WFAN host Craig Carton reflected on his time at FS1 during a Monday appearance on Boomer & Gio, revisiting the highs and lows of his television career while hinting at possible future radio projects.
Carton, who helmed The Craig Carton Show and Breakfast Ball on FS1, joked about the show’s decline in ratings after his name was taken off the programming he hosted and his eventual departure, poking fun at co-host Boomer Esiason’s occasional memory lapse. During the appearance designed to cross promote Carton’s return to the station on Monday afternoon, Esiason joked that he couldn’t remember the name of the programs Carton hosted on FS1. This led to an response by Carton reflecting on the success story of his time with FS1.
“My show on FOX? The highest rated quarter hours in the history of FS1. The one that dropped 40% when they took my name off the wall. The one that dropped another 60% when they kicked me out of the building altogether? The show was called Breakfast Ball,” Carton quipped.
Carton left WFAN in 2022 to join FOX Sports, but his exit from the network’s daytime programming came just three years later. During his appearance Monday, he offered a more reflective assessment of his FS1 experience, noting both the opportunities and the challenges of transitioning from radio to television.
“The animal is different, obviously, TV versus radio, and the companies are different. There are rules about what you can do, what you can’t do. It was a great experience. I’d never done it before. Obviously. I wish it had gone better, but the story has not been written accurately,” Carton said. “Was it the highest rated show of all time? No. Was it the highest rated quarter hours they’ve ever had in that time slot? Yes. Did the show lose ratings when my name came off of it? Yes. All tangible. But FOX was also very, very good to me, continues to be very good to me.”
Last month WFAN announced that Craig Carton is back with the station making a third return to the brand. This time he’ll be paired alongside Chris McMonigle, his third full time co-host on the station. During this morning’s appearance, Carton discussed the potential co-hosts he had conversations about working alongside. He hinted that the conversations with station management led him to the end result being paired with his former producer in McMonigle.
“We talked about everything. We talked about Boomer and Carton and Carton and Roberts. About me and Chris [McMonigle], obviously, which turned out to be, yeah, I think there’s a conversation about everything. All I know is that only one guy makes decisions around here, and it’s not me, it’s not Boomer, it’s not Evan, it’s not Tiki, it’s the architect, and that’s what he did,” he said.
The former sports radio powerhouse maintained a candid tone throughout the conversation, acknowledging both his successes and the missteps along the way. Carton’s time at FS1, while brief, left a mark on the network’s morning lineup, illustrating the differences between radio and television formats.
Craig Carton makes his official return to WFAN later today.
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NFL on FOX analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Woodson admitted Sunday that he learned a hard lesson about relying on artificial intelligence for football stats. During the Week 18 edition of FOX NFL Kickoff, Woodson revealed that a piece of data from ChatGPT led him to deliver incorrect information to the network’s viewers.
Woodson said the misstep occurred early in the 2025 season when he asked ChatGPT about the Green Bay Packers’ division record from the previous year. “I asked, ‘How many division games did the Packers win last year?’” Woodson told co-hosts Charissa Thompson, Julian Edelman, and Michael Strahan. “ChatGPT said 0-6. I thought it was straightforward. I went on-air and said it with confidence, but it wasn’t right.”
The analyst quickly learned the correct answer after a viewer reached out. “Someone told me, ‘Hey man, the Packers actually won one division game. They beat Chicago,’” Woodson recalled. “I was like, ‘Ahhhh, man.’ So, make sure, man, if you’re using AI, that you fact-check”
Woodson framed the experience as a cautionary tale for the growing use of AI in sports reporting. He emphasized that while tools like ChatGPT can provide quick information, human verification remains critical. “This is the age of AI, and we use it for everything,” he said.
The moment, though minor in the grand scheme of the NFL season, highlights a broader trend: AI is increasingly present in live sports broadcasting, but it can produce mistakes if not cross-referenced. Analysts, reporters, and even casual fans are learning that technology is only as reliable as the checks behind it.
Woodson’s admission also underscored the importance of transparency on air. By owning the error publicly, he not only clarified the correct information for viewers but also provided a teachable moment for colleagues and fans alike.
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iHeartMedia’s B97.3Milwaukee continues to sharpen its evolving on-air identity by adding two familiar voices from a recently retired competitor, further signaling its intent to connect with listeners who embraced the former B93.3.
