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Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Gus Johnson

Andy Masur
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On his Wikipedia page, Gus Johnson “is well-known for his enthusiastic play calling”. That’s kind of like saying Michael Jordan was a pretty good basketball player. Enthusiastic when it comes to Johnson may be the understatement of the century. Johnson is sometimes known as “Screaming Gus” because that “enthusiasm” gets multiplied by 10 even in situations that may not call for it. That’s his style, that’s his calling card and it has served him well over the years. 

How Gus Johnson became sports' most exciting broadcaster - SBNation.com

Johnson is currently the lead play-by-play voice of college football and basketball on Fox. Before that, he was one of CBS’s top college basketball play-by-play voices from 1996 to 2011. He made watching the NCAA Tournament extremely interesting, especially games that were decided by a big play or in the final seconds. He’s all over YouTube with those calls and made him a sensation on the social video platform. While at CBS he also did NFL games and college football for the network. 

He did pay some dues along the way, working in local television in Waco, Texas, Huntsville, Alabama, Winston-Salem, N.C., and Washington, D.C. Along the way Johnson was the play-by-play voice for the Minnesota Timberwolves for a year. He did games on the Big East Network calling basketball and college hockey. Johnson also did boxing events for Showtime, the Knicks on MSG and Canadian Football League games on ESPN2. 

BEST KNOWN FOR

Catchphrases. Seriously. The man has a way with words when describing big plays during the course of a game. Here are just a few of the many usually uttered at some point by Johnson during a telecast. 

  • “Hurt My Feelings!”
  • “Oh my goodness!”
  • “Rise and fire… Count it!”
  • “From the parking lot!”
  • “And the Runner….Bang!”
  • “Pure!”
  • “BAM!”
  • “Hot Sauce!”
  • “Cold-Blooded!”
  • “HA-HAAA”.

Seeing these in print doesn’t do them justice. To hear them is to appreciate them. 

As mentioned, Johnson is well known for his work on CBS and the NCAA Tournament. It always seemed that he was assigned games that were going to have exciting endings. Here are some of his best calls:

1999 – Gonzaga v. Florida: Gonzaga was trying to establish itself into the program it became. They faced Florida in the Sweet 16 and the hero was Casey Calvary with a tip in with just over 5 seconds left. The final seconds sounded like this: 

“Shannon from the corner (buzzer sounds and ball falls short) and it’s over, GONZAGA: the slipper still fits! They win it 73-72.”

2006 – Gonzaga v UCLA: Gonzaga at one point had a 17-point lead in the game only to watch it slip away in the final seconds. With Gonzaga trying to protect a lead with 10 seconds left:

“And a steal! Farmar! Inside! The freshman! Up, oh, and they go in front! Raivio! Last chance to dance! Oh, what a game! What! A! Game! U-C-L-A! UN-BELIEVABLE! After being down by 17. Heart! Break! City!!!” What followed were the iconic shots of Adam Morrison hunched over on the floor weeping. 

2005 – Vermont v. Syracuse: First round game. One of the bigger upsets in the NCAA Tournament, as Vermont took down Syracuse on a big shot in OT by guard T.J. Sorrentine:

“Ohhhhhh! My goodness!!! Sorrentine! Hit that one from the parking lot!”

He’s had some memorable calls in College Football as well:

2017 – Johnson was the play-by-play announcer for the Week 1 matchup between Texas A&M and UCLA. The Bruins came back from a 34-point deficit to win 45–44, capped off by a fake spike touchdown from Josh Rosen with 43 seconds left to go. Johnson’s play of the call:

“Rosen fakes the spike… in the endzone, TOUCHDOWN! WOAH! Jordan Lasley! The legend of Josh Rosen… in full bloom! Dan Marino would be proud!”

2017 – Johnson on the call of a college football game between Ohio State and Maryland. After Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward laid a vicious hit on Maryland receiver Taivon Jacobs. Though the play ultimately resulted in Ward’s ejection from the game, Johnson had a field day: 

“Second down after the 7-yard gain… [Maryland QB] Bortenschlager to the sideline, caught, first down. [Ward levels Jacobs, causing a fumble] Whoo! What a hit! Denzel Ward! You’ve got barbecue back there, and you didn’t invite me? Hurt! My! Feelings!”. 

WHY IS HE SO GOOD?

Johnson’s style is unique, that’s something that separates him from a lot of other quality broadcasters. The energy level he brings to the games he calls is unmatched. It’s hard to think of how exhausted he must be after a broadcast, exerting that much exuberance and not really taking too many plays off. That peak is tough to achieve and prolong for the entirety of a basketball or football game. Impressive. 

Even those that may not exactly like the over-the-top style, stay to hear what he may say in certain situations. There are few announcers around with the ability to keep you watching a game even if you have no rooting interest in it. The words, the emphasis and enthusiasm keep you glued to that particular game. He is a fan and draws you in with his passion and excitement. 

The style isn’t everything. When it comes down to it, Johnson is a solid play-by-play guy. While the flash may get the headlines and YouTube hits, the man knows what he’s doing. All the basic principles are there. You know the score, the time left, where the ball is and everything that is necessary to view the game. You just get it at a high energy level that is pretty much unmatched. While he does come right at you with catch phrases and rapid-fire words, he knows how to let a moment speak for itself too.

He will “lay out” to let the pictures tell, the rest of the story, if you will. Sometimes those that give you over-the-top broadcasts do it because they don’t have the basics mastered and try to get by with flash. Johnson is a rare case where the substance and the flash are both executed flawlessly. 

There's no debate': Fox's Gus Johnson talks Buckeyes' playoff hopes ahead of Big Ten championship | Sporting News

CONCLUSION

While he may not be for everyone, Gus Johnson certainly provides an entertaining call no matter the sport. The amazing thing to me is that with all the hoopla and catchphrases he never overshadows his analyst. The respect for his partner and the game itself is evident and those in the know, realize how important both of those elements are as a play-by-play announcer. Keep “rising and firing” Gus Johnson. 

What’s The Risk?

Jeff Caves
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What’s The Risk?

While I was researching one of my most recent articles, legendary radio sales consultant Chris Lytle was listing off all the sales trainers that he followed. I was impressed that, even though Lytle had 40 years in consulting, he still was digging through YouTube, Twitter and websites for other inspiring sales trainers. 

He mentioned John Barrows. Barrows puts out great bite size pods and on demand videos. He was an inside sales rep who made 400 cold calls a week and a VP of Sales who sold his company to Staples and then got fired. He started consulting in 2013. He is real, to the point and can help you sell more radio campaigns.

Recently, he wrote a great piece on assessing the risk of any situation. His situation was weighing the risk of going against his CEO’s wishes and asking a Staples exec why he didn’t like Barrows and ordered his firing. He didn’t have the conversation with the Staples exec until he was fired and regretted not doing it earlier because it could have saved his job. He called it one of the best lessons in his career. 

Which brings me to you. Have you taken enough risks lately? 

