The 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, presented by Capital One, will be broadcast live across the U.S. through iHeartMedia's network of over 150 radio stations.
"We’re offering more opportunities for viewers to engage with our stories and inviting new audiences to experience the journalism and storytelling that defines us.”
The 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, presented by Capital One, will be broadcast live across the U.S. through iHeartMedia's network of over 150 radio stations.
"We’re offering more opportunities for viewers to engage with our stories and inviting new audiences to experience the journalism and storytelling that defines us.”
A potentially controversial deal between the Washington Redskins and the Washington Times making the newspaper a content and marketing partner of the NFL club includes radio appearances by the paper’s sports reporters on the Redskins’ own station, Red Zebra Broadcasting Sports WTEM-A (ESPN 980)/Washington.
The paper reports that its writers, including Thom Loverro and Zac Boyer, will offer commentary on “selected Redskins‘ radio and TV shows and also appear on the team’s online pregame show and the halftime shows.” The team, in turn, will provide the paper with “commentaries and access to players, coaches and front office personnel that will be incorporated into the TIMES’ weekly guides, digital magazine and special sections.”
Times Editor/VP of Content and Business Development John Solomon alluded to questions of whether the paper can remain impartial in its Redskins coverage, saying, “The newspaper will retain its independent and probing coverage of the Redskins while adding new tools to prepare its readers for gameday, to move up their fantasy league chart and dive deeper into the football experience they love.”
Credit for this story goes to All Access where it was originally published
There’s an old familiar saying that I’m sure you’ve heard at least once in your lifetime – “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks“. As hokey as it may be, some in our business believe that to be true when it comes to trying to change the views of some of sports talk radio ‘s most familiar voices. Whether it’s a difficult task or not though is irrelevant because change has already begun and listeners are now in control more than they’ve ever been before.
In today’s radio world of PPM measurement, we’ve learned that listeners with meters tune-in often but not for long periods of time. This means they’re looking for a reason to connect with the on-air personalities and the content provided. When it isn’t there, they’ll seek out other options and they’ll waste no time doing so.
Quite honestly, this is something we’re all guilty of. Our patience is thin, distractions are popping up everywhere and if we’re not engaged immediately then someone else has an opportunity to steal us away. Yet while this becomes a huge challenge for radio broadcasters, I can’t begin to tell you how many shows and hosts I’ve observed over the past few years who think they can keep doing the same thing they’ve always done and have no problem delivering better results.
What I want to focus on today is what I call the “Dive Right In” approach. In simple terms, this means get right into your content at the start of the segment and don’t waste time.
Sounds simple right? But as you’ll see later on in this piece, not everyone does it and I guarantee you that if you listen to some of the most notable shows and hosts in your market today, you’ll find that they’re guilty of wasting time too.
To paint a picture for you, think of a professional swimmer. When they walk into the pool area they waste no time diving head first into the water. They don’t stand over the side and dip their toes in to see what the water feels like and whether or not they want to swim in it. They just dive in and start swimming.
Now relate that to the start of a segment on sports talk radio. How many times do you put a show on and hear the personality waste 3-4 minutes of time starting off a segment by talking about what they did during the commercial break, how lovely the weather is outside, what they plan to eat for dinner and what they plan to watch on TV later tonight?
It happens all the time and yet PPM is showing us that we often have listeners at the front of segments coming to us to to consume our programming yet leaving quickly because of our inability to get into the subject matter quickly. It’s a fast paced world and people expect you to deliver content with a purpose and in quick fashion. If you don’t, you’re going to have a tougher time keeping them around.
I’ve heard some hosts say “sometimes you have to build up momentum, set the scene, relax and then get into things” and that sounds good to the person saying it but for the person consuming the content who wants something good right now and only has a limited amount of time to spend with you, they’re going to tune someone else in who can deliver if you can’t. They’re in control, not us.
Put yourself in the shoes of your audience for a second. You just sat thru a 4-minute commercial break which likely had 6-10 different commercials run. You also consumed one station promo which was likely :30 seconds, sat through a sports update which was 1-2 minutes long and then endured a station liner leading into the segment followed by a music bed.
That is roughly 6-8 minutes of time before the host even opened their mouth to speak and now you’re expecting the listener to wait another 3-4 minutes before you finally offer a great opinion or piece of insight they can’t get anywhere else?