Following Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s format shift closing B93.3, B97.3 has tapped former morning host Joe Krauss to lead its morning drive. Krauss hosted mornings at B93.3 from 2017 until the station’s late August sign-off. He now moves into the same role at B97.3, bringing nearly two decades of radio experience.
Joining Krauss on the weekday lineup is former WLDB afternoon host Tony Lorino, who will now handle afternoons on B97.3. Lorino also serves as CEO of Throwback Brands. He spent the final year of B93.3’s run anchoring afternoons. He brings significant programming and syndication credentials to the station.
Krauss, widely known on air as “Average Joe,” previously spent five years at WQAL Cleveland from 2012 to 2017 and has also worked at WIXX Green Bay. Earlier in his career, he was part of the iHeartMedia family in Milwaukee as a weekend host on Country outlet FM 106.1.
His return to the market positions B97.3 with a personality already familiar to a broad segment of Milwaukee listeners.
In addition to local hosting, Lorino is the voice of nationally syndicated Throwback Nation Radio. The program is heard on dozens of stations nationwide. His background includes programming roles at WSTR Atlanta and KZPT Kansas City. He also served as Assistant Program Director at WMYX Milwaukee. Lorino previously held positions at KSTZ/KIOA Des Moines and KLTA Fargo. This blend of on-air and management experience aligns with WRNW’s evolving strategy.
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2026 marks the 65th anniversary of Beasley Media Group. The company has announced plans to celebrate the milestone throughout the year.
As part of its 65th anniversary plans, the company says it will be “highlighting key moments from its history, celebrating the people and markets that define the company, and reinforcing its strategic vision for continued growth.”
“Reaching 65 years is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and dedication of the people who make Beasley Media Group what it is today,” said Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley. “While we are incredibly proud of our legacy, this milestone is equally about where we are headed- continuing to evolve, embrace innovation, and strengthen the local connections that have always set us apart.”
The company has set the theme for the commemoration as “65 Strong: Forward Together”, which it says reflects it pasts and focuses on its future, as well.
George Beasley founded the company in 1961 when the company was granted approval by the FCC to construct WPYB-AM, a daytime-only radio station in Benson, North Carolina. The company has now grown to operating 55 radio stations around the country.
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Audacy’s 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis is reshaping its weekday lineup while preparing for the departure of one of the most recognizable voices in the market. The station announced a series of programming changes that will take effect January 12, highlighted by expanded roles for several local hosts and the conclusion of Geoff Calkins’ run on the air.
Calkins, a longtime columnist and broadcaster who helped establish the station’s identity. He announced he will step away from radio to concentrate on his work as lead columnist at The Daily Memphian. His final broadcast is scheduled for January 9.
Beginning next week, J&J featuring John Martin and Jason Smith will move into the 9 a.m. to noon CT slot. The show has become a staple for local sports fans through its mix of Memphis-focused analysis and broader national discussion. Immediately following, Jeffrey Wright and Company will expand to a three-hour midday window, airing from noon to 3 p.m. CT, marking a significant increase in the show’s presence on the schedule.
The changes come as the station closes a defining chapter tied closely to Calkins’ influence. Widely respected in print and broadcast, Calkins helped launch 92.9 FM ESPN. He became synonymous with its morning programming and opinion-driven evening segments. In 2009, Calkins and Gary Parrish became the station’s first local hosts. Since then, 92.9 FM ESPN has grown into one of the nation’s most successful mid-sized sports talk stations.
Calkins posted on X announcing the news Sunday morning.
“I’m giving up the radio show. Thanks to all y’all who listened, called, advertised, worked alongside me at 92.9 — and made it so much fun,” he said.
Over the years, his work earned national recognition and helped elevate the station’s profile well beyond the Memphis market.
“When I started in radio, it was mostly as a side gig, to help pay my bills,” Calkins said to the Daily Memphian. “But I grew to really love the daily conversation with the Memphis community. We’d take calls. We’d laugh a lot.”
Brad Carson, brand manager and operations manager for 92.9 FM ESPN, credited Calkins with shaping the station’s voice and mentoring many of the personalities now moving into larger roles.
