radio station before joining Air America, and later MSNBC.

Some believed that the public negotiations of recent weeks were simply a tactic to ramp up pressure on NBC to keep her. Even before the deal was struck, Cartwright’s knowledge of the situation told him otherwise.

“This is deadly serious. This wasn’t a plant from her representatives. In fact, I think they would have preferred if we didn’t write about it,” he told Brian Stelter a couple of weeks ago. “This isn’t a bargaining chip or a negotiating tactic. She is deadly serious about potentially leaving and that has NBC Universal scrambling. Their talks have become very heated, I’m told. And they’re going to have to throw a bucket load of cash at her and make some concessions on her workload if they want to keep her.” 

In Cartwright’s accurate estimation, NBC was between a rock and a hard place. How could they possibly thrive in the years to come without their number one host?

“They have to keep her, Brian, because they have no succession planning, and without her it will be diabolical for MSNBC,” he said at the time.

Before the deal, TV Insider also added that Endeavor Co. president Mark Shapiro, who represents Maddow, felt “Rachel has an excellent relationship with them (NBC).”

Maddow began her MSNBC primetime program in 2008 and has since been the network’s premier personality. Just last month, her show averaged a robust 2.29 million viewers, and the news of a possible breakup has the television news industry abuzz. 

“I was chasing this story, and my sense is the same as yours” Stelter concluded two weeks ago. “This was not an intentional leak by her side to try to get more money. This is something she’s really thinking about, and we’ll see if she does it.”

Some media insiders have said that no television personality represents a network’s brand more than Maddow does for MSNBC. That includes anyone on CNN or Fox News.  NBC Universal apparently felt the same and backed up the truck to keep their number one star on the team.  

It seems that Maddow and NBC have planned a thoughtful pullback in workload, with a boatload of cash to go with it. A deal that works well for everyone involved.

Sell Smarter, Go Vertical

Jeff Caves
-
0
Sell Smarter, Go Vertical

Look at your current client list. Who do you have on the air? Why are they on the air? Which industry do they represent, and are you heavy in car dealers, legal, healthcare, or home improvement? It would be best to get more of those types of clients, but you could always look for what you don’t have. Wouldn’t it be easier, though, to go vertical into a customer profile you have had success with and tell that story?

Breaking into a new category that isn’t advertising on the air with you is much more difficult for me.  There is safety in numbers, and I believe clients follow other clients. We need to carve out a unique idea or place on the station they can own. Sell vertical, young person. And that’s not just me speaking but Bernie Weiss, the iHeartMedia President for New York.

Profile photo of Bernie Weiss

Weiss has written a new book, “Ace it-How sales champions win new business.” The book is written for sales veterans going into a new quarter or year and wanting new motivation. According to Weiss, it’s also suitable for college grads or managers training new sales reps and is available Sept 7. You can pre-order it now right here.  

Weiss has an exciting story and uses straightforward, real-life stories from the streets of New York. Follow along as Weiss works with a fictional prospect throughout the whole book and leaves you with stories, scripts, and analogies to use for prospecting, proposals, creativity, and presenting.

Once you are in the door of a vertical prospect, the rest is easy. You are a valuable resource who speaks their language and has case studies of success in their field. You sell with more confidence, and you are doing somebody a service. One of the most complex parts of your job is knowing so much about so many different industries. Everybody is a specialist at something. Find out what you are good at and multiply that!

Weiss reminds us that we should speak the language of that industry, read the same trade journals, and ideally have a passion for it. Weiss also reminds us that when we sell, we should behave like an orchestra conductor. Until we are up to speed on all the different platforms we can sell, bring in the experts. Like I did here with selling digital. Most of us have live events, digital, social, and creative employees. Just make sure you don’t bring too many at one time and overwhelm a client; as Weiss said, iHeartMedia learned a few years ago and turned six on one in-person selling situation to zoom calls. 