People are telling us they like our format, our style, our content selection and the presentation of our shows when they give us 2 minutes of time at the start of a segment. What they’re not giving us though is ratings credit that we rightfully deserve but that’s on us because we’re wasting valuable time.
We need 5 minutes for their listening to count but we stand no chance of gaining that time if we throw away the start of our segments. To expect a listener to wait 11 minutes before you finally strike gold is foolish. By the time you stumble on to something special, they’ll have changed the channel and missed it.
Rather than just type if out I thought it would be helpful to show some examples so I pulled some audio from a few national shows.
Keep in mind, these personalities and their shows overall are very good. What we’re focusing on here is the urgency of diving into content, not the show in general. Everyone has different approaches and this just highlights some who implement the “Dive Right In” approach and some who don’t.
Example #1 is from the “Steve Gorman Sports” show on Fox Sports Radio. Click on this link and listen to the start of the 2nd hour.
When you listen to the audio you’ll find that it takes nearly 1:30 before the show dives into a subject (Byron Scott hired as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers) and once they do, Steve gives his opinion on the hiring, provides some good insight on the story and offers some personal details regarding his growing up a fan of the Lakers during the Showtime era. It’s a popular national topic and they do a solid job with it but waiting 1:30 to attack it is too long. That can often be the difference in a listener being there to consume it or already being on to another station.
Let’s take a listen to another example. This one is of Jorge Sedano filling in on “The Herd“.
In this example, Sedano wastes no time identifying the subject and gets quickly into his position on it. Instantly as a listener you know it’s a popular subject (Ray Rice suspension) and after sitting thru a long break, you’re given a pay off because Jorge doesn’t make you wait to know where he stands on the story. Overall I thought Jorge executed the approach very well and put himself in good position to gain credit from his audience. Equally as important, it was rewarding for the listener who either stuck around or came back to consume the content.
So now that we’ve covered Fox Sports and ESPN Radio, let’s take a listen to CBS Sports. Here’s an example from the Jim Rome Show.
In this example, the music runs :27 seconds before Jim says his first word. Then while he hooks you with a good line “I see this guy working“, the subject focus becomes an email from a listener, followed by another email and then a call and it takes over 3 minutes until we get a strong take from Jim on the Ray Rice material.
Getting the audience involved is a good thing and Jim does it as well as anyone but I don’t believe the audience should drive the content, I believe the host should. When Jim delivers opinions they’re usually interesting and entertaining so I’d just prefer to reverse the structure and have Jim set the tone by coming out of the gate red hot with his thoughts and then use the reaction to fuel it further. It puts him more in control of the content direction and if you’ve ever listened to Jim, you know that when he gets going it can be some outstanding radio.
I’ll close up with this last piece of audio and it’s from Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. I find this piece fascinating for two reasons. First, he gets right into the material without wasting time. Secondly, the points he raises have a strong connection to the items I’ve raised in this article. Take a listen.
Colin brings up great points about technology changing everything and people having different expectations today than they did in the past. This is an A.D.D world we’re in and people expect you to grab their attention fast or they’re following Jay-Z’s words and moving “on to the next one“.
As a host, producer and/or programmer, you should feel encouraged because the passion and interest in your brand of content is strong from the audience. What isn’t as easy though is getting an audience to stick around. If you want to deliver ratings and continue to earn raises and hopefully ratings bonuses, you can’t afford to waste time when people are giving it to you.
If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’s that it’s not always about whether or not your content is good or your opinions are well thought out. That’s part of the process but getting into things quickly is equally, if not more important. People are impatient and the amount of distractions around them are only going to increase in the future. Help yourself by being prepared, focused and ready to dive right in when your segments start. After all, those who just dip their toes in the water never get to experience the pleasures of swimming in the pool.
WEEI sports radio host Kirk Minihane has been suspended for a week by Entercom Communications, the station’s parent company, fordisparaging on-air comments he made about Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews during two recent programs.
Minihane’s suspension was announced Friday night by Entercom president and chief executive officer David Field. His statement came hours after Fox Sports informed him with a terse letter it was pulling all advertising from the company’s more than 100 stations nationwide, including WEEI.
“Kirk Minihane’s statements regarding Erin Andrews were offensive and deplorable,” said Field. “It is clear by the response from our listeners, advertisers, and employees that Kirk’s efforts to apologize and make this right have been insufficient and ambiguous. We want to make it unequivocally clear that his comments were unacceptable and do not reflect Entercom’s values and standards.”