If you want to climb the ladder at your station or group and want to know what it is going to take, why not ask? If it’s a manager you want to meet with, send them an email and tell them you have some questions they could answer for you that is for your own personal and professional development. If it’s a client that you haven’t been able to get on the air, do the same. Be sure to tell the client that you promise not to use their words against them. This isnt a trap to find out what it is going to take to sell them. I think you will find out most will be accommodating and open to meet with you. 

One of the biggest lessons Barrows got from this exercise was that his Staples boss told him that he should have come to him while he was still employed. 

He asked Barrows – “what’s the risk?”

Let’s apply this to you wanting to find out why your client won’t buy your station. The risk of asking the client to answer your questions is they could become uncomfortable, clam up and not take your calls or meetings anymore. So, either way, you are still in a losing relationship. Maybe, you are wasting your time on a client who won’t tell you what’s really going on or just doesn’t want to tell you why they don’t like you or your station. If that’s the case, you can trade the client to another rep and get something workable in return. Or the client reacts well to your efforts and you can solve the problem they have with not doing more business with you and things change immediately or very soon. 

So, what’s the risk?

Start assessing the risk of being true to yourself and speaking up. The next time you have a choice to make about speaking up or not, ask yourself – what’s the risk? Barrows says that if your intent is genuine and focused on doing the right thing, then the risk is limited from a big picture standpoint.

Take Risks. Learn From Your Mistakes. It Will Be Worth It. - TTA Blog

So, the next time you want to go past the agency buyer to the account manager or go over your GM’s head to the VP or ask a client why they aren’t spending the right amount of money with you.  Do it. Just ask yourself- what’s the risk? 

Anatomy of an Analyst: Eddie Olczyk

Andy Masur
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“For all you young hockey players” and “stop it right there”, just some of the familiar phrases uttered by NHL analyst Eddie Olczyk on his local and national broadcasts. “Edzo” as he’s affectionately known, has been the lead color commentator on NBC’s broadcast of the NHL since 2007 and he’s held the same role with the Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts since 2006. The Chicago area native has done it all in professional hockey. Olczyk played at a high level, coached in the NHL and has become one of the most successful broadcasters the sport has ever seen. 

Broadcaster Olczyk diagnosed with colon cancer

Olczyk grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and realized a dream by being selected in the first round by his hometown Blackhawks in 1984. He was the third overall pick. Olczyk scored his first NHL goal in his first game and wound up with 342 career tallies and 794 career points in 1031 games. Olczyk was traded a few times in his career but wound up finishing his run with the Blackhawks during the 1999-2000 season. He won a Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994.

ROAD TO NHL COLOR COMMENTARY

Following his playing career, Olczyk embarked on a career as a broadcaster. He started the journey by working on Pittsburgh Penguins television broadcasts for Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh from 2000 until 2003. Olczyk also did games for ESPN, ESPN2 and NHL Radio during his time with the Penguins. His broadcasting path was interrupted as he became the Head Coach of the Penguins from ’03 until 2005. When he was let go Olczyk took a little time off.  Eventually Olczyk came home to Chicago and began his work on Blackhawks Television in 2006, a role he continues in today. 

Also, at that time he was picked up as the lead analyst for the NHL on NBC. The network job allowed him to work a couple of Olympic Games as well. In 2010 at the Vancouver games and in 2014 at the Sochi games. In Vancouver one of his greatest lines ever was uttered when the United States defeated Canada 5-3 in a preliminary game. Ryan Kesler scored an empty net goal to sew up the win and Olczyk, a US Olympian in 1984, declared, “This has been tremendously tremendous”. The moment went viral and was an instant hit among hockey fans. 

DID YOU KNOW??

Olczyk isn’t just a hockey announcer, NBC has used him on Horse Racing coverage. He actually commentated on the “Sport of Kings” first. OIczyk took the Stanley Cup to Belmont Park in 1994 after winning it with the Rangers. He had an opportunity to take a photo with Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin, trained by Nick Zito.

Olczyk was always into horse racing and when the NHL had a work stoppage the next season, the management of the race course he visited asked Olczyk to be their race analyst/handicapper on the in-house broadcast of the races at the track. That was actually the first time Olczyk worked on tv and is what allowed him to become a hockey analyst for NBC and also on their big race coverage including the “Derby”. 

Eddie Olczyk on the hockey, Kentucky Derby connections | NBC Sports

WHY IS HE SO GOOD?

I am fortunate to be able to watch him most nights on NBC Sports Chicago. Hawks fans expect him to be a little more of a “homer” when on the local broadcast. Olczyk delivers, but he is good not to take it to the extreme. If you’re a first-time viewer of Blackhawks hockey, you’ll know which one is his team. After all, he played for the franchise and grew up a fan of the team. It’s not over the top though.

The chemistry between Olczyk and Pat Foley on Blackhawks telecasts is remarkable. The two are a dynamite pairing. They have an ability to make their telecast seem like you’re watching two fans call a game. Not just for the fact they work for the organization, but that they are enjoying the time spent at a hockey game and it comes beaming through. Olczyk has a way of injecting humor in the right spots. He knows that during big moments in a game, you play it straight. At other times, it’s open season on laughter. It’s refreshing and you find yourself laughing right along with them.

Speaking of laughing, Olczyk has a unique way of chuckling at his own expense. Using self-deprecation if he misreads a sponsorship or misidentifies a situation. The latter rarely happens. 

Hockey acumen and Olczyk go hand in hand. I can’t tell you how many times he is able to predict things before they happen in a game. When he talks hockey, he breaks things down in a simplistic way that gains new fans to the game, without insulting the intelligence of long-time fans. That likely comes from the experience of a 16-year playing career and his time as a head coach in the league.  The passion for the NHL and the game of hockey come through in every game Olczyk does. 

Whether he’s in the booth for a national broadcast with Doc Emrick, John Forslund, Kenny Albert or a local telecast with Foley, the approach doesn’t change too much. Having fun and providing great insight are two of the things Olczyk brings to whatever broadcast he’s doing. 

Hockey is one of those sports in the United States that is still trying to find itself in the mainstream. This is where people like Olczyk are a vital cog in the wheel. He is a relatable, likable and knowledgeable ambassador for the game of hockey. Olczyk appeals to all ages of fans, especially the younger ones, because he gears a lot of his analysis to the youth hockey players. Some may find it hokey, but in truth it’s great for hockey. 

WHY HE’D BE GREAT TO WORK WITH

The ability to combine professionalism and a good time is a great trait most play-by-play announcers look for in an analyst. Olczyk is the kind of person that can not only laugh at himself, he can dish it out as well. To work alongside him would be entertaining to say the least. Olczyk has the ability to help keep an audience if a game is out of hand or one sided. 

It would not only be entertaining but informative. I truly believe people learn a lot about the game from Olczyk. I’m one to think that no matter how long an announcer has covered a sport, or feels like he/she knows the game, the former player is still the teacher. We can always learn and why not learn from those that have lived it and played it at a high level. 

