Warner Bros. Discovery is going to need the approval of the Trump administration to push through a sale to either Netflix or Paramount Skydance in the coming months. President Donald Trump says he believes it’s “imperative” that CNN be sold as part of the deal.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Trump shared that he viewed the bidders of WBD as “some good companies”, before stating that any sale, in his view, must include CNN moving to a new organization.
“I think the people that have run CNN for the last, long period of time are a disgrace,” Trump said. “I think it’s imperative that CNN be sold, because you certainly wouldn’t want to put people, just leave those people with some money, good money, and CNN, so that they can spend even more money spreading poison, because it’s lies. It’s a disgrace.
“So I wouldn’t want to see the same company end up with CNN, the same company with money, because right now, they don’t have too much money,” continued Trump. “But they have value, I guess, based on the bids … But I think CNN should be sold because I think the people that are running CNN right now … are either corrupt or incompetent.”
Under the proposed terms of a deal with Netflix, CNN and the other cable networks owned by Warner Bros. Discovery would be spun off into a separate entity, while streaming giant would take ownership of the WBD TV studio, HBO, and the HBO Max streaming platform.
Paramount Skydance’s bid, meanwhile, would include ownership of CNN.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
The 2025 F1 season was the final campaign broadcast by ESPN, before the series moves its U.S. rights to Apple TV. It ended on a high note.
The average race audience for the 24-race season ended with 1.3 million viewers. That figure eclipsed the previous high of 1.21 million set on ESPN in 2022.
The season-ending race from Abu Dhabi earned an average of 1.5 million viewers, peaking at 1.8 million, according to figures from Nielsen.
In total, more than 16 events set viewership records in 2025. 21 of the 24 races held in 2025 saw an uptick in overall viewers. Only races held in Miami, Singapore, and Brazil did not see increases.
Over the eight-year run of ESPN broadcasting F1 events, viewership increased from an average of 554,000 to 1.3 million. That marks a 135% increase in total viewers.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Creating conferences has been an annual focus for Barrett Media since 2017. What started with a small group of sports programmers inside the Audacy Chicago building in 2018 has grown to a theater-style show uniting hundreds of professionals each year across the media industry. I’m proud of our growth but I never want the show to get stale. It has to remain fresh, exciting, informative, and important enough to attend. Otherwise, there’s no reason to do it.
Remaining interesting though requires rethinking the content, retooling sessions, changing speakers, and sometimes even changing the venue. We’ve run two shows per year since 2023 and making them work takes a lot of time and effort. After our 2025 events in Chicago and NYC and our 10-year anniversary party (Barrett Bash), I knew we needed to start writing a new chapter.
So that’s what we’re going to do in 2026.
Our Purpose and Goal
The brand’s mission is to educate, celebrate, unite, and challenge the media business. We try to put those words into action when we gather the industry at our shows. We are not backed by a large corporation so everything we do for this event is out of our own pocket. Fortunately, we have great support from partners who share our love and passion for the media industry. Without them, doing this would be difficult. We are grateful for every company who takes the ride with us.
Though media folks compete, they also have a lot in common. Access to information and accomplished people helps others learn, connect, and hopefully become more successful. In some cases, it even opens doors to career advancement. If in the process we can reinforce Barrett Media’s value and make a positive impression on partners and attendees, then we’ve done our job.
Most professionals go to events hoping to see their friends, business partners, and others they wish to build relationships with. But no company in 2025-2026 is footing the bill for you to hang out at the bar or mingle in the hallway. There has to be a professional benefit for attending. That means we have to deliver exceptional speakers, quality information and attractive presentations. It’s why I obsess over every detail from what appears on the screen to what’s displayed in the hallway. Perfection is an unrealistic expectation, but I don’t have it in me to not continue chasing it.
Freshening Up
As we look ahead to 2026, we’re making some changes to keep things fresh. First, the 2026 show will specifically focus on issues of importance to the Audio industry. We have tried for years to tackle everything for everyone and because the multiplatform universe has exploded, it’s made it easier to cross over into other lanes. I love that and plan to do more of it, but we must be laser focused on what matters to most inside the room. We’ve had internal conversations about creating future events around video, social, sales, etc., and that may be something we explore down the line. If we do, those will have a different focus. Until then, I want to super-serve those connected and committed to the Audio business. Podcasting is very much a part of that, just like radio.
