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How Michael Jordan’s Load Management With NBC Sports Ruins the Spectacle and Exposes the Hypocricy

John Mamola
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How Michael Jordan’s Load Management With NBC Sports Ruins the Spectacle and Exposes the Hypocricy

Michael Jordan is a lot of things. He’s considered the greatest player to ever play basketball—a generational icon for merging sports, business, and entertainment. His silhouette is the symbol of the largest shoe company in the world, and he even dabbles in ownership of a NASCAR racing team.

When “His Airness” announced he would be a special contributor to NBC Sports’ coverage of the NBA this season, many speculated on what exactly that meant. Could Jordan be a featured commentator on NBA broadcasts? Possibly a studio analyst or make satellite drop-ins on halftime coverage from his palatial Jordan estate?

Instead, what long-suffering basketball fans yearning for Jordan’s commentary on the current-day NBA and its players have gotten is a soft, pre-taped monologue served in drops. Jordan’s latest episode last week discussed load management—an interesting take from someone dictating to a massive network when and how he wants to be featured in that network’s coverage. Doesn’t that add a new title to Jordan’s prestige? A hypocrite.

On Monday, Front Office Sports reported that Jordan’s appearances on NBC Sports have yet to be finalized for the season. Sources told FOS that his taped and edited commentary could consist of three to four more interviews with Mike Tirico. With one source saying it’s “definitely more than one, but not fifteen either.”

Is Michael Jordan allowed to work his own schedule? Of course he is. He’s been controlling his own availability since his playing days, so why would today be any different? Jordan is controlling everything related to his appearances—from the taping schedule to the amount he’s willing to do. I would imagine he also has some role in the editing process as well. Given the check he’s being delivered from NBC for the interviews.

Evergreen Doesn’t Mean Good

However, we live in an age of instant gratification. Where people desire the latest hot take on the most recent event in sports. Not a canned three-minute conversation on load management that’s been debated for years. Wouldn’t something more current, like the NBA’s investigation into players shaving points for prop bets, be more attractive for a viewer? Wouldn’t that make more of an impact for the price Jordan is being paid?

Otherwise, what NBC Sports has provided their massive viewing audience are Instagram reels with no significance. They might be better served to release the full podcast as a Peacock exclusive. Driving subscriptions instead of wasting time during their halftime programming with aged, irrelevant content.

Outside of not having the taping schedule secured yet—which is extremely confusing for a network the size and scope of NBC Sports—to be so “willy-nilly” with their signature piece of coverage is puzzling.

And yes, Michael Jordan is NBC Sports’ signature piece of their NBA coverage.

Hypocricy

The more confusing part is the messaging from Jordan himself. In one episode, he talked about how his obligation is to “pay it forward” to the game of basketball. To be able to pass on messages of success and dedication to the game.

The second installment was his criticism of the concept of load management, saying that as an entertainer, it was his duty to perform on the court.

In essence, Michael Jordan is attempting to pay it forward as an obligation to the game that made him who he is. He also feels that as an entertainer, it’s his duty to entertain if people are paying to watch. Isn’t the entire act of taping an interview to be dribbled out week after week its own version of “load management”?

That’s where the hypocrisy comes in with Jordan’s approach to his work with NBC Sports. Surely, if Jordan felt the obligation to give back to the game and be available to perform for the paying public on NBC and Peacock, wouldn’t he be doing more with the platform he’s been given?

Jordan’s segments on NBC Sports are called MJ: Insights to Excellence—an interesting name for a series that so far features an old player simply criticizing how the game is played today versus how it was back then. Maybe instead, these bite-sized reels should be called MJ: Why No One Is Like Mike.

Just Release the Podcast

It makes me wonder: what’s the win here for NBC Sports for the money they’re paying out? Is this what the network wanted or expected from Jordan—a slow drip of useless, evergreen content that matters to no one? Surely, they have bigger plans in the future to utilize him in a more impactful and meaningful way.

However, if the reporting is true that they’re still unsettled on how many taped appearances he’ll make, maybe they don’t—and that’s unfortunate.

For as much as NBC Sports is leaning into the nostalgia of the NBA, the game itself is completely different from Jordan’s era of the 1990s. Players have more control over nearly every aspect of the game than ever before. Jordan’s era was still growing the sport into the places where the generation after his exit has taken it.

If Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady, and Derek Jeter can find time to discuss current-day league events, so can Michael Jordan.

Otherwise, the “Jordan load management” shown by himself reveals the hypocrisy behind his very inclusion on NBC Sports.

I guess Jordan is gonna Jordan.

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.

