Despite the efforts of the College Football Playoff committee and some media outlets downplaying the financial hit ESPN took by being forced to televise the two national championship semi-final games on New Year’s Eve, media buyers say the network owes upwards of $20 million in ad makegoods for ratings shortfalls for the two games.
ESPN may have gotten a bit greedy when setting its ratings estimates and offering higher guarantee levels to advertisers for the two games, knowing audiences might not flock to their TV sets, despite the optimism of the CFP committee. However, advertisers are concerned about next season’s potential audience levels for the games, which will also be televised on New Year’s Eve. Even if the ratings guarantees by ESPN are set lower, advertisers would prefer the games be moved to New Year’s Day or even on consecutive primetime nights, exclusive of New Year’s Eve, when more people would likely watch.
But CFP committee officials are on record as adamantly supporting the continued airing of the playoff series games on New Year’s Eve as scheduled, which will occur in seven of the remaining 10 years of the 12-year original deal. And that position has been taken even after the 36% combined ratings decline for the two games was disclosed.
So ESPN is caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, it has to keep its mouth shut and parrot the CFP’s belief that ratings will get better in subsequent New Year’s Eve telecasts, even though privately they believe that to be nonsense. It can’t been seen criticizing its long-term partner publicly. On the other hand, ESPN has to hear the wrath of its advertisers who saw their ad dollars spent on the severe under-delivery of the guaranteed audience for the two games.
Some media outlets have pointed out that since ESPN sells packages for all the bowl games and a sizable number of advertisers are in all of the games, that the New Year’s Eve ratings shortfalls were considerably mitigated.
One buyer called that analysis “a bunch of spin,” adding that College Football Playoff Committee executive director Bill Hancock’s statement that the New Year’s Eve games’ ratings declines were simply “modest” was “just plain wrong.”
Try selling the “modest” ratings declines to the movie studios that were in those New Year’s Eve games who paid big bucks to reach an audience they wanted to reach immediately that turned out to be more than one-third less than the size that they paid for.
Sure they can get makegoods down the road, but some marketers needed those eyeballs sooner, not later.
ESPN is trying to make things right with its advertisers, although its sales executives will not discuss the situation publicly beyond a general statement issued by a network spokesperson.
“As is standard practice with any sponsored television event, inventory is managed and contingencies are put in place to protect advertisers,” the ESPN statement reads. “The specifics of those deals vary and we work with our advertisers to make them whole in the event of a shortfall.”
Media buyers are sympathetic to ESPN’s situation and are also appalled and angry at the attitude of the NCAA and the College Football Playoff committee and the public comments being made by their executives.
The CFP’s Hancock told The New York Times this week, “We don’t make decisions based on television numbers. I don’t have a TV number that influences my measurable for success.”
Talk about a slap in the face to his media partner ESPN which is now some $20 million in the hole because of Hancock’s arrogance, after the network paid the CFP $600 million for the TV rights of the bowl games, including the two New Year’s Eve semi-finals.
To read the rest of this article visit Broadcasting Cable who originally published this article
That was the request made around six months ago by Mike Kerns to the agent for Jared Lorenzen, a former NFL quarterback and contributor to Barstool Sports, the controversial website led by Dave Portnoy (known to the site’s fans as El Presidente). Lorenzen obliged, and Kerns ― head of digital for media and technology firm The Chernin Group ― soon was on a flight from San Francisco to Boston, to have dinner with someone who he kept coming across via Twitter.
“Both myself and [Chernin Group president] Jesse Jacobs are sports fans, and thought the Barstool guys had a good sense of humor,” Kerns says. “I reached out to better understand his vision for the future, and to see if he’s the type of person we’d want to work with.”
For Portnoy, this was hardly the first time he had been approached by someone with deep pockets. And he had said “no” each and every time, concerned that outside investors would meddle with the site’s editorial content. Lorenzen, however, was a “warm introduction.”
“We weren’t looking for an investment, and I had said that I’d never do a deal unless it was so much money that I could just go live on an island,” Portnoy explains. “But Mike and Chernin Group are the first ones that I felt totally understood the brand and liked us with all of the warts.”
The two sides today announced a deal whereby Chernin Group acquired a majority stake in Barstool Sports for an undisclosed amount, with Portnoy retaining 100% editorial independence. Barstool also will consolidate its geographically-disparate staff in Manhattan, which actually was Boston-based Portnoy’s idea.
