Tell me if this one has ever happened to you.You called a restaurant and asked for the person in charge of buying the advertising.The person who picked up says they are, indeed, the person who buys the advertising and yes, they’re willing to meet with you.
The following week you walked in at 10 am, as instructed, for your Client Needs Analysis meeting.You waited for about 15 minutes until a guy came out of the kitchen and told you he totally forgot about the meeting and that he was short on time, but “what’dya got for me?”
You started talking about the package your boss mentioned in that morning’s sales meeting and all of a sudden, something you said sparked interest.Maybe it was a watch party with an appearance by a local star athlete.The person you were meeting with you told you that business had been rough at night early in the week, so maybe something like this could really spark things.
From there, everything you saw was a buying signal.The person pointed out where the show could broadcast and even mentioned some specials that they could do.Even the waiter wiping down the tables to get ready for lunch made a comment about how cool it would be to do this.
Then came the question about cost.You quickly blurted out the number and threw in something about talent and tech fees being included, the number of spots and promos – and waited for the reaction.To your surprise, he didn’t seem to have any problem with the number and you started thinking you had this in the bag…until the kiss of death came:
“WELL, LET ME RUN THIS BY THE OWNER AND I’LL GET BACK TO YOU.”
Turns out, the person you just met with wasn’t really the decision maker.They were just another gatekeeper who said they made the advertising decisions.What they meant to say was that they could say no, but they couldn’t say yes.
Many of us spend too much time with someone who cannot say yes.This is the main prospecting challenge most people face, not identifying which businesses to call, but identifying the person you need to talk with, at that business, and then getting in touch with them.
I used the restaurant example because they’re notorious for having General Managers who aren’t the owners and aren’t authorized to spend any money without the permission of the owner.This underscores the importance of making sure you’re dealing with the right person – the one who can approve spending money.There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that when this scenario happens, you now have to trust Mr. or Ms. Restaurant GM to pitch your idea to the owner.It’s always best if you’re the one who presents to the decision maker, as it increases your chances of getting a deal, immensely.
A good tip is to make sure you ask the question a couple times, a couple different ways.For example, when they first pick up the phone, you should confirm that they’re the person who makes the advertising decisions.If they agree to meet, ask something again such as “Is their anyone else involved in making the advertising decisions that should join us at the meeting?”I’ve heard some reps ask, “Are you the owner of the business?” so that if they say they aren’t they can ask, “Is the owner available to meet with us?” which can also help you gain insight on how the business operates depending on their answer.
The bottom line is that we don’t have time to waste chasing people who tell us how much they love our idea but under no circumstances can approve the spend.By double (or triple) checking that you’re talking with the right person, you can save yourself a lot of time.Our jobs are really hard as it is, trying to sell to someone who can’t buy makes it pretty close to impossible!
As sports fans, we often rely on the eye test to tell us if someone is a hall of famer. Stats provide evidence of an individual’s greatness. So too does being excellent in a sport for a lengthy period of time. If you can include a few championships, that’s usually enough to end the conversation and earn permanent recognition among the game’s elite.
In the sports radio business, it’s much tougher to depend on evidence because ratings and revenue can fluctuate, employers can change, and a host’s ability to deliver an entertaining show is viewed differently by each listener. One might point to a host’s longevity and use that as a barometer of being worthy of hall of fame consideration, but being able to last is far different than making a consistent impact.
If you were to look at the list of sports broadcasters who have made the National Radio Hall of Fame you’d find that most have been play by play announcers. To date, there haven’t been any modern day sports talk show hosts recognized who have been part of the sports format’s explosion over the past thirty years. Not Mike Francesa. Not Mike and Mike. Not Dan Patrick. Nobody.
Now before you take aim at the Hall of Fame for that, pump the brakes. Being nominated is supposed to be special, and the selection committee takes their responsibility very seriously. Sports may allow stats compilers to get in, and other players to earn consideration after local media members have continued making a case for why they deserve an extra look, but earning a place among the best in any profession is supposed to be difficult.
