It’s never a bad thing to be busy in business. But when duty calls, it can sometimes mean having to reduce your energies in other areas. As you’ve likely noticed, I’ve been absent from my blog section for nearly two weeks. Although there have been numerous items to write about, I’m a big believer in producing quality content, not a quantity of content. As important as it is for me to be consistent as a writer, it’s even more critical that I satisfy and exceed the expectations of my clients, and lately we’ve had some heavy lifting to do.
If there’s a benefit to a short-term hiatus, it’s having an opportunity to detach yourself from the day to day grind because when you’re going full throttle and trying to crank out the best material of your lifetime, the constant pressure to produce it can cause you to throw in a few lemons when the world is waiting for limes. My preference is to contribute two to three pieces per week, but I also want them to be insightful and memorable, not forgettable content.
That leads me to the focus of today’s piece – creating memorable moments by being authentic!
Over the weekend, sports fans were treated to numerous stories that had the potential to be memorable. But there were two specific examples that stood out to me and I’m going to share with you why they did.
First, Brett Favre’s emotional speech at the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday night was as good as it gets. If you didn’t watch it, stop what you’re doing and go check it out. Here’s the link.
For nearly thirty seven minutes, all eyes and ears in Canton, Ohio and around the world on television listened to what the Hall of Fame quarterback had to say. He was authentic, honest, funny, warm, and he told stories that made it easy to connect with him.
If there’s one thing I’ve loved about Brett Favre throughout his entire career it’s that he presents himself as a normal guy who’s simply having fun playing the game of football. No matter how much money or fame came Brett’s way, you still had this mental image of him as an everyday guy who just happened to be the ultimate gunslinger. On Sunday’s he played with the passion of a child, and good or bad, he left it all on the field. It didn’t matter how hurt he was or how bad his season was going, when game time began, you knew #4 was going to give you his best.
That’s not to suggest that he can’t be clever and calculated when need be. When Favre was trying to get away from the Packers to join an NFC North rival he used the media every step of the way to help further his position. He wasn’t very forthcoming either during the whole Jenn Sterger drama.
But, when you listen to the Packers legend share his emotional story about trying to constantly prove himself to a father who was never satisfied, or when you hear him express his gratitude to Raider Nation for being supportive and forgetting about battlelines for a few hours while he played a game to honor his father, those are real feelings and emotions. His candor, and straight from the heart speech reminded us all again why we adjusted our schedules every week to watch him play for two decades.
Many will debate Brett’s place among the great quarterbacks in NFL history, but few will argue that Favre wasn’t authentic and himself from the start of his career to that final speech in Canton on Saturday night.
On the other hand, there was Alex Rodriguez’s “retirement” press conference on Sunday. Regardless of his PED history, A-Rod is still one of the greatest baseball players to ever step foot on the diamond. It’s hard to argue against his career accomplishments, but over the next few years I suspect many will have ongoing debates about whether or not he belongs in Cooperstown.
One area where there should be no debate is when it comes to his place in the Hall of Shame for his consistent inability to be authentic.
Take for example Sunday’s press conference. A-Rod started it off by telling people that the end of the line is difficult for athletes to accept but they all must face that reality at some point. He sounded honest, genuine, and humbled. It made you want to root for him.
He thanked the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees organization, explained why it was important for him to play on Friday in front of his family one last time, and everything sounded sincere. But the more he continued to speak, and once the room began to ask questions, it was clear that Alex was putting on an act.
The Yankees superstar sat at the podium trying to convince knowledgeable media members that he was excited about an opportunity to become an advisor to the franchise’s young players in the minor leagues starting next February. He smiled, tried to be the good soldier, but once the subject of chasing home run #700 came up, and the media bloodhounds asked who made the call to change his status with the franchise, it was clear that Alex wasn’t on board with the decision of Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner.
When reporters asked if the team told him they were going to release him, he said it never reached that point. Instead he tried to spin this tale of a newly created position inside the organization which he was excited about. A-Rod couldn’t face the music and acknowledge what everyone in the room already knew, that he was being forced out, and the team would continue to pay him not to perform for them.
He attempted to put on a fake smile, and express how much he loves working with the youth, while refusing to confirm that he would never play baseball again. He talked out of both sides of his mouth and if you read between the lines, it was clear that his final game with the Yankees may be on Friday August 12th, but if someone came calling, he’d be rushing to answer the telephone.
In the matter of fifteen minutes, I went from feeling bad for A-Rod to remembering why I’ve never been able to embrace him despite being a lifelong Yankees fan. Nobody was looking for him to call out the organization and risk losing millions of dollars, but a little honesty goes a long ways.
All he had to say was: “The Yankees are going in a new direction, and I’m not getting any younger. They need to evaluate their younger talent and my age and play are standing in the way of that progress, so we’ve reached an agreement to have me finish my career as a player for the Yankees this Friday. As you’re aware I do have one year remaining on my contract and I will stay involved in baseball in 2017. Fortunately, the Steinbrenner family have offered me an opportunity to be involved in the organization as a special advisor. I do want to get further involved as a mentor to younger players in the future, and that could be next year, but I still have a desire to play. Whether I do or not depend on the other twenty nine organizations. Regardless of what happens, I love this organization, city and its fans, and I will always be a part of the Yankees family”.
This tells people – the organization is committed to a youth movement, wishes to move on without Alex, but his desire to play remains strong, and he has a contract which he isn’t walking away from. It shows gratitude to the organization for creating a position for him next year, acknowledges the fans and the city he plays in, and makes it clear that he’s open for business if anyone is interested.