To read the rest of the article visit Forbes where it was originally published
The Rams’ season was just about to kick off when Bernie Miklasz made his major move, leaving the Post-Dispatch after 26 years as a high-profile sports columnist to go full-time into the radio business.
And the football season is a key time — arguably the most important time — for his new employer, WXOS (101.1 FM). It has been the Rams’ flagship radio outlet since joining the local sports-talk fray in 2009 and has much programming related to the team and NFL.
Miklasz was hired to bring listeners to the station and eyeballs to its website, and adding him was a major investment for parent company Hubbard Radio. The stake was more than financial — it also involved revising the lineup by reducing the amount of time allotted to ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike” show and pushing existing local shows back an hour.
The Rams’ season now is over, and the bottom line reads thusly: Ratings for the time slot he occupies, 7-10 a.m. weekdays, were flat at first with comparable months last year but rose significantly in December. The station’s overall ratings have improved and its website traffic has increased.
Arbitron measures radio listenership and for the first two full months he was on in which ratings are applicable (October-November), it says he was being heard by 6.9 percent of men in the market ages 25-54. That’s the target audience of sports-talk radio. In those months in 2014, when the station filled the 7-9 a.m. slot with “Mike & Mike” and the 9-10 hour with Kevin Wheeler’s local program, the average was virtually the same.
Then in December, Miklasz’s rating was 27 percent better than what the station drew in same block a year earlier. And his market share has grown each month.
In the bigger picture, the station’s overall rating for the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday slot, in which it now airs its key local shows, was 9 percent higher than the October-December quarter last year.
And Compete.com, which measures web traffic, says the station’s site was drawing about 15,000 “unique” visitors in November 2014 and the number jumped to about 53,700 in November 2015 — the most recent month for which figures are available.
The trend is upward, but is it a strong enough start for the return on a huge investment for Hubbard, especially at a time when it is in danger of losing its anchor property, as the Rams have applied to the NFL to move to the Los Angeles area?
“As talented as he is, and as well-known as he is, it takes time for people to find out he’s here, and here on a full-time basis,’’ said John Kijowski, who runs Hubbard’s local business. “It actually exploded several months quicker than I thought, to a higher degree than I thought. From a ratings point of view, it actuality is exceeding where I though it would be this quickly.”
Radio stations loaded with local talk shows and high-profile and well-compensated hosts, as 101.1 has, exist in an expensive format — much more so than music stations that have much less overhead. The acquisition of Miklasz and associated costs has created talk in the industry that 101.1 is overextending itself financially, with cutbacks inevitable.
Kijowski scoffs at that notion, saying the station is “100 percent better off” than it was six months ago and that no reductions are in the works. In fact, he said there have been additions to the digital side of the operation and that an editor will be hired for the website because of its growth fueled by Miklasz’s presence.
“Those are some things we didn’t have before on the digital side that we now can sell,” Kijowski said.
Overall, Kijowski said he is pleased with the early returns.
To read more of this article visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where it was originally published
Studio E is no bigger than a dorm room, yet has the distinct atmosphere of one. Papers lay scattered about the desks, multiple basketball and football schedules line the walls of the studio and several used mugs congregate in the center of the desks producing that all too familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee grinds.
Two men work fervently around three extended microphones, moving back and forth from responding to tweets, to writing what seems to be shorthand that seldom people could understand in a notebook. Two televisions hang on the wall: one tuned into a broadcast of ESPN’s “College Football Live” while the other shows a press conference airing on the Golf Channel.
A large digital clock sits behind a large window displaying the time in hours, minutes and seconds in red numbers, slowly keeping track as the two men worked. A lone spotlight in the ceiling served as the lone source of illumination as it hung over the center of the room.
The large “On Air” light clicks on at 3 p.m., both men put their headphones on and approach the microphones and the daily broadcasting of the “Adam & Joe Show” begins.
Joe Ovies, along with his co-host Adam Gold, has been in charge of the aforementioned show for the last six years, but in order to find where his career in radio began, you have to look back just under two decades or so.
About 17 years ago, in the winter of 1998, Ovies signed up to be a DJ at 88.1 WKNC, the student-run radio station at NC State, during his freshman year.
“I’ve always had a fascination with radio,” Ovies said. “So I figured I’m at State, my freshman year, I’ll DJ. I like making mix tapes and playing music, so I’ll give it a shot.”