Why Success for Mike Valenti Lies in Doing Things His Way on 97.1 The Ticket

John Mamola
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Why Success for Mike Valenti Lies in Doing Things His Way on 97.1 The Ticket

Few talents in sports radio have the earned distinction of abiding their success to the chosen method of the singular self. In other words, achieving success through the decision to stand on their principles without wavering. No talent is perfect, and all make mistakes. However, the key to success for Mike Valenti is simple: remain true to who he is and never stray away from it.

“I’m a 45-year-old in an 85-year-old’s body,” joked Valenti. “If people are allowing you their time, the least you can do is offer them some honesty and integrity.”

The principles that Mike Valenti has built a two-decade career on hosting programming at Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket are the same ones he witnessed growing up in upstate New York. Sports radio was his calling from a young age when he was a devoted listener to Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN in New York City.

“I grew up on the golden age of radio as I see it, listening to Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN,” explained Valenti. “Mike & Chris, those are my radio heroes. It was just brutal honesty. I feel as an industry, at large, we’ve lost that. There are so many people on the air that are either completely or partially compromised—it’s jaw-dropping to me.”

Respecting the Listener

Valenti’s straight-shooter approach to his weekday program, The Valenti Show with Rico, has been a smashing success for the station. It’s a program built on respecting the listener with thought-provoking opinion, a community feel, and a no-nonsense approach to the local teams. His co-host, Rico Beard, told Barrett Media earlier this year he likened Valenti’s approach to a “serial killer,” a term of endearment that Valenti continues to pursue every weekday afternoon.

“You owe it to your listeners. They don’t care if you’re having a bad day—that’s not their problem, it’s your problem. Either figure out a way to work around it or find something else to do for a living,” explained Valenti. “If the experience isn’t adding something to their day, they aren’t going to be around long. They have choices. I owe them; that’s how this works.”

Valenti is a Detroit transplant who arrived in the area in 2004. A city that is often forgotten among the landscape of professional sports, Valenti believes Detroit has never been given a fair shake when it comes to sports radio.

He called Motown one of the top five sports cities in America, despite referencing the teams of the market as belonging to the listener and not himself.

“By and large, I want my audience to be happy. But I want them to understand that I’m always going to try and give you unfettered honesty. For me, I do root for my teams, but it opens me to get blasted. That’s fun,” said Valenti. “We have gotten so tribalistic, so nasty that people have lost the ability to have a good time with stuff. Sports is not real.”

Defining Effective Digital

Some consider Valenti a renegade in an industry that continues to push talent to do more with less. Valenti does not participate in social media on an individual basis but has one of the larger social platforms in the industry between his daily show, weekend football programs, and his Cash The Ticket podcast through Audacy.

He believes his time is as valuable as his listeners’ time, but he only allows the audience so much of it. Valenti never rests on his laurels and refuses to break away from doing things the way he intends to do them. He admits he’s made mistakes like any other talent but also finds ways to constantly improve his product—by working smarter, not harder.

“Radio guys inherently can be lazy. It drives me insane. We need to be in the business of ‘what more can I do?’” said Valenti. “We’re not in an explosive growth industry anymore. You need to plant your flag and provide as much quality content to your audience, not nonsense. Then deliver it to them on a plate.”

Never Compromising

Over the past two decades, Valenti has seen changes in how sports teams have been covered from an industry-wide view. He considers many within sports media to be compromised by the organizations they cover, with television networks falling in line as well. Although 97.1 The Ticket has partnerships with every local professional team, Valenti remains steadfast about not changing his approach despite any partnership.

“We won’t get them [team staff] on our show because they don’t want to expose their people to what we do,” explained Valenti. “I don’t think access is even necessary. It doesn’t matter. We have moved so far beyond the game story. They’re going to come on your show and not answer your questions. They’re going to outright lie to you. I choose not to play. There’s a reason why you’ve seen guests move to the podcast space, but even that’s getting compromised.”

While Valenti’s stance may seem foreign to many, the proof is in the substance. Valenti’s program continues to drive the audience both on the terrestrial and digital sides of content consumption.

“I’m going to do this one way—my way. In my view, it’s the right way. If people want bought-and-paid-for radio, there are plenty of places to go and get it. God bless. The day I’m gone, I’m sure we’ll find someone more team-friendly,” noted Valenti. “The average guy who’s working his ass off—I’ve never understood the concept of that guy wanting to be lied to. We as an industry have become propagandists. It’s nonsense, and I can’t and won’t do it.”

As passionate as Valenti feels about the sports radio industry, he also believes sports organizations are presenting conflicts by acquiring ownership stakes in television networks and sportsbooks, leading to an impression of a controlled narrative that he feels weakens the industry as a whole.