I’ve appreciated guys like Favre, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr. and George Brett because not only were they great on the field, but off of it they conducted themselves in a classy, honest and authentic manner. If they didn’t want to address something, they’d plead no comment or walk away. They didn’t try to insult the intelligence of their fans or the men and women covering them! That isn’t to suggest that they were perfect, but nine times out of ten, they handled things right, and made you want to believe in them.
Unfortunately, this is what Alex has failed to understand. His TV analyst work was on the money last post-season. His performance on the field, his knowledge of the game, and his colorful personality should all be huge assets. But until he speaks from the heart, and stops trying to satisfy a corporate narrative, he’ll always be viewed differently from those other superstars.
As it applies to sports radio, there’s one simple lesson to learn from this – always be yourself. Who you are in real life, is who the audience should hear on the airwaves. Give a maximum effort every time you broadcast and allow your passion for your craft to be felt by the audience.
You can fabricate it a little and throw in a few theatrics to make the presentation more colorful and mysterious, but listeners should be treated to a personality who is authentic, honest and at peace with who they are.
What I learned this past weekend is that Brett Favre certainly is. I’m not sure Alex Rodriguez can say the same.
D’Marco Farr is leaving ‘The Fast Lane’ on 101 ESPN in St. Louis after seven and a half years. The former NFL player turned radio host announced today that due to family reasons he is relocating to Los Angeles. He had been doing the afternoon show remotely the past two months but says that his family priorities require a larger focus, and it’s best for all involved if he moves on and the radio station has an opportunity to add a new member who can be more involved on a daily basis.
“My wife and I, there’s been a lot of sickness in our family (who need taken care off) and it’s falling on us to do it,” said Farr. “Life has taken us here. It’s a horrible decision to make, but it’s something we have to do. This is really freaking tough and I’m trying to keep it together.”
Farr continued: “Even if the Rams had remained the St. Louis Rams now and forever, I would still be (in Los Angeles). This is just where my life has taken me right now. So this had nothing to do with the other, but an opportunity came up.”
Farr then finished by talking about his fondness for the St. Louis community and the relationships he’s formed along the way.
“All three of my kids were born (in St. Louis). That’s never going to change. I wish I could move everybody I love out there, but that’s just not the case. I’ve been teammates with Randy and (Mike) Rider longer than I was with Isaac Bruce. It doesn’t suck going to work every day so this was not an easy choice for me.”
Farr was an original member of 101 ESPN. He signed on when the radio station launched in January 2009 to form the afternoon program alongside Randy Karraker and Bob Ramsey. The show has gone through a few changes over the years, including adding former Cardinal Outfielder Chris Duncan before he shifted over to middays and former Cardinals reliever Brad Thompson joined the group.
‘The Fast Lane’ is consistently one of the highest rated sports shows in St. Louis. Program Director Hoss Neupert tells BSM that the radio station will add a third member but he’s interested in finding the right fit rather than making a quick decision. The show will operate as a two-man show until a strong third host is identified. Interested applicants can apply by clicking here.
As far as his future is concerned, D’Marco will be continuing his radio career. He announced on 101 ESPN that he’s joining the Los Angeles Rams radio broadcast. According to sources he’ll be involved as the team’s in-game sideline reporter. He previously worked as the team’s radio analyst during their time in St. Louis. He’s also expected to make guest appearances on Los Angeles sports radio station ESPNLA 710.
790 The Ticket has reached an agreement with the Miami Heat to remain the team’s flagship radio station through 2021. Mike Inglis and John Crotty will continue calling the action, Tommy Tighe remains the pre-game, halftime, and post-game reporter and morning host Jonathan Zaslow will stay on as the host of pre-game and post-game shows.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Miami Heat and giving our listeners exclusive game-day programming, unique insights and access to the team they know and love,” said Entercom Miami VP/GM Doug Abernethy. “This partnership exemplifies our dedication to providing world class coverage of Miami sports.”
“790 The Ticket has been the home of some of the most exciting and memorable moments in Heat history,” said Heat President, Business Operations Eric Woolworth. “This new agreement will ensure that Heat fans will continue to tune their dial to 790 The Ticket to get all of the news, information and exciting live game action surrounding their Miami Heat.”
“The Heat is one of the most electrifying teams in the NBA, and we are thrilled that their fans will continue to be able to hear their games on The Ticket,” said Entercom President/CEO David Field. “This further showcases our robust sports programming across the country and demonstrates our commitment to providing the best and the most exclusive content for our listeners.”
Lineup changes are coming to 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore. The CBS sports station which typically performs really well, is undergoing a makeover with its weekday shows.
First, morning host Steve Davis is out. Station management told Davis they were making a change due to financial reasons. Davis has been a staple on the local TV and radio airwaves since 1994, and formed a successful pairing with co-host Ed Norris in mornings since 2010.
With Davis moving out, midday host Rob Long is moving in. Long had teamed with longtime NFL front office executive Vinny Cerrato for the past four years, but now he’ll wake up Baltimore sports fans alongside Norris.
To fill Long’s void in middays, Bob Haynie moves up from the evening shift to join Cerrato. Replacing Haynie on the night show will be Jerry Coleman, who previously worked for the radio station.
No changes are made to the afternoon show with Scott Garceau and Jeremy Conn. All of the new lineup changes go into effect starting Monday August 1st.
Mike Wickett announced this morning that he’ll be leaving 105.7 The Fan in Milwaukee after nine and a half years with the radio station. Wickett has been a part of the morning show with Chuck Freimund, and has accepted an opportunity in Kansas City. He will remain on the air for the next two weeks before signing off.
During his announcement he expressed a great deal of appreciation towards his current Program Director Tom Parker, and former boss Ryan Maguire. He acknowledged that the new opportunity in Kansas City satisfied some personal and professional objectives but added that parting ways with a brand which had been a huge part of his life for the past decade was extremely difficult.