“Geoff defined the brand through his ability to combine sharp sports storytelling with meaningful coverage of the Memphis community,” Carson said in a statement. “The foundation he built allows the next generation of talent to continue delivering the level of coverage our listeners expect.”
Some personal news: I'm giving up the radio show. Thanks to all y'all who listened, called, advertised, worked alongside me at 92.9 — and made it so much fun. Here's the DM story with more particulars: https://t.co/w5mvIG5q7g
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77 WABC has announced it is elevating Joe Concha to its daily lineup with a new show set to air in the nighttime window.
Concha, who already hosts a weekend show on the station that is nationally syndicated through Red Apple Audio Networks, will take over the 9-10 PM ET timeslot on the New York news/talk station.
Currently, that hour is occupied by Bill O’Reilly. There is no word on whether or not O’Reilly will shift to a different window on the station or if his relationship with 77 WABC has ended.
In addition to his radio work, Concha also serves as a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and is a contributor at Fox News.
“Joe is exactly the kind of smart, credible, non-nonsense voice we promised our listeners,” said 77 WABC owner John Catsimatidis. “Listeners trust Joe and his ratings success backs that up. We are delighted to add him to our weeknight programming.”
Concha will begin his show on Monday evening. His Sunday show, heard from 12-1 PM ET, as well as Joe Concha Sounds Off, his daily two-minute commentary vignette, will also continue in addition to his new weeknight program.
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The end of each year allows us an opportunity to relax, rewind, and reset. I value it because it affords me time to do things that are harder to tackle when I’m consulting clients and creating content. It also gives me a chance to clear my head, examine our company and our plans for the next 12 months, and step into the new year with renewed energy and focus.
But planning in business only works if what you’re counting on continues. If business grows or declines, you have to adjust. Partnerships and the people you work with change sometimes. Regardless of what happens around us, the brand has to move forward. Going backwards is not an option. Whether we’ve been a team of 1 or 24, I try to be transparent with our partners and audience. That continues today as I outline what lies ahead for Barrett Media in 2026.
Setting the Scene
Each December, I create three different plans for the year ahead. One shows how we will operate if we make heavier investments. The second shows how we’ll approach business if we stay flat. Option three details what has to change if reducing costs is required. After examining our revenue, partnerships, payroll, contracts, etc., we make a decision and do our best to support it.
We carry a lot of overhead for a brand our size covering a niche space. What we do is fun but we are still running a business that depends on being profitable. Like any business owner, I expect to grow. I review our content, traffic, newsletter statistics, social media analytics, advertising/consulting/affiliate partnerships, sales activity, and the individual performances of every writer. We can’t control market conditions or which industry changes provide high and low interest, but if our passion, effort, trust, and attention to detail are consistently strong, we’ll be just fine.
2025 Review
2025 can be summed up by one word, flat. For us, that was actually a positive. Consulting partnerships remained healthy, marketing partnerships were consistent, and our two Summit’s and the Barrett Bash hit all the right notes. Our web traffic was just 80K off our 2024 number despite three full-time editors/writers exiting. That’s a testament to the brand’s trust from the audience and John, Garrett and our crew doing a great job. Revenue and our newsletter database grew too, but so did our expenses. Being more prudent with our content expenses is a goal of mine for 2026.
Social media was a tale of two halves. January-July presented challenges due to lacking a point person, but August-December produced growth under Dylan Barrett. Early returns on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook were encouraging. Threads, Rumble and Bluesky were not. X remains important but the platform punishes publishers like us. LinkedIn is valuable for us in some ways, and less in others.
Digital Shows and Increased Video in 2026
We are launching two new digital shows in 2026. Others may follow later in the year. Stephanie, Dylan and I spent the past month building 4-5 studio sets in our home office. John, Garrett, Dylan and I have done a few tests, and have a few more to go. We plan to be more active on video in 2026. It will benefit industry professionals, our audience, and our advertising partners.
The 4Cast debuts the week of January 26-30. It will feature three members of the Barrett Media team and guests from inside the media industry. The goal is to tackle 4 issues per week in 20-25 minutes with each host leading different segments. The content will include a mix of sports, news, music and business.