“It’s very simple: don’t p**s on my head and tell me it’s raining,” said Valenti. “The TV side of things is so far gone compared to radio; it’s jaw-dropping. The networks own the leagues now. You’ve got ESPN owned by the NFL, and ESPN runs a sportsbook. You have conflicts all over the place—it’s insanity to me. I’m so happy I don’t have a TV presence, and it’s probably why I don’t have one, because I don’t believe in that.”

Radio Has Problems

Just as he calls out a local franchise for a bad game plan, Valenti also believes radio as an industry has problems—from corporate station ownership making it more difficult for new players to enter, to how radio has forgotten how to develop talent.

“As an industry, we have lost the focus on this has been, is now, and forever will be a people business. This is a talent business. Your stars are going to drive the bus, but very few radio guys have business sense,” said Valenti. “Radio needs to look toward the past in order to guide its future. We have got to be better at identifying, acquiring, but more importantly, developing young talent. As an industry, we have done a completely reprehensible job developing young talent.”

For as successful as 97.1 The Ticket has been with Valenti at the helm, he recognizes the struggles of smaller markets owned by smaller broadcast companies. He noted that today’s industry climate has shifted the model from providing a proving ground for young talent in smaller markets to becoming one step closer to making people work for food.

“What we have to do is strip away the terms of radio and podcasting. It’s all content—we’re in the content game,” explained Valenti. “Radio has problems. We have to find better ways to elevate stars, produce products that make fiscal sense, and push forward. If we think rights deals are going to save us, they’re not. Those rights deals are now just trading inventory; the margins get even thinner. There’s no Pollyanna view—definitely not.”

Detroit vs Everybody

As for his future, Valenti couldn’t imagine doing what he does anywhere else. Although his dream was once to return to his home state and work for his first sports radio love at WFAN, he admits that may only remain a dream.

“I don’t think the right opportunity would make me leave, to be honest, because the game has changed so much,” said Valenti. “Quality of life trumps everything. You start to really recognize how short life is the further along your path you get.”

In 2016, Valenti was a high-profile name rumored to replace Mike Francesa following his first retirement. Although the opportunity didn’t work out as he intended, Valenti was approached again about the possibility years later privately but still remains in Detroit.

“I’m a rare breed in that I do things in a different way. I don’t think a lot of companies or program directors are going to want to bring that to the marketplace,” noted Valenti. “The audience has changed. The ability to go to a different market where all they’ve been fed is propaganda, and then you drop this blowtorch into the market—listeners will say, ‘This guy is saying things that are mean. I don’t like this person.’ It becomes difficult.”

Through it all, Valenti is comfortable in his own skin—remaining steadfast in doing things his way, standing on his principles, bowing to no one, and continuing to achieve new heights every day in the Motor City.

“Being me—it hasn’t been perfect. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and I’ll continue to make mistakes,” explained Valenti. “Being me has gotten me a hell of a long way in this life. I didn’t sell out. I’m just going to do it the way I want to do it. We’re all hired to be fired; my number will get called at some point. But I’m good with how I do 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.

News/Talk Radio Leaders Need to Pound the Table For FM Signals

Garrett Searight
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News/Talk Radio Leaders Need to Pound the Table For FM Signals

If you work in news/talk radio, you probably wish the AM band still mattered the way it did 25 years ago. Or maybe 35 years ago.

There’s a nostalgia in hoping AM can make a comeback. Unfortunately, that’s never going to happen — not in a way that makes it a viable, primary delivery method again. The time has come for news/talk radio leaders to stop hoping for a resurgence and start demanding a future. That future starts with full FM signals.

Sure, everyone loves the romantic idea of keeping AM alive. Some stations still do well there, and there are outliers that will continue to succeed. But those are the exceptions, not the rule.

For the overwhelming majority of news/talk brands, the only real way forward — to compete for listeners and advertising dollars — is to secure full FM coverage. Translators don’t count. Translators are a Band-Aid. They help a little, but they don’t replace what a full FM signal provides: legitimate reach, consistent audio quality, and listener convenience.

It’s not about abandoning AM altogether. It’s about acknowledging what it is — a legacy platform that now functions as a supplement, not the core of a brand. AM radio’s biggest advantage used to be reach. Truthfully, the advantage today of having an AM signal is positioning a brand as a heritage or legacy brand in the market by pointing to its history as being on the AM band for 90 or 100 years.

But now, the reach advantage has flipped. Fewer car manufacturers are including AM receivers. Smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, and smart home devices don’t default to AM stations. Even cars that still include AM radios bury them under multiple menu screens. If a listener has to scroll three layers deep just to find your station, that listener is gone.

