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Giving Thanks In The Sales Department

Columns

November 23, 2018

I believe it might be law that when one is writing a column this close to Thanksgiving, you must write about what you’re thankful for. I’ve always been kind of a scrooge when it comes to the end-of-the-year holidays, mainly because I’m in sales management and less and less sales happen this time of year.

With that said, there are a few things I’m thankful for, such as:

The annual buyers who don’t cancel – Oh, the few, the proud. They have a plan, they get results, they stick to it. Sure, things happen from time to time and a week gets moved here or there, some copy is changed and updated, but overall, the account is low maintenance and even pays on time.

New clients who hang in there beyond what sales guru Roy Williams calls “the chickening out period” – This is 8-14 weeks in to the campaign when an advertiser sees more going out than coming in. It’s a process, and based on many years of history, the ROI is about to steadily increase, but not if they pull the plug or slow things down, simply to save short term money. If you are someone who is thinking about advertising and happen to be reading this, don’t do it unless you are prepared to do it correctly with frequency and consistency.

Clients who refer other businesses because they’re happy with their results – Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Problem is, we don’t ask enough of our clients to do this. Business owners know other business owners and their opinions carry a lot of weight with one another. I saw a very creative idea not long ago where a rep had taken video on his phone of his clients recommending him and how he had helped their businesses grow. He shows those quick videos on his phone when he meets with new clients. Sometimes we need to let others do the talking for us.

The agencies that actually earn their 15% – It has become all too commonplace for station reps to be responsible for ideas, creative, copy, schedules and chasing down the money. You know, the things the agency is supposed to be doing on behalf of the client. Too many times we are giving up 15% of the buy to someone who isn’t an agency but rather an angry ex media seller who ran out of companies they could get a guarantee from so they started an “agency.”

The account executives who just do their job – Here’s to those of you that realize you have six main responsibilities: prospect, cold call, needs analysis, presentation, close and service. Your company agreed to pay you and you agreed to do those things on their behalf. All of them. You don’t complain much, you don’t need a whole lot of help, nobody ever worries you aren’t doing what you’re supposed to be doing, and you grow your business and personal revenue accordingly. God bless you.

The on-air hosts who realize that sales drives the bus – And pays for the gas. And the oil changes. And the tire rotations. Ok, you get it. Surprisingly though, it’s still too low of a percentage of hosts who go out of their way to proactively help sales. The ones who do are a true blessing and are generally well compensated. To the programming guys who may read this – I know I speak for all of your sales reps and managers when I tell you that ideas and leads are always welcomed and appreciated.

You – Thanks for reading this. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and to everyone out in the sports radio universe!

How Not to Get a Job in Sports Radio: Sales Remix

Columns

Dave Greene

November 15, 2018

Last week, Jason Barrett posted a blog titled “How Not to Get a Job in Sports Radio” outlining a myriad of ways you can blow your opportunity to get hired in this crazy business. As someone who has done his fair share of hiring for various positions in radio, I’m constantly amazed at some of the incredibly stupid things people will do when trying to get employed.

In the article, one of the parts that stood out to me was the advice on social media. Not that long ago, I had a gentleman apply for a sales position and his resume intrigued me. As I was getting ready to reach out to him for an interview, I put his name into Facebook and let’s just say the things he chose to write about and post pictures of (on a public account) were not the kinds of things you’d want a potential employer to see. The guy presented himself online as an HR nightmare. His resume quickly went in the trash.

Jason’s article made me think of other highs and lows when dealing with recruitment. Recently, I’ve had two candidates who were applying for on air positions reach out to me as the sales manager and introduce themselves. The two of them did, however, take very different approaches.

One of them sent a note that said they were looking through our website and saw my contact information. He wanted to reach out and let me know that he had applied for an on-air position, but that at his current job as a talk-show-host, he is very involved in the sales process. He listed a few of the accounts he had worked on and some of the creative ideas he had implemented in his show that became sales opportunities. I was impressed.

The other gentleman sent a note that said he had applied for the on-air position and hadn’t heard anything yet from our PD. He wanted to know if I could “put a word in for him” and help him make sure the right people saw his application and credentials. Then, all throughout the day, I started to receive forwarded messages he had sent to every name he could find on our station websites. I was not impressed. This man went right up to the line between persistence and annoyance and took a huge leap.

People ask me all the time about how they can go about getting jobs in our industry and I always tell them the same thing: sell. If you can directly help generate revenue, you have increased your chances of working in this business exponentially and once you are in, anything can happen.

You see, the secret to being in this business is being in this business. Many people I know started on one career path in radio and ended up in another (myself included). From on air to sales, from marketing to on air, from sales to marketing and on and on. Radio sometimes acts as its own little world and once you’re in that world and understand its complexities and pace, you become much more valuable than someone “from the outside.” The easiest way in is to be able to sell.

So, much like the guy who emailed me and gave me his background with ideas and working with clients, if you’re looking to get in to the sports media business, relate what it is you want to do to revenue and increase your chances. Or, start in sales and prove your ability to bring in revenue and who knows where it will go from there, heck you may even really like it!

How Not To Land a Job in Sports Radio

Columns

Jason Barrett

November 6, 2018

It’s happening right now. In fact, it happens every day. But nobody is there to stop you from hitting the send button before damage is done.

In some US city every day, a radio professional or aspiring broadcaster flocks to the internet searching for their dream job or next career opportunity. They’ll browse listings on Indeed, All Access, BSM or the careers sections on various radio company corporate sites, and once they see something that captures their interest, they begin their pursuit. They’ll spellcheck their resume, look for the contact person involved with the station, if pursuing an on-air role include a sample of their hosting style, and write an introduction note they hope will help them stand out from the rest.

Once they’ve produced their email, double checked it, and attached their materials, they press send. They then anxiously await a response, hoping it will open the door to further conversations about filling the opening. If after a few days an email or phone call hasn’t been received, they might follow up with a second note, or in some cases, even pick up the phone to call. It doesn’t matter if the instructions said not to, the lack of response calls for a new plan of attack because no way is it possible that they didn’t fit what the hiring executive was searching for.

In each situation, the hiring manager has different tastes and rules. Some want an hour worth of unedited material, some want less than 5 minutes. Some will say not to call, others don’t mind if you pick up the phone to initiate a chat. Competition for these openings is intense, and those who possess the skills to fill the position, while clicking best with the hiring manager stand the best chance of getting the call.

What you don’t know entering the process is whether or not you’re going to check the boxes of the hiring manager. You have no idea who else is competing for the opening, and whether the position is a real call for help or a mandatory requirement from HR even though the job has already been promised to an internal candidate. Regardless, it’s important to make a favorable impression because it could lead to a future opportunity either with the station you’ve applied to work at or for someone else in the industry who has a need at a later time.

Speaking for myself, I rarely relied on HR to help fill an opening. I always worked ahead and listened, met, observed, and asked industry folks about certain people who may or may not be worth consideration should I one day have a vacancy. My philosophy was ‘if you want the best talent, you go out and find them, not wait for them to appear in your inbox’.

During my hiring experiences as a programmer, I saw a lot of bad decisions made by job seekers. My awareness for these situations has increased even more during the past three years while running BSM. Sports radio may be a big business but it has a small community feel. If you make a bad impression on one executive, it could affect your standing with others. Stand out in a positive way and you may be recommended to someone else when they have a future need.

I was having a discussion recently with an industry friend about some of the blunders people make when openings come up, and I thought I’d pass along eight examples of bad ideas to help you avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’re frozen out in the future.

It’s never a good idea to tell a programmer that they’ll be the dumbest f**k on the planet if they pass over your resume. I don’t care how good you are, most people aren’t going to want to bring someone into their operation who they consider to be a dick before they even have a conversation. You can have an ego, and believe you’re better than anyone else who speaks into a microphone, but if you can’t work with others, it’s going to be hard to convince people to trust you with an important role.

Suggesting a programmer ‘can’t live without you’ and should pony up whatever it takes to get you probably won’t help you land the role you desire either. A good programmer wants talented people on their airwaves, and they’ll battle for their people to earn a healthy wage, but they won’t fight for someone who doesn’t respect and value them too. An old quote I used to love sharing was ‘graveyards are full of irreplaceable men.’ Secondly, if you come across the wrong programmer, they’ll take your arrogance as a challenge to prove they can do it without you, and more times than not, they will. As a former host who learned from a poor initial approach once said to me, ‘even Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson’. If you produce like MJ, Phil will find a way to make sure you get what you need. You’ll also discover you’re better off together than apart.

Applying for a job you don’t want just to get yourself in the door doesn’t often end well. If you’re a host with no desire to produce but apply for a producer opening, eventually it’s going to become a problem for the PD and Host you’re working with. That leads to people not being in your corner to push your development. Eventually you’ll exit the station once the issues reach the point of no return. It’s better to be up front about your short-term and long-term goals, and tackle the opportunity in front of you while making it clear you have other things you’d like to accomplish professionally. Most broadcast executives will give you chances to grow if you’re determined and have skill, but they won’t champion your cause if you don’t execute the role you were initially hired to do.

Copying a programmer’s CEO, corporate executive, and market manager on the email you sent in expressing interest in an opening creates immediate tension. Would you give 110% support to someone who was forced on you? Do you think a programmer who’s trusted to lead a brand is going to go with the flow and take a deeper liking to you when the perception is you’re trying to override them before even establishing contact? Most corporate people give their PD’s the ability to make hiring decisions in tandem with their market manager. If the room is divided on you, you’re usually going to be voted out.