The best line he used during the announcement was when he talked about how Milwaukee became a bigger part of his life than he could have ever imagined. He mentioned that he didn’t know anything about the area when he first arrived, but now when people ask him where he’s from he adds “I’m from Detroit, but I grew up in Milwaukee”.
The evening program on WJOX 94.5FM in Birmingham, Alabama had been hosted by ‘Matt and Scot’ for the past 3.5 years. The duo arrived from Dallas, Texas where they had worked part-time for Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket, and things appeared to be going well until news was revealed last week that the radio station would be moving in a new direction.
Today, that new direction has been learned, as WJOX has announced the addition of “JOX Primetime” with Joe Hunk and Jon Lunceford. The new show will air weekdays from 6p-8p CT.
“It’s going to continue to be live and local,” David Walls, vice president/market manager for WJOX parent company Cumulus Birmingham, said of the new “Jox PrimeTime” show. “It’s going to be a lot of energy.”
Lunceford, played on two state championship football teams and collegiately for Birmingham Southern-College. He has also worked in the newspaper and radio business for nearly a decade. He produces on-air high school sports coverage for the radio station, and started the JoxPreps podcast earlier this year.
Hunk, played college baseball at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and has been in the radio industry for 11 years, working previously for WUMP 730 AM (SportsRadio 730 The UMP) before shifting over to WJOX in 2013. He’s hosted the Saturday morning show “Jox Gameday” on the radio station for the past 3½ years.
The new show’s format according to AL.com will allow WJOX to air “Monday Night Football,” “Thursday Night Football,” “The Nick Saban Show,” “The JoxPreps Encore Sports Medicine Scoreboard,” “The Jox Players Club” and “The MLB World Series” on select nights. When those opportunities arise, “Jox PrimeTime” will lead into, and be preempted by those broadcasts.
“We felt we missed a lot last year by not airing ‘Monday Night Football,’ the World Series and a lot of the other major events,” Walls said. “This is going to give us the ability to do that.”
Sports radio serves as a distraction from everyday life for its audience. Whether you listen to it while in transit to or from work or while sitting in an office attempting to perform your responsibilities, the programming is in place to inform, entertain, and at times stir emotions. It’s a format that is listened to largely by males 25-54 and they seek it out because sports provides a genuine joy to their life that few other things can.
But what happens when a real life tragedy occurs in your neighborhood? The thought of listening to two sports radio hosts debate a batter’s ability to hit a baseball or provide context on why a basketball player is able to shoot a little orange ball into an eighteen inch hoop, while serious issues linger in a community seems off-color. The joy and distraction that sports radio is asked to provide suddenly is no longer acceptable. On-air talent who are built to have fun, inform, debate, and connect, are transformed from the cool guys you want to hang out and drink a beer with, into messengers who are there to update information and share the more serious side of themselves by letting you know how an incident makes them feel.
Although many on-air hosts in sports radio have interests beyond the sports world, and some have even dabbled in delivering news/talk shows themselves, the reality is that not many are trained or focused on providing this level of content. It’s easy to tell a talent to adjust and talk about a serious story when it happens, but every good on-air host wants to be great when they turn on their microphone and speak to an audience. When the subject matter requires going outside their comfort zone, it can be very stressful.
Most sports radio people choose to work in the sports format because it’s supposed to be fun, light, and a break from the seriousness of life that adults deal with on a daily basis. We all have bills to pay, families to support, personal battles to wage, and sports allows us for a few hours to put those things on hold. It may not solve our problems but without it we’d be less happy.
Unfortunately, in the past decade alone, there have been far too many instances where sports talk radio hosts have been pressed into action to have to change their programming plans. Major tragedies and serious events have rocked our country numerous times, and although it may not be comfortable, when it happens, the way your radio station and talk show responds can have a lasting impact on the way your audience looks to you in the future.
Whether you like it or not, you’re a servant to the community. When people in your city are grieving and seeking answers to their questions, they turn to you, hoping you’ll provide some measure of clarity for them to make better sense of what has happened. They count on you to help ease their anger, keep them informed and when the mood is right, offer a comment or two that may allow them to laugh.
Listeners cherish their relationship with the on-air talent. They see them as a friend who keeps them company on a daily basis. While the bond may be built from a shared joy and passion for sports, they also expect a local personality to use good judgment and understand that there are times when the script must get tossed.
If you went into work in Baton Rouge, Louisiana today, chances are you’re trying to make sense of why a number of police officers were targeted and killed, just one week after the same horror took place in Dallas, Texas. If you were operating a sports talk show in Nice, France on Saturday, there’s no way you’d be discussing anything other than the awful attack by a madman who chose to run down hundreds of innocent people.
I’ve gone through this situation myself while working in upstate NY on the day that September 11th occurred. It’s a day that no sports host can ever be prepared for. The thought of having a conversation about the Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, Giants or Jets felt unjustified, and luckily the radio station I worked for embraced ditching the sports programming and turning its attention to the serious tragedy that impacted our community, and the entire country.
In those moments you may not be as informed as FOX News, MSNBC, CNN or any other news outlet, but you possess something they don’t, a connection to your local audience. Your listeners understand that you’re out of your element and that you may not have the same level of insight on the story that some of the other news outlets do, but they also recognize that you’re their friend, their companion, the one who shares their life on the air with them each day. You offer the necessary distraction to keep them laughing and looking forward to the games they’ll watch later that evening. They don’t need you to be the most skilled news reporter during those horrific times, just a broadcaster who’s smart enough to read the room and understand that there’s a time in place for fun, and a time where certain things get placed on hold because other things are simply more important.