To illustrate that point, the National Radio Hall of Fame takes the best of the best from all formats, and puts them up for nomination. You may immediately think “Mike Francesa is a Hall of Famer” and you might be right, but if for example he was on the ballot at the same time as Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Scott Shannon, and you could only vote once or twice, that would make it a much harder decision.
One of the cool things the National Radio Hall of Fame does is they allow people to be involved in their voting process. Fans are given a chance to vote twice, and it benefits each nominee to make their audience aware of their being considered for the prestigious honor of joining broadcasting’s finest. This year fans can vote by logging on to RadioVote.com or texting 800 to 9600 to show their support for specific nominees.
As far as the sports format is concerned, one man is on this year’s ballot and it’s well deserved. Jim Rome has been one of the most successful and respected personalities to operate in this business, and during his three decades of excellence he’s created a legion of fans (The Clones) and fictional sports combat zone (The Jungle), introduced a different style of sports lingo, elevated national syndication for sports radio shows, and demonstrated what a multi-platform approach looks like before it became the trendy way to describe being involved in different areas of the industry.
I learned while taping a podcast with Jim in California last year that despite his success, he’s not someone to pat himself on the back. He’s still driven to do great work, appreciates where he is in today’s radio climate, and doesn’t lose sight of where it all started and what lies ahead.
Jim is not going to climb to the top of the mountain and shout to the masses that he deserves entry into the hall of fame. That’s not his style. But he’s also not the one writing this column, I am. Therefore I’m going to share my two cents and I know many will agree, Jim Rome deserves to be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
To make that happen, members of the sports radio community have to get involved. All you have to do is log on to the website or send in a text to cast your vote. Whether you’ve been a lifelong fan of Jim’s or considered his program not in line with your personal tastes, it’s impossible to deny his impact on the sports format. It’s time one of the best in our format becomes the first modern day sports talk show host to be recognized for his accomplishments and contributions to our business.
I reached out last week to Jim to get a sense of how he was feeling about the process and what it’s felt like being included in conversation for one of our industry’s highest honors, and below are the results of that conversation.
BSM: Having done this as long as you have, when did the idea of your life’s work being recognized first enter your mind?
Rome: It really hasn’t, Jason. I really don’t look at this Hall of Fame nomination as a recognition of my life’s work. It’s a tremendous honor and its humbling but I’m still in the fight. And I’m about the grind. Every single day. And I love it. I’m looking to stay as competitive and relevant as long as I possibly can. I’m not looking for any off-ramp. I’m looking to continue to improve, evolve, re-invent and continue crushing it for years to come. I want to win for the people I work for, the sponsors I work with and for the people who dial in every day to listen and/or watch our shows. I’ll probably take the time to recognize my life’s work when I put the mic down or they come and rip it out of my hands, but for now, I have way too much work to do to stop and think about it!
BSM: In sports, many look at numbers to decide if someone’s Hall of Fame worthy. In radio we can see how long you’ve hosted a show but we don’t always know your ratings and revenue numbers. When you think of an individual or team show in radio being hall of fame caliber, what do you feel they should’ve accomplished in order to earn that honor?
Rome: I think you’re right. I’m not really sure what the criteria should be or what makes someone a Radio Hall of Famer. But I think you have to start with your audience. Do you have a large and loyal, if not rabid, audience? Obviously, market share plays into this but so does longevity and cultural relevance. Have you left any mark on the genre? Have you opened any doors for others to enter the space and experience success on their own? Have you given back? And paid it forward. I’d like to think I’ve done all those things. And if it’s good enough to warrant an induction into something as prestigious an institution as the National Radio Hall of Fame, then that’s one of the best things ever. If not, I’m just going to keep banging away, loving and respecting the opportunity. It’s an amazing industry and I’ve never loved and appreciated it more than I do right now.
BSM: In terms of your legacy and impact on the sports radio format, what do you feel are your most memorable accomplishments and lasting marks on our business?