Olczyk loves what he does. You can tell. You can hear it in his voice with every play he analyzes just how much he loves hockey and talking about it. That passion is evident. 

CANCER DIAGNOSIS

Not only is Edzo the cream of the crop at what he does, the man is an inspiration to others. In August of 2017, Olczyk learned he had Stage 3 colon cancer. Once the diagnosis sunk in and the treatments began, Olczyk took it public. He wanted to accomplish a few things by doing so. First, he wanted to give fellow patients hope and perseverance and second to tell people to get screened for cancer. 

“I wanted to make people aware to give them strength and hope. Sadly, people are going to get it and go through it. Hopefully, my story will help them battle every day because it’s not just a battle every treatment, it’s every second you breathe,” Olczyk told the AP in 2018. “You’re taking poison to get rid of other stuff. I was so overwhelmed by the response that I wanted to be an example for somebody going through it or somebody who will go through it, and hopefully be an olive branch.”

He was declared cancer free in March of 2018. He made a public announcement just before the start of the 2nd period of the Blackhawks and Canucks game at the United Center. 

Blackhawks honor Eddie Olczyk with 'One More Shift' on 'Hockey Fights Cancer' night - Second City Hockey

CONCLUSION

Olczyk is the best in his field, hands down. He makes the game entertaining and will drop a little knowledge on you too. When Olczyk is on the air, it’s like watching a game with your buddy, that’s probably the highest compliment I can pay him. 

4 Things You Can Do Now To Be a Better Seller

Jeff Caves
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4 Things You Can Do Now To Be a Better Seller

Harvard Business Review recently outlined some strategies for increasing sales during a pandemic. I have customized some of them for selling radio. 

If you have been reading any business trades lately, you have gotten the point that none of us are going back to “business as usual” anytime soon. When this pandemic first hit, we all hoped that this was just a temporary blip on our radar screens.  It wouldn’t be long, we hoped, until we would be back to commuting to the station, going out on sales calls or inviting clients to meals and games.

5 reasons why Zoom meetings are so exhausting

It’s time to look at this all differently. 

THIS IS our new normal. The pandemic is on and we still have to deliver sales. So, let’s get to some new ideas on how to do business that can ring the cash register for everybody. NOW. 

Here are four keys to selling more effectively throughout the duration of the pandemic — and beyond.

GET A CLEAR PICTURE

Do you have what you need to get the sales? A better camera for zoom calls, a stand-up desk, better wall background for video or just enhanced email skills? 

GET HELP! 

And while you are at, write down who the best targets are, why they would choose your station over the competition and what it will take to get a yes from new prospects. Every one of our competitors is fighting for even fewer advertisers right now. Make sure you have the best offer and try to see where you can gain a competitive advantage.  

HIT NEW MARKETS

While some of your clients have dried up, others may be waiting for your your call! With Covid-19, RV sales have skyrocketed. HBR reported that sources are showing increases of over 600% from previous years. And these folks aren’t just buying an RV, they are changing their lifestyle. 

They will need camping gear, custom furniture, portable satellite and great cell service. See RV, trailer, and camper dealers. Hit the RV rental market and RV campgrounds. Ask other AE’s who have a client on the air who isn’t buying your sports station and ask them why. Offer them an incentive if they help you get them on the air. 

IMPROVE THE SALES EXPERIENCE

Create more value for yourself and station. Make your station stand out by including more people on sales or video calls. Do a sales call with an on air talent or promotions director who has an original thought. It’s now as easy as sending them a zoom link. 

Hold a brain storming session with the production director and client about new pandemic copy. Put together a panel discussion for service industry clients or sports bars and restaurants. Invite them all on a video call to share ideas, frustrations, challenges and opportunities brought on by the virus. Get an industry expert to moderate the call. ADD VALUE. 

The switch to remote work and virtual interactions may result in unexpected efficiencies — both in time and resources — that help you improve proactive customer outreach and create 

THANK YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS

While it isn’t possible to see many clients face to face , we can still thank them in other ways.Send them some coffee in the mail and schedule a coffee meeting over zoom or conference call. Have lunch delivered after you talk business via zoom and just enjoy some conversation. 

Remembering the Good and Bad of Tom Bigby

BSM Staff
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Remembering the Good and Bad of Tom Bigby

A legend passed away yesterday. Outside of Philadelphia his name doesn’t mean a thing but to the millions of people who listen to and digest sports talk radio in this country, he might just be the singular most important person to ever work at a sports talk radio station. His name is Tom Bigby, and in 1992 he was put in charge of a small 5,000 watt am radio station with no ratings, no discernible future, and bad hourly brokered programming. Nearly 30 years later, WIP Radio remains a force in local sports radio broadcasting, spawning countless more sports/guy talk stations from coast to coast. It never would have happened if not for the shear will, doggedness and bullying style of Tom Bigby.

I got to the station in the spring of 1993 to host nights and weekends with Garry “G” Cobb. Angelo Cataldi was doing mornings with Al Morganti and Tony Bruno, Jody McDonald and Chuck Cooperstein were doing middays, Steve Fredericks and Mike Missanelli had afternoons. About a month into my hiring we had the only all hands on deck staff meeting that I believe the station ever had. Every host was told to meet in a conference room at 1pm. To this day I have no idea who was on the air to cover for the fact that every full time host was in the room.

Bigby began to lay out his vision for what would make WIP not just successful but dominant. Phone calls, lots of phone calls none of them more than two minutes long, and even better if they didn’t last a minute. He showed us that he had installed in the studio, the producer’s room, and his own office, a countdown timer with red, yellow and green lights on top. The green light lit up at the start of the call, the yellow light lit at 90 seconds, and dare you ever allow the caller to go 2 minutes, the red light lit. If he saw it he would hang up on the caller from his own office. 

He had the station engineers rig it so he could not only hang up on a call himself but he could listen in to hear how the producers screened every call. He was a micro manager on steroids and we all grew to hate him for it.

At one point in the meeting Chuck Cooperstein raised his hand and said to the room and Bigby that if Texas was suddenly the #1 ranked team in college football that it was a story and we should want to talk to their head coach. Bigby told Chuck to shut up, and then went off on him in one of the most demeaning and disrespectful rants I’ve ever heard, calling him the worst talk show host he had ever hired, and that keeping him on the station was an act of charity. 

It wasn’t long before Chuck was gone and Glen Macnow replaced him to work with Jody in middays. Bigby’s belief that guests killed ratings and that nobody wants to hear anything other than Eagles talk year round has been well documented in Philly, but it was his belief that in creating a talk show for men you should talk about all the things that men talk about not just sports. That meant movies and women, and drinking and ultimately for WIP, the single most successful radio promotion of all time – Wing Bowl.

Bigby then installed a green hotline button on the phone console so that whenever he called in to berate you for something you had said or done on the air you knew he was calling because the green light started to flash. There were times he would call the number just to remind you that he might be listening and to keep you on your toes. He led the station by being an overbearing bully, and it worked.