Minihane apologized for his comments in a statement posted on WEEI.com that night. But upon returning from vacation this Wednesday – his first day on the air since the original comments—he punctuated a verbal apology by suggesting that Andrews’s success is based on looks rather than ability, saying if she “weighed 15 pounds more she would be a waitress.”
Entercom’s announcement of Minihane’s suspension came approximately two hours after a letter from Fox Sports president Eric Shanks to Field was obtained by Boston.com. In the letter, Shanks informed Field that all advertising would be pulled and no Fox Sports personalities would be permitted to be guests on WEEI.
For more on this story visit Boston.com where it was originally published
Last May, Chris (Mad Dog) Russo said he was unable to find a black host “who is worthy of doing a national (sports) talk (radio) show.” It appears his, and the people running SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Radio” channel, search is over.
Stephen A. Smith will soon leave ESPN-98.7 FM and take his verbal stylings to SXM’s “MDR,” where he will host his own show, according to satellite radio sources. Smith currently co-hosts a 1 p.m.-3 p.m. program with Ryan Ruocco on 98.7.
The sources said there was no consideration of pairing SAS with Russo. Smith’s new show will probably air from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., which will put him in direct competition with Ruocco on ESPN 98.7. Smith would serve as a lead-in to Russo’s “Mad Dog Unleashed” soiree and force SXM to juggle its current “MDR” lineup.
On one level, Smith’s apparent decision to move to SXM is surprising. It was only two weeks ago when Smith, on the air, suggested his radio days were numbered. “Ryan Ruocco can have the show,” SAS said at the time. “I have enough on my plate (with TV opportunities).
Still, the idea of Smith working freestyle in the uncensored world of satellite radio is fascinating. SAS has gone right up to the line, and sometimes crossed it, as he did on Friday on ESPN’s “First Take” when he went on a rant concerning Ray Rice’s two-game suspension and implied some women should be blamed for domestic violence.
How much further will he push it working without a seatbelt on “MDR?”
Smith’s departure from ESPN-98.7 will leave a void. Not only is he the station’s only black voice hosting a daily show, Smith also has built a loyal core of listeners. His partnership with Ruocco jelled slowly but ultimately produced a compelling, and often controversial, sound.
Smith’s NBA insights and inside look at the league, particularly the Knicks, are a key ingredient of a show that will be missed.
For the rest of this article visit the NY Daily News where it was originally published
A 24-hour channel devoted solely to pro football? On satellite radio?
What was Sirius thinking?
Not even the people launching the station could be sure where it was headed. And a decade later, their dedicated listeners range from Robert Kraft to Mike Shanahan to Sean Payton. And from players on all 32 teams to truck drivers traveling the length and width of the nation.
“We were ahead of everybody,” says Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys personnel director, current NFL draft consultant — and co-host of the very first program on Sirius NFL Radio on Aug. 2, 2004. “I marvel at it. I go into the grocery store or barber shop now, and even women are telling me, ‘You said this and this and this’ on the air.
“The allure is amazing.”
The NFL’s allure seems limitless, and Channel 88 on SiriusXM — the companies merged in 2008 — has built its impressive resume on it. When Steve Cohen, the current senior vice president of sports programming, and Brandt first went on the air 10 years ago, Sirius had 500,000 subscribers. A year later, another 1 million had signed up. By 2008, SiriusXM had 18.5 million subscribers.
Now, that number has reached 26 million.
NFL Radio isn’t responsible for all of that, not by a long shot with Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey among SiriusXM personalities. But it’s among satellite radio’s leaders in caller participation and, within the NFL itself, it’s become must listening.
“SiriusXM NFL Radio attracts fans of all ages with their insight from former players and coaches and some of the most respected NFL insiders in the industry,” Patriots owner Kraft says. “I am a regular listener. I try to listen to financial reporting and timely global news when I can, but most often, I tune in to … Channel 88. It gives me the pulse of what’s going on in my favorite sport seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Cohen actually consulted with Kraft before taking on the challenge of building the channel. Cohen’s vision for it was to have professional broadcasters team with former NFL players or executives.
“Here was the hardest thing: hiring people,” Cohen says. “They couldn’t pronounce the name and hadn’t heard of this company.”