This is anecdotal, but I turned 35 this year. That officially puts me inside the key demo for news/talk radio. And I’m not sure anyone I know could tell you how to get to the AM band in their car, let alone what their favorite AM radio station or personality is. It’s not that people in my age group don’t care about news or talk, they just don’t associate either with AM radio. The game has changed. Radio didn’t adapt fast enough, and now it’s playing catch-up.

Younger listeners consume content differently. They expect immediacy, accessibility, and quality audio. A crackly AM signal that fades the second you hit a bridge isn’t going to compete with Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or streaming video platforms. And while I could easily write 600 words about why your station should be live on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, Facebook, and X (and I have!), let’s take one step at a time. Before conquering digital, let’s fix what’s broken on the terrestrial side. That starts by pounding the table for a full FM signal — not a translator that barely covers half the market.

The irony is, most of the people working in news/talk radio already know this. Programmers, producers, and hosts see the trends every day. They know younger audiences aren’t tuning in through AM. They can see it in the ratings, the streaming numbers, and the engagement metrics online. But unless they’re the ones leading the charge for change inside their companies, it’s not going to happen. Corporate executives are focused on budgets, market clusters, and quarterly targets. They aren’t the ones in the trenches watching listeners drift away because they can’t get a clean signal.

So if you’re a PD, a producer, or a host, you can’t sit back and hope management figures this out. You can’t pull the ladder up behind you and hope that future programmers will figure out how to get people to listen to a station when you neglected to curate younger audiences.

You need to be the one insisting your station simulcasts on FM. Be the one who keeps bringing it up in meetings. Be the one who refuses to let leadership ignore it. Because the longer your station stays stuck on AM-only, the harder it will be to rebuild an audience that’s already forgotten how to find you.

Planning for 2026 is already underway. Budgets are being set, priorities are being established, and strategic goals are being written. Now is the time to make your demands. “Our station needs an FM simulcast — sooner rather than later.” That’s not just a wish list item anymore. It’s a survival strategy.

If news/talk radio wants a future, it has to stop clinging to the past — and start broadcasting where the listeners actually are.

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.

After 60 Minutes Interview with Donald Trump, Let’s Examine Line Between Editing and Manipulation

Lauren Ashburn
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After 60 Minutes Interview with Donald Trump, Let’s Examine Line Between Editing and Manipulation

“Pandemonium on Primetime! Trump Unleashed! 60 Minutes Eruption!” Bombastic headlines about Norah O’Donnell’s sit-down interview with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago blared across the pages of the internet. Opinions about the 60 Minutes interview on CBS, which lasted 73 minutes but was condensed to 27 minutes, are what you would think — divided along party lines.

But the behind-the-scenes slugfest revolved around what answers to put on the broadcast and what to leave on the cutting room floor.

Recently, these types of decisions have been called out by politicians—including Trump, who sued CBS and won at least $16 million for what he called “deceptive editing”—and are at the center of newsroom discussions around the world.

In this case, preemptively, CBS published the full-length version on YouTube, and the network made a full transcript available, saying the interview was “condensed for clarity.”

The scrutiny in recent months stems from Trump’s lawsuit against 60 Minutes for deceptive editing of a Kamala Harris interview right before the election. “CBS and 60 Minutes defrauded the public by doing something which has never, to this extent, been seen before,” he said.

It seems odd that he has gone back to the same program to be interviewed himself. But after all, this is a new CBS, with new corporate and news management. Trump only has rosy things to say about both Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, and David Ellison, son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, who has made clear he wants a new direction.

In September, CBS’ Face the Nation made the decision to only air live or live-to-tape interviews after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cried foul, saying the network misleadingly edited her comments about Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was illegally deported. After her complaint, CBS released the transcript and the unedited video.

It was a smart move that, in Trump’s interview, CBS released both without prompting. The network was willing to be transparent from the beginning, and it should be applauded. The curtain is unveiled, and all can see the masters of the media make decisions by comparing what was edited versus unedited.

The network omitted segments including topics about immigration raids, potential intervention in Venezuela, and the government shutdown, which Trump blamed on Democrats.

In all of my years editing pieces for time, it has been the journalists’ prerogative to trim the interview to make for a clearer and more cohesive segment. This is a good practice as long as it’s not a deliberate, deceptive manipulation of the interviewee’s words.

In 30-minute shows, reporters are usually given about two minutes to put together an interview. How else are you going to air a 20-minute conversation with a person if you are only allotted two minutes of air time?

I did this over and over again as I interviewed countless congressmen, presidents, and even rock stars in my 35 years in the business. I even edited out Billy Joel’s mean comments about me being a cub reporter.