I was there at Club Egypt on Delaware avenue for the 2nd Wing Bowl. I remember standing near the back of the stage with about 500 people crammed into the club, and Bigby coming up to me telling me to take note of who was there standing in line to get in before 6AM, and to recognize that those people are “your audience and never be swayed by anyone who tells you that they aren’t.” 

My radio career changed that day. I came to understand the audience a whole lot better and how it’s far more important to deliver radio that your core audience loves and not to cater to or try to deliver content to the people who don’t like or get what you do. As Bigby would say, “Fuck them, anyone who cares enough to tell you that they hate you is listening to you.”

Bigby created the concept of Guy Talk Radio that is now the norm in every major city in America. WFAN created successful Sports Talk Radio and Mike and The Mad Dog are its unquestioned first stars but WIP radio created and perfected the concept of guy talk/sports talk radio that is the present and future of the medium.

When I got the information that Norman Braman had agreed to sell the Eagles to Jeffrie Lurie I went to Bigby with it. Before he would let me break the story he had me sit with Cataldi, a former respected newspaper journalist, to go over what I had, and if it passed the smell test. In those conversations I learned the importance of how to break a big story and maximize the effects of such an opportunity for overall station success.

When I was being threatened with a lawsuit from The Flyers over a report that Eric Lindros had missed a game for being hungover, it was Bigby who publicly defended me and my story. Privately he put me through the ringer to confirm the validity of the story. He was a brow beating task master at his best but in holding you accountable for everything you did and said on his radio station, he made me and everyone else who worked there infinitely better at what we do.

Bigby had a sense of humor too. I would have to endure early morning phone calls form him yelling at me and demanding to know what I had said on his radio station the night before, only to let me sweat for a few minutes before telling me he was just kidding and hadn’t even heard the show. 

I was in Dallas getting ready to do an Eagles pre-game show from my hotel room because Infinity Broadcasting at the time didn’t have a station for me to broadcast from in Dallas. Two minutes before I go on the air, there’s a knock at my door. It’s Bigby dressed in his typical all black Johnny Cash clothing. As I opened up the show, he started jumping up and down on my bed trying to distract me. The sight of a 400 pound Bigby bouncing up and down on my bed was for sure distracting. 

After 5 minutes he said have a good show and walked out. Later on, he called me to invite me to brunch with him and his wife in the hotel restaurant. He dead panned to me that he thought I had a good show but seemed a little distracted during my open and that I should work on being more prepared, and then never mentioned it again.

I left WIP in 1997 to pursue an opportunity to be syndicated and frankly because I was upset that I had not been given a better time slot after 4 years of doing nights. Three years later I was in Denver, CO doing mornings at KBPI when Bigby called me out of the blue. He asked if I wanted to do middays. The timing was interesting as I had just started at KBPI, my wife was pregnant, and we were contemplating a move back to the East Coast.

The ratings came out and for the first time in my life I was the #1 ranked morning host in a major market. One week later I resigned to move back to Philly thinking I was going to do middays at WIP. When I got there, Bigby didn’t give me the job. He concocted some convoluted story of how the midday show just got decent numbers and felt he owed it to them to give them another ratings period to grow. 

Instead, he offered me a job to host the Monday night Brian Mitchell show for $200 a show and all the part time work I wanted. Truth be told, I was moving back to Philly anyway, but I was reminded of how ruthless Bigby could be. I would be again one more time.

In the Fall of 2001 I was doing mornings at WNEW when the station hired Bigby to be a consultant. His first big decision was to fire and replace me with Scott Ferall. This was the day after the station holiday party that he had insisted I go to so that we could all enjoy each others company a few months after the horror of the 9-11 attacks on our city and country.

The last time I saw Tom was at a radio convention that I had been asked to speak at. I didn’t know that he would be there and when I caught sight of him I was eager to rub it in his nose that Boomer and I were #1 in the ratings on WFAN. Before I could, he grabbed me and gave me a huge bear hug and told me how proud he was of me. While I’m not sure if I believed him, it meant the world to me because his opinion and blessing was something I yearned for since the day I met him in March of 1993. 

Tom should be credited with creating the blue print of how to successfully program a radio station for men, young and old, and how to connect with the community and tap into the passion of local fans without apology. I hated Tom, but I would have never had anything close to the career success I have been so fortunate to enjoy over the last 15 years if not for him. He may or may not be missed by the hundreds of hosts who worked for him be but his legacy lives on in every city in America.

This article was written by Craig Carton, WFAN’s afternoon host and a former host under Tom Bigby. He can be found on Twitter @CraigCartonLive.

Influential Sports Radio Programmer Tom Bigby Has Passed Away

BSM Staff
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Sports radio has lost one of its most influential programmers. Tom Bigby, who helped Sports Radio WIP in Philadelphia, 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit, and 105.3 The Fan in Dallas forge a path to consistent ratings success, passed away on Monday due to apparent heart complications. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his two children and four grand children. He was 77 years old.

The former VP of Strategic Programming for CBS Radio was an on-air talent before making the move into management. He was seen by many as a trailblazer and dominant personality who believed strongly in the format needing to mix sports talk with guy talk. He also wasn’t afraid to get into it with talent, influence his radio station’s content direction and institute rules for callers. Those who’ve worked for him will point to Bigby’s belief that a caller should not be on the air for more than two-minutes. When that rule was broken, the studio hotline would ring.

In a piece on WIP’s website, a number of Bigby’s former colleagues took time to remember their ex-boss. Howard Eskin referred to the former WIP executive as a ‘character’ who understood what it took to be a good sports talk station but seemed to enjoy being the villain. Eskin went on to credit Bigby for shaping WIP and making it one of the best sports radio brands in America.

WIP stalwarts Rhea Hughes and Glen Macnow also reflected on their memories of their former boss. Hughes shared how grateful she was to Bigby for giving her an opportunity and toughening her up during an era when women weren’t regularly featured in sports radio. She also provided a hilarious tidbit about Angelo Cataldi having it negotiated into his contract that he didn’t have to talk to Bigby, which put her in the middle of having to endure Bigby’s wrath whenever he was frustrated with the morning show.

Macnow meanwhile pointed out that it was Bigby who gave him an opportunity to change careers in 1993 and team up with Jody MacDonald. He called Bigby the most important person in WIP’s history next to Cataldi, and highlighted his ability to find and develop talent. However, he too shared that Bigby enjoyed being a bully and his preference for doing sports talk radio a certain way, though successful, also had its fair share of warts.

Upon learning of Tom’s passing, a number of his former personalities and programmers have taken to social media to offer their condolences and share their favorite Bigby stories. Below are a few we took notice of.

I interacted a number of times over the years with Tom, mostly at conferences and thru social media. He was a frequent reader of BSM and complimentary of a number of the pieces I wrote on programming. He was also helpful sharing insights or additional thoughts on industry issues whenever I had questions related to stories I was working on.

What I appreciated about Tom is that he loved the radio business and had a strong vision for his brands. You could disagree with his approach, but he wasn’t going to change it because it worked. It’s no different than what we see in sports where coaches create an identity for their teams and stick to them win or lose.