Ace It!: How Sales Champions Win New Business: Weiss, Bernie: 9781953295538: Amazon.com: Books

Be smart and focus on what you know and where you have had success. Sell vertical! 

Anatomy of An Analyst: Louis Riddick

Andy Masur
-
0
Anatomy of An Analyst: Louis Riddick

From the field to the front office to your television, Louis Riddick is all about one thing: Football. Riddick along with his boothmates, Steve Levy and Brian Griese, will be back for a second season of ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Riddick got solid reviews and they were well deserved. He and Griese seamlessly worked together as co-analysts, which is not an easy thing to do. 

Breaking down ESPN's new 'Monday Night Football' booth, Fox and CBS NFL announcers in 2020 | Sporting News
Courtesy: ESPN Images

Riddick is a native of Quakertown, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a four-year letterman and a two-time Academic All-America. Riddick was a ninth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 1991, and played seven NFL seasons at safety. His career included stints with the Falcons, Browns and Raiders. When his playing career came to an end, Riddick moved into the front office. His experience spanned more than a decade with the Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles. He started as a pro scout in Washington before being promoted to director of pro personnel, a position he held for three years. Riddick then joined the Eagles in 2008 as a scout. He was named assistant director of pro personnel in 2009, and, a year later, he was promoted to director of pro personnel.

ROAD TO MONDAY NIGHT BOOTH

Riddick started at ESPN in May of 2013 as an NFL Front Office Insider. His role has expanded seemingly every year since. In 2015, he made his debut on the network’s NFL Draft coverage in Chicago. He was supposed to cover the draft for ESPN Radio, but when riots broke out in Baltimore, Ray Lewis went back to the city and the network needed a replacement. Since Riddick was going to be in Chicago anyway, he was going to be the guy. The network informed him the night before the draft was set to begin. 

“When we started the draft that night, within the first 20 minutes, I looked down at my phone and I probably had about 75 to 90 text messages from co-workers, friends, family and former coaches”, Riddick recalled to the Philly Voice. “I thought I was either doing really bad, or I was doing really well. It turned out really positive. I remember going back to my hotel room in Chicago that night thinking, ‘Here we go.’ That’s when it took off in my mind that I can do this.”

Riddick has been a fixture of ESPN’s draft coverage on the main set ever since. He opened up a new world for himself in Bristol. Riddick began contributing to many of their signature NFL Shows. Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, and NFL Live, as well as SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. 

Riddick also worked Friday Night College Football game broadcasts, which showcased his ability to analyze a live game. Even before settling into the current MNF booth, Riddick worked with his booth mates, on September 9, 2019, when they helped kick off MNF’s 50th season and called the Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders game for ESPN.

The following year, after a shakeup, Riddick, Griese and Levy were called to take over the iconic franchise. They will return for a second season this year. 

WHY IS HE SO GOOD?

He’s got the credentials and the chops to be very good at what he does. The experiences Riddick has had over the length of his career are irreplaceable when it comes to his analysis of the sport. It’s almost a situation of when Riddick talks, people listen, just like that old investment company’s commercial. It’s not just the information he disseminates, it’s the timing and conviction in which he speaks. 

Riddick also plays well off of both Levy and Griese. The latter of course played the game but also has a little more experience in the booth and a different comfort level. That’s probably why you don’t see Riddick breaking down plays with a telestrator, it’s more “I’ve seen this”, “I used to run this”, or “when I was in Philadelphia, we stressed this.” The words stand alone and have power based upon having been there and done that. 

The other thing that’s striking about Riddick in this booth, is the way he and Griese converse throughout a game. It’s great football talk at a “human” level. Riddick presents the complex breakdowns of coverages, schemes and plays in a manner that is technical, yet not overly so. That’s not an easy thing to do when you are a former football player first and broadcaster second. Terminology within a locker room or front office is geared to those in the know and pretty much only those folks. A broadcast has to be treated differently and Riddick gets it. He talks to his audience, not above them or below them. He has a way of explaining things so the casual fan can follow along. He can also get it done in a concise manner, since time is critical, especially in a three-man booth. Not a skill everyone can pull off. 