Critics say the edited segments of Trump’s interview are politically significant and a shining example of bias. Others argue that the network should have editorial discretion to decide the most significant moments of the interview. There’s also the question of press freedom. When CBS settled the Kamala case, some saw it as capitulation to a strongman trying to manipulate the media.

According to The New Republic, President Trump didn’t seem concerned about the editing of the interview. “…in fact, he repeatedly told them it was OK to cut his answers short.” Of course, he knew his 73-minute interview would not air in a, well, 60-minute broadcast.

Left out of the broadcast interview was his praise of CBS’ leadership and ownership, his gloating that he won $16 million from the old network, the discussion of his pardon of Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the crypto exchange Binance, and comments questioning the integrity of the 2020 election. During these exchanges, he complimented CBS’ Weiss, saying she would do a “good job.”

Also omitted was a bit of back-and-forth about crime in Washington, D.C., where O’Donnell lives. He asked her the question about crime and said she should notice it. Then he told her, “You don’t have to use that one.” It didn’t air.

While he did threaten to walk out at one point, the bigger question was whether he would complain about the edits. So far, he hasn’t. The White House said in a statement it was a “powerful interview” that the president used to “showcase record stock market gains, global peace breakthroughs, and his unwavering commitment to law and order.”

Many others on both sides did complain, but not so much about the editing.

Megyn Kelly said O’Donnell was biased in her questions. “She loathes him. It was seeping out…every time he tried to make a point, she stepped on him.”

The Poynter Institute, a non-profit journalism school and research group, praised O’Donnell for staying “tough and on task.” Many conservative viewers were upset with the way O’Donnell addressed the president as “Mr. Trump.”

The Washington Post summarized how a published article about the interview was received. It said reader comments “overwhelmingly criticize the 60 Minutes interview with President Trump, focusing on his perceived dishonesty and lack of accountability. Many commenters express frustration with the interview’s format, suggesting it was more of a platform for Trump to spread misinformation without being challenged.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote on X, “Maybe I should file a complaint with the FCC against the Trump White House for editing his unhinged 60 Minutes interview…it will use the exact same language Trump lodged against Vice President Harris.”

The larger issue is whether editing for time will become a thing of the past. Will all shows make a decision like we saw on Face the Nation, where interviews will only be the length of time that will air on the broadcast? I hope not. The reason for lengthy interviews is to try to draw out of the subject more than rehearsed answers. Sometimes the best soundbites are the ones that happen when the person finally relaxes. And that takes time.

It’s a step forward that the network released all of the footage and the transcript so that viewers could see exactly what was left out and make decisions about whether 60 Minutes was fair to the most powerful person in the world. Norah O’Donnell was aggressive, but the lack of follow-ups that aired gave ammunition to those who wouldn’t be satisfied unless the president was left battered and bloodied.

Trump is a man who mostly receives extremely critical press from the mainstream media. But he seems to agree—for now—that this interview was a fair attempt at righting what he sees as media wrongs against him.

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.

Why Rap Music’s Billboard Chart Drop Signals a Bigger Industry Problem

Mike Gunz
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Why Rap Music’s Billboard Chart Drop Signals a Bigger Industry Problem

Rap music took quite the PR hit this past week after the once dominant music genre found itself trending for all the wrong reasons. For the first time in over three decades, not a single rap song ranked in the top 40 songs of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking an unbelievable 35-year streak.

One would have to go all the way back to February 1990 when Biz Markie’s classic “Just a Friend” sat outside the top 40 before breaking through to the #29 chart position just a week later. That would begin a run of at least one rap song in the top 40 for the next 35 years, eight months and three weeks. Things are turning around this week though with Megan Thee Stallion’s Lover Girl debuting at #38.

To be fair, Billboard did institute new chart rules, which removed older “recurrent” songs from the Hot 100 in order for newer songs to make the cut. But whereas other music genres and singles seized the opportunity, rap did not. That signified a “mic drop” of a realization to radio programmers, the music industry and fans that rap is in a rough spot and it may take some time to recover.

Rap’s Fall

Rap and hip hop’s decline has been going on for years.

In their most recent press release, Billboard reported that “the lack of rap songs in the Hot 100’s top 40 is the latest sign of a recent dip in rap’s commercial dominance,” while also citing that the genres’ market share fell from 30% in 2020 to 24% in 2025.

Across social media, many fans said they weren’t shocked at rap’s fall off the top 40 charts.

“Bro, have you seen this year’s XXL (Magazine)? Genre is dead,” tweeted one fan.

“Rap really needs that next wave to hit soon,” tweeted another.

Radio programmers however, find themselves in a bit more of a precarious situation however – there simply aren’t many popular rappers out there, especially younger ones.