Ovies began doing news readings before moving on to operations director during his sophomore year. Then at the start of his junior year, an opportunity presented itself, and Ovies could not pass it up.
“The [general manager] at the time left school,” Ovies said. “So they needed a new GM and I applied for it, and I was the GM of WKNC from late ’99 through graduation in ’01.”
When reflecting on his tenure at WKNC, Ovies recalled fond memories he made at the student radio station in Raleigh. Highlighting former coworkers who’ve gone on to bigger and better things, Ovies said WKNC is “like any other club at State” as far as the networking benefits and experiences you come across.
“I got the opportunity to attend [the Collegiate Music Journalists] conference in New York,” Ovies said. “It was probably the first time, when I was in school, that I had to do something adult. You had to plan the trip, you had to get the registration and you had to manage a group of kids. Then you had to go to New York, go to those conferences, networking. It was like the first kind of ‘real-world adult stuff’ I did while at school.”
But the best part of working at WKNC was not the networking, or the trips or hosting the radio shows, but rather something many would have taken from granted.
“Just generally hanging out, you know?” Ovies said. “It was cool to hang out with like-minded kids, and listen to music, and talk about music, and do production and DJ and those types of things. We had a lot of fun.”
Ovies continued in the radio business after college for reasons that may seem unorthodox.
“I got into radio because it was a job,” Ovies said. “Seriously, part of radio and part of journalism is getting your foot in the door, I mean that’s that way with most jobs in this field.”
In college, Ovies started out as a computer science major, but then found himself changing to business management with a concentration in information technologies.
“When it was my senior year, I didn’t pursue any of the stuff I was in school for,” Ovies said. “I didn’t do any internships because I was so into the radio stuff I was doing.”
Eventually, Ovies decided to look for a job in the radio business, so he applied to the sports talk radio station that he was listening to at the time called 850 The Buzz.
He started out working Saturdays and Sundays running the boards at the station, screening calls, doing updates and picking up shifts where he could. He gained enough experience to the point when the next full-time job opened up in 2002, Ovies was hired full-time as the producer of his soon-to-be co-host Adam Gold’s show.
“I already kind of new the environment and knew what to do,” Ovies said. “And they said ‘All right, let’s make you full-time,’ and then other things come like new shows and opportunities.”
In 2005, the station needed a new morning show, and Ovies put himself in a position to host as he had been doing just that for a Saturday morning show. Eventually, Ovies was teamed up with Adam Gold, and they moved to ESPN 99.9 The Fan at Capital Broadcasting in 2009, and he’s been there ever since.
“It’s a challenge in the best possible way,” Gold said when asked what it’s like working with Ovies. “I’m serious, 10 years ago I was predictable, and I don’t think I’m predictable anymore. Working with Joe has kept me younger and the best possible thing for what we do. It’s a much fresher sounding show that’s ours.”
To read the rest of the story visit The Technician where this story was originally published
When the football season ends, stations usually add extra weekend programming to make up for the loss of NFL and College Football play by play and shoulder programming. On the network level, the strategy is no different, and this year ESPN Radio is making moves to strengthen its weekend offerings.
The network will team up three of their highest profile female personalities with the debut of “The Trifecta“. The program will be hosted by Sarah Spain, Jane McManus, and Kate Fagan and air on Saturday’s from 12p-3p starting January 9th. Spain has been a contributor on Dan Le Batard’s show and previously hosted a weekend program with Prim Siripipat. McManus is one of espnw’s top NFL reporters and columnists, and Fagan also writes for espnw and has been a refreshing addition to “Around the Horn“.
In addition, the network will launch another new Saturday program. ESPN New York’s Dave Rothenberg will join forces with Mike Golic Jr. and ESPN.com NBA reporter Michael Wallace Saturday evenings from 5p-8p. The trio will also debut on January 9th.
Turning to Sunday, Fagan will add another program when she teams with ESPN contributor Will Cain for a new show titled “Will and Kate“. The show will air from 7a-10a and officially premiere on Valentine’s Day.
NBA talk programming will get ramped up with the pairing of NBA reporters Israel Gutierrez and Amin Elhassan. “Izzy and Amin” will broadcast every Sunday from 10a-12p.
And last but not least, “Booger & Burns“, featuring former NFL Defensive Player and current SEC Network Analyst Anthony “Booger” McFarland and SEC Network Host Peter Burns make their debut on the network also on Valentine’s Day. Their program will air from 10p-12a.