Pretending to know the ins and outs of a company based on media reports is another foolish idea. For example, if you applied to work for a company which just underwent layoffs, it’s not a wise move to say something like ‘I’m glad you survived the cut….your company clearly recognizes talent and made a wise move dumping the others.’ Do you know if the individual you’ve applied with is thrilled to remain on the job? What if their best friend was let go? Better yet, what credibility have you gained with the hiring manager to earn that conversation? Unless you’ve worked there and have firsthand knowledge of the inner workings, and a relationship with the individual you’re communicating with, it’s better to avoid that discussion before sticking your foot in your mouth.

Be real, not a phony. For example, if you’re from Texas, and applying for a job in Philadelphia, don’t put in your introductory email how much you love cheese steaks, Rocky Balboa and the Eagles since the days of Reggie White, especially if you’ve never set foot in the city. Nothing is worse than the applicant who pretends to know local landmarks, sports history, and a city’s way of life based on reading Wikipedia and stuff they’ve seen on TV or social media. It’s the same crap when the east coast guy applies for a gig on the west coast or the west coast guy reaches out for the east coast opening claiming they’re in the wrong location and better suited for that particular market’s style. In some cases, candidates have applied to multiple markets, modifying their letters for each city, and PD’s have chatted and discovered it. Guess what that does? It guarantees not landing either opening.

Admitting to someone in a cover letter that you were an internal problem for your previous employer or you didn’t work hard at your last job is going to raise an immediate red flag to anyone reading your note. You may think you’re being honest and trying to get out in front of any blemishes on your resume but some stuff is better left to face to face conversation. If you’re putting those type of remarks in an email and the hiring manager is looking at 100 people for one opening, why would they hold on to yours versus the others with less baggage? It’s OK to go thru the interview process and admit you’ve made mistakes and want to learn from them, giving an employer an opportunity to reap the rewards for giving you a chance. But save it for later in the process. Telling someone you don’t know that you gave less than your best or created an issue that resulted in problems inside of an office isn’t likely to earn you a call.

Conduct yourself on social media in a way that doesn’t make a hiring manager think twice about hiring you. If you approach the space the way you do the airwaves, you’ll have less to worry about. If though this is where you bombard folks with your political views, instigate fights with trolls, share content that is offensive, and swear like a sailor, it may make someone who’s a fan of your work think twice. They have to consider how your social identity is going to affect listeners, advertisers, and fellow employees. If they feel there are too many risks, they’ll choose a safer path. The other thing I’d recommend not doing, buying followers. If you’re an aspiring host or producer with limited experience carrying 50,000 followers, it doesn’t take much work to scroll thru your posts and see what type of engagement you create. If nobody ever responds, chances are you don’t produce impact, just a false image.

BONUS: As a consultant who works with brands and PD’s, it’s smart to introduce yourself, provide audio, share your goals, and develop a relationship. If you only reach out when jobs are listed, it doesn’t keep you top of mind when gigs aren’t publicly displayed. Furthermore, if the only time you initiate contact is when something is posted, that’s a case of asking for a favor, not building a relationship. Why would a consultant do you a favor if they have no history with you?

BONUS #2: Its also important to remember, a consultant’s job is to help the station and hiring manager strengthen their department to have the best chance at future success. We direct people to folks who we feel fit what they’ve told us they’re looking for. If you don’t get a gig, it isn’t personal, nor is it because we’re determined to make sure you never work in the industry. On the other hand, blaming the consultant for your inability to find work is a convenient way of ignoring the truth that you may be doing a few things to make yourself unattractive to hiring managers.

If you possess talent, a good work ethic, conduct yourself in a professional manner, have solid industry references, and bring something to the table that’s unique, compelling, and entertaining, chances are you’ll earn a chance to discuss an opportunity. Then it comes down to whether or not you and the hiring manager connect, and if you and the brand mutually benefit one another. It’s easy for broadcasters to get blinded by the opportunity, and look past whether or not a situation is right for them. So much of developing a prosperous career comes down to both sides being fully invested in one another, which is why it’s OK if certain things don’t work out sometimes.

I’m sure if I scoured the nation and asked more folks in programming departments, I’d find plenty of other bad approaches. The goal of this piece though is to arm you with information to avoid making mistakes so you don’t become that example the next program director refers to when explaining how not to pursue a job. Instead, use it to your benefit to make sure you place yourself in a good position to land a great opportunity that helps both you and your next employer.

Good luck!

Under The Radar – November 2, 2018

Radio

Jason Barrett

November 2, 2018

It’s been a while since we produced an Under The Radar column. Although there’s always noise being made inside sports media circles, we’d rather put a bunch of notes together and feed you one big main course meal than five or six appetizers. As usual, if you work in the sports media business and have news to share, please pass it along via email at JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me. DM’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin are also acceptable.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the latest news.

If you work in the sports media industry and wish to further educate yourself on the business, the 2019 BSM Summit is coming to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Eric Bischoff, Jorge Sedano, Brian Musburger, and Norm Pattiz are just some of the speakers who will be part of our annual conference. Other announcements are forthcoming. This is an industry only event open to radio and television programmers, market managers, on-air talent, producers, salespeople, digital directors, corporate executives, agents, etc.. Tickets are discounted until November 30th. They’ll increase in price on December 1st. To purchase yours and be in attendance for this great event, email JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me.

A change has been made in Dallas to the midday show on 103.3 ESPN. Will Chambers is no longer with the station and has since launched a podcast The Lounge with Will Chambers. Taking his place alongside Jean-Jacques Taylor is Matt McClearin. McClearin had been part of the station’s Cowboys Pre and Post Game coverage, and hosted The Show on Saturday afternoons in addition to filling in on weekday programs. Before joining 103.3 ESPN, McClearin spent time hosting for WJOX in Birmingham. He also has worked in Gainesville, FL and as the pre and post-game host for the Dallas Stars.

VSiN morning show host Paul Howard had a pretty great day at work recently after it initially started off bad. Howard was running late on Friday morning October 19th causing him to miss the start of the show. He was told by Mitch Moss and the morning crew to join the program after the first segment. A few days earlier, Howard had been busting Westgate Casino manager John Murray’s chops on the air for sounding groggy and bragged that he had never been late for a show. Since Howard had now screwed up, Moss spent the first few minutes of the show busting his chops for not being on time and discussed a prop bet he came up with a year earlier about who would be the first member of the show to oversleep or miss the show. Michael Lombardi phoned in and suggested sending Howard home for the day. But while waiting to get on the air to defend himself, Howard stopped by a video poker machine. He hit a royal flush, won $5,000 dollars, and walked in next segment waving a bundle of cash in his co-workers direction. Needless to say, Howard’s late arrival allowed him to get the last laugh.

Condolences go out to San Diego sports radio veteran Dave Palet and his family. Palet’s son Jake recently passed away unexpectedly. A celebration of the young man’s life is being held this Sunday for family and friends. To offer your support to Dave and his family reach out by clicking here.

After losing sports director Brendan McCaffrey to SiriusXM in New York, 670 The Score program director Mitch Rosen had to search internally and externally to find a qualified replacement. Well, Rosen found his man, and he didn’t have to look far to find him. Shane Riordan has been promoted at The Score to assume a heavier workload in operations. Riordan had previously served as a producer for Rosen.

Tom Carroll has left Boston for St. Louis to reunite with his former ESPN Radio colleague Michelle Smallmon. Carroll has been named the brand new producer of the Bernie Miklasz Show on 101 ESPN.

A tip of the cap to Andy Massaua. The veteran Boston sports radio producer recently left WEEI after a two decade run. He joined the station in 1998, working over the years with more than 100 different full and part time producers, board ops, and audio production people. Prior to departing, Andy expressed his gratitude on Twitter to Glenn Ordway and Jason Wolfe for giving him an opportunity twenty years earlier. He says his exit is the result of accepting a new multimedia production job outside of sports radio.

Talented sports radio producer Jason Stewart has left AM 570 LA Sports to join FOX Sports 1. Stewart, who worked earlier in his career with Jim Rome, is being tasked with supporting FS1’s weekday lineup of programs including Undisputed, The Herd, Speak For Yourself, and others.

Mike Mayer has also decided it’s time for a change. After working behind the scenes for FOX Sports Radio in Los Angeles, Mayer has decided to head east to join SiriusXM. He’s scheduled to start his new job with the satellite radio company on November 5th.

The door may have closed for Eytan Shander at 97.5 The Fanatic, but it didn’t take long for a new one to open. Shander has been added to 97.3 ESPN in Atlantic City. He’s signed on in a part-time role, joining Mike Gill on the station’s afternoon show. Shander previously worked for the station earlier in his career.

A couple of contract extensions have been inked at the CBS Sports Radio network. Congrats to both Brandon Tierney and Amy Lawrence who recently signed new deals to continue in their current roles. The network has also added Alyssa Rose to the network roster as an on-air sports anchor.

Meanwhile at FOX Sports Radio, Bernie Fratto has been given an opportunity to share his insights and opinions with a national audience. The Las Vegas based personality is hosting a new late night Saturday/Sunday show from 11p-Midnight PT/2a-3a ET. The program features prognostications from the “Voice of Vegas” RJ Bell, and betting experts Brad Powers and Steve Fezzik.

If you’ve been driving around on the weekend listening to ESPN Radio and wondering who that familiar voice is on evening programming, that would be Tim Montemayor. ‘Monty’ as he’s known to sports radio audiences has worked in Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, Chicago, and Salt Lake City. No word on if it’ll be a regular situation, but for now, Monty’s just enjoying the ride and trying to make the most of each opportunity.

Continuing on the national circuit, a tip of the cap goes out to Marissa Rives, who was recently promoted to program director of SiriusXM‘s Fight Nation, channel 93. Rives has been with the channel since 2010. Prior to earning the PD stripes she served as executive producer.

Further north, Ryan Fabro has taken a step into management. After 11 years of producing, Fabro has been named the Assistant Program Director of Sportsnet 590 The Fan. Fabro will work in tandem with PD Dave Cadeau.