Yet he attracted Hall of Fame running back John Riggins and future Hall of Famers Shannon Sharpe and Cris Carter to become hosts, although they no longer are on the channel. Brandt brought considerable cachet because of his wealth of inside knowledge and endless array of anecdotes.
Former Jets personnel director Pat Kirwan also signed up immediately, and he’s become perhaps the station’s most popular voice because of his skill at explaining everything from the intricacies of the zone blitz to the dynamics of the salary cap.
“When I first started, I had no radio experience, had done some TV, but I knew enough about football to talk,” says Kirwan, who has partnered with former NFL players Tim Ryan and, now, Jim Miller. “And I had a lot of notions from TV that it was not addressing the needs of the fans who wanted to grow. The football guy felt there has been more than what these announcers are telling us, because TV appeals to a general audience.”
NFL Radio wanted to appeal to everyone who follows the sport. It came up with some unique ways to do so.
Not only has SiriusXM been broadcasting all regular-season and playoff games live throughout its deal with the league, which runs through 2015, but Channel 88 has brought listeners live to the combine, the draft, and to each of the 32 training camps during the summer.
The camp trips are among the favorite endeavors for NFL Radio’s staff (55 and counting), although they got off to a rocky start.
“The training camp tour started out small, three cities, and soon it became every team every summer,” says Adam Schein, Cohen’s first hire — at age 26. “You’d fly from Seattle to Denver to the Redskins’ camp in three days. Fly to Chicago and then drive to Bourbonnais, Illinois, or to Terre Haute, Indiana, and Nashville, and Georgetown, Kentucky. You go to Saints camp in Jackson, Mississippi, and the humidity smacks you right in the face.
“We were not staying at the Ritz Carlton, either, but that was something that made it so great — it increased the bonding with the guys.”
Cohen offers a reminder that there are far more days on the calendar without any pro football games. Yet, as his boss notes, the thirst for the NFL must be quenched.
“Having every NFL game is a very significant part of what we offer,” says SiriusXM President Scott Greenstein, “but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is having SiriusXM NFL Radio on the air all day, every day, 12 months a year, feeding the appetite of NFL fans.”
For the rest of the story visit the Miami Herald where it was published
Temple University Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield Sports’ Temple Sports Properties, announced today a multi-year agreement with Greater Media Philadelphia naming WPEN-FM home to Owls Football. Starting with this 2014 football season, fans in the greater Philadelphia market can hear Temple football games on its new football flagship, “The Fanatic” 97.5 FM. “We’re excited to announce that The Fanatic, one of the nation’s top sports stations, will broadcast Temple Football games for the next three years,” said Temple University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin Clark. “We are looking forward to a great season on the field and happy to have an excellent broadcast partner to provide our fans all of the action.” “This is a wonderful pairing for us and we are proud to be representing the Owls and their exciting college football program,” said Matt Nahigian, Program Director of The Fanatic. “August couldn’t come soon enough as we’re ready for kick-off and to carry the Temple Owls.”
For more information visit OwlSports where this story was originally published
Pac-12 Networks coverage of the 2014 college football season will once again feature a bevy of veteran broadcasters and notable Pac-12 standouts to give fans more expert analysis and high-quality coverage across both live game and studio shows.
Former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who served as a guest analyst on the Networks’ 2014 spring football coverage, will begin his first full season as a studio analyst. He will contribute to Pac-12 Football Weekly, plus pregame, halftime and postgame shows, joining Rick Neuheisel, Ronnie Lott, Curtis Conway,Jake Plummer, Glenn Parker, Yogi Roth and Anthony Herron to round out the Networks’ analyst lineup for its third season of live football coverage.
Known for his defensive expertise, Aliotti retired from his position as defensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks following the 2013-14 season, completing a 36-year coaching career that spanned both the collegiate and professional levels. Under his watch, the Ducks consistently boasted one of the most productive defensive units in the Pac-12 year over year, finishing first in pass defense and second in scoring defense last season. Over his 22-year coaching career in Eugene, Aliotti mentored 32 defensive players who have gone on to play in the NFL, including 2013 first-round pick Dion Jordan and five-time All-Pro Haloti Ngata.