Since 2023 we have run two separate conferences, one for sports media, and one for news media. We’ve had great attendance on Day-1, but Day-2 tends to get lighter. To expect executives, programmers, and other media pros to spend two-full days in a theater when business issues linger is a tall order. So rather than stretch out the show and ask folks to do what’s difficult, we’re going to prioritize the best stuff and focus on delivering one great day of content for each area of the industry.
Mark Your Calendars – June 30-July 2, 2026
After months of meetings, site visits, and weighing our options, I’m excited to announce the Barrett Media Audio Summit is coming to the SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street in New York City. The dates of the show are Tuesday June 30th, Wednesday July 1st, and Thursday July 2nd. Information about the conference will be updated on BarrettMedia.com. Just click the Summit tab up top. We’ve shut down the individual conference websites since it’s much easier to keep everything in one place, our main website.
Next year’s show will start with a full-day of news media sessions followed by an After Party on Tuesday June 30th. Wednesday July 1st will feature a full-day of sports media, followed by an After Party. We then cap it off on Thursday July 2nd with our very first Music Radio conference, and another After Party. This makes it easier for format pros to get in and out. If they prefer to stick around for multiple days to learn new information and meet new people, that’s an option too.
We know that 2025 has been an up and down year for many financially. We want it to be an easy decision to join us at our show. So to help, we’re lowering ticket prices to make attending more affordable. Folks will be able to buy a 1-Day Pass for $199.99, a 2-Day Pass for $324.99 or a 3-Day Pass for $399.99. Tickets go on-sale Monday December 15th. A special holiday sale will run December 15th thru December 31st. Tickets during those 16 days will cost $174.99, $299.99, and $374.99. This is the lowest they will be leading up to the conference.
I want to thank Premiere Networks for continuing to support our conferences. With music now included, awards ceremonies are planned for all three-days. They will close out each day of the show. Be advised that the Barrett Media Audio Summit is strictly for media industry professionals. The general public is not eligible to attend. However, we do welcome students to join us who are looking to work in the broadcasting business.
What Comes Next
A newsletter email blast will go out today to our database at 12pm ET. It will contain information about our speaker submission process. Though you may send in a request to speak, please understand that we can not accommodate all requests. It may also take a bit for us to follow up. We’re not going to rush decisions.
Each day’s event will feature 10 sessions and the Premiere Networks Awards ceremony. Those interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities can reach Stephanie Eads at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com. She can share what’s available and pass along our conference sponsorship deck.
If you haven’t attended one of our shows before, I hope you’ll consider it in 2026. I’d encourage you to ask someone else who has attended. I think most would tell you it’s worth your time. You can also visit the Barrett Media YouTube page to see video recaps of prior shows.
Putting these events together is hard. There’s a reason shows like this were less available when I was coming up. It’s a year-long process that involves scouting venues and hotels, selling sponsorships, booking speakers, finding and editing content, and creating presentations. We have to do that while simultaneously consulting, making sales, publishing daily content and newsletters, creating Top 20’s, hiring staff, managing payroll and collections, social media scheduling, building digital shows, etc..
How we manage to pull it off I don’t know, but we love this business. It’s why we sacrifice so much to do this. Showcasing the industry in strong fashion while tackling important issues is needed. We all want to be part of a business that continues to prosper. The best way to do that is by examining issues and identifying solutions with the best and brightest.
The focus shifts now to researching the right topics, securing partnerships, and lining up a stage full of talented and informed speakers. We’re excited to unite the industry again, and welcome our music radio friends to the show. The only bad part, now I have to get to work!
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Gary Bryan has spent more than two decades waking up Los Angeles with humor, heart, and an unmistakable pulse on the city he serves. But his path to K-EARTH 101 began long before he opened the mic in Southern California. “I came to K-EARTH in June of 2002,” he says. “Jay Coffey and Pat Duffy hired me, and Kevin Weatherly, who was Senior VP of Programming, had a big hand in it too.” A month later, Lisa Stanley joined him on the air, and the instant chemistry between the two became the foundation of one of L.A.’s most enduring morning shows.