Tim Donnelly is the new host of the afternoon show on 101.7 CBS Sports Radio in Blacksburg, VA. Donnelly previously served as host and operations manager for ESPN Ithaca. To fll Donnelly’s seat in Ithaca, station management has promoted Nick Karski.

After leaving WKNR in Cleveland to join 96.7/1670 The Zone in Madison, WI, Danny Cunningham has decided it’s time for a new challenge. Cunningham announced his departure from The Zone on Twitter, but says he has something in the works which will be revealed at a later time.

Six years in Cleveland at 92.3 The Fan was great, but all good things eventually come to an end. Alex Hooper has confirmed his exit from the radio station. Hooper says he wants to join his fiancee in Florida to support her as she pursues her doctorate.

1500 ESPN‘s Purple Podcast has been received so well, that station management has decided to deliver a live version of the show Tuesday night’s on the radio. Hosted by Matthew Coller, the Tuesday night special includes on-air co-hosting contributions from ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. The station has also elevated Dane Moore to contribute to the station’s written and audio content.

Former college basketball and NBA head coach Rick Pitino is the latest sports figure to take the plunge into podcasting. Pitino has released a few episodes so far, one of which includes a great conversation with OKC Thunder head coach and former Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan. To check out the podcast click here.

Following his exit from SiriusXM‘s Mad Dog Radio, Ric Bucher has invaded the podcast space. Bucher and Friends has been launched as a daily program. The podcast includes regular appearances from Bucher’s former radio partner Nicole Zaloumis, former NBA player Ryan Hollins, and NFL Network analyst Will Blackmon. To hear it and subscribe and click here.

Elsewhere in sports podcasting, WIP host Rob Ellis has launched The Sitdown. Ellis’ newest episode features a lengthy conversation with WIP morning host Al Morganti who offers his thoughts on the sports media business, the end of Wing Bowl, life philosophy, Philadelphia’s sports teams, and more. To hear it click here.

If you’re interested in keeping up to date on news from the podcasting world, Podcast Business Journal is launching on November 19th. To sign up for the site’s daily emails click here. The new website is expected to feature an exclusive interview with wrestling superstar turned podcasting sensation Chris Jericho for its debut.

Bleacher Report received some great exposure recently from Adweek. The publication place B/R on their Hot List, dubbing them the hottest brand in sports. Among the reasons for highlighting them, “their engagement numbers are rivaled only by President Trump, and nearly 85% of their audience is under 35.”

Two years of making videos for SB Nation has paid off for Jessica Smetana. Smetana has accepted a producer/show runner opportunity with Sports Illustrated.

Amanda Borges continues to advance her career. Borges has enjoyed roles with 1010XL and the New York Rangers, and now has taken on a role with Yahoo Sports. Borges has been hired to serve as a host of the site’s new program ‘The Spin’.

Nice job by the KNBR digital team in San Francisco highlighting the 10-year anniversary of Mike Singletary’s infamous postgame press conference which has supplied sports radio programs across the nation with numerous audio drops for the past decade. To watch the classic Singletary video with added text captioning click here.

In sports television circles, Rachel Bonnetta has landed a new three year deal with FOX Sports. Bonnetta hosts FS1’s sports betting show Lock It In with Todd Fuhrman, Cousin Sal, and Clay Travis.

Also at FOX Sports, John Fanta has been added to the network’s college basketball coverage. Fanta will be providing play by play on select games.

Congratulations to former ESPN television executive Jay Levy. Levy has launched Levy Media Productions to better serve colleges and conferences with live event broadcasting, and multi-platform video content development. For further information on Levy’s company, click here.

The good news continues with Dave ‘Deuce’ Mason earning the role of play by play voice for the Stockton Kings of the NBA’s G League. Mason will call the action with Morgan Ragan serving as color analyst. Fans will have an opportunity to watch games via Facebook Watch, ESPNU, ESPN+, NBA TV, Eleven Sports or at the Stockton Arena.

Jessica Kleinschmidt has accepted a full-time role with NBC Sports Bay Area. Kleinschmidt remained involved with Cut4 thru the World Series ends, but is now ready to dive in on the next chapter of her career.

Speaking of NBC Sports Bay Area, former executive producer Chris Olivere has a new opportunity. Olivere was hired recently by the NFL Network to serve as Senior Producer of the expanded Good Morning Football weekend brand.

Veteran radio programmer and host Dave Shore is involved in a new project with the Netcast Sports Network. Shore has begun taping television interviews and recently spent time at Duke University sitting down with legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. To stay updated on Shore’s project follow him here.

106.7 The Fan host Nick Ashooh has spread his wings into television. Ashooh has been added by NBC Sports Washington to their Wizards pre/post show Wizards Outsiders which includes Wes Hall.

You may have already heard about Jeff Pearlman‘s new USFL book Football For a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL. Pearlman has been making the radio rounds to help promote it. If your station is interested in scheduling an appearance with Jeff, reach out via email by clicking here.

As first reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of The Big Lead, Keith Smith has joined Yahoo Sports. The news of Smith’s addition was confirmed by Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. Smith is expected to provide salary cap analysis to Yahoo’s NBA platform.

A productive run with the Dallas News has put Jori Epstein in position to have her work enjoyed by an even larger audience. Epstein has been hired by the USA Today to cover the NFL, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Lance Lysowski has left DK Pittsburgh Sports where he served as the site’s Pirates writer. To fill the void, DKPS has hired John Perrotto.

A new beat reporter has been hired to cover the Tampa Bay Lightning. Diana Nearhos has landed the role, and is now covering the Eastern Conference’s Stanley Cup representative for the Tampa Bay Times.

Michael Singer has signed on to cover the Nuggets for the Denver Post. Singer joins the newspaper after delivering four years of NBA coverage for the USA Today.

In Memphis, David Cobb has signed on to cover the Memphis Grizzlies for the Commercial Appeal. Cobb begins his new assignment on November 5th.

And we couldn’t complete a UTR column without listing a few of the new additions at The Athletic. Steve Buckley has joined the site in Boston. Jason Smith and John Martin have agreed to contribute in Memphis. Jesse Granger has been added to the site’s Las Vegas platform covering the Golden Knights. Jason Quick is handling the Trail Blazers beat for The Athletic’s Oregon portal, and Joe Ostrowski is writing a sports betting column for the Chicago division.

Your Customer Isn’t Always Right

Columns

Dave Greene

November 1, 2018

Much like we know any publicity is not really good publicity, your customers aren’t always right. In fact, I’d venture to say in my almost twenty-five years in this business, I can think of many more times when a customer was wrong than when one was right. But, the real issue isn’t whether they’re wrong or right, it’s whether or not you call them on it. Great sellers know when it’s appropriate to tell their clients they’re wrong.

Remember a key word we’ve talked about in the past – partnership. In this partnership between your sports radio station and a local business, both sides are expected to bring certain things to the table. In the proverbial “perfect world” the business owner is the expert on his or her business and industry while you’re an expert marketing consultant who sells solutions and ideas, and together you figure out the best strategy to grow the business. Unfortunately, that’s rarely what happens.

Most of us have had a client (or several) like one I had a few years ago who fancied himself not just an expert in his business and industry, but in ours as well. We’d have really good discussions about his business and what was happening within his industry. He was very data driven and seemed to “play the percentages,” with his strategies and go the safe, conservative route. When it came to his marketing campaigns, however, he ignored facts and figures and took a very liberal, high risk approach of investing in expensive, short-term opportunities, “a quick pop” he would say.

The strategy was wrong. As nicely as I could, I explained the rules of frequency and consistency when it comes to radio advertising and everything I said fell on deaf ears. He was interested in buying our station, but he only wanted to buy it his way with little to no input from us. I did what I normally would in this situation, which was to sell him what he wanted, but I made a point of making sure he was clear this was against my better judgement and that his expectations were unreasonable. I didn’t want him to be able to come back and blame me, the radio station or radio in general, when this campaign failed.

Which, of course, didn’t stop him from trying. After a three month run he didn’t want to renew and said we had oversold our audience size because if it had been what we said it was, he would have gotten more response. When we were eventually able to get him to sit down and meet again, I allowed him to give me his expert opinion on why it didn’t work and more on how his strategy was the way to go. I finally had to come right out and say it, “I’m sorry, but I think you’re wrong.”

I’d love to tell you that he eventually took my advice and went on to be a huge advertiser for years to come. The truth is, I did earn his business back that day and he did (mostly) take my advice with future schedules, although he never truly bought in to the consistency part and so he would end up bouncing from station to station testing the “definition of insanity” theory.

There are other reasons, of course, why we would choose to tell a customer they aren’t always right. Mostly, it should be because of something that is supposed to be our area of expertise. A good business owner wouldn’t be offended by (very respectfully) being told you disagree with them and offer another solution or idea. What kind of partnership would it be if we simply agreed with everything a client said even if we didn’t think it was in their best interest?

The customer can’t really always be right. We can and should treat them with the utmost respect and give them the benefit of doubt in almost every situation. But, when it comes to marketing, we should be the experts and shouldn’t be afraid to push back when need be. Our goal isn’t to always be right, but it is to always earn the renewal.

All-Star Cast Assembled for the 2019 BSM Summit

Columns

Jason Barrett

October 25, 2018

All-Star Cast Assembled for the 2019 BSM Summit

If you follow me on social media, chances are you’re aware of the upcoming BSM Summit in Los Angeles. The conference takes place February 21-22, 2019 at the Grammy Museum, and I’m excited to be hosting it. Be advised that this event isn’t open to the public. It’s strictly for individuals involved in the media business. Tickets are on sale at a reduced price until November 30th.