But not every uprising or tragedy warrants ditching your sports radio programming. Knowing where that line sits is impossible because each station, talent, programmer, and city responds differently. Innocent people have died at the hands of the police, cops have been murdered unjustly, and protests happen in many large cities on a regular basis. Each time they occur, is a sports talker supposed to break its format?
It’s a really tough call because each station has to decide “has this event rocked the community to the point where everyone is feeling it”? “Is our audience going to turn to our brand and people for further opinion and information on the story”? “Is it a development where most local stations feel compelled to break format or is it better suited for the local News/Talk station to provide further context on”?
For example, when the Ferguson, Missouri riots broke out, some programmers would have chosen to drop sports to cover the story locally. Others wouldn’t have. It wasn’t a matter of one way being right, and the other being wrong. I asked 101 ESPN’s Program Director Chris “Hoss” Neupert how he handled the situation and here’s what he shared.
“With such a sensitive issue (the Ferguson riots) we chose to let people who were better informed than us tackle those issues. Our job was to do what we do best which was to be a positive distraction for local people from the real world issues. Our team was compassionate about the situation and wanted to do their part to give people an escape by giving them something that sports does so well which is present a mixture of stats, wins, losses, storylines, and competition, not color or race.”
The Ferguson story was one which the entire community was aware of but it didn’t unify people the same way that the shootings in Dallas, Orlando, Charleston, and Sandy Hook did. Asking a sports station and its talent to tackle racial divides, Mike Brown’s track record, the issues with the Ferguson police department, and the Black Lives Matter movement is asking them to step way beyond their comfort zone. For each listener who may have appreciated 101 ESPN diving into that conversation, many others would’ve rejected the brand for not staying in its lane. Regardless of their choice, they were in a no-win situation.
Given what our friends in Dallas experienced last week, and what others have experienced in other cities, I thought it’d be interesting to get a few perspectives on how to handle these situations. They are impossible to be fully prepared for, and although they may leave you wondering if the work you do really matters, you do the best you can, and understand that just by talking about it you’re able to provide a small measure of comfort for your audience.
No sports radio programmer or host wants to go to work and have to address these types of situations but there are times when they are unavoidable. As much as we love sports, nothing matters more than life itself and our friends, families, and neighbors. When they’re in harm’s way or have been emotionally wounded, we have to adjust and look out for them. The hard part is determining which tragedies require breaking format, and which ones don’t. Those decisions are extremely difficult and they can haunt you forever if you choose incorrectly.
Jeff Catlin – Program Director of The Ticket and ESPN 103.3 – Dallas, TX
The Ticket and ESPN 103.3 are both in the business of LOCAL radio, and this DPD shooting was in our town. That right there made it rise to a different level for us at Cumulus Dallas, regardless of station and format. We have to serve our local audience.
ESPN is slightly different in that there are ESPN Network commitments, but still when we can and could, we had to address what our community at large cares about on a given day.
To ignore this story on Ticket or ESPN or somehow say “people want a distraction from this” would in my opinion just be completely out of step and focus. At a time like this, certainly within the first 24 hours of a major breaking news story literally one mile from our studios, EVERYONE in Dallas Ft. Worth is talking, sharing, feeling emotional about this tragedy and we first and foremost have to reflect that. We also have to be a voice and gathering place for the community.
In the case of the Ticket where our lineup of talent has been in place and together for 20 years, we have a special bond and relationship with our audience. Not only do they expect us to talk about something such as this, but in a complimentary way towards our shows, they welcome hearing what their friends on the Ticket are thinking and feeling. It provides some sort of comfort to them. And if that’s the case, great, because it means that we have served our audience in a time of need.
In terms of our decision making, at Cumulus Dallas, after the San Bernardino shooting, all department heads across the cluster discussed this and came up with a plan of action in case something like this happened in DFW. So when news broke and this actually DID happen, we already knew how we would react. With a heritage News Talk station staffed 24/7 with reporters in the building, they took the lead. The other stations, including the Ticket, are able to take their on-air audio. Which the Ticket did. On Thursday night, the Ticket took the initial police briefing live on-air, and then we simulcast our sister station WBAP all night from approximately midnight to 5am.
I spoke Thursday night with our morning team about ways to handle the story on the show the next day. We were active on social media all Thursday night into Friday with updates.
On Friday on both the Ticket and ESPN I had individual meetings with all the shows to just discuss our plan, how we would handle the story, how much time would be devoted to it, etc. On both stations (On ESPN during our local shows) I estimate that 90% of content on Friday was devoted to the shooting and updating the story.
I knew first thing on Friday that I needed to update the station imaging in a reflective and respectful way. We were able to get that done and on-air during morning drive. Then as a cluster, we focused efforts on providing uniformed information to all of our audiences on-air and on our websites that directed listeners to places where they could help, while letting them know which community activities were planned for the days ahead.
Finally, on Tuesday, making a decision to carry the Memorial Service live on-air on the Ticket and ESPN was a no brainer. The President of the United States, the Vice President, two Senators and former President and Dallas resident George W. Bush, plus the Mayor and Police Chief were all on hand, and their speaking was a statement of how big this was. We HAD to carry this live.
Again, our job is to serve our local audience. This was the only thing on the minds of DFW citizens on Tuesday, and after hearing how poignant every speaker was, individual politics aside, it proved that our decision was the correct one.
It’s part of the healing process, and closure for the community, and this is part of the role that local radio plays during a time like this.
Gavin Spittle – Program Director of 105.3 The Fan – Dallas, TX
The decision to change formats when the tragic events of last week hit us was a given. Serving our community is first and foremost. If that hurts me in the ratings, so be it.