Altogether the network is adding 5 new shows and 12 fresh voices, and that should peak the curiosity of sports radio weekend listeners across the nation.
When was the last time you truly showed your appreciation to your audience? I’m not talking about fielding a phone call, responding to a tweet, or saying hello and posing for a photo at a remote. I’m talking about taking the time to make a personal connection, listening to what your listeners had to say, and making sure they know how valuable they are to you.
I read a few stories this past December about a broadcaster in Washington DC named Ken Beatrice. He had just passed away at the age of 72 and a few notable personalities were remembering him and what made him special. I had never heard him on the air but what I read about him instantly made me a fan.
In one article, Beatrice was quoted as saying “I don’t have a show without callers, and I treat each one just as if I’d invited them into my house as my guests — really, they are my guests.”
Truth be told, quotes like that often sound great but aren’t always backed up. But then I read something that Kevin Sheehan shared which simply blew me away. He said “As a kid listening to him, if you called in and you were on hold when the show ended, he would actually call you at your house when the show was over. You’re sitting at the house after the show and the phone rings and it’s Ken Beatrice on the line saying, ‘Hey, Kev! Sorry you didn’t get on, but I just wanted to call.’ And he would sit there and talk to you forever.”
Beatrice was known for his deep sports knowledge and kindness to child callers and he’d give out his office phone number on the air and field additional phone calls after his show. Some may think that’s crazy but you can also say it’s pure genius. If a personality is willing to invest their time to form a deeper bond with the audience, they’re going to be rewarded for it. And when Ken Beatrice passed, the tributes that were presented in print, radio and television proved that his approach made an impact.
Scott Van Pelt of ESPN was one of those people who remembered him fondly. He told the Washington Post “He called my house. I didn’t make it on the show, but he called me up. And it was the craziest thing. You picked up the phone and there’s this incredibly distinctive voice on the other end, and you just can’t believe that he would do that. He was a giant.”
When people can vividly recall the influence a person had on them 20-30 years later, that speaks volumes about the connection that’s been formed. You may not always agree with the opinion of a host on the air, but few listeners tune out a broadcaster who does everything possible to connect with the audience and show them they’re appreciated.
I thought back to the past 10 years of operating stations all across the country and the numerous great personalities I’ve had a chance to work with and asked myself “how many broadcasters would actually call back their listeners afterwards?” I could only think of a few who would have gone to such lengths.
And that doesn’t mean they’re wrong for not wanting to do that. Many on-air hosts like to cut the chord when the show is done and save the rest for the following day. There’s nothing wrong with that. But in a world where your success is measured by 20-30 meters in a major market, it pays dividends to have as many relationships as possible. If all it costs you is your time, then it’s worth building listener loyalty after the on-air light goes off.
But when will you have the time? After all, you host a 4-hour show, and have prep work, a commute, side projects and a family to spend time with.
Well, those who succeed in this industry treat it as a career, not a job. It’s what they live for and wake up and go to sleep thinking about. If you want to do it for a long time, and make enough money to feed your family and treat them to a good life, then it pays to put the time in to grow your bond with the audience. Few operators part ways with broadcasters who possess a large loyal following.
Secondly, this is your full time career. You get out of it what you put into it. If you want to work 20-30 hours at your craft, be prepared to be compensated long-term as an individual who invests 20-30 hours per week into it. Most bosses won’t watch the clock to see how much time you put in, but it’s easy to see who’s going the extra mile to make a difference.
The next time you’re complaining about the hours you put in, think about the workload of the professional athletes you’re talking about on your program. In the case of a football player, they easily invest 70-80 hours per week over the span of 6 days (they have off on Tuesday’s during the season) and take a heavy physical beating. The last time I checked, radio hosts don’t get physically assaulted talking into a microphone. The battles they face are mostly mental.
Football players though have to study film, practice, work out, get treatments, and somewhere in between all of it, find time for other commitments such as meeting with the media, helping the team’s marketing projects, getting involved in local community charities and events, and interacting with fans.
J.J. Watt – USA Today Sports
One player in particular who really impresses me with the way he conducts himself on and off the field is Houston Texans Defensive End J.J Watt. He’s a guy many kids look up to, and for good reason, because he sets a great example. It’s one I felt was worthy enough of educating my son about and he’s now a proud owner of a #99 jersey.