There is confidence in his commentary. The delivery is clear and authoritative, commanding respect, but yet it’s not overly cocky or arrogant. He works well with his ‘teammates’ in the booth and you can feel the healthy respect each has for the other. 

BACK TO FRONT OFFICE WORK?

Off of those points, there is a question that needs to be asked and answered. Just how long will Riddick remain in the booth? The answer is not entirely clear, but based on how many teams interviewed him for front office positions this offseason, it may not be long. Riddick has made no secret of his desire to return to the NFL, this time he’d like to be a general manager. 

Louis Riddick - ESPN Press Room U.S.
Courtesy: ESPN Images

The Lions, Texans, Jaguars and Falcons talked to him about vacant GM positions, but nothing materialized. Riddick wouldn’t be the first guy to leave the MNF booth for a spot in the NFL. Jon Gruden returned to the sidelines with the Raiders in part because of his commentary and analysis from that booth. But like Gruden, Riddick has to feel like the opportunity is a good fit and the right situation for him. He has a great gig now, so something would probably have to blow him away to lure him away from MNF. 

DID YOU KNOW?

I’ll bet you didn’t know, Riddick won use of Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder’s Aston Martin.  Riddick worked in the scouting and pro personnel departments for the WFT and had the occasion to play Snyder in racquetball. He appeared on “the ESPN Daily podcast’ earlier this year to recall the story. 

“I used to whup him pretty good,” Riddick remembered. “And I used to talk to [Snyder], like ‘Are you gonna challenge me today or what? Is this gonna be a game? I’m getting bored with you.’

“He goes, ‘If you can shut me out’ — he had just bought the new V12 Vanquish Aston Martin, brand-new — ‘If you can shut me out, I’ll let you take that home.’ I was like, ‘Deal!’ I went down there to the racquetball courts and was like, “Bam, bam, bam bam!’ 11-nothing. Boom. Just like that. And he was pissed. PISSED.”

Riddick wasn’t sure that Snyder would honor the bet after a few weeks without acknowledgment of the events. But the Football Team owner finally paid up and gave him the keys to the Aston Martin.

“If you scratch it,” said Snyder, “I’ll be commandeering your salary forever.”

Aston Martin Vanquish & Vanquish S (2001 - 2007) | Aston Martin | Aston Martin
Courtesy: Aston Martin

Riddick didn’t get to keep the car. He got to use it for three days, enough time to drive it home, impress his neighbors and his wife. Riddick was a sight to behold at the team’s headquarters when he would roll up, driving the owner’s car and parking in his personal space.

CONCLUSION

Riddick is a football guy; he knows what he’s talking about. I really enjoy his commentary from the booth and when he appears on ESPN’s draft coverage. He’s such a credible voice and is in many cases the voice of reality. That’s his schtick, it’s not to be noticed for extremely high energy or random ‘hot takes’, he’s based with his feet firmly planted on the ground. He works in facts and opinions based on factual information. A refreshing breath of fresh air. Give me that any day of the week.

Matt Fishman and ESPN Cleveland Are Creating Content Everywhere

Derek Futterman
-
0

You get the news that you have been cut from the high school baseball team. Sure, there’s disappointment, but that innate love of the game never genuinely wavers. For Matt Fishman, he was able to revitalize his aspirations between the foul lines with a RadioShack tape recorder just outside of them as his team’s play-by-play announcer.

“I’m sure my voice hadn’t changed yet,” reminisced Fishman, “so [it] was probably nice and high-pitched to go along with the ping of the aluminum bats.”