Our two brands, NewsRadio 1080 KRLD and 105.3 The Fan, have a tight relationship. On Thursday night, we were still involved in delivering pertinent information because it was an “active” situation. The right thing to do was to simulcast with 1080 and I thought they did an amazing job delivering up to the minute information. The next day, we scrapped the entire sports format.
If one person felt a little bit of healing from listening to our open forum then we did our job. For the last 2 ½ years, a charity that we have heavily supported is the Guns and Hoses Foundation of North Texas. All of our shows have been involved with this charity including going to Swat Training, broadcasting from Fire and Police Departments so there certainly is a special bond. Part of that healing process was to immediately help the families of our heroes affected, and I’m proud to say that we’ve contributed to that cause.
The response from our listeners has been amazing but none of us want credit during this time. The credit goes to those who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way for our safety. The least we can do is to provide a platform through our radio stations.
Jason Wolfe – Former Program Director of WEEI – Boston, MA
Sports radio hosts are actually people too. That’s right, it’s not all fun and games to us. We care about life and about the world we live in, and frankly, we have very strong feelings about the issues that affect us all. Our sole concern isn’t simply whether the hometown team wins or loses on any given night. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with a tragedy.
When terrorism struck the Boston Marathon, my team at WEEI didn’t hesitate. We immediately dropped the sports format and went into crisis mode. All of our imaging changed, hosts were asked to come in early and to stay late, sales efforts and promotions were halted and we focused on being a resource to our audience so that they felt informed and comforted in their time of need. It’s so important not to panic when involved in such a story. Plans need to be well thought out and executed flawlessly if the station is to be effective in its coverage.
At WEEI, I used every resource I had at my disposal, from our partnerships with TV to our sister stations who had people on the ground at the finish line. That allowed us to cover every press conference live, to get first hand updates from the field, and to remain top of mind for our listeners who no doubt, were scouring every channel looking for the most up to date information.
As broadcasters, we have a responsibility to cover these terrible events and to provide the public with information, and an opportunity to react, be it emotionally, angrily or otherwise. Our guys understood that very clearly. Talk radio is talk radio. It doesn’t matter if your core format is sports, politics, music or business, when an event of this magnitude occurs in your city or town, as a staff, you have to act. And frankly, the reality is that there have been so many of these truly unfortunate stories to cover over the years, that smart programmers will have an action plan for events such as this, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Our most important goal throughout our coverage, as it was with any breaking news story, was not to jump the gun and report false information. This was a major problem during the first two days after the bombing. Numerous reports cited imminent arrests, the death toll, as well as erroneous information about the why and how this happened. Frankly, it was completely irresponsible. We had always lived by the slogan by right, not first, so while we knew it was important to provide our audience with the latest, we had to be very careful not to create more problems. As such, we took a measured approach to the news so as not to over-react, specifically, to what was being posted on social media.
Our second goal was simple. Be ourselves. The station has long been known for its ability to report on, discuss and analyze non sports stories, and by giving the staff the resources they needed, and the freedom with which to use them, I thought we did an exceptional job of doing our part to bring the community together by engaging in passionate debate with journalistic integrity. At the end of the day, it comes down to being prepared, being organized, and being thoughtful. That’s what our audience, and I think any audience expects, and if you can achieve that, you’ve done well and your coverage will be held with high regard.
Dave Zaslowsky – Former Program Director of 97.9 ESPN – Hartford, CT
December 14, 2012 was like any other Friday. We were prepping for the big matchup between the Patriots and 49ers that was scheduled that weekend. One of the other stations in our cluster had the TV on in their studio when the news broke of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, which was about 45 min away from our studios.
Within minutes we were on the phone to our local NBC TV affiliate, whom we had a working partnership with to confirm what was happening. Once the reports were confirmed, which was very quick, our OM called the 3 PD’s of the cluster together to form a plan of action. Our 5 station cluster had 3 live music stations and our 2 sports stations (97-9 ESPN & Fox Sports Radio 1410) which I was the PD for were in network programming at the time.
So much information was out there that we felt the best thing to do for our listeners was to simulcast our local NBC TV affiliate. It was really the only way to cover it correctly, regardless of our format. My 2 stations stayed with the simulcast of NBC CT until 7pm and went back to network programming at that time. Our music stations went into talk mode taking calls and just letting people talk, which during a situation like Sandy Hook is what people want to do.
Our job is to serve the public and give them the information. At that point nobody cared about the Patriots-49ers, Giants-Falcons or Jets-Titans that weekend. They wanted to know about those little children who were attacked. It was the right way to handle things for our listeners as they had come to depend on us during a crisis, be it a snow storm, a hurricane or awful day like December 12, 2012.
In the latest spring ratings book in New York both WFAN and 98.7 ESPN NY had reason to feel optimistic. For WFAN, they once again took care of business in the coveted Men 25-54 demographic. ‘Boomer and Carton’ and ‘Beningo and Roberts’ won their respective dayparts, and ratings king Mike Francesa stayed in front of ESPN NY’s combo of ‘Hahn and Humpty’ and Michael Kay from 1p-6:30p with a 6.7 to 3.6 advantage.
However, not all was lost for ESPN NY. In fact, quite the opposite. The brand experienced growth year to year and quarter to quarter with each of their weekday shows. What I want to show you are some signs that I noticed that show the radio station trending upward unlike where they were 12-18 months ago.
For example, Mike and Mike, finished in the Top 10 with Men 25-54 for the spring book. They were 13th at the same time last year. Dan Le Batard who signed on last September, performed higher this spring than Colin Cowherd did last spring. Hahn and Humpty which replaced Mike Lupica last August, finished 12th. That was the best showing in their time slot in over 3 years (they’re up over a half of a point in the past 12 months). And Michael Kay’s show, which added Peter Rosenberg last September, came in 9th. The show was 11th last spring.