Bryan’s résumé includes impressive major-market stops, KJR-FM in Seattle, KFRC in San Francisco, Z100 in New York. And Lisa brought her own pedigree after delivering entertainment news for Rick Dees on KIIS. “Lisa knows everybody in Hollywood,” Bryan says with a laugh. “Her dad wrote for Gilligan’s Island, so showbiz is in her DNA.”
Broadcasting in Los Angeles means playing on one of the biggest stages in American media, a market Bryan calls “the ADD Capital of the World.” With 15 million people in range of the K-EARTH signal, there’s always competition for attention. “From beaches to mountains to theme parks, you name it, there’s always something happening,” he says. “You have to fight for every second of focus. But the audience? They’re incredible. L.A. listeners are warm, funny, and family-oriented. Especially our Latino listeners. They’ll embrace you in a heartbeat—and once they do, they’re with you.”
Orange County also makes up a huge portion of their audience, bringing in a predominantly white and Asian listenership. “It’s a beautiful mix,” Bryan says. “If you can speak to everyone here, you’re doing something right.”
The show’s dynamic has remained one of its greatest strengths. “I’m the driver of the bus,” Bryan says, “and Lisa brings the attitude and everything happening in the entertainment world. She’s fearless.” Their producer, Brandon Castillo, adds the spark that keeps the energy bright. “Brandon’s in the studio with us all morning, tossing in punchlines and hitting drops,” Bryan says. “He keeps things loose.” Meanwhile, Crystal Zahler handles the phones and jumps on-air when the moment calls for it. “Crystal’s one of those people listeners just instantly like,” he adds.
The audience connection goes well beyond entertainment. K-EARTH has become a true community partner, something Bryan takes seriously. “We’re a working-class station,” he says. “The music is comfort food, but the companionship, that’s what keeps people coming back.” Every year, the team puts that mission into action with two major charity events: the July 4th USO Salute to the Troops at The Laugh Factory and the heart-tugging Knock Knock It’s Christmas holiday surprise for a deserving family. “Broadcasting live from a family’s home as we surprise them with gifts, a Christmas tree, Santa—it’s emotional,” Bryan says. “You hear the reaction in real time. It’s why we do radio.”
Prep for the show comes from both experience and curiosity. “Brandon and I write Radio Genius Show Prep together, it’s syndicated across the country,” Bryan explains. “We dig through dozens of sites, social media, and audio clips, and I write punchlines for everything. It’s a great workout for the brain.” Lisa, he says, “lives in the TMZ world 24/7,” ensuring the show is always plugged into the latest in entertainment and celebrity culture.
When major news hits, the show doesn’t hesitate to shift gears. During the Southern California wildfires, Bryan leaned on the strength of the entire local media ecosystem. “We pulled KNX reporters on the air live. They were fantastic,” he says. Later, the team hosted a Valentine’s Day event in Altadena called “Buy a Firefighter Breakfast,” drawing crowds of first responders and even musicians Mandy Moore’s husband and brother-in-law, who performed “I Love L.A.” live for the firefighters. “That was one of those moments where you go, ‘Yeah, this is why local radio matters.’”
Ask Bryan what radio is missing right now, and he doesn’t hesitate. “There aren’t enough crazy people in the business anymore,” he says, shaking his head. “Consolidation has made companies scared to take risks. Everyone’s so financially fragile that one wrong move can sink a whole company.” Still, he believes innovation is possible. “Radio has always thrived on new versions of old ideas. The ’80s were just a reinvention of the ’60s. The question is—what’s the next version? What can we do right now that no one’s thought of yet?”
Social media has become a surprising bright spot for the show, particularly considering K-EARTH’s adult audience. Bryan says the key is showing up consistently and tapping into moments that genuinely matter to listeners. “We had a ton of fun during the Dodgers postseason run. Brandon and I dyed our beards blue,” he laughs. “That blew up online. People want to feel like they’re part of the joke.”