I was reading last year about how J.J responded after being given a contract extension which would pay him $100 million dollars. Some players who have been in that situation have let the money and their new found fame change them. But not J.J. After he signed his record-breaking deal, he woke up the next morning at 3:05 a.m. and drove to the Texans facility so he could work out in the Texans’ weight room.
When asked if he was worried that his franchise player would be affected by the big money contract, Texans Owner Bob McNair said “He’s going to do nothing but get better. We normally wouldn’t do this at this stage but we felt that his performance had been so outstanding, his attitude and work ethic so great, and he’s become such a role model for everyone on our team that we felt that he deserves special consideration.”
While his performance on the gridiron is elite and worthy enough of large compensation, it’s the extra effort he gives off the field that makes it easy for the Texans to want to step up to the plate and reward him, even when they don’t have to. Check out this video that Watt filmed with a young fan who was having trouble with kids in his school.
J.J. Watt Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Then there’s the sign of respect and admiration that he has for the men in uniform. This goes back to his upbringing and not losing sight of who he was before he became a world famous NFL superstar. When a team’s best player carries himself this way, it’s special. It paints the organization in a classy way and makes it hard to not root for a guy who reaches out to his fans to show them he appreciates their support.
So you’re asking “what does JJ Watt’s good standing in the community have to do with my radio show?” A lot actually.
He works a full time career that is physically demanding and constantly under the microscope. He gets paid a lot of money to do it and deals with pressures that are much larger than anything we face in the radio industry. It’d be easy to direct his entire focus to the football field and ignore the numerous outside requests for his time, but because he’s grounded, and recognizes the importance of connecting with the people who show up to support him each Sunday, the extra effort is made without resistance.
Because J.J Watt accepts being a role model and showing through his actions that he’s more than just an exceptional football player, it’s helped the Texans become more valuable and it’s resulted in Watt’s own brand growing as well. In 2015 he had the top selling jersey among all defensive players, and his star has blossomed in the endorsement arena too, landing opportunities with Verizon Wireless and Papa John’s among others.
Jan 9, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt warms up before an AFC Wild Card playoff football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The lesson to be learned here is that despite having a job which occupies the majority of his time, J.J Watt makes it a point to connect with his fans and give back. And because he takes that approach, it’s led to bigger paydays and a reputation he and his family can be proud of. Fans may get upset with him if he misses a tackle or fails to sack a quarterback, but they’ll never stop cheering him on because they know he’s a genuine guy who values his supporters.
I’m not going to tell you that you should call your audience after the show like Ken Beatrice did, or follow J.J Watt’s lead and send pizza’s to the local firehouse and police department. Those were decisions each of them made and that’s what makes them unique. The key is to find your own way to form a deeper connection with your audience.
For some, it might be in the form of scheduling a weekly Twitter chat. To others it may mean spending an hour after each remote to have face to face conversations with the audience. One host (Chad Doing) I worked with in San Francisco would give out his personal cell phone number On-Air and on Twitter and welcome his listeners to text or call him about anything on the show. That type of gesture sends a powerful message to the audience. Even if they want to root against you, they can’t help but put down their guard when you invite them in.
Maybe this isn’t something you feel comfortable doing, and if you don’t, that’s fine. Everyone has a different approach and comfort zone. But as I stated earlier, you can’t go wrong when you develop deeper loyalty with your audience, and when that day comes when the ratings aren’t as high, it never hurts to have a legion of supporters in your corner. It could be the difference in continuing this career or having to go find a job.
ESPN Films today announced several new 30 for 30 projects including documentaries on the ’85 Chicago Bears and the Duke lacrosse scandal, and the group’s first-ever miniseries event, “OJ: Made in America.” The third volume of the award-winning and critically acclaimed 30 for 30series will continue with the premiere of “The ‘85 Bears” on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 9 p.m. ET, followed by “Fantastic Lies” on Sunday, March 13, at 9 p.m. ET, both on ESPN. “OJ: Made in America” will debut in June.
“30 for 30 strives to be the gold standard of sports storytelling and continues to deliver thought-provoking documentaries that give viewers a unique point of view into a particular story,” said Connor Schell, senior vice president, ESPN Films and Original Content. “The projects coming in 2016 showcase some of our most ambitious work to date and we’re proud to work with this diverse group of incredible filmmakers who have again raised the bar when it comes to high quality storytelling.”