What I’ll remember most about Tom in addition to his lengthy track record of success are two personal interactions. First, I was on the verge of starting BSM in 2015, and had written a few pieces for industry folks when he began reaching out. He liked the website and appreciated that I cared about the format’s history and was trying to give it the attention and respect it deserved. He shared a few compliments of my writing and ability to understand programming matters, and to earn that type of praise from one of the format’s best programming minds was very uplifting. I went back today to see how long we had been interacting thru Facebook Messenger and our discussions about radio extend to August 2015, right before BSM was born. So from day one, Tom was in my corner.

The second memorable experience I’ll share came in 2006 when I flew to Detroit to interview for the PD job at 97.1 The Ticket. I was so excited about the opportunity that I started packing boxes and creating my playbook before leaving Missouri. The chance to work with Tom, Debbie Kenyon, Chris Oliviero, Dan Mason, and alongside amazing talent like Mike Valenti, Terry Foster, Doug Karsch, Scott Anderson, Jamie Samuelsen and Mike Stone had a lot of appeal, and I got on that plane convinced my next home address would be in Michigan.

But then I got off the plane and into Tom’s SUV and during the course of a twenty minute ride back to the radio station, he called the hotline three times to tell the producers to drop phone calls that he felt were on the air too long. I kept looking around for a camera, waiting to find out I was on an episode of MTV’s ‘Punk’d’ but none ever appeared.

Then we headed into the building and began talking shop. I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Successful programmers win in different ways, and just because you have a different approach doesn’t make it right or wrong. Tom was committed to his approach, and anyone coming in to interview for the position was going to either adapt to his way of doing it or pursue other opportunities.

As Tom and I talked about the vision for The Ticket, it became clear to me that I wasn’t the right fit. He wanted non-stop calls, little production value, no interviews, content focused on very specific topics, and a PD who wasn’t afraid to make their presence felt, especially with sales if they dared enter the studio. Those who’ve worked for me know that I can be demanding, vocal, and I have my own views on shaping content, but Tom managed different than I did. Given his knowledge of the market, staff, and success of the brand, I knew that his formula was working, but I couldn’t see myself managing the same way and Tom knew that too.

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Later that day it became more obvious that although CBS Radio wanted Tom to pass the baton to someone else to run the station, he wasn’t ready to leave. Nor should he have at that time because the brand was producing some of the best results in the entire format. Tom would stick around for another year or two, eventually moving to Dallas, and making way for Jimmy Powers, who has since guided The Ticket to another decade of success.

Though he may be gone from this earth, Tom’s impact on the sports format is permanent. I just hope the man upstairs knows what he signed up for when he called Tom home. The programmer in him is going to have a few demands and suggestions on how to improve the listening experience in heaven. RIP Tom!

The BSM Top 20 of 2020 Gets Released in February

Jason Barrett
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What started as a small project to gauge the industry’s perception of sports radio’s best talent, brands, and programmers five years ago has turned into one of our most popular content pieces of the calendar year. The majority of the votes have been received, and during the weeks of February 1-5 and 8-12 we will reveal the results of the BSM Top 20 of 2020.

Similar to past years, we will highlight the Top 20 local Major/Mid Market morning, midday and afternoon shows, the Top 20 local Major/Mid Market sports radio stations and programmers, the Top 20 National sports radio shows, and the Top 20 Original Podcasts. Votes are cast by executives in the sports/radio industry. We’ve already received 51 submissions and are just waiting on a few final ballots to trickle in before adding up the totals.

During my programming years, I heard format people frequently complain about lists done by publications without asking the industry for its input. There was a belief that folks on the outside don’t know the talent, stations, and programmers as well as those responsible for creating the content and producing local market success. So I created this annual series to give sports format leaders an opportunity to recognize the best performers from the prior year.

Did You Make The List

Having done this as long as I have, I’ve learned that lists will always create mixed reactions, no matter what the final results show. Some executives have a strong grasp on what’s taking place across the country and listen to a lot of different content and talent. Others are immersed in their own radio station and don’t have the time or interest to worry about a large number of out of market hosts and/or brands. That said, I’ve managed to build a lot of relationships over the years, and though tracking down leaders from various radio companies can be an exhausting process, I think it’s helpful and productive for industry people to get a read on how they’re seen by the format’s top programming minds.

But analyzing the best of 2020 isn’t as easy as prior years. A number of people lost jobs this year due to layoffs. Some shows downsized from 3 to 2 or 2 to 1 members. Some people changed markets and/or timeslots, and other programs were cancelled before the clock ran out on 2020. Our one rule which never changes is that a show/talent must end the year on the air with the radio station, and in the timeslot for which they are being given voting consideration. The rest is subjective and left to the voters to decide on such as originality, ability to entertain, multi-platform excellence, length of service, and ratings success.

I want to thank Steve Stone Voiceovers for signing on as our exclusive sponsor for this year’s Top 20 series. A total of 240 shows, stations and PD’s will be highlighted next month, and it’s a cool feeling knowing your peers respect your work and view your contributions as significant to the sports radio industry.

Before I wrap up, I do want to point something out which many lose sight of. The amount of people under consideration for recognition is lengthy. For example, there are 81 program directors eligible for voting consideration in the Major and Mid Market categories. The morning show category has a total of 79 shows, Middays have 100, Afternoons are at 90, National shows are 86, Original Podcasts at 117, and Stations are a combined 91.

BSM Top 20 Featuring

This means that while 240 shows, brands and people will earn recognition, nearly 400 who were on the ballot won’t make the cut. Sometimes we lose sight of how big the sports format is, and what it takes to stand out against a large number of competitors. As someone who listens to a lot of different sports radio brands across the country, trust me when I tell you that there are a lot of good shows and people out there who easily could make a case to be on the list but don’t get the attention that others do. That doesn’t mean a station or host is lacking skill, it just means a greater focus needs to be placed on increasing awareness in the format.

Regardless, next month we’ll shine the light on the industry’s best for the prior year. I can’t tell you how to feel about being on the list or how to respond after the results come out and you learn where you stand, but what I can say is that there’s a lot of positives associated with being recognized by industry leaders, so appreciate it, celebrate it how you feel is appropriate, and then get back to the grind because the on-air performance you deliver today and tomorrow could be the difference between making or missing the cut of the BSM Top 20 of 2021.

News Talk Talent Should Be Selling Themselves

Jeff Caves
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News Talk Talent Should Be Selling Themselves

I sold radio advertising and did a sports talk show for 36 years. I never stopped doing one or the other. I sold more than my share of endorsements for myself and other on-air personalities. I believe in the results you can generate for clients with testimonial ads and it’s the best way to realize your earning potential as an on-air personality. I felt like I was worth more than a station was willing to pay me as on-air person, so I went to the market to prove that.