As for attracting younger listeners, Bryan believes the industry needs to rethink its assumptions. “Young people want positivity,” he says. “Hope, energy, a future. But a lot of programmers are in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and they forget what that feels like. Don’t be afraid to program for young ears. If you build something fun and hopeful, they’ll come.”
Looking ahead, the show is gearing up for its annual Knock Knock It’s Christmas campaign, one of the most emotional parts of the year. “It brings the whole city together,” Bryan says. “We’re just lucky to be the ones who get to tell the story.”
You can follow Gary on X at @GaryBryanShow and on Instagram at @GaryBryan101.
Very often, the best lessons come from situations that didn’t work out exactly as planned. Twenty years ago, at Clear Channel (now iHeart), we had the vision that talent was the key to radio being a meaningful companion. Elvis Duran was crushing it in New York and being spread to Miami and other markets. Delilah was on nearly all of the company’s AC stations every night. Sean Compton was handling talent acquisition (he is now one of the most powerful people in television) and wanted a household name for female targeted morning radio. The decision was made to sign Whoopi Goldberg.
We launched the show with great fanfare and even better affiliates, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and more. After all, Whoopi was an EGOT (Emmy, Granny, Oscar, Tony) winner. Who wouldn’t want an award-winning household name in morning drive on their station?
Whoopi had a storied stage and screen career. And while she earned an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win for her role in the 1985 film Color Purple, most of the radio audience was expecting the Whoopi that made them laugh in Sister Act. However, her vision was a show more in line with what you see her doing today on The View. I can tell you from sitting in the studio most mornings, the audience wasn’t expecting that.
Oh, there were funny moments, and some great interviews and amazing stories. However, as we have come to learn, in a 9-minute listening occasion you have to be true to your brand. The number of listener calls that began “You’re so funny, Sister Act was my favorite movie of all time…” made me weary. Whoopi may have been the most talented person that I have ever worked with, but that was not enough to give her the ratings success that was expected.
No matter what kind of show you are doing, you need to ask “what is the listener expectation?”, and “what is MY brand?” In the same manner you would not expect Stephen A. Smith to host love songs, Charles Barkley to do Shakespeare or Delilah to emulate a shock jock, all 3 of those personalities have a brand, or expectation when you tune in to watch or listen to them.
So what’s your brand? What’s the basic plot of your show? If you are part of an ensemble, what role do you play? Once you’ve successfully answered those questions, you need to run all content through that filter. The guidelines are clear if you’re the “funny” show, or the “feel good” show. Things like politics are totally off the table.
On the other hand, shows like “The Breakfast Club” thrive on political issues and strong opinions. The show that put the great WFAN on the map was Mike and the Mad Dog. It just wasn’t the same after Chris went to SiriusXM. Mike screaming at listeners wasn’t as much fun as his rants at Chris who would scream back. The conflict between them drove New Yorkers to tune in. They knew their brand, their roles and fulfilled listener expectations every day.
I can’t tell you how many shows I’ve worked with where the personalities are unsure of their role, and what their on-air relationship should be with the other players on the show. Look at any long running successful TV show, the audience knows how each character will react to situations. Think about it, from “I Love Lucy” to “Everyone Loves Raymond”, the conflict between characters created great comedy. If you’re part of an ensemble show, or overseeing one, use this time at the end of the year to make sure each character is clearly defined and that they know their roles.
Sometimes as people work together over a period of time they adopt some of the same opinions and mannerisms of the others in the studio. Re-evaluation is needed. Did the young single change after marriage and parenthood and lose their edge? Shows like Elvis Duran and Dave Ryan have changed co-hosts over the years to stay relevant which keeps them winning. The great Kidd Kraddick was obsessed with show evolution to the point that when he passed away the show endured for years at the top of the ratings in Dallas.
Radio shows are just on the air for 20 hours a week. If your brand is strong though, you will stay on your listeners minds even when you’re not broadcasting. I assure you, people think about Howard Stern, Charlemagne Tha God, Delilah and Elvis Duran beyond their show times.
So…what’s YOUR brand?