What makes this event beneficial for those in attendance, is that it covers issues that are relevant to each programmer, market manager, salesperson, host, production staff, agent, and affiliate rep. Some who aren’t familiar with the summit, make the mistake of assuming that it’s solely focused on programming matters. Although that side of the business receives its fair share of attention, the goal of the event is to arm industry people with information to help them further increase their ratings AND revenue, and to further elevate the performance of the sports media industry.

The two-day event tackles everything from brand building to monetizing digital, the subscription business, media measurement, social media, creative imaging, the rise of sports betting and esports, podcasting and smart speakers, changing advertiser perceptions, and uniting the sports radio industry. In the process, attendees gain an opportunity to learn, form new relationships, and shut down a bar or two if they’re unable to afford a ticket to watch LeBron James and the Lakers take on James Harden and the Rockets.

Another focus of this event is to recognize important people who’ve made significant contributions to the sports media business. We’ve previously announced plans to honor and introduce awards in the name of Emmis CEO and sports radio’s founding father Jeff Smulyan, and veteran national/local sports radio personality Tony Bruno. Two others will be announced in the near future, as will the inaugural recipients of those awards.

What we haven’t done yet though is officially announce some of the people who will be participating on stage at the 2019 BSM Summit. Some industry friends and acquaintances may be aware of some of the details due to learning about them in private Facebook groups or thru email, but since we’re less than four months away from the actual event, I figured it’d make sense to disclose who we’ve lined up to speak.

On that note, I am pleased to announce that in addition to Smulyan and Bruno, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Jorge Sedano, and Joe Fortenbaugh have agreed to join us on stage at the event. We’ve also lined up outstanding executives Norm Pattiz of Podcast One, Brian Musburger of VSiN, Bruce Gilbert of Cumulus/Westwood One, and Don Martin of iHeart/Premiere Radio Networks. Also in the room will be talented programmers Mike Thomas of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Mitch Rosen of 670 The Score, Scott Shapiro of FOX Sports Radio, Justin Craig of ESPN Radio, Ryan Maguire and Mike Salk of Bonneville Seattle, Jason Dixon of SiriusXM, Tony DiGiacomo of WFNZ, Chris Johnson of Team 980, Ryan Hatch and Rodney Lakin of Bonneville Phoenix, plus Perry Simon of All Access, Rick Cummings of Emmis, Jacob Ullman of FOX Sports, and a number of market managers, sports media agents, and broadcasting professionals from other areas of the industry.

In addition, I want to share another exciting announcement for this year’s BSM Summit. Thanks to my friends at Westwood One, I’m thrilled to reveal that Eric Bischoff has agreed to join us on stage to provide his views on brand building, content and character development, the podcasting business, and more. During his career, Eric has served as an on-air personality, and behind the scenes wrestling executive. He’s run his own production company with Jason Hervey, creating television shows for VH1 and CMT, and now teams with Conrad Thompson on WW1’s 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff podcast. Under his leadership, Bischoff’s WCW defeated Vince McMahon’s WWE in the ratings for an unprecedented 83 straight weeks. We’ll learn what went into it, and how it applies to competing in today’s sports media environment. I’m looking forward to everyone in the room having a chance to learn from him.

There are other exciting plans in the works which will make the event even better for attendees. When the time is appropriate we’ll share that information on the website. Putting a conference of this magnitude together isn’t easy, and I’ve had a few folks assume this is a big moneymaker for BSM. It’s actually quite the opposite. If we can escape Los Angeles covering expenses, that’s a win.

The reason we created this event in the first place was to bring sports media people together, and help them expand their knowledge of the business. Too often members of our industry don’t leave the friendly confines of their studios. To be in a position where we can give them a reason to do so is rewarding. I’m a firm believer that increasing relationships and doing the right thing eventually pays off. That might be naive thinking on my part, but it’s served me well so far.

If you work in the media business and wish to purchase a ticket, email JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me. To have all of these fantastic people already committed to attending and contributing is greatly appreciated, and it goes a long ways towards making our business better. I wouldn’t be able to deliver a successful show without their support.

In the meantime, stay tuned for further details, and I hope to see you in Los Angeles!

A Letter to a Young Salesman

Columns

Dave Greene

October 25, 2018

Ever wonder what you’d say to your younger self, the person you were when you just started in sports media sales? Here’s what I’d say:

Dear Younger Me,

Welcome to your first day in radio sales, kid. Buckle up.

The first thing you need to do is learn how to listen. Having not been a strength of yours coming up, this will be especially difficult for you. However, this skill, above all others, will be one that makes the greatest difference between success and failure. Listening is underated and is something not many people are great at. Become great at it and it will help you in sales, in management and in life.

Remember the times mom would say, “never burn a bridge?” Listen to her advice. Someone you meet the first week on the job that is currently a board op on the weekend, may be the head of the company when you run in to them next. The business you are entering, while a large industry, seemingly operates like a small town where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everyone’s business. Never forget it.

Make sure you’re a sponge. You’re going to have so much thrown at you over the next few years, take it all in. Learn every possible thing you can about the business, meet everyone you can and learn what everyone does. Look for good, look for bad and learn from both.

Be kind and appreciative to the people in the thankless positions. It takes a lot of people to get an account from sold to on the air to billed and collected, so if these people aren’t some of your best friends, you might be doing it wrong. If you aren’t constantly making sure these people know how much you appreciate what they do for you, you’re definitely doing it wrong.

Treat every client like they’re your top client because they may be someday. Spend more time getting to know them and listening (there’s that word again) to what they say about their business. The depth of your relationship with a decision maker could save your bacon more than any other factor down the road. Make sure they see value in not just what they buy from you, but also having you and your knowledge as part of the package.

Don’t ever be afraid to ask for more. A lot of people are going to tell you that you can always come down but cannot ever go up when it comes to pricing. Like mom, listen to them, and don’t let anything or anyone, other than the client themselves, tell you what they can afford. Put ideas together that you believe have great value and sell the value, but make it about the client and what your idea is going to do for them and their business. At the end of the day, they shouldn’t be concerned about their level of investment, they should be thinking about what the return is going to be on that investment.

Stay away from the negativity and distractions. Trust me when I tell you there will be enough distractions, at times, where you could spend entire days focusing on the wrong things. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in it, ever. You are there to make money for yourself and your family, that is what you should focus on at all times.

Take a deep breath and relax. Heed the advice of Warren Buffet who said, “You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass.”

Work hard. The more you do now, the less you’ll have to do later, and trust me when I tell you that your later self would appreciate that very much!

Good luck to you, pal. It’s a jungle out there.

Sincerely,

Older Me

P.S. In late October of 2018, there’s going to be a lottery drawing for $1.6 billion dollars – pick 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5!

Divorce Was Inevitable For the Oakland A’s and 95.7 The Game

Columns

Jason Barrett

October 18, 2018

Divorce Was Inevitable For the Oakland A’s and 95.7 The Game

On Friday afternoon, the Oakland A’s took an unusual approach to signal the end of their relationship with flagship radio station 95.7 The Game. They took to Twitter, releasing a short video which showed their equipment being moved out of a room, as the Kool and the Gang song “Celebration” played in the background. The phrase used in their tweet was “It’s not us, it’s you”, sending a message that they were unhappy with their partnership and moving on to find a new radio home.

It’s not us, it’s you. pic.twitter.com/48LVzpqzpV

— Oakland Athletics ????????⚾️ (@Athletics) October 12, 2018

Given my familiarity with the situation from having programmed The Game and worked with the A’s, industry folks began asking what I thought of the situation. Rather than spending all day trying to address each email, text and DM, I decided I’d save most of my thoughts for this space. After all, I’m way overdue for a lengthy piece.

Since I left the Bay Area in 2015, I’ve tried to separate myself from what’s happened there. I don’t work with either local sports station, even though I have friends in both buildings. I root for both to do well, and believe there’s plenty of room for each to do so. But this one situation deserves additional context so I’ll do my best to supply it.

Let me warn you in advance, I’m not going to pull any punches in this column. This is also strictly about the A’s partnership, and zero to do with the Oakland Raiders. Some people won’t like reading what I have to say, and if your feelings are hurt, I get it. I’ve put this part of my career in the rear view mirror, and sleep with a clear conscience. I know what I’m writing is true, and I stand by every word. If that’s an issue for you, it’s yours to solve, not mine.

When I heard about the relationship between The Game and the A’s reaching its conclusion it didn’t surprise me at all. In fact, it probably should’ve ended sooner. Had I not been leaving in 2015, I would have strongly recommended ending the relationship then. The goals for both groups were very different, and I think a split is best for both sides. Sometimes in business it’s not about who’s right and wrong, but rather if each party is able to help the other achieve their desired results. In this case, that wasn’t possible.

I haven’t worked for a Major League Baseball team so I’m not an expert on presenting the A’s point of view, but I understand why they’re frustrated. They wanted a flagship station to value them, and show their appreciation by treating them the way KNBR did the San Francisco Giants. They hoped to be a focal part of the station’s content and business strategy, and felt they weren’t given that respect.

If your franchise is in a pennant race, and providing a radio partner with tickets, a suite, remote access, use of trademarks, merchandise, special guest interviews, and the ability to join forces with them on sales opportunities, you’d hope that’d be enough to warrant special treatment on the flagship station’s weekday talk shows. When that TLC isn’t given, and you hear a competing station offering that treatment to another baseball team in your backyard, it creates disappointment. It gets magnified even more when your radio partner enters into a business relationship with the Golden State Warriors, switches its logo to the teams colors, and starts giving them the type of attention you’ve been seeking for years.

Your blood pressure likely increases even more when you tune in to your flagship station, and hear the on-air talent passionately talking about your rival, and welcoming guests and hosts from that team on a regular basis. After seven years of dealing with those issues, you’re probably going to want to find a new radio partner.

In a nutshell, the A’s wanted what the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers had, and didn’t receive it. The franchise was given that respect on television by NBC Sports California, and assumed The Game would be the radio equivalent of that TV station since the Giants were the centerpiece for KNBR and NBC Sports Bay Area.