The Jason Barrett Podcast is returning too. The first episode is planned for the week of February 9-13. Dylan Barrett, John Mamola and I are going to San Francisco for Super Bowl week to record episodes. We’ll also capture some Top 20 reactions on media row. If you’re making the trip, text me or email me at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
You will also see John Mamola, Garrett Searight and I appear for brief video commentaries on timely issues. We’re branding them as Quick Takes. There’s no set date for when they’ll start but keep your eyes open on social media.
YouTube will be our primary focus for our digital shows with audio versions available through Spotify, Apple, and the usual channels. The Barrett Media Minute and personality/executive clips will be pushed in 2026 too across our various platforms.
Top 20 Series Expansion
Our Top 20 series in sports, news and music radio is very popular. Decision makers take part in the voting process, which makes it matter more with folks who perform on-air. I’m excited to announce that the series will run in February 2026. Sports radio goes first February 2-6 and 9th. News/Talk is next, February 10-13 and 16-17. Music Radio takes us home February 18-20 and 23-27. Voters will be contacted in January regarding the voting process.
But that’s not all we’re doing with the Top 20 series in 2026. For the first-time ever, we’re spreading our wings to recognize other areas of the industry. We will run Top 20’s throughout the year recognizing top companies, executives, GM’s, agents, advertisers/agencies, record labels and much more.
The expansion starts with our first-ever Top 20 on Sports and News Television/Podcasting January 28-30. Voters will be contacted this week to take part in the process. When I write this column in January 2027, I’m confident the series will have produced larger attention than any other year.
Barrett Media Audio Summit
The 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit in NYC is going to be a hit. The three day event takes place June 30-July 2, 2026. News Media is featured on 6/30, Sports Media on 7/1, and Music Radio on 7/2. Our new venue, the SVA Theatre is fantastic. Tightening the content for one-day for each format will bring more people in the room and make it more efficient and affordable for attendees. Ticket prices are also reduced to incentivize industry folks to attend.
We are thankful for Point to Point Marketing‘s support as our Presenting Sponsor of the three-day event. We’ve also received tremendous support from Premiere Networks, Core Image Studio, and MRN Radio. Businesses interested in sponsorship details can contact Stephanie at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com.
For folks traveling to town, we’ll have details later this week or early next week regarding our hotel. Speakers will start getting announced in the next few weeks. I’ve received a ton of requests to speak and I appreciate the interest. As I’ve said before, we can’t accommodate everyone. I’m taking my time with the process because the goal is to deliver the best show and lineup possible. If you inquired about participating, I will follow up with you. Please just be patient.
Hiring
I’d like to add a FT Editor in early 2026. I’m just not sure yet if it will be a News Editor, Music Editor or FT Media News Writer. There are pros and cons to all three. Location, connections, writing style, passion for what we do, and ability to take direction are all vital. I can tell quickly who’s chasing a paycheck and who loves the business and covering it. If you enjoy writing, reporting, connecting, and being creative and busy, email Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
Adding PT support is not on my radar right now. We have a strong group of contributors. If the right Sports TV and/or Country Radio Columnist appeared we’d consider it. These aren’t roles for folks with minimal experience. We’re looking for a track record of industry success, and strong knowledge, connections, and opinions on the business. If you like our brand, fit the bill, and care to chat, email Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
Advertising Partnerships
A key goal of ours in 2026 is growing digital revenue. We do a lot well but have room for growth with direct and affiliate sales through our website, newsletters, and upcoming video/audio shows. Stephanie Eads and I juggle a ton, and there’s just too much to sell. We considered hiring a second seller but monetizing a brand like ours is different from traditional media advertising. Finding the right partner to sell our inventory across all digital spaces and syndicate our content online is a priority.
Brands with similar content and traffic, and less influential audience, generate higher revenues. Some of that is due to running more ads. I don’t care if we make more or less than others but I do want to make the most of our own opportunities. I’m not sure if we are.
We have a great partnership with Snack Media for our website’s affiliate marketing sales. Stephanie and I handle all of the direct business on the website, newsletters, conferences, and forthcoming digital shows. Having a partner who can sell across all areas is ideal. We’re going to review the options and see what makes the most sense to grow in 2026.
We’ll start taking conversations in January. The goal is to have a resolution in place by the end of Q1. Those capable of helping can inquire at Jason@BarrettMedia.com and Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com.