The spring book also represented the first time in the history of the Michael Kay Show where the program beat Mike Francesa head to head with Men 18-34. From 3p-6:30p Kay’s program did a 3.1 to Francesa’s 2.9. The difference is even better from 4p-6:30p when Rosenberg enters the mix. Kay’s show during that 2.5 hour block was ahead of Francesa 3.4 to 3.0.
To be fair, Men 18-34 aren’t the money demo that Men 25-54 is, but it shows that the younger listening audience isn’t as loyal to WFAN as others before them have been. That’s an opening that I’m sure Traug Keller, Tim McCarthy and Justin Craig at ESPN New York are looking to take advantage of. It’s an area that I’m sure Mark Chernoff and Chris Olivero at CBS will look closer at next year when figuring out who makes the most sense to replace Francesa.
For now, WFAN’s executives and programming team have to feel quite pleased with their performance. Their sales team should continue to prosper from the station’s powerful performance with Men and Adults 25-54, and their talent are likely enjoying a nice quarterly bonus. The only complaint has to be a dud of a season courtesy of the New York Yankees.
But while things may appear comfortable right now, change is inevitable. With Francesa’s departure less than 18 months away, that has to give CBS officials cause for concern. Replacing Mike’s ratings and revenues are no easy task, especially as the competition continues to gain momentum.
For ESPN New York, they know all about change. They were forced to make a number of moves last summer/fall to improve the station’s performance, and they’re starting to see evidence that those decisions have been viewed favorably by local listeners. The real question is, will more of them be needed? Or will improvements from their current lineup, the Knicks, Jets and Rangers, and Francesa’s departure be enough to cause a drastic shift in the marketplace?
We will learn a lot about the future of both of these brands over the next 18 months. It’s a battle that figures to be very interesting.
There is no market for sports radio hotter right now than Boston. The work being done by WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub is incredible and it truly is a case of two brands being well positioned for on-air success. That’s helping both CBS and Entercom generate a whole lot of revenue.
In the recent spring book which covers March 24-June 15, the Sports Hub finished 1st M-SU 6a-Mid with an 11.0. WEEI placed 2nd with an 8.1. Making the performance even more impressive is that the Hub was up 2 full points over a 12-month stretch, and WEEI picked up 1.3 shares during that same period.
Toucher and Rich fueled the Hub’s success in morning drive by earning top honors with Men 25-54 with a 14.6. Dennis and Callahan with Kirk Minihane came in 2nd, also in double digits, turning in a 10.5.
Shifting to middays, the Hub’s Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand popped an 11.8 to finish 1st. WEEI’s Glenn Ordway, Lou Merloni, and Christian Fauria were 4th with a 7.0.
In afternoons, the Hub once again led the pack with Felger and Massarotti delivering a 12.8. WEEI’s Dale and Holley with Jerry Thornton was 2nd at an 8.3.
The one area where WEEI defeated the Hub was in evenings where Red Sox baseball propelled the radio station to a 1st place finish and 9.4 share. The Hub was 2nd with Adam Jones’ show recording an 8.1.
On the surface it’s easy to focus on the Hub’s stranglehold on the top position. They absolutely deserve credit for the success they’ve achieved, and have produced one of the best sports radio brands in America. Mike Thomas and his team deserve the accolades they’ve received for a job well done. In the past year alone, Toucher and Rich have improved from a 10.8 to a 14.6, and Zolak and Bertrand went from an 8.8 to an 11.8. Felger and Massarotti were flat with a 12.8, which is still an insane number.
But while applauding the Hub for their growth, don’t overlook what WEEI has done. The radio station was struggling a few years ago and made some great adjustments which have now made it a much closer two station race. Each of these stations are kicking the crap out of the rest of the market in the battle for Men 25-54, and most sports talkers across the country would kill for WEEI’s performance. They just happen to be pulling in big numbers while squaring off against one of the biggest ratings juggernauts in the country, in a market that can’t get enough sports radio conversation.
Did you know that last spring, these two sports stations combined to deliver a 16 share? This spring they eclipsed that mark with a combined 19 share! It’s hard to believe that they could grow that number even higher next spring but given the way Boston sports radio fans have responded to each of their presentations, I wouldn’t bet against it.
WEEI can take solace in the fact that they produced their highest Spring book performance since PPM measurement went into effect in 2010. The station’s previous best was a 7.1 earned in the Spring of 2012. What I was most impressed by were the increases of the station’s top shows year to year. Dennis and Callahan grew from a 7.5 to an 11.1. Ordway/Merloni/Fauria spiked from a 3.6 to a 6.8. And Dale and Holley climbed from a 6.4 to 8.2. That’s outstanding progress, which Kevin Graham, Phil Zachary and the programming team deserve credit for.
Too often in this industry we highlight the top brand and discredit the competitor, but success isn’t measured simply by who turns in a higher share. Each of these brands are unique, compelling, staffed with incredible talent, and they possess the ability to continue generating higher ratings and revenues. The on-air hosts for each brand will undoubtedly look to best their counterparts book after book, and quarter after quarter, but they also recognize that if they deliver their best effort and choose the right content, it’s likely to be supported by local listeners. That in of itself equals success.
Chicago is a fascinating city with incredible views and strong spirit. It’s one of my favorite places to travel to in the country. So when I learned that the Podcast Movement Conference was being held there, I knew it was a trip I had to make. The feedback on last year’s event was positive and as the world’s appetite for audio grows on a daily basis, I figured there’d be some valuable lessons to learn.