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Off-Mic is a special 5-part series, created by Corey Dylan for Barrett Media. This series examines how to adjust if faced with unexpected job loss. Corey becomes a radio free agent later this month and is exploring her new way forward. Interested groups are encouraged to reach out by email at Contact@CoreyDylan.com. To submit ideas to Barrett Media for future considerations, please contact Jason@BarrettMedia.com. We can’t promise we will publish what’s turned in but we do review all submissions.
Let’s talk about paying the bills while you rebuild your career foundation.
Diversify Your Income
The gig economy rewards versatility and radio professionals have it in spades. Consider the following:
Voiceover work (commercials, e-learning, corporate narration, medical, animation, etc.)
Podcast editing or production
Freelance writing or social media strategy (sites like Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr)
Event hosting and emceeing
Talent coaching or on-camera training
Write an e-book. I wrote a book called “The Beginners Guide To Getting Into Voiceover”
Create a digital course
Start selling things you no longer need on Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, eBay, OfferUP
Rent out a room, parking, a room perfect for a photo session, or storage space you may have access to
Web Design
Start with short-term contracts. They often lead to lasting opportunities.
Think Like a Business
Set aside 30% of income for taxes. Use separate business accounts. Track invoices. Learn basic accounting or use a platform like Quickbooks. I’ve used it to track VO clients in the past and it’s an easy tool to keep track of invoices and outstanding payments. You are now your own enterprise.
Keep Learning
Take an online course in digital marketing, video editing, or AI audio production. Staying current gives you a competitive edge and new income streams. Everyone from Harvard to Stanford offers free courses on a long list of subjects. EdX, Coursera, Udemy, etc all offer courses you have to pay for in a variety of subjects like AI and you can earn a certification from a connected school or university.
Takeaway
Earning while you pivot isn’t just survival. It’s exploration. Freelance work can reveal passions you didn’t know you had. Many laid-off broadcasters are now thriving creators, producers, or consultants. I’ll say it again; The booming creator economy (projected over $400 billion by 2027) has room for every storyteller who knows how to engage an audience. And for every radio employee who thinks they’re “too old” to start over or build something new, there’s someone who has been working in their field just as long and they too are trying to figure out a path forward.
I’ve created a YouTube series called “Social Media Smart” where I’m teaching anyone over 40 how to use social media to stay relevant in the workplace, position themselves as a thought leader, and grow their careers. You can check it out down below.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
With the college football playoffs on the horizon, there is no better time to write about the media personality most associated with the collegiate game. Multimedia personality Paul Finebaum has become a college pigskin fixture known as the “Voice of the SEC.” Finebaum made his bones over two decades hosting a radio talk show in Alabama. Since 2014, he has been the prominent figure on the ESPN-owned SEC Network with his The Paul Finebaum Show.
Finebaum brings viewers all of his passion, anger, rancor, humor, and knowledge of SEC football and college football in general every day from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST on SEC Network. He can be described as controversial, parochial, and critical, but has become omnipresent at ESPN – a regular participant on many of the network’s shows especially when college football tops the news. Finebaum has created a tremendous network of coaches and sources. He has also burned some bridges with these coaches and sources with his candor. I’ve heard the highest level of NCAA football coaches praise Finebaum one week and despise him the next, which probably means he is doing his job.
Paul Finebaum hardly looks like a TV star. He looks more like a bespectacled Mr. Spacely from the Jetsons cartoon. Finebaum may resemble an accountant, but in truth, he is more accountable. The dude is up front with his views and hides from no one. Finebaum is what he is – the single most fearless college football commentator in the business. You don’t have to like Paul Finebaum, but you have to respect him. He is a veteran of the college football world. He has seen the game change over time and has commented on every single aspect of these changes.
Finebaum is more than a star, he is a star maker. Over the course of his career at ESPN, he has provided a forum for other college football commentators to ply their wares. Foundation ESPN talent Laura Rutledge came to a level of prominence as a guest on The Paul Finebaum Show. The open to Finebaum’s show is probably the most eclectic, fun, and varied on television with shots of players, coaches, mascots, and even Finebaum himself dancing. He even has his own theme song “Call Paul” sung by American Idol legend Taylor Hicks. It is a raucous and rowdy open to a sometimes raucous and rowdy show.