Feedback
Barrett Media has grown the past decade because of a strong bond with our audience and partners. If we’re doing things that you’d like to see more or less of, please let us know. We also accept guest submissions from professionals. If you work in the media business and have something of value to add, reach out to discuss.
I say this each year and I’m not sure if it’s received by those it’s intended for, but many companies across the media industry overvalue marketing externally and undervalue marketing internally. We can deliver your next executive, employee, advertising deal, expand your distribution, and improve your perception. Most of the groups who partner with us do so for years because we help grow their businesses. We can do the same for you. Maybe it’s time we set up a call to explore the possibilities.
Here’s to hoping everyone enjoys a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
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College football has always had issues with its postseason slate. How do you properly determine a national champion when you have more than 100 teams spread across ten major FBS conferences? It’s a formula the sport has wrestled with for decades in an effort to crown the best team each season. The College Football Playoff was the latest solution, yet the formula remains flawed.
One key difference between the College Football Playoff and previous methods of determining a national champion stands out. The Walt Disney Company and ESPN have owned the broadcast rights since the Playoff’s inception in 2015. For the past decade, ESPN has been the exclusive home of everything the College Football Playoff has become. That exclusivity is a sticking point for FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt.
Klatt argues that the College Football Playoff should not have a single television partner when it comes to presentation. However, in an era of fragmented sports viewership and a postseason format that continues to evolve, the fact that fans have one clear place to watch the Playoff may be the smartest decision the sport has made.
Klatt, who has worked for FOX Sports since 2013, is the latest voice to find fault with the College Football Playoff. Many critics have long suggested ESPN’s coverage carries a bias because of its ties to the SEC and other conferences. There is no fact-based evidence to support claims of bias in team selection or broadcast presentation. Instead, those arguments have become background noise for sports talk shows nationwide.
What makes Klatt’s latest critique different is that it targets ESPN directly rather than the Playoff itself. He argues that the Playoff, which has partnered exclusively with ESPN since 2015, chose “the wrong path when it comes to the presentation of the playoff.”
He continued, “There is no playoff that should be a single television partner. It just shouldn’t. Because the presentation is important, in particular, when you’re down to this point in the sport where you’re trying to showcase games.”
Presentation does matter. Klatt should understand that as FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst alongside Gus Johnson. But applying that logic to this season’s Playoff reveals some inconvenient truths.
The opening round featured one game on Friday night and three games scheduled back-to-back on Saturday. Alabama/Oklahoma and Miami (FL)/Texas A&M aired on ABC/ESPN, while Tulane/Ole Miss and James Madison/Oregon aired on TNT Sports. The TNT Sports games were part of a sublicense agreement between ESPN and TNT Sports.
At the same time, Klatt’s own network carried an NFL doubleheader that went head-to-head with the two Playoff games on TNT. Would FOX Sports really sideline NFL programming from a longstanding rights deal to air College Football Playoff games instead? Based on NFL viewership versus Playoff viewership, that’s an unrealistic expectation.
Yes, the NFL rotates the Super Bowl among networks. CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC all share the biggest annual telecast in American television.
The College Football Playoff is different.
ESPN offers multiple viewing experiences tailored to different audiences. It leans into next-generation statistics, alternative commentary feeds and personality-driven presentations. Can FOX Sports provide that same depth? CBS? NBC?
ESPN’s signature MegaCast coverage kicks off 2026 with the #CFBPlayoff Quarterfinals
Have those networks built the infrastructure that allows massive audiences to easily find and access those options?
Modern sports fans have made one thing clear. They want variety, choice, and don’t want a single, rigid broadcast experience. In that sense, Klatt is right about the importance of presentation, just not in the way he suggests. ESPN’s creativity and roster depth across its platforms make it uniquely equipped to deliver those choices under one umbrella.
To defend his stance, Klatt leaned on a familiar argument often used when criticizing ESPN.
“Let’s face it; it’d be better if every network was giving an A-level broadcast versus a single presenter, in particular when that single presenter has a deep relationship with just one conference within college football,” Klatt said.
Klatt followed that by saying he wasn’t trying to make this a FOX Sports-versus-ESPN issue. In practice, that’s exactly what it became. You can’t criticize a system for its ties and then claim those singular ties are irrelevant.