Although the windy city was transformed for a few days into the home for heat and humidity, that didn’t temper the enthusiasm inside the halls and rooms of the Hyatt Hotel. People were genuinely excited to be in town for the event and many of them were relatively inexperienced in the podcasting space but hungry to learn more.
From session to session content creators and podcasting executives discussed the benefits of storytelling, passion, artistry, self-expression, and engagement. Observers listened and asked questions geared towards helping them produce better content to further connect with audiences and advertisers. There was even a stronger showing of support from the radio industry which many who I spoke to considered a positive step for the podcasting industry.
Much of the credit for the event’s success belongs to Dan Franks and his staff. The sound quality was excellent, the speaker’s were great, the light displays and stage structures looked sharp, and the materials given to those who attended were helpful. Even the sign in process was smooth. They say preparation is half the battle in delivering a great event and the organizers of the conference had their act together.
However, there were a few things that I believe can still be improved, specifically in the sports radio universe. Did you know that of all the attendees at this year’s conference, only 4% came from the sports and recreation field? If myself and wrestler Colt Cabana didn’t attend I wonder if that number would’ve been 2% or lower. Aside from the weak showing by sports attendees, there were a few other items that caught my attention. Some were positive, some were not. Here are some of those key takeaways.
Attendance/Enthusiasm – One of my favorite parts of this experience was simply observing how invested people were in the conference. There were nearly two thousand people in attendance and a genuine joy was felt throughout the room. Attendees were eager to listen, ask questions and take the knowledge back home and apply it. Some of that is the result of inexperience but it also reminded me that the passion for creating and listening to audio programming remains alive and well.
Compared to most radio conferences I’ve attended, this one had a better energy in each room. People valued the advice being provided by each expert, and seemed proud to be associated with the event. It felt like a three day celebration for a family of podcasters.
This is an issue for many current radio conferences. Industry folks attend them with preconceived notions of what will take place and they leave without being surprised. The same old cliches are offered repeatedly (content is king, distribution is queen, play the hits, radio is a thriving business, etc.) and it’s debatable whether the majority of people are excited to be there or view it as an opportunity to get away from home for a few days and reconnect with industry friends outside of each session.
Networking is certainly important but a better presentation on-stage featuring some new names, faces, and voices might keep people a little more interested.
Speakers and Panels – Upon entering this conference I knew only one of the featured speakers – Kevin Smith. His performance alone is worthy of an entire column but that will have to wait for now. I didn’t get to hear everyone, but I did walk away impressed by Smith, Glynn Washington, Alex Blumberg, and Anna Sale. Each focused on something unique and important to them and gave those in attendance a lot of information worth using and sharing.
Sale, hosts a podcast called “Death, Sex, and Money” and focused on the similarities between creating a podcast and having a baby. She shared advice on starting a show, building a community, developing a brand, and improving the content. Her point about each host needing a good editor and being willing to share their messy drafts and accept critical feedback was on point because it’s exactly what a good talk show host does when working with a producer. If you think a producer’s there simply to screen calls, dial up the guest and fetch you coffee, then you’re missing out on the benefits of their involvement.
Washington meanwhile, hosts a podcast called “Snap Judgment” and instantly got my attention when he uttered the line “I don’t care about podcasting….I care about stories“. Given that we were at a podcasting conference, the room quickly took notice. He focused his time on the power of storytelling and shared details of his personal experiences while providing a few interesting video samples. One in particular of storyteller Josh Healey really stood out. You can watch it by clicking here.
What I loved about Washington’s speech was that it was deep, authentic, and powerful. He dove into the troubles happening in the world and described how storytelling can help in the healing process and influence change. He compared telling a story to picking scabs, and reminded the room that the best stories are developed from smaller events.
Then came my personal favorite, Kevin Smith. The filmmaker and actor took the stage to explain why he loves podcasting and how he got started. From the second he took the microphone to his final word, he had the audience on the edge of their seats. Smith was passionate, informative, funny and unfiltered and caused many to laugh, listen, and even cringe as he worked in at least one F-bomb every 5-10 words. His swearing was so over the top that attendees took to Twitter to engage in dialogue with others in the room about how many curse words he’d deliver by the end of his session.
Tossing out F-bombs doesn’t make a speech unique, but his style and insight was refreshing. Kevin talked about his enthusiasm for the podcasting platform and related his success at it to the way he navigated through a successful filmmaking career. He offered a lot of life advice and memorable quotes that could have easily filled up the walls of many NFL locker rooms.
Along the way Smith served up some doozies including ‘failure is just success training‘, ‘there are two paths, creation and destruction‘, and ‘the first step to self-expression is losing the fear‘. He encouraged people to not be afraid to create a podcast and reminded them that the beauty of doing it is that it doesn’t require talent. As many wondered aloud how that could be, Smith brought it home by adding ‘it takes talent to build the walls inside this room and get stuff not to fall down, but it doesn’t take talent to have a conversation…it doesn’t even take talent to stand on a movie set and play Batman. Ben Affleck f’ing did it.’
Blumberg closed things out by discussing the future of podcasting, the reasons people seek out audio content, and the buzz words that are part of a successful podcast. His line “The first golden age of audio was radio, the second is podcast” drew a strong response and it was clear that he’s very optimistic about where the podcasting business is headed.
I particularly enjoyed his discussion on the power of empathy and how audio/radio can be an agent of empathy and understanding to help the world heal. He highlighted audio’s ability to provide stronger narrative and companionship than any other form of media and his mixture of humor and intelligence struck the right balance and perfect tone for closing out a successful three day event.