During rap’s height throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the genre had massive stars such as Jay Z, Eminem, Nas, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne – even Nelly, that were able to bring the genre to a mainstream level with catchy hooks and infectious beats.

Now? Not so much.

“I will say, I’m concerned. 2025, 2016, 2017, 2018, those years felt magical. My concern is that the magic is gone,” Spotify’s creative director and Head of Urban Carl Cherry accurately predicted.

Although Kendrick Lamar was able to perform at last year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and is no doubt a star, his recent break in music has undoubtedly left a void to be filled that unfortunately for the rap industry, remains.

Other Genres Incorporating Rap For Their Own Benefit

There’s also the argument that rap music isn’t gone per se, but has just adapted thanks to other music genres utilizing it better than rappers did for themselves.

In recent years, country music has seen the rise of “country rap,” thanks to artists like Hardy, Jelly Roll and Kane Brown.

With the rock resurgence currently taking place, we’ve also seen the return of rap rock that I predict will only continue to grow in the coming months and years.

Limp Bizkit is back, after all.

“Rap music is still all over the top 40; it’s just not being made by rappers,” Stereogum’s Tom Breihan recently wrote.

Bad Bunny is currently one of the largest artists in the entire world (as he gears up for his own Super Bowl Halftime Show performance) and absolutely incorporates rap elements into his music.

What Rap Needs to Do

So, despite the headline and the hysteria, maybe the “essence” of rap music isn’t gone, but rather, it’s evolved with other genres taking the lead on it as the rap industry and rap music recalibrates.

With rap music’s longstanding cultural significance and importance, especially within cities, the genre will always be around.

However, you can be sure that radio programmers and the industry will be paying close attention to the coming months to see if rap can get out of its rut and start making hits again, instead of its’ current, often mocked “mumbling rap,” criticism.

For rap to return to relevance, the genre needs new strategies, fresh talent to pivot and perhaps a return of the more melodic and appealing side of the genre, as well as a determined effort to breakthrough and penetrate mainstream audiences with mass appeal.

That’s easier said than done, of course.

Otherwise, we will not see rap music significantly represented in the Billboard Top 40 for years to come.

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.

Why Audacy All-News Stations Like 1010 WINS Are Seeing Post-Election Year Resurgence

Garrett Searight
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Why Audacy All-News Stations Like 1010 WINS Are Seeing Post-Election Year Resurgence

2024 was a year for the history books in several different facets. That’s why the ratings improvement at Audacy all-news stations like 1010 WINS is all the more impressive.

In total, the company’s all-news brands have seen an 11% increase in listenership compared to 2024, with KCBS in San Francisco rising 17% and 1010 WINS improving by 22%.

And while one could attribute the success to the measurement change by Nielsen implemented at the start of the year, Audacy Senior Vice President of Research & Insights Ray Borelli says it’s deeper than that.

“We thought maybe it was just being driven by that,” Borelli said of the change to a three-minute qualifier. “But then we saw that the growth in the all-news format was outpacing most other formats in growth. That was one thing. And then we also wanted to make sure that it wasn’t, in particular, the fact that WCBS had signed off and 1010 WINS was just taking away (those previous listeners).

“WBCS signed off in August of ’24, so we waited until September to really take a look at this,” Borelli added.

“I thought that was the driver, but it’s not consistent across all our markets,” Borelli later shared of the data surrounding the three-minute qualifier … what it seems, to us, is that it’s more news-driven.”

He continued by noting that it’s his belief that the effects of cord-cutting by previous cable subscribers has been a benefit to the all-news genre.

“44% of the US population does not subscribe to any paid TV, including a streaming cable system. That declines your access to a local news station and local your local broadcast affiliate news falls off. We don’t have court cutting, so we’re still there. Our utility maintains or increases as penetration falls for them.”

A rapid decline in trust of news shared on social media has also helped stations like 1010 WINS grow in the ratings. For instance, 74% of respondents in a recent survey said they trust news they see on social media. That figure rises to 84% for local news radio, making it the most trusted news source.

“You used to go to used to go to Twitter when something used to break. And I think people are like, ‘Well, is this real or not? I need to go to a trusted source,'” Borelli said. “We’re seeing — and this is based on research — that our own news stations are seen as the most credible, the most trusted, and the least biased source of local news when compared to their local news on television and any sort of social media they access.

“What I know is that cable subs are down, trust in social media is down, and all news radio is up. We’re starting to put eyes on that now, to kind of really see that’s what that’s all about.”

It also isn’t like 2025 has been short on breaking news items. Wildfires in California, ICE raids in San Francisco and Chicago, the National Guard being deployed to large cities, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk have all been major events that have transpired this year.