“The ’85 Bears,” directed by Emmy Award winner Jason Hehir (“The Fab Five”) and executive produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley, will look at perhaps the most famous football team of all-time – the Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears – on the 30th anniversary of their epic triumph. The birth of Buddy Ryan’s 46 Defense, the sweet-revenge victory over the 49ers, the loss to the Dolphins that ruined their perfect season and the “Super Bowl Shuffle” that was filmed the day after, are all topics explored in this film about a group of misfits who became the toast of football.
“Fantastic Lies” will return to the night of March 13, 2006, when Duke University lacrosse players threw a team party that ended up changing lives, ruining careers, tarnishing a university’s reputation and even jeopardizing the future of the sport at the school. The film, from acclaimed director Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”), will premiere on the 10th anniversary of the party that ignited what became a national firestorm and resulted in a highly-charged legal investigation. Usually confined to the sports section, lacrosse suddenly appeared on the front pages of newspapers because of the lurid details of the case and the hot buttons that it pushed: sex, race, class, violence.
“Our first two films of the year highlight the diversity of topics that we seek with the 30 for 30series,” says John Dahl, ESPN Films Vice President and Executive Producer. “The Bears film offers a fresh yet nostalgic look at one of the most iconic teams in NFL history while the hard-hitting “Fantastic Lies” goes far beyond the playing field with an examination of how multiple factors led to a miscarriage of justice.”
Another 30 for 30 film premiering in April will look back on the electrifying Orlando Magic of the mid-90s, directed by Erin Leyden (“The 99ers”) and Gentry Kirby and executive produced by Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal. Coming this summer, directors Judd Apatow (“Trainwreck,” “This Is 40”) and Michael Bonfiglio (“You Don’t Know Bo”) will explore the connection between the lives and careers of former New York Mets superstars Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden (executive produced by Radical Media’s Dave O’Connor and Justin Wilkes).
Also this year, ESPN Films will debut the group’s most ambitious project to date, “OJ: Made in America.” The five-part documentary is a miniseries event and the first episodic documentary by ESPN Films, starting a new chapter for the 30 for 30 brand. Directed by Peabody and Emmy winner Ezra Edelman, “OJ: Made in America” examines the history of race over the last several decades through the lens of OJ Simpson’s rise and fall.
It is perhaps the defining cultural tale of 20th-century America, one that centers around two of our country’s greatest fixations: race and celebrity. “OJ: Made in America” will explore these themes in tracing a personal journey, from how Orenthal James Simpson first became a football star, to why the country fell in love with him off the field, to his being accused of murdering his ex-wife and his subsequent acquittal and why he is now sitting in jail 20 years later for another crime. This 10-hour epic will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22 and will debut on television in five parts in June.
Schell said, “’OJ: Made in America’ is unlike anything ESPN Films has done before and Ezra’s phenomenal work has taken one man’s story and, through it, explored the topics of celebrity, sports, police brutality, race relations and domestic violence.”
Sports Radio listeners in Los Angeles are about to have one less option to listen to. The Beast 980 which serves as the radio home of the Los Angeles Clippers, will stop operating the sports talk format in mid-February, the result of a sale to a group that operates foreign-language programming. Staff were alerted of the news yesterday at 10am.
The sale creates some short-term challenges for the Clippers, as they will need to find a new radio home for their games. 710 ESPN carries the Lakers, AM 570 KLAC has the Dodgers and UCLA sports, the Kings are on 790 KABC and team-owned AM 830 offers the Angels and Ducks so those stations don’t appear to be options.
The Beast 980’s lineup includes Fred Roggin, Jeanne Zelasko, Bill Plaschke, Chris Myers, Wes Clements and Sam Farber. Program Director Tom Lee has done a nice job retooling the lineup and making some inroads for the brand since arriving on the scene to fix the product in 2015 but unfortunately the news of this sale brings all of that momentum to a screeching halt.
Ex-Grantland and ESPN staffer Jonah Keri has found a pair of new homes for his sportswriting and TV appearances in 2016 and (presumably) beyond – Sports Illustrated, and MLB Network as a guest analyst to start the year.
Keri posted details of his new homes on Instagram, which also includes non-sports writing at GQ and Rolling Stone and a yet-to-be-announced new home for The Jonah Keri Podcast.