Matt Fishman Named Dir./Content At WKNR (850 ESPN Cleveland) | AllAccess.com

Since his junior year of high school, Fishman’s radio journey has taken him from Chicago to Cleveland, terrestrial to digital and from inside the batter’s box to out on the racetrack. Throughout his journey, Fishman has seen sports radio evolve from an avant-garde sector of talk to a well-established radio format, and has observed existential similarities in programming across different markets.

“It’s the ability to take some of the things that are the same everywhere, which is having a great team that’s motivated, interested in having a great product and interested in doing the work that goes into that,” said Fishman. “The actual programming part of it is different in each place because of different fanbases, and what they’re interested in. It’s common for programmers to go into a market and want to change a lot of things, but I think they should really understand the audience in the market before making any changes.”

After spending nearly a decade at 670 The Score Chicago, Fishman spent a year as the program director of 610 KCSP Kansas City, where he oversaw day-to-day operations and hired CBS Sports Radio personality Damon Amendolara from a nationwide talent search. Then in 2005, Fishman was hired to oversee the MLB Channel, part of the SiriusXM satellite radio network, with a completely different business model than that of 850 ESPN Cleveland, where he works today.

“SiriusXM didn’t have ratings when I was there, so you really weren’t ever concerned about the current rating book, the next rating book, etc.,” explained Fishman. “You really were interested in maintaining the subscriber. The primary source of money for SiriusXM is in the subscriptions, while for us [at 850 ESPN Cleveland], if we don’t have advertising partners, we don’t have jobs.”

The ratings are something that 850 ESPN Cleveland currently forbears utilizing to guide it in making programming decisions, a decision that Fishman explains is due to the established system’s inability to depict the entire story.

“There are a million stories about every radio station, and the question is if the value of the Nielsen ratings, which have become extremely expensive, [are] worth the cost you are putting in to it, or [if you] would rather put that money in making your content better by adding different staff, technology, shows, etc.,” said Fishman. “I think for Good Karma Brands as a company, we’re not overly interested in what the ratings are in the sense that we do everything for fans, for our partners and for our teammates. If it doesn’t fit into one or multiple of those buckets, it’s not important to us and we’re not going to do it.”

Based on this triumvirate of stakeholders, Fishman has operated with several principles at the forefront, indicative of what is in their best interests. These include the development of a strategy, ensuring everyone on the team understands and has the ability to execute that strategy and to steadily improve in all areas of sports radio. By adhering to these core principles, he hopes to position the station to realize sustained levels of success.

“[Success] is sustained by the ability to develop younger, less-experienced talent on your team so you don’t end up with a radio station where, on any day, all of your main hosts could retire and you’re stuck building it back up from scratch,” said Fishman. “I think it’s two-fold; number one — it’s supporting the team and the shows we have now and making them as strong as possible; and also knowing that the less-experienced on-air people need to continuously get reps and be developed so that when their day comes, they’ll be ready.”

In finding talent, Fishman serves in a role akin to a baseball scout in that he seeks and helps to develop budding broadcasters into sustainable, on-air personalities. While he does not see distinct differences in on-air talent from when he began in radio in the mid-90s to today, he realizes the value that lies in versatility, and the ability to perform multiple roles at a high level. However, he also warns of the precarious mistakes younger, naïve broadcasters have and continue to make by not thinking about what they post on social media, ultimately costing some their jobs.

“Being digitally savvy is probably the biggest difference [in talent] between [from when I started] to now,” expressed Fishman. “The other issue is people having to be careful about what they say because it doesn’t just go out on the radio and go away forever — someone can pick it up on social media where they live forever. With a microphone in front of them, hosts know not to say stupid or offensive things, but on Twitter, I’m not sure everyone has learned that yet.”

The digital space is a place Fishman has continued to pioneer, as the Twitter account for 850 ESPN Cleveland currently holds the most followers among all local sports radio stations on the platform. It’s a whole lot more than just the 206,000-strong that follow the station on Twitter constituting the digital space for sports on the radio in Cleveland though; they also own and operate their own on-demand subscription platform.