Finebaum always cares about his audience, but that doesn’t mean he always cares what they think. He doesn’t kiss butt, polish apples, or lick boots. He is confident, provocative, and one of the truly must-listens and must-watches on television. Finebaum has his own strong opinions, but he’s not afraid to listen to those of others while jousting and debating. He can play both curmudgeon and court jester, protagonist and prince, flame-thrower and fan. Finebaum is a college football chameleon. You want commentary? He’s your guy. You want inside info? He’s your guy. You want deep knowledge of the sport cultivated over decades? He’s your guy.
On The Paul Finebaum Show, the eponymous host changes roles throughout the program. He sets the tone for argument, but also lays back and enjoys the thoughts of others. I caught his December 8, 2025 show, which began with Finebaum ripping through some college football news. One of the stories was written by nbcsports.com writer Nicole Auerbach with the headline “The College Football Playoff committee ‘really screwed up’ this time.” Auerbach then joined Finebaum live via phone to talk about the article and the hits and misses of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee. Auerbach, incidentally, has developed into a tremendous on-air sports talent on multimedia platforms. She has a strong social media presence and continues to rise as a writer and commentator. Auerbach is always informed, on point, and vital in her comments.
Finebaum is also a media throwback. The Paul Finebaum Show still takes live calls from listeners during his show. This is refreshing as most mainstream sports talk shows, even the ones that air live, have completely eliminated the fan from the discourse. Conversely, Finebaum has constructed his own persona not only as the voice of the SEC, but as the voice of the college football fan.
Paul Finebaum is less glitz and more grit, less show biz and more straight talk, less frills and more facts. He takes calls from all over the country, listening to fans’ opinions, gripes, and comments. He’s not afraid to go toe-to-toe with them either. From Tuscaloosa to Tennessee, Arizona to Alabama, they call, they speak, they argue, and they enjoy the show. This is truly a fan-first college football show. Finebaum is great at interviewing celebrity guests, but at the core, he is about the grass roots of college football.
I love the way that Finebaum serves as the conductor on the train that is The Paul Finebaum Show. He has an almost a monotone and relaxed demeanor. Yet he can fly off the handle at any moment if the right buttons are pushed. This episode’s debate mostly centered around the agrees and disagrees with the CFP committee and their choices for the upcoming 12-team playoff. Finebaum just let the callers vent.
One caller, Zak from Rhode Island, really hit the nail on the head in complimenting Finebaum. To paraphrase, he talked about how Finebaum’s show brings college football fans a lot of joy and how it is inclusive, allowing a diverse collage of fans to voice their views. The caller also said that Finebaum brings dignity and respect to all of his callers, and he is correct. Whether it is a caller, a social media commentator, or a guest on the show, Finebaum is always ready to debate, but not denigrate. He is an old school media gentleman. He’s totally into an argument, but not in a way that becomes nasty or uncomfortable.
Later in this episode, Finebaum welcomed Hicks to the show as well as WWE wrestler AJ Styles, the latter to talk about the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event on Peacock featuring John Cena‘s final match. Finebaum’s guest list is as diverse as his callers who chime in from the deep south and industrial north, the most rural of areas and the most bustling of big cities.
The Paul Finebaum Show also shows clips from other shows and uses the topics as a springboard for discussion with callers. On this particular show, he ran a piece of an interview with Georgia head coach Kirby Smart from ESPN’s College Football Playoff Selection Show. These clips are a nice touch, serving as effective transitions from one topic to another. You may deify or despise him, adore or abhor him, but one thing is certain. If you are not watching and listening to Paul Finebaum, consider yourself one of those teams left out of the playoffs and missing out on all the fun and fanfare of college football.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
It’s Christmas time, but it really doesn’t feel like it. Stores like Target are taking it on the chin from African American consumers. That same group has its sights set on other outlets for forsaking efforts to be inclusive of the community. Not to mention ICE invading the streets of the community, wrestling American citizens to the ground, taking them away with no contact with their families. Yet you’re expected to play “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” on repeat. It feels like anything but Christmas.
I don’t relish playing the Grinch at Christmas time. What I do want to do is encourage you not to take a business-as-usual position. You don’t want to have your station’s head in the sand. A challenge, yes—but challenges can be good.