For more on this story visit Awful Announcing where it was originally published
The December ratings are in for a number of cities and that means the Fall Book has now come to an end. Rather than doing a number of market specific pieces, I figured I’d share some key details from a couple of top brands in various cities. As other stations report their data I’ll be sure to update that as well.
New York: WFAN bested 98.7 ESPN NY for the Fall Book. In mornings, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton did a 6.2 to finish third with Men 25-54. ESPN’s Mike & Mike was 11th with a 3.6. In middays, Joe & Evan on WFAN were 5th with a 6.1, ESPN’s Dan LeBatard Show which had recently signed on the radio station in September, turned in a 2.3 to place 15th.
From 1p-3p, Mike Francesa’s first two hours of his show on WFAN delivered a 7.9 which was more than triple the number of Alan Hahn & Rick DiPietro who produced a 2.5. The positive news for ESPN’s program is that this was their first ratings book and they were up from 1.8 which Mike Lupica’s show previously generated.
In afternoons, Mike Francesa won the head to head battle with Michael Kay. Francesa’s show between 3p-6:30p turned in a 6.8 compared to Kay’s program which did a 4.2 during that same time period. Overall, Francesa’s full show from 1p-6:30p registered a 7.2 which placed the program 2nd overall, only a tenth of a point behind WCBS.
Chicago: ESPN 1000 won the Fall Book versus 670 The Score. The station finished 1st M-F 6a-7p with a 4.8, narrowly edging The Score which was 2nd with a 4.7. They also came in 6th with a 4.2 M-SU 6a-Mid while The Score was 8th with a 3.8.
In show by show comparisons, The Score won the morning battle with Mully & Hanley finishing 4th with a 5.2 while Mike & Mike came in 6th with a 4.7. In the middays, Spiegel & Goff on The Score were 2nd with a 5.1 opposite Carmen & Jurko who were 7th with a 3.8.
David Kaplan who joined ESPN 1000 in September after leaving WGN finished 1st with a 4.9 during his hours of 12p-2p. In the afternoon matchup, ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy produced a 5.5 to finish 1st while The Score’s Boers & Bernstein were 5th with a 4.2.
The Score airs an hour of Spiegel & Goff and an hour of Boers & Bernstein between 12p-2p opposite Kaplan’s show.
San Francisco: KNBR won the month with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p with a 4.8 to 3.8 against 95.7 The Game. However, it was their lowest number in the demo in two years and down from a 6.1 last year. The Game during that same time has grown from a 3.4 to 3.8.
Head to Head, KNBR won in mornings with Murph & Mac delivering a strong 6.1 compared to The Game’s Chad, Joe & Lo program turning in a 3.9. Gary & Larry on KNBR produced a 3.5 from 10a-12p which was slightly ahead of Haberman & Middlekauff’s 3.0. The Game once again beat KNBR 12p-3p, with Papa & Lund beating Fitz & Brooks 4.2 to 3.1. In afternoon, Tom Tolbert had a big month finishing with a 5.3 which was ahead of Damon Bruce who had a 3.0. Although the 49ers and Raiders haven’t turned in big numbers, KNBR has seen a lift from the Warriors thanks to the team’s hot start to the season.
Dallas: Both The Fan and The Ticket have stories to celebrate heading into the holidays. In the December book, The Fan won the head to head matchup with The Ticket for M-SU 6a-Mid. The Fan was 5th with a 4.2, The Ticket was 6th with a 4.0. For M-F 6a-7p the nod went to The Ticket which delivered a 5.0 to place 4th. The Fan came in 5th with a 4.2.
In show by show comparisons, The Musers dominated morning drive finishing 1st with an 8.3. The Fan was 9th with a 3.3. In middays (10a-3p) The Ticket (6th) edged The Fan (8th) 4.0 to 3.8 and in afternoons it went 5.4 for The Ticket (3rd) and 4.4 for The Fan (6th). When you analyze the data year over year, The Ticket has lost a ratings point and The Fan has gained one, which is a big reason why the two stations are locked in a very tight battle. Expect more of that to continue with both brands in 2016.
Philadelphia: WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic were once again locked in a fierce battle in the city of brotherly love for the December book. In morning drive, WIP’s Angelo Cataldi delivered a 8.5 and beat The Fanatic’s Anthony Gargano who turned in a 7.4. In middays, WIP led by Michael Barkann and Ike Reese generated a 6.5 which was ahead of The Fanatic’s Harry Mayes & Rob Ellis who produced a 5.5. In afternoon drive, Mike Missanelli won the month for The Fanatic with an 8.1, one tenth of a point ahead of Josh Innes who had an 8.0. Innes did however best Missanelli for the Fall Book with an 8.3 to 8.1 victory.