Known as “The Land on Demand,” patrons can subscribe to the website to receive not just aural, but also visual and written content pertaining to Cleveland sports. In fact, Tony Grossi, a multi-faceted radio personality and on-air host covering the Cleveland Browns for the last 35 years, writes exclusive columns and frequently contributes his knowledge and expertise to various podcasts within the medium.

The Land on Demand header - Awful Announcing

“It’s great to have Twitter followers, but I don’t know what that means financially,” said Fishman. “If I have ‘X’ numbers of subscribers at $85 a year, I can tell you what that amounts to [in terms of] return on investment. From a digital [perspective], that’s where we are.”

Prior to joining 850 ESPN Cleveland, Fishman wrote a weekly column for Barrett Sports Media containing insights and advice into sports radio, an emancipatory period in his professional career that he fondly looks back upon and uses to help guide him in his present role.

“It was the only time in my career that I wasn’t working in radio,” said Fishman, “so it gave me freedom to write about anything and not worry [if I was] going to piss my bosses off. [Writing] allowed me to take on different subjects and tackle them by myself or through interviews with people in the business. I built some relationships with people just by having conversations with them about different topics, ideas or things that I was writing about.”

While reminiscing about his time with Barrett Sports Media, Fishman remembered conversations he had with various sports radio personnel, including Paul Finnebaum, Dan Bernstein, Terry Boers, and, one of his favorites, Mark Packer, radio host on SiriusXM and television host on the ACC Network.

“Mark is the best storyteller that I’ve ever heard in sports radio,” said Fishman. “He can tell any story about anything and make it entertaining and interesting, and it always has a little twist to it at some point. I loved everyone I talked to and really enjoyed getting to know a lot of people who I’d maybe heard of or knew things about; how they are unique is what makes them successful.”

Cleveland sports, undoubtedly, is full of stories with twists and turns that would surely captivate any willing listener. “The Decision,” when LeBron James left Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat; Kyrie Irving’s debut in 2011; the infamous Johnny Manziel pick by the Browns in 2014; the Cleveland Indians’ game seven World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs; the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, bringing a championship to the city for the first time in 52 years; the Indians’ 22-game winning streak in 2017; the Cleveland Browns’ winless 2017 season and 19-game overall losing streak; Baker Mayfield being drafted by the Browns; LeBron James’ departure of Cleveland again for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now though, with the Cleveland Browns snapping an 18-year playoff drought in 2020-21 and winning a first-round game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, professional football is once again on the rise in the Forest City. Conversely, the Cavaliers and Indians (soon to be renamed “Cleveland Guardians”) are in a rebuilding period, developing young talent in a quest to reign as champions. So, after one protracted trip down memory lane, how does sports radio in Cleveland continue to draw an audience despite the differing status of these teams? Just like a professional baseball scout, it lies in empirical observation.

“You reflect what the audience’s interest is,” answered Fishman. “Most of the interest is around the Browns right now because there are high expectations. We think the Cavaliers and Indians both have very bright futures ahead of them [but] the Browns’ time is now.”

Despite teams in different stages of their championship trajectories, Fishman has always remembered that what makes the sports talk radio format distinct from other formats and other platforms is in its nascent spirit of conviviality.

“I think the one thing that gets lost on some sports radio stations is that our job is to have fun and make people laugh and smile,” said Fishman. “The ability to tie in the sports with fun interesting topics, guests, bits, contests, etc. is just a great way to keep people engaged.”

May be an image of 1 person

Remember, Matt Fishman’s radio journey began as a result of being cut from his high school baseball team. In a crowded media landscape with new, contemporary platforms for the purposes of gathering information and being entertained, Fishman says that sports radio needs to stay true to itself in order to continue to stand out, while also finding ways to stay ahead of the pack. Namely, he is helping to prevent it, as a format, from being cut away from the consumer’s metaphorical sports media ‘field of dreams.’