Pac-12 Networks’ 35 live game telecasts will be voiced by a team of veteran broadcasters including Ted Robinson, Kevin Calabro, Roxy Bernstein and JB Long. The game analyst team also includes Parker, Roth and Herron lending their expertise in the booth, while Ashley Adamson, Jill Savage and Drea Avent provide reports from the sidelines.
A one-hour Pac-12 Football Pregame Show, hosted by Mike Yam with Neuheisel, Conway and a rotation analysts each week from San Francisco sets the stage on game day. The group returns for halftime and postgame shows, providing highlights, recaps and analysis of all the action around the college football landscape.
Pac-12 Networks will cover 13 live football games in the first three weeks of the 2014 season, with 10 of the 12 Conference teams showcased. The football announcing teams and confirmed game assignments for those contests are as follows:
WEEK 1
August 28 ▪ Idaho State at Utah ▪ 4:30 p.m. PT
Kevin Calabro – play-by-play
Glenn Parker – analyst
Jill Savage – sideline
August 28 ▪ Weber State at Arizona State ▪ 7:30 p.m. PT
Roxy Bernstein – play-by-play
Yogi Roth – analyst
Ashley Adamson – sideline
August 30 ▪ UC Davis at Stanford ▪ 1:00 p.m. PT
Roxy Bernstein – play-by-play
Yogi Roth – analyst
Ashley Adamson – sideline
August 30 ▪ Portland State at Oregon State ▪ 1:00 p.m. PT
JB Long – play-by-play
Anthony Herron – analyst
Drea Avent – sideline
August 30 ▪ South Dakota at Oregon ▪ 7:30 p.m. PT
Kevin Calabro – play-by-play
Glenn Parker – analyst
Jill Savage – sideline
WEEK 2
September 6 ▪ E. Washington at Washington ▪ Noon PT
Roxy Bernstein – play-by-play
Anthony Herron – analyst
Drea Avent – sideline
September 6 ▪ Fresno State at Utah ▪ Noon PT
Kevin Calabro – play-by-play
Yogi Roth – analyst
TBD – sideline
September 6 ▪ Sacramento State at California ▪ Noon PT
JB Long – play-by-play
TBD – analyst
Ashley Adamson – sideline
September 6 ▪ Memphis at UCLA ▪ 7:00 p.m. PT
Ted Robinson – play-by-play
Glenn Parker – analyst
Jill Savage – sideline
WEEK 3
September 13 ▪ Wyoming at Oregon ▪ 11:00 a.m. PT
Ted Robinson – play-by-play
Glenn Parker – analyst
Jill Savage – sideline
September 13 ▪ Army at Stanford ▪ 2:00 p.m. PT
Roxy Bernstein – play-by-play
Anthony Herron – analyst
Ashley Adamson – sideline
September 13 ▪ Portland State at Washington State ▪ 5:00 p.m. PT
Back in March, we named ESPN’s The Locker Room, co-starring Nate Kreckman and Broncos Ring of Famer Tom Nalen, Denver’s top radio sports show in our 2014 Best of Denver issue. But as with Gloria Neal, who was given her walking papers at AM-760 shortly after we dubbed her 2014’s Best Radio Talk-Show Host, Nalen’s out at ESPN Denver (although apparently by his choice), as are two other noteworthy personalities, Les Shapiro and Charles “CJ” Johnson — and other changes are on the way at the station beginning Monday, July 28.
First, a little background. In February 2010, aswe’ve reported, a group led by automobile expert and local TV staple Dealin’ Doug Moreland bought 102.3 and 105.5 from NRC Broadcasting, fronted by Tim Brown, an energetic figure who also happened to be gazillionaire Phil Anschutz’s son-in-law. The following May, we learned that the ownership cabal also included onetime Denver newspaper journo turned ESPN talking head Adam Schefter and Tom Manoogian, who was well known to listeners of KOA and other stations via his Lou From Littleton pseudonym.
The 102.3 format was dubbed The Ticket and featured Shapiro, Johnson and Kreckman — and all three survived when, in January 2012, the switch was made to ESPN Radio Denver. But the station has consistently struggled in the ratings. Combining the most recent numbers from both its signals still puts it in 26th place overall out of 36 stations.
Now, Shapiro and Johnson, who’d been paired in a midday slot, are out and Kreckman is the sole host of The Locker Room. Here’s how Manoogian describes the changes.