But therein lies the problem. The team assumed and expected certain treatment from the radio station without taking into account what they needed too.

The Game was launched on FM to generate ratings and revenue, and compete with KNBR for the top spot in the marketplace. If fans were into a specific piece of content, we were going to give it to them, regardless of whether or not we were in business with them. We weren’t going to ignore one side of the Bay as the sports leader had for years. Our idea was to provide a more balanced and unfiltered approach since KNBR was known for leaning in one direction and treating the local teams with kid gloves.

Many thought though that we’d be the East Bay equivalent of what KNBR was to San Francisco and the South Bay. But that was never the plan. By doing that, not only would we have alienated one side of the market just like KNBR, but it would’ve also been business suicide.

When I moved to the Bay Area in June 2011, the station had been rushed on to the air with the A’s as a focal point. A 4-year agreement had been reached with the team, so I understood this was a long term play. We were a new radio station trying to gain fans, so it made sense to have a professional franchise on the air providing us with daily content seven months out of the year, and providing marketing inside the stadium, tickets, interviews, all of the usual stuff you’d expect a sports station to have.

On the other hand, KNBR had the Giants. The franchise played in the best stadium in baseball, were loaded with young superstars and popular personalities, and had just won the World Series in 2010. Excitement for their product was thru the roof.

The 49ers were also on KNBR, and had just hired Jim Harbaugh, and were on the verge of becoming a force in the NFC. Throw in the addition of Mark Jackson as Head Coach of the Warriors, another team on KNBR’s airwaves, and optimism for the market’s lone NBA franchise was growing as well.

Meanwhile, if you sat inside the building I was in, and looked at what you were up against, it was hard to see any path to victory by focusing on the A’s. KNBR’s teams won, and produced big ratings, the A’s did not. More times than not their game numbers were equal to or lower than the station’s talk shows. TV ratings and quarter hour segments provided a similar story.

There was also a public perception that the team wouldn’t spend money to retain key players, the stadium they played in was a mess, and ownership made it worse by continuing to tell the public they wanted no part of being in Oakland. The vibe all the way around was negative. Meanwhile, the teams across the street seemed to have everything going their way.

Reality was that the audience and advertisers had an insatiable demand for Giants, 49ers, and Warriors content, and if we hoped to compete, we needed to be talking about what mattered most to the majority. That didn’t mean the A’s and Raiders weren’t part of our content plans too, they were, but if they expected to be covered the way KNBR had the Giants, well we weren’t going to do that.

Over the next few years, I pissed off a lot of A’s fans, members of the organization, and even some of my staff by taking the on-air approach that I did. It was never personal. I had to look at what was best for our business. I was brought to San Francisco to build a station, grow ratings, and put talent in position to become household names in the market which would hopefully allow them to enjoy lengthy careers there. That mattered more than being popular.

What became frustrating as the relationship grew is that nothing we did seemed to be enough for the team. If we gave away 10 pairs of A’s tickets, and 1 pair of Giants tickets, there was an email or call expressing disappointment with the Giants giveaway. Petty bickering took place if one of our shows spent more time talking about the Giants than the A’s. If an A’s fan complained to the team about something said on the air, another complaint session followed or we’d learn of the team’s displeasure on social media.

Tensions increased more when I hired Buster Posey, Matt Cain, Brandon Belt, Jeremy Affeldt, Ryan Vogelsong, Shawn Estes and Rich Aurilia as weekly contributors. It didn’t matter that I had hired Bob Melvin, Billy Beane, Josh Reddick, Josh Donaldson, Sean Doolittle, Stephen Vogt, Dallas Braden, and Ken Korach too, only that Giants players were receiving air time on the radio station.

But the relationship soured most when we added Aubrey Huff to morning drive. It was a gamble, one that eventually didn’t work out, but when our ratings immediately shot up from 10th to 6th, they didn’t care. It didn’t matter if the station was healthy, and featured Chris Townsend on the show too (the A’s pre and postgame host), only that a former Giant was on our airwaves. It began to feel like the team would rather see us fail doing it their way, than win doing it our way.

I wasn’t privy to the way the A’s operated internally, but I got the sense that Billy Beane understood the big picture, and didn’t care about petty nonsense. I could be wrong, but that’s how he presented himself when we met. I thought he was incredibly sharp and hoped his type of thinking would rub off on others in the organization. Maybe on the baseball side it does, but when we had to navigate issues, and create opportunities to generate interest and revenue with people in other parts of the organization, it felt like we spoke a different language.

For starters, working with A’s PR during the first two years was a nightmare. The former PR head (not Adam Loberstein who was fair and easier to work with) constantly ripped the station, wanting me to set up time with our hosts so he could teach them how to discuss certain issues whenever he disagreed with their positions. If we asked for a bigger name player or someone in the news, it was equal to undergoing a root canal, and the answer was usually no. Even simple stuff like getting tickets to giveaway on-air to the team’s more popular series (Yankees, Red Sox, Giants) was a chore.

When we requested the team promote its players, manager, and GM’s appearances on our radio station via their social media accounts, that too was denied. The franchise tried to blame it on MLB’s rules, but when I provided evidence of how the Twins and Red Sox were using social media to support their radio partners, a few things magically started to change.

Things finally reached the point of no return when the head of PR called our hotline on a holiday threatening to blackball a PT host who had read an update on the air about the stadium issue based on something that had just been posted in the San Francisco Chronicle. He didn’t call me or APD Jeremiah Crowe. Instead he felt it was his place to threaten an employee, even though he had done nothing wrong.

Then, after the radio station spent money to send the midday show to broadcast from A’s spring training, I flew to Scottsdale to personally thank the team for hosting us, and to share some good news that we’d be increasing our player deals for the upcoming season. Before I could even say hello, I was berated like a child in front of a few players just outside the locker room over a few on-air opinions the head PR guy didn’t agree with. I bit back, told him what I thought of his attitude, changed my flight, and headed back to San Francisco a few hours later.

I also had what I would call philosophical differences with the team’s head of broadcasting. When I pitched the idea of Chris Townsend being added as a field reporter during games, it was initially rejected. Nobody loved the A’s more than Chris, and his chemistry with Ken and Vince was great. We were trying to give people more reasons to listen, but they didn’t feel that was important. As it turns out, they finally in 2018 (5 years later) decided to start giving Chris an opportunity to contribute inside the game broadcast.

Challenges also existed at times with the play by play product. Ken Korach and Vince Cutroneo did a great job together, but when Ken had to miss time due to his health or travel issues, the broadcast felt different. I recommended Roxy Bernstein and Guy Haberman as fill-in options, and at first, the team was reluctant. They’d instead put Vince in a booth by himself, and the one-man broadcast often produced lower ratings. That was especially problematic when the team played on the east coast because those start times would be 4pm PT, meaning they were occupying afternoon drive.

After a number of conversations, and constant pleading, they finally gave Roxy and Guy some opportunities, but it wasn’t easy. I even had to battle over a situation where a one-man broadcast was scheduled to happen again in Texas as part of a three game series against the Rangers. The team finally bent, and gave the green light for Roxy to step in, all he had to do was cover his own flight, hotel, and food.

Personally, it didn’t matter to me, which broadcaster they preferred or if they wanted to bring in someone else who the audience might recognize. I just wanted to make sure we were delivering the most entertaining presentation we could to give people a reason to put the game on. It also spared Vince from being put in a spot that was unfair to him.

What I haven’t touched on yet was the business side of the relationship. The team and radio station at that time worked on a rev share. We didn’t pay a rights fee. That was very helpful to a new station which wasn’t ready to absorb huge expenses. However, the reason the Giants did earn a hefty fee from KNBR is because they had what the A’s didn’t, huge ratings, and big advertising. Clients wanted to be at AT&T Park, and associated with the Giants brand.

The desire to be connected to the A’s at that time from a client standpoint was much lower. Our sellers busted their asses to try and get people on board, and they talked up the team’s history, the David vs. Goliath story, and the more affordable pricing, but it was hard. You can only run into a brick wall so many times, before losing confidence.

Making things even harder was convincing the team to create events and revenue drivers beyond spots and on-air segments. I sat in a meeting in 2014, already frustrated by the lack of progress, but decided to take one more stab at it after a chat with my former marketing guy Tony Cafarelli. The 25th anniversary of the A’s sweeping the Giants in the 1989 World Series was happening that season, and I thought, “If ever there was a time for an underdog to remind people the Giants may have the nicer stadium, and the recent track record of success, but when it mattered most, just remember who put who in place” this was it. I wanted to do something big to excite fans, and remind them of what was a special time in Bay Area baseball history.

I pitched a 1989 flashback event featuring appearances by Tony LaRussa, Roger Craig, Will Clark, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Matt Williams, Dave Stewart, Rickey Henderson, and others, with the idea that we’d share expenses, sell tickets, and give fans a chance to hear these guys share stories together, sign autographs, and bring together the entire Bay Area sports community.

After the idea was presented, it was almost immediately nixed because of the sheer mention of the Giants. There was no thought given to showcasing both franchises in a way that might bring more people to a central location, or how unique it’d be to hear McGwire and Clark, LaRussa and Craig, or Canseco and Williams together. As the weeks and months progressed, the idea morphed from a partnered event to a team event, leaving the radio station with no ability to share in the revenue success. I already knew that generating ratings with the team was a tall order, but when I saw what was taking place following that meeting, I realized making money together would be just as difficult.

If you’re a fan of the A’s, I realize this matters little to you. You just want to hear the team’s games on a good radio signal, and hear the hosts on that station talk about them to make you further invested in their success. When you’re not provided with that type of content, and hear the other team in the market receiving it, it pisses you off.