It's been an unbelievable ride': Jeff Caves ending 35-year radio run in Boise | Blue Turf Sports | idahopress.com

I always thought I was overdue for a raise, so I went to the market for that each year. My income was usually about 30% endorsements and the rest salary and commission. I built in my talent fee for the endorsement and got the sales commission for the spots that went with it. I tried to make sure if I was charging $300 a month in endorsement fees that my schedule was $1200-1500 per month or more. I always felt like I was the best salesperson for me and the results the client received were always better with endorsement delivery spots.

I had multiyear endorsements in automotive, jewelry, sports bars, fine dining, pizza delivery, clothing, real estate, dry cleaning, painting, and hot tubs. Some of these relationships I still maintain to this day.

I always felt more on-air people should get into sales, at least to better sell themselves because salespeople will take the path of least resistance and profit. And in some cases, they don’t want to see the on-air person make more off an account than they do. A $300 endorsement fee is better than a $200 commission on a direct client sale of $1000.

So, why don’t more on-air people sell themselves?

I asked Mike Scott that same question. Mike retired as Region President/Gulf South Region for iHeartMedia a few years ago and now lives near me in Frisco, Texas, north of Dallas. Mike has taken the concept of on-air people selling endorsement contracts to a new level.

In fact, he has perfected it.

Scott calls it a cultural shift that needs to take place in more radio station groups. And the benefits can be enjoyed for all. Scott says, “endorsement partnerships renew 4x—6x better than non-endorsement deals and can last for years, withstand every business downturn, budget cut, or even a pandemic. “ Scott organized the on air talent in Mobile, Alabama and converted them into self-endorsement sellers. He has a system for client engagement and contact, follow up, how AE’s serve as agents, client entertainment, referrals, prospecting, elevator pitches, and contract renewals.

The iHeart cluster grew endorsement partnership revenue by 80% in 18 months.

Scott says, “unless your format is incredibly unique, there is no reason on air people should have less than 7-10 Partnerships—and spoken word formatted talent, especially ALL SPORTS, are almost limitless.” Scott doesn’t believe in short term endorsement deals. He calls them poison, “they don’t have enough time typically to create the FREQUENCY required.  You really need 6 months + for the partnership to ‘season’.”

So, what are we waiting for?

I would be willing to bet that at least 20% of the on-air people in every building right now could get 7 deals and probably 40% of spoken word talent.

Get ahold of Mike for the details, the station investment is less expensive than agency commission, it all cash flows and you get a lot more for it. Mike’s email is mscott92258@outlook.com.

Talk Radio Voices Roar in 2021

BNM Staff
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Conservative talk radio is undergoing a major shift, perhaps the medium’s biggest in the last few decades.

As we ramp back up to normal life after the Christmas and New Year’s break, talk radio is also getting back to business as usual. However, this year promises to deliver a changing talk radio landscape where much is still unknown. 

For the last four years, conservative talk radio, aka successful and profitable talk radio, has had proven results delivered by the Republican Trump administration to admire every day. More money in working-folks’ pockets, zero foreign wars and judges who admire and follow the constitution make up just a few of the items top talkers have had to praise over the past few years.  Plus plenty of drama, some created by the President, along with even more drummed up by his Democratic opposition.

As such, the biggest shift in 2021 for conservative media is playing the role of the opposition, with their preferred party no longer holding control of the White House. In fact, as a business model this vantage point has traditionally held the biggest upside, in terms of ratings and revenue. It pays very well to vocally beat the drum of opposition and point out your opponent’s mistakes.  Fear, anxiety and anger sell, and we are certain to see it from the right, as we have for the last few years on the left.

This assumes, of course, that Joe Biden is in fact the president as of late January. For a moment, we’ll go with that assumption and disregard the mountains of evidence indicating it was actually President Trump who swept most of six swing states, and with them the Electoral College. 

Relating to this current political battle over the validity of the election results, some talk hosts will have to find their sweet spot. Sean Hannity, for example, spent four straight years loudly praising and lauding the accomplishments of President Trump, only to seemingly roll over and pronounce a Trump loss immediately as we woke on November 4th. While other hosts fought, as they do to this day, Hannity was much slower to come around to supporting the 75-plus million voters who believe their legal choice was subverted and corrupted. Only as the waning days of 2020 approached did Hannity seem to tap into the anger and frustration of his radio listener base. In 2021, he’ll have to stake out his territory.

Other hosts, such as Mark Levin, have been 100% behind the #StopTheSteal movement, immediately pointing out the unconstitutional nature of this election process, and becoming especially critical of most of the post-election judicial rulings.  Levin has never wavered, and his posture will undoubtedly remain consistent as the new year unfolds. Rush Limbaugh has hit a similar tone, urging America not to back down and allow its will to be subverted.

Abnormal this year will be the afternoon or evening airwaves devoid of Michael Savage. After 26 years opining about politics, culture and meatballs on his syndicated radio talk show, Savage now moves to a podcast-only format, where he says his program may be a bit more edgy, due to a lack of FCC constraints. 

The biggest change in 2021 – in fact the elephant in the padded radio studio – may be the world of talk radio without Limbaugh leading the charge. In an emotional sendoff to 2020, Limbaugh concluded his final broadcast of the year by admitting the day will come when he cannot host his daily radio program. The eternal optimist and “Mayor of Realville,” Limbaugh has been open about his battle with lung cancer, especially after missing shows due to the effects of treatment. Limbaugh literally resurrected the talk radio format in the 1980’s, hit a nerve with the traditional, conservative majority of America, and helped give rise to a generation of hosts and personalities following his lead. A broadcast day without Limbaugh, whenever that should come, will surely be as abnormal to the medium as one can imagine.

We don’t know exactly what the 12 months of 2021 will bring, let alone the first 12 days of this new year. Americans are hoping for health. To quote Warren Harding, who lead our nation at this time 100 years ago, they are hoping for a return to normalcy.  Harding and his successor, Calvin Coolidge, led a rebirth of the nation and the rise of the roaring 20’s.

American talk radio is now experiencing a rebirth of its own. We will hear their voices roar anew in 2021.

Twelve Likes, Observations and Beliefs About Sports Media in 2020 and Beyond

Jason Barrett
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When we look back at 2020 years down the road, chances are most of us will remember it as the year we were rocked by Covid-19. The pandemic caused death, economic pain, a surge in unemployment, shut downs across the country, and even a Presidential change. Although each of the issues we’ve dealt with are much more significant than news created in sports media circles, this is after all a media site, and 2020 was a year full of activity.

During the past twelve months, Joe Rogan and Bill Simmons got paid big by Spotify. Outkick became a bigger brand due to Jason Whitlock and Clay Travis teaming up to form a strong 1-2 punch. Mike Francesa stepped away from the daily sports radio chaos in New York City after three decades on top. Sports radio stations 98.5 The Sports Hub, 97.1 The Ticket, and KFAN proved they could deliver monster ratings without sports, while top notch talent such as John Kincade, Steak Shapiro, and Bernie Miklasz learned that even a strong body of work wasn’t enough to survive the havoc created by Covid-19 on the sports media industry.