Rome: I appreciate the suggestion that I may have made a lasting mark on the business. If so, I think the thing that might make me different is that I was different. And honestly, that was by design. I always knew I wanted to do this. I just didn’t know how I was going to do this. Why would anyone ever consider giving me a radio show? Or a TV show? I wasn’t a professional athlete. No one knew who I was. I was just a guy. So I formulated a plan that I committed too. A contract with myself, if you will. I would try to get in and get on by being different. Instead of spewing stats and box scores, I was going crack open the mic and just let it rip. The show would be opinion based. It would have a distinct point of view. And it would be aggressive. And at that time, that was unusual. Athletes and non-athletes alike have told me in the years since they either loved it or hated it, but they had never really heard anything like it. In terms of accomplishments, I always been proud of the first time we busted out, took the show on the road, and created the Jungle World Tour. We hit places like Detroit, Houston, Tampa, Cleveland, Kansas City, Buffalo, Arizona, and packed arenas and to feel that kind of love nationwide blew my mind. And again, I take great pride in the people who have worked for me, called the program or appeared on the program who have gone on to kill it in the industry as well. That has been nothing short of awesome to watch.
BSM: Aside from yourself, who’s the one sports radio talent in America not currently in the Hall of Fame who you believe should be in it?
Rome: That’s easy. My man, Boomer Esiason. I’ve never seen athlete make the transition as seamlessly from the field to the broadcast booth. I’m not sure how Boomer would feel about what I’m about to say, but I think his career off the field compares favorably or better to it on the field. And he was a damn good player. A league MVP. But I’m talking about a guy who has been a morning KILLER in the most important radio market in the world for years. And a television personality to match. And the guy is an absolute animal in the way he attacks the grind. NO. DAYS. OFF. And he’s not just talking football. He’s everywhere. Not to mention everything he’s giving back with the work he does with his foundation. Boomer Esiason is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
BSM: How do you think the evaluation of sports radio hosts will change over the next 10-20 years when the HOF considers whether or not a host or show is worthy of being inducted?
Rome: That’s a very interesting question because the industry is changing every single day. More and more people are entering the space in more and more different ways. The National Radio Hall of Fame will probably have to consider podcasters in the near future because there are so many people putting out quality content on a daily basis and drawing huge, tangible numbers from it. Crushing the iTunes charts is just as impressive as crushing the ratings book and the affiliate lists. And most young, hungry broadcasters who can bring something different to it aren’t going to wait to work their way up from a call screener to a host when they can open up the microphone app on their iPhone and start knocking out shows immediately. So I think the evaluation over the next decade or two will start to broaden. Difference makers always get noticed. No matter where they are.
BSM: On a personal level, what would earning a spot in the National Radio Hall of Fame mean to you?
Rome: You have to understand, my first paid radio gig was for 30 days. THIRTY. At the time, I was selling telephone systems, or trying to, in and around Los Angeles and just getting my head handed to me. And this was after I tried to sell dictation equipment and did even worse. Desperate, I called a guy I worked for while in college, John Palminteri back in Santa Barbara and said, “I’m getting my ass kicked down here. I can’t sell a thing. Is there ANYTHING you have for me to do?!” He said, “The guy who does our traffic reports is going home for Christmas break. I’ve got 30 hours a week, $5 bucks an hour, no benefits.” I said, “I’ll take it. See you Monday.” And left Los Angeles, moved back to Santa Barbara and put my head down. 30 years later, here we are and I’m talking to you about a nomination to the National Radio Hall of Fame?! The whole thing is unbelievably surreal to me. Truth is, getting in would mean a helluva lot to me. Especially because my category is decided by a vote of the listener. Nothing would be more fitting than if the Jungle Clones somehow pulled this off. Nothing would make me more proud if we all went in together.
BSM: How can fans and industry professionals help you spread the word to earn a place among radio’s elite?