Regarding Nalen, Manoogian says, “Tom’s contract ended July 22. We offered an extension and he refused.”
Shapiro and Johnson received no such opportunity due in part to scheduling of nationally syndicated ESPN programming, including Mike and Mike, featuring Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, and Colin Cowherd.
“Mike and Mike is our flagship show,” Manoogian allows. “It dominates men 25-54 in the mornings. And Colin does a great job for us. We couldn’t be happier.”
As a result, Mike and Mike will air from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. beginning on July 28, with Cowherd following from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — an hour later than previously. That shrinks the subsequent slot, which Les and CJ had manned from noon to three, to two hours, and Manoogian says, “A two-hour show doesn’t lend itself to having two people. It’s not cost-effective. At the end of the day, I’ve got to return a profit to my investors. So when Les and CJ’s contract also ended, we decided not to renew them.”
Instead, the two-hour block is now being filled by Cecil Lammey. “He has passion, energy and is about everything football,” Manoogian notes. “Cecil’s been doing Sunday mornings since we started the station and he’s an expert on fantasy — so we thought it would be the perfect time to give a chance to a guy who’s been with us since day one.”
For the rest of this story visit Westword where it was originally published
Los Angeles will be shortly be gaining another Sports outlet.
With an official announcement expected at any time, the KFWB License Trust is planning to pull the plug on the News/Talk format of 980 KFWB Los Angeles and flip the station to Sports.
980Beast.com, 980TheBeast.com, Beast980.com, FeedTheBeast980.com, LABeast980.com, LATheBeast980.com, and TheBeast980.com along with their .net and .org equivalents were all registered earlier this week. The same person responsible for their registrations also acquired 980Fan.com, Fan980.com, and TheFanLA.com in April. Those domains joined additional Fan oriented domains registered in 2012.
Already the flagship station for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the flip of KFWB to Sports will enable CBS Sports Radio and The Jim Rome Show to be cleared in the market. It will join a crowded sports radio marketplace including Clear Channel’s 570 KLAC, ESPN’s 710 KSPN, and the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim’s 830 KLAA.
Best known for its long run as “News 98“, KFWB dropped its All-News programming outside of drive times in 2009. The station currently clears some Sports Talk from WestwoodOne’s NBC Sports Radio at night. KFWB is owned by CBS, but is operated independent of the company by a trust managed by Shootingstar, Inc due to CBS being over the ownership limits with its other 5 FMs, 1 AM, and 2 TV stations in the Los Angeles market.
For more information stay tuned to Radio Insight where this story was originally written and published
When you think of the largest cities in America, Portland doesn’t typically enter the conversation. But if you work in the sports radio industry, you can’t help but recognize and appreciate the role it’s played in the development of some of the best talent our business has to offer.
The most famous example that I’m sure you’ve heard of is Colin Cowherd but many other tremendous talents have also called Portland home while en route to having success in other larger markets.
For example, John Lund at 95.7 The Game, Gavin Dawson at 105.3 The Fan, Ian Furness at KJR, Scott Masteller (PD) at ESPN Radio, Allan Davis (PD) at WGR and Dennis Glasgow (PD) at 99.9 The Fan are just a few who have spent time honing their craft in “rip city”.
Fast forward to today and the city is still called home by some very talented sports radio folks including John Canzano, Jeff Austin, Isaac Ropp & Jason Sucanek and while the city itself may have a small town feel, the passion for sports remains huge.
All you had to do this past year was turn on your television and watch one Trail Blazers or Ducks game and you could instantly see and feel the energy and excitement. Here’s a video clip which will give you a good idea of how loud Portland Trail Blazers fans can be and why visiting teams call the Rose Garden one of the loudest arenas in the entire NBA.
Well for this weeks personality profile I thought I’d shed some light on someone who has spent the past 20+ years calling Portland home and truly understands the pulse of the Portland sports scene. That individual is Chad Doing.
When you listen to Chad host a talk show, you can’t help but like him. He comes across as a genuine guy who truly loves sports but more importantly, you can sense that he loves to connect with his audience. At times you may even think he’s too generous or appreciative but that type of charm is what makes people root for him.
Chad is a high energy guy who sounds like he has the best job in the world and if you follow him on Twitter, you’ll see him constantly interacting and re-tweeting his fans. That type of relationship building means a lot to him and based on the responses I’ve seen, his audience appreciates that he’s accessible to them outside of his on-air program.