The coronavirus also taught the sports television industry a valuable lesson about storing quality programming, as networks aired content of little value due to the sports world shutting down. The national sports radio scene saw Mike Greenberg return to ESPN Radio while Mike Golic, Trey Wingo and the Dan Le Batard crew exited. Damon Amendolara even showed how a national sports radio show can bring together a host, listener and community by introducing the world to ‘Lil’ Mo Gaba and continuing to honor him after his passing.

There were many examples of great content, touching stories, head scratching decisions, and personality rants, but I’m going to focus on twelve things I liked, observed and remain bullish on heading into 2021. This list is not in any particular order. It’s just a series of things that have either caught my attention or are floating thru my brain as we brace ourselves for a brand new year.

#1 – Layoffs were unfortunately a frequent part of the 2020 conversation. ESPN, iHeart, Entercom and others all went thru it. Personnel were cut and in some cases temporary salary reductions, hiring freezes, and mandatory furloughs were installed. Entering 2021, there are a lot of talented people sitting on the sidelines. Though some decisions were necessary as a result of unexpected economic pain caused by the pandemic, cutting jobs isn’t a path to long-term prosperity. Brands become weaker, retained employees become bitter as their responsibilities increase, and competitors get stronger due to skilled people being available. With another stimulus package expected to give more relief to media groups and a vaccine on the way to help society in its fight with Covid-19, better days should be coming our way. If though future cuts become necessary again, executives should learn from the mistakes they made in 2020. Introducing poorly thought out terms such as ‘employee dislocation‘ and ‘excellence centers‘, and failing to be open and honest with media professionals who were being let go after investing decades of time to help brands succeed leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. It paints a picture of a company and its leadership team lacking awareness and compassion during difficult times. In the long run that’s never a good omen for growing a business. Professionals understand the realities of the world. They can handle bad news. Treat them with respect rather than worrying about how your message might resonate in the trades and press. Trust me, no fancy quote or created term is going to make your company look better when you’re eliminating hundreds of salaries.

#2 – You can have the best talent on earth, a sales team that can sell ice to an Eskimo and a loyal audience that will listen to anything you present thru their speakers but it’s all irrelevant if you can’t actually get on the air. 2020 was The Year of the Engineer. Brands learned how fortunate or screwed they were this year based on who was in charge of their engineering department. Engineers usually fly under the radar inside most stations, only being called upon when something goes wrong. Well, given how many challenges there were to deal with in 2020, few departments earned their money more than these folks. So when you’re enjoying an adult beverage celebrating the arrival of 2021 and putting 2020 in your rear view mirror, feel free to raise a toast to the men and women in these departments across the country because without them, the damage our industry felt in 2020 would have been much more severe.

#3 – No brand had a better 2020 than Barstool Sports. Regardless of whether you love or loathe Dave Portnoy and Erika Nardini, Barstool was acquired as part of a $450 million dollar deal with Penn National. They then rewarded their new ownership group by continuing to dominate social media, introducing new apps, podcasts, and personalities (Deion Sanders, Joey Mulinaro, Ben Mintz), monetizing commentaries and social moments thru a mixture of strong advertising and merchandising strategies, explored new territory (Coach Duggs on Twitch), and they’re positioned well to enjoy a strong share of the sports betting market. Portnoy in particular continues to evolve by diving deeper into the stock market, moving to Philadelphia to grow the brand’s sports betting opportunities and fan base, and by being more active in the political arena. He weighed in frequently on decisions made by politicians during the pandemic, offered video commentaries on the presidential election, and has appeared on CNBC and FOX News, even traveling to the White House for a face to face conversation with President Trump. Don’t worry he didn’t change everything though. Pizza reviews remained a hit, and feuds with former HBO exec Peter Nelson and media critics remained alive. The brand’s best effort though came at the end of the year with the creation of The Barstool Fund to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic. The idea was an instant success, generating over 11 million dollars in donations, and helping more than 45 small businesses. The videos submitted by local businesses have been powerful, and the calls made by Portnoy to each owner informing them that help is on the way have been uplifting, proving to the world that Barstool can do amazing things with its platform when it rallies around a cause. Barstool has taken a lot of hits over the years for its prior actions and commentaries but their ability to make an impact is undeniable, and they’re unlikely to slow down anytime soon, even with a pandemic causing all sorts of pain and disruption.

#4 – Some were pissed that Craig Carton had a seat waiting for him in New York at WFAN following his exit from prison. I’m not one of those people. Hearing Carton back on the air, doing what he does best, entertaining sports radio listeners, was a smart programming and business move for FAN. Craig is gifted at what he does and added instant star power to the radio station, but finding chemistry with Evan Roberts and beating 98.7 ESPN NY’s The Michael Kay Show is going to be a lot harder than teaming with Boomer Esiason and beating a national morning show featuring Mike & Mike and/or Golic & Wingo. Whether Carton & Roberts win or not though in the future is besides the point. Sports radio is better with Craig Carton on the air. If you want to pout about him getting the job without serving a life sentence for his prior transgressions that’s fine. But I think it comes down to four simple things; Results, Relationships, Talent and Timing. Like it or not, Carton had all four on his side and now it’s up to him to make the most of his second chance. I’m rooting for him to do just that.

#5 – Timing is everything when it comes to creating an impact, and for ESPN, the decision to move up the release of The Last Dance was both smart and necessary. With sports shut down and networks relying on old games and programming that looked and felt different and unimportant, the arrival of the ten part series directed by Jason Hehir, highlighting Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s, gave people a sense of normalcy and something to look forward to on a weekly basis. It was the most tweeted about show in 2020 and a heavy part of conversation on sports radio as hosts took to it like moths to a flame. Though the series had Jordan’s influence all over it and generated mixed reactions among former Bulls and sports media members, I enjoyed it. It gave people a reason to watch sports on television during a time when they were desperate for good content. Sometimes that’s more important than the facts themselves.

#6 – Four individuals earned my respect and appreciation for their social media creativity in 2020….Barstool’s Kevin ‘KFC’ Clancy created two digital hits with his social video series One-Minute Man and The Goddamn Jets. The Jets series delivered what you’d expect, the rantings and ravings of a pissed off Jets fan. As a Giants fan, I’m used to Jets fans being upset so that didn’t move me as much, but One-Minute Man was an absolute gem. The series features Clancy looking at trending sports and pop culture topics, it’s well edited, cleverly produced, and laughter is provided throughout each episode. Few talent understand how to reach and connect with younger audiences while still serving traditionalists like myself better than Clancy……another sports media star who created a social media impact was ESPN’s Katie Nolan who turned a Zoom call with ESPN friends into one of the coolest moments of the year. With the country locked down and looking for positive things to latch on to, Nolan used her creativity, connections, and media guests to turn a normal video chat into a special piece of content that was better than most of what aired on ESPN television during the same week…….since we’re on the subject of Zoom, Annie Agar arrived on the scene and used her creativity to show how certain scenarios would play out if the key parties involved were to take part in a Zoom call together. The originality of Agar’s work got the attention of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown producers and landed her an appearance on the show. If Agar was able to make this quickly of an impression on social media in 2020, I’m curious to see what she has in store for us in 2021….but the best social video content I saw this year was more serious in nature. FOX Sports’ Emmanuel Acho tackled the issue of race in America with the introduction of Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man. The series was an instant success and has since been turned into a best selling book. Considering all we witnessed on our phone and television screens as city’s across America dealt with public unrest following controversial deaths involving police and black men, Acho leaned in to an important issue, and invited notable guests such as Matthew McConaughey, Roger Goodell and the Petaluma police department to explore ways to improve racial tensions in society. The all white backdrop to each episode made an immediate impression, and Acho’s ability to guide and advance serious discussions showed why he’s rapidly becoming a sports media sensation.