“Sports radio has so many advantages that it shouldn’t run away from: embracing play-by-play; embracing unique talent; embracing live; embracing local,” opined Fishman. “Podcasts may get all the headlines, but live radio drives all the revenue. [By being] true to itself and true to its fans, sports radio can be just fine.”

14 Participants Announced For The 2022 BSM Summit

Jason Barrett
-
0
14 Participants Announced For The 2022 BSM Summit

To most people, six months is far enough away to not think much about it. But when you’re building a conference, it feels way too close to get everything done in time that’s required to execute a high caliber event.

By now you’ve likely heard that the 2022 BSM Summit is returning to New York City on March 2-3, 2022. I shared that news on July 19th, but didn’t provide many details other than the date and venue (Anne Bernstein Theater). Tickets weren’t even put on sale because I wanted to make sure a few other items were nailed down first before we started accepting payments.

Before I discuss some of those details, I want to remind folks that for the first time ever, the Summit will be available to attend both in-person and virtually. A big thanks to Nuvoodoo for partnering with us to make the Summit available online. If you’ve been to this event before, then you know the live experience is extremely valuable. That said, due to the ongoing issues in our country with Covid-19, some may prefer not to travel and watch it online instead. We’ve gone to great lengths to make this valuable for industry professionals, including pricing tickets differently on BSMSummit.com to account for the live vs. online advantages. If you’re planning to attend, you can now purchase tickets on the website.

As far as other key items are concerned, finding the right hotel partner was important. I’m pleased to share that Hotel Edison will serve as the official hotel of the 2022 BSM Summit. I know that keeping travel costs low is vital yet industry professionals also want to stay in a nice location close to the event. I think we’ve pulled that off again. Hotel Edison is only a 3-block walk to the Anne Bernstein Theater and they’ve provided an excellent rate for attendees. Rooms will go fast though, so click here to reserve your room asap to avoid missing out.

The next part of this process involved gathering sponsors. As an independent operator who focuses more on content and consulting than sales, this part isn’t always easy. I don’t have a sales team working for me nor do I have 40-hours a week to focus solely on Summit sponsors. Fortunately, I’ve built a few great partnerships over the years, so I’d like to thank ESPN Radio, Compass Media Networks, and Stone Voiceovers for offering their support once again. I know other clients will return too, but there are many other broadcasting companies and businesses with products targeted to industry professionals who haven’t been part of this event before. So here’s an opportunity to change that. Check out our Advertising page, and if you see something that appeals to your group, get in touch so we can discuss how we might be able to work together. Your support allows us to continue doing this event for the industry.

Now that we’ve taken care of the business, let’s talk about the thing that everyone cares about most, the speakers. I usually start off by announcing some of the high profile personalities who will be part of the show. This year though, I’m going to start by focusing on some of the top programming minds in the industry. It’s an honor once again to welcome Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan, Premiere Radio Networks SVP of Sports Don Martin, Westwood One and Cumulus Media SVP of Sports Bruce Gilbert, SiriusXM SVP of Sports Steve Cohen, Audacy New York Market Manager Chris Oliviero, former WFAN Program Director Mark Chernoff, current WFAN Program Director Spike Eskin, 670 The Score and 1250 The Fan Program Director Mitch Rosen, and Hubbard’s Director of Digital Content Phil Mackey to the BSM Summit.

As great as it is to have those nine gentlemen part of the event, I’m equally excited to welcome a few new faces. Joining us for the first time will be Blue Wire Podcasts CEO Kevin Jones, The Volume’s Head of Content Logan Swaim, Nuvoodoo Media’s CEO Carolyn Gilbert and EVP of Research Analysis Leigh Jacobs, and WFNZ Program Director and the creator of 92.9 The Game in Atlanta and 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Terry Foxx.