Rome: Thanks so much for asking. The best way to spread the word is to go to my Twitter profile where I have pinned all the information on how to vote. I’m not totally comfortable stumping for the vote but I want to make it as easy as possible. It’s right there and I’d encourage anyone to retweet it if they’re so inclined. There are two ways to vote and you are allowed to vote twice. First, you can text 800 to 96000. And then you can go to RadioVote.com and vote there as well. I can’t tell you how much all the support I have already received and will continue to receive, means to me. Induction or no induction, it’s been an incredibly humbling experience. Something I’ll never forget. Thanks a million for the time, Jason.
The Chargers exit from San Diego left local football fans with a bitter taste in their mouth. It also created a situation where local sports brands were left trying to figure out how to proceed covering the NFL. Did it make sense to continue partnering with NFL teams, more specifically the Chargers? Or shut the league out and turn the station’s focus towards other things?
For The Mighty 1090, they’ve chosen to stay involved with the NFL, but they’ve taken a far less conventional path. Rather than developing a partnership with the team that left a hole in San Diego, they’ve gone into business with the Chargers soon to be landlord, the Los Angeles Rams.
The NFC West Champions have signed a two-year deal with 1090 to have their games broadcast on the radio station. 1090’s signal not only covers the San Diego market but it also extends into a large portion of Southern California including the Los Angeles area.
The new partnership is sure to produce mixed reactions from local fans. Some will embrace the Rams being featured on the station simply because they’re not the Chargers. Some will shun the NFL because of how pissed they are over the Chargers being taken away from the city. Others will be upset with 1090 for joining forces with a Los Angeles team, one which did to another city what the Chargers did to San Diego.
Mighty 1090 host Darren Smith announced the news on the air during his show and acknowledged that it took awhile for 1090 to come to the decision. Smith pointed out that market research was done to explore if the relationship made sense. Ultimately Smith said it felt like the right team at the right time, and a way to continue covering the NFL in a market where many football fans still exist, without attaching themselves to the team that left many heartbroken.
The irony in the new arrangement is that Rams executive Kevin Demoff is now working with a city which lost its NFL franchise to Los Angeles, after being in the middle of the same exact situation when the Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles.
When VSiN (Vegas Stats and Information Network) launched in February 2017, few knew what to expect from the upstart sports gambling brand. A channel on SiriusXM and the involvement of Brent Musburger created some curiosity, but generating mainstream awareness and providing a content source that provided value to established broadcast groups was still a pipe dream.
Then as the past eighteen months began to take shape, and the noise about sports betting becoming legalized increased, more industry people and businesses began to take a closer look. The company started to add more talent in front of the mic and behind the scenes, while forging partnerships with groups such as Cheddar and TVG. They even took their first step into the terrestrial radio space by partnering with 670 The Score in Chicago.
Perhaps their biggest relationship to date though, as far as terrestrial radio is concerned, was the announcement on Monday of former CBS Radio CEO and President, and current iHeartradio Senior Advisor Dan Mason joining the company as an Investor and Strategic Advisor.
What did Mason see in VSiN that convinced him it would be worth investing in? We spoke for a few minutes on Monday and it’s clear the longtime radio executive sees a very bright future for the company.
BSM: How did this partnership come about?
Mason: I started looking at it from a talent standpoint given my involvement in horse racing. Then as I got deeper into it I thought maybe I could apply some of my executive skills to help them. Brian and I got together and the more we talked the more that seemed to make more sense. As we talked thru it, it started to feel like I was visiting one of my old markets. You sit and go over numbers, opportunities, audiences and holes in the media business and as I processed everything it was pretty apparent to me that these guys were really on to something. The timing of it was also incredible because the Supreme Court overturned the betting law and it really was the perfect storm. Things were changing and unraveling pretty quick and these guys were well ahead of the curve.
BSM: What type of research did you do on the company before deciding to commit to them?
Mason: I did the basic due diligence on financials and who was participating in the company. Similar stuff you’d do if you were deciding to buy a radio station. A lot of conversations too with Brian Musburger, Todd Musburger and Bill Adee. A lot of this stuff is a leap of faith and you need to understand the people you’re dealing with. If you do an ounce of homework on Brian, Brent and the entire Musburger family you’ll quickly realize these are quality people and first class all the way. There’s very little risk on that side I believe.