But sports radio isn’t a labor of love, it’s a business. The Game wasn’t built to please an audience of one, it was created to try and reach as many Bay Area sports fans and advertisers as possible. There were many hosts on the station who would’ve loved to have spent more time talking about the team, but when the numbers showed a significant disadvantage every time they did so, it made it harder to continue down that road.

Case in point, during the 2012 playoffs, the A’s provided as thrilling of a finish to the season as I have seen. Korach’s final call was awesome, and our entire staff got swept up in it. If memory serves me right, the A’s were 5 out with 9 games to play, and somehow rallied in the final week to sweep Texas, and win the AL West.

Everyone in the building at that time was bleeding green and gold, and convinced the A’s were going to shock the world. They weren’t interested in hearing about the Giants also being in the playoffs. I warned the crew not to lose sight of what was happening in San Francisco, but sure enough they did.

As it turned out, Justin Verlander and the Tigers ripped the A’s hearts out in Game 5 of the ALDS, sending the team home early. The Giants then bounced back from being down 2-0 to win their first round series against the Reds.

The following week, our talent sounded like the baseball season was over, even though the team eight blocks away was headed to the NLCS. The Giants went on to beat the Cardinals in the NLCS, advancing to the WS, and do what Oakland couldn’t, sweeping the Tigers to win the World Series.

When the ratings data came out the following month, I shared it with the staff, and we talked about what happened. I explained that we allowed our personal fandom and professional allegiance to blind us from what most fans in the market were feeling, and as a result, it came back to hurt us. We treated the Giants as a less important story, yet their games vs. the Reds produced mid 30 shares, and when they advanced to the WS the numbers soared into the 50’s.

Meanwhile, at their peak (Game 5), the A’s popped an 18 share, with the majority of ALDS games registering between an 8 and 14 share. We were pleased with the playoff numbers, because they were much better than the 1-4 shares we were accustomed to receiving during regular season games, but it painted a clear picture of where things stood.

The NY Times produced a piece in 2014 showing how different regions rooted for teams involved in the postseason, and when the Bay Area was shown, all you saw was a sea of orange, including in Oakland. Each piece of evidence offered the same results, and whether diehard fans liked it or not, we couldn’t ignore the signs.

Look at it like this, if you opened a restaurant and served a particular type of meal, and nobody showed up to eat, you’d either change the menu or hang a ‘Going Out of Business’ sign in your window. I didn’t move to the market to oversee a folded radio brand, and neither have any of the managers who have operated the radio station since I left.

The sad part in all of this is that I LOVED the underdog story. It epitomized in many ways who we were at The Game. I thought the franchise had great history, and even this past year I felt myself pulling for them. I wish the team’s games on the radio would’ve brought more fans and advertisers to the dial, but for whatever reason, attracting a large audience at the stadium or on the radio or television was a big challenge.

Though I had differences with some inside the A’s organization, and felt the problems stemmed from jealousy over the Giants, and a lack of creative thinking, there are folks there who I still hold in high regard. Ken Korach is as good of a human being as he is a broadcaster. He’s consistently invested in every game, and whenever the station needed a few minutes of his time to assist with closing a client or creating a quality segment on the radio, he was there to answer the call. He’s a true professional.

I also enjoyed having Billy Beane on the radio. He was not only intelligent, and well spoken, but also candid and comfortable. In many ways, he’s been the face of the A’s brand for the past two decades, and everyone from Brandon Tierney to Chris Townsend to Ric Bucher and Damon Bruce shared positive views of his segments. If anything I wish we could’ve talked him into more appearances in the booth. When he did do it, it was spectacular.

I shared a similar opinion of Josh Reddick, Josh Donaldson, Sean Doolittle, and Stephen Vogt. They weren’t just entertaining on the air (each could have a future in media if they wanted to), but they did extra stuff such as meet and greets, public events, and signing merchandise to help us further connect with fans. The only shame is they weren’t kept around longer.

Last but not least, A’s manager Bob Melvin was a class act to work with. On more than one occasion he went the extra mile to support the station, including going outside of the stadium before a game in uniform to join Chris Townsend on the air. It wasn’t uncommon for Bob to tune into the postgame show on his drive home, and call the hotline to chat with Chris about what transpired that evening. He understood the relationship, and was a pleasure to deal with.

When teams and media outlets work together, things can feel personal at times. I know there are people there now who had zero to do with the first four years of this relationship, and have just been trying to make things better during the past three, but some of the same issues exist. You can say “It’s not us, It’s you” but you may want to ask yourself why three different program directors and four general managers at the same radio station have come away with the same opinion. Not to mention, why the franchise is on the verge of adding its 15th radio partner in 50 years.

These type of relationships are very much like a marriage. You tie the knot with the best of intentions, but as times change, sometimes you discover the fit isn’t right. In this particular case, the A’s and The Game have different needs. The A’s want a radio station that makes them a priority, and The Game wants content on its airwaves which can produce ratings and revenue. That’s why the two sides are getting divorced after seven years together.

But rather than taking shots on the way out the door, it’s wiser to chalk up the split to irreconcilable differences, and move on amicably. The tweet the A’s put out may have rallied their fan base, but it sends a bad message to media partners who might consider working with the team. Putting a sour taste in Entercom’s mouth after a seven year run is also foolish, because they have more play by play partnerships in the radio business than anyone else, and keeping them interested, even if it’s just for leverage purposes, is smart business. Then again, that’s what businesses with a big picture view do. Unfortunately, that’s not the Oakland A’s.

Let the Client Decide How Much They Want to Spend

Columns

Dave Greene

October 18, 2018

Let the Client Decide How Much They Want to Spend

One of the biggest mistakes we can make in media sales is to decide what it is our client or prospect can or cannot spend on advertising. That is their job and only their job to decide as the person who will eventually stroke the check. We’re to listen and offer solutions based on our knowledge of marketing and our specific products. If we’re not given a budget to work with all we can do is present at levels we believe will deliver the best results based on their needs.

Managers often have to deal with reps who refuse to ask for more money. In their mind, for whatever reason, they don’t think the client can or will pay “that much” for advertising. If we’ve done a good CNA and good research, we should have some idea, but ultimately that number isn’t for us to decide.

I want to share with you the story of the last time I almost let an AE talk me out of asking a client for more money. It happened several years ago in St. Louis when I was asked to attend a meeting with a local union, but that I should know going in the client had said, “our budget is mostly tapped for the year” (the meeting was in early September) and this was to talk about opportunities for next year.

As the meeting went on, most of the ideas we ended up talking about revolved around the Rams football season (remember the St. Louis Rams?) and the Cardinals baseball season, but the client repeated over and over again that the Rams would have to be for next year as “our budget is mostly tapped for the year.” It was a really good CNA meeting and there were a lot of good ideas shared. As we wrapped up our AE scheduled a follow up meeting for the next week to go over a proposal for next year “since you said your budget was mostly tapped out for the year.”

As soon as they left, my first thought was to put something together that included the football season that had just begun. The AE thought I was crazy and that I hadn’t listened to a single word said in the meeting. “Didn’t you hear what they kept saying? They are tapped for this year. I don’t want to look like an idiot and present something when they just told us over and over they couldn’t do anything for this year.”

I said what I had heard was that they were “MOSTLY tapped out” and we failed to dig deeper on what mostly meant. The AE reluctantly worked with me on a package where one option included starting this season and another which was just the following year. The morning we were to polish it up and present it, the AE came in and pleaded with me not to bring up anything for the current year. He said things like “they said they don’t have the money” and “they can’t afford to do something this year,” as well as “I think there is a big opportunity here and I don’t want to blow it by looking like we didn’t listen to what they said.”

While I still didn’t agree with it, he was passionate and adamant about it, so I decided he could handle the client the way he thought was best. I told him it was his decision and he should present to them whichever one he feels most comfortable with.

The follow up meeting came and before we had the opportunity to present, the head of the union said once more how he really liked the ideas we had come up with and that they especially were excited about the program around the Rams, “just wish we could do it sooner, but my budget is mostly tapped out, I bet I don’t have fifty grand left for the year.”

(Insert record scratch)

Whoa. Hold up. I’m sorry, sir, did you say fifty grand? As in ten grand a month for the rest of the year? Allow us to go back and sharpen our pencils here, but what if we could make something work this year for that dollar amount?

To make a long story slightly shorter, we sold a deal right there at the table without the presentation ever coming out as the AE had only brought the proposal for the following year. To this particular group, $50,000 left for the year in marketing was not a lot of money, it was the equivalent to being “mostly tapped out.” For our rep, it became one of his highest billing monthly accounts, and one of the best lessons he (we) could’ve learned: Always ask for more. The amount of money the client has to spend on advertising is their decision to make. Not ours.

Sports Radio’s Summer Ratings Report

Radio

Jason Barrett

October 17, 2018

The Summer ratings book was released in early October to sports stations across the nation, and we do our best here at BSM to provide a snapshot of how brands are performing in the format. Although we make attempts to track down information, not every station or market is cooperative. We’re always happy to help stations share their stories, but whether they choose to do so or not is their prerogative. Those interested in being included in future columns can reach us via email at JBarrett@hvy.tcp.mybluehost.me.

The reason we create this piece each quarter is to help educate members of the industry, and advertisers of some of the great success stories taking place inside the sports format. Since this format launched, many have perceived it as ‘niche’. Yet the local content can’t be duplicated, the personalities have stronger ties to their audiences than many in other formats do, and in every other form of media, sports is seen as a must-buy.

This matters because these stations and individuals have an ability to move product. That should make them top of mind for any business who’s looking to reach sports fans, especially those who are Male between the ages of 25 and 54. Why sports radio doesn’t receive a larger chunk of the advertising buy is up for debate, but if we can help change one or two minds by showcasing the format’s success, then it’s work worth doing.