#7 – We heard mixed reactions initially when news broke that Pat McAfee was leaving CBS Sports Radio for SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. I was surprised because I couldn’t understand how Entercom and Westwood One could let a rising star like McAfee get away less than a year into a deal or why anyone would think McAfee wouldn’t fit in on the Chris Russo branded channel. From the start I thought it was a no-brainer decision for SiriusXM’s management team and am even more convinced now that Steve Cohen and his leadership group hit a homerun. McAfee is a star in every sense of the word. His style is better presented on satellite radio than on terrestrial, and his placement in the lineup between Adam Schein and Mad Dog is perfect. Does he deliver a traditional sports talk show? No. The great ones usually have their own style and ability to generate interest and McAfee does plenty of that whether it’s on television, radio, social media or inside of a wrestling ring. With his arrival on the channel, McAfee has added more star power, appointment conversations, and another reason to continue listening to one of sports radio’s best national channels.

#8 – I said it three years ago and believe it even more now at the end of 2020. Stations are going to use Virtual Program Directors in the near future. The majority of communication is done thru email and the phone. A good leader with creative ideas, strong technical skills, an ability to coach talent, industry relationships, and accessibility doesn’t need to be in an office to be effective. Most groups learned this during the pandemic. If talent can perform from their kitchen tables, so too can a PD inside a home office, whether living locally or elsewhere in the country. With brands looking for ways to reduce costs and maintain efficiency, and professionals seeking flexibility if asked to adjust their economic situations, don’t be surprised if this becomes a more popular trend down the line.

#9 – ESPN Radio ends 2020 in an unfamiliar position, having to regain trust and confidence from a large number of affiliates. Longtime executive Traug Keller departed in February, and months later a few other prominent execs, most notably Connor Schell, also exited. Since then the Bristol run network has made two major lineup changes, losing key people such as Mike Golic, Trey Wingo, Dan Le Batard, and Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner. The loss of those high profile talents and the reports in the press surrounding their departures, has left decision makers questioning if staying in business with ESPN Radio is in their best interests. ESPN executive David Roberts tried to alleviate some of those concerns during a conversation with yours truly, but if ESPN wants to retain a firm grasp on the successful business its built then it’s going to have to deliver results, offer more executive access to radio leaders, and provide lineup stability. Radio operators don’t do well with frequent change, especially on a national level where one tweak can affect hundreds of radio stations. It’s too early to say whether or not the changes made will make ESPN Radio stronger but most industry folks we spoke with aren’t optimistic about the network’s direction and feel FOX Sports Radio has become the strongest national product. It’s up to Roberts, Justin Craig, Norby Williamson, Tim McCarthy, Amanda Gifford and everyone else involved to prove the new path can be just as successful as the old one.

#10 – Since we’re on the topic of national sports radio, one brand I’m going to be keeping an eye on in 2021 is VSIN. The brand established itself well over the past few years, added to its talent roster in 2020, and has its sights set on expanding its terrestrial footprint in the new year after announcing its exit from SiriusXM. To help them do that they’ve expanded their partnership with IHeart and will soon announce the hiring of a Director of Audio. With sports betting gaining more political support across the country, the Las Vegas based audio/video brand is built to capitalize on it. The category itself is red hot in advertising circles, and given some of the changes and uncertainty surrounding some of the national sports radio networks, it’ll be interesting to see if a growing market and new relationships can help Brian Musburger’s brand ascend to a higher level. Based on what I see and hear, I’d bet on them making strides in 2021.

#11 – A position that doesn’t exist inside most sports radio stations which absolutely should is a Director of Merchandising. GM’s and Execs don’t like to pay off-air folks because they can’t attach dollars to their roles, but this is one position that absolutely can. Brands have 168 hours per week to use their airwaves, and unlimited opportunities on social platforms to market their products and generate revenue. Heck, stations use these hours to sell thousands of minutes of commercials to clients, stressing the value of the medium and its ability to drive sales. Maybe it’s time to take our own medicine and use the air time to move our own products. To do that, programmers are going to need to reevaluate the importance of a promo and work closely with the Director of Merchandising to better use promo time to grow business. This should easily be an annual six figure business for sports radio brands. WWE, Barstool Sports, ProWrestlingTees and others are making a fortune on merchandise, and sports radio should be doing the same. Before you bitch about the expenses associated with creating merch, save it. Ordering in bulk cuts costs and in this 2020 economy I’m sure local t-shirt shops would love to work with radio stations to stay busy and keep their doors open. You don’t make money without spending money and companies can’t afford to say no to adding six figures worth of revenues to their bottom lines. At this stage of the game, radio must rethink how it’s growing NTR and merchandise should be at the center of the discussion.

#12 – Why radio groups and advertising agencies throw large sums of money in the direction of Nielsen is beyond my understanding. 2020 should have been a wakeup call that when business survival is on the line, spending big for a flawed ratings service makes little economic sense. Yet most radio groups kept feeding the monster while absorbing financial losses and staff reductions. Kudos to Saga Communications, Midwest Communications and Townsquare Media who realized there are other ways to grow a company without relying on the service. I have nothing against Nielsen. I love research, examining listening trends, analyzing meter counts, and studying the game within the game. I also like a few people in the company who try to lend insight whenever I have questions. My problem is the information. First, streaming has been poorly captured. The company just finally started measuring headphone listening. Think that could be a problem when a pandemic hits, shutdowns create record unemployment, and less people are on the road? Now add to that consistently low meter counts which can see a market’s results affected by one individual. When a business is hurting, your ratings won’t be enough to convince them to buy advertising. The only thing that might save it is a relationship between the client and a salesperson or manager. I also didn’t like the way Nielsen announced their new ‘Subscribers First‘ policy. Although I can see why they’d want to stop providing information on brands that don’t use their service, they’re also providing less full market information to companies who are paying for the service. As expected, it produced reactions from a few media professionals. Click here, here and here to read some of them. Maybe one day radio’s measurement service will produce statistics and evidence that help executives trust and understand the listening patterns of their audience, but that day has yet to arrive. In the meantime, executives keep throwing money at the problem, worrying more about what they could lose rather than what they might gain by pursuing a different path.

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