So what can you do to be in the season and the moment?
The first thing to consider is category architecture. How much Christmas music should you play, and when? A gradual ramp-up of music as we get closer to Christmas has always been the plan for urban radio. We’ve seen the race to be the first in the market with all Christmas music, seemingly to get stores in holiday mode and playing Christmas songs. I’m not sure how much that happens anymore though.
What got me on this subject was seeing a post on social media from a programmer suggesting full throttle on Christmas music now, staying clear of new Christmas titles, and ignoring the cries about playing the same Christmas songs over and over. Now, this is not about calling anyone out or saying someone is wrong. I do, however, think—there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
The old adage that you can’t please everybody is absolutely true. But you have to take the temperature of your audience. While some people will make it through the holiday fine, others will find it very hard. Some may not be feeling “Joy to the World,” and a little bit of hope may help. That could come in the form of something fresh in the way of new Christmas music.
What I’ve found in new Christmas releases from established artists is that they put the Black experience in the songs they write and perform. The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Kem, Ledisi, Boyz II Men—they’ve all made some amazing Christmas songs, not just the traditional titles.
These are times your listeners might not want to remember. Tapping into community traditions and culture may take the sting off trying days while still touching those who may not be as challenged this holiday.
Either way you go, I wish you a happy holiday. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Reach out on LinkedIn or at Ken@KenJohnsonMedia.com.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
News/talk radio executives have a choice to make in 2026. They can either keep waiting for the “right moment” to jump into digital video and on-demand content, or they can accept reality and start building a long-term foundation today.
The industry has talked for years about the importance of digital, but many leaders still treat it like an optional bonus rather than a core part of the business.
Some of that hesitation comes from a simple fear: they know they won’t be great at it right away. It feels safer to stick with what they’ve mastered. It also feels safer to avoid making mistakes in public on platforms like YouTube, Rumble, TikTok, or any of the other digital avenues audiences are using every day. But let me ask you something. What are you excellent at the moment you start doing it?
Hardly anyone is great immediately at anything. That applies to riding a bike, delivering a monologue, cooking dinner, or running a station. Digital content is no different. You won’t be excellent at video when you shoot your first one. You won’t be excellent at podcasts when you publish your first episode. You won’t be excellent at building a YouTube strategy when you sketch out your first plan. That’s fine. Excellence comes after reps, after mistakes, after course corrections, and after time.
The pace of that improvement speeds up only when you begin. Waiting does nothing but delay the moment where progress becomes noticeable. The longer you avoid digital work, the longer you postpone the benefits of doing it consistently. And the benefits are growing. They’re not shrinking. They’re not plateauing. They’re not fading into the background, so radio can return to the front of the line.
Ask yourself a simple question. Do you see any scenario in the next five or ten years where people use their phones less? Do you believe audiences will spend less time on the internet? I don’t. You don’t. Nobody paying attention does. Mobile consumption will rise. Digital viewing will rise. On-demand audio will rise. Younger listeners aren’t going to suddenly abandon streaming video so they can discover AM radio for the first time.
So why would any station leader continue avoiding digital content? If your shows aren’t already on YouTube or Rumble, what’s the holdup? If your team isn’t producing full, on-demand audio for every hour, what is the excuse? If you haven’t begun creating hyper-local podcasts that strengthen your brand, deepen your journalism, and serve your community, what are you waiting for?
You should be pushing your company to budget for digital in 2026. You should be training your hosts to think visually and think on demand. You should be fighting for the resources to hire a video producer or a podcast editor. The stations that win over the next decade will be the stations that adapt now, not the stations that hide from the new expectations of the job.
You don’t have to be excellent today. You have to be committed today. Excellence will follow as long as the commitment comes first. Start immediately. Do everything you can to move digital from the wish list to the priority list. You will not regret it.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Earlier this year, Newsweek and Salem Media Group reached an agreement to distribute The Josh Hammer Show.
It’s a match with great “synergy,” Newsweek’s Senior Editor-at-large, Josh Hammer, told Barrett Media.