But the fact that the ratings are up in a year following a presidential election year speaks volumes to the trust levels audiences have in all-news radio, Borelli believes.

“That’s where you’re going to go when you need the facts,” Borelli said of the format. “These are stations that have been around for 50, 60 years. We have a public license and a fiduciary responsibility to report the news. People don’t see it as biased at all, because we just report the facts. There’s no crossfire-type conversation happening on these stations. I think it all kind of ties very closely together.

“It’s been a strong news cycle, and you’re only going to go to a trusted source when it’s a big news cycle, and I think we’re advantaged by that.”

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.

CBS Sports Viewership for Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills Best Since 2007

BSM Staff
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CBS Sports Viewership for Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills Best Since 2007

CBS Sports continued its record-setting pace Sunday, delivering the network’s largest Week 9 NFL audience since the league returned to CBS in 1998, highlighted by the Chiefs-Bills matchup that drew nearly 31 million viewers.

The 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills became the most-watched “NFL on CBS” Week 9 game since 2007, when the 8-0 New England Patriots faced the 7-0 Indianapolis Colts.

According to Nielsen Big Data + Panel, the game attracted 30.838 million viewers, representing a 25% increase over last year’s comparable week, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys on November 10.

Buffalo’s victory also became the most-watched program of the week on any network, peaking at 35.199 million viewers. Sunday’s NFL doubleheader averaged 24.424 million viewers, marking CBS Sports’ strongest Week 9 viewership since the league returned to the network more than two decades ago.

Earlier in the day, the Colts-Steelers matchup at 1:00 p.m. ET recorded 18.556 million viewers, setting the network’s most-watched Week 9 regional game window since 1998. The combination of the doubleheader and the prime-time matchup contributed to CBS Sports achieving its best NFL viewership season-to-date since 1998, averaging 19.419 million viewers, up 6% from the same point last year.

The Week 9 surge follows CBS Sports’ broader strategy of pairing marquee matchups with consistent production quality, including on-air analysis from seasoned commentators and integration of interactive features across digital platforms.

The Chiefs-Bills game, in particular, benefited from both teams’ high rankings in the AFC and a late-season playoff narrative that has captured national attention over the past years.

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Pat McAfee on ESPN, YouTube TV Carriage Dispute: “You Guys Need To Figure This S**T Out Type of Situation”

BSM Staff
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Pat McAfee on ESPN, YouTube TV Carriage Dispute: “You Guys Need To Figure This S**T Out Type of Situation”

Pat McAfee, the former NFL punter turned sports media personality, is urging a swift resolution to the ongoing carriage dispute between The Walt Disney Company (who owns ESPN, the network McAfee’s show airs on) and YouTube TV. He’s calling the situation frustrating for fans and unnecessary for the networks involved.

“This ESPN YouTube TV thing is, like a real ‘you guys need to figure this s**t out type situation’ for sports fans,” McAfee said. “We [The Pat McAfee Show] were all kind of in agreement that that was going to get done before Monday Night Football.”

The dispute, which has left many fans unable to access ESPN content through YouTube TV. It has become a flashpoint for McAfee, who frequently comments on sports media business matters with candid, often blunt, observations.

McAfee also criticized the networks, including ESPN, for using on-air personalities to push viewers toward websites in attempts to influence the outcome of the carriage negotiations.

“We’re all done with it. Okay? Also, if you’re on TV, stop telling people to go to a website to save a multi-billion dollar deal,” McAfee said. “Nobody cares. There will be nothing that we say, or any website that will be visited that’ll get this thing done. Sports need each other. Need each other.”

He went on to note that such tactics, often framed as corporate strategy, only frustrate fans further.

“A lot of people saying ‘greedy corporations,’ yeah, need each other, especially with where sports are right now and we’re in the middle of it. Stop asking me to go to a website. Yeah, I don’t want to do that. So stop that. Doesn’t work at all. Reality of the world. All you’re doing is pissing everybody off even more. So, let’s just not do that,” exclaimed McAfee.

McAfee’s plea for cooperation extended beyond the networks’ marketing strategies, highlighting the broader role of sports as a cultural unifier.

“Let’s put our swords down. Let’s go and shake some hands over there. We need to be able to access this s**t easily. Sports are a unifier, man. Come on. We don’t want to hear about business bulls**t,” he said. “Now, granted. There is a lot of money being spent on a lot of things by both sides. Like a lot of money. Well, we got to survive. We got to survive.”

The dispute, which centers on carriage fees and contract terms. Leaves millions of YouTube TV subscribers without access to some of the most-watched sports and entertainment programming. It also underscores the growing tension between traditional content owners and digital distributors as streaming economics continue to reshape the media landscape.