BSM: How much time will you be committing to help them in growing the business?
Mason: I don’t want to wear out my welcome. I hope I don’t drive them crazy because I talk to them everyday, more than I even talked to CBS managers. It’s fun because we’re brainstorming and talking about ways to grow the business. When you have a hit on your hands it’s so much fun to watch it grow. These guys have been on the air for quite some time doing good work and it’s exciting to try and help them grow it into something even bigger.
BSM: Given your existing relationship with iHeartradio, will your involvement with VSiN affect that status?
Mason: Not at all. They’re unrelated. I spoke to Bob Pittman about this before the release went out and he was fully supportive of it. He said “this sound great, leave iHeart in the press release, we’re thrilled to have you working with us too.”
BSM: If the Supreme Court ruling hadn’t gone the way it did, would you still be diving into this opportunity?
Mason: That’s difficult to answer because the opportunities might not have been as strong. The product would still be incredibly good but the opportunity would probably not have been as good. I believe Delaware and New Jersey are on track to introduce legalized sports betting today and tomorrow, and West Virginia is close as well. Those present huge opportunities.
BSM: None of us have this answer, but we try to be Nostradamus and envision the future. How do you see the content process evolving with sports betting content on TV and radio?
Mason: This is the most fun for me to visualize, and I could be wrong, but I think with television, the sports purist won’t waste time with something like this. The sports betting fan though, will be watching the game live on TV, with an iPad or cell phone out, watching the VSiN app, listening to their people share thoughts and deciding whether or not to put a few dollars on the game based on the information they’re receiving. In radio, as an example, a station might carry a game on their FM station, the HD1 side. Their HD2 channel though might be carrying a VSiN feed which features the gambling part of it. That allows the listener to flip back and forth to see what’s going on with the game, and what the conversation is on the gambling side. It can add a fresh new dimension to the entire event, which is very exciting.
BSM: When you think about the future of sports television, can you see mainstream programs introducing this type of content?
Mason: I’m not sure that’s the right way to go. I think they should be separate. I believe their should be pure play by play and the shoulder programming that comes with it. I don’t think they should be co-mingled. I think that could hurt the game and turn people off who don’t want any part of sports betting.
BSM: The Score in Chicago recently signed on to partner with VSiN. A few others are expected to come on board very soon. What do you see as the upside for terrestrial operators should they consider partnering with the company?
Mason: VSiN has a few different features which are exciting. They’ve got the action minutes which are voiced by Brent Musburger and focus on the betting action in each market involving each cities local teams. It’s a daily feature, and it’ll especially be important during football season, because the NFL drives everything. My advice to sports stations is to get on the bandwagon now because you get a marquee name like Brent, and customized features geared towards your market in a space that’s rapidly growing.
BSM: Having done research on VSiN, what areas of their business do you believe have the biggest room for improvement?
Mason: I think their product curve is ahead of their ability to sell curve. That’s not uncommon of a product like this. It’s like a radio station that gets very hot on the ratings side but the sales department isn’t as developed. The challenge we have in front us is to increase the revenue.
BSM: What was it about VSiN that impressed you most?
Mason: Their content and talent are excellent. Their position is outstanding. They were the first in. They’ve come at it from a unique place. It’s like they were the first sports station to launch on FM.
BSM: Do you see this as a product that could play on terrestrial radio or is it best featured on SiriusXM?
Mason: It’s a national product so I think it has applications for both. If the CBS and NBC Sports Radio networks can broadcast as full-time products, I think they can too. It could also be seasonal, especially in the fall with football. Sirius has been a great partner so that relationship remains important. We’re really in uncharted territory with this product and that’s going to make it a lot of fun going forward.
It looks like Kristine Leahy’s replacement on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” may be inside the same building. According to Michael McCarthy of the Sporting News, Joy Taylor has emerged as the leading candidate to join Cowherd’s show as the show’s news desk/update anchor.