“I’m a longtime big fan personally of Salem media properties. I’m an Orthodox Jew. I very much care deeply about authentic religious, traditional social conservatism, and trying to convey and espouse those norms.”
In fact, espousing these norms is a big part of his podcast, “trying to kind of re-anchor the American right of center at a time where a lot of things seemingly are in flux, trying to kind of re-anchor it in timeless eternal principles and eternal truths.”
Hammer, who published his first book, “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West,” this year, noted, “None of the show is scripted,” and intends to keep it that way.
His rise to conservative stardom and editorial influence began when he was a small child reading the paper with his grandfather. “It was my grandfather’s influence, probably more than anything else, that kind of shaped my appreciation of the role of media to shape stories,” Hammer said.
His grandfather was a lawyer turned newspaper publisher who owned a few regional outlets. “I have very fun childhood memories of poring over the Sunday New York Times with him, and I remember him introducing me to the concept of the editorial newspaper.”
Hammer was so enthralled with newspapers that he’d even look for the local papers on his family vacations “just to kind of see what the local newspaper looked like, what they were reporting on.”
Constantly immersed in media plus his love of law, Hammer went to Duke University, then the University of Chicago Law School. He worked as a clerk for a federal appeals court judge and published pieces of constitutional scholarship before joining the ranks of the Daily Wire and the Blaze. Then, in 2020, he joined Newsweek.
“I was hired initially to be the op-ed editor, which was in May 2020, around the same time that I started writing a weekly syndicated column. So kind of as my whole opinion commentary was going to the next phase,” Hammer, who is the cofounder of Jews Against Soros, recalled.
By the time The Josh Hammer Show launched in February of 2022, he was a well-established member of the conservative media circuit. “We immediately knew that we had to, at some point, partner with someone who could try to take us to the next level.”
Enter Lee Habeeb, the Vice President of Content for the Salem Media Group, the founder of American Private Radio, and the creator and founder/host of Our American Stories. “We kind of had this natural connection with Lee,” Hammer noted of his colleague. Habeeb and Hammer first met when Hammer joined Newsweek years before. “[My podcast was] able to kind of get on Salem’s radar and I think our first conversation with them happened in 2024.”
Hammer, who has years of experience editing op-eds beyond his Newsweek stint, brings his writing flair to listeners via his podcast. “One is, I think the most important thing that an editor is going to look for is an interesting, innovative argument. You’re not particularly interested in just republishing something that’s been said countless times before,” he explained when asked what makes a good op-ed.
Hammer, who is also Senior Counsel for the Article Three Project, added, “If you don’t have the reader’s attention within the first two to three sentences of reading the op-ed, that’s not going to go particularly well. Then you want to quickly transition into your actual argument. You want to have the ability to back that up, whether it’s with facts or interviews or data, whatever it is there. So these are the kinds of things that we look for.”
With these basic principles in mind, it is easy to see why Hammer does not need to “pull punches” and can boldly “just say what I think, very much including when that means taking on folks on my own so-called side.”
For those looking to follow in Hammer’s footsteps, he believes all you need is conviction and a little bit of confidence. “You have to have the genuine conviction and confidence that what you’re saying is you ardently believe it to be not only true, but valuable, because there’s no point in doing the broader kind of information commentary space as a profession unless you are truly ardently convinced that what you are saying is not just your personal truth, but is the capital T truth.”
He added that this truth “therefore has deep meaning for not just you personally, or not just your family, but for some broader community at large. So I think that’s number one.”
Once you’ve hit that mark, all you need to do is get your content out there. “It’s actually easier these days than it’s probably ever been. I mean, anybody can get on social media. Anybody can open a sub-stack. Anybody can open a YouTube channel,” Hammer affirmed. “There are virtually no barriers to entry these days, which is both a blessing and a curse, by the way.”
Lastly, Hammer believes “You should try to network as much as possible.” This networking is essential. “I can’t tell you the number of ways that my career has taken a fortuitous turn simply because I had made some connection and knew someone who reached out to me or offered something at the right time,” Hammer noted. “I have more stories like that than I could possibly count, and that’s kind of just the nature of the world. So that human angle is deeply important, really, no matter what your career is.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