During the times I’ve caught his show I’ve also noticed that he’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, have some fun by having a laugh or two at his own expense (or his partners) and he’s willing to put his real life experiences on the air. As a matter of fact he closes his show with the line “Be a Blessing” which has special meaning to him as a result of some of the things he’s gone thru and overcome on a personal level. What I respect about that is that it makes him authentic with his audience. That’s a trait most listeners appreciate.
I recently had a chance to chat with Chad about the sports radio format, the twists and turns he’s gone through during his career and what he looks to accomplish when presenting his show to the audience and I found him to be very humble and a guy who really loves the process of creating sports talk radio.
Q: Growing up, who were some of the sports radio personalities you listened to?
A: I was first introduced to Sports Radio in 1994 here in Portland. I listened to local guys, Greg Robinson, Mike Parker, the current voice of the OSU Beavers, and Former Blazer, Kermit Washington. But my favorite to start was Bob Kemp. He was a national host for One on One sports. I was captivated by his information, intelligence, and dry-sense of humor. I still stream his show, he is a current host on the FAN 1060 in Phoenix.
Q: What was it about Jim Rome’s show that made you want to participate in his show?
A: When I first heard his show years ago, I loved his energy! He encouraged listener participation and challenged callers to add something to the program. I really enjoyed the creativity that many of the callers brought from around the nation, and wanted to take part. Looking back now, I really had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to have fun and hopefully give someone something to smile about.
Q: After calling in and gaining some local notoriety from it, how did that help you get your foot in the door to doing sports radio?
A: The exposure gave me a name people remembered locally which helped, and the participation on his show gave me a platform to show my creative side. I guess some of those moments during my calls were memorable. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but people still ask me about the calls and mention details that they remember.
Q: Since venturing into this industry, who have been some of the bigger influences to help you develop as a talent? How have they helped your career?
A: The biggest influence on my career without a doubt is one of your current hosts, John Lund. I worked with him in Portland at the Game for over a year. John was always gracious with his time. He had no ego, and was always willing to assist me with anything. I am still young in the business, but John has been around the country as a host and a programmer. John encouraged me to be myself, he taught he how to better prep for a show, and I admired how he always conducted himself with professionalism while having a lot of fun doing his job. I owe a lot to him.
John Phillips, who was part of a group that got sports radio started in Portland back in the early 90’s gave me my first shot in radio at KVAN in Vancouver, Washington covering high school sports. John was like a father to me. The best advice he gave me was just to have fun and be myself. He was a great host, but also did a great job of selling local sports to the community.
Q: What has been the most rewarding/difficult moment of your broadcasting career?
A: There have been many rewarding moments, but the one that stands out was my week-long trip to cover the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona when Oregon played Auburn. John Lund and I spent a week together in a hotel room working and covering the game and all things surrounding it. We had a small team that worked side by side for hours to provide content on-air, on-line, and in person at different events with people from Oregon. For the Duck fans who weren’t in Arizona, they were able to live vicariously through all of the content we provided them and that brought great satisfaction. I remember being exhausted at the end of the week, but the satisfaction of a job well done was intoxicating. I realized on that trip that you are only as good as the people around you, and we had some great people working on that trip.
The biggest challenge came when our station moved from the FM dial back to the AM dial. This change was not received well by the listeners. With time and a grassroots effort, we were able to spread the word of where people could find us, but anytime you make a major change like that it’s going to be difficult.
Q: When it comes to creating the content layout of your show, who’s involved in the process? How much time is spent on it before you hit the airwaves?
A: We have a small staff, so usually the content layout comes from me and the assistance of my producer. The time involved always seems to be the biggest challenge. My show is four-hours, so I don’t like to spend less than six-hours preparing for the program. That varies day to day based on how my interviews I am going to tape before the show and how many are going to be live. Depending on the topic, I will involve as many people in my building as I can. I love the creativity that comes from different minds in the business.
Q: How much time do you spend on the air discussing local stories vs. national stories in Portland? What’s the reasoning behind your approach?
A: The Alpha Group in Portland has always been committed to live and local radio, so the majority of time on the show is spent focusing on local topics. The Trailblazers are number one in this market and always will be. After the Blazers, the NFL is crucial especially with the emergence of the Seattle Seahawks. The North West is big on College Football with both the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. Portland is an interesting town. People who are from this area really love all things local. They love their food, they love their resources, and they love the teams that belong to them. This really works well when it comes to live and local talk. Of course there are those days when a national story will trump any local story, but those days are few in Portland.