Taylor has spent the majority of her time at FOX Sports 1 operating as the moderator on “Undisputed” with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. Her move to Cowherd’s show would create a need for a new conductor on Bayless and Sharpe’s program. McCarthy says two names to keep your eye on for that position are Jenny Taft and Holly Sonders.
Taft, is a former college lacross player who has worked as a sideline reporter on FOX’s college football and soccer coverage. She’s also filled in as a host on both “Undisputed” and “The Herd.”
Sonders on the other hand built a strong profile while working on The Golf Channel before joining FOX Sports. She now serves as an announcer on FOX’s USGA golf coverage, and as a sideline reporter for NFL on FOX game telecasts.
VSiN (Vegas Stats & Information Network), the first media network dedicated to sports gambling information, has formed a partnership with former CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason. Mason, is joining VSiN as a Strategic Advisor and Investor participating in all aspects of the company’s operations.
VSiN Founder and Chairman Brian Musburger said, “With decades of experience in the media industry, Dan brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. We are excited to leverage his expertise to drive continued growth at VSiN, capitalizing on the incredible opportunity presented by the burgeoning sports gambling industry. His overall enthusiasm for our product brings an energy level to the room that is contagious.”
Mason added, “Brian, [COO] Bill Adee and the VSiN team are really on to something unique here. Coming from the programming side of the business, you can sense when you have a hit on your hands and that is what we have here. I’m excited and eager to help the team shape the product going forward. I’m especially excited to introduce our betting information to terrestrial radio and shape how it can be staged to the sports radio audience.”
Mason was inducted into The National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015 after retiring from CBS Radio, where he served as President and CEO for more than 15 years. He is also a Senior Advisor to iHeartMedia, Inc., America’s largest-reach media company, and Chairman of The Broadcasters Foundation of America, a charity based in New York that serves the television and radio industries.
VSiN has been busy lately announcing partnerships with 670 The Score, TVG, and Cheddar. Sources say a few other radio announcements are expected in the near future.
Doris Burke no longer has to worry about her contract status. ESPN Media Zone has announced a multi-year extension with Burke to continue her role as a full-time NBA game analyst providing commentary throughout the regular season and during the NBA Playoffs each year on ESPN.
“It is hard to put into words how grateful I am to continue my career with ESPN,” said Burke. “I’ve loved basketball my entire life and to be able to cover this sport is a privilege that I don’t take for granted. My love for the game, and for my colleagues, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, make this job such a rewarding experience every day.”
“Doris is exceptional at what she does,” added Connor Schell, ESPN’s Executive Vice President, Content. “Her ability, knowledge, passion and versatility are virtually unmatched and it’s evident every time she calls a game. She is dedicated to documenting the sport for the fans in the most prepared and informed manner possible. Our NBA coverage is better because of Doris and we’re thrilled that she’ll be with us for a long time to come.”
Burke has been a part of ESPN’s basketball coverage since 1991, becoming a leading voice for the company’s game and studio coverage on NBA, WNBA, women’s college basketball and men’s college basketball broadcasts. At the start of the 2017-18 NBA regular season, she became the first woman to have a regular, full-time national NBA game analyst role. In February of 2018, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame named her a recipient of the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award.
Since 2014, Chris Kroeger has been a mainstay on the Charlotte radio airwaves. The native Charlottean hosted afternoons on WFNZ before moving to middays in April, earning respect and admiration from local fans for his energetic, honest and passionate style and his vested interest in the success of the market’s local teams.
Now, the 31 year old Kroeger is about to take another step forward in his career.
It was announced this morning on WFNZ, that Kroeger has been named the new radio play by play voice of the Charlotte Hornets.
“We are thrilled to have Chris join the Charlotte Hornets on a full-time basis as our new radio play-by-play broadcaster,” said Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “Chris is a very talented broadcaster who brings a wide array of skills to our organization, while also being extremely passionate and knowledgeable about both our team and the NBA. He has cultivated a tremendous audience at WFNZ – one that shares his enthusiasm about Hornets basketball – and his joining our team only strengthens our relationship with our flagship station. I know the fans of Charlotte are looking forward to his expanded role as the new ‘voice of the Hornets.’”