Every network has conference relationships. FOX Sports works closely with the Big Ten and Big 12. ESPN has ties to the SEC and ACC, along with the Big 12 and Big Ten. CBS Sports also maintains a relationship with the Big Ten.
ESPN is not an SEC-only network. It has carried the SEC, ACC, American, Big 12, Big Ten and, of course, MACtion. More importantly, when fans think about where to watch college football, ESPN remains the default destination.
That’s why the College Football Playoff, despite ongoing debates about its format, doesn’t need to alter its broadcast structure. In most sports, fans are now forced to search across platforms, channels and streaming services just to find a game. That fragmentation will only worsen as more bidders enter the marketplace.
Fans want consistency, and the numbers prove it.
Alabama/Oklahoma averaged 14.9 million viewers on ABC/ESPN, the highest-rated first-round Playoff game in the two years of the expanded 12-team format and the fifth-most watched game of the season. Miami (FL)/Texas A&M drew 14.8 million viewers to open Saturday’s slate, ranking sixth overall for the season. Seven of the ten most-watched college football games this year aired on ABC/ESPN.
At a time when sports media is splintering across cable channels, streaming apps and subscription tiers, the Playoff’s greatest strength may be its simplest one: clarity. Fans know where to go. Casual viewers know exactly what button to press. The data confirms that simplicity still wins.
The Playoff will continue to be tweaked, debated and occasionally broken. That’s part of college football’s DNA. But the argument that more broadcast partners would improve presentation misses what modern audiences actually value.
Fans don’t want to hunt for the biggest games. They want them delivered consistently and at scale. ESPN has done that and continues to do so. Its Super Bowl-level approach is why the partnership remains secure, while other networks may not treat the Playoff with the same priority.
For all its flaws, the College Football Playoff got this part right. Until viewership tells a different story, there’s no reason to fix what isn’t broken.
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Few hosts in the news/talk genre are as experienced as Salem Radio Network host Mike Gallagher.
The Ohio native has spent decades in the format, honing his craft at both the local level — in markets like Greenville/Spartanburg to New York City — and at the national level with Salem Radio Network.
And in that long career, Mike Gallagher said as much as things change in the format, they stay the same.
“Oddly enough, there’s such a constant that hasn’t changed — and I know it’s cliche — but content is everything,” said Gallagher. “So the only thing that has changed is the platforms and the environments where we are heard.”
Gallagher did note, however, that show prep and topic selection have changed dramatically during his career.
“With the advent of social media, it’s a lot easier to develop program content than it used to be,” he shared. “Back in the day, we used to have to find topics. We’d scour the newspapers and magazines to come up with a good talk topic. Now, all the talk topics find us. And these days it’s a matter of just getting all of it into a three-hour show.
“But it’s still the same formula. It’s still the same process. We still have to deliver exceptional content. Not only has that not changed, but it never will.”
The advent of social media, when it comes to the news/talk radio format, hasn’t been all positive, Mike Gallagher admitted.
“It helps the genre but hurts our mental well-being,” he said. “It’s the proverbial firehose coming at you 24/7. You never can get a break. It’s relentless. You go to bed glued to your phone or laptop. You wake up — my routine is to get up at 6:30 and go through all the sites that I use to prepare the show. It didn’t used to be that way.”
Despite the feeling of needing to be “on” at all times, Mike Gallagher said the expanded interaction opportunities have been great for getting a feel for what the audience expects from his Salem Radio Network show.
“It’s definitely helped,” he said. “It gives the audience way more variety, much more of a content-rich environment than it used to be. We just have to utilize all the tools. There’s just so much coming at you that you have to decide what works for your show and what doesn’t. I’m sure my formula isn’t the same as everybody else’s, but we all have to utilize the resources the best we can.”
Social and digital media now make news virtually instantaneous. Gone are the days of waiting for the morning newspaper and reading about the headlines from across the globe. That was put on display over the weekend with photos of U.S. military leaders circulated, showing the group had searched the term “Venezuela” on the X platform to see if the surprise nature of their mission to capture the nation’s president — Nicolas Maduro — had been compromised.
And while Gallagher said he didn’t prefer the current state of having all of the information in the world available at your fingertips, he did note the sheer difference in how the facet has changed since he first signed on the air.