Among the networks now dark on YouTube TV are ABC, ESPN, FX, Freeform, Disney Channel, National Geographic, and the ACC and SEC Networks. Spanish-language feeds including ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español, and Nat Geo Mundo were also removed.

To offset the blackout. YouTube TV is offering subscribers a $20 credit if Disney channels remain unavailable “for an extended period of time.” Though it did not specify how long that period might last.

This marks the third time in two months YouTube TV has found itself at an impasse with a major media company. The service narrowly avoided blackouts in separate disputes with both Fox and NBCUniversal earlier this year. With each case ultimately ending in a last-minute deal.

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Bill Simmons Reveals New Podcast Featuring Max Kellerman, Rich Paul on The Ringer

BSM Staff
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Bill Simmons Reveals New Podcast Featuring Max Kellerman, Rich Paul on The Ringer

The Ringer is set to expand its podcast portfolio with a new sports and culture show featuring former ESPN commentator Max Kellerman and sports agent Rich Paul, founder Bill Simmons announced Monday. The show is slated to launch later this month as a three-times-a-week video podcast.

Simmons described the project as a “conversation show” that blends sports analysis, culture commentary, and special guest appearances. The Ringer founder said he has long wanted to collaborate with Kellerma. That the timing finally worked out after Kellerman’s departure from ESPN and his subsequent Netflix boxing project.

“I’ve wanted to work with Max for a long, long time,” Simmons said on his own podcast. “When his ESPN stuff went the way that it did, and he was basically on the sidelines there for almost a year and a half, I was waiting for him to potentially become available. When it finally happened, we started talking.”

The concept of the show grew out of Kellerman’s longstanding friendship with Paul. Who Simmons said initially surprised him as a potential co-host due to his busy schedule managing Clutch Sports and other business ventures.

“I met with them and we went out to lunch and talked for two hours,” Simmons said. “Just watching the way they interacted, I became convinced these guys should have a show.”

According to Simmons, the chemistry between Kellerman and Paul will be a key driver for the podcast’s success. “When people have chemistry, that’s usually what makes a podcast work,” he said. “Over and over again, we’ve seen it back at Grantland, at The Ringer, all these different places. This is one that I really think is going to be a cool podcast.”

Simmons emphasized that the program will offer thoughtful perspectives. Seeking to “flip the sports talk thing on its head a little bit and bring some real thought perspective on sports, business, people, all these different things.”

Simmons also expressed confidence in the hosts’ ability to balance the podcast with their other professional commitments.

“Rich has a lot of commitments, but there’s a perspective he brings. Especially with Max, that I think is really unique for a podcast,” Simmons said.

The announcement marks the latest expansion of The Ringer’s growing audio and video offerings. Following a series of new shows and high-profile host additions. Simmons framed the upcoming program as part of a broader strategy to combine informed sports commentary with cultural insight, delivered in a style that has become a hallmark of The Ringer’s productions.

Last month, Netflix and Spotify have announced a new partnership to bring some of the digital audio company’s biggest podcasts to the video streaming platform next year.

Many of the podcasts included in the deal are from The Ringer, which was launched by Bill Simmons in 2016 and purchased by Spotify in 2020 for $250 million. The network’s roster features more than 50 programs, with Kellerman and Paul’s as the latest beginning later this month.

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102.7 VGS, 107.9 Coyote Country to Swap Frequencies in Las Vegas

BMM Staff
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102.7 VGS, 107.9 Coyote Country to Swap Frequencies in Las Vegas

Beasley Media Group has announced it was swapping frequencies for 102.7 VGS and 107.9 Coyote Country in Las Vegas.

The company announced that the change will take place at Midnight on Thursday, November 13th.

Coyote Country will move to the 102.7 FM position, a 99,000-watt Class C signal. Meanwhile, KVGS will return to 107.9 and its 100,000-watt Class C signal.

“We’re excited to return these legendary stations to their original frequencies,” said Beasley Media Group Las Vegas Regional Vice President AJ Lurie. “This change enhances our ability to deliver the best possible listening experience to our audiences and provides greater opportunities for our advertisers.”

The two brands originally swapped to their current positions in 2022.

Neither station will change formats, as the new 102.7 Coyote Country will continue in the new country genre, while the new 107.9 VGS will continue the Hot AC format.

“Both KCYE and KVGS have deep roots in this market,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Content Officer Justin Chase. “This frequency realignment allows us to build on their legacies and strengthen our overall presence in the Las Vegas community.”

In the most recent ratings available, KVGS was a 2.1 share in the 6+ demographic, while Coyote Country featured a 2.0 share in the same data set.

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.

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