“As someone that grew up in Charlotte, my earliest and greatest memories as a sports fan came at the Charlotte Coliseum and watching the Hornets,” said Kroeger. “Steve Martin narrated so many of those memories on radio and television. It truly is the opportunity of a lifetime to be his successor and to broadcast a new era of Hornets basketball for the next generation of fans. I can’t thank WFNZ enough for allowing me to build and connect with Charlotte sports fans over the last few years and I’m excited to continue to grow that relationship with the Hornets.”
Kroeger spent the past three seasons working on the team’s radio broadcasts as the pregame show host and sideline reporter. He steps in for legendary play by play announcer Steve Martin who retired following the 2017-2018 season. Martin spent fifty years in broadcasting, including calling every Hornets game in the franchise’s history.
In addition to serving as the radio play-by-play broadcaster, Kroeger will have an active role across the Hornets digital and social media platforms. He will contribute in various ways to team content, projects and initiatives via hornets.com, the team’s broadcasts and in-arena activations.
“We’re excited to see Chris grow with one of our finest partners,” said Matt Hanlon, Vice President, Market Manager for Entercom Charlotte. “There’s no one more qualified and passionate to represent the Hornets.”
Prior to the 2017-18 season, the Hornets and WFNZ reached a new multi-year agreement for WFNZ to remain the team’s flagship radio station. WFNZ is the official radio home of the Hornets, broadcasting all of the team’s preseason, regular-season and postseason games. All Hornets games are also streamed on WFNZ.com and the Hornets App. Additional Hornets elements on WFNZ include a 30-minute pregame show, a postgame call-in show and a weekly 60-minute coaches’ show.
Dan Graca is increasing his role on 98.7 ESPN New York. The regular contributor on ESPN Radio and to SNY-TV’s Loudmouths, Daily News Live & Baseball Night in New York will join the New York Jets game day radio team.
Graca’s new role begins on Friday, August 10th when the Jets face the Atlanta Falcons. He’ll work alongside former Jets linebacker Greg Buttle on the station’s pregame, halftime and post-game shows.
“You could say this is a job I’ve spent my whole life preparing for,” Graca added. “Growing up a New York Jets season ticket holder for 23 years, going from Section 302, Row 26 to now becoming a part of the game-day broadcast is nothing short of surreal. It is impossible to fully express the gratitude and excitement that comes along with this opportunity. The Jets are embarking on an exciting chapter in the history of the franchise and I cannot wait to get it started.”
“We are excited to add Dan to our gameday radio team this upcoming season,” said New York Jets team president Neil Glat. “Dan has been an integral part of covering the New York sports industry for the last 15 years and we are honored to welcome such an accomplished radio personality to our team.”
Ryan Hurley, program director of 98.7FM ESPN New York, said, “We are thrilled to have Dan join our Jets Game Day team. Fans are going to love the knowledge, passion and fun he brings to every broadcast.”
Whether you’re a small market operator or a big market difference maker, there’s always a challenge in keeping expenses low and profits high. In a perfect world we’d use 1 or 2 people to do the work, keep costs down, make a fortune, and earn the envy of the industry.
But the reality is that it takes people to produce content and deliver ratings. It takes people to make sales and hit budgets. It takes people to create social media impact and institute a good brand strategy. And it takes people to make your workplace a desirable business destination.
Having run radio companies in different regions of this country I’ve seen it all firsthand. I’ve prided myself on the image, execution and results of the brands I’ve managed but I’ve also learned to operate each station as if it were my own. Content people often think about what’s best for the show, but they’re not always familiar with what it costs to provide that type of excellence. Whether it’s been pursuing play by play partnerships, adding weekly contributors, creating special events and promotions, or hiring talent, I’ve always kept the bottom line in mind when making calls. You can brag about your brand and its incredible ratings, but if your profitability is in the toilet, jobs will be lost and the results you provide carry far less value.