One item that figures to be a hot topic of conversation in 2016 in the market is streaming. When digital numbers are added to the equation, The Fanatic is seeing a bigger lift than WIP. That’ll be something for us to keep an eye on.
Washington DC: The month belonged once again to 106.7 The Fan, as the station finished 7th with a 4.9 with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p, and 9th with a 4.1 M-SU 6a-Mid. The stations numbers were two tenths of a point lower than November. By comparison, ESPN 980 was 16th with a 2.4 for M-F 6a-7p and 17th with a 2.5 M-F 6a-Mid. Last month they were 15th M-F 6a-7p with a 2.5 and 15th with M-SU 6a-Mid with a 2.7.
For the talk shows, The Fan held serve as the top dog in the market with Men 25-54. In mornings, The Sports Junkies lost a tenth of a point between November and December, going from a 4.8 to a 4.7 to finish in 7th. ESPN 980 experienced slight growth going from a 2.2 and 15th in November to 2.6 and 14th in December. The station’s decision to drop “The Man Cave” and replace them with “Mike & Mike” did not hurt the radio station.
In middays, Grant and Danny also lost a few tenths, dropping from 6.8 in November to 6.4 in December. They remain in 2nd place and are the top rated show in the market. For 980 during the 10a-2p hours (Tony Kornheiser and The Sports Fix), the station grew from 2.4 and 16th in November to 2.5 and 15th in December.
During afternoon drive, Chad Dukes had a 4.2 to place 9th which was slightly down from last month’s 4.5 when he also finished 9th. 980 meanwhile between 2p-6p (Inside The Locker Room and two hours of Steve Czaban’s show) had their biggest decline, falling from 2.8 and 13th in November to 2.3 and 19th in December.
What I particularly found interesting is that both brands experienced a minor dip during a period when the Redskins were picking up steam in the NFC. One would think that with Kirk Cousins making his presence felt on the field and on camera (You Like That?), and the team battling for the NFC East crown that the numbers would increase. That’ll be something to watch heading into next month.
Boston: The nation’s most competitive market didn’t disappoint as sports radio finished 1st and 2nd respectively for the Fall Book with Men 25-54. 98.5 The Sports Hub led the way with a 13.6 while WEEI was behind them with a 9.1.
In sizing up the head to head show comparisons, The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich finished first in mornings with a 14.6. WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan which includes Kirk Minihane was second at a 13.4. Incredible numbers from both shows. In middays, Zolak & Bertrand on The Sports Hub came in 1st with a 12.3. WEEI’s Glenn Ordway, Lou Merloni & Christian Fauria placed 3rd with an 8.5. In afternoons, Felger & Massarotti were 1st on The Sports Hub with a phenomenal 16.9. WEEI’s Dale & Holley which also features Jerry Thornton, were strong with a 9.6.
During the evenings, The Sports Hub which airs Adam Jones’ Show and Bruins and Celtics play by play, came in first with an 11.4. WEEI which offers The Planet Mikey Show finished second with a 7.8.
St. Louis: 101 ESPN had an excellent Fall Book, producing an 8.3 to finish 3rd overall with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p. The station was also 9th with Persons 25-54 M-F 6a-7p with a 4.8. Those performances helped the station finish the month as the market’s top rated spoken word station. In addition, Bernie Miklasz, Kevin Wheeler, Stalter & Duncan and The Fast Lane with Karraker, Farr & Thompson all finished 3rd in their respective timeslots.
Minneapolis: KFAN in Minneapolis finished the month once again in 1st with Men 25-54 but this time the brand also occupied the top spot with Persons 25-54. Their performance this year is among the best in the format across the entire country. The station generated a massive 15.7 rating with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p and a 15.0 M-F 6a-Mid.
For the individual shows, The Power Trip morning show and Paul Allen’s midday show were both 1st overall with Men 25-54 with a 16.8. The Common Man’s midday program finished with a 14.2 and was also #1, and afternoon host Dan Barreiro turned in an outstanding 16.0 to also finish 1st. When you register #1 in every single daypart on your radio station, that my friends is called massive success.
As additional information comes in from other markets we’ll keep you updated!