Q: What determines for you whether or not something is an A+ topic or a quick mention inside of the show?
A: The wow-factor. If there is a topic we believe will provide that “wow moment” for the listener, we definitely want to run with it. The biggest struggle I find day to day is learning how to determine what story is that A+ story. Sometimes it’s obvious and jumps out at me and some days it does not.
Q: You’ve utilized Lance Zierlein out of Houston as a character on your show, how did that start? What type of response have those segments created?
A: I will never forget it. Back in 2010, I got a call from Travis Rodgers and he told me that he knew a guy who was the most talented person he had ever met in radio. Travis said the guy was going to leave me a voicemail, and that if I wanted him on the show, to call him and let him know. Well, that voicemail was from SEC Guy, one of Lance’s many Characters. SEC Guy was an instant hit in Portland. Aside from the rivalry that was building between the SEC and the PAC 10 at the time, Portland and the deep south are on opposite ends of the spectrum. That provided for great comedy!
After SEC Guy, Lance introduced me to Bernie the Wolf, Tony the Hatchet Man, Jerry Sloan on a Mobile, and Phillip Rivers on a Mobile. His characters are so real, and his whit is unmatched. He has a magic where people have to listen because they don’t know what is going to happen, and they can’t wait to hear what he is going to say next. The best part about my interaction with Lance and his characters, none of it is scripted. He never knows what I’m going to ask, and his responses are always spontaneous. I think Lance and I click because we understand one another. I was born in Tulsa, and lived a number of years in Oklahoma. I understand that region very well, so I feel like I can relate and understand where he is coming from. Lance is the most talented person I have ever come across in the business!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxef8MJuzew
Q: As an on-air talent, do you enjoy interviewing big name guests on your show or do you prefer to stay away from them? Why?
A: I enjoy interviewing big-named guests, but I have learned that there are a lot of people with a great story who can make compelling radio.
Q: You’ve worked in a team show environment and now as a solo host, which do you prefer and why? What makes each situation different from a preparation standpoint?
A: I enjoy a solo-show because I can follow my vision, but the challenge I face day to day is creating content for four-hours. I am just one-mind, and on those days when my mind isn’t popping with creativity, I wish I had other guys to bounce ideas off of. I really enjoy having a team for developing topics, coming up with the right questions, and all the different views and opinions that each individual brings to the table. I find the biggest challenge in hosting a team show comes from developing that feel for your guys. Knowing when to get the right person involved, knowing when to move on from a topic, or when to stay. That feel for the show and your team is something that just takes time to develop. I would say that when you have a team to share in your successes with, it always seems to be more rewarding than something you accomplish alone.
Q: You’re extremely active on Twitter, often re-tweeting responses from your fans – why do you believe that approach is important?
A: I think talk radio is very personal from the standpoint that people invite you into their home, car, or business on a daily basis, so if they take time to reach out to me I want to make sure I take the time to respond. I want the listeners to know that I appreciate their support, and that without them, I would be nothing. Twitter and other forms of social media is a great avenue for me to connect with people and create relationships with them. In my mind, Talk Radio is really just a matter of creating relationships. I really do enjoy the opportunity to meet people who support my show and the station.
Q: How often do you review the pros and cons of your show and who’s involved in that feedback process?
A: I have done some work with a consultant we have with our radio group, but I wish I had more time with him. He has been very helpful. When one on one focus isn’t available, I have a few guys with years of experience I spend time with discussing the show and listening to their feedback. I have always taken the approach that there are a lot of brilliant people in the business I can learn from, so I am always willing to listen. I crave feedback and coaching and always desire more.
Q: If I asked a Portland Sports Radio listener to describe you using 3 key words, what would they say?
A: Genuine, Passionate, Energetic
Q: Going forward, what goals do you hope to accomplish as a sports radio personality?
A: My goal is to take one day at a time, be coachable, and have fun each and everyday doing what I love. My biggest desire is to the best personality I can be with the talents I have been blessed with.
Chad Doing can be heard weekday afternoons from 3p-7p on 750 The Game in Portland. You can also follow him on Twitter @ChadInPortland