Too Much Quantity Not Enough Quality – It’s no secret that the word ‘podcast‘ has become trendy in audio circles. Everyone is eager to do it and as much as I love the fact that there are thousands of new options for people to enjoy, it’s difficult to separate the good from the bad. Eric Nuzum who oversees the Audible division for Amazon put it best when he said it’s like going to a flea market and sifting through the trash to find the treasure.
In some ways it’s no different than YouTube where millions of people upload video content and some become future stars and others remain invisible. Does that matter? Should it matter? That depends on who you ask.
For the business to make a dent long-term it needs to offer more Adam Carolla’s and Bill Simmons’ to advertisers and audiences, and less Johnny and Freddy Broadcaster’s. It also needs to continue prying great talent from terrestrial radio, just as satellite radio has done over the past decade.
One area where this is a real problem is in the sports audio space. The quality of sports talk talent on radio compared to podcasting isn’t close. Podcasting companies don’t seem to be focused on sports even though it’s a massive business. I sat in sessions where Audible, Gimlet, Midroll, Spotify and other groups shared tips, ideas and details of forthcoming projects and none covered sports programming. The only time I heard it even mentioned was during a session which featured Traug Keller of ESPN Audio and Greg Strassell of Hubbard Radio. Why sports isn’t a bigger focus I’m not sure.
Revenue and Growth – Arguably the biggest statement of the entire conference was that radio is a 2 billion dollar annual business whereas podcasting is a 100 million dollar industry. Even if those numbers are slightly off, there’s a huge disparity between the two. That begs the question, is podcasting really the next big thing or a cool niche idea? Most people don’t disagree that on-demand audio interest is rapidly growing and being a content provider is important but whether or not it can be monetized and developed into a thriving business remains questionable.
In watching many of these sessions, I learned that it can be very uplifting for people to hear thirty minutes of positives about the industry they’re in. There’s something invigorating about being a podcaster and having control over your own storytelling, self-expression, authenticity, and not being a slave to advertisers. It’s sort of like being a writer and being able to blog without a newspaper editor reining you in. Or being an independent musician and playing the songs you feel like playing rather than the hits that label representatives require you to so they can sell your next album or single.
But here’s your reality check. The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and the economic returns in the podcasting world are low compared to radio. If the financial numbers echoed throughout multiple sessions are accurate, that would make the radio industry 20x more profitable than the podcasting business. That’s enormous.
As I thought about that disparity I wondered how the space could become more profitable without muddying up the content experience. Making matters worse is that ad agencies are still unsure about investing bigger dollars on the platform. They’ve increased spending in recent years and are expected to do so in the future but the level of spending versus other traditional media is lower.
So when does it bottom out? Is podcasting a $200 million dollar business? $300 million? $500 million? Can it surpass where radio is? Or is its present performance the best it has to offer?
My Final Thoughts – The radio industry has a big decision to make. Does it go all in on podcasting or take a cautious approach? With dashboards and desktops continuing to represent where users spend the majority of their time consuming audio, and the ad community slowly increasing spending rather than making sizable investments, it’s hard to picture radio groups putting podcasting on equal footing with their over the air products.
In the past, radio has been slow to adapt but this is a space that is difficult to judge. It’s not as simple as looking at whether or not audiences are interested in the content or whether people will listen more on phones, tablets and digital dashboards. I do believe the platform is growing, and I love that the user experience is clutter free and able to be enjoyed whenever the user wants to listen. The number one question though is how can it be monetized better?
I’ve yet to see anyone step forward with a secret recipe to excite advertisers. Shows in this space are generally shorter and delivered less frequently, and advertising opportunities inside of the programming are fewer. It may be appealing to the user, but it’s a lot harder to justify spending larger dollars on it for sponsors and operators.
So how do you fix it? Will the public pay for it? Audible is banking on that with the launch of their new service ‘Channels’ which offers 40 original high-quality shows. Amazon believes that if you provide a great content experience and target it to people who find value for that particular form of programming, they’ll invest in it.
Other suggestions for monetization include developing branded content, increasing live reads, developing sponsored contests, creating live event revenue opportunities, and providing merchandise. Those all sound great and should help but they’re all things that are offered in radio.
The fact of the matter is that despite being in existence for quite some time, podcasting brands are still relatively unfamiliar to a large number of people. To influence a change in spending or listening takes time, promotion, and most importantly – a lot of money!
Radio has decisions to make about its own level of confidence in the podcasting business. Groups such as Hubbard, ESPN Radio and E.W. Scripps have placed their support behind it, and others offer on-demand audio on many of their brands and appear intrigued by the idea of becoming larger players in the future.
As radio contemplates its viability in the digital audio business, the podcasting community needs to understand the importance of walking before running. Replacing the radio business isn’t going to happen tomorrow or the next day and expecting advertisers to make drastic changes in the way they do business doesn’t happen without effort, patience, and sustained performance. The space is attractive to listeners and creators, and if good judgment is used in the future, and more quality programming is provided, who knows what the industry’s ceiling is.
The one glimmer of hope I’ll leave you with is this. It’s easy to suggest that podcasting won’t surpass radio. A case can easily be made today to demonstrate why its economic potential is limited. However, in 2000 you’d have laughed if I told you that the UFC in 10-15 years would pass professional boxing in terms of popularity and revenue growth.
If you missed it, the UFC was purchased on Monday by WME/IMG for 4 billion dollars, after initially being purchased in 2000 for only 2 million. I’m not suggesting that podcasting will be to radio what the UFC became to boxing, but no one truly knows what the long-term economic potential is. As long as quality audio programming continues being created, and audiences continue clamoring for it, that’ll help determine if podcasting is the next big treasure or fool’s gold.