“You had to see good talk topics. Now, we’re all pretty much talking about the same stuff,” he said of his fellow news/talk radio hosts. “There isn’t any discernment anymore. So, there’s these different challenges. Back then, you had to be creative. You had to find platforms that gave you good, compelling content. Now it’s just, how much can you absorb at one time? So, it’s just different. It’s a different skill set. It’s a different process.”
He admitted, however, that the process can be grating.
“I will say that I’m more tired than I’ve ever been,” The Mike Gallagher Show host shared. “I get worn out. And I find myself when I get off the air sometimes — in the early afternoon or even early evening — staring at the wall, just kind of decompressing, because I’m exhausted. It’s a nice problem to have. It beats digging ditches. But it’s certainly a challenge. It’s depressing because you can’t ever escape it. But look, it’s definitely a first-world problem.”
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Tony Dokoupil steps into the anchor chair of the CBS Evening News at a moment when the nightly broadcasts are searching for relevance as much as ratings.
In a video outlining how he plans to approach the job, Dokoupil offered a diagnosis many viewers will recognize. He argued the press too often listens to advocates, academics, and elites instead of the “average American,” and he pledged to re-center the broadcast on questions that matter to regular people.
It is an appealing sentiment. It is also where the first problem appears.
Dokoupil says he knows the disconnect because he has “been you.” He has felt the frustration of watching the news and not seeing his own life reflected back. That may be true on an emotional level. On a literal one, it strains credibility. Tony Dokoupil is not an average American, and neither is almost anyone working inside the walls of CBS News. That includes high-profile hires, star correspondents, and influential voices who help shape editorial culture (read: Bari Weiss).
Most people in national newsrooms live in major media markets. They earn well above the median income. They move in professional circles dominated by other journalists, executives, academics, and political actors, often with degrees from schools that the “average American” could only dream of attending — let alone afford.
That reality does not make them bad people or bad reporters. It does mean their lived experience diverges sharply from the audience they are now pledging to prioritize.
The term “average American” gets tossed around easily because it sounds virtuous. In practice, it is slippery. Who is that person? A factory worker in Ohio? A single mom in Montana? A small business owner in Georgia? A retiree in Arizona? The answers vary widely, and so do their concerns. If you do not regularly interact with those people, the risk is obvious. You end up guessing what matters to them, or worse, projecting your own assumptions onto them.
That makes designing a newscast for the “average American” a tall task. It is not impossible, but it requires more than good intentions. It demands deep listening, sustained engagement, and humility about what you do not know. Also, it requires a newsroom culture willing to admit that proximity to power can dull perspective. That is a hard admission for any outlet to make, let alone one with the history and prestige of CBS News.
There is another wrinkle worth considering. The cynic in me hears Dokoupil’s pledge and wonders how easily it could be interpreted as something else entirely. “Tell us what you want to hear, and we’ll tell that to you.” That may not be what he means. It is how the promise can sound in an era defined by intensely personalized content.
This is not a restaurant. News is not a menu where viewers pick only what tastes good. The job of a nightly newscast is not to serve as an echochamber or reinforce confirmation biases. Oftentimes, the most important stories are the ones audiences would rather skip. They are complex, unsettling, or inconvenient. Covering them anyway is not elitism. It is the core responsibility.
Balancing that responsibility with accessibility is the real challenge. Explaining issues clearly is different from avoiding them. Asking sharper questions is different from narrowing the scope. Serving viewers does not mean surrendering editorial judgment to focus groups or social media sentiment. When that line blurs, trust erodes rather than grows.
None of this is to suggest Tony Dokoupil lacks sincerity. I have no reason to think he doesn’t believe what he is saying. His frustration with media blind spots mirrors what many Americans feel. Acknowledging that gap is a necessary first step. Closing it is far more complicated than a mission statement or a launch video.
I am rooting for Tony Dokoupil and the CBS Evening News. A ratings resurgence would be good for the broadcast, the industry, and the country. Strong network news remains a civic good, even in a fractured media environment. Competition sharpens standards and expands reach.
Still, when the North Star guiding the program is flawed from the beginning, the journey becomes harder. If the premise rests on an incomplete understanding of who the “average American” is, the execution will suffer. That makes it unlikely this iteration of the CBS Evening News will be the one that returns CBS to dominance in the nightly news race.
Hope is warranted. Skepticism is, too.
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