Lastly, though we work with some brands on a professional level, numbers don’t lie. If a station performs well, it’s our responsibility to share that with you, regardless of our personal or professional allegiances. We also try to steer clear or praising one brand while damaging another. If that’s not your cup of tea, so be it, but that’s how we believe in presenting our information.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s a look at how a number of sports radio brands performed during the summer book.

New York:

Usually when the ratings get released they’re in the New York newspapers within a matter of minutes. This quarter though for some strange reason not much was written about WFAN or ESPN NY’s performance. Nonetheless, we were able to gather a little bit of data to show how both are executing.

Starting with WFAN, the legendary NY sports talker finished 3rd in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p). The station produced the same share as it did in the spring, and was up seven tenths of a point year to year.

In mornings, Boomer and Gio delivered just under a 6 share to finish 2nd for the quarter. The show was up seven tenths from the spring book, but down a full point year to year.

Middays with Benigno and Roberts (despite Joe missing significant time during the book) tied for 5th with a 5 share. The program added five tenths of a point from the spring book, and three tenths of a point year to year.

The trio of Carlin, Bart, and Maggie received some positive signs this quarter. The ten month old show placed 5th with a 6.2, up three tenths of a point from the spring, and nine tenths of a point year to year. Their share was the best on the station for the summer book. One additional item worth pointing out, if you removed the Yankees games this quarter that affected CMB’s show, they only lost three tenths of a point which is pretty solid.

And last but not least, The Fan’s longtime cleanup hitter Mike Francesa finished the summer the same way he did the spring, in 3rd place. Francesa registered a 5.8, down two tenths from the spring, but up five tenths year to year. Once again if you pull away the Yankees games that cut into the show this book, there wasn’t much of a drop. The show goes from a 5.8 to 5.6 which is still very healthy.

On the other side, ESPN NY had to feel encouraged by the performance of Golic & Wingo. Though it’s harder to win in market #1 with a national show, Trey and Mike hit the top 10 this quarter with a 4 share. The show gained four tenths of a point book to book, and were up eight tenths of a point year to year. If they can hold steady in the top 10 in the nation’s largest market, that’s a good sign for the show.

In afternoons, The Michael Kay Show finished 7th with a 5 share. TMKS was down four tenths of a point book to book but up six tenths of a point year to year. Without an advantage from baseball play by play, that’s a nice showing from ESPN NY’s top rated show.

Overall, The Fan remained in front this quarter, but ESPN NY stayed in the hunt. What will be interesting to watch is how the two stations close out the fall. The Yankees should provide a little boost early in the book for WFAN due to advancing to the first round of the playoffs. Both stations carry NFL, NBA and NHL play by play so they’ll be close to even in that regard.

It was at this time last year that Francesa began his farewell tour, and The Fan was mired in controversy with Craig Carton’s exit. WFAN wound up finishing last fall 1st in mornings, and 2nd in afternoons. Michael Kay’s show despite no additional press or public sendoff placed 3rd, just one ranked spot away from the NY ratings king.

Los Angeles:

The nation’s 2nd largest market isn’t known for producing big sports radio numbers, but you’d think that the news of LeBron James joining the Lakers, the Dodgers landing Manny Machado and competing to win the NL West, and the Rams, Chargers, USC, and UCLA all returning to action would help.

Unfortunately it didn’t.

That raises two possibilities, either local people aren’t interested in sports or the market is under served from a ratings measurement standpoint. We’re betting on the latter.

Regardless, ESPN Los Angeles held head to head advantages over AM 570 LA Sports in mornings, afternoons, and 12p-3p among Men 25-54. 570 prevailed between 10a-12p and during evenings.

It’s worth noting that during this quarter, ESPN LA underwent changes in both drive times due to Marcellus Wiley leaving to join FOX Sports 1. How that will impact the fall book remains to be seen. What should help both stations during the fall is the advancement of the Dodgers to the NLCS, LeBron making his Lakers debut, and the Rams becoming a high powered attack and one of the best teams in the NFL.

Chicago:

The race between 670 The Score and ESPN 1000 has been tight over the past few years, but for this quarter, The Score enjoyed a comfortable win. The bad news for Adam Delevitt, that means he has to pick up the next lunch tab with Mitch Rosen.

Chicago Cubs baseball certainly helped The Score, but that’s not all of it. The Score took some shots for changing the majority of their shows during the spring. The moves weren’t popular, and the audience could’ve easily fled in other directions. Instead, they stuck with The Score during a period of transition, a testament to the trust the brand has built over the past few decades.

Starting with mornings, Mully and Hanley, and one month of Mully and Haugh, finished 2nd overall, cruising past ESPN 1000’s Golic and Wingo 7.5 to 2.8. Bernstein and McKnight continued the surge winning the 9a-1p timeslot 4.2 to 2.3. A similar story occurred between 1p-6p where Dan McNeil and Danny Parkins were 4th and ahead of 1000’s shows 5.5 to 4.1.

An important point to remember, the two stations structure their weekday lineups differently, thus the reason for not being able to list simple head to head comparisons.

Taking a look at things from 1000’s point of view, Kap and Company had a down quarter. The 9a-12p show produced an unusual 2.1, nearly 2 points lower than the first 3 hours of Bernstein and McKnight. Is that a meter issue or a case of the summer blues? It’s too early to tell. Kap’s certainly proven before he can generate numbers.

Things were better in afternoon drive for ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy. The station’s top rated show finished in the top 5 with a 4.4. Though their performance was strong, they trailed McNeil and Parkins by a little more than a point.

With the fall book including one month of Cubs baseball, the return of the Bears and arrival of Khalil Mack, and Bulls basketball and Blackhawks hockey, both stations should expect to see positive gains to wrap up the year.

San Francisco:

KNBR earned another quarterly victory, beating 95.7 The Game in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) by nearly a point and a half. They also prevailed for the full week (M-SU 6a-Mid) by just over a full point. However, it was the month of September which provided cause for concern for the Bay Area’s Sports Leader.

Before we get into that, let’s take a look at the weekday show comparisons. KNBR had to feel good about their collective performance, led by Murph and Mac who topped The Game’s Joe, Lo, and Dibs 5.2 to 3.9 in morning drive. Gary and Larry continued that momentum holding off Matt Steinmetz and Daryle “The Guru” Johnson 4.6 to 4.1. And similar results were achieved in afternoons by Tom Tolbert and John Lund finishing ahead of Damon Bruce 5.2 to 3.4. The Game’s Greg Papa and KNBR’s Fitz and Brooks battled to a draw during the hours that they matched up.

Although the majority of head to head matchups favored KNBR, the interesting part of the summer book that likely has both brands pushing even harder were the September results. The two stations tied for 5th for the full week (M-SU 6a-Mid). KNBR also finished one spot in front of The Game in PM drive. However, The Game got the upper hand gaining victories in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p), AM drive, 10a-12p, and 12p-3p. That’s something KNBR isn’t used to.

Looking ahead to the fall, neither station is likely to gain a huge ratings boost from the 49ers or Raiders. Each team plays once a week and are in the midst of bad seasons. In baseball, both the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s were eliminated from postseason play, so there’s no advantage there either. But The Game is poised to gain a few ears from the return of the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.

If the September trend continues for The Game, and the addition of Warriors basketball delivers the usual spike that it has the past few years, The Game may finally have enough to pass KNBR in the ratings. Though The Game has reason to be optimistic, winning a book vs. a month is a tall order, and KNBR didn’t earn the name “the Bay Area’s sports leader” by accident. Best of luck to both brands in their pursuit for 4th quarter victory!

Dallas:

This is a market where both 105.3 The Fan, and Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket perform well. It’s easy to get caught up on who finished in front of who in the ratings, but each station has great talent, strong ratings, and should be on the radar of advertisers looking to reach male sports fans in the Dallas market.

For the summer book, The Ticket held steady in both drive times, winning the head to head battles, thanks to the stellar work of The Musers and The Hard Line. The Fan though had nothing to apologize for as both Shan & RJ and Ben & Skin were both inside the Top 4.

Where The Fan gained an advantage was in middays. G-Bag Nation prevailed this quarter over Norm & Donovan, and BaD Radio. It was the first head to head win for The Fan against The Ticket for a full book this year.

Overall, The Ticket is down a point and a half year to year, and has experienced a drop since May when they were in double digits. That said, they still won the overall book with Men 25-54 with a mid 7 share performance. The Fan holds the edge with Men 18-34. ESPN 103.3 has been a non-factor with ratings in the low 2’s.

Regardless of your rooting interest, it’s hard not to appreciate what both of these stations continue to produce on a consistent basis. Expect more of the same when the fall book rolls around.

Philadelphia:

Sports Radio 94 WIP was once again the primary choice for sports radio listening for the summer book in the city of brotherly love. The station placed 3rd with Men 25-54 with a 7.7, 3 full points ahead of 97.5 The Fanatic. Another positive sign for WIP was its nearly 5 and a half point lead over The Fanatic with Men 18+.

As usual, Angelo Cataldi dominated mornings, finishing 2nd with Men 25-54 with a 9.7. Cataldi was also 2nd with Adults 25-54 with a 6.7, and 3rd with Men 18+ with a 9.2. The Fanatic during the summer book featured Anthony Gargano in mornings, who registered a 5.2 with Men 25-54, and a 3.2 with Adults 25-54. He’s since moved to middays, leaving the gigantic task of taking down Cataldi to Marc Farzetta and Tra Thomas.

In middays, Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie led WIP to another win. The popular pair were ranked 4th with a 7.6 with Men 25-54. Year to year the show is up 20%. The Fanatic’s team of Harry Mayes and Jason Myrtetus generated a 5.1. Mayes has since left the station, replaced by Gargano.