If you’ve followed how we promote this event over the years, you know that I don’t share all the details at once. The credentials of these fourteen individuals are well documented, and having them involved is important to me. By the time March rolls around though, we’ll add 30-40 others with similar qualifications. I won’t tell you who else has committed to join us for the show, but there’s some serious firepower to be announced in the coming weeks and months. I’m especially excited to spend time on stage with one well respected executive during one of the Summit’s featured sessions.

What I value most about the Summit is that it brings the industry together and allows us to examine many different layers of the industry over a sixteen hour period with a lot of smart and successful people. In doing so, folks are able to return home with valuable knowledge and action steps to help themselves and their brands. This conference started with a focus on radio but has since expanded to cover podcasting, social media, sports betting, marketing, video, print, etc.. The industry is rapidly evolving, so as a professional, it’s vital to learn new skills, build relationships, discover what clients want in order to generate more revenue, understand audience behavior, and pick the brains of your peers to create new ideas. The more informed you are, the better your chances of being successful, and the education provided at the BSM Summit will absolutely help you grow as a professional.

Look for our next announcement early next week. There’s a lot to dive into in New York and I’m eager to spend time with the industry’s best and brightest, as we work on making 2022 a huge bounce back year for the sports media business.

Sell Transparency And Be Bombproof

Jeff Caves
-
0
Sell Transparency And Be Bombproof

What should you do when bad news hits your radio station? You lose the big play-by-play contract, your morning show breaks up, the ratings tanked, or you have a rate increase. Maybe your program director is retiring, and the station’s direction is up in the air.

Don't panic, don't stop selling — The Small Business Site
Courtesy: The Small Business Site

Here’s what you do: be the first to tell your clients!

You call, email, or see them first before anybody else does. First impressions matter, and nothing travels faster than bad news. A good percentage of your clients will believe that whatever negative information they read or hear about your station is accurate. And, you know if whoever delivers that bad news wants to hurt you. Especially your competition. So, make sure it comes from you first.

Bombproof your clients. 

The next time you are in a competitive sales situation with two or three other stations pitching the same business, lead with the negative! Todd Caponi has written an excellent book, The Transparency Sale. Caponi says we are wired to read the lousy Yelp reviews first, and until we know the downsides of doing a deal, we can’t process the upside.

Do you believe the 5-star reviews online? No? You aren’t alone.

Here’s an example that illustrates Caponi’s approach. You are pitching a sporting goods store. They feel the target demo leans women but is 25-54 Adults. You tell the buyer you don’t reach women because your station is too busy conversing one on one with males. That’s why your station has so much exclusive cume and loyalty. So, why doesn’t the buyer purchase your package for males and find a station that is heavy in females like station KYOU? When the AE from KYOU says they reach males and females, they will be surprised at what the buyer spits back at them. And, according to Caponi, you will have disarmed the buyers’ resistance to being “sold,” and you will gain their trust and speed up the process of getting the buy. 

Caponi writes that if we are transparent about our weaknesses, we can speed the sales cycle up because our approach will help the buyers’ brains better predict what they will gain by buying from you. AND, by being transparent upfront, if you lose the deal, you will do it faster and be able to move on to the next sale.

I agree with Caponi and have long held that all the research projects we roll out to clients that show radio reaches everyone all the time are falling flat. It’s like we are leading with our 5-star review that our boss wrote, or we asked an excellent client to submit. The buyers know this and, the younger they are, the more likely they won’t trust our perfection approach.

Todd Caponi (@tcaponi) | Twitter

I always liked to ask a client how many customers they would need to buy from our radio campaign to make it successful? Say that number is ten buyers. Who cares how MANY listeners we reach? They just told you they want 10 BUYERS? So, admit there are stations with more overall listeners but not BUYERS!

If you liked Caponi’s approach, check out his new book coming out in the Spring of 2022. Pre-order here. 

1...2,7072,7082,709...2,833Page 2,708 of 2,833