No time has that been understood more on my end than the past two and a half years.
When I launched BSM in September 2015 and became an independent business owner I hoped to simply pay the rent and keep food on the table. I didn’t think about hiring people, setting travel budgets or making sure I invested enough back in the business to not take a punch in the stomach from Uncle Sam during tax time.
As the time has progressed and the company has grown, I’ve found myself at times trying to tackle more than I could. I’m a big thinker and ambitious person so I’m always trying to challenge myself to make the next year bigger and better than the last.
In the past twelve to eighteen months I’ve launched the BSM podcast and delivered 33 episodes, hired five columnists and a daily news writer, expanded the number of stations I’ve worked with, and produced my first programming summit for sports radio programmers. Those have been strategic decisions which have fueled growth for the company.
When you increase your workload though and remain the sole owner and operator of a growing company there are times where it becomes a massive challenge. My first and foremost commitment is to serve my clients. That means listening, observing, presenting ideas and information, and having numerous phone conversations and in person meetings. As important as the website and my social media’s presence is to the business, and as proud of the work I am of all involved in it, I know that it’s a marketing piece that keeps the brand front and center and it isn’t as critical as providing value to business partners.
Therein lies the struggle.
As a consultant and strategist, the majority of my focus is on the brands I work with, but there’s also the daily tug on my time to crank out compelling, topical and informative content on the website. If the commitment to the website isn’t consistent then it’s a poor reflection on me and that’s the last thing I want to be known for, especially to people who may become clients somewhere down the line.
One of the biggest positives of doing this line of work is that I have seen how the website has elevated the perception of the sports format and helped people find opportunities to grow their careers. This website has been a valuable resource, allowing many to learn from either myself, the BSM writing staff or other industry members. It’s also increased communication in the business between people at different companies and stations.
Not to be ignored, when an individual or station does something well and we’re able to present it on this website, it becomes a story which many sports radio professionals are able to use to showcase their people or brand’s success to advertisers. Sometimes our clients and potential buyers need a subtle reminder to continue making investments in our format and every little bit of press has potential to make a difference.
I bring this to light because as I’ve developed BSM, I reflect back on my beliefs of running quality sports radio brands. Every market manager I’ve spent time working with knows how much I believe in investing in people who can help deliver results, and I’d be a hypocrite if I wasn’t willing to do the same with BSM. Even if it’s much scarier doing so without the backing of a billion dollar company.
With that in mind, I’ve made the decision to hire Demetri Ravanos as Assistant Content Director of BSM.
Since joining the website as a weekly columnist in September 2017, Demetri has done a fantastic job of producing thought provoking pieces that serve a benefit to those working in the business. His increased role with the company means he’ll become further involved in the website’s content creation process. His years of experience in radio have also helped him develop a great ear and feel for the business, so when I assign him other projects to work on I know he’ll be able to provide good analysis that benefits me and anyone I work closely with.
What you’ll immediately notice in the coming days is that Demetri will be taking on the responsibility of writing daily sports television and print stories. Brandon Contes has done a great job handling the sports television beat but his true passion is sports radio, and this now allows us to turn him loose on the beat he values most without losing anything on the television and print side.
In addition, Demetri will serve as the point of contact for our columnists so their pieces are featured in a timely manner. We’ll also work together on creating original story ideas. One of the challenges I face as an independent business owner is making sure everything is posted in a timely manner, especially when I’m on the road working with a client or buried in a listening project. This will make things much smoother for all involved.
There are other things on the horizon for BSM but we’ll cross those bridges down the line. For now, I’m just thrilled to be doing what I absolutely love, working with great clients, smart people, and a talented writing team who offer their insights and opinions to help others involved in the sports radio business.
As the old saying goes, to make money you’ve got to spend money. By investing in good people, I’m counting on it doing for BSM what it’s done for the previous brands I’ve managed. That’s a formula that benefits any business.