Afternoon drive is where The Fanatic gained an edge, although the gap isn’t as wide as it once was. Mike Missanelli reigned supreme with a 7.4, besting WIP’s team of Jon Marks and Ike Reese who delivered a 6.7. The two shows finished tied with a 4.1 with Adults 25-54.

Houston:

The competition remained close between the market’s three key brands this period, but this time bragging rights for the full week belonged to SportsTalk 790 who won the quarter by six tenths of a point over Sports Radio 610 KILT, and by eight tenths of a point over ESPN 97.5 FM. In the weekday prime hours of M-F 6a-7p, 790 won again, except with a slightly larger lead.

Looking at the key weekday shows, it was another positive story for 790 as they prevailed in mornings, middays, and afternoons. KILT picked a win during evening hours.

The Houston Chronicle listed all of the top performing sports talk shows for the quarter which you can see by clicking here. We’ve posted the Top 5 below. Be advised that some programs may increase or decrease their standing depending on streaming and simulcast numbers being included. It is surprising to see none of 610’s programs cracking the top 5.

1. Fred Faour/A.J. Hoffman (4p-7p ESPN 97.5)
2. Sean Salisbury (3p-6p SportsTalk 790)
3. Josh Innes (6a-10a SportsTalk 790)
4. Matt Thomas (12p-3p SportsTalk 790)
5. Greg Koch/N.D. Kalu 10a-12p SportsTalk 790)

Atlanta:

Winning baseball by the Atlanta Braves, and the August buildup to the NFL and College Football seasons helped the market’s two top sports brands deliver a successful quarter.

92.9 The Game remained the top performer, finishing the summer book in 3rd place with a near mid 7 share. That ranking was the same, but the number was slightly higher in mornings thanks to John Fricke and Hugh Douglas.

The Game’s Carl Dukes and Mike Bell produced the station’s biggest number this book, finishing 2nd in afternoon drive with just under a 9 share. They were also 1st overall for the final month.

Nights on The Game also produced positive results. The station was 2nd in the timeslot with a low 6 share.

Meanwhile for The Fan, they enjoyed their best quarter in years. Most of the station’s weekday programs were in or near the Top 10 with Men 25-54. Their 55+ numbers also provided some positive signs.

Washington DC:

106.7 The Fan continued to establish itself as the market’s dominant sports voice, led by an outstanding summer book. The momentum gained from the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup during the spring book carried forward, as The Fan grew from 7.4 to 7.5 M-SU 6a-Mid with Men 25-54. For weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) the station dipped slightly from an 8.8 to 8.3.

Where things were especially positive for The Fan were in their weekday dayparts. Grant and Danny delivered the best ranking on the station finishing 1st in middays. The Sports Junkies remained strong with a 2nd place finish in mornings. And Chad Dukes secured 3rd place in the highly competitive afternoon drive timeslot.

A few other interesting tidbits to pass along.

The Fan is up over a full point year to year with Men 25-54 M-SU 6a-Mid. They’re also up seven to eight tenths of a point during that same period with Adults 25-54 in M-F 6a-7p and M-SU 6a-Mid, as well as with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p.

The biggest ratings gainer over the past twelve months has been M-F 10a-3p (Grant & Danny + 1-hour of Chad Dukes) which has increased from a 6.9 to 9.0. The Fan has also received an impressive 6.3 number from the Junkies in mornings with Adults 25-54.

Boston:

The story remained the same in New England where 98.5 The Sports Hub won the overall week, and WEEI emerged victorious in a few head to head battles. In M-SU 6a-Mid, The Hub produced an 8.4 with Men 25-54, which was enough to finish first. WEEI placed 2nd with a 7.2. The station also received a .4 from WVEI which broadcasts WEEI’s programming out of Providence and registers in the market.

In mornings, WEEI’s Kirk and Callahan finished 1st with a 8.9. The Hub’s Toucher and Rich came in 2nd with an 8.4. An interesting note to point out, Kirk Minihane missed a number of programs during the summer book. He took an indefinite leave from the station in September so that should make the fall book interesting as well.

Turning to middays, WEEI’s combination of OMF (moved to PM Drive in August) and Dale and Keefe bested The Hub’s team of Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand 8.8 to 7.5. That allowed WEEI to finish 2nd in the daypart. The Hub placed third.

The Hub bounced back claiming victory in afternoons where Felger and Massarotti doubled WEEI’s Dale and Keefe and a few weeks of OMF 13.3 to 6.5. The Hub also won the 6p-7p hour when both stations typically host baseball pre-game shows, 10.8 to 5.0.

Closing things out at night, WEEI’s combination of Boston Red Sox baseball and Mut at Night earned a 9.5 to emerge victorious over The Hub’s Adam Jones who generated a 6.5.

Phoenix:

Arizona Sports had reason to celebrate, finishing as the highest rated spoken word station in the market for the quarter. Leading the way were the station’s drive time programs, Doug and Wolf, and Burns and Gambo, which both ranked 4th overall with Men 25-54. Doug and Wolf also finished 8th for the quarter with P25-54.

Turning to middays, Bickley and Marotta came in 7th during their daypart. The station’s combination of Diamondbacks baseball and The Rundown with Luke Lapinski also received a 7th place ranking during evening hours.

One additional positive for the brand, among Men 18-34, Arizona Sports finished 6th.

Seattle:

The quarter once again belonged to Bonneville’s 710 ESPN. The team of Brock and Salk enjoyed three straight months inside the To 10 to earn bragging rights as the market’s preferred choice for sports in morning drive.

Switching to middays, John Clayton, and Bob, Groz, and Tom saw their numbers increase during the three month stretch from the high 2’s to the mid to high 3’s. With football season now underway, that momentum should help their programs gain even more ground during the fall book.

Finishing up in afternoons, the trio of Danny, Dave, and Moore had the best overall three month performance of the station’s key weekday shows, finishing between 5th and 9th for each month of the book. The only timeslot to perform better was evenings, led by Seattle Mariners baseball, which ranked between 4th and 7th.

Tampa:

There may not be a ton of sports radio competition in the market for WDAE, but Tampa’s leading sports station did what it’s supposed to do, build upon its own success.

For the summer book, Ronnie and TKras led the way in mornings, gaining a full share increase with Men 25-54. JP Peterson doubled the station’s share in PM drive, a huge feat given that Peterson has been holding down the fort for Steve Duemig who’s been battling health issues.

Also worth noting, all of WDAE’s weekday shows recorded Top 8 finishes with Men 35+.

St. Louis:

Another quarter, another dominant performance from St. Louis’ leading sports brand. 101 ESPN remained powerful, crushing the market’s sports competition and establishing a stronger presence against top brands from other formats.

The station finished 3rd with a 9.1 M-F 6a-7p, and 3rd with a 7.0 M-SU 6a-Mid.

Looking at the weekday shows, Bernie Miklasz produced an 8.1 to place 3rd in morning drive. Kevin Wheeler and The Turn also finished 3rd in middays. In fact, The Turn was just four tenths of a point under a ten share, which is especially remarkable considering Chris Duncan was away from the show for the entire quarter.

Rounding things out in afternoons, The Fast Lane cruised to another 1st place finish with a 12.1. Randy Karraker, Brad Thompson, and Chris Rongey have been at or near the top of the ratings ladder for nearly two years.

Baltimore:

It was another strong quarter for 105.7 The Fan. Baltimore’s sports voice was above a 10 share in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p), helping the station finish 1st in the market for its third straight book. That’s the first time in station history that The Fan has accomplished this feat.

A few other notes worth sharing.

The Big Bad Morning Show with Rob Long, Ed Norris, and Jerry Coleman continued to dominate with Men 25-54, while also moving into the top 4 with Adults 25-54.

The station’s midday show featuring Bob Haynie and Vinny Cerrato came in 1st with Men 25-54, while registering a 6th place finish with Adults 25-54.

The afternoon show with Scott Garceau and Jeremy Conn provided a similar story, generating above a 10 share with Men 25-54.

Charlotte:

The transformation of WFNZ in Charlotte over the past eighteen months has been fun to watch, and the summer book continued to highlight the way the brand’s programming has connected with local listeners.

For starters, Mac and T-Bone climbed from a 2.1 last year to a 2.7 this year in morning drive, a performance which helped them jump 7 positions in the summer book. Even more noteworthy has been their appeal to Men 18-34 where they produced a 6th place ranking for the month of September.

Middays also provided some positive signs thanks to the arrival of Nick Wilson and Josh Parcell. Though the new midday crew didn’t start until August 6th, their first month in the ratings produced a Top 10 finish (3.8). The overall quarter for middays was lower (2.8) due to the station going thru a search for a new show. With Wilson and Parcell now firmly entrenched, further growth should be expected.

In afternoons, the talented team of Kyle Bailey and Frank Garcia kept things steady, delivering a 2.7 to remain just outside of the Top 10. The show began to see excellent growth signs with Men 18-34 in September, leading all shows on the station with a 5th place finish and 5.6 share.

Considering that the summer months in Charlotte are devoid of local sports driving frequent listening occasions, WFNZ had a pretty good book, and is set up well for the fall ratings period when Panthers Mania floods the airwaves.

Memphis:

92.9 ESPN has been on quite the roll over the past year. During the past twelve months, the radio station has generated a 9.1 rating. That’s been good enough to lock up 2nd place in the market during that time period.

As far as the summer book was concerned, it was more of the same. Memphis’ leading sports brand received its best performance from Jason & John who finished the quarter 1st overall with a 10.7. During the month of September alone, the program produced just under an 11 and a half share.

Second on the list was Geoff Calkins who came in 2nd during his mid-morning slot with a 10 and a half share. Calkins’ September performance was even more impressive, registering a low 13 share.

The rest of the lineup saw Gary Parrish soar in with just under a 9 share to place 2nd in afternoon drive. Eric Hasseltine’s midday program was ranked 6th during its daypart with a low 8 share.

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